When Xiang Qingwei received Secretary Wen's phone call, she was in the small meeting room of the Propaganda Department discussing Ning Yang's upcoming promotional campaign with Vivian and the propaganda team.
The program would air in less than a month, and the production team would begin releasing promotional materials the next day to start building buzz. The war between the management teams behind each contestant also officially began.
Ning Yang disliked taking selfies; there wasn't a single photo of him in his phone gallery. This was practically unheard of for a handsome young celebrity. In contrast, over eighty percent of the photos in Ling Jiayi's phone were pictures of himself. While he didn't take many selfies, he had saved virtually all fan photos that were flattering, using them as his wallpaper, chat backgrounds, and more. The extent of his narcissism was clear.
In contrast, Ning Yang's phone album contained only photos of buildings, the sky, trees, leaves, and flowers. There were no people, and any people who appeared in his photos were merely insignificant background elements.
Even though she wasn't a professional photographer, these photos moved Xiang Qingwei. When she showed them to a professional, they agreed these were exceptional cell phone shots and that Ning Yang had talent in that field.
Thus, Xiang Qingwei copied everything onto his own computer, intending to use it for marketing later.
Marketing Ning Yang would be quite simple; they just needed to magnify certain unique aspects of his image.
For example, his aloof and reserved demeanor.
For example, those slender, long-fingered hands with their clean lines.
Or, for example, these candid photos.
All of these were points they could use for marketing.
However, they couldn't release all of this information at once; they needed to prioritize and set a sequence. Every detail would be dissected and discussed, and after the show aired, they would exhaustively analyze the public's response, from the heat generated to the trends sparked.
Just as the discussion grew heated, Secretary Wen called.
"Continue your discussion while I take a phone call," Xiang Qingwei said as he walked out of the meeting room holding his phone. "Secretary Wen, what's up?"
"Xiao Xiang, where are you right now?" Secretary Wen asked.
"I'm in the office. What's up?" Xiang Qingwei replied.
"Agent Jiang came by earlier today to speak with Mr. Fu about the conflict between you and him this morning," Secretary Wen said. "Mr. Fu wants you to go to his office."
"I'm currently in a meeting with the marketing department," Xiang Qingwei said. "I'll go see him this afternoon."
"Okay, I'll let Mr. Fu know," Secretary Wen responded. After hanging up, she turned around and entered her office.
Jiang Rong was still present, so Secretary Wen relayed Xiang Qingwei's message to Fu Yanbai after a bit of embellishment.
Jiang Rong sniffed. "Mr. Fu, look at Xiang Qingwei. She won't even come over when you ask her to. Who else in this company has the gall to act so superior toward their boss?"
This was true, Secretary Wen thought. In this company, only Xiang Qingwei had this privilege. Who else could demand that their boss adjust his schedule to accommodate hers?
But what could they do? Their boss was more than willing to oblige.
A look of impatience crossed Fu Yanbai's face as he glanced at Secretary Wen.
Secretary Wen immediately understood his meaning.
"Agent Jiang, if you're busy, perhaps we should discuss this matter at a later time. Please go back and attend to your work."
Jiang Rong shot Fu Yanbai a glance, but his eyes were already fixed on the computer screen, no longer on her. Jiang Rong bit her lip, then said, "Yes, Mr. Fu, I'll go work on my tasks first."
Fu Yanbai nodded.
The secretary left reluctantly.
As soon as the door closed, Fu Yanbai looked away from his computer screen and turned toward Secretary Wen. "What did she do now?"
In Secretary Wen's eyes, the expression on their boss's face seemed to revel in the misfortune of others.
Lunch was served in the meeting room, and Xiang Qingwei picked up the tab while everyone ate and continued their discussions.
"Vivian, you take care of the commercial break sponsorships. Make sure to give Ning Yang more screen time."
"Okay, I know. I've already invited the person in charge over for dinner tomorrow to discuss. So, the clothing sponsorships will be left to Julie?"
"Sure, no problem from my end."
The meeting ran from early morning until 4 P.M.
Xiang Qingwei had forgotten about her appointment with Fu Yanbai's secretary if not for a reminder call from Secretary Wen.
"What's up with you and Jiang Rong?" Vivian asked as she walked with her out of the meeting room.
"I attended a client's banquet last night. She got jealous that I spoke more to the boss of the brand, so she spilled red wine all over me, so I returned the favor with a cup of coffee this morning," Xiang Qingwei explained, downplaying the incident.
Vivian couldn't believe it. "Is Jiang Rong crazy? She's always picking on you, and now she dares to do something like this at a client's banquet?"
Xiang Qingwei smiled. "I returned the favor with a cup of coffee, so we're even now. I have to run." She stepped into the elevator.
Vivian watched Xiang Qingwei leave, then clicked her tongue, thinking Jiang Rong really picked on the wrong person.
When you first met Xiang Qingwei, you'd see a faint smile on her gentle, warm face, the look of an understanding and kind older sister. But in reality, she was someone who loved and hated with equal passion. If you were to be her friend, she would be the best person you could ever have; if you respected her, she would respect you tenfold. Conversely, if you provoked her for no reason, you wouldn't get off easy.
In the office, Xiang Qingwei's reputation was polarized.
Employees from departments with whom she had no competition found her quite likable.
Those who were dissatisfied with her were mostly those who competed with her, and some even shared resources. They hated Xiang Qingwei so much their teeth itched.
Among the young celebrities in the company, Tao Yuner and Ling Jiayi were the most famous, so naturally, the company's resources favored them. Of course, this drew the ire of other managers who also managed young celebrities. Thus, competition was everywhere within this industry; even within the same company, employees still fought over resources. Xiang Qingwei took the elevator to Fu Yanbai's office floor. As she passed Secretary Wen's desk, the secretary gave her a look that indicated she should enter the office. Xiang Qingwei knocked lightly on the office door, then walked in.
Fu Yanbai didn't even lift his head, remaining focused on the documents before him.
"Mr. Fu," Xiang Qingwei called out.
Fu Yanbai finally looked up, then said coldly, "Sit."
Xiang Qingwei's face remained blank; she closed the door and walked toward the tea area, sitting down and taking out her phone to respond to messages.
Fu Yanbai glanced at her, watching as she remained unresponsive, only typing away on her phone. He felt a headache coming on.
He cleared his throat, then said, "Sit over here."
Xiang Qingwei sent the message she was working on, and then looked over. Fu Yanbai gestured toward the seat across from his desk, prompting her over.
Xiang Qingwei picked up her phone and sat down, looking at him from the chair opposite his desk.
Fu Yanbai gazed back at her and asked, "What's going on between you and Jiang Rong?"
Xiang Qingwei opened her photo album, then placed her phone on the desk and pushed it toward him. "This is the red wine Jiang Rong spilled on me last night at the client's banquet."
Fu Yanbai picked up the phone, seeing a photo of a white dress splattered with red wine. His fingers slid unconsciously toward the edge of the screen, moving to the next photo, and his brows furrowed.
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The entire book has been translated, with a total of 414K words and more than 1,200 pages.
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