Our Glamorous Time Chapter 13

Midday.

Lin Qian and Li Zhicheng sat in a small restaurant near the new base and sent for lunch.

The shop owner carried over a small hotpot, piping hot, and with a spicy aroma that assailed the nostrils. The aroma created a warm atmosphere, but Li Zhicheng sat as cold and quiet as ever. He was still military in his bearing, sitting ramrod straight, holding his bowl and eating quietly and quickly.

Lin Qian sat docilely, also concentrating on eating, while trying to reduce her presence.

“Clang thump”, there came a loud sound, and the shop door opened again, and Lin Qian saw the owner politely ask “How many people?”

Gu Yanzhi dressed in a suit, had already sat down at their table, throwing the car keys over to the chief.

Lin Qian immediately greeted: “Hello, Gu Zong,” and then called the shop owner for a pair of chopsticks.

Li Zhicheng’s eyes glanced at him, and continued to eat.

Since she hadn’t spent much time around Gu Yanzhi, she hadn’t noticed it before, but he was quite an amiable person. He picked up the chopsticks, breaking them apart and rubbing them, and permitted Lin Qian to pour him a cup of hot water, and then started to eat.

After eating a few bites, he put down his chopsticks, and asked Li Zhicheng: “How was your morning?”

Lin Qian also lifted her eyes to Li Zhicheng.

He had already finished eating, and picked up his cup of water to drink, his handsome face slightly bowed, and answer: “As bad as imagined.”

Gu Yanzhi nodded and said: “At two o’clock in the afternoon there’s a meeting, as we spoke about yesterday, where all the Deputy Directors and key department heads are going to meet to discuss the next step we’re going to focus on.”

“En.”

Lin Qian heard this and felt in her heart moving, that Boss was finally getting to the real point.

Who knew Gu Yanzhi would detect her heart’s thoughts, as he suddenly turned his head and looked at her and asked in measured tones: “I hear that you suggested to Li Zong that the next step to focus on is to “look for the next opportunity for a turning point and bounce back.”

Lin Qian muttered to herself resolutely, barely answering “Yes”, suddenly slightly dazed.

Eh … Li Zhicheng couldn’t possibly have told every detail of what she had said to him to Gu Yanzhi, right?

Lin Qian’s face wordlessly heated up.

Those rich words, what I want to be your right hands person, what these are my true colours… In front of Li Zhicheng, these words had come out naturally. But if a third person were to hear that, she would definitely blush. Moreover if that third person was an old wily fox of the business world, Gu Yanzhi.

She raised her eyes, and sure enough was met with Gu Yanzhi’s peaceful and submersive gaze and a smile yet not a smile. On the side, even Li Zhicheng’s eyes flashed a thread, and his face held a faint smiling expression.

Lin Qian fell silent for a brief moment, but then shortly after, smiled and replied:”Yes, those were my personal thoughts, but it is also my sincerest wish for Ai Da to change for the better. ”

Gu Yanzhi, what kind of person was he, his repartees were sharp and incomparable: “Oh, right. Since you have raised this point of view, then you can tell me, what do you mean by an opportunity? My methodology must not be careless, I need real solutions.”

Lin Qian was static for a moment.

Actually, that day towards Li Zhicheng, her exterior of good faith she had actually held back on. Like Gu Yanzhi said, her proposed methodology reserved her central thoughts of the solution. This was because, at the time, she was still determining whether to take up the position of the Zongcai’s Zhuli, and had hastily raised such a point. Moreover, the risks were quite huge in her proposal. But Lin Qian had always previously believed in a workplace creed of dealing with small matters with a diplomatic and humble manner, and only showing her true skills for bigger issues. After all, if she showed off her true skills for everything, wouldn’t it get quite boring?

So she answered: “Li Zong, Gu Zong, I think that the most appropriate opportunity at the moment is with the Ming Sheng group’s projects.”

After speaking these words, she stopped for a moment, and observed their expressions.

However, she unexpectedly felt nothing but a subtle change in atmosphere. Both of them looked at her, seemingly waiting for her to continue speaking.

Thereupon Lin Qian decided to throw caution to the wind and started speaking with frank assurity: “I think, since we’ve rebounded from a dangerous position, Ai Da needs is a heart-strengthening shot.

I suggested the Ming Sheng project, not because I thought that this project would bring in huge profits, and overnight make Ai Da completely turn over. Instead, the profits of the project may be very thin, or may not even exist, moreover we might run into many difficulties. But I still think that this project is the best way forward.

Firstly, it is to open up new markets. Right now Xin Baori and Si Meiqi firmly in control of the final-consumer market, although the market is big, but if we want to break through it is too difficult and too slow. Ming Sheng group is a national company in the top 50, and a state-owned enterprise. Its order is comprised of nearly all the government purchases, so we can greatly improve the reputation of Ai Da. And in the state-owned system, it also has a lot of brothers. As long as we keep this list, there will definitely be other orders coming to our door. We don’t have to make money from Ming Sheng.

Second, morale. The issue of performance is actually equally as serious. Such an important[1] client list for the stirring will definitely yield higher spirits in the old and new of the company; and once more this will depend upon Li Zong.

Third, this morning after looking at the new base, it gave me an idea. These high-grade raw materials are lying about as domestic sales do not move, so if we use them in the Ming Sheng project we can use them for the government orders and an impression of creating high quality bargain[2] pieces. And this will help fund Ai Da.

This way, the work will stay alive, the funding will stay alive, and the marketplace will stay alive. Everyone lives.”

——

By United States Eastern time it was midnight.

Lin Mochen was finishing off work for the night, he massaged the space between his eyebrows, opened his mail and smiled.

Lin Qian had written just two words: thank you.

Finally he felt some interest towards her “buck the trend” strategy of selecting a job, and pulled out his cellphone and dialled.

Lin Qian had barely finished her lunch with the two big shots and arrived back at the company, when she saw the number, she immediately headed to an empty flight of stairs to receive the call.

“Ge, how are you still not sleeping?”

Lin Mochen smiled faintly: “Lin Zhuli, at this new job, how do you feel?”

Lin Qian reminisced of this morning’s experience, and the corners of her mouth bent as she answered: “Why, have you come to give me a boost ah?”

“En.” He said,”To see how much longer you can hang in there.”

Lin Qian: “Che! Ge, can you not have such evil fun?” But her heart also thought that he seemed to be in a good mood, his recent investments must have gone very well.

However Lin Mochen was clearly in a good mood, and his taste for evil fun expanded once again, and he casually said, “Oh, yesterday work finished early and I had some time afterwards, so I did a simple asset assessment for Ai Da.”

“Oh? Ge is very good.”Lin Qian roused his spirit. She knew that Lin Mochen’s “simple” asset assessment was good enough to bet gold on.

Lin Mochen smiled and said, “based on market analysis, and factoring debt, assets, as well as the losses faced in the carcinogen scandal … … Ai Da as a whole, has a usable capital amount of 10 million maximum. And this is dependent on the overall business growth, so if there is no new growth,  the 10 million will go down the drain at full speed, and they will soon be bankrupt. ”

Lin Qian: “……”

10 million, only 10 million? A company that was previously estimated to have billions in assets, now all that was left were the personal effects of the family?

Chapter 12

Close to two o’clock in the afternoon, Lin Qian was ready with the conference information, and in to give them to Li Zhicheng’s office.

Quite surprisingly he was standing in front of a picture window in thought.

Lin Qian kept the information at the desk and was about to turn and go out when she heard his clear voice: “You are attending with me.

She stared at him blankly, startled, her heart happy, then she arranged a peaceful expression on her face: “Ok.”

This confidential and important strategic meeting, he had asked her to attend, on behalf of the trust.

Ah hehehe … … Boss, even if young and inexperienced, nevertheless was quite capable of perceiving people and putting them to good use.

——

Conference Room lights illuminated the long bronze oak conference table, and there sat eight people, namely Li Zhicheng, Gu Yanzhi, the Vice-chairman in charge of production technology, President and Vice President of the conglomerated branches, Vice-chairman in charge of the Department, as well as Marketing Director, production Director and Chief Financial Officer and Chief Procurement Officer.
This was Ai Da’s current core management team.

Li Zhicheng sat in the central position, Lin Qian certainly couldn’t sit at the round table, but sat in a chair leaning back against the wall.

The meeting was chaired by Gu Yanzhi. Despite the grim topic of the meeting, his attitude is very free, tranquil and cool. After giving a once-over to everyone seated around, he calmly said: “The straight away, I would like to say a few words. Today was to discuss our future direction of Ai Da. Our condition right now, all of us here understand well. Lizong took over the company not long ago, so the goals and requirements of today’s meeting is: seeking truth from facts, and full discussion, with unity of direction, will be strictly enforced. Now, let the Financial Department speak first.”

Room was quiet, Lin Qian could hear the little stirrings of excitement—but from Gu Yanzhi she hadn’t expected such a command of “officialese”, and even though the words sounds like set phrases, she realised his every word was carefully thought over and polished, so that he spoke to the point.

Incidentally, taking a look at the Boss’s face again-very calm and focused. Him sitting suited amongst a bunch of middle-aged people, emphasized his handsomeness and youth.

When Chief Financial Officer was ready to start the presentation, after the brief overview, he penetrated right into the heart of the topic, and also threw a bombshell: “We calculated, and after paying for the carcinogen scandal… The company’s liquid assets in the short term are probably around” he paused: “200-500 million yuan. ”

The room suddenly quieted, and everyone looked at each other. Lin Qian also felt her heart tremble. On the soft skin of her on the knee,  she had written the figure “10 million”. She silently crossed the figure now, changed it to 2 million.

It turns out it was worse than she had expected.

2 million. Now in this era, 2 million was what? Especially for a company with thousands of people.

She couldn’t help but look up Li Zhicheng. He sat upright, one hand resting on the table, face upturned, looking at  the Chief Financial Officer speaking, and contrary to expectations, kept his smooth composure.

Lin Qian’s mind went back to a couple of days ago, when the grand motorcade had paraded down in an ostentatious show of pomp when he took up the office.

Looking at the contrast, she suddenly felt a little sympathy for him.

The oppressive atmosphere inside became hard to take when the Director for Marketing started speaking.

He was an able man in his 40s called Xue Mingtao, looking quite calm and refined. Lin Qian had an understanding of his situation: when the former CEO was wantonly expanding overseas,  Xue Mingtao with his scholarly ways was not appreciated, and kept being undermined and made into just a figurehead. However, with the current interregnum, he might have regained control of the marketing department. Humbled for so long, he was simmering in an attempt to fight a marketing battle for Ai Da.

Sure enough, he came up with a very sophisticated marketing system work plan.

From the company’s Luxury Leather bags, daily leisure bags, special utilities bag and chest-style luggage, the four major categories of products, as well as the smaller lines of bags, he had analysed the current market environment, the competitor’s advantages and disadvantages compared to the company’s, the internal promotions, marketing strategies and plans. For example, men’s mountaineering bag quality is not perfect, so they needed to change product materials, and strengthen quality control; or for example the luggage sets were being insufficiently marketed, so they needed to throw more weight into the advertising.

She had to say, this was very detailed and thorough planning. If one did not have several years of marketing experience, and very comprehensive understanding of marketing and sales aspects of the situation as a whole, you absolutely could not do this. The plan gives the impression, like a road map, overall goals and plans, and down to the specific implementation of each item. After the hearing, everyone was feeling very grounded.

Marketing, this was the essence of Ai Da, and the focus of the meeting. After his talk, several other managers talked, and whispered discussions had obviously been activated.

Gu Yanzhi’s face held faint smile, and Marketing Director Xue Mingtao nodded. Even Li Zhicheng picked up the paper with information, listening, while following page after page carefully. Lin Qian saw him use a pen to take some notes.

Lin Qian also felt like she was receiving exceptional instructions, as if she was back in class.

She was even ready, hoping that  Xue Mingtao would mention the Ming Sheng project, to verify that she had the concept right.

However he did not. After he finished his report as a whole, Xue Mingtao’s conclusion is: “For the next five years, we will revive Ai Da’s marketing empire!”

All nodded, Lin Qian slightly disappointed.

Meeting room was quiet for a moment, everyone deep in thought, and some were also secretly look at Li Zhicheng, wanting to see the new young President, for such a by far the most realistic development plan, had any specific views.

At the same time, he put down the information sheets in his hand, and looked up at the crowd.

So all eyes naturally focused on him.

“Good plan.” He said slowly, “I will read it again carefully.”

Xue Mingtao face lit up. Lin Qian quietly sarcastically praised him in her heart: Way to go Boss, you don’t even bat an eyelid.

Unexpectedly, Li Zhicheng changed the thread of discussion: “It was suggested to me to take on the Ming Sheng project in order to revive Ai Da. What do you think?” When he spoke these words, he sat relaxed, looking calm and composed.

Lin Qian sat at the back, her heart giving a soft thump and then beating a little faster.

It was … … That was her.

Xue Mingtao was quiet for a second, find a report from the folder on the desk and handed Li Zhicheng: “Li Zong, for the Ming Sheng group project, we’ve done a SWOT analysis. This method is very good, if you can manage to win, it will rapidly change Ai Da’s position in the industry, and could potentially open a new market.

But to be honest, this project has Xin Baori and Si Meiqi, the strongest possible competitors, and since we’ve been completely uninvolved in the early stages, they have been already gearing ahead for months, and have made plenty of contacts. We have never been involved in State-owned enterprises before, and if we go in to compete, there’s little chance of success. And they’re dead protective of the project, so even if we did get the project, I guess it is Pyrrhic victory, with thin profit or no profit to gain. ”

Li Zhicheng pondered in silence.

Although Lin Qian was simply taking down the minutes, but Xue Mingtao also made her feel a lot of pressure. Indeed, she had considered only the benefits of this project, that you can save Ai Da, so the idea remained optimistic. Xue Mingtao mentioned the practical difficulties, and she thought deeply, the scenario sounded like the death of almost all marketing work: starting late, no connections, no money, what leverage to fight with others?

At this time, he had been silent, but the Vice President in charge of production and technology started speaking.

He was approaching 50, called Liu Tong, and had been there since Xu Yong Chairman’s time, so he was an early hero and veteran. Towards Li Zhicheng, he has no other kind of cautious and temptations, his look is magnanimous, and held the dignified awe-inspiring air of an elder.

“Zhi Cheng,” He said,”I don’t agree to the Ming Sheng project, and developing new areas of the market. Ai Da collapsed because of exactly this kind of thinking, no? Are we going to repeat it? We do bags, the biggest market in the country hundreds of millions of consumers, this market was taken away, we’re going to get them back. Those Governments, corporate procurement, is utterly inadequate, and require high or low profits, I don’t agree. I agree with Ming Tao views, be down-to-Earth and approach the normal market again!”

He was upright, talking with a face of righteousness, firmly, as others nodded listening. Indeed, his words accurately captured the other people’s woes.

Upon hearing this, Lin Qian’s brows knit delicately.

Liu Tong had opened fire on Li Zhicheng, but Li Zhicheng had been silent. Even though he was normally not expressive, he was now more inscrutable than ever before, and the atmosphere became rigid.

Lin Qian listened in silence. Gu Yanzhi looked at all, and with the Department in charge of functions of the Vice President exchanged glances.

The Vice President began speaking to smooth things over: “I recommend that, our opinions, Li Zong has heard. What is the focus of the next, and which direction- Li Zong can always consider it again, again at a later time? ”

Everyone nodded, Lin Qian: there’s nothing else to be done.

So all everyone looked to Li Zhicheng, as did Liu Tong, and said: “I talk straight, Zhi cheng, you must carefully consider.”

But unexpectedly, Li Zhicheng nodded to Liu Tong, and faced the crowd again, and in a deep voice lie the quiet murmur of a deep stream, said: “I don’t have to think again.”

Lin Qian suddenly froze. Not only is her, but everybody was stunned.

He added: “Today at noon I have made the decision: take the Ming Sheng project, whatever it takes.”

——

Afternoon.

Lin Qian was sitting in her cubicle, finishing up in just a few minutes. She felt some kind of inexplicable mood, and she was restless.

Just because Li Zhicheng was just at the Vice-President’s conference and had said that sentence: “Today, I have made the decision.”

Focus on “today.” At that time they were eating hot pot, and she recommended that he take the Ming Sheng project.

Could she take this to be understood as her words had played a major influence on him, please?

Lin Qian felt excited, as well as an unprecedented pressure.

Moreover, his opposing stance had inevitably resulted in the atmosphere becoming a little odd. Liu Tong expression changed immediately, Xue Mingtao didn’t make a sound, the Executive Vice President looked blank.

However after everyone started to open their mouth, he spoke again: “The company is in a period of turmoil, we must work together. Right now I’m the representative of the majority stakeholders, and hence have the power of veto. So from now on, before I make a decision, there can be numerous voices; after my decision, there can be only one voice. The meeting closed. ”

……

Right now, the door of his office was closed, with Gu Yanzhi and Liu Tong inside. No one knew what the three bigshots were in there to discuss, at first Liu Tong’s intense voice could be heard but now there was silence.

After a while, the door finally opened. Lin Qian immediately stood up, and saw Liu Tong head out calm and collected, with Gu Yanzhi looking pretty calm behind him. Lin Qian couldn’t make out their feelings, and they headed directly back into their offices.

Lin Qian and waited for a moment, finally picked up the minutes of the meeting, and went in to give to Li Zhicheng to look at.

There is no doubt that his performance at the meeting today would set off a frenzy in the company. What would the managers and employees would say about him?

J-j, j-j (<=crying/angry face) and unreasonable?

Or very determined, have their own independent ideas, and very confident?

Lin Qian, felt: he looks cold and silent, he should be so strong and determined, but he was a bit more so than she expected.

——

The sunset put on it a touch of gold in the Office.

Li Zhicheng sat on the sofa in the middle of the room. With the usual cold chilly stance somewhat different, his hands resting on his knees, his face calm, he was deep in thought. On the coffee table in front, also lay two steaming cups, apparently left by Liu Tong and Gu Yanzhi.

Lin Qian stepped in lightly and went: “Boss, this is the meeting minutes.”

He raised his eyes look at her eyes, dark eyes steady, then dropped his gaze to the minutes, taking them, and reading through them carefully.

The room was quiet, the only sound was the one of him turned the pages, and the sound of the gurgling water in the goldfish aquarium. Lin Qian was in a rare nervous state, but began to speak.

Her opening words: “Listening to all the ideas today, I also gave it deep thought….”

Li Zhicheng looked up at her again. So close, his profile wa all the more clear and beautiful, his deep gaze cold: “Wavering?”

Lin Qian suddenly realised that Boss talked to people succinctly, but always swiftly pointed out the main point directly, always allowing you to slow down and be able to cope and give a precise answer.

She would rather have spoken with more tact, but now simply said, shaking her head: “No, I did not waver. What I want to say is, they analysed very comprehensively, and are very reasonable. But this line of thinking is only concerned with how to solve the internal problems, how to improve themselves. But now the external competitive environment is intense, industry development to the present, is not like at the level of how it was 10 years ago. Not your product quality, but if the staff’s quality improves, we will be able to win the market. Because they do very well.

I stick to aim at Ming Sheng project, not because I think that I can. But I think, if we adhere to the traditional ways, we will definitely not make it. To make an inappropriate example, Xin Baori and Si Meiqi now have become elephants, Ai Da is the lamb. Can lambs improve their physical strength to triumph over an elephant? I think not, unless the lamb uses the element of surprise.”

She spoke very carefree, and said whatever was on her mind. After she finished, she looked at Li Zhicheng.

From the start of her speech to the end, he had been looking at her with his dark, luminous gaze, and his handsome face remained passive the whole time.

For her tirade, he answered only three words:

“I believe in you.”

[1]  She uses 举足轻重 jǔzúqīngzhòng a foot’s move sways the balance (idiom); to hold the balance of power/ to play the decisive role, so I put in important.

[2] She says 价廉物美 jiàliánwùměi fig. the price is cheap but the product is beautiful; lit. a bargain buy

There are so many little things I like about this chapter. For example, to eat hotpot, it is normally done in closer circles, e.g. you would feel uneasy eating hotpot with people you don’t know. So for Li Zhicheng to casually order hotpot, he already considers both of them quite close. And the fact that he took her suggestion seriously, and then *actually* not only acted upon it, but fought for it as well… *squees* And his last sentence. I believe in you. Oh God. Actually, this is the exact chapter where I decided that I would be translating this novel. Li Zhicheng is in a class of his own.

As usual, I have apologies for my absence, and 2 chapters in to compensate. Reading and translating are actually two very different things. This may not seem obvious, or may seem very obvious, but I’ve only just realised it. For example, when I had initially read this chapter, I had not known the exact meaning of every word up there for the business meeting etc. But due to context and the words I did understand, I got a working gist of it and carried on. But now that I’m translating, I am loathe to give an inaccurate picture, so I end up looking up every word and every phrase in the dictionary to be accurate. I mean, even though I have a Business diploma, I didn’t study it in Chinese T_T

This is one reason for the delay. The other reason is that Ramadan is upon us (Ramadan Kareem, Ramadan Mubarak everyone), so I’m fasting, and due to being in Vancouver, my fasts are 19 hours long. So between praying, cooking and sleeping, I have little time for anything else T_T

But honestly, I will try my best to update as fast as I can, because the real fun has not even started yet~ I really wish I could fly past these initial chapters, but they are important foundation work for the rest of the fun to come, so I cannot skimp here, even if I wanted to~ Hence I may be late for commenting, as I will be using all my energy to translate. But I promise you, the chapters to come have unrivalled cuteness.

But please don’t withhold your comments. I read them and they make my day, my night, my week~ I adore them. They are pretty much 90% of the reason I translate. So thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy days to make me feel happy <3 <3 <3

Chapter end