Chapter 356: Vanke’s Boardroom Showdown

Vanke Shanghai Headquarters, 16th floor meeting room.

The wait for the leaders dragged on, making the atmosphere in the meeting room awkwardly tense.

Xu Chen didn’t mind; he grabbed two bottles of water from the table and handed them to Wu Feifei and Sun Aimi beside him.

The bottled water was the ‘Yibao’ brand.

This was one of China’s earliest bottled drinking water brands, predating Wahaha and Nongfu Spring.

Xu Chen knew why Yibao appeared in Vanke’s office.

Yibao was one of Wang Shi’s investment ventures.

But later, as Vanke focused on real estate, they sold off unrelated businesses, including handing Yibao to China Resources.

Yibao’s market share never really took off nationwide, partly due to the multiple ownership changes.

China Resources was a massive company, and after acquiring Yibao, they didn’t see bottled water as a key strategic asset.

Eventually, Yibao concentrated on the Guangdong Province market and stopped competing with the top brands head-on.

After a short wait, Secretary Zhou Kai walked back in.

He glanced around briefly and said with a smile:

“The leaders will be here soon. We need to leave the front row seats empty.”

Everyone in the room stood up and cleared the seats at the front.

Zhou Kai said, “That works.”

Sun Man spoke up: “Which leaders are attending this meeting?”

Her tone was straightforward.

Zhou Kai: “Mainly President Yu, President Chen, and President Wang.”

Sun Man nodded: “Just having President Chen here is enough. Otherwise, we can’t make decisions.”

President Chen referred to Vanke’s director Chen Qidong, also the big boss behind Sun Man.

President Yu was Vanke’s current general manager Yu Liang, a direct subordinate of Wang Shi and someone he personally promoted.

President Wang meant Wang Shi himself.

Xu Chen already had a clear picture of the situation.

“Rancho Santa Fe” was currently under the control of Chen Qidong and Sun Man.

Chen Qidong’s faction acted as an obstacle to General Manager Yu Liang within the company, creating a deadlock.

Wang Shi had elevated his most trusted Yu Liang and needed to clear or convert those obstacles.

Wang Shi’s plan was to use the “Rancho Santa Fe” project to deliberately pressure Chen Qidong and Sun Man’s side.

This was likely just the beginning, with more moves to follow.

After waiting a bit longer, the meeting room door opened, and five or six people entered.

Sun Man, Wu Xiao Ding, and Cao Qiyuan, sitting opposite, quickly stood up with respectful expressions, slightly bowing.

They said softly:

“President Chen!”

“President Yu!”

Knowing the bosses had arrived, the Black Crane Advertising team and Xu Chen’s group also stood up.

“Sit, sit, everyone sit!”

The speaker had a beaming face and was somewhat portly.

Zhou Kai followed behind and introduced:

“This is our company director, President Chen.”

Naturally, this was for the Black Crane team and East Morning Star Advertising.

Chen Qidong laughed loudly and took his seat in the front row.

At least, he seemed quite outgoing.

Three or four secretaries and assistants accompanied him, sitting nearby.

Real estate companies’ big bosses always put on a grand show.

In comparison, Jeep’s leaders were much more relaxed and casual.

Pang Ming from Jeep held a high position but remained easygoing, never traveling with a entourage of secretaries and assistants.

On the other side, Zhou Kai introduced:

“This is Vanke Group’s general manager, President Yu.”

Yu Liang was much slimmer, with a short, neat crew cut and large, sharp eyes.

He stood straight and tall, clearly someone who exercised regularly.

In this way, he resembled Wang Shi.

Xu Chen recalled news from his past life, remembering that Yu Liang was a marathon enthusiast.

Yu Liang smiled at everyone but said little, sitting opposite Chen Qidong.

Coincidentally, he sat in the row with East Morning Star Advertising.

Zhou Kai:

“President Wang is still chatting with a few friends and should be up soon.”

During the wait, Sun Man leaned in close to Chen Qidong, whispering something.

Yu Liang said nothing, just reviewing a document his assistant handed him.

Xu Chen watched with a spectator’s mindset.

It was clear that General Manager Yu Liang and Director Chen Qidong didn’t get along.

Sharing the same meeting room, they were each doing their own thing, with no small talk.

After more waiting, Boss Wang finally arrived late.

Wang Shi didn’t bring many secretaries or assistants, just Zhou Kai behind him.

He wore casual athletic wear, a sharp contrast to the other leaders in suits.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. I was entertaining a few friends…”

He sat in the middle and smiled as he added:

“My friends are all interested in buying at Rancho Santa Fe.”

He glanced at Yu Liang and Chen Qidong:

“I’ve basically brought you some business!”

Yu Liang just smiled and didn’t respond.

Chen Qidong let out a hearty laugh:

“That’s our President Wang for you—always thinking about the company’s deals.”

Wang Shi cleared his throat, straightened his expression, and said:

“Since it’s the quarterly meeting and all the leaders are here, I asked Zhou Kai to set this up.”

The main topic is the promotion plan for the ‘Rancho Santa Fe’ project…”

Zhou Kai sat aside and pulled up the current promotion plans on the screen behind them.

These were the drafts from Black Crane Advertising and East Morning Star Advertising.

Wang Shi paused and continued:

“I recently met Xu Chen from East Morning Star Advertising on another project.”

“Though he’s young, his professional skills impressed me deeply…”

“So I discussed the ‘Rancho Santa Fe’ project with him, and he quickly came up with a plan.”

“I looked it over and loved it, so I told him to chat with the project team.”

He glanced at Chen Qidong and Sun Man:

“I heard from Zhou Kai that yesterday’s meeting wasn’t very smooth, right?”

Chen Qidong frowned slightly, feigning annoyance, and turned to Sun Man:

“Sun, is that true?”

Sun Man kept her composure and smiled:

“Maybe there was a misunderstanding? It didn’t reach the level of unpleasant.”

“But the ‘Rancho Santa Fe’ project already has a set advertising partner.”

“Black Crane Advertising has started working on it.”

“Bringing in another agency mid-process is tough procedurally.”

Chen Qidong looked at Wang Shi and smiled:

“My dear President Wang! As the founder, you don’t need to dive into project details.”

“Let the staff handle it—we have to delegate properly!”

Wang Shi paused and said mildly:

“Of course, I delegate. That’s why I stepped back.”

“But I’m worried that General Manager Yu can’t manage some of the old management effectively.”

As he spoke, he glanced at Yu Liang.

Yu Liang looked stern and shifted the topic directly to the project:

“I’ve reviewed the plans from Black Crane and East Morning Star Advertising.”

“I agree with President Wang—East Morning Star’s plan is clearly better.”

“From a pure project promotion standpoint, we should use East Morning Star’s plan.”

“The ‘Rancho Santa Fe’ project is too important for Vanke, so we need to refine the promotion strategy.”

Chen Qidong glanced at the screen and said bluntly:

“My opinion is clear—Black Crane’s plan is suitable. Let’s go with that.”

“As for East Morning Star’s, no need.”

He leaned back in his chair and patted his belly:

“‘Rancho Santa Fe’ is my project, Chen Qidong’s, and I have the final say.”

“…”

The room turned icy as soon as he finished.

The standoff was intense, neither side yielding.

Yu Liang stayed silent.

Though he was general manager, he was still outranked by a director with real power.

Xu Chen sat quietly, just enjoying the show.

Wu Feifei and Sun Aimi exchanged glances, finding it eye-opening.

So even among top executives, conflicts weren’t that sophisticated.

It all boiled down to direct verbal clashes…

Wang Shi’s expression didn’t change; he smiled slightly and said:

“This is great—debate on projects is healthy!”

“‘Rancho Santa Fe’ is a critical project, Vanke’s flagship high-end villa for the next decade…”

“We must debate and promote it thoroughly!”

He paused, looked at the Black Crane and East Morning Star teams in the back, and added:

“As the founder, I’m like the family head.”

“‘Rancho Santa Fe’ is our shared ‘child,’ so it deserves the best, including the promotion plan.”

“Let’s have the creative teams from Black Crane and East Morning Star present their plans!”

With that, he stood and moved to sit beside Yu Liang, freeing the center seat.

Black Crane Advertising’s executive creative director Fang Yu hesitated, then looked at Sun Man.

Sun Man cleared her throat:

“Fang, since your plan is being challenged, present it again.”

“Black Crane’s plan has passed multiple internal reviews, so show it confidently.”

Fang Yu agreed and stood up.

He went to the front, took the mouse, and opened Black Crane’s draft.

“Hidden in the bustling city…”

“Above the great city, concealing achievements and fame…”

Fang Yu cleared his throat and began his presentation.

He started with insights into the target users, then analyzed product competitive advantages.

Next came the core advertising strategy and creative ideas…

He went on at length, elaborating for nearly half an hour.

Even Director Chen Qidong grew bored, occasionally checking his Rolex.

Wang Shi and Yu Liang listened intently, taking notes.

Xu Chen listened to Fang Yu’s redundant explanations and shook his head inwardly.

Turning an ordinary real estate packaging plan into such a drawn-out spectacle was impressive in its own way.

Fang Yu set down the mouse, paused, and glanced at Sun Man.

Sun Man smiled and started clapping first.

Chen Qidong followed with a few claps, and his secretaries, assistants, and the Black Crane team joined in.

Cao Qiyuan, the ‘Rancho Santa Fe’ product lead, clapped along too.

Fang Yu smiled awkwardly and stepped down.

Sun Man turned to Xu Chen:

“Thanks for your effort, Xu.”

Xu Chen said nothing, stood up, and walked to the front.

He picked up the mouse and opened East Morning Star Advertising’s plan:

“Advertising is about communicating with people.”

“Diving into strategies, logic, and big ideas is pointless because consumers never see that.”

“The core is the ad copy itself.”

As he flipped through the document, he read the ad lines straight out:

“Without a certain stature, it’s not fit for such subtlety…”

“Accustomed to red carpets, one dreams of cobblestone paths…”

“A lifetime leading trends, rarely going with the flow…”

…

After finishing, he glanced at Wang Shi, who smiled warmly, then Xu Chen turned and sat down.

Chen Qidong looked speechless and just frowned without speaking.

Sun Man sneered: “Is Xu basically surrendering?”

“Not even treating the presentation seriously?”

Xu Chen’s expression didn’t change:

“In front of a truly great idea, any strategic packaging or sales pitch is meaningless.”

“A good idea has its own impact.”

“Only mediocre plans need layers of fancy words and flawless logic to cover them up.”

“…”

Sun Man’s face darkened, her expression sour.

The Black Crane Advertising team looked uncomfortable.

Xu Chen’s words were clearly aimed at Fang Yu’s half-hour presentation.

Wu Feifei and Sun Aimi exchanged looks, unsure how the meeting would proceed.

It felt like two sides locked in battle, with no way to bridge the gap.

Xu Chen remained calm and unfazed, sitting as if it didn’t concern him.

Up front, Wang Shi and Yu Liang whispered briefly, but no one knew what they said.

Chen Qidong rubbed his large belly and signaled Sun Man with a look.

Sun Man glanced at Fang Yu from Black Crane Advertising, as if remembering something, and cleared her throat:

“The ads for ‘Rancho Santa Fe’ aren’t for us—they’re for target consumers and potential clients.”

“Our clients are clear: high-net-worth individuals from major cities.”

“Mostly men, aged forty to fifty-five.”

“Often executives or directors and founders of mid-to-large companies.”

“With assets starting in the billions…”

She paused and looked at Fang Yu:

“Black Crane has handled multiple high-end real estate projects and worked with Vanke several times.”

“Fang has an edge in understanding high-net-worth crowds…”

“So we trust and chose Black Crane’s plan.”

She glanced at Xu Chen:

“Xu looks young, and I’ve never heard of East Morning Star Advertising.”

“How many real estate cases have you done?”

“I don’t think your plan will resonate with the wealthy.”

“At best, it might fool the less affluent!”

As she finished, Chen Qidong chuckled.

He laughed again and said:

“I count as a high-net-worth individual, right?”

“I can afford Rancho Santa Fe, and I like Black Crane’s plan.”

“‘Above the great city, concealing achievements and fame…'”

“It’s excellent! I really like it!”

The atmosphere grew awkward again.

Wu Feifei turned to Xu Chen and saw he remained silent, with no intention to defend his plan.

Xu Chen knew that no matter how he pitched today, it wouldn’t matter.

Better to save his energy and stay quiet.

He wasn’t worried about the outcome either.

Because the one who set this up was Vanke’s founder, Wang Shi.

A business titan like him wasn’t impulsive.

Since he arranged this, he had a plan.

Wang Shi’s expression didn’t shift as he picked up from Chen Qidong:

“What Chen and Sun said is spot on!”

“We should let the real high-net-worth crowd decide.”

He checked his phone and added:

“Coincidentally, I have a few friends here.”

“As I mentioned, they’re interested in Rancho Santa Fe and fit the target demographic.”

“Let’s have them review both plans and choose.”

Chen Qidong frowned: “Your friends will side with you!”

Wang Shi smiled casually: “That depends on who my friends are…”

“You’ll see when they arrive.”

“In this world, no one can easily sway their opinions—not even me…”

With that, Wang Shi picked up his phone and dialed:

“Come over and help out! There’s a Rancho Santa Fe promo plan, and since you’re considering buying, give us your input…”

“Great!”

“Zhou Kai will meet you!”

He hung up and nodded at Zhou Kai.

Zhou Kai acknowledged and headed out.

In just a few minutes, the meeting room door opened, and seven or eight people entered.

As everyone saw them, they all stood up, stunned.

These figures were ones you’d only see on TV or in news.

Feng Lun, Pan Shiyi, Wang Zhongjun…

Guo Guangchang, Ma Yun from Hangcheng…

Well.

Xu Chen was also taken aback.

So this was the circle of a big boss?

Impressive indeed.

Wang Shi stood and warmly welcomed them in.

“Since you’re looking at Rancho Santa Fe houses!”

“Check out these two ad plans and see which one grabs your interest!”

With these big names entering, everyone in the room, including Director Chen Qidong, stood quietly to the side.

Only then did people understand Wang Shi’s earlier words:

“In this world, no one can easily sway their opinions—not even me…”

True, at their level in business, they wouldn’t hide their real thoughts over an ad plan.

Besides, in front of them, Wang Shi was just an equal.

Wang Shi chatted and laughed with them.

The young folks from Black Crane Advertising, along with Wu Feifei and Sun Aimi, were speechless, having never seen so many business giants at once.

Wu Feifei blinked and looked at Xu Chen.

Xu Chen stayed composed and just smiled at Wu Feifei.

At the same time, Xu Chen recalled the black Maybach he saw downstairs.

No wonder that Zhejiang A plate looked familiar—it was Ma Yun’s.

In his past life, Xu Chen had worked at Ali in Hangcheng for years and seen that plate ending in 353 in the Ali campus.

And though he’d only seen Ma Yun at employee meetings before, encountering him here felt surreal.

The big names examined the plans on the screen and jumped right into discussion without prompting.

“This one’s great! The difference is obvious!”

“Accustomed to red carpets, one dreams of cobblestone paths…”

“I love that line!”

“Without a certain stature, it’s not fit for such subtlety!”

“That’s brilliant!”

“No CEO, only neighbors… With ads like this, I’m buying the house!”

“President Wang, do we even need to choose?”

“This ad plan is fantastic—which company’s?”

“A lifetime leading trends, rarely going with the flow…”

“It really captures the essence! Masterful!”

“If I’d seen this ad earlier, I’d have bought Wang Shi’s houses by now!”

As the big names discussed, Chen Qidong and Sun Man’s faces grew darker.

The Black Crane team, especially Fang Yu, looked visibly embarrassed.

The discussion completely ignored Black Crane’s plan—it wasn’t even worth mentioning.

Xu Chen shook his head inwardly.

Not surprising from business titans—they crushed the debate with their network.

Seeing the matter resolved, Wang Shi cleared his throat:

“Alright, alright! Thanks, everyone. Let’s not stop until we’re drunk tonight!”

The big names laughed, joked a bit more, then Zhou Kai escorted them out.

The meeting room fell quiet again, with an awkward tension.

Chen Qidong said nothing, just rubbed his belly, his face sour.

Sun Man glanced at Fang Yu beside her but held back.

Wang Shi cleared his throat:

“We should thank Xu Chen from East Morning Star Advertising for creating such a great plan for ‘Rancho Santa Fe’.”

“Our target clients love it, so I think we don’t need more discussion.”

Chen Qidong forced a laugh:

“Since so many big names approve of Xu’s plan, I have no objections.”

That was his way of conceding.

Wang Shi frowned slightly, not ready to end the meeting, and looked at Sun Man:

“Sun, do you have anything else to say?”

Sun Man hesitated: “No, President Wang.”

Wang Shi: “As vice general manager of marketing and branding, you seem underinvested in the company’s key projects.”

“The plan you approved doesn’t meet our standards!”

Sun Man showed a flash of panic and glanced at her boss, Chen Qidong.

Chen Qidong’s expression didn’t change; he stayed silent.

Wang Shi: “I’m just curious—how did Black Crane’s ordinary plan keep landing Vanke projects?”

Sun Man gave an awkward smile:

“Well, we hadn’t worked with East Morning Star or Xu before!”

“We’ll collaborate more with East Morning Star and learn from Xu moving forward.”

Wang Shi’s face turned stern as he looked at Yu Liang:

“Yu, as group general manager, you need to make decisions.”

“Even with company veterans, don’t compromise on principles.”

“The board put you in charge, so take on the responsibilities.”

It sounded like a reprimand.

Yu Liang listened quietly until Wang Shi finished, then nodded and signaled his assistant.

The assistant, prepared, stepped out.

Yu Liang opened his file, scanned it, and said:

“The compliance department uncovered some issues related to marketing and branding—I think Sun knows the details…”

Sun Man took a sharp breath and looked panicked at Chen Qidong.

Fang Yu from Black Crane also showed signs of panic.

The door opened, and several people entered, including four in police uniforms.

Two blocked the door, and two came straight in.

Wang Shi waved his hand toward Xu Chen:

“Xu, sorry about this…”

“Zhou Kai will take you and your team to rest.”

“We have some internal matters to handle.”

“…”