Yang Mei returned in defeat, feeling both angry and resentful. However, upon thinking of the man at home and the events that had transpired, she calmed herself.
The weather grew warmer day by day, and Chen Lishu also prepared to depart for Kyoto.
Shusei Garment Factory was now on track, and with Nan Haitao at the helm, she decided to bring Zhao Xingwang along this time.
Before heading to Kyoto, Chen Lishu specially prepared a box of items before boarding the southbound train with Zhao Xingwang.
After disembarking, she did not go to the He family's residence but instead checked into her own house with Zhao Xingwang.
After resting for an afternoon, she went to Wang Taizhang’s home in the evening, carrying two bags.
The door was opened by a middle-aged woman in her forties, wearing glasses and appearing very intellectual.
“Are you Director Wang’s wife? My surname is Chen, and I’m from the Shusei Garment Factory in J Province.” Chen Lishu politely introduced herself.
Upon hearing "Shusei Garment Factory," the woman immediately realized, "You must be President Chen. Please, come in. My husband, Old Wang, mentioned you. I didn’t expect you to be so young and beautiful.”
Chen Lishu smiled, “You flatter me.”
The woman stepped aside and invited her in, “Don’t stand at the door. Come in and sit down.”
Chen Lishu entered the house and handed the two paper bags bearing the 'Shusei' logo to the woman. “Director Wang mentioned before that you particularly like embroidered clothing. I happened to bring you two summer new arrivals from the factory this time. I hope you like them.”
The woman’s eyes lit up upon hearing they were dresses produced by Shusei Garment Factory.
She had watched the Spring Festival Gala and found the costumes incredibly beautiful. At the time, she had wished she could have such an outfit.
However, no matter how much she admired them, she couldn’t ask her husband to approach them for just two dresses.
The matter was eventually put aside.
She never expected the president of Shusei Garment Factory to personally visit today and even gift her factory’s clothing.
The woman eagerly opened the bags and, at first glance, fell in love with the two dresses Chen Lishu had given her.
The dresses were simple and elegant, with embroidery that served as just the right embellishment, appearing understated.
Thinking that Chen Lishu had mentioned they were new arrivals, she hesitated, “Since they are new arrivals, they must be quite expensive, right? It’s really too much for you to spend.”
“We are a garment factory, so our costs are naturally much lower than retail prices. Besides, it was thanks to Director Wang’s help that everything went so smoothly. It’s just a pity that the provincial capital is so far from Kyoto, preventing us from paying our New Year’s greetings.”
Chen Lishu’s words immediately put the woman at ease.
Indeed, clothes produced by a garment factory would have the lowest costs.
Chen Lishu then took out a black card, “This is a membership card for our Shusei clothing store. If you like them, you can use this card at the store for a twenty percent discount on seasonal new arrivals.”
It was the first time the woman had heard of membership cards with discounts. She curiously took the card and examined it closely. It was about the size of a business card, with "Shusei Clothing" printed in the center, followed by the card number, phone number, and detailed store address.
“I didn’t know your factory had a branch in Kyoto before. Now that I know, I’ll visit with friends next time.”
The woman naturally understood why Chen Lishu was gifting her the membership card and thus clearly indicated she would help with promotion.
As they were talking, Director Wang returned from work. He was surprised to see Chen Lishu there before greeting her warmly.
Recently, he had learned from Cheng Qian that Chen Lishu was the goddaughter of the elder He couple. Given their background, anyone they took a liking to was definitely not ordinary.
Chen Lishu exchanged pleasantries with the couple. Director Wang’s wife invited her to stay for dinner, but Chen Lishu politely declined with a smile.
“I have other matters to attend to. I’ll treat you another day, and I hope Director and Madam will do me the honor.”
Seeing her politeness and grace, Director Wang and his wife’s impression of her deepened.
After leaving Director Wang’s house, Chen Lishu went to the He family’s residence.
The next day, she and Zhao Xingwang began their search for office space.
She planned to establish a liaison office in Kyoto, which would also be convenient for managing affairs in Shanghai, as it was not far from the city.
It took them two days to find an office space of over fifty square meters. After paying the rent and deposit, they began hiring workers for renovation.
Meanwhile, they also started looking for retail storefronts.
Chen Lishu was not very familiar with Kyoto, so she primarily chose locations near busy, large department stores.
Over several days, they finally selected two storefronts that were relatively suitable in terms of location, size, and price.
After paying the money and deposit, all other matters were handed over to Zhao Xingwang to manage.
One day, she took the time to visit the flagship store.
Besides two staff members, the store manager, Zhang Jia, was also present.
“President Chen.”
Chen Lishu nodded at them and then inquired about the store’s recent situation with Zhang Jia.
“Since our garments were featured on the Spring Festival Gala, sales have been very good for the past two months.”
Chen Lishu nodded and asked her to bring the ledger, which she then proceeded to review behind the counter.
After confirming the accounts were clear and in order, Chen Lishu returned the ledger to Zhang Jia and informed her about the company’s plan to establish a liaison office in Kyoto.
“We are currently recruiting. Your work capability is good, so if you have any suitable classmates or friends, you can help introduce them.”
Zhang Jia was very happy to hear Chen Lishu praise her.
Moreover, being asked to help introduce employees was also a form of trust.
“Okay, President Chen, I will keep an eye out for you.”
After speaking with Zhang Jia, Chen Lishu stood up to leave.
As she stepped out of the store, she happened to see two women walking out of a brand-name store not far away.
The two women across the street clearly saw Chen Lishu as well.
Yang Lili and Jiang Yuwei were visibly surprised when they saw Chen Lishu, but Yang Lili quickly reacted, pulling Jiang Yuwei toward Chen Lishu.
“Lishu, what a coincidence, seeing you here.”
Yang Lili’s surprise was perfectly staged, as if all the unpleasant events of the past had never happened.
“By the way, when did you arrive? Why didn’t you let me know in advance?” She then pulled Jiang Yuwei over, “Jiang Yuwei has also come to Kyoto and joined my company. From now on, we are comrades standing shoulder to shoulder.”
Chen Lishu looked at the eloquent Yang Lili before her. She was surprised that in just two years, a person could completely transform, or perhaps she had always been this way, and her previous behavior was merely an act.
Seeing Chen Lishu’s rather indifferent attitude, Yang Lili continued, “Are you still holding a grudge against me for what happened before? I was wrong last time. How about I treat you to a meal as an apology?”