Xia Xiaolan didn’t catch what was said.
Chen Xiliang didn’t understand either.
But Chief Editor Cui understood, knowing his old friend’s habit was acting up again!
Looking carefully at Xia Xiaolan though, she was indeed very beautiful, the kind you couldn’t take your eyes off – delicate features on a small face, appearing delicate yet vulnerable, with a very straight back showing inner strength.
“Comrade Lin Shu, the TV series has already started production, and Qingwen’s role has been cast. Could you please stop being so fickle? I’m sorry about this, you two. This is Director Wang – it’s his occupational hazard, please don’t mind him. Please, have a seat.”
Chief Editor Cui’s home had a small living room, elegantly decorated. Before Xia Xiaolan and Chen Xiliang arrived, he had been entertaining his friend.
And this friend was a director.
Xia Xiaolan wasn’t excited at all. After Du Zhaohui’s invitation, she now had a physical aversion to anything related to acting.
“Hello, Chief Editor Cui. I heard you wanted to discuss our brand promotion. I hope we’re not disturbing your New Year’s rest?”
Chief Editor Cui exclaimed, “You came up with this promotion method? So young and accomplished!”
He had thought Chen Xiliang brought such a beautiful young woman because he knew Wang Linshu was here, trying to create an opportunity for her. But thinking carefully, that couldn’t be right – Wang Linshu’s visit was unexpected, and Chen Xiliang couldn’t have known in advance.
It turned out the promotional strategy was Xia Xiaolan’s idea, which surprised Chief Editor Cui.
He wanted to hear Xia Xiaolan’s thoughts.
From a business perspective, Xia Xiaolan couldn’t be too direct. But when it came to selling sentiment and telling stories, that wasn’t beyond her: “It’s nothing special. Celebrity endorsements are already well-established in places like Hong Kong. Ms. Wang Mingming happened to wear our brand during the Spring Festival Gala, which could have been an opportunity for collaboration, but as a startup domestic brand, we simply can’t afford a Hong Kong celebrity’s endorsement fee, so we came up with this approach.”
In other words, they wanted to leverage Wang Mingming’s influence without paying advertising fees.
In business terms, it was about making money however possible. The mainland didn’t have image rights laws yet, so what Xia Xiaolan and Chen Xiliang were doing wasn’t illegal.
But Xia Xiaolan knew it wasn’t fair to Wang Mingming, and she worried her matter-of-fact attitude might put off Chief Editor Cui, so she continued selling sentiment:
“With the money saved on promotion, we hope to focus on quality and create a domestic clothing brand that Chinese people can afford.”
Xia Xiaolan silently added in her heart, “Some Chinese people.”
Luna’s pricing wasn’t low.
Xia Xiaolan and Chen Xiliang were taking all the middleman profits.
In the clothing business, if you couldn’t make 50% profit, they might as well continue selling street market goods rather than creating a brand.
Chief Editor Cui didn’t know Xia Xiaolan’s inner thoughts. Did he find her ideas interesting – creating a domestic Chinese brand? Chen Xiliang was young enough, but Cui had assumed there would be a more mature “boss” behind him. Instead, Chen Xiliang brought a young girl. As a magazine editor, Cui had a sharp eye – Xia Xiaolan couldn’t be over 20!
That was judging by her dress and manner of speaking. Just looking at her face, she could pass for two or three years younger.
The concept of “fashion” was still foreign to Chinese people, yet these two young people wanted to create a domestic clothing brand. Chief Editor Cui had to admire their courage.
“When is your store opening? I heard from Mr. Chen it’s mid-March?”
When Chief Editor Cui spoke this way, Xia Xiaolan sensed an opportunity: “It mainly depends on your side. If we could make it into the March issue, that would be wonderful.”
Give her an inch, and she’d take a mile.
Beautiful people had an advantage in business negotiations. As a creative person, Xia Xiaolan could explain things more clearly. Chief Editor Cui’s doubts were dispelled, and he wouldn’t make things too difficult for them. Chen Xiliang’s charm offensive had been working since last year – Chinese fashion was just beginning to sprout, and Chen Xiliang had firmly attached himself to being a pioneer of Chinese fashion.
“Fashion” magazine’s circulation wasn’t particularly large, but its readers were targeted. Those who didn’t care about clothes wouldn’t read fashion magazines anyway.
Anyone reading fashion magazines in 1985 was a woman with money to spend.
That’s exactly the kind of customer Luna needed.
While Xia Xiaolan was engrossed in conversation with Chief Editor Cui, Director Wang kept observing her. Although Cui hadn’t agreed on the spot to help, Xia Xiaolan felt it was almost certain, and their conversation had moved from business to other topics. As someone in the fashion industry, Xia Xiaolan might not be an expert, but she could at least follow Chief Editor Cui’s train of thought.
As Chief Editor Cui was deeply engaged in conversation, Director Wang couldn’t wait any longer:
“Old Cui, let me say something. Comrade, I’m not a bad person or a fraud. I’m Wang Linshu, the director of ‘Dream of the Red Chamber.’ Old Cui can vouch for me. I think your appearance and temperament are exceptional. Would you be interested in coming to the production for a screen test?”
“Dream of the Red Chamber!”
It was February 1985 – could this be the 1987 version of “Dream of the Red Chamber”?
Xia Xiaolan was a bit shocked. Though she wasn’t artistic and had never dreamed of being a star in her previous life, she had certainly watched the TV adaptations of the Four Great Classical Novels. “Dream of the Red Chamber” had become legendary in the future… If it had been someone else who had reincarnated here today, they would surely have been excited by Director Wang’s offer. Even paying to participate in such a classic TV series would be worth it!
Unfortunately for Director Wang, he met Xia Xiaolan.
Xia Xiaolan was a steel-hearted engineering student. She didn’t have such delicate feelings about literary works – even classic TV series were just something to watch and move on from. She would never be obsessed with any character.
Whether Daiyu fans or Baochai fans, they couldn’t start an argument with Xia Xiaolan.
Besides, Director Wang wasn’t offering her a leading role – didn’t he mention “Qingwen” earlier?
Just a maid to the male lead Baoyu – Xia Xiaolan wasn’t interested.
Xia Xiaolan put on a regretful expression, “Director Wang, thank you for your kindness, but I can’t come for a screen test. I’m still in school.”
At this age, she must be in university.
Wang Linshu remained composed, “Students usually aren’t allowed to act, I understand, but the production team can communicate with the school. Are you at the Central Academy of Drama or Beijing Film Academy?”
She was really beautiful, with particularly spirited eyes. Director Wang thought Xia Xiaolan was promising talent.
Xia Xiaolan shook her head: “Director Wang, I’m not from either of those schools.”
Wang Linshu belatedly realized, “You’re not studying acting, are you? I forgot you were just discussing fashion with Old Cui – are you studying fashion design? Other schools might be a bit more difficult, but I’ll still try my best… By the way, which school do you attend?”
Xia Xiaolan hesitated to answer, and Chen Xiliang stepped in at the right moment:
“Director Wang, she’s from Tsinghua University, studying architecture.”
“Pfft—”
Chief Editor Cui sprayed his tea far across the room. He had been enthusiastically discussing China’s fashion prospects with an architecture student?!
Tsinghua was a good school, but an architecture student stealing the rice bowl of fashion designers – Chief Editor Cui couldn’t accept it at all. Director Wang couldn’t accept it either. The grand promises he’d made earlier now bounced back in his face, quite painfully.