Chapter 4

16

The next morning, reception was signing for flowers ordered for the women in the company.

Only then did I remember.

International Women’s Day.

But something was wrong in the break room.

The female employees stood outside, their faces dark.

Inside, several men excitedly gripped PS5 controllers. Opened console boxes filled a corner.

Su He’s voice was sweet enough to make my skin crawl.

“It’s Women’s Day, so the company originally ordered gifts only for the ladies!”

“But I thought, why should only women get presents?”

She looked around with righteous conviction.

“Men are boys at heart, no matter how old they get.”

“They deserve gifts, too!”

“Every day, they’re under pressure from mortgages and car loans. They don’t even dare fulfill that simple boyhood dream of playing games…”

Ms. Zhang from Sales gave an angry laugh.

“Assistant Su, have you got this backward?”

“It’s Women’s Day. We get flowers and shopping vouchers, while the men get PS5s worth five thousand yuan each?”

“Whose holiday are we celebrating?”

Su He looked innocent.

“Men work so hard out there. Shouldn’t we women support them and give them a little happiness?”

“I heard they’ve wanted these for ages. But their girlfriends take all their wages, so they can’t bear to spend the money!”

Every woman stood speechless.

Then the finance manager rushed in, looking tense.

“Assistant Su! Who approved this purchase?”

“A thousand PS5s. More than four million yuan. There’s no authorization anywhere in the system!”

Su He smiled as though it were nothing.

“Manager Li, don’t make such a fuss.”

“Mr. Fu has been so tired lately. Yesterday, he happened to mention that the company should show some care for our male colleagues. He nodded his approval!”

“So I called the supplier this morning. I wanted them to have a surprise.”

I walked through the crowd and looked straight at her.

“Su He. You’re dismissed.”

“Pack your things and leave immediately.”

“And this purchase was never approved. You violated procedure. You and Fu Huaichuan will bear the full cost.”

Her smile froze. Her face turned red.

“If you’re jealous of my idea, just say so, Director Lin!”

“Can you do anything except hide behind rules?”

“Men need understanding and warmth. Not someone cold like you!”

“I don’t care what you think they need.”

“At work, what matters is competence. Not flattering men.”

Fu Huaichuan came out of his office at the commotion.

Su He lit up as though her savior had arrived.

“Mr. Fu! Director Lin says she’s firing me!”

“Does she have that authority?”

He frowned impatiently.

“What are you making a fuss about now, Lin Jiao?”

“If you can’t handle being a director, let someone else do it.”

I looked up.

“Oh. I almost forgot to tell you.”

“The board passed a resolution last night.”

“You’re fired, too.”

17

The process moved quickly.

By that afternoon, Fu Huaichuan and Su He had cleared their desks and left together.

Before he went, Finance required him to pay the entire four-million-plus bill for the PS5s.

His face was green as he signed the transfer order.

Beside him, Su He shrank into herself, head bowed, hardly daring to breathe.

She didn’t say a word.

Over the next fortnight, I traveled between the two cities three times.

On my first visit, I brought President Zhao a new cooperation proposal.

“We’ve taken firm action over Fu Huaichuan’s misconduct. To show our sincerity, we’re prepared to reduce the original unit price by a further two percentage points.”

He glanced through it.

“Price is only part of it, Ms. Lin.”

“We need something concrete. Something that will reach the market.”

The second time, the R&D team came with new samples.

“We’ve improved these two sanitary-pad lines based on market feedback. They’re softer, and the adhesive holds better.”

He remained cautious.

“Leave the samples. We’ll evaluate them internally and get back to you.”

Before the third visit, I spent two days in closed meetings with the core team.

Then, in Hongjie’s meeting room, I placed our complete proposal before him.

“Industry standards allow a length tolerance of plus or minus two centimeters. A pad labeled twenty-eight centimeters can measure twenty-six and still qualify.”

“Most products on the market marked twenty-eight centimeters are actually twenty-six.”

I met his eyes.

“But from this batch onward, I promise the length on our packaging will be the length of the product.”

“Not one centimeter short.”

His hand stopped on its way to his teacup.

“Do you know what that means, Ms. Lin?”

“New production lines. A considerable increase in cost.”

“I do.”

“That’s precisely why this promise represents our commitment to the partnership.”

“And Hongjie can make it central to its marketing. Real quality. A brand customers can trust.”

He considered it for several seconds, tapping a finger against the table.

Then he picked up his pen and signed.

“You’ve got courage, Ms. Lin.”

“For that promise, I’ll trust you one more time.”

18

I returned to the company with the signed Hongjie contract.

When I opened the CEO’s office door, Fu Huaichuan was sitting in my chair.

Su He was pouring his coffee.

My heart sank. I kept my face composed.

He closed the file in his hands.

“Good timing. The board’s waiting for you.”

In the meeting room, Chairman Li sat at the head of the table, his expression stern.

“I hear you promised new production lines and zero tolerance on length to win back Hongjie?”

“Yes. The product will measure exactly what the packaging says.”

“It’s how we regain President Zhao’s trust. It’s also a long-term competitive advantage.”

“Reckless!”

He struck the table.

“Do you understand what new lines mean? More investment. Cash tied up!”

“You’d undermine the company for one client!”

He snorted.

“A mare can’t go to war. When it matters, you women have no vision!”

I held down my anger.

“On a battlefield, ability matters. Gender doesn’t.”

“Calling a female executive a mare is more than insulting. It shows how narrow your own vision is.”

“I won the Hongjie contract through my ability and a concrete plan.”

“What plan?”

He dismissed me with a gesture and turned to Fu Huaichuan.

“Huaichuan made a mistake, but he’s just won an order from Peach Girl. They need it urgently. No new lines, and a higher margin.”

“Peach Girl is a typical social-media brand,” I said.

“It relies on influencers and burned cash to drive sales. Its products may not last six months.”

“Orders come fast and disappear just as fast. Once the hype is gone, how are our factories supposed to survive?”

Fu Huaichuan scowled.

“You’re scaremongering.”

“Then answer me. How long is the Peach Girl contract?”

“Is there a minimum-volume commitment?”

“What are the penalties for breach?”

He opened his mouth.

Nothing came out.

I turned to Chairman Li.

“Hongjie is a household name with more than twenty years behind it. We need stable, long-term cooperation.”

“Discarding an established brand’s contract for a short-lived viral order is the real failure of strategy.”

His face darkened.

“I acknowledge your ability, Ms. Lin. But you’re still inexperienced.”

“I propose reinstating Huaichuan as CEO. You’ll return to your director’s post.”

“I object!”

I rose.

“I’ve worked here for years without a single failure. Why should I step aside for someone who failed?”

“Because I’m the largest shareholder!”

He stood, his voice like a hammer.

“If you don’t like it, leave. The company will pay whatever labor law requires.”

His lips curled.

“As for Hongjie…”

He picked up the contract I had brought back and tossed it aside.

“No company seal. No validity.”

“From tomorrow, every production line prioritizes Peach Girl.”

“Huaichuan, take over immediately and begin production.”

“And Hongjie…”

He looked at me with casual cruelty.

“You can explain it to them yourself.”

Silence fell.

I looked at the contract on the table, at all the work our team had put into it.

Then at Fu Huaichuan’s smug face and Chairman Li’s indifference.

“Fine. I understand.”

I picked up the contract.

And left.