The stubborn her

crowd

Shen Zhitong had the same dream all night.

In the dream, Zhou Xingjin sat in the luxurious private room from two years ago, looking disdainfully at Shen Zhitong and her father outside the door.

She looked down at her own attire, the cheap fabric of her shirt fraying, with one pull of a thread, the entire collar threatened to come off.

Standing next to her, her father was also patched up all over, wearing a pair of shoes with soles almost falling off. She felt ashamed and embarrassed, but she was frozen in place in the dream, allowing the man across from her to sneer at her indifferently.

She woke up from the dream as the sky began to brighten.

Her father from the dream was no longer alive in reality.

In the months leading up to his death, he had been melancholic, the sense of defeat and self-blame from the night in Jincheng almost two years ago lingered until his final breath.

The alarm on her phone went off, reminding her of a client meeting at 1 p.m. How absurd. Even though she resented Zhou Xingjin deep down, she still had to cater to him because he was her biggest client.

Her best shot at a project bonus.

***

Shen Zhitong entered the mall, and Zhou Xingjin was already there, sitting quietly in the corner of the milk tea shop on the fourth floor, wearing a full suit and a high-quality long leather coat draped over it. The fabric of his suit was smooth and delicate, while the coat exuded a sense of solemnity and weight. There was no drink on the table in front of him; instead, he was flipping through promotional materials with a serious expression.

The chairs and tables in the milk tea shop were mostly designed for women, the chairs slightly shorter, and the distance between them and the tables not quite enough, making his legs cramped and crowded under the table.

Occasionally, young girls entering and leaving the milk tea shop couldn't help but glance at him, whispering to each other with flushed faces.

Shen Zhitong walked in. "Sorry for the wait, Mr. Zhou."

Zhou Xingjin looked up at her, then put down the promotional materials. "No, I arrived early."

He got up, and the scent of sandalwood unique to him wafted over, impacting Shen Zhitong's senses.

The fragrance seemed like a tiger or a lion asleep in an iron cage, not dangerous at the moment, nor did it intend to release any intimidating pressure, but it still made people... nervous and wary, wanting to retreat.

As Zhou Xingjin passed by her to go to the counter, his broad chest and back muscles blocked the light coming from the entrance, casting a solid shadow.

With an obvious difference in height and body size, he exuded an inherent sense of oppression. Shen Zhitong unconsciously took a step back.

"What would you like to drink? Milk tea or coffee?" he asked her, turning to face her with a calm gaze.

"A Four Seasons Spring, please," Shen Zhitong replied.

Zhou Xingjin nodded and turned to the counter to place the order.

Shen Zhitong had the same dream all night.

In the dream, Zhou Xingjin sat in the luxurious private room from two years ago, looking disdainfully at Shen Zhitong and her father outside the door.

She looked down at her own attire, the cheap fabric of her shirt fraying, with one pull of a thread, the entire collar threatened to come off.

Standing next to her, her father was also patched up all over, wearing a pair of shoes with soles almost falling off. She felt ashamed and embarrassed, but she was frozen in place in the dream, allowing the man across from her to sneer at her indifferently.

She woke up from the dream as the sky began to brighten.

Her father from the dream was no longer alive in reality.

In the months leading up to his death, he had been melancholic, the sense of defeat and self-blame from the night in Jincheng almost two years ago lingered until his final breath.

The alarm on her phone went off, reminding her of a client meeting at 1 p.m. How absurd. Even though she resented Zhou Xingjin deep down, she still had to cater to him because he was her biggest client.

Her best shot at a project bonus.

***

Shen Zhitong entered the mall, and Zhou Xingjin was already there, sitting quietly in the corner of the milk tea shop on the fourth floor, wearing a full suit and a high-quality long leather coat draped over it. The fabric of his suit was smooth and delicate, while the coat exuded a sense of solemnity and weight. There was no drink on the table in front of him; instead, he was flipping through promotional materials with a serious expression.

The chairs and tables in the milk tea shop were mostly designed for women, the chairs slightly shorter, and the distance between them and the tables not quite enough, making his legs cramped and crowded under the table.

Occasionally, young girls entering and leaving the milk tea shop couldn't help but glance at him, whispering to each other with flushed faces.

Shen Zhitong walked in. "Sorry for the wait, Mr. Zhou."

Zhou Xingjin looked up at her, then put down the promotional materials. "No, I arrived early."

He got up, and the scent of sandalwood unique to him wafted over, impacting Shen Zhitong's senses.

The fragrance seemed like a tiger or a lion asleep in an iron cage, not dangerous at the moment, nor did it intend to release any intimidating pressure, but it still made people... nervous and wary, wanting to retreat.

As Zhou Xingjin passed by her to go to the counter, his broad chest and back muscles blocked the light coming from the entrance, casting a solid shadow.

With an obvious difference in height and body size, he exuded an inherent sense of oppression. Shen Zhitong unconsciously took a step back.

"What would you like to drink? Milk tea or coffee?" he asked her, turning to face her with a calm gaze.

"A Four Seasons Spring, please," Shen Zhitong replied.

Zhou Xingjin nodded and turned to the counter to place the order.

Shen Zhitong sat down, looking around the shop's decorations and the drink menu.

After ordering, Zhou Xingjin came back and sat across from her.

"Did you notice anything?" Shen Zhitong's gaze fell on the golden wall. "The decoration..."

"What's wrong with the decoration?" Zhou Xingjin asked.

"It's grand and magnificent, too luxurious. It doesn't look like a milk tea shop, more like... a*****e selling... caterpillar fungus."

Zhou Xingjin pursed his lips, nodding slightly.

"When Half Cup first opened, it was all about this luxury." "In the early days, when milk tea was just emerging as a beverage, people found it intriguing. Creating a high and noble brand image naturally attracted attention. But now..."

Shen Zhitong glanced at the price list on the table. "Young people generally care about value for money. Having a luxurious and noble appearance, but containing mediocre substance inside, doesn't necessarily win them over. Milk tea priced at an average of 30 yuan per cup, coffee at 40 yuan, will eventually be abandoned."

Zhou Xingjin looked at her with a slightly more complex expression, not saying anything.

Shen Zhitong noticed his expression and reacted slightly.

Her previous statement seemed to imply something else, and she cursed herself inwardly.

She added lightly, "I didn't mean anything else by that."

This statement seemed to be three hundred taels of silver here.

Sensing the man opposite staring at her with an indiscernible expression, Shen Zhitong closed her mouth, no longer speaking.

The male server walked over with a tray, placing a cup of coffee in front of Zhou Xingjin and a Four Seasons Spring in front of Shen Zhitong.

He quickly assessed the two faces, as if evaluating whether this couple matched each other.

After the server left, the two spent nearly half an hour in the shop, with a few gorgeously dressed girls occasionally coming in to order.

Zhou Xingjin put down his coffee and gestured to her. "Shall we go out for a walk?"

Feeling awkward sitting face to face with him like this, Shen Zhitong nodded.

The two walked around the fourth floor of the mall.

The fourth floor was filled with luxury brand stores, where all the branded bags and clothes were concentrated.

"I noticed you were staring at the girl who went into the milk tea shop to order." Zhou Xingjin asked her.

"It's about the crowd," Shen Zhitong said, looking up at him. "Half Cup's target crowd is exactly that group of girls, who, after shopping in luxury stores, can go into the milk tea shop to rest. They don't care about the price; they care about the experience and the style."

Zhou Xingjin's bright eyes revealed a trace of satisfaction, nodding slightly.

"But the number of people on the fourth floor buying luxury goods is far less than the crowd on the ground floor buying affordable or discounted clothes."

Zhou Xingjin turned to her with an interesting expression. "Are you suggesting that I move Half Cup to the ground floor?" The ground floor is where the mix of everything is. There are all kinds of cheap clothes, snacks, nail salons, tailors, and so on.

Shen Zhitong said, "From one perspective, it might indeed lower Half Cup's brand tone, but from another perspective, transitioning from niche luxury to mass-market and accessibility doesn't necessarily mean downgrading... After all, it's just a cup of milk tea."

"I'm just giving a suggestion; it depends on what you value."

Zhou Xingjin smiled lightly. "I value profits."

Shen Zhitong tilted her head slightly, meeting his gaze. Their eyes seemed to reach a consensus. Shen Zhitong looked away, nodding in understanding. "I will give the feedback to our creative department. Thank you, Mr. Zhou."