Chapter 286: Dotonbori Wanderings

Osaka, Dotonbori.

Xu Chen, Xie Bingran, Nie Fei, and Wu Feifei strolled around at a relaxed pace.

Nie Fei took out a slim cigarette and lit it up.

Xu Chen glanced at it and noticed the Japanese packaging—probably picked up in Osaka.

Suddenly, he remembered Xie Bingran wanted to buy cigarettes for Li Rui and the others, but Xu Chen wasn’t too familiar with Japanese brands, so he casually asked:

“We’re thinking of picking up some local smokes to take back as gifts. Any recommendations, Fei Jie?”

Nie Fei smiled: “For guys or girls?”

Xu Chen: “For guys.”

Nie Fei pulled the pack from her pocket:

“This is Mild Seven—it’s more for women, with a slimmer design and menthol beads.

For guys, go with the regular ‘Seven Stars’…

Or you could get the duty-free Marlboro here—it’s different from the US version and easier on Asians.”

Xu Chen gave her a thumbs-up: “You’re the expert, Fei Jie.”

Xie Bingran held Xu Chen’s hand and stayed quiet throughout.

But she knew he was asking for her sake.

…

Xu Chen looked around and spotted a ‘Asics’ store up ahead, so he said:

“I want to pick out a pair of shoes!”

Wu Feifei laughed: “Getting into running now?”

Xu Chen: “Yeah, I need to keep up with Bing Ge’s pace.”

He glanced at Nie Fei: “Fei Jie, you used to work in sports brands, so you know your stuff. Come help me decide?”

Nie Fei smiled: “No problem.”

…

Xu Chen was mulling over ‘Ran Bing Sports’ and naturally thinking about former ‘Nike Greater China Brand Director’ Nie Fei.

As Jiaduobao’s vice president for market channels, Nie Fei was sharp in ability, emotional intelligence, strategy, and connections.

But Xu Chen still had some business concerns.

To bring Nie Fei on board, the main hurdle was getting her to handle the product side and supply chain.

Xu Chen was clueless about that world and needed a pro to manage it.

He could learn from scratch, but that would waste time and money on mistakes.

Most importantly, he didn’t want the hassle anymore.

He’d finally become a ‘rich second-generation’ heir—might as well keep things easy.

Running an ad agency was fine; with his reborn memories and past knowledge, he could spin stories and pitch presentations to rake in hundreds of thousands effortlessly.

But diving into production and factory dealings? He didn’t want that grind.

He’d promised himself to live as a carefree playboy—best not to overcomplicate life.

For ‘Ran Bing Sports,’ production, manufacturing, and supply chain needed an industry insider, so he had to gauge if former ‘Nike Brand Director’ Nie Fei had the expertise, skills, and resources.

Using shoe shopping as an excuse was a perfect way to subtly test her.

…

The four entered the Asics store, where there weren’t many customers.

It was a specialty shoe shop, filled with colorful displays of footwear.

Two young saleswomen were there, but they just smiled and didn’t approach to push sales.

Typically, staff here followed a ‘hands-off’ policy—they’d only step in if customers called.

It made the atmosphere more relaxed.

Nie Fei sized up Xu Chen: “What’s your weight?”

Xu Chen thought for a moment: “Around 140 to 150 pounds.”

Nie Fei scanned the shelves, then led Xu Chen past a few displays to the back.

She picked up a pair of shoes:

“If you’re aiming for five or ten kilometers, this one’s perfect.

Kayano is Asics’ classic model—most serious runners grab a pair.

Even Haruki Murakami wears them for his daily ten-kilometer runs.”

She grabbed another pair:

“This Nimbus has a softer sole than Kayano—if you’re only doing two or three kilometers, it’s kinder on your knees.”

Xu Chen smiled: “You’re really on top of this, Fei Jie!”

Nie Fei: “Well, I used to work in sports brands, so I know the basics.

Every major brand has its hidden gems…”

She squeezed the sole:

“This Gel cushioning is Asics’ edge—it’s patented, and no one else can replicate it easily…”

Nie Fei went on about other brands’ products and tech, explaining it all smoothly and accessibly.

Xu Chen listened intently, feeling like he’d just gained new insights.

Nie Fei gripped the shoe in her hand and added:

“Though I worked for Nike, I have to say, for us Chinese, these Japanese brands fit better.

Asian feet differ from European ones—ours are wider in the forefoot, while theirs are narrow and long.

Take Converse, for example—plenty of people here think they look good, but after a couple of days, feet start hurting, and long-term wear could mess with your gait.

Even Nike and Adidas didn’t adapt their early Asian designs, so they’re not as comfortable.

Asics, being an Asian brand from the start, matches our foot shapes, making them more comfortable.

Like the National Team’s shoes for Xie Bingran—they’re custom, so they’re not in the everyday consumer category…”

Xu Chen nodded, feeling he’d learned something new.

Chatting with an insider really made a difference.

In his past life, when Xu Chen was in his thirties and trying to lose weight, he’d bought running shoes too, but back then, he just picked the expensive ones for knee protection without really understanding.

Xu Chen checked the label on the shoe:

“This one’s made in Indonesia? I thought most were from China now…”

Nie Fei: “Currently, chains are in China, Southeast Asia, and South Asia.”

She smiled: “But it won’t be long before most move to China.

Globally, no one can compete with China on costs and quality control in the long run…”

Xu Chen: “So you’re familiar with China’s production supply chains?”

Nie Fei laughed: “Brands like Nike are basically ‘management companies’ now—they focus on design and branding.

Production’s all outsourced to supply chain factories.

Fujian Province has full-scale manufacturing capabilities…

When I was at Nike, I handled product development for a bit, so I’m pretty familiar.”

Xu Chen grinned: “Hearing that puts my mind at ease.”

Nie Fei paused, not quite catching his meaning.

…

Following Nie Fei’s advice, Xu Chen bought a pair of Kayano shoes—they fit perfectly when he tried them on.

He was already thinking about when to bring up bringing ‘Fei Jie’ on board for ‘Ran Bing Sports’.

Xu Chen considered the main obstacles.

First, Jiaduobao was booming—Wang Laoshun was on track to become the third-biggest beverage in the country, and Nie Fei’s new high-end mineral water line was launching. Everything was going strong, so why would she leave?

As vice president, she had it made.

Second, as an executive, her salary was probably two to three million a year, plus stock options—no way ‘Ran Bing Sports’ could match that now.

Third, the appeal of ‘Ran Bing Sports’ itself— as the behind-the-scenes ‘Big Boss,’ Xu Chen needed solid plans to make it enticing.

With Xie Bingran’s rising fame, it was time to push forward.

But when he talked to Nie Fei, he wanted to seal the deal right away.

Could the upcoming trademark battle between Jiaduobao and Guangzhou Pharmaceutical over ‘Wang Laoshun’ be the hook to pull her out?

…

…

As evening approached.

Wu Feifei linked arms with Nie Fei and said to Xu Chen and Xie Bingran:

“You two probably have plans, so we’ll leave you to it.”

Xu Chen gave a good-natured smile and didn’t object.

Nie Fei added to Xu Chen:

“Once we’re back, I’ll get in touch. We should move forward on Bing Ge’s collaboration soon.

I checked the Kunlun Mountain product and factory progress today…

I figure by National Day, we’ll have the official launch and promo plan ready—the ad materials need to be prepped fast.”

Xu Chen: “No worries, just give the word, Fei Jie.”

…

Xu Chen took Xie Bingran to a reserved Kaiseki restaurant.

It was a modest little spot tucked in a back alley.

Only two tables were in use—one for them.

In fact, the place only served two tables a day, making reservations tough.

The chef and staff were a middle-aged couple…

And for such a meal, the price per person came to over three thousand yuan, so for two, it was more than six thousand renminbi.

In Kaiseki terms, that wasn’t even top-tier.

Xie Bingran had no idea about the cost—Xu Chen wasn’t about to mention it.

Though she was now quite wealthy, just six months ago, she was scraping by for meals.

A six-thousand-yuan dinner might weigh on her mind.

…

Xie Bingran looked around the elegant Japanese-style shop, finding it all novel.

During the wait for food, Xu Chen got into storytelling mode and explained the origins of ‘Kaiseki’ to the foodie.

When she heard ‘Kaiseki’ came from Zen monks hugging stones while starving, Xie Bingran gave a cool, speechless look.

She had some experience with hunger and muttered:

“How could hugging a stone help when you’re starving?”

Xu Chen: “Then what would?”

Xie Bingran: “Nothing really…

Just drink some cold water and go to sleep.”

…

Xu Chen fell silent for a moment, a wave of heartache hitting him.

He reached across the table and squeezed Xie Bingran’s hand:

“You won’t go hungry again…”