Chapter 113: Hello

The first project for Shang Zhitao’s new company came from Sun Yu’s company.

They were hosting a bidding event in Ice City to select suppliers, and Shang Zhitao took Fu Dong along.

Before they went, Fu Dong asked nervously, “Boss, we’ve got nothing—just a 200-square-meter office and a PowerPoint presentation. Do you think we stand a chance?”

“Yes.”

“But we’ll need to front the costs!”

“I’ve got some savings.” She had factored in the upfront costs when calculating expenses. Initially, they couldn’t take on large projects—events of that scale required over a million yuan in advance funding, which Shang Zhitao couldn’t afford. If their cash flow broke, the company would collapse.

She still had some money left from selling her stocks, enough to cover four small events for Sun Yu’s company. After those four events, the funds would start flowing back.

Shang Zhitao also had another sum of money, but she vowed never to touch it. She thought, Maybe I should choose a good time to donate this.

The two of them arrived at the bidding site. The other companies vying for the contract looked well-funded. Fu Dong grew increasingly nervous, sweat beading on his forehead. He whispered to her, “Boss, are we really okay?”

“We’re fine.”

Shang Zhitao guided Fu Dong through refining the proposal and negotiating the venue. Fu Dong marveled at how capable she was—she seemed to know everything. When he talked about her to his classmates, he said:

“You guys have no idea what a female boss from a top-tier global company is like. She’s badass!”

“She knows everything! Nothing can stump her!”

“Working with her, you learn so much. She loves teaching me and explains everything clearly from start to finish.”

“Let me ask you this: do you think your companies can teach you all this? Can you find anyone more professional than my boss Peach in Ice City?”

With that, they stepped up. Shang Zhitao’s PowerPoint presentation was essentially a resume of her past projects. Fu Dong kept thinking internally, Damn, she’s incredible.

On the day they learned they’d won the bid, Shang Zhitao treated Fu Dong to a celebratory meal, calling it a team-building exercise. Their team consisted of just the two of them at the moment, but they planned to hire more people soon. They also needed reliable execution partners. At this point, Shang Zhitao thought of Xing Yi, who worked at the Culture and Tourism Bureau and likely knew many dependable execution companies.

True to form, Xing Yi delivered. Within half an hour, he brought over the owner of an execution company. Over dinner, Shang Zhitao’s company officially began its journey.

After the meal, Xing Yi walked Shang Zhitao home.

By now, the two had grown quite close. Xing Yi had been a huge help with the “Old Couple’s Tavern,” pitching in whenever needed. When Shang Zhitao first returned to Ice City, unfamiliar with the area, Xing Yi helped her solve countless problems.

“Do you find it hard to adapt to working in government with your personality?” Shang Zhitao referred to his hobbies—he loved basketball, and countless girls in high school had watched him play.

“Not really. The only thing I dislike is having to drink excessively at official gatherings. Honestly, drinking with friends feels natural, but with colleagues, it’s awkward.”

“True.”

“What about you? Is running a company exhausting? You seem exhausted—handling both the company and restaurant promotions. Your marketing is great—it even reached my colleagues. Yesterday, one of them showed me their phone and asked if I’d eaten there. I thought, Isn’t that my family’s property? “

Shang Zhitao burst into laughter at his comment.

Seeing her laugh so freely, Xing Yi grinned too.

She began to understand the hardships Sun Yu endured during her early entrepreneurial years—doing everything herself, from entertaining clients to designing proposals, managing finances, and overseeing executions. Fortunately, Fu Dong was a quick learner, and after a few projects, he could handle proposals and executions independently. By the end of the year, Shang Zhitao gave Fu Dong a raise—his monthly salary increased to 10,000 yuan, plus a year-end bonus. She also entrusted him with training the newly hired employees. In managing her team, Shang Zhitao continued to learn from Tracy—her decisiveness and professionalism.

The “Old Couple’s Tavern” flourished, attracting more customers. By evening, queues formed, and people even took food to go. Everything was heading in the right direction—except for her love life.

Gradually, neighbors began gossiping about the Shang family’s only daughter, saying she returned from Beijing with a fortune to start a business, buy property, and purchase a car, speculating that she might have been someone’s mistress in Beijing. Old Shang overheard this by chance and got into a heated argument with the neighbor, refusing to speak to them afterward. Some neighbors whispered that Shang Zhitao, now thirty, remained unmarried, looking better than before but perhaps too picky to find a match. Kind-hearted neighbors introduced her to potential suitors, and to avoid causing trouble for her parents, she agreed to blind dates. The frequency increased from once every six months to twice a month. She felt like she had gained a certain air of experience in evaluating men. Among the candidates, one or two stood out, but upon hearing about her background in marketing and her frequent socializing, they politely declined.

Shang Zhitao didn’t care. By the third year, her company’s operations had stabilized. However, she felt uneasy, believing their business model was too singular and vulnerable to risks. As Luan Nian once said, “Anyone who goes all-in on a single project is a fool. Smart people diversify their investments.”

She explored various opportunities and one day saw Zhang Lei post a photo of himself speaking at an agency conference. Inspired, she considered becoming an advertising agent. She began seriously contemplating the idea.

Advertising agencies required substantial deposits and teams, necessitating significant startup capital. She consulted Zhang Lei, who advised, “I can vouch for you. You can pay a smaller deposit, but building a team and renting space will still cost a lot. You’ll need at least 1.5 million yuan.”

Shang Zhitao looked at her eager young team and hesitated. Over three years, they had thrived under her leadership, but everyone still wanted to push further.

Zhang Lei reassured her not to rush. “Policies change frequently. The deposit isn’t the urgent issue; it’s the other funds. If you can’t manage now, start as a secondary agent.”

“No, if we’re going to do it, let’s aim big. But we can test the waters with a few accounts first.”

While researching the advertising agency market, Lumi called her. “My dear friend, I need your help.”

“What’s wrong? Our industry summit next month is set in Ice City. Our previous supplier changed management and isn’t performing well here. Their proposal has been rejected three times already. At this rate, we’ll run out of time.”

“What do you need me to do? Draft a proposal? Sure.”

“No, I want you to take over completely.”

“What about the process?”

“The process will be expedited—you don’t need to worry.”

“Alright.” After hanging up, Shang Zhitao sent Lumi a message: “What’s the attendance level?”

“Lingmei will send department heads, and the other participants are client executives. All major clients.”

Upon hearing the attendance level and confirming that Luan Nian wouldn’t be coming, Shang Zhitao readily accepted the project.

It wasn’t that she was afraid to see Luan Nian—it was just that he wasn’t Xin Zhaozhou. After breaking up with Xin, they could still chat and get along. But if she were to see Luan again, who knew what harsh words might come her way?

Shang Zhitao’s current temperament wouldn’t tolerate being hurt by him. If they clashed, it would likely end in an unpleasant scene.

She led her team of young men in quickly drafting a creative proposal, overturning their previous plan of holding meetings before sightseeing. Instead, they proposed sightseeing first, then returning to Ice City for the meeting. Shang Zhitao understood Lingmei’s sales tactics—they aimed to create influence and secure annual contracts. In that case, letting salespeople interact with clients during the trip, subtly building rapport, and then holding the meeting afterward would yield better results.

Visiting this time of year was all about seeing snow. She confirmed the real needs with Lumi several times, made minor adjustments to the concept, and submitted it. Will presented the idea during the executive meeting, waiting for Luan Nian’s final approval.

“Is this from the same supplier as last time?”

“No, Lumi urgently switched to a new one, or we’d run out of time.”

“Mm. This version is much better—it aligns more closely with our goals.”

“So we’ll proceed with this?”

“Yes.” Luan Nian gave his consent and turned to his secretary. “Help me coordinate my schedule after New Year’s—I’ll participate fully in this event.”

Everyone exchanged glances, suddenly feeling tense.

After the meeting, Will intercepted Lumi, who was about to leave early. “Where are you going?”

“To buy coffee. Want some?” Lumi feigned respect.

“Luke has decided to attend the summit last minute. Forget the coffee—work on refining the proposal with the supplier!” Will’s stern expression remained unchanged, as rigid as ever.

Lumi raised her eyebrows, looking triumphant, as if she had pulled off something mischievous. “I already handed off the proposal. Oh, I haven’t told you who the specially approved supplier is yet, have I? Silly me. It’s Flora Shang.”

Even though Shang Zhitao had left the company, Lumi still referred to her as “Flora” around Will. He remembered the projects they had collaborated on, trusted her competence, and let Lumi go buy coffee.

When Lumi arrived in Ice City, Shang Zhitao naturally invited her to dinner. When asked what she wanted to eat, Lumi said she craved Da Zhai’s cooking. So they set the venue at “Old Couple’s Tavern.”

“Can I bring my old sweetheart along?” “Old sweetheart” was Lumi’s latest nickname for Will. She told Shang Zhitao, “My old sweetheart may be getting on in years, but he’s still in good shape. I take good care of him, feeding him well so he doesn’t collapse.” Her words were as unrestrained as ever.

“Of course!”

“Then it’s settled.”

A little while later, Lumi sent another message: “My old sweetheart wants to bring two people. Is that okay?”

“Sure. You guys go ahead—I’ve got a few things to finalize for the trip the day after tomorrow.”

“No problem. I’m familiar with Mom anyway. Whether you come or not doesn’t really matter. See you later!”

When Luan Nian saw the location shared by Will, he furrowed his brow.

His friend Song Qiuhang, sitting beside him, asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Song Qiuhang was the investor Luan Nian had introduced to Sun Yu. Since last year, he had returned to China to head the domestic branch of an investment bank—young and accomplished.

Both men were taciturn. After checking into the hotel and unpacking, they headed to the restaurant. Upon arriving, they realized it was a small establishment.

Song Qiuhang remarked, “Your company’s hospitality standards need improvement.”

Luan Nian glanced at him. “When you ate at hole-in-the-wall places with Lin Chun’er, I didn’t hear you complain about the simplicity.”

At the mention of Lin Chun’er, Song Qiuhang’s lips curled into a smile. Lin Chun’er was his irreplaceable treasure; just hearing her name made him happy.

The two men walked in to find Lumi and Will already seated. After a brief introduction by Luan Nian, they fell silent. Lumi ordered six dishes. The portions here were generous, and everything was delicious. She explained to Luan Nian, “Luke, it’s not that the supplier is stingy—it’s that this place is truly excellent. Family-run, with amazing flavors.”

Their table stood out. The men were all impeccably dressed, and the lone woman exuded a wild charm. Altogether, they made a pleasing sight.

Lumi got up to help Da Zhai in the kitchen, casually mentioning, “See that guy in the high-end shirt? He used to be my and Taotao’s big boss—terrible temper.”

Da Zhai nodded. “Looks like someone with a bad temper. Handsome, though—clearly a boss.”

Lumi chuckled and returned to the table.

As Da Zhai served the dishes, Luan Nian stood up to receive them and said, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Come back often.”

“I will.”

The meal began with drinks, and Lumi kept spouting nonsense, giving Luan Nian a headache. The bell at the entrance jingled, the door creaked open, and a rush of cold air swept in. Lumi shouted, “Shang Zhitao!” and rushed over.

Luan Nian turned his head and saw Shang Zhitao, whom he hadn’t seen in years. She stood there like a solitary red plum tree blooming amidst a vast snowy plain.

Shang Zhitao’s gaze met his, then calmly shifted away.

Letting go of the past entirely.