The days flowed by like a gentle stream. After the film festival, Quan Jiu experienced an explosive surge in popularity across the entire internet. Coupled with the successive revelations of her various identities by netizens, her fame even eclipsed that of top celebrities in the entertainment industry.
Yet, despite being such an outstanding and perfect individual, neither capitalists, investors, nor reporters could find her. It was as if she had vanished into thin air.
Since that was the case, they could only wait and see.
Thus, Chu Xin Culture, Yun Lan Ge, and the Embroidery Bureau became the places everyone staked out.
On this day, Guo Xiao once again struggled to push her way through the throng of reporters and into the building. Looking at the towering stack of documents and cooperation contracts in her hands, she ascended in the elevator, feeling both pain and pleasure.
Upon arriving at the company, she found the reception area already piled high with files. Without a doubt, they must have been forcefully handed to the receptionists by people downstairs.
Resigned, she began to sort and categorize all the documents. Even after removing duplicates, there were still nearly five centimeters of files. On her own workstation, several stacks were already present.
"When will the boss be back?" Guo Xiao muttered softly.
"She's back now."
Suddenly, a pleasant voice sounded beside her ear. Guo Xiao looked up, feeling a bit bewildered. Who was this elegant old lady? How could her voice sound like the boss's?
Quan Jiu smiled gently, "Bring all the documents to my office. Inform everyone, we'll have a meeting in an hour."
Guo Xiao's eyes widened. She quickly gathered a large armful of documents and carried them to the CEO's office, then sent a notification in the group chat.
"Everyone, the boss is back. We have a meeting in an hour."
As soon as the message went out, the group chat erupted. Whether artists, agents, or employees, everyone cheered with excitement.
Xing Di, who was already on his way to a magazine photoshoot, saw the message and urgently called out to the driver, "Wait, turn around, head back to the company."
He then hastily called the director, his voice weak and feeble, "Director, I'm so sorry, I ate something bad last night and was sick all morning. I'm on my way to the hospital for an IV drip now. This morning's shoot..."
Upon hearing it was a health issue, the director agreed without question, even reminding him to take care of himself and directly rescheduled the male lead's scenes for the next day.
Xing Di was not the only one to take sudden leave. Anyone working in A City, upon hearing the news, simultaneously took leave for various reasons, ranging from diarrhea to broken fingers – in short, a wide variety of excuses.
An hour later, the conference room, which could accommodate hundreds of people, was packed.
Quan Jiu looked at the artists who should have been working and asked curiously, "Do none of you have schedules today?"
The artists chuckled and collectively shook their heads, offering a flurry of excuses.
Finally, when most people had arrived, Quan Jiu projected the documents prepared by Guo Xiao, along with the numerous resources she had personally selected, onto the large screen.
"As I said before, all of you have the opportunity to play leading roles. I have listed the directors we will be collaborating with. You will each find your own opportunities and strive to secure the roles."
The artists' eyes lit up. Even the artists on the fringes had a chance. This was the first time they had encountered such a generous company and boss.
"Additionally, I have compiled a list of collaborators and investors. The marketing and investment departments will need to negotiate with these businesses."
The managers of the two departments beamed as they looked at the extensive business opportunities. The feeling of business coming to them was incredibly satisfying.
After arranging all matters, Quan Jiu left in a hurry, heading to Yun Lan Ge.
Every January, Yun Lan Ge holds a general meeting, which is the annual conference.
Upon arriving at Yun Lan Ge, she saw the embroidery hall filled with many people. Quan Jiu entered and saw that they were interviewing embroiderers.
This year, she planned to expand Yun Lan Ge. Previously, the biggest drawback of Yun Lan Ge was its limited output. Although she would not engage in mass production in the future, ten pieces per year were insufficient. Her goal for this year was one hundred pieces, and of course, each piece would still be high-end custom.
As an elder of the Embroidery Bureau's Elder Council, she utilized this identity, and embroiderers from all over the country rushed to her, leading to the scene before her.
Quan Jiu approached the HR department and asked, "How many new embroiderers have been hired so far?"
The HR manager looked up, paused slightly, and then said with pleasant surprise, "Pavilion Master." The Pavilion Master's appearance had already been revealed online, and the HR manager found it both amusing and speechless. The employees of their Yun Lan Ge were probably the only ones who knew their Pavilion Master from the internet.
Her greeting also drew the attention of the embroiderers. Embroiderers were artisans with a craftsman's spirit. Therefore, in their eyes, she was not only their future boss but also the granddaughter of the legendary embroidery master Wang Huiping, who was once renowned both domestically and internationally.
In an instant, the embroiderers were even more excited than the HR department. They crowded around Quan Jiu, speaking to her one after another.
"Pavilion Master, I saw Elder Wang Huiping's embroidery exhibition. It was truly magnificent."
"Pavilion Master, I really want to join Yun Lan Ge."
The embroiderers' enthusiasm was overwhelming, and Quan Jiu was jostled around. Finally, the HR manager stepped forward, forcefully escorting Quan Jiu away from the interview area.
"Fame brings trouble, Pavilion Master. You are now a celebrity across the entire internet, and it's quite dangerous when you're out and about," the HR manager joked.
Quan Jiu sighed helplessly. Exposure would lead to endless harassment, which was indeed a headache.
...
After spending over two hours at Yun Lan Ge and arranging various tasks, Quan Jiu prepared to visit Bai Jing at the Embroidery Bureau to say hello. After all, Bai Jing had helped her considerably with hiring embroiderers for Yun Lan Ge.
Upon arriving at the Embroidery Bureau, she was surprised to see Lou Mingfang being interviewed by reporters at the main entrance.
"She is truly surprising. She is the most young and promising embroiderer I have ever met. Yes, you all like to call her Pavilion Master, or Elder, or Boss, but in my eyes, she is a qualified embroiderer. She has perfectly inherited her grandmother's skills. The new generation surpasses the old; the youth are to be feared. It is time for us old folks to step aside."
Quan Jiu covered her face with a scarf, feeling a touch of emotion. She hadn't expected Lou Mingfang to say words of such affirmation.
After listening for a moment, Quan Jiu quietly slipped into the office area from the side.
Bai Jing was processing documents when she heard a few knocks. Looking up, she exclaimed with surprise, "Miss Quan, how did you get in? Weren't you surrounded by those reporters?"
"I came in disguised," Quan Jiu smiled. "You seem to have gotten used to being the Bureau Chief."
Bai Jing sighed, "I'm used to it, but there's a lot of work. Speaking of which, I have you to thank. If you hadn't helped me back then, I would probably have been pushed out."
"Let's not talk about pleasantries," Quan Jiu said, handing Bai Jing a contract. It was for collaboration.
Bai Jing had no reason to refuse. Both of them were sincere, and the deal was happily concluded. Yun Lan Ge became the Embroidery Bureau's largest Yun Jin supplier, and its products would also be exported overseas.
Quan Jiu stayed at Yun Lan Ge until almost five o'clock when she unexpectedly received a call from the Public Security Bureau, asking her to come in.