Give someone a taste of their own medicine
Lin Yu'an walked into the president's office with dark circles under his eyes and unsteady steps.
The excitement of being God L’s “confidant sister” during last night’s live broadcast has long passed.
Instead, there’s the endless fatigue of staying up late to sort out that damn “Employee Anonymous Negative Feedback Summary Report.”
He forced himself to cheer up and placed a neatly bound report on Gu Lin's desk.
"Mr. Gu, the summary and analysis report of anonymous employee feedback you requested, especially the negative feedback, has been compiled.
Highlights included poor communication, excessive pressure, and some focus on… uh… management style.”
He tried to sound steady and professional, but inwardly he was wailing, "What the hell is wrong with the boss? Why does he suddenly want this?"
Gu Lin's gaze moved away from the computer screen and fell on Lin Yu'an's slightly pale face.
He picked up the report and flipped through a few pages at a rapid pace.
His fingertips lingered on one of the pages, where several items were prominently marked with a highlighter.
The anonymous message was quite harsh in its wording, complaining about the "inhumanity" and "arbitrary decision-making" of senior management.
"Um."
Gu Lin responded indifferently, closed the report, and looked up at Lin Yu'an.
The gaze was calm, yet it made Lin Yu'an feel inexplicably nervous.
"Secretary Lin, the report is well done and very efficient."
It was impossible to tell whether there was any emotion in Gu Lin's voice, but the word "not bad" already made Lin Yu'an feel a little flattered.
However, Gu Lin's next sentence.
Immediately, the small flame that he had just started was extinguished with a "puff".
"It just so happens that I have an important task for you."
Gu Lin leaned forward slightly, folded his hands on the table, and formed a focused posture.
"The Group is about to reach a key strategic cooperation framework with Ventus Capital in Europe. Their CEO, Mr. Hans Müller, is a person who pays great attention to detail and efficiency."
Lin Yu'an's heart tightened, and he had a bad feeling.
"I need a detailed, in-depth analysis of Mr. Mueller's personal preferences, business style, and key decision points in his past important negotiations."
Gu Lin's tone was neither hurried nor slow, yet it carried an unquestionable weight.
"This includes, but is not limited to: his preferred negotiation rhythm, his requirements for data presentation, the qualities he most admires in a business partner, the negotiation behaviors he most dislikes, and even his personal habits, such as his coffee preferences and his interest in golf. The more detailed, the better."
Lin Yu'an felt a little dizzy in front of his eyes.
This level of personalized business intelligence can usually only be obtained by professional business intelligence companies or senior BD (business development) personnel who have long-term connections!
Let him, a CEO's secretary,...
"Mr. Gu, this..." He tried to struggle.
Gu Lin raised his hand to interrupt him, and even a very faint, "gentle" smile appeared on his face.
"Secretary Lin, you are my chief secretary, and your abilities are obvious to all.
This report is crucial to the negotiations, and I believe that with your acumen and ability to integrate resources, you will be able to deliver a satisfactory report to me."
He deliberately emphasized the words "chief secretary", "his ability is obvious to all", and "I am satisfied".
This was the first time the icy-faced CEO praised him! Lin Yu'an's heart was instantly in turmoil.
"What's the time?" Lin Yu'an asked.
"Tomorrow afternoon at three, before Mr. Mueller's plane lands."
Gu Lin's tone was matter-of-fact. "The report needs to be placed on my desk. I also need you to summarize the 'key response points' in a single page or less and attach them to the front page of the report."
Tomorrow at 3pm?!
Lin Yu'an felt like his soul was being squeezed out by this time limit.
"Boss Gu, at this time..."
"Any questions?"
Gu Lin raised his eyebrows, and the gentle smile instantly disappeared, returning to his usual coldness.
"Secretary Lin, didn't you finish that employee report very quickly? I believe in your efficiency. The group needs backbones like you who can shoulder heavy responsibilities."
Gu Lin raised the level of flattery, and a barely perceptible smile crossed the corner of his mouth.
All of Lin Yu'an's words were blocked.
He looked at Gu Lin's expressionless face and could only bite the bullet and squeeze it out through gritted teeth.
"...Okay, Mr. Gu."
He felt like a duck being roasted on a fire, with smoke all over his body.
For the next twenty hours or so, Lin Yu'an transformed into a human search engine + social gangster.
He mobilized all the connections he had accumulated and shamelessly harassed executives within the group who might have had contact with Mueller.
I frantically searched the Internet for all reports and interviews about Mueller, and tried to contact Mueller's former assistant through LinkedIn.
He stayed up all night until his eyes turned red, drank all the coffee in the office, and felt like his brain had turned into a mess.
Finally, at 2:50 p.m. the next day, Lin Yu'an showed up with messy hair.
With sunken eyes and trembling hands, he placed a thick report and a printed "Key Response Points" on Gu Lin's desk.
Although the content of the report cannot be said to be perfect, it is indeed the most detailed information he could dig out within the limited time after devoting all his energy to it.
"Mr. Gu... the report... is ready."
His voice was hoarse and contained a sense of exhaustion from surviving a disaster.
Gu Lin picked up the "Key Response Points", glanced at it quickly, and nodded.
"Thank you for your hard work, Secretary Lin. You're very efficient." His tone remained flat, without much emotion.
Lin Yu'an was just about to breathe a sigh of relief, thinking that this inhuman torture was finally over.
At this moment, Gu Lin seemed to remember something. He tapped the table lightly with his slender fingers and spoke in a chatty and extremely casual tone.
"By the way, Secretary Lin, your report mentioned that Mr. Mueller likes to meditate for ten minutes between negotiations. This detail is very interesting and will be very helpful in pacing our negotiations."
Lin Yu'an was stunned for a moment, then nodded subconsciously: "Yes, Mr. Gu, I found this from the blog of a former colleague of his. It should be more reliable..."
Gu Lin nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.
Then, he resorted to the trick of "creating an accident":
"Please inform that the preparatory meeting with Mr. Mueller of Ventus Capital, originally scheduled to start at 3:30 pm, will be brought forward to 3:10 pm.
Also, please prepare a cup of Costa roasted pour-over coffee, without sugar or milk, and have it delivered to Conference Room 1 immediately after Mr. Mueller arrives."
Lin Yuan: “!!!”
His mind went blank in an instant!
Ten past three?! The preparatory meeting started twenty minutes early?!
Then what's the point of this report he submitted on the 3 o'clock deadline?!
Gu Lin clearly knew Mueller's preference for meditation and coffee beans before submitting the report!
He could have announced the meeting earlier!
Why did he have to wait until I had submitted my report and was exhausted before casually informing me to move up the meeting?!
"Mr. Gu! You... since you already knew that the meeting would be moved forward, why..."
Gu Lin looked up at Lin Yu'an calmly.
"Secretary Lin," Gu Lin's voice was calm.
Even with a hint of persuasion, he said, "In business negotiations, plans can never keep up with changes. Responding to emergencies and adjusting strategies in a timely manner are basic qualities of every outstanding professional."
He paused, his eyes falling on Lin Yu'an's face, which was slightly flushed with excitement.
He added meaningfully, "Especially when 'accidents' occur, it's crucial to stay calm and be flexible. Isn't that right?"
Lin Yuan: “…”
Gu Lin watched the changes in Lin Yu'an's expression, and was looking forward to what he would complain about him in the evening.
The effect was better than he expected.
The corners of Gu Lin's mouth finally curled up into a clearly visible arc, carrying cold joy and a sense of absolute control.
"Okay," he stopped looking at Lin Yu'an who was petrified at the scene and picked up the report and key points.
He stood up with an elegant and calm demeanor, "The meeting is about to start earlier, Secretary Lin, cheer up."
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