158: Fashion Week Opening Cracks Down on Disruptors; New Ways to Spend Money on Gold Jewelry

On the opening day of Pet Fashion Week, the entrance to the Xihong City Convention and Exhibition Center was packed. Parents queued up holding pets in formal wear, children screamed while holding signs saying "I want to vote for the Crested Duck," and even Aunt Zhang from the Rescue Station came, carrying a stray dog in a pink gauze dress, muttering, "We've got to show up and support CEO Xie."

Xie Hui, wearing a custom light gray suit, was helping Xia Zhu adjust her headband—she was wearing a white dress today with a cat-shaped brooch on the collar. It was a silver piece Xie Hui had pulled from his "inner universe" yesterday and specifically gave to her as an "opening gift." "Don't be nervous, I'm here," Xie Hui said softly. His fingertips accidentally touched her earlobe, making Xia Zhu's face turn red instantly as she quickly turned her head to look at the runway.

On the runway, a Calico Cat wore a Smart Collar embedded with small LED beads, strutting in rhythm with the music. The lights on the collar flashed into pink bands with every step. A Crested Duck wore a mini tuxedo, held in a trainer's arms; its appearance drew cheers from the entire crowd. A Samoyed wore a white gauze dress with a bow tied to its tail; when it reached the end, it suddenly sat down to "shake hands," and the audience's applause nearly blew the roof off the exhibition hall.

"It's going much smoother than the rehearsal!" Xia Zhu held her phone to record, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled. "Look at that Samoyed, it actually knows how to interact! It's definitely going to win an award!"

Xie Hui was about to respond when he suddenly heard a "crash" nearby—Big Smart was carrying goat milk pudding prepared for the pets, slipped, and fell. Pudding spilled everywhere, and several pets, smelling the aroma, immediately rushed over to scavenge, biting the ribbons at the edge of the runway to shreds.

"Big Smart! Why did you fall again!" The trainer hopped with anger. "These ribbons are imported, costing two hundred yuan per meter, and you let them ruin over ten meters!"

Big Smart squatted on the ground picking up the pudding cups, his face flushed red. "I... I was so mesmerized by the Samoyed's show that I didn't watch my step..."

Xie Hui walked over and patted his shoulder. "It's fine! If the ribbons are ruined, buy more; if the pudding is spilled, order more. Contact the supplier immediately and order fifty meters of imported ribbons—the ones with sequins, three hundred yuan per meter. Then order five thousand portions of goat milk pudding to distribute to the pets on-site and the Rescue Station. That's another 150,000 in expenses. I'll find you a dedicated job; from now on, you're in charge of the pets' 'afternoon tea.' Don't carry trays anymore."

Big Smart's eyes lit up, and he nodded quickly. "Thank you, CEO Xie! I promise I won't fall again next time!"

Just after handling the pudding situation, the security captain ran over, his voice filled with urgency. "CEO Xie! This is bad! Two masked men were found at the back door carrying a box of fireworks. They said they were here to 'liven up' the Fashion Week, but those fireworks look low-quality, like they might explode!"

Xia Zhu panicked upon hearing this. "It must be Wang Duoyu's people! They want to blow up the runway and ruin Fashion Week!"

"What's the panic? I've been waiting for them." Xie Hui pulled Xia Zhu toward the back door, silently chanting "Time Stop"—the music in the exhibition hall and the cheers of the audience stopped instantly, and even the pets fighting over the pudding froze in place. He walked quickly to the back door and saw two masked men through a crack in the door, crouching on the ground unpacking a box of fireworks. The firework tubes inside were crooked, and the fuses were exposed; they were clearly inferior goods.

"If this thing goes off, not just the runway, but even the prop racks next to it will be destroyed." Xie Hui took a video with his phone, quietly circled behind them, and suddenly shouted, "Gentlemen, why didn't you say anything about bringing fireworks to Fashion Week? I have some imported salutes I just bought; want to switch?"

The masked men's hands shook in fear, the firework tubes clattering to the ground. They turned to run but were blocked after a few steps by security guards lying in wait—Xie Hui had already increased the security budget, hiring twenty professional bodyguards with a monthly salary of 30,000, equipped with riot shields, just waiting for them to take the bait.

"Speak! Did Wang Duoyu send you?" The bodyguards pinned the masked men to the ground and ripped off their masks. Sure enough, they were Wang Duoyu's former subordinates. One of them even had paint on his clothes—the same person who had splashed paint on the umbrella solar panels before.

Seeing they couldn't escape, the two had to confess. "It was Brother Duoyu; he sent word through someone inside saying if we messed up Fashion Week, he'd pay us double..."

Xie Hui sent the video to Wang Zongyao's assistant and turned to the security captain. "Hand them over to the police, and take that box of fireworks along too; let the police check the source. Also, add two more bodyguards to every entrance and order twenty metal detectors at five thousand each. That's another 100,000. Ensure the safety of the venue at all costs."

The captain patted his chest and guaranteed, "Don't worry, CEO Xie! With us here, no one will get near the runway!"

After lifting the Time Stop, the music in the exhibition hall resumed. The audience thought the brief interlude was a "stage effect" and became even more excited. Xie Hui returned to Xia Zhu's side. She was helping comfort the startled Crested Duck. Seeing Xie Hui return, she asked quickly, "Are you okay? Those people didn't hurt you, did they?"

"Don't worry, it's already settled." Xie Hui handed her a cup of sugar-free milk tea and helped wipe the sweat from her forehead. "I saw you clenching your fists in nervousness just now; your hands were cold."

Xia Zhu took the milk tea, her heart feeling warm. Xie Hui always handled trouble perfectly and even remembered her little habits. She bit the straw and pointed to a pet parent nearby. "A parent just asked if they could take some commemorative photos for their pets. Should we set up a temporary photography area?"

"Set it up! We must!" Xie Hui's eyes lit up. "Contact a photography studio immediately. Rent ten 4K cameras and hire five professional photographers at a monthly salary of 20,000. Set up three photo studios with custom starry sky backdrops at five thousand each—that's 15,000 for three. Give 'Fashion Week Commemorative Photo Frames' to pets who take photos; each costs fifty yuan. We expect two thousand pets, which is 100,000. That's another 500,000 in expenses. It's a perfect chance to spend more money."

Xia Zhu quickly pulled out her ledger to record, her pen flying. "500,000 for the photography area, 100,000 for security upgrades, 150,000 for ribbons and pudding. Plus the Smart Collars and the Pet SPA Area from before, we've spent over a million on Fashion Week today alone. Total expenditure is nearing 1.2 billion!"

As they spoke, the clothing designer suddenly ran over, holding a small golden collar. "CEO Xie! I just had a sudden inspiration. Could we customize some gold accessories for the pets? Like small crowns or little bells; they would definitely look more striking on them!"

"That's great!" Xie Hui slapped the table. "Contact a jewelry store and customize gold accessories according to the pets' sizes—one for each pet. A small crown weighing five grams at four hundred yuan per gram is two thousand each. A small bell weighing three grams is 1,200 each. For a hundred pets, that's 180,000. Then hire two jewelry designers specifically for the styles at a monthly salary of 30,000, signing them for a month first. That's another 240,000. It'll add a 'high-end segment' to Fashion Week!"

The designer almost jumped with excitement. "Thank you, CEO Xie! I'll contact the jewelry store right away and guarantee the most beautiful accessories!"

In the evening, the Fashion Week closing ceremony began. The "Best Fashion Pet" trophy was awarded to that Calico Cat. It wore a small gold crown and had a Smart Collar around its neck. When it walked onto the podium, it even flicked its tail elegantly, prompting the audience to take photos. Xie Hui and Xia Zhu sat below the stage, watching the lively scene. Xia Zhu suddenly said, "Did you know? My mom called me today and asked when I'd bring a 'friend' home for dinner..."

Xie Hui's heart stirred as he turned to look at her. The lights of the exhibition hall fell on her face, making her look exceptionally gentle. "I'll go back with you after we're done with Fashion Week," he said softly. Xia Zhu's face turned red instantly as she quickly lowered her head, though the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.

After the closing ceremony, Xie Hui calculated the accounts. They had spent 2.3 million today, bringing the total expenditure to 1.25 billion. Xia Zhu looked at the ledger and said with a smile, "At this rate, the remaining 750 million will be spent in half a month! And all our projects are compliant; Wang Zongyao definitely won't be able to find any faults."

"It's still early; Wang Duoyu definitely has more moves." Xie Hui opened his phone and scrolled to a post by Wang Duoyu's people online, saying they were going to "target Xie Hui's Metaverse Dog Walking APP." He couldn't help but laugh. He had already learned of their plan through "Time Stop"—they simply wanted to hack the server and cause user data loss. However, he had already upgraded the server in advance and hired five cybersecurity experts at a monthly salary of 50,000, just waiting for them to walk into a trap.

When Xie Hui was taking Xia Zhu home, they passed the alley where they had eaten Jianbing Guozi before. Xia Zhu suddenly said, "I want to eat a Jianbing Guozi, still with double eggs and double sausages."

Standing before the stall, the owner smiled and said, "You two come together every day; your relationship is really good. Next time you come, I'll add an egg for you!"

Xia Zhu's face turned red instantly, and she didn't argue. Xie Hui secretly rejoiced and quickly said, "Thanks, boss. Extra cilantro, please."

On the way back, Xia Zhu bit into her Jianbing Guozi and whispered, "Shall we check out the Metaverse Dog Walking APP tomorrow? I haven't seen a virtual dog wedding yet."

"Sure, I'll take you to the studio tomorrow and have Xiao Zhang demonstrate it for you," Xie Hui said with a smile, already planning in his mind. Tomorrow, he'd add a "Virtual Dog Gold Accessories" feature to the APP. Users could buy gold collars and bells for their virtual dogs for 10,000 yuan each. It would spend money and echo the gold accessories from Fashion Week; it was perfect.

The car stopped downstairs at Xia Zhu's home. Before getting out, she suddenly gave Xie Hui a hug. "Thank you for protecting me today and for accompanying me through the whole Fashion Week."

Xie Hui was stunned for a moment, then smiled. "It's what I should do. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow." Xia Zhu waved and ran into the hallway, her heart full of anticipation—not just for the Metaverse Dog Walking APP, but for every day spent with Xie Hui.

Meanwhile, in the detention center, Wang Duoyu was losing his temper at the iron bars, shouting, "Xie Hui! I'm not finished with you! Even if I can't get out, I'll make your APP go down!" He didn't know that his plan had already been seen through by Xie Hui, and what awaited him would only be a more complete failure.