I eventually chose not to ask Wei Manwen why she cried in such a way because, in a sense, her reaction represented Jian Wei’s emotional state at that time. In these turbulent times, many things are not meant to be deeply explored, as doing so would only make me more confused. Regarding Jian Wei and our past love, I have always tried my best to avoid thinking about it or making guesses, treating it as nothing more than a fleeting cloud.
A moment later, I took Wei Manwen to Kong Cheng Li, a restaurant that seemed to be a favored gathering spot for this particular social circle. However, I had always been skeptical about how many of these people genuinely cared about society with a humanistic attitude. Often, CC’s “Kong Cheng Li Music Restaurant” simply became a pretentious prop for a group of pseudo-intellectuals.
Walking with Wei Manwen through the alleyway, we arrived at the music restaurant. When we pushed open the door, many of Roben’s circle of friends had already gathered there. Some were playing poker, while others were drinking and chatting. Upon seeing Wei Manwen arrive, they stopped what they were doing and extended their congratulations, praising her for having a boyfriend who had become the new godfather of the rock music scene.
Wei Manwen smiled faintly, politely said “thank you,” and then quietly found a corner to sit alone. The group then turned back to teasing me, asking if the person Roben mentioned during yesterday’s concert was me. They proceeded to commend me for making a very wise decision by choosing to go to work, because there could only be one rock godfather in the rock music world, and that was Roben.
I treated all of this as mere idle banter. I made a playful gesture as if to hit them, and once they all quieted down, I walked over to the relatively quiet corner where Wei Manwen sat. I sat across from her and began fiddling with the lighter in my hand, declining the various cigarettes people tossed my way. However, my mind was still filled with complicated thoughts.
Perhaps what Jian Wei said was right—Mi Cai should prepare for the worst and safeguard the foundation of Zhuo Mei. After all, there’s a long road ahead. Even if Run Wei’s ZH Investment Company completely withdrew its investment from Zhuo Mei, there was still the Red Dress Lady’s Sky Group to back them up. From many signs, these two women could become firm allies. As long as Mi Cai maintained a good mindset and steadily managed the business for a few more years, there would definitely be an opportunity for Zhuo Mei to go public.
Therefore, I thought about Fang Yuan’s pledge to the board, setting a goal for Zhuo Mei to achieve twice the sales of its competitor, Baoli Department Store, by Christmas this year. I felt that such a pledge was exactly what represented the foundation of Zhuo Mei. Zhuo Mei needed to gradually defeat its competitors in its core industry, making its main business stronger. However, Run Wei made the mistake of pursuing mixed acquisitions, which led to the weakening of its core business and plunged the entire Blue Map Group into a comprehensive crisis. Mi Cai should not repeat the same mistake.
At this moment, I felt a strong desire to help Fang Yuan achieve this set goal because it would not only demonstrate the stabilization of Zhuo Mei’s foundation but also bring comfort to Mi Cai, sending a signal and instilling confidence in the upcoming investors. Moreover, it would allow Fang Yuan to truly secure his position at Zhuo Mei and establish a new trust relationship with Mi Cai.
My strength was limited; I couldn’t play the game of big capital. However, I could play the game of sales creativity. Therefore, using this event as a starting point, allowing Zhuo Mei to completely overshadow Baoli Department Store in Suzhou would be the only thing I could currently do for Mi Cai.
After solidifying this idea, it was time for me to talk with Fang Yuan. Thus, I immediately sent him a message, suggesting we meet for lunch the next day to discuss my thoughts with him.
…
A short while later, Leyao arrived at the restaurant with Cao Jinfeyi, which surprised me. I hadn’t expected that just two days later, Cao Jinfeyi would follow Leyao to Suzhou again. It seemed their relationship was not as superficial as outside speculation suggested—it was a mere commercial marriage of convenience. At least in my opinion, Leyao and Cao Jinfeyi had mutual feelings for each other, and that kind of unwavering affection would eventually be nurtured from these feelings.
After briefly greeting everyone, Leyao and Cao Jinfeyi came over to our side. As always, Cao Jinfeyi was very courteous and said to me, “Hi, we meet again, Zhaoyang.”
“Welcome, welcome.”
Leyao ignored my greeting with Cao Jinfeyi and sat down next to Wei Manwen. She gave her a thumbs-up, congratulating her on Roben’s impressive performance at yesterday’s concert. Wei Manwen merely gave her a faint smile and poured a cup of hot tea for both Leyao and Cao Jinfeyi, showing little concern about the impact Roben had on the audience during the concert.
After pouring the tea, Wei Manwen sat with me, thoughtfully giving Cao Jinfeyi the chance to sit alongside Leyao. The four of us then began to chat casually. Eventually, Leyao got to the point and said to me, “This time, Jinfeyi came to Suzhou specifically to discuss the web series project with you. He has agreed to star in it with me… Oh, right, according to the script, we are to portray a couple who meet, fall in love, and eventually marry on their artistic journey, correct?”
I nodded in affirmation.
Cao Jinfeyi continued, “This will be my first time appearing publicly in such a manner. I feel that many things are truly destined. Before this, I had been thinking about what kind of method would allow my fiancée and me to deepen our understanding of each other in a romantic and meaningful way… Now it seems this web series was tailor-made for us. It couldn’t have come at a better time. Leyao and I agree that this web series will be the best wedding gift we could ever receive.”
After a moment of silence, I smiled and said, “Judging from what you two are saying, I not only don’t have to pay you acting fees, but you two will actually pay production fees to our company!”
Without a hint of joking, Cao Jinfeyi replied, “Production fees are absolutely not a problem…”
Leyao interrupted, “Zhaoyang, come on, talk about production fees? How can you say that with a straight face? You know better than anyone how much hidden revenue our involvement will bring to your company, you sly businessman!”
“You see, something that should be so meaningful suddenly becomes all about revenue in your mouth. Can’t you be less mercenary?”
Leyao didn’t back down, “Screw you, who’s being mercenary here? Who was it that first brought up production fees?”
“I swear it was just a joke about production fees…”
Leyao glared at me again and said, “Our Jinfeyi is such a sincere person. I’m warning you to stop putting on that greedy businessman act and stop scheming against us.”
Her words left me somewhat embarrassed. I picked up my teacup and took a sip to mask my discomfort, then looked out the window where it was still raining and said, “Why hasn’t Roben arrived yet? Teacher Wei, why don’t you give him a call and see where he is?”
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