Chapter 1631 Using Both Kindness and Strictness

Li Ye knew that the behavior of "performance" was very popular in China, but it was also very controversial.

Many people are very resistant to "performance," feeling that no matter how glamorous or dazzling one's appearance may be, it is merely superficial and a form of disguised flattery.

However, through years of observation, Li Ye discovered that the higher a person climbs, the higher their "performance" level, and they subtly reveal themselves.

Just like today, Ma Zhaoxian and Lao Meng gave a long report to their new boss, Yi Mingzhao, correcting their attitude as subordinates, which made Yi Mingzhao beam with joy, and the atmosphere on the scene was extremely harmonious.

Then, when Yi Mingzhao looked at Li Ye, Li Ye glared at him.

Are you waiting for me to show off? I'm not good at it!

Li Ye hadn't prepared any remarks at all, and Ma Zhaoxian and Lao Meng had already said all the necessary formalities. What was there for Li Ye to report?

So Li Ye decided to keep his abilities to himself and said with a smile, "Tonight I was a loyal listener, listening to the experiences shared by seniors Mr. Ma and Mr. Meng. I benefited greatly from it."

"Was it just a great benefit?"

Yi Mingzhao smiled knowingly and said, "Li Ye, this isn't like you at all. Young people with ability shouldn't be modest. I noticed you a few years ago; you have ideas and drive, and the projects you've led have been very successful."

We're all insiders, so I won't go into details about what the light truck company used to be like, right? And now? Number one in light truck sales nationwide! In any industry, if you can achieve number one nationwide, what's there to be modest about?

In addition, the head office recently bought two of your newly launched Beijing Hongguang minivans. I had a chance to experience them firsthand, and both the riding and driving experience were surprisingly good.

“.”

Yi Mingzhao rattled off a long string of words to Li Ye. At first, Ma Zhaoxian, Lao Meng, Shang Bin, and others watched with smiles, feeling proud of themselves.

But when Yi Mingzhao got to the end, their smiles became somewhat strange.

[What the hell is going on? Even when praising Li Ye, there should be limits, right? Does this mean the entire development of the Jingnan Group is solely due to Li Ye?]

While it's true that you can achieve results, that's the bottom line. As long as those results aren't erased by others, no one can overshadow your brilliance.

But if your brilliance is too dazzling and blinds others, that won't work either!

So after Yi Mingzhao finished speaking, Lao Meng jokingly said, "The head office wants to test our vans, why do we need to buy more? Li Ye, you're not doing your job properly."

Although Lao Meng was joking with a smile, there was a hidden sense of reproach in his words, and this reproach was one of his ways of expressing himself.

[The Beijing-brand minivans produced by Factory One have already hit the market. As a subordinate unit, shouldn't they send a few to their superiors to "inspect" their progress? Instead, the head office is making them pay for them?]

Li Ye grinned and explained sheepishly, "It was indeed my oversight. I assumed that based on the patterns and experience of new car launches both domestically and internationally, the first batch of cars would definitely have some imperfections."

So I figured I'd start mass production for a while, fix all the hidden problems, and then send it to head office to report the good news.

"Oh? One phase of mass production?"

Yi Mingzhao asked Li Ye with great interest, "So what is your production target?"

Li Ye humbly replied, "The first phase is 10,000 units, and this year's annual production will strive to exceed 30,000 units!"

Yi Mingzhao's eyes lit up immediately: "Thirty thousand units, wow, that's more like the legendary Li Ye!"

Li Ye: "."

Is 30,000 units a lot? The types of cars in mainland China are very limited right now. The Beijing Hongguang minivan is in a class of its own and has no competitors at all.

Furthermore, in the early 1990s, minivans were at their peak. The Dafa Automobile Factory in Tianjin alone produced more than 20,000 units a year. Li Ye's target of 30,000 units a year was already quite modest!

But Yi Mingzhao said excitedly, "Li Ye, if your Jingcheng Hongguang sells 30,000 units this year, then your Jingnan Group will not only be the number one light truck company in China, but also the number one microvan company. I must recommend you to the higher-ups for recognition."

Li Ye quickly said, "No, no, no, President Yi, I'm just a junior in Jingnan Group. The credit belongs to everyone, and it absolutely cannot be attributed to me personally."

"Hey, you're being modest again."

Yi Mingzhao said earnestly to Li Ye, "Do you know, Li Ye, our group has just been established, and the higher-ups have very high expectations for us. I can't sleep at night."

Hearing what you said, Li Ye, instantly relieved half of the pressure on me. So don't worry, everyone's contributions are definitely deserved, but your contribution must not be overlooked either.”

“.”

Li Ye couldn't help but suck on his teeth.

Xue Bu was right about one thing: Yi Mingzhao was a very shrewd man. Praising Li Ye in front of Ma Zhaoxian and Lao Meng sounded flattering, but it also seemed a bit like "killing three warriors with two peaches."

Li Ye suddenly remembered the factory manager from when he first started working. The manager was also good at creating problems out of thin air, first making things difficult for you, and then waiting for you to beg him for "favors".

Using both kindness and severity is a tried-and-tested tactic that has proven effective for countless people in positions of power.

First comes authority, then comes favor. If I don't show you what I'm capable of, why would you come begging me to help you?

But the question is, does Lao Meng have the ability to force Li Ye to go to Yi Mingzhao and complain?

Although jealousy can make people lose their minds, the bond of interests that Ma Zhaoxian and Li Ye had formed over the years was exceptionally strong. Li Ye's "merits overshadowing his master" had been a long-standing issue, and he had long been accustomed to enjoying the fruits of others' labor in his comfort zone.

Old Meng has always adhered to the principle of "doing nothing, making no mistakes." If you don't do anything, how can you cause trouble? This company will run just as well with or without you, right?

Old Meng's philosophy of life destined him to be able to do nothing more than secretly trip someone up, and he would never amount to anything.

However, Yi Mingzhao's next words made Li Ye realize that the other party also didn't fancy Lao Meng.

"General Manager Ma, actually, before coming to your company today, I visited several other companies. The reason I came to your company last is because your company is the most profitable, the most dynamic, and the least troublesome."

However, as those of us in the business world know, it's like rowing against the current; if you don't move forward, you fall behind. Many once-thriving companies have collapsed in the last two years, so you must seize the opportunity and press your advantage.”

Ma Zhaoxian repeatedly agreed, saying, "President Yi, please rest assured, we have never slacked off. This year, we will expand in multiple areas such as light trucks, light buses, and microbuses, and we expect our output value and profits to increase by 30% and 20% respectively."

"We can't overlook the heavy truck project either."

Yi Mingzhao suddenly said, "Deputy General Manager Shang helped us analyze the situation of Southwest Heavy Truck in detail and concluded that their current sales promotions contain a lot of false information, so they are likely to face serious problems next year. If Jingnan Group can completely integrate Southwest Heavy Truck..."

“.”

Li Ye stared blankly at Yi Mingzhao, who was speaking fluently, and Shang Bin, who was smiling faintly. He finally understood why Shang Bin did not go to another unit after the division of the family business, but instead went to Beijing Automobile Group to serve as a deputy general manager with a low ranking. It turned out that he still wanted to turn his fortunes around by taking advantage of the bankruptcy of Southwest Heavy Truck!

The problem is that Li Ye and Ma Zhaoxian had already prepared the plan to acquire Southwest Heavy Truck. Why would they need Shang Bin to interfere?

(End of this chapter)