After a brief delay at the entrance of the collection shop, Lu Nan hurriedly walked through the ancient-style door framed with glass and wood and saw someone inside. 

It wasn’t a customer. 

It was Chen Xiao. 

Lu Nan quickly approached, “Sorry, Manager Chen, I just went to the restroom.” 

Chen Xiao waved indifferently, “It’s okay. The bartender told me when I came in.” He glanced at the work badge pinned to Lu Nan’s chest, “You’re filling in for Luo Yajun’s shift?” 

“Yes, my name is Lu Nan. Manager Wang asked me to fill in for a day.” 

“I remember you, Lu Nan. General Director Xiang asked you to introduce yourself before. We’ve only met in meetings, so you might not know me well. Let me introduce myself.” Chen Xiao took a step forward. “I’m Chen Xiao, the brand specialist for Yuan Chuan in Hailin City. I mainly manage the brand operations for Yuan Chuan Classic Liquor, including the luxury fragrance line. You’ve been assigned to the group purchasing department, which handles Harmony Liquor and Classic Liquor. This means there’s a fifty percent chance you’ll be under my supervision in the future.” 

Lu Nan nodded respectfully. “Understood, Manager Chen.” 

Chen Xiao smiled. “Just call me Chen Xiao. I just introduced my position to you and explained the structure of Yuan Chuan’s local office. I’m not your direct supervisor yet, so no need to be so tense.” 

“Brother Chen, have you been with the company for a long time?” Lu Nan asked. Although Chen Xiao was gentle and polite, Lu Nan didn’t dare to address him by name and instead called him according to seniority. 

“Yeah, calling me Brother Chen… that’s fine.” Chen Xiao nodded slightly, sensing that the newcomer in front of him was a bit too formal. “I joined last year, so it’s been almost a year now.” 

“Wow!” Lu Nan looked impressed. “That’s impressive.” 

“It’s nothing. The company is growing quickly. The upper management understands how important it is to have skilled sales staff. So, starting from the year before last, they stopped hiring from the general public and began recruiting directly from universities to find new talent. I remember you missed the campus recruitment. You were introduced by Yan Kai, right?” 

Lu Nan added quietly, “Yes, he’s my senior.” 

“He also joined last year and is now at the level of a business supervisor. With a bit more effort, he could become a city manager or a brand specialist.” Chen Xiao gave a look of encouragement. “Work hard. There are plenty of opportunities for young people at Yuan Chuan these days.” 

“Mm-hmm,” Lu Nan thought to herself. I don’t believe you at all. It’s not easy to go from a sales representative to a business supervisor, and it’s even harder to climb to the level of city manager. Not everyone has a cheat code like you. 

Chen Xiao noticed that Lu Nan seemed a bit shy, so he changed the subject. “Work is a two-way choice. Gold will shine sooner or later. Since your former boss thought highly of you, you might have a bright future at Yuan Chuan too, right?” He smiled warmly. Being young himself, he had easily connected with his subordinates in the past, playing basketball with the new recruits and bantering with the experienced group purchasing managers—or was it something more? 

… Chen Xiao hadn’t encountered someone so reserved around him before. “Since you’ve been here a few days, have you managed to grasp all the product knowledge?” 

He probably heard what Mr. Song said to me. I wonder how much he overheard? It doesn’t matter though; Mr. Song was just expressing himself earlier. I didn’t disagree, but I didn’t agree either. You can’t expect a newcomer like me who just joined to have a strong sense of belonging to Yuan Chuan and challenge the former Vice President of my previous company. 

Lu Nan didn’t feel uneasy at all in her heart. She nodded slightly on the surface and modestly replied, “I’ve remembered most of it.” 

Naturally, Chen Xiao then asked about the Yuan Chuan Classic Liquor series under his jurisdiction, since there were crystal price tags in the store, with market prices of 788, 988, and 1588 for the ten-year, fifteen-year, and twenty-year versions respectively. A glance was all it took for him to ask Lu Nan about the factory prices. 

Without hesitation, Lu Nan reported the prices. 

“Now, tell me about the prices for Yuan Chuan Classic Liquor in group purchases, supermarkets, wholesalers, and restaurants, along with their corresponding competitor information,” Chen Xiao raised the difficulty level. “Also, include details about their competitors.” 

The second half of the question was beyond Lu Nan’s scope, but it didn’t stump her. She calmly said, “Yuan Chuan Classic Liquor is the company’s core product line, featuring three main types: ‘Hai Kuo Hao Qing’ for the ten-year, ‘Tian Xiang Guo Se’ for the fifteen-year, and ‘Meng Hui Han Tang’ for the twenty-year. Group purchase prices are: 630 yuan, 790 yuan, and 1270 yuan respectively. I calculated that these are exactly 80% of the supermarket prices. Supermarket prices are: 788 yuan, 988 yuan, and 1588 yuan respectively. Wholesale prices are as follows… As for competitors, I don’t know much about them. If I’m mistaken, please correct me, Brother Chen. Yunhe Wine Group has many products that compete directly with ours. Whether in terms of fragrance or pricing, there’s a significant overlap in target customers…” 

“That’s good. Your basic knowledge is solid, and you’re flexible in remembering prices,” Chen Xiao nodded after a moment. “It’s a pity you’re stationed in the store.” 

This time, Lu Nan was certain: Chen Xiao had heard everything Mr. Song said. 

… 

Watching Chen Xiao leave, Lu Nan let out a slow sigh. As she opened her hands, she felt a slight dampness in her palms. 

When facing Chen Xiao alone, Lu Nan did feel a bit nervous. 

Honestly—well, maybe more than just a bit. 

A few days ago, Yan Kai introduced Chen Xiao to her. Lu Nan felt a mix of emotions, but she hid it well, and Yan Kai didn’t notice at all. 

Because of the morning meetings, they had been meeting at the conference table these past few days. Lu Nan felt she could now treat Chen Xiao with the same calmness as a stranger—she thought desensitization therapy was working. 

She never expected him to suddenly appear at the collection shop. Caught off guard, Lu Nan almost lost control of her expression at first. 

Lu Nan reflected: Did I overreact a bit earlier? 

After joining Yuan Chuan, she asked herself: Was it really because she was worried about wasting the favor of her senior that she did not reject the offer? 

Lu Nan sighed, “Maybe not entirely. After all, there are still people and things in Hailin City’s office that will evoke nostalgia in the days to come. I have a very good memory, whether it’s holding onto grudges or remembering kindness.” 

How annoying! Didn’t we agree to slack off for half a year? Why do you almost regret it when you see an old friend? 

Lu Nan tapped her forehead, telling herself not to overthink it. If she can do it, she will, and if she’s not happy doing it, she’ll quit. 

All those past small favors, grievances, and misunderstandings aren’t as important as making money to buy a house. 

Speaking of which, it seems I’ll have extra money at the end of this month? 

Lu Nan couldn’t recall the exact date, but she remembered her biological father giving her some money before July. He had congratulated her on graduating from university and told her to buy a car. 

If nothing unexpected happens, Lu Nan will receive his call in the next few days. 

After this money was deposited, Lu Nan decided to immediately use it to buy shares in a certain media company. 

What car to buy, how silly. 

… 

Getting off work at eight, the last bus has not stopped running yet. Lu Nan used her student card with the remaining balance and only spent six cents. 

Maybe it’s because tonight she can sleep in a new air-conditioned room and wake up steadily at seven-thirty tomorrow, Lu Nan’s mood is very good. She quickly forgot the uneasiness of being alone with Chen Xiao. 

———— 

Note 1: Is the hundred-year-old wine really a hundred years old? 

I realize the previous text may not have explicitly mentioned it. 

Let me explain. 

All vintage wines, labeled with years like three years, ten years, twenty years, and a hundred years, refer to the age of the base wine, not that the entire bottle has been aged for that many years. In other words. 

A bottle of hundred-year-old vintage wine theoretically contains a small part (a small part) of base wine that is a hundred years old or close to a hundred years old. 

Pure hundred-year-old wine without blending with new wines from different years cannot be consumed at all. 

This is the blending process in winemaking, different from the concept of blending. 

Keywords: base wine, blending, cellar aging. 

You can look it up yourself.