Chapter 426: Whispers of Ambition

The venue’s tea break area.

Baidu Group’s Vice President Zhao Ling calmly synced Baidu’s project requirements with Xu Chen.

Xu Chen listened quietly, yet he could clearly sense Zhao Ling’s underlying project anxiety.

Just as Zhao Ling had mentioned, this project was under the direct scrutiny of Baidu’s big boss Li Yanhong and was crucial to the company’s future growth.

By late 2006, Google hadn’t yet withdrawn from the domestic market and even aimed to monopolize search engine habits like in other countries.

But Baidu’s rise was quietly overtaking Google’s market share in China.

Google and Baidu were the only two players in the domestic search engine arena.

Their competition had reached a boiling point.

For Baidu, things looked promising with growing user numbers, but the pressure was immense.

After all, Baidu was a startup founded by Li Yanhong upon his return, and its funding couldn’t match Google’s.

In its rapid ascent over recent years, Baidu had burned through vast resources.

Now, Baidu desperately needed to reassure investors and secure fresh funding.

Behind this ambition was the drive to gain a clear edge over Google in the competition…

And the brand promotion task in Zhao Ling’s hands targeted Google directly.

It might seem like just a competitor-focused campaign, but it tied into Baidu’s funding, competitive landscape, and long-term development.

It was a high-stakes promotional battle they couldn’t afford to lose.

Zhao Ling kept up a facade of calm, but Xu Chen saw the tension and worry—she was under massive pressure.

“Our company headquarters is in Beijing, so we initially approached some of Beijing’s top 4A agencies…”

“Including Ogilvy and McCann, who both pitched ideas…”

“But none of them satisfied us.”

“Especially our boss Robin—he said their plans were too traditional, just standard TV ads.”

Xu Chen: “So, Baidu’s promotion this time should focus mainly on internet media?”

Zhao Ling: “Exactly!”

“After all, our users are all online.”

“What we’re aiming for is promotion through internet media and channels.”

“So, the old TV ad formulas won’t work…”

“But the problem is, domestic ad agencies, especially the foreign 4A ones, are still rooted in traditional TV advertising.”

Xu Chen nodded, already forming a clear picture in his mind.

Indeed, as Zhao Ling said, the so-called international 4A agencies were still basking in the glow of traditional advertising and hadn’t fully embraced internet marketing.

As someone reborn from the future, Xu Chen had witnessed the gradual decline of traditional ads and 4A agencies over the next decade or two.

Meanwhile, for this Baidu project, Xu Chen already had a plan brewing.

Baidu’s most memorable slogan was “Baidu it, and you’ll know.”

But clearly, that alone wouldn’t solve Baidu’s current challenges or promotional needs.

For this project, though, Xu Chen recalled the perfect solution.

And as Zhao Ling mentioned, they were dealing with foreign 4A agencies now, so the Yangcheng-based small creative firm that later created Baidu’s viral ad hadn’t entered the picture yet.

This gave Xu Chen a chance to step in first…

Zhao Ling looked at Xu Chen and smiled as she spoke:

“I wonder if President Xu and East Morning Star Advertising are interested in joining our project?”

She paused briefly:

“But… since we already have other foreign 4A agencies pitching, it’s essentially a pitch competition.”

Xu Chen thought for a moment and didn’t rush to agree; instead, he said:

“I’m definitely interested, but I need to check our team’s schedule and see if we have the manpower and slots available.”

Zhao Ling paused, then smiled and nodded.

But a hint of disappointment showed on her face…

Xu Chen: “Why don’t you send over the detailed project requirements first?”

“We’ll evaluate it internally and get back to you quickly.”

Zhao Ling: “That works fine.”

She showed a touch of apology:

“I’ve been caught up in the event yesterday and today, so I haven’t had time to organize the materials.”

As she spoke, she glanced at her assistant Miao Xiaoyu.

The young assistant quickly said:

“I’ll compile the project materials tonight and send them to your email, President Xu.”

Xu Chen: “Besides the project requirements, we might need some background materials.”

Zhao Ling: “What exactly?”

Xu Chen: “Since this ad is competing against Google, we’ll need product introductions for Baidu and Google.”

“Especially the parts highlighting Baidu’s differences and advantages.”

Zhao Ling nodded with a smile, feeling a surge of relief.

Xu Chen had hit the key issue right away, easing her mind a bit.

“It seems President Xu is truly professional—no doubts there.”

“We already have some ready-made documents; we’ve prepared an internal one.”

“It’s a bit technical and internal-facing, so for user communication in ads, it’ll need refining and polishing.”

Xu Chen: “No problem; if we take on the plan, we’ll handle that.”

…

Once the project talk wrapped up, they chatted about casual topics.

It turned out Zhao Ling was a key guest from the brand side and was supposed to attend the official banquet.

But she was eager to get back to the company, so she booked a flight for tonight.

Right after the award ceremony ended, Zhao Ling wanted to discuss the project with Xu Chen and even considered inviting him to dinner by rescheduling her flight.

But since they’d squeezed in the chat at the venue, she stuck to her original plan to head back to Beijing tonight.

“It’s a shame we couldn’t have a meal together, President Xu.”

“But there should be a chance to invite you to our Baidu headquarters to dive deeper into the project and host you properly.”

This was a subtle hint that she hoped Xu Chen would join Baidu’s project.

For Xu Chen, though, it was still a pitch competition, so he felt a bit reluctant.

He responded politely:

“If you ever come to Shanghai, feel free to visit East Morning Star Advertising—I’ll make sure to host you well.”

…

As they chatted, a young staff member approached Xu Chen and said:

“President Xu, Dean Lin is calling for you…”

Zhao Ling smiled and said:

“Perfect timing—I’ve got a flight to catch, so I won’t keep you.”

Xu Chen: “You’re too kind, Zhao Ling. Have a safe trip.”

They exchanged pleasantries, and Zhao Ling left with her assistant.

Xu Chen glanced over and saw Xie Bingran sitting quietly in a chair nearby, hands in pockets, looking effortlessly cool…

She noticed Xu Chen watching and stood up to walk over.

“Finished chatting?”

“All done.”

Xu Chen turned to the staff member:

“Where’s Dean Lin?”

“In the banquet hall behind us.”

“The evening banquet is about to start, and Dean Lin wants to introduce some guests to you…”

Xu Chen: “Got it, thanks.”

“I’ll head over soon…”

…

…

Meanwhile.

Zhao Ling and her assistant Miao Xiaoyu were in a taxi heading to the airport.

Miao Xiaoyu typed on her phone while saying:

“Boss, I can get the materials sorted and sent to East Morning Star Advertising by the time we reach the airport.”

Zhao Ling nodded but let out a soft sigh.

Miao Xiaoyu: “Do you think they’ll deliver?”

“Even Ogilvy’s plan got rejected by Robin…”

Zhao Ling: “We have no choice now. Let’s convince President Xu to pitch something—it might surprise us.”

She paused, then asked:

“We still have a couple of plans on hold, right?”

Miao Xiaoyu: “Yes! McCann and Dentsu’s plans came in the last couple of days.”

“And two more 4A agencies’ proposals are expected after New Year’s Day.”

Zhao Ling: “Hold off on them for now. After the New Year holiday, I’ll try to chat with East Morning Star Advertising.”

“If they come up with something, we’ll present it all to Robin together.”

Miao Xiaoyu: “Okay.”

Zhao Ling frowned in thought and murmured:

“It’s unbelievable that ‘Afraid of Getting Heated’ was done by a local small ad agency.”

“And him, a first-year student, creating something so industry-disrupting—it’s mind-blowing.”

“Plus, the slogan he made for ‘Baidu Knows’ is spot-on…”

…

…

Back at the venue.

Xu Chen looked at Xie Bingran and said:

“The banquet might keep me busy, so I won’t be able to hang out with you.”

“If you’re bored, Bing Ge, I’ll drop you back at the hotel and treat you to late-night snacks later.”

Xie Bingran stepped closer to Xu Chen and gently squeezed his right hand:

“I’m sticking with you, so don’t worry about me.”

Xu Chen smiled: “Alright, I don’t want to let you go anyway.”

Xie Bingran glanced at their linked hands:

“Did I squeeze your hand too hard just now?”

Xu Chen: “Yeah, Bing Ge, you’ve got quite the grip!”

Xie Bingran lowered her head slightly:

“I was just so thrilled when I heard you won the award.”

Xu Chen: “Then you owe me some compensation.”

Xie Bingran narrowed her eyes, a hint of wariness flashing across them.

Xu Chen grinned mischievously.

…

…

The banquet hall buzzed with people.

It was a mix of buffet and cocktail party, perfect for networking.

Around the hall, displays showcased Tencent’s products and services—it was clearly a Tencent-sponsored event.

Xu Chen spotted Dean Lin Ruyang from afar and quietly told Xie Bingran:

“I can’t keep you company anymore.”

Xie Bingran: “It’s fine, go ahead.”

Xu Chen: “Grab something to eat on your own then.”

He chuckled:

“Keep your hat on; the mask should be okay here.”

“In a place like this, no one would suspect an Asian Games gold medalist slipping in.”

“Oh.”

…

…

Dean Lin Ruyang, deep in conversation with a few people, spotted Xu Chen and waved him over with a warm smile.

Xu Chen hurried forward, half-bowing as he approached.

Before he even arrived, he heard Dean Lin’s hearty laughter and felt the old man pull him close:

“Let me officially introduce you—this is my prized student!”

…

The attendees at the banquet fell into three main groups:

“Great Wall Award” review committee experts, scholars, and ad moguls; high-level brand clients; and the award-winning advertisers.

Dean Lin Ruyang kept Xu Chen by his side, introducing him to all his acquaintances in academia and the creative industry.

The old man clearly took pride in showing him off, calling him his beloved student at every turn.

For Xu Chen, this was a golden opportunity, instantly expanding his network and connecting him with industry heavyweights.

He handed out East Morning Star Advertising’s business cards, boosting the company’s visibility and influence in the field.

Mo Kangxun, the ad mogul from Hong Kong, joked:

“I have to admit, I hadn’t heard of East Morning Star Advertising before.”

“I thought some local small firm had produced a young genius, and I was even considering poaching you for McCann…”

“Then I found out East Morning Star is your own company.”

Liang Weifeng, the partner at BBDO Tianlian Advertising and a renowned Singaporean ad exec, chimed in:

“I’ve actually heard of East Morning Star Advertising and young President Xu for a while!”

This sparked interest among the others nearby.

Liang Weifeng chuckled awkwardly:

“The Jeep project was originally ours at BBDO, but we lost the pitch to East Morning Star Advertising.”

The group nodded in understanding, tossing in a few light teases at Liang Weifeng.

Liang Weifeng turned to Xu Chen with a smile:

“Vincent has been singing your praises, and I’ve been eager to meet you.”

Vincent, of course, referred to BBDO’s creative director Liu Wenqin.

Xu Chen clinked glasses with Liang Weifeng:

“You’re too kind, Mr. Liang. As a senior in the industry, I’ve admired you for ages.”

Surrounded by true industry giants, Xu Chen showed no signs of intimidation.

His maturity far beyond his years impressed the academics and pros alike.

…

During the banquet, several brand reps approached Xu Chen to connect.

He greeted them warmly, knowing these could lead to future business.

Since East Morning Star Advertising had won for the ‘Wang Laoshun’ herbal tea ad, a few domestic fast-moving consumer goods and beverage clients reached out.

Xu Chen welcomed them all, exchanging cards and chatting politely.

A couple mentioned potential ad projects, but after glancing at their products, Xu Chen wasn’t too excited—they were smaller brands with limited budgets.

Still, he exchanged contacts and suggested follow-ups.

Others caught his interest more, like the BMW Mini client, a top-tier milk tea brand, and a couple of real estate firms—high-value opportunities.

Though they were just executives, they expressed collaboration interest.

For East Morning Star Advertising, this meant building a pipeline of potential deals—a major win.