Chapter 931

Li Wanchang was completely unaware of Shen Ci's subsequent actions. For days, all his energy had been poured into the Winter Olympics project bidding. A thick stack of documents related to the bidding was piled on his desk, and even finding time to drink a sip of water seemed rushed.

The office door was knocked on lightly. Chen Jingli pushed the door open cautiously, bowed, and asked: "Chairman, were you looking for me?"

Li Wanchang held the document with his fingertips, his gaze locked on the clauses above. He didn't even raise his head, his tone carrying a hint of impatience: "I told you to make an appointment for dinner with the leaders of the Sports Bureau. Did you get it?"

Chen Jingli's voice lowered even further, his face full of difficulty: "Not yet... Chairman, it's really not easy to make an appointment. At this juncture, we aren't the only ones eyeing this bid, and the leaders are all extra cautious."

"Then find a way." Li Wanchang suddenly raised his eyes, his sharp gaze sweeping toward Chen Jingli, his displeasure undisguised, "Do you still need me to teach you how to do this kind of thing step by step?"

If you can't make an appointment openly, then clear the way secretly—he didn't say this explicitly, but every word conveyed this meaning.

Fine beads of sweat seeped from Chen Jingli's forehead. He bit the bullet and told the truth: "I've tried secret contact, but they won't accept anything at all, and they won't loosen their stance. Isn't National Day coming up soon? It's exactly the time for a strict crackdown on atmosphere. The leaders are all extremely cautious, and everyone is afraid of making a mistake and bringing fire upon themselves."

Li Wanchang suddenly realized. His fingertips subconsciously rubbed the edge of the document, and he sighed lightly, his tone softening slightly: "I was the one who was anxious and confused, forgetting about this National Day..."

"Chairman, don't worry. I will put in more effort and definitely find a way to have a casual meal with the leaders before the bidding. It shouldn't be a problem." Chen Jingli quickly expressed his determination.

Li Wanchang nodded noncommittally, raised his chin, and signaled that he could step out and get busy.

Who knew that Chen Jingli would hesitate and turn back just as he reached the door, calling out softly: "Chairman."

"Anything else?" Li Wanchang stopped what he was doing, his brows furrowed slightly, revealing three parts of impatience.

Chen Jingli hesitated for a moment, but finally gathered his courage and spoke after careful consideration: "I want to suggest to you, shouldn't the group give some appropriate compensation to the core team of the AI department? Especially Guo Gong, Guo Shangyong. After all... we have to make some kind of gesture to soothe his emotions."

This came too suddenly. The expression on Li Wanchang's face sank instantly, and his brows twisted into a knot: "What do you mean?"

His aura was already powerful, and being asked with such a sunken face, Chen Jingli's heart tightened instantly, and cold sweat broke out on his back, but he still bit the bullet and explained: "Look, Liu Chang was parachuted in as Chief Engineer, and the negative emotions in the department have been very heavy, especially Guo Gong—that position of Chief Engineer, in terms of seniority and ability, should have been his. He must be holding back anger in his heart. I'm thinking, giving the core team some kind of gesture would be good to soothe the public sentiment, so as not to affect subsequent work."

"Hmph." Li Wanchang let out a disdainful snort upon hearing this, his tone full of impatience and dominance, "How fresh! Is my Li Group not paying them a salary? When is it the employees' turn to have a say in the company's personnel arrangements, and when do we have to consider their feelings in return? Personnel appointments and removals are matters for the leadership layer. They only need to keep to their duties, do their own jobs well, and not meddle in what they shouldn't, and not think about what they shouldn't!"

Chen Jingli was full of difficulty, but he still bit the bullet and continued to persuade: "Chairman, that's true, but it's also a fact that everyone has emotions. Liu Chang reflected to me two days ago that the people in the department don't cooperate with him much. He can't convince the crowd at all, and the various tasks of the department are being pushed forward with extreme difficulty."

But who is Li Wanchang? He is a businessman, a pure capitalist with shrewdness and coldness in his bones. Whether the employees' mood is good or not, whether their emotions are high or not, is meaningless to him—what he cares about has always been only the results; what he values has always been only the profits.

"Difficulties? What difficulties?" Li Wanchang's eyes turned three parts colder, and his tone became even more severe, "The various indicators of the department are clearly laid out there. Even if they have emotions, even if they are unconvinced, they must complete all indicators with quality and quantity, on time! If they can't complete them, deduct their money!"

He paused, the sarcasm in his tone even greater: "They don't even think about what the AI department has brought to the company in these past few years? There isn't a single result that can be brought out. Instead, it's like a bottomless pit that can't be filled. I keep throwing money into it, and I can't even hear a sound! The financial reports are uglier than the last, and the losses are more serious than the last. Now they still have the nerve to turn around and want me to take money to soothe their emotions?"

A string of words left Chen Jingli speechless. He lowered his head, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Li Wanchang snorted coldly again, his tone slightly softer, but still carrying an indisputable dominance: "If they want money, if they want compensation, that's fine. Let them cooperate with Liu Chang's work steadily and do things well. Now that we have good programs and core technology, as long as we push forward properly, we can naturally make good products. When the group can stand firm in the AI field again and make money, I naturally won't treat anyone who works steadily poorly—but now, they don't have the qualifications to talk about conditions."

With things said to this point, Chen Jingli naturally didn't dare to say another word. He could only exit the Chairman's office in a dejected manner, full of helplessness.

Just after closing the door, he couldn't help but sigh heavily, his brows full of exhaustion and difficulty—on one side was the strong and stubborn Chairman, on the other side were the dissatisfied core employees. Caught in the middle, he was in a dilemma.

As a result, as soon as he looked up, he saw Guo Shangyong appearing at the secretary's desk.

"I want to see the Chairman." Guo Shangyong said to the secretary.

"Please wait a moment, Guo Gong. I'll call the Chairman immediately." The secretary quickly picked up the landline on the desk. Just as her finger was about to press the button, a large hand suddenly reached out and pressed it down hard.

"Don't call yet." Chen Jingli waved his hand at the secretary, saying in a suppressed voice. Then, without waiting for the secretary to react, he stepped forward quickly and pulled Guo Shangyong into the corner at the office door, his tone urgent and carrying a hint of comfort, "Guo Gong, Guo Gong, don't be anxious. If you have something to say, say it slowly. Don't be impulsive!"

Guo Shangyong looked at his cautious appearance, his brows furrowed slightly, his tone cold: "Chen Jingli, what am I anxious about?"

"Oh my." Chen Jingli patted him on the shoulder, saying in a tone of 'I understand': "I know you aren't happy in your heart. That position of Chief Engineer should indeed have been yours, but the department is half-dead, so we have to think of a way to solve it, right?"

"Liu Chang can bring technology to the company and can let the department set sail again. This is a move that the company has to take, and it is also a move that must be taken. You are an old employee of the department. You should understand at this time, right?"