Dawn of Life

Another interesting thing is that several artisans on the merchant side have handed over their works to other companies, but none of them are willing to reveal their whereabouts. This makes Lin Yue sigh that artisans are quite different from pure businessmen; perhaps they value people more. Although the earliest artisans were Shengxing's resources, because Liu Zheng is more skilled in operations, Shengxing handed them over to Liu Zheng to handle the services after recruiting them.

Although Shengxing has taken back control of the merchant operations team's reporting structure this year, there is still a group of Liu Zheng's fans within that team. Therefore, the loss of artisan resources remains a risk.

Because Shi Potian was a shareholder in a competing company, Shengxing decisively decided to let him go immediately, and the performance review of the marketing center would be taken over by his subordinate supervisor.

Soon, Lin Yue and Shi Potian sat down in the conference room, facing each other across a cold conference table. Shi Potian wore a calm and composed expression, as if he had settled all his affairs and could easily go on his way, or perhaps he was feeling triumphant and ready to retire.

Lin Yue pushed the prepared resignation agreement in front of Shi Potian and said, "Mr. Shi, because you violated the company's rule that you cannot work for two companies at the same time, and your performance evaluation this time was unsatisfactory, therefore..."

Shi Potian sensed the official and distant tone in Lin Yue's voice and understood that this was the best course of action for her at the moment—to avoid any connection with him. He interrupted Lin Yue, a sly smile playing on his lips: "Lin Yue, I actually quite admire you. I have a feeling that we might work together someday."

Lin Yue quickly deciphered his words. Was this a case of "a person speaks kindly when they are about to die," or was he preparing to sow another seed of discord?

Before coming in, she had intended to use conversation to lure Liu Zheng out and had even prepared a recording pen for evidence, but she quickly gave up. Someone as shrewd as Shi Potian wouldn't be able to get him to implicate Liu Zheng through this method; otherwise, he would have wasted the first thirty-odd years of his life.

She smiled and responded to him briefly, guiding him to sign the documents before leaving with them. She wasn't in the mood to argue with him any further, as she needed to hurry and clean up the mess he had left behind.

The marketing staff whose performance was below target due to this incident will be temporarily safe, but they need to make amends by identifying and retaining customers who have switched to Zhengshi Trading within a month. Furthermore, Lin Yue also needs to confirm within a month whether Zhengshi Trading has any direct or indirect relationship with Liu Zheng.

Lin Yue found the company's phone number and office address online. Su Ling first pretended to be a distributor and called the front desk to inquire about cooperation. The young woman who answered the phone seemed to have received professional training and talked to Su Ling on the phone for a long time. Fortunately, Su Ling was also very professional and eventually transferred the call to the sales department.

Su Ling disguised herself as an owner of an antique shop that was about to open, claiming that she would open branches all over the country within a year and was looking for platforms to supply tea sets, jade, and other goods in order to obtain a wider selection and the best prices. In the end, under the strong lure of profits, the sales staff arranged a time with Su Ling to come to her home for a detailed discussion.

Lin Yue planned to go with Su Ling, just in case they ran into Liu Zheng or other colleagues there, so the two of them could discuss things and adapt to the situation.

Lin Yue drove Su Ling towards Zhengshi Trading Company. On the way, they rehearsed how the two of them would work together on-site.

Su Ling said, "I'm the boss, and you're my assistant. My name is Su Mingyu, and your name is Lin Xiaoyue."

Lin Yue turned and glanced at Su Ling, feigning displeasure, "My name is Lin Xiaoyue, why don't you just call yourself Su Xiaoling? Why give yourself a name like a TV drama protagonist? Doesn't that sound a bit fake?"

Su Ling said very seriously, "Su Xiaoling isn't domineering enough, she doesn't match my persona as the boss of over twenty stores." She pointed to the LV bag next to the passenger seat and continued, "Look, the only thing of any value on me is this bag, which I just swapped with you. So I need a powerful female lead's name to bolster my image, and don't you think my background is a bit similar to Su Mingyu's?" As she spoke, her eyes dimmed.

Lin Yue squeezed her hand tenderly and comforted her, "Don't worry, you'll definitely be even more successful than Su Mingyu in the future!" She knew that Su Ling had made some money in sales over the years, but she spent very little on herself, using it either to cover her brother's expenses or to pay for her mother's medical treatment.

Su Ling turned to look out the window, sighed, and muttered to herself, "I have to find a way to get the client back today, no matter what."

Soon, they arrived at Zhengshi Trading Company.

As they stepped out of the elevator, they were immediately drawn to the vibrant atmosphere of the company. On the opposite wall, a huge electronic screen played videos of artisans showcasing their exquisite craftsmanship, while a real-time data dashboard displayed platform traffic, orders, and other information.

After registering at the front desk, the receptionist warmly led them to the meeting room. Outside the meeting room was a small lounge area with a set of soft sofas and a bookshelf filled with various books. These books covered topics such as e-commerce operations and traditional handicrafts, and several colorful handmade cushions were casually placed on the sofas.

Lin Yue leaned closer to Su Ling and whispered in her ear, "Although this company's office space is not large, and it looks like a small team of twenty or thirty people, all the arrangements reveal a combination of the Internet and culture. In addition to the founder's genes, the HR is also very good at creating culture."

Su Ling turned her head to meet Lin Yue's eyes. The instant their gazes met, it was as if a field of intelligent energy emanated from them, and an answer quickly became clear. Su Ling, half a beat faster, also lowered her voice and said, "You mean Vice President Liu and…"

"Excuse me, I just had a meeting. Sorry to keep you waiting." A woman in business attire walked in, her warm greeting interrupting Su Ling's words. Su Ling and Lin Yue immediately focused their attention on the woman, simultaneously switching into battle mode.

Su Ling put on her signature professional fake smile, stood up, shook hands with the woman, and introduced herself: "Miss Wang, I'm Su Mingyu, you can just call me Mingyu. This is Lin Xiaoyue, my assistant."

The woman handed her business card to Su Ling, who took it and said, "I didn't expect Miss Wang to become a business manager at such a young age. It's a pleasure to meet you!" She then passed the card to Lin Yue. Lin Yue obediently accepted the card, diligently playing the role of assistant.

Ms. Wang wore a professional, fake smile, invited them to sit down and chat. After a few pleasantries, she got down to business: "Ms. Su, you mentioned on the phone that you're currently preparing to open a chain of antique and collectible stores. What's the progress so far? Do you have specific requirements regarding the types and quantities of teaware and jade, as well as delivery times?"

Instead of directly answering Ms. Wang's question, Su Ling prepared to take control of the conversation, saying, "I have a rough budget in mind. The main reason I'm visiting is to understand your company's current strength and supply sources. I found out online that your company hasn't been established for very long. I wonder what your founder's background was?"

Ms. Wang looked inquisitive and said, "Ms. Su, could you tell us your needs first? I'll create a plan for you based on those needs. After signing the letter of intent, you can inspect the goods in advance. If you're not satisfied, we can terminate the contract at any time. Before signing the letter of intent, both of us need to provide each other with our company's qualifications and relevant certificates, so you'll have a more comprehensive understanding of our company."

After several rounds of this, the two kept throwing topics at each other, probing each other's intentions. Judging from Miss Wang's demeanor, she was clearly professionally trained; it would be difficult to extract anything from her today.

At the same time, Ms. Wang quickly became impatient and said, "Ms. Su, I don't think you're very clear about your own needs yet. How about we talk about cooperation again after your store has been in preparation for a while?"

Then she stood up, adopting a gesture of seeing them off. Lin Yue sat next to Su Ling, her brows furrowed and head drooping. The message was so clear; if they lingered any longer, they'd be exposed. Miss Wang escorted them to the company entrance, then turned to the receptionist and said, "Those two people seemed to be from a competitor. If they come again, please turn them away."

The sound was soft, but loud enough for Lin Yue and Su Ling, who had just reached the door, to hear. They exchanged an awkward glance, their mood plummeting along with the elevator's descent. Although they had various guesses, none of them mattered without evidence.

According to company rules and regulations, repurchasing Liu Zheng's shares or removing him from the company requires evidence of harm to the company's interests. Su Ling's inability to win back lost customers can be explained by Zhengshi's more innovative operations and greater profit-sharing opportunities.

If Lin Yue cannot obtain evidence that Liu Zheng has established his own business and transferred clients, Shengxing cannot take action against Liu Zheng, and therefore cannot negotiate a merger with Wenxing Group. Consequently, Lin Yue will not be able to be promoted to the position of director.

Both women looked dejected when they came out. Lin Yue suggested they grab a drink and rest at the Shizu convenience store downstairs in the Zhengshi Trading building. They ordered two cups of hot soy milk and stared blankly at the hurried crowds through the glass wall. Neither of them had any ideas, so they could only let time slip by.

Suddenly, Su Ling patted Lin Yue's arm, her voice tinged with surprise, then turning to delight, and said, "Lin Yue, look..."

Following the direction she was pointing, Lin Yue indeed saw a familiar figure from behind. They turned to look at each other, and an idea quickly flashed into their minds. Almost simultaneously, they said, "Let's go!"