Chapter 60: The Scramble for Endorsement

Yao Jia and Meng Xingzhe were sipping beer in the living room when the sound of the door opening echoed from the entrance.

Yao Jia turned her head to see Tian Huasheng walking in.

Tian Huasheng was surprised to see Yao Jia and exclaimed, “Jia, you’re back?”

Yao Jia nodded. “I thought it wasn’t too late, so I came back. What about you? Where are you coming from?”

Tian Huasheng replied, “I was chatting with Sister Lidan, trying to cheer her up.”

“How is she?” Yao Jia asked.

“She’s more stable now,” Tian Huasheng said. “She’s already asleep.”

Yao Jia reassured, “Don’t worry, everything will be better tomorrow.”

Tian Huasheng echoed her words, “Yes! Everything will be better tomorrow!” Then he added, “We need to learn to give ourselves a pep talk, or life really becomes unbearable.”

Yao Jia thought to herself that what she had just said wasn’t just a pep talk; it was a prophecy bound to come true.

Tian Huasheng bounced back to his room to change clothes.

When Yao Jia turned around, she noticed Meng Xingzhe staring at her.

“Is there money on my face?” she asked, touching her cheek.

Meng Xingzhe, trying to calm his racing heart, said, “I’ve never seen someone as oblivious as you.”

“What?” Yao Jia retorted. “Can you argue properly without resorting to personal attacks? How am I oblivious?”

Meng Xingzhe, speaking against his own feelings, said, “Didn’t you notice anything odd about Xiao Tiantian? He said he only came back after Hao Lidan fell asleep.”

In his heart, he wasn’t referring to others’ obliviousness. What he meant was: why don’t you ever realize why I keep sneaking glances at you?

Yao Jia was puzzled. “What’s the problem with that?”

Meng Xingzhe was almost exasperated. “Were you raised with gender-neutral education? How can you be so clueless about matters between men and women? The issue is, Xiao Tiantian stayed there watching Hao Lidan until she fell asleep before he came back!”

Yao Jia clapped her hands in excitement. “Now I get it! Xiao Tiantian has a crush on Sister Lidan!”

Meng Xingzhe was exasperated. “With your lack of hormones, how do you even date your boyfriend?!”

Though he asked, he didn’t seem to want Yao Jia to explain how they dated. After venting his frustration, he got up and stomped back to his room, looking a bit annoyed.

Yao Jia found this man increasingly hard to understand lately. She couldn’t fathom his sudden bouts of frustration.

Unlike Meng Xingzhe’s restless night of mixed emotions, Yao Jia had a sweet and restful sleep.

She even had a dream. In it, she was a little girl again. Before going to work, Yao Bingkun lifted her high in the air, sternly telling her to listen to her grandfather and not cause trouble at home.

Being held up high, she felt both scared and a bit thrilled. Her small hands clutched her father’s sleeves tightly. Yao Bingkun swung her up and down, making her giggle with joy.

When Yao Jia woke up in the morning, she found her mouth still curved in a slight smile.

At work that morning, Yao Jia watched as Hao Lidan returned to the call center, carrying a box of her personal belongings.

Since the call center didn’t allow anyone to move around during work hours, Yao Jia couldn’t approach her to talk, so she just felt quietly happy.

During the break, Hao Lidan was busy fielding questions from Hou Wenwen and Tong Yumo, so Yao Jia didn’t join in.

Tian Huasheng crossed the aisle to deliver the hot news firsthand. “Jia, guess what, Sister Lidan said she got a call from Dept. Head Zhang of Human Resources this morning. The Chairman personally intervened in her case, saying it was inhumane to let her lose both her marriage and job, especially since she’s been performing well at work. So they decided not to pursue her for hiding her marital status when she joined. Her dismissal has been revoked!”

Yao Jia was pleasantly surprised, thinking Old Yao’s efficiency was truly impressive.

Tian Huasheng leaned in, suppressing a laugh, and said animatedly, “The funniest part is, Dept. Head Zhang explained to Sister Lidan that the dismissal was just following company policy, not aimed at anyone. He even asked her to say nice things about him if the Chairman ever inquired about the matter again!”

Meng Xingzhe clicked his tongue in disapproval. “People like that, who only think of self-preservation at the slightest trouble, with no sense of responsibility, how do they even become heads of Human Resources?”

Yao Jia shared his sentiment.

Tian Huasheng, eyes sparkling with admiration, remarked, “No matter what, I think our company is quite humane. I like it!”

Shortly after Hao Lidan’s dismissal was revoked, Kunyu Electric issued a new policy internally.

The new policy thrilled all the young female employees and those with young children at home.

Kunyu Electric announced the cancellation of the policy that only hired unmarried female employees and proposed setting up a daycare on the top floor of the building as a benefit for employees with children.

The announcement caused a stir within Kunyu Electric, with employees praising the move. Somehow, the news leaked to the press, and a few days later, Kunyu’s new policy was featured in major media outlets.

Kunyu Electric’s actions received widespread acclaim.

After dinner, Yao Jia, Meng Xingzhe, and Tian Huasheng sat in the living room, reading the comments below the news.

One netizen commented: “A company that truly considers its female employees is a genuinely good company! I give a thumbs up to Yao Bingkun!”

Another wrote: “Kunyu Electric’s future cohesion will be strong. They’ve even thought of employees’ kids, so employees will surely work harder.”

An anonymous user said: “I work at Mou Feng Electric, Kunyu’s rival, and I’m a mother of a four-year-old. Commuting takes two hours daily. If only our company offered such benefits.”

Yet another commented: “Enough said, I’m sending my resume to Kunyu Electric!”

Meng Xingzhe, lounging on the sofa like a big boss, began to pontificate after Tian Huasheng read the comments in a lilting voice: “From his appearance, I always thought Kunyu’s Chairman was a rather old-fashioned and stubborn person. But as Lu Xun said, you can’t judge a book by its cover. Who knew Old Yao would handle these two matters so well? Was he inspired or enlightened by someone?”

Yao Jia couldn’t help but retort, “Not everything was said by Lu Xun. Aren’t you worried about overworking him?”

And what’s with the ‘Old Yao’ this and ‘Old Yao’ that? Acting like you’re close with him?

While she was internally grumbling, she heard Meng Xingzhe speak again: “But come to think of it, Old Yao’s decisions on these matters are closely related to what’s happening around us. He’s quite resourceful, understanding and addressing the most pressing needs at the grassroots level so promptly.”

Hearing this, Yao Jia held her breath, not daring to speak, as if saying anything would reveal a secret.

Tian Huasheng put down his phone, his face full of genuine admiration and enthusiasm. He gestured animatedly as if reciting poetry: “Our President Yao is truly great! He cares about the welfare of the grassroots, his heart is with the people, and he shines with brilliance! I love President Yao, love his broad-mindedness, love his wisdom that comes with age!”

Yao Jia laughed as she listened to Tian Huasheng’s dramatic recital, feeling goosebumps rise on her neck.

She truly admired Tian Huasheng’s extraordinary ability to blend humor with awkwardness.

She thought with a smile, how wonderful it was that the old ginger listened to the little ginger’s words.

Meng Xingzhe was initially watching Tian Huasheng, but somehow his gaze drifted to Yao Jia’s face. Her smile was so radiant, so dazzlingly bright that it was hard to look away.

Her eyes curved into crescents, the corners of her mouth lifted, and her teeth were as neat and white as pearls. Her smile quickened his heartbeat.

He got up and returned to his room, fearing that if he lingered any longer, his chest wouldn’t be able to contain the drum-like pounding of his heart.

Back in his room, he calmed himself and settled into the massage chair, starting a video call with Bei Luonan.

He recounted the recent events at Kunyu and said, “Kunyu Electric truly lives up to its reputation as a well-established enterprise with strong execution capabilities. They respond and resolve issues swiftly, and the upper management can immediately address and provide feedback on grassroots problems. This is something our Xingbei Technology lacks, and we need to strengthen it.”

Bei Luonan nodded, “You’re right. I’ve already noted what you said in my mental notebook.”

Then he laughed.

Meng Xingzhe asked why he was laughing so late at night.

Bei Luonan replied, “This is the smile of an old man feeling comforted. Can’t you feel it? Since you arrived at Kunyu, not only have you changed a lot yourself, but you’ve also helped improve many issues at Xingbei Technology.”

Meng Xingzhe raised an eyebrow, “Like what?”

“For example, you suggested combining a humane approach with a wolf-like culture. I’m telling you now, it has been very effective. Our company’s cohesion has noticeably strengthened, and the employees say our humane benefits are great, making them work harder.”

Meng Xingzhe thought to himself, “Ah.” This idea had sparked from his debates with Yao Jia over work cases at the call center.

“And you suggested changing our sales strategy to focus online, investing all marketing efforts there. Manager Meng, I have good news for you: last month’s sales at Xingbei Technology doubled compared to before!”

Again, Meng Xingzhe thought, “Ah.” This decision also came after his interactions with Yao Jia.

“You also mentioned understanding the difficulties of customer service and proposed raising their salaries. After the raise, the customer service team worked much harder, and our product’s after-sales service reputation has improved.”

Meng Xingzhe realized his empathy for customer service came from seeing Yao Jia being tormented by difficult customers.

“Moreover, the product improvement ideas only became clear after you joined Kunyu Electric.”

Meng Xingzhe couldn’t help but smile slightly. This too was related to Yao Jia. She had been a source of inspiration.

“Now you’ve reminded me to enhance Xingbei Technology’s efficiency in responding to and resolving grassroots issues.” Bei Luonan grinned, showing two rows of neat white teeth. “I believe that with continuous improvement, Xingbei will only get better. Xingxing, your experience at Kunyu has been truly worthwhile and effective.”

Meng Xingzhe realized that in the two months he had been at Kunyu Electric, he had unknowingly gained so much.

It was like being in the midst of the mountain, unable to see the forest for the trees.

The feedback he had sent back, bit by bit, had already helped his own company make significant improvements and progress.

And all this feedback was related to a little customer service representative named Yao Jia.

“By the way,” Bei Luonan remembered something, “The tasks you assigned during the meeting, the one that was followed by a night of heavy rain, are almost complete. The R&D, Design, and Product Departments have come up with a product improvement plan, which I’ve sent to your email.”

Meng Xingzhe said, “I’ve seen it. There are no issues; it can be implemented.”

He paused and asked, “What about the corresponding new marketing plan? Has it been developed?”

Bei Luonan replied, “The complete plan will be sent to you in a couple of days, but there’s one part I think we can start implementing now.”

Meng Xingzhe asked which part.

Bei Luonan grinned widely, showing his teeth, “I’ve arranged a meeting with Fang Jin to discuss endorsement. He’s a huge influencer right now, with strong selling power. Having him endorse our products could boost our sales even more! The meeting is set for this weekend. You can choose the location.”

Meng Xingzhe perked up, “Let’s do it at Pizza Hut.”

Bei Luonan was so surprised that he nearly dropped his phone.

By the weekend, Meng Xingzhe headed to the Pizza Hut he often frequented for meetings.

The restaurant was near Kunyu Building, usually bustling with customers who were mostly Kunyu Electric employees during workdays. On weekends, when employees were off, the place was relatively quieter.

When Meng Xingzhe arrived, Bei Luonan was already there, sitting at the most secluded spot. As Meng Xingzhe approached, he noticed another person in disguise.

The disguised person wore sunglasses and a mask with a Kumamon bear on it. Meng Xingzhe recognized the bear because of Yao Jia, who had the same character on her water bottle and umbrella.

As soon as he arrived, the two began to jokingly complain.

Bei Luonan fired off, “I wonder if you’ve lost your mind. Have you gotten so used to being frugal that you’ve become cheap? Who would have thought that two big bosses and a major celebrity would meet at Pizza Hut? And such a deserted one at that?”

Meng Xingzhe shot back, “What’s wrong with Pizza Hut? They have so many flavors of pizza. Can you make them? If not, keep quiet!”

He plopped down next to the sneaky Kumamon-masked person and asked, “Nice mask. Got another one?”

Fang Jin’s voice was muffled through the mask, sounding a bit stuffy, “I have a female bear one.”

Meng Xingzhe shamelessly reached out, “Hand it over.”

Fang Jin retorted through the mask, “Am I crazy to carry two masks with me? It’s obviously at home.”

Meng Xingzhe said, “Bring it next time,” then added, “Don’t forget to sign it on the female bear’s face.”

Fang Jin rolled his eyes behind the sunglasses.

Meng Xingzhe surveyed the surroundings, “This place is pretty empty on weekends. Be low-key and take off the mask and sunglasses.”

Fang Jin shook his head, “A person as handsome as me needs some disguise to feel secure.”

Meng Xingzhe was annoyed, “You’re talking about handsome in front of me?”

Bei Luonan facepalmed, already regretting organizing this meeting.

Fortunately, the pizzas he ordered earlier arrived, providing a chance to silence the two chatterboxes with food.

Once they had eaten enough, Meng Xingzhe and Bei Luonan prepared to discuss the main topic.

Bei Luonan said, “Old Fang, you know we invited you here today to discuss an endorsement, right?”

Fang Jin wiped his greasy mouth and put the mask back on, sounding particularly reluctant, “Who’s ‘Old Fang’? I’m the little brother of millions of girls! Call me Little Fang.” After a pause, he said, “I know, but don’t mention it. Lately, so many people have been approaching me for endorsements that they’re wearing down the threshold of my studio.”

Even with his sunglasses and mask, his excitement was evident, “Do you know, just recently, people from Jiangfeng Electric contacted my agent, offering a huge endorsement fee for their small appliances!”

Before Meng Xingzhe and Bei Luonan could respond, he continued proudly, “Do you know why I didn’t agree? Because after Jiangfeng Electric, Wen Zhihe’s team also contacted my agent, offering an even higher price for me to endorse Heyi.com.”

Meng Xingzhe raised an eyebrow. Bei Luonan bared his teeth. The two remained silent, letting Fang Jin continue boasting.

“Oh, by the way, have you heard about the new Jia Ren phone that’s just hit the market?” As he spoke, he pulled a phone out of his pocket and placed it on the table. “Look, it’s this model. It’s selling like crazy right now. If you don’t have a Jia Ren phone, you’re not a true young person.”

Meng Xingzhe felt a sudden pang of envy.

“Stop babbling about useless stuff and get to the point!” he snapped at Fang Jin.

“Alright, alright. The main thing is, the company that produces this phone, Four Dot Technology, has also reached out to me. The person who contacted me was Tao Lie, one of the bosses at Four Dot Technology. He insisted that I endorse their product because another boss’s beloved woman is a big fan of mine.”

Meng Xingzhe nearly bent the fork he was holding in his hand.

Bei Luonan laughed heartily, “That boss is really bold, isn’t he? Pimping you out for his beloved woman. He’s not even worried that she might run off with you, leaving him with nothing but a field of green on his head.”

“What kind of talk is that?”

Bei Luonan was taken aback, as both Meng Xingzhe and Fang Jin spoke in unison.

Then, in unison again, they both said:

“Am I that kind of person?” Fang Jin continued his displeasure.

“Is Yao Jia that kind of person?” Meng Xingzhe retorted with a frown.

Bei Luonan paused, then slapped his thigh, “Oh, wait, isn’t the other boss Yue Xuran? So the beloved woman must be Yao Xiaojia! Isn’t it a small world?”

Fang Jin asked, “Who’s Yao Xiaojia?” After a pause, he added, “Never mind, it doesn’t matter who Yao Xiaojia is. The important thing is, why am I so popular? Everyone wants me to endorse their products. I’m quite the heartthrob!” He shook his head in mock humility, causing the Kumamon on his mask to wobble like a living Kumamon spirit.

Meng Xingzhe couldn’t help but bend the fork in his hand. “In front of me, you should have a little self-awareness.”

Bei Luonan looked disgusted. “I suspect you two were separated at birth. How can you both be so shamelessly alike?”

“By the way,” Fang Jin suddenly remembered, “I forgot to mention, another company is also competing for me as an endorser.” He adjusted his sunglasses, his voice muffled behind the Kumamon mask but still brimming with pride. “It’s Kunyu Electric, a rival of the famous Jiangfeng Electric. The person from Kunyu who contacted me said that the Chairman’s youngest daughter is particularly fond of me, so they’re very sincere about wanting me to endorse their products.”

Meng Xingzhe had a thought stuck in his throat.

The girl I like also likes you, damn it. You can only endorse for me!

But when he spoke, he addressed Fang Jin seriously, “Why does Yao Bingkun’s youngest daughter have so much drama? Fang Jin, you shouldn’t believe such things. Rich girls say they like celebrities, but they just want to hook up with them. Once they’ve got you, you’re worthless. You shouldn’t consider endorsing for Kunyu or anyone else. Think about our solid socialist brotherhood.”

Bei Luonan was more direct, asking Fang Jin, “What’s the highest endorsement fee they’re offering you?” He seemed full of bravado, as if he could always offer a higher price with an extra million or so.

Fang Jin named a figure.

Bei Luonan let out an “oh,” his bravado melting away. “Let’s talk about our solid socialist brotherhood instead!”

Fang Jin snorted, “Get lost!”

After a pause, his tone turned serious. “I’m not telling you this to negotiate a higher endorsement fee. I just wanted to brag a little. Without you guys, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Don’t worry, even if you offer me a lot of endorsement money, I won’t take it. Just give me a token amount so my staff can have some tea.”

Meng Xingzhe and Bei Luonan were deeply moved, both vying to pay for the meal.

At that moment, two people entered from the door. Facing the entrance, Meng Xingzhe quickly darted to an empty table nearby with ghost-like speed, as if he had just arrived and hadn’t had a chance to order.

Seeing his odd behavior, Bei Luonan also turned to look at the door.

Upon seeing who it was, he too moved like lightning, quickly sitting across from Meng Xingzhe, as if they had just arrived together and hadn’t ordered yet.

Fang Jin: “………………”

He looked up to see two girls walking in, chatting and laughing. One of them seemed vaguely familiar to him.

As they approached, he lowered his head.

He heard each girl exclaim in surprise as they recognized the two at the nearby table:

“Meng Xingzhe?” Yao Jia was surprised to see him there.

“Bei Luonan?” Ling Xiaoxin’s voice seemed to carry a tinge of blushing delight.

“What are you doing here?” Yao Jia asked again.

“We haven’t seen each other in a while, so we arranged to meet here for a meal and a chat,” Meng Xingzhe replied calmly, then asked, “What about you?”

Yao Jia said, “What a coincidence, it’s exactly the same for us. We haven’t seen each other in ages, so we decided to meet here for a meal and a chat too.”

As for why they chose Pizza Hut, Yao Jia thought maybe she was momentarily possessed when she made the decision.

Ling Xiaoxin, blushing, suggested, “Why don’t we sit together?”

Bei Luonan immediately pulled out a chair for her.

The four of them sat together warmly at one table.

Yao Jia asked, “Have you ordered yet?”

Meng Xingzhe said, “Not yet.”

Yao Jia suggested, “Let’s each order a different pizza.”

Meng Xingzhe and Bei Luonan reluctantly ordered another pizza each.

At the nearby table, the masked Fang Jin sat alone and puzzled: ??? Weren’t you supposed to treat me? Pay for my meal first!

But neither of the two received his mental signals.

Unable to understand the world, Fang Jin quietly paid his bill, then left in frustration and solitude.

Yao Jia looked up and, seeing Fang Jin’s departing figure, exclaimed in surprise, “That person leaving looks like Fang Jin!”

Meng Xingzhe and Bei Luonan exchanged a quick glance.

Meng Xingzhe calmly asked, “How can you tell just from a back view?”

Yao Jia replied, “Just a feeling.”

Meng Xingzhe snorted, curling his lip. “Then see if you can feel if I look like Fang Jin.”

He quickly added, “No, I wouldn’t look like him. I’m much more handsome. I don’t need to put myself down like that.”

Yao Jia: “…”

Ignoring Meng Xingzhe’s pretense, she sighed, “I wish I could have a meal with Fang Jin someday.”

Ling Xiaoxin winked at her. “If you keep thinking about it, it might just happen soon!” She already knew that Yao Bingkun planned to have Fang Jin endorse because Yao Jia liked him.

Yao Jia smiled, her face full of hope.

Meng Xingzhe watched her smile, feeling a sting in his eyes. He thought bitterly, Why does she have to smile so brightly?

The smile was so endearing that he almost couldn’t resist calling Fang Jin back to share a meal with the girl in front of him.

The next moment, he found himself speaking, his words tinged with jealousy, “Why didn’t you go find Yue Xuran this weekend?”

Yao Jia looked up at Meng Xingzhe, sensing something odd in his tone.

“He’s at the TV station for an interview,” she replied.

Originally, Yue Xuran had planned to take her out for a meal over the weekend, but due to the sudden interview, he had to cancel and even apologized to her.

Meng Xingzhe chuckled softly. A sly thought danced in the darker corners of his mind: it would be perfect if the answer he heard was that the two of them had a fight.

The next moment, both Meng Xingzhe and Bei Luonan’s phones buzzed simultaneously.

It turned out Fang Jin had created a group chat on WeChat with the three of them, venting his frustrations. Both Meng Xingzhe and Bei Luonan instinctively converted the voice message to text.

Fang Jin: [You guys are too much, aren’t you? I’m a celebrity, a traffic star, you know what that means? I didn’t say anything when you took me to Pizza Hut, I didn’t complain when you asked me to endorse you, but how did it end up that I was the one paying for the meal???]

At that moment, the pizza was ready and brought to the table.

Yao Jia declared, “Whoever ordered the pizza is responsible for finishing it. Anyone who leaves leftovers is a jerk!”

Having already eaten a pizza and feeling it stuck in their throats, Meng Xingzhe and Bei Luonan exchanged a glance, both hands trembling.

They replied in the group chat: [Stop whining, we’re getting our comeuppance too!]

In the end, none of the four managed to finish their pizzas.

Their meal was interrupted by a call for overtime work.

Yao Jia and Meng Xingzhe both received calls from the call center, summoning all Customer Service Representatives back for an emergency shift.

Yao Jia and Meng Xingzhe hurried to the call center, and soon everyone else was at their stations.

Lin Qian got straight to the point, telling them, “There’s been a major sales incident. During yesterday’s online promotion for small appliances, a mistake in the coupon settings allowed all products to be purchased for single-digit amounts. By the time the error was discovered, tens of thousands of orders had been placed. If these orders are fulfilled, the company will suffer significant losses. Some products have already been shipped and signed for, and it’s too late to recall them, but fortunately, the quantity isn’t large. As for those not yet shipped, Vice President Qiu has personally ordered that the orders be locked and not shipped.”

She paused and continued, “What you need to do now is call those customers with locked orders, explain the coupon setting error, ask for their understanding, and request them to cancel the orders. Then, compensate them with a certain amount of coupons credited to their accounts.”

Tian Huasheng raised a hand to ask, “Team Leader, what if the customers refuse?”

“The directive from above,” Lin Qian said, “is to lock the orders and continue communicating with the customers. Either get them to agree to cancel the order, or have them pay the remaining 80% of the price before shipping. If the customer continues to refuse, keep negotiating until they agree to one of these options.”

Listening to Lin Qian, Yao Jia felt her mind swirl with thoughts. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something about this approach seemed off.