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

Lin Wanzhi and Cai Shan walked into the Wenxi Clothing Store. As soon as they entered, they were greeted by the amazing display and the carefully designed lighting.

What surprised the two even more was the waiter's attire.

It wasn't the white lab coats or blue work clothes commonly seen in department stores, but rather a uniform set for autumn and winter work.

She wore black mid-heeled leather shoes that clicked as she walked, giving her an energetic, capable, and sophisticated look.

"What would you two like to see?" A young female shop assistant approached, a perfectly timed smile playing on her lips.

Lin Wanzhi snapped out of her reverie and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear: "Let's just look around for now."

She and Cai Shan walked inside, their eyes scanning the store.

This is a two-story building with a partial partition.

The store has a great ceiling height, with several wrought iron chandeliers hanging in the middle of the ceiling, casting a warm yellow light down. Near the walls, there are two levels with dozens of high-wattage spotlights, illuminating the entire space brightly and transparently.

"Is there another floor above?" Lin Wanzhi looked up at the staircase in the corner and asked the shop assistant.

"The second floor is our pre-sales and after-sales service center," the sales clerk explained, following her gaze. "The first floor is mainly for finished product display and sales, while the second floor handles custom-made garments, pre-sales consultations, and after-sales processing. You two can go up and take a look if you need anything."

Lin Wanzhi nodded, looked away, and reached out to touch a camel-colored woolen coat hanging in front of her.

The fabric is thick and soft, and you can feel a slight velvet texture when you rub it with your fingertips.

She opened the collar to examine the stitching of the lining; the stitches were fine and even.

My gaze fell on the button; it was a golden metallic material with a matte finish and a slight weight to it.

"These are our custom-made buttons," the sales assistant stepped forward to explain. "You can't buy them anywhere else; they're only available for this coat. Look at this pattern..." She pointed to the embossed design on the button's surface, "The patterns on them are all custom-made by us."

Lin Wanzhi stroked the button, feeling the cool touch on her fingertips, and nodded silently to herself.

The attention to detail is even better than some of the older department stores in the port city.

"How much is this?" she asked.

"Ninety-eight yuan."

Lin Wanzhi raised an eyebrow, deliberately drawing out her words: "You sell them for such a high price?"

"This is a limited edition for our grand opening celebration," the sales clerk said with a composed smile. "Only one hundred pieces were sold in the entire store, and we only have ten left. It's been on the market for exactly one week."

"Ninety pieces sold in just one week?" Cai Shan interjected in disbelief. "Are mainlanders really this willing to spend money on clothes these days? Your salary level..." She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was already on her face.

In mainland China, wages are so low. A coat costs 98 yuan, which is equivalent to two or three months' salary for an average worker.

The shop assistant seemed to have been asked these kinds of questions before, and answered them with ease.

"Our pricing is on par with wool coats in department stores; you can compare them. After all, it's a pure wool blend, so the cost is what it is."

She paused, still wearing a friendly smile, "In addition... our clothes are not only supplied to Harbin, but also sold nationwide. During the pre-sale stage, we received many calls from customers from other places to place orders."

"You also distribute nationwide?" Lin Wanzhi couldn't help but ask.

"Yes," the sales clerk nodded. "Occasionally, customers from other places come to Harbin and buy things on their way. As long as there is postal service, we can ship to any area. If you two like them, you can try them on."

Lin Wanzhi glanced at Cai Shan and pointed to the coat: "Okay, I'll try this one on."

She went into the fitting room, and when she came out, she was wearing a camel-colored coat.

The color complements her skin tone, and the cut conceals any figure flaws. Standing there, she exudes the air of a professional woman from a Hong Kong magazine.

"Can you make it to order?" Lin Wanzhi looked at herself in the mirror and suddenly asked, "This is a little big on me, I'd like it to be more fitted at the waist."

The sales assistant smiled apologetically: "I'm sorry, this is a limited-edition ready-made item and we don't accept custom orders. However, you can go to our customization center on the second floor. We have professional tailors there who can make a new pattern according to your measurements."

Lin Wanzhi took off her coat and handed it back to the shop assistant: "Okay, I'll go take a look."

She followed the shop assistant up to the second floor.

The layout of the second floor is completely different from that of the first floor.

Instead of rows of ready-made clothes racks, there were several semi-enclosed cubicles separated by light-colored wooden screens.

Each cubicle contains a measuring table and a full-length mirror, with a tailor in work clothes sitting next to it, holding a measuring tape and a notebook.

Lin Wanzhi was led to one of the cubicles.

The tailor stood up, smiled, and asked her to stand still. The measuring tape was placed against her shoulder, around her bust, and across her waist. As he measured, he wrote down the numbers in his notebook. His movements were quick and precise.

Another young girl, who looked like an assistant, came over with a tray on it, which contained several fabric catalogs and style illustrations. She was asked to choose her favorite fabric and style first.

The entire process was well-organized, and the service was handled with exceptional finesse.

Not overly enthusiastic, nor cold and distant, but just the right amount of professionalism and thoughtfulness.

Lin Wanzhi stood on the measuring platform, her gaze sweeping across the second-floor space through the gaps in the screen.

Several sofas were placed in the corner for waiting guests to rest, and there was even an enamel teapot and several clean teacups on the coffee table.

Several promotional posters for the clothing company hung on the wall, stills from the TV series "Heroine". The female lead was wearing clothing from the Wenxi Clothing Company and looked incredibly heroic.

She looked away, a strange feeling welling up inside her.

From the moment she stepped into the store, she felt like she had entered a high-end department store in Central, Hong Kong.

The lighting was bright, the furnishings were tasteful, and the waiters were dressed appropriately and highly professional.

More importantly, it's the atmosphere.

Unlike the neglect and perfunctory attitude commonly found in state-owned stores in mainland China, this is a business philosophy that truly puts customers first.

She had always believed that the mainland was at least thirty years behind Hong Kong in terms of commerce and services.

Outdated designs, rough workmanship, cold service attitude, and aesthetically unappealing displays.

But the store in front of her completely overturned her perception.

Lin Wanzhi carefully examined the autumn and winter styles of the furnishings in the room.

Some of the styles caught her eye.

The tailoring techniques and styling ideas were unlike anything she had ever seen in mainland China—avant-garde, bold, yet still highly wearable.

Some styles clearly bear the imprint of Hong Kong's popular trends from last year and even the beginning of this year. They seem to be a completely new series created by disassembling and recombining classic elements from several major brands and incorporating some localized modifications.

She chose a coat similar to that wool coat and completed the customization process.

The entire process was extremely efficient.

The shop assistant informed me that full payment was required for custom orders, and the items would be mailed to my home in about ten to twenty business days.

You can also try them on in-store; if they don't fit, they can be altered at no extra charge.

Lin Wanzhi paid the money, and the shop assistant handed over the packaged clothes. The bag also contained several promotional brochures and catalogs from the clothing company, along with a sewing kit.

The items weren't expensive, but the thoughtful touches made you feel comfortable.

She carried the bag and walked out with Cai Shan, glancing back at the flower-painted exterior wall one last time.

Lin Wanzhi became increasingly interested in this designer from Hong Kong.