Chapter 485: Business Deals and Morning Reflections

The next morning in the hotel restaurant.

At a table by the window, Xu Zhiquan, Xu Chen, and Guo Liang sat together, enjoying their breakfast.

Sun Aimi and Gu Xinxi were still in the buffet line picking out food.

Yesterday, Old Xu and Guo Liang had returned late at night, so they hadn’t woken Xu Chen.

Xu Chen chewed on half a fried dough stick and asked:

“How did things go with Mr. Jiang last night?”

Xu Zhiquan laughed heartily. “With my son handling Meng Huiyang, my talks went smoothly.”

Old Xu and Guo Liang ate while filling Xu Chen in on the details.

The channel partnership between “Chenfeng Technology” and “Datuo Car Dealership” was now finalized between Xu Zhiquan and Jiang Huaqin.

Next up, Guo Liang would coordinate with the “Datuo Car Dealership” team, and “Chenfeng Ice Power” would officially move in, using “Datuo”‘s stores to expand across the northern market.

Securing the largest electric bike dealer in the north, “Datuo”, meant “Aixing Car Dealership” would likely follow suit.

This cleared the way for “Chenfeng Electric Vehicles” to distribute throughout the north without major obstacles.

The pressure now shifted back to Yang Congxin, who needed to ramp up production.

Guo Liang added:

“Rivals like Aibang and Shenbiao will be furious when they hear about this.”

Xu Zhiquan smiled. “What can they do? With Datuo and Aixing locked in, we’re claiming their core market.”

Old Xu clearly felt emotional:

“What a milestone for our factory!”

Additionally, Xu Zhiquan and Guo Liang mentioned their deep conversation with Jiang Huaqin, who offered industry connections and resources.

This included production resources from Tianjin’s electric bike sector, helping “Chenfeng Electric Vehicles” cut costs and boost profits.

Of course, Jiang Huaqin was motivated by his own dealership’s interests.

Lower costs for “Chenfeng Electric Vehicles” meant more profit potential for “Datuo Car Dealership”.

As “Datuo” starts selling Chenfeng electric bikes, they might face supply restrictions from “Aibang” and “Shenbiao”.

So, the dealership’s earnings would need extra support from “Chenfeng”.

Xu Zhiquan lit a cigarette and continued:

“Jiang Huaqin really knows electric bikes after all those years in the business.

He gave some suggestions on Chenfeng’s design, and I’ve asked Director Yang to evaluate them.

Beyond minor tweaks, it’s about matching northern consumers’ preferences.

These are solid ideas for future product improvements—they’ll help us sell more vehicles.”

……

After breakfast, with some time to spare, Xu Zhiquan pulled Xu Chen aside to brew tea at another table.

They’d be parting ways today, probably not seeing each other for a couple of months.

Xu Zhiquan would head out with Guo Liang to Shimen City, scouting the market before visiting “Datuo Car Dealership” headquarters once Jiang Huaqin returned.

Meanwhile, Xu Chen had to oversee the “Cadillac” ad shoot that afternoon and then hurry back to Shanghai.

Old Xu hated to say goodbye, chatting a bit more before parting.

Xu Chen poured a full cup of tea for Xu Zhiquan, who reached to take it.

On Old Xu’s wrist was that Citizen watch.

It was a gift Xu Chen brought last year from Shanghai—nothing fancy, but the same model as Li Ka-shing’s.

Xu Chen thought about it; with “President Xu” rising, a Citizen watch no longer suited him.

Maybe it was time to get Old Xu something more impressive.

……

After finishing the tea, Old Xu squeezed his son’s shoulder and stood to leave.

Guo Liang had the car waiting in the lobby downstairs.

Xu Chen walked his father down and said goodbye to Guo Liang.

Old Xu got in the car, rolled down the window, and said:

“Make sure to eat well and exercise—get as fit as Ranran.”

“Okay.”

……

Ten minutes later, Xu Chen, Gu Xinxi, and Sun Aimi checked out and quickly grabbed a taxi to the photography studio in the HD district.

Luckily, it wasn’t far—about a half-hour drive.

Today was all about shooting static car footage inside the studio.

Starting tomorrow, they’d film the beasts and animals, traveling through Beijing, Sichuan Province, and Yangcheng.

They had to accommodate those key “actors” like rhinos, antelopes, and reindeer.

Xu Chen had left it all to reliable Sun Aimi and Gu Xinxi, so as the boss, he could head back for classes.

……

“The studio” was actually a large warehouse at a Cadillac dealer in the HD district.

With plenty of space and various models on hand, the director’s team set up a green screen, lights, and tracks to create a makeshift studio.

When Xu Chen and the others arrived, the crew was still arranging the cars for shooting.

Gu Xinxi contacted the director’s team liaison, and someone came out to greet them.

Stepping into the “big warehouse,” it was quite the setup.

A line of Cadillac models stood ready, waiting for the director to select for filming.

To match Xu Chen’s concept, all cars were pure black.

“The decline of masculinity is this era’s tragedy—good thing we have Cadillac…”

That row of Cadillacs exuded real masculine power.

The director came over—a bearded, burly guy.

Gu Xinxi and Sun Aimi had been coordinating with him for ages, so they jumped in with introductions.

The director’s name was Luo Jingchen, a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy’s directing department.

He’d dreamed of making movies but lacked connections, so he switched to ad directing.

Surprisingly, he became a well-known figure in the ad world over the years…

Xu Chen exchanged a few pleasantries with him and let him get back to work.

An assistant director showed Xu Chen to a simple rest tent equipped with monitors, snacks, and drinks—the standard setup.

As Gu Xinxi headed off to help, Xu Chen asked:

“Who’s from Cadillac coming today?”

Gu Xinxi: “Hua Shao Jie, or Jack, and he’ll bring a couple of subordinates.”

Hua Shao Jie was the one who saw Xu Chen’s Jeep ad and reached out to East Morning Star Advertising.

During the Cadillac pitch, he clashed with Sun Jing from sales, but Xu Chen’s smooth talking smoothed things over and secured the budget.

That’s how this ad project came about…

Xu Chen had a good impression of Hua Shao Jie—he understood branding and creativity, which is why he contacted them.

“Will Hua Shao Jie be on site for the next few days?” Xu Chen asked.

Gu Xinxi: “Jack will be here the whole time; travel’s all sorted.”

Xu Chen: “Then I need to let him know I’ll be out for the next few days.”

Gu Xinxi: “I already handled that for you, boss.”

Xu Chen: “Oh?”

Gu Xinxi: “Jack’s easy to work with. We’ve been fine-tuning the shoot details.

He’s really nice in person. I told him you couldn’t make it, and he was fine with it.”

Xu Chen smiled: “You’re the ultimate pro, Xinxi!”

……

Soon after, Hua Shao Jie arrived with his two young subordinates.

An assistant from the director’s team brought him over to greet “Young Xu Chen.”

“Long time no see, Young Xu!”

“Good to see you, Jack. It’s been since the holidays.”

Hua Shao Jie looked sharp as ever; you could tell he was fit and disciplined, likely a regular at the gym.

On the other side, Director Luo Jingchen hurried over to welcome the client.

Knowing they had work to do, the three leaders kept it brief.

“Prep and setup are done; we’ll test the lights and then roll cameras,” Luo Jingchen said with a smile.

……

Luo Jingchen was an experienced ad director, having shot several car commercials before.

With no animals involved today, he handled the scene effortlessly.

Xu Chen and Hua Shao Jie sat at the monitors, acting as vigilant overseers.

Hua Shao Jie, as the client, was especially thorough, scrutinizing every shot.

It made Xu Chen, who wanted to slack off, feel a bit guilty, so he perked up with some coffee and joined in.

An assistant director relayed their feedback instantly to the crew.

Xu Chen and Hua Shao Jie were in sync, their suggestions matching perfectly.

During a break, Xu Chen commented:

“I didn’t expect you, as the client, to know the production side so well!”

Hua Shao Jie chuckled and said:

“I started from the ground up, handling all the grunt work myself.

Now, handing it off feels odd.

It’s not about trust; I just can’t sit still.”

Xu Chen: “You’re one of the most hands-on clients I’ve met.”

He wasn’t just flattering; at a big firm like Cadillac, Hua Shao Jie could easily delegate, especially with his team here.

And those two young subordinates weren’t idle—they stuck by him, noting his every comment…

Hua Shao Jie looked at Xu Chen and smiled:

“You’re one of the top agency bosses I’ve worked with—your creative pitches and on-set insights always surprise me.”

Xu Chen joked:

“I’m like you—can’t help but worry over projects.”

The shoot proceeded smoothly.

Sun Aimi and Gu Xinxi worked diligently with the director’s team.

Watching Hua Shao Jie focused on the monitors, Xu Chen got a mischievous idea.

“Chenfeng Technology” needed someone to handle branding and marketing.

Guo Liang was covering it, but as a sales guy, he was stretched thin with channel expansion.

Hua Shao Jie seemed ideal—skilled, reliable, and willing to dive into details.

“Chenfeng Technology” really needed that kind of talent…

But would it appeal to someone like Hua Shao Jie, already a director at a major company?

Xu Chen pondered finding the right moment to discuss it.

Hua Shao Jie probably faced frustrations, like his beef with Sun Jing.

With his straightforward style, it might be wearing him down—that could be an opening.

Plus, as “Chenfeng” expands nationwide, branding budgets would grow…

These were potential draws for him.

Xu Chen hesitated a bit and decided to hold off.

He needed the perfect opportunity and more time to connect with Jack.

……

By evening, the shoot was wrapping up, and Xu Chen had to catch his flight.

Hua Shao Jie walked him out, all smiles.

Xu Chen apologized again and said:

“Don’t worry, Jack; I’ll monitor the next couple of days remotely. Xinxi will keep me updated.

I’ll handle the editing personally.”

Hua Shao Jie: “Great, appreciate it, Young Xu!”

……

……

The new week kicked off, and Xu Chen’s class load picked up.

He kept an eye on the “Cadillac” ad shoot, checking messages during lectures.

Gu Xinxi sent clips for his approval, and he gave feedback in the group chat so Hua Shao Jie could see it too.

Also, there was a VB computer exam this Friday—a must for the Tonghai University degree he couldn’t skip.

Though there were exams in March and September, Xu Chen wanted to nail it first try.

These days, he and classmates studied late in the computer lab.

And on the day of his exam, it was also Bing Ge’s turn at the National Athletics Championships in Rongcheng.

……