Leyao and I took a taxi to the city center’s “Seaview Café,” where we had arranged to meet. I had long known that this chain coffee shop was once part of Zhang Yixi’s business empire, which had experienced dramatic ups and downs before being acquired by Angela’s Sky Group. These fluctuations mirrored Zhang Yixi’s own life journey. Once a man completely beaten down by life, he eventually found the right direction and regained his ability to command respect and influence.
Shortly afterward, we arrived at our destination. The first thing that caught our eyes was the still-glorious “Zhuomei Shopping Center.” I had passed by this place countless times, each time with different feelings. But this time, I felt the most desolate—not only because Mi Cai was far away, but also because I knew it would soon be renamed. I felt heartbroken for Mi Cai, yet I couldn’t resist the collective will of others. Everyone caught up in Zhuomei’s affairs understood that this name change was driven by a grand commercial ambition. Perhaps soon, Fang Yuan—a name still unfamiliar in the business world—would become famous before he even turned 30. His goal was nearly achieved!
History has always favored the victors, and who would care about the dirty means behind someone’s success? Zhang Yixi himself probably never sought redemption in the realm of human morality, only sinking deeper into darkness. Yet time continues its steady march—sometimes blurring right and wrong, sometimes clearly distinguishing between kindness and grudges.
I opened the taxi door and stepped out with Leyao. The intense sunlight made us instinctively squint. The pedestrians were also caught off guard by the sudden heatwave. They unbuttoned their coats, wiped sweat from their brows, and slowed their pace, making the entire city seem unusually leisurely. Yet, the street food stalls remained packed, injecting some vitality into the city despite the heat. People still needed to eat, to survive, to speak, to think, and to stir up endless gossip and disputes.
Inside the café, Zhang Yixi sat alone on a fabric sofa, waiting. Leyao had strong prejudices against him and whispered mockingly in my ear, “Zhaoyang, look how pathetic he is—no assistant, nothing! If it weren’t for his wife’s reputation in the industry, I wouldn’t even consider him reliable!”
Leyao’s bitterness made me smile. I understood Zhang Yixi’s temperament to some extent. At least in business, he was very clear-headed. If a project aimed for profit, he would maximize it, even resorting to meticulous calculations. But if it was an investment driven by personal passion, he would become idealistic, making some wildly imaginative decisions. He was probably the best person I had ever met who could blend idealism and realism so seamlessly. After years of life experience, he now appeared effortlessly at ease. However, his happy ending with Angela always reminded me unavoidably of Mi Cai. Once, our happiness had not been any less than others’. I loved how she used to stand outside the café window, holding chestnuts, looking at me with such grace, the setting sun always casting her in an ethereal glow.
We sat down across from Zhang Yixi. He ignored me at first and smiled at Leyao, saying, “Ms. Leyao, I didn’t expect you to come too!”
Leyao replied bluntly, “I just came to see how you, with your face of a scheming merchant, will try your old tricks again…”
Zhang Yixi still smiled and said, “If you’re not satisfied with the terms I’ve offered, we can negotiate further. But I really am very sincere. In the short term, I admit I might gain a small advantage, but if you look long-term, you, Ms. Leyao, will be the biggest beneficiary of this cooperation. That’s beyond doubt…”
Leyao made a gesture to stop him, saying, “Alright, don’t try to reason with me like this. We can discuss our cooperation another time. Today’s meeting is about the “Artistic Path” project. Let’s first talk about the investment plan your company has come up with.”
Zhang Yixi’s expression turned serious. Looking at me, he said, “Actually, I think we can discuss our investment plan later. What I really want to know is, if my company injects some capital into the Artistic Path project, how do you, Mr. Zhaoyang, plan to use this capital to reshape the project’s image? There are many rumors out there—that this project is merely a bad asset investment, cloaked in idealism but actually a money-making scheme. If this perception continues to spread, it will become the project’s biggest crisis, and it must be resolved. Otherwise, I personally believe this project won’t last.”
Actually, Zhang Yixi’s question reflected brand awareness, which happened to be the very focus of my recent thoughts. The collapse of the investment behind the Artistic Path project had triggered many speculations, mostly extreme, which severely damaged the project’s brand image. In reality, the project hadn’t made nearly as much money as people speculated—it barely broke even.
I organized my thoughts slightly before replying, “I think this crisis can be categorized as an unexpected event crisis. First, we need an opinion leader to publicly present the actual operations and data of Artistic Path, so people can believe that every investment received by Artistic Path is clean. After that, we need to regain public favor… Mr. Zhang, if you know enough about this project, you must be aware that each of our stores is genuinely operating, each with its own unique characteristics. While conducting business, they also emphasize spiritual expression. Many consumers have benefited from them. Our Artistic Path has no shortage of loyal supporters!”
Zhang Yixi nodded and said, “I know that. Please continue…”
“My idea is this: I plan to select some representative supporters among these loyal ones and conduct a series of interviews, letting them share their stories with this road. Sometimes, the world isn’t that dark. It’s just that we ordinary people tend to fixate on imagined darkness without any basis, thus only seeing the dark side. In reality, that darkness often doesn’t exist. Therefore, I plan to change our previous low-key strategy and appropriately communicate and express ourselves to the public—not as a loss of spiritual depth. Artistic Path will ultimately be an open road, not just for a small group of artistic youth. Its purpose is to help more people embrace a healthy lifestyle, a healthiness at the spiritual level. This healthiness isn’t imposed by any individual but is formed through time by people who pursue spiritual fulfillment in their lives. It represents a kind of inclusive freedom. This is the new positioning I’ve given to this road. I believe public misunderstanding comes from our previous silence and lack of communication, which is the root of misunderstanding!”
“Great minds think alike. I agree with your new positioning. The core of this road isn’t merely service—it should exert transformative power. Service always targets specific groups, while transformation truly reaches the masses. We’re investing so much capital and human resources into this project because its ultimate significance lies in transformation. I’m really glad we’ve reached consensus on this core value!”
I nodded, naturally excited about this tacit understanding. The foundation of cooperation lies in both parties sharing core values; otherwise, even the best project won’t succeed.
Zhang Yixi continued, “I’d like to hear if you have better ideas for reshaping the project’s image!”
“My thoughts are this: The image reshaping must revolve around this core of transformation… If Mr. Zhang confirms your investment in this project, I plan to establish a special fund of two million, which will be used to help patients with psychological depression. These patients will walk the Artistic Path completely free of charge, accompanied by the most professional psychologists throughout. They will receive the best treatment while also experiencing the beautiful scenery across the country and the unique charm and sentiments expressed by various distinctive stores… If this plan is truly implemented, we won’t just be saving individual patients—we’ll be saving countless families. As long as we do this with sincerity, this road will surely become a path radiating humanistic brilliance!”
I paused here, then continued more earnestly after a long silence, “Not just the general public, but you, Mr. Zhang Yixi, and I, Mr. Zhaoyang, and even Ms. Leyao sitting beside us, all truly need this road. Most of the time, our spiritual worlds are barren and impoverished! Our self-cultivation shouldn’t merely rely on those purely textual inspirational quotes but should be built through real experiences, feelings, and encounters—charging our spiritual worlds…”
This time, Leyao surprisingly didn’t mock me. She sat there, breaking her fingers one by one, seemingly deep in thought. Zhang Yixi closed his eyes and nodded again, as if contemplating what was missing and what he had gained in his spiritual world… Finally opening his eyes, he said to me, “My company will invest 50 million in the first round of investment for this project…” He said this while taking out a document from his bag. After handing it to me, he added, “This is the detailed investment proposal. If you have no issues with it, we can choose an appropriate time to hold the signing ceremony and press conference!”
A first-round investment of 50 million met my psychological expectations, but Leyao interjected, “I require you to invest at least 80 million in the first round, giving Zhaoyang more operational flexibility!”
Zhang Yixi looked somewhat surprised at Leyao, unsure what basis she had to raise the demand by a full 30 million. I was equally surprised.
Leyao continued, “Of course, I’m not making this up. If you can invest 80 million in the first round, I can guarantee that I will, on your behalf, collaborate with around 20 well-known figures across various fields on platforms like Weibo. These are influencers with at least 5 million followers each, who will retweet and promote your upcoming marketing activities. This kind of promotion is exactly what your event marketing needs. The favors involved will be considered my responsibility. I believe this scale of promotion can be equivalent to a 30 million investment, and you, as the direct beneficiary, have no reason to refuse!”
Zhang Yixi looked shocked as he stared at Leyao… After a while, he turned to me and asked, “Zhaoyang, is the 50 million first-round investment really too tight?”
“It’s basically sufficient, but I need to reassess and evaluate the entire project before I can accurately determine whether the 50 million is enough!”
Zhang Yixi’s expression turned serious, so serious that I almost felt sympathy for him. I naturally knew this clear-headed man, since his return to the business world, had not relied on his fiancée Angela’s resources at all. He had acquired these resources through other means. Otherwise, he wouldn’t haggle with Leyao, and 50 million was already the maximum he could currently afford…
Finally, he said to me, “You first establish a special team to reassess and evaluate the entire project. I can promise here that I will invest 80 million in the first round and ensure the funds are in place, but I need some time—up to half a month!”
I felt grateful in my heart. He had truly shown enough sincerity toward this project, otherwise he wouldn’t have clearly expressed his intention to cooperate with me before the project had even undergone reassessment and evaluation. Or perhaps, I shouldn’t be grateful—because in this chaotic world, we shared the same values and ideals… Although we no longer openly used the word “ideal,” it still held an irreplaceable position in our hearts. Idealism can indeed become an industry…
…
On this day, after meeting with Zhang Yixi, I met with Zhou Zhaokun. The meeting with Zhou Zhaokun also went relatively smoothly. After reviewing my project proposal, he expressed initial investment interest, though this substantial investment involved family business interests, and he needed to consult with his family members.
Thus, the dusk arrived. Leyao and I sat in a café, easing the fatigue of the day. After resting for a while, she sighed to me, “Zhang Yixi’s generosity in cooperating with you really surprised me. Compared to his previous business demeanor, he’s like a completely different person!”
I just smiled without answering…
Leyao didn’t mind. She spun her coffee cup and then looked out the window at the world bathed in the glow of the setting sun. At this moment, I nudged her arm and said, “How about going out for a few drinks tonight?”
She looked at me in shock for a long time before saying, “You’re not going to avoid me like a monster anymore? Or do you feel lonely and empty now that Mi Cai is gone and need an emotional substitute… If that’s the case, missy won’t serve you!”
“You’re overthinking… Every man with ambitions has a large social circle filled with various men and women. I don’t need to deliberately control myself, and my life perspective shouldn’t be so narrow either. As long as I know my own intentions are clean, I can eat, drink, and relax freely… Why should I care who I’m with!”
Leyao gazed at me and finally said, “Zhaoyang, you’ve really changed… Unlike a few years ago when you were wild, or when you were with Mi Cai and so cautious. Now you’re a man who can control himself freely… Was it Mi Cai’s departure that prompted these changes in you?”
I thought again of the final days with Mi Cai, shook my head somewhat dazedly, and replied, “No… It’s because there’s a city in my heart overgrown with weeds, and that road—Mo Chou Road—always lying in some corner of Nanjing. It reminds me: whether good or bad, don’t worry… Don’t worry!”
…
At this moment, the entire city had not yet said goodbye to dusk. The ancient pagoda in the distance looked so profound under the setting sun. I stared at it absentmindedly, when suddenly Leyao placed her phone in front of me, her voice filled with excitement, “Zhaoyang, Mi Cai has news from the U.S… She made the headlines in the financial news!”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage