Chapter 13 Cooperation
It took Cen Wan a while to come back to her senses. Hadn't the stone been thrown down the cliff by Shen Yixiao?
She took out the emerald copper ore and identified it carefully. It was the one in the collection!
At this moment, Cen Wan couldn't explain what she felt. She had clearly seen Shen Yixiao throw it away with his own hands.
She moved her fingertips slightly and quickly flipped through the box to find the shipping address.
It’s Xingchen Media.
It’s Shen Yixiao.
Cen Wan unconsciously gripped the stone tightly. The uneven edges left deep red marks on her palms and also slowly calmed her violently beating heart.
What is she thinking?
Whatever his motivation was, she finally got it.
She no longer had to go into the mountains to look for it.
Cen Wan put her suitcase aside and immediately returned to her workbench. She casually pulled her hair up, took out various tools and began to make paint.
Wash, crush, grind, sieve again and again...
The production process of chalcedony pigment is not complicated, but it requires repeated selection and repetition of steps. The process is extremely difficult and requires great patience.
She rushed in. When Xiaolin came to greet her and talk to her, she didn't even look at her. She just responded and continued with what she was doing.
Xiao Lin knew Cen Wan's personality. She was serious and focused at work, so it was difficult to distract her. So he just went about his own business.
Cen Wan stayed in the studio until the others came back and heard familiar conversations in the yard. Only then did Cen Wan raise her head from the pile of mortars and tweezers.
Through the window, she saw an old man with a kind face walking in front of her, smiling and talking to two men beside him.
Cen Wan stopped what she was doing, wiped her hands, and stood up to greet him.
"Teacher, you are back."
He then greeted the other two people: "Brother Fei, Ziyao."
The old man called "Teacher" was wearing a gray Tang suit, with gray hair, medium height, a thin face but energetic, and nodded with a smile.
"Ah Wan, come quickly, I have something to discuss with you."
Cen Wan was a little confused and followed.
Xiao Lin came close to Cen Wan and whispered, "It must be a good thing."
Cen Wan raised her eyes and looked at her: "How do you know?"
Xiao Lin glanced at the three people walking ahead and whispered, "Mr. Mei deliberately wore his embroidered Tang suit today. He only wears it during Chinese New Year and when meeting important guests. And Fei Ge and Zi Yao are both wearing white shirts. It's so formal, and they're all so cheerful. It must be a good thing."
Cen Wan smiled helplessly: "You are just a cunning person."
Xiao Lin was a little embarrassed: "Hehe..."
In the hall, Mr. Mei sat in the main seat in the middle, picked up the teapot beside him and poured himself a glass of water.
Before Xiaolin could say anything to stop him, he had already picked up the bottle and took a sip, frowning instantly.
"Xiao Lin, what kind of mess did you put in the pot again?"
Xiao Lin chuckled and said, "Nothing much, just Houttuynia cordata and lemon."
Ziyao said in disbelief, "What? Last time it was worm shit tea, the time before that it was bitter melon pulp, and this time it's Houttuynia cordata and lemon. Where did you get these weird recipes? Are you trying to poison us?"
Xiao Lin stiffened his neck and confronted him: "I didn't ask you to drink it, I just wanted to try it!"
Elder Mei looked at the two children who were about to quarrel and silently put down his cup: "Next time, before you poison us, you should give us a heads up."
Xiao Lin lowered his head and smiled sheepishly: "Next time, I will."
"Okay, let's get down to business, Ah Fei, you go ahead."
Brother Fei is a tall and strong man. Like Cen Wan, he is a disciple of Master Mei. However, Brother Fei is several years older than Cen Wan and entered the industry much earlier.
He has a rugged appearance and a deep voice, but a gentle disposition. He speaks slowly and slowly. "Well, a big company approached us and said they wanted to work with us. They want to promote a painter who paints traditional Chinese paintings, so they hope we can provide them with pigments."
"We can also take this opportunity to promote our studio and let more people know and understand mineral pigments."
Cen Wan curled her lips and said, "That's good news. Has it been settled?"
Brother Fei nodded, his face full of joy. "Well, the other party is very generous. They value the quality of our paint and don't care about the cost. As long as our quality is up to standard, there will be no problem."
Cen Wan nodded. Chemical pigments are generally used on the market now. Mineral pigments, while of high quality, are expensive and therefore limited in their purchase. Studios like theirs only custom-make pigments for specific organizations and groups.
Elder Mei looked at Cen Wan and said gently, "This cooperation requires someone to have long-term contact with the other company. I mean, I want you to go and bring Xiaolin with you. What do you think?"
Cen Wan was stunned: "I'm going?"
Mei Lao nodded: "Yes."
Mei, whose real name was Mei Yanzhang, was a patron saint of traditional Chinese painting pigment production, an intangible cultural heritage. He dedicated his life to the study of mineral pigments, never married, had no children, and only took in two apprentices: Fei Ge and Cen Wan.
Today, the studio has only five people. Ziyao is young, cheerful, and restless. Initially, we wanted him to learn the craft, but he lacked the patience and perseverance. Later, we put him in charge of the studio's product promotion and communication with clients.
Xiaolin was still learning, and couldn't independently complete the delicate and demanding pigment production. Therefore, the only ones left in the studio were Fei Ge and Cen Wan.
Cen Wan pursed her lips and said, "Why not let Brother Fei go?"
It’s not that she refused to go, but she felt that Fei Ge could handle such a good opportunity.
Fei Ge scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed.
Ziyao, who was standing by, blurted out, "Because they want a good image!"
Cen Wan was stunned.
Ziyao was more excited. "After we agreed on the collaboration, they politely asked if we had any other colorists. They said they might also be involved in promotional efforts later on. They hoped the image would be a little more classical and elegant, in line with their artist and in line with the artistic conception of traditional Chinese painting."
As he spoke, he began to imitate with his hands and feet, and looked Fei Ge up and down with an expression that was hard to describe.
"If it were a female painter, I think it would be more convenient."
Xiaolin couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Cen Wan: "..."
"I never thought that one day I would be able to defeat Fei Ge just because of my image."
Brother Fei didn't seem to care, but his wheat-colored skin flushed a little. "Ah Wan's looks are one of the best in all of South City. How can a rough guy like me compare to her?"
Cen Wan curled her lips: "But in my heart, Brother Fei, you are the most handsome."
When talking about his wife, Fei Ge actually showed a shy look on his face!
Ziyao shook his head, goose bumps covering his body. "Sister Wan, please stop mentioning your sister-in-law, or else Brother Fei will become a little bird, and I won't be able to keep my eyes."
“Hahahahahaha…”
Xiaolin couldn't bear it anymore and laughed out loud.
Mei Lao watched them playfully and smiled: "Ziyao, boy, stop teasing Ah Fei all the time."
"Then it's settled. Wan will be responsible for cooperating with the company, and Fei will be responsible for the studio's daily orders."
No one had any objection.
At the end, Cen Wan asked, "What company is the other party? Did they say when it will start?"
Ziyao excitedly took out his phone and handed it to Cen Wan: "Sister Wan, do you know? It's Xingchen Media, Xingchen Media!"
"That's the largest media company in South City. They actually know about our small... no, our low-key studio. I have a feeling we're going to be famous..."
Zi Yao was still chattering in her ear, but Cen Wan's head suddenly buzzed and a string was tightened.
Xingchen Media’s project?
Does Shen Yixiao know?
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