Chapter 42: The Interview

Outside the private dining room, Wan Xia, dressed in a simple and understated outfit with a natural, makeup-free look, was pulled quickly by Wang Jingwen toward the slightly concealed emergency stairwell at the end of the corridor.

Glancing around to ensure they were alone, Wang Jingwen leaned in slightly, lowered her voice, and asked with eager anticipation:

"Xia, I’m always hearing you brag about your design team—how brilliant and incredible they are. Today, you have to give me the honest truth: is it actually the real deal, or are you just blowing smoke?"

Although Wang Jingwen knew that the members of her best friend’s design team were top graduates from prestigious universities with stellar resumes, she also understood that high academic credentials did not necessarily guarantee exceptional design proposals.

Wan Xia was sharp; she couldn't miss the subtext in her friend’s question. She realized immediately that this was a potential business opportunity.

As the saying goes, one must be strong to strike the iron. Without a second thought, Wan Xia took out her phone and swiped through the screen with slender fingers. In no time, she pulled up the profiles of major clients her company had worked with over the years, along with photos of completed, eye-catching building projects, showing them to Wang Jingwen one by one.

She added with full confidence, "Wenwen, look at these. These are all genuine design achievements of our firm, all completed under my personal leadership."

Despite their deep bond, Wang Jingwen was primarily concerned about her student. She could not let him down. Seeing the hesitation on Wang Jingwen’s face, Wan Xia hurried to add:

"Wenwen, don't worry. Our company is currently in a lull between projects; we have no work on hand. If we can secure this project now, the team will be fully motivated and 100% dedicated to the design work, ensuring nothing is delayed. As for the price, given our friendship, I will certainly give you the most reasonable and favorable quote. I won't put you in a difficult position."

...

The moment the call connected, Wang Jingwen, who was usually poised and capable in front of her students, felt inexplicably nervous, her hand tightening around the phone.

"Li Ping'an, I have a close friend here who is a professional designer with excellent technical skills. Would you like to meet her and have a chat?"

Wang Jingwen had always been honest with her students and did not hide the fact that Wan Xia was her best friend. She knew clearly that if she were to hide such things and her student found out later, it would inevitably breed distrust and damage their harmonious relationship.

"Okay," Li Ping'an replied readily on the other end.

He then asked, "Professor Wang, is it now?"

Wang Jingwen subconsciously looked at Wan Xia, who nodded continuously, and she replied, "If it's convenient for you, now is fine."

"Great!"

After receiving the location from his counselor, Li Ping'an delivered his computer to the incubation base and headed off campus.

An hour later, Li Ping'an arrived at the coffee shop. As soon as he stepped through the door, he scanned the room. As expected, his counselor’s familiar and kind face was the first thing he saw.

The woman sitting next to her must be the designer friend mentioned on the phone. She wore no makeup, and there were faint freckles on her face. Strictly speaking, in terms of features, she was someone a passerby wouldn't give a second look. Yet, she exuded a unique intellectual aura, and her every gesture was steady and capable, giving off an inexplicable sense of reliability and trust.

"Li Ping'an, over here!"

Wang Jingwen, sharp-eyed, spotted him and waved enthusiastically. As Li Ping'an walked over, she asked with a smile, "What would you like to drink? It's my treat."

Li Ping'an didn't stand on ceremony and said softly, "A Matcha Frappuccino, please. Thank you, Professor."

Wang Jingwen ordered for him, and after Li Ping'an sat down, she settled between them and made the formal introduction: "This is the designer I told you about on the phone, Wan Xia."

"Hello," Wan Xia greeted him politely.

She had already been briefed on some of Li Ping'an’s information and knew he was a student. However, she was well aware that in today's fiercely competitive business environment, a client holding a project was a "god of wealth." She couldn't afford to be careless or dismissive just because he was a student.

"Hello," Li Ping'an nodded.

After some polite small talk, Wan Xia pushed her phone gently toward Li Ping'an and said sincerely:

"These are the architectural projects I have led."

Under Wan Xia's enthusiastic presentation, Li Ping'an looked over the pictures and nodded slightly. Judging by the visual results, these architectural designs were indeed ingenious and quite striking. However, he also knew that what was being shown was likely the most polished side, and the actual situation would require further investigation.

Even in front of his professor, he didn't mince words and asked directly for the name of her company. He then took out his own phone, opened the latest version of the Pet Elf software, and searched for the company name. After reviewing the results, he had a rough understanding of the company's strength and reputation.

"If I were to entrust the design to your team, how is the design fee calculated?" Li Ping'an lifted his gaze to look at Wan Xia, getting straight to the point.

Wan Xia glanced at her friend Wang Jingwen, who was drinking her coffee slowly with her head down, paused for a moment, and then said candidly:

"For a standard office building, the market rate is 8 yuan per square meter. If there are special requirements, the price would naturally be adjusted upward."

She then changed her tone, speaking with conviction: "However, if you trust my team and are willing to give us the job, and there are no special requirements, I can offer a rate of 7 yuan per square meter."

Before coming to the meeting, Li Ping'an had taken the time to check the market rates for design fees, and compared to Wan Xia’s quote, it was indeed very reasonable.

But for his project, special requirements were unavoidable. Li Ping'an thought for a moment, organized his thoughts, and said slowly:

"I won't hide it from you; I do have special requirements. In my plan, this building is not just an office space; it must have a specialized laboratory. In addition, the company has extremely high requirements for servers; the server room area must have a high degree of confidentiality and security. It will be a multifunctional building that integrates an office, a laboratory, and a server room."

"Office, lab, and server room all in one? And the server room and lab must ensure confidentiality and security?" Wan Xia quickly grasped the core points and confirmed.

"That's about it," Li Ping'an nodded.

Finally, as if suddenly remembering something, he added, "By the way, I'm not sure if Professor Wang mentioned it, but the land plot I acquired is in Luzhou."