108: Chapter 108 Steady as an Old Dog

After parking the car, the two of them walked to the Fragrant Grain Record store.

Qiao Yichen walked straight to the counter and smiled at the staff member. "Hello, we are the ones who contacted you earlier, Qiao Yichen from Company Name."

The staff member nodded, made a phone call to confirm, and became noticeably more enthusiastic after hanging up. "Sorry for the wait, sorry for the wait. Come on, I'll show you around."

Qiao Yichen and Meng Zhi followed behind him, moving from the front of the store to the back, passing through the warehouse area. Boxes of Zongzi gift sets were neatly stacked in the corners, and several workers were busy packing, the sound of tearing tape rising and falling.

"There, that's the new packaging for this year's Dragon Boat Festival." The staff member pointed to a row of gift sets on the shelf. "The first batch of goods just arrived."

Meng Zhi's eyes lit up, and she leaned in to examine the box, turning it over several times.

The dark green matte outer box felt delicate to the touch.

The three gold-stamped characters for 'Fragrant Grain Record' glinted softly under the lights, accompanied by a simple Zongzi leaf pattern, looking sleek and elegant.

She pulled out her phone and snapped photos of the front, side, and the gold-stamped details of the box, then opened it to check the inner tray.

"The inner tray is custom-made, isn't it?" Meng Zhi looked up and asked.

The staff member nodded. "Yes, we had a special mold made for it; it's a perfect fit."

Qiao Yichen also leaned in and picked up an individual small package to look at. The same Zongzi leaf pattern was printed on the vacuum bag, matching the style of the gift box perfectly.

"Is this launching online and offline at the same time?" Qiao Yichen asked.

"Yes, the online flagship store will use this same packaging." The staff member pointed to a corner. "Over there is the bulk version, prepared for customers who buy it for themselves. The packaging bags have also been updated to match the gift box series."

Meng Zhi went over to take a few more photos. The bulk bags were printed with the same logo and pattern, maintaining a consistent style that showed careful design.

After finishing the tour, she had dozens of photos saved on her phone—the outer box, inner tray, individual packaging, bulk version, and display arrangements; she had photographed everything she could.

Before they left, the staff member took a bag from the counter and handed it over. "Take some back to try; it's from the first batch of the new packaging."

Qiao Yichen took it, said his thanks, and left with Meng Zhi.

It was already four in the afternoon when they returned to the company.

The round trip had taken nearly two hours.

Qiao Yichen didn't rest; he immediately called Li Yong and Shen Bowen into the small conference room.

The four of them sat in a circle as he projected the materials from the afternoon onto the screen, going through them one by one.

"This is the packaging for the Dragon Boat Festival." Qiao Yichen pointed at the screen. "The outer box is a dark green matte material, combining a gold-stamped logo with a Zongzi leaf pattern for an overall minimalist style. The inner tray is custom-made, and the individual packaging has a unified design."

Meng Zhi added from the side, "The bulk version has also been updated with new bags in the same style. It's launching online and offline simultaneously, and the online flagship store will use this set as well."

Shen Bowen pushed up his glasses and stared at the screen for a moment. "This packaging foundation is indeed quite good. For our online promotion, we can focus on several points—the gold-stamped details, the custom inner tray, and the unified visual identity."

Li Yong chimed in while flipping through the photos. "Right, we can take close-ups of the gold stamping on the outer box. Combined with the topic 'Old Brand, New Packaging,' it should attract a lot of attention."

Qiao Yichen nodded. "Alright, let's organize the materials over the next two days and think about the direction for the copy. The focus should be on the Dragon Boat Festival gift-giving scenario, highlighting the texture of the packaging to stimulate the desire to buy."

The group discussed the timeline and the division of labor, outlining the key selling points to be emphasized.

Before they knew it, it was time to get off work.

Qiao Yichen packed his things and went downstairs to the B2 parking lot. He got into his car, adjusted the seat back, and leaned against the headrest to wait.

Not long after, Liu Yanran opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat. She tossed her bag into the back, leaned against the seat, and let out a long breath. "I'm exhausted; I've been in the conference room all day."

Qiao Yichen smiled and handed her his phone. "Take a look."

Liu Yanran took it and swiped the screen. The closing price was 22.55, which was about the same as the purchase price, with almost no fluctuation.

She glanced at him. "It traded sideways today, basically no movement."

Qiao Yichen opened another page and handed it back. "The suspension announcement has been released. Take a look."

Liu Yanran took the phone; on the screen was an announcement—

Huayuan Technology (688XXX) Announcement Regarding the Planning of a Major Asset Restructuring and the Suspension of Trading of the Company's Shares

The company intends to acquire a leading enterprise in the semiconductor industry chain and is currently planning a major asset restructuring. Upon application, trading of the company's shares will be suspended starting from the market opening on May 15, 2025 (Thursday). The suspension is expected to last no more than 10 trading days. During the suspension period, the company will fulfill its information disclosure obligations in a timely manner based on progress. This restructuring is still subject to uncertainty; investors are advised to be mindful of the risks.

Board of Directors of Huayuan Technology Co., Ltd.

May 14, 2025

After reading it, Liu Yanran's eyes instantly lit up. She turned to look at Qiao Yichen, her eyes curving into crescents with her smile. "It really is an acquisition! Yichen, you're amazing!"

Qiao Yichen leaned back in his seat and tapped his cheek with his index finger.

Liu Yanran leaned over and gave him a heavy kiss on the cheek.

Only after the kiss did she realize—she had left a lipstick mark there, a bright red patch.

She froze for a second, then laughed so hard she couldn't straighten up. Qiao Yichen touched his face but didn't wipe it off; instead, he curled his lips in a satisfied smile.

"Alright, send this good news to Lin Wei and Su Qing so they can be happy too," he said.

Liu Yanran took out her phone, snapped a photo of the announcement, sent it to the Money-Making Squad group, and added a voice message: "Sisters, look at this!"

After sending it, she turned to him. "Let's go, go home?"

Qiao Yichen started the car and drove out of the basement.

...

The car drove into the Residential Area Neighborhood and parked in the basement.

The two of them didn't go upstairs, but instead walked toward the neighborhood entrance.

Liu Yanran linked her arm with his and suddenly spoke up, "Have we ever come out for a walk like this before?"

Qiao Yichen nodded. "I moved in with you last week and have been working overtime to finish the proposals. I haven't had a good look at the surroundings."

"Yeah," Liu Yanran said, looking around. "I didn't come out much when I lived alone, either. When I was busy, I worked overtime, and when I wasn't, I was with Lin Wei and Su Qing. I never really explored the area."

She paused, suddenly remembering something, and looked at him. "Don't you usually work out? Why don't you go to the gym in the neighborhood clubhouse?"

Qiao Yichen leaned into her ear and whispered with a smile, "I looked at it before, but—don't I need to train my eight-pack abs?"

A blush crept onto Liu Yanran's face, and she gave him a light slap.

Qiao Yichen stopped laughing and said seriously, "Running around the neighborhood or doing daily exercises is fine, but if I want to get actual abs, I probably need professional guidance."

Liu Yanran glanced at him. "So you want to find a gym and get a membership card?"

Qiao Yichen nodded. "Yeah, I plan to look around the neighborhood this weekend."

The two of them chatted as they walked, arriving at the park entrance before they knew it.

The temperature had been high at noon today, giving it a summer feel. In the evening, a gentle breeze blew through the park, swaying the willow branches and bringing a hint of coolness.

Liu Yanran linked her arm with his, and they walked into the night together.

As they walked, she introduced the area to him. "A few hundred meters this way is the Sports Park; you can go there to play ball or swim in the future. Opposite the neighborhood entrance is the middle school, and the shopping center and hospital are only about a kilometer away."

Qiao Yichen listened and nodded. When she finished, he spoke up, "Then we should come out for walks more often when we have time."

Liu Yanran looked at him sideways, her eyes curving. "So, the place I picked is pretty great, right?"

Qiao Yichen laughed and reached out to rub her hair, his movements gentle and doting.

"Let's go home."

Hand in hand, they slowly walked out of the park and headed toward home.