With a bang, Qin Mu punched the table, his expression looking as if he wanted to devour someone.
Su Xingqi pretended to hold him back, persuading, "Qin Mu, don’t be angry anymore, it’s all my fault, I’m here being an eyesore to others... I, I am going to leave immediately..." As she spoke, she intentionally acted like she was about to stand up, looking aggrieved.
Qin Mu held her down abruptly, "Qiqi, you sit right here, let’s see who dares to ask you to leave!"
Then, he turned to Mr. Sun from Illusion Dream magazine: "Mr. Sun, are your employees always this crude?"
Mr. Sun frowned as well, knowing that the Qin Corporation was a major client capable of investing significantly in advertising. Ling Weilong’s reckless behavior was akin to pushing money away. He quickly tried to appease Qin Mu, "Mr. Qin, I apologize, Ling is an artist, and artists tend to have some bad temper. He didn’t intentionally target you, really."
He then turned to scold Ling Weilong, "Ling, hurry up and apologize to Mr. Qin!" ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel⚑fire.net
But Ling Weilong wouldn’t have it, "I didn’t say anything wrong; why should I apologize?"
This statement made Mr. Sun furious internally. This photographer, just because he was hired at a great expense as the chief to secure the venue, he had been pampered so much that he actually believed he was the king!
"Ling!" He emphasized his tone.
Seeing the tense atmosphere, the people from Huadie Clothing couldn’t help but intervene: "Alright, alright, it’s not a big deal, everyone should just say less. Let’s hurry up and start the meeting; everyone is busy, don’t delay."
They had their advertisements photographed by Ling Weilong, so naturally, they would side with him and couldn’t let him be belittled.
Mr. Sun was more than grateful to see someone mediating.
He didn’t want to truly reprimand his employee in front of so many outsiders. Even if he couldn’t stand Ling Weilong, some things should be dealt with internally; no need for outsiders to enjoy the drama. However, he had to consider Qin Mu’s feelings, which is why he had to pretend to angrily scold Ling Weilong.
With people from Huadie intervening, he seized the opportunity to step down.
He first glared at Ling Weilong: "Due to Mr. Zheng from Huadie’s consideration, I’ll deal with you later!" He then turned apologetically to Qin Mu, "Mr. Qin, I am really sorry, but what Mr. Zheng said is correct; time is tight. Perhaps we should start the meeting now, settling the cover matter early so everyone can be at ease."
Qin Mu wore a stern face but understood that this was Illusion Dream magazine, not the Qin Corporation’s domain. With Huadie people around, he wouldn’t gain any advantage even if he continued fussing. Thus, he snorted coldly in acceptance.
The meeting room returned to peace.
Mr. Sun wiped his sweat and guided the topic back on track: "We were talking about the Qin Bag photos earlier, so could Mr. Qin and Miss Su Xingqi present the photos?"
This was the point discussed before Su Xingyu entered.
Qin Mu nodded, signaling Mr. Zhao by the projector to open the PPT. Su Xingqi’s image immediately appeared on the large wall projection screen, dressed in expensive attire, elegantly seated in the VIP waiting area at the airport sipping coffee, with a Qin classic lambskin handbag beside her. This advertisement portrait was flawless in composition and lighting, earning admiration.
Qin Mu was confident: "This was taken by the renowned Chinese-American photographer King Claude, whose reputation you all know. Let me frankly say, none of Illusion Dream’s photographers can compare. This portrait perfectly interprets the Qin Bag’s noble and refined style, and Xingqi’s youthful face gives the photo a trendy look, ideally aligning with Illusion Dream’s positioning. I can’t think of a better photo for the cover."
He introduced with confidence, surveying the people in the meeting room.
The faces of Huadie Clothing people subtly furrowed as they acknowledged Qin Bag’s photo was indeed outstanding, especially with Su Xingqi’s alluring visage paired with her graceful performance, greatly captivating.
"It is indeed an outstanding piece, I think it’s suitable for the autumn and winter cover," Mr. Sun spoke.
He had supported the Qin Corporation from the beginning, due to the substantial investment they offered, which tempted him. Had it not been for Mr. Liu from the group consistently opposing, insisting on some ridiculous reputations and using Huadie’s adverts in sequence, this meeting wouldn’t have occurred. Upon seeing such a fine piece, Mr. Sun’s stance was clear.
Huadie Clothing people’s expressions worsened, Mr. Zheng said, "We haven’t seen Ling’s work yet; it must be even better."
Su Xingqi chuckled: "I heard you chose an unknown little model? Mr. Zheng, not every model can shoot good photos just starting out." She remained upset about Huadie dropping her, thus her words carried thorns.
Mr. Zheng coldly replied, "You won’t know without seeing."
He was a high-ranking figure in Huadie and knew from whispers among major shareholders that Su Xingqi was dropped due to someone close to the Blade Group’s Crown Prince. No one knew how she provoked that powerful figure; even with Qin Mu by her side, he wouldn’t dare antagonize the Blade Group’s man!
Therefore, Mr. Zheng was adamantly confident: "Ling, show your photos, let everyone really see." Huadie cannot lose in this cover battle, he decided to insist regardless of the quality — vocally declaring them better than Qin Bag’s. After all, in martial and literary pursuits, there’s no definitive ranking, and judging photos lacks a universal standard.
Ling Weilong calmly, while taking out the record card even jested; "Mr. Qin, not to criticize you, but you truly don’t understand photography, it’s too limited. Is this what you call a good photo? You haven’t seen better, have you? Well, let me show you what a real good photo looks like!"
This was a shared sentiment among everyone in the meeting room.
Qin Mu kept his face stern, "What good photograph can a mere clown produce?"
Ling Weilong chuckled, handed the card to Mr. Zhao, who inserted the record card into the computer. The projection screen soon displayed the photography work completed with Su Xingyu over the past few days—
A large swath of gray tones.
As if depicting a post-apocalyptic urban wasteland, ruined buildings were everywhere, exposed steel bars, and the dim pre-dawn light pressed down gloomily; even the few brown wild vines were severed withered...
There’s a strong feeling of decay, suffocation.
But in this oppressive setting appeared a light-hearted girl.