Chapter 415: A Champion’s Unexpected Appearance

When Xie Bingran made her entrance, the room fell silent for a few seconds.

Wang Shi, Yu Liang, and Zhou Kai stared up at the Asian Games champion, too stunned to say a word.

Boss Wang glanced at the champion poster in his hand, then looked back at the young man in the baseball cap, as if seeking confirmation.

Xu Chen pushed Xie Bingran forward.

She still held the black pen, feeling the awkward tension in the air, unsure what to do next, so she glanced back at Xu Chen.

Xu Chen smiled and spoke up:

“We didn’t forget to sign the poster; we just haven’t gotten to it yet.”

…

…

Wang Shi was the first to snap out of it.

He let out a hearty laugh and shot Xu Chen a meaningful look.

He quickly extended his hand to Xie Bingran:

“I’m Wang Shi. It’s an honor to meet you…”

Xie Bingran’s expression stayed neutral as she politely shook his hand.

Yu Liang turned around, smiling as he said:

“I’m Yu Liang. What a surprise!

Welcome to Vanke!”

As he spoke, he reached out to shake Xie Bingran’s hand.

Zhou Kai, the secretary nearby, hesitated, not sure what to do.

He paused, then stepped forward anxiously, bowing slightly as he extended his hand:

“I’m Zhou Kai.”

…

Wang Shi grinned and turned to Xu Chen:

“President Xu, every time I see you, there’s a big surprise.

But I never expected today’s to be this huge!”

Xu Chen feigned a bit of embarrassment and smiled:

“How about we let the champion sign first?”

Wang Shi nodded quickly:

“Yes, yes! Sorry about that!”

This real estate tycoon showed a hint of nervousness in his voice.

Wang Shi handed over the poster with both hands, and Xie Bingran signed ‘Xie Bingran’ steadily with the black pen.

Xu Chen glanced down and couldn’t help thinking:

Bing Ge’s been signing a lot lately; he’s gotten pretty good at it.

“Xie Bingran” looked much neater than before.

Once Wang Shi’s poster was signed, Yu Liang held his out with both hands.

…

Zhou Kai suddenly remembered something and checked his phone.

He hesitated, then mustered his courage and stepped forward, whispering:

“Boss Wang, Mr. Yu, the foreign guests are still waiting…”

Wang Shi frowned and whispered back:

“Whatever guests they are, send them away for now.

Don’t you see we’re hosting our most important guest?”

Zhou Kai: “…”

Xu Chen turned to Xie Bingran, his expression full of amusement.

…

Wang Shi gave an awkward smile.

He apologized, then quietly discussed with Yu Liang and Zhou Kai.

Wang Shi was a savvy businessman at heart.

Though thrilled to meet the Asian Games champion, he didn’t neglect business matters.

The waiting guests were from an overseas investment firm in California, so he had to handle them properly.

He sent Yu Liang to greet them first, then invited Xie Bingran and Xu Chen to his meeting room for a chat.

…

Wang Shi’s office was on the 19th floor, which Xu Chen had passed earlier.

Zhou Kai opened the door, revealing a stunning sea view.

The office was spacious, easily over 1,000 square feet.

Its design was simple, professional, and upscale, without any flashy excess.

Wang Shi beamed with enthusiasm as he guided Xu Chen and Xie Bingran to the seating area.

Zhou Kai was quick on his feet, calling in two admin colleagues to prepare tea.

Wang Shi went to his desk and picked up a large photo frame.

“I had Zhou Kai print and frame this specially!”

Xu Chen and Xie Bingran looked up to see a Jeep poster featuring Wang Shi and Xie Bingran together.

“Now with the signed champion poster, I’ll display that on my shelf too!”

He sat down, his face lit with pride.

The tea was ready.

Wang Shi was quite the talker, chatting easily with Xu Chen and Xie Bingran.

Their conversation kept circling back to the Asian Games and Xie Bingran, with him expressing admiration throughout.

Yet his appreciation was perfectly measured, never crossing into impropriety.

As a middle-aged male executive, his comments about an eighteen-year-old girl carried a subtle undertone, but

Wang Shi spoke with such genuine openness that it eased any awkwardness.

He made it clear his admiration stemmed from shared respect for the spirit of sports and the Asian Games gold medal.

Xie Bingran listened quietly, occasionally nodding and smiling politely.

Bing Ge had faced many big scenes and met plenty of influential people, so this meeting with Vanke’s founder didn’t faze him.

Wang Shi then said to Xu Chen:

“I have to thank you, President Xu, for giving me the chance to meet and befriend the Asian Games champion.”

Xu Chen smiled and replied:

“Xie Bingran had a schedule that worked out…

It was just a coincidence that she had a free slot this morning, so I arranged for her to connect through Pengcheng and stop by.”

This explanation sounded natural and fitting.

At the same time, he emphasized the ‘connecting flight’ and ‘morning slot’ to avoid being kept for lunch.

Wang Shi, being sharp, instantly grasped Xu Chen’s hint.

He had planned to host the champion for lunch but now had to let it go.

Xu Chen picked up the briefcase nearby:

“And here’s a gift for you and Mr. Yu…”

“Oh?” Wang Shi showed a mix of surprise and delight.

Xu Chen pulled out the pair of ‘Ran Bing 001’ shoes for Wang Shi.

“Xie Bingran and I partnered on an independent sports brand called ‘Ran Bing Sports’.

This is our first product, ‘Ran Bing 001’…”

As he spoke, he opened the shoebox.

Wang Shi’s interest piqued, and he reached for one of the shoes.

He examined it, feeling the material:

“This midsole feels top-notch!”

Wang Shi ran marathons and worked out, so he knew shoes well and noticed the midsole right away.

Xu Chen explained:

“We put in a lot of effort to source the best midsole material in China…

‘Ran Bing 001’ uses a unique foaming tech that’s one-of-a-kind in the industry!”

Wang Shi bent the sole, and it bounced back quickly.

He nodded and said:

“No wonder I haven’t seen Xie Bingran teaming up with other brands—she’s got her own now!

Setting this up so early shows real sharp vision.”

He looked at Xu Chen and smiled:

“This must be your doing.”

Xu Chen smiled and explained: “I know Xie Bingran well, and I was confident in her racing achievements and commercial potential…

So I planned the ‘Ran Bing Sports’ brand early on.

With Xie Bingran’s rise from the Asian Games, ‘Ran Bing 001’s launch hit the wave perfectly.”

Wang Shi nodded in admiration:

“Impressive for someone your age!”

He paused briefly:

“I thought you just ran an ad agency, but you’re into real business too.

I heard you knew Xie Bingran, but I didn’t realize you were this close…”

Xu Chen chuckled and picked up the other shoe, describing ‘Ran Bing 001’s design.

Including how it came from the England design studio ‘Pearl Cat’, with ideas inspired by blue porcelain ice cracks and Dunhuang flames.

Wang Shi listened and nodded repeatedly.

Toward the end, Xu Chen added:

“Our shoes are lightweight and cushioned, perfect for casual runs or even marathons.

Compared to Asics’ Kayano or Saucony’s Firebird, those support shoes are a bit heavy.

And pro marathon shoes often lack cushioning for amateurs, which can hurt knees…

‘Ran Bing 001’ keeps it light while offering great shock absorption and knee protection.

We didn’t market it for marathons, but it’s fully capable.”

Wang Shi nodded with a smile.

Both were sharp minds, quickly seeing the implications.

Wang Shi spoke up:

“It’s perfect timing—there’s the Sanya Marathon in January.

Vanke is the main sponsor, and Yu Liang and I will be there.

I can use these ‘Ran Bing 001’ as my race shoes!”

Seeing Wang Shi bring it up, Xu Chen dropped the pretense and smiled:

“Thank you so much, Boss Wang!

To be honest, ‘Ran Bing 001’ just launched.

As a new brand, it doesn’t have much influence yet.

Having you wear it in the marathon would be an honor for Xie Bingran and me.

We’re truly grateful!”

Wang Shi: “Wearing shoes from an Asian Games champion is my honor!

Honestly, I rarely endorse outside products, mainly due to quality concerns…

But after hearing your details, I know you put real effort into this!”

He thought for a moment:

“The Sanya Marathon is late January.

If it’s convenient, send a few pairs over. We can set up displays as sponsors—it’s easy for us at Vanke!”

He paused and added with a smile:

“Of course, it’s a win-win.

Having an Asian Games champion’s brand at the marathon boosts the event too!”

Xu Chen: “Thank you again, Boss Wang!”

Wang Shi laughed heartily:

“You brought the champion here today…

Whatever you ask, I probably couldn’t say no!”

He turned to Xie Bingran and smiled:

“Would it be possible to get a photo with our champion?”

Xu Chen: “Of course.”

…

Wang Shi was a photography enthusiast, with a top-notch camera in his office.

Zhou Kai and Xu Chen handled it, snapping a few shots of Wang Shi and Xie Bingran.

One was specifically of Xie Bingran presenting the ‘Ran Bing 001’ to Wang Shi.

That ‘gift shoe’ photo would make great promo material.

Once done, Wang Shi said:

“Zhou Kai, send the photos to President Xu—they can use them for promotion!”

Xu Chen felt impressed.

This top businessman had seen through his plans all along.

…

Wang Shi chuckled happily:

“Our Yu Liang is probably going to be disappointed…”

Xu Chen paused, unsure what he meant.

Wang Shi explained:

“Vanke needs a vice president to oversee marketing and branding.

Yu Liang suggested inviting you, but with your ‘Ran Bing Sports’ business, you probably wouldn’t want a spot in our marketing department.”

Xu Chen:

“It’s an honor to be considered by you and Mr. Yu…”

He left it at that, a polite decline.

He’d already thought it through when Liu Wenqin and Zhou Kai hinted at it before.

As the young boss of his own company, he didn’t want to work for others.

Even for a top firm like Vanke, it meant answering to bosses and dealing with internal politics.

From the ‘Rancho Santa Fe’ project, he knew there were complications he wanted to avoid.

He wasn’t afraid of fights, just found them tiring.

…

Wang Shi remembered something and grabbed two books from his shelf.

“Today was a delight and an honor!

This is my latest book…

If you don’t mind, I’d like to give it to you two.”

Xu Chen looked down at the cover, which featured Wang Shi’s photo.

The title was ‘Roads and Dreams: My Twenty Years with Vanke’…

Xu Chen took it with both hands:

“What an honor! Thank you, Boss Wang!”

Xie Bingran bowed slightly and accepted it politely.

Xu Chen flipped through the title page and contents, which covered Wang Shi’s entrepreneurial journey with Vanke.

He said earnestly:

“Getting a glimpse of the property mogul’s secrets from this book is truly an honor…”

Wang Shi laughed, clearly pleased by the compliment.

Everyone loves flattery; it’s human nature.

“A thousand words may pierce, but flattery never fails”—that was something Xu Zhiquan had told Xu Chen.

Xu Chen turned to the title page and smiled:

“Boss Wang, could you sign it for me?”

Right on cue.

Wang Shi happily obliged.

Xu Chen and Xie Bingran leaned in with their books…

Meanwhile, Secretary Zhou Kai snapped photos with the camera.

…

They chatted a bit more, then Wang Shi glanced at Xu Chen casually:

“‘Ran Bing Sports’ is still in its early stages, right?

Building a top-tier sports brand takes a lot of funding.

These days, sportswear is like fast consumer goods.

Just marketing alone is a huge expense…”

Xu Chen waited, letting him continue.

Wang Shi smiled:

“Do you have any financing needs?”

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