He was probably the first person to publicly give Mr. Du a gift, and it was chocolate. Whether it was his colleagues behind him or the executives next to Mr. Du, they all looked at him with expressions of "Who am I, where am I, am I dreaming?", with a mixture of fear and self-doubt in their eyes.
Why was it so terrifying? Xu Zhuo couldn't help but feel helpless and amused.
Perhaps his previous interactions made him understand that Mr. Du was not the unreasonable, overbearing figure as rumored. Just like a huge iceberg, from a distance it seemed sharp and cold, but when you got closer, you would realize there was a colorful and vibrant world inside, especially if you were lucky enough to observe it at a certain time, when the sunlight shone into the interior of the iceberg from a specific angle.
If their positions weren't so disparate in the company, he would be happy to be friends with a person like Mr. Du - not passionate, even somewhat aloof, but upright, responsible, and outstanding in ability.
Even if they couldn't be friends, there was no need to be so fearful and avoidant.
Upon realizing this, Xu Zhuo felt relieved, and no longer felt constrained in his interactions with Mr. Du. He found the reactions of other people timidly amusing, as if they had demonized Mr. Du. But upon reflection, it wasn't their fault - Mr. Du himself seemed to have no intention of improving his unsavory image.
He wasn't afraid of embarrassing himself in front of Mr. Du, nor was he concerned if Mr. Du really ate those unappetizing chocolates; he was most likely to just throw them away.
Sure enough, Mr. Du neither ignored him nor reprimanded him, he just looked at him faintly and took the dark blue box.
"Cough, cough," the female executive reacted first, "Oya's people should be here, shall we go?"
As they followed her down the corridor, Xu Zhuo's colleagues behind him were like a group of birds that had been startled into flight, discussing animatedly and urging each other forward. A female colleague leaned in next to him and asked, "Manager Xu, do you know Mr. Du?"
Xu Zhuo smiled mysteriously and didn't answer, but they seemed to understand as if they had heard some incredible news, nodding as if they knew something, then gradually dispersing to continue with their tasks.
"Sit here, Manager Xu," a male colleague who was acting as an assistant brought a chair, "If you need anything, just tell me."
Xu thanked him but didn't sit. He asked, "Did you see Manager Pan?"
The male colleague scanned the room and shook his head, "He was just here, should I call and ask?"
"Thank you." After Xu Zhuo said that, he saw Yi Peiran wearing a burgundy qipao and the classic hairstyle of old Shanghai, fanning herself with a small fan and swaying towards them in high heels. The male colleague who was on the phone couldn't help but stare.
Yi Peiran turned around, and in a soft voice, asked, "Do I look good?"
"Beautiful, beautiful," the male colleague couldn't help but respond. He had seen many female stars in his line of work, but most of them followed a pure and innocent route. It was the first time he had seen a mature and charming image like the one in front of him, even her voice was so sexy and alluring that his soul was captivated.
Xu Zhuo was immune to Yi Peiran's femininity long ago; seeing her only reminded him of her masculine appearance in men's clothing, not to mention the embarrassing things they did when they were kids. The two of them had witnessed each other's most embarrassing moments.
He didn't burst the male colleague's beautiful illusions, and instead said to Yi Peiran, "I'm leaving in a bit; if you need anything, call me, and let me know when the shoot is done."
Yi Peiran waved her hand, swayed her waist, and went to talk to the photographer. The male colleague regained his senses and fulfilled his promise, inquiring about Manager Pan's location, "He's in his office on the eleventh floor; he'll be down in half an hour."
Xu Zhuo nodded and glanced at Yi Peiran who was engaged in lively conversation with the photographer, then turned and headed to the elevator.
He still wasn't at ease.
Yi Peiran had trivialized it, stating that putting up a female attire ad in the subway station and the display of female dress photos under the guise of publicity were not unusual, but using it as an excuse for a public service advertisement? It was obvious what it was for.
They were trying to challenge societal biases.
Not in a mocking way, not avoiding questioning, just pulling the outliers from the dark corners, putting them under the spotlight for the world to judge.
He didn't ask in detail last night, not wanting to disturb the other's mood, and not wanting to make the other feel disrespected. Just now he talked with a few colleagues and inquired about the project, and found out that the person in charge was Pan Duye.
Like him, Pan Duye was also a senior account manager, and they had a common immediate supervisor. Xu had heard of him when he was at Yiguan; three years ago, he had spearheaded a daring and innovative marketing campaign, applying the black and red marketing strategy to physical products, becoming the first successful case, and was still talked about to this day.
His biggest label was being daring; Xu Zhuo had always admired his boldness, so it was not surprising that he would choose to take on this project.
From a distance, Xu Zhuo saw Pan Duye's lean figure when he got off the elevator. He wasn't tall, but always seemed energetic. He had the coarse, brown glasses frames set on his low nose, and many pockmarks on his cheeks, which accentuated a boyish feeling that didn't seem to match his age; he was already in his thirties.
"Manager Xu?" He turned back, "Good morning. I heard you were looking for me?"
Without beating around the bush, Xu Zhuo explained the situation to him and finally asked, "How far can we go in terms of the specific scale?"
Pan Duye shook his head, saying, "Manager Xu, you should understand, how much scale could pass the review?"
Xu Zhuo sighed; he feared this. He said, "We can control the explicitness of the images, but what about the script? To be honest, one of my good friends is one of the main characters in this shoot, and the direction of public opinion after the posters are released is unpredictable; crossing a line could have a devastating impact on his work and life."
The niche cultural circle could turn a blind eye when it came to self-censorship. If the cover was ripped off and as rebels, they stepped into the public eye, the response would be fierce criticism and possibly judgment.
Pan Duye pondered for a moment, looking into Xu's eyes, "If he agreed to the shoot, it means he's prepared; you shouldn't intervene too much."
Xu Zhuo knew he had stretched his hand too far, but he was a little puzzled and wanted to vent, "Since it passed the review and is tacitly approved by the higher-ups, it should have been done by a lower-level ad company as a small-scale trial first, so why did Prime Optima step forward?"
If Pan Duye actively sought out this project, he might have shown impulsive emotions in the specific plan, leading to irrevocable consequences. Xu Zhuo really couldn't trust him.
Pan Duye laughed and said, "Indeed. Originally, Oya was the one who got it, but..." He gestured for Xu to lower his head and whispered, "It's a semi-open secret now; Prime Optima is about to acquire Oya, and this project is a stepping stone."
Xu Zhuo suddenly understood and straightened up. He said, "So you don't need to worry too much. I'm more afraid of trouble than you; if I interfere with Mr. Du's good thing, he'll strip me of my skin."
Mr. Du wasn't a demon. Xu Zhuo silently cursed, nodded, and said, "I might have overthought it."
Pan Duye patted his shoulder and said, "It's okay, you're new here. You were at Yiguan before, right?"
Xu Zhu nodded.
Pan Duye said, "When I graduated, I also submitted a resume to Yiguan, but was rejected because I didn't come from a prestigious university. You see, that's the difference between Yiguan and Bingyou. In the future, be more careful. Although Bingyou doesn't have factions and infighting like Yiguan, there are undercurrents too. Don't get involved and lose your life inadvertently."
This had little to do with what they were talking about. Xu Zhu understood that he was kindly giving him advice, so he gratefully thanked him. Pan Duye looked at the time and said goodbye to go to the studio.
"Lao Da," Luo Yuanshan had been watching them from nearby, and now she came over. "What were you talking about with Manager Pan?"
Xu Zhu's mind was still on other things, and he absentmindedly checked his phone as it vibrated. It was a photo of Yi Peiran in a cheongsam, probably taken by one of the staff.
Luo Yuanshan leaned over to look and said, "Who's this beautiful woman again?" Yi Peiran had changed her clothes, wig, and makeup, looking like a different person, no wonder those unfamiliar with her couldn't recognize her. She suddenly opened her mouth wide and turned to glare at Xu Zhu. "Lao Da, you can't have one foot in both camps, sorry, sister-in-law!"
Sister-in-law? You could tell how important she was from that.
"I told you she's a friend," Xu Zhu put away his phone. "Aren't you the gossip queen? I have something to ask you."
Luo Yuanshan almost patted her chest and confidently said, "Sure, ask away."
"About Bingyou's acquisition of Ouya, do you know about it?"
Luo Yuanshan blinked. "I thought everyone in the company knew. It's been in the works for over a year, and it seems like they are about to come to a conclusion. I heard that Mr. Du has been angry about this several times."
Mr. Du getting angry was quite unusual. Bingyou had acquired other companies before, but it seemed like he attached special importance to this one, the negotiations lasted longer than ever, and even caused someone to lose their job.
Xu Zhu remembered the female executive mentioning Ouya just now, and they were probably having a meeting downstairs.
But what could they do as middle and lower-level employees? Xu Zhu thought about it and put it aside, then asked, "I want to do a simple renovation of my office, who should I contact?"
He had considered doing it a few weeks ago, but had the misfortune to run into the busy time of the Qixi Festival, so he had put it off until now.
Luo Yuanshan was even more excited than him. "Lao Da, you finally realized! Your office is so ugly, we feel like our eyes are stung when we go in, and you stay in there every day."
Xu Zhu could only smile wryly and said, "Okay, I'll just put up some wallpaper and change the curtains."
Luo Yuanshan said, "Then just go to the studio and find a props master."
Right, he had just seen people setting up scenes downstairs, so he could go take a look during lunch break.
Before noon, he received a message from Yi Peiran, saying that the shooting had temporarily ended and she had left. Xu Zhu didn't pay much attention to it, finished his lunch, and turned to the studio to find a staff member.
The person was sweating heavily as he dismantled the set and didn't recognize Xu Zhu. After hearing his inquiry, he pointed the way, "I remember there are still a lot of materials left over there, you can go and choose them yourself."
After thanking him, Xu Zhu was stopped by him, "Wait, could you help me carry that plank back? Thanks." He was referring to a large wooden plank that had just been dismantled. Xu Zhu could barely hold it in his arms when fully expanded. It was quite heavy, over 2 meters high, and obstructed his view, so he had to move slowly like a crab.
The props room was in the second room on the left corner of the hallway, and as Xu Zhu turned the corner with the board, he suddenly bumped into something, feeling like a person.
"Sorry, sorry," he couldn't see the person behind the board, apologized repeatedly, and tried to move to a different angle. "Are you okay?"
Suddenly, a bony hand grabbed the edge of the board, pressed tightly against his wheat-colored hand, which was glaringly white. At the same time, a strong smell of alcohol entered Xu Zhu's nostrils.
Xu Zhu was astonished.
Who would dare to openly drink at the company in broad daylight!?