After hanging up the phone, Tang Song sat on the sofa for about four or five minutes, waiting for his phone to ring again. He answered quickly.

“Hello, Mr. Tang. Sorry for the wait! Generally, based on the production schedule and your selected options, it takes about 60 days.” The female customer service representative paused before continuing. However, our manager Zhao applied to the headquarters to get a ready-made car from another location. The color and options match your order exactly. You can pick it up and register it next Monday.”

She emphasized "manager Zhao" as if trying to convey something important.

“Great, thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome, Mr. Tang! Your WeChat is linked to this phone number, right? I’ll add you and send the car pick-up details shortly. Feel free to contact me anytime if you have any questions.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Alright, I won’t take up any more of your time. Goodbye!”

After hanging up, Tang Song couldn’t help but snap his fingers in excitement. Today was Thursday, which meant in just three days he could get his car, a speed far beyond his expectations.

Checking the time, Tang Song gathered his things and hurried downstairs. His three-day annual leave was over, and today, he had to go back to the office. He took the chance to refine his business plan.

As he drove through the traffic, he found himself subconsciously comparing the cars he passed to his soon-to-be BMW 330i. None of them seemed to measure up to his new ride. Looking at the steering wheel of his Wuling Hongguang, he felt a sudden pang of guilt, realizing his thoughts were dangerously fickle. Just days ago, he had cherished his first car immensely. Now, with a 400,000 yuan BMW, he felt like he was betraying his faithful little vehicle.

...

Tang Song parked his car at the Linjin Building’s underground parking lot. Just as he got out, he saw a pink Audi A5 pulling into a reserved spot near the elevator. Employees of Jinxiu Commerce were all familiar with this car, belonging to the company’s goddess, Tian Jing from the HR department. The iceberry pink A5 Coupe, a two-door four-seater sports coupe, was eye-catching and cost over 400,000 yuan on the road.

The car door opened gently, and Tian Jing, carrying a handbag and sporting a bun hairstyle, stepped out. Her porcelain-white skin stood out in the dim parking lot. She wore a knitted short-sleeve top with a bear print, a striped pleated skirt, and BAPE casual shoes—an energetic and youthful look.

Seeing her colleague approaching, she paused, waved her left hand, holding the bag, and sweetly said, “Good morning.”

“Morning,” Tang Song smiled and walked with Tian Jing to the elevator, both maintaining a comfortable silence. They weren’t very familiar with each other, only having exchanged a few words during Friday afternoon teas.

Tang Song’s strongest impression of her was her fair skin and sweet looks.

“Ding—” The elevator door opened, and they joined the sparse crowd entering. During rush hour, the elevator quickly filled after the first floor. At some point, Tang Song found himself standing behind her, her delicate bun, fine earlobes, and fair neck within his view. The faint scent of her high-end perfume, with a refreshing woody aroma, filled the air.

Tang Song inhaled deeply, finding it somewhat intoxicating. Get full chapters from novel✦fire.net

The elevator stopped at the 20th floor, and they walked towards the office area.

“Good morning, Supervisor Tian. You look beautiful today as always.”

“Yuan Yuan, you flatter me. Just call me Little Jing.”

“Morning, Supervisor Tian!”

“Morning.”

Every colleague they passed greeted Tian Jing warmly. Hearing her title reminded Tang Song that he had seen an announcement in the company’s email and DingTalk: Tian Jing had been promoted to compensation supervisor, responsible for payroll, performance evaluations, and maintaining the compensation system. At such a young age, reaching a mid-management position at Jinxiu Commerce clearly indicated her solid background.

Sitting at his desk, Tang Song chatted with colleagues about the driving experience of his Wuling Hongguang before opening his computer to seriously organize his thoughts on his business plan.

...

Throughout the day, Tang Song engaged in deep discussions with colleagues from the market, sales, and channel departments, under the pretense of doing a business system analysis. He gathered information about the current market state, development trends, competition, and the company’s business model in the clothing industry. The findings were quite sobering, highlighting the intense competition both online and offline and the high failure rate of businesses.

Jinxiu Commerce operated as a brand clothing agent and distributor, focusing on channels and supply chains. This model heavily relied on personal connections and social resources, which he couldn’t replicate. Given his tight schedule, starting an e-commerce or physical clothing store from scratch to accumulate experience was not viable for him.

The best solution seemed to be finding an experienced industry insider to partner with. This approach could save time and effort. With his million yuan in funding, office space, and access to high-quality supply chains, partnering with a seasoned professional significantly increased the chances of success. However, the biggest challenge was finding a suitable partner. With no friends in the clothing sales industry and the risks of partnering with strangers, he worried about aligning values and business philosophy, as mismatched partners could lead to numerous future problems.

Deep in thought, a name suddenly flashed in his mind—Gao Mengting! Though he had only met her once, she left a strong impression. She was meticulous, composed, polite, and very beautiful, demonstrating her talent and emotional depth. Having worked in clothing sales for over three years, she had the experience needed for a partnership. Remembering her tears and words when selling the car, her Moments posts, and his Wuling Hongguang, Tang Song took a deep breath, feeling confident.

“Yes, it’s you!”

He pulled out his phone and sent her a WeChat message: “Boss Gao, could you send me your store address? I’d like to buy some clothes this weekend.”