บท 5: Mercedes-Benz Launch Party (1)

After attending a three-day seminar on the mobile communications industry, Liu Xin and Jiang Yan returned to Shenzhen.

During these three days, Murong Feng took them around, mainly focusing on Jiang Yan since Liu Xin had lived in Beijing for many years and had already visited all the famous landmarks. They dined lavishly at every meal, visited nightclubs and bars, and received such attentive and luxurious hospitality that Jiang Yan felt a bit embarrassed. Liu Xin, however, loudly proclaimed that they should take advantage of this generosity. Liu Xin did not plan to tell Jiang Yan about their startup plans just yet, as they were still in the early stages of their relationship, and he didn't want to reveal too much about Murong Feng's affairs. He only mentioned that Murong Feng had come into a bit of money.

Murong Feng transferred 10 million yuan¹ to Liu Xin's account, who would handle all the preparations for setting up the company after returning to Shenzhen. Liu Xin, adhering to the principle of clear accounts between brothers, told him that Murong Feng would hold 60% of the company's shares, Liu Xin would hold 20% as technical equity, and the remaining 20% would be reserved to attract more talent and institutions. Murong Feng didn't mind the distribution of shares; he simply wanted to provide a platform for his brother to prove himself. Although he initially intended to give Liu Xin a larger share, Liu Xin firmly refused, so he let it be.

After Liu Xin left, Murong Feng found himself idle again. After some hesitation, he decided to start working at Fashion Weekly. Since he had already promised Ouyang Lanruo, who was looking forward to it, it wouldn't be right to keep delaying.

Originally a handsome man, Murong Feng, now with money, didn't mind the prices. He bought a large batch of various brand clothes in one shopping trip, filling his entire wardrobe. Having had a girlfriend in the fashion industry for a long time had indeed cultivated his taste in clothing. Entering his wardrobe, he made a brief selection: a light-colored plaid casual shirt from Sisley, paired with light-colored trousers from Versace, a brown Dunhill belt, brown G. Ferre leather shoes, and from his watch collection, he chose his favorite IWC Pilot's Watch Timezoner "Saint Exupery Special Edition." Then he drove his Audi to work.

Arriving at the magazine office, when Xv Wei saw him, she looked a bit gloomy. Any supervisor would feel frustrated if a new employee introduced by their immediate superior hadn't shown up for a week, especially when it was someone like Murong Feng. However, she was too busy to say much to him and quickly grabbed a nearby girl, briefly introduced Murong Feng, and then went about her own business.

The girl was also an editor in the Urban Life section, named Wang Xin, with the English name Ruby. She was a fashionable woman around 25 or 26 years old. With her extensive experience in the fashion industry, she quickly assessed the man in front of her: stylish, tall, and handsome, definitely a rare find. She immediately smiled brightly, "Murong Feng, right? Just call me Ruby. You've come at a great time. We're having a celebration party tonight in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz for their new product launch. We all need to go. Do you have any good connections with the media or clients? You can invite them too, but you need to hurry. We've been preparing for this for the past few days."

As she spoke, she led him to a seat, which was one of the better positions in the office area. She said, "This is your seat. Feel free to look through the materials. I'll have the IT department bring you a laptop later. Our editorial department just got a batch of 13-inch new Apple laptops. I'll have them prepare a black one for you. It suits you better!" She smiled sweetly.

Murong Feng politely thanked her and looked around at the busy people nearby.

A smartly dressed beauty was standing by the window, talking on the phone, "No, we must arrange a separate Mercedes to pick up Zhou Xun. Haven't I reminded you about this multiple times? How could you neglect it?... Yes, figure out a solution and discuss it with Mercedes. Yes, she must be picked up at Sihui Bridge by 7:30 PM..."

Tsk tsk, this must be what they call the fashion industry, Murong Feng thought, shaking his head. He sat down and began flipping through the inaugural issue of Fashion Weekly on his desk. The cover featured the actress Zhou Xun, who the beauty on the phone had mentioned. It seemed they had a good relationship to get her for the cover.

Suddenly, he wondered if he might see Nian Nian at such a fashion industry event. The thought made his heart skip a beat, stirring emotions within him. Being in the same city, they would meet eventually, right? Perhaps agreeing to join Fashion Weekly wasn't just about the job but also about the possibility of seeing her again. However, tonight's Mercedes-Benz launch event likely had little to do with cosmetics, so the chances of meeting her were slim.

Lost in his thoughts, he was suddenly interrupted by Ouyang Lanruo's hurried footsteps as she walked through the corridor. She stopped abruptly when she saw him, then hurriedly walked over with a surprised expression, "Xiao Feng, you're here!"

Murong Feng stood up with a smile, "Yes, Sister Lan, I just arrived today. I didn't expect the company to be so busy. I can't be of much help for now..." Ouyang Lanruo's expression was still one of pleasant surprise, "I'm really glad you could come. By the way, you must attend the party tonight. This launch celebration was hard-won, and it marks a good start for our magazine!" Seeing Ouyang Lanruo's excitement, Murong Feng nodded and said, "Okay, I'll definitely attend."

Ouyang Lanruo nodded with a smile, "By the way, for the cocktail party tonight, you should change into formal attire... Let's go shopping for a suit after I finish my work." Suddenly noticing his attire, she made a soft sound of surprise. With her discerning eye, she naturally knew that these brands were quite expensive. Since his breakup, he had no one to help him manage his wardrobe, so how had he suddenly become more tasteful?

Caught in her thoughts, Murong Feng quickly said, "No need, Sister Lan, I have formal clothes. I won't let you down tonight, hehe." Their relationship was close, so their conversation lacked formality. Ouyang Lanruo nodded, about to say something when someone called her from a distance. She responded and smiled at Murong Feng, "Alright, make sure you come tonight. If I don't see you, you'll be in trouble!" With a charming smile, she turned and walked away quickly.

Watching her hurried departure, Murong Feng shook his head and smiled. This sister really treated him familiarly, joking even in the office. Sitting down to continue reading the magazine, Wang Xin suddenly approached and whispered, "Wow, Murong Feng, you know the boss?" Murong Feng smiled, "We've known each other for a while." Wang Xin nodded repeatedly, walking away with even more admiration in her eyes.

At noon, Xu Wei suddenly walked over and loudly announced, "We have a new colleague in our department today. Lunch is at Yuxin, my treat." The crowd cheered. Xu Wei walked to Murong Feng's desk, her face still showing some displeasure, "Let's go, great talent!" She was annoyed, thinking it was unfair that she had to treat new colleagues because of company tradition, and this guy seemed like her nemesis.

Seeing her childish sulking face, Murong Feng couldn't help but find it amusing. This devilishly attractive supervisor acted like a kid.

At Yuxin, the department settled down. Looking around, Murong Feng finally understood what a fashion magazine was all about, surrounded by beautiful women. Out of the 14 people at the table, only two were men, including himself. The other man was a photographer. Each person introduced themselves: Susan, Lily, Rebeca... The room was filled with names and faces.

By the time he returned to the office, he was exhausted. However, the thought of attending the evening's reception gave him a renewed sense of purpose. After all, it was a significant event for the magazine, and he wanted to make a good impression.

Murong Feng made sure he was appropriately dressed for the event. A black formal suit, a light blue dress shirt, a dark green narrow tie, and Hugo Boss black lace-up shoes. He also switched to a Lange & Söhne watch that complemented his outfit. Looking at himself in the mirror, he realized that clothes do indeed make the man. He smiled wryly, thinking, this is what Nian Nian always wanted me to be, but now that she's gone, I've easily achieved it all. It's just fate! Feeling a bit melancholic, he shook off his thoughts and headed downstairs to drive to the event location. As he drove, he resolved to live life to the fullest and make the most of the opportunities he had been given.