Chapter 97: The Playful Shirt
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
Staring at the almost untouched dishes on the table, Qin Guan asked, "Shall we continue?" Then he glanced at the messy hall behind him, where several waiters were cleaning up the broken chairs and the blood on the floor. They exchanged a glance and resumed eating the lamb, shrimp and eggs on their table. No big deal. Just keep eating. Our table is far from the crime scene anyway. Under the respectful gazes of the restaurant staff, they finished their meal calmly and left for college.
Meanwhile in the ambulance, Wang Hailiang and Bu Qinglu were reconsidering their future plans.
A warrior wasn't a lifelong career. Even heroes grew old, and they were not heroes. They were just gang members. Considering their current relations and resources, it might be time for them to make their own way and leave the big boss and his followers.
Wang suddenly told Bu, "You are the most honest person I have ever met. Help me make a plan. This is the first time that my career is uncertain. Do you know of any way that we can establish our own business?"
Bu looked at him calmly. "I want to engage in formal business long term. After all, right now we’re only sharing the profits of other people’s businesses. If you are interested, we can try to set up our own business."
Wang nodded. The pain in his waist distracted him and prevented him from having a more detailed discussion. "We have to talk about it when I recover. Oh, it hurts! I’m not a young man anymore..."
It was only a small episode in the course of their lives. Time flowed like a river, never stopping for anyone or anything. This affair had been a new beginning for the two of them, but it had not influenced Qin Guan's life.
Qin Guan watched Sister Xue talk with the boss of the J shirts again. It was September, and the J shirts would make their third poster photoshoot. Gallantly, Sister Xue took Qin Guan's trophy to their meeting with the boss at the shooting site. After showing off, she succeeded in increasing Qin Guan's payment. Actually, it was not a real raise. They quit the J shirts poster shoot instead. The reason Sister Xue quit it was fear of ruining Qin Guan’s reputation. As a professional model with an official agency, he had formal offers, and Sister Xue was trying to promote him as a top model. The poster photoshoot that she had accepted a long time ago had been far from satisfying to begin with.
If the boss of the J shirts had known the real reason they’d quit, he would have demanded justice. With his flourishing business, formal shops, channels, and market, his brand could be considered third class in China. Therefore, he shouldn’t be underestimated.
Sister Xue felt wronged as well. The standard rules for models were much stricter than those that applied to TV stars, singers and movie stars. If the first advisement of a model was too bad, a top brand would reject them automatically, even if they were already a superstar. Top brands wouldn’t consider the hardship before one’s success. They would only pay attention to the perfectness of the model and evaluate the compatibility between the brand and the model’s level.
As a result, Sister Xue cancelled the collaboration with the J shirts for the formal outfit poster, agreeing only to the casual outfit poster. That unconscious decision changed the development of the J shirts.
On that day, Qin Guan would only take photos for the casual fall collection. Qin Guan was satisfied with the outfits at first glance. They were the most interesting shirts he had worn so far. The designer had made playful shirts, inspired by Qin Guan's cartoon underwear. It was not certain that they would sell, for the style was rare and there were not many products like it in the market. Qin Guan still liked it though. The short-sleeved shirt had a Calabash Brothers [1] and a Mr. Black [2] print, and the lower hems had been designed to look like bear paws with small flesh pads.
The assistant had bought a giant teddy bear as a bonus for the photoshoot. She’d also had a selfish motive. She wanted to buy her idol a gift with the company’s money. Judging by the appreciative expression of her boss, she knew she had made the right choice.
Qin Guan loved the hairy innocent bear. It looks like me! He buried his face in the bear’s chest and enjoyed its softness. He heard the photographer shout at him from a distance.
Sun Pengtao had already become the exclusive photographer of the J shirts and a featured photographer in two more magazines. His career was thriving. Sun was pleased to collaborate with Qin Guan again, but he couldn't stand his silly behaviour. "What are you doing, Qin Guan? Why are you covering your face? What do you want to show the audience? That stupid bear, or the headless person behind its butt?"
How can you critique my idol? As Qin Guan’s No.1 fan, the assistant was indignant at the injustice, biting her handkerchief in anger. Qin Guan realized his mistake. He touched his nose awkwardly, laughed and moved the bear away. The bear was indeed soft. A satisfied smile formed unconsciously on his face and was captured by the photographer’s acute skill.
A big boy in a blue cartoon shirt was smiling in satisfaction. His eyes were closed, and his long eyelashes looked naughty and lovely.
Notes
[1] and [2]: Two of the most famous animated cartoon series for kids during the 1980s in China.