Chapter 331: Airport Goodbyes and Campus Ties

Pudong Airport.

Xu Chen saw Xie Bingran off to the car and waved goodbye.

He let out a soft sigh, feeling an odd emptiness settle in.

For the next month, the Little Rich Lady would be in intense training camp, gearing up for the Asian Games—poor thing, it sounded tough.

He glanced at the time; if he hurried back to school, he could still make the afternoon classes.

Attendance still affected whether he’d pass or fail, so whenever possible, he made sure to show up.

Sun Aimi emerged from the restroom, having just splashed her face with water.

The dry air of the Great Northwest had triggered another nosebleed, leaving her looking pitiful with her chubby face a bit sallow.

Before Xu Chen could offer any comfort, Sun Aimi smiled and said:

“Boss, I’m fine now!”

Xu Chen: “I need to rush back for class, so I won’t have time to grab a meal with you.”

Sun Aimi: “That’s okay, Boss. I’m not hungry anyway.”

They picked up their luggage and headed to line up for a taxi.

Hailing a cab was always a hassle, but luckily, Xu Chen’s Grand Cherokee was already being arranged by Yan Chuan with the dealer.

According to Yan Chuan, the dealer had plenty of stock, so ideally, they could get a car in one or two weeks.

What they discussed with Xu Chen, of course, wouldn’t be some basic model.

It had a V8 engine, 4.7-liter displacement, 5-speed automatic, and four-wheel drive.

The color options were black, white, or red; Xu Chen hesitated a moment before choosing white.

After all, with his young body, the classic black Grand Cherokee felt a bit too ‘old man’ vibe.

In his past life, he’d seen white ones on the road, and they looked incredibly stylish.

Plus, white was more practical than black—it hid dirt better.

Getting his first ‘big toy’ on the way, Xu Chen felt a thrill of excitement and anticipation.

…

…

More than an hour later.

Xu Chen dashed into the classroom just as the bell rang.

Without a word, he hurried to the back row.

His classmates all stared, their expressions oddly curious.

He found a seat in the back, and Qian Xin, the ‘Jiangsu Prince,’ leaned in and whispered:

“Xu Boss, did you just return from a jungle expedition?”

Xu Chen paused, glanced down at his outfit, and realized he was still in that North Face jacket.

Showing up to class like this did look a bit out of place.

He chuckled awkwardly:

“Didn’t have time to change clothes.”

…

“The student who just came in, what’s your name?”

The teacher at the podium, from the Broadcasting and TV Directing department, wasn’t fully familiar with the class yet.

Xu Chen stood up slightly and stated his name.

The teacher waved for him to sit and marked the attendance sheet:

“Don’t be late next time!”

Right then, another late student hurried in—it was Chen Wenyi, his roommate and the ‘artsy type.’

Chen Wenyi said nothing, kept his head down, and trudged to the back, looking utterly dejected.

“And this student, what’s your name?”

“Chen Wenyi…”

…

Xu Chen felt puzzled and turned to Qian Xin, whispering:

“What’s up with him?”

Qian Xin shook his head: “He got his heart broken.”

Xu Chen: “Huh?”

Qian Xin: “He wrote a love letter to Su Rong and ended up with a ‘just friends’ card.”

Xu Chen: “…”

That was a surprise.

He hadn’t expected the reserved Chen Wenyi to make the first move like that.

But getting rejected by that Jiangsu rich girl, Su Rong, wasn’t exactly shocking.

Xu Chen just smiled and let it go.

As someone with a mental age well into his thirties, he had little interest in the crushes and confessions of young folks anymore.

…

…

During the break.

As Xu Chen headed out to the restroom, Jiao Tianbo, the ‘study machine,’ blocked his way.

Jiao Tianbo stood there, neck stiff, brows furrowed, looking like he was struggling to speak.

Xu Chen said: “What’s up? Just spit it out.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Jiao Tianbo mustered his courage:

“Xu Chen, have you been in touch with Wu Feifei lately?”

Xu Chen felt a bit exasperated—why was this landing on him again.

He and Wu Feifei didn’t chat much, but recently, he’d gone to Shanghai Foreign Languages University for a meal to keep things friendly.

Still, he didn’t want to bring that up with the overly suspicious Jiao Tianbo.

“Wu Feifei and I are just regular friends; we’re not even at the same school, so we don’t talk often.”

Xu Chen replied with a smile.

Jiao Tianbo: “I saw you two chatting on QQ before… Have you talked recently?”

Xu Chen was at a loss for words.

Their last QQ chat was about Bing Ge’s Osaka match, and Jiao Tianbo had caught a glimpse of it.

Xu Chen didn’t want to get tangled with this low-EQ guy who always seemed on edge, so he said:

“What exactly are you asking, or what do you want to say?”

“Just lay it out; I’ll tell you what I know.”

Jiao Tianbo awkwardly forced a smile:

“It’s nothing major…”

“Last time, Wu Feifei went to Osaka for the match on her own.”

“With the Asian Games in December in a Middle Eastern country, it’s probably even riskier.”

“I’m worried she might go again—that’s just like her.”

“I wanted to ask if you know if Wu Feifei plans to go in December…”

Xu Chen knew about this.

When he met Wu Feifei last time, they’d discussed it.

As the daughter of an official, traveling to a Middle Eastern oil country wasn’t a financial issue for her; she planned to take leave for Bing Ge’s match.

Xu Chen had suggested they go together, mainly for her safety—she was just an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl, after all.

Wu Feifei knew Xie Bingran, so Xu Chen wasn’t concerned about any misunderstandings between the girls.

Meanwhile, Jiao Tianbo was overly fixated on Wu Feifei, even remembering the December event.

Xu Chen kept it brief: “Why not just ask Wu Feifei directly? It’s not a big deal.”

Jiao Tianbo looked embarrassed: “I message her, but she doesn’t reply.”

Xu Chen: “…”

Jiao Tianbo thought for a moment: “If you don’t know, could you check with her for me?”

Xu Chen: “Huh?”

Jiao Tianbo: “She’s a girl traveling abroad; it’s not safe…”

“If she’s really going, I could go with her.”

Xu Chen: “…”

What a devoted guy, but clearly, she didn’t want him along…

Hopeless romantics were scary.

Xu Chen brushed it off: “I’ll ask her if I get the chance.”

Jiao Tianbo: “Great! Thanks, Xu Chen!”

Xu Chen hesitated but added: “If Wu Feifei isn’t replying to you, she probably doesn’t want you tagging along, even if she goes abroad for the match.”

Jiao Tianbo froze, his face falling, but he managed a smile:

“Just ask for me; I’ll handle the rest.”

Xu Chen shook his head in resignation, marveling at how persistent some people could be.

On his way to the restroom, he bumped into Qian Xin smoking in the hallway…

Xu Chen suddenly remembered that this ‘Jiangsu Prince’ had mentioned going to Doha for Bing Ge’s match.

Hmm.

Qian Xin, Jiao Tianbo, Wu Feifei…

If they all ended up in Doha, it could get awkward and messy.

Qian Xin was a lively rich kid with a straightforward heart—Xu Chen actually liked him.

He was a die-hard fan of Bing Ge, so finding out Bing Ge shared a bed with Xu Chen might blow his mind.

And Jiao Tianbo, so hung up on Wu Feifei, would probably spiral if he knew Xu Chen was heading to Doha with her…

Xu Chen chuckled at his own overthinking.

After all, he hadn’t done anything wrong; worrying too much was pointless.

…

…

In the evening.

After class, Xu Chen headed straight to the Tonghai Creative Design Competition.

Stepping into the eighth-floor office, he saw Gu Xinxi and Sun Aimi glued to their computers, working away.

“Is Fei Jie here?” Xu Chen asked.

Sun Aimi pointed toward the meeting room: “She’s in there!”

…

Xu Chen grabbed two cans of soda water, knocked on the meeting room’s glass door, and went in.

Nie Fei was scribbling on the whiteboard with a marker.

Seeing Xu Chen, she smiled quickly: “Young President Xu, tough travels?”

Xu Chen entered and noticed two bottles of Martell Blue on the table.

He asked curiously: “Fei Jie, why the cognac?”

Nie Fei grinned: “One for your dad, and I got you one too.”

Xu Chen: “That’s thoughtful, Fei Jie…”

Nie Fei: “When we were on the trip, we talked about all sorts of drinks. He was curious about the brandy Guangdong folks love.”

“So I picked up a bottle; I’ll ship it out later.”

In Guangdong, Martell Blue was like their version of premium liquor—staple at business dinners and family gatherings.

Xu Chen: “Thanks on behalf of my dad!”

“Just leave it here; I’ll handle the shipping.”

Nie Fei: “Perfect! If he likes it, I’ll send a whole case next time.”

…

Xu Chen handed Nie Fei a soda, glanced at the whiteboard with its English words, and said:

Nie Fei took a sip and smiled: “I’ve been thinking about how to run ‘Ran Bing Sports’ and wanted to discuss it with you.”

Xu Chen: “How about we grab dinner and chat over food?”

Nie Fei: “Sounds good.”

Xu Chen: “Fei Jie, you’re really joining Ran Bing Sports?”

Nie Fei laughed: “Why not?”

She paused: “It’s a great opportunity for my career. I’m grateful you and your dad invited me…”

“Building a brand around Xie Bingran isn’t something that comes along every day.”

Xu Chen laughed easily, turned, and called out to Sun Aimi and Gu Xinxi outside.

The two young women, confused, hurried into the meeting room.

Xu Chen smiled: “Let me properly introduce you—this is Nie Fei, or Fei Jie.”

“She’ll be joining our team as the general manager of ‘Ran Bing Sports.'”

Sun Aimi blinked in surprise, then beamed: “Really?!”

From the Kunlun Mountain project, Sun Aimi had worked with Nie Fei multiple times and heard good things about her from Jiaduobao.

She’d always admired this beautiful vice president from the client side.

Hearing Nie Fei had left the company, Sun Aimi had felt disappointed, but now, becoming colleagues? She was thrilled.

Excitement in her voice, she said to Nie Fei: “Fei Jie, I’m so happy to work with you!”

Gu Xinxi didn’t know Nie Fei yet, but Sun Aimi had filled her in—a high-flying executive from a foreign firm.

Xu Chen added: “This is Gu Xinxi; she’s handling project management and client relations at East Morning Star Advertising.”

Nie Fei extended her hand: “Nice to meet you.”

Gu Xinxi politely replied: “Hello, Fei Jie!”

Xu Chen noted: “And Gu Xinxi is also under Guo Liang, the general manager’s, mentorship.”

“Oh?” Nie Fei looked impressed.

Having just returned from Tiancheng and chatted with Guo Liang, she said with a smile: “As Guo’s apprentice, you must be talented!”

Gu Xinxi blushed: “I’m excited to work with you, Fei Jie!”

Xu Chen: “Moving forward, Fei Jie will oversee Ran Bing Sports.”

“We’re a startup, so Sun Aimi and Gu Xinxi might help with some tasks; we’ll coordinate as projects come up.”

…

After some small talk, they let the two young women head home.

Xu Chen and Nie Fei had business to discuss, so dinner would just be them.

…

Xu Chen took Nie Fei to that Shanghai-style eatery on Quyang Road.

The dishes were exquisite, and the private room offered quiet.

He ordered favorites like braised pork and squirrel fish.

Knowing she’d spent years in Yangcheng, he also got a pot of Jin Jun Mei tea for her.

As they ate, Nie Fei recapped her recent factory visits.

She, Xu Zhiquan, and Fang Jun had checked out spots in Qing City in the north and Licheng in Fujian Province.

They toured small, medium, and large sportswear and shoe factories.

With her background at Nike’s Greater China division, she used old connections to arrange the visits.

As Xu Zhiquan had mentioned in their call, the biggest factories in both north and south had foreign brand stakes and wouldn’t take outside orders.

So, they focused on mid-sized and smaller ones, which handled foreign brands but mostly did domestic ones like Li Ning, Anta, Hongxing Erke, and 361 Degrees.

The factory Xu Zhiquan planned to invest in was a village-run one in the Licheng industrial belt in Fujian—mid-sized despite the label.

It had once produced for Mizuno but lost bids later.

Now, it managed domestic shoe orders, mostly mid-range, but had solid production lines, tech, and workforce.

Beyond that, as Xu Zhiquan analyzed, this factory could tap into the bigger ones’ resources in the belt through some discreet, legal maneuvers…

Meanwhile, the factory and local government wanted to pivot.

OEM work was low-margin and unstable; they needed more.

This aligned perfectly with Ran Bing Sports’ goals, which is why Xu Zhiquan could push for investment.

Nie Fei sipped her tea: “Your dad has a sharp eye; he figured out the ins and outs over a few smokes.”

“He’s really impressive.”

Xu Chen smiled: “Dad’s from a township business background, not much formal education, but he knows the ropes of domestic deals inside out.”

Nie Fei: “And his decisiveness is amazing.”

“He set up a dinner that night and hashed out the investment details.”

“It’s inspiring… He was in unfamiliar territory, yet after a couple meals, he was buddies with the local plant manager and village chief.”

“That skill? Even in Nike or Adidas teams in Mainland China, no one pulls that off.”

Xu Chen knew it was his father’s strength in building relationships.

While others negotiated contracts, Xu Zhiquan sealed deals over drinks and chats.

Xu Zhiquan once told Xu Chen that in domestic business, you fixed the people first, then the problems.

…

Nie Fei added: “And he pairs well with Fang Jun.”

“In negotiations, one plays good cop, the other bad—they wrapped things up quick.”

Xu Chen thought about it; his dad and Fang Jun’s personalities complemented each other perfectly for that dynamic.

…

As dinner wound down, Nie Fei got to the point.

“The domestic sports market is brutal—full of competition from European, Japanese, and local brands covering high to low end.”

“Nike and Adidas pour money into branding and stores, raising the bar.”

“Local brands from the ’80s and ’90s grabbed shares before foreigners dominated, but now they’re stuck with mid-low end.”

“It’s tough for new brands to break in…”

She took a sip: “So, for ‘Ran Bing Sports’ to succeed, we need a solid brand and product position, and find the right niche…”

Xu Chen refilled her tea: “Fei Jie, you’ve got some ideas?”

Nie Fei smiled: “A few thoughts, but I need to align them with you, Young President Xu.”

“Sure, let’s talk it through.”