Chapter 11: Sigh, I Finally Have to Shine Brightly!

【Continental Attire】.

A small suit factory in the industrial park of Yanjing's eastern district, mainly engaged in suit processing, garment production, supplying stores, and creating specialty clothing.

The boss of 【Continental Attire】 is named Xu Wei, a very ordinary, even vulgar name, who is exactly 40 years old this year.

In 1990, he left Guangzhou with dreams, ran to Yanjing to start his own clothing brand, but after 13 years of ups and downs in the business world, suffered many hidden losses, learned the hardships of society, and ultimately lost his dreams amidst the red lights and green wine, honestly taking up suit processing and private-label business just to barely make a living.

【Continental Suits】 is actually the first self-made suit brand Xu Wei created through years of struggle; the first batch produced about three thousand pieces, and he used his savings to open his own brand store.

As a result, after selling for nearly two years, several hundred pieces remained stored in the warehouse, and he met Zhou Yang during a warehouse clearance a month ago.

He thought a suit costing over 200 yuan would be affordable for any adult, but he encountered a guy who couldn't even pull out a hundred yuan from his pocket yet insisted on putting on airs; at the time, he didn't know how he was persuaded, and finally rented a high-end piece to Zhou Yang for four yuan a day.

But the key point is, a whole month has passed, and he hasn't seen a single penny of the four-yuan-a-day rent.

He calls, and the person answers; the person doesn't run away.

Not only does he not run, he comes over every now and then to mooch meals; what's worse, recently, this guy's phone was suspended, and he shamelessly asked to borrow twenty yuan from him to recharge.

Xu Wei looked at Zhou Yang, who was clearly penniless yet carried a briefcase, had his hair combed neatly, and looked like a big boss who left early and returned late, and was speechless.

He had advised Zhou Yang several times that young people should find a proper job, and if that really didn't work, come do suit processing; at least he could make a living in Yanjing City, but Zhou Yang seemed not to listen, borrowing ten or twenty yuan for pocket money on one hand while continuing to leave early and return late on the other, busy with who knows what...

……………………

June 25.

Orange-yellow sunset clouds covered the horizon.

Inside the 【Continental Attire】 factory, workers were sweating profusely.

"Leave some for him."

"How much to leave?"

"Leave some meat and vegetables for him, leave some wine for him..."

"Okay."

In the temporary shed in the corner of the warehouse.

Xu Wei looked at the food on the table and instructed his wife, Liu Aihua, who was clearing the bowls and chopsticks.

Liu Aihua nodded and cleared a spot.

Although Zhou Yang was very poor, liked to take small advantages, and was quite fond of bragging, strangely, this young man seemed to possess a natural personality charm that made people feel close to him...

Although Xu Wei and his wife always urged Zhou Yang to be more practical and pressed him to repay the debt, it was mostly a sense of regret for a junior.

From Zhou Yang's few scattered words, they knew he was a pitiful person.

The sun set in the west.

Sunset clouds filled the sky.

Just as Xu Wei stood up to leave, a roar of a car engine came from the entrance.

When a red Audi A6 drove into the small road, he instinctively stood up and went to welcome it.

People driving such cars were most likely major clients or bosses of partners coming to inspect the factory.

"Boss Xu, may your business flourish!"

"Hello, may your business flourish, wait, you... Zhou Yang?"

When Zhou Yang, carrying a briefcase and looking very refined, stepped out of the driver's cabin, Xu Wei was stunned!

"Zhou Yang, you... where did you steal this car from?"

"Boss Xu, that's not a nice thing to say; what do you mean 'stole'? This car was borrowed..."

"Zhou Yang, you... let me tell you, this is a society ruled by law; don't mess around blindly. This car is worth over a million yuan, you..."

Xu Wei's face changed drastically; he quickly pulled Zhou Yang aside, cautiously looked around, and only after seeing no one paying attention did he lower his voice.

Getting caught stealing an Audi A6 means going to jail!

How could this person be so bold!

"Boss Xu, why do you always not believe me? This car was borrowed from the 'Love Ferris Wheel' film crew to drive; after talking with you, I have to return it..."

"Really borrowed?" Xu Wei opened his mouth, half-believing and half-doubting.

Boss Xu, oh no, why are you looking at me like that? I'm really not someone who swindles or deceives—look, here's the contract I signed!

"..."

The afterglow of the sunset shone on Zhou Yang's face.

Zhou Yang took out a contract in front of Xu Wei and handed it to him.

Xu Wei carefully took the contract, stared in shock at the legal terms on it, and then looked at Zhou Yang with disbelief.

After holding back for a long time, he looked at the Audi A6 in a daze, then blinked at Zhou Yang in a trance: "You? The third male lead?"

Seeing Xu Wei's shocked expression, Zhou Yang silently closed the car door and looked at the sunset clouds on the horizon: "Do you remember what I told you?"

"What words?"

"Within two months, I will make 【Continental Suits】 live again!"

"..."

Xu Wei suppressed his shocked emotions and stared at that contract for a long time.

Finally, he looked at that red Audi A6 again with uncertainty.

In the stifling air, there was a slightly unreal feeling of stuffy heat.

How did this guy suddenly start acting in movies?

This...

"You left me food? Great, great, hahaha... Sister-in-law is so good!"

Seeing the small table beside the shed, Zhou Yang's eyes lit up; immediately, he ran over and, treating it like his own home, skillfully served himself a meal.

Xu Wei looked at the contract in his hand, then glanced at Zhou Yang again.

This contract actually seems to be real!

"Love Ferris Wheel," I seem to have seen it somewhere...

He looked at Zhou Yang again; to be honest, aside from that shameless look and the constant air of showing off, he really wasn't any worse than the stars on TV.

He helplessly shook his head and sat opposite Zhou Yang.

He had intended to pour Zhou Yang a glass of wine, but then remembered that A6; as if recalling something, he immediately frowned: "You have a driver's license, right?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes, I just got it last year..."

"That's good, wait, weren't you seventeen last year? How could you take the test? Did you buy a fake certificate somewhere?"

Zhou Yang slapped his driver's license onto the table and continued to wolf down his food: "The audit isn't that strict; I half-bought, half-tested for it..."

"Oh."

Xu Wei nodded.

Time passed bit by bit.

After Zhou Yang finished eating, he adjusted his suit and elegantly wiped his mouth with a paper napkin: "Boss Xu, it's time..."

"Time for what?"

"Boss Xu, it's time to revive the 【Continental Brand】..."

"That's all in the past... I gave up on that idea long ago." Xu Wei sighed, looking at the sunset gradually fading on the horizon, and said softly.

There are still over a hundred suits of 【Continental Suits】 in the warehouse, sold at such low prices they're selling at a loss...

How easy is it to make a branded suit?

He is forty now, long past being that young man who dared to venture into Yanjing with just a few hundred yuan.

The failure a few years ago completely crushed his spirit; it's better to proceed steadily and be an ordinary boss of a small processing factory; at least making a living is no problem.

"Boss Xu, your suits have always been excellent; I like both the quality and the materials... Do you know what was missing from your last startup?"

"What was missing?" Thinking of the past, Xu Wei couldn't help but feel bitter and poured himself a glass of white liquor.

"Even good wine fears the deep alley; relying solely on quality to win is indeed a path, but the time for reputation to ferment is simply too, too long..."

"Advertising fees are too expensive; CCTV ads easily cost hundreds of thousands..." Xu Wei sighed and took a sip of wine: "This isn't something a small enterprise can pull off; other TV stations and radio are cheaper, but I've investigated; one or two months show no effect. You have to run ads year after year, but the advertising fees for year after year are also staggering..."

"..."

Zhou Yang looked at Xu Wei's desolate expression, said nothing, and silently gazed into the distance.

"Boss Xu, actually, I've always hoped I could make a living on my own abilities, but a few days ago, I was forced to accept reality..."

"What reality?"

"Compared to talent, I might be more suited to making a living off my face..."

"???"

Xu Wei had originally felt quite distressed.

But seeing Zhou Yang's shameless look, he immediately wanted to smash the wine bottle onto that guy's face.

Can this guy speak some human language?

Suppressing that impulse, Xu Wei saw Zhou Yang put on his glasses and stand up.

Gazing into the distance with a complex expression, he pushed up his glasses and sighed: "I never thought I would finally have to walk this path watched by the masses..."

"???"

"As one of the few witnesses, Boss Xu, just throw out a thirty-thousand endorsement fee; next, you just wait to count your money!"

"???"