Transmigrating Into the Beautiful CEO’s Doomed Substitute - Chapter 28

When Qi Zheng woke up in President Shen’s somewhat exaggeratedly large bed, it was already bright outside. The curtains were drawn tightly, leaving the room dim. Qi Zheng reached out and touched the spot next to her; it was empty and long since devoid of warmth.

President Shen was already up, which avoided the awkwardness of eye contact in bed—that was good.

Qi Zheng got out of bed, initially thinking Shen Zhibing was in the bathroom, but it was quiet in there too. It seemed President Shen was no longer in the bedroom.

Returning to her own room to wash and get ready, Qi Zheng realized the time was getting late. Dong Xiao had called her several times and sent her messages, urging her to hurry over.

She didn’t know when it started, but whenever they had to report to the headquarters, the team members would go early to revise and adjust the data. Sometimes it was completely unnecessary, but everyone did it to show diligence.

Qi Zheng didn’t agree with this, but she couldn’t refuse.

Shen Zhibing’s increased attention led to more frequent reports, which put a lot of pressure on the project team, but also gave them more opportunities to perform in front of President Shen. People from other subsidiaries and business departments of the group were also watching them closely.

“I’ll get there as soon as possible.” Qi Zheng hung up the phone and quickly changed and got ready.

Downstairs, Shen Zhibing wasn’t in the dining room either. Aunt Xin thoughtfully explained, “The third young miss has already gone to the company. She said not to wake you.”

Huh? President Shen suddenly became considerate? Qi Zheng, however, couldn’t afford this kindness; without the alarm on her phone, she had almost overslept.

“I have to go to work too, being late will be trouble.” Qi Zheng picked up a sandwich, smiled at Aunt Xin, and walked out.

Arriving at the company, Dong Xiao was completely humorless and said in a displeased, low voice, “Didn’t you say you’d come earlier? Cutting it close doesn’t count as early.”

Everyone else on the team was already there, busy at their computers, while Qi Zheng looked the most relaxed. Dong Xiao couldn’t criticize her openly, but complete indulgence wasn’t right either.

Just then, the team leader walked over and told everyone to quickly pack up and prepare to go to the headquarters.

“Secretary Yun just called and said President Shen temporarily adjusted the schedule. Our report is moved up to 10:30 a.m. Everyone, prepare your materials and let’s go. We’ll aim to get the new proposal approved today.”

Dong Xiao didn’t waste any more words, only reminding Qi Zheng again to be especially careful today because the report was very important.

Upon arriving at Shen’s headquarters, they were received by Shen Zhibing’s second secretary, who asked them to wait in the conference room.

“President Shen’s previous meeting had two extra items added at the last minute, so it was delayed.”

The project team sighed in relief and took out their materials for final revisions. Several people whispered amongst themselves, pointing out areas they thought could be further refined.

Just then, someone suddenly asked Qi Zheng, “Xiao Qi, is the part you’re responsible for ready? That’s all core data, and many conclusions rely on it.”

“It’s ready.”

Dong Xiao had reviewed the data and was quite reassured.

“Why do you look unhappy? Are you upset because the team didn’t adopt your suggestion?” Dong Xiao handed Qi Zheng a bottle of mineral water.

“Not upset, there’s no need to be angry about work matters. I just think there could be a better option, so why not try it.”

Qi Zheng’s idea was to add some more direct incentive conditions based on the existing proposal so they could openly compete with Shiqun, instead of merely patching up deficiencies.

“A radical proposal isn’t necessarily bad, but the risk is greater. Besides, President Shen might not agree to a direct confrontation with Shiqun.”

Dong Xiao had been with the company for a while and knew about the past conflicts between Shen’s and Shiqun. Even though the two companies weren’t on good terms, Shen Zhibing was still unwilling to directly clash with Shiqun, having avoided confrontation in several deals over the years.

If the Yongfeng plot wasn’t so attractive, President Shen might not be so insistent.

Qi Zheng, however, thought Shen Zhibing might not disagree. Although she had a ‘love brain’ (was overly focused on romance), her change in attitude towards Lian Ao last night suggested that, at least regarding the Yongfeng matter, she wasn’t muddled.

“Maybe we can propose the option, and let President Shen decide whether to adopt it in the end.”

Dong Xiao looked skeptical: “How many proposals does President Shen approve every day? You’ve seen it—how many times have we reported, and hasn’t every revision been according to her instructions? If we pile up alternative proposals in front of her for her to decide, wouldn’t that be ruining our own careers?”

Bosses need people who can solve problems, not mediocre talent who wait for the boss to make every decision.

Qi Zheng knew she couldn’t convince Dong Xiao, but Dong Xiao represented a type of person with a fixed mindset. Perhaps years of work had worn down their initial edge, making them prioritize stability in everything.

Shen Zhibing was more than twenty minutes late for the scheduled time; she must have rushed over from another meeting room.

Yun Fei followed behind her, taking the materials needed for this meeting from the second secretary and a freshly brewed cup of tea from the third secretary.

“Apologies, there was a temporary issue that delayed everyone. If you’re all ready, let’s start immediately.” After sitting down, Shen Zhibing only took a sip of tea before getting straight to the point.

After listening to the report from the team leader and the two people in charge, Shen Zhibing lowered her head and carefully read the report in her hands, not making an immediate decision.

“Is this your final proposal?” Shen Zhibing looked up, her tone calm, making it impossible to guess her satisfaction level.

Everyone nodded. Qi Zheng sat in the middle, neither too close nor too far from Shen Zhibing.

President Shen called her name: “Qi Zheng, do you also agree with this proposal?”

Dong Xiao was very nervous. Was President Shen asking this because Qi Zheng had privately mentioned another option?

Although Qi Zheng was an insider (hired through connections), she shouldn’t do this. Wasn’t she openly disrespecting the team leader and other seniors? Qi Zheng would be fine under President Shen’s protection, but he would be the one to suffer.

Dong Xiao wanted to give Qi Zheng a look, but there was no opportunity in this setting.

Qi Zheng considered for a moment and honestly replied, “I agree with the vast majority of the content.”

“And the remaining small part?”

“I believe we could appropriately increase the incentive, as our previous proposal versions were too mild.”

As soon as she said this, Dong Xiao began lighting a candle for himself in his heart (mentally preparing for disaster).

The expressions of the other project team members weren’t pleasant either. Qi Zheng had suggested it before and provided supporting data, but the team leader preferred a more conservative approach.

After all, every modification to the proposal had been made according to President Shen’s wishes.

Shen Zhibing looked at Qi Zheng for a moment, then placed the report on the table: “Then tell us specifically how you propose to improve it.”

Qi Zheng knew she couldn’t avoid it. She had known this would happen when answering the previous question. She had mentioned this idea when discussing it with Shen Zhibing before. At that time, President Shen had indeed hesitated, but not entirely because of Lian Ao.

The data analysis wasn’t complete then, and it wasn’t appropriate to rashly adopt a radical approach without effective data support. But now it was different; Qi Zheng had finished all the data analysis, and facts proved that a more aggressive approach might be more effective.

She slowly stood up and copied the files from her laptop to the projector. Several tables she had created appeared on the large screen.

Shen Zhibing and most of the team members had seen the rudimentary forms of this data, but it was Yun Fei’s first time seeing it. It was truly striking that a newly graduated intern could achieve this level of data analysis.

Yun Fei couldn’t help but look at her a few more times, seeing Qi Zheng calmly explain the changes and significance of the relevant data in the charts. She was completely immersed in her presentation, entirely undisturbed by the surrounding gazes.

Qi Zheng finished her presentation in fifteen minutes, and the conference room fell silent.

Shen Zhibing made no statement, so naturally, no one else dared to speak.

“What do you all think of the revisions Qi Zheng proposed?”

The project team leader had to respond: “It’s very good, very creative, and shows the passion and drive of a young person. But if we make these revisions, the style will be very similar to Shiqun’s, and the chances of success might not be great.”

Shen Zhibing gestured for him to continue: “Why would we be unable to win if our style is similar to Shiqun’s?”

Seeing the team leader hesitate, Shen Zhibing encouraged him: “Speak freely, don’t have any concerns.”

“Shiqun’s approach is quite unconventional. If we get entangled with them, we might be led astray. Shen’s style has always been based on stability, and when it comes to unconventional tactics, we might not be a match for Shiqun.”

Shiqun sometimes does take extreme approaches, which was the fundamental reason for the disagreement after the two companies first collaborated.

Shen Zhibing tapped the desk lightly with her fountain pen. She was beautiful even when not smiling, with a kind of severe beauty.

“Your concern is certainly valid, but have you considered that the reason we haven’t received a definitive response from Yongfeng is that the terms we offered weren’t attractive enough?”

The team leader nodded reluctantly. He had thought so too, but the opponent was Shiqun.

Shen Zhibing smiled: “Shen’s style won’t change, but when it comes to a specific matter, occasionally changing tactics is not out of the question.”

Everyone was surprised. Did President Shen’s meaning imply a greater inclination towards Qi Zheng’s proposal?

Shen Zhibing turned to Yun Fei and said, “Take the data I had you collect earlier and add it to the proposal Qi Zheng just discussed. Integrate it and show it to me later.”

Qi Zheng’s proposal didn’t completely overturn the project team’s version; it just added a bit of ‘spice.’ But the fact that she had stolen the spotlight in the meeting still made some people uncomfortable.

Before the meeting adjourned, Shen Zhibing also had Yun Fei directly interface with Qi Zheng on the data, and Qi Zheng’s status in the project team clearly rose sharply.

“As expected for an intern who was parachuted in. It hasn’t been long, and she can already hold her own in a meeting.”

“Old Dong is still great, lucky too, to get such an amazing mentee.”

Dong Xiao walked behind them, and Qi Zheng, naturally, was once again kept back by President Shen. The team leader needed to go to Yongfeng, and the rest were to return to the real estate company on their own. So in the parking lot, these people took out their pent-up frustration on Dong Xiao.

Dong Xiao was frustrated, but this matter wasn’t entirely Qi Zheng’s fault.

“She didn’t intend for this to happen. She wouldn’t have said anything if President Shen hadn’t asked her.”

Dong Xiao explained on Qi Zheng’s behalf, but the others weren’t convinced, likely believing in their hearts that it was a trick orchestrated by the mentor and mentee.

After the meeting, Shen Zhibing returned directly to her office, while Qi Zheng followed Yun Fei to the secretarial office. The second and third secretaries were working diligently, only looking up when she entered, and then paying her no mind.

Yun Fei copied several files from her computer and gave them to Qi Zheng: “This is the data President Shen mentioned that needs to be added and integrated. You can check first if it conflicts with your charts. If there are no issues, I’ll organize it uniformly.”

Qi Zheng smiled and said, “If Secretary Yun doesn’t mind, I’ll do the organizing, and you can just oversee it.”

Yun Fei was a little surprised; few people willingly volunteer for this kind of work.

“Aren’t you afraid of the trouble?”

“It’s a chance to learn more.” Qi Zheng wasn’t lying; the more data she saw, the more secure she felt.

Besides, she created these tables, so she was most familiar with them and understood best how to add and integrate the new data. Most importantly, she would have close access to Shen Zhibing and could ask directly if anything was unclear.

However, Shen Zhibing’s quick decision to choose her proposal also surprised Qi Zheng. It seemed President Shen was truly determined to fall out with Lian Ao.

When Lian Ao heard that Shen’s had changed its proposal, he became very anxious and tried everything to find out details. Ever since Shen Zhibing’s attitude towards him cooled, he felt the odds of winning the Yongfeng project were decreasing, especially since he had boasted to the board that he would secure the Yongfeng project no matter what.

Now, he was genuinely starting to worry.

A few days later, Shen’s new proposal was released. The change in style was very obvious, catching Shiqun off guard.

“Brother, I heard that Shen’s new proposal was put forward by Qi Zheng.” Lian Jie sat opposite Lian Ao. “You remember who Qi Zheng is, right? She’s the one President Shen brought to Director Yue’s son’s birthday party that day.”