KC | Chapter 25

On the weekend, two real estate clients had new projects opening, Lin Yiran attended the launch event in the morning, met with clients it was inconvenient to see on workdays in the afternoon, and went home at night to do anaerobic training. The two days were packed to the brim.

Heavy work needed an outlet for suppressed emotions, and Lin Yiran’s way of venting was not quite normal.

Exercise could maintain a good physique, and it could also vent negative emotions. Lin Yiran enjoyed it to the fullest. He enjoyed the state of exhaustion after working out, and he also enjoyed the feeling of fighting against the rival media and grabbing budgets until the very last moment. Compared with final victory, he enjoyed the process of “torturing himself, repeatedly transforming” more.

Smoking and drinking coffee would both affect cardiopulmonary function, and they were harmful to health in every way, but “health” was one of Lin Yiran’s “other unimportant matters”, ranked last.

Facing all kinds of clients, Lin Yiran turned into an “expert” with different styles; facing Lanhai colleagues, Lin Yiran instantly became a gentle and polite workplace elite; facing the rival media, Lin Yiran smiled with a hidden blade and pretended to flatter and ingratiate himself…

KA needed to contact different people, and Lin Yiran needed to become different people.

He had never taken off his disguise in broad daylight, and could only enjoy the few hours that belonged to him deep in the night.

After morning exercises on Monday, Wang Shuang, as expected, came to block Lin Yiran.

“Leader, right now KA’s performance is seriously lagging, and the system shows that among the three provinces, Yucheng is the lowest.” Wang Shuang synchronized the sales data she had spent several days compiling in all dimensions to Lin Yiran on Enterprise WeChat.

The report covered the signing status of all KAs in the three provinces, and could be filtered by dimensions such as contract signing time, contract amount, province and city, which made analysis convenient.

Looking at the dense data, Lin Yiran thought to himself: Wang Shuang was really wasting her talent doing sales. She should have gone into data analysis.

He subconsciously searched for Chen Xi in the filter box by sales dimension. There were 66 KAs in the three provinces, and Chen Xi ranked 36th, barely in the middle. Lin Yiran then searched for his own name and found that it was not in the statistical report.

“You can add all the management-level data into the table.” I need to find you some work, otherwise you keep blocking me all the time.

“Oh, okay.” Wang Shuang had originally thought that when Lin Yiran saw the data report, he would praise her a couple of times, or at least talk about performance progress, but none of that was right.

After working at KA for more than half a month, Wang Shuang had only seen Lin Yiran 3 times in total. She could not help wondering: if the leader was not in the company, did not look at data, and did not keep an eye on sales, how did he manage things?

What was even more outrageous was that with Lin Yiran’s kind of “free-range” management style, Yucheng KA could actually still complete its performance every quarter.

“Add my data, your data, and the three provinces’ management-level data into the table.” Lin Yiran looked at Wang Shuang and said it again.

Only then did Wang Shuang understand that Lin Yiran was asking her to find a place for herself in KA, but she did not have key clients in hand, so she was doomed to be at the bottom. Wasn’t putting herself into the table just slapping her own face?

“I feel that analyzing management-level data doesn’t have much meaning.” This was the first time Wang Shuang had refuted Lin Yiran, thinking: I came to KA to do management, not frontline sales.

Lin Yiran filtered Yucheng sales in the table and pushed the MacBook toward Wang Shuang, pulling out his signature smile: “The gross profit target for Yucheng KA this quarter is 500W, how much do you think the people in the table can complete?”

Although the two of them had only interacted 3 times, Wang Shuang’s intuition told her: whenever Lin Yiran smiled, nothing good would follow.

The table showed that last quarter’s sales data, summed cumulatively, totaled a gross profit of 320W. The top-ranked Meng Hai alone took 120W, which meant the remaining 19 KAs together completed 200W.

The average level of Yucheng Lanhai KA was S10, with a quarterly level target of 10W. The 19 salespeople completing 200W seemed reasonable, but KA’s target was 500W. Even if these people worked themselves to the bone, they still could not complete a task that was twice their own assessment target.

Then who was going to complete the remaining 300W gross profit target?

Wang Shuang’s heart thudded, and she immediately understood why Lin Yiran was smiling.

Because the performance he completed every quarter was more than the 19 KA people combined.

Lin Yiran was half of Yucheng Lanhai’s entire foundation. If his performance were added into the table, it was unquestionably first among the three provinces.

“KA’s target is assigned according to comprehensive factors such as province and city client attributes,投放量级, not sales level. Our target in total is 500W.” Lin Yiran especially emphasized the word “our”.

Three years ago, at the very beginning of KA’s establishment, Lin Yiran already had a clear plan for the team. KA needed masters with connections, needed strategy experts, needed industry specialists… Everyone had to have their own area of expertise, so the team could bring out the maximum advantage.

KA was the team Lin Yiran had built. Yucheng KA each had their own strengths, mutually beneficial and complementary, and was an inseparable whole. Wang Shuang was one of them.

Wang Shuang frowned and stammered, “But I really don’t have key clients, and I don’t have connections, I…”

“If you don’t have key clients, you can accumulate them. If you don’t have connections, you can expand them.” Lin Yiran interrupted Wang Shuang, “Brother Ma didn’t have key clients when he first came to KA either, he accumulated them from scratch. He now has two 4S stores, and they pay when the due date comes.”

In July, after consecutive social obligations, Lin Yiran had been living in a blur. He glanced at the calendar, as if waking from a dream: “Brother Ma’s 4S stores have fixed payments collected on the 20th of every month. You can ask him later whether he received the money today and then adjust the data in this table.”

Wang Shuang’s eyes widened into circles: “There are clients who pay when the due date comes?” How could this key client be even more punctual than a period?

“Yeah, the client’s account period is the 20th of every month, so we just collect the money when the date comes.” Lin Yiran took a sip of black coffee and said it in a deliberately relaxed tone. He did not want to put too much pressure on Wang Shuang, after all Wang Shuang had come to assist him with management. KA had its own strengths, and he needed to bring out Wang Shuang’s advantages, not highlight her weaknesses.

“I also have a task here, the client will pay at the end of the month, but I don’t have time to do the conclusion report.” At the end of the month there were many clients to contact and payments to chase. Lin Yiran really did not have the time, and Wang Shuang was good at data analysis and making tables, so she was just right to take on this task.

“Ah, this I can do!” No need to look for key clients, just do service directly, this was basically being the leader’s secretary and sharing the pressure of KA performance for him. I don’t have key clients, I don’t have connections, I only know how to do data and present plans, I can do this job, I must do it!

“As long as the leader sends me the client’s needs, our project progress, and the next phase’s plan, I’ll definitely finish it before Wednesday!” I’ll finish the conclusion report as fast as possible and help the leader grab the next phase’s budget!

This quarter’s conclusion report was related to the strategy for grabbing the next phase of client投放, and Lin Yiran had originally planned to stay up late and do it himself. Now it seemed that giving some clients more freedom was not necessarily a bad thing, and when it came to data work, Wang Shuang was better at it than him.

Lin Yiran would put the right person in the right position.

“I’ll add you into the project group later, and transfer all the plans to you. You can handle it as you see fit. On Thursday I’ll arrange the client, and we’ll go together to make the pitch.” Lin Yiran looked at Wang Shuang and said solemnly, “You’ll be the main speaker, okay?”

“Okay!” Wang Shuang agreed immediately.

“Leader, there are still a few more things.” At last Wang Shuang had caught Lin Yiran, and she had to seize the opportunity to push forward all the work that needed confirmation. She opened her phone memo, which had 5 pending items written on it, checked off the first item, performance report, and began reporting the second item, “The group gave 5000 in incentive funds this quarter, how should this money be spent?”

Lin Yiran did not have the energy to organize team-building activities other than meals. Previously, KA’s incentive funds were all used together with bonuses at the end of the quarter for eating and drinking. This time KA had someone in charge, so of course it had to be used to the fullest.

Lin Yiran asked, “How do you want to spend it?”

“I have a few team-building plans here, Leader can see which one is better.” Wang Shuang opened the second memo and read out the prepared team-building plans, “1. Home party, eat, play poker and mahjong; 2. One-day trip to cities around Yucheng; 3. Go-kart and live CS team activity.”

Lin Yiran said thoughtfully, “Which kind of plan spends more money?”

“Uh, the one-day trip around the city?” Wang Shuang was getting more and more unable to understand Lin Yiran. Normal team-building wasn’t supposed to be about carefully calculating and spending less money while experiencing more activities? Why was he asking “which kind of plan spends more money”?

“A one-day trip…” The corners of Lin Yiran’s mouth lifted slightly, “Just right, the Iceberg Valley project recently finished its conclusion, and we need to chase the payment. Let’s go to Iceberg Valley.”

“Ah, that’s fine too, but this budget is a bit over…” Iceberg Valley was a two-hour drive from Yucheng. Chartering a bus alone would cost at least 3000, and with tickets plus meals it would at least be twice 5000.

“I’ll communicate with the client person in charge later and see whether the tickets can be appropriately reduced, but I estimate the budget will still go over. You’ll be responsible for calculating the excess part.” Lin Yiran smiled, “Since we’re going out to have fun, let’s have real fun. KA can’t lose face.”

“Ah, okay.” Wang Shuang continued looking at the memo, just about to go on and confirm the other matters.

Lin Yiran put on his Bluetooth earpiece and made a shushing gesture at Wang Shuang: “Hello, Mr. Zhang, what a coincidence, I was just about to contact you, and you called me.”

Wang Shuang understood Lin Yiran’s gesture, closed the memo, and quickly left the office. KA client communication involved commercial secrets, and Lin Yiran’s office had very good soundproofing. Wang Shuang closed the door, and outside the office she could not hear the slightest sound from inside.

The caller this time, Zhang Yanrong, was one of Lin Yiran’s rival-media friends. The two of them usually got along well, often going together to bid in groups, attend client launch events, and go in and out of major clubs. This afternoon there would be a real estate project bidding, and what the client thought of as “bidding” was actually the rival media’s “group bidding”.

Zhang Yanrong had been in the advertising industry for nearly 20 years, and after gaining some reputation in the circle, he established his own company. His company was not as big as Lanhai, but it had a relatively high cost performance. This call was also to discuss with Lin Yiran which projects should be taken by Lanhai, and which projects should be split for them to take.

Lin Yiran was able to get by in the circle precisely because everyone thought he did not monopolize the work, and every time he would leave some for the rival media. When the rival media had work, they would also introduce it to him. Over time, this formed his huge network of connections.

“Oh, right, one of your kids just submitted a resume to our company. Hehe, I didn’t expect that my small company would also have a Lanhai KA coming to apply.” Zhang Yanrong said.

“Who?” Lin Yiran frowned.

“Seems like his name is Chen Xi.”

That little brat still wanted to run?

Lin Yiran’s eyes were dark and unreadable, and he said lightly, “Chen Xi is a pretty good kid. No problem with his work ability, it’s just that his character isn’t that great.”

The one whose character wasn’t that great was not you, it was me. For the sake of signing the contract, I could use any means necessary; for the sake of keeping you, of course I could too.

Last week I squeezed out time to teach you negotiation lines, treated you to fish, and I thought our accounts were settled. Looks like it was all fucking bullshit.

Looks like Lanhai still wasn’t busy enough, letting you have extra time to look for a job. I had to find a way to arrange some work for you and squeeze your time dry.

Lin Yiran typed on the MacBook:

「7.29 Iceberg Valley, free up time. Communicate with the client to reduce ticket fees, participate in more paid activities inside the scenic area, and choose the expensive option for lunch. Estimated per-person spending 550, each person additionally pays 300 for the team-building fund.」

Only 300, too little.

What other project could spend a bit more, so that Chen Xi could pay a bit more?

He could not let you have money, because once you had money, you would think about quitting.

Even more, he could not let you find a next job, because once you had a new job, you would stay away from me.

“Ah? How do you mean that?”

Lin Yiran took a sip of black coffee and said, “He seduced a company colleague, and after luring the person onto the hook, he slept with him and then ran.”