Chapter 424: Coming Out for a Kiss

Winter noon, the weather was clear, and the sky was a brilliant blue.

The conference room on the second floor of the Group-Buy Building was bathed in ample sunlight streaming through the windows, bringing warmth inside.

At this moment, over twenty brand owners sat in the conference room, their lips involuntarily curling into smiles, and they chuckled foolishly, barely able to close their mouths.

Some owners, easily amused, tried to hold back their laughter but ended up snorting like geese or pigs.

Damn it, they used to open branches outside, which couldn’t break even in half a year, and some were losing money until they closed down due to poor marketing.

Who would have thought that this time, they began making money before even opening their doors, with damn sales subsidies too.

I sell my products and you give me subsidies? Who the hell do I complain to about this?

Never seen business done this way; one must say, those in group-buying are saints.

Of course, the most fearsome is President Jiang, the great Buddha.

He dictates when the group-buying market will saturate and to where it will extend.

This can be explained with inside information since everyone knows group-buying is also eyeing national markets, and as an insider, President Jiang knows more than them.

But President Jiang deciding whom to fund or subsidize, that’s really odd.

Local bosses without internet marketing experience felt numb from President Jiang’s crafty maneuvers.

“Are all the tycoons here?”

“Then, let’s keep this meeting brief and discuss the issues of late-stage promotions.”

Jiang Qin entered the conference room, shut the door behind him and sat at the front of the table, followed closely by Wen Jinrui carrying his teacup.

At this point, the brand owners stifled their laughs, covering their mouths, trying hard to look serious, yet couldn’t help feeling like ‘my wife is having a baby.’

Seeing this, Boss Jiang couldn’t help but laugh, and soon everyone else joined in.

The second strategic marketing meeting of the month hadn’t started yet, and the conference room was already filled with laughter.

“Okay, okay, no more laughing. Let’s start talking business.”

“Our first wave of strategic marketing has already shown initial effects, which you must have felt. To summarize, it was very aggressive.”

“However, this isn’t a long-term plan, as market distortion is temporary. The industry will eventually return to its rightful state, where quality will prevail. So, in the coming days, everyone should focus on upgrading and training.”

“We’ll have a boutique plan later, but to forge iron, one must be strong.”

“Additionally, those wanting to expand into Shanghai can start preparing now. I’ll be making some bold moves there soon to help you with on-ground operations.”

“……”

Hearing this, the conference room buzzed with discussions.

The rapid penetration of the group-buying market led to reduced competition in first-tier cities, making Jiang Qin’s move to Shanghai peculiar.

“President Jiang, hasn’t the battleground for group-buying moved to lower-tier cities? With no conflicts, won’t promotion be difficult?”

“Yes, it has moved, but wherever I am, that becomes the new battleground.”

Actually, the calm in first-tier cities was due to a stabilized situation with few competitors. Those group-buying sites couldn’t just compete with themselves.

But Jiang Qin’s trip to Shanghai was to take over stealthily.

Everyone is heavily investing in second and third-tier cities, right? Great, first-tier cities are mine then.

The reason for choosing this time is that all group-buying sites are currently vulnerable.

LaShou and Nuomi spent a fortune to edge out Suixin Group, then madly expanded into lower-tier markets, likely depleting their funds.

They are now rapidly increasing city coverage to prepare for the next funding round.

Moreover, when this phase ends, the giants will have to step in. Jiang Qin needs to make an impact to intimidate the market and to show his capability to the eight great kings.

After the deployment meeting, Jiang Qin stretched lazily as he left the conference room and saw Su Nai waiting downstairs with an expression like heading to the gallows.

“Boss, I’m off to take my driving test. Wish me luck!”

“Remember to wear the seat belt, and don’t sit in the passenger seat. Also, when parking, stay calm and believe a little scrape gets you in.”

“……”

Su Nai made a face of utter resignation, climbed into Wei Lanlan’s BMW, and slowly drove away from the group-buy headquarters.

Jiang Qin also got into his car and returned to Linchuan University.

The weather had cleared up in recent days, and temperatures began to rise. The dorm-bound students, taking warmth from their rooms, couldn’t help but get restless and started falling in love left and right.

As soon as Jiang Qin returned to his dormitory, he was met with the strong smell of perfume and noticed Cao Guangyu dressed flamboyantly ready to leave, while Ren Ziqiang was fixing his hair with a curly side part, resembling the suave Xiao Shiyilang.

“Old Jiang, you’re back? Is it cold outside?”

“It’s okay.”

“You make it sound like it’s not even cold outside. Can people stand out there?”

Last year, Cao Guangyu and Ding Xue wandered half an hour in a snowy landscape. Returning, he kept asking to go to the restroom, fumbling and couldn’t find his ‘equipment,’ then caught a cold.

Jiang Qin thought for a moment: “I’m not sure how to describe it exactly. It’s fine for a kiss, but I wouldn’t recommend stripping. It’s not only indecent but also damn freezing.”

“？”

Does this count as not knowing how to describe? More like too damn descriptive, right?

After Jiang Qin’s utterly serious nonsense, both Cao Guangyu and Ren Ziqiang blushed, shouting and protesting, ‘Who the hell strips in snowy weather? We are all decent university students!’

Jiang Qin chuckled to himself, thinking, ‘It’s always the decent ones who do such things.’

Then the two left the dormitory, snickering with a trace of agitation in their eyes, fantasizing about something.

Meanwhile, Zhou Chao leaned back against a desk, his back against the edge and legs crossed, bathing in the gentle afternoon sunlight, holding a web novel like a deeply meditating monk.

“Chao, aren’t you going out for a walk? It’s quite nice and sunny today.”

“I can sunbathe right here in the dorm, and I’m alone. I wouldn’t know what to do outside anyway, not like Brother Cao and the others who could go for a kiss to warm up.”

Jiang Qin opened his computer: “Actually, you shouldn’t envy Old Cao and Old Ren. What’s the use of wasting youth on love affairs? It costs gifts and time together, taking away all your personal space. The clearest thinkers in this dorm are just you and me!”

Zhou Chao paused for a moment, then looked at the web novel in his hand: “Old Jiang, I’m wasting time on web novels, isn’t that even more useless? At least they got a wife and might end up with a chubby kid.”

“Not necessarily. Maybe you could become a web novelist yourself someday. What good is a successful love life? It only involves buying gifts and spending time together, leaving no space for oneself. We in this dorm are the only clear-headed ones!”

“That’s true!”

Zhou Chao closed the book, suddenly spirited: “I’ve actually been contemplating a web novel. I think I can write as well as anyone else.”

“See, that’s an achievement. Once you become a noted web novelist, they’ll still be doting over their darlings.”

“Old Jiang, tell me more.”

Jiang Qin stood up and opened his wardrobe, changing into another outfit: “I’ll tell you more when I get back.”

Zhou Chao was startled: “Didn’t you just get back? Are you going out again?”

“I’m heading to Shanghai for a business trip soon, and it’ll be a long one. I need to please my girlfriend first to keep her from feeling sad.”

“……”

As Jiang Qin dressed, he clicked ‘Shutdown,’ his QQ chat box still open on his desktop screen.

【Little rich girl, I’m about to travel. Coming out for a kiss.】

He actually meant to type ‘coming out for dinner,’ but since Zhou Chao mentioned kissing to warm up, he mistyped and didn’t notice his mistake due to getting distracted.

Anyway, even if he noticed, it wouldn’t matter; QQ at that time didn’t have a message recall feature.

“Keep reading the novel. I’ll cheer up Feng Nanshu and be right back to continue discussing the benefits of our bachelor life.”

Jiang Qin dropped these words and rushed out of the dormitory.

Meanwhile, Zhou Chao was speechless, twitching, thinking, isn’t this ridiculous? You all claim web novels are better than dating, but as soon as you get the chance, you all rush out to go on dates, damn it!

Meanwhile, in girls’ dorm 503, Feng Nanshu was bustling between the balcony and the room in her Rilakkuma pajamas.

Since it was the weekend, her dorm mates were all in bed, chasing dramas and reading novels, snug and cosy.

When they saw Feng Nanshu quickly changing into her leather shoes, they perked up immediately.

Everyone knew Feng Nanshu was devoted to her husband. Not only real sightings, even news about her husband got her insanely hooked, so a sudden change of clothes meant he was here again.

“Is Jiang Qin taking you out again?”

“Yeah.”

Feng Nanshu answered softly and then silently added to herself, I’m going out to kiss my dear friend.

She was dressed in a white Moncler cropped down jacket and high-waisted black jeans, her buttocks pert and rounded, her legs slender and long.

Then, like a chic lady, she walked briskly downstairs toward the second cafeteria.

Pushing aside the army-green thermal curtains, Feng Nanshu saw Jiang Qin waiting at a table close to the heater, the second row from the front. He had ordered lots of her favorites.

“Brother.”

“Hmm, let’s eat.”

Feng Nanshu was fed a bite of twice-cooked pork, then chewed obediently, her eyes scanning the table, not spotting any roasted sweet potatoes or mooncakes.

She wondered when they could share a kiss but didn’t dare to ask. Instead, she opened her mouth to eat all the food Jiang Qin offered, like a silly, hoarding hamster.