Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Ye Zhiqiu picked through the clothes in his room and ultimately chose the simplest outfit.

With injuries on his face, overly complicated attire would be excessive.

But Tao Ruoqing was still pleased. At least this meant that Ye Zhiqiu took Qi Xin seriously.

As soon as Ye Zhiqiu left, she began to dress up for her mahjong appointment.

There was some traffic on the way, and Ye Zhiqiu was on the phone with Zhang Mian as he walked.

"The money has arrived," Zhang Mian said. "I'm already at the factory, and we can settle the rent and contract issues today."

"Good," Ye Zhiqiu chuckled. "Single Yuan was quite efficient."

"Yes, he said the buyer picked up the car early this morning," Zhang Mian replied, laughing. "How about lunch together? After finishing up, I'll wait for you at your school."

Ye Zhiqiu agreed.

Securing the factory was just the first step; there were many more things to discuss with Zhang Mian.

However, the area around the school was crowded with people who knew Ye Zhiqiu, so he chose a more private Western restaurant near VIA for their meeting.

"Xiao Qiu," Tang Yue approached him after class with books in hand. "Let's go eat the spicy chicken from the cafeteria. I remember you wanted to try it last time."

He leaned closer to inspect Ye Zhiqiu's face. "Why is the mark still so obvious?"

"It's nothing," Ye Zhiqiu shrugged, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. "I won't be eating at school today. There's a lot of work waiting for me at VIA, so I need to head over now."

Tang Yue: "..."

In the past, Ye Zhiqiu never forgot about him, but since starting work recently, they hardly had the chance to have lunch together anymore.

"I really envy you, being able to work already," Tang Yue smiled understandingly. "Drive carefully, Xiao Qiu."

Ye Zhiqiu nodded with a smile, waved casually, and strode away.

When he arrived at the restaurant, Zhang Mian was already waiting in the private room.

Seeing his expression, Ye Zhiqiu knew without asking that everything had gone smoothly.

"Ye..." Zhang Mian looked up from the menu, changing the subject abruptly. "What happened to your face?"

"It's nothing," Ye Zhiqiu set down his backpack and sat across from him with a smile. "Young people get into fights sometimes, right?"

"You didn't fight over the money, did you?" Zhang Mian asked uncertainly.

Ye Zhiqiu neither confirmed nor denied it. He took a sip of water first. "Tell me about today's progress."

At the mention of work, Zhang Mian straightened up, pulling out contracts and related documents from his briefcase and pushing them toward Ye Zhiqiu.

"Huojun's wife was there today," Zhang Mian said. "It seemed like a gesture of goodwill. Huojun gave us some orders for parts processing on the spot."

"That's not a cheap gesture," Ye Zhiqiu remarked, disbelieving. "Didn't we already negotiate the rent?"

"I knew I couldn't hide anything from you," Zhang Mian laughed. "Today, I realized how kind Huojun's wife is. Do you know what Huojun told her? He said he charged us five hundred fifty thousand. Tsk..."

He chuckled. "That money probably came from his mistress's allowance."

"Hmm." Ye Zhiqiu nodded.

Huojun's wife was very kind and gentle, no wonder Zhang Mian felt sympathetic towards her.

"I only hinted slightly," Zhang Mian continued. "Who knew Huojun would feel guilty?"

"Either way, it's done," Ye Zhiqiu pushed the contract back and pulled out a stack of papers from his backpack. "These are the technologies and plans I've compiled. They haven't appeared or become widespread in the industry yet. With your experience, you should understand them quickly."

"These..." Zhang Mian flipped through a few pages, his face filled with astonishment. "Where did you get these?"

"Don't ask," Ye Zhiqiu said firmly, leaving no room for argument.

Zhang Mian: "..."

He was full of questions, his heart pounding as if caught in an unreal dream.

Anyone would recognize these documents as priceless treasures.

No wonder Ye Zhiqiu was so confident that they could one day surpass Reiyi.

"You can look at the raw material updates," Ye Zhiqiu started eating. "Some can be used in Huojun's orders, significantly reducing costs."

Zhang Mian continued flipping through.

Compared to more advanced goals requiring extensive research, finding more energy-efficient and cost-effective alternatives was undoubtedly the quickest and most profitable route.

However, it also had a significant drawback.

Others could easily copy them, making the opportunity temporary.

"I understand," Zhang Mian looked up. "I have friends in the industry, including some small and medium-sized companies abroad transitioning to renewable energy. I'll make samples and send them for testing, then contact them."

If the quality meets the standards, competitive pricing will attract their first batch of customers.

Zhang Mian understood the significance of this period. It was the first step in accumulating funds and the foundation for their future development.

"Oh, by the way," suppressing his excitement, Zhang Mian remembered something. "What name should we give our company?"

Ye Zhiqiu pondered for a moment.

His mother's name was Lan Yue, a beautiful name, but unfortunately, it was ultimately obscured by dark clouds and never shone again.

After a moment, he smiled. "Let's call it Yun Kai."

To wait for the clouds to part and see the moon.

Neither his mother nor his past self had managed to do this.

But this time, he would make it happen.

.

"Hey, Xiao Ye, what happened to your face?" Not long after entering VIA, news of Ye Zhiqiu's injury spread throughout the company, even prompting Sun Wei to bring over some scar cream to check on him.

Ye Zhiqiu, with an acupuncture needle in his wrist, was holding scissors and making bold cuts into the fabric on the mannequin.

Sun Wei leaned against the doorframe without entering further.

As she watched Ye Zhiqiu's fluid movements, she couldn't help but marvel at his versatility once again.

With him around, they could even do without a pattern maker.

At such a young age, it was hard to imagine how he had honed such exceptional skills.

Tearing off the last strip of fabric, Ye Zhiqiu straightened up and looked over.

"It's nothing," he said, tapping the band-aid on his face. "It's just a minor scratch; it won't leave any marks."

Sun Wei insisted on checking, so Ye Zhiqiu sat down by the window and lifted his face.

It had been a long time since anyone had shown him this much concern, so he didn't mind the kindness.

"Do you know?" Sun Wei removed the band-aid from his wound and carefully applied the scar cream with a cotton swab. "This morning, the marketing department posted the part of your work that just got approved on the official website. The response has been great, and many people are urging us to open a pre-order channel."

"Mm-hmm," Ye Zhiqiu acknowledged.

"I'm considering," Sun Wei continued, "organizing a new product launch event with other brands soon to build momentum."

In recent years, VIA had gradually declined, rarely participating in fashion weeks, relying mainly on its official website, flagship stores, and online influencers for promotion.

"Mm-hmm," Ye Zhiqiu said, showing no objection. "Have you decided on the partners?"

VIA's position was somewhat precarious due to its continuous decline, making other brands cautious about collaboration.

But the lower they went, the worse it would signal for VIA.

"Recently, Jin Qi released several affordable handbags and approached us for a promotional partnership," Sun Wei said. "We've almost finalized the details."

"Oh?" Ye Zhiqiu's eyes curved slightly.

He hadn't sought out Jiang Nan yet, but Jiang Nan had come to him first.

Jin Qi was a mid-to-high-end brand under the Jiang family, and even their affordable handbags made a partnership beneficial for VIA.

"That's great," Ye Zhiqiu smiled.

"Their young master admires your designs," Sun Wei added with a smile. "Perhaps we can all get together sometime."

"No problem," Ye Zhiqiu agreed, then asked, "Can I bring a friend along?"

"Anyone else might be different," Sun Wei tightened the cap on the scar cream bottle and placed it on Ye Zhiqiu's desk. "But for you, it's fine."

They exchanged a few more words before Sun Wei returned to her office, and Ye Zhiqiu resumed modifying the half-finished garment on the mannequin.

The phone rang, and he straightened up, rubbing his back, which had been bent for too long.

It was already time to leave, and Qi Xin arrived as promised to pick him up.

Ye Zhiqiu put on his coat, tied his scarf, and took the elevator downstairs.

This time, Qi Xin was more prepared. He had already put on his jacket and stepped out of the car, planning to greet Ye Zhiqiu immediately upon seeing him.

While waiting, his heart was filled with anxiety.

A few days without seeing Ye Zhiqiu felt like centuries.

Seeing him approach, his anxiety turned into uncontrollable excitement, his heart racing.

Under the dim light of dusk, the young man walked toward him step by step.

The light beige coat and pale pink scarf accentuated his slightly curved eyes, making them look exceptionally beautiful and gentle.

At that moment, Qi Xin saw no trace of Jiang Nan in Ye Zhiqiu's eyes.

He was so nervous he could barely breathe, despite having planned to greet Ye Zhiqiu the moment he appeared.

Yet now, he couldn't move a muscle, as if Ye Zhiqiu had cast a spell on him.