Chapter 5: Complete Victory  

“Of course not.” Zhao Chen chuckled lightly, his laughter carrying the certainty of one who sees through everything and a hint of icy mockery. “The most brilliant counterattack isn’t about dragging your opponent down—it’s about standing taller, making her plagiarism look foolish and laughable in comparison, even… self-defeating.”  

“Stand taller?” Yu Ling was bewildered.  

“Exactly.” Zhao Chen’s tone was resolute. “She stole your framework, but is the proposal itself flawless? Does Zhang Wei truly have the ability to execute ‘her’ plan? Can she explain every data point and every detail behind it?”  

Yu Ling’s mind raced! Her proposal… did indeed have room for improvement! Especially the risk contingency plan for execution! And Zhang Wei, that incompetent fool, only knew how to take credit—she was clueless about details and data! Handing the proposal to her would inevitably lead to mistakes!  

“I get it!” Yu Ling’s eyes lit up instantly. “My proposal can still be upgraded! Especially the execution details! If I can present a more refined, more actionable supplementary plan at a critical moment, like this afternoon’s project kickoff meeting… during the meeting…”  

“Smart!” Zhao Chen’s praise was unstinting. “The kickoff meeting is your battlefield. As the ‘chief planner,’ Zhang Wei will undoubtedly gloat while presenting. Right when she’s at her most smug, basking in the loudest applause…”  

“Right at her proudest moment,” Yu Ling continued, her voice trembling slightly with excitement but her gaze sharp as a blade, “I’ll propose key additions under the guise of ‘ensuring smoother project execution and refining details’! Target the weak points in the core logic and execution risks of the proposal! Back it up with data! Make her embarrass herself publicly! Expose how little she actually understands about this plan!” She spoke faster and faster, her thoughts clearer than ever.  

“Exactly!” Zhao Chen’s affirmation was like a shot of adrenaline. “Remember, maintain a humble demeanor—your goal is ‘for the project’s sake.’ But your questions must be precise and lethal! Make it impossible for her to justify herself! Publicly tear off her mask as a plagiarist! Let everyone see who the true soul of this proposal is!”  

Zhao Chen’s words were like precise battle orders, mapping out Yu Ling’s path and firepower for her counterattack. Strength surged back into her limbs.  

“But…” Yu Ling frowned as she thought of the critical challenge. “Time is too tight! The kickoff meeting is at 2 p.m.! Less than three hours left! I need to identify the flaws and come up with more convincing upgrades… It’s impossible! The original proposal was already my limit!”  

A light laugh came from the other end of the call. “Don’t panic. Lingling, remember our agreement? ‘Mutual assistance.’ Coincidentally, I recently helped a friend’s company with a similar project. The consulting firm they hired had some breakthrough ideas—the core points might inspire you?”  

Yu Ling’s heart skipped a beat! A premonition shot down her spine like an electric current!  

“Can I… take a look?” Her voice carried a barely perceptible tremor of anticipation.  

“Sure. I’ll sort out the key points and send them to you right away.” After a pause, Zhao Chen added, “And you must eat lunch. I’ll have roast goose rice delivered to you—it’ll be there in fifteen minutes. You’ll need energy for the battle ahead.”  

The call ended. Yu Ling clutched her warm phone, her palms slightly damp. Despair had been replaced by exhilaration.  

Almost simultaneously, a WeChat notification chimed. A PDF file appeared: **[Breakthrough Strategy Reference for New FMCG Product Launch (Internal Draft)]**.  

Yu Ling clicked to open it.

After just skimming a few pages, her breath caught in her throat! This was far from mere “inspiration”—it was a god-tier strategy tailor-made for the Star Ocean Project!

It addressed every fatal flaw in her original proposal—the vague user segmentation, the broken conversion funnel, the simplistic KOL evaluation—with airtight logic, comprehensive data, and highly actionable optimization plans. The suggestion to “conduct small-scale A/B testing + rapid iteration” to mitigate risks was nothing short of genius! The depth of expertise and insight far surpassed any top-tier report she’d ever encountered. What kind of “friend’s company” could afford consultants of this caliber?

That lingering suspicion throbbed violently again. But right now, this was her lifeline!

She immediately printed it out, pulled up all her original documents and data, and began frantically integrating and optimizing. Time flew as she became completely absorbed, her fingers flying across the keyboard, perfectly weaving the essence of those “reference ideas” into her framework to create an even more lethal “upgraded supplementary points.”

When the fragrant roast goose rice arrived, she devoured it in five minutes like a whirlwind before diving back into battle. Her focused eyes gleamed like an unsheathed blade.

At 2 PM, the large conference room.

The project kickoff meeting began. Director Chen opened the floor, handing it over to Zhang Wei: “Next, let’s welcome Manager Zhang Wei, chief planner of the Star Ocean Project, to present the core of our proposal! Everyone, please give her a warm welcome!”

Amid applause, Zhang Wei rose gracefully and walked to the screen, her confident smile dazzling. “Everyone, this proposal is based on my deep market insights and precise user profiling, meticulously refined over several months…” She smoothly explained the core strategies, objectives, and channels… Her PPT was exquisite, her delivery rhythmic.

Yu Ling sat in the corner, “taking notes” with her head bowed, a cold smirk playing at her lips. Every word Zhang Wei uttered was her own painstaking work! It felt like being slowly flayed with a dull knife. She endured it silently.

Colleagues nodded frequently, their eyes filled with admiration. Director Chen beamed with satisfaction, interjecting occasional praise.

“…In conclusion, we are confident in achieving our core KPIs!” Zhang Wei concluded passionately.

“Excellent! Truly outstanding!” Director Chen led another round of enthusiastic applause. Zhang Wei bowed slightly, her gaze sweeping the room before lingering on Yu Ling, brimming with disdain and the smugness of a victor.

“Manager Zhang’s proposal was brilliant! Does everyone understand their roles? Any last additions before we adjourn?” Director Chen scanned the room.

The conference room fell silent.

Just as Director Chen was about to dismiss the meeting, a calm, clear voice rang out from the corner:

“Director Chen, Manager Zhang, colleagues—I have a few humble supplementary thoughts that might provide some reference for smoother implementation.”

Every eye instantly snapped to—Yu Ling!

Zhang Wei’s smile froze, morphing into wariness. Director Chen frowned but nodded. “Go ahead, Yu Ling.”

Yu Ling stood, holding a few A4 sheets, and walked to the whiteboard at the front. Without glancing at Zhang Wei, she calmly surveyed the room before settling her gaze on Director Chen, her tone modest and sincere:

“Manager Zhang’s proposal is grand and goal-oriented. Studying it has been deeply enlightening. To ensure flawless execution, I’d like to offer a few supplementary points for everyone’s review.”

She picked up a marker and began writing fluidly on the whiteboard.

“First, precise targeting of the core user base.” Yu Ling jotted down key points and swiftly pulled up relevant data charts. “According to preliminary research, within the primary 25-35 age group, those aged 25-28 prioritize cost-effectiveness and social engagement, while 29-35-year-olds value quality and technology. A uniform strategy would dilute effectiveness. I recommend increasing A/B test groups for core channel placements, designing differentiated creatives and value propositions, then rapidly iterating optimizations based on initial data to ensure resource precision and avoid waste.” Her data was solid, her logic impeccable.  

Zhang Wei’s expression shifted slightly. User segmentation… she hadn’t even considered it!  

“Second, seamless online-to-offline conversion funnel integration.” Yu Ling continued writing, pointing to specific slides in the proposal. “The critical step is converting online traffic into offline store experiences. Currently, the guidance and incentives are weak. Drawing from successful cases (she omitted the source), I suggest adding stronger guidance and instant rewards—such as exclusive in-store coupons for online users, or double points for in-store redemptions—to create a closed loop and boost efficiency.” She pinpointed the gaps with surgical precision.  

Director Chen stroked his chin, nodding. Zhang Wei’s fingers twisted tightly into her clothes.  

“Third, KOL partnership effectiveness evaluation.” Yu Ling’s voice remained steady and firm. “The proposal only measures success by GMV, which carries risks. Some KOLs may attract price-sensitive users, offering no long-term brand-building benefits. I recommend expanding the assessment framework to include brand visibility metrics (topic engagement, search volume growth), user sentiment analysis (comment tone), and repeat purchase tracking—a multidimensional approach to fully gauge value and optimize collaborations.” Her insights were razor-sharp, striking at the heart of the issue.  

The meeting room fell dead silent! Everyone was stunned by Yu Ling’s precise, devastating, and laser-focused additions—each point hitting the mark and offering actionable improvements! Her expertise and insight instantly reduced Zhang Wei’s vague presentation to dust.  

Zhang Wei stood by the projector screen, her face ashen, sweat beading on her forehead, lips trembling without a word escaping. She wanted to refute, but every point Yu Ling made was flawless. She wanted to explain, but she knew nothing about the data considerations behind the proposal! “These… details… will be refined later…” she forced out weakly.  

“Manager Zhang is right,” Yu Ling immediately interjected, her tone humble yet her words cutting like a blade. “Details determine success. Clarifying these key risks and optimization directions early ensures better coordination and prevents wasting the company’s valuable resources. After all, the ‘Star Ocean Project’… is critical.” Her final words lingered as her gaze swept meaningfully toward Director Chen.  

Director Chen’s face darkened—he wasn’t a fool. The contrast between Yu Ling’s additions and Zhang Wei’s defensiveness spoke volumes.  

“Yu Ling’s points are absolutely critical! Extremely valuable!” Director Chen slammed the table, his glare like a knife aimed at Zhang Wei. “Zhang Wei! As the lead strategist, how could you overlook these execution details?! You must strictly incorporate Yu Ling’s suggestions into the revisions! After this meeting, you’ll immediately collaborate with her to refine the proposal and send it to me by end of day!”  

“Director Chen, I—”  

“Execution must be flawless!” Director Chen snapped. “Meeting adjourned!”  

As the room emptied, the glances thrown Yu Ling’s way were filled with awe and admiration. Those directed at Zhang Wei? Only scorn and indifference.  

Zhang Wei stood frozen, her face ghostly pale, her meticulously styled bun unraveling. Her eyes burned with venom as she stared at Yu Ling packing her things—as if she could tear her apart with her teeth.

Yu Ling felt the gaze upon her and calmly looked up to meet Zhang Wei’s eyes. Her expression was clear and unruffled, devoid of joy or sorrow, even revealing a hint of a professional, flawless smile.  

“Manager Zhang, I’ll need your guidance for the follow-up refinements,” she said, her voice soft yet distinct.  

Zhang Wei trembled with rage, unable to utter a single word. With a furious stomp of her foot, she stormed out of the meeting room, her retreating figure a picture of disarray.  

Yu Ling exhaled deeply, the weight in her chest finally lifting. She gathered her belongings and was the last to leave. The evening sun cast long shadows through the window at the end of the hallway.  

Pulling out her phone, she tapped on Zhao Chen’s WeChat avatar—a little whale wearing an apron, which looked especially pleasing to her eyes.  

**[Ling]:** [Image: The supplementary points she had written on the whiteboard]  

**[Ling]:** Battle’s over. Total victory. Thanks for “your friend’s company’s reference ideas.” What do you want for dinner? My treat! (Don’t complain if it’s bad.)  

**[ZhaoC]:** [Smile.jpg] Congrats on the triumph. What to eat… doesn’t matter. What matters is—if you made it, I’d swallow even poison.