53. Success
On Wednesday afternoon, before 2:30, Chen Yunsheng's car stopped downstairs of Jiang Nan's company.
Jiang Nan trotted out of the office building, carrying a tote bag containing the project documents and a wooden gift box.
She was still breathing slightly when she opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat.
"Don't worry, there's still time." Chen Yunsheng handed her a bottle of water.
"I'm just nervous." Jiang Nan took the water bottle and took a small sip.
The icy cold water slid across her throat, slightly easing her anxiety.
"I've reviewed the final version of the plan," Chen Yunsheng said as he started the car and kept an eye on the traffic. "The approach is excellent, and the implementation details are well thought out. There's no need to underestimate yourself."
Hearing this, Jiang Nan looked at him in surprise: "When did you see it?"
"After you sent it to me last night." He looked straight ahead, his tone natural.
Jiang Nan remembered that she had indeed sent him a copy of the document after finalizing it last night. She hadn't thought much of it at the time, just habitually wanting him to check it. She hadn't expected him to actually read it carefully.
"Thank you." She whispered, feeling a little warm in her heart.
"However," he changed the subject, "for an artist like Fu Yifang, sometimes the plan itself is secondary. What they value more is your understanding of art and your sincerity."
"I understand." Jiang Nan hugged the tote bag tightly in her arms, and her expression became serious.
Half an hour later, the car stopped at the entrance of a quiet alley. At first glance, the alley was covered in white walls and gray tiles, while the decoration at the entrance of Fu Yifang's studio looked more like an elegant teahouse or private gallery.
Jiang Nan looked at the door, took a few deep breaths, and prepared to get off the car.
"I'll wait for you in the car," said Chen Yunsheng.
Jiang Nan was stunned for a moment: "Aren't you going in with me?"
"This is your project," he looked at her, his eyes calm and reassuring. "It's only appropriate for you to discuss it. But if necessary, I can always come in."
His attitude was clear - he completely handed the stage over to her.
Jiang Nan looked at him and suddenly felt full of courage. "Okay." She nodded heavily, then got out of the car with her bag.
Entering the studio, Jiang Nan calmed down. She glanced briefly at the studio's surroundings before heading to the front desk. A gentle young woman, knowing Jiang Nan had an appointment, smiled and led her to a reception room.
The reception room was simply furnished, yet every detail exuded taste, especially the teapot, which was clearly of considerable value. Jiang Nan carefully sat down before the teapot, gently placing the gift box beside him, and then quietly waited.
A few minutes later, the door was pushed open.
A man in a linen shirt, with a calm yet sharp demeanor, walked in. He looked to be around forty years old, his eyes sharp but not aggressive.
Jiang Nan immediately stood up and bowed slightly: "Hello, Teacher Fu, I am Jiang Nan from Youchuang Advertising."
Fu Yifang nodded slightly and sat down across from her. His eyes swept over the wooden box beside her, but he didn't speak immediately.
Jiang Nan calmed herself, pulled out the proposal document, and began to explain. She tried to avoid the fancy business jargon and began by explaining the connection between the Summer Pulse brand's core and the spirit of contemporary art, emphasizing the resonance of the brand's values with her artistic philosophy.
Fu Yifang listened quietly, his fingers tapping the teapot unconsciously, his expression showing no emotion.
Jiang Nan was halfway through her speech when she felt increasingly unsure. The other party's response was so bland. She gritted her teeth and finished the last part, hoping for some feedback.
But Fu Yifang was silent for a few minutes before speaking: "The concept sounds good. It's not like the previous ones who just used my products to print bags and clothes."
Jiang Nan felt a little relieved.
But then, Fu Yifang suddenly changed the subject: "But, Song Wei—" He smacked Song Wei's name, his tone filled with sarcasm and suspicion, "Does she even know what artistic co-creation is? Essentially, she wants to use my name to gild her brand, or even..."
He didn't finish the rest of his words, but seeing the impatience in his expression, Jiang Nan guessed that this was probably related to the past events.
Her heart leaped again, and then she glanced at Fu Yifang's face and said sincerely, "Ms. Song really values this collaboration and has given us a lot of trust and space. She admires your artistic achievements and believes that your joining will bring truly unique cultural connotations to the brand. As for the specific creation and execution, our team will fully cooperate with you and respect all your artistic ideas."
After hearing what she said, Fu Yifang snorted and did not comment, but his eyes glanced at the two wooden boxes that Jiang Nan placed next to him.
Jiang Nan noticed this detail and gently pushed the wooden box forward at the right time. "Teacher Fu, we've prepared a small gift for your visit. It's not something expensive, but I just thought it had a nice touch and thought you might like it."
Fu Yifang raised his eyebrows and reached out to open the wooden box.
Silverfish water droplets and carp paperweights lie quietly on the black velvet sediment, exuding a warm and subtle luster under the abundant light in the conference room.
He picked up the water drop, played with it carefully, and observed the exquisite hand-carved patterns on it. His expression did not change much, but his eyes softened a little.
"Old Li's cooking," he said lightly, "does take some effort."
Jiang Nan was delighted, knowing that this gift was the right one.
"Creativity and business have never been mortal enemies," Fu Yifang put down the water drop and looked at Jiang Nan again, his tone softening. "But finding that balance is not easy. The framework of your plan is okay, but the details are too rough."
He pointed out several key issues bluntly, each of which hit the nail on the head.
Jiang Nan immediately took out his notebook and took careful notes. The next half hour became a small design review meeting. Although Fu Yifang had a sharp tongue, his guidance did indeed enlighten Jiang Nan.
"That's about it," Fu Yifang concluded. "Leave the plan here. I'll have Lin Kui go over the details with you guys later."
Jiang Nan didn't react for a moment and stared at him blankly.
"What?" Fu Yifang raised his eyes, "Didn't you understand?"
"I understand! Thank you, Teacher Fu!" Jiang Nan came back to his senses. "Then should we... wait for Director Lin to contact us later?"
Fu Yifang responded indifferently and stood up, seemingly not intending to talk any more.
Jiang Nan quickly stood up: "Then I won't bother you anymore."
Fu Yifang waved his hand and walked out of the reception room first.
Jiang Nan stood there, still a little bit unbelieving.
Although his attitude was indifferent and he was very picky about the plan, he did agree.
She resisted the urge to cheer, packed up her things, and walked briskly out of the reception room.
"Miss Jiang, did the talks go well?" Lin Kui was waiting outside with a warm smile on his face.
"It went smoothly! Thank you so much, Director Lin!" Jiang Nan hurriedly expressed his gratitude.
"That's great. We'll contact you as soon as we confirm the specific contract and filming details."
"Okay, okay. Thank you for your help!"
——
As I walked out of the studio door, the warm afternoon sun shone on me.
Jiang Nan breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling like the heavy stone that had been weighing on his heart for days had finally fallen to the ground.
She walked quickly to the car parked at the entrance of the alley, opened the door and got in, her face showing uncontrollable excitement and relief.
"How is it?" Although he had already seen the result from Jiang Nan's expression, Chen Yunsheng still asked softly.
"He agreed!" Jiang Nan turned around, looking at him with sparkling eyes. "Although the process was a bit... indescribable, he did agree! Let's discuss the details with Director Lin later!"
Chen Yunsheng looked at her relieved and excited expression, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly: "Congratulations. I told you you can do it."
His affirmation warmed Jiang Nan's heart even more. She couldn't help but recount the meeting in detail, including Fu Yifang's reaction when he saw the gift and his subtle attitude towards Song Wei.
Chen Yunsheng listened quietly, his expression serious and thoughtful, but he didn't express any opinions. After Jiang Nan finished speaking, he slowly spoke, "Song Wei can be a bit aggressive in business sometimes. Maybe Fu Yifang heard these rumors. Don't overthink it. Just make sure the project moves forward."
Jiang Nan nodded. She leaned back in her chair, feeling more relaxed than she had in days. She pulled out her phone, wanting to send Han Yan a message to express her gratitude, but she felt she might not appreciate it.
In the end, she only sent a brief message to Wenwen and the project team group:
The meeting went well. Mr. Fu has preliminarily agreed to cooperate and will wait for the other party to contact us to discuss the details.
The group chat immediately exploded with congratulations and emojis. Wenwen called directly, her voice filled with excitement.
Jiang Nan smiled and chatted with her for a few words. After hanging up the phone, she suddenly found that Chen Yunsheng was looking at her through the rearview mirror in the car.
"Are you relieved now?"
Jiang Nan nodded vigorously, but couldn't help but sigh. "But the execution is the real deal, and we can't afford to make any mistakes. Mr. Song will definitely be keeping a close eye on it."
"If you need help, just ask."
"I know." Jiang Nan smiled and looked at the street scene outside the window with a bright expression.
After a while, the car stopped at a red light. While keeping an eye on the red light, Chen Yunsheng asked, "What do you want to eat tonight? Let's celebrate."
Jiang Nan was startled for a moment when he heard this, then turned to look at him. He was still looking at the red light ahead, his expression calm, but his proposal carried a rare touch of worldly-spiritedness.
"It's all fine." She responded hesitantly.
"Then go home and eat? I'll ask Auntie to make a few more dishes."
"OK."
At this time, the green light came on, the car restarted and caught up with the traffic in front, and the atmosphere in the car became peaceful and calm, like the moment before dusk, warm and quiet, and all the noise became silent with the arrival of night.
Jiang Nan looked at the sky in the distance and suddenly felt that the complicated grudges and entanglements should be far away from her. The plain and real moment in front of her was more worth cherishing.
Then she secretly glanced at the man who was concentrating on driving beside her, and the vague expectation in her heart became active again.
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