Chen Xiao had no idea what she was thinking. If he did, he would have felt insulted. 'I'm someone with a 240,000 monthly stipend, and you're saying I have the same work ethic as someone making 80,000? Aren't you implying I'm not grinding hard enough? This is blatant slander!'
Bai Lu sneered. "Dr. Feng's Robot is certainly generous with its employees. The pay must be good!"
"Not really," Chen Xiao said. "They're cutting it by 4,000 starting next month!"
Bai Lu had been mocking him, but she hadn't expected his 8,000-a-month salary was about to be cut by 4,000. Curious, she asked, "Why? Aren't you working hard enough?"
Before Chen Xiao could protest, she answered her own question. "No, that can't be right. You're someone who loves to grind!"
'That's more like it.' The assessment was quite accurate, so Chen Xiao decided not to argue about her previous comment.
"So, are you still going to work here next month?" Bai Lu thought, 'A 4,000 pay cut? He's definitely going to quit. And if you're quitting, what business are you even here to discuss?'
Chen Xiao answered without a hint of hesitation. "Of course. I'll be grinding at this company until I'm old and gray!"
'Are you kidding me? If I leave, the system will put me on ice for a year. I'm not stupid enough to do that!'
Bai Lu stared at him in astonishment, a wave of shame washing over her. 'Look at him... he'll be making only 4,000 a month, yet he's so dedicated to his job. And me? I make 20,000 a month and complain all the time!' The contrast was stark.
"Mr. Chen, I genuinely admire you. Your professional dedication is something I should learn from! As for our procurement business, I won't hide it from you—we have a procurement budget of 3 million this year. The proposals we've received from the other companies we're in talks with are all quite similar. Please go back and prepare a concrete proposal for this automated drone equipment for inspecting bridges, tunnels, and the like. I'm leaning toward your solution because it has some innovative aspects. It would be even better if you could achieve further iterations and breakthroughs on key technical points down the line!"
Chen Xiao's spirits soared. Bai Lu's message was clear: she had basically agreed to cooperate. 'But what made her change her attitude?' he wondered. He still couldn't figure it out. He'd been mocking her and even forced her to miss her morning beauty appointment. By all rights, he should be glad she hadn't thrown him out. How could she suddenly just hand the business over to him? 'Is she a masochist or something?'
Chen Xiao's imagination ran wild for a moment. He had no idea that Bai Lu was moved by his "dedication" on a 4,000-a-month salary. Meanwhile, Bai Lu had no idea that this fellow was actually making 4,000 *a day*. If she knew that, she'd probably cough up blood and go on strike right then and there.
"That's fantastic! Assistant Bai, I'll go back right away and draft a detailed quote and proposal for you! Regarding the R&D for this drone application technology, we are currently conducting in-depth market research to fully understand our clients' pain points. We're aiming for a major technological breakthrough!"
Bai Lu nodded. "For the subsequent R&D, if you need to understand the end-user's requirements, I can arrange for our technical team to speak with yours. If this line of research proves valuable, we can provide an additional 2 million in research funding as a formal scientific project. However, that payment will only be made after you've achieved tangible results. Furthermore, any awards won for the research must be shared with us!"
'Damn, what an unexpected windfall! Does she really have this much power?' Chen Xiao couldn't help but see her in a new, more cynical light. 'A young, beautiful assistant with this much authority? A person like that either has a powerful father... or a powerful sugar daddy!'
Chen Xiao didn't dwell on which "daddy" was the powerful one. His mind was now fixated on the 5 million total. The company bonus and commission alone would be 250,000. Add the system's diligence reward of 500,000, and that was 750,000. He'd be rich overnight!
'Oh, Assistant Bai, if only you knew. You're the one making me rich in a single day!' His eyes, as he looked at Bai Lu, were now filled with desire.
Bai Lu had simply been moved by his dedication and decided to help him out where she could. She figured it was her good deed for the day. 'With this,' she thought, 'his bonus and commission should be quite high. He'll be able to live much more comfortably, even on that 4,000-a-month salary!'
Little did she know, he was earning 4,000 *a day* and was already living far better than she was.
After Chen Xiao took his leave, Bai Lu sat behind her desk and got to work with renewed focus. She now felt that if she didn't work herself to the bone, she'd be letting down the company that paid her 20,000 a month. Whenever she felt the urge to slack off, she would just think of the number "4,000," and her motivation would instantly skyrocket.
[DING!]
[Grinding by yourself is fun for a while, but getting others to grind is fun forever!]
[Detected that the Host has spontaneously grasped the principle of "Exhorting Others to Diligence" on his path of hard work.]
[Granting a one-time reward.]
[Reward Amount = Persuaded Target's Monthly Salary x Persuaded Target's Diligence Point!]
[Persuaded Target: Bai Lu]
[Monthly Salary: 20,000]
[Diligence Point: 24]
[Host has received a reward of 480,000. The amount has been deposited into the Host's Huaxia Bank Card account!]
'It works like this, too?' Chen Xiao was floored by the pleasant surprise. Seeing his bank balance was now approaching 500,000, he realized Bai Lu truly had made him rich in a single day. He was so grateful he wanted to thank her and her ancestors for the past eight generations. He even thought that if Bai Lu were to make some... "inappropriate" demands of him right now, he might just agree. After all, the Buddha once carved off his own flesh to feed a hawk. To guide others toward goodness, surely he could sacrifice this mortal shell of his, right?
Sitting in her office, Bai Lu shivered for no reason, a chill running down her spine. At the same time, her backside felt strangely hot... 'How bizarre!'
「That afternoon」
Chen Xiao returned to the office. With only a few people left, the several-hundred-square-meter space felt empty and somewhat desolate.
Upon arriving, Chen Xiao went straight to find Feng Feifei.
Feng Feifei was completely swamped. She was trying to rebuild her team while simultaneously scrambling for funding. The little cash they had on the books offered no sense of security. Their current products lacked a competitive edge, making the prospect of landing quick orders slim. Because of this, she hadn't put too much pressure on the sales team.
Hearing a knock on the door, she called out, "Come in!"
"Chen Xiao, you're back! How was your first day out on a sales call?"
Feng Feifei had a very approachable air, like a kind older sister. But Chen Xiao knew she also had a ruthless and decisive side. This recent personnel restructuring, for instance, looked like a reckless gamble on the surface, but it was actually a demonstration of her iron-fisted methods.
By letting a portion of the staff leave of their own accord, she showed she was aware of problems within the old guard. Otherwise, things wouldn't have gotten so bad that even their product definitions were flawed. While she had to bear the responsibility as a leader, the root cause was that the people doing the work had simply not been serious enough.
"It went pretty well. I was just about to report on how it went and request some support from the company!"
'Oh?' Feng Feifei was a little moved by his confident demeanor, but deep down, she didn't take it too seriously. Many salespeople feel great after their first call. They mistake the client's polite pleasantries for genuine interest and can't tell the difference. Then, when it's time to actually close the deal, everything falls apart.
In B2B sales, a deal is never closed on the first meeting.
"What kind of support do you need? Just say the word! The company will support you completely!"