"The follow-up specific plan will be implemented by Lin Wei."
"I, wait and see."
Gu Heng's words were like boulders thrown into the calm lake, stirring up layers of ripples in Conference Room A on the 28th floor, and the aftermath did not dissipate for a long time. The excitement on Fang Wei and Li Zhe's faces has not faded, and the eyes of other participants are also full of scrutiny and expectation for the new "leader".
Lin Wei stood in place, her palms were slightly sweating, and her heart hit vigorously in her chest. Leading? This means that she is no longer just a consultant who provides a "perspective", but really stands in front of the stage and holds the steering wheel of the project that is related to the survival of "Qiki" and her foothold of Gu. The pressure came as suddenly as the substance, but with it came a strange excitement of being recognized and given a heavy responsibility, and... a trace of burning sensation of being roasted on the fire.
"Understood, Mr. Gu!" Fang Wei was the first to react, and her voice was uncontrollable. She looked at Lin Wei's eyes and was convinced of the "leader". "Lin Wei... Director Lin," she quickly adjusted her name, "Our team will fully cooperate!"
Li Zhe pushed his glasses and nodded calmly: "Director Lin, if you need resources coordinated at the group level in the future, please feel free to contact me."
Lin Wei took a deep breath, suppressed her torming emotions, and her eyes calmly swept over the crowd, and finally fell on Gu Heng. He was still sitting in the main seat, with a relaxed posture, but his deep eyes were like two deep pools, clearly reflecting her figure, surging with emotions that she could not fully interpret for the time being - is it a test? Is it trust? Or is it a more complicated calculation?
"Thank you, Mr. Gu, for your trust. Thank you for the support of Director Fang and Assistant Li." Lin Wei's voice was clear and powerful, with unquestionable determination, "Time is running out. I suggest that the first internal meeting of the project core group should be held immediately to refine the division of labor and clarify the time node."
Her decisiveness and efficiency once again won the recognition of the professionals present. An efficient meeting around the implementation of the "Morning Plan" was launched quickly. Lin Wei showed a mature leadership that did not match her young appearance: quickly combing task modules (product research and development, supply chain optimization, content marketing, channel construction, financial risk control), accurately assigning responsibilities to people (Fang Wei mainly focuses on product research and development and supply chain, Li Zhe coordinates group resources and financial support, and the backbone of the marketing department is responsible for Marketing framework construction), set up strict milestone nodes (the first wave of Signature series concept final, core supplier locking, experience store site selection plan, the first wave of marketing content planning plan...), which is clearly organized and has clear goals.
At the end of the meeting, the lights were already on outside the window. The team members left in a hurry with a clear task and a sense of urgency. In the huge conference room, only Lin Wei and Gu Heng, who are still sitting in the main seat, are left.
Lin Wei sorted out the information on the table and felt that the substantial gaze had always fallen on her. She raised her head and greeted him calmly: "Mr. Gu, do you have any instructions?"
Gu Heng slowly stood up and strode in front of her. The distance was very close, and the cold cedar smell on his body was mixed with a faint smell of tobacco (perhaps he stayed up late in the study), which strongly invaded Lin Wei's senses. He looked down at her, and his eyes stayed for a moment on her tired but still bright eyes and tight lips.
"The first day," he said in a low voice and couldn't hear the emotion. "How do you feel?"
"It's very fulfilling." Lin Wei said honestly and slightly raised the project schedule in Yang's hand. "There is a lot of pressure, but the goal is clear."
"Stress?" The corners of Gu Heng's lips seemed to bend a very shallow arc, with a trace of almost imperceptible play. "This is just the beginning, Director Lin." He deliberately increased the word "Director Lin", as if to remind her of the change of identity. Gu's battlefield has never been warm. Your leadership means that all the spotlights and spearheads will point at you.
His words had a cold sense of reality, like a basin of cold water, extinguishing the excitement that had just burned in Lin Wei's heart. She understood what he meant. Leading power means responsibility, and it also means being the target of the public. Those who covet "perch" resources, those who are dissatisfied with her "airborne" to seize power, those who want to see her jokes and even want to pull her off the horse... will all surface.
"I understand." Lin Wei straightened her back and her eyes did not retreat at all. "Now that you have chosen this position, you are ready to meet the challenge."
Gu Heng took a deep look at her, and there seemed to be a trace of appreciation in his eyes, but it was soon replaced by a deep darkness. Very good." He didn't say much, turned around and walked to the door, "Let the driver take you back. Tomorrow, I want to see a more detailed supply chain optimization plan, especially the screening of core wood suppliers. Cost control is the life-and-death line.
"Yes." Lin Wei responded. Looking at Gu Heng's tall back disappearing outside the door, she slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. The "core wood supplier" he mentioned at the end... This is by no means a random mention, but more like a clear warning signal.
***
In the following days, the lights of the suite on the east side of "Yunqi Waterfront" were almost all night long. Lin Wei completely incarnated as a workaholic. Thick supplier information, complex cost analysis tables, fluctuation curves of domestic and foreign timber markets... covered her desk and floor. She should not only grasp the overall direction of the "Morning Plan", but also delve into every key detail, especially the supply chain link named by Gu Heng.
She needs to find a high-quality supplier who can not only meet the strict requirements of the "Qimu" Signature series for top natural wood (such as North American black walnut and European white oak), but also control the cost within the budget red line. It's like dancing on the tip of a knife.
During the day, in the temporary office of the "Qimu" business department (Gu Heng's special batch), she fiercely discussed product details and process realization with Fang Wei's team; coordinated funds and legal support with Li Zhe; and brainstormed marketing plans with the marketing department. Her fierceness, decisive decision-making, professional literacy and leadership ability quickly impressed the core members of the team, and her prestige became more and more stable.
But the undercurrent also surged.
First of all, Fang Wei inadvertently complained that several second-tier wood suppliers with good cooperation intentions suddenly refused to cooperate for various reasons (insufficient production capacity, rising raw material prices). Then, an anonymous email about Lin Wei's leadership of the "Qimu" project and questioning the background of her ability began to circulate in the middle and small areas of the group. The email vaguely mentioned the identity of her "Mrs. Gu" and the background of "Lin's bankruptcy", implying that her appointment was unfair and the prospect of the project was worrying.
Lin Wei learned about the email from Li Zhe's reminder. She just sneered, printed out the email, and nailed it to the whiteboard in her office. Next to it was the outrageously detailed supplier comparison analysis and cost optimization model she made after staying up late.
"Speak with strength." She said to the worried Fang Wei with sharp eyes like a knife.
However, the real trouble lies in the inspection of the core wood suppliers.
After layers of screening and difficult negotiations, Lin Wei finally identified a wood supplier located in Southeast Asia with a relatively good reputation and cost performance - "Senyuan Wood Industry". Manager Wang, who was sent by the other party, is a middle-aged man with a simple smile and earnest words. The samples provided are of excellent quality and the price is also very competitive. He even offered to pay a small deposit in advance to lock in a long-term preferential price.
The project team breathed a sigh of relief and felt that they had seen the dawn. Although Lin Wei also felt that the conditions were attractive, the caution cultivated by analysts over the years prevented her from immediately. She proposed that it is necessary to conduct field visits to factories and raw material forest farms, and the terms of the contract need to be strictly reviewed by the legal affairs.
Manager Wang agreed with full words and an extremely cooperative attitude.
The inspection is scheduled for a week later. Lin Wei personally led the team, accompanied by Fang Wei and the purchasing manager. On the eve of departure, she worked late at night in the study as usual (Gu Heng acquiesced to her to use a small study on the second floor). When she rubbed her sore neck and was ready to go back to the room, she passed by the main living room, but unexpectedly heard Gu Heng's low voice suppressing his anger from the closed study door.
"...Zhou Dong's hand is stretched out too long!" Let his people get less in the matter of Qimu!"
There seems to be something on the other end of the phone.
"Senyuan? Humph, check! Tell me the details of the surname Wang, and who is behind them! Lin Wei is going to investigate tomorrow. Don't let her step into the pit!"
Lin Wei's heart suddenly sank! Zhou Dong? Is it the director who has been quite critical of Gu Heng on the board of directors and has a domineering daughter, Zhou Lili? What's wrong with Senyuan Wood Industry? The simple-looking and honest Manager Wang...
A chill climbed up her spine in an instant. Gu Heng's phone call undoubtedly confirmed the vague uneasiness in her heart. This is not an ordinary commercial competition, but a conspiracy against her, or against Gu Heng through this project she leads! Inspection, it is likely to be a trap!
She quietly returned to her study, her heart pounding. Gu Heng... Is he staring secretly? Is he... protecting this project? Or is it to protect her from plotting?
This recognition makes Lin Wei's mood complicated and indespeakable. She turned on the computer and took out all the information about "Senyuan Wood Industry" and Manager Wang, as well as the recent abnormal fluctuation report of the Southeast Asian timber market. Her eyes were as sharp as eagles, trying to find out the hidden fatal flaw before leaving.
Outside the window, the cold moonlight is reflected on the lake of the "cloud water bank". Under the calm, the undercurrent is surging. Lin Wei knew that tomorrow's inspection trip would be the first real battle she faced since she led the "Morning Plan". Gu Heng's late-night phone call, like a hidden light, tore open the curtain of the conspiracy, and also made her clearly realize for the first time that in the complex chess game wrapped in this contract marriage, she and he seemed to be pushed into the same trench by invisible forces.