Chapter 35
The Qingming Festival holiday is short and it takes time to travel back and forth, so Liang Shi decided not to go back to Wenchuan. Fortunately, she went back for the Spring Festival, so she asked Yuan An to sweep the tomb for her.
Liang Shi sent a message to Li Junqian, wanting to ask when they could go to sweep Uncle Li's grave together, but there was no response. Well, he's the boss, after all, a synonym for being busy.
Xiao Tao was quite enthusiastic, sending her screenshots of every update on the package. Now she was texting her to tell her that the package was at their company's front desk. Liang Shi called Marry on the internal line, and soon Marry came over with the somewhat worn-out package.
Do you want me to help you open it?
These are her and Li Junqian's things. Liang Shi, fearing something might happen, waved his hand and said, "No need, just leave them there. By the way, why was it so noisy outside just now? Recently, HR will be conducting routine inspections. The office isn't a place for you to yell and shout. If the creative department gets points deducted, the bosses will only hold me accountable, understand? You repeat this to them."
Marry nodded and pursed her lips: "I'm sorry, Director Liang, I promise I won't gossip anymore!"
Liang Shi didn't need to specifically inquire about the gossip, since the company was only so big; he could hear all the gossip while going to the restroom or making coffee.
No wonder Zhou Mengmeng ignored Li Junqian; it turns out she'd hooked up with Fang Tong. Liang Shi wasn't interested in gossiping about the two of them, after all, neither of them were easy to deal with.
In the afternoon, Liang Shi organized a regular meeting of the creative department to discuss the Easter offline counter activities. This had been arranged by the creative department in cooperation with the operations department as early as the beginning of March. However, Liang Shi and his team only needed to decorate the store in a way that matched Easter and organize interactive activities for customers.
Although Easter is well-known in China, the festive atmosphere is not very strong. There is no holiday and it is a workday, so there is almost no decoration for this festival in previous years. However, this year, the headquarters gave an order, so we had no choice but to do so.
Some things are very successfully localized, such as Halloween and Christmas, but Easter celebrations seem to lack a festive atmosphere. However, in other countries, like France, it's a national holiday. The ways governments and even citizens celebrate are ridiculously varied. For example, one year Galeries Lafayette spent a huge sum on an Easter egg hunt, and Liang Shi even waited for the store to open...
"All the on-site standees are in place, but the operations team seems very dissatisfied with the two on-site interactive games we submitted..."
Yesterday she received an email from Operations Director Aiden. General Manager Li instructed the creative department to redo the plan. The event is not just about Easter; it must be based on the company's perspective. The deadline is this weekend, and all arrangements for the day of the event must be finalized.
In the end, isn't it all about selling goods to make money for the company? But that's what sales is all about. Liang Shi had a headache and tapped his fingers lightly on the table.
"The previous plan of painting Easter eggs on-site would definitely cause the event to get out of control, which was indeed inappropriate. Moreover, it could not guarantee that customers who purchased products on-site could enjoy our event immediately. I was thinking, could we have two events, one for customers who purchased our Fanning products and one for walk-in customers?"
When Liang Shi pointed this out, Marry quickly chimed in: "Then I think the body painting activity could be extended to customers who have purchased our products, since this activity takes time. As for the other lucky draw activity, I think it could be changed to allowing customers to scan a QR code to register as a basic member and receive a sample, such as a choice of foundation, lotion, or other products."
Marry is quite capable.
"Okay, do it your way first, and email me before you leave work."
Back in the office, Liang received a call from his French colleague Emily. It had been a long time since he had spoken French, and as expected, Emily teased him.
"As far as I know, you wouldn't get up this early, would you? My beautiful Ms. Emily!"
"I'm so excited, I had to tell you right away!"
Liang Shi guessed: "Did you have a romantic encounter last night?"
"Even more exciting than that, I got drunk last night and bought a plane ticket to Shanghai!"
"Really? Are you still drunk?"
“I swear I’m perfectly sober! The Easter holiday was so boring. Didn’t you always say that Shanghai is your dream city compared to Paris? Being the kind of person who lives for the moment, I’ve saved up some money to travel to China. First stop, Shanghai!”
When a close former colleague was coming to visit, Liang Shi naturally welcomed him with open arms: "Remember to send me your flight information, and I'll definitely greet you with flowers and champagne!"
"No, no, no, Suzie, since we're in China, we definitely have to drink your Chinese wine!"
Liang Shi laughed and said, "Is the Moutai alright? You can sleep a little longer, I still have work to do!"
After hanging up the phone, Liang Shi took out a notepad, intending to jot down the information about picking someone up at the airport, but he couldn't find a pen.
There were spares in the drawer. She rummaged through them and found a blind box in the corner, a gift from Zhou Mengmeng. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. Liang Shi picked up her phone and headed for the door, then seemed to remember something and turned back to the office.
The package was opened, and two ceramic cups were inside an inflatable plastic bag. One was pink and the other was blue. Liang Shi cut open the inflatable plastic bag and took out the two cups.
Hers was simple, shaped like a coffee cup, round and plump, light pink, very ordinary. The word "Liang" was engraved on the bottom, proving it was handmade by her.
The light blue mug was also very simple. It wasn't the standard coffee mug that was narrow at the bottom and wide at the top, but a straight mug. The color was dark blue, and the body of the mug was well polished, so it was very smooth after baking and looked particularly high-quality. Liang Shi turned the mug around and found a dent near the base next to the handle. However, the dent wasn't painted with any other color, so it wasn't clear in the backlight. Liang Shi took the mug to the bedside and finally saw it clearly.
At that time, it seems that Li Junqian carved something with a potter's knife, and he thought about it for a long time. At that time, Liang Shi was still thinking about what he wanted to carve for so long.
So that's what it is.
The letter L has an O carved on the unclosed horizontal line of the L, but this O is slightly flattened, making it look more like the number 0.
Liang Shi's heart began to race involuntarily, and a bold hypothesis formed in her mind. At this moment, she had so much to say to Li Junqian, both about work and life.
We can't wait any longer!
Liang Shi rushed out of the elevator on the 23rd floor and ran into Li Junqian's assistant. She asked if he was there, and the assistant said he was in his office, but...
Before the assistant could finish speaking, Liang Shi grabbed the bag and ran to knock on the door. There was a password, so she couldn't break in.
She was panting as she tidied her hair, which was a little messy from jogging. When the door opened, the words "President Li" were already on her lips, but unfortunately, it was Ken who opened the door.
Sales Director Ken was giving a private report to Li Junqian when she ignored Li Junqian's assistant's words and ran over to knock on the door. It was just too... rude!
Liang Shi said awkwardly, "Excuse me, Ken, please continue."
Just as Liang Shi was about to leave, he heard Li Junqian inside say, "Let's go together."
But Liang Shi was still carrying the bag containing his mug! Ken has sharp eyes and loves asking questions, so Liang Shi was really afraid he would ask one.
Sure enough, as soon as she sat down in the chair, Ken pointed to the bag in her hand and asked what was inside.
Liang Shi glanced at Li Junqian, who remained expressionless, but his eyes held an ambiguous look, as if he were eagerly anticipating some gift from her.
Everyone assumed that Li Junqian had accompanied her to town for an IV drip that day, but only they knew what they had actually done. They pretended to be innocent in public, but in reality, they were innocent. Even though it was a business trip, they didn't announce it publicly; they acted in secret. It was understandable that some people gossiped about it. Although there weren't many whispers, Liang Shi had heard some of them.
Especially with that big-mouthed Ken here today, if she says something wrong, the rumors will start flying again.
She composed herself and smiled, "Last time I went to Wuyuan, I wasn't feeling well and troubled Mr. Li. I've prepared a small gift to thank you. It's not anything valuable, but I know you like coffee, so I thought I'd give you a coffee cup to suit your taste."
Ken stared intently at the paper bag, giving her a look that said, "I don't believe there's a cup inside." Liang Shicai wouldn't actually take it out to prove it, otherwise it would be like trying to hide something obvious. Li Junqian, on the other hand, took the bag the moment she reached out.
Then, the next second, the person took the cup out. Liang Shi almost had a heart attack. This guy is really shrewd! He actually took it out? What if she lied and put something she shouldn't have in there? How would he explain that?
Li Junqian held the cup in his hand and examined it for a while. Liang Shi noticed that he rubbed the L0 pattern with the pad of his thumb twice before putting it back in the bag: "It's very nice, thank you Suzie."
Liang thought to himself: How could your own craftsmanship not look good?
After a close call, Liang smiled nonchalantly and said, "It's worthless, I'm glad you like it."
Ken said to her, "This cup looks ordinary, but it's good enough. I've been using my old cup for a long time and I'm thinking of replacing it. Where did you buy it, Director Liang? Could you get me one?"
Liang Shi's eyelids twitched; this guy really knew how to chat.
She really didn't know what to say, but fortunately, with her boss Li Junqian there, he could easily decide the direction of the conversation, and Liang Shi breathed a sigh of relief.
"Ken and I have almost finished our conversation. Why did you call me in such a hurry?"
Did he see her panting?
Liang Shi glanced at Ken, who showed no sign of leaving, and Li Junqian's words didn't seem to indicate that Ken should leave either. She was hesitant about whether to speak up.
"Ken is one of us. If you have anything to say, feel free to say it."
Oh well, whatever she wants to say is inevitably related to the sales department anyway.
“I have an idea about the sales model for that perfume.”
Li Junqian stared straight at her. Liang Shi was unsure whether Ken knew about the new incense or whether they could continue talking.
Ken wasn't stupid; he understood her hesitation: "Suzie, Mr. Li just talked to me about the sales trends for the new perfume."
No wonder Li Junqian didn't stop her; it turns out he was already paving the way for the promotion of his new perfume.
Why do I suddenly feel a sense of regret and sadness? It's like a promise made between two people has suddenly been revealed to the whole world.
But upon reflection, Liang Shi realized how naive and childish he had been. This was a steel jungle, and the people here were all rational and profit-driven, with their ultimate goal being nothing more than the operation of capital.
She was just one of his employees, and her trip to Jingdezhen with him was really just a business trip.
Thinking of this, her expression became professional and calm, and she even crossed one leg over the other.
"Since the purpose of the new co-branded fragrance is to give back to customers, it is primarily aimed at customers who have made purchases at Fanning. However, the number of co-branded items is limited, so not everyone can get one. If the fragrance is sent out based on the order of purchase amount, then the owners of this perfume will only be those high-income groups. And this group is unlikely to care about or promote this fragrance at all. In other words, this fragrance has cost the company a lot but cannot generate any revenue or derivative benefits for the company. I think the big boss at headquarters would be unhappy, right?"
Even if Li Junqian is highly skilled in perfume research or is well-acquainted with the headquarters boss, in the world of capital, personal relationships are merely for maintaining face for both parties; the cake is not something that can be touched casually.
Since Ken already knows about the new perfume, it's highly likely that everyone in his position or higher knows as well. Of course, since the Greater China region can do this, it must have the support of headquarters.
No matter how rich a person is, what they love most is making money. Who would turn down money? In the world of capital, profit comes first. Although others may think Li Junqian has reached the pinnacle in his position, there are always people more powerful than him, and he's not the kind of person who can make decisions on a whim. Therefore, this perfume isn't a charitable game of capital, but rather another form of profit.
Li Junqian picked up the Evian bottle from the table, unscrewed the cap, and placed it in front of her in a gentlemanly manner.
Liang Shi was a little thirsty, and she wanted to make sure Li Junqian's efforts weren't in vain. After all, the boss had personally opened the bottle cap for her, so she couldn't be so clueless as to not give any response. Besides, Ken was still there, so she had to be a good employee who would protect her boss!
"Thank you, Mr. Li."
Li Junqian nodded: "Continue."
"Personally, I believe that as long as you make a purchase, you'll have a chance to receive it. But the purchase I'm referring to comes with conditions..."
At this point, Ken chimed in, "For example, the time of purchase, the type of products purchased, and the minimum purchase amount?"
Liang Shi frowned. She disliked others interrupting her reports, and she also noticed that Li Junqian across from her was frowning.
But Ken was a senior member of the company, so Liang couldn't afford to lose his temper: "Ken is indeed impressive. That's right, what I wanted to say were exactly the three key points you just mentioned. Since Ken can say these things, I think many of the company's activities are based on this approach."
Liang Shi smiled and then went on to mention a few more data points from the sales department for last month.
Ken shrugged nonchalantly: "Every company has its star products and its dormant products. The company's annual advertising budget is invested in products that generate revenue for the company, so naturally some products will be buried. As the creative director, it's up to the leadership to decide which product to add value for, and customers will make comparisons."
Liang Shi quickly followed up: "You mean the leadership's decision-making problems led to the product's sluggish sales? Ken, I don't quite understand. Does your last sentence mean that the reason Fanning's bottom-ranked products are not selling well is because they can't compete with the competition? Also, do you mean that the leadership only cares about best-selling products and ignores other products?"
She was probably a bit blunt, because Ken looked very unhappy. Liang Shi drank some water, wanting the person on the other side to take charge of the situation!
Li Junqian seemed very interested in what she was saying, or perhaps he understood her purpose for coming: "You mean, you want to use the new incense to boost sales of slow-moving products?"
Liang Shi knew he understood what she meant, and nodded and then shook his head: "Yes, and no."
The person on the other end seemed very interested: "Tell me more about it."
Liang Shi gave an irrelevant answer and even asked her boss, "President Li, when you asked me, you didn't seem to agree with me. I want to know why, it's very important to me."
Li Junqian gave her a deep look and smiled, seemingly amused that she dared to ask him a question.
"Many companies use this kind of consumer strategy: replacing the old with the new. Have you ever thought that the carrot dangling in front of the donkey will eventually make the donkey angry?"
Hmm, sure enough, Li Junqian understood her; that was her concern: "Mr. Li, that's why I nodded and shook my head."
"So tell me your strategy."
Liang Shi watched as he separated his crossed legs, leaned forward, and rested his arms on his thighs, his attention completely focused on her, as if he valued what she was about to say.
It wasn't a question, but a statement; he knew she had come with a purpose.
Liang Shi smiled and stated: "Replacing the old with the new is inevitable, but today's consumers have been through too many tricks. If we make them buy slow-moving products in order to get a chance to win a limited edition perfume, then the top headlines on Weibo will definitely be criticizing Fanning for being tasteless and rushing to clear out inventory before the end of the year. My personal opinion is to use the strong to drive the weak. This can not only increase the sales of flagship products, but also boost the sales of slow-moving products. However, the known combinations and prices will still make some people wait and see. What I'm thinking of is to add a little bit of sales strategy to this."
Li Junqian raised an eyebrow, crossed his arms, and leaned back on the sofa: "Suzie, don't keep us in suspense."
"Mr. Li, you must be familiar with blind boxes, right?"
I even went shopping with Zhou Mengmeng before!
I don't know if he said something key, but Liang Shi saw Li Junqian's eyes light up for a moment.
Ken, who was standing next to him, exclaimed in amazement, "Amazing!"
He was about to say something when Li Junqian across from him gave him a warning look.
"Suzie, you surprised me. Continue."
Liang Shi didn't understand what the two men meant and continued to share his thoughts: "I think we could package best-selling and slow-moving items into a blind box concept, priced lower than the total cost of a fixed set of products. This would give customers the illusion of a discount and show them our sincerity, avoiding too much disappointment for customers who didn't win the new fragrance. The blind box concept offers customers a sense of novelty, and everyone has curiosity and anticipation. Plus, buying a blind box could trigger a lottery for a new co-branded fragrance, which would definitely attract a huge following. In addition, I think we could set many different types and prices for these blind boxes, or even just create a single blind box filled entirely with slow-moving items..."
"Amazing, absolutely amazing! Suzie, you weren't eavesdropping at the door, were you?"
Liang Shimeng: "Huh?"
The man opposite me said with a smile, "I can only say that at times, Director Liang and I are very much on the same page when it comes to work."
Liang Shi isn't stupid. She's said so much, and all she got was this one reply from Ken. Could it be that Li Junqian just discussed this with Ken?
He actually thought of blind boxes too?
"So, Mr. Li, you share the same thought as me?"
This was a sudden idea she had after seeing the blind box. She originally wanted to share it with him, but he had already arranged to talk to Ken about it, which means he had been planning it for a long time.
Liang Shi stared at Li Junqian. This man was quite capable to have reached this position.
"I didn't expect you to have this thought, Suzie. Are you free tonight? How about we have dinner together and talk?"
Liang Shi's mind went blank! While it's commonplace for the boss to invite the department director to dinner to discuss work—it's perfectly normal—Ken is still around! The key point is that he only mentioned her during the dinner invitation; this is just too much…
She smiled at Ken and said, "I didn't expect you and President Li to have this idea. How about I treat you to dinner tonight? Director Ken, would you like to come too?"
Ken waved his hand, expressing his regret: "Sorry, it's my daughter's birthday tonight. She's in a bad mood, and if I miss it, I'll be nagged about it for a year! Mr. Li, I think the blind box thing is totally feasible. I'll have someone come up with a detailed plan this week. If you have any other ideas tonight, I'll ask Suzie for advice tomorrow."
After they finished talking, Ken was about to leave. Liang Shi hesitated for a moment and then followed him. After all, the other question she wanted to ask had nothing to do with work, and she didn't want Ken to misunderstand!
Once outside, Liang Shi realized he had forgotten to ask if the dinner appointment for that evening was still valid.
On WeChat, Liang Shi asked him if he wanted to book a restaurant.
The latter replied with a lot.
For example, let her decide the time for tomb sweeping.
For example, they might send you the restaurant address directly.
For example, when Liang Shi saw that the restaurant's message had been withdrawn, the other party was typing six large characters that were shaking.
Shortly after, the other party sent a message: "Waiting for you in the garage."
This time, Liang Shi went down to the underground parking garage openly and honestly. After all, with Ken's endorsement, she wasn't afraid of being gossiped about.
The restaurant Li Junqian chose had friendly table spacing, perfect for conversations without being overheard, though the prices were also very reasonable. No problem, she could easily afford it.
The dining table was black and glossy with a touch of gold glitter. The overhead light reflected off it, creating dots and circles of light. Before the food was served, Liang Shi dipped his index finger in his water glass and traced the pattern on the mug on the table. Then he asked, "Mr. Li, what does this mean?"
Looking at his eyes and the slight upturn of his lips, Liang Shi realized she had guessed correctly. She drew it again: "L Liang 0 is Shi?"
Her ideas were narcissistic, but he just wanted to figure them out.
The man opposite me wiped the two puddles of water with a napkin on the table, then dipped his hand in water and wrote "L" and said, "L is Li Junqian, and 0 is Liang Shi. The symbols don't just represent you, they represent us."
This man is really good at flirting. Is it natural or learned?
"Didn't I say we should keep our distance for the next six months?"
Before putting the napkin back, Li Junqian wiped the water stains off the table: "That's why I didn't mark your cup."
Liang Shi: "..."
She had nothing to say.
We had to change the subject.
"I'd like to hear your initial thoughts on the concept of blind boxes."
Just then, the food arrived. Liang was very hungry, and at that moment he was just as eager for the steak as he was for his answer!
"It's pretty much the same as what you said, the only difference is..."
Liang Shi stopped cutting the steak: "Are you trying to whet my appetite?"
Li Junqian's movements as he cut the steak were very skillful. Although his movements were elegant and leisurely, the beef was evenly divided in no time. Then the two plates were switched. Liang Shi looked at the plate of cut beef in front of him and couldn't resist. He used his fork to pick up a piece and put it in his mouth.
The man opposite me took a sip of red wine, leaned back in his chair, and gave me a warm smile: "It's just a matter of time."
Liang Shi didn't understand: "I don't understand, Mr. Li, please enlighten me?"
"You only considered the issue of limited quantities attracting customers; what if it were also limited to a specific time?"
Liang Shi was puzzled: "I may not have explained it clearly, but I believe the blind box sales model has a time limit..."
"If what you mean by 'limited time' is just putting it on sale for a week, then I think this plan is a failure."
"Why?"
"Blind boxes do provide a sense of excitement, but if the time frame is too long, customers will have more time to consider whether the blind box is worthwhile or necessary to buy, and there may even be a long period of regret after purchasing it. Shortening the time frame, such as to only two days or even one day, will create a sense of urgency and prevent them from placing an order without thinking too much."
Liang disagreed: "Two days is too short. We can't guarantee that all customers will know that there is such an event on that day."
"That's something the publicity team should consider."
A boomerang hit her, does that mean the poor sales are due to inadequate marketing by her department?
Liang was tired and didn't want to talk about work anymore, otherwise the steak would have tasted bland.
She was still chewing her beef when Li Junqian, sitting opposite her, put down his knife and fork and surprisingly continued what she had just said: "I think we can use the sales data from the first session for analysis. If the results are not up to par, we can add more sessions."
When Liang Shi opened the WeChat message, it was a real disaster!
Liang Shi couldn't deny that his idea was good, but she had no interest in talking about work!
Seeing the change in her expression, Li Junqian considerately asked her what was wrong.
Yuan An said he was bringing Meng Zhilei to Shanghai for the Qingming Festival holiday, and asked if she could have a meal with him if she was free. He also mentioned that he had already visited her grave beforehand to reassure her.
Friends have come from afar, how can we only have one meal together! Of course, we should spend a few days showing them around, right?
The key point is that Emily will be coming too!
"I don't have many friends to begin with, but they all seem to be on the same page and want to come to Shanghai to visit. I'm worried I won't be able to make it in two places at once."
Li Junqian guessed: "One of the friends you mentioned, is it Yuan An?"
Liang Shi was surprised that he still remembered Yuan An's name, and belatedly realized, "I have so few friends, even President Li could guess who it is. Yuan An told me he's engaged and wants to bring his fiancée on a trip before the wedding. It's quite amazing, a French colleague also told me today that he's coming to travel. The world is truly amazing!"
"Perhaps this is the charm of Shanghai."
Liang Shi thought, Shanghai is indeed Shanghai, making her abandon Paris and travel thousands of kilometers to return.
"Hopefully we won't have to work overtime."
"Yuan An's engagement is partly my doing, and also, my French is quite good. I believe that as a local, I have a say in matters of food, lodging, and transportation. If you trust me, I can help you."
Liang Shi never expected that Li Junqian, who was usually not fond of crowds, could be so helpful.
"Mr. Li, narcissism is actually a disease!"
“I thought that if we didn’t talk about feelings, we could still be friends even if we weren’t colleagues. But Xiaoshi, it seems like you’ve been putting our relationship on opposite sides all this time.”
Friends? Liang Shi felt this relationship was too dangerous; if not maintained properly, she could easily break down, and she didn't want that.
"We made an agreement."
She looked at him; at that moment, Li Junqian's eyes were deep, and Liang Shi looked away.
“I’m keeping my promise, so I’m not forcing you to call me Karsten anymore, but to be honest, I’m losing my appetite after hearing the name ‘President Li’ so many times.”
Liang Shi: "..."
She can't eat and she blames her? So many people in the company call you President Li, how come you're still alive? Of course, she only dared to complain to herself.
That night, Liang Shi couldn't sleep, her mind filled with Li Junqian's recent transgressions. For example, his disapproval of her going to the concert with Fang Tong, his deliberate insistence that they wear matching Chinese-style clothing that would arouse suspicion, his helping her win over Huo Zhongming, and that kiss in that dark alley…
Thinking of this, she quickly took out her phone and, regardless of what time it was, typed a message for Li Junqian: "Pretend that what happened in that alley in Wuyuan never happened. You'd better forget about it."
Liang Shi was surprised that Li Junqian was still awake at this hour!
Li Junqian: What I think about during the day, I dream about at night. If I forget, will you forget? Even if I agreed to your unreasonable conditions in Melbourne, my dear child, you must know that humans are still driven by instinct. Four more months, I'll wait for you. Goodnight, Suzie.
Liang Shi bit her lip, pretending not to see the message, but she knew she would have a sleepless night.
However, Li Junqian also reminded her that there were only four months left, and in the past two months, she had made no progress whatsoever.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
