Chapter 42
On Labor Day, Liang Shi arrived at the company early. The sales department reported the data to her every two hours. At ten o'clock in the morning, just after Liang Shi finished listening to the report, her secretary Lily knocked on the door and handed her a tablet.
Liang Shi frowned as he stared at the homepage of June perfume flagship store under Fanning on Taobao and Tmall.
"Mr. Liang, this is an event organized by a mainland e-commerce platform. It was a surprise event that started at 9:50. It's probably because the event is so amazing that it wasn't publicized beforehand. However, in just ten minutes, it's already trending on Weibo..."
Liang Shi took out his phone, opened Weibo's trending topics, and sure enough, Fan Ning's event was all over the news.
She had discussed this with Li Junqian before, so Liang Shi initially thought that their event would be carried out in the form of blind boxes, using best-selling products to drive sales of slow-moving products. However, in reality, this blind box was only for June, a perfume brand under Fanning.
It's important to know that the perfume market isn't Fanning's main focus. Sales of June perfume only increase during special holidays. This Labor Day isn't a major promotional holiday for the perfume market, and sales are usually quite mediocre. Considering the conditions of this blind box event, Liang Shi thinks Li Junqian has gone mad.
Surprisingly, there's a prerequisite: customers must have purchased Plaquemine perfume from the flagship store. Only those who have purchased this perfume can place an order for the exclusive blind box link between 12:00 PM and 12:00 AM on Labor Day. The first 200 customers who pay will receive a limited-edition full-size bottle of the new perfume as a gift after receiving the goods (exchanges are supported, but returns and refunds are not).
Liang Shi looked through the pictures in the flagship store. The design of the new perfume was not shown, only a blacked-out shape. However, there was an attractive feature: each perfume bottle was unique, with different colors, different numbers, and it was a collaboration with the inheritors of Jingdezhen ceramic intangible cultural heritage.
Such a provocative event unsurprisingly attracted a large number of online trolls criticizing it under the trending topics on Weibo. After all, the fact that this benefit is only available to users who have purchased Plaquemine perfume, and specifically those who placed their orders on the Tmall flagship store, is enough to draw criticism.
I don't know what Li Junqian was thinking, and I don't know why Gu Feng agreed to him doing this.
Even with complaints, it can't stop people's curiosity and desire to get their hands on limited editions. Since it's not about spending limits, but purely about speed, it's fair for everyone. However, there's still one flaw…
Liang Shi handed the tablet back to Lily: "What do you think of online activities in mainland China?"
Lily laughed and said, "I just think this will lead to a lot of returns. People want to try and see if they are one of the lucky 200. If not, they'll just return it. This is a lot of pressure for the product and the brand."
Liang Shi looked up at Lily, surprised that she had also noticed this. She was puzzled; Li Junqian was so smart, or rather, the sales department in mainland China couldn't possibly be unaware of this kind of situation.
So, they still had a backup plan?
Half an hour later, another trending topic appeared on Weibo, which was also a link that Zhou Meng had sent her.
Li Junqian actually posted a ten-minute video on his personal Weibo account, and within just five minutes, it garnered over ten thousand likes...
When Liang Shi clicked on the screen, Li Junqian was wearing an elegant collarless long-sleeved shirt and sitting on a high stool. There was nothing else around him except a white background behind him.
The camera focused on his upper body, and he spoke slowly and deliberately: "I am Li Junqian from Fanning. The focus of this video is the perfume bottle in my hand."
Liang Shigang was completely focused on the man's face and didn't notice that he was holding a bottle of perfume!
When he showed the perfume bottle to the camera, Liang Shi's heart suddenly raced. The bottle was actually the one Liang Shi had casually drawn and sent to Xiao Tao! She had incorporated the vibrant colors of the Colmar town in her dreams into it, and she never expected that Li Junqian would choose her idea!
"Because each perfume bottle is handmade, the color of each bottle will be slightly different, and these differences make it special. I think many customers will ask why this is only for customers who have bought Plaquemine. It's because Plaquemine is the first perfume that I truly developed, and I am very grateful to all of you who have supported me. The one I have here is the second perfume that I personally developed."
"Of course, I also want to express my gratitude to our customers who support June. So, during the May Day holiday, as long as you place an order for the entire June fragrance line, you will receive an extra 5ml sample of the new fragrance."
Hearing this, Liang Shi pursed his lips. This man really did have a backup plan. He slapped someone and then gave them a sweet treat. He really understood how to play the game of capital.
In the video, Li Junqian sprays perfume twice on his wrist: "You're probably already wondering about the name of this perfume..."
As he spoke, Liang Shi saw an English word reflected on the white cloth behind him. It wasn't "Memories" as he had mentioned before, but "Timing".
"The Chinese name of this perfume is 'Remembrance,' which comes from a close friend of mine. As the name suggests, this perfume is about memories, but memories are all in the past, some good, some bad, perhaps blurry or perhaps deeply etched in memory..."
"Remembrance" was the name she suggested. And he actually adopted it!
"If you were to describe your memories with a scent, what would it smell like? It would probably be an indescribable scent, something you can't put into words, but your cerebral cortex would be alerted when you smell that scent, reminding you of the past."
"For me, what has already happened is beyond our control, we can only remember it. But we can face the present and plan for the future. Time will not stop, it will push us forward..."
Liang Shi was once again captivated by this man. Some people are destined for success, just like Li Junqian.
A new line of text appeared on the white background.
"Fragrance moves with the times, and its scent evokes memories."
"For me, perfume is not just about various scents; it carries memories and gives time dimension. I hope this perfume can help you rediscover past memories, or perhaps it can also embark on a wonderful olfactory journey."
Turning off the video, Liang Shi leaned back on the sofa. She had a feeling that June's sales might see a surge in customers this time.
She knew that he never fought a battle unprepared.
"Timing," Liang Shi muttered the English word. Lily knocked on her door and said she had a package for her.
Liang Shi doesn't remember buying anything; she never sets her delivery address to her company's address.
Are you sure it's mine?
Lily confirmed, "Your name and contact number are on it. It's an international courier service, I think it came from Singapore. Do you need me to open it for you?"
Singapore? Li Junqian?
"No need, I can take it apart myself."
As soon as Lily left, Liang Shi couldn't wait to know what was in that small package. He didn't want to waste time looking for an envelope cutter, so he grabbed the pen next to him and used the tip to cut open the tape...
Finally seeing the contents of the package after clearing away the fog, Liang Shi pursed her lips. The string of numbers on the bottom of the bottle surprised her. She took out the colorful perfume bottle, and underneath it lay a card of moderate size.
It says three English words: To my girl.
The English letters are written in a flowing style, but not at all sloppy.
Liang Shi put the perfume and the card into her bag, and then without hesitation called the person who gave her the perfume. There was no time difference between the two places, and she was also busy with work recently, so she thought he would definitely not have time to answer her call.
Just as she was about to hang up, the call connected. The man on the other end of the line spoke in a much lower voice than usual, probably because the surroundings weren't suitable for making a phone call.
"Are you busy? Then I won't bother you."
Li Junqian was holding a meeting with them when his phone, which was face down on the table, vibrated. He glanced at the caller ID, then signaled for the meeting to pause, allowing them to discuss freely while he went outside to take a call.
"Did you receive the items?"
As clever as he was, he guessed exactly why she had called him.
"Didn't you say you were only giving away 200 bottles? Why did you give me number 001? Aren't you letting down June's fans and customers?"
"Little Shi, look closely, your bottle has your initials on it."
Liang Shi resisted the urge to take the perfume bottle out of her bag. This man wouldn't lie to her, so her feelings were complicated at the moment, but she knew that the majority of her emotions were gratitude.
"Li Junqian, are you using work as a pretext for sentimental talk?"
Li Junqian looked out the window, amused by her teasing words: "You should know that I've always been like this. I heard that back in Paris, you collected all the perfumes in the June series, even the limited editions from different countries."
Liang Shixin was startled. Only Emily knew about this. Sure enough, this guy's mouth was like a frying pan, without a lid!
Just like he said in that video, fragrance can carry a memory. At that time, Liang Shi used fragrance to miss the person she liked but could not get close to day and night.
She smelled all the perfumes in the mall and finally caught a familiar scent at the Fanning counter. She didn't know why Li Junqian was so enthusiastic about the June series of perfumes, but when you like someone, you tend to like everything about them.
In the years that followed, her biggest obsession was collecting June perfumes from all over the world, whether they were limited editions or rare, as long as she could buy them with money, she would do everything she could to get them.
However, she couldn't bring back that many perfumes when she returned to China, and she didn't expect to see Li Junqian again or even develop anything with him, so she gave all the perfumes to Emily.
She stammered guiltily, "You...who told you that nonsense! I didn't!"
"Timing" actually has another meaning.
Liang Shi was taken aback by his change of topic: "What?"
The man on the other end of the phone chuckled: "You'll understand what it means literally."
Liang Shi's mind raced as he heard him say, "Headquarters is very concerned about Hong Kong's KPIs for this May Day holiday. I will officially step down as Vice President of Greater China next month. As far as I know, headquarters has already selected someone to replace you in Hong Kong. You don't have much time left. I hope you can return to Shanghai and see a different view."
It's true that having connections makes things easier, but being constantly reminded of everything leaves a vague and unsettling feeling. She enjoys striving and working hard, but doesn't want to be treated like a predetermined program.
“Li Junqian, I received your blessings. However, I still want to rely on my own abilities, and you don’t need to intervene on my behalf. You know, women in the workplace naturally have a layer of prejudice against you men, and I don’t want to be criticized. Only when I have the initiative in my own hands can I confidently respond to those criticisms. I think headquarters also doesn’t want to hand over this important company to someone they don’t trust.”
Li Junqian knew her principles of conduct and was even somewhat gratified: "Xiaoshi, I knew you could do it."
After saying so much, Liang Shi was a little emotional and wanted to end the call as soon as possible.
"If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now. I have work to do."
"etc."
"Um?"
"I've been very busy lately. I originally wanted to deliver the perfume to you in person."
Liang Shi couldn't resist the man whispering words that moved her. After all, in this lonely and desolate Hong Kong, many emotions are amplified. Even if she was strong, she would naturally be touched by such a big surprise.
"International express delivery is truly a great invention, Mr. Li. Let's all get back to work! Goodbye!"
Liang Shi hung up the phone and breathed a sigh of relief. She quickly took the perfume bottle out of her bag. She had only looked at one side of the perfume bottle, but when she turned it over, she saw her initials on the other side!
Actually, for a fleeting moment, she had the idea of going to Singapore to find him, but of course, this idea only lasted for a second.
After listening to the sales data report, Liang Shi was satisfied and left work. It was already past eleven o'clock when he got back to the hotel. He leaned against the elevator wall, exhausted, and for some reason, that English word popped into his head again.
She muttered to herself, "Timing..."
Timing, opportunity...
A sudden thought struck me: Could it be referring to Liang Shishi?
This man is killing me!
Afterwards, Liang Shi returned to his room, settled down on the sofa, and opened the app for buying plane tickets.
Just as she was about to pay, Liang Shi came to her senses. She must have been bewitched tonight; she almost actually bought a plane ticket to Singapore!
I'm so overworked I'm going crazy!
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