Chapter Thirty-Four: It's Easy to Give Advice When You're Not the One Suffering

After stating their purpose upon entering KUKU’s office building, Chen Qi and his two companions were led by the staff to a lounge.

“Mr. Qian said you should wait here. He’ll need about another hour,” the staff member said, pouring them a pot of tea.

“Alright,” Xu Bunian nodded.

Once the staff had left, Chen Qi asked, “Another hour?”

It was already past ten thirty; waiting another hour would bring them to nearly the end of the workday.

“Yeah,” Xu Bunian nodded again. “He mentioned it on the phone just now—there’s really no way for him to leave at the moment.”

“Is he reliable?” Chen Qi suddenly asked.

Xu Bunian was momentarily taken aback, hesitating. “You mean... in what sense?”

“Is he trustworthy? Can we count on him?”

“Oh.” Xu Bunian understood and replied, “He’s dependable. We’ve been working with them for almost three years. Besides, this advertising issue put him in a tough spot. If it weren’t for the other higher-ups constantly dissatisfied, he wouldn’t have sought out another ad agency.”

Chen Qi nodded thoughtfully, leaving the matter at that.

Xu Bunian glanced at him curiously. “Why ask all of a sudden?”

Chen Qi smiled. “Nothing, just being a bit cautious.”

Suddenly, Xu Bunian understood and laughed. “Don’t worry. We’ve known each other for years—he wouldn’t sabotage us over an advertisement.” After a pause, he added, “Actually, he’s more eager than us to find a stellar slogan. It’s not just about his position in the company—it affects their entire performance.”

Chen Qi nodded slightly, saying no more.

Xu Bunian’s lips moved as if he wanted to say something, then, after hesitating for a moment, he finally voiced his question. “Are you really that confident?”

Chen Qi nodded again.

Xu Bunian watched him for a long moment, but ultimately refrained from probing further, knowing this was not the place for such conversations.

“Can you give me a hint? Just a little, so I’ll feel at ease.” Manager Zhao, who had been silent and holding back for ages, finally couldn’t suppress his curiosity any longer. “Don’t get me wrong—I trust you. I’m just really curious.”

Chen Qi simply smiled, saying nothing.

“Ah—” Manager Zhao looked utterly exasperated.

If not for his lingering confidence in Chen Qi’s abilities, and if not for his sheer curiosity, he would have left this place long ago rather than endure this torment. It was simply unbearable.

“Relax, relax.” Chen Qi, with the typical ease of someone whose words cost him nothing, pointed at Xu Bunian. “Look at Mr. Xu—so calm.”

Xu Bunian gave him a helpless smile, wondering to himself, “Do you think I don’t want to know? But I know you’re unlikely to say anything.”

Manager Zhao said nothing for a long while, perhaps suffering some internal injury from the ordeal. After what seemed an eternity, just as everyone was nearly ready to leave the whole matter behind, he murmured, “Actually, your resignation seems like a good thing.”

Chen Qi froze for a moment, then erupted in laughter.

Xu Bunian joined in, his tightly wound nerves finally relaxing a bit.

Half an hour passed, and the staff member who’d made their tea finally returned, knocking and entering.

“Mr. Qian is finishing up. Please follow me.”

Xu Bunian promptly rose, casting a grave look at Chen Qi, and led them toward Mr. Qian’s office.

Whether they succeeded or not depended on this moment.

“Mr. Xu,” the staff member said, seeing Xu Bunian heading the wrong way, “Mr. Qian isn’t in his office—he’s waiting for you with the other executives in the conference room.”

Xu Bunian paused, then followed the staff.

As they arrived, the conference room door swung open, and several men in suits emerged.

The leader, a thin middle-aged man, paused upon seeing the trio.

“Mr. Xu?” he asked, approaching them with a look of confusion.

“That’s Han Dong, general manager of Red Apricot—our old rival,” Manager Zhao whispered to Chen Qi.

“Han Dong?” The name was familiar, and Chen Qi scrutinized him.

“Mr. Xu, what’s going on here?” Han Dong looked at Xu Bunian, amusement in his eyes and an air of triumph between his brows.

Nothing is more satisfying than stealing a competitor’s client—except, perhaps, boasting about it in front of them.

“Oh, nothing much. We suddenly had a good idea and wanted to discuss it with the leadership here,” Xu Bunian replied with a smile, showing no sign of anger or frustration.

Han Dong’s eyes widened, as if he didn’t quite grasp the meaning.

A good idea?

What did that mean? Weren’t they already eliminated?

A few seconds later, he belatedly turned his gaze to Xu Bunian’s companions.

He recognized Manager Zhao, so his attention lingered on Chen Qi.

“And this is...?” he asked, though he already guessed the answer.

“Chen Qi,” Xu Bunian replied in an unhurried tone, with a hint of pride. “You’ve probably heard of him.”

As Xu Bunian introduced him, Chen Qi nodded politely to Han Dong.

“So, you’re Chen Qi?”

Just as Han Dong was about to step forward and speak, a round-faced, portly man hurried out of the conference room.

“Mr. Qian,” Xu Bunian said, quickly approaching him.

Chen Qi and Manager Zhao followed.

Behind them, Han Dong, words on the tip of his tongue, frowned unconsciously. For some reason, he suddenly felt a sense of unease, especially after seeing Qian Dafeng, the general manager of KUKU, greet Xu Bunian and his group.

Han Dong hadn't connected with KUKU through Qian Dafeng; during the ad discussions earlier, Qian Dafeng had repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with their proposal.

“Mr. Han?” a staff member reminded him, “We should go.”

“No, wait,” Han Dong shook his head, as if making up his mind. “You go ahead. I’ll stay a bit longer.”

He couldn’t relax until Xu Bunian and his team emerged. He wasn’t even sure where his unease came from.

Blueprint had run out of options—what was there to worry about?

Was it because of Chen Qi?

Impossible, wasn’t it?