49. Editor-in-Chief
Because of her good fight, Chi Jin was promoted from ordinary editor to executive editor. The work of reporting the entire "Face" work arrangement and the end-of-month work progress to the management, which was previously the responsibility of Jiang Xuhuan, naturally fell on her head.
When Chi Jin thought of the management team, she immediately thought of the editors-in-chief she might have to deal with. She had no access to Editor-in-Chief Lin, which left her with four deputy editors-in-chief, each responsible for four magazines. Deputy Editor-in-Chief Chen had made his first move, reportedly initiating drastic reforms, including grouping "Faces," "Childhood," "Autumn Letters," and "Sunday."
As usual, the editors-in-chief of the four magazines were responsible for the arrangements at the beginning, middle, and end of the month, but this time, all four magazines reported to the editor-in-chief. As to whether Chen Yisheng was responsible, the answer was self-evident.
The air conditioning in the conference room seemed to be turned up quite high. The long table was brightly lit, reflecting the LED light strips on the ceiling, giving off a cool and businesslike luster.
When Chi Jin followed the editor-in-chief of "Childhood" into the room, clutching his notebook and the materials he had compiled for his mid-month report, several people were already seated. The editors of "Autumn Letters" and "Sunday" were chatting quietly; Ouyang Yuan had hinted that they were on good terms. Upon seeing Chi Jin enter, they nodded as a greeting.
She saw the familiar figure in the main seat at a glance.
Chen Yisheng, wearing a fitted dark gray suit and meticulously styled hair, was talking on the phone with his head tilted slightly to one side, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the tabletop. A week after not seeing him, his aura seemed even more dignified, carrying the unquestionable authority of a newly appointed official.
Chi Jin quickly lowered his eyelashes, found a seat farthest from the main seat, opened his notebook, and pretended to concentrate on checking the key points of the report, but his heart was uncontrollably beating slightly faster.
Don't be nervous. It's just a report.
After everyone arrived, one of the assistants gave a brief opening speech, explaining the new process for the joint report of the four journals. Then he turned to Chen Yisheng and said, "Editor-in-Chief Chen, shall we begin?"
Only then did Chi Jin notice his assistant. She was tall and slender, with a model figure. She looked very capable and professional. Every frown and smile was just right, very different from himself, a rookie.
The other assistant was Chief Editor Lin's assistant, and Chi Jin had met her several times. When she asked Jiang Xuhuan to give her special treatment, she hadn't heard that Chief Editor Lin would send an assistant to help. It seemed that she was also a spy planted there.
Chen Yisheng nodded slightly, his eyes sweeping calmly over everyone present. His expression was professional and calm, without any unnecessary emotions. Even when he passed by Chi Jin, there was no pause at all, as if he was looking at any subordinate he met for the first time.
"Let's get started." His voice was a little deeper than in "Faces", with unquestionable majesty.
Following the magazine's order, the editors of Childhood and Autumn Letters presented their reports. Chen Yisheng listened attentively, occasionally interrupting to ask a sharp but pertinent question or two. His tone was calm, yet commanding, as was his wont.
During the intermission, Chen Yisheng received an urgent call and went out with his assistant. He was already fully immersed in his new role.
The editor of Childhood was a nasty male editor whom he had met during the autumn recruitment. He looked at Chi Jin and said, "Chi Jiuxian, King Chen is indeed as strict as his reputation says."
"I heard Yuanyuan say it was quite scary," said the editor of Autumn Letters. "It's really sharp. Our magazine is having a great time."
"Of course not. Look, as soon as King Chen was promoted, Chi Jin was also promoted to editor-in-charge. Did King Chen suppress you a lot?"
"It's completely false." Chi Jin stood up and took a glass of water.
"What kind of report would please him most? Let me learn from you, Chi Jiuxian."
Chi Jin didn't respond: "Everyone likes an excellent report."
The second half begins, and it's the turn of "Faces".
Chi Jin took a deep breath, stood up, and walked to the projector. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, including the one that made her feel the most uneasy.
She calmed herself and began to clearly and fluently explain Face's priorities and layout plan for the coming month, with detailed data and clear logic. Throughout, she tried to keep her gaze fixed on the projection screen or at the other editors, avoiding any intersection with the main speaker's direction.
After finishing her report, she nodded slightly: "The above is the main work arrangement for Face magazine next month."
There was a brief silence in the conference room.
During the report just now, Chen Yisheng's eyes fell on the presentation screen, occasionally lowering his head to take notes. He never looked at Chi Jin from beginning to end, as if he was simply evaluating a completely unfamiliar work report. However, only he knew how much self-control he needed to maintain a calm expression.
He clearly remembered how she'd nervously pinch her shirt when she first joined the company two years ago. But now, standing here, facing the group's management, she spoke fluently, her thinking was meticulous, and her familiarity and control over the business far exceeded his expectations.
She certainly no longer needed any protection or guidance from him.
Chen Yisheng took a sip of water, swallowing his inappropriate emotions and said, "When speaking, you should not only look at the other editors, but also the host. This is respect."
She raised her eyes, unable to help but meet his gaze, and smiled professionally: "Okay, Editor-in-Chief Chen."
She quickly changed her words: "Editor-in-Chief Chen."
Chen Yisheng didn't mind the oversight in addressing him, simply asking, "I have three questions. First, regarding the traffic-driving plan for Faces' print and new media platforms, what's the specific basis for the expected increase in conversion rates?"
Chen Yisheng's tone was businesslike, even colder and tougher than when he questioned other editors.
This question was within her expectations, and Chi Jin answered calmly, "The basis for traffic cross-reference is based on the data model we've tested over the past three months. The expected 15% increase in conversion rate is a conservative estimate. These are detailed on the first page of the appendix."
"Secondly, the depth of the last issue's feature articles was well received, but is this model sustainable and capable of mass production?"
His eyes were deep and without any ripples, as if he was looking at a completely unfamiliar reporter, waiting for a satisfactory answer.
"This is currently an unknown, and we must always be more aggressive on the road of exploration. We also have sufficient emergency plans to stop losses in time."
"Third." He paused, then finally raised his eyes, looking sharply at Chi Jin. "Regarding the cover of the second half of the month's 'Entertainment Faces', I noticed that your initial intention is to use a popular artist. This is the first time 'Face' has tried this direction. Please explain the specific reasons and risk assessment."
"Regarding 'Entertainment Faces' considering signing a high-profile artist for the first time, we based our analysis on the following factors. "Her voice remained calm, without any discernible emotion." First, market data supports this. This is a traffic trend chart for the entertainment sector compiled by our team over the past six months. The data shows that the open rate of interviews with traditional writers and artists is slowly declining, while content from emerging artists with both good reputation and buzz is attracting new content at a rate over three times higher than average, effectively reaching the younger demographics we're hoping to expand."
"Secondly, risk control. We're not blindly chasing traffic. The three artists on our candidate list have all undergone rigorous background checks to ensure they pose no significant public opinion risks. Furthermore, our planned interviews will focus on their exploration and growth in their professional fields, rather than gossiping about their personal lives. This ensures the content aligns with the 'in-depth' and 'humanistic' positioning of 'Face' and avoids damaging our brand image. This is our draft interview outline and risk response plan."
Chi Jin closed the slide and opened another document.
He watched, his fingers occasionally making notes on the tablet on the table, without commenting.
"Third, commercial value. We've already had preliminary discussions with our advertising department about this decision. The target artist's endorsement brands overlap significantly with our advertisers, and we anticipate significant synergistic commercial benefits." She concluded, gazing calmly back at Chen Yisheng. "Taking all of this into account, we believe this attempt is a necessary market breakthrough while maintaining a high level of content quality. The risks are manageable, and the expected returns are significant."
Her answers were clearly organized, based on solid data and comprehensive strategies. They completely transcended the thinking of the simple executive level and demonstrated mature business insight and strategic planning capabilities.
There was a moment of silence in the conference room.
I felt truly, even somewhat shockingly, her transformation over the past two years.
He was silent for a few seconds, then nodded slightly, his gaze returning to his notebook. His voice was emotionless. "The data is very detailed, and I hope the execution will be equally rigorous. I have no further questions."
"Thank you, Editor-in-Chief Chen." Chi Jin nodded slightly, without any change in his expression.
The editors of Sunday and Autumn Letters all applauded. As editor-in-chief, Chi Jin had the shortest tenure and the least experience, yet he was so thorough and impeccable.
Chi Jin silently dragged the uploaded slides and documents into the Recycle Bin, bowed slightly, and left the stage.
"Next." He spoke, his voice smooth.
Chi Jin breathed a sigh of relief, but felt a sense of emptiness in her heart. She returned to her seat, and the editor-in-chief of "Sunday" had already started speaking.
He never glanced at her again during the entire meeting.
The meeting ended, and everyone packed up and left. Chen Yisheng was whispering with two assistants.
Chi Jin was the last one to arrive. As she passed him, her steps paused involuntarily. He seemed to be completely oblivious to her, his face tilted to the side, intently listening to his assistant's words.
She lowered her eyes and walked out quickly. The sunlight outside the corridor was a little dazzling.
The invisible wall between her and him seemed to have grown taller and thicker than it had been in the editorial department of Faces. From then on, he was the manager to be looked up to, while she was just a junior magazine editor to whom she had to report.
Not even as good as a stranger.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
