Chapter 390: Gathering Momentum

In the afternoon, after class, Xu Chen waited briefly for Su Rong in the hallway.

Su Rong said goodbye to a few girls, then walked over to Xu Chen with a sweet smile.

She looked at him expectantly and said:

“Can we get the shoes today?”

Xu Chen: “Fei Jie said the delivery’s already in Shanghai.

I just contacted the courier— they’ll drop it off before evening!”

Su Rong: “Great!”

The shoes, of course, were the ‘Ran Bing 001’.

……

As Xu Chen and Su Rong left the classroom together, it sparked some chatter among the girls.

Lately, the two had been spending a lot of time together, so people were paying attention.

Xu Chen didn’t mind and had already explained things to several people ahead of time.

Like Class Monitor Min Siyang and his roommates…

He kept it straightforward, saying it was just a company project with ties to Su Rong’s family business.

Still, Xu Chen felt a bit uneasy, worried it might cause Su Rong some gossip trouble.

But seeing how cheerful and happy she seemed lately, it probably wasn’t an issue.

Su Rong was a shy, reserved girl— you could tell from her soft-spoken way.

Ever since she met Bing Ge and started idolizing her, this timid girl had become more outgoing and carefree.

She no longer cared much about the snide comments from some girls around her.

Of course, besides Bing Ge, her new outgoing friend Wu Feifei played a big role too.

Everyone’s personality and how they interact with the world ultimately get shaped by their social connections.

Positive relationships and interactions bring nourishment and growth.

……

……

As soon as they entered the office, they heard laughter and chatter— turns out Miss Wu had arrived.

Wu Feifei spotted Su Rong and rushed over, happily linking arms with her.

Nie Fei glanced at Xu Chen and said:

“Perfect timing— Gu Xinxi’s dinner order is almost here.”

Xu Chen: “What about our ‘Ran Bing 001’?”

Before Nie Fei could answer, Wu Feifei jumped in:

“Sun Lingfeng’s gone to pick it up!

“I’m so excited!”

……

……

During a break in the conversation, Gu Xinxi waved Xu Chen over:

“Boss, I’ve got this sorted out.”

Xu Chen looked at the screen— it was the compilation he’d asked Gu Xinxi to do on major incidents and scandals in the dairy industry over the past few years…

This was for sending to Director Li to handle internal discussions.

Xu Chen: “Forward it to my email so I can review it.”

……

Xu Chen grabbed his laptop and headed back to the General Manager’s Office alone.

He opened his email and downloaded the document Gu Xinxi had prepared.

After skimming through, he noticed it didn’t include anything on the Sanlu brand.

It seemed that in 2006, that particular event hadn’t broken out yet.

But he wondered if there were already problems in their production process.

……

As Xu Chen read through the list of incidents, his mood soured.

The negligence by big corporations in food safety was truly shocking.

Yet, no matter how much uproar there was at the time, after a few years, they just went back to business as usual.

And consumers seemed to have short memories, still buying their products.

……

Xu Chen recalled the ‘Sanlu melamine’ scandal from 2008 in his previous life, and his feelings grew complicated.

In his memory, even though companies like Sanlu faced shutdowns, the hundreds of thousands of affected families suffered irreversible devastation.

That Sanlu female chairperson, who looked so kindly, got reduced sentences for ‘good behavior’.

Legally, she got her punishment, but emotionally, Xu Chen felt outraged for those innocent children and families.

Xu Chen let out a sigh.

He couldn’t help wondering— if he could ensure his own absolute safety, could he do something about it?

The tragedy of those hundreds of thousands of families was heartbreaking; even reducing that number would help…

Xu Chen wasn’t one for heroic gestures, but this involved countless innocent kids.

He sighed again.

If he acted, it had to be completely safe and without exposing himself.

After all, in these times, cross-province reprisals weren’t uncommon.

From his past life, he still remembered the doctor’s fate in that liquor incident.

Whatever he did, it needed to be totally covert.

Above all, ensure his own safety.

……

Xu Chen set aside his thoughts for now, forwarded the document to Director Li, and sent a quick update.

A moment later, he got a reply from Li Yue:

[File received, thanks Xu Chen.

I’ve already had initial talks with the Sanlu brand— they’re disappointed about not getting Xie Bingran as an endorser…

They want to push for more discussions, and I still need to handle internal General Bureau communications, so I’ll put things on hold for now.

As long as the contract isn’t signed, it’s not final…

If Sanlu insists, we can’t outright reject them publicly— I might consider suggesting other athletes as backups…

I understand your views, Xu Chen, and Xie Bingran messaged me directly saying she’s not taking Sanlu’s ads.

So don’t worry too much; I’ll keep you updated on progress…]

Xu Chen: [Okay, thanks Director Li!]

After thinking it over, he added:

[Director Li, take a look at the incidents I compiled— they’re really alarming.

From my personal standpoint, I don’t recommend suggesting other athletes to brands in this category.]

Li Yue: [Noted your thoughts, Xu Chen. My stance aligns with yours right now.

But General Bureau decisions are complex; we’ll see how talks go.

Sanlu has some important connections, so I’m handling communications carefully…]

Xu Chen: [Got it, appreciate your help, Director Li.]

A little later, Li Yue sent another message:

[One more thing— Head & Shoulders has basically confirmed Xie Bingran for endorsement and is pushing the contract through the General Bureau.

I recommended East Morning Star Advertising and gave them a brief background…

The Head & Shoulders team wants an initial meeting with East Morning Star Advertising— are you available, Xu Chen?]

Xu Chen: [Yes, we’re flexible with timing.]

Li Yue: [Great, I’ll reply to them.

They’ll probably contact East Morning Star directly— through Gu Xinxi, right?]

Xu Chen: [Exactly, just coordinate with Gu Xinxi.]

Li Yue: [Okay, I’ll get on that.]

[Thanks, Director Li!]……

Xu Chen quickly messaged Gu Xinxi about the Head & Shoulders discussion.

[Got it, I’ll handle it!]

……

……

Suddenly, sounds of excitement and laughter came from outside.

Xu Chen looked up and smiled.

Sun Lingfeng had returned, carrying a big box— inside were the ‘Ran Bing 001’ shoes.

……

A knock came at the General Manager’s Office door, and Nie Fei entered with three shoe boxes.

“These two pairs are for the Vanke bosses— sizes are on the boxes…”

“And this one’s yours.”

As she spoke, Nie Fei opened the box for Xu Chen.

Xu Chen pulled out the shoes and examined them, delighted.

He looked closely:

“Ours are supposed to be defective, right? How come mine looks perfect?”

Nie Fei: “They are defective.

But Zhou Junjun picked ones where the flaws aren’t obvious.

Yours has a bit of glue leak on the right heel— the workers fixed it.

You wouldn’t notice unless you looked hard, but it’s still considered flawed.”

Xu Chen nodded with a smile:

“This is perfect!”

Nie Fei: “Our preorders hit 300,000, so it’s putting pressure on Zhou Junjun’s side.

He’s expanded the production line and hired more workers— the next batch’s output will ramp up soon.

Lifeng is clearing out other orders to focus fully on ‘Ran Bing 001′.”

Xu Chen nodded:

“Tell Vice President Zhou to keep a low profile— he’s too flashy.

Nike and Li Ning’s factories are nearby in Lifeng too.

No need for big announcements; just get to work quietly…”

Nie Fei nodded.

She understood Xu Chen’s point— they didn’t want rivals or Anrui Investment sniffing around.

For now, Ran Bing Sports’ path was to stay under the radar.

Build up production, sales, loyal users, and brand reputation quietly.

……

In the meeting room.

The table was loaded with burgers, fried chicken, and cola as everyone chatted and laughed.

Wu Feifei and Su Rong hugged their ‘Ran Bing 001’ shoe boxes, reluctant to let go.

The boxes were designed by Pearl Cat, featuring the cool ‘Ice On Fire’ logo.

Wu Feifei grinned and said:

“I can’t wait to wear them, but we have to hold off until New Year’s Day…”

‘Ran Bing 001’ officially ships on New Year’s Day to give first buyers that exclusive feel, so Nie Fei told everyone not to wear them out early and risk photos going online.

Su Rong smiled and said: “Sneak them on in bed after lights out.”

Wu Feifei thought seriously: “Wearing them to sleep might not be a bad idea.”

Xu Chen: “……”

Nie Fei chuckled:

“Today’s gathering is also a celebration.

Our ‘Ran Bing 001’ preorders just broke 300,000— real users with real intent to buy…”

Jiang Yuze added:

“That’s a massive milestone in the industry for a new product release!”

Wu Feifei raised her cola:

“Let’s toast!”

Everyone lifted their drinks, filling the room with cheers and laughter.

……

Halfway through the meal, Su Rong glanced at Xu Chen and asked with a wink:

“Is Bing Ge coming back this weekend?”

Xu Chen: “Yeah, she’ll be in Shanghai by the weekend!”

Su Rong smiled sweetly:

“I heard from Qian Xin that fans are organizing a airport pickup!

I’m wondering if I should go…”

Xu Chen looked amused:

“Qian Xin’s in on this? I had no idea…”

Su Rong: “He’s a big Bing Ge fan…

But I haven’t told him we’re friends with her.”

Xu Chen thought for a moment:

“Let’s keep it quiet for now— if he starts pushing for a meetup, it’ll be awkward…

Bing Ge doesn’t like meeting strangers, as you know.

Though it’s a bit unfair to the ‘Jiang Zhe Little Prince’…”

He turned to Su Rong:

“You don’t need to go to the airport— I’ll set up a meal when she arrives.

Also, for the company year-end party on the 25th, I’ll see if I can get her to join.”

Hearing that, everyone cheered.

Jiang Yuze and Sun Lingfeng hadn’t met Bing Ge yet and looked both nervous and excited.

Xu Chen added:

“No guarantees though— I’ll have to check with her first.”

Nie Fei remembered something and smiled:

“The office downstairs is all set— I talked with the junior boss, and we’ll move in tomorrow!”

“Awesome!”

“Finally getting the big office!”

“Should we do a ribbon-cutting?”

“Any celebration for the move?”

……

The excitement buzzed on.

Nie Fei grinned:

“We’ll officially move tomorrow morning with a simple celebration.”

Wu Feifei: “Oh, I might not make it!”

Xu Chen laughed: “Come after work!

We’ll have a dinner celebration in the new office.”

Wu Feifei lit up: “Really?”

Nie Fei added with a smile:

“The new space is huge…

Tomorrow night, we’ll fire up a hot pot right there.”

Su Rong paused: “Hot pot?”

She seemed unfamiliar with the term as a girl from Zhejiang Province.

Wu Feifei laughed: “It’s just eating hot pot!”

Su Rong said, “Oh!”

“Hot pot sounds great! I haven’t had it in forever!”

Wu Feifei: “And with the weather cooling down, it’s perfect timing!”

……

After the meal, everyone pitched in to clean up the trash.

The girls went off to wash some fruit and kept chatting in the meeting room.

Gu Xinxi pulled Xu Chen aside and said:

“Boss, the Head & Shoulders visit is set for Wednesday morning.”

Xu Chen: “Where at?”

Gu Xinxi: “Procter & Gamble’s office in Shanghai, Lujiazui…

It’s close to Jeep’s office, just a couple streets away.”

Xu Chen: “That’s convenient— I was worried we’d have to go to Yangcheng for it.”

Head & Shoulders is under Procter & Gamble.

Procter & Gamble was one of the early foreign consumer goods brands to enter China after reforms.

Their first product in China was Head & Shoulders, focused on dandruff control…

Influenced by local policies and the environment back then, many of these foreign brands set up in Guangdong Province.

So Procter & Gamble’s factories and headquarters stayed in Yangcheng for years.

In recent years, they’ve opened offices in Shanghai and seem to be shifting their brand HQ here.

……

Xu Chen thought for a moment and said to Nie Fei:

“Fei Jie, join me for the Head & Shoulders visit on Wednesday!”

Nie Fei, holding a glass of red wine, smiled:

“I’m not involved in East Morning Star Advertising’s business— is it okay for me to tag along?”

Xu Chen: “Foreign companies like Procter & Gamble really value the presence and professionalism of partners.

With just me and Gu Xinxi, we might come off as inexperienced— that’s the truth.

You coming along will help us make a stronger impression.

With your commanding presence, no one will underestimate us…”

Nie Fei swirled her wine glass and laughed.