I started as a spirited young man, and the system made me a male god.

Immediately after, Chen Fei sent his next message: "How about we collaborate? Can you help me put together a few outfits, and I'll help you drive traffic?"

A collaboration? And a spirited young man?

Jiang Che frowned. Although Chen Fei had gone viral on Xiaohongshu with just one video, he was the boss of a clothing company. How could they possibly cooperate so easily?

Besides, my store's traffic is already quite good, so there's no need to increase the risk for the sake of traffic.

"Do they really think that just because they get along well in the car, they can go on a business partnership? How can guys be so naive?"

Jiang Che grumbled inwardly, her slender fingers rapidly tapping on her phone screen, preparing to decline Chen Fei's invitation.

But when she was halfway through typing, Chen Fei sent another message, this time much longer:

To be honest, I just looked into your shop, and you have a very discerning eye for selecting items. The clothes you design are also great, and the customer reviews are very positive.

But have you considered this: while you can currently rely on your personal aesthetic sense, what if a competitor with a similar style emerges, but backed by a team, content, and massive exposure? Will you still be able to maintain your current advantage?

After reading the message, which was identical to a short essay, Jiang Che's heart skipped a beat, and an inexplicable sense of unease quietly spread through him.

But her pride couldn't bear the thought of her shop being judged by an unemployed peer.

It can definitely be maintained. The market is so big now, it's normal for styles to be similar. Just do your best.

Moreover, my shop offers great value for money, and my customers are very loyal; no one else can take that away from me.

Chen Fei's reply was surprisingly quick, as if he had already anticipated her reaction:

Similar styles are normal, but shameless imitation? Look at this store.

A store link was sent to me.

Jiang Che clicked on the link. He discovered it was a clothing store called "Strawberry is a Little Spicy," and his fingertips instantly felt a chill.

She vaguely remembered this store recently; its style was very similar to her "Lemon Tree" store, both being the kind of simple and fresh Instagram style.

Not only are the clothing styles almost identical to hers, but they also include some popular items from other similar stores.

Most importantly, Jiang Che herself never takes a day off, and the frequency of new clothes being released is at most twice a month, while this store's frequency is a fixed three times.

She had initially thought he was just another bandwagoner and hadn't paid much attention.

Chen Fei's messages kept coming in, like a needle ruthlessly piercing Jiang Che's naivety.

I just checked, and this store is backed by "Hill Apparel".

Their specialty is creating a matrix of accounts; they replicate every popular store.

Then, a dedicated new media team bombards them with content. "Strawberry is a Little Spicy" is most likely targeting your "Lemon Tree."

After sending the message, Chen Fei rested his chin on his hand, somewhat conflicted about whether to voice all his concerns.

He recalled the pride and arrogance on Jiang Che's face when he mentioned his company's name. After some hesitation, he made up his mind, quickly typed out a message, and clicked send.

Jiang Che, are you confident that you can fight against a company that is many times larger than you on your own?

The value for your store is based on the premise that you work yourself to the bone.

A true boss should be more like a behind-the-scenes strategist than a frontline soldier. What happens to the shop if you collapse from exhaustion at a crucial moment?

The words were cold, but Jiang Che seemed to be able to feel the pressure Chen Fei brought him through the screen.

She has always comforted herself with the saying "good wine needs no bush," deliberately ignoring content marketing and focusing all her energy on the product.

Chen Fei's words were like a giant axe, unexpectedly cleaving through the shield she used to shield herself from anxiety.

She's noticed the recent surge in "Strawberry is a Little Spicy's" data, but she feels that if she works a little harder, she can continue to beat it.

Just as Jiang Che was pondering, the operations staff walked over, interrupting her thoughts:

"Boss, Tmall has launched a new promotion for the apparel category, starting this weekend. Should we participate?"

Jiang Che snapped out of his daze and subconsciously replied, "I'll definitely participate. The next wave of traffic won't come until Singles' Day, which is too long. I'll participate in any events that come up."

"But......"

The employee looked troubled, his hesitant expression irritating Jiang Che, who couldn't help but snap, "Speak your mind and be more efficient!"

"Uh-huh," the employee was startled and quickly explained, "The design department was busy with the 618 posters last week and hadn't finished processing the white background images yet. A new batch arrived today, and we didn't have time to participate."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Che suddenly remembered that he had delayed the release of a batch of new product images last week in order to boost traffic before and after 618.

If I want to continue participating in the event, I'll have to work overtime to finish it, but I still need to take body photos. Unless I pull another all-nighter, I simply don't have the time.

Jiang Che sighed deeply, rubbed his face, and said in a much gentler tone, "Then we won't participate this time. You guys worked overtime last week and are tired, so get some rest first."

The employee nodded and returned to his workstation.

In fact, even without Chen Fei's reminder, Jiang Che could feel that his body was deteriorating day by day.

In the past, she had no problem going to the Fourteen Factories to buy goods by herself, but today, for some reason, she was unusually tired, which almost caused her to fall.

The pressure was like black balloons, constantly expanding around her, squeezing out fresh air and making it hard for her to breathe.

Jiang Che covered his forehead with one hand and picked up his phone with the other. His initial hesitation was replaced by an increasing feeling of suffocation.

She stopped worrying about the details and her fingers flew across the screen:

[Chen Fei, you're right. Can we come to my company for a chat? It's in the Yunshang Creative Park. I'll treat you to lunch while I'm there.]

After sending that message, she breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling that her constantly tense nerves had finally found a way out.

Even if it's not necessarily useful, it's good that the other person understands you and you can confide your inner pressure.

Jiang Che couldn't help but pray that Chen Fei's arrival would bring her the same relaxation as a carefree younger sister, even if it was only for an hour.

Art & Beauty Industry Insider.

Chen Fei looked at Jiang Che's reply and smiled slightly; the effect was even better than he had expected.

The next step is to use his system's money-making ability and Jiang Che to make himself incredibly wealthy.

He replied: "Okay, I'll contact you when I'm almost there."

No problem, see you in a bit.

After finalizing the meeting, Chen Fei remembered the two people upstairs and sent a message in the group chat:

【@Shen Shaoting @Lin Jingyi, I have an urgent matter to attend to and need to go out for a bit. You two can relax and enjoy yourselves after you're done with your treatments.】

After sending the message, he put his phone away.

He decided to put aside the matter of helping them get cards for the time being.

A single trial can be covered up with a trial voucher, but issuing a membership card is a bit much and inevitably arouses suspicion.

I'll wait until I have a more reasonable source of funds.

He got up and walked out of the barbershop, hailed a taxi, and gave Jiang Che's address.

As the scenery along the road rushed past, Chen Fei couldn't help but feel a bit agitated.

If I had known that a single video could trigger such a chain reaction, I should have gone to Jiang Che's company with her this afternoon.

However, since it was the beautiful boss who was treating us to dinner, and it was for serious business, it was worth the extra trip.