Read Chapter 16: — THE DESIGNER AT THE DOOR

Success made Mufeng less impressed with success.

The Yifeng Collection sold strongly in China and Europe. Huashi's reputation recovered. Senior managers who had once refused to sign his meeting minutes now praised his vision as if they had invented it.

Mufeng learned to smile at revisionist history.

One morning a young man named Gu Cheng was stopped by security in Huashi's lobby.

"I only need five minutes with Li Mufeng," he insisted. "I'm a designer."

Mufeng happened to be passing.

"Then you have thirty seconds. Why should I give you five minutes?"

Gu Cheng handed him a folded sketch.

It showed a modular furniture joint simple enough to manufacture, elegant enough to interest Mufeng, and flawed in two important ways.

"You know what's wrong with this?" Mufeng asked.

"Yes."

"Why didn't you fix it?"

"Because I don't have the manufacturing data to know which solution is real and which is just pretty."

Mufeng smiled.

"Now you have five minutes."

Gu joined the design department and rose quickly, not because Mufeng protected him but because he learned fast and did not confuse humility with weakness.

Cai Jiahan hated the appointment.

By then Cai's position at Huashi had weakened. Mufeng's success had blocked his path to the top; younger managers were changing the culture; Hua spent most of her time abroad with Jiazhen but continued to support Mufeng.

Cai began to understand that waiting would not restore the future he believed belonged to him.

Mufeng, meanwhile, believed the old threat had faded.

He was wrong.