Chapter 34 - Happened to Encounter

him even more curious about her current home: What would it be like Where exactly was it located within the city Were there nearby supermarkets and convenient public transportation Was the environment...Chapter 34: A Serendipitous Encounter

When Shushan Chain had established sixteen provincial distribution centers, four regional partners, and nearly eight retail stores nationwide, Su Cen was in the campus cafeteria of Nan University, marking out a meal that cost four yuan and five jiao. He found a seat at the third row of tables in the cafeteria and sat down to watch the news on the hanging TV.

Zhao Mingnong from Shushan Chain had already established a reputation in Chengdu. No one would have imagined beforehand that stationery could be done to such an extent or level. Before this, aside from some well-known brands, the quality of stationery produced by ordinary pen factories was questionable, and there were few innovations in design; some products merely imitated popular brands.

Even for famous pen brands, the production of stationery seemed stagnant, tepid, not hot or cold, with acceptable quality but completely uniform designs.

The rise of Shushan Stationery had shown China's pen market a new force emerging. It quickly made many people recognize the rapid development in this field once again.

Many people realized that the manufacturing philosophy and patterns from the 1970s and 80s could be so radically altered today. A ballpoint or gel pen with a streamlined design, which felt comfortable to hold, firmly captured the consumer's purchasing desire.

Varieties of pens protected by intellectual property rights, with new designs and packaging, neatly displayed on shelves, made nearby high school girls view buying stationery not just as a necessity. Even if they had unused pens in their pencil cases, seeing an appealing pattern, such as part of the Lazy Pig series or a seasonal update from Orange, could spark the thought: "Why not buy another one"

When these retail-priced pens between one to three yuan were continuously rolled out through sixteen provincial distribution centers nationwide, many people felt that Shushan Stationery's products didn't fall short of those imported by Japanese and Korean manufacturers. In design appeal, cuteness, or even in a business context, they weren't inferior to the outstanding designs from Japan and Korea.

Zhao Mingnong temporarily became one of the top黑馬among domestic pen manufacturers. To date, Shushan Stationery's national sales had broken the billion yuan mark.

However, Su Cen knew this was still not enough. He wasn't a reborn person with data flow, nor did he remember many major events. But there was one thing he knew: even an inconspicuous stationery industry could develop into a considerable value base for light industry. This base might have nearly two billion yuan in sales over the next decade.

The phone rang; Su Cen picked it up. It was Wang Yu calling from Chengdu, where he was standing by the office building's floor-to-ceiling window. He had just placed a report on his desk and closed the door behind him. It was raining in Chengdu; Wang Yu held a water cup while looking through the rain at cars driving out of the parking lot below, with Dunhuang Mall further away. During lunchtime, he called Su Cen: "Factory Director Zhao is overjoyed right now, currently discussing cooperation with a well-known ink factory in Chongqing. With his bulging wallet and your product design drawings under pressure in the safe cabinet, it's impossible for him not to be rosy from satisfaction."

"If Shushan Stationery continues to develop so positively, maintaining its competitive advantage, relying on a spider-web-like marketing network, along with gradually built teams, future profitability will be significant. Once guiding this market into the right track, expansion will become much easier."

"Mm-hmm. Oh, by the way, I went back to Xia Hai to see my mom during your trip to Shanghai."

"Is Auntie well"

"My mom is doing well. Someone wants to buy the old house, so we're moving recently. Once everything is moved out, I won't be staying at No. 3 Middle School anymore. When I came back this time, I couldn't help but recall how things were three years ago. I never expected that your prediction would actually come true."

"It's just that I've read more books and happened to catch up with the pace of this era. It was just a bit of luck." Su Cai knew that Wang Yu's trust in him fundamentally stemmed from his unique talent, which established a solid foundation for their relationship because he continued to demonstrate his talent, creating miracles that amazed Wang Yu. However, Su Cai preferred to explain it as being indirectly conquered by his personal charm, even though the thought made his face turn red.

He quickly changed the subject, "Oh right, how is your CEO training program at Rongda going"

"I go there after work every day. I'm still trying to keep up and understand as much as possible. Yesterday was exhausting; I almost fell asleep in class." "Haha."

"You must take care of yourself, you've been working hard recently."

"There's no way around it, we're still working for your boss. You can enjoy your college life while we struggle to survive. But don't worry about apologizing; such days are quite fulfilling. Factory Manager Zhao has asked me several times when you'll have time. He regards you as a lifelong friend and says that you saved them in their most difficult moment, and he will remember your kindness for the rest of his life. He is also planning to come to Shanghai."

Su Cai was embarrassed at the thought of Zhao Mingnong's rough calluses. However, considering how many employees from Shushan Stationery Factory would benefit from this job change, Su Cai felt that he had done well by chance after his rebirth.

He felt quite reassured knowing that while making money, he also helped solve the problem of re-employment for workers who faced conditions similar to being laid off.

This was an era where the sky would often have a yellowish hue. News reports on TV announced Shanghai's formal launch of the "One City Nine Towns" plan, indicating that after significant progress in the central business district and main urban area, Shanghai had shifted its focus to suburban urbanization levels, especially areas like Nanda University which were still relatively underdeveloped, but would experience drastic changes in the coming years.

Shanghai planned to solidly expand and maintain its position as a national "star city." Even academia didn't forget to cheerlead; Shanghai Normal University had initiated the second "Urban Cultural Comparative Seminar" based on anthropological backgrounds.

Tongji University, leveraging "the Shanghai advantage," hosted the first World Planning Schools Congress, which was hailed as a historic gathering for global urban scholars and city planners.

In this year alone, Shanghai University established the Center for Contemporary Chinese Culture Research, focusing on the metropolis' cultural aspects.

Amidst these surging tides in Shanghai, Su Cai, sitting in NanDa's cafeteria, was merely a tiny droplet in an oceanic storm.

In the afternoon after having lunch alone and taking a nap back in his dormitory, Su Cai went to the library directly after two classes. He first grabbed a travel book to occupy a couch seat before finding some books to sit down with. Unfortunately, there were no proper seats available at peak times in the library; if he didn't secure a good spot quickly—especially for coveted spots like the couch—someone else would inevitably claim it.

Across from the sofa, a male and female couple are seated. The girl is wearing a short-sleeved vest, petite like a Southern Chinese girl with fair skin. She takes out tissues from her linen shoulder bag to repeatedly wipe the sofa.

She then pulls out two paper cups of yogurt, inserts straws into them, hands one to her boyfriend beside her, and only then sits down. Holding an original English book by an American author, she begins reading.

Probably having noticed Su Can's earlier actions to reserve a seat, she pays no mind but focuses solely on her reading. She feels that this student seems somewhat familiar, possibly someone she has seen at some intersection before.

This girl is likely quite outstanding and wears rather revealing clothing; it's not surprising that passersby would look at her enviously, wondering how her boyfriend managed to win such a clear-cut quality flower.

During university student surveys, the library being rated as the top place for romantic encounters within campus has solid reasons. There are many beautiful girls in universities, but one usually gets only fleeting glimpses of them while walking down paths and crossing paths briefly. Even if it brings a certain level of excitement due to adrenaline release, it's often just a brief encounter with low chances of further interaction. Those who can master the art of flirting with ease are few; most people miss out on such opportunities.

However, in the library things are different: beautiful girls not only display their refined qualities but also remain stationary targets, allowing ample time for strategic adjustments. Who knows, playing up to someone knocking books from their arms might actually work.

The library, strictly speaking, is a place brimming with warmth; it’s not just about absorbing knowledge and being exposed to humanities and social sciences but also providing an alternative hope.

But if you encounter someone already taken, there's little one can do.

Especially infuriating was how the male holding his yogurt cup seemed to have a sense of superiority, looking around arrogantly. When he caught sight of Su Can, he sized him up from head to toe; it’s no wonder since Su Can had been sizing up his girlfriend just moments ago.

Soon enough, the girl beside that boy asks, "What are you looking at"

"Nothing much. He looks somewhat familiar."

"Hmm, kind of like a dog," she quips with a blink, quoting from A Chinese Odyssey. They then burst into laughter, effectively dismissing Su Can.

The pair's giggling in front signaled that they were discussing something about him. However, Su Can doesn’t have the habit of placing himself in situations where he’s being discussed by others; instead, he got up and headed to the upstairs bookshelves. But this young couple's happiness made him feel the urge to spend a day with Tang Wu in the library someday.

In the social sciences and humanities section, Su Can suddenly felt overwhelmed by choices, too many books available for selection making it hard to choose. After wandering around, he realized there were so many books he wanted to read but unfortunately his energy was limited.

Picking up a copy of "Harvard Viewpoint," he noticed a delicate fragrance wafting over as a blue-clad, slender girl simultaneously pulled out a book with a white cover. She seemed hesitant but resolute when her speed was too fast and she ended up colliding books with Su Cen's, causing them to fall.

Su Cen exclaimed inwardly; could it be that there are girls who play such tricks as well Wasn't this the most clichéd move used by those male wolves

Looking closer, he found her rather good-looking with a prominent brow and sharp eyes. She appeared to be the type of confident and proud woman. "Sorry," she spoke in an even tone.

Su Cen subconsciously realized that this wasn't intentional nor due to his charisma; it seemed genuinely coincidental.

"No problem." Realizing she wasn’t targeting him, he bent down to pick up the books.

However, he noticed her awkward and panicked attempt to bend down. "Let me do that."

Su Cen quickly understood where her panic stemmed from—a book lying on the ground, Eve Ensler’s controversial novel "The Vagina Monologues." The sky was still light with greenery surrounding them; the girl in blue, known for her long legs and striking beauty, held the book's cover tightly. The title written in large characters on it.

Su Cen admitted to himself that this scene had considerable impact. He remained crouched while holding the book, allowing five seconds to pass before the girl’s proud face flushed red.

The circulation of such a book within private circles at several top universities wasn't uncommon; perhaps NDU would hold lectures on it four years later. But currently, it was likely outright banned.

Under Su Cen's scrutinizing gaze, the girl instinctively clenched and crumpled the cover to suppress her rising anger before standing up tall. She knew that this posture with the book in hand would have a lethal impact on NDU's mischievous male students.

Holding the book close to her chest, she looked down at Su Cen from above, saying coldly, "You don't understand. Go back and masturbate."

Turning away, she walked off with confidence, clearly a formidable figure on campus.

However, he was unaware of her desire to walk quickly and the fleeting thought of wanting to eliminate him if they met again.

Slightly overheated today; I'll leave it here for now. Feeling tired. and energy at their peak. Each had their own companies but faced the same problem: lack of funds. They had gathered today specifically for fundraising, and such investors like Liu Zhensheng did not i...