A whirlwind marriage with a high-ranking official: Lights out, don't force me to take the initi

Hong Kong, Huitong Apparel Headquarters, Michael's Office.

Peter stood with his hands at his sides in front of the desk, having just finished reporting his conclusions on the policies and propaganda trends in mainland China.

He kept his head down, waiting for the boss to speak.

Today, however, his expression was somewhat tense due to the content of his report, and the atmosphere was a bit more somber than usual.

Michael sat opposite him, his brows furrowed, holding a magazine in his hand.

"Half the Sky Newsletter" is an internal publication of the All-China Women's Federation.

The top six pages are all feature reports on Yeh Wen-hsi.

From building Wenxi Garment Company from scratch, to helping military families through mutual aid societies, and then to the selection of provincial-level March 8th Red Banner Pacesetters, she attended to every detail.

The article also included a group photo of the clothing company's employees, all wearing work uniforms with the clothing company's logo, "Holding Hands with a Flower Wreath," printed on their chests.

On the table was another copy of "Popular Cinema," with a cover featuring a photo of Ding Jiahe and the female lead. Inside, there was an eight-page feature on the upcoming film "Heroine."

It also mentions a special company called "Wenxi Clothing Company" and their stories behind the scenes.

Next to it is "Longjiang Women," eight pages of which revolve around Wenxi Garment Company.

Although there are no traces of commercial content, it contains a large number of introductions to innovative clothing styles, detailed explanations of craftsmanship, and photos from trade shows.

The report on innovative achievements is almost equivalent to half of a brand promotion.

Although the photos in the magazine were of low resolution.

However, the styles on display would be popular even in Hong Kong, and they were so avant-garde that they didn't seem to come from the mainland.

With a loud "thud," Michael slammed the magazine in his hand onto the table.

Peter shrank back in fright.

Michael stared at him coldly, a fire burning in his eyes.

"Half the Sky Newsletter" and "Popular Cinema" were issues published a month and a half ago, which was the fastest they could get.

However, "Longjiang Women" is a journal published a month ago.

The last time they compiled a summary of the mainland market was two full months ago.

"It's been two months... Peter, this time the timeliness is very disappointing." Michael's voice was low, but as cold as a blade.

"I'm sorry, Michael. Because I knew the policies here beforehand, they don't have any commercial publications or fashion magazines, so... I didn't keep a close eye on it." Peter lowered his head, his voice growing softer.

"However... Michael, this clothing company has suddenly exploded in popularity recently. There was really no news about it before, I didn't expect them to suddenly launch such a large-scale publicity campaign," Peter added cautiously.

"Nothing's been leaked?" Michael interrupted him. "Are you sure? For her to go this far, she must have been laying the groundwork in the first half of the year. Why haven't we caught a single clue?"

Peter's forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat: "Actually, there is... but I didn't expect their design and market positioning to conflict with ours so much."

Michael opened his mouth, but the second half of his sentence got stuck in his throat and he couldn't utter it.

He sighed heavily.

Indeed, who would have thought that a military dependents' clothing company could produce high-end fashion apparel?

He remembered that Lin Wanzhi had mentioned this to him earlier this year.

"The only military-owned enterprise that can advertise GG in a department store." But he just thought it was a small workshop and didn't take it seriously after hearing it.

But now, the sheer volume of publications promoting the products, the dense exposure of styles, and the overwhelming amount of information presented has left him feeling both shocked and uneasy.

"The mainland is promoting and supporting this so heavily," Michael said, his voice deepening as he stared at the "Half the Sky Newsletter," "is it because military-affiliated enterprises have inside connections, or is there some other reason?"

Peter didn't dare to reply.

Michael tapped his finger forcefully on the newspaper a few times: "Conduct a full investigation into this clothing company. Design, pricing, sales volume, market reputation, scale. I need all the information, the sooner the better."

He paused, his voice growing even colder: "Have Linda call me back."

Peter nodded quickly: "Okay, I understand."

-----------------

Outside the clothing store, Lang Yuqin and her assistant were riding tricycles, each carrying several large insulated boxes wrapped in thick cotton quilts.

The box contains lunch from the clothing company's canteen today.

The garment factory's workforce exceeded ninety people last month, with Feng Guizhi recommending a large number of skilled workers from the old factory.

The first sewing training class led by Liu Fugui graduated at the end of last month, and more than ten military dependents joined the class.

In addition, there are personnel, finance, warehouse management, telephone operators, etc.

The company recruits for various positions sporadically, and the entire garment company already looks like a proper enterprise.

Now that there are more people, Lang Yuqin, the cafeteria worker, simply can't handle it all by herself.

A month ago, Ye Wenxi hired another kitchen helper for her, and the two of them were finally able to manage.

The tricycle was parked at the entrance of the warehouse.

Lang Yuqin and her assistant jumped out of the car and carried enamel basins into the house in batches. The basins were well insulated, and they were still a little hot to the touch.

The food was placed on the large table in the conference room, which had also been expanded by adding several long tables from the logistics department, doubling its size.

"Dinner's ready!" Lang Yuqin shouted at the top of her lungs.

The word spread among the employees, and they poured out of their various workstations, forming a long queue around the large table.

Lang Yuqin and her assistant served rice and dishes, the clatter of bowls and chopsticks mingling with the calls of greetings, making the whole room feel warm and cozy.

Ye Wenxi and Ding Jiahe stood in the line with their lunchboxes, moving forward as they went.

"Shouldn't Sister Yunxia be back by now?" Ding Jiahe asked.

"Probably." Ye Wenxi glanced at the time. "She said she was going to the county hospital for a checkup this morning, and it's about time she finished. Should we save some food for her?"

"Okay, I'll make her a serving in a bit and keep it warm on the radiator."

Meanwhile, Zhang Yunxia and her family were sitting in a jeep returning to the military region, the wheels crunching over the snow.

Sitting in the back seat, Zhang Yunxia suddenly spoke up: "Old Chen, take me to Qingning Temple."

Chen Yuanchuan gripped the steering wheel and looked back at her: "Now? Don't you need to eat lunch?"

"Just one sentence, I'll be right back," Zhang Yunxia said.

Chen Yuanchuan thought for a moment and said, "Alright, let's go then."

Zhang Xiangyang, sitting in the back row, turned his head and asked, "Mommy, where are we going? What's Qingning Temple?"

Zhang Yunxia turned around and reached out to touch her son's head: "Mom is going to see an old friend. You and Dad wait for Mom in the car. Mom will just say one word and be right back."

"Mom, I'll go with you," Zhang Xiangyang said, frowning slightly.

"It's okay, Mom can do it."

Chen Yuanchuan hissed and swerved the car. "Alright, I'll go with you. The snow is slippery; what if you fall?"

"Hey Old Chen, you're wearing a military uniform..."

"But I can't let my wife fall, those steps are so slippery." Chen Yuanchuan glanced at her, the corners of his mouth turning up.

Zhang Yunxia blushed and subconsciously touched her stomach.

Zhang Xiangyang also reached out his little hand and touched Zhang Yunxia's belly through her coat, chuckling, "Is your little brother right here?"

Zhang Yunxia looked down at her son, her eyes softening completely: "It could be a little sister."

Chen Yuanchuan looked at the mother and daughter in the rearview mirror and smiled.