KC | Chapter 35

“It’s really cool here.” The pavilion definitely was not as cool as the area beside it, but Lin Yiran was afraid Chen Xi would resist, so he controlled the urge to move closer to him and kept a good social distance.

Chen Xi gave a soft “mm”. His hand reached toward his pants pocket to feel for cigarettes, then, seeing the no-smoking sign beside the pavilion, he pulled his hand back out.

“There’s a bunch of old people behind us, with their families, walking slowly. We’re resting here and waiting for them.” Lin Yiran took an e-cigarette from his pants pocket and handed it toward Chen Xi.

Chen Xi shook his head and dodged Lin Yiran’s hand as if avoiding the plague, saying, “Don’t smoke.” I don’t want your things.

Lin Yiran withdrew his hand, which had frozen in midair, and his chest hurt a little. He said nothing more and slowly walked to another corner of the pavilion, putting distance between himself and Chen Xi.

He was looking at the scenery, he was looking at his lonely back.

Lin Yiran wore a hypocritical skin all day long, and had never truly opened his heart to anyone sincerely. A marketing heavyweight with extremely strong pride had even less reason to let anyone peer into his mistakes.

Gulin was the starting point of Lin Yiran’s glorious battles, and from that time on, he used any means necessary to achieve his goals. Lin Yiran had never been a straightforward person. In order to enjoy the joy of victory, he had done many dirty jobs. Those filthy things were pressed deep in his heart, rusted and mottled with the passing years.

But at this moment he had to say it.

“Chen Xi.” Lin Yiran took the initiative to break the silence. “Gulin had a partnership with Lanhai 10 years ago. I was the one who signed it then.”

I can choose not to give you Gulin’s development rights, and not explain it to you, but I don’t want you to be upset.

Chen Xi turned his head and looked at Lin Yiran. “How much did Lin-ge sign for back then? Why didn’t the cooperation continue later?” You wouldn’t let a key client fail so easily, something must have happened in between?

“It was signed for 1 million back then. The cooperation didn’t continue because I overpromised before signing, and the placement didn’t achieve the intended effect.”

Lin Yiran could lie to Zhang Guangming to avoid fault, and hide the actual situation from a KA for the sake of pride. A negotiation expert who was smooth-talking and adept at handling all sides, had not told many truths in all these years. He took the initiative to uncover the scar from his youth, simply because he did not want Chen Xi to jump into this fire pit and bear the mistakes he had made back then in his place.

“Because of this, 10 years ago Gulin’s marketing director Xu Dongxu was demoted. He came to Lanhai to argue with me, and nearly got into a fight with me. The year before last, he attended a supplier’s wedding, saw me, and turned around and left. These years I’ve found quite a few people to build bridges, wanting to ease the relationship with Xu Dongxu, but it was useless. At a media meeting, he said in front of me, ‘We will never cooperate with Lanhai.’”

“Xu Dongxu is now the co-president of Gulin Group. Gulin’s signing can’t avoid him.”

“As long as I’m in Lanhai, Gulin will never possibly cooperate!”

Lin Yiran looked at Chen Xi. After explaining the whole matter, he refused again, saying, “Gulin was my mistake from 10 years ago. The consequences shouldn’t be borne by you.”

“Then who do you want to bear the consequences?” Chen Xi’s gaze was like a torch. “You recruited people just to find someone to take the blame. What kind of person do you want, a brash rookie with too much time, or a dead weight with poor performance?”

In Lin Yiran’s view, stirring trouble without signing the deal was not a big deal. Afterward, he could assess and eliminate employees who did not create results by using the excuse of poor signing performance.

Lin Yiran did indeed have the idea of using Gulin to assess employees, he just had not expected Chen Xi to see through it so clearly.

“I…” Lin Yiran’s eyes flickered, and he instinctively wanted to find a way to cover for himself, but then felt there was no point.

I must look absolutely filthy in your eyes.

That’s right, I’m just this awful.

Think whatever you want about me, no matter what, I’ll still follow the plan and achieve my goal.

The low voice carried the pressure of someone in power: “Stop digging yourself into a dead end. The recruitment was a trap I set. Gulin will not cooperate with Lanhai!”

Anyone hearing such a forceful refusal from their superior should have turned back.

But I can’t turn back!

These past few days I’ve been constantly finding people to help build bridges, and I only found one front desk girl, Xiaofang. I don’t have any other connections or circles in KA, but I have the determination to definitely sign the key client!

Signing key clients is the reason I do sales. Even if the road ahead is thorny, I won’t give up easily!

“I’m not afraid if the client side has problems, I’m only afraid of having no client side!” The boy’s clear voice echoed in the empty valley, every word carrying power. “Lin-ge, all I’m asking for is a chance!”

The two of them stood at opposite corners of the pavilion, each holding to their own position, refusing to give way.

Lin Yiran had made the past clear to me because he did not want me involved in Gulin’s recruitment. I knew key clients would have endless problems. If I feared difficulties and denied myself before even starting, then what was I doing this for, what was the meaning of this KA job?

“When I first came to KA, you told me not all clients had to be signed, and to focus my energy on key clients. I asked you, ‘What is a key client?’ and you said, ‘It’s the most important and most valuable client, the one that can help me complete my assessment.’”

“I didn’t understand it back then. I only understood after signing Shining.”

Chen Xi continued, “You taught me that the three indicators for judging a key client are having a budget, having a placement plan, and being able to get in touch with the key person. These past few days I’ve been screening clients according to your criteria, and none of them fit.”

“Gulin has a 30 million advertising budget, and every year it has a placement plan. You understand Gulin’s organizational structure and key people.” Chen Xi’s gaze burned brightly. “Gulin meets all the indicators of a key client. It’s the most important and most valuable client that can help me complete my assessment.”

Under the blue sky, in the mountains and forests, beside the stream, inside the pavilion, there was fire in Chen Xi’s heart and light flashing in his eyes. He was a pine or cypress in the mountains, and no matter the wild wind or storm, he could not be moved even a little. No one was braver than him, no one was firmer than him, no one desired it more than him.

Chen Xi said solemnly, “Lin-ge, give me a chance. I will definitely bring Gulin back.”

When a person had firm resolve, fearlessly gave everything, and fought for it with all they had, nothing could stop them.

The rushing waterfall reflected colorful light. Chen Xi stood before that light, the fire in his heart bright. The sea of dead silence in Lin Yiran’s heart, which had been silent for a long time, was lit up, and the flame surged in his chest.

Before today, Lin Yiran had thought getting Gulin to sign was like a fantasy, but at this moment he felt that signing Gulin might not be completely hopeless. Even if the hope was faint, he would not snuff out this beam of light.

He could no longer refuse Chen Xi.

Lin Yiran slowly walked over from the opposite corner of the pavilion and stopped one meter away from Chen Xi, then said softly, “Chen Xi, were you just shouting at me?”

“I…”

Lin Yiran had previously taught me how to negotiate deals, treated me to meals, and flirted with me in every possible way. I had almost forgotten his identity, he was Lanhai’s vice president, the head of KA, my superior.

I can’t cross the line.

I should be obedient, I should go along with him.

So, he still wasn’t giving me the project, and was telling me not to shout at him, this was his answer?

“You can get angry at me, but you can’t get angry at Wang Shuang or at the client. You need to learn to control your emotions.” Lin Yiran spoke very slowly, his tone no longer stiff, mixed with a rare gentleness. “Not everyone can tolerate your little temper.”

Chen Xi lowered his head and looked at the wild grass at the foot of the mountain, and reluctantly gave a “mm.”

The powder keg blew itself apart, battered and bloody, reduced to pieces, with a heavy smell of gunpowder floating in the air. Yet unexpectedly, the other side was completely unharmed, only telling him to put away the unpleasant smell and quietly continue being the barrel.

The burning emotion deflated. Chen Xi was stifled and frustrated, his reddened eyes glaring at Lin Yiran, looking no different from an exploding rabbit.

Lin Yiran could not help reaching out and rubbing his fluffy head, saying, “Do you want to hear me tell the story of Gulin?”

The trees and bushes in Bingchuan Ravine were lush and thick. The noonday sun shone on the leaves, and mottled tree shade covered the ground, crossing with the people coming and going. KA walked under the shade of the trees, laughing and talking all the way.

“Gulin’s boss, President Wang, has ancestral roots in Huicheng. The ‘Huizhou-style decoration’ that Gulin sales often talk about is their President Wang’s proudly spoken construction technique. I only met President Wang once before. He had a kind face, did not talk much, and paid more attention to listening to advertising and marketing plans.” Lin Yiran walked with Chen Xi in the middle of the group and used a voice only the two of them could hear to explain Gulin’s personnel structure.

Chen Xi nodded and said, “He listened to your advice, so you screwed him over.”

Lin Yiran clicked his tongue, displeased. “How can that be called screwing him over, clearly it was because I packaged it well!”

Chen Xi replied perfunctorily, “Mm-hm, you packaged it well, and then?”

The two, who had just been at each other’s throats, returned to being on good terms after reaching the same position regarding the key client.

They had different experiences, different angles for viewing problems. They each expressed their own opinions about the client, and each had their own stubbornness. They would not compromise easily, nor would they force themselves to yield and settle for less because of either side’s pressure. They each had their own persistence.

The key client was the source of their conflict, and also the chance for them to reconcile. They would both think from the client’s perspective, analyze the pros and cons, and finally reach an agreement.

Emotions came quickly and left quickly too. When discussing the key client, both of them tacitly avoided thinking about those unpleasant things and put all their thoughts on the client.

Lin Yiran put the client first, and Chen Xi was the same. They were both workaholics.

There was no movement beside him. Chen Xi walked forward two steps and saw that the person had not followed, so he turned back, frowned, and glared at Lin Yiran, meaning: What are you standing there for? Hurry up and come over, keep talking.

Lin Yiran folded his arms and stayed silent, meaning: If you’re asking someone for help, you have to show the attitude of someone asking for help.

Chen Xi turned back and said something pleasant: “Lin-ge, tell me more, and I’ll treat you to a meal after we sign the deal.” A nearly 40-year-old old man still needed to be coaxed into talking, how shameless.

Though his words were perfunctory, Lin Yiran found them very pleasing. Heh, it still sounded more natural when he was called “ge.”

When Chen Xi spoke softly, his tone was very light and his nose sounded a little thick, making him sound soft all over, like he could be pulled into an embrace and kneaded a few times, bitten a couple of times.

“President Wang’s wife is also from Huicheng. Back when Gulin’s finance department transferred the money, the person who signed was his wife.” Lin Yiran coughed twice and cleared his throat before saying, “President Wang’s wife has some connection with Xu Dongxu. Hey, don’t look at me like that, not that kind of connection, probably just relatives or a particularly good relationship. Because after Xu Dongxu was demoted, Gulin’s newly appointed marketing director was driven out by President Wang’s wife after less than a year on the job.”

“That still doesn’t prove that Xu Dongxu has a good relationship with President Wang’s wife.” At this moment, Chen Xi temporarily shut out Lin Yiran’s influence on him and only wanted to learn more about Gulin from his mouth.

Key clients could always effectively counterbalance Lin Yiran and pull back all of Chen Xi’s attention.

“Hey, why are you in such a hurry, listen to me slowly…” Lin Yiran said unhurriedly, “I once tried to bypass Xu Dongxu and talk directly with President Wang, but after only a couple of sentences, President Wang told me to ‘go find Xu Dongxu and talk.’ Xu Dongxu is highly valued by President Wang. If you go directly to President Wang, it may have the opposite effect.”

Every time Chen Xi looked at him with those rabbit eyes shimmering with water waves while he paused and wanted to drink some water, he would urge him impatiently, “And then? What else? Keep talking!”

Lin Yiran’s throat was almost smoking from all the talking, but every time he met Chen Xi’s expectant eyes, he would keep saying more.

He had never once thought that one day he would pour out his heart to someone and clear out the rusted, rotten insides. He had even less expected that sharing would make him feel lighter, lifting open the surface hiding filth and grime, releasing the suppression in his heart.

The older general had fought countless battles with clients. Gulin was the fortress he had not taken down in these ten years. Today, in order to help the young soldier go charge the battlefield, Lin Yiran took the initiative to uncover the old illness from years past and told Chen Xi every negotiation with Gulin in complete detail.

The light of dawn shone into the deepest part of the soul, and the dim years were once again brought back to life.