Chapter 449: Rivalries in the Advertising World

Houhai Bar.

Wu Tianfu finished belting out a song and stepped off the stage with a glass of wine in hand.

He raised his glass and smiled at his team of subordinates,

“It’s rare for our team to get out and unwind like this, and we just nailed that Baidu project…”

“Come on! Let’s toast to it!”

Laughter erupted as everyone lifted their glasses and drank heartily.

Wu Tianfu glanced over and spotted Sandy, then grinned and said,

“What’s up with you, Sandy? You look like something’s on your mind.”

Sandy clutched her phone, hesitating, her expression torn between speaking and staying silent.

Wu Tianfu: “What’s going on? Run into some trouble?”

Sandy paused again before whispering,

“Tif, I just got a message from Baidu about the project…”

“It might be changing?”

The other colleagues overheard Sandy’s words:

“What could be changing?”

“We already won the pitch—can the project just slip away?”

Wu Tianfu crossed his legs, sat down, took a sip of wine, and chuckled.

Sandy murmured,

“It really did slip away…”

Her words hung in the air, leaving everyone stunned and suddenly quiet.

“What did you say, Sandy? It slipped away?”

Sandy looked at Wu Tianfu, her face flushed with embarrassment.

She stammered a bit but managed to say,

“I just got word from Baidu…”

“Apparently, Li Yanhong’s wife, Melissa, got involved in this project.”

“Then Melissa didn’t go with our plan, so…”

“Ah?!”

“How can they do that? Wasn’t it decided already?”

“Yeah! Li Yanhong signed off on it himself—can they just change it?”

Sandy looked uncomfortable:

“The earlier news was just verbal…”

“Now, after Melissa stepped in, she’s convinced the big boss Li Yanhong.”

“Seems like he often takes his wife’s advice on things.”

“…”

The subordinates glanced at Wu Tianfu, who looked displeased, and fell silent.

They had been toasting just moments ago, and now this twist hit them.

Everyone set down their glasses, feeling lost.

Wu Tianfu furrowed his brow.

He tossed back the wine in his glass and said,

“So, which company’s plan did Baidu’s boss’s wife end up choosing?”

Sandy replied,

“I heard it’s that ‘East Morning Star Advertising’ outfit.”

Wu Tianfu paused, clearly surprised.

The other colleagues were equally shocked:

“East Morning Star Advertising? The one run by that young boss?”

“I thought it would be McCann!”

“Losing to McCann’s Mok would be one thing, but to some kid? That’s hard to swallow!”

“Is there some inside deal?”

“What inside deal? Baidu’s boss’s wife getting bribed? No way!”

“How could that happen?”

Wu Tianfu thought for a moment:

“What was East Morning Star Advertising’s plan? Can we find out?”

Sandy looked uneasy:

“I’ll try to ask around, but it might not work. It’s the winning plan, so they probably won’t share it before it goes public.”

Wu Tianfu nodded.

He stroked his chin and said,

“We really dropped the ball this time. We tailored our pitch to Li Yanhong, but turns out the final decision was his wife’s…”

“That’s like a total wildcard disaster—impossible to predict.”

He looked at his disheartened team and added with a smile,

“That’s just how pitches go—nobody wins them all!”

With that, he picked up another glass from the table.

…

…

McCann headquarters in Beijing.

Mo Kangxun finished his meeting and stepped out of the conference room.

He saw a few young team members huddled in the rest area, chatting excitedly.

“What’s got you all so fired up?”

Mo Kangxun walked over with a smile.

The young folks quickly greeted their boss.

One of them, a guy named Leon, said,

“Mok, the final results are out for that Baidu pitch from this morning.”

Mo Kangxun poured a cup of coffee and replied with a grin,

“Wasn’t it Dentsu that got it? Or is there a twist?”

Leon: “There is a twist…”

“The project went to East Morning Star Advertising.”

Mo Kangxun froze for a second, then took a sharp breath:

“What happened?”

Leon: “Word is, Li Yanhong’s wife, Ma Dongmin, looked into the project.”

“She’s in charge of marketing, so after reviewing the plans, she overrode Li Yanhong’s choice and picked East Morning Star Advertising’s plan.”

Mo Kangxun sipped his coffee and suddenly laughed:

“Interesting…”

The other team members couldn’t help but chime in:

“That young boss at East Morning Star Advertising is really something—snagging this project out of nowhere!”

“Proves their ‘Great Wall Award’ win wasn’t just luck.”

“I’m dying to know what East Morning Star’s plan looks like—it beat ours and Dentsu’s!”

“We’ll see it when the project launches. I’m curious too.”

“Just who is this ‘young Xu’?”

Mo Kangxun sipped his coffee and said with a smile,

“Last month at the Great Wall Awards, I even thought about recruiting him to our team.”

“Then I found out he’s the owner of East Morning Star Advertising…”

“Now, with them landing the Baidu project so easily, they probably wouldn’t even consider joining us.”

Mo Kangxun shook his head lightly and added,

“The younger generation is truly formidable!”

…

…

That same evening, Xu Chen and Su Rong landed at the Provincial Capital Airport.

Su Rong was buzzing with excitement, scanning the arrival hall left and right.

Xu Chen: “Aren’t all airports pretty much the same?”

Su Rong: “Not this one.”

“This is Bing Ge’s hometown—it’s different!”

Xu Chen: “…”

While waiting for their luggage, Su Rong suddenly pointed excitedly and tapped Xu Chen’s arm.

Xu Chen turned to see a billboard across the way featuring ‘Chenfeng Ice Power’ ads.

The poster showed the cool Bing Ge alongside a stylish Chenfeng Ice Power electric bike that matched her vibe perfectly.

Xu Chen was surprised too—the ads had already hit the Provincial Capital Airport, no doubt arranged by Guo Liang.

Su Rong beamed: “See? Bing Ge’s hometown is something else!”

Then she remembered something and said,

“You promised me an electric bike!”

Xu Chen smiled:

“Perfect timing—next month we’re shooting a video. I’ll have them send an extra one to Shanghai.”

He added as a reminder:

“That bike’s pretty fast, so ride safe and don’t take it on the roads recklessly.”

Su Rong smiled sweetly:

“I’ll only ride it around campus!”

…

Xu Chen’s phone rang—it was Li Rui calling.

“Hang on, I’ll be out once we grab the luggage!”

“Got it, Xu Chen—I’m waiting outside the arrival gate.”

…

A few minutes later.

As soon as Xu Chen and Su Rong stepped out, they spotted Li Rui in the distance, grinning from ear to ear as he approached.

He took Xu Chen’s luggage while calling out, “Xu Chen.”

Xu Chen gestured to his side:

“This is Su Rong—just grab her bag too.”

Li Rui noticed the petite, pretty girl with Xu Chen and flashed a hint of wariness.

Su Rong seemed shy and ducked behind Xu Chen.

Maybe it was Li Rui’s tough look that made her uneasy…

Xu Chen laughed and introduced them:

“Su Rong is my classmate and Bing Ge’s friend.”

“She’s here to hang out with Bing Ge.”

Li Rui relaxed and smiled warmly:

“Nice to meet you, Su Rong. I’m Li Rui.”

Xu Chen turned to Su Rong and said:

“Li Rui is my high school buddy and Bing Ge’s close bro. He works at my dad’s company now.”

Li Rui tried his best to look friendly toward Su Rong, though his rugged face made the smile a bit odd.

Xu Chen found it amusing and joked to Su Rong,

“Don’t worry, Li Rui doesn’t bite. He just looks intimidating when he doesn’t smile.”

Li Rui chuckled.

Su Rong still seemed a little timid, but knowing Li Rui was Bing Ge’s high school friend and brother eased her a bit, and she handed over her suitcase.

…

In the parking lot.

Li Rui had driven a brand-new minivan, a dark blue Honda Odyssey.

Xu Chen: “New ride?”

As he loaded the luggage, Li Rui explained,

“The company just got it.”

“Dad often needs to meet clients and execs, so a minivan’s more comfortable and professional.”

“Plus, Dad and Guo Liang are hitting the road a lot lately, so for nearby cities, they just use this.”

“It’s spacious—makes long trips easier.”

Xu Chen nodded and settled into the comfy backseat with Su Rong.

Su Rong grinned excitedly:

“Your city here doesn’t feel any colder than Beijing!”

Xu Chen: “We’re not in the northeast, and we’re a bit south of Beijing anyway.”

Su Rong stuck out her tongue awkwardly: “Oh…”

Li Rui started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

Xu Chen: “What about Bing Ge? Did you pick her up?”

Li Rui: “Dad sent Fang Tao to get her. We’ll all head to the park afterward.”

He added with a smile:

“The guys have been missing Bing Ge—today’s the day!”

Su Rong lit up: “We’re going to the park too, right?”

Xu Chen: “Yeah! You’ll see Bing Ge soon!”

Su Rong: “I’m so excited!”

Xu Chen asked Li Rui,

“What about my dad? Is he at the company?”

Li Rui: “He’s dealing with stuff at the Seedling Company. Cheng Yong drove him out this afternoon.”

“With the holidays coming, they have a lot of networking there…”

“But Dad said he’d be back for dinner.”

“Okay.”

Thinking of his dad working hard out there, Xu Chen felt a surge of affection.

Su Rong: “Your family has a Seedling Company too?”

Xu Chen: “Yeah, it was Dad’s business before he got into electric bikes.”

Su Rong: “Your family’s got quite the empire!”

Xu Chen: “Nowhere near as big as yours, Su Rong.”

Su Rong: “Dad says your company’s got huge potential—it’ll grow massive!”

Xu Chen: “Your dad’s got sharp eyes!”

…

…

An hour and a half later, the car entered Tiancheng’s downtown area.

As they neared home with the holidays approaching, Xu Chen gazed out the window at his hometown, feeling a mix of emotions.

Su Rong suddenly nudged him:

“Look! There’s one of your family’s bikes!”

Xu Chen glanced over and saw a bundled-up aunt riding a ‘Chenfeng Ice Power’ on the bike lane.

Li Rui, gripping the wheel, said with a grin,

“Our electric bikes are flying off the shelves in Tiancheng!”

“Especially with the holidays, we’ve been sold out for ages.”

“We’re barely keeping up with demand—one batch sells out, and we ship the next.”

Su Rong gave Xu Chen a thumbs-up:

“Your family’s business is booming, Xu Chen!”

Xu Chen smiled: “And ‘Chenfeng Ice Power’ uses materials from ‘Wanrong’ too!”

Su Rong laughed happily: “Thrilled to be partnering with you!”

Li Rui realized then that this Su Rong was connected to their business.

…

…

The ‘Chenfeng Technology Park’ sign loomed ahead.

Su Rong peered out the window:

“Wow, your company’s entrance is impressive!”

Xu Chen took a closer look:

“Did they renovate the front?”

Li Rui: “Yeah, Dad had it all redone—everything’s fresh now.”

“Fang Jun designed the new gate.”

Xu Chen chuckled, figuring that was why.

With Fang Jun overseeing it, they avoided any outdated styles Dad might have chosen.

The park’s entrance was sleek and modern now.

It had expanded wider than the old ‘Bright Factory’ gate.

A simple, elegant stone marker bore the words ‘Chenfeng Technology Park’.

…

The car drove straight through the gate.

Xu Chen scanned the area—the buildings inside had all been repaired and repainted.

He gave Su Rong a quick rundown:

“This used to be a state-owned mechanical factory that went under, so Dad bought it when he started the electric bike business.”

Su Rong looked around curiously:

“Your factory’s huge!”

She spotted a quirky two-story building:

“What’s that? Why’s there a bar in the company?”

Xu Chen grinned:

“That’s Fang Jun’s thing—a personal hobby of hers.”

Su Rong: “That’s awesome—having a two-story bar in the office!”

“Fang Jun must be a top exec in your dad’s company!”

Xu Chen: “She’s a key asset to us, no question.”

The car pulled up to the front of the ‘Comprehensive Building’ behind the bar.

Li Rui parked and quickly opened the doors for Xu Chen and Su Rong.

As soon as Xu Chen got out, he saw a group of about a dozen young guys clustered together.

They wore dark ‘Security Department’ uniforms, cigarettes in hand, arms slung over each other’s shoulders.

Spotting Xu Chen, they all smiled respectfully and called out, “Xu Chen.”

This crew was Bing Ge’s crew.

Zhao Feng, Li Xing, Fang Tao, Liu Ao…

Su Rong trailed behind Xu Chen, eyeing the rough bunch of guys and shrinking back a little.

When the group parted, there stood Bing Ge.

Xie Bingran wore a black long coat, hands in her pockets, looking as cool as ever.

Around her brothers, she seemed even edgier.

Her fierce vibe intensified.

Xu Chen couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Xie Bingran.

Xie Bingran’s eyes lit up with joy and a touch of shyness when she saw him.

…