Chapter 15
Early the next morning, the project team rea.s.sembled.
As he was unwilling to delegate, Xue Mingtao, Head of the Marketing Dept., played leader of the small group of four: marketing director Chen Dong. Next was a person who was an old acquaintance of Lin Qian’s due to the PR scandal, Executive Manager Zhou Yaxin. Then there was the technician, Ge Songzhi, and manufacturing manager Tong Yong. Because the last time there was much focus on the manufacturing, he had also been included.
By noon, Lin Qian had finished eating lunch and returned to her seat, just to see Li Zhicheng come out and walk over from his office. He was already wearing his coat, and his cold mien said:” Let’s go to the Project team.”
From the headquarters to the small detached project building, it took a bit of time when going on foot. Since it was lunch time, there weren’t any people loitering. Both people were walking at a brisk pace when Li Zhicheng suddenly asked:” What do you believe are the odds of success?”
Lin Qian’s footsteps halted. What was Boss doing asking her this? Did he really want to hear her answer?
What a headache ah… …
He lifted his gaze, standing under the withering trees, his deep calm eyes looking into hers deeply.
Lin Qian stood silent for a moment, before realistically answering:” Less than… 50%.”
He looked at her eyes, and flatly replied: “En, they seem to think as much.”
Lin Qian stared distractedly.
“They” must naturally be Gu Yanzhi, and Executive Liu Tong. Lin Qian could see them both making similar judgments.
Could it be that Boss was feeling melancholy…
And why was she feeling miserable?
She was about to say something witty to ease the atmosphere, but Li Zhicheng had already striding forward.
——
The project group was housed in a closed off kind of Office. When Lin Qian and Li Zhicheng entered, everyone was buried neck deep in work.
Xue Mingtao reported the simple plan for today to Li Zhicheng: organizing and writing the tenders information needed, and the bid price and lead time it demanded for accurate accounting. By the evening they would be getting a first draft.
Li Zhicheng nodded, and gave a onceover to the staff, examined the data, and started walking out with Lin Qian.
As they emerged out into the sunshine, Lin Qian thought they would be going back to the office, but he looked straight ahead toward the parking lot: “Go to Spring City Road.”
Lin Qian stared blankly at him, before trotting to keep up.
——
Spring Street is a downtown commercial Street, with a mall and shops. Ai Da and Si Meiqi’s flagship stores of Lin City are both on this same street.
The Land Rover was still parked on the side of the road, Lin Qian looked at the left end of the road in front of ”Ai Da’s store”, and gave a gloomy sigh; she took a look at the more recent Si Meiqi’s flagship store on the right side and sighed.
She really wanted to curse, saying: ”behind the vermilion gates are meat and wine, the road there were frozen dead bones”![1]
The two flagship stores were decorated with the same elegance and high fashion, but Ai Da had few, if any, customers outside the store, and the atmosphere around it was dimmed. Outside the there were sales and discounts signs everywhere, but still there weren’t many people.
The whole scenery was one of desolation.
Si Meiqi’s situation though, was needless to say. It was a city of lights, a bustling store, customers going in and out. Ostentatious signs on the store’s windows read “New items”. Young shoppers were coming in and out of the store so fast, it was as if their feet were not touching the ground…
In response, Lin Qian could only say that a strategic failure, and that their collapse seemed eminent- at an unimaginably cruel rate.
She took a peek at Li Zhicheng, who was beside her.
His expression still looked calm even after seeing the scene, like a handsome iceberg. But the fingers on the hand that was still on the steering wheel were gently tapping.
Lin Qian weighed her words before she spoke up: ”Li Zong, on the quality of products, we are not worse than Si Meiqi and Xin Baori. My personal research says that we’re of even better quality work than them. Our foundation is still very good.
Even though Ming Sheng has sent bid invitations two six companies, if we’re speaking realistically about domestic companies, only the three of us can provide high quality leather products. I think as long as we have a solid proposal, we still have a great chance of winning.
Our physical store as well. Our products don’t have any difference in quality, but previously it was that… … We were like a troops defeated in a landslide[2]. The other forms took advantage of this and joined hands against us, so that even when we moved ahead and were leading with a good price, we also couldn’t sell. In fact, as long as we have some steady cash flow in the future, we can begin to invest in rebuilding the brand, and one we regain popularity, I think the sales will not be bad.”
Whatever she was saying was correct. But in this world, whether about people or business, it is always easier said than done.
Li Zhicheng turned to look at her, clear black eyes had a water-like l.u.s.tre.
“En. We’ll advance step by step.”
A steady, strong voice, added to that the pure and sleek distinction of his voice, it was as if the character of every word was being etched onto her heart.
Lin Qian rarely spoke words of incitement, but right now Boss had spoken only a few straightforward and simple words, and she clearly felt the power of firm sincerity in his words.
When he used that glib tongue on her, she didn’t know what to say.
No, actually, nothing needed to be said. She gave an understanding smile, looking into the silent darkness of his eyes.
At times silence told more than her words ever could, towards both a leader and a friend. Yes, that would be the feeling she would give the Boss, hehehe… …
Li Zhicheng looked at her, a smile apparently growing in his eyes … …
Lin Qian was keen-eyed, and in her periphery she glimpsed an unusual movement.
As she turned around and looked immediately she was shocked –
Chen Zheng!
This was truly an inevitable clash of the t.i.tans[3]!
She saw him in a suit, with several people, alighting from several black Mercedes-Benz cars, as they looked up in front to Si Meiqi’s flagship store, and then seemed to be casually looking their way … …
“Boss!” Lin Qian hissed a warning, while hiding by ducking down, to escape Chen Zheng’s line of sight. Seeing Li Zhicheng sat unmoving, she subconsciously grabbed him by the hand and pulled him down!
But surprisingly, she got a quick response from Li Zhicheng. When her hand touched his wrist she felt a pincers-like force strike her, and her wrist was instead being detained firmly in his hand.
Lin Qian stared blankly for a moment. She could see him give her a glance as he lowered his body and hid himself behind the steering wheel.
Her hand was being held, while both their body and face were in such close proximity, his handsome face in even more of a close-up at less than ten centimeters away from her position, and she could clearly see he is jet Black eyebrows, dark eyes and her reflection in them. His breath fanned her cheek.
He looked at her.
Lin Qian face slightly burned as she started explaining in a low voice: ”Li Zong, I just think that we are here to gather intelligence, not be found, right?”
In fact she thought that Chen Zheng was a person completely without scruples, who liked ridiculing people. If they encountered him, she was afraid that he would be a big enough pest who would send someone over to them to cause trouble.
How could she let Li Zhicheng encounter such a thing? But she could not openly say this to him.
“En.” He answered lightly, face calm, as if he did not know ever seen her intention. But right now Lin Qian cared more about the fact that… … Two people were very close in a very small s.p.a.ce.
Her hands were still in his. Boss reacted that quickly probably because he was accustomed to fight back in self-defence, and still hadn’t realised, so he hadn’t let go. What could she do? Lin Qian looked directly back, to her increasing embarra.s.sment. Men’s hands dry and flexible, with some hot, and she could clearly feel his thin waist of the coc.o.o.n, pull the cold in her soft hand.
A completely unrelated thought came to her head. When he didn’t wear a uniform, and wore a suit instead, he looked directly like the young master to a rich company. But his hand was so big, he was still essentially a man Ah … …
While he has always been quiet, still as a mountain, his hunched over posture was unmoving, quietly staring at her. In the small and somewhat dim s.p.a.ce, Lin Qian could acutely feel the breathing of the two people stuck together.
Bad, bad, very bad.
She immediately turned around and looked at the other side, back to him, pretending to be hunching lower to hide and disguise herself, and asked: “Is the coast clear?”
Li Zhicheng was above her, and so he looked up to peek outside. He was quiet for a moment, and then replied:” not yet.”
Lin Qian maintained her position without moving.
Just … …
Slowly, she felt something a bit wrong with this position. She could feel Li Zhicheng’s breathing more clearly, along with a slightly itchy heat, a little jet of air on her neck. He certainly was doing it unintentionally, but it felt like a feather tickling her and gently sliding up and down her neck… … Sliding … …
Lin Qian’s pale neck, like most women’s was a little sensitive, but now can it was as if all she could feel was her neck. As she felt the warm breath, a flush crept through her. She didn’t have to look in a mirror to know her face was red.
Go to h.e.l.l … … Chen Zheng, that rat b.a.s.t.a.r.d, why was he lingering? Hadn’t he always excelled at quickly walking away? So why the h.e.l.l was he choosing today to linger in front of the store for so long? Was he born to irritate her!
After a good while, and Lin Qian’s slender neck sore, she heard Li Zhicheng’s cold voice in her ear:” Gone.”
Lin Qian suddenly straightened up, taking a long breath. Meanwhile, Li Zhicheng had naturally become aware, so he let go of her hand.
Lin Qian straightened and despite a red face, she calmly retrieved her hand back, and smiled at him: ”Boss, where are we going now?”
Li Zhicheng seemed to have little to no embarra.s.sment; he simply looked straight ahead, his hands back on the wheel, and dismissively replied: “Back to the company.”
——
Lin Qian naturally did not take this seemingly trivial matter to heart. After returning to the company, she immediately threw herself into the urgent work. In the evening, she followed Li Zhicheng to visit the team again.
It wasn’t only them; Gu Yanzhi and Liu Tong, the Vice President in charge of production technology, were also coming. The three key executives were going to check with the project team to prepare the first draft of the proposal.
Twilight fell out on the other side of the window, the huge Park seemed empty and silent. Only a single light burned above their heads fiercely. Xue Mingtao, as he reported the tenders, sported an solemn and intent expression: ”… … Price, the minimum you can account for is 1500 Yuan. Can’t go any lower, on the one hand we are using the most expensive fabric, even with the backlog of material, there is still a floor limit on the cost, as well as other factors, and if… … the clients don’t come through with the funds, we will not be able to keep up production.
In terms of delivery cycle, because of the high quality of these requirements, even calculating at the fastest rate, a.s.suming workers will be working three shifts without a break, just to complete all orders we will need six months……”
After he finished, all members of the team are looking at the three executives; their eyes showed weariness, but there was also excitement and antic.i.p.ation in them. Lin Qian knew what they were looking forward to—if calculated in accordance with industry practice, such a price and lead time, they already had an advantage. But… …
The three executives were silent.
Gu Yanzhi started speaking first: “It’s good, but not good enough. From what I know, that Chen Zheng has always done things ruthlessly. This time, we are going to be facing him head-on. I believe that he will be putting out terms that would be hard for us to match, and would definitely cripple us.”
Everyone was quiet. Liu Tong wrinkled his brow: ”What should we do?” He looked to Xue Mingtao: “Is there no room for adjustment?”
Xue Mingtao shook his head: ”The room is limited.”
Just then, the silent Li Zhicheng suddenly looked at Lin Qian, his eyes gaze bright, cold and raw: ”Do What terms do you think they can offer?”
Lin Qian heart trembled; everyone’s gaze was already on her.
Lin Qian was static for a moment, before she looked at him and replied: ”I cannot accurately estimate. But as far as I know, I think he could manage at least a price between 1300-1400 Yuan, and a 5 month delivery cycle.”
She finished speaking, and it seemed even quieter in the room. The faces some project group members were taut, depressed. Liu Tong, picked up a cup and took a sip, before frowning and looking down again. Gu Yanzhi, leant back in a leather chair with a cold face, a finger tapping on the desk top. In the middle sat Li Zhicheng, ramrod straight, eyes colour an unmoving black, looking straight ahead, as always, a cold aura pressing down around him.
Then, Lin Qian and the others heard the most long string of words ever spoken by him:
“When I was in the army, we often formulated battle plans. The essentials of battle plans were thus: the first is to consider the key point where the victory lies. I as a Commander won’t worry about minor details from the other side, nor would I consider how difficult the task may seem–those are not my duties to consider. My task was—to do whatever it took to ensure that we reach that key point, that we occupy an absolute advantage in order to win the victory of the battle. I think that in the business world these aspects remain the same as in the battlefield.
This proposal is our last skirmish, and our strategic objective is to win the hearts of customers. So how beautifully we can word the tender is not the most important thing, and neither are all the complex intricacies.
The most important point is to show a resolute att.i.tude; to show our distinct superiority. To let Mingsheng see this and leave an impression so profound that it is ingrained into their memories. To capture their hearts.
So I suggest these adjustments for the tenders as follows:
First, prices should be lowered, adjusting to the same levels as what Lin Qian has just mentioned. If there are financial difficulties in the middle, I will try to work something out. Meanwhile, all the stores carrying our luggage should be informed to turn back the prices to full price, no one should be cutting down prices and holding sales and discounts on them anymore. Xue Mingtao, before sending out the tender, please create an eye-catching paragraph about our planned bags. Quote the price as 30% of what we sell it for in the overseas market. Please make a price comparison chart; according to my observation, Si Meiqi’s market value is lower than ours, they should be able to offer a discount of only about 40%-50%;
Second, in the case of the Mingsheng undertaking, for these bags, offer a five-year warranty rather than going with the market practice of a one-year one. We will put a CEO’s promise accountability system into practice; if there is any quality problem, regardless of reason, Ai Da will refund the goods within three days. Mingsheng will be required to bear none of the cost or responsibilities.
Third, the delivery cycle. In relative terms, this is the place where we have a promising avenue. The time period must be reduced to three months. Right now Ai Da stands in the balance between life and death. If there isn’t enough time, Gu Yanzhi and I will personally sit in the a.s.sembly line. This requirement is set in stone, non-negotiable, undelayable.”
He looked up and looked around at everyone sharply, before proceeding with his concluding remarks: ”With this plan, even if we win, it’ll have been a Pyrrhic victory. But as long as Ai Da survives, we can live to fight another war.”
Everyone was stunned.
Lin Qian watched Li Zhicheng’s clear-cut face, her heart pounding as if in cadence with the words, thumping wildly and powerfully in her chest.
Liu Tong thumped the table and said, ”Okay! I agree that Li Zong! It’s decided! If we’re short on manpower, I’ll sit on the a.s.sembly line myself, h.e.l.l, I’ll even get my wife and children on the line! If we started following the Chairman in the beginning, we will follow him to the end!”
Gu Yanzhi smile, his eyes clear and profound, as if an electric current was running through them.
Xue Mingtao chimed in: ”Good! We all back Li Zong’s words! Yeah!”
The project team’s gazes all held a complex look. Lin Qian’s mood matched with theirs. Sorrow and pain too difficult to bear, but firm resolution and rising spirits as well… …
He had said, this will be a Pyrrhic victory. But as long as we can manage to linger at death’s door, we will live to see another sunrise, another fight.
——
The night deepened.
Lin Qian returned to her office and cubicle. She sat for a moment, and could not help but look up and look into the CEO’s Office. Under the bright lights, only his silhouette was faintly discernable.
Lin Qian thought she needed to rea.s.sess the strengths of her Boss. She had never imagined in her wildest dreams that he would be able to speak the way he had spoken. The plan and words that he spoke about, the ”key point”, the ”absolute and distinct advantage”, “to imprint it in their memory”, “capture their hearts”; they were all the same things Li Mochen had spoken about the other day!
And who was Lin Mochen? The man who controlled the financial clouds and made it rain, the man who easily manipulated billions and billions of dollars worth of funds for other businessmen. The best business talent there ever was.
But Lin Mochen and his manner were as different as night and day. A studied look at Lin Mochen, and you would feel that he was a shark. But he was upright and aloof, strong and decisive. His remarks just then, it seemed as if they were still echoing in her ear, and she was unable to regain her calm for a long while afterwards.
How had she had the guts to try and be close to him, did she have a death wish? This wouldn’t do, she had to say her piece to regain her calm.
“Boss.” She knocked the door and went in.
Li Zhicheng was standing at the window, watching the stars that dotted the night. When he heard the noise, he looked at her, his expression calm and indifferent.
“Boss, I think we will be successful.” She looked at him as she said, “because it was led by you, because you’re a genius; a natural leader. I’ve said what I wanted to say, it’s not just flattery, it’s the truth!”
When she finished, her face was inexplicably hot. Ah, was she still a little excited now? In the quiet of his shining eyes Lin Qian felt a rare feeling of discomfort, so she pretended to be calm, plastering a serene smile on her face, and turned and ran away.
Li Zhicheng has kept his sights on her until she exited, whereupon he resumed looking out of the window, at the angle where the horizon disappeared into the night, and slowly smiled.