Chapter 466: Echoes of Family and Ambition

Xu Chen smiled.

“Dad, you’re spot on!”

Xu Zhiquan took a drag on his cigarette.

“I didn’t tell you or Ranran because I didn’t want you two to worry.

I’m an old hand at this, and it’s all for your future.”

Xu Chen: “I get it.”

Xu Zhiquan: “We’ve put the matter to rest; they won’t show up again.

That includes Ranran’s side—they won’t dare contact her alone anymore.

As for Feng Wenjiang, I’ve arranged for people in the town and village to keep an eye on him.

Ranran is the city’s pride now, and Feng Wenjiang has his own reasons to help watch over her!”

Xu Chen refilled his dad’s teacup.

“Thanks for stepping in, President Xu…”

Xu Zhiquan laughed heartily and reached out to squeeze his son’s shoulder.

“Since you know, you handle Ranran’s side yourself. Decide if you want to talk to her about it.”

Xu Chen thought it over, still feeling a bit unsure.

In truth, Xie Bingran had never discussed her parents with Xu Chen directly.

Xu Chen first learned about Xie Bingran’s family situation back in middle school when he was class monitor and overheard it from the homeroom teacher during scholarship registrations.

Later, some unsavory rumors about Xie Bingran’s father spread around school.

Xu Chen wasn’t sure how Bing Ge truly felt about her biological parents…

Xu Zhiquan glanced at his son, stubbed out his cigarette, and spoke again.

“About Ranran’s father, I asked Feng Wenjiang to look into it.

For now, he’s vanished without a trace; no one knows where he went.”

“He got out at the end of last year, but soon after, he disappeared.

Seems he had complicated social ties, plus some creditors and enemies.”

Xu Zhiquan paused briefly before adding in a serious tone,

“Feng Wenjiang thinks it’s likely he’s gone for good.”

……

Back in his room, Xu Chen sent a private message to Fang Tao to ask about the details.

Fang Tao replied:

【I already mentioned it to President Xu.

He handled the issue and said not to tell Bing Ge yet.

I thought about it and agreed, so I kept quiet.】

Xu Chen: 【Okay, got it.】

……

……

The next morning.

When Xu Chen woke up, Xu Zhiquan had already left.

Breakfast waited on the table—crispy dough sticks and big steamed buns.

Xu Chen happily stuffed himself before driving straight to Tiansheng Mansion.

A batch of ordered furniture had arrived, and he wanted to set it up today.

……

Stepping out of the elevator, he saw two workers carrying in a large dining table.

Fang Jun stood at the door, arms crossed, expression neutral as she supervised.

“Morning, Fang Jun!”

Xu Chen put on his most polite face and greeted her quickly.

He had planned to handle the furniture delivery himself, but Fang Jun insisted on checking it out.

Fang Jun nodded at Xu Chen, and they went inside.

In the living room, the sofa, coffee table, and TV cabinet were already assembled.

Xu Chen looked around:

“It looks great, just like the design renderings.”

He couldn’t resist pulling out his phone to snap a few pictures.

Fang Jun said flatly,

“I’ve already sent some to Bing Ge.”

Xu Chen: “Oh…”

The bedroom and study were set up too, feeling like a cozy home ready for move-in.

Fang Jun led Xu Chen around and added,

“It’s good to air it out for a couple of days.

But the furniture we picked is from stock that’s already been aired, so no odors.

It’s all solid wood and quality materials, nothing harmful.”

Xu Chen replied with a grin,

“With Fang Jun handling it, it’s all sorted.”

Fang Jun smiled smugly,

“That means you owe me another drink.”

Xu Chen: “No problem!”

Fang Jun: “Bing Ge’s coming back for the New Year, right?”

Xu Chen: “She is. We’ll grab drinks then and I’ll bring her along.”

Fang Jun: “I heard from Li Rui that Bing Ge can hold her liquor well.

Too bad she can’t drink now.”

She remembered something else, grabbed a handbag from the coffee table, and handed it to Xu Chen.

Xu Chen took it and glanced inside:

“Thanks, Fang Jun. And please let me thank you on Bing Ge’s behalf!”

This was a gift for Bing Ge, brought back from abroad by the ever-reliable Fang Jun.

Fang Jun oversaw the workers finishing the table setup, then turned to Xu Chen and said,

“I’m heading back to the office. Want to tidy up here or come with me?”

Xu Chen thought for a moment:

“I’ll hang out here and enjoy the place.”

Fang Jun: “Sounds good!”

With that, she handed him the house keys.

Xu Chen: “How did you get here, Fang Jun? Let me drive you back.”

Fang Jun: “No need, I drove myself.”

She turned and strode out confidently.

Xu Chen stayed polite, escorting the “money magnet” to the elevator.

He watched respectfully as Fang Jun stepped in and descended before heading back inside.

……

The pure black sofa was made of soft calf leather.

It felt smooth against the skin.

Xu Chen sank into it, stretched out a bit, and felt completely satisfied.

After lounging in the living room, he headed to the small study.

The bookshelf, desk, and ergonomic chair were all in place…

Xu Chen settled in comfortably, with the study’s small balcony letting in a fresh, cool breeze.

He couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion.

This was their first real cozy “home” with Bing Ge.

Mostly, though, he was happy for Bing Ge.

Xu Chen had seen the rundown old house in South River Village—it was dilapidated and unlivable.

Now, with this place in Tiancheng, Bing Ge finally had a proper home.

Even if she probably wouldn’t stay often, especially during her service years, having a property back home gave her a sense of belonging.

……

Checking his phone, the company group chat was buzzing with messages.

Opening it, he saw a flood of “Congratulations to the boss” and “Congratulations to Young Xu” notes.

It turned out the Effie Awards ceremony was this morning…

Nie Fei had gone with Sun Aimi to accept the awards; the ‘Afraid of Getting Heated’ case won the Effectiveness Gold and the Annual Special Case awards.

In the group, Sun Aimi shared photos, and the onstage shots included Nie Fei, Sun Aimi, and surprisingly, Chen Xinyi from Jiaduobao’s Marketing Department.

Xu Chen had a good impression of Chen Xinyi—she was a lively girl with a thick Guangdong accent.

Their first meeting with Nie Fei happened when Chen Xinyi led a market research team to Tiancheng.

Back then, among Nie Fei’s subordinates, Chen Xinyi stood out for her meticulous work.

The group was lively; besides Sun Aimi’s photos, Gu Xinxi had already shared some official Effie Award PR posts.

“East Morning Star Advertising snags the Effie Annual Special Case and is also last year’s Great Wall Award winner…”

“‘Afraid of Getting Heated’ takes the Effie Effectiveness Gold—East Morning Star Advertising rises as a ‘hot creative agency’!”

“The untold story of East Morning Star Advertising: Under the radar but landing major clients like Jiaduobao, Jeep, and Vanke…”

“Who is East Morning Star Advertising’s Xu Chen?”

……

Xu Chen skimmed the headlines and thought they were a bit over the top.

Still, it was great news—boosting East Morning Star Advertising’s reputation and industry influence.

It would only help with future business growth…

In the company group, his senior undergrad colleagues chimed in with congratulations.

Xu Chen replied politely:

【When I get back, let’s all celebrate with a meal!】

Gu Xinxi: 【We’ll win even more awards next year!

We’ve got so many projects going live; I’m already researching submissions.】

……

Xu Chen messaged Nie Fei separately to ask about the Effie Awards event.

【Too bad you weren’t there—lots of industry folks wanted to meet Xu Chen!】

【As long as you’re there, it’s fine. Just help build some connections for the company; I’m not great at small talk or flattery.】

Nie Fei: 【Oh, one more thing…

With business expanding this year, we’re under pressure to hire.

I just chatted with Chen Xinyi, and she’s interested in joining.

She’s a reliable young woman; I mentored her at Jiaduobao for over three years.

Young Xu, see if we can interview her after the New Year.】

Xu Chen: 【Ha, no interview needed!

Chen Xinyi is solid. You decide, Fei Jie!】

Nie Fei: 【Alright, I’ll get her onboard.

She needs to hand over duties at Jiaduobao, so it’ll be after the New Year.】

Xu Chen: 【No worries. Let’s grow the team quickly.

From what I see, Jiang Yuze and Sun Lingfeng at Ran Bing are working overtime every day.】

Nie Fei: 【We’re scouting people now. Things have been hectic, but the three interns have helped ease it a bit.】

For Ran Bing Sports and East Morning Star Advertising’s 2007 team plans, Xu Chen and Nie Fei had already discussed basics.

Based on the year’s workload, both needed to expand.

East Morning Star Advertising would split into [Creative Department] and [Client Department].

[Creative Department], led by Sun Aimi, would add three more staff besides Tang Xiaowei, making four full-timers.

[Client Department], led by Gu Xinxi, would add three full-time staff this year.

Ran Bing Sports would divide into [Product Department], [Marketing Department], and [E-commerce Department].

[Product Department], led by Nie Fei directly, currently includes Zhou Junjun and the product team from Lifeng Footwear.

This year, they’d hire a full-time ‘Chief Designer’ for [Product Department].

But the requirements are high, so that hire isn’t urgent.

For now, with Pearl Cat and Chen Youjian Studio handling designs, it’s not a big rush.

[Marketing Department], handling overall promotions under Jiang Yuze, will build a five-person team.

[Operations Department], managing e-commerce and user operations under Sun Lingfeng, involves complex work and will scale to ten people.

Additionally, the two companies will share functional departments.

[Administrative Department] will add one person besides the current Han Meina.

[Finance Department] will have a two-person team reporting directly to Fang Jun and indirectly to Nie Fei.

[HR Department] will have two people handling personnel for both Ran Bing Sports and East Morning Star Advertising…

By mid-year, the Shanghai company’s team should grow to around 30 people.

Xu Chen didn’t want the company to get too bloated.

Dealing with hundreds would be a management nightmare.

Both Ran Bing Sports and East Morning Star Advertising ran on lean models, so no need to overhire.

Expanding to 30 this year would meet current needs.

They could revisit it later with Fei Jie if required.

……

For the Effie Awards, Xu Chen soon received more congratulations from industry partners.

First from BBDO Tianlian Advertising’s Liu Wenqin and director Bao Jun Sen.

Then from Jiaduobao’s marketing VP Gong Ming and Procter & Gamble’s brand group director Sun Yashi.

Xu Chen replied to each with thanks.

With the ‘Afraid of Getting Heated’ case winning, Gong Ming from Jiaduobao was thrilled.

It boosted the Wang Laoshun brand’s industry standing and strengthened his marketing team’s position.

His mutual congratulations with Xu Chen made perfect sense.

Sun Yashi from Procter & Gamble sent her well-wishes, clearly aiming to keep ties strong.

On top of that, Xu Chen got a message from advertising legend Mo Kangxun.

They’d exchanged contacts at the Kun City Great Wall Awards banquet.

And crossed paths again during the Baidu pitch.

Mo Kangxun had no airs, even initiating greetings with Xu Chen.

Today, besides congratulating him, Mo Kangxun extended an invitation:

【I’m honored to serve as the honorary president of the China 4A Advertising Association.

Would East Morning Star Advertising be interested in becoming an official member?】

The China 4A Advertising Association is a semi-official domestic organization.

It started with early foreign 4A firms entering the mainland.

Its goal was to bring international advertising ideas to the budding industry.

China 4A mainly consists of foreign firms, only recently including top local agencies.

For East Morning Star Advertising to get an invite was huge industry recognition.

And it’s by invitation only—no applications allowed.

Xu Chen never expected the invite to come from Mo Kangxun himself.

Though unassuming, Mo Kangxun is a true icon in the Chinese advertising world.

Xu Chen was honored and replied quickly:

【What an honor to receive an invitation from China 4A, especially from Mok himself—I’m truly flattered!】

【You’re too kind, Young Xu. Consider it done.

I’ll submit the formal recommendation as your endorser to China 4A!】

【Thank you again, Mok! I’ll have a project in Beijing after the New Year and will visit McCann in person to express my gratitude!】

【Great, looking forward to it.】