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

Before the department store opened, Ye Wenxi quickly made two phone calls.

One is the Light Industry Bureau District, and the other is the Academy of Fine Arts. They've already arranged a time for both; the Academy of Fine Arts will organize its faculty and students to visit. She suggested they come in the morning when it just opens, as there are fewer visitors in the afternoon, making communication easier.

Before hanging up, she mentioned to Wang Mingyuan, the vice dean of the art academy, that she needed to borrow two more classmates to help with the exhibition. Wang Mingyuan agreed without hesitation.

As soon as he hung up the phone, Zhang Yunxia called again. The two of them went over the recent operations of the clothing store, and Ye Wenxi then spent half a day explaining the background, design purpose, and specific usage of the user survey questionnaire to her from beginning to end.

These past few days have passed much faster than the previous ones. The shelves in the exhibition area have been rearranged several times, and stacks of questionnaires have been collected. Ye Wenxi's voice has been hoarse for a while, then cleared up, then hoarse again.

On Friday morning, the small conference room of the Light Industry Bureau was full of people.

Besides Deputy Director Liu Jianguo, there was also Director Wang Xingye, the head of the Light Industry Bureau who had personally visited the military region for exchanges last time, as well as several section chiefs from the bureau responsible for industrial guidance.

A dark green tablecloth was laid on the long table, and a teacup and several sheets of printing paper were placed in front of each person.

Ye Wenxi sat in the lecturer's seat, with several design drafts spread out in front of him.

Today's meeting topic is "Experience Sharing Session on Packaging Design for Light Industrial Products".

Liu Jianguo gave a brief introduction, explaining Ye Wenxi's identity and purpose.

"Design is not about working behind closed doors; it's about letting the product communicate with people." She pointed to the thermos sample on the table.

"You've added a unique flower to your thermos, a brighter color, and cleaner lines, and customers' eyes will naturally be drawn to it. It's a visual instinct; it doesn't need explanation."

"Only when a customer picks up your product do they have the opportunity to learn about it. If they like it after learning about it, they will then make a purchase. The role of packaging is to complete the 'being seen' step. Once this step is completed, the subsequent sales process can begin."

Ye Wenxi explained in detail the underlying market logic of why design can drive sales.

"But there's a prerequisite for design: it has to be 'different.' If everyone's toothpaste box looks the same, then design is meaningless."

The meeting room was quiet, with a few people taking notes.

"Our country is currently carrying out reforms, and the motto is 'let a hundred flowers bloom'."

"This principle applies not only to packaging design, but also to clothing and all products."

Ye Wenxi nodded somewhat deliberately. His deliberate gesture was keenly noticed by Wang Xingye and Liu Jianguo. Liu Jianguo turned to look at Ye Wenxi, while Wang Xingye nodded, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

After the presentation, the other attendees left one after another. Liu Jianguo and Wang Xingye remained in the meeting room, their two freshly poured cups of tea still steaming.

"Xiao Ye, I heard you recently held a sales event at the department store? How was it?" Wang Xingye leaned back in his chair, speaking casually.

Ye Wenxi smiled and briefly described the exhibition and sales situation: the foot traffic, sales volume, and customer feedback were all good news.

"I was just trying to move forward, constantly exploring. I have to thank the bureau and the department store for giving us this opportunity and for supporting those of us who dare to try." She paused, "Without the strong support of the bureau, this project wouldn't have taken off, and we wouldn't have achieved what we have today."

"How about this: next time we share, I'll tell you all about my experience from this trade fair in detail. How about that? We can invite representatives from other garment factories and related factories to come and listen." Ye Wenxi offered this suggestion proactively, showing a sincere attitude and a willingness to communicate.

Wang Xingye waved his hand and said with a smile, "Comrade Xiao Ye, you're too kind. Your garment factory has been doing very well lately, and the bureau has noticed. Actively cooperating with the city's economic reforms and strongly supporting the entrepreneurship of military families are all part of our duties. Your achievements are the greatest contribution to the city's industrial development."

It was a set of official platitudes, delivered flawlessly.

Ye Wenxi picked up the teacup, took a slow sip, and smiled slightly. The time was almost right.

"You flatter me. It's nothing really. I'm just a fearless newborn calf, willing to charge forward. With the strong support of the bureau and the military region, I dared to try."

"However..." She put down her teacup, paused, "Perhaps because I'm leading the way, I have indeed seen some risks, and I'd like to discuss them with the two leaders."

Wang Xingye looked at Ye Wenxi with a sincere and focused gaze: "What is it? Tell me."

He guessed that Ye Wenxi must have something to say today.

"The current economic reforms encourage 'letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend,' which has created self-employed individuals like myself."

"I believe that more explorers from all walks of life will emerge in the future and play a leading role. There will definitely be exchanges, references, and learning between industries, which is a good thing and an inevitable trend."

Ye Wenxi first spoke from the perspective of industry development, proving that he has vision and a broad perspective, and is not just focused on his own little corner of the world.

Upon hearing this, Wang Xingye and Liu Jianguo nodded in agreement, their faces showing both approval and appreciation.

"But if one flower blooms and everyone copies it, then in the end it won't be a hundred flowers blooming, but a thousand identical things. Once homogenization occurs, the market will go back to the old ways."

Ye Wenxi's tone turned serious.

"Therefore, someone needs to draw the line between borrowing and plagiarism. As far as I know, there are currently no relevant laws and regulations in the country. But the facts and trends are predictable; this problem will inevitably erupt sooner or later. What I see is this risk."

She looked at the two leaders with a serious and focused expression.

"Those who take the lead suffer from a blow to their interests and enthusiasm. It's not just innovators who are affected, but the entire industry's development speed. If innovation cannot be respected and protected, no one will dare to be at the forefront anymore."

Liu Jianguo and Wang Xingye exchanged a glance.

They didn't expect Ye Wenxi to be so direct.

Instead of complaining, she naturally linked "personal interests" and "industry development" together. Her words implied two things: someone was copying her, and this not only affected her personally but would eventually drag down the entire industry.

As leaders of the Industry Bureau, they quickly understood.

In previous years, the emphasis was on selfless dedication and the idea that personal interests should be subordinate to the collective.

But now that reforms have been implemented, policies encourage the individual economy and innovation. Since people are encouraged to move forward, they must be allowed to have their own attitudes and to defend their own interests.

They understand this principle, but they are rarely confronted with it so bluntly while sitting in their offices.

Ye Wenxi's words brought the seriousness of the matter and the priority of its handling back to the forefront.

"Comrade Xiao Ye, we understand what you've said," Wang Xingye said, his tone a bit more serious than before. "The bureau will study this carefully. Don't worry, since the policy encourages moving forward, the bureau won't let those who lead the way suffer."

The statement was official, without any specific promises or clear solutions.

However, Ye Wenxi was not in a hurry. Her purpose in coming today was not to get an answer.

Her ideas are far ahead of their time; her understanding of design, her judgment of the market, and her awareness of the overall industry landscape are all ahead of the curve.

The Light Industry Bureau needs time to digest and fully understand these issues before translating them into concrete policies and actions. Even if a conclusion is reached now, it may not be the optimal one.

She has made her stance clear: plagiarism is unacceptable, I have a broad perspective on communication, and the rest is the responsibility of the Light Industry Bureau to establish rules as soon as possible and protect those who are ahead of the curve.

The meeting lasted all morning. Wang Xingye politely invited Ye Wenxi to have lunch at a state-run restaurant.

After the meal, Ye Wenxi returned to the office next door to discuss the packaging design requirements for this month with Li Yuejin.

Before leaving, Li Yuejin told her that last month's commission had been calculated. Because there was less demand for food packaging and more demand for household goods, the overall sales volume was slightly lower than the previous two months, but the commission was still close to 10,000 yuan, which would be transferred to her account later.

It was already past 3 PM when she returned to the department store. Ding Jiahe was studying the bill categories when she saw her come in. She quickly came over and whispered, "The garment factory called today, asking if I could come in for a discussion. How was things at the bureau today? What was their attitude?"

Ye Wenxi smiled. He really is eager to learn; he was rather rude to them last time, and now he's already thinking of coming again.

"The bureau is supportive in terms of attitude, but there are no specific promises or plans." Ye Wenxi put down his bag.

"Should I go to the garment factory?" Ding Jiahe asked, looking at her.

"Go. How can we cultivate their awareness of 'intellectual property rights protection' if we don't go?" Ye Wenxi's lips curved slightly, her tone carrying a profound meaning.