1+1 can be greater than 2
Both Cui Yu and Meng Yihe knew that immersing themselves in negative emotions would not help solve the problem.
Breaking the status quo requires the efforts of more people.
Back in the operations director's office, Cui Yu ripped off his tie and threw it on the sofa, his sharp eyes sweeping over his worried-looking assistant Zhao Lei—a steady and reliable Beta man who had been with him for two years.
"Pass the word down." Cui Yu's voice was calm and decisive, showing no sign of the setback he had just experienced.
"Half an hour later, in the Operations Department Group A meeting, all core project managers will meet. In addition, all internal research reports from the first half of the year regarding cost optimization and emerging business models will be retrieved."
"Yes, Mr. Cui!" Zhao Lei immediately accepted the order and left.
Meanwhile, Meng Yihe also returned to the Strategy Department.
His assistant, Lin Xueyue, waited anxiously: "Director Meng..."
"I heard you, bad news." Meng Yihe interrupted her, her tone cold but her thoughts clear.
"Compile all the research reports we've done before on consumption trends, the experience economy, and the empowerment of cultural IP, as well as the in-depth analysis reports on the places we visited. Notify all senior analysts in the strategy department that there will be a meeting in the Group B conference room in one hour."
"Understood!" Lin Xueyue immediately took action.
Half an hour and an hour later, the atmosphere in the meeting rooms of the operations department and the strategy department was equally heavy and tense.
Standing in front of the whiteboard, Cui Yu succinctly conveyed the board's requirements and the current predicament of the proposed solution.
"...That's the situation. Budget, cost, and return on investment are the fortresses we must conquer. From now on, establish the 'Spark' Cost and Model Breakthrough Team."
"Zhao Lei, you are in charge of leading the team to recalculate the cost of all renovation projects. For each project, we must find at least three alternative solutions or suppliers for price comparison. I need to see where the optimal solution and the bottom line are."
“Wu Hao,” he said, looking at another project manager skilled in numbers and models. “You’re in charge of rebuilding the profit model. Abandon the existing framework and think about all possible revenue streams: space advertising, membership value-added services, cross-industry collaborations, and even IP licensing derivatives. Create a model and calculate the expected revenue.”
“Shen Xinyi,” he said to the only woman on the team, a meticulous senior operations specialist. “You’re in charge of risk assessment. For all the new measures we might take, anticipate all potential risks and develop detailed contingency plans. I need concrete steps, not empty words.” With clear instructions and a well-defined division of labor, the operations team immediately sprang into action.
Meanwhile, in the conference room of the strategy department, Meng Yihe also assigned tasks.
"Those old fogies on the board don't understand anything!" Xu Rui, a young and impetuous researcher, couldn't help but complain.
"What's the use of complaining?" Meng Yihe interrupted coldly. "Concepts and values are our lifeline. Establish the 'Spark' Concept and Value Deepening Group."
Meng Yihe's gaze swept over his elite troops.
"Lin Xueyue, you're in charge of market validation. I need more in-depth interview data with our target customer group, not just numbers, but their emotional needs and consumption motivations. Find the core elements that can attract them."
“Xu Rui,” he said, looking at a researcher with extensive knowledge of cultural and artistic trends. “You’re in charge of refining our core narrative. What exactly makes ‘Xinghua Plaza’ unique? We need to string it together with a memorable storyline that evokes emotional resonance, and then translate it into every detail of the space and experience.”
Xu Rui took a deep breath, suppressed his emotions, nodded, and his eyes regained their fighting spirit.
“Gao Yuan,” he finally turned to an analyst specializing in visualization and presentations. “You’re responsible for transforming all the abstract concepts into concrete, impactful visual solutions and presentations. We need to let the board ‘see’ the future, not just hear it.”
Two departments, two teams, like the two wings of a warship, under the respective leadership of Cui Yu and Meng Yihe, began to break through the waves toward a common goal.
For the next few days, the two floors of the Star World Group were often brightly lit.
Cui Yu's office was piled high with various reports and cost analyses. He, along with Zhao Lei and Wu Hao, worked like an actuary team, meticulously scrutinizing costs down to the last penny and constructing complex financial models. At times they engaged in heated debates, and at other times they fell into deep thought.
Meng Yihe's team, on the other hand, immersed themselves in market reports, art catalogs, and brainstorming concepts. Their whiteboards were covered with mind maps and mood boards as they tried to capture that most compelling "soul."
Although they were working separately, Cui Yu and Meng Yihe communicated more frequently than ever before. Instead of direct confrontations at the conference table, it became a flurry of emails, phone calls, and brief meetings.
"Director Cui, the concept team needs your latest profit model data to support our value proposition."
"This risk contingency plan needs to be confirmed by your strategy department. What are your alternative traffic generation plans if the customer flow is lower than expected?"
...
In this high-pressure furnace, a sense of power and urgency, different from working alone, and belonging to teamwork, began to permeate the air.
The days flew by under immense pressure.
The writing on the whiteboard was written and erased repeatedly.
Every time Wu Hao approached Xu Rui with cold, hard cost data, demanding cuts to the "flashy but impractical" budget, Xu Rui was like an overinflated balloon, ready to burst. Once, the two nearly got into a fight in the break room over the fate of a large interactive art installation.
Wu Hao: "The budget for this thing is enough to rent a prime advertising spot for three years! The ROI is simply impossible to calculate!"
Xu Rui: "ROI isn't just about money! Can you calculate the long-term value of brand influence, buzz, and the customer traffic it brings? That's the soul of the project!"
Ultimately, the dispute escalated again to the director level.
Cui Yu and Meng Yihe did not favor either side, but instead asked them to jointly produce a report quantifying the non-financial benefits that this "art installation" might bring, and to find specific technical solutions to reduce costs.
This forced the two to sit down for the first time and try to understand each other's language system.
Lin Xueyue and Zhao Lei became the most efficient communication channel between the two teams. They were responsible for passing documents, coordinating meeting times, and even privately verifying the data and statements of both directors before the reports to avoid direct conflicts during the meetings.
A tacit understanding based on professional competence formed between them.
Cui Yu and Meng Yihe are at the center of the storm and are the absolute core of the team.
“This membership system requires a huge initial investment. If the initial user acquisition falls short of expectations, the cash flow pressure will be significant.” Cui Yu pointed to a node in the model, his brow furrowed.
“Therefore, we need an attractive ‘bait’.” Meng Yihe pointed to another part of the plan.
"In the initial stage, we must offer irresistible benefits and experiences, even at a loss, to secure our core customer base! We must have a long-term vision!"
"Losses? Director Meng, the financial report doesn't look good. We might not be able to survive for long."
“Director Cui doesn’t offer any unique appeal; we don’t even have a chance to get started.”
Such conversations will always happen.
During one overtime shift, Meng Yihe became dissatisfied because of a data calculation error.
The team atmosphere plummeted to rock bottom.
Cui Yu told the other members to go home and rest, but he stayed behind. He didn't comfort Meng Yihe; instead, he picked up the erroneous data, created a new spreadsheet, and silently began to review it.
Half an hour later, he placed the corrected data on Meng Yihe's desk.
His tone was indifferent: "The problem lies with the original data source, not with your calculations. Let's go, we'll deal with it tomorrow."
On another occasion, Cui Yu stayed up all night, working with Wu Hao in the conference room until the early hours of the morning to work out a new profit model.
Meng Yihe arrived at the company early in the morning and saw Cui Yu leaning back in his chair taking a nap, with dark circles under his eyes. He paused for a moment, turned around and went out, and said to Lin Xueyue, who had just arrived at work, "Go downstairs and buy a hot breakfast for me... buy an extra one."
Just as he silently placed the extra breakfast on the table next to Cui Yu, Cui Yu woke up. Their eyes met, and Meng Yihe quickly looked away without saying a word.
After countless arguments, revisions, and restarts, a brand-new "Spark Program" plan has finally taken shape.
It incorporates Meng Yihe's insistence on a "core narrative" and a "shocking experience," while also integrating Cui Yu's stringent cost control and diversified profit model. It also includes a detailed risk response plan jointly developed by Shen Xinyi and Gao Yuan.
This is no longer the initial idealistic but somewhat empty blueprint, nor is it a profit-driven and uninspired renovation plan. It is a solution that is both sharp and well-armored.
On the night the final integration report was completed, only Cui Yu and Meng Yihe remained in the office. They stared at the final summary of the plan on the projector, remaining silent for a long time. Exhaustion washed over them, but a shared sense of accomplishment also rose within them.
"That's about it," Cui Yu finally said, his voice hoarse from staying up all night.
"Mmm," Meng Yihe responded, rubbing her sore eyes.
"Tomorrow, I'll go and meet those old guys again."
...
The day of the final report has arrived.
The atmosphere in the group's largest conference room was solemn and oppressive.
At one end of the long table sat several board members and vice presidents, led by Chairman Li, their expressions serious. At the other end was a reporting team composed of Cui Yu, Meng Yihe, and their core team members.
A tense atmosphere, like that before a decisive battle, filled the air.
Zhao Lei and Lin Xueyue checked the documents and demonstration equipment in their hands one last time to ensure everything was in order. Wu Hao took a deep breath and silently recited the key data points. Xu Rui straightened his tie, trying to look more composed. Gao Yuan checked the remote control pen, while Shen Xinyi calmly scanned the entire room, making her final mental preparations.
Cui Yu and Meng Yihe exchanged a glance, both seeing weariness in each other's eyes, but even more so a determination and composure forged through countless trials. They nodded.
"Let's begin," Cui Yu said in a low voice.
The presentation was opened by Meng Yihe.
He stood in front of the screen, and the PPT behind him was no longer a concept diagram piled with fancy words, but a clear explanation of the core positioning, unique value, and how Xinghua Plaza will become a new "emotional landmark" of the city, using extremely concise language and impactful visual design.
His tone remained confident, even with his usual sharpness, but behind every argument was solid data support and market analysis.
That was the result of two teams working day and night.
When board members, especially Chairman Li, subconsciously frowned and wanted to refute those "abstract" concepts, Meng Yihe would always pause at the right moment and then look at Cui Yu or someone else in the team.
"Please have my colleague, Wu Hao, the operations manager, explain in detail the specific data model regarding the expected increase in customer traffic and brand premium brought about by this core experience area."
Meng Yihe transitioned naturally.
Wu Hao immediately took over. Although he was a little nervous, he was well-prepared and spoke rapidly, reciting a series of meticulously calculated data, from passenger flow growth rate to sensitivity analysis of investment payback period. His presentation was clear, logical, and well-organized.
When Chairman Li questioned the huge initial investment, Cui Yu took over the conversation.
"Regarding cost control and the efficiency of fund utilization," Cui Yu said in a steady and powerful voice, gesturing for Zhao Lei to distribute a detailed cost optimization list to the board members.
"Through the optimization of more than 170 specific measures, we have reduced the total budget by 22% without affecting the core performance, and have also developed a phased development plan to greatly reduce the initial cash flow pressure. The specific basis for each optimization and alternative solution are explained in detail at the end of the list."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over each director present: "We believe that this investment is not just about hardware upgrades, but also about acquiring the future pricing power and irreplaceability of 'Xinghua Plaza'."
Next, Gao Yuan presented stunning visual renderings and simulation animations showcasing the progress of each stage.
It allowed everyone to intuitively "see" the future.
Shen Xinyi calmly outlined the various risks that might be encountered and the specific operational steps the team had prepared in response, the level of detail of which even exceeded the expectations of some directors.
The entire presentation was like a meticulously choreographed symphony.
The two directors were the absolute lead musicians, sometimes passionate, sometimes composed, while their team members were the perfect accompanists, precisely stepping in when needed to provide the strongest support. They formed an amazing synergy, compensating for each other's weaknesses and elevating the completeness and persuasiveness of the entire plan to unprecedented heights.
The arguments and doubts persist, especially with Chairman Li.
But this time, the team resolved each of the most pressing questions one by one using the prepared data.
Meng Yihe no longer simply refuted them with ideals as before, and Cui Yu no longer focused solely on costs. Their answers considered both the high level of understanding and practicality.
The meeting lasted for a full three hours.
Finally, the CEO, who had been listening silently, spoke up.
He didn't look at the plan, but instead glanced at Cui Yu, Meng Yihe, and the group of young team members behind them who, though tired, had bright eyes.
“I remember at the last meeting, the two of you were like you were having a contest.”
The CEO's voice was steady, yet carried a weight.
"But today, what I see is no longer two directors working independently, but a real team."
His gaze finally settled on Cui Yu and Meng Yihe:
"The solution itself still has details that need polishing, cost remains a challenge, and risks are real, but..."
He then changed the subject.
“You have demonstrated to me and to the board your ability and determination to resolve these issues.”
"Most importantly, you have proven that 1+1 can be greater than 2. This is a more worthwhile investment than a perfect PowerPoint presentation."
He stood up: "'Spark Program' has been approved in principle. Next, I need to see a more detailed implementation plan and timetable. Meeting adjourned."
A brief silence fell over the meeting room, followed by a silent explosion of relief and joy within the reporting team.
Zhao Lei quietly clenched his fist, while Lin Xueyue breathed a sigh of relief and exchanged a smile with Shen Xinyi beside him. Wu Hao and Xu Rui even subconsciously gave each other a high five, then separated somewhat awkwardly.
Cui Yu and Meng Yihe breathed a sigh of relief almost simultaneously, their bodies relaxing almost imperceptibly. They glanced at each other again, their eyes revealing an barely suppressed sense of relief at surviving a disaster and a faint smile of shared success.
Cui Yu spoke first: "Director Meng, you did a good job."
“You’re not bad either,” Meng Yihe replied.
Although countless difficult tasks lie ahead, at this moment, they have won this crucial battle.
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