CH 105

Chapter 105 – The First Pot of Gold

Wei Chen’s promotion was seen as a matter of course by many people. Although he was young, his methods were outstanding, his vision unique, and his ability to lead made the entire Changfeng Group take notice.

When the integration of the marketing and sales departments took place, many people were waiting to see Wei Chen’s downfall. Originally, the positions were equal, but suddenly, they were overshadowed. No matter who it happened to, it would be hard to accept. So, some people were eagerly waiting for Wei Chen to clash with the sales department, wanting to show him that being the director of the marketing department wasn’t an easy task.

It had been a week since the integration of the marketing and sales departments into one department, but instead of witnessing clashes, they saw the two departments seamlessly merging and cooperating harmoniously. In just one week, the people from both departments fully adapted, working together with great cooperation and understanding. If others didn’t know any better, they would have thought that they had always been one department.

Naturally, this result came as a surprise, and after being surprised, people naturally held Wei Chen in higher regard. They no longer dared to underestimate this young man in his early twenties.

In terms of experience, Wei Chen may not be on par with them, but in terms of ability, they had to admit that Wei Chen outperformed them by a long shot.

With the successful integration of the two departments, Wei Chen’s career was back on track. After one month of departmental integration, Changfeng Group’s performance for the quarter increased by three percent.

Compared to the previous thirty percent, this increase may not seem significant at all. However, everyone understood that the initial thirty percent were achieved through special means and it would be impossible to achieve such performance every month.

For companies like Changfeng Group, each percent increase in performance brought millions or even billions in profits. In the past, achieving a one-percent increase every month required the collective effort of the entire company, often involving overtime work. While performance did improve, it also took a toll on people’s energy.

After the departments were integrated, it only took Wei Chen a few days to facilitate the transition from adjustment to integration between the two departments. In this month, they worked tirelessly and managed to increase performance by three percent. What’s noteworthy is that this growth of three percent occurred amidst a mess left behind by Lin Xin. In other words, if Wei Chen had been leading the marketing department directly, the growth for this quarter would have been even more than three percent.

Now, Wei Chen’s abilities were truly recognized within Changfeng Group. Those members of the board who had doubts about Wei Chen and were unsatisfied with the decision made by Chairman Sheng were silenced after seeing these results. They started to view Wei Chen in a more favorable light.

Businessmen prioritize profits, and those who can bring them benefits are considered their own.

While Wei Chen’s career was flourishing, Chen Li was also doing well. He had encountered his first windfall, which was quite a substantial amount, already reaching millions.

Zhuge Yu truly cared about Chen Li. When he heard Chen Li call him “teacher” in the studio that day, Zhuge Yu, a person who had almost given up on life, unexpectedly burst into tears like a child. This made Chen Li feel a bit overwhelmed.

Fate is a strange thing. From the moment Zhuge Yu saw Chen Li’s artwork, he was determined to take this child under his wing and personally guide him.

After several encounters, Zhuge Yu had a vague understanding of Chen Li’s situation, and he developed a sense of sympathy and protectiveness towards him.

It can be said that the process of taking Chen Li as his student was not easy. However, when his wish was finally granted, Zhuge Yu was filled with excitement. This feeling of excitement was similar to when his own artwork won an international competition for the first time.

From that moment on, Zhuge Yu treated Chen Li as his own son. Zhuge Yu hoped more than anyone else that Chen Li could live a normal life. He hoped that Chen Li could emerge from the darkness. Zhuge Yu believed that with Chen Li’s talent in painting, there were many more emotions that Chen Li could explore as artistic themes, and gloom or fear shouldn’t be the entirety of it.

So when Zhuge Yu heard Chen Li’s hoarse voice calling him “teacher,” he excitedly paced around the studio several times. He immediately called Zhuge Feng and boasted for a good half hour, his voice even choked with emotion.

Zhuge Yu truly treated Chen Li as his own son, showering him with affection. And in return, Chen Li brought him immense pride and joy.

One day, Zhuge Yu, feeling inspired, obtained Chen Li’s consent and hung one of his recent works in his friend’s art gallery.

To his surprise, within a week, Zhuge Yu received several inquiries from his friends, asking if he was willing to sell the painting. Many expressed a desire to collect the artwork.

Zhuge Yu didn’t give an immediate refusal or acceptance. As the painting belonged to Chen Li, he naturally had to consider Chen Li’s opinion. If Chen Li was willing to sell the artwork, Zhuge Yu wouldn’t object.

When Zhuge Yu presented this question to Chen Li, Chen Li tilted his head and looked at Zhuge Yu with some confusion.

“Chen Li, they appreciate your art, they like your painting, and they believe your art has value that warrants collecting. Moreover, as artists, we don’t completely detach ourselves from this world. We also need to earn money and prove our worth through various means. The Dream Cup is one way to prove our worth. Many people are willing to pay a high price to collect our paintings, but you must remember that price and value are not synonymous. We should not degrade our own worth for the sake of money.”

Zhuge Yu emphasized his words with sincerity. He would take Chen Li’s paintings to his friend’s gallery for exhibitions, and he even wanted Chen Li to participate in the Dream Cup for this reason – to create a sense of value for Chen Li’s existence.

He couldn’t predict the future, nor could he guarantee Wei Chen’s character. Although Wei Chen currently showered Chen Li with immense favor and his heart was fully invested in Chen Li, what about the future?

In the face of an unpredictable future, Zhuge Yu felt that everything was futile. Instead of entrusting Chen Li’s entire life to an uncertain future, it would be better to let Chen Li live a valuable life and not become Wei Chen’s appendage. In case of any unexpected events between them in the future, at least Chen Li wouldn’t feel like life is unbearable just because he’s no longer with Wei Chen.

Zhuge Yu wasn’t undermining the relationship between Chen Li and Wei Chen out of spite. He was merely an experienced person and an observer, not entangled in the fog of love, so naturally, he could see more clearly and think further.

Of course, he hoped that Wei Chen and Chen Li could have a long-lasting relationship, but such a lasting relationship couldn’t be sustained by Wei Chen alone. Chen Li needed to grow and achieve something, which would naturally provide an extra layer of security for their future.

Chen Li, still somewhat bewildered by Zhuge Yu’s words, didn’t yet understand his own worth. Perhaps in Chen Li’s mind, due to the Chen family’s affairs, he felt worthless and devoid of any value.

Although he couldn’t comprehend the feeling of inferiority, the seed of inferiority had already taken root in Chen Li’s heart. If Zhuge Yu didn’t allow Chen Li to create value in his life, then in the future, as Wei Chen climbed higher and higher, even if Wei Chen continued to treat Chen Li well, showering him with affection and love, the deeply rooted inferiority would eventually sprout. At that time, it would be Chen Li who would suffer.

Love is certainly not about two people being equal or coming from the same background, but it also needs to be built on a certain foundation. Currently, that foundation is lacking, just like a house without a solid foundation. Initially, it may be possible to build a beautiful house, but as the house grows taller, the foundation will eventually collapse under the strain.

Zhuge Yu naturally wouldn’t discuss these matters with Chen Li. He also knew that Wei Chen wouldn’t want Chen Li to know these things. In Wei Chen’s perspective, he wanted to create a protective environment for Chen Li, shielding him from all the storms of the outside world. Zhuge Yu admired Wei Chen, but as someone who had lived for more than half a lifetime, Zhuge Yu deeply understood that life is not a fairy tale. Even if Wei Chen can withstand one year, ten years, can he withstand a lifetime? Won’t there be moments of exhaustion?

Naturally, Zhuge Yu also wanted Chen Li to be well in this protective environment, but before that, he hoped Chen Li could strengthen himself. When Wei Chen was outside, weathering storms and occasionally showing signs of fatigue, Chen Li would have a strong shoulder for Wei Chen to lean on.

Love may be passionate and reckless, and one can give up everything for the other, endure hardships and obstacles for them. However, life and marriage have always been about mutual support in order to accompany each other for a lifetime.

Although Chen Li still wasn’t clear about the value Zhuge Yu mentioned, he had a faint idea in his heart. Because of this idea, he agreed to participate in the Dream Cup, and it was also because of this idea that when Zhuge Yu asked if his paintings could be sold, Chen Li nodded in agreement.

He remembered a sentence Zhuge Yu once told him: Only when he grows up himself can he be with Wei Chen forever without any worries.

Once the gallery owner received Zhuge Yu’s response, he immediately contacted the people who wanted to collect Chen Li’s painting. The gallery owner was experienced in this field and knew how to maximize profits. He had his own means.

Three days later, the gallery owner transferred a sum of money to Zhuge Yu—a seven-figure amount. After deducting the gallery’s commission, it was the entire income that Chen Li would receive.

Seeing this sum of money, Zhuge Yu was somewhat surprised. Nowadays, many moderately well-known artists can’t even sell their paintings for this price. As for Chen Li, not to mention being an artist, he hadn’t even had any paintings circulating in the market before. How could it be sold for a seven-figure price? Zhuge Yu found it hard to believe.

“I’m surprised too, but those people really liked your student’s painting. They were arguing passionately and constantly raising the bid. You should know that your student is not well-known at all. I hadn’t even advertised the gimmick of it being painted by Zhuge Yu’s student!” The gallery owner was equally perplexed.

Regardless of how unbelievable it seemed to Zhuge Yu and the gallery owner, the fact remained that Chen Li’s painting had not only been sold but also sold for a high price.