A Divine Farmer

Chapter 229 - Watch Me from the Dark!

“Chu Wenwen? You mean the same Chu Wenwen who's the face of Elegant Dragon Drinks?” Zhou Li was taken aback. “If we're talking about her, then she'd be perfect. She might not be an A-list star, but she's been incredibly hot lately—a bona fide grassroots celebrity. Sometimes, that kind of reputation can be even more trustworthy than that of top-tier stars. But it seems highly unlikely, doesn't it?”

“Why would it be unlikely?” Yang Jingjing said with a smile.

“Well, even though Chu Wenwen isn't an A-lister, her ads for Elegant Dragon have skyrocketed her fame. I've heard plenty of film companies are eager to sign her, and several big-name directors want her for their movies. At a time like this, she definitely won't just jump at any ad offer. If she messes up, it could derail her entire career!” Zhou Li had a fair grasp of the situation.

Chu Wenwen isn't like the rest. She rose to fame through her commercials, and since she's only recently become a sensation, she's bound to hold herself to high standards in every regard. It's unthinkable that she'd slip up at such a pivotal moment.

If she rashly took on another ad and it flopped, it would seriously jeopardize her career trajectory. That's a mistake nobody would willingly make.

“She wouldn't just take any advertisement, but she'd certainly be thrilled to take one from our brand,” Yang Jingjing continued, her smile enigmatic.

Chen Yaru nodded in agreement. “There shouldn't be an issue with Wenwen, but we should take her schedule into account. Is it really a good time for her to travel all the way back from Yanjing?”

Yaru's point is valid,” Zhang Xiaolong chimed in. “Let's not bother her for now. We can't go all out with the promotion yet anyway. Why not start with a small-scale trial after production? The public might be in the dark, but I bet the actors will be clamoring for it. And as for marketing, if we win over a host of celebrities, both big and small, we won't have to worry about promotional opportunities in the future, will we?” He laughed.

Zhou Li's head spun with their conversation. It seemed that none of them doubted Chu Wenwen would accept; they were merely considering other factors and choosing to hold off on her involvement for the time being.

“Oh right, Yaru, aren't you joining us at Essence Dragon?” Zhou Li suddenly asked.

Initially, she had wondered if Chen Yaru was simply a stay-at-home wife, but after their conversation, it was clear that Yaru had a better grasp of business than she did!

Why would Zhang Xiaolong choose Yang Jingjing as the general manager and settle for the role of vice president when he had someone like Yaru?

“I'm relying on you and Jingjing to handle that. Managing Soaring Dragon alone keeps me incredibly busy; I really don't have the bandwidth to take on anything else,” Chen Yaru explained with a sense of resignation.

It was then that Zhou Li realized Yaru was involved with another company. “Of course, Soaring Dragon is a major company, it must be… Wait, did you say Soaring Dragon? The same Soaring Dragon that produces Elegant Dragon Drinks?”

“Is there any other?” Yang Jingjing asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

“I see now,” Zhou Li said, as understanding dawned on her.

They had no doubts about Chu Wenwen's endorsement because they were the ones who had made her a star!

Even though Soaring Dragon wasn't in the film industry, their ubiquitous Elegant Dragon Drinks ads and the lavishly produced, stunning visual scenes had played a significant role. Coupled with Chu Wenwen's natural beauty, it was no surprise she achieved such impressive results.

Without Soaring Dragon's advertising, there would be no Chu Wenwen as we know her today. Given these circumstances, Wenwen would certainly consider their goodwill and agree to endorse Essence Dragon.

Moreover, if Elegant Dragon Drinks are so memorable, how could Essence Dragon's skincare products, which everyone is raving about, be anything less than excellent?

Everything clicked for Zhou Li, yet she felt a bit bewildered: “With Soaring Dragon's formidable capabilities, why would they want me as a vice president? Am I… really up for it?”

Before, she thought she had nothing to lose and wanted to reciprocate the trust Zhang Xiaolong and the others had in her by lending a hand.

But now, realizing that Soaring Dragon wasn't lacking in strength, she questioned the need for someone with her skills. This uncertainty made her second-guess herself. What if she couldn't contribute effectively and ended up causing more problems? That would be quite embarrassing, wouldn't it?

“Don't question our commitment,” Zhang Xiaolong quickly clarified, “Soaring Dragon is its own entity, and Essence Dragon is separate. While Essence Dragon can certainly leverage Soaring Dragon's strengths, that's not the whole picture. Soaring Dragon is also growing, and the two industries are entirely distinct. We're not relying on Soaring Dragon to boost Essence Dragon Makeup; we aim to win over consumers with our products and capabilities, much like we did with Elegant Dragon Drinks. If we did it once, we can do it again!”

“But…” Zhou Li remained concerned, “When I was at All Light, I never made it to the core executive level. My understanding of high-level operations and even product promotion is quite superficial…”

“That's even less of a reason to worry,” Zhang Xiaolong reassured her, gesturing towards Yang Jingjing. “Your future boss right here is a marvel in the world of marketing. She masterminded the initial campaigns for Elegant Dragon. With her expertise, do you really need to fret over these details?”

“You're the real marvel here!” Yang Jingjing shot back with a playful glance.

Chen Yaru smiled, taking Zhou Li's hand reassuringly, “Ms Zhou, don't be overly concerned. Xiaolong sought you out because he believes in your abilities. Jingjing is undoubtedly top-notch in marketing and planning, and you bring a wealth of management experience. If you ever encounter any issues, feel free to reach out to me.”

“Thank you all for placing such trust in me!” Zhou Li responded, visibly moved.

After all, their previous interaction had been limited to a few clothing purchases at her store. Yet, here they were at their second meeting, offering her such a significant position. It felt surreal.

“Don't stress too much,” Zhang Xiaolong advised earnestly. “Jingjing hit the nail on the head: with our products, it takes a real effort to not make money. And even if you were to try, coming up with such a plan wouldn't be easy. Moreover, initially, we're just aiming to outperform Chu Peng, so there's no cause for concern.”

The three women exchanged knowing looks and burst into laughter.

The conversation took a lighter turn, but unbeknownst to them, someone had stealthily snapped a photo of their gathering outside the restaurant and swiftly sent it off.

When Chu Peng glanced at the photo on his phone, he couldn't help but furrow his brow. “Chen Yaru, Zhang Xiaolong… How did they get mixed up with Zhou Li?”

He wasn't in the beverage business and hadn't dealt with Zhang Xiaolong before, but he had been fortunate enough to attend a banquet hosted by Lee Donghua and the Xu family. There, he had recognized the man who, while not a household name, was quite prominent in the business community.

At first, when he spotted him in the store, he merely thought the face seemed familiar and didn't look too closely. But now, seeing him alongside Chen Yaru, there was no doubt in his mind—it was definitely Zhang Xiaolong.