Chapter 8: The Scrap Iron Series

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“This ‘Touch of Gold’ model from our Tang Iron collection is one of the higher-priced items in Zhenbao’s lineup. The gold details embedded into the body of the kettle are real gold, hand-hammered in by skilled artisans.”

“The landscape design on the front was created by renowned Chinese painter Li Li, commissioned specifically for this product. His small artist signature is also inscribed on the lower right. Priced at 88,888 yuan, this isn’t exactly a mass-market item—but it offers significant aesthetic, artistic, and collectible value.”

“There are other pieces in this series, like Moon Reflected in Water and Rising Sun, which incorporate jade, agate, and other precious stones alongside pig iron, blended with calligraphy or artwork from renowned artists. Given their high market valuation, the goal of this exhibition is not primarily sales. Rather, it’s to present them as intangible cultural heritage artifacts—pieces of art—to educate visitors on their cultural and historical value, to foster a deep appreciation for Tang Iron culture. If we can achieve that, this exhibition will be a success…”

It had been a week since the incident with Qi Youbai, and Sheng Xia had already pushed it to the back of her mind. She wasn’t some naïve girl in her early twenties who treated romance as the center of her world. Emotional entanglements couldn’t compare to her career.

The Tang Iron Exhibition was just around the corner, and Zhenbao’s leadership was highly invested in using this opportunity to promote Tang Iron culture. Sheng Xia had no time for daydreaming. She immediately threw herself into organizing materials with her team, discussing exhibition strategy, and coordinating with Junli’s design department to decide the best product placements for each series.

The most ridiculous part? It wasn’t until today that Wang Roujia, manager of Junli’s design department, returned from a business trip. And despite arriving late, she showed no remorse—instead, she made herself a constant thorn in Sheng Xia’s side with baseless and unprofessional criticisms, transparently flexing her connections.

“But… Curator Sheng, I have to disagree with what you just said.”

Sheng Xia stood at the front of the conference room, holding the PPT she had worked on all night, giving an in-depth product briefing. Once again, she was rudely interrupted by Wang Roujia.

Taking a deep breath, Sheng Xia smiled and said, “Go ahead, Director Wang.”

Already annoyed by Qi Youbai and now having to put up with his subordinates, Sheng Xia’s patience was wearing dangerously thin. After tolerating Wang’s interruptions three times, she stopped pretending to be nice. Her tone turned biting, offering no courtesy.

Wang Roujia, sitting in the front row admiring her new manicure, hadn’t expected Sheng Xia to respond so sarcastically.

“What did you say? Did you just call me old?” she asked, pointing to herself in disbelief. “Guo, did she just say I’m old?”

Guo Zhifei immediately stood up and flattered her: “Not at all, Director Wang is as beautiful as a goddess—nowhere near old!”

“Then why did Zhenbao’s curator call me ‘old’?”

Guo stammered, unable to respond.

Sheng Xia watched the show with interest, then replied, “Director Wang, before you punish me over a single word, weren’t you about to state your disagreement? Please, go ahead.”

Feeling like she was losing control of the room, Wang Roujia pushed back her chair and strutted to the front in her 8-cm heels, the click of her shoes echoing on the marble floor.

Facing the audience, she began:

“Our hotel reached its current standing largely thanks to Old Chairman Qi, who led us to commercial success for over a decade. As even children know, the economy forms the base of all superstructures. Only when our profits meet certain thresholds can we ensure service quality and infrastructure. Yet Curator Sheng says that the exhibition’s purpose isn’t sales?”

“Then let me ask: with the space, manpower, funds, and marketing we’ve invested in this exhibition, how exactly are we supposed to balance costs and returns? Are we expected to just gift it all to Zhenbao? Are we running a charity?”

Her tone was condescending—like Zhenbao was some beggar being handed alms by Junli.

Zhenbao staff fidgeted in their seats. The youngest team members, Feng Jianyu and Xiao Wei, flushed red with anger.

Feng slapped the table and stood up: “Director Wang, are you saying we’re beggars?!”

That word—beggars—triggered painful memories for Sheng Xia. She instinctively pressed her fingers to her temple. Wang Roujia interpreted this as a sign of embarrassment.

Smirking, Wang said, “Oh, my. ‘Beggars’ weren’t my words. Your subordinate said that himself.”

“You…” Feng was fuming. He’d never met someone so shameless in his life.

Wen-jie, the most senior member of the Zhenbao team and Sheng Xia’s mentor, tried to calm him. “Feng, sit down.”

“But she’s being outrageous—how can we keep working with people like this?”

Xiao Wei chimed in, “Exactly! This isn’t collaboration—it’s bullying and insults! There are other venues besides Junli. What, you think our Tang Iron can’t reach the public without you?”

Surrounded by two hotheads, Wei-jie sighed and rubbed her temples. “Calm down. Let’s hear what Sheng Xia has to say first. If she can’t handle it, then we raise hell.”

On the Junli side, not everyone agreed with Wang Roujia either. Aside from a few suck-ups, most employees appeared uncomfortable.

Li Mao, sitting between the two groups and beside Xiao Wei, leaned in and whispered: “Sorry about her. She doesn’t represent our whole department.”

Xiao Wei shot him a glare. “Oh yeah? She’s your boss—if she doesn’t speak for you, who does?”

“Well,” Li said with a sheepish grin, “she only got the job thanks to her dad. She doesn’t do any real work, just focuses on beauty trends or tries to cozy up to President Qi.”

That made Xiao Wei ease up. “Then why is she targeting us?”

“That’s the juicy part,” Li whispered excitedly. “I’m the gossip king of Junli—you’re asking the right guy…”

“Stop teasing. Spit it out!”

“I heard the secretaries in the President’s Office praised your curator—said she’s pretty and looks good next to our President Qi. Word got back to Wang Roujia…”

“Alright, everyone, quiet down.”

Sheng Xia turned on the mic. Her voice boomed across the room. She looked toward her team, signaling them to remain calm. Despite being under scrutiny, her face remained serene, a small smile playing on her lips.

Everyone’s eyes returned to the front—to the stand-off.

Wang Roujia waited smugly, expecting Sheng Xia to struggle with her rebuttal.

Then Sheng Xia spoke:

“Director Wang, you truly embody noble ideals, putting Junli’s interests first. Compared to you, we at Zhenbao feel deeply ashamed.”

“I failed to consider your viewpoint. As the exhibition curator, I apologize to you publicly,” Sheng Xia said, turning toward Wang and giving a deep, unhesitating bow. “Sorry, Director Wang. Zhenbao will revise the plan accordingly.”

Her team gasped in outrage.

“She’s apologizing to that woman?!” Xiao Wei exclaimed.

“This is nonsense! Why bow to some nepotistic parasite?” Feng Jianyu growled.

Wen-jie remained calm. “Trust your curator. Sheng Xia wouldn’t let Zhenbao be bullied without reason…”

Even Wang Roujia was stunned. She still had plenty of barbs left—was Sheng Xia seriously backing down this easily? Reworking the plan would take another 7–8 days!

Still, if Sheng Xia wanted to flatter her, she’d play along.

Clearing her throat like a peacock, she said smugly, “Well, as long as Curator Sheng knows her mistake, I suppose I can forgive her. No need to overhaul the plan—just tweak it a bit. Let’s not waste time. Junli doesn’t run charity, after all.”

Sheng Xia clapped lightly, smiling with subtle meaning.

Wang’s sixth sense tingled—something was off.

Then Sheng Xia’s voice came through the mic, casual as ever:

“No need to worry, Director Wang. First, thank you for thinking of Zhenbao. But if we don’t significantly revise our plan, we won’t be showing our sincerity. So I’ve decided—we will revise it fully according to your suggestions.”

“And don’t worry about delays.” Sheng Xia walked aside, revealing the large projector screen behind her and flipping a few PPT slides.

“Besides the high-end ‘Touch of Gold’ line, Zhenbao had planned to push our mid-tier Eighteen Constellations series to boost sales. But after hearing Director Wang’s insights, I’ve had an epiphany.”

“To maximize Junli’s profits, we must prioritize low-cost, mass-appeal products.”

She flipped to the final slide and pointed.

“This is the most culturally rich product in our entire catalog: the Scrap Iron Series!”

“Each piece costs 9.9 yuan to produce. As for the price—we’ll leave that to Director Wang to decide. Whatever price best serves Junli’s profits, go for it. I even prepared your ad copy:”

‘Junli Mega Sale! Tang Dynasty Iron Kettles at Cabbage Prices! Once in a Lifetime Deal—Don’t Miss Out!’