Chapter 76: A Young Advertiser’s Surprise

As evening approached, the two of them left the City Library.

Xu Chen remained polite as he took Feng Qingqing to grab some small cakes and snacks.

Watching him pick out those pink little cakes, Xu Chen couldn’t help but wonder what Bing Ge’s reaction would be if he gave them to her.

Though once she started systematic training, her diet would be strictly controlled.

……

“I’ll walk you back to school since it’s on the way,” Xu Chen offered.

Feng Qingqing attended Experimental High School, which wasn’t far off.

His real worry was that she might suggest going to an Internet café instead.

He also hoped to find a tactful way to shake off Feng Qingqing’s assumptions about him…

“Sure.”

At dusk, they set off together toward Experimental High School.

Thinking of that beer-bellied coach Lu Qiang at Experimental High, Xu Chen couldn’t suppress a memory.

Coach Lu had been heartbroken when the champion seed Xie Bingran missed her shot.

He wondered how Bing Ge was doing up in the Provincial Capital.

Had she already started practicing hurdles…

As they passed a pharmacy, five or six suit-clad people with backpacks just stepped out.

The man at the front spotted Xu Chen and greeted him with a smile:

“Teacher Xu!”

Xu Chen looked up in surprise. It was Guo Liang, the distributor for HuiShuang Shenbao.

“General Manager Guo! Fancy meeting you here!”

“I’m out with the team stocking pharmacies. Teacher Xu’s big ad campaign is about to go live, so we need to get the product on shelves first!”

Guo Liang motioned to the group behind him.

“Come meet Teacher Xu – our blockbuster ad is his work!”

Four or five young marketers stepped forward and shook Xu Chen’s hand.

“Hello, Teacher Xu!”

“We never expected Teacher Xu…to be so young!”

“Yeah, when we saw the ad proposal, we thought it must have come from a seasoned expert!”

Xu Chen’s appearance as a high schooler clearly stunned the young pharma salespeople.

After all, the Shenbao ad didn’t look like something a high schooler could create.

Xu Chen felt sentimental. His first “blockbuster ad” since rebirth was nearly airing.

According to Guo Liang, it might hit TV as soon as next week.

Feng Qingqing, standing to the side, didn’t know who they were but caught enough to look surprised.

Xu Chen…actually made ads for others?!

And they called him “Teacher Xu”…

Her big eyes blinked in disbelief.

At eighteen, a senior in high school, Xu Chen could already advertise products?

He came from a good family and had decent grades…

Wasn’t that just too outstanding?!

By comparison, Feng Qingqing felt discouraged.

She had been so full of confidence herself.

Her family background wasn’t as good, and her grades weren’t as high…

He was already making ads and earning “Teacher Xu” fame.

At first she’d looked down on him, and now she felt foolish.

……

Xu Chen, unaware of Feng Qingqing’s thoughts, was busy joking with Guo Liang’s team.

Guo Liang was an important contact. He’d introduced Xu Chen to the Jin Kela ad.

As a sales veteran, Guo Liang was outgoing and knew market channels well. Xu Chen planned to bring him into his father’s company later.

But first, he needed to build their relationship.

Guo Liang spotted the pretty girl at his side and teased,

“Is she Teacher Xu’s girlfriend? She’s a real beauty!”

Xu Chen flushed and said,

“Oh no, no…just a friend.”

Guo Liang laughed, “Sorry, that was forward of me!”

Feng Qingqing’s face turned bright red, and a flicker of disappointment passed through her eyes.

After a few more casual words, Xu Chen bid them farewell.

Feng Qingqing followed him with a strange look.

“What kind of ad did you make for them?”

Xu Chen hesitated, unsure how to explain the “Good for Them, Good for Me” ad, and replied offhand,

“Just a simple product introduction…”

Feng Qingqing shot him a sharp look. “Don’t lie. Look how enthusiastic General Manager Guo was. It’s not just a simple introduction!”

Xu Chen chuckled twice and left it at that.

They passed a luggage shop when Xu Chen said,

“Wait a sec. I need to buy something.”

He went inside and picked out a dark brown leather backpack.

It wasn’t a big brand, but it looked roomy and sturdy.

Feng Qingqing asked,

“You’re changing backpacks?”

Xu Chen forced a smile and said,

“Oh…no. It’s for my girlfriend.”

Feng Qingqing blinked and turned away, disappointment clear.

Xu Chen thought that should make her give up.

He’d bought it for Xie Bingran, recalling her old, shabby bag.

……

They soon reached the gate of Experimental High School.

Xu Chen looked up at its façade – it was even grander than First High School.

In fact, Experimental High’s faculty and teaching methods outshone both First and Second High.

Its college entrance exam results and top-university placements were consistently better.

As the child of a leading official, it wasn’t surprising Feng Qingqing studied there.

Xu Chen walked her to the gate, ready to wave goodbye.

Feng Qingqing seemed awkward and pulled a booklet from her bag, extending it to him with both hands:

“Here’s the set I told you about last time. I bought a few; this one’s for you.”

Xu Chen glanced down. It was a finely printed collection of Nalan Ci.

He offered a hearty smile and took it.

“Thanks!”

He thought it was awkward that his online alias “Nalan Qingchuan” caused this misunderstanding.

……

After saying goodbye to Feng Qingqing, Xu Chen headed back toward First High School on foot.

Luckily, the two schools weren’t far apart, so he treated it as exercise.

As dusk deepened, he arrived at First High’s gate.

A young woman in a business suit holding a folder approached him, speaking in a thick Guangdong accent:

“Hello handsome, could you tell me how to get to McDonald’s?”

Xu Chen was puzzled to find someone from Guangdong in Tiancheng, but concluded she was on a business trip.

“Go south along this road, turn left at the first intersection, go straight and cross two more intersections, and McDonald’s will be on your left.”

She gestured, then repeated softly with a bow,

“Thank you, handsome!”

Xu Chen smiled and turned back toward the school.

At the gate, he glanced back and saw the woman join a group of similarly dressed colleagues by the roadside.

They all wore dark, sharp business suits – true corporate types…

“Come on, McDonald’s is just up ahead!”

“Wait for Fei Jie; she isn’t here yet.”

“Isn’t this First High School?

The teacher who submitted the ‘avoid internal heat’ proposal works here!”