Chapter 62 - City Starlights

The commercial was almost a silent film.

The scene opened with a peaceful family of three. The house was decorated in a modern and minimalist style. The young couple were comfortably dressed in house clothes, and they were accompanied by a six or seven-year-old boy on the sofa watching television.

At this moment, if the viewers remembered, they would surprisingly find that the boy seemed familiar.

This was the same boy that appeared in an Aito commercial more than a year ago. A year had passed, the young boy had grown quite a bit taller, but he was still well sculptured, handsome, and cute.

“Oh, tomorrow we’re going for spring vacation!” The young boy shouted out this line, jumped off the sofa and ran into his room. The young parents looked at each other and smiled. This was the only spoken line in the entire commercial.

The scene changed. The man came into the bedroom, took a black backpack out of the closet and started packing. The backpack’s design was very simple, the fabric and straps looked soft but sturdy.

At the bottom of the screen, a line of text appeared, “Men, they only need one”.

The scene then jumped to a walk-in closet. This time, the lady was tip-toeing as she stood, her finger gently touching her lips, her pair of big eyes scanning around. On the rack in front of her, seven or eight backpacks were displayed. Each had its own unique color and style. There was one made of black leather, another with floral cloth…but all were of medium size, exquisite and beautiful.

The subtitles once again surfaced, “Women, they deserve to have more”.

Then, the scene changed to the child’s room. On the small study desk was a child-sized laptop. Though he was small, the child swiftly operated the keyboard and mouse. He quickly entered a webpage which was full of dazzling pictures of children’s backpacks. He chose the backpack’s color, chose from pictures of cartoon animals (bears, hunting dogs, tigers…), chose the external pocket placement, and zipper color. The series of choices flashed past in an instant, and ended with him finally entering his name, “Little Bean,” on the box. ;

At last, the scene switched to daytime, and an express delivery man came to the house. In his hands was the backpack which he gave to Little Bean. The parents stood behind him and smiled.

The subtitles read, “For children, exclusively custom-made and unique”.

As the music crescendoed, the family could be seen cruising down the suburban streets. There were green trees and flowers all around under pleasant sunlight. And their three backpacks were arranged in the back seat of the car.

The scene faded to black and the subtitles flashed:

“Life with Aier backpacks. So colourful, so simple.”

At the lower right corner of the screen, subtitles flashed for a second and disappeared, “Leisure Bag Brand under the Aito Company.”

This commercial was broadcast on every TV station, and online media at every level; helping to make the new Aier brand famous all around. At that time, Ning Weikai had settled into his new office, temporarily bidding goodbye to the luggage industry that he toiled and strived in for so many years.

His new assignment was with an Internet company. Although it was small to the point of being pathetic, it was still a high tech company, so its office location and rental spaces were all in the city’s busiest, most high-end office building.

At the moment, he was looking at the huge LCD display on the opposite building. Aier’s commercial was being shown.

He watched for a while, finally dryly laughed, and looked down to continue reading the documents in front of him.

At that moment, his cell phone rang. A message came in. He opened the message and a photo popped up. It was probably taken by the girl, wearing a light green cheongsam, hugging an equally emerald green Aier backpack. She was beaming at the camera, her expression petite and cute.

The row of text read, “Don’t be defeated! This is for you. Kick, punch, vent all you want! – Lydia”

Ning Weikai burst into a smile, sending her a reply, “Where are you now? I’ll come fetch you after work.”

At the same time, Chen Zheng was sitting in his ever luxurious office. In his hands were the national promotional plans for the new model of leisure bags that were finalised a few days ago.

Various department heads and executives stood facing him, blankly staring at each other, but all were helpless and depressed, unable to come up with substantial suggestions.

“All of you go out first.” Chen Zheng said coldly.

The crowd left silently.

Chen Zheng grabbed the teacup from the table, and smashed it onto the floor.

Next went the desktop calendar, then the business card holder, and the ten-thousand-word sales plan in his hand!

Previously it had been Lin Qian who watched New Bori launch Sha Ying and had felt so full of shock, despair, and sadness after comparing it with her own Aito. Now, the same scene was happening to Chen Zheng.

He was seething with rage, but there was nothing else he could do.

At that moment, the phone rang on the table. Chen Zheng grabbed it, looked at the number, took a deep breath and picked up the call, “Dad.”

What came next was a thunderous bellow that he had never heard from his father, “You idiot! My life’s work is all ruined in your hands!”

The night slowly descended; the city lights like a sea of pearlescent ornaments.

Lin Qian was holding her phone, while changing into a purple mini-skirt and black heels in front of a full length mirror.

The headhunter on the phone, after chatting for a while, still wouldn’t give up, “President Lin, are you not considering it? Although Aida is a giant in the domestic suitcase industry, TG Group is a multinational enterprise, top 500 in the world, and is the global suitcase industry champion. If you came over to become the director of the China market, your salary would be many times higher, and you could choose between Hong Kong, Singapore, or Beijing as your base. I truly believe that this company is more suitable for your career development.”

Lin Qian smiled helplessly, “Thank you. However, I am currently not planning to change jobs.”

The headhunter said a few words, but knowing that nothing forcibly done was going to be agreeable, she made Lin Qian agree that if she ever wanted to change jobs, she would contact her immediately. Lin Qian agreed. She then added, “Whether it’s Aito, or Aier now, we’ve heard that it was all personally managed by you. President Lin, your creativity is impressive, this was what swayed the leaders at TG. Regardless, I wish you a smooth career and hope that we have the opportunity to work together in the future!”

After hanging up, with a smile dangling on her lips, Lin Qian faced the mirror and tied up her hair. Okay, all done.

Only then did she turn around and look at Li Zhicheng sitting in the chair. Today he was dressed in a suit with and formal shoes. The shirt and tie were chosen by her, the colors chosen were slightly brighter than usual, making his dark eyebrows even more eye-catching.

“Come here.” He reached out his hand to her.

Lin Qian walked before him, placed her hand in his palm, and was dragged into his arms.

“So, not only do I need to be wary of other men,” he said softly, “but also other companies.”

Lin Qian chuckled, pretending to be generous by patting his shoulder, “I understand. If your girlfriend is too outstanding, having a sense of fear is normal. You just need to sort it out.”

Li Zhicheng looked at the woman in his arms. The purple skirt outlined her legs and waist. Her waist and hip lines were perfectly highlighted. After putting on light make-up, her face was glossy and soft like smooth white jade. Her bright eyes were staring at him.

He had been involved in the business world for almost two years. She had been by his side for almost that full time.

He rarely brought her out for entertainment, while other men, be it senior officers or dignitaries, changed the women at their sides over and over again.

For a man with power and wealth, obtaining everything was far too easy. No matter how beautiful or how young the woman, once they lost interest, they would discard them without regret.

That was because none of them had met such a high-spirited and radiant woman like her.

For this kind of woman, the shrewder the man who met her, the harder it was to let go.

Tonight’s arranged location for the celebratory dinner was at the Beihai Shengting Hotel in the city center.

Li Zhicheng left first with his driver while Lin Qian insisted on driving herself. Even after a year had passed, Lin Qian still insisted that their relationship be kept secret.

The situation was not fully stabilized, so she didn’t want their personal lives to draw the public’s attention. It was better for Li Zhicheng to lead the entire company like this.

The culture of a company was not built just by words, it was carefully cultivated. Obviously, Li Zhicheng was well-aware of this logic. Even though the company had always been thrifty in various expenses, tonight was rather extravagant, reserving a whole floor of the banquet hall, decorating it with brilliant, luxurious, and marvellous lights, even hiring entertainment companies from outside to perform.

The opening was a flamboyant Pasodoble dance. A few ladies in fiery red were dancing to the intense music on the stage in front. They attracted everyone’s attention and successfully brought the party to life.

Lin Qian was seated at one of the round tables in the fourth row. The employees that reported to her were all sitting at the tables around her. All the dishes had been served; lobster, grouper, swimming crab, marbled beef… but nobody started eating yet. They were waiting for the CEO to deliver his toast. ;Lin Qian sipped some juice; her gaze frequently wandered to the head table. ;Li Zhicheng was sitting in the seat of honor with his back facing her. He took off his coat, wearing only a white shirt. ;Lin Qian thought he looked very striking in it.

Soon enough, the opening dance was over. The lights were dimmed and a spotlight shone on the stage. Offstage, the hall full of people suddenly became quiet. There were only some footsteps and soft clicking of glasses hitting the tables that could be heard.

The emcee for the evening was an attractive manager from the Administrative Department. She wore a red gown and walked up to the stage gracefully with a microphone and stood under the spotlight.

“Good evening everyone!”

Everyone was already in a great mood, beaming from ear to ear, and now the applause was as loud as thunder. The emcee first greeted the crowd with her best wishes, then she summarized the splendid achievements of Vinda and Aier since they were launched. The crowd broke out in a massive round of applause every time she mentioned sales figures. Lin Qian was sitting among the crowd; she was very excited to be here.

Aida. His Aida, her Aida, everyone’s Aida. There was a time when they hit rock bottom, getting disappointed again and again, to the point of tears. Who would have thought this day would come? The prior year, their total capital was less than ten million; now, they reserved the best hotel in the city for a celebration. Now, who would not tremble with fear at the mention of Aida? Who would not think twice before they act when meeting Aida?

All this was possible because of one person.

The emcee’s slightly excited voice rang, “Next, let’s welcome the president, Mr. Li Zhicheng, to say a few words and to give a toast.”

The applause reached a climax. There were many people standing, while clapping enthusiastically.

Finally, everyone stood up and looked at the man who was sitting in the seat of honor as he walked onto the stage with a white porcelain wine glass in his hand.

The second before, the room had been filled with chatter.

The next second, when he raised his head under the spotlight, silently roving his eyes around the room, the crowd turned as silent as grave.

Only admiration and anticipation remained.

Lin Qian stared at his face and his slightly luminous black short hair. He was holding the wine glass in one hand, the other hand was in his pant’s pocket. His shirt and slacks were plain, yet they outlined his handsome and smooth frame.

Lin Qian’s pulse was suddenly racing.

“I once thought that I would never have anything to do with the business world.” His voice was slow and deep, with a hint of cooling not found in others, seeming to permeate into people’s hearts.

“My elder brother was leading Aida to achieve greater glory, one after another,” he said.

Many of the senior employees suddenly recalled the other young CEO who used to be equally excellent. His strategies and talents might not be as outstanding as Li Zhicheng’s, but he too had led the company to develop steadily for many years in this highly competitive market.

They realized also that this CEO, who was not even thirty, had another identity. He was the man succeeding his father’s company and upholding his brother’s will at the same time. This realization shifted their image of the usually cold and superior CEO to something more vivid and real.

Lin Qian hadn’t met Li Zhicheng’s late brother, but she was probably the person that knew Li Zhicheng the best in the entire room.

This man didn’t like to reveal too much of his feelings; he hid everything under his calm temperament, but he held the people that he cherished dear in his heart.

Did he mention his brother now, because at this moment, when he was finally standing at the pinnacle, overseeing the whole industry, it reminded him of his brother’s will?

Why did she feel so sorry for him being like this?

In the midst of silence, Li Zhicheng continued speaking lightly, “Of course, I was a soldier before this; when I first took over Aida, I made a fool of myself too. Someone had mistaken me as the security manager and asked me to carry stuff…”

The audience burst into laughter. Someone bravely asked, “President, who was he? You should deduct his bonus!”

Lin Qian stared at him. Her heart was sweet; her cheeks flushing. He’d said it on purpose!

As expected, his piercing gaze looked in her direction, but since the room was so big, nobody sensed anything unusual. Only Lin Qian’s gaze lightly interlocked with his; their hearts silently touched.

“Last year at this time, everyone said that Aida couldn’t be saved anymore. This year, we are standing as the champion of the industry.

“Last year, when Vinda was launched, the website was hacked and we lost twenty million. Our colleagues from the IT Department were all nearly in tears in the office. This year, Vinda became one of the five best-selling items in the business; everyone in the IT Department got a handsome bonus…”

The audience laughed again.

Li Zhicheng’s handsome face was calm; his eyes reflecting the lights, like a bottomless sea, making everyone’s hearts surge even more.

“Vinda, Aito…” he spoke slowly, “The future is limitless. Since we have seized the most glorious successes in this business, then follow my lead and let’s keep going.”

It was a dead silence beneath the stage.

Suddenly, a deafening round of applause broke out. Everyone’s face seemed to be blushing from excitement; everyone’s eyes were sparkling with pride.

Lin Qian stared at his dark gaze, seeing a faint smile light up in his eyes. She stared at him raising the glass, proposing a toast, then tilting his head to finish it in one shot… she could only feel her heart thumping, an unprecedented impulse surged.

In the midst of wave upon wave of cheering and prolonged applause, she could only see him.

She suddenly realized a fact. It turned out that she was not only in love with him, she was adored him, just like everyone else here.

Even though previously she had been terrified of him because of his formidability, wasn’t she also deeply adoring him because of it?

It was him that showed her that the commercial war could be so creative and so majestic. It was him that stimulated all her passion and talent. It was him who led her in experiencing the thrill of triumph over the opponents, one after another.

It turned out he was not just a lover to her.

It turned out that in her heart, he was incomparable since the beginning.

After the banquet had ended and after Lin Qian had socialized with some of her close friends in the company, it was already past 10:00 p.m.

Aida had reserved most of the rooms in the hotel. Many employees stayed for the night at the hotel. At night, they looked for some entertainment to relax. Lin Qian sneaked up to the penthouse suite where Li Zhicheng stayed. She lightly knocked the door twice, then she was pulled into the room.

Li Zhicheng had loosened his tie; his collar was slightly open. He smelled of alcohol, but his eyes were as clear as water. Immediately he pressed her against the door and gave her a silent smooch.

Lin Qian matched him while tittering and kicking off her heels. Li Zhicheng lifted her up, with her legs around his waist, and walked to sit on the bed.

“Did you drink?” he asked under his breath.

Lin Qian stuck her tongue out. D*mn it! She forgot about this!

Lin Qian disliked drinking, and men like Li Zhicheng even more so disliked his woman drinking. The two hit it off and agreed that from then on, at any future banquet, she would not touch alcohol. If he was there, he would watch over her. If he was not…

“I can handle it myself!” Lin Qian said excitedly, “Don’t you worry. I have very good self control and I am eloquent. Who can force me to drink?” Back then she was setting up their cohabitation code to demonstrate her position as the boss in the house, but she wanted to seem just and fair. Regarding this code, she had even voluntarily added, “If Lin Qian drinks without permission, for every glass she had she will clean the house for a week, with no upper limit.”

Lin Qian blinked her eyes and stared at him pitifully.

But Li Zhicheng was not buying it. His hand lifted her skirt to slide underneath; his voice was flat. “How many did you drink?”

“… three glasses. But today was special, I was cheering for you…” Fine. There were many female employees drinking juice too, but she was excited after listening to his toast!

“What is the punishment?” Li Zhicheng continued asking.

Lin Qian had a headache just thinking about doing cleaning for three weeks. His house is so big! She darted her eyes, then her face leaned in. Their nose tips were touching; their hot breath intertwining.

Perhaps the lights in the room were too dim, perhaps she was experiencing the side effects of alcohol, or perhaps the man in front of her was too handsome and charming… she heard her own voice, saying softly, “how about we… change to another form of punishment?”

Li Zhicheng froze slightly.

She had already climbed off him, lying in between his legs. Then her fair and delicate hand reached out and unbuckled his belt.

Li Zhicheng reached out his hand suddenly, grasping her long hair; his gaze was unfathomable. Lin Qian raised her gaze to glance at him, then she went down…

Lin Qian couldn’t tell what kind of psychological reason was driving her to do this.

Before this, Li Zhicheng had hinted at it, but because she was too shy, or perhaps because of other psychological reasons, she played dumb. He hadn’t mentioned it since.

But tonight, her brain was filled with his cold and exceptional look when he was standing on the ballroom’s stage. When she thought this was the man she loved, the man she adored, she had an urge to give him all.

So she was willing to come in front of him subserviently, letting him have the pleasure he wanted.

“I adore you…” While she was sucking and swallowing, she said in a low voice, “Li Zhicheng, only today I realized how much I adore you.”

No man wouldn’t be smitten by these words from a woman.

Especially from her who was always proud, to willingly kneel in between his legs and perform this most intimate act for him.

Li Zhicheng’s hand in her hair tightened. His other hand moved down silently, making her moan uncontrollably…

Finally, in the silence of the room, he released after being served by her lips and tongue. Suddenly his hands reached out and pressed tightly on her head. Lin Qian was bashful from all his groping. She hugged his waist and curled up, like a child, on top of him.

After quite a while, he calmed down, turned over and pressed her against the bed. Lin Qian was flushed; her eyes were as bright as the stars. His cheeks were slightly reddened too; his dark eyes were deeper and more breathtaking than ever.

Their eyes met. Lin Qian asked, “Did you feel my loyalty?”

Li Zhicheng burst into a smile. His smile was more like a riot of color blooming in his usually placid eyes.

“Deeply appreciated. I am unable to make any recompense.” His hand gently caressing her cheek, “So I can only let you see my loyalty with interest.”

At first Lin Qian was still engrossed in his words, suddenly she came to her senses, “Hello hello! You don’t have to pay back with loyalty! Really!”

It was too late. Li Zhicheng had moved down slowly, burying his head underneath her skirt. Lin Qian’s protest quickly vanished, in the end she only murmured, “You are so evil…”

When the fervor subsided, the night was already very late.

Perhaps because tonight was too good, even though both of them had spent a lot of energy, they did not feel sleepy. Li Zhicheng, hugging Lin Qian, leaned against the bed and they watched the brilliant city view from the window together.

Lin Qian’s finger was drawing circles on his abs, “When are we going public?”

Li Zhicheng lowered his head to stare at her, “Finally you are letting me into the light?”

Lin Qian nodded, trying to hold her laughter in.

After the new year, her work focus would shift completely to Mind. Even though it was still related to the business of the Group, their work was distinctly different from each other. So she felt like this was a good time.

“How do you plan to make our relationship be known to the public?” she asked again. She was a little anxious thinking about how people would look at her differently from now on.

Li Zhicheng took a glance at her; he didn’t reply. His gaze was a little weird; deep, pensive, and with nuances that she couldn’t comprehend.

Then he said, “There is something in my coat’s pocket. Take it out.”

“Oh.” without thinking much Lin Qian turned around. His suit was hanging on the chair beside the bed. She reached into the pocket and searched around. When she was doing this, she could clearly sense that Li Zhicheng’s piercing gaze was on her.

She sensed that it was a small box so she took it out straight away.

A round, black velvet box.

Lin Qian’s heart skipped a beat.

Li Zhicheng hugged her from behind, snuggling her in his embrace; at the same time, his hands, holding hers, opened the box.

A silver diamond ring was quietly lying inside the box.

“How about like this?” he whispered in her ear.

When the sun came up, it was a new day dawning.

There were people still sleeping, holding their beloved in their arms; there were people starting their repetitive and ordinary day; there were people laying in warm embraces, yet their hearts were empty.

There were also people welcoming the turning point of their fate with mixed feelings. The road ahead might lead to deeper pitfalls, or perhaps revival.

Early in the morning, Chen Zheng, leading a group of SMQ’s managers, stood in the crowded arrival hall of the airport.

They were eager with anticipation.

Some of his subordinates looked excited while others had a serious face on. As to Chen Zheng, his expression couldn’t be read.

Soon enough, the people that they were waiting for arrived.

They were a group of men in suits. There were four or five Asians, an African, and a Caucasian with blonde hair and green eyes. All of them were wearing suits with exquisite workmanship; their luggage were either LV, Hermes, or Armani. A few of them wore sunglasses, looking elegant and stylish.

This was why Chen Zheng found these people from foreign companies intolerable. They loved to show off; wearing shirts and suits neatly on a hot summer day, demonstrating superiority with their heads full of themselves.

The group of people soon approached. Immediately, Chen Zheng, with a big smile on his face, led the rest to welcome them. He took a quick glance at all of them, then his gaze naturally settled on the person in the middle.

He was a tall and slender man with pronounced facial features. His forehead was wide but his eyes were thin and narrow; his nose tall and straight, causing his handsome facial features to look slightly aggressive. This man made people feel like he was born to wear a suit. His snow white shirt was buttoned all the way up to the neck. The black suit accentuated his body lines. He had the great physique of a Caucasian, yet he had the courtly temperament of an Asian.

Right now, his eyes were surveying the people on this side too. His gaze was clear and cool, with a faint smile in his eyes; he was enigmatic.

Chen Zheng had read his profile beforehand.

Jason Lin, vice CEO of MK Investment Management Corporation, a renowned figure on Wall Street. It was said that he was very influential in the North American Chinese business circle too.

The translator beside him had started speaking in English, welcoming the arrival of the party and introducing each other. The first two to be introduced were naturally Chen Zheng, CEO of SMQ, and vice CEO Jason Lin, the lead of the other party.

Chen Zheng extended his hand towards him, speaking in English, “Hi Mr. Lin! Nice to meet you.”

That person’s lips lifted; his voice was low and attractive, but he spoke in Chinese, “Mr. Chen, we are both Chinese, there’s no need for formalities. You can just call me Jason, or Lin Mochen.”

Finally, both parties shook hands.

“Pleasure working with you.”

“Pleasure working with you.”