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On Friday evening, Suning had a rare dinner at the Su family's old house in Jing'an.

Since moving to Tomson Riviera, he has come back home at most once or twice a week.

Today, it was Li Xiuqin who called specifically for him. Su Ning always felt out of place with his family.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was pleasant today.

Su Ming stopped throwing a tantrum; it was clear that Su Ning's departure made him very proud.

The Su family has finally returned to its usual peace, after all, Su Ning is indeed a stranger to this family.

Although Su Qing still had that cold demeanor, at least she wouldn't deliberately make things difficult for him anymore.

"Suning, eat more, you've lost weight." Li Xiuqin kept putting food on Suning's plate.

"Mom, I can do it myself."

Su Jianguo asked about work: "You've been at Jinchen Capital for a while now, how's it going?"

"It was alright, I learned a lot."

Su Qing suddenly spoke up: "Su Ning, since you work at Jin Chen Capital, what's your opinion of this company? From an investment perspective?"

The question came as a surprise, and everyone at the table looked at Suning.

Suning put down his chopsticks and thought for a moment: "If I were an investor, I wouldn't invest in Jin Chen Capital."

"Oh? Why?" Su Qing became interested.

“The problem with Jin Chen Capital is that it succeeds because of the right people, but it also fails because of the same people,” Su Ning said bluntly. “There are clear factions in the company, and resources are not allocated fairly. For example, our Comprehensive Group 4 is quite capable, but because we don’t take sides, we can’t get good projects. Even if we do get good projects, they will be snatched away by other project groups. On the contrary, the Energy Group and the Technology Group, who have aligned themselves with the right people, have obvious preferential treatment in terms of resources.”

Su Jianguo nodded: "Big companies are all like this, it's inevitable."

“It’s not just a resource issue,” Su Ning continued. “The key is the management. Qu Zhonghui is too domineering. Those who obey him prosper, and those who defy him perish. Most of his subordinates are focused on how to please him, rather than how to do projects well. If those who are capable don’t know how to flatter or obey, they will be marginalized and never have a chance to rise in the future.”

Li Xiuqin interjected, "Is that so exaggerated? Doesn't that force everyone to flatter the emperor?"

"Pretty much," Su Ning said. "Our team leader, Mr. Wu, is very capable and has good performance, but he has been suppressed because he doesn't respect Qu Zhonghui. This time, he was the one who got the 'One Bowl of Fresh' project sorted out, but Qu Zhonghui used his power to take it away. In the end, when problems arose, Mr. Wu had to take the blame. Even though Mr. Wu solved the problem again, Qu Zhonghui still didn't reward him for his contributions."

Su Qing retorted dismissively, "I've met Qu Zhonghui a few times, has he ever gone that far?"

“It was even worse! They said they wanted to promote General Manager Wu, on the condition that someone be found to replace him in the fourth comprehensive group,” Su Ning said. “But who would want to go to the fourth group? It’s obviously a trap. General Manager Wu refused outright.”

"Qu Zhonghui is quite ruthless," Su Qing commented. "He makes himself appear generous by giving Wu Kezhi a chance, while leaving Wu Kezhi with no way out."

“Yes,” Su Ning said. “That’s why I said these kinds of companies have management problems. It’s too risky for investors to entrust their money to them. Who knows if they’re working for fund returns or for personal power struggles? What if they blatantly fabricate data? Investors will just have to swallow their pride and pay the price.”

Su Jianguo then spoke up: "Su Ning, you're looking at the problem too simply."

"What does Dad mean?"

“Personnel matters are politics.” Su Jianguo put down his wine glass. “There are reasons why Qu Zhonghui was able to become the managing director of Jinchen Capital and become too powerful to control. First, he is indeed capable and has made a lot of money for the company over the years. Second, he knows how to cultivate relationships and has people supporting him from above. Third, he has already controlled many key positions in the company, so any change in one of them can have far-reaching consequences.”

"But his management style..."

“The method doesn’t matter, the result does,” Su Jianguo said. “In the eyes of investors, as long as Jin Chen Capital can still make them money, they don’t care about the internal struggles. No matter how domineering Qu Zhonghui is, as long as the performance looks good, they can’t touch him.”

Suning remained silent.

Su Qing chimed in, "Dad's right. I used to work in investment banking before I started my own business, and I've seen too many things like this. Some executives have bad character but are very capable. As long as they don't make any major mistakes, the company will keep using them. Because the cost of replacing them is too high, and the risk is too great."

"But in the long run, this management style will harm the company's development," Suning said.

“Long-term is long-term, and short-term is short-term,” Su Jianguo said. “Many investors look at short-term returns. As long as this year’s performance is good, we can worry about next year.”

Li Xiuqin didn't quite understand, but she was concerned about her son: "Suning, won't you be mistreated in this kind of company?"

"I'm fine! After all, I'm just a minor character, and I'm doing quite well in Group Four," Su Ning said. "General Manager Wu is a nice person, and Manager Lin takes good care of me. I don't need to worry about being schemed against by them, but sometimes I feel a bit frustrated."

"What's so frustrating?" Li Xiuqin continued to ask.

“We clearly see the problems, but we can’t change them,” Su Ning said. “We clearly have better methods, but we can’t use them because of power struggles. We clearly have merits, but we are suppressed and humiliated by power struggles.”

Su Qing looked at him: "This is the workplace. You either adapt or you leave. You want to change a company's culture? That's too difficult."

“I didn’t want to change anything,” Su Ning said. “I just feel it’s a pity. Jin Chen Capital has a good foundation and a capable team, but because of internal strife, a lot of its potential has not been realized.”

Su Jianguo laughed: "Su Ning, the fact that you can see these things shows that you have a deep understanding of the issues. But remember, in the workplace, learn to survive first before talking about change. You're still inexperienced, so no one will listen to you if you say these things now."

"I see."

“Oh, right,” Su Qing suddenly remembered something, “you just said that Qu Zhonghui is too powerful to be controlled, what about the founder of Jin Chen Capital? Aren’t they just going to leave him alone?”

"President Jun?" Su Ning shook her head. "President Jun basically doesn't handle the day-to-day operations anymore; he's away most of the time. Qu Zhonghui manages the company's daily operations. And I've heard that President Jun and Qu Zhonghui have been partners for many years and have a high level of trust."

“Then it will be even harder to move them,” Su Qing said. “The founder’s trusted executives will not be moved unless they have made a serious mistake.”

……

After dinner, Suning prepared to return to Tomson Riviera.

Li Xiuqin saw him to the door: "Su Ning, if you're unhappy at work, come home. The company can arrange a position for you at home."

“Mom, I really like my current job,” Su Ning said. “I just sometimes feel a bit sentimental, and I wanted to talk to my family about it today.”

“Then come home for meals often.” Li Xiuqin patted his hand. “Don’t keep everything bottled up inside.”

"I know, Mom."

On the drive home, Su Ning thought about the conversation at the dinner table.

Father is right, personnel matters are politics.

Qu Zhonghui was able to maintain his position at Jin Chen Capital not because of morality, but because of his ability and shrewdness.

You may dislike this kind of person, but you have to admit that they are capable.

You want to bring him down, but you find that his influence is too deep and his connections too wide.

Just like my father said, "A tail wagging too long is hard to wag."

Perhaps the founder was fully aware of Qu Zhonghui's actions, but chose to turn a blind eye, possibly waiting for an opportunity.

Perhaps this is the reality for many companies...

They know there's a problem, but for various reasons, they can't change it.

For him, the internal strife at Jin Chen Capital and Qu Zhonghui's domineering behavior were just one part of the puzzle.

What needs to be done is not to change the cycle, but to use the cycle to achieve one's own goals.

As for what will become of Jin Chen Capital...

That's not something he should worry about.

……

On Monday morning, Sun Yiqiu mustered up her courage and went to find Lin Yuming.

"Manager Lin, could you assign me some reports to work on? I've noticed the other interns are all working on industry analysis reports..."

Lin Yuming was busy and didn't even look up: "Report? You haven't even laid a solid foundation yet, what kind of report are you giving?"

“I can learn,” Sun Yiqiu insisted. “Gao Sicong and the others are doing it, and I want to give it a try.”

Lin Yuming then looked up, somewhat amused and exasperated: "Xiao Sun, this is the first time I've ever seen someone volunteer to compile a report. Do you know how tedious that is? Checking data, writing analysis, making charts—it can take several days, and in the end, you might not even need it."

“I’m not afraid of being bored,” Sun Yiqiu said. “I just want to… do the same job as everyone else.”

Lin Yuming looked at Sun Yiqiu's serious expression, sighed, but his attitude was firm: "No. You're not even familiar with basic data analysis software yet, so writing reports is a waste of time. Master the basics first."

"But……"

“No buts.” Lin Yuming interrupted, “Go back to your workstation and review the cases I taught you last week.”

Sun Yiqiu returned to his seat dejectedly.

Just then, General Manager Wang happened to pass by the fourth comprehensive team. Seeing Lin Yuming so busy that he barely had time to breathe, he shook his head and called Wu Kezhi to his office again.

"Mr. Wu, please come to my office." "Yes, Mr. Wu."

After arriving at Wang Yunlai's office, Wang Yunlai looked at Wu Kezhi meaningfully and said, "President Wu, I just saw Lin Yuming running around like crazy, dealing with project documents, meeting arrangements, and even managing intern training. Your team only has three and a half people, but you have a lot of work to do. Don't you think about your subordinates?"

Wu Kezhi remained silent.

Mr. Wang continued, "Lin Yuming has been with you for over three years, right? He's capable and his performance is good, but he's never had a chance for promotion. Don't you think... you're holding him back?"

These words struck a chord with Wu Kezhi.

He turned and walked to the glass wall, looking at Lin Yuming, who was busy at his workstation outside.

Indeed, Lin Yuming was already capable of handling things independently, but because he followed me, he was stuck in the "cold palace" of the Comprehensive Group 4, and never got a promotion or a raise.

“Mr. Wang is right.” Wu Kezhi turned around. “I’ve held him back.”

"So you have to think about him," said Mr. Wang. "Either try to give him opportunities, or... don't always put all the burden on him."

After leaving President Wang's office, Wu Kezhi thought for a long time.

In the afternoon, he called Lin Yuming to the rooftop again.

"Old Lin, you'll be in full charge of the Somersault Cloud project," Wu Kezhi said. "From due diligence to negotiations, you'll lead the way, and I'll assist you."

Lin Yuming was taken aback: "Somersault Cloud? That shared electric bike project? Boss, nobody in the company is optimistic about this project."

“I know,” Wu Kezhi said, “but I’m optimistic about it.”

"why?"

“Because of the founder, Liu Chang,” Wu Kezhi explained. “He failed with his previous bike-sharing venture, but it wasn’t due to a lack of ability; he was a victim of a power struggle among investors. This person has ideas, execution skills, and most importantly, he lost the project but not his reputation. He settled the payments to suppliers and paid the employees’ salaries. This kind of person deserves another chance.”

Lin Yuming understood: "Investment is about investing in people."

“Yes.” Wu Kezhi nodded. “So you’ll be in charge of this project. If it succeeds, it’s your credit. If it fails, I’ll take the blame.”

"Boss..."

"Stop talking and go prepare the materials. I've secured the project approval meeting for you; it's the day after tomorrow."

"it is good!"

Lin Yuming's eyes felt a little hot as he walked out of the office.

He knew that Wu Kezhi was creating an opportunity for him.

Although the Somersault Cloud project is not viewed favorably, if it succeeds, it will be an outstanding achievement.

……

On the other hand, the interns were indeed overwhelmed by all sorts of reports.

Gao Sicong was an exception. He performed outstandingly in the energy group, and Ma Jianguo had already involved him in the analysis of core projects, so he no longer needed to do basic reports.

Sun Yiqiu is an exception, but he represents the other extreme.

Lin Yuming wouldn't let him touch the reports; he could only do odd jobs like photocopying documents, organizing materials, and pouring coffee for the leaders.

During lunch break, Gao Sicong ran into Sun Yiqiu in the break room. Seeing that he looked gloomy, he asked, "What's wrong? You look so sad."

"It's nothing," Sun Yiqiu shook his head. "I just feel... like I'm not very useful."

"Don't say that," Gao Sicong patted him on the shoulder. "Everyone has their own value. You're doing groundwork now, laying the foundation. Only when the foundation is solid can you build a skyscraper later."

“You’re all building houses, and I’m still digging the foundation,” Sun Yiqiu said with a wry smile.

"What's the rush? I've only just begun," Gao Sicong said. "You have General Manager Wu and Manager Lin guiding you in Group Four, and Su Ning is also teaching you. Your conditions are much better than ours. Take it slow."

Despite saying that, Sun Yiqiu was still anxious.

In the afternoon, he couldn't resist going to see Wu Kezhi again.

"Mr. Wu, I'd like to participate in the Jinduoyun project. Even just creating the most basic industry analysis report is fine; I'm willing to learn!"

Wu Kezhi was looking at the documents and didn't even look up: "You're not good enough."

"Why? I can try harder..."

“Effort isn’t everything.” Wu Kezhi finally looked up at him. “You don’t even understand the basic framework of industry analysis. How can you make a report? Even if you manage to make one, it will just be a showy facade and useless.”

“I can learn from Suning…”

“Suning doesn’t have time,” Wu Kezhi interrupted. “This project is time-sensitive and demanding. Your involvement will only hinder it.”

He spoke very bluntly, even to the point of being somewhat hurtful.

Sun Yiqiu's face turned pale.

Wu Kezhi took a thick English dictionary from the drawer and threw it on the table: "Here, memorize this dictionary first. In the investment industry, English is fundamental. You don't even have the basics, yet you want to write a report?"

Sun Yiqiu, holding the dictionary, walked out of the office in a daze.

He felt he was being targeted. Why could other interns give reports but he couldn't?

Why is Gao Sicong able to participate in core projects while he can only memorize dictionaries?

Back at his workstation, Sun Yiqiu saw Su Ning typing rapidly at his computer and couldn't help but complain, "Brother Su, does President Wu really look down on me? He won't even let me do a report, he makes me memorize dictionaries..."

Su Ning stopped typing and turned to look at him: "Do you think President Wu is targeting you?"

"Isn't that right?" Sun Yiqiu was getting a little agitated. "Gao Sicong and the others are all doing serious work, while I'm just doing odd jobs all day. Now they won't even let me touch reports, they're making me memorize dictionaries..."

“Sun Yiqiu,” Su Ning said calmly, “do you know what an industry analysis report is?”

"It's basically... analyzing an industry and writing a report."

"How exactly should it be written? What is the framework? Where does the data come from? How do you verify the authenticity of the data? How do you analyze the competitive landscape? How do you predict future trends?"

A series of questions left Sun Yiqiu completely bewildered.

“I…I can learn.”

“Learning takes time,” Su Ning said. “You don’t even have the most basic concepts yet. Even if the report you produce is beautifully formatted, it’s just a castle in the air and has no practical value. Mr. Wu’s decision not to let you do it is not because he looks down on you, but to protect you and the project.”

Sun Yiqiu was stunned.

“Do you know what would happen if you were asked to write a report right now?” Su Ning continued, “You would copy data from all over the place, piece together viewpoints, and finally submit something that looks complete but is full of loopholes. Mr. Wu would have to spend time revising it for you, or simply redo it. This wastes both your time and his time.”

"But……"

“No buts,” Su Ning said directly. “Investment is all about results. What you need most right now isn’t to prove yourself, but to learn systematically. What’s wrong with memorizing a dictionary? English is a tool. How can you do your job if you can’t even use the tool?”

Sun Yiqiu remained silent.

“I know you’re anxious and want to catch up with others,” Su Ning’s tone softened. “But you have to take things one step at a time. If you lay a solid foundation now, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to give presentations later. What’s the rush?”

"I just... I just feel useless."

“Who doesn’t start from scratch?” Su Ning said. “When I first came here, I didn’t know anything and was doing odd jobs. But I didn’t rush to write reports. Instead, I learned the basics first… software, terminology, and industry knowledge. Once I had a solid foundation, opportunities naturally came.”

Sun Yiqiu looked down at the English dictionary in his hand; the cover was already a bit worn.

"Brother Su, am I... being too impatient?"

“That’s true to some extent,” Su Ning nodded. “But I understand. However, you must remember that in the workplace, sometimes slow is fast. Only by building a solid foundation can you run fast later. If the foundation is not solid, the faster you run, the harder you will fall.”

"I understand." Sun Yiqiu took a deep breath. "Thank you, Brother Su."

He returned to his workstation and opened his English dictionary.

The first word on the first page is "abandon".

He smiled! But he wouldn't give up.

...(End of chapter)