KC | Chapter 32

On a summer morning, glaring light filtered through the office floor-to-ceiling windows and scattered over everyone. Lin Yiran stood in the center of the crowd, the blazing sun gilding him with gold, as if he were a general wearing golden armor. He had his hands clasped behind his back, his posture straight, his gaze sharp and hard.

“This project, everyone here should have heard of it, it is: Zao Wang City.”

Zao Wang City was a project Yu City’s Culture and Tourism Bureau had focused on building in 2023. The investment exceeded ten billion, and it was expected to launch in 2024. Almost all advertisers in Yu City were eyeing this piece of cake, and Chen Xi was no exception.

It was the only scenic area on Chen Xi’s list of key clients.

Everyone pricked up their ears to listen carefully as the person at the helm explained the recruitment rules.

“The prerequisite for recruitment is: each participant pays a 500 yuan registration fee. Next month, those whose repayments are above 5W will split the registration fee equally, and those below 5W will not get it back. The recruitment target is: whoever has the highest repayment next month wins.”

The incentive plan at Lan Hai did not apply in Yu City, but Lin Yiran’s incentive plan did. 80% of the key account clients could get repayments above 5W every month. This incentive not only mobilized the enthusiasm of the key account clients, but also allowed them to collect money.

Collect one month’s worth of Chen Xi’s money.

Lin Yiran did not try to sort out the messy relationship between them. He was just used to controlling things. He did not want Chen Xi to slip out of his control, just like he did not want the cat at home to get lost.

He had always taken a wait-and-see attitude toward uncertain events. A few years ago, Zhang Yanrong told him to buy Bitcoin, saying he had made enough to buy two apartments. Lin Yiran dragged it out and said he would wait and see. Sure enough, less than half a year later, the two apartments Zhang Yanrong had previously made money on were sold off.

He was uncertain about Chen Xi’s feelings, or rather, uncertain about his own feelings, so he wanted to give each other a little more time and watch how things changed.

One month should be enough.

“Brother Lin, are we signing up now? Should we transfer the money to you? I’m in, I’m in!” Zhang Yuanji raised both hands to signal.

“I’m in too!” Ma Longfei, Li Hua, and the others all voiced their support one after another.

Most key account clients were middle-aged people in their thirties and forties. Their work enthusiasm definitely could not compare to the young fresh graduates. Even the company welfare physical exams were too much trouble for them to go to. Today was the first time in the past three years that all these key account clients had been this enthusiastic.

Among Yu City’s key account clients, only Meng Hai had previously stood far above the rest, while the others, whether in level or order volume, were not too different from quarter to quarter. So they all wanted to compete for this “highest repayment” title, wanted the Zao Wang City pie to land on their own heads, and Chen Xi was no exception.

Wasn’t it just 500 yuan? He could put it on a credit card together with the travel money and pay it back when he got his salary next month.

“Anyone who wants to sign up for the first recruitment can transfer the money to Wang Shuang after the meeting. Now let’s talk about the second matter.” Lin Yiran’s voice was low and powerful. “This is also a recruitment, and it is much more exciting than the first one.”

The key account clients who had been quietly discussing the Zao Wang City project below instantly fell silent.

“I’m sure everyone has seen Gu Lin Decoration’s ads on the streets and alleys, so you’re not unfamiliar with the client. Today’s second recruitment is Gu Lin.”

Lin Yiran did not mention his past with Gu Lin, and he certainly would not make Zhang Guangming’s true intentions public. Those in power could use any means necessary to achieve their goals. The recruitment just now was only bait to liven up the team atmosphere.

“Gu Lin is one of the top decoration group companies in North China, with branches in more than 30 cities across the country, and its headquarters is in Yu City. Gu Lin has more than 4,000 employees and an annual output value of over 1 billion. Just now, I learned that Gu Lin is about to sign a 30 million advertising placement framework with Jingmei.” Lin Yiran’s voice was low and forceful, explaining enemy intelligence to the army word by word.

30 million!

Among Yu City’s advertising clients with placements exceeding ten million, you could count them on your fingers, and Gu Lin was absolutely the thickest leg among thick legs!

Gu Lin’s public recruitment!

It was the Gu Lin Decoration on the list!

It really was like searching everywhere without finding it, then getting it effortlessly once it fell into your lap. I had been trying to make connections from all sides, and I had almost been forced into a blind date. I never expected Lin Yiran to casually mention two at once!

A flame of longing burned in the bottom of his heart, warmth drove away the soul’s hunger, and a voice deep inside was shouting: take down the development rights for Gu Lin, then use the repayments from signing Gu Lin to take down the Zao Wang City project, and rise steadily, soaring up the ladder!

Chen Xi’s breathing rhythm unconsciously quickened, and the hand hanging by the seam of his pants even trembled without him noticing. He could not suppress his desire for key clients, his heart fire surged, and green light seemed to flash in his eyes.

All the key account clients wore expressions of surprise.

“Gu Lin didn’t cooperate with Lan Hai before because of special reasons.” Seeing the high spirits of the key account clients, Lin Yiran struck while the iron was hot. “I have the contact information of all Gu Lin’s key people, and I understand their personality preferences and structural relationships.”

“The prerequisite for recruitment is: there is an insider at Gu Lin. The recruitment target is: everyone.”

The Gu Lin project did sound more tempting at first hearing than the Zao Wang City project, and the recruitment conditions were not harsh.

The key account clients all became eager to try.

The rallying horn existed only to wake the sleeping soldiers. This was a battle they were bound to lose, but someone had to go.

The key account captain’s hawk-like eyes swept over everyone. His words were like sharp blades, accurate and direct, straight at the core: “Whoever wants to go talk about it can find me in the morning. Each person gets 5 minutes. The recruitment results will be announced on Monday. State your advantages and get my approval.”

After the meeting, Zhang Yuanji volunteered to be the first to enter the office. In less than 3 minutes, he came out.

Ma Longfei followed closely behind, rushing and scrambling into the office. The oldest man among the key account clients was the first one to be this enthusiastic.

“Brother Zhang, how was it?” Chen Xi used the geographical advantage of being the closest to Zhang Yuanji to start fishing for information.

Lin Yiran’s public recruitment was like a bid. It was more advantageous to talk about your proposal earlier than later, because the evaluator would grow more tired the more he listened, and would easily ask tricky questions. But when almost everyone was presenting their proposals, the first person in had no one to compare against, so he would obviously suffer a little. Therefore, Chen Xi planned to present his proposal in third to fifth place. He was determined to get this “bid.”

“Pretty good.” Zhang Yuanji tore open a betel nut wrapper and tossed it into his mouth to chew.

“Oh come on, be specific. What did President Lin ask you?”

“He just asked who I knew at Gu Lin. I said that through the finance side, I could get their finance boss to introduce the general manager.” Zhang Yuanji told the truth.

Kid, you call Lin Yiran “President Lin,” how did you suddenly get so unfamiliar?

“Ah, then what did he say?”

“What else could he say?” Zhang Yuanji did not mind Chen Xi probing him, but the king of watching the fun also wanted to probe Chen Xi.

“What did President Lin say?”

“He just said he’d think about it, nothing else. Otherwise, would I have come out this fast?” The stimulation from the betel nut kicked in and made Zhang Yuanji’s chest ache and swell. Frowning, he said, “If you ask me, this project is just Brother Lin giving it to whoever he looks most favorably on. I think Sister Xueying or Wang Shuang has a better shot.”

“Uh, what do you mean by that?” Chen Xi was completely confused.

“Because they’re women!” Zhang Yuanji said. “Brother Lin definitely has a tendency toward gender discrimination. He used to be especially nice to Sister Xiaohua. He’d bring her coffee in the morning and even send her home at night. If Brother Lin hadn’t been married, I would have thought he was trying to pursue her!”

“Sister Xiaohua” had a slender figure and a good shape. Before joining the key account team, she had been a model. She had worked at Lan Hai for two years and resigned half a year ago.

Chen Xi took a deep breath, and with an unimpressed expression said, “President Lin wouldn’t go that far. For such an important project, someone like Wang Shuang couldn’t even handle it.”

“Heh heh heh, I’ll bet you 10 yuan.” Zhang Yuanji spat out the betel nut in his mouth, then changed to another piece to chew. “Don’t look at how serious Brother Lin seems on the surface. In reality, heh heh heh heh, the friends on the scene already told me.”

Zhang Yuanji had previously watched over a KTV, so the kind of friends he had made on the scene were obvious without saying. Lin Yiran often entertained clients, so going to a business K was not unreasonable. But judging from Zhang Yuanji’s tone, the place Lin Yiran went to should not have been a normal business K.

Lin Yiran talked to clients, handled management, and 419 didn’t miss a thing. He was truly a time management master! He didn’t care about men or women, as long as they were people he went for them, truly a trash can, not picky at all! Maybe the old beast had some strange disease that made him full of energy, and if he didn’t go whoring he would die.

Just then Ma Longfei happened to come out of the office. Chen Xi leaped forward in one step and rushed into the office at high speed, learning Lin Yiran’s teleportation ability to perfection.

Chen Xi, who had just looked down on bending his back to a mere five bushels of rice and asking Lin Yiran for leave, now obediently drooped his head and took the initiative to create contact with Lin Yiran.

All that lofty integrity and dignity could go to hell. As long as I can get this Gu Lin project, let alone continuing to interact with Lin Yiran, even if it meant sleeping with this beast who would die without whoring once more, I’d be willing!

“Pr-President Lin.” Chen Xi stood 3 meters away from Lin Yiran, not raising his head, and spoke haltingly, “I want to develop Gu Lin.”

Lin Yiran let out a soft sigh and said, “This project isn’t suitable for you. Go back.” He even refused to call him brother anymore. Looks like I really did scare you a few days ago.

Chen Xi frowned and said, “Why?” You just asked Zhang Yuanji who he knew at Gu Lin, and you talked to Ma Longfei for a full 5 minutes. Why do you just tell me to go back as soon as it’s my turn?

Lin Yiran did not answer. The sound of keyboard typing rang out in the office. He temporarily changed the client’s face-to-face interview into an online communication, and was checking the project acceptance report.

Chen Xi looked up, but did not, as he had imagined, meet Lin Yiran’s gaze. These past few days he had been avoiding Lin Yiran, and now that he had finally taken the initiative, he had come up empty.

He doesn’t want to talk to me more, he doesn’t even spare me a glance. He can flirt with a former colleague behind his wife’s back, hook up with anyone for 419, go to KTVs to hire prostitutes… He doesn’t lack people, and I’m just one of them.

I’m nothing special.

I put myself on too high a pedestal, thinking that after sleeping with me once, he would take me seriously.

“Didn’t President Lin just say the recruitment was open to all key account clients? Why is it blocked when it gets to me?” You can choose not to value me, but you can’t strip me of the right to participate in the recruitment!

The sound of typing did not stop. Lin Yiran said, “Just now Zhang Yuanji said he could introduce Gu Lin’s general manager through the finance side, and Brother Ma said he could have the boss of Linyu Decoration, who signed with him, make the introduction. One has connections, one has a circle. What do you have?”

Lin Yiran understood Chen Xi. Every time at the end of the quarter, Chen Xi would not give up until the very last moment when it came to chasing performance. Someone so fixated on a goal would definitely dig to the root of it. He could not bluff him away.

“I…” He really could not compare in terms of connections, and Chen Xi was momentarily at a loss for words.

Lin Yiran had flirted with him in every possible way before, but now he suddenly went cold. Chen Xi guessed that it must be because a few days ago he had not “asked him upstairs,” which made him feel that there was nothing to gain from him, so Lin Yiran’s attitude toward him changed.

His chest was so stuffy it hurt, and his hanging arms trembled unconsciously.

Lin Yiran looked at the thin figure opposite him. Though he felt reluctant to bear it, he could not throw Chen Xi into a fire pit, so he had to refuse cruelly: “Go back. Gu Lin is not worth you wasting time on.” I don’t want you wasting time on meaningless projects, but I can’t explain too much to you.

Gu Lin is a key client on my list, a client I have spared no effort to contact and develop. How can that be called “wasting time”?

Could it be that you already have someone chosen, and you’re too embarrassed to just hand the project away, so now you’re making trouble here?!

Who is your chosen person, Wang Shuang? You’re giving her a 30 million project, are you sure you can trust her? Did she also sleep with you?

The pain in the bottom of his heart spread to his limbs, and his hands and feet were already numb. Chen Xi endured the grievance, held back the mist that rose in the corners of his eyes, and said in a broken-jar-all-the-way sense of fatalism, “I have Xiao Fang!”

Lin Yiran: …You know some girl from some village, but she still can’t help you win this order.

Lin Yiran patiently explained to Chen Xi, “If there are good projects in the future, I’ll push them to you. This one really isn’t suitable.”

“She, she’s doing important work at Gu Lin, holding up the front.”

Chen Xi completely ignored Lin Yiran’s words and spoke with conviction.

“I got it, I’ll think about it.” Lin Yiran knew that if he refused outright, Chen Xi would definitely continue to wrangle with him, so he simply ended the topic.

“What does Brother Lin need to think about?” Chen Xi’s gaze was sharp. “You know Gu Lin’s structure, you understand all the decision-makers’ preferences, and you still haven’t signed it. Isn’t that because there’s something wrong with this client?”

Lin Yiran froze.

He had not expected Chen Xi to guess his true intention.

He had not even expected that, knowing Gu Lin had a problem, Chen Xi would still join the recruitment without any hesitation.

Chen Xi can see through my true purpose, he knows what kind of person I am.

He understands me.

“As long as, as long as you tell me the key person, I will definitely sign this order!” I will treasure this rare opportunity, I will work twice as hard, I will work harder than anyone else.

His thin body could not support the shirt. The fearless spirit inside broke through flesh and blood, swallowing retreat and avoidance.

Chen Xi was like a soldier without a weapon, exchanging his shoes for a blunt blade just to go onto the battlefield, to fight a battle he was almost certain to lose.

The seasoned general, the sea of his heart that had been quiet for so long, at this moment was stirred into layer after layer of ripples by the barefoot soldier.

Chen Xi had no connections or circle, no experience or background, only a desire to sign key clients that was stronger than anyone else’s. But the more he desired it, the more Lin Yiran could not give this project to him.

Gu Lin would not sign. The deeper the obsession, the more time would be wasted, and Chen Xi would undoubtedly pour his burning blood and heart into nothing.

The higher the expectation, the greater the disappointment. Lin Yiran could not bear to see Chen Xi hurt.

Since you already saw through my nature, there was no point in me wearing a hypocritical skin. If you refused to turn back, then I might as well carry this villain act to the end.

With a detached tone and a cold expression, Lin Yiran, when facing a crucial choice, was terrifyingly calm: “Gu Lin already has a chosen person. This is not a project you should touch. Don’t come here and stir up my situation.”