Chapter 97: The Man Behind a Successful Woman

Chapter 97: The Man Behind a Successful Woman

Xiangnan Star City, the Silk Thread Market.

The market was located in the newly annexed administrative region of the city, an area previously known as Fuxing County. After the merger, it was renamed Fuxing District, with its name bearing a connection to the origins of Star City's naming.

Rumor had it that Xiangnan Star City was situated under the Zhen asterism according to the Gan Shi Star Canon. The city corresponded to an accessory star within that asterism, hence the name "Star City."

The Silk Thread Market had quite a history. At its entrance stood a towering, welded steel archway, over four meters high. In bold red calligraphy, the words "Fuxing Silk Thread Market" curved across its surface. The red paint had faded in spots, and years of rain had etched irregular, perpendicular lines across the letters like zebra stripes.

Tang Fei and her companions followed Tian Ningfang to this location and were ushered into a store where skilled embroidery artists worked.

The shop featured several display workstations for the artisans. Through glass partitions, visitors could observe the embroidery process without disruption. It was a place frequented by tourists all year round, occasionally hosting private embroidery competitions.

Tang Fei sat at her workstation, lost in thought as she gazed at the embroidery frame.

She wondered if this could be considered neglecting her main duties.

Supporting her chin with one hand, Tang Fei reflected, I'm an actress, and my acting skills still need improvement. Yet, I've delved quite deeply into embroidery and textiles, using up almost all of my skill upgrade cards.

Would the system ask me to learn dyeing, tailoring, and sewing next? Is it planning for me to open a clothing store on a survival show on a deserted island?

Tang Fei also thought of Zhou Weichuan. As a boss who studied fashion design, he would surely understand even if he didn't know how to embroider himself.

Is the system trying to provide me with a backup plan, allowing me to tag along if the boss ever starts a clothing company?

System: ...

Humans have such vivid imaginations, jumping from one logic to another swiftly.

While Tang Fei was lost in her thoughts, Wu Xia had already straightened up, closed her eyes, and began to meditate, adjusting her emotions.

She seemed ready to give her all.

Tian Ningfang stood outside, greeting each shop owner and calling them out. With his status, those in the silk thread business in this area knew him well. Soon, a crowd of proprietors and their assistants gathered around.

"President Tian has graced us with his presence! Is there another favorable policy to announce?"

Tian Ningfang chuckled. "Ladies and gentlemen, I've called you here today as witnesses. Our best young Xiang embroidery artist, Wu Xia, is about to engage in a contest! Let's lend our support and those who wish to learn can also come and observe."

Zhou Weichuan hadn't managed to stop her, so he could only sigh in resignation. With Tang Fei's fame, she might be recognized even without makeup. It might not be easy for her to leave unscathed once the crowd swelled.

Glancing at Tang Fei, who was lost in thought, he gave He Zhou a look. He Zhou approached. "Boss, should we surrender first? My sister doesn't know how to embroider."

"If you agreed to the match, don't back out now. As long as she puts up a decent effort, losing won't be shameful."

He Zhou rubbed his hands together. "But what if she doesn't even have the basic skills?"

"Then why aren't you advising her?"

He Zhou glared at his boss. "Boss, who dares to advise her? If my sister listened to advice, she wouldn't have entered the entertainment industry in the first place."

"Since persuasion won't work, offer your full support without hindering her," Zhou Weichuan patted He Zhou on the shoulder. "Go check if there's a back entrance to the store. Ask Hai Sheng to arrange for the car to park at the back."

He Zhou fixed his gaze on Zhou Weichuan, but he couldn't detect any concern for his cousin's potential embarrassment in the man's expression. It seemed that he was fully prepared to be the supportive figure behind a successful woman!

He Zhou's eyes narrowed. This big boss had already surpassed him in terms of awareness!

Zhou Weichuan could even teach him how to support his cousin.

Could he afford to lose in this aspect?

Absolutely not!

He couldn't let his cousin fall for Zhou Weichuan's tricks! If he had known earlier, he wouldn't have opposed Tan Youming's pursuit; at least he knew Tan Youming inside out, and after loving her for so many years, he wouldn't treat his cousin poorly in the future.

"I'll definitely support her! Even if my sister can't do it, she can still pose beautifully," He Zhou declared solemnly. "I'll arrange for the back door right away."

Meanwhile, the crowd gathered around exclaimed, "Someone is challenging Wu Xia? Are they really of the same age?"

Wu Xia hadn't had a peer as an opponent for five consecutive years. Although it might be an exaggeration to say that she dominated the entire country, considering the rich heritage of the various famous embroidery styles and the existence of hidden experts, it wouldn't be an overstatement to claim that she dominated the world. She always outperformed others in international competitions.

Wu Xia excelled in both technique and creativity, infusing her works with a vibrant spirit and employing masterful skills. The Hunan Embroidery style relied on her to represent it for the next one or two decades.

"Who is the master behind the challenger? Is it from Shu embroidery or Su embroidery?"

"It can't be someone from Xiang embroidery, I've never seen them before. I keep an eye on all talented young artists."

"Why does the person competing against Wu Xia seem familiar to me?"

Tian Ningfang clapped his hands. "Everyone, calm down. Let me announce the challenge now. It's only about thread splitting and color matching, and we should be able to finish it today."

"Thread splitting and color matching? Master Wu Xia has never lost in this! She can split threads into 256 parts – no one can beat her at that. Even a big shot from another school would struggle to match her."

"Who on earth is so blind to challenge her in this?"

"When it comes to color matching, Master Wu Xia's hues are vibrant and pure – they can't even be replicated with dyeing."

Tian Ningfang glanced back at Tang Fei. He wasn't sure where she came from, but upon hearing about the competition, he agreed to be the referee, encouraged by Zhou Weichuan.

The one challenging Wu Xia couldn't possibly be a novice, right?

"We mustn't be overly arrogant. Our country is home to countless skilled artisans. Many young talents choose to hone their skills in solitude without participating in contests. Now, let me explain the challenge."

The crowd egged them on, "Then let's compete with tiger fur patterns! Our market has the most comprehensive selection of tiger hues!"

Tian Ningfang chuckled, "Do you want to bully people? Hunan embroidery is best at tiger patterns, Suzhou embroidery excels in cat designs, while Cantonese and Sichuan styles reign supreme in floral, avian, insect, and fish motifs. But I won't consider those. Let's compete in something else!"

"What then?"

"This time, let's see who can create the best color scheme for the mane of a sweating blood horse!"

"Ah, there are many colors for a sweating blood horse. There's a lot of room for creativity."

"I'll give them the theme, and when they come to your shop to get threads, you mustn't stop them. I'll take responsibility for it."

"Of course not!"

"It's just a few threads. They're free to take what they need."

Tian Ningfang thanked everyone with a bow before entering the store to discuss the challenge with Tang Fei and Wu Xia. At that moment, someone outside suddenly shouted, "I know who Wu Xia's opponent is!"

Everyone turned to look at the speaker, a person wearing a cap that concealed their face.

With only her pointed chin visible, Ning Xiaodou, hands casually in her pockets, spoke with a hint of malicious delight, "That's Tang Fei, the one who's always stirring up drama instead of focusing on her acting."

"An actress?"

"Tang Fei?"

"What kind of joke is this? Is this another publicity stunt? Using our Xiangxi embroidery as a backdrop for their sensationalism?"

"This cannot be tolerated. Ignoring the hype, she's even using our prominent figures as props. Is President Tian bought? Supporting an outsider on stage?"

"Let's expose her on Weibo before she creates more buzz! We need knowledgeable live streamers to clarify, so celebrities can't exploit the gaps in our niche interests."

"We mustn't encourage such unhealthy behavior. She abandons her acting career only to wreak havoc in our small industry."

"I don't think Tang Fei is that kind of person. I've seen her fans' clarification; she seems quite diligent and ambitious."

"Can we trust fans? They blindly store their brains in the fridge."

Amidst the enthusiastic crowd, Ning Xiaodou, who had undermined Tang Fei with a subtle move, quietly retreated to the sidelines, preparing to slip away unnoticed.

Retreating to a corner, he turned around only to collide with a tall figure, his face dark and eyes icy cold.

"Boss... Zhou..."

Ning Xiaodou felt a chill run down his spine, unsure if it was due to the harsh winter winds blowing from the northwest or something far more unsettling.