Chapter 295: Deals and Strategies in the City
by xennovelClearly, Andy, General Manager He Da Chang, was a man driven by passion.
After listening to Xu Chen’s explanation, he was so excited that he stood up.
Earlier, he had shown obvious signs of wanting to end the meeting, but now he was deep in conversation with Xu Chen.
It wasn’t just that Xu Chen had guessed Jeep’s choice for endorser; he had nailed the underlying strategy and reasoning almost perfectly.
“Xu Chen, your judgment aligns exactly with our strategy direction!”
“In China, no car manufacturer has ever used an entrepreneur as a spokesperson before. We’re pioneering this bold move!”
“The key is Wang Shi’s fame and buzz; his commercial value rivals that of a celebrity…”
Xu Chen picked up on He Da Chang’s words and added with a push,
“Most crucially, Wang Shi perfectly represents our target users for the Jeep brand.”
“Our actual customers might be at a lower level than Wang Shi, but using an entrepreneur like him taps into their aspirations.”
“Who wouldn’t want to achieve the kind of business success Wang Shi has?”
He Da Chang nodded with a smile,
“Spot on! That’s exactly what our research showed!”
He paused, then continued,
“Your analysis of Xie Bingran hits the mark too!”
“We chose her for her attributes of challenge, wildness, passion, and youth—these are the core spirit we want to convey for our Wrangler brand.”
……
The more He Da Chang talked, the more excited he got, outlining plans for the Grand Cherokee and Wrangler for this year and next.
Xu Chen listened quietly, taking mental notes.
He Da Chang seemed thrilled to share, but Xu Chen knew it was also a way to outline their advertising needs.
Clearly, Andy, General Manager He Da Chang, expected East Morning Star Advertising to come up with a proposal.
Perhaps because BBDO Tianlian Advertising’s creative director Liu Wenqin was there, he didn’t want to discuss demands directly and instead shared the year’s advertising plans and goals with East Morning Star Advertising.
Xu Chen listened carefully and quickly grasped the full scope of their advertising requirements.
In essence, it wasn’t complicated.
Two endorsers: Wang Shi and Xie Bingran.
Two models: Grand Cherokee and Wrangler.
They needed a core slogan and a brand promotional video.
But for this ‘brand promotional video,’ the client wasn’t sure whether to film one with both endorsers or separate ones—that would depend on the agency’s proposal and suggestions.
They’d discuss and decide after that.
……
He Da Chang chattered on excitedly until he seemed parched.
Once seated, he turned to Liu Wenqin beside him and said,
“Vincent, do you have anything to add?”
Liu Wenqin paused, then smiled and replied,
“Andy, you’ve covered it thoroughly. I have nothing to add.”
He paused, then looked at Xu Chen and said,
“Xu Chen’s analysis was surprisingly spot-on; he even guessed our recommended endorser!”
“We’re eager to see what creative scheme East Morning Star Advertising comes up with.”
Everyone at the table was sharp, no fools among them.
Liu Wenqin saw through He Da Chang’s intent—it was clear he wanted East Morning Star Advertising to deliver a proposal.
Sun Aimi blinked, still a bit confused.
This fresh graduate and straightforward designer hadn’t fully grasped the situation yet.
How had Andy’s rambling led to agreeing that East Morning Star Advertising would submit a proposal?
She glanced at Xu Chen, wondering what magic her ‘boss’ had.
……
The discussion was wrapping up.
Xu Chen pulled out his phone, checked the calendar, and mentally noted the timeline:
“East Morning Star Advertising will prepare a concept proposal, covering the core ideas for the slogan and video.”
“But since it’s our first talk, we won’t dive into detailed scripts yet…”
He Da Chang smiled and said, “No problem.”
Xu Chen double-checked the date:
“We’ll set it right after National Day, on Monday, October 9th. Does that work for you, Andy?”
He Da Chang didn’t answer immediately; he glanced at Liu Wenqin.
Liu Wenqin looked a bit awkward…
BBDO Tianlian Advertising also needed to present their creative proposal.
Originally, Liu Wenqin had scheduled it for late October.
Compared to that, East Morning Star Advertising was moving much faster…
Liu Wenqin chuckled and turned to He Da Chang:
“Then we’ll advance BBDO’s proposal to the 9th too, so you can compare and decide, Andy.”
Inside, he felt frustrated.
His National Day holiday plans— including a trip to Europe— were ruined…
“These domestic ad agencies are so competitive!”
He Da Chang laughed heartily:
“Thanks a lot, Vincent, and you too, Xu Chen!”
Liu Wenqin thought for a moment, narrowed his eyes, and added:
“We’ve been handling Wang Shi as the endorser, and I’m personally acquainted with him.”
“He’ll have strong opinions on the ad content, so I thought I’d mention that upfront.”
Xu Chen responded, “No issue.”
“If East Morning Star’s proposal gets approved by Andy and the Jeep team, we’ll definitely show it to Wang Shi.”
“As for Xie Bingran, don’t worry; any scheme I come up with, she won’t object.”
There was an underlying edge to this exchange, a subtle rivalry— as if to say, who doesn’t have connections with endorsers?!
Bringing up a ‘personal relationship’ with Wang Shi left Xu Chen a bit speechless.
If they were talking real ties, who could top his connection with Bing Ge…
He Da Chang looked thrilled and stood up, saying:
“Alright, that’s settled!”
“We’re really hoping to sign Xie Bingran with Jeep…”
Xu Chen smiled and nodded without a word.
He Da Chang’s comment implied they expected East Morning Star Advertising to deliver a compelling proposal.
……
……
Downstairs.
Xu Chen and Sun Aimi stopped at the nearby Starbucks for coffee.
He ordered a Frappuccino for Sun Aimi, while he stuck to his usual Earl Grey Tea.
Sun Aimi still looked puzzled:
“Boss, how did we end up in a pitch battle with BBDO out of nowhere?”
Xu Chen laughed and joked,
“After National Day, we might just win this pitch without breaking a sweat.”
Sun Aimi blinked her round eyes, thinking… it wasn’t impossible.
“Boss, do I need to work on this proposal?”
Xu Chen thought for a second: “Focus on the Kunlun Mountain draft and Chenfeng Electric Vehicles shoot during National Day.”
“I’ll handle the Jeep one myself.”
Sun Aimi adjusted her round-framed glasses:
“But BBDO has a whole creative team!”
Xu Chen said with full confidence: “I handled the Fuyan Jie pitch and Kunlun Mountain project solo.”
Sun Aimi sipped her cool Frappuccino, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
……
With some time before noon, Xu Chen took Sun Aimi for a stroll around Lujiazui.
Sun Aimi showed the excitement of a young girl, gazing up at the skyscrapers in awe:
“Shanghai is way more vibrant than Yangcheng!”
Xu Chen replied, “Each place has its charm. I still prefer Yangcheng for the food.”
He added, “Come on, let’s pick up a few things.”
……
In a shop selling Shanghai-style snacks.
They had delicate treats from the Jiangnan region.
Xu Chen bought a big box of assorted items: fresh meat mooncakes, osmanthus rice cakes, butterfly pastries, and sea tangle sweets…
He handed the packed box to Sun Aimi:
“This is for you—a welcome to Shanghai and to East Morning Star Advertising!”
Sun Aimi hesitated, then took it with a sweet smile: “Thanks, Boss!”
Xu Chen bought a few more gift boxes and had the clerk pack them for shipping.
He’d take them back to Tiancheng for family during National Day.
“Can you handle shipping?” Xu Chen asked the clerk.
“Yes, sir, just leave the address.”
“We’ll weigh it, calculate the shipping cost, and if it exceeds, we’ll cover the difference.”
“If there’s leftover, we’ll add it as bonus treats and send everything together…”
As Xu Chen filled out the address, he thought the service was smart and thoughtful.
……
……
Xu Chen had afternoon classes, so they grabbed a quick lunch at the nearby McDonald’s.
In between, he got a message from Xie Bingran confirming her Provincial Capital schedule during National Day.
On the 3rd, she’d arrive in the morning for official welcomes, victory celebrations, and a provincial TV appearance.
On the 4th, it was a publicity-organized charity event where she’d visit sports schools and organizations in the Provincial Capital, including the one where Chen Dahai worked at Provincial Sports University.
On the 5th morning, she’d fly back to Shanghai to resume training.
……
“For the Chenfeng Electric Vehicles shoot, Xie Bingran had Coach Cheng Hong arrange it, so we have the late afternoon of the 4th until evening.”
Xu Chen planned to bring Sun Aimi and Gu Xinxi over early on the 4th.
He could also meet up with Chen Dahai for lunch with Bing Ge.
In the afternoon, Sun Aimi and Gu Xinxi would set up at the studio, and once Bing Ge’s events ended, Xu Chen would bring her straight there.
……
After confirming with Xie Bingran, Xu Chen contacted Guo Liang to lock in the shoot for the afternoon and evening of the 4th.
Guo Liang had lined up a studio in the Provincial Capital experienced in ad shoots and shared samples—nothing major to worry about.
The studio owner had years in Beijing shooting stars, so the quality was solid.
……
Back at the East Morning Star Advertising office.
Sun Aimi happily stashed the fresh snacks in the fridge.
Her new computer as design director was set up with a massive screen.
For the Kunlun Mountain and Chenfeng Electric Vehicles print ads, Designer Aimi had gathered reference images and sketched drafts.
Xu Chen glanced over and praised her work as reliable.
Sun Aimi was a skilled designer; after a phone chat with Xu Chen, she nailed exactly what he wanted.
Seeing her dive in so enthusiastically, Xu Chen smiled and said:
“Make the Kunlun Mountain print draft pitch-ready—add copy and mock-ups.”
“Keep the Chenfeng Electric Vehicles one simple; it’s our project, so as long as it’s clear.”
“Mainly, provide pose references and lighting notes to ensure the 4th shoot goes smoothly.”
Sun Aimi grinned: “Got it, Boss!”
……
……
During a break in his afternoon class, Xu Chen received a message from Chen Xinyi in Jiaduobao’s marketing department.
[Xu Chen, we’ve secured Wang Laoshun as the official sponsor for the State Athletics Team. Fei Jie asked me to loop you in; there might be related projects ahead.]
She attached a news link.
Xu Chen clicked it—a press release on Wang Laoshun’s partnership with the State Athletics Team, featuring a photo of Jiaduobao’s Chen Jinru and Sports Administration’s Director An Jin Xiong.
Xu Chen was surprised at how quickly ‘Chen Jinru’ had moved.
They hadn’t even finalized the Kunlun Mountain deal with Xie Bingran, yet he’d already locked in Wang Laoshun with the State Athletics Team.
The State Athletics Team and individual athletes were separate entities.
Contracts with them were independent.
A key difference: partnering with an individual like Xie Bingran required deals with both her and the team.
But a team-wide deal didn’t need per-athlete sign-offs.
So, it made sense that this one wrapped up fast—just Chen Jinru and An Jin Xiong hashing it out.
Of course, the team side likely had approvals, but…
Xu Chen sensed something off…
He messaged Chen Xinyi to probe:
[Congrats to Fei Jie! Didn’t know she could pull off signing the State Athletics Team so swiftly!]
She replied quickly:
[Actually, Chen Jinru handled that one; Fei Jie wasn’t involved…]
Xu Chen thought, as expected. This deal was all Chen Jinru’s push.
He followed up:
[How’s the Kunlun Mountain and Xie Bingran contract coming?]
[It’s a bit more involved since it needs Xie Bingran’s sign-off. Once that’s good, it’s fine, but both our company and the team have review processes.]
[Oh? So why did Wang Laoshun’s deal with the team go so fast?]
[I’m not sure; Chen Jinru drove that one…]
Xu Chen wondered if there were under-the-table moves in this deal.
From his past knowledge, Wang Laoshun’s branding had shady dealings that later blew up in lawsuits.
But in 2006, it hadn’t surfaced yet.
People rarely change their ways…
……
While in class and lost in thought, Xu Chen got a message from Wu Yue:
[Report, little Xu, flights and hotel are all set! Welcome back!]
Xu Chen smiled and replied:
[Thanks, Yue Jie! I’ll bring you cosmetics from Osaka when I return.]