Great minds think alike
Leaving the vice president's office with a new mission, the two went directly to the joint command center, where team members were already waiting after receiving the message.
"President Cui, President Meng, I heard the summit was a great success?" Wu Hao was the first to ask excitedly.
"Has the bonus been secured?" Xu Rui added.
Cui Yu smiled and spoke first: "The effect was good, it didn't embarrass our 'Starry Sky'. As for the bonus, President Wang has already agreed."
He briefly conveyed the commendation, which drew a low cheer.
But soon, Meng Yihe took over the conversation, his tone regaining its usual calm: "Being happy for a while is enough. New tasks have come down, and the difficulty and pressure are greater than before." He succinctly conveyed the task of negotiating with "Blue Ocean Technology" and refining the lakeside design.
The team atmosphere immediately shifted from excitement to focus and seriousness.
Lin Xueyue quickly jotted down the key points, Zhao Lei had already begun to think about the process of connecting with "Blue Ocean Technology", Wu Hao and Xu Rui frowned at the blueprints of the lakeside area, and Gao Yuan and Shen Xinyi also began to exchange opinions in hushed tones.
The observant Lin Xueyue noticed that when Director Cui assigned tasks, he would very naturally glance at Director Meng. And while Director Meng's expression remained indifferent, he would casually add one or two key points whenever Director Cui paused. The two worked together so smoothly, as if they shared a single brain.
After a series of collaborations, the two had relaxed considerably and even exuded a strong tacit understanding. Lin Xueyue thought to himself that he had gained even more appreciation for the two directors.
Several busy days made Meng Yihe almost forget everything else for the time being. The initial contact with "Blue Ocean Technology" was met with repeated setbacks. The demanding requirements and extreme cost-cutting of the other party's technical team brought the negotiations to a stalemate. The design plan for the lakeside area also failed to achieve the desired effect due to environmental assessment and landscape coordination issues.
That night, Meng Yihe stayed in the office until very late once again.
Outside the window, thousands of lights were already twinkling.
He stared alone at the unsatisfactory design sketches on the computer screen, his brow furrowed, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the desktop.
Just then, his phone rang, and the word "Mother" appeared on the screen.
He took a deep breath, answered the phone, his voice hoarse with exhaustion: "Mom."
"Xiao He, are you still at get off work?" Ye Chunhan's voice came through the receiver, carrying his usual concern, but Meng Yihe knew that this call might not just be to check if he was off work.
"Yeah, I still have some things to take care of," he replied briefly, hoping the other person would sense that he was busy.
"No matter how busy you are with work, you must take care of your health," Ye Chunhan habitually reminded him, before quickly turning the conversation back to work. "I heard that your big project has been making quite a splash lately? It was quite the star at some conference?"
She's always very well-informed.
Meng Yihe rubbed her temples: "It's just normal project progress."
"That's good, that's good." Ye Chunhan's voice revealed satisfaction. But then, the topic that made Meng Yihe's scalp tingle came up again.
"Look, your career is getting better and better now, you've really established yourself. Shouldn't you start seriously considering that person too?"
Ye Chunhan seemed oblivious to his silence and continued enthusiastically, "I ran into your Aunt Chen a few days ago. Her niece just returned from abroad and is an outstanding Omega. Her family background, education, and looks are all impeccable! Most importantly, she has a gentle personality and looks like she'll be content to be a wife and mother."
"When would be a convenient time for you to meet? The girl is quite interested in you too."
Ye Chunhan's words were like needles, pricking Meng Yihe's already exhausted nerves.
The cold office lights, the stagnant plans on the screen, and the descriptions of "docile Omega" and "good wife and mother" on the other end of the phone created a suffocating sense of disconnect.
"Mom, I'm very busy right now and don't have time to think about these things. The project is at a critical stage, so could you please stop bringing this up?"
Ye Chunhan on the other end of the phone paused, seemingly surprised by such a direct refusal. His tone immediately turned somewhat displeased: "Busy, busy, busy! All you ever think about is being busy! Can work last you a lifetime? Settling down and starting a family is what really matters! Aren't I doing this for your own good? That girl..."
"I told you I don't want to think about it right now!" Meng Yihe's voice rose slightly, filled with barely suppressed anger. "I know my own situation, I don't need you to keep arranging things for me!" After saying that, he hung up the phone without even waiting for his mother's reaction.
The office fell into a deathly silence.
Meng Yihe gripped his throbbing phone, his chest heaving. His mother's expectations and the pressure of the project intertwined, like a giant net suffocating him, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force. Just as he tried to calm his racing heart and surging emotions, there was a gentle knock on the glass door of his office.
Meng Yihe looked up abruptly and saw Cui Yu standing outside the cubicle, his brows slightly furrowed, his eyes filled with a question and a barely perceptible concern.
He had clearly seen Meng Yihe's outburst earlier and her current unpleasant expression.
Meng Yihe subconsciously tried to act as if nothing had happened, but his tense jawline and still unsteady breathing betrayed him.
Without waiting for his response, Cui Yu pushed the door open and walked in. His gaze swept over the still-alert phone on the table, finally settling on Meng Yihe's forced composure.
"What's wrong?" Cui Yu's voice was not loud, but it lacked its usual teasing tone. "I heard quite a commotion coming from your side just now."
Meng Yihe took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound normal: "It's nothing, just a personal matter." He reached for the documents on the table, trying to use work to cover up his emotions.
"The environmental assessment for the lakeside project..."
“Meng Yihe.” Cui Yu interrupted him, took two steps forward, stopped opposite the desk, and looked at him with unwavering eyes.
"You don't seem like the type to discuss environmental assessments right now." There was no pressure in his tone, just a calm statement and a wait.
Silence spread between the two.
The office area outside the cubicle was completely empty and unusually quiet.
After a long while, Meng Yihe finally managed to utter a few words, her voice hoarse: "It's a phone call from home."
He didn't say anything specific, but his tense tone and the word "home" were enough for Cui Yu to understand, especially considering Meng Yihe's occasional avoidance of family topics in the past.
Cui Yu didn't press for details, nor did he offer any superficial words of comfort. He simply remained silent for a moment, then very naturally steered the conversation in a seemingly unrelated direction: "Regarding the interface issue raised by 'Blue Ocean Technology,' I have a new idea that might require a complete overhaul." His tone was calm, as if nothing had happened and he was simply discussing a thorny technical problem.
"I guess I'll be pulling another all-nighter. So, Director Meng, are you free now? Let's take a look together."
Meng Yihe paused for a moment, then looked up and met Cui Yu's calm and serious gaze.
There was no pity, no prying in that gaze, only a tacit understanding of "I understand, let's get to work." The pent-up frustration in my chest truly found an outlet because of those words.
What he needs is to solve problems, not to wallow in his emotions.
"What are your thoughts?" Meng Yihe took a deep breath, trying to suppress his mother's nagging and his jumbled thoughts, and brought his attention back to his work. His voice was still a little hoarse, but his eyes had refocused and regained their usual sharpness.
Cui Yu's lips curled up slightly: "Come and take a look, I have the data over there."
Meng Yihe followed Cui Yu into his office.
Cui Yu's desk was also piled high with documents, but a space had been cleared in the middle. His laptop screen was lit up, displaying the complex technical interface documents provided by "Blue Ocean Technology" and Xinghuan's own system architecture diagram.
"sit."
Cui Yu pulled over another chair and skillfully operated the computer, bringing up several key pages.
"Blue Ocean insists on using their closed, proprietary protocol, ostensibly for security, but the cost is that our later maintenance costs and flexibility will be locked down, making it almost impossible to change suppliers." He pointed to the densely packed data flow diagrams and protocol descriptions on the screen, fully immersed in his work.
Meng Yihe pulled up a chair and sat down, her gaze quickly sweeping across the screen, her brows immediately furrowing.
The core of the previous negotiation deadlock lay in this.
"Blue Ocean" is using its technological advantages to try to set rules and tie them all to one boat.
“Their technical team is arrogant, believing that we can’t find a better alternative, or that even if we could, the cost would far exceed the budget,” Meng Yihe said coldly. “We must break this assumption.”
“That’s right.” Cui Yu nodded, sliding his finger across the touchpad to bring up another document.
"These are the data that Wu Hao and Zhao Lei urgently calculated this afternoon. If we don't adopt the closed protocol of 'Blue Ocean' and instead build our own adaptation layer based on international open source standards, the initial investment will indeed increase by 5% to 7%. But in the long run, the overall cost can be broken down within three years, and the advantages will be very obvious after five years. Moreover, we can take the initiative back into our own hands."
"The challenge lies in whether 'Blue Ocean' will agree to cooperate under this model, and whether our technical team can fully understand the standard and complete the adaptation within the time limit?"
Meng Yihe leaned forward, carefully examining the data model and cost comparison curve on the screen. His brain was working at a rapid pace, putting his family troubles out of his mind.
"The key to persuading 'Blue Ocean' is not begging, but demonstrating strength and determination," Meng Yihe summarized. "We need to show them that we have a second option, and that we have the capability to execute that option. This is not Plan B, but our strategic backup, and more importantly, our bargaining chip."
Meng Yihe pointed to the cost curve: "This increased cost should not be seen entirely as a burden, but rather as an 'insurance premium' for our technological autonomy over the next ten years. We can communicate with the board of directors from this perspective and strive for their support."
"At the same time," Meng Yihe continued, her thoughts becoming increasingly clear, "we need to immediately start the technical pre-research for Plan B. It doesn't require large-scale investment, but we must have a presentable prototype and feasibility report, at least at the framework level. This way, we will have confidence when we negotiate with 'Blue Ocean' next time."
Cui Yu looked at him, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.
Meng Yihe always manages to pinpoint the core of a problem strategically.
“Great minds think alike.” Cui Yu smiled, his fingers flying across the keyboard. “I’ve already had Wu Hao assemble a crack team, and they’ll start working on that open-source standard document tonight. As for ‘Blue Ocean’…”
He revealed a sharp, piercing smile.
“I think it’s time to have their CTO’s inbox ‘accidentally’ receive an analysis report about other successful cases of adopting open-source standards in the industry. Of course, it should be ‘anonymous’.” This is a psychological tactic, implying that the other party is not irreplaceable.
Upon hearing this, Meng Yihe said, "Okay, let Lin Xueyue and Xu Rui work on the report together. The data must be solid, and the perspective must be 'objective'."
The two quickly devised a comprehensive response strategy, exchanging words and ideas. This included internally accelerating backup technology plans, externally applying psychological pressure, and preparing a persuasive explanation for the board of directors.
They engaged in a heated discussion about the data and agreement terms on the screen, sometimes arguing, sometimes adding to each other's ideas. The office whiteboard was quickly filled with various thoughts, calculation formulas, and key negotiation points. The preliminary framework was finally finalized and assigned to the team for overnight execution. Both men breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back in their chairs.
Cui Yu picked up the now-cold coffee on the table, took a sip, and looked at Meng Yihe: "Feeling better?"
Meng Yihe was stunned for a moment before realizing that he was referring to what had happened before. He looked away and gazed at the dark night sky outside the window. After a moment of silence, he gave a soft "hmm".
"Thanks," he added, his voice soft but exceptionally clear in the quiet night.
Cui Yu smiled and said nothing more.
A few days later, the second round of negotiations with "Blue Ocean Technology" was held in the conference room of Xinghuan Group.
The opposing team was still led by Director Wang, who had a technical background. At the start of the negotiations, they once again strongly emphasized the "unique superiority" of their proprietary agreement, implying that if Xinghuan insisted on its own way, the cooperation might not be able to proceed.
After patiently listening to the other party's statement, Cui Yu slowly said, "President Wang, we certainly acknowledge your company's technical strength, otherwise we wouldn't be sitting here."
“However,” he said, his tone carrying an undeniable weight, “the ‘optimal solution’ is never the only one, especially when long-term strategic cooperation and ecological health need to be considered.” He gestured towards Meng Yihe.
With a cold expression, Meng Yihe turned the tablet in front of her toward the other team. The screen displayed several clear data comparison charts and an outline of the architecture plan.
"This is a preliminary feasibility report of an alternative solution we have drafted based on the international open-source standard version," Meng Yihe said clearly and calmly.
"The initial investment cost is about 6.3% higher than that of your closed protocol. However, this premium can be recovered within three years by maintaining autonomy and optimizing the supply chain. The cumulative cost after five years will be lower than that of the closed solution, and the technical risks are controllable, with greater flexibility in iteration."
Meng Yihe looked sharply at the person opposite him: "We understand your company's confidence in its own technology. However, Xinghuan Group's 'North Star Light' project pursues sustainable development and technological dominance over the next ten years, rather than short-term convenience. We are willing to pay a reasonable premium for strategic autonomy."
Cui Yu kept a close eye on the other person's expression.
Seeing Director Wang's furrowed brows and his instinctive urge to retort, Cui Yu timely stepped in, smilingly smoothing things over while maintaining a firm tone: "Director Wang, the choice of technical approach is a matter of opinion. Our presentation is not intended to negate your proposal, but simply to demonstrate Xinghuan's utmost sincerity in the cooperation and our thorough preparation and backup plans to ensure the project's successful progress regardless of the circumstances."
"What we really hope for is to find a path that maximizes the long-term interests of both parties, rather than getting caught up in a zero-sum game."
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