-63- Worth it

After returning from the May Day holiday, the collaborative event between Speckled and Wanda officially began. Unlike Mr. Huzi's previous collaboration, Speckled's campaign intentionally leaned towards parent-child activities. While parents might not be the primary audience for trendy toys, increasing the interactivity of the event through parent-child activities clearly attracted larger crowds and made the event more lively. Of course, more people meant more manpower. Tomato's experience in managing fan groups came in handy again. He posted on Xiaohongshu, originally looking for a few university students who liked Speckled to serve as cheap labor, and accidentally hooked up with a local university's trendy toy club. Tomato said, "I feel like I've struck gold." Waikiki needed labor, and the school club needed "practice opportunities" for large-scale events. After a single meeting, the two sides hit it off. The club's twenty-odd university students were at their beck and call, and Waikiki's only expense was lunch boxes and a few certificates with the company seal confirming their participation. The preliminary preparations were completed quickly. With her experience undercover under Mr. Huzi, Zhao Jinghuan was confident about the collaboration event at Wanda, but she still had a concern: Zhao Jinghuan wasn't sure whether Dorasi would actually show up on the day of the collaboration. Ever since she'd removed the poster covering the door, Dorasi hadn't come to work for nearly two months. Compared to the rest of the studio, Dorasi's thoughts were harder to predict. Fortunately, she'd remained at Zou's house during that time, suggesting that while she'd been absent, she was likely just angry and not truly severing ties with the Waikiki people. Zhao Jinghuan had urged Lu Kai to invite Dorasi back, offering a soft, apology if necessary. However, Lu Kai was clearly still reeling from Wanfeng's death. His turmoil made it difficult for him to offer a conciliatory attitude. He simply shook his head and said, "I don't know how to apologize. I don't think I was wrong." He continued to offer the same response until the night before the collaboration event. Zhao Jinghuan had no choice but to personally approach Dorasi, but was again turned away. She could only ask Sister Zou to speak to Dorasi. However, it wasn't clear if this was to be expected. Dorasi didn't attend the joint event the next day. While Dorasi's absence wasn't a devastating blow to the joint event, it did make the day's activities seem somewhat strange. Fortunately, the parent-child event on the first floor was a great success, at least for the participants...

After the May Day holiday, the collaboration between Sparrow and Wanda officially began. Unlike Mr. Huzi's time, Sparrow's collaboration intentionally leaned towards parent-child activities. While parents may not be the primary audience for trendy toys, increasing the interactivity of the event through parent-child activities clearly attracted larger crowds and made the event more lively.

Of course, more traffic also means more manpower is needed. Fanqie's experience in running fan groups came in handy again. He posted on Xiaohongshu, originally hoping to find a few college students who liked freckles to serve as cheap labor, but he accidentally hooked up with a local university's trendy toy club.

Tomato said, "I always feel like I've found a treasure."

Waikiki needed labor, while the school club needed "practice opportunities" for large-scale events. After a single meeting, the two sides hit it off. The club's twenty-odd students were at their beck and call, and Waikiki's only cost was lunch boxes and a few certificates with the company's official seal certifying their participation.

The preliminary preparations were completed quickly. With her experience as an undercover agent for Mr. Huzi, Zhao Jinghuan was confident about the Wanda joint event, but she still had some concerns:

Zhao Jinghuan was not sure whether Dorasi would be present on the day of the collaboration.

Dorasi hasn't come to work for nearly two months since he tore down the poster covering the door that day.

Compared with the other people in the studio, Dorasi's thoughts are more difficult to guess. Fortunately, she has been living in Sister Zou's house for the past two months, which means that although she has not come to the company, she is probably just angry and does not really want to break up with the people in Waikiki and draw a clear line.

Zhao Jinghuan had urged Lu Kai to ask Dorasi to return, and to apologize if necessary. However, Lu Kai had clearly not yet gotten over Wanfeng's death. His gloomy mood made it difficult for him to adopt a conciliatory attitude. He simply shook his head and said, "I don't know how to apologize. I don't think I did anything wrong."

Lu Kai continued to make the same claim the night before the collaboration event. Zhao Jinghuan, helpless, went to see Dorasi herself, but was again turned away. She could only ask Sister Zou to speak to Dorasi, but it wasn't clear if this was to be expected; Dorasi didn't show up for the collaboration event the next day.

Although Dorasi's absence did not cause any devastating blow to the collaboration event, it did make the day's event seem a little strange.

Fortunately, the parent-child activities on the first floor were very successful. At least for the children and their parents who participated in the activities, the mascots in doll costumes were obviously more interesting to them than the designers.

The college students from the club who came to help were smart and enthusiastic. At first, Zhao Jinghuan and Fanqie walked around the various activity areas to see if there was anything that needed their help or guidance, but they soon found that there was nothing worth their concern.

Tomato proudly asked her, "How is it? Are the people I found super reliable?"

Zhao Jinghuan smiled and gave him a thumbs up.

With their help, the people in Waikiki were almost completely freed from the on-site activities. Zhao Jinghuan left Tomato in the middle, and then pulled Lu Kai, who was still a little depressed, to find a place and began to prepare for the on-site interview in the afternoon.

The two men, carrying their stools, walked behind the billboard. A few steps further, they saw Hu Mingyuan suddenly appear not far away, walking directly towards them. Zhao Jinghuan frowned slightly. Although her hunch was that he (yes, he was right) suddenly appeared, it was a bit strange that he wasn't here to cause trouble. However, this was a shopping mall open to the public, and Zhao Jinghuan had no reason to say that he shouldn't be here.

She hesitated for a moment, and in order not to anger Hu Mingyuan, she did not deliberately ignore him, but nodded at him as a greeting.

However, Hu Mingyuan "repaid kindness with enmity" and stood in front of the two men, blocking their way.

Zhao Jinghuan frowned and asked him, "What are you doing?"

Hu Mingyuan said he just came to say hello. Zhao Jinghuan maintained basic politeness: "Okay, we still have work to do, so I won't chat with you any more. See you later."

Hu Mingyuan reached out to stop her: "Long time no see, don't you want to chat for a while? I was your boss before."

Lu Kai took half a step forward, blocking Zhao Jinghuan and forcing Hu Mingyuan to take half a step back.

Hu Mingyuan spread his hands and said to Lu Kai, "Don't be so hostile. I saw that your event was well organized, so I came here to congratulate you."

He said sourly, "Looking at the scene, it might be even more lively than Mr. Hu Zi's original collaboration."

Zhao Jinghuan didn't want to cause any more trouble. She reached out and pulled Lu Kai, saying to Hu Mingyuan, "No, our scale is much smaller."

Hu Mingyuan glanced down at Zhao Jinghuan holding Lu Kai's hand and said sarcastically, "You don't have to be so modest. They're both new independent IPs, but Little Freckles has come from behind and is several notches more popular than Mr. Hu Zi. Almost all the bloggers say so. I'm not as lucky as you guys, I know that. Our senior Lu Kai is a natural marketing genius. He first broke out with his backflips, and now..."

Hu Mingyuan looked at Lu Kai, his tone full of provocation: "Now you have lost your designer, your luck is really good."

Zhao Jinghuan felt Lu Kai's muscles tense up, and she quickly grabbed him tightly. Customers were coming and going all around them, and Zhao Jinghuan was afraid that Lu Kai would cause trouble in his moment of impulse, so she said, "Hu Mingyuan, try to do some good deeds for yourself." Then she pulled Lu Kai up and was about to leave, but Lu Kai didn't move. Lu Kai gritted his teeth and warned him, "Hu Mingyuan, I advise you not to use my friend as an excuse." Hu Mingyuan looked indifferent, "What's there to be angry about? Isn't what I said the truth?" Zhao Jinghuan was a little annoyed, but still worried about Lu Kai's reaction. She glanced at Lu Kai, then said to Hu Mingyuan, "Hu Mingyuan, stop saying sour words here. We won't use our friend's death for marketing." Hu Mingyuan nodded, "I know you won't." Zhao Jinghuan didn't expect him to give in, and was a little surprised for a moment. She nodded and said, "It's good that you know," and then she was about to pull Lu Kai away again. Hu Mingyuan smiled and said, "Don't you ask how I know?"

Zhao Jinghuan turned to look at him, and Hu Mingyuan said with a smile: "Or, you can ask me, who saw the evening breeze from Boss Chen... No, saw Zhou Lecheng's mediocre design, and who contacted Zhou Lecheng's mother and said that I should make this blind box for you. Who personally went to see Lecheng's mother several times and finally signed the contract yesterday." Hu Mingyuan pointed at himself and smiled wickedly: "Ask me quickly, who is it, who is it?" Hu Mingyuan said with a smile: "I lost our bet and let you go, but the success or failure of a person's life cannot be judged by a moment. I always felt that I would find an opportunity soon and beat you once. You see, I was right, the opportunity is here. I know that Zhou Lecheng's death was a big blow to you, and you don't want to use his death for marketing..."

The smile on Hu Mingyuan's face gradually turned cold: "But I am willing. I will do it for you..."

In the end, it was Zhao Jinghuan who couldn't hold back. Gritting her teeth, she rushed forward and slapped Hu Mingyuan. Almost instinctively, Hu Mingyuan pushed Zhao Jinghuan with both hands, sending her flying backwards. The frail Zhao Jinghuan flew over a meter backward, landing on the ground with a thud. The pain in her buttocks radiated all the way to her waist, nearly bringing tears to her eyes.

At this moment, she saw Lu Kai rushing forward and punching Hu Mingyuan in the face.

…………

In any case, during the collaboration with Freckles, in public, in front of so many customers, Lu Kai should not have made such an impulsive move.

However, Hu Mingyuan attacked Zhao Jinghuan.

Besides, Lu Kai also desperately needed to vent. All the pain he and the people around him had endured in the past few months stemmed from Wan Feng's sudden death, but Lu Kai didn't know who to blame or who to hold responsible.

The pent-up frustration that had nowhere to vent converged with Lu Kai's punch, and with Hu Mingyuan's punch, it was somewhat released. To a certain extent, Hu Mingyuan did bear some of the extra anger, bearing Lu Kai's dissatisfaction and indignation towards the world, or even fate. But then again...

Hu Mingyuan deserves it.