"Pink Heart" Project
"Chairwoman, look at this." Zhou Ting pointed to a post on the tablet by a female health blogger with a large following. "She suggested we take inspiration from the 'charity café' model abroad, allowing users to pay a small fee when purchasing sanitary napkins to donate a 'pink sanitary napkin' to women in need."
Zhiwei carefully read the blogger's original post and the enthusiastic discussion below, realizing that this was a good idea to lower the threshold for participating in public welfare and make it easier for more people to join. She immediately convened Zhang Yue and other core project team members to discuss it.
"This is a good idea," Zhiwei said at the meeting, "but we can't simply copy it. We must ensure that the donation process is transparent, the use of funds is clear, and that people's goodwill is not misused."
Soon, the "Pink Heart" special project was launched within the company. As soon as the news was released, the number of employees signing up was far greater than the first time. Many people who had previously been hesitant, or who only realized the value of the "Pink Sanitary Napkins" project after its success, hoped to join this project, which clearly garnered attention from senior management.
Faced with the surge in applications, Zhang Yue hesitated before consulting Zhiwei: "Chairwoman, there are many applicants this time, including several middle-level managers. Should we...?"
Zhiwei's gaze swept over those familiar names, and she shook her head. She remembered the young faces who had stayed up all night with her to work on the project—back then, they had nothing but enthusiasm.
"Opportunities should be reserved for those who trust us earliest. Inform volunteers who sign up for the 'Pink Sanitary Napkins' project for the first time that they will be given priority to join the 'Pink Heart' program if they are interested and have the time."
This decision greatly encouraged the initial batch of grassroots employees who joined with enthusiasm, and also sent a clear signal to the entire company—at Zhiwei, sincerity and foresight are valued more than speculation.
Over the next two months, the project team dedicated themselves fully to the project. With the support of the technical department, they developed the "Pink Heart" feature on the Fumao e-commerce platform. When users place an order for sanitary napkin brands participating in the program, they can select the "charitable donation" option and pay an additional 1 yuan (0.5 yuan for the user and 0.5 yuan for the brand). The bulk of the actual cost behind this 1 yuan—the difference between the product's procurement cost and the 1 yuan selling price, as well as subsequent logistics costs—is borne by the "Pink Heart Project" foundation.
Donated sanitary napkins are not sent to the recipients; instead, they are deposited into a virtual "charity donation pool." Certified schools and charitable organizations can submit applications, which are then reviewed and approved by the project team. The donated supplies are then allocated from the pool monthly for distribution.
Most importantly, the entire process is completely transparent. Every user's donation record (after anonymization), every merchant's matching amount, the real-time total amount of the donation pool, and the destination of every allocation of supplies are clearly displayed on a dedicated page and are available for everyone to query.
After its launch, the "Pink Heart" feature quickly sparked a new wave of enthusiasm on social media. The concept of "doing good deeds casually" deeply resonated with urban female consumers. Soon, an invisible pressure was transmitted to major sanitary napkin brands—their customer service hotlines began to receive frequent inquiries from users about whether their brands participated in the "Pink Heart" program and indicated that if they were not involved, they would consider switching brands.
Circumstances dictate actions. Within just a few weeks, not only did the two brands that had initially won the bid fully integrate, but other mainstream sanitary napkin brands also proactively contacted Fuma, eagerly requesting to join.
The marketing director of an international brand personally called Fumao: "Our official Weibo comment section has been flooded with questions like 'Why don't you add pink hearts?'"
In the second year, even some women's personal care brands that did not sell sanitary napkins took the initiative to apply to join the program, hoping to incorporate this public welfare function into their products.
Subtly, the perception that "Fomao Group genuinely cares about women" has not only taken root in the hearts of its employees but has also been established in the broader consumer market. In the following two years, Fomao Group was consecutively ranked first among "Women-Friendly Companies" by authoritative third-party organizations.
At the grand awards ceremony, Zhiwei attended alongside the Group's Human Resources Director. In a media interview, she systematically explained the mission of the Women's Care Council for the first time: "...This is not a one-off public relations event, but a long-term commitment of Fuma. As long as I remain on the council, the Group's bottom line of investing 1% of its annual profits in women's care will not change. Otherwise, I will resign as chairperson." These words, disseminated through the media, earned Fuma widespread praise and trust.
Other e-commerce platforms have attempted to imitate it, but ultimately have found it difficult to replicate Fomao's success. Firstly, they lack a key figure like Zhiwei, who possesses both social prestige and the ability to mobilize resources within the group; secondly, Fomao has already seized the high ground in users' minds through its complete transparency and sustainable operating model.
Behind the project's success, Li Fuqiang witnessed Zhiwei's hard work and achievements. Soon after, through his private lawyer, he personally established a 200 million yuan trust fund for Zhiwei. This generous reward was both an affirmation of her abilities and a recognition of her skillful use of her influence to enhance the group's reputation rather than vying for personal power.
The establishment of the fund was not a grand affair, but within their specific circle, it conveyed a clear message: Shen Zhiwei's importance in Li Fuqiang's heart, and her unique position within the Fumao system, were no longer what they used to be.
Meanwhile, Li Jiaqi's return to the purchasing department of Fuma Group quietly stirred up some ripples. Although nominally the deputy director, she lacked practical experience in purchasing operations, and the department's daily operations and core decisions remained under the control of the director and several senior managers. This young lady was primarily focused on familiarizing herself with the processes and understanding the supplier system.
At the company, Li Jiaqi and Zhiwei occasionally bumped into each other during cross-departmental meetings or in the elevator, maintaining an unspoken distance. Li Jiaqi no longer ignored her as before, but her address remained strictly businesslike and somewhat deliberate: "Chairwoman." Zhiwei, on the other hand, responded with a polite and considerate "Miss," striking the perfect balance—neither appearing subservient nor overstepping her bounds in intimacy.
Some astute department heads and senior managers were secretly observing these two women who had close ties to the boss. Some saw potential in Li Jiaqi's legitimate lineage and inheritance, and actively approached her, privately explaining the intricate business rules and interpersonal relationships within their departments—essentially "betting on her" in advance.
Some people value Zhiwei's actual influence, especially her ability to gain Li Fuqiang's approval in promoting projects such as the "Pink Project," as well as her seemingly gentle but actually resilient way of handling things.
This delicate balance and unspoken alignment created a subtle, underlying tension within the upper echelons of Fuzhou Trade Center. Li Fuqiang seemed acutely aware of this, yet remained silent, perhaps believing that this healthy internal tension actually helped maintain a dynamic stability.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
