Chapter 18 He seemed not to recognize her.
This group is not only one of the top 100 enterprises in China, but also a leading enterprise in the province's textile industry. Recently, its initiative to introduce robotic arms to replace some manual production has sparked considerable discussion online, with related topics frequently trending on industry hot searches.
This morning, the team member who was sent to deliver the invitation letter came back and told her that the group's receptionist asked her to leave as soon as she heard that the provincial TV station was going to film a documentary.
Using her connections, Qin Qiao found out that this Mr. Dong was at a high-end private club in the suburbs today.
She decided to meet the chairman of the Ling Group in person.
The winding mountain road, like a jade ribbon, snakes through the mountains, with cars slowly crawling along its loops. As we near the summit, a suspension bridge connecting the two banks comes into view, suspended in the wisps of smoke and clouds, as vivid as if it had been etched from a traditional Chinese ink painting.
Drive across this suspension bridge and you'll arrive at this private club.
With its white walls and black tiles, square shape, it resembled a small courtyard house, hidden deep within a dense forest. This was Qin Qiao's first time visiting such a place. It was said that to enter such a place, a minimum of 50 million yuan in assets was required, along with various other rules and regulations.
My phone received a message.
Gu Xu: [I've contacted Chairman Wen. Just give him his name, and they'll let you in.]
Having worked in the news media for nearly two decades, Gu Xu has a wide network of contacts. He has personal relationships with almost everyone in China who is a well-known figure, including the Dong family.
Gu Xu sent a second message: [You need to meet this Chairman Ling. I heard he has a rather eccentric temper, and he hates being interviewed. In the current situation in China, many business tycoons look down on journalists, thinking we just write nonsense.]
Qin Qiao got out of the car and was only stopped briefly at the door before being allowed to pass. She wandered around and successfully found the top-tier room where Director Ling was.
Inside the tea room, white steam billowed from the spout of a purple clay teapot, swirling and intertwining above the table. The subtle, bitter, and mellow flavor of Longjing tea floated and sank in the moist air.
Two men sat at a long black walnut table, one inside and one outside. The one inside had a full head of silver hair and deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes; the man outside was handsome and young, and although his aura was not as strong as the one inside, he was not intimidated in the slightest.
A tall, beautiful waitress stood on each side of the two men, bending down from time to time to refill their tea.
After a pause, Chairman Ling flicked the ash off his cigar and continued, "Last year, our collaboration with your company on the constant temperature electric blankets performed exceptionally well, directly increasing our company's revenue by 30%. This achievement was highly praised at the board meeting."
He looked closely at the young man in front of him, his eyes full of admiration: "I rarely praise people, but Chairman Chen is young and promising. I hope we can cooperate on more product lines in the future."
"Chairman Ling, you flatter me. The reason why the constant temperature electric blanket has achieved such a market response is mainly due to your factory's strict control over production quality." Chen Jiashu also had a half-burnt cigar between his two fingers, the embers of which flickered.
As they were talking, someone knocked on the door.
Chairman Ling looked over and saw a slender, graceful figure appear on the carved door: "A reporter has arrived."
Chairman Ling had informed him in advance that a reporter from the provincial TV station wanted to make a documentary about him.
Chen Jiashu placed his cigar on the ashtray beside him, picked up his cane, and was about to get up when Director Ling gently pressed his hand on the back of his hand: "No need, it's just some chores, it's nothing."
Chen Jiashu sat back down, ignoring the cigar. He wasn't used to smoking it anyway, but he couldn't refuse Chairman Ling's hospitality.
"Come in."
Upon hearing this, Qin Qiao pushed open the door and entered, then turned around, grasped the door knocker with both hands, and gently closed the door.
"Qin Qiao, a reporter from the provincial TV station?" When Chairman Ling stood up to ask, Qin Qiao's gaze was passing over the left shoulder of the man outside.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the man's shoulders tremble.
Her heart skipped a beat for no reason. Qin Qiao felt that this person looked very familiar, but because she had to answer Chairman Ling's question, she could only look directly at Chairman Ling: "Chairman Ling, I've heard so much about you. I am Qin Qiao, the person in charge of the 'Entrepreneur' program on the provincial TV station."
Chairman Ling put his hands behind his back, walked around the tea table, raised his hand, and made a gesture of invitation.
There were two black walnut armchairs on the left. Qin Qiao walked over and sat in the one closest to the door, while Director Ling sat in the other one, his legs crossed, his toes pointing upwards in his old Beijing cloth shoes.
The waiter came over to make tea, turning slightly to the side, which conveniently blocked Chairman Ling's view.
Taking advantage of the moment, Qin Qiao secretly glanced at the dark blue figure. He had excellent shoulder lines and a long neck. He wore the ordinary suit with the aura of a supermodel.
He noticed her. The man turned his head slightly, and as soon as his high, straight nose came into view, Qin Qiao's breath caught in her throat.
The tea boiled and gurgled in the teapot, the steam rising to the ceiling. The waiter bent down, picked up the teapot, and poured tea into Chen Jiashu's cup.
Suppressing the shock in her heart, Qin Qiao quickly looked away.
The teacup beside her was already filled with hot tea, about 70% hot, and the tea soup rippled slightly when gently swirled.
The waiter quietly stepped back.
"I heard you want to hire me to make a documentary?" Chairman Ling asked.
Qin Qiao immediately put on a dignified, professional smile, meeting Chairman Ling's questioning gaze. The old chairman's eyelids drooped, and his wrinkles held a dignified air accumulated over the years.
"Yes, Chairman Ling, because your story is a testament to the growth of China's real economy from nothing to something, from weak to strong..."
Without interrupting, Chairman Ling continued speaking. Her tone was calm and gentle, neither too eager nor too distant.
Chen Jiashu involuntarily turned her head to look at the pale yellow figure. She sat sideways, intently watching Director Ling, her back straight.
The power of language is fully demonstrated in Qin Qiao.
After the fire fifteen years ago, he suffered from heart disease and eye problems, and was depressed for many days. It was Qin Qiao who knocked on his door, brought him some snacks, and also gave him a recording pen with Professor Tian Nan's lectures.
When he asked why she was helping him, Qin Qiao sincerely and playfully used the phrase "half a friend," making it impossible for him to refuse her kindness.
She shifted slightly, and Chen Jiashu immediately turned around, fumbled around on the edge of the table for a moment, picked up the teacup beside him, and took a sip.
“You started from a small hardware store thirty years ago and went through three near-bankruptcy experiences, but you always insisted on not laying off employees or cutting salaries. We want more people to know that true wealth is not the numbers on the books, but the spirit of hard work woven stitch by stitch, like yours.”
Chairman Ling raised his hand, the meaning of which was self-evident.
"What's so interesting about filming these old stories? Our Ling Group is already number one in the province, we don't need to rely on these sensational stories for publicity."
Qin Qiao wasn't discouraged by Chairman Ling's interruption. Instead, she quickly changed her approach, saying, "Chairman Ling, you misunderstand. Many young people nowadays think starting a business is just about creating a PowerPoint presentation, securing investment, and then waiting to go public and cash out. They don't know how real entrepreneurs get where they are..."
After speaking, Qin Qiao turned around, took out the photos she had prepared from her bag, and presented them with both hands.
Yellowed photos, familiar scenes, and those familiar faces.
Chairman Ling paused for a moment, took the old photo, and pointed his finger at the face of the man wearing a cotton hat in the photo. Suddenly, a laugh rolled out of his nose: "This is Xiao Jiang. He brought more than a dozen old employees to me and said that they could forgo their wages, but they couldn't watch the factory go bankrupt."
He held the photo in his hand and stopped talking, his thumb repeatedly tracing the yellowed edges until his eyes welled up with tears.
Just when Qin Qiao thought success was within reach, Chairman Ling looked up at her and changed the subject: "However, Ms. Qin, the reason why our Ling Group has come this far is because of the solid cohesion of our workers and our corporate culture. And there is a set of principles in our culture that all management knows: we do not accept any media interviews."
He put down the photo: "So, I'm sorry, you should look for someone else to work with."
After saying this, Chairman Ling stood up and walked quickly to the window, standing with his hands behind his back. The setting sun shone through the window paper, casting a pale orange-red light that slanted across half of his body.
The old chairman's refusal was obvious, and if she said anything more, she would be being tactless. Qin Qiao picked up her bag and stood up: "Then, Chairman Ling, I won't bother you any longer."
Qin Qiao stood up straight, walking with composure and calmness.
As soon as the door closed, she quickened her pace, only letting out a long sigh of relief when she reached the end of the corridor.
Of course, this doesn't mean giving up, but rather going back to adjust the strategy.
Three years ago, she interviewed William, the president of a global automotive parts giant. She visited him three times to find out he liked Chinese culture and Huangmei Opera. She started by talking about his interests, and even spent a week learning from a teacher. Later, she performed at a cultural festival to attract William's attention.
The reason she was so nervous and upset was because Chen Jiashu was in the story. It was like being dumped by your current boyfriend and being caught by your ex-boyfriend – you felt like you wanted to die.
*
After the uninvited guest left, Chairman Ling returned to his seat, picked up his teacup, and took a sip of tea.
He put it down, and the waiter continued to refill his tea.
Chairman Ling leaned back in his chair: “Every year, we get at least a dozen or twenty reporters who invite us to shoot promotional videos. You know, for us in the real economy, the core value lies in our products, technology, and supply chain, not some kind of fan economy. Doing this kind of promotion is a complete waste of time.”
He didn't notice that the man opposite him tightened his grip on the cup because of his somewhat disdainful and even mocking tone, leaving obvious white marks on his fingertips.
But the man quickly withdrew his strength, a faint smile playing on his lips, and continued, "Compared to the Ling family, we at Qiaoshu can be said to be 'publicly visible.' Since the establishment of the Qiaoshu brand, we have changed our celebrity spokesperson every three years. Especially this year, the singer and dancer has seen a 30% increase in sales in just half a quarter."
“Qiaoshu has a storefront, so of course it needs promotion,” said Chairman Ling.
Chen Jiashu shook his head slightly. "Not entirely. Celebrities can bring traffic, but a truly good story can bring partners. It's just that we at Qiaoshu need to take both retail and manufacturing into account."
"A good story?" Chairman Ling looked up, his interest piqued, and adopted an expression of listening attentively.
“I recently read a passage in a financial magazine that resonated with me: McKinsey research shows that 70% of B2B decision-makers are more willing to cooperate because of the technical details in the company's narrative.” (1)
Chen Jiashu paused for two seconds, "Compared to the celebrity effect, industrial enterprises need to build trust in the industrial chain. This trust is precisely the positive image and story of the enterprise."
Chairman Ling nodded repeatedly, almost unconsciously.
"Take Zwickau in Germany for example. They document every single process, down to the smallest detail. Top companies often prioritize industrial documentaries to enhance their professional image, which is essentially another form of 'promotional film.' Collaborating with mainstream media to strengthen a company's professional brand would be a good thing."
"The fan economy applies to everyone, and the manufacturing industry also needs to cultivate its own 'professional fans'."
After expressing his opinion, Chen Jiashu humbly said, "These are just my humble thoughts, please forgive me, Chairman Ling."
Chairman Ling leaned forward slightly: "You young people are more worldly-wise, while we old folks can't keep up with the times." He put his three withered fingers together, rubbed his chin lightly, and made a low hissing sound, as if he was considering something. After a moment, he said: "It seems I have to keep this reporter here for a detailed chat."
It was getting late. Chen Jiashu picked up his white cane, stood up, and bowed slightly: "Chairman Ling, thank you for the tea. I have some matters to attend to at the group, so I'll take my leave now."
*
On the other end, Qin Qiao had just gotten into the car when Gu Xu called her, saying that he had received a call back from Chairman Wen and asked her to go to Chairman Ling's place again.
Chairman Ling wanted to discuss the documentary filming with her in detail.
Mr. Ling's sudden 180-degree change in attitude made Qin Qiao overjoyed. Even though she was wearing high heels, she walked and ran, afraid that Mr. Ling would regret it if she was a step too late.
As she turned the corner of the corridor, she nearly collided with Chen Jiashu, who was coming from the opposite direction, and she quickly stopped.
The first thing she noticed was the dark red bite mark on his lip, resembling an ulcer. Since it was her handiwork, she could see it at a glance, and outsiders probably wouldn't have guessed that way.
Just as she was about to greet him, Chen Jiashu seemed not to recognize her, indifferently looked away, and walked straight past her.
His assistant followed closely behind him.
The two footsteps gradually faded into the distance. Qin Qiao turned around, but the long corridor was winding and she could no longer see them.
The temperature in the mountains is already low, and a sudden gust of wind blew through the shade of the trees, hitting you directly in the face, and the cool air was refreshing.
A note from the author:
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(1) Citing Baidu Encyclopedia
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