Chapter 476: Are You Really Going to Do This?

“Huh? What do you mean?” Han Xinyan asked in confusion.

Shen Fei curled his lips and said word by word, “No matter which product it is, we have no competitors to fear! Or rather, no one can surpass or imitate us! Those who want to buy YX sunscreen will buy it, no matter what. If they don’t want to buy it, no matter what we say in response, they won’t buy it. Instead, they’ll just say we’re making excuses! So, responding is pointless! Moreover, our sunscreen’s effectiveness, there’s no product on the market that can compare to it!”

“And those big brand sunscreens, their prices aren’t lower than ours, but their effectiveness doesn’t match ours. They’re paying internet trolls to smear us? Fine, let’s just wait for the word of mouth to spread, and then we’ll slap them in the face! If we must do something during this period, we should think about how to use the word of mouth to counterattack!”

Shen Fei’s words were straightforward, and although he was speaking to Han Xinyan, he mainly wanted Lin Tianzhen to hear it. This was because Lin Tianzhen’s current performance was not on the same level as in his previous life.

But Shen Fei understood this, so he didn’t say it directly, nor would he immediately fire Lin Tianzhen. In his previous life, Lin Tianzhen didn’t join Xinyue Group until years later, and by then, she was more mature in handling matters. If he demanded that Lin Tianzhen be like that now, it would be too difficult.

He wouldn’t fire her easily, either; he would give her space to grow. As for why he promised her such a high salary at the beginning, to put it simply, it was to push Lin Tianzhen to grow quickly.

“Shen… Director Shen, I was shallow!” After hearing Shen Fei’s words, Lin Tianzhen felt deeply ashamed.

Thinking about her position and the annual salary promised by Shen Fei, she felt guilty.

Little did she know, Shen Fei shook his head helplessly upon hearing this.

“It’s nothing. After all, you’re still young. Just practice and gain experience over time!”

After a pause, Shen Fei suddenly said, “Minister Lin, this ‘I was shallow’—you’ve said it to me several times now!”

At these words, Lin Tianzhen’s heart skipped a beat. An indescribable feeling of embarrassment surged within her.

Seeing Lin Tianzhen’s reaction, Shen Fei understood that she had taken his words to heart.

After a pause, he said directly, “Minister Lin, the PR department of Xinyue Group needs you to grow quickly! After all, this is a newly formed department, and only if you grow stronger quickly will this department be built properly! Before the YX sunscreen trailer was released, you should have anticipated the market reaction to that pricing tier, considered everything carefully! You can’t just wait until our company gets pushed onto the trending search and then think about how to respond! Also, after I said all that, do you still think we need to respond?”

Lin Tianzhen shook her head. “No!”

“Good, I’m glad you understand! I believe in your ability, but don’t let it get to your head! Even though these situations are rare, as a PR person, you must always plan ahead and anticipate problems!” Shen Fei admonished.

“Okay… Director Shen, I understand!” Lin Tianzhen replied, feeling even more ashamed.

She recalled when she first met Shen Fei, full of arrogance, rambling nonsense in front of him and complaining about him.

Now, looking back, she realized she’d probably have to use that memory to keep herself in check every day.

At this moment, she couldn’t even bring herself to look at Shen Fei.

Han Xinyan, noticing the awkwardness, cleared her throat and quickly said, “So, Old Shen, are we just ignoring those online comments completely?”

“Mm! We can’t respond to them, but we can still do something! Those behind-the-scenes forces, especially the international big brands, are definitely stirring up public opinion. Since that’s the case, we can’t let their efforts go to waste…” Shen Fei said teasingly.

“What do you mean?” Han Xinyan asked, very curious.

Lin Tianzhen also eagerly awaited Shen Fei’s next words.

Perhaps even she hadn’t realized it, but now she had started to regard Shen Fei as her role model, filled with admiration.

“Simple. We can @ those international big brands’ accounts and ask them, ‘Should our YX sunscreen be priced at 99 to satisfy them?'” Shen Fei said playfully.

“Huh?” Han Xinyan didn’t understand.

“It’s very simple. First, it’s to annoy them. Second, if we price our sunscreen at 99 yuan and it outperforms their products, then once the results come out and the reputation is confirmed, will consumers continue buying their expensive and ineffective products, or will they turn to us? These big brands don’t realize it, so we’ll remind them!” Shen Fei continued, a wicked smile spreading across his face.

“Even if we price our sunscreen at 750 yuan, their market share in the domestic market will definitely decrease more and more in the future!” Shen Fei said with a laugh.

Hearing this, both Lin Tianzhen and Han Xinyan gasped.

This method was simply brilliant.

Especially the idea of tagging the competitors—directly mocking them to their faces.

“Old Shen, are you really going to do this?” Han Xinyan hesitated.

“Of course! We’ll need to establish our authority sooner or later! Now is as good a time as any! That way, fewer people will dare to target us in the future!” Shen Fei said firmly.

“Alright, I’ll arrange this later tonight!” Han Xinyan nodded.

Before the two of them could collect their thoughts, Shen Fei issued another command.

“Also, as with the scar-removal cream, our sunscreen’s slogan should be ‘No results, no charge!’ We have that confidence, so let’s show it off!”

The idea of “no results, no charge”…

Just like the marketing strategy for the scar-removal cream…

Han Xinyan and Lin Tianzhen exchanged glances and frowned in tacit understanding.

But they quickly accepted this outcome.

After all, their sunscreen’s effectiveness was truly remarkable.

Meanwhile, at Longguang Media Company, not far from Xinyue Group.

Ji Jiaming had tidied up the company’s large conference room and handed it over to Yunhe Law Firm.

This legal team wasn’t famous in the industry, but after they took on the case and contacted Ji Jiaming, they immediately moved into the conference room.

At this moment, the table was filled with piles of documents.

When Ji Jiaming entered, he noticed that the meals brought in the day before hadn’t been touched.

“Lawyer Shen, even if you’re busy, you should eat!” he frowned.

“It’s fine, I’m not hungry, I’m just pressed for time, need to hurry!” Liang Shuang smiled.

Seeing this, Ji Jiaming helplessly shook his head.

A person is like iron, and food is like steel. If you don’t eat, you’ll feel weak. They’d only had one meal in the past few days. By the time they faced Tencent, these people might collapse before they could do anything!

“Lawyer Liang, by doing this, aren’t you making things difficult for me? Director Shen specifically asked me to treat you well!” Ji Jiaming smiled wryly.

—————- END —————-

Chapter 477: Over Ninety Percent!

Upon hearing Ji Jiaming mention Shen Fei’s name, Liang Shuang immediately stood up from her seat.

She probably didn’t even realize it herself, but now, Shen Fei’s name had been deeply engraved in her mind.

“Okay, okay, Ji Zong, we won’t make things difficult for you!” Liang Shuang quickly said.

“Hmm?”

However, Ji Jiaming was stunned. He hadn’t expected that no matter what he said, the moment CEO Shen’s name was mentioned, the other party would obediently listen?

Not long after, under Liang Shuang’s guidance, the group of workaholics, who had been holed up in the conference room for several days without moving, finally emerged and headed directly to the restaurant of Longguang Media.

Seeing this, Ji Jiaming thought for a moment and decided to go along with them.

In the restaurant, everyone quickly got their meals and found seats.

Ji Jiaming sat directly across from Liang Shuang.

Liang Shuang looked at him for a moment before smiling and saying,

“Ji Zong, if you have any questions, ask them quickly. After this time, the next time we meet, it will be when we sue Tencent Corporation!”

“Lawyer Liang, why are you all in such a hurry?” Ji Jiaming asked, confused.

“Well, we have to hurry! We promised CEO Shen that we could file the lawsuit against them in two weeks!” Liang Shuang replied directly without hiding anything.

“Two weeks?” Ji Jiaming was stunned.

“Yes! If within these two weeks we don’t prepare properly and take care of the lawsuit against Tencent Corporation, we can forget about fighting them! And fighting Tencent isn’t just something the firm wants to do; every member of our company wants this! Ji Zong, if we win this case, not only will the entire Yunhe Firm benefit, but it will also make us famous overnight! We’d be fools not to grab this opportunity!” Liang Shuang said bluntly.

Ji Jiaming was taken aback by the confidence in her words.

He didn’t know about the agreement between the Yunhe Firm and Shen Fei!

“Lawyer Liang, your firm has been holed up in the conference room for several days. Based on the current situation, how confident are you in winning this lawsuit?” Ji Jiaming cautiously asked.

“Not much, about 85%!” Liang Shuang shook her head.

“85%? That’s not much?” Ji Jiaming was astonished.

In his view, having a 70% chance would already be enough, but for such a small firm, having 85% confidence in winning?

After a moment of shock, Ji Jiaming was even more confused.

Compared to other law firms, Yunhe was considered a small player, yet they dared to take on Tencent Corporation and were confident they had an 85% chance?

It was almost unbelievable.

“Well, it’s not a lot! CEO Shen believes in us, so we have to give it our all! At the very least, we need a 90% chance of winning before we can have confidence in defeating them! And, in a lawsuit, if we claim to have a 100% chance of winning, that would be unrealistic, wouldn’t it? So, we’re working hard to increase our chances to above 90%!” Liang Shuang smiled.

“Then, if you only have two weeks left, don’t you have very little time left? Do you still have confidence in raising the odds to over 90%?” Ji Jiaming asked, feeling worried.

“If we hadn’t entered Longguang Media and gotten the relevant materials, we wouldn’t be confident in saying we had more than 90% chance. But after sorting through these materials and with the cooperation of everyone at Longguang Media, I believe raising our odds to over 90% will be very easy!” Liang Shuang responded.

Ji Jiaming didn’t rush to reply. After a long pause, he finally smiled and said,

“Lawyer Liang, no matter what, on behalf of all the employees at Longguang Media, I thank you! If we win, we’ll definitely be eternally grateful to your firm! This game is so important to us. It’s something we’ve wanted to do since we graduated from college. If we lose it, we really won’t know what to do!”

“Ji Zong, don’t worry, we will take this matter seriously! We know how important this game is to you, but we also understand how important it is to us! No matter what, we’ll do our best to make sure everything goes perfectly!” Liang Shuang said seriously.

Ji Jiaming nodded, gaining even more confidence in Yunhe Firm.

“Thank you!”

Liang Shuang and the others gave a slight smile and didn’t say anything further.

After finishing their meal, they returned to the conference room, which was filled with piles of materials.

Because they wanted to make a name for themselves and carried the expectations of so many people, they had to keep this matter firmly in their minds and give it their all.

At the same time, at Xinyue Group.

Since handing the case of taking on Tencent Corporation over to Liang Shuang and Yunhe Firm, Shen Fei had not questioned the matter again.

Or rather, he had completely put it out of his mind.

After assigning a few more tasks to Lin Tianzhen, Shen Fei led Han Xinyan out of the office.

“Old Shen, don’t you think the words you said to Director Lin were a bit harsh?” Han Xinyan asked.

“Hmm? Why do you say that? Are you afraid she’ll be discouraged?” Shen Fei asked.

“A little!” Han Xinyan nodded.

“If she really gets discouraged, then I don’t need to have promised her such a high salary!” Shen Fei said in a deep voice.

“But you promised her that without thinking!” Han Xinyan said speechlessly.

“Well, the issue now is that she’s earning such a high salary, so she should show the corresponding ability to handle pressure! If she can’t handle it, then I’ve misjudged her!” Shen Fei said sternly.

“Misjudged her? How could you misjudge her?” Han Xinyan rolled her eyes.

“Of course! When she came for the interview, I could tell from her demeanor, her facial expressions, exactly what kind of person she was! If she loses confidence over this matter and can’t handle the pressure, then it means I misjudged her!” Shen Fei smiled.

“Alright, alright, stop talking!” Han Xinyan shook her head helplessly.

She then looked at Shen Fei and teased, “But, busy man, how come you have time to come to the office today?”

“You look at you, I came to the office just to spend more time with you!” Shen Fei raised an eyebrow, reaching out to wrap his arm around Han Xinyan’s slim waist.

Han Xinyan shyly punched him, her face turning even redder.

“You’re such a talker!”

“Alright, alright, what do you have to do today? If there’s nothing else, I’ll take you to see our processing factory and also check on the person Old Tang recommended!” Shen Fei said with a smile.

“Okay, let me arrange the social media post first, then I’ll go with you!” Han Xinyan nodded.

—————- END —————-

Chapter 478: Just Consider Us as Useless!

Han Xinyan quickly arranged the tasks that Shen Fei had mentioned.

Soon after the official website of the Yuexin series released the teaser for the YX sunscreen, a new post was updated on the Yuexin official website amidst the debates of many netizens.

“Everyone, are you only satisfied if our new sunscreen is priced at 99 yuan per bottle?”

Once the tweet was updated, it immediately caused an uproar.

Anyone with a little common sense could tell that Yuexin’s move was clearly meant to irritate their competitors.

But what did these brands have to do with Yuexin launching a sunscreen? Why did Yuexin’s official account ask about the pricing of sunscreen with those big brands?

This left many netizens puzzled.

However, those familiar with internet operations immediately thought of the idea of online influencers or hired commentators. Could it be that these major brands were helping to spread the word about Yuexin’s sunscreen?

Various speculations emerged rapidly.

The brands mentioned by Yuexin’s official account acted as if they hadn’t seen anything, remaining silent.

Under this move by Yuexin’s official account, the online discussion reached new heights.

At this moment, Shen Fei and Han Xinyan weren’t paying attention to the online situation. They were sitting in a black Maybach, heading toward the Yuexin processing plant.

Having Han Xinyan with him, Shen Fei naturally took extra precautions.

He drove the car himself and had bodyguards Yuan Song, Zhao Ran, and Mo Xiang discreetly follow to protect them from the shadows.

When they arrived at the processing plant area, Shen Fei and Han Xinyan began inspecting the facility thoroughly.

On the other side, in Tencent Company’s office building:

Inside the CEO’s office:

“Mr. Pan!”

Cai Ming, who had no goodwill toward Pan Shi and didn’t want to pay him much attention, wearily pushed open the office door.

It had been some time since the launch of the knockoff game “Tianxia,” and during this time, Cai Ming seemed to have aged considerably, with a bit more gray hair at his temples.

“Minister Cai, how’s the optimization of ‘Tianxia’ going? Can we still see traces of ‘Tianjue’ in the game?” Pan Shi asked directly.

“Mr. Pan, I’ll be blunt with you. Yes, you can still see it, and it’s quite strong! For the past few days, all the studios have been working together to study this game, but no one can escape the framework of the original! If we try to break away, it’ll turn into something unrecognizable, and the immersion and overall quality will significantly drop!” Cai Ming was very straightforward.

“I just want to know, can we do it?” Pan Shi asked in a low voice.

“No!” Cai Ming shook his head resolutely.

“Damn! You are from the game department of Tencent, and the studios you work with are very well-known. You’re the best talent in the domestic gaming industry! How could you mess up something so simple? What’s the company paying you for?”

After hearing Cai Ming’s response, Pan Shi became truly anxious.

The pressure had been building on him for the past few days. He hadn’t slept well, and now, hearing what Cai Ming said, he could no longer control his emotions.

In addition, Ma Hua had been pressuring him relentlessly. He had consulted many legal experts, and they all said that if they couldn’t remove the traces of “Tianjue” from “Tianxia,” they might lose the lawsuit.

Even though Tencent had connections in the Zhushi court, public opinion might not be in their favor.

This possibility terrified Pan Shi, and he couldn’t sit still any longer.

“Mr. Pan, we aren’t sitting idly here! We’ve tried everything these days, okay, just consider us useless!” Cai Ming sighed deeply, unwilling to engage further with Pan Shi.

“Old Cai, stop saying that! If this goes wrong, don’t just blame me—your position won’t be safe either!” Pan Shi said angrily.

“I understand. My suggestion still stands—let’s use optimization as an excuse to take ‘Tianxia’ offline!” Cai Ming said.

“If we really decide to take it offline, do you think I need to call you in? Besides, do you see the current situation? If we take it offline, it’s as good as admitting we plagiarized! Unless you can launch a new game that can replace ‘Tianjue’!” Pan Shi said sternly.

Cai Ming clenched his hands, his gaze fixed on the floor, enduring the pressure.

Just then, the phone rang.

Pan Shi picked up the phone and waved for Cai Ming to leave the office.

Cai Ming, without looking back, walked out of the office, and the door slowly closed behind him. Pan Shi then pressed the answer button.

“Speak!”

“Mr. Pan, we’ve found out which law firm Longguang Media hired! It’s a law firm called Yunhe. They’ve been working with Longguang Media recently and seem to be gathering information for a lawsuit against Tencent!” the caller said.

“Yunhe Law Firm?” Pan Shi frowned.

“Yes! This firm was only established two years ago and is relatively unknown in the industry. While they’ve won all the small cases they’ve taken on, they’re nothing to worry about. Also, this firm has recently cooperated with companies like Xinyue Group and Chengyou Technology, and they were the ones handling the lawsuit when Xinyue Group’s Yuexin series was sued!” the caller continued.

“Alright, I understand!” Pan Shi said.

After hanging up, Pan Shi quickly opened his computer and typed in “Yunhe Law Firm.”

As the caller had mentioned, it was indeed a small, obscure firm.

However, Pan Shi was stunned. What did Shen Fei mean by this?

Did he think that this small firm could take down Tencent?

Wasn’t this a foolish dream?

Confused, Pan Shi called the representative from Tencent’s legal department.

“Mr. Pan!” the representative quickly answered.

“Hmm, I now know which firm it is!” Pan Shi said.

“Mr. Pan, please tell us!” the representative said.

“Yunhe Law Firm!”

As soon as Pan Shi finished speaking, the representative started searching on the computer.

After reviewing the information, the representative sneered dismissively.

“Just as I thought!”

“Huh? What do you mean by that?” Pan Shi asked, confused.

“Mr. Pan, our legal department at Tencent is a well-known powerhouse in the industry! Nearly every big law firm knows better than to go head-to-head with us, or they’d risk ruining their reputation. So, it’s no surprise that they’re trying to take us on this way!” the representative said with a cold laugh.

“I don’t see much confidence in them,” the representative added.

“Then how confident are we?” Pan Shi suddenly changed the subject.

“If the people at the court are on our side, we’re 100% confident. If public opinion forces them to go strictly by the law, we have a 90% chance!” the representative replied confidently.

“Good, I’ll believe that! If we lose to them, then we don’t deserve to stay at Tencent!” Pan Shi said.

“We understand, Mr. Pan!”

Hearing the representative’s confirmation, Pan Shi, who had been under immense pressure, finally let out a breath of relief.

At least, until they were sued, he could relax for a while!

—————- END —————-

Chapter 479: Is This Appropriate?

Inside the Yuexin processing plant,

Shen Fei and Han Xinyan spent the entire afternoon inspecting the factory.

Regarding Ding Guodong, the friend invited by Tang Xingwen, Shen Fei was not surprised by his behavior.

In his previous life, Ding Guodong had managed all of the XinYue Group’s processing factories under his command. His methods were as ruthless and cold-blooded as they were now. This is why XinYue Group’s factories had never made a mistake in decades, and the quality control was considered world-class.

In this life, with Tang Xingwen’s introduction, Ding Guodong had rejoined his company, but his methods remained the same. Shen Fei simply smiled calmly when he saw this.

However, Han Xinyan was deeply shocked.

Ding Guodong was the newly appointed factory director. In just a few days, this new manager had made significant technical adjustments to all levels of the factory. No one was promoted, but several small managers were directly fired.

Additionally, he modified and imposed new regulations on the production status, production plans, and employee management.

Since these changes were implemented, the employees worked even harder, with no complaints. As long as they worked diligently, their compensation was guaranteed to be good. But for those who were just coasting along—sorry, this was not the place for them!

This immediately made the benefits at Yuexin’s factory more attractive than those of competitors.

Though Ding Guodong had fired some people, his actions had a deterrent effect, and the factory’s production efficiency had skyrocketed.

Han Xinyan was unaware of the changes Ding Guodong had made. He hadn’t reported them to her, leaving her in a passive position. It wasn’t until she visited the factory that she learned about his actions.

“Director Ding, why didn’t you report the changes made to the factory?”

When they arrived at Ding Guodong’s office, Han Xinyan asked coldly.

“Well, General Manager Han, Mr. Shen had told me that all matters concerning the factory were to be handed over to me, so naturally, I had the authority to make changes and adjustments. My job is to manage the factory, and I make the decisions. The changes I’ve made might seem to increase the factory’s costs on the surface, but in reality, they have greatly improved production and, in turn, increased the company’s revenue!”

After a pause, Ding Guodong continued,

“Also, General Manager Han, it’s not that I didn’t want to report it to you. I was just waiting until my changes yielded results. Once I had strong data to show, I would report to you! But you two arrived before I got the data!”

Ding Guodong didn’t have a fierce appearance. With a square face and in his thirties, he looked honest and trustworthy. However, his work style was efficient and decisive, a perfect example of “don’t judge a book by its cover.”

Having said what he wanted, Ding Guodong smiled playfully and said,

“Mr. Shen, General Manager Han, if you disagree with what I’ve done, feel free to fire me!”

Seeing Han Xinyan’s frown deepening, Shen Fei quickly spoke up,

“With this approach of yours, regardless of whether the effects are good or bad, management in any company would have reservations about you! Not to mention, you can’t expect to keep working in that company after acting like this. Let’s be honest, you just started, and you’re already going your own way. Is that appropriate?”

“I’m not interested in other companies right now, but XinYue Group is different, as Old Tang said. It’s not like other companies! That’s why I came here. If it weren’t for that, no matter how good the salary and benefits were here, I wouldn’t have come! Mr. Shen, General Manager Han, to be a bit arrogant, I could have offers from countless companies if I wanted. But I don’t want that. I want to find a company where I can dedicate myself for life! Also, I don’t understand why I need to report when the changes I’ve made are clearly better management changes. As long as the changes lead to good results, why is it necessary to report them first?”

Ding Guodong smiled, his eyes showing no anger. He shrugged,

“This process is too complicated. Just the approval and feedback would take a long time! You hired me to manage the factory, and if I manage it well, that’s the best return for you, right? If I cause any losses to the company, you can fire me directly!”

“This is my way of doing things, and it’s how I’ll continue. If you want to keep me, I’ll work hard and prove myself with good results. But if you think I’m not suitable, then we can part ways amicably.”

After hearing Ding Guodong’s words, Shen Fei felt somewhat helpless.

The person in front of him was still exactly like he had been in his previous life!

Although his tone was arrogant, his ability and loyalty were undeniably strong.

In his previous life, Ding Guodong was not very famous, as he spent most of his life working at the Yuexin factories under XinYue Group. He knew everything about the inner workings of the factory, and many other companies had tried to poach him, but he had firmly rejected them.

Thinking back to his previous life, Shen Fei let out a deep breath.

“Alright, if we didn’t trust you, we wouldn’t have given you control of the entire factory right after you joined! If we had doubts from the start, you wouldn’t have believed it, but because of Old Tang, we do trust you. You should know that your current position is a crucial one in the company, a key role! If I can trust you with this, do you think I’d make you leave over something like this? Besides, the changes you made have indeed had some positive effects!”

Unknowingly, Ding Guodong was stunned when he heard Shen Fei’s words.

“So, you’re not angry about the way I did things?”

Having been in the workforce for many years, Ding Guodong knew that some of his actions had crossed a line, but he still went ahead with them.

He wanted to test Shen Fei and Han Xinyan to see if they were worth his dedication.

He also wanted to see if this company was worth his time and effort to protect.

While his methods seemed unconventional, they were necessary for him.

If it hadn’t been for his own principles, he wouldn’t have made enemies in his former company, nor would he have ended up in jail due to conflicts with certain people.

He didn’t want to play along with the status quo or flatter others due to office politics.

—————- END —————-

Chapter 480: Does He Deserve This?

“What’s there to be angry about? As you said, the changes you made, the results are pretty good, right? As long as it’s beneficial to the company, we’re fine with it! Our company values talent, unlike other rigid companies!”

Suddenly, the tone of Shen Fei’s words shifted, and he continued directly, “That being said, there must be rules, especially in a company. Rules are universal! I can give you authority and allow you to implement your ideas in factory management, but you must bear the trust I’ve placed in you, as well as the trust from Old Tang!”

“Most importantly, both me and General Manager Han are the owners of the company. We have the right to know about any and all operations before they happen! This is not an excuse to bypass procedures just because you think they’re complicated. No company would have such a rule! Rather than a mere report, this is a matter of mutual respect!”

As he spoke, Shen Fei stepped forward a few paces, locking eyes with Ding Guodong.

“If you think that because you’re capable, you can act without restraint, make decisions arbitrarily, disrespect your bosses, or others, then sorry, this company is not for you! To put it bluntly, we gave you authority because we trust you, but the way you’ve acted is disheartening! We can’t tolerate this kind of behavior!”

Each word from Shen Fei was sincere, but the solemnity and anger in his eyes were unmistakable.

Ding Guodong, who had been arrogantly confident moments before, now found himself completely subdued under Shen Fei’s direct gaze. He smiled wryly, as if something inside him had been set, and said directly, “General Manager Han, General Manager Shen, I was too hasty. It won’t happen again.”

The person who had always felt self-assured and defied everyone was now completely bowing to Shen Fei. Even Ding Guodong himself didn’t realize this change.

As for what Shen Fei did, it was simply speaking a few firm words.

—

By evening, as they walked out of the factory area, Han Xinyan still hadn’t fully recovered from her confusion.

Even though she didn’t know much about Ding Guodong, she could feel his arrogance. His decision to act without reporting to anyone beforehand was a huge red flag in the workplace.

Such behavior would have led to immediate dismissal in any other company, but their company seemed to be the exception.

If it weren’t for Tang Xingwen’s recommendation, Han Xinyan wouldn’t have dared to hire someone like him. But then again, this was the type of talent Tang Xingwen had described—someone with a strong personality and independent ideas.

As for the position of factory director, Han Xinyan didn’t approve. They didn’t know enough about Ding Guodong, his abilities, or his character.

However, Shen Fei had made the decision without consulting her.

This left Han Xinyan puzzled, but she never disagreed with Shen Fei’s decisions.

What she hadn’t expected was how Shen Fei had so easily subdued Ding Guodong.

“Shen, Shen Fei, you really got him to submit so easily?” Han Xinyan said, incredulously.

“People like him are better handled with kindness than force. Once you find the right angle and speak to him properly, he’ll listen,” Shen Fei replied with a wry smile.

“But what he really wants is our trust and freedom in decision-making. Without that, he won’t be happy!”

“Although it’s not ideal to say this, you really trust him, don’t you? Does he really deserve this?” Han Xinyan asked, frowning in confusion.

“Because all we know about Ding Guodong is what Old Tang told us, and the little we saw during his interview. That’s all! Even though we promised to give him authority when he joined, this doesn’t mean we should let him act without reporting first. He bypassed us, showing a lack of respect!”

“Well, based on what Old Tang said, and the results of his decisions, his ability deserves recognition! He might just be a really capable person! If we don’t take him seriously, we might miss out on a real talent!”

Shen Fei patted his wife on the shoulder with a smile, “I understand. You feel like we don’t know enough about him to make him the factory director or give him this level of authority, but do we have any other choice right now? Your company is busy, and Old Tang isn’t going to handle it. We need someone who can take responsibility! His approach may not have been perfect, but you can’t deny that it’s greatly improved efficiency! This proves he’s trustworthy!”

“I…” Han Xinyan still didn’t fully agree.

Shen Fei cut her off with a smile, “Alright, Ah Yan, he promised this won’t happen again. If something like this happens again, you can just fire him!”

“I still don’t understand. Who really has control over whom? How can you trust him so easily?” Han Xinyan said, laughing and shaking her head.

Having known Shen Fei so well, Han Xinyan understood that once he made up his mind, there was no changing it.

“This isn’t about one person conquering the other. The way Ding Guodong has been performing lately, he’s definitely earned our trust! Not to mention, if he had submitted his plan right away, it probably wouldn’t have had any effect yet!”

Shen Fei paused, then raised an eyebrow and teased, “If you think he’s not up to the task, and you have someone else in mind, then go ahead, let them interview and fire Ding Guodong!”

Han Xinyan rolled her eyes, feeling slightly exasperated.

“You always say that. Don’t you know I always listen to you? Even if I can’t stand Ding Guodong and want to replace him, I can’t do that! We’re married! If I did that, where would your face be? Besides, Ding Guodong really has improved the factory’s production efficiency in just a few days. I don’t need to replace him!”

“Alright, enough about this! I think it’s getting late. We don’t need to go back now. Let’s just go pick up the kids!” Shen Fei smiled.

“Okay, let’s go!” Han Xinyan nodded.

Just as they were about to start the car, the phone rang.

“Mm? Zhengji, what’s going on?” Shen Fei asked, puzzled.

“Brother Fei, do you have time later? If not, could you come out? My parents want to invite you to dinner!”

The voice on the other end of the line was Zhou Zhengji, his tone cautious and humble.