Chapter 231: Champions and Connections

The banquet hall.

Xie Bingran was still surrounded by people as Director Feng Siliang led her around, shaking hands and introducing her to various leaders one by one.

A photographer nearby snapped photos with a series of clicks.

Xu Zhiquan took the opportunity to sit next to his son, Xu Chen, who grabbed a few biscuits from the table. The father and son shared them quietly.

Quite a few important figures from the city had shown up today, and Xu Zhiquan quietly gave Xu Chen a rundown of who they were.

The town mayor, Feng Wenjiang, was there too, sticking close to the leaders and now shaking hands with Xie Bingran.

As the ‘big figure’ from Xie Bingran’s hometown, his presence at this event felt perfectly natural.

Of course, his attendance was no accident—it was all part of Xu Zhiquan’s careful planning.

Feng Wenjiang was Xu Zhiquan’s close friend, and he’d lent a hand when Chenxin Nurseries was getting off the ground…

Inviting him today gave the mayor a chance to mingle with the city’s key leaders and build some connections—a thoughtful gesture from Xu Zhiquan as payback.

Naturally, it was also a smart ‘investment’; if Feng Wenjiang advanced further, it could become a valuable hidden asset for the Xu family.

…

Wu Feifei walked over with a smile, politely greeting Xu Zhiquan as ‘Uncle Xu’.

Xu Zhiquan picked up a fruit plate from the table and chatted with Wu Feifei and Xu Chen as they ate.

Everyone at the event knew Wu Feifei’s background, and seeing her so at ease with the Xu father and son sparked some curious glances and speculation.

Wu Yongming’s decision to bring her along showed he had nothing to hide.

In fact, Wu Yongming was deliberately drawing closer to Xu Zhiquan to signal strong support from the city for East Morning Star Co. and Chenfeng Technology.

The city always had its share of behind-the-scenes rivalries and quiet criticisms.

For Wu Yongming, boosting Chenfeng Technology was crucial for Tiancheng’s future economy, jobs, and taxes—he was even willing to take on some risks for it.

Xu Zhiquan had the skills, vision, and drive; with the right city backing, getting Chenfeng Technology off the ground wouldn’t be too tough.

Stumbling upon a talent like Xu Zhiquan during his term in Tiancheng was sheer luck for Wu Yongming.

For many places, rolling out ‘enterprise support policies’ was easy, but finding the right companies to back was like searching with a lantern.

Most importantly, Xu Zhiquan knew how to play by the rules and respected boundaries, which made it easy for Wu Yongming to back him without hesitation.

…

Suddenly, Director Gao Guangya from the Sports Bureau approached Xu Zhiquan and his son.

“Coach Cheng Hong from the National Team has arrived…”

The City Sports Bureau was handling Cheng Hong’s visit, so Gao Guangya knew the schedule inside out.

Xu Zhiquan and Xu Chen stood up and followed Gao Guangya to greet her.

Just outside the banquet hall, they saw a man and a woman stepping out of the elevator area—one of them was Coach Cheng Hong.

Xu Chen was the only one who’d met Cheng Hong in person before, so he quickly smiled and called out, “Coach Cheng,” while helping with introductions:

“This is Director Gao Guangya from the City Sports Bureau…”

“And this is my father, Xu Zhiquan, chairman of Chenfeng Technology…”

Cheng Hong greeted Gao Guangya and Xu Zhiquan warmly, then gestured to the person beside her and said:

“This is Director Li Yue from the Sports Administration.

Director Li handles the National Team’s athlete business collaborations. We can discuss the details about Xie Bingran and Chenfeng Technology today.”

As she spoke, she gave Xu Chen a knowing nod.

Xu Chen caught on and promptly greeted Director Li Yue with genuine respect.

Li Yue was in his thirties, not particularly tall but solidly built—likely an athlete himself at some point.

He was polite and down-to-earth, without any airs.

For Gao Guangya, Li Yue was a higher-up from the administration, so he treated him with extra deference, chatting endlessly.

“Let’s head inside—the event’s about to start!” Xu Chen reminded them.

…

Gao Guangya and Xu Zhiquan escorted Cheng Hong and Li Yue to the front row, introducing them to the other guests.

They seated the pair at the main table.

As Xie Bingran’s team coach, Cheng Hong knew her well from training and daily life.

Seeing Cheng Hong, Xie Bingran’s usual cool and reserved demeanor softened a bit, and she pulled her coach to sit nearby.

Xu Zhiquan got some new business cards from Wu Yue and handed them to Cheng Hong and Li Yue with both hands. Once seated, he briefly introduced East Morning Star Co. and Chenfeng Technology.

This was something Xu Chen had discussed with Xu Zhiquan beforehand—Cheng Hong was bringing Director Li Yue to talk about Xie Bingran’s endorsement deal.

The National Team kept a tight rein on athletes’ business deals, even though Xie Bingran’s endorsement was signed before she joined, they still had to consider administration and team policies.

So, keeping Director Li Yue happy was essential.

Xu Zhiquan shared more about Chenfeng Technology, with the support of the leaders present to show the company’s strength.

The implication was clear: Chenfeng Technology wasn’t some small-town outfit—it was a reputable local firm, so partnering with Xie Bingran for an endorsement wouldn’t tarnish the National Team’s image.

Director Gao Guangya, sitting nearby, picked up on the situation and chimed in to support Xu Zhiquan.

Wu Yongming, keeping an eye on things, didn’t speak up but signaled his secretary, Qu Fei, who quickly added comments about the city’s backing for Chenfeng Technology.

…

…

Wu Yue headed to the back table and sat next to Fang Jun and Xu Chen.

Xu Chen smiled and poured her a cup of tea. “You’ve worked hard, Yue Jie!”

Wu Yue took a sip and replied with a smile:

“Hard work’s a good thing! Back at Bright Factory, we didn’t even get the chance.”

She picked up the teapot and poured half a cup for Xu Chen:

“I really have to thank you and young President Xu. If you hadn’t taken over Bright Factory, I wouldn’t be here organizing for all these important people!”

Fang Jun kept a straight face but muttered quietly:

“Yeah, back then we just dealt with idiots like Jin Guiyuan and Ji Yusheng.”

Xu Chen: “…”

Jin Guiyuan was the former acting director of Bright Factory, and Ji Yusheng was the previous old secretary.

Wu Yue leaned in closer and whispered:

“I heard Jin Guiyuan’s been locked up for several years…

They dug up more issues on him…”

Fang Jun seemed in the know and turned to Xu Chen:

“And there’s a bonus—some assets Jin Guiyuan smuggled out of the factory have been recovered.

So the factory’s accounts are up a few million, which eases your dad’s funding pressures.”

Wu Yue looked at Xu Chen with a mischievous grin and whispered:

“Now everyone’s saying you two have some kind of great luck. Ever since you came to Bright Factory, everything’s turned around—some changes are downright mysterious.”

“…”

Xu Chen looked puzzled:

“Mysterious how?”

Wu Yue: “Like those old machines in Workshop 4 that were about to be scrapped.

They’d been broken for years and couldn’t be fixed, but out of nowhere, they started working again…

What was going to be sold as scrap iron is now worth several times more as second-hand equipment!”

“And then there’s that drainage pipe in the west area that was clogged for years. Right after Chenfeng Technology’s sign went up, it cleared up the next day…”

Xu Chen rolled his eyes playfully and said:

“We’re aiming for modern company management—got to steer clear of superstitions.”

Wu Yue: “It’s not superstition; it’s feng shui!”

…

…

At four o’clock, the event kicked off.

The large LED screen at the front flickered to life, playing a promotional video pre-edited by the City TV Station.

It highlighted Xie Bingran’s competitions over the past six months: the National Youth Athletics Championships, the National Middle School Track and Field Championship, and the recently concluded National Games.

The footage showed her crossing the finish line to win and stepping onto the podium, paired with the TV host’s energetic commentary.

Some in the audience realized for the first time that Xie Bingran had won all three of her debut events and broken records each time.

Especially at the Yangcheng National Games, she shattered a 13-year-old national record and set a new best for the women’s 100-meter hurdles since 1993.

Initially, the City Sports Bureau and City Publicity Department had only hoped for a bronze or silver medal, given Xie Bingran was just 17 and had only trained seriously for six months.

Even coaches from the National and Provincial Teams, including Cheng Hong, hadn’t expected her to not only win but smash the 12-second barrier and rank among Asia’s elite.

The ones with absolute faith in her might have been her main coach, Sun Mouping, and of course, Xu Chen…

From her debut, Xie Bingran had stunned the sports world in Tiancheng and Shandong Province with her talent, and her National Games victory truly marked the start of her era in the women’s 100-meter hurdles.

Secretary Xia Gang from the City Publicity Department might have regretted not requesting a bigger budget—they could have made this even grander!

Still, the turnout was impressive, especially with the ‘Tiancheng friends and family’ segment on national TV, which gave him plenty of pride as the department head.

…

…

The host took the stage and delivered an inspiring opening speech.

Xie Bingran stood to acknowledge the crowd, drawing rounds of applause, flowers, and camera flashes.

Huang Qianqian clapped and whispered:

“Bing Ge looks just like a star!”

Wu Feifei laughed and said, “She is a star!”…

After Xie Bingran’s brief acknowledgment, the host began introducing the leaders and guests.

Besides the city officials, there was a leader from the Provincial Sports Bureau, and Huang Hua, the former principal, got a special mention.

They also highlighted the visiting National Team coach, Cheng Hong, and Director Li Yue from the Sports Administration.

Amid more applause, the event moved to the tedious leader speeches.

The speakers had been carefully selected by Secretary Xia Gang, with a specific order and time limits based on unspoken protocols.

After the three leaders spoke, Huang Hua, representing First High School and Tiancheng’s sports community, gave his address.

Wearing his reading glasses, the old principal spoke with evident emotion about Tiancheng producing a talent like Xie Bingran, moving many in the audience.

Following him, as the event’s organizer from Chenfeng Technology, Xu Zhiquan took the stage to speak.

Xu Chen had reviewed Xu Zhiquan’s speech in advance.

It was straightforward: congratulations to Xie Bingran, a nod to Chenfeng Technology’s ties with her, and subtle thanks to the city leaders for their support in the company’s future growth…

Next came the ‘award presentation’ for the national champion.

Representatives from the Provincial Sports Bureau and Director Gao Guangya from the City Sports Bureau presented Xie Bingran with symbolic checks for her prizes.

After the applause, flowers, and flashes, Xie Bingran stepped up alone, pulled out the speech Xu Chen had written for her, and began her address.

It was mostly thanks: to the leaders, to First High School and the city for their training, to the Provincial Team coaches, the National Team, and the administration—and a special shout-out to Chenfeng Technology and Xu Zhiquan for their support in her daily life…

She bowed in gratitude, triggering another wave of applause and flashes.

Once she sat down, Xu Chen couldn’t resist sending a text: “Bing Ge, you’re amazing!”

With the main program wrapped up, it was time for individual media interviews and the evening banquet.

Given the number of key leaders present, Xu Chen and Director Feng Siliang had streamlined the agenda, cutting out unnecessary but cumbersome segments.

The overall vibe stayed professional and official, prioritizing smooth execution.

Finally, Director Feng Siliang, who’d been on edge the whole time, let out a sigh of relief.

He stood in the corner of the stage, clapping, and glanced back at Xu Chen with a nod and a smile.

Xu Chen smiled back and gave him a thumbs-up.

He then picked up the teapot and filled Wu Yue’s cup: “Congratulations, Yue Jie—the main event’s done smoothly!”

Wu Yue chuckled: “It’s all thanks to your guidance, young President Xu!”

She raised her cup and drank with a grin.

…

…

The banquet and interviews ran side by side as various dishes were served.

The menu, reviewed by Xu Zhiquan and Director Feng, was elegant without excess—just right for the occasion.

No alcohol was on offer, only juices and sodas.

Fang Jun looked disappointed, nursing a soda with a frown.

Xu Chen whispered, “We’ll have a proper drink later tonight—just for us.”

Fang Jun perked up, a hint of eagerness in his eyes.

Wu Feifei overheard and said, “Count me in!”

Xu Chen sighed: “I wouldn’t dare—your dad would have my head, and mine would too!”

He glanced over to see Xie Bingran surrounded by reporters, heading to the interview room.

Xu Chen pulled out his phone and messaged Coach Cheng Hong: 【Coach Cheng, you and Director Li can start eating. Let’s chat about Xie Bingran’s endorsement in the interview room afterward.】

A moment later, Cheng Hong replied:

【Director Li is reliable, but he’s representing the administration and team’s interests…

I’ll vouch for you, but there might still be some pushback. Be prepared.】

【Got it, thanks for the heads-up, Coach Cheng!】