Chapter 357: Corporate Maneuvers and Deals
by xennovelVanke Headquarters in Shanghai, 16th Floor Reception Room.
Xu Chen sipped a cup of hot black tea, his expression utterly relaxed.
Wu Feifei and Sun Aimi sat nearby, their faces showing a hint of unease.
The string of events in the meeting room had left these two young women stunned and vaguely fearful.
They never imagined suddenly seeing so many business tycoons they’d only encountered on TV or in the news.
Even less did they expect to witness firsthand the internal struggles of a major company, including dealing with investigators.
Xu Chen grabbed two cans of soda from the self-serve fridge and handed them to the still-shaken pair.
Wu Feifei cracked one open and took a sip before saying, “Stepping out with you, Little President Xu, really broadens your horizons.”
Xu Chen: “…”
Wu Feifei: “How do you stay so calm? It’s like you knew all this was coming.”
Xu Chen: “How could I know ahead of time? But staying calm is the way to go.”
Wu Feifei: “Why?”
Xu Chen: “This whole setup was orchestrated by Boss Wang. We’re just along for the ride.
A founder of a top domestic real estate group wouldn’t play his hand without full confidence, especially in a fight like this.
So as spectators, we just follow Boss Wang’s script and enjoy the show.
Not only did we watch the drama unfold, but we also snagged a project out of it. Why not?”
He smiled at Sun Aimi: “With the new project in, it’ll be tough on you again, Teacher Aimi. You should hire an assistant soon to share the load.”
Sun Aimi: “I can manage for now, boss. I’ll start looking into hiring…”
Wu Feifei thought for a moment: “What happens next?”
Xu Chen: “Who do you mean?”
Wu Feifei: “The people in the meeting room.”
Xu Chen: “There’s clearly an issue between Sun Man and Black Crane Advertising. Sun Man will get handled, and Black Crane will be removed from Vanke’s supplier list.
That director, Chen Qidong, just lost a key player, and with his people involved in internal corruption, his position at Vanke will only worsen…
So everything’s playing out according to Boss Wang’s plan—putting Yu Liang in charge and clearing his path.
As for us, we walked away with a solid advertising order, easy as that.”
He let out a breath: “Just in time, Fei Jie needs manpower for hiring, and this Vanke deal will make it smoother.
That includes the hiring budget for your team, Teacher Aimi—it’s all covered!”
With that, Xu Chen smiled happily.
…
The reception room door was knocked on, and Secretary Zhou Kai stepped in:
“President Xu, please wait a bit longer. President Wang and President Yu will be here once they finish up.”
Xu Chen: “Okay, we’ll wait here.”
Zhou Kai nodded politely, turned, and closed the door behind him.
…
Xu Chen yawned and settled comfortably into the large sofa.
He pulled out his mobile phone and checked his messages.
In the class QQ group, they were discussing the year-end welcome party performances.
The class monitor, Min Siyang, and the arts committee member, Su Rong, had arranged rehearsals every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after class.
Xu Chen had skipped several already, so next time, he’d probably need to bring some milk tea and snacks…
He couldn’t help feeling a bit smug—here he was chatting with business bigwigs, while his peers fussed over a pointless party.
From the group chat, it seemed they’d had a dress rehearsal that afternoon, and many were complaining about the lack of scripts and props.
The poor, timid arts committee member Su Rong was apologizing in the group while replying:
“I’ll have the scripts printed for Wednesday’s rehearsal. Props and costumes are still being ordered—they’ll take another two weeks…”
Though Xu Chen was a class committee member, he had no interest in getting involved and quickly closed the chat window.
He thought of President Yu Liang and couldn’t resist looking up related news and info.
With Wang Shi stepping back, Yu Liang becoming group general manager, Vanke put out a ton of PR pieces.
And matching Xu Chen’s memories from his past life, Yu Liang was indeed a marathon enthusiast, with plenty of reports on his races around the country.
Marketing the ‘boss’ is a common PR tactic.
Many companies package and promote their founders as ‘stars’ to boost image and influence.
As Xu Chen browsed Yu Liang’s marathon news, he wondered if he could tie it in with ‘Ran Bing 001’.
Yu Liang’s fame didn’t match Wang Shi’s, but Vanke’s PR made him a notable figure in business circles.
Plus, as a marathon lover, if he endorsed ‘Ran Bing 001’, it could spark some great buzz.
Xu Chen flipped through more of Yu Liang’s news and photos, noting he usually wore Nike running shoes for marathons.
…
…
Twenty minutes later, the reception room door was knocked on again.
Zhou Kai walked in, followed by Vanke’s group general manager, Yu Liang.
Xu Chen, Wu Feifei, and Sun Aimi had already stood up.
Yu Liang smiled warmly and extended his hand to Xu Chen: “Sorry we haven’t properly met yet, President Xu!
I’m Yu Liang from Vanke.”
Xu Chen replied courteously: “Nice to meet you, President Yu. Just call me Xu Chen.”
He pulled out a business card and handed it over with both hands.
Yu Liang seemed very friendly and glanced at the two women behind Xu Chen.
Xu Chen smiled and introduced Wu Feifei and Sun Aimi.
Yu Liang gestured for them to sit: “President Wang is still entertaining those guests, so Zhou Kai and I came first to express our thanks!”
Xu Chen: “You’re too kind, President Yu. East Morning Star Advertising is honored to assist you and President Wang.”
Yu Liang nodded and continued:
“Business is business, so let’s confirm the project.
‘Rancho Santa Fe’ promotion is now handed to East Morning Star Advertising, so it’ll be hard work for you all.”
He paused, glanced at Zhou Kai behind him, and added:
“From what Zhou Kai and I discussed, the promotion deal with Black Crane Advertising was budgeted at one million, which is standard for these real estate campaigns.
After talking with President Wang, we think East Morning Star’s proposal is outstanding and deserves more, so we’ll set the ‘Rancho Santa Fe’ project budget with you at two million.
I hope that’s satisfactory, President Xu…”
Xu Chen smiled and said:
“Of course. I’m well aware of the current rates for real estate advertising services.”
“And we truly appreciate the trust from President Wang and you, President Yu.”
What Yu Liang mentioned was indeed the market rate.
At this point in 2006, domestic real estate ad budgets were typically in the hundreds of thousands, often requiring pitches.
Hitting a million was already a solid project.
So Vanke offering two million showed real sincerity.
Yu Liang thought for a moment and said: “I feel two million is still a bit low…”
Xu Chen smiled but didn’t respond.
Yu Liang looked at Zhou Kai and continued: “I recall Vanke does an annual group brand promotion, right?”
Zhou Kai: “Yes, it was always handled by President Sun’s side before.”
Yu Liang: “Then let’s give this year’s group brand packaging to East Morning Star Advertising.”
He added: “We’ll set it at two million too, and no need for a pitch.”
Xu Chen didn’t rush to reply.
He pondered briefly—seemed like he already had a ready scheme in mind, no extra effort needed.
From Yu Liang’s tone, this project was basically a gift to East Morning Star—Vanke would pay two million regardless.
That was incredibly generous.
Of course, Xu Chen wouldn’t slap together a half-baked plan; he cared about East Morning Star’s reputation in the industry.
He looked at Yu Liang and said:
“Rest assured, President Yu, East Morning Star’s plan won’t make you feel like the money was wasted.”
Behind him, Sun Aimi and Wu Feifei exchanged glances, both showing delight.
Snagging two projects with a four-million budget…
Little President Xu was on fire…
Yu Liang wore a warm smile:
“For the ‘Rancho Santa Fe’ project, Zhou Kai will handle the coordination. Just follow the timeline.
The group brand project can wait—contact Zhou Kai whenever you’re ready, President Xu…
I’ll personally review and approve it, so no random input from anyone else!”
Xu Chen: “Thank you, President Yu!”
Yu Liang showed a touch of emotion:
“You’re so young, President Xu, and already impressive.”
He nodded: “This ‘Rancho Santa Fe’ deal really helped us out—it’s more than just a property promo.
I won’t spell it out; you probably get it…”
He paused:
“So if you need any favors, just let me know. I’ll help if I can.”
Xu Chen smiled: “Actually, I might have something to ask for your help with.”
…
…”