Chapter 342: Business Deals and Creative Pursuits

Vanke Center, first-floor cafe in the park area.

The meeting with Vanke’s founder, Wang Shi, had wrapped up. Now, Liu Wenqin, Bao Jun Sen, and Xu Chen’s teams gathered in the cafe to finalize the follow-up arrangements.

When Xu Chen met with Wang Shi alone, the director’s team had already sorted out the shooting schedule with Wang Shi’s secretary.

The filming was set for the upcoming weekend, the 18th and 19th.

On the 18th, Saturday, they’d shoot still ads in Pengcheng, then fly straight to Western Sichuan Shangri-La that day.

On the 19th, they’d spend the whole day traveling from Western Sichuan to the Snow District to capture off-road and crossing footage.

As the project’s executive producer, Xu Chen had to join the shoot.

Luckily, it fell on a weekend, so no extra leave was needed.

Additionally, the initial discussions for the ‘Rancho Santa Fe’ plan had been confirmed with Wang Shi’s secretary, Zhou Kai, and would fit into the gaps during the 18th and 19th.

This way, both projects could be handled together, saving time and effort.

With over a week to work on the plan—and it already mapped out in his mind—it was a breeze for Xu Chen, no pressure at all.

The director’s team arranged Wang Shi’s overall shooting itinerary, but his secretaries piled on a bunch of detailed requests.

Covering everything from safety on the trip to daily living arrangements.

Xu Chen listened and thought Wang Shi was quite the big name—his specs and demands rivaled those of A-list stars.

In comparison, his own Bing Ge was way more laid-back.

Xu Chen wondered if he should get Xie Bingran a manager or a management team, maybe based right in his company.

It could make handling business deals smoother and more professional.

And when out on business trips, it would ensure Bing Ge was taken care of better.

Still, he’d need to discuss this with the National Team first and get Coach Cheng Hong’s take.

After confirming the itinerary, Liu Wenqin arranged a business car to drop Xu Chen and Wu Feifei at the airport.

Liu Wenqin and Bao Jun Sen’s team would stay in Pengcheng an extra day to check the filming studios and follow-up shoots.

Wu Feifei’s first business trip was wrapping up, and the young woman couldn’t hide her excitement.

Today, this daughter of a high-profile family had seen a whole new side of the world.

As Wu Yongming’s daughter, Wu Feifei had chances to meet big shots and experience grand scenes before.

But someone like Wang Shi, a business mogul, was still a rare encounter.

Xu Chen dozed off a bit in the car and woke to find Wu Feifei typing away on her phone.

Seeing Xu Chen awake, Wu Feifei smiled and said:

“Just updating my dad.”

“About what?”

“Telling him you took me to Vanke Headquarters and we met with their founder, Wang Shi!”

Xu Chen hesitated a moment before replying:

“You can join the shoot for Wang Shi’s material next weekend.”

“But it’ll be tough going into the Snow District—harsh conditions and altitude sickness.”

“I worry it’ll be too rough for Miss Wu.”

Wu Feifei lit up with excitement: “I can handle it!”

She put on a rare playful pout: “Please, Boss Xu, take me along!”

Xu Chen chuckled: “Then next week, coordinate with Sun Aimi on the ad spots, scripts, and shooting plans.”

“When you’re there, you’ll need to help out with Sun Aimi on some tasks…”

Wu Feifei was sharp and got the hint right away.

After all, this was a work trip, not a vacation, with clients and other teams watching.

If she was going, she had to pull her weight.

“Don’t worry, Boss! I’ll sync up with Aimi and stay busy without causing any trouble!”

She paused, thinking:

“Can I join other projects too?”

Xu Chen: “Then I’d have to pay you an intern wage!”

Wu Feifei waved it off: “No need! I’m just grateful for the real-world experience!”

Xu Chen knew as the daughter of a bigwig, Wu Feifei didn’t care about the pay.

Still, he figured he’d find a way to give her something fair.

Xu Chen smiled: “We’ll base it on your project contributions—I’ll decide on a bonus.”

Wu Feifei: “Sounds good!”

Xu Chen thought it over; he couldn’t overdo the bonuses for Wu Feifei.

Her background was special, tied to business in Tiancheng.

Everything had to be appropriate, based on the project and her actual input, nothing too forced…

She blinked, pondering: “My afternoons on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are free, so I’ll come to the office when I can.”

Xu Chen: “That works.”

“I’ll check with Gu Xinxi on project schedules and see what you can join.”

“Then just talk to Xinxi directly—it’s mainly about your time, energy, and interests.”

Wu Feifei: “Thanks, Boss!”

Xu Chen: “Take it easy, though—don’t wear out Miss Wu.”

Wu Feifei: “No way! Work makes me happy!”

Xu Chen: “…”

Having Wu Feifei as an intern was valuable for Xu Chen.

With Ran Bing Sports kicking off, they needed more hands, and she counted as extra help.

Most importantly, it was a way to keep ties strong with the Wu family.

Wu Feifei clearly enjoyed diving into East Morning Star Advertising’s work.

But Xu Chen had to handle her carefully—no slip-ups or overworking, or it could backfire.

They landed at Pudong Airport around 9 p.m.

With classes the next day, they didn’t bother going out for food and just grabbed something at the McDonald’s there.

Xu Chen picked up his white Grand Cherokee from the parking lot and headed back to Puxi.

Thursday evening.

Right after class, the top student Jiao Tianbo sought out Xu Chen—it was about the Yichun promotion plan.

As agreed last week, they’d review it internally today, Thursday, and send it to Director Lou Ting tomorrow.

Xu Chen sat at the back of the classroom, chatting with roommates like Hong Xiaoqiang and Qian Xin.

Jiao Tianbo came from the front row, just called out to Xu Chen, and left first.

“Jiangsu-Zhejiang’s little prince” Qian Xin said:

“You two are being all secretive—what’s the deal?”

Xu Chen grinned mysteriously: “Business stuff—don’t poke around.”

Qian Xin: “Hmph!”

Xu Chen and Jiao Tianbo headed to the Xueyuan Cafeteria as usual, packing up a bunch of food, then made for the South Gate.

At the East Morning Star Advertising office, Wu Feifei was already there, squeezed between Sun Aimi and Gu Xinxi, the three chatting quietly.

Sun Aimi and Gu Xinxi knew Wu Feifei was Xu Chen’s old friend from Tiancheng.

But they didn’t know the details of her family background.

Seeing Xu Chen walk in, the three girls chirped, “Boss!”

Xu Chen carried two big bags of food:

“Should we eat first?”

But Jiao Tianbo frowned behind him:

“Maybe we should finish the plan first, then eat—get the main stuff done.”

Xu Chen felt a bit resigned but smiled: “Alright, let’s wrap this up quick!”

In the meeting room.

Xu Chen kicked things off:

“Who wants to go first?”

As discussed last week, everyone would pitch a plan, then we’d brainstorm together.

For Jiao Tianbo and Wu Feifei, Xu Chen didn’t expect much, so he just asked for a few ad slogans from them.

Plus, the ‘Calling Spring’ idea was too controversial, so they needed a couple of alternatives to balance it out in the plan.

He figured Jiao Tianbo, Wu Feifei, and Gu Xinxi’s ideas could provide some options.

Wu Feifei and Gu Xinxi glanced at each other, both a little hesitant.

Xu Chen was about to say, “I’ll go first,” but Jiao Tianbo stood up.

“How about I start?”

The meeting room lacked a projector since it was small, but it had a computer and a big TV screen.

Jiao Tianbo shared an email and opened a PPT document.

He’d put real effort in, even including photos of Yichun’s Mingyue Mountain landscapes.

The ‘top student’ flipped through the slides, delivering an enthusiastic presentation.

The first part was a long string of so-called ‘ad strategies,’ straight out of a textbook, which left Xu Chen’s head spinning.

But he kept a straight face, nodding approvingly now and then to keep the energy up.

After about seven or eight minutes of buildup, Jiao Tianbo finally got to the point.

The last slide showed the ad slogans he’d created for Yichun.

[Mingyue Mountain’s spring scenery, intoxicating Yichun charm]

[Grand Yichun forests, nature’s splendor]

[Yichun’s Mingyue Mountain, where the moon reflects on waters]

They were poetic and well-structured, but…

They just didn’t cut it as ad slogans.

Xu Chen nodded along on the surface, though he couldn’t help but shake his head inside.

“Top student” Jiao Tianbo clearly lacked a knack for ad creativity.

Wu Feifei didn’t seem to get it either; she just listened intently.

Jiao Tianbo cleared his throat, looking confident as he explained his top pick: ‘Mingyue Mountain’s spring scenery, intoxicating Yichun charm.’

“This one highlights Mingyue Mountain, and ‘intoxicating’ plays on ‘most beautiful’ for a double meaning, evoking how the scenery captivates…”

Xu Chen played along, giving him props: “Great writing!”

“Really creative—not surprising from our class’s star student, Jiao Tianbo!”

Jiao Tianbo soaked it up, humbly brushing it off while sitting back down, a bit embarrassed.

Wu Feifei looked a tad unsure as she took the mouse and opened her document.

“This is my plan—Xinxi gave me some guidance. Everyone, please give feedback…”

The front part had some ‘strategy background’ stuff, but it was straightforward compared to Jiao Tianbo’s.

Mostly just standard points without much depth.

For a non-ad pro like Wu Feifei, it was impressive enough.

She flipped to the end, where her three ad slogans were.

Xu Chen paused, genuinely surprised—they sparked something in him.

[Yichun offers endless adventures]

[Live well in Yichun]

[The year’s plans start in Yichun]

Wu Feifei pushed for the first one and explained it in detail.

“Yichun offers endless adventures” draws from ancient poetry by Han Yu, adding cultural depth.

But Xu Chen thought the other two were stronger.

He was pleasantly shocked—Wu Feifei had real insight.

Once she finished, she sat back, still a bit shy.

Jiao Tianbo frowned slightly, not quite sold.

He seemed torn, like he wanted to critique but held back since it was her work.

Xu Chen weighed his words: “Your first one isn’t as strong as the second and third.”

Wu Feifei brightened: “Really?”

Xu Chen explained: “Ad slogans need to be simple and memorable.”

“‘Live well in Yichun’ and ‘The year’s plans start in Yichun’ stick right away.”

“‘Live well in Yichun’ adds a ‘livable’ vibe, giving Yichun real value—that’s a classic ad approach.”

“‘The year’s plans start in Yichun’ is a bit of a stretch but draws from common sayings, so it’s easy to remember.”

As Director Lou said, we want everyone to remember ‘Yichun.’

Your lines weave it in perfectly and make it stick!”

Wu Feifei beamed at the praise, sharing a quick smile with Gu Xinxi.

Jiao Tianbo listened to Xu Chen’s breakdown and started to see the point, furrowing his brow in thought.

He revisited his own slogans and realized Xu Chen was right—hers were more memorable.

Xu Chen stared at the screen, mulling over those two lines, and nodded again.

Who knew non-ad major Wu Feifei could contribute such solid ideas?

At least “Live well in Yichun” and “The year’s plans start in Yichun” would fit great as backups.

Wu Feifei looked at Xu Chen expectantly: “So, what’s your plan, Boss?”

Xu Chen smiled: “Yours are solid, so I’m set!”

“We’ll lead with yours as the main options…”

“Mine’s a bit edgy, so it’ll be a backup.”

Jiao Tianbo, Wu Feifei, and Gu Xinxi exchanged glances, unsure if Xu Chen was just being modest or what he meant by ‘edgy.’

Xu Chen pulled out his phone, shared a document to the screen.

When he opened it and the slogan appeared…

Jiao Tianbo, Wu Feifei, and Gu Xinxi were stunned.

[Yichun: A city that calls to spring]