Rebirth: The Ascent of a Socialite-Chapter 586 - 237: Career Hurricane (Part 2)
"If it weren’t for me, he could have lived a happier life," he changed a lot to be with Wen Zimu, becoming more accommodating to others, willing to stay in one place for a long time, and these were things Director Jim witnessed.
Director Jim stopped talking, accustomed to the honest and vulnerable Wen Zimu. Everything had changed, it had been more than a decade, and his once proud Espr had declined. The defiant supermodel who stood on the stage had also had his wings clipped. They all had to learn to change, and then to adapt. Regardless of the past truth, the dead had passed away, and in his heart, Jim still admired New; he had seen all her works, and if she really would have joined Espr as their designer, perhaps he and her nearly dead heart would have started beating again.
With Melin’s translation and Su Ziceng’s company, Jim first took a tour of Mo City. What made Melin complain was that Su Ziceng not only took Jim to visit some shopping places but also took him to many places, from Zone 1 all the way to the Sixth District, the city’s glitz and gloom, black and white, every aspect was fully presented to Jim.
"Doing a long-term business is like a love affair after mountains and seas vows; we need to understand each other. I want you to see all there is in Mo City and Z Country, the good and the bad, the nostalgic and the needing improvement, all laid out before your eyes," Su Ziceng showed Jim both the most brilliantly dressed youth and the children of the Sixth District who might only have one set of clothes to change into each season.
Director Jim’s green eyes started showing ripples, but he didn’t immediately express his opinion. Just Mo City alone wasn’t enough to prompt Jim to make another bold attempt. The Espr that Su Ziceng and Lin Ying knew was just a one-sided view of Espr. Years of losses and the decision to pull out of Asia had greatly weakened Espr, and now every new investment move had to be made with extreme caution.
It took more than a month to accompany Jim through the remaining major cities in the country. Z Country had greatly changed from the Z Country Jim saw at first; he couldn’t believe that in just a few short years, this large country dominating the East had adjusted its stride. The hundreds of millions of market potential that Su Ziceng talked about was not fictional. A huge market needed a huge driving force, but these challenges were clearly not taken seriously by the ambitious Su Ziceng and Sister Mu.
Just as Director Jim decided to collaborate with Su Ziceng, a dramatic change occurred. The Parliament Building of Mo City and the two tallest towers in Mo City, now under the Wen Family’s "Golden Coast," displayed two huge posters simultaneously on the same day, with ZARA’s logo and store promotion.
Then, like the time when Su Ziceng last promoted Subi Auction House, nearly a thousand helicopters flew out all together, proclaiming the grand gift that the Earl of Wizi presented to his fiancée: ZARA would open over a hundred exclusive stores nationwide all at once. Casting aside its past low-profile, this time, they used a sensational advertising campaign.
The confidence that Jim had just firmed up was soon shaken. Su Ziceng, holding the promotional flyers, wanted to rush to Pello’s face—what was going on? She crumpled the few sheets of paper in her hand; Pello’s behavior was an overt challenge to her.
"Ziceng, you didn’t tell me ZARA was also going to enter Z Country. You know that inferior brand that specializes in copying others; I disdain to compete with them," Jim was both anxious and heartbroken. This trip to Z Country made him realize the growing big cake, but ZARA had taken the lead. A drunkard discovers a pot of good wine, about to pour it out, only to find out that only half of the wine is left—how is this not life-threatening?
"Jim, you’re acting like a woman again," Sister Mu did not anticipate that Pello would react so quickly. She hadn’t even communicated Pello’s information to Su Ziceng.
"We might not lose," Su Ziceng refused to give up. It was the first time for both Pello and her to operate in the clothing industry, but behind her was Director Jim, who was well-versed in the ways of management, and the genius designer Lin Ying. These were hard assets that Pello did not possess. However, Pello also had advantages she couldn’t match: ample financial strength and extensive connections. One hundred and eight exclusive stores opened overnight, she couldn’t compete with that and had to treat it with caution.
"Otherwise, let’s change locations, say, to Tokyo in Japan," Jim, provoked by Sister Mu, quickly mustered some manhood, "Actually, Espr’s foundation in Tokyo is not bad. It can be considered the starting point of fashion trends in Asia. As long as we take hold of that, we can regain some leverage."
Sister Mu dared not agree with Jim’s idea. Indeed, Japan had seen distinctive designers including Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, and Rei Kawakubo, but as a Z Country native, she did not want the first stop that should belong to Z Country to be parked in Japan. Su Ziceng probably thought the same.
"Let’s settle on Japan," Su Ziceng seemed not to possess the awareness of a Z Country person as she blinked, "Let’s have a reverse invasion of Japan, why not?" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation ticket, monthly ticket, your support is my greatest motivation.)
