KC | Chapter 93

At dawn, the two of them were woken by the alarm clock. Chen Xi had slept almost 10 hours, but he still felt like it was not enough. Lin Yiran seemed to have some special kind of magic, able to cure his insomnia.

The morning was tight on time, and the two of them each stayed busy with their own things without saying much. Only after getting in the car did Chen Xi suddenly realize, Lin Yiran was also going to Lanhai today.

When a slacker representative did not get promoted, going to the company twice a month already counted as a lot. After becoming deputy general manager, unless there was a meeting, he absolutely would not go to the company, and going there two days in a row was definitely not normal.

So, Brother Lin must be trying to send me!

My boyfriend is so clingy, wow (*^▽^*)

“Brother Lin, you can just go meet the client directly. I can take the subway.”

Lin Yiran said, “The last time I sent you to Ole, it was because I happened to be nearby meeting a client. Going to the company today is also because I really have work.”

Chen Xi let out a “hmph” and turned his head to look out the window, not wanting to talk to this old man who did not understand romance.

While waiting for the light, Lin Yiran ordered two KFC breakfasts without coffee. Chen Xi’s pursed lips immediately curved up, and he happily ate breakfast, thinking: You say I am being sentimental, yet you still buy me breakfast. How can there be so many coincidences, you are just a dead duck with a hard mouth!

After morning exercise, Chen Xi was just about to start working on Ole’s bid when his Enterprise WeChat rang.

“Lin Yiran: Come in.”

Chen Xi: ?

If he had something to say, why did he not say it just now? Why did he have to wait until work to send me something on Enterprise WeChat, wanting to keep things official?

He even said yesterday that he wanted to avoid suspicion, and today he could not wait to have me go to his office? An old man who said one thing and meant another.

Chen Xi entered the office and glanced at the glass partition. Lin Yiran opened the MacBook desktop file and said in a businesslike tone, “Zao Wang City, Yang Qi sent a few bids yesterday, all related to the smart scenic area. I just took a quick look. If we follow the 2024 planning layout, the number of landmarks we are designing now is far from enough.”

You got the bids yesterday, why did you not say it yesterday? Could it be because I mentioned that work-related things should not be discussed outside work hours?

I thought you wanted to send me off but were too embarrassed to say it, but it turned out there really was work!

Fine, it really was me being sentimental.

“Do we need to redo everything we designed before? But construction has already started. How do we calculate the labor cost that has already been incurred? The scenic area needs to go through the bidding process again, which will take a long time. We will not be able to receive payment this month?” Zao Wang City’s payment collection was tied to this quarter’s performance. The commission for each quarter would be paid out in the next quarter. If Zao Wang City paid next month, then the commission would be held back for another three months. Poor little Chen, going crazy over money, fired off a whole barrage at his boss.

Compared with the impatient Chen Xi, Lin Yiran was quite steady. He took a sip of coffee and said unhurriedly, “We only just saw the bid, what I just said was only my guess. Look again and see if there is anything that needs to be added. After you finish organizing it, call Yang Qi and ask her about it too.”

“Ah? Yang Qi sent the bid document to you, why don’t you just reply to her directly?” Chen Xi walked to his side. Unable to see the computer screen clearly, he placed both hands on the chair and tilted out a little head over Lin Yiran’s shoulder.

Employees would subconsciously keep a clear line from their bosses, while Chen Xi always wanted to stick to his boyfriend, just like when they ate together at home, casually revealing affection.

Zhang Yuanji stretched his neck at his workstation to look but could not see clearly, Li Hua craned his neck with a weird, frog-eyed look to peek inside, Ma Longfei pretended to throw something and came closer to the office, trying to get a look at what was going on… The KA staff outside were all sitting in weird positions, but that damn glass partition was half-obscuring and half-revealing, so they could only catch a rough outline. The gossip lovers were itching unbearably.

Lin Yiran lowered the partition and said, “There are two reasons for you to consult Yang Qi. First, it can raise my value. Second, if she makes any unreasonable requests, you can say you need to ask me for instructions. That way you are not directly refusing her, and it also gives us some room to maneuver.”

Ha, the older ginger really was spicier, as expected of you!

Saying and doing, action-first Chen Xi carried off the MacBook and studied it while walking around the office. Lin Yiran posted a line in the Enterprise WeChat group: “This quarter’s time progress is 79.35%, KA performance progress: 53.42%, there are 14 working days left until the end of the month, please calculate your own assessment gap.”

The Lanhai three-province KA group synchronized performance progress every day, and Yucheng KA was always at the bottom. Wang Shuang had always thought that Lin Yiran did not read the messages in the group, and did not even dare to manage upward, but he did not expect that today he would directly forward the group data.

When the emperor is not anxious, the eunuch is anxious. Wang Shuang had long wanted to rant about KA performance, but without a key client he could not get hard. Today he finally caught the chance to borrow power from a tiger, and immediately threw a table into the group. The table listed every KA’s gross profit, performance progress, estimated completion ratio… sorted from high to low by gross profit amount, publicly executing all the KAs.

A group of cocoons outside the office, who had wanted to watch the excitement, immediately stopped swaying around, drooped their heads, and obediently studied the key clients.

Chen Xi always worked with complete focus and had no idea about the commotion outside the door or the changes in the work group.

Lin Yiran had no mind to work, he only wanted to tear open his suit.

For the convenience of letting Lin Yiran hear the other side, Chen Xi once again hung his head on his shoulder. The two of them had their heads pressed together, with the phone夹ed between their two ears.

“Hello, Director Yang, I am Chen Xi, yes, the one who came to our scenic area with General Manager Lin last time. I just looked at the bid for the smart scenic area you sent. I have a few questions I want to ask for advice, are you convenient to talk now?”

“Our smart scenic area project needs a total of 28 landmarks, do these include the 12 landmarks that Lanhai is currently under construction on?”

“But the winning requirement for Zao Wang City before was to purchase ’12’ landmarks. Lanhai is almost done with construction already, how do we calculate the labor cost caused by the changed demand?”

Chen Xi had not only looked at the smart scenic area bid just now, but also reviewed the bid Lin Yiran had won before. The settlement principle in the previous bidding document had written, ‘Any increase in乙方 costs caused by changes in the甲方’s requirements shall be borne by甲方,’ but after all, Zao Wang City was the甲方, and he could not bring it up directly, so he changed to a more tactful way and mentioned the “previous bid.”

The person on the other end said something, and Chen Xi frowned and said, “You mean, in order to match the 2024 scenic area layout, the landmarks Lanhai designed before also have to be redone?”

“Because there are too many changes involved, I cannot make the call. Please wait, I will go ask General Manager Lin for instructions and reply to you later.”

“Oh, right, if you have any questions in the future, just connect directly with me. General Manager Lin handles cases worth millions, he really has limited time.”

After hanging up, Chen Xi changed face and cursed, “Did you hear what she just said? When I mentioned the ‘previous bid,’ she actually acted like she could not understand? What kind of sudden change in requirements happens after construction is finished? She even dared to threaten me with ‘it will be hard to inspect and accept’? She is just a damn bastard who takes one step after getting three inches!”

Lin Yiran pulled him down onto his lap and laughed, “Boss Chen, outside you are sycophantic, but at home you only bully the weak and fear the strong.”

Habits were truly a terrible thing. The instant Chen Xi sat on his lap, he subconsciously wanted to reach out and wrap his arms around his neck, only to suddenly realize, this was the office!

Lin Yiran dialed Director Zhang from Zao Wang City.

“Brother Zhang, I want to ask, is Zao Wang City’s 2024 bid and this year’s bid an independent budget, or a shared budget?”

Brother Lin did not exchange pleasantries with the other side, and went straight to the point from the start. It seemed that the two of them really had a good relationship. But normally every project’s bid had an independent budget, so what Brother Lin just asked was not the same as asking nothing?

“Just now Yang Qi said that Lanhai should redo the whole set of designs according to next year’s 28 landmarks. I think that is not appropriate. First, the 28 landmarks are next year’s project, and the bidding process has not formally finished yet. No contractor would dare to enter the site, so construction would only start next year. By the end of this year, Zao Wang City would have 12 empty landmarks.”

The mask at Zao Wang City had written it, they were going to hold an event on New Year’s Day. The hall would most likely have leaders coming to inspect it. If the budget was approved but there were no landmarks, they would absolutely be held accountable. Brother Lin’s first question about the budget was basically digging a pit for the client!

“Second, the bid document says that labor costs caused by temporary plan modifications are borne by the甲方. Zao Wang City only approved the budget for making the landmarks, so it probably did not approve a budget for extra labor costs, right? These freshly made landmarks of mine, including labor costs, are about 300,000 yuan. If it is confirmed to be replaced, we can settle this part of the money first.”

What landmark costs 300,000 yuan, this was obviously robbing money! But the bid was 660,000 yuan, and 300,000 yuan in cost was also normal. This thing had to be described higher. Retreat to advance, truly something of yours!

Lin Yiran turned on the speakerphone, and only then did the love-struck Chen Xi suddenly remember that the phone had this function too.

Zhang Yousheng said, “Old Lin, Xiao Yang is just too focused on the scenic area. We should keep each account separate. Since the landmarks have already entered the site, let’s use them for now. I still do not have anyone making this year’s end promotional materials…”

Chen Xi thought: She is indeed thinking for the scenic area, and it is not even spending her money. Why keep squeezing the contractor over and over again.

Lin Yiran took the opportunity to sell a favor and said, “Lanhai design is our strong suit. Later let Yang Qi send the requirements to Chen Xi. Also, I will arrange for a few press releases to be written, and get everything sorted together. Brother Zhang can sign off on the acceptance first, and if there are any problems later, we can adjust at any time.”

Zhang Yousheng said, “Done.”

After the leader made the requirements clear, the employees still had to get to work. In order to get payment as early as possible, diligent little Chen moved a small stool to the 22nd floor art section to work.

The customized design dragged on and changed for a whole morning. During lunch break, Lin Yiran walked over and casually said, “With Yang Qi’s habit of picking faults, even if we finish it now, maybe when the deadline comes they will still ask for changes. Just muddle through it, go eat.”

?

Although I do execution, this is also your project, how can it just be muddled through?

The designers kept thanking him repeatedly, grateful to Lin Yiran, while Chen Xi was both angry and stifled, not knowing what he had been working so hard for.

Lin Yiran asked, “Going to eat?”

Chen Xi let out a “hmph” and said angrily, “Could it be that you wanted to eat with me, so you told the art team to knock off early?”

“No.” Lin Yiran denied it immediately, as if worried that a slow denial would make it true.

“The scenic area project is basically ready to close out. If you want to receive payment faster, just finish the press releases tonight.”

So the favor you sold and the work you grabbed in the end all became my job?

Chen Xi was about to start cursing when Lin Yiran said, “If you can’t finish it, then I’ll C you.”

“…”

Lin Yiran’s ability to speak to humans as humans and to ghosts as ghosts was truly at the level of perfection. He had a stern face with the KAs, sweet-talking and flattering the client, being gentle and polite to the other systems, and to Chen Xi he almost wanted to squeeze out the last bit of energy.