Transmigrating Into the Beautiful CEO’s Doomed Substitute - Chapter 29

Yun Fei brought the mid-year event proposal submitted by the Marketing Department for Shen Zhibing to sign. These past few days, aside from the new developments in the Yongfeng project, other departments’ activities were also launching in succession.

Most proposals were just procedural matters. With Yun Fei having vetted them beforehand, Shen Zhibing merely glanced at the related budgets and the overall type of event before signing.

“The data integration in the last proposal for the Yongfeng project was well done.” Shen Zhibing was very satisfied with the report.

Yun Fei didn’t take all the credit, stating candidly: “Actually, most of the work was done by Qi Zheng. I was genuinely only responsible for the final proofreading.”

“She compiled and added all the data?” Shen Zhibing was somewhat surprised by this comment.

Yun Fei didn’t hide her appreciation for Qi Zheng’s work ethic and capability: “Honestly, I think it’s very rare for a fresh graduate to achieve this level. She could even rival someone with over three years of work experience. Plus, she’s very reliable, which will benefit her in the future.”

Shen Zhibing rarely heard Yun Fei praise someone so directly, and her interest was piqued.

“You seem very satisfied with her. What do you think if I have her join the Secretary Office after her internship at the real estate company is over?”

Yun Fei was startled: “Are you talking about the data compilation position that’s been vacant?”

The Secretary Office isn’t entirely made up of secretaries; there are also some auxiliary roles for assisting secretaries with document organization. But because they all work in the same office, everyone habitually refers to them as ‘little secretaries.’

“She seems to have a real talent for data analysis. We can let her give it a try.”

Shen Zhibing hadn’t previously considered that Qi Zheng truly had this ability, so she wasn’t in a hurry to bring her to the headquarters. However, her performance on the Yongfeng project genuinely exceeded Shen Zhibing’s expectations, even surpassing her own projections.

The Secretary Office had been short-staffed. Yun Fei had brought it up a few times, but Shen Zhibing just said to wait. Shen Qixing’s recommended list also had acceptable candidates, but Shen Zhibing hadn’t agreed to any.

“President Shen has been waiting for her, hasn’t she?” Yun Fei understood. The position had been vacant, Qi Zheng was exceptionally arranged to intern at the real estate company, and adding that bracelet to the mix, it was clear President Shen held her in high regard.

“I had considered it, but whether she can handle it depends on her own performance.”

Yun Fei smiled: “I’m quite confident about that. Even without much experience, her capability and attitude are evident. With a good foundation, she’ll improve quickly.”

Shen Zhibing curled her lips: “Then once the Yongfeng project is over, get ready to mentor a new person. Don’t complain to me about the hard work later.”

Yun Fei naturally wouldn’t shirk a work assignment. Although her personal relationship with Shen Zhibing was good, business was business. A newcomer in the Secretary Office, who would be a key assistant to her in the future, should naturally be personally mentored by her, the Chief Secretary.

“I’m looking forward to Qi Zheng joining us.”

Yun Fei didn’t mention the matter of the bracelet.

Yongfeng’s attitude had indeed changed. When the previous proposal was sent, they were always slow, taking three days to give a reply, showing little enthusiasm, as if merely completing a process. But after the new proposal, Yongfeng called the very next day, hoping to discuss it further.

Shen Zhibing instructed the team leader to take Qi Zheng to Yongfeng. Specific questions about the new proposal could be clarified immediately. The colleague who was replaced by Qi Zheng and stayed at the company was naturally full of complaints.

“It still comes down to being quick-witted. Look, she performed for fifteen minutes at the meeting that day, and now her treatment is completely different.”

“Well, if you have the ability, why don’t you produce that kind of data analysis? You had all the data and knew Yongfeng better than her, yet you couldn’t think of it. If you had, you’d be the one soaring today.”

“What’s wrong with you? Can’t you see I’m upset? You’re just adding fuel to the fire, as if my heart isn’t hurting enough!”

“Stop with the pain and suffering. You’re a veteran employee after all. Look at the bigger picture and be more open-minded. We’ve been working on this project for so long without a major breakthrough; we were stuck between a rock and a hard place. If Qi Zheng’s new proposal can truly solve the problem and secure Yongfeng, we should all be grateful to her.”

The colleague eyed him sideways, fuming: “What, we have to thank her after she stole our credit? Don’t be so humble. We put in a lot of effort too.”

“You’re just being stubborn. If this project succeeds, everyone gets a year-end bonus and a good performance review. Do you think Qi Zheng will stay at our real estate company? It’s obvious she was parachuted in for training and will surely climb the ranks later. She’s not competing with you for anything, and she’ll leave you with a good evaluation and bonus. What more do you have to be unhappy about?”

Looking at it that way, it was a point of view. His anger seemed to subside a bit.

Dong Xiao had been sitting aside without interrupting. Since he spoke up for Qi Zheng in the parking lot that day, these people deliberately avoided him when they complained. Today, he was simply too annoyed to hold back and said it directly, but they didn’t care what Dong Xiao might say to Qi Zheng.

Dong Xiao’s personality was just not assertive enough.

“Old Dong, you’re actually the one here with the best chance to succeed. You’re close with Qi Zheng normally; ask her to take you with her. Why struggle in your department?”

Dong Xiao was truly a bit tired of the office politics and infighting. He just wanted to do his job peacefully and get a fair corresponding return, even if his abilities weren’t the most outstanding.

But the reality often was that honest people did all the work, and the eloquent ones got promoted the fastest.

“My relationship with her is the same as yours.”

Yongfeng raised a few more suggestions and opinions on the new proposal, hoping for further revisions. The team leader and Qi Zheng couldn’t make a decision on the spot and said they needed to consult with President Shen.

After leaving Yongfeng, the team leader called Yun Fei, asking if President Shen was free in the afternoon, wanting to report the situation as soon as possible. Yun Fei replied that President Shen wanted them to come over at noon. The team leader hung up and turned to Qi Zheng with a smile:

“We might have to go hungry today. President Shen is only free at noon.”

Qi Zheng shook her head indifferently. In the past, when she was on business trips and projects, she only slept three or four hours a day and ate countless instant noodles and biscuits at irregular times, but she got through it all.

“I’m fine with it.”

Although the team leader was slightly dissatisfied with Qi Zheng speaking without permission at the meeting that day, he was experienced and thought about problems more deeply. He had long seen that Qi Zheng was no ordinary person and wouldn’t stay with him for long. The internship at the real estate company was merely a stepping stone.

At first, he had also worried that Qi Zheng was a nepotism hire, purely there to gain experience. He had even greeted the HR manager on her first day and had the template for her performance review ready.

Unexpectedly, Qi Zheng was actually capable, which was even better. She wouldn’t stay to compete for resources, and she could make real contributions. What leader wouldn’t love a person like that? Now, the team leader’s attitude towards her had become much more enthusiastic.

Upon arriving at the headquarters, Yun Fei arranged for them to wait briefly in the Secretary Office. President Shen was still in a video conference. It was already lunchtime. The other secretaries had left, and only Yun Fei was still busy.

Yun Fei was revising an email when her phone rang, indicating that the ordered lunch had arrived.

“I understand.”

Yun Fei stood up and explained to them: “I’ll go get lunch. President Shen’s meeting will probably take another ten minutes.”

Qi Zheng also stood up and quietly asked her: “Do you need me to help you carry it?”

Qi Zheng thought that today’s lunch must be for four people. Given Shen Zhibing’s fastidious requirements for meals at the villa, there might be quite a few boxes.

Yun Fei smiled and shook her head: “Thank you, I’m just going to pick it up.”

Shen Zhibing’s meeting ended eight minutes later. She came out of the office and saw the team leader and Qi Zheng sitting on the sofa, both focused on reviewing documents.

“Where is Yun Fei?”

Qi Zheng looked up and saw Shen Zhibing looking for someone: “Secretary Yun went to get lunch. She’ll be back soon.”

Shen Zhibing nodded: “Then come in now.”

Qi Zheng had to marvel that Shen Zhibing truly worked non-stop. She finished a video conference and immediately moved on to discussing the new proposal with them. Didn’t her brain ever get tired?

After a second thought, maybe she was too exhausted from work that she couldn’t be bothered to use her brain for romance, which is why her love life was such a mess.

Yun Fei returned quickly. After bringing the meals in, she left the office again.

“Let’s talk while we eat.” Shen Zhibing surprisingly picked up her chopsticks.

To Qi Zheng’s surprise, Shen Zhibing’s lunch was merely a business set meal with slightly more refined dishes, similar to what other company executives ate. She had thought President Shen’s lunch would take up half the table. She had imagined Shen Zhibing to be overly delicate.

After the team leader finished summarizing today’s key discussion points with Yongfeng, Shen Zhibing put down her chopsticks. She thought for a moment and said, “The new proposal we gave them already expresses great sincerity and includes many benefits. Why is Yongfeng still not satisfied?”

If a regular employee were sitting in front of her, the answer would naturally be that Yongfeng wanted more—who wouldn’t take a good deal?

But both the team leader and Qi Zheng believed that what Shen Shi was offering was not what Yongfeng truly wanted.

“The change in the other party’s attitude is obvious, which proves the new proposal must have moved them. But they were still not forthcoming during the negotiations, yet they wouldn’t state it directly. This is truly abnormal.”

Shen Zhibing agreed with this assessment. She looked at Qi Zheng: “Then, what is your view?”

Since leaving Yongfeng, Qi Zheng had been thinking about this problem on the way and had just discussed it with the team leader.

“What Yongfeng truly wants is definitely not what’s currently on the table, but the direction of our new proposal must be correct, or their attitude wouldn’t have changed so quickly. As for what they want, we can only find the answer in the data.”

“Data?”

“The person we’re negotiating with isn’t President Le, and even if it were President Le, he wouldn’t directly tell us their bottom line. I think we can start by looking at Yongfeng’s transaction data, transaction behavior, and their investment preferences.”

“That’s a good approach, but what if they’re deliberately misleading us, and all this is to cover up their real transactions?”

“That would only further prove that Yongfeng is just a shell, and there’s another controlling capital behind it. The one who truly has demands for us is the person behind the scenes.”

The team leader gave Qi Zheng a startled look, completely unprepared for a university graduate to state such a deduction so calmly, especially in front of President Shen. But he had to admit that Qi Zheng’s deduction was very likely correct. Because all signs indicated that Yongfeng’s unusual behavior was very likely due to being manipulated.

Shen Zhibing looked at the team leader again, changing the subject: “What kind of activity is there from Shiqun’s side?”

“Ever since they learned we submitted a new proposal, they’ve been anxious, practically chasing after us. I’ve run into their people a few times right outside Yongfeng’s entrance. I suspect they have an internal source.”

However, considering President Shen’s previous attitude towards Shiqun, the team leader was still a bit uncertain, afraid this time they would make things even worse with Shiqun.

“President Shen, if Shiqun insists on competing with us, then what should we…”

Shen Zhibing looked at him calmly: “What do they have to compete with Shen Shi? If Shiqun could truly win, they wouldn’t have given us the chance to submit a new proposal at all.”

Qi Zheng was enlightened by Shen Zhibing’s words. So, Shiqun was being used by Yongfeng to pressure Shen Shi. Yongfeng had always genuinely wanted to cooperate with Shen Shi.

With President Shen’s clear statement, the team leader’s heart was completely at ease. With full support from the headquarters, the Yongfeng project was theirs sooner or later. The team leader smiled inwardly in advance.

As usual, Qi Zheng was kept behind by President Shen. The team leader left happily, not worried at all.

“If you don’t have any urgent matters this afternoon, stay in the Secretary Office and organize the data you just mentioned with Yun Fei.”

“Me, stay in the Secretary Office?”

“It will be your workplace in the future. It’s not a bad idea to get used to it in advance.”

Qi Zheng widened her eyes. President Shen really is going to bring her to the headquarters?

She remembered that the original person also wanted to join the headquarters, but it wasn’t as smooth for her. She first worked in operations at an e-commerce platform under Shen Shi, and then struggled for half a year before barely making it to the headquarters, and even then, not in a special department like the Secretary Office.

“Didn’t you not want to stay in the real estate company for long? With your capability, coming to the headquarters will give you greater room for development.”

President Shen’s reason sounded unassailable. However, Qi Zheng wanted to say, I don’t want to work for you.

But right now, saying it wouldn’t do any good.

Shen Zhibing’s lunch break was about to end. Before Qi Zheng left her office, she heard her say: “I’ve scheduled dinner with President Le tomorrow night. You must hurry and organize the data.”

Qi Zheng figured Shen Zhibing needed to master that information before meeting President Le and knew it was important. Though it would be hard work, she should be able to finish in time by working overtime.

But Shen Zhibing added: “Memorize the data. You’ll come with me tomorrow night.”

Qi Zheng walked out of the office with a half-darkened face. Yun Fei wanted to smile but held it back.

“President Shen has already told me the arrangements. You take a half-hour break first, and then we’ll start.”

Qi Zheng saw that there was indeed a vacant seat in the Secretary Office, which looked unused.