The Sickly Girl Becomes a Scum Alpha - Chapter 30

After arriving at her office, Jian Sui was still somewhat troubled by the morning’s events. Her original intention had been to grow closer to Chu Ci, but it had resulted in such a clumsy misunderstanding that it actually pushed them further apart.

She rested her forehead on her hand. It was a real headache.

Assistant Cheng Feng called. Learning that he would be arriving shortly, Jian Sui forced herself to perk up and went straight into a meeting.

Just as Jian Sui finished her meeting, Cheng Feng arrived. It was the first time the two had met in person.

“Ms. Jian.”

“Assistant Cheng, thank you for making the trip.”

After brief pleasantries, the two went upstairs.

After touring Jian Sui’s company, Cheng Feng admitted he didn’t know much about fashion design, but that didn’t hinder anything.

Back in Jian Sui’s office, Cheng Feng took a sip of tea. “Ms. Jian, our court date with Tiss is this Thursday, right?”

“Correct. They’ve used up most of their tricks. We can confirm the court opens this Thursday.”

Once at work, Jian Sui naturally pushed her private matters to the back of her mind and discussed business seriously.

“Then there is still plenty of time. This afternoon, I will arrange for lawyers and PR staff to come over. We must win this lawsuit and coordinate with PR to achieve the best possible impact.”

Cheng Feng knew exactly what kind of narrative the public loved most. He understood the practical importance of controlling reactions; there was no room for error.

Jian Sui hesitated. “We already have a retained attorney…”

They had spent a significant sum to hire him, but their “significant sum” was limited. This lawyer couldn’t compare to the Chu Group’s legal team. The Chu Group’s lawyers were famous for treating the courtroom like their own home and rarely losing; they were nicknamed the “Evergreen Pines of Jiangcheng.”

If this matter were handed to them, it was essentially a guaranteed win.

Cheng Feng saw Jian Sui’s concern—the time was short, and she feared a handover might result in oversight. “Don’t worry, Ms. Jian. Your original attorney can work alongside us.”

“Alright. Thank you for the trouble.”

“It’s no trouble at all,” Cheng Feng noted it down. “By the way, Ms. Jian, from now on, all of your company’s operations will be handed over to our side.”

“Everything has already been settled.”

Jian Sui agreed without a hint of hesitation. This had already been discussed, and the execution was now moving smoothly.

With everything verified, they held a meeting with the management team and issued all executive orders. The entire company immediately became busy.

By comparison, Jian Sui and Cheng Feng were now the most idle.

Cheng Feng continued flipping through the proposal, looking as if he wanted to speak but was holding back, occasionally glancing up at Jian Sui.

Jian Sui wanted to ignore it, but it was far too strange.

“Assistant Cheng, if you have something to say, please speak freely.”

“Ms. Jian, we’ve discussed the future responses, and everything is moving in an orderly fashion. However, there is one critical issue that remains unresolved. I want to discuss it with you.”

Cheng Feng hesitated, but he had clearly reached a decision.

Jian Sui turned serious. “Please, go ahead.”

“Then I’ll say it. To quickly raise the brand’s visibility and prestige during this crisis, we need a high-influence public figure to help us break into the high-end apparel market.”

Cheng Feng’s logic was sound. In this era, celebrity influence was unprecedented. It was a good strategy.

“So… hire a celebrity spokesperson?” Jian Sui asked hesitantly.

“Are there any celebrities who have collaborated with our company before?” Cheng Feng looked at Jian Sui. “Tiss has many spokespeople with great influence. At this juncture, no one will want to wade into these muddy waters. Furthermore, hiring an 18th-tier celebrity is worse than hiring no one at all. As for top-tier stars, we likely don’t have the budget, and they wouldn’t accept this kind of collaboration anyway.”

He was entirely right. Before the incident, even minor celebrities wouldn’t have spared them a glance, let alone now. Even if someone agreed out of respect for the Chu family, the effect would likely be underwhelming.

Jian Sui nodded in agreement, but she knew that while it looked like a dead end, since Cheng Feng had brought it up, he must have an idea. She was all ears. “It’s true we have no experience with celebrities. Do you have a suitable candidate in mind?”

“Actually, Ms. Jian herself is an excellent ambassador, but your public profile is a bit low. To be effective, we’d need a lot of preparation and marketing, and we don’t have the time. Information filters too quickly nowadays; trends are fleeting, and it’s hard to retain traffic.”

Cheng Feng had considered Jian Sui, but considering her personality and other factors, she only met the criteria for aesthetics and being the owner of Bamboo Dream. That wasn’t enough.

Jian Sui looked into Cheng Feng’s eyes and suddenly realized something. “Assistant Cheng, you mean…?”

“Haven’t you already thought of it? High visibility, inherent viral potential, high social status, extensive networks in the upper circles, outstanding looks and figure, and most importantly… she’s free.”

Cheng Feng couldn’t help but laugh as he said this.

Jian Sui: …You might as well just read Chu Ci’s ID number out loud.

Finding “freelance” work for the boss during office hours—Jian Sui had to admire Cheng Feng’s courage.

But then again, Chu Ci’s looks and tall figure were undeniable. Furthermore, as the most famous and high-profile socialite online, her viral potential was no less than a celebrity’s. Any gossip involving her instantly hit the trending topics—that was proof enough.

Most importantly, Chu Ci was the heir to the Chu family. This identity held immense weight among the elite. If a design looked spectacular on her, it would truly be considered a success.

Currently, Chu Ci was indeed the best candidate.

“But Chu Ci likely isn’t free. She just started at the company; it’s her busiest time…”

Jian Sui’s interest faded as she remembered Chu Xiong’s words. She knew what was important; she couldn’t delay Chu Ci’s work.

“It’s just a simple photoshoot. The Young Mistress can do it after work; it won’t interfere. Besides, if we can successfully transform the Young Mistress’s reputation, it would be a huge win for both the Chu Group and her. It’s killing several birds with one stone. Why not?”

Cheng Feng persuaded her dutifully.

Jian Sui looked at Cheng Feng. This was truly an “inspiring” assistant. She had heard of bosses making assistants work overtime, but this was the first time she’d seen an assistant find overtime work for the boss—and unpaid work at that.

“Chu Ci might not be willing.” Jian Sui still felt it was inappropriate.

“If Ms. Jian asks, the Young Mistress will definitely agree.” Cheng Feng spoke with total confidence. He was willing to bet on the observational skills he had honed over the years.

It was precisely because of this that Jian Sui hesitated. Asking for help while knowing Chu Ci wouldn’t refuse felt a bit like she was “bullying” her.

“But Chu Ci’s ‘disastrous’ taste in fashion is public knowledge.”

Jian Sui couldn’t describe her current mood. She wanted to seize the opportunity, but she didn’t want to take advantage of Chu Ci, so she was incredibly conflicted, trying to find a hundred reasons why Chu Ci was unsuitable.

Cheng Feng’s eyes lit up. “That’s even better! We show the world that Bamboo Dream Original Design saved even a fashion black hole like the Young Mistress. Doesn’t that make it more of a talking point? Oh, wait!”

Acting surprised, Cheng Feng searched for something on his laptop and turned the screen to Jian Sui.

The screen showed news results for “Chu Ci” and “Li Sinan.” The first was the recent trending topic: Chu Ci and Li Sinan reconcile. The second was from Chu Ci’s coming-of-age ceremony: Chu Ci publicly claims Li Sinan’s designs are ugly and tacky. They were ranked by popularity.

Jian Sui suddenly knew what Cheng Feng was plotting.

Cheng Feng saw that she understood. “Given the relationship between the Chu family and Mr. Li Sinan, asking for a small favor is easy. By then, we’ll have the conflict, the gimmick, the industry authority’s endorsement, and the viral traffic. Bamboo Dream will be the next big trend.”

“…Assistant Cheng, you are very bold.”

“The bold feast while the timid starve.” Cheng Feng said it lightly, but he knew everything was within a controllable range. First, Chu Ci and Jian Sui were a couple. Given Chu Ci’s devotion to Jian Sui, she wouldn’t refuse to help.

Second, the Chu family’s ties with Li Sinan were deep, and after their recent reconciliation, he wouldn’t refuse a small favor within his principles.

With Chu Ci and Li Sinan involved, both capital and authority would be present. As long as Bamboo Dream wasn’t complete trash, they could definitely make it soar.

Jian Sui looked at the computer screen, her fingers tapping the desk slowly, as if reaching a long-term decision. Gradually, her gaze became determined. Something was changing.

“Alright. I’ll call Chu Ci.”

Cheng Feng breathed a sigh of relief and stood up. “Time is tight. Let’s pick out some clothes for the Young Mistress first and prepare. She can come straight here after work. I’ve checked her schedule; she only has one appointment this afternoon, so she should be on time.”

Standing up as well, Jian Sui paused with her phone in hand, looking at Cheng Feng suspiciously. “Assistant Cheng, did you really just decide on her as a candidate on a whim?”

Now that the matter was settled, Cheng Feng had no more worries. He gave a guilty smile; everything was left unsaid.

Jian Sui said nothing more. Her own skills were still shallow; she hadn’t detected a single flaw in Cheng Feng’s step-by-step performance. It seemed she still needed to work hard.

The two walked out while calling Chu Ci.

Chu Ci had been reading files all morning and was feeling dizzy. Seeing a call from Jian Sui, she rubbed her eyes and perked up.

“Are you free after work this afternoon?” Jian Sui had made up her mind, but she still felt a bit embarrassed to ask.

“I’m free. Is something up?” Chu Ci sensed Jian Sui had more to say.

“It’s like this…” Jian Sui explained the whole situation to Chu Ci. At the end, still feeling like she was “bullying” her, she couldn’t help adding, “It’s fine if you don’t want to come.”

Chu Ci felt quite nervous. In her previous life, she hadn’t been in the habit of taking photos due to her health. Hearing this request suddenly, she lacked confidence. But since Jian Sui had finally asked her for something…

“I’m free. I’ll head over right after work.”

As expected, she couldn’t say no.

“See you this afternoon.”

“See you.”

After they settled it, Jian Sui hung up with mixed emotions. Cheng Feng looked like he expected nothing less. “Then Ms. Jian, shall we go pick out the clothes?”

It was almost noon. Jian Sui and Cheng Feng didn’t have time for lunch. After ordering takeout, they went with Zhao Rong to pick out the clothes for Chu Ci.

This was quite different from a professional model’s photoshoot. They didn’t need Chu Ci to walk a runway.

From now on, Jian Sui’s company would be a focus for the media. Numerous cameras would be pointed at them. They simply needed Chu Ci to be wearing Bamboo Dream every time she appeared in public. Just as she had gone viral with a simple outfit at Li Sinan’s banquet, she would do so again. The climax would be after the victory.

The very design that Tiss tried to use to distort the truth and crush Bamboo Dream would be worn by Chu Ci as she walked out of court with Jian Sui to accept interviews.

If Tiss wanted to plagiarize and then blame the victim, they would see whose head that blame landed on.