Chapter 41: Meeting

Shi Yong said, "Brother, Shi Jinhe and I will head back right away; we'll arrive at the company in about an hour."

I said, "Alright, I'll wait for you at the company. Take care on the road."

Shi Yong said, "Okay. Brother."

He hung up.

The evening meeting will surely involve sharp verbal sparring.

I need the support of Shi Yong and Shi Jinhe.

I suddenly felt loneliness within the Group Company,

Does this Da Heng Group really no longer belong under my management?

My phone rang,

I saw it was a call from Ya Li,

and answered hurriedly.

Ya Li asked over the phone, "Just now General Manager Zhao Xiaohua told me to come to the company for a meeting, saying you'd be chairing it. Brother Yan Sheng, how's your health? Did you get discharged so quickly?"

I said, "Ya Li, my body is still recovering. The company's situation is rather chaotic now, and I really can't stay in the hospital.

I must return.

My company and yours signed a betting agreement; a slight slip would lead to irreversible disaster.

You've also seen that management here is quite chaotic. It can't continue like this.

Ya Li, if you have something to do tonight, you don't need to attend.

Ya Li said, "Brother Yan Sheng, your company's situation is really chaotic, with overlapping departments and a fragmented organization,

It hardly looks like a Group Company; it feels like an outdoor market."

"Brother Yan Sheng, the company must be reformed. I support you."

Hearing Ya Li say she supports me warmed my heart.

I said into the phone, "Thank you, Ya Li. See you tonight."

Nurse Lin came in from outside; she brought me a bowl of shredded pork noodles from the kitchen.

I was a little hungry, took the noodles from Nurse Lin's hand, and ate them greedily.

I must eat more, eat heartily; only when I'm full will I have strength,

so I can face those guys.

One bowl of noodles I ate clean,

Nurse Lin laughed, "Chairman Zhao, why did you return to the company with such an appetite, devouring a whole bowl of noodles?"

I said, "Nurse Lin, I have to fight tonight, so I must eat a lot. When the meeting starts, you don't need to attend; just rest in a guest room. The company will arrange it."

Nurse Lin said, "Chairman Zhao, I'm here to take care of you; if you don't rest, I can't rest."

Just then, Director Feng came in,

"Chairman, most of the people have been gathered; we can start the meeting."

I nodded and said, "Got it, Director Feng. Later I'll arrange a guest room for Nurse Lin so she can rest."

Director Feng, besides overseeing the company's publicity, also handles internal affairs of the Group Company.

Director Feng, however, showed reluctance,

"Chairman, because of the meeting, all the company's guest rooms have been allocated to mid‑level leaders. Nurse Lin has no room for now."

"What, Director Feng, who told you to allocate rooms to them? If I don't sleep, they shouldn't expect to rest. Are you… not wanting to work?" I angrily asked Director Feng.

Director Feng meekly said, "Chairman, please don't be angry; it was arranged by the General Manager. He said everyone must eat and rest well to work.

Everyone comes to the company for a meeting; it's fine if there's no place to rest."

"Nonsense. Cancel all the room assignments. Does my word no longer count?" I shouted at Director Feng.

"Alright, Chairman, I'll arrange a place for Nurse Lin right away," Director Feng said, then hurried out of the room.

Director Feng was recruited by Zhao Xiaohua; he is a distant cousin of Hua Yan.

Other mid‑level leaders in the Group Company were promoted by Zhao Xiaohua, either classmates of Hua Yan, or relatives of Kong Shi and Niu Ju.

I have to face these people alone, not knowing what will happen.

I let Nurse Lin push me into the third‑floor meeting room.

In the Conference Hall, heads bobbed about. Everyone was shouting,

"A meeting at this hour, just arranged. Really."

"Heard the Chairman is back; can he even return to the company?"

"Who cares about the Chairman? We're all under the General Manager. We all follow the General Manager, right?"

"Right," the big guys all answered.

I could hear very clearly from outside the meeting room,

I remained silent, saying nothing,

At that moment, Zhao Xiaohua and Da Jun walked down the corridor,

Da Jun looked at me and actually called me, "Dad."

That kid Da Jun got promoted to Vice President, and now he calls me Dad. I don't know whether I'm happy or sad.

Zhao Xiaohua ran to my back,

He said to Nurse Lin, "Nurse Lin, go rest; I'll push the Chairman into the meeting room."

Nurse Lin said, "No need, Chairman Zhao, I'll go."

Zhao Xiaohua, however, forcefully pulled Nurse Lin's hand away,

"Nurse Lin, don't worry. Brother, I'll push you in."

I said to Nurse Lin, "You go rest; if anything's needed, I'll have someone call you."

Nurse Lin could only nod and left.

I was pushed into the conference room by Xiao Hua,

the people in the conference room were shouting,

Xiao Hua shouted, "What are you shouting about? The Chairman is here; quickly greet him."

Those people all stopped the clamor,

and said to me, "Good day, Chairman."

I inclined my head slightly in response.

Xiao Hua continued, "The Chairman hurried back from the hospital for this meeting because of something very important.

Our company's development has now reached the most dangerous moment,

I hope everyone steels themselves and listens to the Chairman's admonition."

I waited until Xiao Hua finished, then looked at these people,

they were also quietly sizing me up, looking at the bandage on my leg.

I didn't rush to speak; I just looked at them one by one.

There were over twenty people in the conference room; the company's middle management were all present.

These are the management elites of our group,

each of them looking listless and dispirited.

After scanning everyone, I forced down the anger in my heart,

then said softly, "Everyone, please sit."

After I finished speaking, none of them dared to sit.

All of them stared at Xiao Hua,

Xiao Hua was just about to say something,

Da Jun said from beside us, "Damn it, you didn't hear clearly; my dad told you to sit."

"Everyone, damn it, sit down quickly; my dad wants to admonish."

"Dad, say a few words."

Da Jun's pretentious manner was very shameful.

I ignored Da Jun and said to Xiao Hua, "Xiao Hua, let the big guy sit so we can hold the meeting. You're all standing; it's not appropriate for me to sit."

So Xiao Hua said, "Chairman, I've let you sit; everyone, please sit down."

These people quickly found a place to sit.

After everyone was seated,

I still didn't speak, and took a cigarette out of my pocket.

Da Jun immediately took out a lighter and, with a knowing look, lit it for me,

Seeing Da Jun light my cigarette, I wondered inside, does this kid really have filial piety? Who knows.

I took a deep drag of the cigarette, then exhaled,

I said calmly, "It's so late, gathering everyone for a meeting and taking away your rest time, I truly feel sorry."

But now our company has truly hit a snag.

I must speak honestly to everyone,

you've also seen the bandage on my leg; my injury hasn't healed, yet I rushed out of the hospital to hold a meeting for the big guy,

you can imagine how serious the company's problem is.

You are all the company's middle‑level leaders, its core strength,

the rise and fall of the company rests entirely in your hands,

If the company relied solely on me Zhao Jianqiang to achieve such results, it would be impossible.

It still depends on you all,

as long as you are willing to put in effort, none of the company's problems will be problems.

I hurried from the hospital,

and the situation I saw at the company was not optimistic.

Many of our people have not performed their duties properly.

After I finished speaking, I paused, looking at these people for any reaction.