Once Zeng Yu left, Yuan Lei spoke up, “I think all three employees are worth keeping. We can hire three more to round out the team.”
Jiang Nan didn’t respond immediately but looked at Yuan Lei, puzzled, “That doesn’t sound like you. Why insist on keeping all three? Without competition, where’s the motivation?”
Yuan Lei calmly replied, “You should visit the job market yourself. Every company prefers experienced candidates. Nowadays, young people have many distractions. You hire and train them, and they jump ship. It’s better to hire experienced people who can start working immediately. Li Geng’s experience surpasses even mine. Zheng Xin and Jiang Jieru only left the workforce to have children; can you really justify letting them go?”
Actually, of the three, Li Geng was placed by Han Jiayi, Zheng Xin came from Han Liren, and Jiang Jieru was brought in by Yuan Lei. The company was small, but the relationships were unusually complex.
Jiang Nan was at a loss, realizing Yuan Lei had a point. After some thought, she still shook her head, “Let’s wait and see; I’ll discuss it with Zeng Yu.”
Yuan Lei didn’t say anything but secretly smiled wryly, realizing that Jiang Nan trusted Zeng Yu more than herself.
Zeng Yu hit a roadblock at Han Liren’s office. The receptionist stopped him at the door, “Without an appointment, you can’t go in.”
Zeng Yu replied, “Then I’ll make an appointment.”
The receptionist looked displeased, “Sign here and state the reason for your appointment.” Zeng Yu sensed the tension and smiled, explaining, “Miss, I’m just an employee like you. No need to make things difficult. How about I get you a drink?”
He rushed out and returned, panting, with a bottle of green tea, “It’s hot; this will cool you down.”
The receptionist didn’t refuse and took the tea, whispering, “Just so you know, after your last meeting, our boss was in a foul mood for days.”
Zeng Yu nodded gratefully, “Thanks for the heads-up!” He was puzzled, though. What was wrong with Han Liren? If he didn’t want to continue the agency, he could have just said so.
“Also, Han is not here yet. It’s not that I’m refusing to report to him.”
“By the way, what’s your name? I’d like to treat you to dinner sometime.” With a year of sales experience, Zeng Yu never underestimated anyone. Receptionists might hold low-level positions, but they often knew valuable information.
“Remember the name: Li Ying,” the receptionist was pleased, finally hearing the handsome guy ask her name and even giving him her phone number.
After exchanging contact information, Zeng Yu felt that leaving empty-handed wasn’t his style. Since Li Ying mentioned that Han Liren hadn’t arrived yet, he decided to wait outside, hoping to catch him.
When Han Liren’s car pulled up, he immediately noticed Zeng Yu standing at the entrance with his bag slung over his shoulder. He couldn’t help but frown. Zeng Yu’s appearance had led Jiang Nan to decide on this “entrepreneurial” endeavor. Han Liren didn’t approve of Jiang Nan’s antics, nor did he think there was anything wrong with pursuing a supermarket strategy. The problem was that Han Jie hadn’t done a good job; instead, he squandered company money on luxury goods, leading to losses.
Looking closely at the sweat on Zeng Yu’s forehead, Han Liren’s opinion of him shifted slightly. Despite being around the same age as Han Jie, who was nearly thirty and still just goofing off, Zeng Yu was a few years younger and willing to wait in the scorching heat. If Han Jie had half his diligence, as a father, he would have been content.
“Good day, Mr. Han!” Zeng Yu greeted him as he approached.
Han Liren nodded with a blank expression, “If you have something to discuss, come to my office.”
Han Liren wasn’t a harsh person and wouldn’t ignore Zeng Yu because of personal opinions. A mature businessman doesn’t let personal feelings dictate business decisions.
Zeng Yu followed Han Liren into the elevator, quietly wiping the sweat from his brow. He had waited outside for a full half-hour, grateful that his patience had paid off.
Li Ying greeted Han Liren as he walked in, sneaking a smile at Zeng Yu as she served him.
Zeng Yu nodded in appreciation, maintaining his composure as he followed behind.
Li Ying clicked her high heels, slightly bowing, “Mr. Han, would you like tea or coffee?”
“Tea,” Han Liren replied with a straight face.
Li Ying turned to Zeng Yu, “And you?”
“Just water,” Zeng Yu smiled.
Li Ying left the room, and Han Liren sat down, picking up a report and showing no intention of speaking. Li Ying returned with the tea and left again, and Han Liren still didn’t say a word. Zeng Yu was quietly suffering, but he didn’t dare show any impatience.
This went on for another half-hour.
Finally, Han Liren put down his file and looked at Zeng Yu sharply, “What do you want?”
Zeng Yu quietly sighed in relief. The unspoken pressure from Han Liren had been intense.
“Well, we have some thoughts and suggestions regarding the supermarket channel. President Jiang asked me to come by and get your opinion,” Zeng Yu carefully maintained his composure, explaining his purpose without rushing.
Han Liren frowned slightly, “Are you trying to teach me how to do business? What’s wrong with supermarkets? Many domestic wine brands sell in supermarkets, and some foreign brands are on supermarket shelves too.”
Before Zeng Yu could explain the details, Han Liren was already displeased. To him, dismissing the supermarket channel was to negate all the work done by the previous marketing team. If someone said Han Jie had done everything wrong, he would likely explode.
Zeng Yu was taken aback by his strong reaction, staring at Han Liren, unsure how to continue.
“Do this: go back and prepare a written proposal, outlining your views and suggestions, and send it to Li Ying’s email,” Han Liren said after calming down.
Zeng Yu was speechless; he hadn’t expected the situation to become so formal, and he had no chance to showcase his negotiation skills.
“Alright then, Mr. Han, I’ll get started on that right away,” Zeng Yu said, standing up to leave.
Han Liren didn’t move, but he was secretly impressed. Zeng Yu had waited for him for half an hour, and his patience should have been exhausted. In the office, Han Liren kept him waiting for another half-hour and gave him no opportunity to speak. Yet, despite the successive challenges, Zeng Yu had remained calm, never giving up even a slight chance. Such determination reminded Han Liren of his younger self.
As he watched Zeng Yu leave, Han Liren immediately called Han Jiayi, “If Zeng Yu doesn’t know Jiang Nan’s true identity, then he’s destined for great things.”
Han Jiayi was in her study, glasses on as she worked on her computer. Hearing this, she rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. Among the boys Jiang Nan had encountered, finding one as determined as Zeng Yu was challenging.
It wasn’t that she looked down on those from wealthy families, but their high starting points meant they had to pay far less to succeed than a grassroots young man like Zeng Yu. This wasn’t about personal ability; it was just the way it was. If Zeng Yu and Jiang Nan ended up together, what then? Should she break them apart? Knowing Jiang Nan’s stubbornness, she might end up resenting her mother for life.
Returning to the company, Zeng Yu went straight to Jiang Nan’s office and carefully explained what had happened.
Jiang Nan listened quietly without saying anything, leaving Zeng Yu to sit opposite her, waiting.
She was pondering why her uncle was making things difficult for Zeng Yu. A few words could have resolved the issue, but instead, he insisted on formalizing it with a written proposal. Was he displeased with her?
Unable to figure it out, she decided to follow Han Liren’s request: “Okay, I understand. Go ahead and prepare the materials. I’ll visit Hongda myself tomorrow.” She thought to herself, “I need to talk to Mom about Uncle’s attitude. He said he’d let me handle this, but now it feels like I’m just an agency.”
Jiang Nan was upset but kept her feelings hidden.
That day’s training was over, and the employees were still reviewing the material. As Zeng Yu left the office, all three looked up simultaneously, wondering what his relationship with Jiang Nan was. How could he casually enter and exit her office? This relationship was no ordinary one.
Yuan Lei hadn’t mentioned it, so they had no idea Zeng Yu was also a shareholder, assuming he was just another employee.
Zeng Yu had just returned to his desk when Yuan Lei entered with three young men.
Yuan Lei didn’t go straight to Jiang Nan’s office; instead, she approached Zeng Yu first, saying, “Let’s have a meeting.”
Zeng Yu stood up and followed them into the office, where they all took their seats.
“I’ve recruited three young men, fresh graduates. We couldn’t find experienced salespeople, so we’ll have to train them ourselves,” Yuan Lei spoke with a hint of frustration.
Jiang Nan, remaining calm, gave her a meaningful look, prompting Yuan Lei to fall silent.
Yuan Lei believed that while Jiang Nan and Zeng Yu weren’t romantically involved yet, there were signs. Their relationship was so naturally comfortable, which was what frustrated Yuan Lei the most. A good relationship isn’t about being polite and distant; it’s about being at ease with each other.
Zeng Yu wasn’t thinking along those lines. He only had one thought: to work hard and build the company, as it was also his venture. He didn’t worry about the future; not giving it his all now would be a disservice to himself.
His attitude was precisely what endeared him to Jiang Nan. She was from a privileged background, with high expectations but limited practical skills. Zeng Yu, on the other hand, was the opposite. They complemented each other well. Moreover, Zeng Yu was both assertive and receptive to feedback.
“Yuan Lei, go ahead with the training. They’ll need more time to learn. Zeng Yu, you go ahead with your tasks and visit Hongda again tomorrow,” Jiang Nan instructed.
Zeng Yu excused himself and left, while Jiang Nan rubbed her temples, and Yuan Lei smiled at her without saying a word.
After a long pause, Jiang Nan finally sighed, “Yuan Lei, could you do me a favor and stop targeting Zeng Yu? I know he was just your employee before, but now his position in the company is higher than yours, and you’re feeling uncomfortable.”
Hearing this, Yuan Lei realized Jiang Nan had misunderstood, and if she didn’t clear it up, she’d be bearing the blame for a long time.
“I’m just looking at it from the company’s perspective. Hiring three more people means three more salaries, and even during the probationary period, we still have to cover their transportation and meal expenses.”
This made Jiang Nan realize she had been too harsh, so she quickly explained, “I’m sorry; I was overthinking. I just want to prove myself and make my parents proud. I’m really happy you’re here to help.”
Yuan Lei understood that Jiang Nan was gently reminding her not to undermine the unity among the three shareholders. This made Yuan Lei realize that her strategy had backfired. Targeting Zeng Yu would only backfire; the best approach was to wait quietly for Zeng Yu to make a mistake, ultimately preventing any romantic development.
Yuan Lei said, “Don’t worry, once the company is running smoothly, I won’t stay even if you ask me to.”
Her somewhat resentful explanation only made Jiang Nan feel guilty, prompting her to get up and say, “Alright, alright, I admit I was overthinking.”
“Hmph, I’ve got things to do, so I’m leaving early. I’ve told the three new employees to come in tomorrow,” Yuan Lei said with a haughty air before strutting out. After giving the new hires a quick briefing, she left.
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