Is Director Cui really that delicate?

The itinerary for the second morning was equally demanding.

Led by the project manager, Meng Yihe and Cui Yu were able to enter the back-office operations area of ​​"Art Harbor," which is usually not open to amateurs. This area is completely different from the glamorous and artistic atmosphere of the front desk.

In the monitoring room, countless real-time images were displayed on a huge screen wall, with various data and charts jumping around; in the property management center, the sounds of telephones and walkie-talkies rose and fell, and staff members hurried about; the logistics corridor was clean but simple, with various functional areas marked; we even visited its meticulously classified garbage disposal station.

The change in environment immediately caused the two of them to adjust their state accordingly.

Although Meng Yihe wasn't as interested in these "behind-the-scenes" details as he was in the front-end design, he still looked very carefully, trying to understand the underlying logic that supported the entire project experience. Cui Yu, on the other hand, was like a fish in water, asking more core questions.

In the monitoring room, the person in charge is introducing their intelligent security system and passenger flow monitoring platform.

Cui Yu crossed his arms and quickly scanned all the screens.

Suddenly, he pointed to one of the screens displaying the main entrance passage and asked, "This entrance seems to be nearing its peak capacity for instantaneous passenger flow. What is your diversion plan? I don't see that the signage at the side gate is prominent enough."

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Meng Yihe, standing slightly to the side and in front, pointed to another screen displaying the central atrium water screen theater area, and said with a slight frown, "When the water screen theater performance begins, the flow of people in this area will gather instantly and disperse quickly. For the surrounding shops, this is both an opportunity and a challenge. What feedback have your merchants given about this? Do you have any targeted marketing plans to accommodate this pulse of customer flow?"

The two men raised their questions almost simultaneously, pointing to different but closely related areas and issues.

One focuses on hardware optimization for safety and efficiency, while the other focuses on software transformation for business and experience. Together, they paint a more complete picture of project operations.

The project manager was clearly surprised by the two men's sharp insight and seamless teamwork. He paused for a moment before smiling and replying, "You two directors truly have exceptional vision. We have indeed encountered this problem before..." He then began to explain in detail their traffic diversion plan and their strategy for collaborating with merchants.

During the person in charge's explanation, Cui Yu and Meng Yihe listened very attentively.

When the person in charge mentioned a certain data point, Cui Yu would subconsciously look at Meng Yihe, seemingly wanting to confirm whether the data met his expected "experience standards." And when the person in charge described a case of merchant collaboration, Meng Yihe's gaze would also inadvertently sweep over Cui Yu, as if assessing whether the "costs and benefits" behind it were reasonable.

A silent process of professional verification and complementarity is underway.

After listening to the person in charge's explanation, Cui Yu nodded thoughtfully and muttered to himself, "The diversion plan is not cheap, but it seems to be a necessary investment."

Almost simultaneously, Meng Yihe also whispered, "The commercial value of pulsed passenger flow has not been fully explored and can be made more systematic."

After they finished speaking, they both seemed to realize the connection between each other's words.

The movement paused almost imperceptibly.

Their eyes met briefly in the air, without any expression of emotion, before quickly shifting back to their next point of focus. This unspoken understanding made the in-depth backstage inspection exceptionally efficient, and left the project manager secretly amazed by the professional depth and unexpected synergy of the two young directors.

The afternoon's visit included brief interviews with several representative tenants.

The two first chose a designer brand concept store that focuses on marine environmental protection.

When Cui Yu learned that the store had attracted a large number of high-net-worth customers and boosted the popularity of surrounding shops with its unique design, he nodded slightly, which was considered an acknowledgment of the "premium pricing power" emphasized by Meng Yihe.

The afternoon sun in Haicheng was particularly intense.

As they left a well-ventilated shop to head to their next interview location, they had to cross an open-air area with no shade, where the intense sunlight made it difficult to open their eyes.

Meng Yihe subconsciously frowned, squinted slightly, turned her head to avoid the direct sunlight, and quickened her pace, wanting to get to the next location as soon as possible.

Following diagonally behind him, Cui Yu's gaze inadvertently swept over Meng Yihe's profile, which was somewhat glistening in the sunlight, and his slightly squinted, somewhat uncomfortable eyes.

The sun was indeed scorching at that moment.

Cui Yu realized that the intense sunlight might be making him uncomfortable because the Alpha's sensitive period had just ended. But he didn't say anything, and his expression remained unchanged.

When they reached a large art installation, Cui Yu suddenly said, "It's a bit sunny, let's rest here for a bit."

Meng Yihe couldn't help but think, "I'm feeling unwell and I'm trying to persevere, but Cui Yu is acting all delicate?" Almost without thinking, with the lingering irritability after his period and his current physical discomfort, he blurted out, "It's just a few steps, is Director Cui being so delicate?"

Upon hearing this, Cui Yu looked at Meng Yihe.

He could clearly see the impatience and barely suppressed discomfort in the other person's eyes, and he could also detect the inexplicable anger in their words.

He didn't immediately retort with a smile as usual, nor did he offer any explanation. He simply gave Meng Yihe a very deep look, his gaze complex and unreadable, seemingly containing a faint trace of helplessness, and something else entirely.

Then, without saying anything, he just twitched the corner of his mouth, turned around, and walked towards the shadows, leaving behind only his back.

Meng Yihe was taken aback by his unusual reaction.

The nameless anger in his heart vanished instantly, replaced by a strange sense of confusion. He stood there, watching Cui Yuzhen walk into the shadows, take out her phone and seem to be looking at it, completely ignoring him.

The project manager quickly smoothed things over: "Haha, it is a bit hot, but it's alright, we'll wait for Mr. Cui for a bit, no rush."

"It would be good to take this opportunity to rest," Meng Yihe thought.

For him, who was feeling unwell, those few seconds of pause were a rare moment of respite, and the cool breeze in the shade slightly dispelled some of the dizziness in his head.

Soon, Cui Yu emerged from the shadows, his face once again adorned with that flawless smile:

"Alright, let's go. Sorry for taking up everyone's time."

His tone was calm and even, as if the little incident had never happened.

During breaks in the interviews, the project team arranged a simple tea break on a waterfront terrace. Everyone was free to help themselves to drinks and snacks.

Cui Yu took a glass of iced Americano.

Meng Yihe habitually reached for another cup of black coffee. But her fingers had already touched the cup when, for some reason, she hesitated for a moment and finally picked up a bottle of mineral water instead.

At this moment, the assistant placed a beautifully presented fruit platter on the table.

Cui Yu was talking to someone from the project team when his gaze swept over the plate of fruit. He casually reached out and pushed it further towards the center of the table, bringing it closer to everyone. The movement was fluid and without any ulterior motive.

Meng Yihe was unscrewing the bottle cap when she saw him do this. His gaze lingered on the plate of fruit for half a second, then looked away, ultimately not taking it. Meng Yihe unscrewed the cap and took a sip. The cool liquid slid down her throat, slightly calming the restlessness in her heart caused by the scorching sun.

The interview continues.

Meng Yihe listened intently to the subsequent conversation with the operations manager of the immersive marine experience center. This was crucial to whether the "experience" and "uniqueness" he valued could truly be transformed into a sustainable business model. However, when the manager mentioned the high maintenance and update costs and the challenges of fluctuating visitor numbers, he subconsciously glanced at Cui Yu beside him.

Subconsciously, I expect the other person to interpret and deal with this problem using their own "calculus".

Cui Yu seemed oblivious to the glance he was receiving.

He was intently looking at the person in charge when he asked a question about "how to smooth the revenue curve through derivative product development and membership tiers." The question was precise and practical, immediately steering the conversation toward a more grounded operational level.

Meng Yihe turned his attention away and joined the discussion, bringing up ideas about the frequency of content updates and the possibility of collaborating with local artists.

The two once again entered a professional working mode that required no rehearsal.

One team constantly throws out idealistic and ambitious ideas, while the other is responsible for bringing these ideas back to reality and questioning their feasibility and profitability.

They learned a lot from this meeting.

On the night the inspection in Haicheng ended, the group stayed overnight in the area because it was late.

The next day, I took the earliest flight back to my city.

As soon as the plane landed, cell phone signals were restored, and various message notifications started ringing out one after another.

Meng Yihe and Cui Yu frowned almost simultaneously, sensing an unusually high density of work-related information.

Before they even left the airport, Cui Yu's phone rang. It was his assistant calling, sounding anxious.

"President Cui, you and President Meng are finally back! The vice president has been asking several times, wanting you to come to the company for a meeting immediately after you return. The board of directors... has some different opinions on the initial direction of the 'Spark Project' and seems quite dissatisfied."

On the other side, Meng Yihe also received a similar message from her assistant, which was more direct.

"Mr. Meng, the situation is not good. The vice president revealed that several members of the board of directors believe that the ideas proposed in our investigation report are either 'outrageously expensive' or 'too complicated to implement,' and they are demanding major revisions. Otherwise, they may consider cutting the budget or even suspending the project."

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing seriousness and a hint of displeasure at being rejected on each other's faces. They had just finished their investigation and hadn't even had time to properly organize their thoughts before being forced to face a tough battle.

"It seems that the waters of 'Xinghua Plaza' are deeper than we imagined."

Cui Yu twitched the corners of his mouth, his smile devoid of warmth, but his eyes sharpened.

"As expected."

Meng Yihe snorted coldly, her jawline tightening.

"Mediocre proposals are the easiest to pass because they're easy for them to understand. Let's go see what their brilliant ideas are."

Without saying another word, the two quickened their pace in perfect unison, not even bothering to go home to put down their luggage, and had the driver take them directly to the headquarters of Xinghuan Group.

The atmosphere in the group's conference room was oppressive.

The vice president, his face grim, threw a summary of the board's opinions, which was being circulated internally, onto the table: "Take a look. They say your so-called 'integration plan' is either a waste of money on flashy but impractical concepts, or a conservative modification with no real change. There's no disruptive innovation that can clearly show a return on investment!"

A senior but relatively conservative board representative was also present, speaking aggressively: "Director Cui, your preliminary cost estimate has exceeded the initial budget by 30%! Director Meng, will the market buy into your envisioned 'unique experiences' and 'emotional coordinates'? Where is the data to support them? We cannot gamble the group's money on an uncertain future!"

Meng Yihe immediately wanted to retort, but Cui Yu stopped her by gently nudging her with his foot under the table.

Cui Yu wore a professional smile, his tone steady yet firm: "Chairman Li, the cost estimate is a preliminary calculation based on the best possible solution, including multiple backup options and risk reserves. We are currently developing a detailed plan for cost optimization and phased investment. The 'Xinghua Plaza' project is not pursuing the lowest cost, but rather the optimal return on investment."

Meng Yihe took a deep breath and continued the conversation. His voice was cold and confident, and his sharp gaze swept over the director.

"Disruptive innovation is never just a pipe dream; the three projects we examined are the best examples. 'Pingcheng Art Gallery' with its art-driven approach, 'MixC Mall' with its efficient system, and 'Art Harbor' with its thematic integration have all achieved success. What 'Xinghua Plaza' needs to do is absorb the best, avoid its shortcomings, and find its own unique path. The market is not waiting for us to cater to it, but for us to lead and create it."

The meeting turned into a heated debate.

Meng Yihe insisted on the importance and necessity of the concept, while Cui Yu was responsible for maintaining the bottom line of cost and demonstrating feasibility.

The two sometimes acted independently, but at other times they had to unite to deal with the questions raised by the board of directors and the vice president.

The pressure is immense.

They sensed that if they couldn't come up with a truly compelling plan that could convince the board and gain mutual approval as soon as possible, the "Spark Program" might really fail.

The meeting ultimately failed to reach any consensus and ended under greater pressure and a more urgent timeline.

Stepping out of the conference room, the air in the corridor was almost still.

Meng Yihe's face was ashen, and he loosened his tie, clearly seething with anger. Cui Yu's expression also turned cold, his eyes calculating various possibilities and countermeasures.

"What do we do now?"

Meng Yihe asked the question almost through gritted teeth, as if she were asking Cui Yu, but also as if she were asking herself.

He was unwilling to let all his hard work go to waste.

Those conservative old fogies sometimes really don't know how to assess the situation and think that young people's ideas are too immature.

Cui Yu stopped and looked at him with a deep gaze: "What else can we do? Director Meng, your 'blueprint' is good, but obviously, we need to dress it up in a 'clothes' that the board of directors can understand and that are woven with money."

Meng Yihe paused, her tone carrying a sense of desperation: "Let's go to my office. Lay out all the data, ideas, and the arguments we've had. We must come up with a truly effective plan before the next meeting."

At that moment, the immense external pressure seemed to forcefully pull the two of them together. The subtleties, awkwardness, arguments, and brief moments of understanding that had occurred during the investigation all seemed less important in the face of the project's potential failure.

Let's survive and continue the project together.

This became the top priority and the most difficult goal.