50. Search
As soon as he arrived at the company the next day, Jiang Nan continued to study Fu Yifang's matter.
There was no news from Han Yan yet, but she couldn't just sit there and wait.
So in the morning, she tried a few more lines, but all of them were rejected. Jiang Nan couldn't help but complain that Fu Yifang's circle was like an iron wall, and not even a little wind could get through.
During lunch break, she had no appetite. She ate a quick sandwich and sat at her workstation, staring blankly at her computer screen. But a moment later, Jiang Nan, for some reason, clicked on Han Yan's WeChat Moments again—and it was still just the same industry article she'd forwarded over a month ago.
Jiang Nan exited the interface and after a minute or two of silence, he entered Song Wei's name in the search box.
Most of the content that popped up was financial news and event press releases, suggesting that Song Wei, as the representative of the Song family, was active in the business world. Jiang Nan flipped through the pages, but the content was mostly formulaic photos and text, and many of the content simply happened to share the same name as Song Wei.
She didn't stop flipping through the pages until she came across an old news item from several years ago.
This is a report about a charity art exhibition.
In the accompanying photo, Song Wei, dressed in a smart suit, smiled and chatted with someone. The person, facing the camera sideways, had neatly cropped hair and a touch of heroism in his features. Jiang Nan enlarged the photo, and the more he looked at it, the more he thought the person looked like Han Yan.
In the photo, the two people are holding champagne, looking familiar and seeming to have a very good relationship.
Jiang Nan sat there in a daze, feeling as if it was just as he expected.
The relationship between Han Yan and Song Wei is definitely more than just acquaintances. They look like friends, perhaps even like-minded friends.
She couldn't help but think about what happened later, so that when Han Yan mentioned Song Wei, her tone became so subtle, even resistant.
Jiang Nan then tried searching Gao Wanqing and Han Yan's names on his computer, but there were few results. However, searching for Gao Wanqing and Song Huai's names brought up a few scraps of older social news, vaguely mentioning the unexpected death of Song Huai, the eldest son of the Song family, and his wife, Gao Wanqing, who came from a humble background. The comments section offered little useful information, only vague and curious speculation.
Jiang Nan closed the webpage, and the doubts in his heart became heavier.
Han Yan, Song Wei, Gao Wanqing and Song Huai.
There must be a past between these people that is not to be told to outsiders, and this past seems to make Han Yan feel resentful towards both Song Wei and Gao Wanqing.
She had a vague feeling that Song Wei's decision to appoint Fu Yifang might not only be motivated by business, but also by personal feelings. And her project might have become a pawn in some kind of situation.
I can’t be passive anymore, Jiang Nan thought.
After a brief moment of thought, she decided to take the initiative. She picked up her phone and pulled out another number in her address book that she had rarely contacted—it was Gao Wanqing's number.
This was saved when Han Yan asked them to form a temporary project group.
She wasn't even sure Gao Wanqing was still using this number.
But surprisingly, the call was connected after only one or two rings.
"Hello? Who is this?" Gao Wanqing's voice came, sounding much calmer and colder than in previous years.
"Sister Wanqing, I'm Jiang Nan from Youchuang Advertising. We've had contact before when we were working on the same project with Sister Han Yan." Jiang Nan tried her best to make her voice sound natural and enthusiastic.
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment before a response came: "Jiang Nan? Oh, I kind of remember him. What's up?"
"This is what happened. Our company recently took on a project, and the client is Ms. Song Wei from Summer Pulse. Ms. Song specifically asked artist Fu Yifang to collaborate with us, and we've contacted him several times but haven't made any progress. I heard that Sister Wanqing has a wide network of contacts now. I wonder if you have any way to help introduce him to someone? Or provide some advice." Jiang Nan directly threw out Song Wei's name, while carefully observing the other party's reaction.
After the words fell, there was a longer silence, so long that Jiang Nan thought the signal was cut off.
"Fu Yifang?" Gao Wanqing finally spoke. Her tone remained the same, but her speech slowed down a bit. "He's really hard to hire. I don't have much ties to his studio, so I'm afraid I can't help you."
Jiang Nan expected this rejection, but she keenly noticed that Gao Wanqing didn't show any obvious reaction to the name Song Wei, which was different from Han Yan.
"Oh, that's a shame," Jiang Nan feigned disappointment, paused, and then casually said, "Ah, I thought there might be some hope through Sister Han Yan or you. After all, you and Sister Han Yan are both at top platforms now, and your network of contacts must be much wider than ours."
She mentioned Han Yan again.
This time, Gao Wanqing's attitude changed.
There was an extremely light, almost mocking, short sound coming from the other end of the phone.
"Han Yan," Gao Wanqing said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice, "maybe she has her connections. But I suggest you don't get your hopes up too much. Some people stare at the moon in the sky, not even noticing when their path narrows. Their vision, hmm, is just so-so."
The hostility and contempt in these words were undisguised.
Although she was targeting Han Yan, Jiang Nan's heart sank.
Gao Wanqing had been personally promoted by Han Yan, and they could be considered to have a decent relationship as a senior and junior, but now it seemed as if they had become enemies, and there seemed to be a lot of resentment between them.
Jiang Nan didn't dare to ask any further questions. He thanked her politely and hung up the phone.
After putting her phone down, she leaned back in her chair and thought about what was happening.
At this point, the situation was more complicated than she'd imagined. Han Yan and Song Wei were suspected of having a feud, and Han Yan and Gao Wanqing were clearly at odds. And with the deceased Song Huai between them, the relationship between Song Wei and Gao Wanqing was likely even more delicate.
Jiang Nan rubbed his temples and felt a headache.
This project is simply dancing in a minefield.
However, now is not the time to back down.
She calmed herself down and decided to prepare the gift first. Regardless of whether Han Yan could bring a turnaround, a perfect gift would always be a good choice.
But when she got home from get off work and had dinner with Chen Yunsheng, Jiang Nan couldn't help but bring up the matter again.
"So I couldn't help myself and went to test Gao Wanqing," she said, poking at the rice in her bowl. "She and Sister Han Yan really had a falling out. The hostility was obvious in their words."
Chen Yunsheng listened quietly and used his serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of food for her: "The circle is so small, it's normal to have grudges."
"But this grudge seems a bit too deep," Jiang Nan frowned slightly, "and it involves Song Wei, and... the deceased young master of the Song family. I always feel that Song Wei specifically wanted to pay one party, it's not that simple."
"Business decisions are rarely pure," Chen Yunsheng said calmly, "but your job is to complete the project, not to settle their accounts. It will not benefit you if you get involved."
"I know," Jiang Nan sighed, "but I just feel a little uneasy, as if I'm being used as a tool."
"Then make yourself more valuable, instead of just being a pawn." Chen Yunsheng looked at her. "The gift is ready. At least it can show your sincerity and intentions."
Speaking of gifts, Jiang Nan remembered their weekend appointment: "By the way, are you really free to take me to that silversmith shop this weekend?"
"Well," he nodded, "let's do it tomorrow morning."
"Okay, thank you." Jiang Nan felt a little more at ease. She thought that having a clear goal was better than making random guesses.
——
On Saturday morning, Chen Yunsheng drove Jiang Nan to the south of the city. The silversmith shop was tucked away in a small alley. Its facade wasn't big, but it held a different world within. The old craftsman had a rather peculiar temper, arrogant and picky, but he was polite to Chen Yunsheng, suggesting he was a regular customer.
Jiang Nan did not join in their conversation. Instead, she recalled which silver jewelry in her home might have come from here, while looking at the various silver items displayed in the store.
From tea sets to stationery items, each piece of these silverware is polished to be soft and delicate, revealing a sense of time.
Jiang Nan took a fancy to a small silver water drop on a purple-leaf sandalwood base. It was shaped like a leaping fish, with smooth and agile lines, and looked lifelike. It was both elegant and fun, and it could also carry the auspicious meaning of a fish leaping over the dragon gate.
She turned around to look for Chen Yunsheng and called out, "Chen Yunsheng."
Chen Yunsheng heard her cry, said a few more words to the master, and walked over quickly. Then he followed her gaze and looked at the water droplet.
"Have you chosen this one?" Chen Yunsheng picked up the water drop and examined the handicraft carefully. "It has a good meaning. Fu Yifang was unsuccessful in his early years, but later became famous. He should like the meaning of "fish leaping over the dragon gate."
"Then let's order this one," Jiang Nan looked at the master chef, "Master, how much is this?"
The master quoted a price, slightly higher than Jiang Nan had expected, but still within her budget. Just as she was about to nod, Chen Yunsheng spoke up. "Master Li," he said, "can you add another paperweight from the same series?"
The old master's eyes lit up, and he immediately took out a carp-shaped silver paperweight, which was obviously from the same series as the water drop that Jiang Nan liked, and echoed each other.
At the same time, Chen Yunsheng turned to Jiang Nan and patiently explained, "It would be better to send them separately as a pair."
Although Jiang Nan agreed with Chen Yunsheng's statement, she was a little hesitant.
The price of the paperweight was about the same as the water drop, so it was already over budget. She quietly tugged at Chen Yunsheng's sleeve and whispered, "It's over budget."
"Consider it my investment," Chen Yunsheng said, tilting his head and lowering his voice. "Fu Yifang holds a high position in the industry. Perhaps I'll need your help in making connections in the future."
"That's it." Chen Yunsheng turned to the master and motioned him to wrap both pieces.
The master craftsman deftly packed the two silverware into delicate wooden boxes and handed them to Jiang Nan. Jiang Nan awkwardly accepted the boxes, not listening closely to the conversation between Chen Yunsheng and Master Li. She clutched the boxes, her mood becoming complicated, and even after leaving the silversmith's shop, her mood remained stagnant.
"It's noon," Chen Yunsheng opened the passenger door and waited for Jiang Nan to get in. "What do you want to eat? There's a good local restaurant nearby with good cooking skills. Do you want to try it?"
Jiang Nan was still immersed in the plan of how to repay the debt, and nodded subconsciously: "Okay, I'll listen to you."
"If you have other ideas, please raise them." Chen Yunsheng paid attention to Jiang Nan's expression.
"I'm fine with anything," Jiang Nan said as he sat in the passenger seat. "I'm not picky about food."
Chen Yunsheng frowned as he looked at Jiang Nan, who was rushing towards him. "Then will you book a place next time?"
Jiang Nan blinked, then looked away, not answering him immediately. Finally, when he got in the driver's seat, she said solemnly, "Okay."
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