Courir partout et jouer des rôles mineurs

Chapitre 43

"Little Linzi, it is as if we are meeting in person."

I took note of the spelling mistakes you made last time. Those words were indeed difficult to write. You know I'm not good at studying, so don't be so 'fussy'—you didn't make any mistakes this time, did you? I checked the dictionary; I definitely won't make any more mistakes!

Xiao Linzi, I heard Yin Yeyao went home. Why didn't you tell me? Although I don't like him, as a man of principle, I wouldn't stoop to his level. What a pity, I couldn't even take him for a drink before leaving. You know, friendships between men are often built over drinks. The school is strict, but it can't stop us from secretly drinking.

I saw Li Changsheng's advertisements at the instructor's house; they were everywhere—did I write a lot of idioms? You can't call me illiterate anymore.

I heard it was your idea. What kind of taste do you have? Why did you choose this dark-skinned kid to shoot the ad? Look at him on TV, he's darker than charcoal. I heard that other people have to wear makeup for TV shows, the makeup artist who did his makeup must be crying their eyes out. And his robbery move wasn't good either. I just learned a new set of grappling techniques, I'll let you practice at home, then you'll know that his is just fancy footwork.

Our instructor said that your advertisement has a serious negative impact on people's minds and has corrupted his family's children, and he wants you to pay compensation.

You said I should study hard and make progress. I'm now second in my class in academic courses and first in my professional courses. The police academy doesn't award "Three Good Students," but they did give me an "Outstanding Student" certificate, which I'm sending to you with this letter. Keep it safe and give it to me during your vacation. I want to keep it as a family heirloom!

As for going to university to continue studying, the instructors said that we would be assigned jobs after graduation, guaranteed to be secure and prestigious positions. There was no need to bother with university entrance exams; they said that studying too much would make you stupid, so you shouldn't study too many books.

Finally, you said one should be kind and considerate. I've written you so many letters, and you've only replied to one, and you even complained that I'm long-winded. You have no conscience!

Brother: Lu Shun.

May 21, 1990

Unfolding the bulging certificate that accompanied the letter, the four gold-embossed characters for "Outstanding Student" leapt into view. Shang Lin grinned and made a face at the certificate, as if Lü Shun were right in front of him.

He unfolded it, touched it, and then carefully put it away. Last year, the petty hoodlum Lü Shun successfully entered the police academy, and this year he received an award for outstanding student. Not bad, not bad at all; he has a promising future.

Shang Lin was filled with pride. It was something to be proud of to make a bad person positive and change someone's life.

Chang Sheng held the letter and began flipping through the dictionary, his brows furrowed. He understood the three characters "Li Chang Sheng," but he couldn't understand the entire contents of the letter. However, even a fool could tell that Lü Shun couldn't possibly say anything nice.

You idiot!

Qiu Shanglin never replies to a letter he sends every month!

Ah, I understand now, I understand! I understand the word 'advertisement'! Chang Sheng's heart jumped. Advertisement? Lü Shun mentioned advertisement. What did he write? How did he evaluate himself?

Seeing his nervous look, Shanglin smiled and said, "Give it to me."

He unfolded the letter and read it aloud, stealing glances at Li Changsheng's expression as he did so.

After reading the letter, Changsheng's already dark face turned bright red, and he angrily shouted, "It's not my fault, it was all your idea!"

In a fit of anger, he stormed out of the door.

Qiu Shanglin laughed so hard inside the room that the world turned upside down.

The Mocha Cat children's clothing advertisement had been airing in southern China for some time, but due to certain policies in the province, it was delayed until March of this year before it was broadcast on the provincial TV station. This immediately caused a great stir.

To paraphrase Shang Lin, Li Changsheng, you've become incredibly famous!

Don't assume he'll become a household name as a child star.

In fact, after the advertisement aired, Li Changsheng became the villain in the hearts of millions of children, the first target they wanted to beat up whenever they saw him.

The advertisement lasts for fifteen seconds. Mocha Cat is wearing new clothes and happily goes to school. A cute human girl looks at her with envy. Suddenly, Li Changsheng, playing the Demon King, jumps out from the corner, snatches Mocha Cat, and runs away. The little girl defeats the Demon King with a few punches and kicks and saves Mocha Cat.

The final scene shows the Demon King squatting in the corner, drawing circles with a mournful expression: "I want Mocha Cat children's clothes."

It's impossible to describe the sensation caused by this advertisement. All we know is that since the provincial TV station started broadcasting it, a huge stack of letters has been delivered every week. These are letters from children in various cities across the province, condemning the "Great Demon King."

They vowed that when they grew up, they would protect Mocha Cat from being taken away by you!

The Great Demon King is a big bad guy, you're not allowed to wear cat clothes!

………

Li Changsheng was so frustrated he wanted to scratch the wall. How could he have resisted and blindly filmed the commercial after hearing the girl call him "brother" a few times?

How did I become the Demon King?

The Demon King is one thing, but can't I even get my hands on some clothes?

He became an instant sensation at school, and wherever he went, people would point and whisper, "Hey, is this the big devil who wants to steal Mocha?"

There was an advantage, though: the provincial television station sincerely invited him to appear on a children's program. After consulting with him and his maternal grandfather, Shanglin politely declined their offer.

It was just a hobby for Li Changsheng; he didn't like to show his face in public, and she didn't want him to make a living from it in the future.

In any case, thanks to him, Mocha Cat children's clothing sales in the province have reached new heights, and Mocha Cat's popularity has also skyrocketed. Everyone is filled with affection for the pitiful Mocha and wants to protect her.

A cameo appearance brought unexpected joy.

Changsheng refused the money offered to him, so Shanglin thought for a moment and saved the money that should have been given to him. He then lied and said that he had paid for extracurricular classes. The three of them had been going to the city's Children's Palace every week since first grade. Now, they were about to finish second grade and enter third grade, which had been more than a year.

Shanglin signed up for the guzheng (a traditional Chinese zither) and Xiaolin for Go (another traditional Chinese chess game), while Changsheng signed up for sketching.

Ultimately, Qiu Shanglin only cared about money and couldn't learn anything. After a short while of attending classes obediently, she went from going to the Children's Palace to heading straight to the Mocha Cat Stationery Store to check her accounts. Only Lin Changsheng and Qiu Shanglin were left behind. They couldn't leave, and staying was also difficult. Xia Lin suffered for several months, then raised the banner of rebellion and refused to go back to the city. Changsheng, on the other hand, liked it very much and persisted in studying until now.

The Mocha Cat Boutique in the provincial capital has recently become the center of attention again.

The boutique specializes in stationery, while the clothing store next door specializes in clothes. The two are not closely related, but they have attracted attention because the boutique recently launched a new marketing campaign.

Purchase stationery worth over 100 yuan at the boutique and receive a 10% discount coupon for the clothing store. Purchase an outfit at the clothing store and receive a book rental card for the boutique.

In the late 1980s, when the emphasis was on actual buying and selling, this policy undoubtedly attracted great attention.

Mocha Cat's clothing has always been positioned as mid-to-high-end, and the store never bargains or offers discounts. Now, however, they are actually willing to sell at a 10% discount?

Many people buy stationery on a whim and end up getting a 10% discount coupon, which can then be used to get a 10% discount on clothing at a clothing store—and it's not a defective item!

As the company grew, she decided to buy an office in the provincial capital. The location was considered very remote at the time, almost the most secluded part of the city. Only Shang Lin knew that with the development of the times, the increase in population, and the expansion of the city, the old commercial center was no longer suitable for urban development. Starting in 1997, the provincial government attracted investment and built a new commercial center in Huaiyin District. Since then, the bustling area has shifted eastward, and Huaiyin District's commercial center has become a place for leisure and entertainment. The once-prosperous old commercial center is now gradually declining and rarely remembered.

She clearly remembers that in 1993, when the plan to build a commercial center was still just a concept, a retail department store from out of town invested in buying a piece of land in Huaiyin District to build a supermarket building. This was ridiculed by the local people, who thought they were just wasting their time and money in a desolate area.

However, a year later, in 1994, the government's proposal was officially passed, and land prices in Huaiyin District skyrocketed, making it very difficult for companies to obtain government approvals.

The people of the provincial capital remain skeptical, believing that government matters are decided today and forgotten tomorrow, and what makes Huaiyin District a new commercial center?

When construction officially broke ground in the winter of 1996, the people of the provincial capital were astonished.

By the winter of 1997, a year later, the commercial center had basically taken shape, and the people of the provincial capital were amazed—they realized that land prices could rise to an astonishing level!

The supermarket building, completed long ago, remains untouched. Aside from the space used by his own supermarket, he rakes in rent daily, making a fortune. A local company offered three times the price he paid for the land and building, but he refused without hesitation. People in the provincial capital mocked him, saying he'd gone mad from making money; how high could land prices possibly rise?

Three years later, in 2000, the people of the provincial capital were once again shocked.

Land prices in Huaiyin District have doubled again.

After 2001, land prices grew wildly like weeds after a spring rain. The out-of-town company that was ridiculed was forced to close its supermarket due to poor management, but it didn't go bankrupt—the rent alone was enough to support them through the crisis.

This is a well-known example in the province's business community, demonstrating the importance of having a far-sighted investment vision.

Therefore, despite opposition from various parties within the company, Shanglin insisted on purchasing a plot of land in Huaiyin District to build office buildings.

Even if it's not used, I'll definitely reserve it first!

The previous advertising investment had taken up a large sum of money in the account, and Qiu Shanglin spent the funds recovered in the past six months on another large sum of money.

The TV director helped find a provincial-level construction company, gave the person in charge a sum of money, and built a five-story building on land in Huaiyin District at an extremely favorable price.

Five stories high; there aren't many five-story buildings in the entire provincial capital!

It has become another scenic spot.

She recalled the company staff scattered across various locations, bought land in the provincial capital, and settled down. Mocha Cat Co., Ltd., which had been drifting around without a fixed location, officially opened for business on June 1, 1990.

Firecrackers crackled and popped, cannons boomed, and confetti filled the air. The specially invited business associates and government officials gave their speeches with smiles on their faces, but appeared slightly stiff in front of the television cameras.

Shanglin has maintained good contact with the director and advertising department head at the TV station. Oh, by the way, the director got promoted and is now the deputy director of the TV station.

Standing in front of the bright glass window on the second floor, looking down at the open space below, everyone was all smiles, and the company's twenty-odd employees were all radiant and full of energy.

Mocha Cat Company has seven offices: Design Department, Production Department, Marketing Department, Sales Department, Logistics Department, Finance Office, and After-sales Service Department.

Qiu Shanglin owns 70% of the company's shares, and Yin Yeyao owns 30%. The two of them firmly control the company's shares. He doesn't manage affairs and leaves all the trivial matters to Qiu Shanglin.

Outsiders are largely unaware of the company's background, assuming it's invested by a wealthy southern businessman and managed by local staff, with no idea it was founded by an eight-year-old girl.

But she didn't want to take the lead. The people that Brother Hua had found had been mostly replaced in the past few years, and the one currently representing Shanglin as the director was her distant cousin.

Speaking of this cousin, he is also a legendary figure.

My maternal grandmother's relatives were more than five generations removed by blood, but she and her husband's grandmother were very close friends, childhood friends. They gradually lost contact after getting married. Decades passed in the blink of an eye, and their grandchildren grew up. A year ago, my maternal grandmother went to town, and the two of them reconnected.

My cousin's surname is Hua, and his given name is Hua Qianshan, which sounds like a martial arts name.

It is said that he was smart from a young age and did well in his studies. He passed the entrance exam for a vocational school to learn technical skills. After graduation, he was assigned to a machinery factory in the provincial capital. He interned in the workshop for a year and was promoted to office cadre in the second year. He was a key young cadre cultivated by the factory.