152. Shooting the Bull from Across the Mountain
"It's Dolce & Gabbana, doesn't it look good?" Yao Ye asked expectantly. "It looks like a burial garment, especially when you're lying on this white bed of mine." Ling Ling responded dejectedly. "Hey, it's so expensive!" Yao Ye was irritated and jumped up. "Funeral garments are also very expensive. You should have used the price of a burial garment to buy a burial garment." Ling Ling was even more depressed. Hearing her say that, Yao Ye was even more dissatisfied. She jumped up and stood on the bed and said, "My skirt shows my body proportions, okay?" "Then there must be a proportion first! Your ratio is 1:1:1." Ling Ling continued to say sarcastically. Yao Ye was so angry that he said, "You were particularly harsh on me today. Tell me, did my dad recruit you?" "Don't you know whether your dad recruited me or not? You were sent by your dad today, right?" Ling Ling finally exposed her. Yao Ye was quiet for a few minutes, then he had to admit: "Well, if you ask me, you two are really a good match, an old fox and a young fox. Tell me, what's going on between you and Wen Ruier?" "Nothing, just a normal workplace dispute." Ling Ling didn't want to escalate to Fang Tuowu's level. Yao Ye said with a "tsk", "What are you still arguing about? You've been kicked out and away from the center of the storm." Ling Ling leaned on the other bed and sighed, "Well, where there are people, there are rivers and lakes, but as long as there are storms in the rivers and lakes, there will be a day when the clouds will clear and the fog will dissipate. Just stick to your heart and do your own thing. " "But he didn't kill you before. What's going on recently? Moreover, his arm is not a fracture caused by drinking too much, as he told my dad, but a knife wound." It seems that before Yao Ye came, Fang Tuowu had already investigated the matter very clearly, and he would not give up until his daughter took the truth away this time. And Wen Ruier had indeed managed to hold her own. Minor fights were fine, but the real person couldn't be touched. If Fang Tuowu simply drove her away, he would lose a trusted confidant he had nurtured, and he certainly wouldn't allow that to happen. Ling Ling found it ridiculous. Mr. Fang clearly wanted to ask her himself, but he asked his daughter to do it, like a strict father who didn't dare to communicate directly with his daughter and always had to ask his wife. She couldn't help but smile inwardly. The relationship between the three of them was like water, morphing anywhere and disappearing at any time. Ling Ling hugged the pillow, adjusted herself to a position that made her feel more secure, and slowly told Yao Ye what had happened between her and Wen Ruier in the past few days. After pouring it all out, Ling Ling felt much more relieved. Yao Ye was shocked and kept cursing the beast with a human face...
"It's Dolce & Gabbana, does it look good?" Yao Ye asked expectantly.
"It looks like a shroud, especially when you're lying on my white bed." Ling Ling responded dejectedly.
"Hey, it's so expensive!" Yao Ye was so angry that he jumped up.
"Funeral clothes are quite expensive. You probably bought a burial clothes with the price of one." Ling Ling felt even more depressed.
Hearing her say this, Yao Ye was even more dissatisfied. She jumped up and stood on the bed and said, "My skirt really shows my body proportions, okay?"
"Then there has to be a ratio first! Yours is 1:1:1, right?" Ling Ling continued to say sarcastically.
Yao Ye was so angry that he said, "You were particularly aggressive towards me today. Tell me, did my dad provoke you?"
"Don't you know whether your father has recruited me or not? You were sent here by your father today, right?" Ling Ling finally exposed her.
Yao Ye was silent for a few minutes before he had to admit, "Well, I'd say you two are quite a good match, an old fox and a young fox. Tell me, what's going on between you and Wen Rui'er?"
"It's nothing, just a normal workplace dispute." Ling Ling didn't want to rise to Fang Tuowu's level.
Yao Ye snorted and said, "Why are you still arguing? You've been kicked out and are far away from the center of the storm."
Ling Ling reclined on the other bed and sighed, "Alas, wherever there are people, there is the world of martial arts. But as long as there is turmoil in the world of martial arts, there will always be a day when the clouds will clear and the fog will dissipate. Just stick to your heart and do your own thing."
"But he didn't kill you before. What's going on lately? Besides, his arm isn't a broken bone from drinking too much, as my dad told me. It's a knife wound."
It seemed Fang Tuowu had already thoroughly investigated the matter before Yao Ye arrived, and he wouldn't rest until his daughter took the truth. Wen Ruier had indeed been quite capable, so he wasn't afraid of minor incidents, but he couldn't touch her true self. If he simply drove her away, Fang Tuowu would lose a trusted confidant he had nurtured, and he certainly wouldn't allow that to happen.
Ling Ling found it ridiculous. Mr. Fang clearly wanted to ask her himself, but he asked his daughter to do it instead. It was like a strict father who didn't dare to communicate directly with his daughter, and always had to ask his wife to inquire. She couldn't help but smile inwardly. The relationship between the three of them was like water, illusive and invisible at any time.
Ling Ling hugged her pillow, adjusting herself to a position that made her feel more secure, and slowly recounted to Yao Ye what had happened between her and Wen Rui'er in the past few days. After she had let it all out, Ling Ling felt much more at ease. Yao Ye was shocked and kept cursing the scumbag with a human face and a beastly heart. Ling Ling felt very fortunate that she was being completely trusted, without a single doubt.
They chatted for a while, and before they knew it, Ling Ling fell into a drowsy sleep. It had been a long time since she had slept so deeply without the help of drugs. When she woke up, it was almost noon the next day.
Ling Ling found herself tightly covered in the quilt, her phone on Do Not Disturb mode. Yao Ye was gone, but her concern remained. On the table sat a beautiful simmering pot. Ling Ling opened it and saw a delicious, warm bowl of seafood porridge.
Ling Ling ate her porridge while scrolling through her phone, intending to write her a tearful essay of gratitude. But she was surprised to find herself with over a dozen missed calls and dozens of unread messages. Some were from established clients, others were from colleagues in other departments, and the most frequent were from Gu Chuqi, who peppered her with questions and ended up showering her with excitement. She had shared several WeChat official account tweets in their group A, and when she opened them, she was truly shocked:
Renowned advertising agency Fang Tuowu dismissed Wen Ruier, a gilded overseas returnee, overnight and quickly promoted rising local talent Ling Ling. The article, citing insider information, exposed multiple instances of Wen Ruier stealing colleagues' ideas and sexually harassing female subordinates at overseas companies. The article also described how Ling Ling, Wen Ruier's subordinate, was exploited for her talents, forced to remain loyal to the company, and compromised. Now, justice has arrived, albeit belatedly. Fang Tuowu wisely cut its losses and avoided the deception of other domestic advertising agencies that fell victim to the 4A elite.
After Ling Ling finished reading all the news that dominated the headlines on her mobile phone with bated breath, she let out a long sigh and expressed deep admiration in her heart: Mr. Fang's trick of hitting the target from a distance is really brilliant!
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ling Ling woke up, read the headlines, finished a can of seafood porridge, and when she entered the company, she was surprisingly promoted from Creative Director of Team A to Vice President of Creative. She had been put on unpaid leave the previous day, and the undercurrents within the company, with the underlings from outside departments siding with Wen Ruier, had all vanished as the sun rose.
Over the next few days, various creative teams came to her for their support. She was neither too close nor too distant, making one thing clear to everyone: just keep doing the work at hand as before. She wouldn't rush into any new projects just because of a promotion. Such flaming and flaming activities are a waste of time, like fireworks at a holiday ceremony: a brief burst of brilliance followed by a mess and no one to clean up. She wasn't in a rush to establish her authority. If everyone felt she was the right person, there was no need; if they felt she wasn't worthy, there was no need to use isolated incidents to prove it. She would quickly understand the full picture of each business line, then develop a clear plan and efficiently execute it.
Ling Ling was busy dealing with the exponentially increased administrative workload after her promotion, while also having to continue to maintain loyal old customers.
Yunshang's co-branded design, Lingling, featured a trendy copper coin denim collection. Coin-shaped cutouts were incorporated into the cuffs of jeans and the backs of denim jackets, allowing young people, who "choose between work and career advancement," to wear their prayers for wealth. This creative idea sparked a sales frenzy, sending Yunshang's search volume to the top of several major e-commerce platforms. The collection sold out quickly, even attracting scalpers. Lingling has truly become Tuowu's biggest IP phenomenon.
Fang Tuowu was very pleased with Ling Ling's ability to quickly stabilize the team and ensure a smooth transition. She was particularly commendable for having made herself and her company a sought-after hot topic during this period. However, the next challenge was the continued maintenance of Aojie.
Fang Tuowu's sole reason for bringing Wen Ruier in was to secure a deal with Aojie. He knew Ling Ling would contribute more to Tuowu, but she lacked the resources he desired. So, he had to trade his position for them. Tuowu wanted to become a top-tier advertising agency, and it needed to include leading automotive brands like Aojie among its clientele. He had already been gathering negative information about Wen Ruier when he was preparing to bring him to the company, but he hadn't expected his character to reach such a low point. Even more unbearable was the fact that he'd dared to touch Ling Ling, so he decisively decided to take action.
Then, it depends on Ling Ling's ability.
At Aojie's annual meeting, Fang Tuowu introduced Lingling to Aojie's brand director, Lawrence. Since they had met once before in New York, Lawrence didn't ignore her, but his exchange was limited to professional pleasantries. Lingling stood aside, completely unable to join in the conversation between him and his colleagues.
Ling Ling turned around dejectedly to get the wine, but the person who refilled her glass shocked her - it was Lin Kun.
"Why did you come out?!" Ling Ling froze.
The man smiled greasy and complacently and said, "Haha, it seems you have a deep impression of my brother! I am his twin brother, Lin Sheng. You have done him so much harm, it will be difficult for him to get out in this lifetime. But don't be too happy too soon. Do you think America is a country that values fairness and justice? If I can do well like my brother did, rich and useful, there will always be a way to get him out earlier. I didn't expect to meet you at such a high-end cocktail party. Why, do you need me to accompany you for a walk tonight?"
The man's malicious insinuations immediately made Ling Ling sick. She realized that Lin Kun actually had a twin brother. When Lin Kun had assaulted her in college, he had knelt down and begged her for mercy, even calling on his parents from his rural hometown to speak up for him, claiming he was an only child and that if something happened to him, his chronically ill parents wouldn't survive the winter. She had agreed to let him go because she couldn't bear their suffering. Otherwise, the more severe violence that followed wouldn't have occurred.
She vaguely remembered hearing from classmates near graduation that Lin Kun was under investigation for possible cheating on the college entrance exam, with rumors circulating that a brother had taken the exam for him. But the story seemed to have faded. Now it seemed the twin brothers might have escaped again.
When Ling Ling thought of this, old and new hatreds surged in her heart. She had once let the beast go because of her momentary mercy, allowing him to do so many evil things to many innocent girls. She couldn't help but want to tear apart the disgusting face in front of her.
This internal annual meeting had a Masonic feel, but in China, foreigners wouldn't dare mess around, so there were only small performances of song and dance and gladiatorial combat. Finally, there was a segment where people from the audience were invited to perform on stage.
Ling Ling watched Lin Sheng parasitize on a new corporate boss, wandering among the powerful in the world of fame and fortune. She felt sad, angry, and magical. She knew she couldn't change the reality, but at least she wanted to shatter his undeserved dignity at this party full of hypocrisy.
Following the host's enthusiastic invitation, the bigwigs in the audience just smiled faintly and no one responded. Ling Ling raised a hand, accepted the invitation, and made a high-profile entrance.
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