32
Things progressed even more smoothly than they had expected. After the executive morning meeting on Monday, Han Wenqing went to talk to General Manager Zhao about the situation. Early Tuesday morning, he received the latest general office meeting agenda from the office, and the strategic cooperation topic was no longer on the agenda.
The three of them weren't exactly happy, after all, they had lost a big project worth over 100 million yuan. Their high expectations had ultimately vanished, and the start of the year was a devastating blow to the department and even the entire company.
There are probably people secretly cursing Han Wenqing, thinking that he gets the most money and enjoys the highest treatment, yet he still tries to sabotage other people's businesses.
But Han Wenqing held a high position, so no one dared to offend him, but it was a different story for others.
Therefore, Han Wenqing specifically emphasized in the subsequent daily team meetings that everyone must strictly abide by the company's regulations. Those who need to cooperate with other departments, such as attending events or shooting commercials, must be even more self-disciplined and must never have a similar "invoice incident" as before.
Zhang Jiale, unaware of the situation, thought he had offended some powerful figure and was being sued. He remained silent like a quail. However, Zhang Xinjie and Shen Ning knew the whole story and naturally understood Han Wenqing's meaning.
Especially for assistant positions like Shen Ning, who deal with other departments every day, and are at the very bottom of the team, they are the easiest targets for venting anger.
She was extremely careful and meticulous, and her work was flawless in every aspect.
Just two weeks later, when everyone thought things had calmed down, Xu Mingyu, the director of the second sales department and also the person in charge of the previously aborted project, came to their door.
It was a little after 3 p.m. when the team was training. Shen Ning was pasting the invoices that the team needed to reimburse one by one when she heard the rapid sound of high heels getting closer and closer until they finally stopped in front of her.
With her neat short hair, sharp formal attire, striking eyebrows and bright eyes rarely seen in women, coupled with heavy makeup, Xu Mingyu exudes an understated sense of authority.
"Concentration?"
"yes."
She looked Shen Ning up and down for a few moments, then asked, "You still need to attach receipts?"
"It's just an assistant's job."
Xu Mingyu looked at her again, and this time placed a newly signed endorsement contract on Chen Ning's table: "There's a photoshoot in half a month, I'll coordinate with you."
Shen Ning picked it up and glanced at it. This was just an endorsement that had been arranged long ago. The time and personnel had all been arranged. Once the process was completed, a stamped scanned copy would be sent over. There was no need for someone at the sales director level to send a paper copy.
The old drunkard's heart was not in the wine.
Chen Ning smiled faintly, mimicking her words, and asked in return, "Do you really need me to deliver it personally?"
"If we're going to do business together, it's always better to meet in person the first time." Being a smart person, Xu Mingyu didn't beat around the bush and continued quite frankly, "How about we have dinner together tonight?"
He stared intently into her eyes. Although he couldn't figure out what she was up to, he couldn't sense any malice. Besides, his pride prevented him from refusing her.
“Okay, where?” Shen Ning readily agreed.
"Add me on WeChat, and I'll send it to you."
The team was focused on playing the simulated match, and no one noticed who had come. Shen Ning didn't want Han Wenqing and Zhang Xinjie to worry, so she didn't tell them about the dinner party that evening and went to the agreed place to meet them alone.
Xu Mingyu booked a kaiseki restaurant in a relatively secluded location. After pushing open the wooden door, a warm yellow light illuminated the room, and the corridor was decorated with ukiyo-e prints, flower arrangements, tea sets, and other decorations, all in a typical Japanese elegant style.
Zhang Xinjie is a walking food map, and Shen Ning knows very well that this restaurant's prices are definitely among the highest, averaging 1720 yuan per person. Based on her salary, she absolutely cannot afford to eat there.
"I've already ordered everything you recommended. Feel free to add anything else you like," Xu Mingyu said as she entered, inviting her to sit down.
Shen Ning glanced at the recommended dishes on the menu, then slowly closed it: "No need, it's too expensive."
Xu Mingyu chuckled: "You think you're lacking in that little bit?"
"I'm just a junior assistant with a monthly salary of less than 10,000 yuan."
"That's not very interesting," Xu Mingyu said, pouring a cup of tea over. "Miss Shen, even Chairman Zhao would have to treat you with utmost courtesy, wouldn't he?"
Shen Ning looked up at the person who had thoroughly investigated her background and revealed it to her right away. Besides surprise, she felt more admiration.
She likes people who are straightforward.
He stared intently at the slowly rising steam from the teacup, showing no intention of picking it up to taste it. He simply said unhurriedly, "Director Xu is very generous."
"Looks like I guessed right."
"Guess?"
"Your identity isn't so easy to find out. I'm out of ideas. I went through all the high-level leaders from bottom to top to find someone with the same surname as you, and only the one at the very top fits the bill."
He chuckled bitterly: "You're trying to trick me."
"Hey, we're all just working people, I'm out of options."
Shen Ning cut to the chase: "So? What brings you here?"
"You're the one who discovered the Shengchong Group affair, aren't you?"
"Trying to trick me again?"
“That’s really not true.” Xu Mingyu picked up a slice of sashimi, dipped it in the sauce bowl, and said, “I’ll believe either you or Deputy Captain Zhang found out about this, but I really don’t believe Captain Han found out.”
Shen Ning hadn't touched his chopsticks yet: "Don't underestimate the captain. He's not just good at playing games. It's not easy for him to stay in a high-level position."
"Don't get me wrong, I didn't mean to say that Captain Han is no good. I just feel that someone who even refused the World Invitational Tournament for the sake of the team doesn't have the time or inclination to look at other companies' financial reports."
That's absolutely right. Han Wenqing is indeed like that, which is something she has always admired.
Shen Ning didn't respond, and the silence made the atmosphere a little awkward. Xu Mingyu then teased, "You're really protective of your own."
“They’ve always taken care of me.” Shen Ning looked directly at Xu Mingyu and asked, “Is it because you want an explanation for the project being canceled? Just come to me, it has nothing to do with the team leader.”
"Hey, I didn't mean that! Why would I pick a fight with him? I'm not asking for trouble." Xu Mingyu smiled innocently. "Besides, I'm actually quite grateful to Captain Han."
He remained silent, bewildered.
Xu Mingyu crossed his arms and explained, "Remember that time when our department head and the head of Sales Department One got into a fight in the Human Resources Department?"
She nodded solemnly. She had a deep impression of it. The director of the second department had stolen a business from the first department without any martial ethics, and the two sides had directly turned into a "full-scale fight". It was something she had never heard of or seen before.
"That time, Captain Han stepped in and gave our Director Sun a good scolding," Xu Mingyu said, taking a sip of tea. "That was really satisfying."
Xu Mingyu's expression was one of pure enjoyment, and Shen Ning almost burst out laughing.
"You have a problem with Director Sun?"
"I've disliked him for a long time. He's incompetent and has no integrity. He climbs up the ladder by pulling strings and using underhanded tactics. He's embarrassing his clients."
"Aren't you afraid I'll tell on you?"
"If you could really put in a good word with the higher-ups and get him removed, our department would be burning incense in gratitude."
At this point in the conversation, Shen Ning roughly understood Xu Mingyu's purpose.
They're not here to cause trouble, but to find resources that can be used.
“I’m not interested in the infighting between sales departments. If Director Xu invited me to this dinner to try and get promoted by using me, then I’ll have to excuse myself.”
After speaking, Chen Ning placed his hand on his bag, as if he was ready to get up and leave at any moment.
"What if I'm not trying to use you to climb the ladder, but rather we're mutually using each other to climb the ladder together?"
Chen Ning's refusal was straightforward, and Xu Mingyu responded even more directly, without a trace of dejection on her face; instead, her smile deepened.
"Chen Ning, let's cooperate. Let's not resort to any underhanded or dirty tricks. Let's just climb the ladder honestly and fairly based on our abilities. What do you say?"
The table was pressed down, and Chen Ning tightened her grip on her bag.
She looked into Xu Mingyu's eyes; he was resolute, while she hesitated. She needed to weigh the pros and cons and assess the risk of the person in front of her.
Finally, I thought of Zhang Xinjie.
He once said that it is not shameful to make reasonable use of resources, and Xu Mingyu has negotiated investment cooperation worth hundreds of millions of yuan, so she definitely has resources that she can utilize.
She slowly released her hand from her bag, glanced at the untouched dishes and tea on the table, and finally reached out to pick up the teacup and took a sip.
"Let's talk while we eat."
Xu Mingyu grinned, her smile radiant, and pushed the Wagyu sukiyaki towards Chen Ning.
"This is their shop's signboard."
"Thanks."
“I know you’re busy, so I won’t take up your time. I’ll get straight to the point.” Xu Mingyu took out a transparent folder from her bag and handed it over. “This is the complete project plan I gave to Shengchong Group. Take a look at it first.”
Shen Ning took it and began to look through it. Because it wasn't ultimately presented at the general office meeting, the plan hadn't been synchronized beforehand, so she only had a general idea of what was going on.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear just how massive this project is.
—Build a state-of-the-art holographic esports arena that can accommodate 15,000 people and can be broadcast globally in multiple languages.
—Build an AI experience center, using 360° rotation and advanced simulation technology to provide immersive experiences of realistic combat, racing, shooting and other projects.
— Centered on the core of "e-sports + cultural tourism", the area will attract investment and establish an e-sports culture street and e-sports night market, covering various e-sports equipment, derivative cultural and creative products, food and leisure, and live-streaming e-commerce.
—Build training bases to provide esports professional training courses for different groups and levels.
The total investment is 5.8 billion yuan, of which the first phase investment is 1 billion yuan, with Batu contributing 200 million yuan and Shengchong contributing 800 million yuan.
In short, the goal is to create the nation's top e-sports industrial park and become Qingdao's most famous interactive entertainment landmark.
"Did you come up with all these plans?" Shen Ning asked, looking up.
"More or less, it's been going back and forth for almost a year."
“Remarkable.” Shen Ning’s words were sincere, and she genuinely felt sorry for Xu Mingyu. “If there were no problems with Shengchong Group, you might already be a candidate for director.”
Xu Mingyu smiled, seemingly unconcerned: "It's a pity, it just so happens to have a problem."
"So you want to restart the project?"
"Yes, the partner had problems, but the project logic was sound. Moreover, this was a good opportunity for Tyranny to transform, and I'm not willing to let it fall apart like this."
"Is there a new direction?"
Yes, that's why I came to find you.
Shen Ning paused for a moment, then flipped through the details of the specific rights and interests in the cooperation with Shengchong Group in the plan, and suddenly realized.
"You mean 'land'?"
“That’s right.” As expected, talking to a smart person is efficient. Xu Mingyu felt that he had not chosen the wrong person. “The most important thing about this project is the land. The most important reason why I chose Shengchong Company is not its large scale, but that it has idle land.”
He nodded solemnly: "Indeed, applying for land from the government is too difficult and time-consuming. If the company has idle land that has been legally approved, that would be the best."
She thought for a moment and continued, "So you want me to coordinate the allocation of idle land across the entire group?"
"Yes, our parent company is in the media industry, and it has a large land area. I think there should be some idle land, right?"
"Theoretically, it should exist, but let's not talk about that for now."
Shen Ning moved the dishes on the table to make a small space, placed the plan in the middle, and pointed to the funding section.
"Now there is a core issue: if the group really has to provide the land, it may be difficult to apply for funding. After all, Tyranny is now a subsidiary of the group, and the financial statements are consolidated at the end of the year. An expenditure of 1 billion yuan is not something that can be afforded all at once, especially since this is only the first phase of funding."
"Understood, we still need to find other investors."
"Another point is that if you want land from the group, you have to give a corresponding return. In addition to the profit sharing of the project itself, it also needs to be beneficial to other resources of the group."
"You mean the integration and driving force of other cultural sectors?"
“That’s right.” Shen Ning’s thoughts were the same as Xu Mingyu’s. “Just like the group’s cinema chain and advertising sectors, how can we drive development through the e-sports industrial park project area?”
Xu Mingyu pondered for a moment and said, "How about giving back soon? For example, tourists who come to the e-sports industrial park to watch the games can buy tickets at a 20% discount at nearby cinemas with their corresponding ticket stubs."
Shen Ning's eyes lit up: "And it's not just cinemas, but also restaurants, accommodations, and transportation connections. These can also stimulate investment."
"Great idea! I knew I'd come to the right person."
Xu Mingyu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, leaned back in his chair, sighed, then straightened up and said solemnly, "So, how about it, let's work together."
Shen Ning opened her mouth, but then, thinking of the complex web of interests involved, she didn't reply.
Xu Mingyu moved forward and continued to persuade him: "You are a pragmatist. I can tell you don't want to rely on connections. Otherwise, you wouldn't have kept your identity a secret and worked as an assistant in the team, even having to paste invoices. You wouldn't have been kept by Captain Han for so long."
"But you need to think about the future. Did you come to Tyranny just to be a babysitter for the team? That's not your goal."
Shen Ning nodded slightly, not bothering to be mysterious: "Well, in some ways, we're the same."
They were all aiming for a higher position.
"So, this project is an opportunity. If it succeeds, your path in sales will be opened. What the company's senior management values most is management ability. This is the path you're destined to take, so why not take advantage of this opportunity to transition sooner?"
Chen Ning's heart did waver slightly. He held the chopsticks in his hand, making small circles on the plate, and pursed his lips with a slight frown.
Seeing this, Xu Mingyu continued to add to the offer: "You can join the project team as a core member and participate in the entire project process, including going out with me to meet and negotiate with clients."
"If it really goes through, this will be the biggest project in the company's history. I will apply for the position of director of the fourth sales department. With the deals I've already secured, I think there shouldn't be any problems. The director position will be reserved for you, so you won't have to start from a regular sales position again. How about that?"
Xu Mingyu, this is planning out her future career path.
He chuckled softly, "Those are still a long way off; there's no point in thinking about them now."
Although the promises made later were indeed grandiose, Xu Mingyu was right about one thing.
If this project succeeds, it will be a major strategic turning point for Batu, propelling the company to become the top e-sports club in the country and making Guanghao Group a dual giant in the media and interactive entertainment fields.
Shen Ning put down his chopsticks, put the proposal into his bag, and did not give a clear answer: "This matter involves many people, I need to think about it some more."
Seeing this, Xu Mingyu stopped pressuring her: "Okay, I'll go back and revise the plan as soon as possible, and wait for your news."
Shen Ning took one last sip of tea, checked the time, and said, "I'm done eating. Shall we split the bill?"
“No, it’s my treat.” Xu Mingyu waved generously, looking at Shen Ning with great anticipation. “Chen Ning, I believe we will have a very pleasant collaboration.”
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