12: My son is usually very understanding and sensible. How come he's considered ill-mannered when he's with you?
"I think reasoning with you is no longer suitable; we need to use other methods to achieve a deterrent effect."
"I'll give you two choices: lie down and accept your punishment obediently, or I'll tie you up here." Pei Yanxiu reached out and tore off his tie, tossing it aside. Shang Zhi retorted, "Old man, you're dreaming! There's no way I'll lie down on my own!"
People can be suppressed, but they cannot voluntarily submit.
"Besides, you broke your promise! Didn't we agree before the marriage that you wouldn't take care of me?"
Pei Yanxiu was so angry he laughed, and raised his hand to strike with a ruler: "Why didn't you tell me not to take care of you when you needed me to save you! And now you're telling me this!"
Pei Yanxiu pinned her hands behind her back, pressing them down tightly, and the ruler fell one after another.
"Xixi, you'll face many new situations after you join the company. I hope you won't be so reckless anymore. Protect yourself and stop being so rebellious, or you'll suffer." He sighed softly, tossed the ruler aside, and pulled down her pants to check her injuries. She could feel the thin calluses on his palms.
A lingering pain lingers in my heart.
He leaned down beside her and told her about the Tiancui project. Shang Zhi had little experience with these things before, so she listened haltingly. But with his warm touch on her back, she quickly fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, when Shang Zhi went to attend the senior management meeting, Pei Yanxiu accompanied her.
She originally wanted to wait a few more days before joining the company, but Pei Yanxiu said that waiting indefinitely would not bring her the best opportunity.
"Stop preparing. Learn as you go. If you keep preparing, you'll never be truly prepared."
"But if I just show up like this, they definitely won't like me."
"You're here to get things done, not to sell your smiles. You don't need others to like you. Besides, do you think they won't hurt you if they like you? Blindly pandering means cowardice. Hold your head high and remember your own goals."
As Shang Zhi sat in the top-floor conference room of Ruikang Group, her heart was still pounding.
"Young Master Shang, everyone's here. Shall we begin? Please be efficient and don't take too long. After all, we have important business to attend to after we've finished entertaining you, our big boss," Shang Zhi's uncle, Shang Can, said in a half-sarcastic tone.
"Also, could those who are not involved please leave for a moment? This is an internal meeting of Ruikang, not a company social event. You don't need to bring your family members, right?"
“I am indeed not one of Ruikang’s people. I’m here today to discuss Tiancui. Since Ruikang has taken my money, I think I have the right to know about the project’s operation.” Pei Yanxiu retorted with good manners. Shang Can’s face was slightly embarrassed, and he sneered a few times.
"That's the main point for today. Over the past two days, Mr. Pei and I have looked at some projects, and I have some understanding of Tiancui's situation. As far as I know, the initial plan for Tiancui is different from the current one. It was to create Hong Kong's top commercial district, taking into account all the functions of tourism, catering, hotels, shopping, and entertainment. However, the current plan has a much lower level of hotels and commercial facilities than the original plan."
“Mr. Shang, I really don’t have time to play games with you. Everyone knows what you’re saying,” said Chen Xuyan, the company’s financial director.
"The temporary adjustment to the plan was because there were problems with the project, right? In the current situation, it's good enough that the company can survive. This is not a game you can play. If you don't control costs well, everyone may go bankrupt. Can and I calculated that the current plan can greatly reduce costs and reduce the payback period from twenty years to ten years."
"But President Pei's Wan Jia is going to inject capital into us..."
"Yes, three hundred million. President Pei's money can indeed solve our immediate problem, but it's not foolproof. Do you know how much debt the company has right now? We need to spend every penny wisely."
"Mr. Shang, if I may be so blunt, Ruikang is at a critical juncture of life and death. What we need are experienced business talents, not young girls who spend their days putting on makeup and dancing."
"Instead of wasting your time here, I think you should open an account and become an internet celebrity. Once you become famous, you can earn a few million, which would also lighten the burden on President Shang."
Chen Xuyan's words were met with soft laughter throughout the conference room. The real world is cruel; Shang Zhi is too young and naive, and even if she were in this position, no one would take her seriously.
Despite being mocked by everyone in the room, Shang Zhi did not back down; instead, it fueled her fighting spirit.
"Mr. Xu is right. I'm young and my major doesn't match my skills."
"But I was the one who secured the 300 million yuan investment from President Pei, and the environmental protection company's complaint against Tiancui was withdrawn thanks to the efforts of President Pei and me. While I was doing these things, what did you all do that was beneficial to Ruikang?"
Upon hearing Shang Zhi's words, everyone in the room fell silent. The facts were undeniable: the young girl they had looked down upon had saved the company at a crucial moment.
But they don't want to admit it, because admitting it would prove their incompetence.
“Young Mr. Shang, running a company is not the same as running a marriage. You are a woman, unlike us. You can gain many benefits from marriage, but we can't. We can only work hard. Everyone is saying this for your own good. You are still young and don't understand. We don't want to see you fall into a fire pit.”
"Don't say that. If Mr. Chen wants to, he can also use marriage to climb the social ladder. After all, you are a distinguished man who can make money from both sides. I don't have your conditions." Shang Zhi retorted without hesitation. The group of people in the conference room wanted to laugh but dared not. Chen Xuyan was very hypocritical. He could mock others, but when he was retorted, he immediately became furious and pointed at Shang Zhi's nose, calling her a shrew.
"How dare you speak like that! When did you learn to be so ill-mannered!" Shang Can also joined Chen Xuyan in criticizing Shang Zhi.
“My son is usually very reasonable and sensible. How come he’s considered ill-mannered when he comes to you?”
"Is it because you've been bullying her all along, or is there something wrong with the feng shui of Ruikang?"
Pei Yanxiu, who hadn't spoken for a while, suddenly opened his mouth. When Shang Zhi heard him say that about her, she felt a piece of the hard ice in her heart quietly melt away.
Even though he always pointed out her problems without reservation in private and taught her personally, he always defended her in front of outsiders.
"President Pei is joking. How could there be any problem with the feng shui of Ruikang? Today's incident was all a misunderstanding. Everyone was just a little anxious for the sake of the company. We will definitely pay attention in the future." Shang Can's expression changed quickly. Through these few times, he had also realized that Shang Zhi held a high position in Pei Yanxiu's heart. To protect him, he couldn't embarrass her, so he quickly smiled and tried to make amends.
After all, if the cooperation he had worked so hard to secure was lost in his hands, he wouldn't be able to stay at Ruikang.
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