Frank had calmed down by then. Having dealt with all kinds of difficult customers in physical stores was Frank's biggest advantage at the moment; he knew how to respond.Therefore, when Hugo was communicating with other brands earlier, Frank had been observing carefully from the side, including the pleasant conversation between Hugo and Givenchy, which he secretly kept in mind.When Hugo and Joseph walked over, Frank showed a smile. For the person in charge of a physical store, a simple smile could convey many meanings: distant, disdainful, respectful, fawning, sincere...The meaning a smile could convey was far richer than its literal interpretation, and Frank's smile now was full of importance; he was treating Hugo as an exceptionally important client."Good afternoon," Frank greeted first, then pointed to a row of suits behind him. "For Mr. Lancaster's premiere, many styles from our new winter collection of suits are very suitable.These..."Frank was about to continue, but Joseph interrupted him. "New winter collection? Hasn't it been a month since the new collection was launched?" Joseph's tone was still a bit stiff, showing his dissatisfaction with Frank.Hugo, standing next to him, chuckled and interjected, "Don't you know? New collections also have distinctions; many brands release new collections three times in a winter." Hugo came to Frank's rescue, which surprised Frank.But before Frank could even wipe his sweat, he heard Hugo continue, "It's just that not everyone gets to see these new collections; some are only visible to specific groups of people." The subtext was: I'm not qualified to appreciate Armani's specific new collections, which was a jab at the previous incident.Then Hugo turned to Frank, "Is that so? I don't know much about fashion; I've only heard some rumors."Frank was stumped by Hugo's soft words. He finally understood the difficult-to-swallow feeling he had given Hugo when he had used polite words to dismiss him.But Frank still had to maintain his smile and reply, "The new collections I brought today are absolutely unique, and they will definitely suit you very well."Frank subtly avoided directly answering Hugo's awkward question, instead responding in a roundabout way, and then continued the conversation, "This season's new collection..." The transition was seamless, truly showing his skill."We have maintained Armani's consistent style; careful tailoring and fabric quality are a given..."Frank began to introduce the clothes behind him to Hugo. Hugo and Joseph did not walk away directly, but looked at them seriously.Compared to the other brands, Armani's clothing is known for its simple and steady tailoring. Richard chose Armani for the "Final Analysis" premiere precisely because the brand's style perfectly matched his aura.Although Armani had made some relatively youthful and rebellious attempts in the past two years, compared to Gucci's bold innovation, it still lacked intensity.Therefore, Armani suits are more often chosen by mature and steady businessmen, with a very obvious positive effect.Strictly speaking, among the four brands, while Armani's suits might not be as suitable for Hugo as Gucci or Givenchy, they were the most fitting for the theme of "A Few Good Men."No wonder Frank spoke so fluently: "For a lawyer's image, choosing our suits is absolutely perfect. Solemn, grand, professional, rational—such an elite image can be seen in every detail of the suit."Frank grasped the characteristics of the Armani brand, maximizing his abilities.However, looking at Hugo and Joseph listening attentively, Frank felt a sense of defeat. The Hugo in front of him was indeed listening to his explanation with concentration, but the problem was that the smile on Hugo's lips was full of unfamiliarity and distance.There were no deliberate negative emotions, just the polite pleasantries of a social occasion, as if no matter what Frank said, Hugo had already made up his mind, and this decision was unchangeable.Frank's efforts now were not only futile but more like a dying struggle or a clown's antics. This sense of humiliation was indescribable.Many times, in interpersonal interactions, you don't need to resort to physical blows to make the other person feel pain, nor do you need sarcasm to make them feel angry.A humble and polite smile can also be lethal, and this kind of cold weapon delivers a sudden, fatal blow, striking at the very root of one's confidence.Frank was very good at this method. As the branch manager of Armani, he had to maintain the basic etiquette of the service industry, because this was Armani's brand image.Looking down on people was a necessity of the industry, but it couldn't be too obvious; it had to be skillful. Packaging underlying disdain with a humble smile was an art.This was how Frank had treated Hugo last time, politely making Hugo retreat in the face of difficulty. If Hugo had made a fuss, Frank would have been in the right, and people would have found it hard to criticize Armani.This was called swallowing one's teeth; Frank was the one throwing the punch, and Hugo was the one swallowing the teeth, but no one would believe Hugo's complaints.But today, Frank finally felt Hugo's counterattack, giving him a taste of his own medicine. Now, Hugo was throwing the punch, and Frank was swallowing the teeth.What was even more frustrating was that even though Frank's mouth was full of blood, he still had to perk up, smile, and carry out his work to the end.Otherwise, he would lose not only today's business with Hugo but also opportunities for promotion and the humiliation of making a fool of himself in front of his peers.Sure enough, after Frank finished his entire presentation, Hugo and Joseph remained silent for a long time. This silence of about two seconds made Frank's entire scalp tingle.Finally, Joseph couldn't hold back and said directly, "Thank you for your explanation." Joseph's words were still quite stiff, unable to conceal his true emotions.One could feel that Joseph truly held a deep grudge against Armani. Hugo even had to wonder if Joseph had also suffered a silent loss at Armani before.Hugo, standing nearby, took over the conversation. "A wonderful explanation, so much so that I was immersed in it, unable to extricate myself." As he spoke, he clapped his hands lightly, his brilliant smile like the scorching sun at three in the afternoon.To others, Hugo was indeed more than satisfied with Armani, but Frank could see a thin mist over Hugo's clear eyes, which made Frank feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar."Haha, if I could wear an Armani suit, that would certainly be a great honor."Hugo was hinting at Frank's previous rejection, as Frank had believed Hugo was not qualified to be compared with Richard.But today, Frank had brought a series of suits hoping to catch Hugo's eye. This cycle was reflected in Hugo's words, leaving Frank with a bitter taste in his mouth, unable to utter a single word."Thank you for your explanation, you've worked hard. Please take a seat." After the previous brands finished their presentations, Hugo would more or less look through the clothes and ask some questions.But this time, Hugo didn't, and he very straightforwardly let Frank end his work, which made Frank realize he had no chance.Frank now truly understood the feeling of swallowing a bitter pill. He could only force a smile, trying to maintain his composure, and then sat back down.However, maintaining composure at this moment was not so easy, so much so that when Frank sat down, his body slightly relaxed and he sank heavily into the chair, causing his teeth to clatter together, almost biting his tongue.Hugo and Joseph politely gestured to Frank again before walking towards Givenchy. Etiquette must be done completely; this was a lesson Frank had taught both of them.The clothing Givenchy brought today was indeed highly anticipated. Due to its historical ties with the navy, traditional military uniform elements have always been reflected in its designs.This year, Givenchy's military elements were embodied in the slightly rigid shoulder strap design.Normal suit shoulder lines are shaped by shoulder pads to support the entire suit's silhouette, but Givenchy this time used a military-style hard cardboard design instead of shoulder pads, weakening the "frame" feeling of the suit's cut and relying more on the natural physique of the man.In addition, through the sculpting of wide shoulders and a long body, the overall proportion tends to be more balanced and stiffer.It can be said that Givenchy's suits are more robust than the other four, and although they still can't compare to actual military uniforms, the overall heroic and dashing sense of refinement is more pronounced.However, Givenchy suits are also more selective; if a man's body proportions are not excellent, then it truly looks like he's wearing a barrel, not only lacking any aesthetic appeal but also ruining a suit and a man.Paramount's special invitation to Givenchy was precisely to draw on Givenchy's naval elements to allow Hugo to shine at the premiere."A Few Good Men," as a courtroom drama that also involved the military, Givenchy was indeed very suitable for the premiere's style.Hugo naturally didn't make a decision on the spot. After the five brands finished their presentations, they left the clothes in the meeting room and then departed first.Once Hugo made his selection, the brands would be notified separately, and the unchosen clothes would naturally be sent back.Frank watched Hugo, who was talking to Joseph with his head down, and Hugo's smile was still there, but it was clearly miles apart from the one he had seen earlier.Although Hugo had only returned to public attention with "Scent of a Woman" and was far from being a top actor or reaching his peak, let alone an A-list actor, Frank somehow felt that Armani seemed to have missed one of the most important opportunities in the next decade.
