Chapter 27: Like a PR Girl, She Drinks and Smiles
Yan Shuang handed the car keys to the doorman and stepped into the lobby of the Imperial View Hotel.
She deliberately changed out of her usual formal business suit, and a dark red velvet dress outlined her graceful curves. High heels made her legs look even longer, and every step she took had a just-right sway.
"Have President Shang and the others arrived yet?" Yan Shuang asked the receptionist.
"In the Amber Room, would you like me to take you there?"
"No need, thank you." Yan Shuang walked towards the elevator by herself.
The elevator mirror reflected her new look for the evening: her long, slightly wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders, her makeup was much more refined than usual, and her lips were a rich cherry red.
She did a final check in front of the mirror, making sure every detail was perfect.
The door to the Amber Room was ajar, and the sounds of men clinking glasses and the smell of cigars drifted out.
Yan Shuang paused at the door for two seconds, then suddenly heard Shang Qiuzhu's cold voice: "President Li's conditions are difficult to meet."
She pushed the door open a beat faster than planned.
The private room fell silent. All six men looked up at once, five of them with a look of amazement in their eyes, while the last one, with a cold gaze, came from Shang Qiuzhu, who sat at the head of the table.
"Sorry everyone, there was some traffic on the way." Yan Shuang walked to the empty seat next to Liu Yuanshan, the president of Huayuan.
Liu Yuanshan immediately stood up and pulled out a chair for her: "And who is this?"
"I am Yan Shuang, the secretary of President Shang."
When Yan Shuang sat down, her skirt rose three centimeters, and Liu Yuanshan saw the slender lines of her legs.
"I've heard so much about you, Mr. Li. I've often heard Mr. Shang praise your discerning eye." Yan Shuang extended her hand. "I'm finally meeting you in person today."
Liu Yuanshan held her hand for a few seconds longer than a formality, saying, "Secretary Yan is truly young and promising. President Shang has excellent taste."
Yan Shuang calmly withdrew her hand, took two glasses of champagne from the waiter's tray, and handed one to Liu Yuanshan. "Chairman Liu, you flatter me. Our entire company is looking forward to cooperating with Huayuan, especially with your proposed supply chain optimization plan, which is very forward-thinking."
Liu Yuanshan was clearly pleased with her professional assessment, and his smile deepened. "Secretary Yan is very knowledgeable! Come, come, let's have a drink and chat."
At this moment, Shangqiu Zhu was stopped by another director for a conversation. As he turned to leave, his gaze swept over Yan Shuang and Liu Yuanshan, his eyes deep and unreadable.
For the next half hour, Yan Shuang skillfully guided the conversation, from industry trends to specific terms, with every sentence seemingly casual but actually carefully designed.
She noticed that Liu Yuanshan's attitude toward negotiations softened noticeably after he drank his third glass of wine.
"Chairman Liu, regarding the payment cycle, we actually have a new proposal..." Yan Shuang's voice was gentle yet firm.
Liu Yuanshan narrowed his eyes. "Oh? Tell me about it."
Yan Shuang took out a folded piece of paper from her handbag, on which were the data she had calculated in advance.
"If Huayuan can extend our payment period by 15 days, we are willing to increase our order volume by 20%, which would increase our overall profit by 8 percentage points compared to the original plan."
Liu Yuanshan took the note, glanced at it carefully, and suddenly burst into laughter, "Secretary Yan, you're trying to make me lose money!" But his eyes already showed interest.
Yan Shuang smiled and said, "Chairman Liu is joking. With Huayuan's scale effect, extending the payment period will not affect cash flow at all. On the contrary, it can lock in major customers, which is a win-win situation."
"What a sharp-tongued girl!" Liu Yuanshan patted her shoulder, a little too hard. "Come on, drink this first, then we'll talk!"
Yan Shuang looked at the wine glass in front of her that had been filled again, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shang Qiuzhu watching all this with a cold eye.
She raised her glass and gently clinked it against Liu Yuanshan's, saying, "Chairman Liu, I'd like to toast you."
Cup after cup, Yan Shuang's cheeks began to flush, but her eyes remained clear.
She had already hidden hangover pills in her dress pocket and would secretly take them every time she went to the restroom.
Liu Yuanshan was clearly somewhat drunk, his voice grew louder and louder, and his hands began to wander inappropriately around her waist.
“Chairman Liu,” Yan Shuang deftly stepped aside, simultaneously picking up the wine bottle to pour him a drink, “you mentioned earlier that you’re very interested in smart warehousing? Our CEO, Mr. Shang, has unique insights into this area, so perhaps…”
"Hey, don't mention your CEO Shang," Liu Yuanshan waved his hand, "I just enjoy chatting with you, young lady, you're quick-witted!"
His gaze lingered on her bare shoulders and neck. "In that case, the payment terms are easy to discuss, but..."
Yan Shuang felt nauseous. She saw that Shang Qiuzhu was still standing there motionless, showing no intention of helping her out of the predicament.
Shangqiu Zhu stood in the shadows, coldly watching her maneuver with ease.
He watched as Liu Yuanshan's hand slid from her waist to her back, while she smiled charmingly.
When Liu Yuanshan, emboldened by alcohol, tried to bring his face close to her neck, Yan Shuang suddenly "accidentally" knocked over the red wine, spilling the bright red liquid onto her dress.
"Oh dear!" she exclaimed in a panic, grabbing a tissue to wipe herself and taking the opportunity to create some distance. "I'm so clumsy..."
Shangqiu Zhu finally moved; he walked over slowly.
"President Shang!" Liu Yuanshan immediately regained his composure. "Your secretary is amazing! She's convinced me completely. Okay, let's do it her way!"
Shangqiu Zhu glanced at Yan Shuang indifferently: "Go and take care of it."
Yan Shuang nodded, quickly walked to the restroom, closed the door, and took a deep breath.
She turned on the tap and let the cold water wash over her wrists, trying to wash away the sensation of Liu Yuanshan on her skin.
After finishing her business, Yan Shuang took out her phone, opened Shang Qiuzhu's chat window, and typed: "President Shang, I'm feeling a bit unwell, I'll head back now."
She immediately silenced her phone and put it in her handbag after sending the message. She had exceeded her work quota for the day, and she figured he wouldn't make things difficult for her.
Leaving the noise of the banquet hall behind, Yan Shuang pushed open the hotel door, and the night breeze immediately enveloped her bare shoulders.
She instinctively hugged her arms tightly.
"Get in the car."
A deep male voice came from the right, and Yan Shuang turned her head sharply.
The black Maybach had stopped in front of her at some point. The rear window rolled down, revealing Shang Qiuzhu's sharply defined face in the shadows.
Yan Shuang bit her lower lip, hesitated for a moment, and stepped towards the open car door.
The car's heater was on full blast, and the woody fragrance that Shangqiu Zhu usually wore instantly gave her goosebumps.
As soon as the car door closed, the car smoothly glided into the night.
Yan Shuang sat close to the car door, trying to keep as much distance as possible from Shang Qiuzhu.
Suddenly, a document was thrown onto Yan Shuang's lap.
She looked down and, by the light streaming in from the window, recognized the revised Huayuan contract.
Yan Shuang opened the document, her brows gradually furrowing.
The payment period was extended by fifteen days, and the penalty for late payment was reduced by five percentage points, which was even more favorable than the terms she had negotiated.
Yan Shuang suddenly turned to look at him, "What did you do?"
A faint, cold smile played on Shangqiu Zhu's lips as he calmly said, "This is just a reminder to Liu Yuanshan that some favors should be repaid."
"So you knew all along that we could negotiate these terms," Yan Shuang gripped the edge of the contract tightly, "yet it made me feel like..."
"Like a PR hostess, drinking and smiling?" Shang Qiuzhu suddenly turned her face, her cold gaze sweeping over them. "Indeed, very professional."
Yan Shuang couldn't believe her ears: "That's work!"
Shangqiu Zhu remained unmoved. "Did I tell you to do that?"
Yan Shuang felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over her head, and all the previous fatigue and grievances were stuck in her throat.
“You’re right.” She slowly folded the contract and put it back in the armrest box, her voice surprisingly calm. “Next time it’s a similar occasion, I suggest you hire a professional. After all, a secretary’s job is to organize documents and arrange schedules, not to pat clients on the thigh.”
Shang Qiuzhu raised an eyebrow, his eyes surprisingly sharp in the dim light: "You're already professional enough. Besides,"
He delivered the most devastating blow in a calm tone, "Aren't you enjoying it?"
"......?"
Yan Shuang cursed Shang Qiuzhu eight hundred times in her heart. What a bastard! He was the one who hinted that she should dress up, and now he's complaining that her methods aren't sophisticated enough.
She drank herself into nausea today just to get those three points, and this jerk... what right does he have...?
"Have you finished cursing?"
The sound of bamboo from Shangqiu is almost in my ears.
How did he know she was insulting him?
Yan Shuang bit down hard on the soft flesh inside her mouth, using the pain to maintain her composure.
"I wouldn't dare." She shrank back towards the car door. "I'm just sleepy."
Silence spread through the car.
Yan Shuang closed her eyes, pretending to take a nap.
She deliberately made her breathing longer and tilted her head towards the car window, as if to say, "I'm asleep, do not disturb me."
For the rest of the journey, Yan Shuang really started to feel drowsy.
She only came to her senses when the car stopped.
The view outside the window wasn't the familiar night view of her apartment building, but a brightly lit private garage, with luxury cars neatly lined up, enough to hold a small car show.
"Where is this?" Yan Shuang blurted out, her fingers instinctively reaching for her phone. The screen was black; it was out of battery.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she turned to glare at Shang Qiuzhu, who had just gotten out of the car: "President Shang, my home is in Xinghewan."
Shangqiu Zhu walked towards the elevator without looking back, his suit jacket draped over his arm, his back as straight as a fir tree: "Hmm."
Just one "hmm"?
Yan Shuang thought to herself, "Does this man not even know the word 'gentlemanly demeanor'?"
She took a deep breath, opened the car door, and chased after him: "My phone is dead, can I borrow a charger?"
The elevator doors opened, and Shangqiu Zhu stepped inside, completely ignoring everything else.
Yan Shuang's temper flared up.
What a scoundrel.
She had no choice but to rush into the elevator and squeeze in before the doors closed.
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