Chapter 3

The next day, Feng Yi left home early and rushed around to handle the compensation payments for several partner companies.

At three in the afternoon, Feng Yi finally found time to have a quick meal, took a brief rest, and immediately headed to the last company—the Rongcheng branch of Qianli Group.

Qianli Group owns several top domestic fashion brands, and Feng Yi had only collaborated with one of them. His current status and position were not enough to interact with the actual decision-makers of Qianli Group.

However, just as he was about to leave after handling the compensation, Feng Yi was informed that someone wanted to see him.

Lu Yue, the head of the Rongcheng business development team at Qianli Group, was a graduate of the same university as Feng Yi. When Feng Yi was a sophomore, Lu Yue was invited to give a speech at the school, so Feng Yi knew of this person.

Qianli Group is a family business, and Lu Yue, who is not yet thirty, already has considerable influence within the group. To reach his current position at such a young age, it's not just about family connections.

However, the fact that Lu Yue, a very busy person, would take the time to meet a junior he didn't know was surprising to Feng Yi. In his view, the issues with his studio were significant, but from someone at Lu Yue's level, they didn't warrant personal intervention.

Feng Yi was right. If it were a different time or a different person, Lu Yue wouldn't have given it a second thought. But today, while discussing a project, Lu Yue mentioned Feng Yi's studio.

Lu Yue knew about the incident where Feng Yi's partner embezzled funds and fled after making a donation. Hearing that Feng Yi was there to handle the compensation, and with some free time and a good mood, Lu Yue felt a rare moment of kindness and had Feng Yi called upstairs. He planned to chat with this junior and share some life experiences, perhaps with a bit of sympathy for a failed entrepreneur.

Lu Yue sighed at the plight of this junior. However, in the business world, sympathy is cheap. This setback might be hard to recover from. A total compensation of over 20 million yuan is indeed a significant blow for a startup. He hadn't heard of any background or connections for this junior, but the fact that he managed to cover the loss, regardless of the method, showed some skill.

Everyone has their share of unspoken helplessness.

Lu Yue thought about how to comfort this junior without hurting his pride. When he saw Feng Yi walk into the office, he was taken aback.

First, he was surprised by this junior's appearance.

Second, and most importantly, Feng Yi's mental state was excellent, with no trace of resentment or despair in his eyes. He didn't look like someone who had just suffered a major setback in his career.

"Mr. Lu..." Feng Yi said.

"Don't call me Mr. Lu, call me Brother Lu. I'm not much older than you, and we're from the same school, no need to be so formal!"

Lu Yue's smile became much warmer, and the mode shifted from a distant alumnus to a potential business partner.

As he believed, if Feng Yi could overcome this obstacle, regardless of the method, it showed some skill. So, it was worth deepening this alumni connection.

Under the warm atmosphere Lu Yue intentionally created, they talked about the school reunion, employment rates, entrepreneurial experiences, and business philosophies.

Most of the time, Lu Yue did the talking, and Feng Yi played along.

Facing Feng Yi, Lu Yue felt a clear sense of superiority, and his words conveyed the concern and guidance of a successful person to a junior who had faced setbacks.

After finishing his speech, Lu Yue lifted his wrist to check the time.

Feng Yi understood it was time to leave.

"Brother Lu, I'll remember your words. Thank you, Brother Lu, for taking so much of your time..."

As he was about to leave, Feng Yi's eyes narrowed, and he paused.

Noticing Feng Yi's unusual behavior, Lu Yue followed his gaze to his wrist and smiled.

"Nice, right? It's the new D&B watch, a gift from my girlfriend. It's a limited edition set, including a matching wallet. Hard to get."

Lu Yue, with a proud expression, extended his wrist to show off his new limited edition watch.

Feng Yi, of course, knew the D&B brand, a top global luxury brand that rose during the climate anomaly period, surpassing many established brands and maintaining its market dominance.

Since it's a top luxury brand and a limited edition, the watch on Lu Yue's wrist wouldn't be cheap.

However, Feng Yi wasn't concerned about that.

After observing Lu Yue's reaction, he hesitated for a moment and said, "Brother Lu, can I take a look at your watch?"

Lu Yue had never encountered such a situation before. After his initial surprise, he didn't make Feng Yi feel awkward and took off the watch to hand it over.

Feng Yi pulled out a tissue from the side table and used it to catch the watch as it was handed to him.

Lu Yue: "..."

He wasn't so petty as to not let others touch his watch; he didn't have a phobia. But this junior was quite particular, and that was fine.

Just as he thought this, Lu Yue saw Feng Yi slightly bend the watch strap and examine it closely, even sniffing it.

Lu Yue: "..."

Awkward.

It's not that bad, really!

Even though it's a luxury limited edition, it's not necessary to be so meticulous!

Lu Yue sat there with a stiff face, completely puzzled by Feng Yi's actions, hesitated to say anything, and then picked up his teacup to drink, trying to ease the awkwardness.

"Cough, do you... want to see the matching wallet? They're in the same gift set."

Feng Yi nodded, "Thank you for the trouble."

Lu Yue felt a mix of emotions.

He had just thought this junior was particular, but what was this about now? He was just suggesting it, and you really took it seriously!

Sighing inwardly, Lu Yue took out his wallet and handed it over.

A wallet is a personal item and shouldn't be shown casually, even if there was nothing embarrassing inside.

The wallet had a strong design sense, with a fine and wild texture of snake skin, adorned with cursive logos, exuding luxury and a touch of youthful leisure and freedom.

The excellent quality of the high-end leather, combined with the halo of an international top brand, gave it a strong aura of wealth.

However, Feng Yi wasn't concerned about these things.

After carefully examining the wallet's exterior, he handed it back to Lu Yue and said seriously, "Brother Lu, the leather on the watch strap and the wallet is real. Real snake skin."

Lu Yue's expression froze, as if he had heard something unbelievable, and then he laughed, "This is synthetic leather! Medusa 7th generation synthetic snake skin. You can look it up on your phone."

"Medusa" is the name given by a company specializing in synthetic leather to their snake skin series, which is highly favored by major brands.

After the strictest protection laws were enacted, synthetic leather companies rose rapidly, riding the wave of environmentalism. With market competition, technological innovation was fast, and by the time the 7th generation came out, it was claimed that even experienced craftsmen couldn't tell the difference from real leather, and some mid-to-low-end machines couldn't accurately detect it.

"You might not follow the news much, and it's understandable to make a mistake. Don't feel embarrassed, I appreciate your concern, hahaha. Our Qianli Group, which deals with clothing and accessories, pays more attention to these new materials. When the 'Medusa 7th generation' first came out, there were widespread reports. The current synthetic leather is amazing!

"Besides, the synthetic leather company that supplies D&B is top-notch globally, and D&B's reputation is well-known. They wouldn't use real snake skin."

The climate anomaly over the past two decades has led to the extinction or endangerment of many species. After the strictest protection laws were enacted, market regulation was very strict, prohibiting the use of snake skin, crocodile skin, ostrich skin, and other animal leathers in products. With major luxury brands making statements and switching to synthetic animal skins, whether for new markets or political correctness, real leather is rarely seen in the luxury market.

The rise of new materials was too rapid, and they quickly dominated the market. After merchants hyped them, consumers' attention shifted to these new materials.

So, in this context, if a luxury item uses real snake skin, it's definitely a fake!

By saying it was real snake skin, Feng Yi was telling Lu Yue that his watch and wallet were fakes!!

Lu Yue, of course, didn't believe it!

Feng Yi's expression was serious, "I've been able to distinguish real and fake snake skin since I was young. I might mistake synthetic cowhide, sheepskin, or rabbit skin, but not snake skin. I bought a product made from Medusa 7th generation material last month, so I know about this new synthetic snake skin.

"Brother Lu, your watch and wallet are made from real snake skin."

Lu Yue looked at Feng Yi as if he were a stubborn and naive child, shook his head, and sighed heavily, "Alright, I get it. Young people should read more news and keep up with the latest scientific advancements. Don't think that having a bit of skill means you can see through everything!"

As he said this, Lu Yue's expression was clearly dismissive, and he put on a distant and polite smile, escorting Feng Yi out of the office. He watched Feng Yi enter the elevator at the door, greeted the passing employees, and returned to his office, closing the door.

The smile on his face instantly vanished.

Lu Yue locked the door, returned to his desk, and stared at the wallet and watch on the table with a heavy gaze, his expression uncertain.

He then took out a paper cutter from the drawer, cut a piece from the wallet's inner and outer layers and the watch strap, carefully placed them in a small opaque paper bag, folded it, and put it in the inner pocket of his coat.

The luxury limited edition gift set he had just shown off was mercilessly rolled up and stuffed into an empty black thermal cup.

After packing it, Lu Yue put the cup in the drawer under his elbow, took out his phone, made a call, tidied up his desk, unlocked the office door again, and resumed work as if nothing had happened.

At the end of the day, Lu Yue, as usual, took the thermal cup, smiled at the employees, and left.

Lu Yue had been on a business trip recently and had a bit of a cough. He had been using this thermal cup to brew throat-soothing tea and carried it with him, and everyone was used to it.

Half an hour after leaving the company, Lu Yue handed the small paper bag from the inner pocket of his coat to the person he had called, "Test it, and let me know the results as soon as possible!"

On the other side.

Feng Yi, who had left the Rongcheng branch of Qianli Group, had no idea what happened after he left.

He had said his piece, and whether the other person listened or not was out of his control. At least he felt better for having said it.

Putting that aside, Feng Yi felt a surge of energy. All the debts were settled!

Time to set off! To Snake Mountain!