Chapter 442: Boardroom Showdown

The meeting room.

Hua Shao Jie approved East Morning Star Advertising’s proposal, and a few young people in the back rows couldn’t help but voice their opinions.

“It’s really good—more powerful than the schemes from those other ad agencies!”

“And those print drafts are incredibly visually striking, impossible to forget once you’ve seen them!”

“Even without a spokesperson, these masculine, forceful elements themselves serve as Cadillac’s perfect ‘endorsement’!”

……

Brand Director Hua Shao Jie looked thrilled, like a weight had lifted off his shoulders.

What Xu Chen didn’t know was that Cadillac’s brand promotion project had been a headache for several rounds already.

They’d reviewed proposals from several companies before, but none had truly satisfied.

The main issue was that none captured Cadillac’s unique brand essence.

They even held pitch sessions with international 4A agencies, but the ideas were all standard fare, lacking any real spark.

Of course, there was also the subtle interference from Sales Director Sun Jing.

A couple of decent proposals got sabotaged by her side.

Hua Shao Jie knew exactly what Sun Jing was up to.

It was all about fighting for the new fiscal year’s budget allocation.

The overall market budget was a shared pool—if the brand side spent more, sales would get less.

From Sun Jing’s perspective in sales, she’d love to cut the brand department’s budget so she could boost her own for direct client pulls…

In a big company like this, everyone at that level is sharp; they all know each other’s hidden agendas.

Big Boss Lian Shang En was well aware of it too.

But he hadn’t made a decision yet because of his own business dilemmas.

For the new fiscal year, the market budget split between brand and sales departments hadn’t been finalized.

……

Hua Shao Jie was clear on all these situations.

However, after seeing East Morning Star Advertising’s proposal today, he’d secretly resolved to protect it no matter what.

It wasn’t just about securing his own budget and market moves; East Morning Star’s scheme was genuinely outstanding.

It was eye-catching, exceeding expectations.

It stood out far above the previous proposals.

That powerful ‘masculine’ ad theme alone could become the industry’s buzzworthy golden line this year.

……

The discussion gradually quieted down.

But everyone still waited for the big boss, that tall and imposing Market VP Lian Shang En, to speak.

Lian Shang En paused briefly, then turned to Sales Director Sun Jing:

“What’s your take, Judy?”

Hua Shao Jie frowned slightly, feeling a bit annoyed inside.

He knew Sun Jing would jump in with questions and disruptions without even needing to speak.

Sun Jing smiled:

“East Morning Star Advertising’s proposal is pretty unique, better than the ones we’ve seen before…”

“But I still have that same doubt: How will this ad actually boost product sales?”

Lian Shang En didn’t respond, just glanced at Hua Shao Jie.

Hua Shao Jie: “We’ve already discussed this issue several times.”

“We’re talking about brand promotion here—it’s not directly tied to sales.”

Sun Jing flashed a dismissive smile:

“Every market move we make ultimately has to impact sales data.”

“In the end, it’s all about product sales figures.”

……

The atmosphere turned strangely tense.

Sun Aimi and Gu Xinxi exchanged glances, then both looked over at Xu Chen.

Xu Chen kept his usual calm demeanor, saying nothing.

The back-and-forth between Hua Shao Jie and Sun Jing confirmed Xu Chen’s earlier suspicions, giving him a clear read on the situation.

That’s just how it is as the external party.

Whether you land the project depends on all sorts of factors, even internal client squabbles.

……

The big leader Lian Shang En remained silent.

Hua Shao Jie and Sun Jing continued debating from their respective brand and sales angles.

The core of the argument wasn’t about whether East Morning Star’s proposal was creative; it was whether brand ads like this could drive sales.

……

A few minutes passed, and it felt like they were stuck in a deadlock.

Xu Chen could almost picture how things had gone in the previous meetings—Hua Shao Jie and Sun Jing probably in the same standoff.

He couldn’t help but smile bitterly to himself; no wonder this project had come their way—it was a tough, hot potato.

Those 4A companies that pitched before likely got tangled up in this mess and lost out for no clear reason.

By now, it had nothing to do with the quality of the proposals; it was all about the client’s internal conflicts.

As an external ad agency, you were just along for the ride, stuck in a reactive position.

……

……

……

Lian Shang En cleared his throat, and the arguing Hua Shao Jie and Sun Jing finally stopped.

Xu Chen smirked inwardly, thinking this big leader was a master at playing balance games.

The real issue stemmed from him anyway.

He hadn’t sorted out the resource allocation or decided on the balance between brand and sales departments, yet he let Hua Shao Jie and Sun Jing fight it out.

And dragged innocent ad companies into it…

Thinking about it, Xu Chen felt it was a waste of time.

Whether East Morning Star’s proposal was good or not wasn’t the deciding factor anymore.

In an instant, Xu Chen’s interest in the project faded.

But then, Lian Shang En threw the question to him:

“What’s your view on this, Young Xu Chen?”

Xu Chen feigned surprise: “Which issue?”

Lian Shang En chuckled and glanced at Sun Jing.

Sun Jing said:

“The problem that this ad won’t drive sales.”

Xu Chen: “That’s not even a problem.”

Perhaps out of impatience, Xu Chen’s words came out blunt.

Sun Jing was taken aback, not expecting that response.

Based on past meetings, ad company reps usually started making excuses by now.

After all, for them, you couldn’t afford to offend anyone on the client side; they needed to prove their proposal’s value to win the project.

Yet this Young Xu Chen just casually dismissed the issue?

Lian Shang En: “How so?”

Xu Chen paused before speaking:

“Because this ad doesn’t solve sales problems at all.”

“If it’s all about boosting sales, then skip the ad campaign altogether, save the budget, and just slash prices or offer user perks.”

As his words landed, Sun Jing suddenly smiled.

It was exactly what she’d hoped for.

Hua Shao Jie frowned, his expression turning sour.

Lian Shang En was surprised but seemed intrigued, looking up at Xu Chen as if waiting for more.

Xu Chen: “But we’re here for a brand promotion meeting, not a sales one, right?”

“So why are sales issues being brought up in a brand promotion discussion?”

Xu Chen turned to Hua Shao Jie with a lighthearted tone:

“Then I suggest Jack from brand should start attending sales meetings.”

“Next time sales discusses promotions, Jack can ask if it’s helping brand building…”

The room fell silent for a moment.

Hua Shao Jie paused, then a spark of delight crossed his face.

“Exactly…”

This was brand’s turf!

Why was sales butting in?

Then sales meetings should be open to brand challenges too!

Sun Jing frowned, her face clouding over.

Xu Chen’s words had shifted the issue straight to “department interference.”

And put Sun Jing in an awkward spot…

Xu Chen had already sized up the situation; to win this project, he needed to align with Hua Shao Jie from brand.

After all, the ad production costs would be under brand’s control.

So against Sun Jing’s aggressive push, Young Xu Chen chose to push back hard.

He was just an outside third party anyway, no fear of offending anyone.

As long as they landed the project and made money, that was the goal.

……

Big leader Lian Shang En glanced at Hua Shao Jie and Sun Jing with a sly grin.

Sun Jing thought for a moment, then turned to Xu Chen:

“This isn’t about brand versus sales; it’s about our overall market promotion.”

“Every market action should ultimately point to product sales, including brand promotion…”

Xu Chen shook his head:

“No, it’s not.”

Sun Jing: “What do you mean?”

Xu Chen: “All market actions ultimately aim at brand building.”

“Including sales…”

Sun Jing: “You’re just flipping my words around; that doesn’t make sense.”

Xu Chen remained composed, speaking steadily:

“Cadillac has been around for over a hundred years and sold countless car models.”

“Among those, some sold well, some didn’t.”

“Over that century, there were years with high sales and years with low ones.”

“And times when other brands outsold Cadillac?”

“But some of those might have faded away…”

Sun Jing: “What’s your point?”

Xu Chen: “Sales fluctuate, products rise and fall.”

“What kept Cadillac going for over a hundred years wasn’t any single model’s sales or a couple of good years.”

“It was the lasting brand impression in people’s minds.”

“That brand impression is complex and comprehensive, covering products, sales, user feedback, ad promotions…”

“So that’s why I say all market actions ultimately point to brand building.”

“Including sales.”

Sun Jing was stunned, at a loss for words.

Sun Aimi and Gu Xinxi exchanged looks and shared a secret smile.

Hua Shao Jie lowered his head slightly, deep in thought.

Xu Chen turned to Lian Shang En and Hua Shao Jie:

“I thought today was about brand promotion, so I brought the relevant creative proposal.”

“But if we’re discussing sales topics, that’s not East Morning Star Advertising’s strength.”

“I think we shouldn’t waste each other’s time…”

With that, Xu Chen stood up, as if ready to leave.

Sun Aimi and Gu Xinxi beside him instinctively rose with their boss.

Gu Xinxi was even hurriedly packing up her laptop and bag.

Big leader Lian Shang En finally laughed heartily:

“Don’t mind the mess, Young Xu Chen!”

“Today’s definitely about brand promotion, and we’re focusing on brand ad creatives…”

As he spoke, Sun Jing’s face darkened further.

Hua Shao Jie straightened up, looking more resolute.

Lian Shang En stood with a smile, waving to ease Xu Chen:

“What you said earlier was spot on.”

“What keeps Cadillac alive is that brand impression in people’s hearts.”

“Whether it’s brand promotion or sales efforts, they’re all serving that long-term brand building.”

He paused, adding in a half-joking tone:

“And your other point was right too.”

“I think from now on, sales and brand meetings should stay separate.”

“Their KPIs and goals differ, so no need to mix things up!”

Hua Shao Jie smiled, feeling relieved.

The sales meddling was finally over…

He reflected on Young Xu Chen’s concise arguments and felt a surge of admiration.

Those pointed remarks—why hadn’t he thought of them himself?

Maybe it was the fog of being too involved, or his own hesitations about the leadership’s thoughts.

Lian Shang En paused again before saying:

“Thanks to Young Xu Chen; East Morning Star Advertising’s proposal was eye-opening and full of surprises.”

“The creativity is incredibly striking—it’s the best I’ve seen lately!”

He looked at Hua Shao Jie:

“You handle the follow-up decisions, Jack. I’ll leave brand matters to you from now on.”

Hua Shao Jie: “Thank you for the trust, Shane!”

……

Lian Shang En turned back to Xu Chen:

“Your proposal today really exceeded my expectations.”

“You’re so young, and your team is just two young women…”

“I find it hard to imagine how you created something so full of masculine energy.”

Xu Chen:

“Understanding different user types is just basic for ad creatives.”

“As a man, I’ve done ads for women’s products too, and they delivered great market results.”

In this setting, Young Xu Chen saw no need for false modesty.

……

……

With that, the Cadillac pitch wrapped up successfully.

That whole strange dispute in the middle—Sun Aimi and Gu Xinxi still didn’t fully grasp what had happened by the end.

Xu Chen didn’t know all the details, but drawing from his past and present work experiences, he’d pieced most of it together.

As Lian Shang En left, he specifically told Hua Shao Jie and Sun Jing:

“We’ll align on the brand and sales annual budgets in a meeting this week; I’ll finalize it then…”

He glanced up at the screen and added with a smile:

“Push this project forward quickly; budget won’t be an issue.”

“I think this promotion could really expand Cadillac’s user base!”

……

……