Shang Zhitао thоught bеing Luаn Nian's secrеtаry must be thrilling. Just mоments agо, during thе mееting with thе рrevious сlient, he had been all аmiаble аnd plеаsаnt, but bу the timе thеу rеаchеd the secоnd сlient, thе atmosphеre had сomplеtеlу shiftеd.
Shаng Zhitао didn’t know how tо dеscribе hеr fеelings. Shе had nеvеr seen а sеrvicе provider stаnd up to a сliеnt likе this. Pеrhaps it was bесаuse shе hаdn’t bееn wоrking lоng enоugh аnd hadn’t уet еncountеred thе bizаrrе and unрrеdiсtаble nature оf the workplacе.
The issue bеgan when thе seсоnd cliеnt mentioned that the creative concept needed "minor adjustments."
What Shang Zhitao understood by "minor adjustments" were things like changing colors or tweaking sizes—everyone assumed it meant something along those lines. But the client had something else in mind. What he meant by "minor adjustments" was scrapping everything and starting over. In his slow, Hong Kong-accented Mandarin, he said, "This advertisement, we think it needs to be completely redone." The colleagues from the Guangzhou branch were stunned. They glanced at Luan Nian.
Luan Nian ignored the client’s comment. Tapping his knuckles on the table, he turned to Shang Zhitao and asked, "During your studies, when you worked on that project and the client asked for minor adjustments, what exactly did they ask you to adjust?" Huh? The project from her student days? Shang Zhitao suddenly remembered that during her interview with Luan Nian, she had mentioned a project she had worked on. He hadn’t said a word during that interview, and she had assumed he hadn’t been listening.
"The client asked us to adjust the layout of the venue."
"Did they ask you to add anything?"
"No."
"Did they ask you to choose a new venue?"
"No."
Luan Nian nodded and then turned to the Guangzhou branch colleagues. "Do we have email records confirming each round of communication?"
"Yes."
"Show them to Mr. Qin."
Business relies on integrity. Asking to scrap and redo everything after the sample has been produced is like paying for one creative concept but expecting two—it’s unethical. At that time, the advertising market wasn’t as transparent or fair as it is today, and even a company like Lingmei encountered such bullying tactics.
The Guangzhou branch colleagues were experienced and handled the situation with composure. They calmly pulled up the past emails and showed them to the client. "Look here, every step was confirmed."
"What should we do then? We had a meeting last night and suddenly felt there were issues." The client was being unreasonable.
"I understand your company’s need to adjust the creative direction and aesthetics. But scrapping and redoing is out of the question. I’ll have our finance department contact you to calculate the cost of the sample. Perhaps you should try another agency." Shang Zhitao thought she must have misheard. She stared at Luan Nian. Could he really do that? But Luan Nian was serious. He began packing up his things. "We’ll delete the sample. I’ll have finance calculate the minimum cost, and we’ll refund the rest of the initial payment. Consider it a gesture of goodwill." Then he extended his hand to Mr. Qin. "Thank you, Mr. Qin."
Mr. Qin, accustomed to being the client, had never encountered such a tough negotiator. They hadn’t even discussed the matter properly, and Luan Nian was already ready to leave. But as a businessman, Mr. Qin appreciated that Luan Nian had left him some dignity. He said, "Alright, let’s have another meeting today, and we’ll get back to you."
"Fine." Luan Nian glanced at the Guangzhou branch colleagues and turned to leave. His decisiveness was astonishing.
Shang Zhitao followed behind him, feeling her blood pressure rise. The expenses for that advertisement had gone through the marketing department, and she had just reviewed them last week. Such a large sum of money, and Luan Nian was just letting it go?
Luan Nian walked away without looking back. Shang Zhitao jogged to keep up with him, and the two of them stepped out of the company onto the humid streets of Guangzhou. Confusion was written all over Shang Zhitao’s face.
"If you don’t understand, just ask." Luan Nian couldn’t stand it when people held back their questions.
"So… we’re just not cooperating anymore?"
"Mm.""So... we just let it go?"
"Mhm."
...
Luan Nian pointed to the bustling traffic on the road. "Don't you love taking cabs? Go ahead." Then he retreated into the shadows between the buildings, leaving Shang Zhi Tao with all the questions and time to think. This girl had no guile—her thoughts were written all over her face, transparently naive.
Dealing with clients required teamwork. Luan Nian wasn’t familiar with the client to begin with, and in such situations, he made it clear he’d leave when necessary, letting the local colleagues smooth things over and handle the relationship. A tough stance paired with a soft approach, working from both inside and out, made problems easier to solve. Otherwise, you’d just be led around by the nose. Shang Zhi Tao would figure it out sooner or later, but Luan Nian deliberately didn’t tell her, finding it amusing to tease her.
Shang Zhi Tao stood ramrod straight as she hailed a cab, rigid and formal, almost unlike a modern person. A girl barely in her twenties, clearly full of youthful spirit, yet her every move, whether walking, sitting, or standing, carried such an air, making her seem a bit out of place in this era.
Luan Nian remembered her in the crowded airport, eyes red, stomping her foot: "I’m not leaving!" Even at her angriest, that was as far as it went—utterly easy to bully.
They got into the cab Shang Zhi Tao hailed, heading to a dinner banquet. Shang Zhi Tao still couldn’t wrap her head around it—such a big deal, just dropped like that? She glanced at Luan Nian several times before finally mustering the courage to ask, "We’re really letting it go?"
"If you’re that upset, go chase it back yourself," Luan Nian tossed back at her, then leaned against the seat and closed his eyes to rest. Shang Zhi Tao stole a curious glance at him, her gaze landing on his slightly raised jawline, and suddenly her face flushed.
She thought of sex.
For no reason at all.
Maybe it was because Guangzhou was too hot, and the human body’s survival environment had changed, so I suddenly developed improper thoughts about the boss who’s been trying to push me out every day. This is normal—everyone has improper thoughts sometimes. Shang Zhi Tao prepared her defense in her mind. If she were ever put on trial for having improper thoughts about her boss, her testimony would surely be dismissed during the opening statements.
The dinner was by the Pearl River, and through the window, you could see the "Little Waist" tower outside.
"What’s your name, miss?" Zhou Yuchi noticed Shang Zhi Tao sitting there quietly, quite different from the other Lingmei employees, and specifically asked her.
"Shang Zhi Tao. You can call me Flora," Shang Zhi Tao replied politely.
"Miss Shang is so clean and gentle, with such a lovely temperament," Zhou Yuchi sincerely complimented her.
Shang Zhi Tao’s face flushed again. In a drinking setting like this, her blush stood out like a single red plum blossom on a snowy plain, impossible to miss.
The men couldn’t help but glance her way, and Luan Nian followed their gaze, turning his head slightly to see her pink earlobes.
"Miss Shang, would you like some red wine?" Zhou Yuchi asked her again.
"Sorry, I don’t drink."
"Just a small sip?" Zhou Yuchi continued to press. At drinking gatherings, when girls said they didn’t drink, it was usually just an excuse. Once they took that first sip, most women who claimed they couldn’t drink turned out to have a decent tolerance.
Shang Zhi Tao had never been in such a situation before and didn’t know how to refuse.
"She really can’t drink today. She has to help me write a report later," Luan Nian suddenly interjected, then turned to Shang Zhi Tao. "Please stay sober, Flora. I need your help sending out my report today."
Sales lead Cheng Yihang (Apollo) exchanged a glance with Luan Nian, as if to say, "Playing the gallant knight?"
Luan Nian calmly picked up his phone and sent him a message: "If she gets drunk and makes a scene, don’t blame me if you lose the deal."The client Apollo, having worked with Luan Nian for so long, naturally understood his meaning. He raised his glass to Zhou Yuchi and said, "Flora does have important work to attend to. Let's brothers have a drink first!"
Everyone happily drank, while Shang Zhi Tao sat quietly beside Luan Nian, watching him take small sips from his cup. His alcohol tolerance was truly impressive—he had already consumed over half a catty yet remained unfazed. However, he rarely ate dishes while drinking, focusing solely on savoring the wine as if appreciating its flavor, only occasionally taking a sip of hot soup.
Shang Zhi Tao was captivated by his profile but dared not look too often. Not that she needed to—she had already memorized it completely.
The topics they discussed at the table were equally eclectic: military affairs, politics, history, philosophy—whatever came to mind. Luan Nian spoke little, but he understood everything, occasionally offering sharp and incisive insights. Sometimes, he rested his hand on the table—slender fingers, clean and neatly trimmed nails, and the blue vein on the back of his hand. A mature twenty-eight-year-old man: clean, proper, sharp, and handsome. The improper thoughts Shang Zhi Tao harbored about him lingered stubbornly.
As they drank more, the conversation inevitably turned to women. No matter how successful men were, once they had too much to drink, they always loved discussing women, as if without this topic, their larger-than-life image would crumble.
When women became the subject, Luan Nian rarely spoke.
He found it vulgar.
Luan Nian was the kind of person who could share light, very light jokes with close friends—but only that shallow. Anything deeper, like the subtly suggestive remarks made at the table today, he refused to say or even listen to.
Apollo, having drunk a bit too much, began discussing "famous instruments" with Zhou Yuchi. Both were seasoned veterans in such matters, concluding with the phrase "each has its own merits." Shang Zhi Tao didn’t understand, but judging by their expressions, she knew it wasn’t anything decent.
After listening for a while, Luan Nian stood up and left the room. Three minutes later, he pushed the door open, phone still pressed to his ear, and offered an apologetic smile to everyone before gesturing to Shang Zhi Tao. "Flora, come listen to this conference call."
Shang Zhi Tao felt a wave of relief and followed him out. Luan Nian tossed his phone to her and said, "If a call comes in, don’t answer it. If there’s a message, don’t reply."
Shang Zhi Tao was momentarily stunned, then quickly understood—Luan Nian was rescuing her. She felt a surge of gratitude and suddenly realized that while Luan Nian appeared cold and distant, his heart wasn’t truly unkind. He was harsh toward people, especially her, yet he never stopped being her teacher.
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