CHAPTER 84: CHAPTER 83: THE LION AWAKENS

"Alright!" Gregory looked frustrated.

Before, Frank Gregory used to just chug coffee without appreciating it, just for a pick-me-up.

It wasn’t until he met Yang Chen that he started to learn about coffee tasting with him, and he had no doubt about Yang’s expertise.

"Then I’ll toss out this coffee. If that kid dares to trick me again, he shouldn’t expect me to make clothes for him anymore!" Gregory said angrily.

"Don’t throw it away!" Yang Chen took the Blue Mountain Coffee from Gregory’s hand and said, "Although this Blue Mountain isn’t authentic, if ground properly, the taste can still be quite good."

The Blue Mountain Coffee they had last time at Wei Xueqing’s place was the same—it wasn’t the genuine Garma High Mountain Blue Mountain Coffee, just a regular blend. However, after Yang Chen’s careful grinding, the taste was completely different.

"It’s my honor to taste your ground coffee!" Gregory seemed very excited.

Yang Chen smiled as he introduced the grinder, saying to Gregory, "This is Wei Xueqing from Flame Country’s Shangdong Group. She’s the president of Shangdong Group, and my current employer."

Gregory only then noticed Wei Xueqing and warmly said, "Hi! It’s great to meet you!"

Yang Chen spoke to Wei Xueqing in Yan Language, "This is the fashion genius you mentioned, Frank Gregory. You can talk to him in Federation Language; he’s quite good at it."

Wei Xueqing nodded and said to Gregory with poise, "I’ve heard great things about you, Master Frank."

"NO! NO! NO!" Gregory shook his head repeatedly and said, "Even though you are Yang’s employer, if you were only that, he wouldn’t have brought you here. You’re Yang’s friend, so you’re my friend too. Just call me Gregory."

Wei Xueqing happily said, "Alright, Gregory, you can call me Qing!"

"I really like you, Qing; you’re very beautiful!" Compared to the people from the Southern Federation, they tend to be more direct with compliments.

Wei Xueqing, who had studied in the Northern Federation, smiled and said, "Thank you, I’ve been studying your work. I saw your ’Wedding of Time’ while coming here."

Gregory called out to Yang Chen, "You sneaked through the back door again, didn’t you!"

Yang Chen shrugged, "I only remember the back door!"

"Oh! You rascal, I think I should lock the back door." Gregory said.

"If you want to be blocked as soon as you step out, feel free to lock the back door." Yang Chen laughed.

Gregory was practically a fashion icon, with a very hot reputation. Many reporters waited daily to interview him, and numerous companies sought collaboration with him.

So, every day, Gregory would leave work through the back door.

"Alright, you make a good point!" Gregory looked helpless.

Yang Chen spoke directly to Gregory, "Buddy, I brought Qing here to discuss a collaboration with you. Currently, Shangdong Group is continuing to collaborate with a brand to open the market in Flame Country, so you two should talk."

On hearing this, Gregory frowned deeply.

Wei Xueqing watched Gregory nervously, afraid he might refuse.

Gregory said, "I have no plans to create a brand in Flame Country, but since Yang brought it up, I think I should listen to your ideas."

On hearing this, Wei Xueqing breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Gregory had given her a chance.

Wei Xueqing organized her thoughts and said to Gregory, "Dear Gregory, I’ve looked into the luxury brands you’ve created; they’re fantastic! But I think you might not know that the highest fashion consumption isn’t in the developed Southern Federation countries but in our Flame Country. In apparel alone, Flame Country annual consumption reaches two trillion, and luxury goods have greatly increased as our national living standards improve. Have you noticed an interesting phenomenon? Our Flame Country students studying abroad aren’t wealthy, yet they frequently visit major luxury brand stores to make large purchases?"

"Yes! I know this industry; it’s called purchasing agents!" Clearly, Gregory was aware of this.

"That’s right!" Wei Xueqing smiled and said, "Their job is called purchasing agents, which means buying on behalf of others. People in the country don’t have the time to shop abroad, and don’t have options domestically, so they hire these students studying abroad to buy products for them. The purchasing agent income alone is enough to support these students, providing them with a good living, sometimes earning more than white-collar workers at big companies. How do you gauge Flame Country’s purchasing power?"

"It’s very impressive!" Gregory said, "I’ve heard Yang tell me, your Flame Country is truly amazing now. Napoleon once remarked that Flame Country was a sleeping lion and wished it would stay asleep. But now I see that this lion is waking up, and its power will shake the world!"

Wei Xueqing was delighted to hear this, knowing that Gregory acknowledged Flame Country, making negotiations much smoother.

"So, are you interested in helping this lion continue to awaken and lead Flame Country’s fashion brands to rise?" Wei Xueqing asked with a smile.

Wei Xueqing’s ambition was vast; she wasn’t content constantly representing others’ brands. She aspired to create her own!

Likewise, don’t underestimate the power of Flame Country. As Gregory mentioned, Flame Country is a waking lion. This situation is akin to Flame Country’s smartphone industry growth, with the giant Aipu pushing for rapid development of Flame Country’s phone brands.

At this moment, a rich aroma filled the air.

"Oh! This smells wonderful; Yang, your craft is still top-notch!" Gregory exclaimed.

Yang Chen laughed as he brought three cups of coffee, and also sat down.

Gregory took a sip of coffee and exclaimed, "This is real coffee!"

Over the past three years, Gregory had learned how to taste coffee, but the coffee he had in those coffee shops was complete trash compared to Yang Chen’s coffee!

"It’s so delicious!" Gregory said in delight.

Wei Xueqing also took a sip of coffee, finding it very tasty, but she couldn’t focus much on tasting it as her eyes were fixed on Gregory, looking tense.

Gregory set down his coffee, smacked his lips in satisfaction, and said, "Qing, what you’re proposing is indeed very tempting, but if I were to establish a brand, what would it be positioned as? What could the Flame Country market offer me? I don’t lack money or fame at present."

Wei Xueqing’s expression changed; her heart was in conflict. Gregory was clearly turning her down.