The meeting concluded, as expected, on an unhappy note.
Apart from Qin Chuan, the vast majority disagreed with his radical and risky approach, primarily due to the enormous investment involved.
A CCTV advertisement, conservatively estimated, would cost at least two million yuan!
Hiring a celebrity endorser, for instance, the immensely popular actress Zhao Weiwei from the current hit drama "My Fair Princess," would likely require a million yuan in endorsement fees alone!
Setting aside Zhao Weiwei's reputation two decades from now, in this era, "My Fair Princess" was a phenomenal drama that swept across the nation.
This success propelled its lead actors to superstardom.
Among them, Zhao Weiwei was the hottest, her fame extending across all of Asia. The image of the mischievous Xiao Yanzi, her luminous eyes, and fair, tender skin were etched into people's hearts.
Then there were Lin Mou Ru, Su Mou Peng, Zhang Mou Lin, and others, all highly renowned.
After the meeting, Qin Chuan drove away alone, feeling somewhat dejected.
The outcome of the afternoon's meeting was, to be honest, something Qin Chuan himself hadn't anticipated. So many people opposed him, the primary reason being the sheer poverty of the Xinhua Electronics Factory.
Not everyone possessed Qin Chuan's audacious courage to gamble half his net worth on a nebulous advertisement and celebrity endorsements.
As a member of the electronics factory, this concern was actually a good sign, proving everyone cared about the factory's development. Even though the factory belonged to Qin Chuan, they were deeply invested in its future.
However, Qin Chuan couldn't help but feel a surge of defiance!
"Hmph, if you all disagree, then I'll just go and get the money myself!"
Qin Chuan drove on, lost in thought.
It wasn't that he wanted to be so aggressive; it was simply that certain people and situations wouldn't wait for him.
Take Teacher Yang, for instance. The Yang family was immensely powerful. Without achieving a certain level of success, he might not even be able to cross the threshold of the Yang family.
Teacher Yang was so beautiful. If some lecherous suitor beat him to her, Qin Chuan feared he would regret it for the rest of his life...
For the sake of beauty, and for his future happiness, Qin Chuan felt he had to take a risk.
But where would he find so much money?
This wasn't a few tens of thousands, but over three million yuan – a substantial sum.
Perhaps he could talk to Shang Bingrong and divert funds from the real estate venture...
Qin Chuan immediately shook his head. Given Shang Bingrong's cautious and timid nature, he would never agree unless Qin Chuan could provide a perfect reason.
But besides Shang Bingrong, who else could he turn to?
His older brother-in-law?
Their relationship wasn't quite close enough to borrow such a large sum at once.
Qin Chuan pondered this as he drove. Suddenly, he noticed two pedestrians by the roadside directly in his path.
Startled, he snapped back to attention, jerking the steering wheel violently and slamming on the brakes.
Screech!!!
The tires left two black streaks on the ground as the car skidded to a halt.
Qin Chuan gasped for air inside the car, beads of cold sweat on his forehead.
He had almost hit them. Just barely.
"What's wrong with you? How are you driving?!"
"Didn't you almost hit us?"
"Get out! Get out of the car right now!"
As Qin Chuan recovered from his shock, a series of thuds echoed from the front of the car. A woman was violently pounding on the metal, demanding he get out.
"I'm sorry, I'm truly sorry!"
Qin Chuan immediately exited the vehicle, apologizing profusely.
"Huh, you're... Boss Qin?!"
"It really is Boss Qin!" kuAiδugg
The woman, who had been furiously shouting, froze for a moment upon seeing Qin Chuan's face. Her anger instantly dissolved into overwhelming joy. She jumped up and down, like a fan encountering her idol.
Qin Chuan was also taken aback. He looked up at her.
He saw that the woman speaking to him wasn't old, perhaps in her early twenties. She wore a thick padded jacket, her cheeks rosy, making her look rather cute.
He was a bit confused. What was going on?
Was he encountering another fan?
If so, his fanbase was quite peculiar, consisting only of young, cute girls?
The previous time it was the daughter of the lamb restaurant owner, who looked about sixteen or seventeen. This time, this woman was also young, just in her early twenties!
"I am Qin Chuan!"
"I apologize. I was thinking about something while driving and got distracted."
Qin Chuan continued to apologize. "Did we hit you? If you feel unwell anywhere, I'll take you to the hospital right away..."
"No! Your car didn't hit us. Look! We're all fine!"
"My friends are all fine too..."
The girl was lively. She hopped a few times and then grabbed her friend's hand, shaking it vigorously.
Perhaps due to the force, the hat on the friend's head slipped off, revealing her face.
It was another young face, adorned with delicate makeup.
Her skin was fair and luminous, her eyes large with long lashes, her face oval, and her lips small and rosy. She was a beautiful girl, exuding a blend of innocence and a hint of allure.
However, for some reason, Qin Chuan found her face somewhat familiar, as if he'd seen her somewhere before, but he couldn't quite recall.
"Qin Chuan, long time no see!"
As Qin Chuan hesitated, the girl spoke first, her voice sweet and clear.
"You... are..."
Qin Chuan grew more confused. The girl knew his name and clearly recognized him, yet he genuinely couldn't remember. This felt quite rude of him.
"Heh!"
"Men are indeed slow to recognize. Once they have money, they change. They don't even recognize their childhood sweethearts!"
The girl's seductive red lips curved upwards slightly, a hint of teasing in her tone.
"Childhood sweethearts... old classmates... you... you are Li Xiangcao?"
Hearing the sensitive word "old classmates," and coupled with her familiar face, a flash of realization finally struck Qin Chuan, allowing him to recall who she was!
This beautiful girl with a hint of allure was Li Xiangcao, the daughter of Li Yuan San, whom his second brother had mentioned.
Furthermore, Li Xiangcao had been his classmate from kindergarten through elementary and middle school. They were from the same village and grew up together, so calling them childhood sweethearts wasn't an exaggeration.
"Not bad, you finally remembered me!"
"It's not too disappointing!"
Upon hearing Qin Chuan finally speak her name, a faint smile appeared on Li Xiangcao's face.
"No... you... you've changed so much!"
Even though he confirmed the girl was Li Xiangcao, Qin Chuan's heart remained unsettled.
The change in Li Xiangcao was truly immense!
It was so drastic he found it hard to believe.
Earlier, when his second brother mentioned Li Xiangcao had changed significantly, Qin Chuan hadn't paid much attention, as it seemed like a normal occurrence.
The saying "girls transform dramatically by eighteen" referred to the natural changes a girl undergoes during adolescence. Many plain, skinny girls from their school days would mature into graceful, well-figured young women after a few years.
Yet, looking at the beautiful and captivating Li Xiangcao before him, Qin Chuan was still somewhat shocked. Li Xiangcao had changed far beyond his expectations.
He could scarcely believe that the gawky, undernourished ugly duckling with dull, dry hair and a thin figure from his elementary, no, his middle school days, was the same person as this beautiful swan before him.
"Qin Chuan, you've changed a lot too!"
"Not only have you grown taller, but you've also become handsome and dashing!"
Seeing Qin Chuan's astonished expression, Li Xiangcao seemed pleased. Her lips curved upwards, and she smiled at him.
"More importantly, you're a big celebrity now, a millionaire boss!"
"In our village, and among our former classmates, you're probably the most successful!"
Qin Chuan smiled humbly. "We're all just trying to make a living. Among old classmates, we shouldn't talk about such mundane things."
Having recognized Li Xiangcao, Qin Chuan's mood became complex.
On one hand, there was the camaraderie of a childhood friend. On the other, his family and Li Yuan San's father and son likely had deep-seated grudges that would never be resolved. This made him unsure of how to interact with Li Xiangcao.
And there was another crucial point. The mastermind behind those foolish relatives this time was Li Yuan San. So, was it possible that Li Xiangcao was also involved?