T/N[1]
When Yang Qiang knocked again, Heifeng had barely finished approving the Kunpeng-A2 Lite production run.
"President Heifeng, may I raise one more point?"
"Go ahead."
Yang straightened. "Our products are strong, but the advertising is soft. We rely on online reviews and launch events, yet every rival splashes celebrity faces across billboards. I suggest we secure brand spokespeople—ideally one for each major line—to lift visibility before the third-generation Hongmeng S hits the market."
The logic was obvious: photos of idols holding a phone moved units faster than any benchmark chart. Heifeng tapped his pen. "Advertising decides first impressions," he agreed. "I'll bring it to tomorrow's morning meeting. Goal: lock a spokesperson before the S3 launch."
Yang's tension slipped into a grin. He knew the pledge meant the budget would follow. With a quick thanks, he left, and the office air filled with quiet purpose.
Mid-afternoon, Heifeng opened his laptop and began scanning the entertainment landscape. The right face could reshape brand perception overnight. In this world, he recognized a few household names from magazines—singers topping digital charts, actors headlining costume dramas. He needed someone both reputable and relatable, whose growth mirrored Huaxing Technology's rise from obscurity to powerhouse.
Three hundred kilometers away, in the Shanghai high-rise that housed Tangren Film & Television, business manager Liu Jing burst into President Cai Yinong's office.
"President Cai, a mobile phone company wants an endorsement deal. Leading domestic brand, very generous terms!"
Cai had shepherded stars for a decade, but recent years were lean; every new drama earned less than the last. An A-level endorsement could plug holes in the balance sheet. "Which manufacturer?"
"Huaxing Technology."
The name triggered only faint recognition, so Cai waved Liu out and opened her computer. A quick search replaced her puzzlement with intrigue. Huaxing—once dismissed as a garage chip startup—was now China's rising tech comet: Kunpeng chips breaking performance charts, Harmony phones selling out in minutes, a rumoured partnership with Great Wall Motors for intelligent EV dashboards. The company's curve of near-bankruptcy to market leader echoed the trajectory of Hu Ge, Tangren's flagship actor, who had clawed back from career-ending injury to respected star.
Synergy flashed in Cai's mind: resilient brand meets resilient talent.
She scrolled to the proposed terms:
¥10 million per year (≈ $1.38 million)
Five-year contract
Fee escalates ¥1 million (≈ $138 000) each year
Exclusive mobile-device endorsement on the mainland
Ten million annually was top-tier singer money, nearly double the rate actors commanded, especially actors in a quiet season like Hu Ge. Sincerity could not be clearer. Still, Cai would never sign without her artist's buy-in. She dialed. Hu Ge was reading lines on set when his phone—ironically a lavender Hongmeng X2—buzzed.
"Cai Jie? Something urgent?"
"A tech firm wants you as their spokesman," she said briskly. "Huaxing Technology. Ten million yuan in the first year, rising by one million each following year, for a five-year term."
Even through the earpiece, she heard his breath catch. "Ten million? For me?"
"Your popularity isn't the only factor," she reassured him. "Your comeback story matches theirs. Both of you rebuilt from nothing. I've reviewed their history. They ship the Kunpeng series that's squeezing Qualcomm, and their Harmony phones dominate female selfie rankings. If you join, you stand beside innovation, not yesterday's giants."
Hu Ge glanced at the Hongmeng X2 in his hand and smiled. "I've been using their phone since the director recommended the camera. Colors come out beautiful without filters. Maybe fate already decided."
"Then we'll discuss details tonight," Cai said. "But remember: endorsements tie your image tightly to theirs. Think it through."
"I will. Thank you, President Cai."
Back in Jiangcheng, Heifeng drafted a one-page plan for the morning meeting:
• Objective: secure nationally recognizable faces whose public narrative reinforces Huaxing's values—innovation, resilience, and everyday elegance.
• Budget ceiling: ¥50 million (≈ $6.88 million) across three product families.
• Priority order: Hongmeng X (flagship power) ➔ Hongmeng S (style) ➔ upcoming Dove L (female-focused).
• Criteria: clean reputation, large social-media footprint, proven cross-gender appeal.
He added a personal footnote: Hu Ge checks every box for Hongmeng X. Arrange first contact.
Heifeng sent the memo, then leaned back, picturing the campaign: a single poster—Hu Ge in a midnight jacket, holding the graphite X3 against a city skyline, tagline simple and direct: "Rise Again."
Tomorrow, negotiations would start, budgets would be debated, and factories would still hum. Still, tonight the converging arcs of a reborn actor and a reborn tech company felt inevitable—as if two comeback stories had been waiting to shake hands.
And when they did, the whole country would be watching.
[1] Not proofread yet