Yuan Ye took a breath, “Waved his hand, that’s enough. Both you and I are very busy. Judging from the first proposal, I think you are a person with ideas and ability. Many people in the advertising industry recommended you to me. I just came to listen today. Tonight we have a person in charge in this regard, I’ll call him to pick you up and have a meal together, and you can discuss it. Don’t ask me about the details, you guys decide. I still have things to do, so I’ll leave first. I’ll trouble you to manage these matters.”
Following Yuan Ye’s rise, Li Sheng also stood up. “Okay, I won’t let President Yuan down. I’ll see you out.”
Yuan Ye nodded and went out the front door of the company together with Li Sheng. There was a car waiting at the entrance to pick him up. Watching Yuan Ye get into the car, Li Sheng sighed slightly, thinking about how to cope with tonight’s dinner party.
Li Sheng stretched his arms, feeling his sore back constantly crying out. There were still things to discuss tonight, and he would probably have to drink a few cups. This was what worried him the most. Having been in this industry for so many years, the wine parties he had attended were countless, but his tolerance for alcohol was truly not something to boast about. Every time he drank heavily and almost lost his composure in front of clients, and if he said he wouldn’t drink, the clients would say he lacked sincerity, making him feel like he was just there to accompany them for drinks, which inevitably put Li Sheng in a difficult position.
The two working with him on this campaign were a girl named Li Mengying and a boy named Cheng Jun. Neither of them was old, looking like they had just graduated from university. They seemed to have some relative connection to the leadership, and were forcefully shoved to Li Sheng as assistants. Not only did Li Sheng have to accept these people, but he also had to thank the leadership for their special care.
As for these two people, the boy was not very suitable for discussing official business, getting terribly nervous when facing clients to talk about things, while the girl was always absent-minded and forgetting things. After deliberation, he still took Li Mengying to the wine party that night. Li Sheng told her not to worry; he would not let a girl block the drinks for him. To say it shamefully, a person with poor alcohol tolerance still had to look out for others—he truly didn’t know whether this was universal love or trying to be brave.
After arranging his work, Li Sheng sat in his chair for a long time before making a call. Since he was bound to get drunk tonight, someone had to come pick him up. He was a person who cared quite a bit about his pride and didn’t want to make a fool of himself in public.
The call was connected quickly, and the busy sounds on the other side could be heard. “Xiao Sheng?”
“Around nine o’clock tonight, come pick me up.”
“Not coming home to eat tonight?”
“Yeah, there’s a client. I was very busy during the day, and tonight we’re having a meal to finalize the proposal. Most likely we’ll have to drink again.”
“Drink a little less. Send me a text message when you arrive at the restaurant, and I’ll go pick you up.”
“Okay.”
Li Sheng hung up the phone, looked at the bustling traffic outside the window, and after a long while, smiled faintly.
Hearing that they were going to discuss matters tonight, Li Mengying also wore an expression of reluctance. “Sheng-ge, can’t you take Cheng Jun? I really don’t want to drink.”
Cheng Jun patted Li Mengying on the back. “Don’t worry, Sheng-ge won’t let you block the drinks. It’s not like you haven’t been with Sheng-ge before, what are you afraid of?”
Smiling, Li Sheng prepared the materials needed for the evening while appeasing Li Mengying. “It’s fine. In this industry, you always have to face things independently. Look at me, having done this for so many years, haven’t I also been adapting all along?”
Li Mengying slumped into a seat next to Li Sheng. “Sheng-ge, you’ve been through the battlefield for so long, why is your alcohol tolerance still at the elementary school level?”
Cheng Jun nodded. “Sheng-ge, I think you should find someone to train you in drinking. This won’t do; your future wife will look down on you.” Li Sheng shook his head with a bitter smile and said no more.
The person sent by Yuan Ye was named Du Yu, the manager in charge of publicity for their company. He seemed to be on very good terms with Yuan Ye personally; the way the two spoke didn’t look like superior and subordinate at all. Complying with Yuan Ye’s instructions, he went to a restaurant suitable for conversation and comfort.
As soon as Du Yu saw Li Sheng, he greeted him with a smiling face. “This is the fixed spot where President Yuan discusses matters. I didn’t ask for your opinion, hope you don’t mind.”
Smiling, Li Sheng walked into the private room. “Not at all, it’s already very thoughtful.”
“President Yuan has a cocktail party tonight, so he asked me to represent the company to talk with you; he won’t show up personally. From now on, regarding a series of matters such as advertising shooting and outdoor advertising publicity, I will act as the full agent. This is my business card, you can contact me at any time.”
Li Sheng took the business card, nodded slightly, also handed over a business card, and carefully put it away. Du Yu called the waiter and handed over the menu. “I don’t know the tastes of the two of you, see if there are any suitable dishes.”
Li Sheng took the menu and handed it to Li Mengying. “Just the same as yours.” It was Li Mengying’s first time discussing matters so formally, so she couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous. She only ordered two dishes and handed over the menu. Du Yu looked at it and ordered a few more before smiling and turning around. “Can Mr. Li drink some alcohol?”
Li Sheng smiled awkwardly. “Just a little bit.”