The 3 harmonized advertising people

  The alley is quiet, the loud voices of the uncles and aunts have long disappeared, even those old men who repaired umbrellas and bicycles are nowhere to be found.

  Zhao Gan let out a soft sigh, thinking back to when he was little and would always come here to play with Yang Dongwen. The kids would run around in the alleys, while the adults gathered at the entrance to enjoy the cool breeze and chat merrily, creating quite a lively atmosphere.

  It's been three years since I came here. The road has changed a lot and it took me half a day to find Yang Dongwen's residence according to my memory.

  Yang Dongwen had just finished work and returned home, saw Zhao Gan coming, without saying a word, he gave him a bear hug first, then apologetically said: "Things are busy at the company, didn't have time to pick you up."

  "Brother of his own family, still so much nonsense." Zhao Gan's face twitched, and Yang Dongwen happened to pat the spot on his back where the bullet was embedded.

  。

  Yang Dongwen stared at Zhao Gan's face for a long time, then asked: "Although you had already sent me photos before and I was mentally prepared, but when we really met this time, I still couldn't react. This face of yours - how did it become completely different from three years ago?!"

  "If I hadn't changed my face, I really wouldn't have dared to come back."

  Yang Dongwen nodded in agreement: "Let's go, let's have a drink first, and talk about things slowly."

  "Wait a minute." Zhao Gang hastily said, "Help me get a basin of water, find a clean towel and a small pair of pliers."

  After everything was ready, Zhao Gan opened his shirt. Yang Dongwen only then discovered that on Zhao Gan's back, amidst the cold and distinct muscle groups, a bullet was embedded. Fortunately, half of this bullet was outside.

  The wound needed urgent attention, so Yang Dongwen didn't ask many questions. After helping Zhao Gan remove the bullet, he found that the other party was not an ordinary person, and his doubts in his heart became even more intense.

  "In this state, can you still drink?"

  Zhao heavily punched him and said: "What do you say?"

  After the two of them came down from the pipe building, Zhao Gan slapped his hands together a few times, and instantly dust fell from his palms like smoke. Yang Dongwen smiled awkwardly and said: "Just now when you were coming down the stairs, didn't you hold onto the handrail?"

  Zhao Gan was speechless in response, the living conditions of this tube-shaped building were even worse than three years ago.

  "Dong Wen, where are you working now?" Zhao Gan asked casually as he darted through the alleys.

  "In a state-owned enterprise as an office clerk." Yang Dongwen's expression was somewhat downcast when he said this.

  They all graduated from Pingjin City University of Technology and Trade in 2009, a key university that ranks among the best nationwide. During their college days, they spent their youth carefree and full of ambition, with dreams bigger than the Pacific Ocean. On graduation day, they made a pact as brothers: whoever doesn't make it good should slap themselves twice when they meet again.

  But everyone understands that as long as one has been in society for a little while, they know that reality is always cruel. Being well-read and talented are just things used to deceive people from thousands of years ago. Now we're in a new society, a new era, it's not about those things, but rather about having connections and a thick face.

  。

  Of course, as early as three years ago, when Zhao dared to do something wrong, those friends who were sworn in at the wine table had already cut off contact with him. However, it was later heard that they didn't live well either. Now, only Du Xiaoqiang and Yang Dongwen, two iron buddies from another city, are left. A state-owned enterprise clerk? This doesn't match the temperament of this old friend. One knows one's own friends, Yang Dongwen is refined on the surface but also ruthless at heart.

  "Why didn't you go to an advertising company?" Zhao Gan was somewhat puzzled.

  "After graduation, I went to an advertising company, not very big, but the salary was okay, so I just stayed there. But unexpectedly, last year our company made a fatal mistake."

  "?" Zhao Gan slightly furrowed his brow, knowing that this was a crucial moment that would change the course of his brother's career.

  "You also know that China's advertising law is very strict, if you promote something out of line, being shut down is the lightest punishment, and it's possible to be arrested and put in jail."

  Zhao nodded, thinking of the simplest example. In the US, Coca-Cola and Pepsi often discredit each other, but in China, two similar brands would never do such a thing.

  Yang Dongwen continued: "At that time, we received a large order from the number one jewelry chain store in the city. The owner of the jewelry store was eager to succeed and insisted that we create an outstanding promotional plan. Because our company was also short of money, the boss accepted the order and assigned me to take full responsibility. I had no choice but to accept it. However, after the advertisement was broadcast for a few days, the entire city of Pingjin was in an uproar. Many people criticized our advertisement for containing too much violence and obscenity, which seriously affected children and teenagers. The jewelry store did not become famous as a result, but instead faced difficulties from the Industrial and Commercial Bureau, the Radio and Television Bureau, and even the Public Security Bureau. Although the owner of the jewelry store was a wealthy businessman with many connections and knew how to bribe people, he eventually shifted all the responsibility onto me. What's more, this matter didn't end there. The owner of the jewelry store took me to court, claiming that I had intentionally used malicious advertising to tarnish their reputation. Later, although we reached an out-of-court settlement, my advertising career was completely ruined."

  Yang Dongwen wanted to smile lightly, but his smile was somewhat desolate: "After this, no advertising company dares to use me again."

  Zhao Gan didn't say a word, he just patted Yang Dongwen's shoulder heavily. He knew that Yang Dongwen's persistence and passion for advertising were no less than his own.

  The two quickly left the alley and walked on the street. Zhao Gan couldn't help but feel again the great changes in Pingjin City, even the public transportation has more than 900 buses now.

  。

  Yang Dongwen was paying attention to the size of the restaurants on both sides of the street while chatting with Zhao Gan, who had disappeared for three whole years and nobody knew where he went. Now that the two met again, Yang Dongwen clearly felt that his old friend was very different from before.

  "What's going on with your back?" Yang Dongwen suddenly asked, being shot and still acting like nothing had happened, he was really surprised.

  "After getting off the bus, I had bad luck and ran into a police case being handled, and got dragged in."

  Yang Dongwen nodded and didn't ask much, just raised his head to see a medium-sized restaurant with a elegant name - Liu Xiang Ge, and said: "Let's go here."

  Zhao Gan followed behind and walked in, just as he reached the door, he suddenly saw a man with a gold chain around his neck, wearing a loose-fitting suit, walking out to meet him. The man looked at Yang Dongwen for a moment, then slightly raised his chin and smiled: "Yang Dongwen..."

  Yang Dongwen nodded slightly, his face expressionless.

  "Who is that person?" Zhao couldn't help but ask in puzzlement after sitting down and ordering food.

  "Lu Dafa is just a country bumpkin, he was a loser in our school's business administration major back then. I reckon you've forgotten about him too. His family spent money to buy his way into university, originally he was in the same class as us but because of poor grades he got held back for two years, coincidentally that year his dad passed away and only graduated last year. Now he's doing some shady business on the edge of legality."

  Zhao Gang was about to ask something else, but saw the waiter walking over and putting a bottle of 8-year-old Erguotou on the table, saying indifferently: "Your wine, food will be ready soon."

  Zhao dared to wave his hand casually, twist open the wine bottle and pour a full cup for both of them. He put down the wine bottle and said, "Still the old rules."

  "What a suffocating situation!" Yang Dongwen slanted his eyes to glance at the half-filled wine cup, helplessly blinked, and then burst out laughing.

  Laughter pierced through the long years, as if it had returned to the carefree student era of several years ago.

  After finishing, the two of them each picked up their wine cups and took a sip. Yang Dongwen savored the fragrance on his lips, suddenly thought of something, furrowed his brow and said: "Daren, there's one thing I forgot to tell you, although... but I think you should know."

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