**Chapter 85: Signing the Contract**
Translator: Namizaki
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Lu Yuzhou watched Chi Zhongqiao handle the aggressive questioning for the first time. His clasped hands slowly tightened, and his eyes revealed an unusually deep, icy coldness.
Facing the media cameras, the executives remained silent for a few seconds before flashing friendly smiles at the reporter who had posed the question.
The reporter, undeterred, repeated the question.
Chi Zhongqiao adjusted the microphone slightly and smiled at the reporter. “Du Ke was founded by chance by Ms. Du Qingping and her husband, De Li. Du Ke’s first menswear piece was personally tailored by Ms. Du Qingping for Mr. De Li. From the fabric selection to the design and every stitch, it was imbued with Ms. Du Qingping’s love for her husband. The founders’ devoted and unwavering affection remains an enduring source of envy for generations to come.
It is precisely because of this legendary couple that Du Ke’s design philosophy centers on crafting each garment with love, making it a trendsetter in the fashion world…”
Throughout the entire interview, Chi Zhongqiao never mentioned Zhao Lunce. Instead, he skillfully steered the conversation back to Du Ke’s founders, piecing together a fairytale-like love story while praising Du Ke’s design philosophy. He lauded how Du Ke infused love into simplicity, his words bringing smiles to the faces of the Du Ke executives.
The reporter was thoroughly confused. Chi Zhongqiao seemed to have answered his question, yet somehow hadn’t.
Before the reporter could unravel the ambiguity, Chi Zhongqiao’s impromptu love story reached its conclusion. The executives, led by the head of the company, immediately burst into applause. “Well said!”
The reporter: ???
Are you all in on this?
The staff gave the reporter no chance to press further, immediately inviting the next media outlet to step forward. The newly arrived reporter cast a wary glance at Chi Zhongqiao, then, under the benevolent gazes of the industry titans at the signing table, nervously rephrased the question they had prepared.
Lu Yuzhou, seated in the audience, witnessed Chi Zhongqiao’s masterful performance for the first time. He couldn’t suppress a smile, shaking his head in amusement.
Having learned from the first reporter’s experience, the remaining journalists seemed to realize this wasn’t the place for reckless questioning. They toned down their approach, though some still tried to corner Chi Zhongqiao into a slip-up. However, he deftly parried their probing with vague, Tai Chi-like evasions, leaving them no opening to exploit.
He never spoke ill of anyone, only praised others. Whenever reporters tried to steer him toward Zhao Lunce, he immediately pivoted back to touting the “chicken soup” philosophy of Du Ke’s founder. The key was that Du Ke’s executives and Chi Zhongqiao worked in perfect harmony, consistently steering the conversation back to the Du Ke brand.
The reporters were forced to swallow a whole night of century-old chicken soup, retreating in disgruntled silence.
One by one, the most persistent reporters were rebuffed, finally bringing the Q&A session to an end.
Below the stage, Lu Yuzhou quietly retracted his phone, saving the video he had just recorded.
On stage, Chi Zhongqiao’s sharp eyes caught Lu Yuzhou retracting his phone. The earlier gesture of raising the phone had seemed like… recording a video? Chi Zhongqiao glanced at him suspiciously before being ushered away from the signing table by his assistants.
As he left through the backstage area, the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. He dismissed his assistants, sent a message to Du Yusheng, and headed for the parking lot.
As expected, Lu Yuzhou was waiting for him there.
The moment Chi Zhongqiao got into the car, he fixed his gaze on Lu Yuzhou’s phone. “What were you recording just now?”
Lu Yuzhou suppressed a smile. “Nothing.”
Chi Zhongqiao didn’t believe him. As someone accustomed to being filmed, he knew exactly what that posture meant—Lu Yuzhou had definitely been secretly recording a video.
President Lu, at home, approached the negotiation table with the same ease as he would a dinner table. He had mastered every form of diplomatic maneuvering and seen every kind of strategic formation, having dealt with countless media outlets and rival companies.
Chi Zhongqiao, suspecting Lu Yuzhou had recorded him earlier because he found him amusing, poked Lu Yuzhou.
President Lu: “What’s wrong, Qiao-ge?”
Chi Zhongqiao: “You were filming me earlier, weren’t you? Delete it now.”
President Lu maintained a serious expression. “I wasn’t.”
Seizing the opportunity while Lu Yuzhou hadn’t yet turned the ignition, Chi Zhongqiao reached for Lu Yuzhou’s phone. “I saw you recording.”
Pinned against the driver’s seat, Lu Yuzhou hid the phone behind his back. “I’ll delete it, but Qiao-ge has to answer one question first.”
Chi Zhongqiao pressed down on him. “Ask away.”
A twinkle of amusement lit Lu Yuzhou’s eyes. “Qiao-ge mentioned so many exemplary families in the industry earlier. Did you forget one?”
Chi Zhongqiao paused, then chuckled. “Fine, there’s also our Chi family.”
Expecting Lu Yuzhou to argue, Chi Zhongqiao was surprised when Lu Yuzhou simply handed him the phone. “Qiao-ge said it himself. So, when will Qiao-ge add me to the family registry?”
Zaki~ English is not my first language, but I’ll try to get the translations as close as possible to the Author’s work. If you see any grammatical errors or mistakes in the translation, please feel free to drop them in the comments section so I can correct them immediately. Thank you and Happy Reading 🙂
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