Chapter 311 Career
Six months later, Zhou Xiao stepped back into XS and could clearly sense a change in attitude. The comfortable XS headquarters remained the same, but the employees who had previously joked with him during their meetings for staff photo shoots were now a bit more cautious as they led Zhou Xiao into the office.
Zhou Xiao was a little puzzled at first, but after being assigned to the office of XS founder Ding Yue instead of Qin Shi, she finally realized that she had underestimated the value of the recognition from the XZC headquarters.
Ding Yue, the head of XS, differs from her typically crisp, executive-style office. Her office resembles a botanist's studio more than a workspace. The immersive, natural, forest-like atmosphere, with its expansive greenery and expansive spaces, creates a tranquil and soothing space.
The spacious office connected to a large balcony. Unlike the flooring in the room, the balcony had a wooden floor. A number of sycamore branches extended from one corner of the railing, their bare branches still adorned with small fruits, creating a rather poetic atmosphere.
Zhou Xiao glanced around, his eyes landing on a fragrant pine tree beside the sofa. With Christmas approaching, this fragrant pine tree had also been plundered by its owner. Though just a lush, green plant, it now sported a small, knitted Santa Claus hat.
Every breath of air is filled with the subtle yet inexplicably soothing aroma of lemon and tangerine. As befits the office of the founder of XS, every space fully utilizes the natural fragrance of plants.
"Smells good, doesn't it?" A female voice suddenly sounded from behind Zhou Xiao, her voice full of laughter and pride. "This isn't easy to raise~"
Oh, judging by the tone, just as Zhou Xiao expected, all the flowers and plants in this house were probably taken care of by this person.
"It smells good!" Zhou Xiao stood up and shook hands with Ding Yue, then returned to the soft leather sofa at the other's signal.
"I'll make it short so as not to waste Teacher Zhou's time." Ding Yue looked at Zhou Xiao with eyes full of satisfaction and fondness. Zhou Xiao could be said to be the one with the best qualifications and the fastest success among the people she paid attention to.
"Qin Shi should have told you about adjusting the price for commercial shoots, right?" Ding Yue said with a smile. "On behalf of XS, I'm very happy to continue working with you. I also congratulate you on the recognition of your work. Keep up the hard work!"
Zhou Xiao and XS's photography prices have always risen according to market trends. Ding Yue's reasoning this time stems from the fact that the commercial price quoted to her was already comparable to, or even close to, the price of a top-tier domestic photographer.
That's why she was the one who contacted Zhou Xiao this time instead of Qin Shi. For a photographer of this caliber, the boss always needed to meet him in person to show his appreciation.
"Thank you, Mr. Ding," Zhou Xiao accepted the other party's congratulations calmly and expressed her gratitude to him sincerely. Because of Ding Yue's recognition and help, she also got more opportunities.
During his conversation with Ding Yue, Zhou Xiao felt her ambition and drive for her career. But beyond that, he also discovered Ding Yue's love for gardening, a passion unknown to many.
As the two were chatting, they heard a knock on the open door. Ding Yue looked up and squinted to check the time, then smiled and waved her hand, "I see it's the little girl outside calling you to go to the photo shoot, go quickly."
Seeing Zhou Xiao stand up and prepare to leave, Ding Yue also timely added a topic that they had just left unfinished, "Xiao Zhou, next time I have time, I will show you how to grow gardenias!"
Zhou Xiao suppressed his smile, nodded seriously, and then followed the assistant who knocked on the door out of the office.
Outside, Zhou Xiao paused as she headed towards the studio, glancing sideways at her assistant, who had been peeking at her since she'd left the room.
"Teacher Zhou...haha." Hu Wenyin scratched her head sheepishly. She was curious how Zhou Xiao, so young, had managed to coexist so harmoniously with her boss for so long. She knew that every time she spoke to Mr. Ding, she would get stuck. It was rare for Zhou Xiao to last this long.
"What's wrong?" Zhou Xiao chose to ask the person involved directly when he had any questions.
Hu Wenyin coughed dryly twice, and after making sure there were no cameras overhead, she whispered, "It's okay, Mr. Zhou. I just didn't expect you and our big boss to get along so well, haha."
In Hu Wenyin's opinion, Zhou Xiao was the first young person to have such a pleasant conversation with a big boss about flowers and plants. Although people had become more cautious about Zhou Xiao recently due to the cover incident, her previous visits left a deep impression on everyone, and their reservations were less strict.
Zhou Xiao shook her head. She and Mr. Ding were talking about flowers and plants because they'd been chatting about their future plans. One of the things she mentioned was that a site she'd rented (so to speak publicly) was currently under construction, but she'd arranged with a landscaping company in advance.
She had learned some relevant precautions from Mr. Ding. Although this would be contracted out to the company, it would be better for her to understand some things herself.
As they were about to reach the studio, Zhou Xiao changed the subject and said, "Come to think of it, our new perfume is very Christmas-themed!"
XS's bottle design has departed from its previous minimalist aesthetic, with the new designs being incredibly timely. The boldest of these is the double-glazed gingerbread man design. The rich coffee-colored, three-dimensional gingerbread man and the milky ginger candy aroma create a fragrance that perfectly embodies the Christmas theme, from the bottle to the scent.
Speaking of the new fragrance, Hu Wenyin could only smell that amazing aroma again. This perfume had received extremely high reviews from internal reviewers, and she was also the target audience for this fragrance.
"It's really a super super Christmas!" Hu Wenyin pushed open the door of the studio and as she spoke, a warm milky aroma mixed with the sweet aroma of ginger candy came over, followed by the aroma of Zhenzi nuts, which brought a lasting warmth in the winter.
Zhou Xiao looked up and saw that the studio had been decorated in a rich Christmas atmosphere. However, unlike other Santa Claus and snowman-themed settings, the main character here was the gingerbread man, who had a strong presence.
The model, already in position, curiously surveyed the gingerbread cottage set up in the studio. Her Maillard-inspired outfit perfectly matched the theme. The mere sight of her was like encountering warm, crispy gingerbread, fresh from the oven. The warmth of the baked goods, combined with the caramel aroma of buttery nuts, lingered in the air until it gradually dissipated.
Almost subconsciously, Zhou Xiao raised his camera to capture the scene before him. In the dim space, the model's curious and naive expression imbued the gingerbread cottage with a fairytale-like spirit.
Hu Wenyin wanted to remind Zhou Xiao to start filming, but when she turned around and saw that he had already raised his camera, she quickly shut up. It wasn't until Zhou Xiao put the camera down that she leaned over and whispered, "Teacher Zhou, are we going to start filming?"
Zhou Xiao shook her head. There was no rush. She walked over and checked the lighting and props again before signaling the start of the shoot.
Being XS's official model was a testament to her expressiveness when showcasing products. However, after filming for a while, Zhou Xiao realized she might not have much talent for acting. Of course, this was also likely due to the constant emphasis placed on showcasing the product in previous shoots.
Fortunately, the filming process of the commercial required few expressions, and the focus was on presenting the characteristics of the perfume. Although it didn't feel as emotional as Zhou Xiao's previous filming, it was sufficient with some minor cuts.
Of course, the food-inspired perfume has to match the model carefully prepared by the props team. However, with the embellishment of the perfume, the gingerbread model that originally looked like a real thing seems to have really come true.
Qin Shi, who had arrived at the monitor at some point, actually thought the effect was quite good. Zhou Xiao was trying to show the harmony between the props and the people, but for the brand, it was enough for the props displayed by the model to stand out.
Zhou Xiao, who was inside the venue, finished filming after securing a few shots. As he walked towards the monitor, he noticed that poet Qin had arrived.
"How is it?" Zhou Xiao asked casually while fiddling with the camera.
Qin Shi didn't say anything at the seat. He raised his hand and made an OK gesture, then moved to the side and motioned Zhou Xiaolai to sit down.
Although they hadn't seen each other for more than half a year, the two of them didn't feel unfamiliar at all, after all, they were people who chatted frequently. Qin Shi was thinking about what to say when she saw Zhou Xiao handing the camera to her.
This is a photo with a different style from the previous ones. The lighting is not bright enough, and the model has no props in her hands. However, the cleverness of the lens lies in the bottle of perfume exposed on the corner of the table in front. Without realizing the existence of the lens, the model's profile is full of curiosity and yearning for the gingerbread house.
The three-dimensional gingerbread man on the perfume bottle echoes the large gingerbread man model in the venue, as if the illusory avatar is inviting the model to enjoy a magical journey in the sweet cottage.
"!*" Qin Shi looked up at Zhou Xiao in surprise, as if asking her when the photo was taken. The image also included the backs of staff members bending over to fiddle with props, though no one was looking in her direction. But precisely because of this, the fantasy theme was even more emphasized.
"After some simple repairs later, I think it can be used. What do you think?" Zhou Xiao looked at Qin Shi and said.
"Just as you say." Qin Shi's eyes were focused on the photo, and her mind was filled with countless creative ideas for this photo. Suddenly, an idea flashed in her mind and she looked at Zhou Xiao.
They both recalled the activities XS had done using the flower wall. The gingerbread cottage and the plus version of the gingerbread man in the studio, coupled with this photo, were exaggerated and dreamy, which was exactly suitable for offline brand promotion during Christmas! Qin Shi felt that as soon as this photo was released, it would definitely attract many members to check in and take pictures.
"Xiaoxiao, I have to go and file a report to apply for funding first." Qin Shi put her hand on Zhou Xiao's shoulder and reminded him before leaving, "If there is anything, please be sure to contact me in time."
Zhou Xiao nodded and watched the other person leave. Then he turned to look at the model for today's photoshoot and said with a smile, "I don't eat people, what's the matter?"
Being watched by Zhou Xiao, Lu Ran suppressed his nervousness and moved his head and hands quickly. When he saw Zhou Xiao waving at him, he trotted towards him excitedly.
It was only after the shoot that Lu Ran learned from an XS employee that the photographer was Zhou Xiao. This stunned her, and she stared at Zhou Xiao intently.
I don't know when it started, but the myth that Zhou Xiao's photos are always going viral has spread throughout the industry. All the models who have worked with XS have wanted to work with Zhou Xiao once, but they are models signed to XS, and Zhou Xiao is not.
Especially after the cover shot by Zhou Xiao went viral a while ago, everyone had basically given up on it. But unexpectedly, this opportunity actually came to her!
As Lu Ran reviewed the photos, she felt more and more that today's shoot went so smoothly. It turned out that it was not only because she was in good shape, but also because the photographer who took the photos was Zhou Xiao!
"Teacher Zhou Xiao, can I take a look at the photos first?" As if worried that Zhou Xiao might be unhappy, she quickly added, "Just one will do! I won't delay the rest of the shoot!"
Zhou Xiao was a little puzzled. What kind of request was this? Then he waved the girl over, shifted his body to make room for her, and said, "It's nothing. The prop team will need some time to set up the props. Come and see if you want."
As she finished speaking, curious people gathered around. In the studio at the brand's headquarters, these people were all employees involved in organizing the photo shoot. Zhou Xiao didn't stop them, but instead stood up to make room for them.
Gingerbread is one of the products in the XS Christmas series. The next one to be photographed is the blend of sweet and cold cedar wood fragrance and elegant rum aroma.
Looking at the props that still needed to be set up, Zhou Xiao checked her mailbox and said, "Well, I have checked the email." The screen showed a read email. This was the Christmas film she sent to WP before coming here this morning.
Zhou Xiao walked to the window, stretched his muscles a little, and glanced at the crowd of heads gathered in front of the monitor. He couldn't help but hold his forehead. Speaking of which, isn't this a bit too exaggerated?
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