Tycoon: From Rags to Riches

Chapter 131: Chapter 126: Outstanding Performance

Inside the Hermes store, Gu Heng and his companions were welcomed by a throng of sales associates and led directly into the VIP room.

"President Yan, long time no see."

"It’s certainly been a while since we’ve seen you."

Gu Heng, Wang Yan, and the others had just sat down when a middle-aged man in his forties hurried in, beaming as if he were greeting his own father.

"I’ve been busy lately."

Wang Yan remained seated on the sofa, showing no intention of standing. "This is Chairman Gu. He’s the one who wanted to stop by today; I’m just accompanying him."

With just those two simple sentences, the man immediately understood who the main guest was.

"Hello, Chairman Gu. I’m Du Yujie, the manager of the Hermes boutique here at the Zhonghai International Finance Center Mall. How may I help you?"

As the most prestigious brand in the world of luxury handbags, even regular Hermes sales associates were known for their arrogance, to say nothing of a store manager like Du Yujie.

However, at this moment, Du Yujie showed not a shred of that arrogance. Standing before Gu Heng, he was the very picture of respect and courtesy.

"What do you have in stock?"

Gu Heng gave Du Yujie a slight nod, getting straight to the point.

"Yes, of course."

"We have an excellent selection of Birkin and Kelly bags in stock right now."

Du Yujie nodded eagerly. "Chairman Gu, I’ll have them all brought in right away."

"Thank you for the trouble."

Gu Heng replied politely.

"It’s no trouble, no trouble at all!"

Du Yujie seemed almost overwhelmed by the courtesy. As he spoke, he hurried over to the nearest sales associate and instructed her to bring out every bag they had in stock.

Seeing this, Gu Heng turned to Wang Yan. "It looks like you’re quite the regular here, Brother Yan. Not just anyone gets this kind of treatment, do they?"

"I’m not the regular. My mom is."

Wang Yan waved his hand. "Her annual spending at Hermes never drops below ten million, and whenever Hermes Greater China hosts its annual VIP gala, she’s always in the first tier of invited guests."

"Ah, so that’s why."

A look of understanding crossed Gu Heng’s face. He had been a little surprised. Even with Wang Yan’s extraordinary status, it seemed unlikely a manager of an Hermes boutique like Du Yujie would treat him with such intense reverence.

It turned out this was all out of respect for Chairman An.

Based on Wang Yan’s explanation, An Yiqing was clearly a top-tier super-VIP within Hermes Greater China, someone who could probably get the region’s CEO on the phone at a moment’s notice.

With a connection like that, Du Yujie naturally wouldn’t dare to be anything but perfectly attentive.

Otherwise, a single complaint from An Yiqing would be more than he could handle.

As the two men talked, a procession of sales associates, urged on by Du Yujie, began filing into the VIP room.

Each held an Hermes bag, all from the brand’s most popular lines: the Birkin and the Kelly.

Any one of these was a limited-edition bag that wealthy socialites might wait ages for and still never get their hands on.

Now, dozens of them were laid out before Gu Heng’s eyes, ready for him to take his pick, no waiting required.

The sales associates formed two rows, and even the ones who were usually the most arrogant now wore expressions of complete humility.

"Jiang Ruan, see if there are any you like."

Once all the associates were in position, Gu Heng turned to Jiang Ruan beside him and said softly, "Pick one."

Jiang Ruan froze when she heard him.

"Me?"

A flash of astonishment crossed her beautiful eyes.

"Yes, you."

Gu Heng gave a small nod.

Jiang Ruan glanced at the dazzling array of limited-edition Hermes bags, then back at Gu Heng, her eyes filled with confusion. "Why are you suddenly giving me a bag?"

"An outstanding employee has delivered an exceptional performance. As her boss, shouldn’t I offer a small reward?"

Gu Heng raised an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on his lips.

His words sounded ordinary enough, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

But to Jiang Ruan’s ears, they sent a crimson blush spreading across her pale cheeks.

’There are dozens of people here,’ she thought, ’staring right at us.’

"Go on, pick one."

"Everyone’s waiting for you."

Gu Heng knew Jiang Ruan was easily flustered, so he only teased her lightly before letting it go.

Urged on by Gu Heng, Jiang Ruan opened her mouth, her first instinct to refuse.

But the words caught in her throat.

No woman can refuse Hermes, just as no man can refuse a high-definition, uncensored video with subtitles.

And Jiang Ruan was a woman, too.

Her desire for those top-tier luxury bags was no less than any other woman her age.

Jiang Ruan knew this was another of Gu Heng’s sugar-coated cannonballs, but just like the walk-in closet he’d prepared for her when she first moved into the mountaintop villa two months ago, she was utterly powerless to resist it.

She could only watch as it landed, sending her heart into a dizzying tailspin.

Seeing her expression, Gu Heng decided not to give her any more time to struggle with the decision. He shot a look at Du Yujie, who understood immediately.

"Come, step forward one by one."

Du Yujie called out to the sales associates. "Let Miss Jiang get a closer look."

A moment later, the associate on the far left stepped forward with her limited-edition Hermes bag and knelt before Jiang Ruan.

"Miss Jiang, hello."

Using her softest voice, the associate began her introduction. "Miss Jiang, the bag I’m holding is the new Spring 2023 handbag from the Hermes Kelly collection. It’s crafted from leather and Nile crocodile skin, in black with silver hardware and contrast stitching. Its current official retail price is..."

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