Chapter 90: Clearing Out the Termites

Ren Yuefeng was a qualified professional manager; on his first day in Hanxi, he immediately began working, gathering all of Dongling High-Tech’s records, data, revenue figures, and staff information to review.

Dongling High-Tech now used computers for office work; otherwise, just flipping through those records would have taken countless days.

The courtyard behind the office building, prepared by Dongling High-Tech for Ren Yuefeng’s rest, had been occupied by him only a few times—he spent almost all his time in the office, drawing sidelong glances from Hu Zi, Zhang Ao, Gao Peng, and others.

In the break room of Dongling High-Tech’s office building, Zhang Ao walked over to Hu Zi, who sat in the corner, picked up a cup of tea, took a sip, and slammed the cup down on the table.

“That Manager Ren is no friend—he’s taken over my market department’s accounts and personnel files, and even hired in the new administrative manager himself!”

Zhang Ao’s market department handled sales, promotion, and advertising at Dongling High-Tech; in this era requiring ground-level outreach, the market department always had plenty of sales staff. Dongling High-Tech hadn’t recruited thousands—or even tens of thousands—like health supplement companies did for ground campaigns.

But to liaise with distributors and agents, Dongling High-Tech’s market department had still hired many people, especially now, as it prepared to establish European and North American offices to promote the Shen Zhou Digital Cordless Phone overseas—requiring additional market staff to be hired locally.

“Are you sure your market department has zero problems? No one took kickbacks or falsified accounts?” Hu Zi asked, watching Zhang Ao, who resented Ren Yuefeng’s interference in his department.

“I…” Zhang Ao’s face flushed red, but he couldn’t claim his department was spotless. Finally, he sighed, “But which company’s market department doesn’t have some of these issues?!”

“Just because something exists doesn’t mean it’s acceptable. A thousand-mile dike collapses from an ant’s hole. If Dongling High-Tech wants to survive—and truly compete with foreign brands—it must correct these errors!”

Hu Zi looked at Zhang Ao. “Manager Zhang, understand this: even the tallest tree’s branches live only because of its roots. We survive because of Dongling High-Tech—not anyone else!”

“Spend more time reading. Otherwise, if the company moves too fast, you’ll be left behind—and I will too.”

Hu Zi drank another sip of tea, stood up, and left. He had given his warning; what Zhang Ao did now was his own affair.

From the moment Ren Yuefeng arrived, Hu Zi knew Dongling High-Tech was changing—it was no longer the makeshift operation it had been. As “old guard” members of Dongling High-Tech, if they failed to keep pace, even if Li Dongling held onto old ties and didn’t fire them, their marginalization—reassigned to trivial departments handling menial tasks—was inevitable.

But if Dongling High-Tech truly thrived—even if Feiyan Technology ever went public—they would gain enormous wealth, status, and power. Hu Zi was a seasoned veteran; he knew these executives shared Dongling High-Tech’s fate: only if the company improved could they gain more.

After Hu Zi left, Zhang Ao sat there, his expression shifting constantly. Finally, he gritted his teeth, stood up, and decided to cooperate with Ren Yuefeng’s reforms—he would buy more books on domestic and international marketing and promotion, and even consider enrolling in an MBA executive training program.

Ren Yuefeng began implementing new management systems and policies at Dongling High-Tech. Though there was resistance, with Hu Zi, Zhang Ao, Gao Peng, and other old-guard members not openly opposing, even dissatisfied employees had no power to stop it.

“Why can’t this be reimbursed?!”

“It was always reimbursed before—why not now? These are client entertainment expenses! Am I supposed to pay out of my own pocket?!”

In Dongling High-Tech’s market department, a voice erupted, drawing attention from many.

“The market department now follows new rules—each quarter’s budget for the sales department must be reviewed!”

Fan Xugang, also from the West City Wireless Factory No. 1 and now head of the sales department, held up the reimbursement form of the man shouting before him. “What did you eat? Eight hundred yuan for one meal? Plus karaoke? How many orders could this person possibly bring in? You spent two thousand yuan on entertainment—how am I supposed to justify this to finance?!”

Zhang Dongyang’s face flushed red and then pale. Finally, he growled, “Aren’t we pushing the Shen Zhou Digital Cordless Phone? Don’t I need to meet clients? Old Fan, tell me—is this new guy Ren deliberately sabotaging us? He doesn’t want us to stay!”

“Zhang Dongyang, have you been drinking fake liquor? Shut your mouth!” Fan Xugang snapped, angered by Zhang Dongyang’s public outburst.

“So what? I’ll quit if I want to! I’ve sold tons of product for this company—last month alone, I got distributors to take two million yuan worth of electronic pet machines. Who does he think he is? Sitting in his office thinking sales happen by magic? If you won’t reimburse this, I’m out—let him go sell the damn things himself!”

Zhang Dongyang shouted toward the upper floors, where Li Dongling, Ren Yuefeng, Hu Zi, and others had their offices.

“Then you can leave right now!”

Zhang Ao came down the stairs, his face dark with fury. Zhang Dongyang had been with him a long time, but this time, Zhang Ao was determined to make an example.

“Brother Zhang, I—”

Seeing Zhang Ao descend, Zhang Dongyang forced a nervous smile. He was somewhat related to Zhang Ao and had been personally hired by him.

He knew Zhang Ao’s nature: others feared his bluster, but Zhang Ao wasn’t afraid—he was even more ruthless. In this line of sales, you needed grit.

Especially when selling the same type of product—like several health supplement companies in the same region—it wasn’t about price or ads; it was about fists. Whoever won the fight got the territory, and only the winning brand’s products could be displayed in the stores.

“Brother Zhang, he’s pushing too hard—this entertainment expense was always reimbursed before! Why not now?”

Zhang Ao laughed bitterly, furious. “You don’t even know how much you’ve pocketed? You call it entertaining clients? Was it the clients paying for your meals and karaoke and dancing? Did they even find you women?!”

“Did you sell those electronic pet machines? Or did distributors come to your door begging for stock? How many kickbacks have you taken? Do you want me to list them all?!”

Zhang Ao had previously resented Ren Yuefeng’s interference in his market department, but seeing Zhang Dongyang’s behavior, he was now furious. He knew Zhang Dongyang and others had taken kickbacks and exploited distributors and clients—but he hadn’t expected them to be so brazen, taking advantage and then acting offended.

Electronic pet machines were in high demand—Zhang Dongyang and his team didn’t need to go out and push sales. Instead, distributors from across the country came to them, begging for more stock, willing to pay kickbacks and bribes just to get their hands on inventory.

This was what happened when a brand was strong: agents and distributors lowered their heads just to get more stock. When Jianlibao was at its peak, distributors queued for a month just to get delivery—some even bribed officials or sent gifts to get early shipments.

Seeing Zhang Ao expose the truth, Zhang Dongyang turned embarrassed. “Brother Zhang, maybe I miscalculated the reimbursement form—I’ll go back and recalculate…”

“I told you to get out. You’re fired. Do I have to say it again? Or do you want me to take you to the police station and settle accounts for every order you’ve touched?!”

Zhang Ao stared coldly at Zhang Dongyang. The latter’s face turned pale with shock—he’d only been trying to stir up trouble to get his entertainment expenses approved, never intending to quit.

In Dongling High-Tech’s sales department, the salary wasn’t low—even without kickbacks, monthly pay plus bonuses and gifts from distributors added up to what a regular worker in Pingyang earned over several months, even half a year. And now it was all gone.

Zhang Dongyang wandered out, dazed and hollow-eyed. He wanted to explain, but Zhang Ao clearly wouldn’t let him. If he dared to persist, Zhang Ao would hand him over to the authorities and force him to return every kickback he’d taken. Zhang Dongyang could only walk out, lost.

“Anyone else dissatisfied? Leave with him. I’ll settle your salary today. If you don’t leave today, and you dare break company rules again, don’t blame me for settling scores!”

Zhang Ao spoke with murderous intent to the sales team. He felt the sales department desperately needed a purge.

Not a single member of the sales department shouted to quit. Though Ren Yuefeng’s new rules restricted their ability to make petty moves or siphon funds as before, they knew better than anyone how much they’d lose by leaving Dongling High-Tech.

“Manager Li, Manager Ren!”

Zhang Ao stormed upstairs, still seething, and looked up to see Li Dongling and Ren Yuefeng—his face instantly flushed with embarrassment.

Li Dongling said nothing, only patted Zhang Ao’s shoulder. Zhang Dongyang’s kind of behavior wasn’t rare in this era—whether in state-owned or private companies, sales staff were all much the same. Dig deep enough, and every one had dirty books.

Ren Yuefeng’s arrival brought change to Dongling High-Tech; it wasn’t realistic to crush every Zhang Dongyang outright—but at least stopping the parasites from expanding their damage was enough.

Next, across Dongling High-Tech’s departments—including the electronics park and the Yangcheng production center—several more individuals like Zhang Dongyang were dismissed. Though rumors spread, they didn’t cause major upheaval. Sales, production, and supply chain departments all began enforcing Ren Yuefeng’s new regulations.

(End of Chapter)