Chapter 114: Waiting for the Pitch

On the airport TV, the sports channel was reporting news:

“The National Youth Track and Field Championships are happening now in Shanghai…”

“This event also serves as the selection trials for the World Youth Championships, open to athletes aged 16 to 19…”

“Young track and field talents from across the country have gathered at Shanghai Stadium…”

“It’s said that most of today’s top domestic runners first made their mark here and were selected for the National Team…”

Xu Chen tilted his head to watch the broadcast, listening intently.

Fang Jun had just reached the Starbucks entrance when he noticed Xu Chen lagging behind. He came over and looked up at the screen, too.

Seeing it was sports news, his interest quickly faded.

He glanced at Xu Chen and said,

“What coffee do you want? My treat.”

Right after he spoke, Fang Jun realized this was Xu Chen’s first time in Shanghai. He probably hadn’t even been to Starbucks.

In fact, it was 2006—there wasn’t even a Starbucks in the provincial capital yet, let alone a small county town like Tiancheng…

If you asked him what to order, Xu Chen likely wouldn’t know how to answer.

When Xu Chen stayed focused on the screen without responding, Fang Jun added,

“I’ll order a latte for you…”

In coffee circles, a latte was the universal safe choice: pure coffee topped with milk.

Just as Fang Jun turned to head inside, Xu Chen spoke up,

“Just get me an Earl Grey tea…”

He didn’t even look back, his eyes fixed on the TV above.

Fang Jun paused in surprise, then turned and went inside.

At the counter, she looked up at the menu and finally spotted the words “Earl Grey Tea” in the bottom corner.

Frowning slightly, she couldn’t help but wonder.

Almost everyone who came to Starbucks ordered coffee.

Fang Jun herself had no idea Earl Grey was even on the menu.

How did a high schooler visiting Shanghai for the first time know about it?

He said it so casually, like he’d ordered it a hundred times before…

Meanwhile, Xu Chen hadn’t noticed Fang Jun’s confusion and continued staring at the screen.

On TV, coverage of the National Youth Track and Field Championships went on. Xu Chen watched with rapt attention.

He’d been right to trust Xie Bingran’s prediction: once Bing Ge won a medal here, he’d almost certainly make the National Team.

Xu Chen had no doubts about Xie Bingran’s talent.

All she ever lacked was the chance to step onto the track.

The host, microphone in hand, was interviewing a group of athletes preparing for the competition.

She was talking to a local Shanghai sprinter.

The backdrop was a training ground where several athletes practiced on the field.

Suddenly, a familiar figure strode into view in the background.

Xu Chen focused and confirmed it was Teacher Chen Ming…

A few others followed him into frame. Xu Chen recognized Tian Chaorui—nicknamed “Biaozi”—and PE teacher Tian Fangfang.

And then…

He saw Bing Ge in a black tracksuit, a brown leather backpack slung over his shoulder.

Xie Bingran had his hands in his pockets, head bowed slightly, his cropped bangs shading his expression.

He carried himself with a fierce, swaggering confidence even at a casual walk.

Xu Chen couldn’t help but smile.

But in just a second, Bing Ge vanished from the TV interview backdrop…

Xie Bingran had no idea he’d appeared on screen, let alone that Xu Chen had spotted him.

In fact, Xie Bingran didn’t even know Xu Chen was in Shanghai.

Still, Xu Chen felt a surge of joy seeing Bing Ge on TV.

At that moment, Bing Ge was nothing more than a distant passerby in the shot, his face barely visible.

But Xu Chen was certain that before long, Bing Ge would fill the entire frame.

…

…

Xu Chen stepped into the shop. Fang Jun had already claimed a corner table with two drinks waiting.

“Here’s your Earl Grey.” Fang Jun said.

“Thanks, Teacher Fang!” Xu Chen smiled, lifted the lid off the cup, and let it cool.

Fang Jun couldn’t hide her curiosity and asked,

“You don’t like coffee?”

Xu Chen smiled, “I’m afraid I’ll get addicted to caffeine…tea can be addictive too, but it’s a bit safer.”

He said it casually, half joking.

In his previous life, as an overworked salaryman burning the midnight oil, he’d practically lived on cigarettes and coffee.

Smoking had wrecked his health, so after rebirth he’d never touched it again.

But once he got hooked on coffee, skipping it left him dizzy and listless.

Since rebirth gave him a fresh start, he’d avoid anything that might control him—especially caffeine.

Why let a drink dictate your life, he thought.

Xu Chen’s phone vibrated. He flipped it open to read a message:

【Teacher Xu Chen, please wait a moment. I’m still in a meeting. I’ll call you when it’s over.】

It was from Gu Xinxi, a female colleague in Renhe Pharmaceuticals’ marketing department.

She’d been Guo Liang’s junior apprentice before transferring to Renhe and was now handling the Fuyan Jie pitch project.

Xu Chen could join the pitch only because Guo Liang had put in a good word through Gu Xinxi.

He had some questions about tomorrow’s pitch, so he’d asked Guo Liang to get Gu Xinxi in touch.

Fang Jun sipped her Flat White and said,

“I just looked up those companies on my phone…”

Xu Chen: “Which ones?”

Fang Jun: “The ones you saw on your computer—the firms you’re pitching against tomorrow, like Shengshi Great Wall.”

Xu Chen smiled and took a warm sip of his tea.

Fang Jun: “I still can’t believe it…

There are international giants and publicly traded companies with hundreds of staff.

And here you are, a one-man ad agency registered in Tiancheng—you really think you can compete?”

Xu Chen just smiled,

“So, do you want me to win this pitch or lose it?”

Fang Jun lowered her head and fell silent.

That was a tough question.

For Fang Jun, answering it wasn’t easy.

Her answer would decide whether she joined Xu Zhiquan’s company…

After a moment, Xu Chen’s phone buzzed again:

【Teacher Xu Chen, my meeting’s over. I’m calling you now!】

【Okay.】

A few seconds later, Gu Xinxi’s call came through.

Xu Chen answered.

He paused, then switched to speakerphone.

Since Fang Jun was going to “keep an eye on him,” he might as well include her.

“Hello, Teacher Xu Chen here. This is Gu Xinxi!”

“Hello, Teacher Gu. Please call me Xu Chen.

This is Teacher Fang Jun from my agency, too.”

Fang Jun froze, looked up at Xu Chen.

He winked at her.

After a beat, Fang Jun spoke into the phone,

“Hello, Teacher Gu. I’m Fang Jun…”

They exchanged greetings and dove straight into business.

Xu Chen’s key questions covered two areas: the competing agencies’ profiles and the pitch panel’s composition.

Since both were public information, Gu Xinxi didn’t hold anything back.

He gleaned some useful details.

Renhe invited the foreign 4A agency Shengshi Great Wall because a senior executive believed “outsiders speak sweeter” and held foreign agencies in high regard.

They even set aside a pitch fee for Shengshi Great Wall,

meaning the fee would be paid whether or not they won the contract.

Xu Chen found it a bit frustrating.

In the late 2000s, domestic companies still wore rose-tinted glasses toward foreign agencies.

They thought ads by foreign firms were stylish, high-end, and superior.

Meanwhile, local agencies were dismissed as cheap and tacky.

Many consumers shared that bias…

Until some companies hired foreign firms, ran their campaigns, and saw dismal results.

They realized those overseas creatives knew little about China’s vast lower-tier market.

Sitting in sleek offices sipping lattes, Western and Hong Kong–Taiwan creatives couldn’t relate to ordinary Chinese consumers.

Their ads looked premium and fresh but failed to move the domestic audience…

They excelled at auto, beauty, and beverage campaigns but faltered on products for lower-tier markets—like many medical products.

Advertising is, after all, a performance-driven industry judged by sales uplift.

After a few setbacks, domestic brands finally broke their foreign-agency obsession and turned to local creatives.

That shift took years. For now, Renhe’s reverence for foreign firms and invitation to Shengshi Great Wall made sense.

But for Xu Chen, it was a factor to address in his pitch.

If the client favored foreign agencies, he’d need targeted strategies and talking points to sway them.

Nanyue Advertising got an invite mainly for its media resources.

Meigao Creative and Black Duke Marketing were up for their pharmaceutical expertise, just as Xu Chen expected.

East Morning Star Advertising was invited because “what’s good for them is good for me.”

Their HuiShuang Shenbao campaign had driven a sales spike and become a hot case study in the health supplement industry.

Many pharma companies were asking who created that ad and which creatives were behind it.

When Renhe’s marketing director learned East Morning Star Advertising led that Shenbao campaign, he extended the pitch invitation without hesitation.

…

Xu Chen’s second concern was the pitch evaluation team, which numbered five.

Three were internal: the VP overseeing marketing, channels, and sales; the marketing director; and the sales director.

Renhe had also invited two external experts: an advertising professor from a local Shanghai university and a medical specialist from a hospital…

…

After hanging up, Xu Chen sipped his tea and fell into thought.

He checked the time—still early—and told Fang Jun,

“Hold on a sec. I need to tweak the proposal.”

“Sure, go ahead,” she said.

Xu Chen pulled out his laptop, opened the pitch deck, and began revising.

His main focus was adding targeted arguments based on the competitors’ strengths in persuasion strategies.

Another issue: one of the judges was a “medical expert,” which surprised him.

As a guy, he lacked deep knowledge about Fuyan Jie’s product.

Though he knew the “standard answers” and reverse-engineered his strategy and creative, he’d still look shaky on technical medical questions and female consumer insights.

If that expert grilled him on specifics, he might embarrass himself tomorrow.

Even with the right solution, a shaky presentation could kill his chances.

After all, judges are human.

And humans are emotional and subjective—they can sway with the narrative.

Pitching is as much about “brainwashing” the panel as presenting your idea.

You have to make them believe in your solution.

But if your expertise is questioned or challenged, it could all collapse.

And here he was: a male, no medical background, looking barely eighteen…

That was a tough problem to solve.

…

Fang Jun drained half her coffee, glanced up, and asked,

“What’s wrong? Hit a snag?”

Xu Chen looked up at her, suddenly pausing.

He lowered his head to think, then stared intently at Fang Jun’s face.

Fang Jun: “Why are you staring at me?”

Xu Chen shifted his gaze and felt a bit awkward.

But seeing Fang Jun sparked a flash of excitement in him.

This well-connected sister might just save the day!

“I heard… Teacher Fang’s parents both work in healthcare?”

Fang Jun: “Yes—my mom’s at the People’s Hospital, and my dad is with the Health Bureau.”

Xu Chen smiled and said,

“I’ve hit a snag on this project and need a little help from you, Teacher Fang.”

Fang Jun blinked.

“Just tell me what you need.”

Xu Chen: “My pitch is for a medical-related product, but my knowledge is lacking. I want to talk to a doctor or professor to explain the underlying principles.”

Fang Jun: “That’s easy. Let me know which department you need, and I’ll connect you.”

Xu Chen forced an embarrassed smile, “Maybe… gynecology?”

Fang Jun: “?!”