#133 – Foreshadowing

Shang Zhitao brought in another vendor and established a new department.

Through her relentless efforts and learning, she finally began to understand the real game behind online advertising. Her team was exceptionally professional, winning awards in various professional skills competitions. Shang Zhitao handed over all the prize money to her employees.

She started quickly producing industry benchmark case studies, putting her years of training under Luan Nian to good use. She led her team in brainstorming sessions, developing a comprehensive and in-depth data model to monitor ad performance in full. When she sent the results to Luan Nian, he said, “The data can be broken down one more level.” So she kept breaking it down, until there was nothing left to break.

She began implementing full-link tracking beyond the vendors’ systems.

By the end of April, the vendor organized a visit for other agencies to come and learn from her. The channel manager said, “If you don’t want to talk, then don’t. If you don’t want to teach, no one’s forcing you.”

Shang Zhitao smiled. “There’s nothing I can’t share.”

She asked her team to prepare thoroughly for the presentation and took part in the reception herself.

Zhang Lei also came. Shang Zhitao didn’t let him, her guarantor, down—she quickly climbed to the top-performing tier.

“How’s it going? Tired?” Zhang Lei asked.

“Tired. Dead tired.”

“Most people don’t want to share this kind of experience. Why are you so silly to spill everything?”

“It’s okay. Learning and improving together, creating a healthy competitive environment—there’s nothing wrong with that. Apart from client data, all methodologies are shareable,” Shang Zhitao said.

“I knew you were impressive. Ever thought about joining me to lead a commercialization team? I heard your boyfriend’s in Beijing—you two are doing long-distance.”

Shang Zhitao blushed slightly. “He comes every week.”

“So your boyfriend is really Luke from Lingmei?” Zhang Lei hadn’t known much about her relationship, until he recently heard about it from Sun Yu’s company.

“Yes.”

Zhang Lei looked at her for a long time. “Quietly pulled off something big, huh.”

Luan Nian had a big name in the industry. Zhang Lei’s company was planning to assign a VP just to deal with him. He’d heard many things—how Luan Nian was extraordinarily talented, demanded a lot from his people, and was also sharp-tongued and hard to deal with.

“Can you keep it a secret? I don’t want others to know.”

Business circles were deeply interconnected—if not here, they’d run into each other elsewhere. Shang Zhitao didn’t want to rely on Luan Nian’s fame. She wanted people to recognize her and her company for their own excellence—not because she was his girlfriend.

“Of course. But if you get married, I’d better get an invite.”

“If we get married, you’ll definitely be invited! Who else would I invite if not you? We’ve known each other for over ten years.”

Married? Did Luan Nian want to get married? Shang Zhitao wasn’t sure. She thought he did, but lately, he’d been a bit mysterious. Then one day, he suddenly asked her, “Can you take more than a month off in June?”

“Why such a long break?”

“Because I want to go on a trip. It feels like it’s been forever since I last traveled.”

“Then I’ll make a plan?”

“Drop everything and come with me,” Luan Nian said.

He always did this—just one plain sentence, and he’d ignite something inside her, making her want to throw caution to the wind.

“Like that trip to Tibet—don’t need to prepare anything, just go with you?”

“Exactly. Just trust me.”

“Okay.”

Luan Nian always knew how to spark her fire, every time. He knew exactly what she truly liked—that underneath her calm appearance was a wild, burning soul, just waiting for a little spark to set her off.

Shang Zhitao’s business was booming, and she also started looking into building her team. She called Tracy to ask for advice. Tracy answered thoroughly, then asked, “You’re planning to handle this yourself?”

“No. I’d like you to recommend someone for me. As the business grows, we need to do better in staff development, support, and performance evaluation. There’s also a lot of hiring and training coming up. But we don’t have the money to hire a full HR team yet, so we’re looking for one or two multi-skilled hires.”

“No problem. I’ll recommend someone—you can fully trust her.”

Tracy introduced her to Sunny, a former colleague. Same age as Tracy, single, had moved back to Harbin to care for her aging parents.

Shang Zhitao quickly arranged to meet Sunny and found her very similar to Tracy—someone with depth from worldly experience. Not flashy or aggressive, just very pleasant to talk to. She called her “Sister Sunny,” and pulled out a contract at the end of their meeting.

“The salary I mentioned earlier is top-tier for Harbin. There’s also a year-end bonus. As for how much goes to the employees and how much you yourself take—that’s up to you. Should we sign?”

Sunny was straightforward. “Leave it to me.” She signed on the spot.

Shang Zhitao was thrilled—this was a big piece settled. Now her team had an operations director, a sales director, and a head of HR. She didn’t have to work herself to the bone anymore.

As the company’s tax payments increased, the district government took notice in May and requested a meeting with her. Shang Zhitao dressed in a black suit that day, hair neatly tied back—sharp and elegant. Before leaving, she asked Luan Nian, “What should the core message of this meeting be?”

“Express your ambition. Say you want to grow your business, and tell them about the revenue donation program your company does. Then ask them—what would it take to join the CPPCC?”

“The CPPCC?” Shang Zhitao didn’t understand the relevance.

“Yeah. Two agency owners I know are CPPCC representatives in their cities. Start by joining the Chamber of Commerce or a democratic party. It’s good for future growth. Good luck.”

Shang Zhitao realized her perspective had been too narrow. She’d thought it was just a work report, but it was more than that. Suddenly, the significance of the meeting became clear.

“Good luck, War Goddess,” Luan Nian texted her.

“Thanks, Nian Nian.”

“Gross.”

Nian Nian was Luan Nian’s nickname. One time, Dr. Liang teasingly called him that, and Shang Zhitao heard it. She then kept calling him that for days. He said it was disgusting and told her to stop—but she wouldn’t.

Shang Zhitao had experience dealing with the government. She brought Sunny along because the meeting was about business development and hiring plans. On the way there, Sunny said, “The government cares about employment, especially for recent graduates, so I’ll explain that part thoroughly. They also care about taxes—I brought the reports and made forecasts too.”

“Thanks, Sunny.”

“Just before we left, Fu Dong said, ‘Good luck, Ice City Sisterhood,’” Sunny laughed. “I’m almost fifty. Can I still be part of a sisterhood?”

“Of course you can.”

Sunny was indeed worthy of having once worked alongside Tracy. She had strong presence, rich experience, and brought up many issues Shang Zhitao had never considered. Shang Zhitao just talked about strategy—Sunny handled everything else. The officials were impressed: the company leader was educated, visionary, and passionate, with a clear business logic. They took special interest. At the end of the meeting, they gave Shang Zhitao a task: starting in the second half of the year, she could attend CPPCC sessions as an observer to learn about livelihood planning, and they welcomed her to join the city’s development.

It was a great step forward.

Shang Zhitao was interested in city-building—she thought it was meaningful. After the meeting, she called Lin Chuner and shared the news. Lin Chuner said, “Go for it, Taotao. You made the right choice. We may be small, but our efforts matter.”

“Yes, sister. Please continue to guide me.”

“Mutual support, always!”

Shang Zhitao began pushing new business initiatives. By mid-May, the new agency license was approved. Sunny started recruiting. Their pay and benefits were top-tier in Harbin.

Everything slowly began to fall into place.

Shang Zhitao began preparing for her vacation.

She didn’t know why, but she was really looking forward to this long trip. She thought she was past the age of being excited for travel—but she still found herself lying awake at night.

One evening, she called Luan Nian. It was noisy on his end, and the wind was loud. She asked, “What are you doing?”

“Attending an event.”

“I want to talk to you.”

“Not today. Go to sleep. I’ll fly over the day after tomorrow to pick you up. Some gear will be delivered to you—ask Fu Dong to put it in the trunk.”

“Okay. So can I know where we’re going now?”

“Nope.”

“But I need to pack!”

“You are the luggage.”

With that, Luan Nian hung up.

Shang Zhitao held her phone and huffed, “Jerk!”

Old Shang and Da Zhai fully supported her taking a long vacation. They felt she’d worked too hard and needed to unwind. Plus, with Luan Nian going, they felt at ease.

Rumors about Shang Zhitao started shifting.

The new version said she met Luan Nian in Beijing but was driven away by his disapproving family. Heartbroken, she returned to Harbin—only for Luan Nian, unable to forget her, to chase after her.

Shang Zhitao thought this version was a bit better than the last one.

But Dr. Liang wasn’t having it. When Da Zhai told her the new gossip, she got mad. So one day, Dr. Liang and Luan’s dad drove a luxury car to the old tavern, dressed to the nines, with a bankbook in hand.

The rumors evolved again: now people said Shang Zhitao was a business prodigy, deeply in love with Luan Nian, and that his family had personally come to propose.

That version sounded alright. Dr. Liang left happy.

Sometimes, Shang Zhitao thought, she really was lucky to have met so many good people.

As long as you live earnestly, life slowly becomes interesting. That was something she’d come to understand.

Luan Nian arrived late at night the day before their trip. No matter how much she asked, he refused to reveal the itinerary. She pouted and turned away in mock anger. He hugged her from behind and gently nipped her back. “Shang Zhitao, been taking classes lately?”

“Huh?” Her breathing hitched slightly. “What?”

“Any new techniques from your tutor… hmm?” Luan Nian asked. Shang Zhitao had been teasing him endlessly. He’d seen it all, but she still had him wrapped around her finger. Anyone else trying that, he’d scoff. But with her—he felt she should use it more.

“My mentor’s been busy lately…”

“No worries. I’ve been learning.”

A ribbon covered Shang Zhitao’s eyes. Goosebumps rose on her skin. The unknown stirred a trace of fear.

Luan Nian whispered, “Don’t be scared. This is top-tier service tonight.”

She reached for his face for comfort. But he took her hands away and moved slightly out of reach. When he came back, a cool tongue trailed along her skin—she had never experienced anything like it. She grabbed him, begging him to stop.

Of course, he wouldn’t. He remembered every time she’d provoked him while he was away. A petty middle-aged man, when he retaliated, he really went all out.

In the cold and heat of his tongue, Shang Zhitao felt like she was swelling into a cloud, floating without direction.

Luan Nian’s “top-tier service” just about killed her. Her nails dug into his back as she pleaded for release.

He was eager, too.

In a battle between two armies, the brave one wins. He used every trick in the book to leave her utterly defeated.

At the end, he asked, “Want any more services?”

Shang Zhitao finally exhaled. She took off the ribbon and saw the mess around them. Her face flushed red.

“Pervert!” she yelled bashfully.

Luan Nian laughed. “Satisfied with the first leg of our trip, Ms. Shang Zhitao?”

He’d laid the groundwork perfectly. Shang Zhitao was completely immersed—now all she wanted was for the journey to begin.