Chapter 6 — After Ten Years of Silence, the Whole Industry Sees Me

A monument to the industry. Actively working as an assistant to a thirty-five year old creative director. This news was like a bomb exploding in the company. That afternoon. In the cafeteria. Every table is talking.

"Have you heard? Chu Hac Minh personally said he would be Tham Nhuoc Tinh's assistant."

"That's Chu Hac Minh! One of his speeches costs at least 600,000 yuan."

“What exactly is Tham Nhuoc Tinh's background?”

I don't go down to eat. Chu Hac Minh is waiting for me in the meeting room. The table is covered with documents related to the Cam Hoa project.

“Sit, don't stand.”

I pulled out a chair and sat down.

“Master Chu, you don't need to be my assistant.”

“That's not appropriate.”

“What's not appropriate?”

He flipped through the documents as he spoke.

“Your ability is there.”

“What you lack is just someone to push you one step further.”

“Twenty years ago, I was also given a push by someone else, so this is where I am today.”

He put down the file. Look straight at me.

“But Tham Nhuoc Tinh, I have one condition.”

“You just say it.”

“After completing the Cam Hoa project.”

“You have to seriously think about your future.”

“Continuing to stay here is a waste.”

I was silent for a few seconds.

“I will consider it.”

He stood up.

“Now, first we have to win the Cam Hoa project.”

One o'clock in the afternoon. I reconvened the core group of the creative department. Ha Than was the first to arrive. As soon as he entered the door, his eyes lit up.

“You finally accepted the project?”

“But time is very urgent.”

“Mr. Wang gave the deadline as next Wednesday.”

“We only have five days left.”

“Enough is enough!”

Ha Than slammed the notebook on the table.

“As long as you take action, five days is more than enough.”

Other members came one after another. The atmosphere is completely different from before. The days when Hua Uyen Thanh led the team. The whole creative room is like a stagnant puddle. And now. Everyone's face was full of enthusiasm. I stand in front of the whiteboard. Pick up your pen.

“What Cam Hoa needs is not the country.”

“It's not traffic.”

“It's not a trick.”

“What they need is to rebuild the brand foundation.”

“It's about making consumers reconsider themselves from the beginning.”

The tip of the pen glides across the whiteboard. Three keywords appear.

"Temperature."

“Rebirth.”

Ha Than nodded continuously.

“Last year, when talking to us, Mr. Vuong also said the same thing.”

“Cam Hoa has existed for thirty years.”

“He doesn't want to follow trends.”

“He wanted the brand to subside.”

“So the core of the whole plan is just one word.”

I wrote strongly in the middle of the whiteboard. Right at that moment. The conference room door was pushed open. Hua Uyen Thanh walked in. She glanced at everyone in the room. Look again at the words on the whiteboard. Then burst out laughing.

“Ms. Nhuoc Tinh.”

“Isn't this project already assigned to you?”

“So why did you start the meeting?”

I didn't turn back.

“Didn't President Tong tell you?”

“Master Chu appointed me to be in charge.”

“Assign me?”

The smile on Hua Uyen Thanh's lips remains unchanged.

“But President Tong told me that I would continue to follow the project closely.”

“And I'm only in charge of the creative part.”

Ha Than immediately stood up.

“Director Hua.”

"The plan she proposed was commented on the spot by General Vuong as 'not sincere'."

“This project needs a director with full authority to be in charge.”

Final The smile on Hua Uyen Thanh's face also disappeared.

“I'm talking to your teacher.”

“Since when is it your turn to butt in?”

She looked at me.

“Ms. Nhuoc Tinh.”

“Before, you said you wouldn't do it.”

“Now take it back.”

“It's not very nice to say it out loud, is it?”

I turned around. Face her.

“Uyen Thanh.”

"There's something I still haven't settled with you about."

“Last year the Thuy Phong project.”

“Creative ideas are what you do.”

“But the person who received the award was me.”

The entire meeting room immediately fell silent.

“This year, it's up to you how you want to do the Cam Hoa project.”

“But I remind you one thing.”

“Chu Hac Minh is here.”

“If he sees your plan, how do you think he will evaluate it?”

Hua Uyen Thanh's face stiffened for a moment. She said nothing. Turn around and walk out. The door was slammed shut very hard. The next three days. I lead the whole team to work almost non-stop. During the day, develop a plan. At night honing every detail. Every afternoon, Chu Hac Minh stops by to see the progress. He only stayed for about half an hour. Give three to five comments at a time. But all of them are so sharp that they hit straight to the heart.

“This design is too tight.”

“Not enough white space.”

“Viewers will feel stuffy when they look at it.”

“This slogan is strong enough.”

“But it's not warm enough.”

“You have to make people want to call their mother after watching it.”

“But I don't want to share it on social networks.”

“This paragraph uses actual photos.”

“Don't use documentary photos.”

“Who in your group takes the best photos?”

“Send him to Cam Hoa's old factory.”

“Capturing machines that have been in operation for the past thirty years.”

Each of his comments made the plan go one step further. Once Ha Than secretly told me:

"Miss Tham, studying with Mr. Chu for one day is better than me finding out for a year on my own."

I just laughed. Say nothing. But I know. Chu Hac Minh is not just teaching my team. He was also watching me. Tuesday evening. Everyone has gone home. In the meeting room, there were only me and him left.