Chapter 1 - Chapter 1: Stepping Into DreamWeave

At 7:30 a.m., the glass curtain walls of the CBD had already been gilded by the morning sun. Su Wan stood in front of the building of "DreamWeave Design"—a structure resembling an unfolded design sketch— and took a deep breath. The black leather briefcase in her hand was clutched somewhat tightly, containing three revised versions of her project preliminary concept drafted through sleepless nights, as well as the employment letter that embodied her five-year dream of becoming a designer.A sweet voice from the receptionist interrupted her thoughts: "Hello, do you have an appointment?""I'm Su Wan, the new designer starting today. I have a meeting scheduled with Creative Director Lin Man," Su Wan replied with a smile, handing over her ID and employment letter."Hello, Ms. Su. Director Lin is already waiting for you in the meeting room. This way, please," the receptionist said after confirming via internal call, leading Su Wan through the open-plan office area.The office was already bustling with activity. Designers focused intently on drawing blueprints on their computer screens, voices discussing proposals echoed back and forth, and the hum of printers spitting out paper mingled together, composing a unique workplace symphony. Su Wan glanced quickly around— the walls were adorned with DreamWeave Design's classic past projects: from the urban cultural center that won international awards to the internet-famous commercial complex beloved by young people, each work exuded stunning creativity and texture."Ms. Su, this is the meeting room," the receptionist stopped at a frosted glass door and knocked gently."Come in," a crisp female voice came from inside.Su Wan pushed the door open. Seated in the meeting room was a woman wearing a well-tailored white suit skirt, with exquisite makeup and sharp eyes, flipping through documents. Hearing the movement, she looked up and curled her lips into a professional smile: "Su Wan, right? I'm Lin Man. Welcome to DreamWeave.""Hello, Director Lin. Thank you for your guidance in the days ahead," Su Wan stepped forward and shook Lin Man's hand. Lin Man's grip was firm, her palm slightly cool, conveying a sense of calm reliability."Sit down," Lin Man gestured to the chair opposite and slid a document across the table. "This is the project information for 'Stellar Center' Commercial Complex— your primary responsibility after joining. A key collaboration between us and 'Chengyu Investment', the investor has high design expectations and a tight timeline. We need the first complete draft of the design proposal by next Monday."Su Wan picked up the document and flipped through it rapidly. Located in the core area of the city's new development, Stellar Center spanned over 300,000 square meters, integrating shopping, dining, entertainment, office spaces, and hotels— a veritable commercial giant. For a newly hired designer, such a project was undoubtedly a huge challenge, yet also an exceptional opportunity to showcase her abilities."Director Lin, the main design difficulties lie in balancing the diversity of commercial formats with the integrity of spatial design, as well as meeting the needs of different customer groups, right?" After reading the materials, Su Wan looked up, her eyes sparkling with excitement and determination.A hint of approval flashed in Lin Man's eyes: "Exactly— you're very perceptive. Our team has developed some initial concepts, but they feel lacking somehow. The investor has also put forward ideas, hoping for a more innovative and distinctive design. I've seen your previous portfolio— your style is imaginative and detail-oriented. So I hope you'll integrate into the team quickly and take the lead on this project's design.""Thank you for your trust, Director Lin. I won't let you down!" Su Wan said firmly. She knew this was her first crucial battle at DreamWeave— a battle she could only win.For the rest of the morning, Lin Man arranged for a colleague to show Su Wan around the company and introduce her to the team members. The designers were warm, taking the initiative to share project progress and ongoing challenges. Su Wan took quick notes, her mind racing as she began sketching the initial outline of Stellar Center's design.In the afternoon, Su Wan settled into her workstation, turned on her computer, and threw herself wholeheartedly into the project. On the screen, the blank design blueprint gradually filled with lines and color blocks. She frowned in thought, typed rapidly, and occasionally picked up a pen to doodle on sketch paper. Before she knew it, the sky outside darkened, and her colleagues left one by one, leaving her alone in the office.It wasn't until her stomach rumbled in protest that Su Wan looked up, rubbed her sore neck, and checked the time on her computer— it was already past 9 p.m. She stretched, walked to the window, and gazed at the bright city night view. Cars streamed endlessly on the roads, and neon lights flickered, outlining the bustling, busy silhouette of the city."Come on, Su Wan. You can do this!" she whispered to herself outside the window, then turned back to her desk, picked up her phone to order takeout, and resumed working. She knew that to establish herself in this fiercely competitive city and realize her design dream, putting in more effort than others was indispensable.The takeout arrived soon. Su Wan ate the simple bento while staring at the design on her screen, muttering to herself occasionally: "The circulation design here could be optimized further..." "Should the format distribution in this area be more reasonable..."After finishing her meal, Su Wan cleaned up the trash and continued working. As the night deepened, only the sound of keyboard tapping and occasional page-turning remained in the office. When she finally completed the framework of the first preliminary design proposal, the sky outside was already streaked with dawn. Looking at the design on the screen— infused with her hard work and creativity— a tired yet satisfied smile spread across Su Wan's face. She saved the file, shut down her computer, grabbed her briefcase, and walked out of the company building.The early morning air carried a faint chill, and pedestrians were already out and about on the streets. Su Wan took a deep breath, feeling the city awaken around her. She knew a new day had begun— and her journey of weaving dreams had only just unfolded.