KC | Chapter 80

In September, the sky was a clear blue, washed clean, with a gentle morning breeze.

The Cadillac drove into Lihua’s underground parking garage. After it stopped, Chen Xi glanced left and right, and only after confirming there were no acquaintances around did she dare to get out, deliberately walking slowly half a meter behind Lin Yiran. Lin Yiran, on the other hand, felt there was nothing to avoid. KA were all sharp people, and it was only a matter of time before their relationship could no longer be kept under wraps, maybe it had already broken through the paper. But since Chen Xi wanted to keep her distance, he was also willing to cooperate, treating it like putting on The Emperor’s New Clothes, just humoring her.

“Brother Lin, I’ll take the freight elevator, you…” Chen Xi said hesitantly.

“Okay.” Lin Yiran nodded.

After Chen Xi left, Lin Yiran specifically stayed in the elevator lobby for another 2 minutes before calling the elevator.

Ma Longfei was holding a water cup and about to go get water. When he saw the two of them appear at the elevator lobby door in front of him and the freight elevator lobby door behind him at the same time, he was so startled that the cup almost slipped out of his hand.

Chen Xi: I deliberately stayed in the freight elevator lobby for 2 minutes, so why did I still run into Brother Lin_(|3」∠)_

Lin Yiran: “Good morning.”

“Good morning, President Lin.” Years of workplace experience drove the seasoned office veteran to first turn around and greet his superior, then turn his head and walk straight toward Chen Xi’s direction, “Good morning, Xiao Chen.”

Help, there were people in front and behind me, so awkward!

But since I had already come to get water, there was no reason to retreat. Turning back now would only seem deliberate.

I must hold my water cup properly, my hands cannot shake. As long as I am not awkward, the awkward ones are the two of them.

Ma Longfei was steady as an old dog, Lin Yiran’s expression was faint, and the only awkward one was workplace rookie Chen Xi.

“Good morning, Brother Ma, Brother Ma is going to get water, Brother Ma’s cup is soaking what ah…” Chen Xi followed Ma Longfei all the way, trying to cover it up while making it obvious. Ma Longfei, being followed all the way, was extremely nervous.

On Monday morning at 8, all the office workers were pumped full of adrenaline. Zhang Yuanji chomped on corn with crackling sounds, Li Hua’s keyboard clacked away, and Wang Shuang shouted at the workstation: “You guys open your computers first and check if there are any performance numbers that haven’t been confirmed, no hiding orders allowed!”

Zhang Yuanji once again quietly probed Chen Xi for spoilers: “Hey, Xiao Chen, what kind of incentive is Brother Lin going to do ah?”

“Don’t know.”

That day at the start of the month, Brother Zhang also asked me what was going on with the morning meeting. Why was he so sure I could know the information in advance? He had run into me and Brother Lin in the parking lot before, could it be…

No way, no way. With Brother Zhang’s personality, if there was something going on, he definitely couldn’t keep it in, he would have come to ask me long ago. If he doesn’t ask, then there is nothing. If he asks me, I just won’t admit it.

Mm, right, that’s it.

After deeply interacting with Lin Yiran for two days, Chen Xi became more and more confident and greasy, the same lineage as his mentor.

After morning exercises, Lin Yiran went as usual to attend the executive meeting, and Wang Shuang organized KA’s morning meeting.

After the long-winded, bureaucratic Wang Shuang learned from Lin Yiran’s speaking style, he opened with the topic straight away: “There’s only one thing in today’s morning meeting, announcing this month’s incentive policy.”

Lin Yiran was a leader with very distinct personal style and influence. While guiding Chen Xi, he was also changing Wang Shuang. All the KA people copied him and wanted to become like him. He was KA’s weather vane.

“This month’s incentive is divided into two stages. The first stage starts today and runs until 9.15, two weeks total. The incentive content is: collections. Counting me and President Lin, KA has 20 people in total. After collections, the bottom 10 will buy coffee for the top 10 next week.”

“What standard of coffee, Luckin or Starbucks? Buy it every day? As long as it’s collections, does it count?” Zhang Yuanji, the enthusiast for activities, raised his hand to ask.

“I think buying Luckin would be better, because their shop is the closest to the company entrance. The people ranked last and second-to-last have to be responsible for buying coffee, and coffee shops that are too far away are hard to carry back.”

To avoid more questions, Wang Shuang brought out Lin Yiran: “President Lin said the original intent of this incentive was just to help everyone perk up, so of course it will be bought every morning. If the top 10 in collections have to go out on business visits, they should say so in advance, to avoid wasting it. President Lin also said that, to encourage everyone, all collections count, whether it’s signing a new client, or an already signed contract that hasn’t been collected yet, or a client with installment payments, all of them can be counted.”

Only then did Chen Xi figure out why Lin Yiran had asked him last night, “How much collection is there this month.”

Framework signing was much less difficult than signing new clients, this was clearly favoritism toward me ah (*^▽^*)

Sure enough, after he brought out Lin Yiran, no one in KA dared to raise any questions. Relying on his superior’s prestige, Wang Shuang continued: “The second stage of the incentive is from 9.16 to the end of the month, also two weeks. The incentive content is: gross profit. Since everyone last month had wins and losses and still didn’t have their fill, the second stage will continue using last month’s incentive policy, betting 500 yuan on yourself. The winners will split the prize pool.”

Once the incentive policy came out, KA was full of energy. Although coffee wasn’t worth much money, face mattered for KA, and performance was dignity.

“Haha, your Stove God City collections at the end of the month, the second stage incentive is definitely a steady ride, sign up without hesitation.” Zhang Yuanji said.

Chen Xi nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

These two incentives were pure and simple designed for me, the bad leader using public affairs for private gain (*^▽^*)

After the morning meeting, Chen Xi hummed a tune while scrolling on his phone. Zhang Yuanji once again fell into the bad habit of peeking at other people’s privacy. Looking closer, he saw that he was browsing Taobao.

I thought you didn’t use WeChat on the PC side for chatting, that you used the phone WeChat to chat with Brother Lin about private things and didn’t want others to see, but it turned out you were shopping online. Back when you were at work, every second mattered, you even had to jog when going to the bathroom, where did the hardworking Xiao Chen who worked overtime and gave his all go?

The favored one was fearless, the one lacking performance had turmoil in his heart.

Sour, really sour.

Watching his good brother, who had once suffered and been miserable together as an office worker, suddenly take off because he slept with the boss, Zhang Yuanji felt empty inside.

Chen Xi didn’t notice his good brother’s psychological change. He picked and chose from left to right, and bought a figure at a moderate price. After buying the figure, he quickly made an appointment with planning to revise the Gulin proposal. Although Stove God City provided a bottom line, right now there was a chance to earn more. How could the humble Xiao Chen, who had had enough of bitter days, let it go.

After doing physical labor for two days on the weekend, and using his brain on workdays, combining body and mind, it should have been seamless. But the physical exertion had been too harsh, and using his brain was a little draining on his vitality. He really felt more than capable of his heart, but not his strength.

After receiving Gulin’s requirements last week, Chen Xi immediately coordinated with the planning department. Planner Wang Wei was very reliable, working overtime on the weekend to rush out the full proposal. In order to finalize the plan as soon as possible, Chen Xi borrowed Lin Yiran’s MacBook and discussed the revisions together with Wang Wei at Lanhai Cafe.

Chen Xi imagined himself as Wang Yaohua, and according to the requirements provided by Xu Dongxu, carefully examined every detail, occasionally furrowing his brows, as if he were having a dialogue with the proposal’s logic chain.

Using dialectical thinking would make it very easy to spot problems in the plan, and of course that was also taught by Lin Yiran.

Lin Yiran was very charming when he focused on work, and so was Chen Xi.

Chen Xi wore clean white clothes and black pants, his face youthful but his expression steady, his thinking lively like a spring gushing forth, constantly bursting with new ideas and creativity. When Wang Wei discussed problems with him, she often found herself unconsciously drawn in.

When one was fully immersed in work, time always passed especially fast. Before they knew it, it was lunchtime.

“How about we stop here for now and talk again this afternoon?” Chen Xi didn’t want to take up Wang Wei’s lunch break.

“This is all small stuff, we’re only missing one part, it won’t take long. If Manager Chen is hungry, we can study it again this afternoon.” Wang Wei wore black-framed glasses and spoke in a soft voice.

“Hey, don’t be so formal, why call me Manager? Just call me Chen Xi, then after we finish on the plan let’s go eat together.”

“Okay.” Wang Wei smiled very sweetly, two shallow dimples appearing on her cheeks.

The two of them chatted until 12:30, and the Gulin proposal revision was finished. Chen Xi’s WeChat rang, and it was,

“Dog Lin: Have you eaten?”

“Morning Glow: I have.”

Our relationship is tense enough already, I definitely can’t eat with you. I have to avoid suspicion at the company.

Chen Xi closed the MacBook and lovingly wiped the underside, as if afraid this thing would pick up dust on the cafe table.

Wang Wei seemed to love smiling very much. Every time she spoke to Chen Xi, she smiled: “I really envy KA.”

“Ah, envy us for what.” Chen Xi didn’t understand.

I lick the client like a dog all day, every negotiation is thrilling, almost like a life-or-death game, getting money is harder than taking a shit, what’s there to envy.

“I envy you for having such broad connections and strong negotiation skills. Every time KA walks past the workstations, I look up. Your backs are upright, your bearing is heroic and dashing, you have enthusiasm for work, and you also have composure when facing challenges. Most importantly, your temperament, KA radiates confidence from the inside out.”

Chen Xi chuckled: “Haha, I’m just in sales, it’s not that amazing.”

Wang Wei shook her head: “I used to think sales was just constantly pitching to clients, until I assisted President Lin in negotiations last month, and only then did I know that KA and sales were actually different. He was like a fish in water during negotiations, effortless, sharp-tongued, and clear in logic. Even though I couldn’t fully keep up with his thinking, I still couldn’t help but be drawn in.”

“When I was revising the proposal with you just now, you were always able to grasp the core of the problem and provide practical solutions. I think you are very much like President Lin.”

“You both have a strong desire to sign key clients, and when you focus completely on your work, you’re really handsome.”

This was the first time Chen Xi had been praised so bluntly as “handsome” by a girl. He awkwardly scratched his head, and the two of them chatted and laughed all the way back to their workstations.

Coincidentally, just as Chen Xi put the MacBook on the desk, he ran into Lin Yiran in the corridor.

Wang Wei took the initiative to greet the leader: “Hello, President Lin.”

Chen Xi’s business elite aura was instantly wiped away, and he was so scared he almost dropped to his knees: “P-President Lin, hello.”

He had been caught red-handed lying to his superior, help o(╥﹏╥)o

Lin Yiran stood with his hands at his sides, his gaze cold and his expression indifferent. However, that emotion passed in a flash, and then suddenly became calm. Lin Yiran put on his signature smile and said to Chen Xi: “Going to eat?”

The mistake-making Xiao Chen didn’t dare look at his superior at all, and wished he could dig through the earth with his toes.

Seeing that he kept his head lowered, Wang Wei proactively opened her mouth to “smooth things over”: “Mm-hmm, Chen Xi and I are going to eat together, President Lin, do you want to come too?”

Lin Yiran still smiled warmly and politely, generously and gracefully: “No, I’ve already eaten.”

“Oh, then we’re going to eat now!” Wang Wei and Chen Xi walked toward the elevator lobby, and Chen Xi didn’t dare turn back the whole time.

Very good, I gave you extra tutoring, and you secretly hooked up with a girl behind my back.

Lin Yiran crumpled the contract in his hand.