“Mm?” Chen Xiao did not expect Lu Nan to make this suggestion, but after thinking about it, considering that the other party had once happily exchanged her own ideas for a buyout fee, it seemed reasonable now to suggest he endure humiliation and carry a heavy burden? 

Does she even realize what it means for me to interact with those people, to become their friends? 

Chen Xiao asked, somewhat uncertain: “Form connections with the second generation of shareholders and top executives?” 

“Well, mostly the children of the shareholders. The management who didn’t receive any shares are constantly being replaced—Yuan Chuan has this saying, ‘Iron-clad shareholders, ever-changing CEOs.’ When it comes to management, it’s far more meaningful to win them over personally than to focus on their families.” Lu Nan responded, clicking her tongue. “It’s something you’ll understand even if I can’t fully explain it! You’re smart, you’ll get it.” 

She was getting tired holding the phone, so she propped it up next to the mirror, put it on speakerphone, and then poured some toner into her palm, starting to pat her face while looking into the mirror. “A group company like Yuan Chuan is no longer something regular private businesses can compare to. I’ve seen the internal sales statistics over the years. Roughly estimating, the company contributes about a quarter of the city’s annual fiscal tax revenue. In such a situation, even if the company wants to make a major change internally, the local government would still ask you to take it slow.” 

Chen Xiao laughed and complimented, “You’re very thorough.” And with great foresight. 

“No, I’m just sensitive to numbers,” Lu Nan laughed, then continued, “Big companies have their perks, but they also have their troubles. For instance, with more people, there are bound to be factions. Even someone as lowly as me knows this—Xiang Yunfeng and Wang Xinglong’s discord isn’t just about the power struggle between the provincial and city offices. They belong to different factions too. Right?” 

It had only been a few days since Chen Xiao had seen Lu Nan, but he felt that her entire demeanor had changed. She seemed more assertive, almost like she should have always spoken this way… 

This change in her was fascinating to him. 

He pretended to be surprised and asked, “You know all this?” 

“I have eyes and a brain. A little analysis and it’s obvious, right? Manager Wang and Director Tong are in the same faction,” she added, “and Director Tong is part of President Xia, who is, well… no need to go further.” 

Chen Xiao played along, keeping the conversation lively for Lu Nan. 

There were many things Lu Nan couldn’t share with Sasha. Though they were best friends now, they still worked at the same company, and Lu Nan didn’t want to complicate their friendship with unnecessary tests. 

As for her mother, if she heard her daughter complain about work, she would probably immediately encourage her to resign. 

Her high school friends and college roommates were all busy with their own jobs, so after Lu Nan was reborn, she had less contact with them. The rest, like Xiang Feifei, Chen Lu, and Yan Kai, were in the same colleague circle as Pan Sasha, so their conversations were limited to lighthearted matters and weren’t suitable for discussing work. 

Chen Xiao was different. Although he was a colleague, he was also a future boss. Sharing certain thoughts with him felt like a direct line to the heavens. 

Lu Nan thought to herself: I guess this is a bit like placing an early bet? It feels good to know who the future leader of the company will be. 

Wow, I really am a little clever one. Lu Nan thought, somewhat narcissistically, then poured some more toner into her hand and continued patting her face. 

Hearing a slightly strange noise from the phone, Chen Xiao asked curiously, “What are you doing?” 

“Just wiping my face.” Lu Nan replied nonchalantly. “Brother Xiao, do you think I should charge you a consultant fee?” 

Although he didn’t understand why wiping her face would make a popping sound, he decided to let it go: “Consultant fee? Because you helped me analyze the company’s factions?” 

Lu Nan sighed. “No. Because I suggested improving the non-compete agreement to help the company avoid risks and reduce losses.” 

Chen Xiao knew that Lu Nan could figure out the internal factions of the group company just by staying at the headquarters for a few months. There was no need for her to point that out. 

“I think this is the real reason you’re chatting with me tonight, right? You want to get something out of it?” Chen Xiao said, somewhat sure of himself. 

Lu Nan, of course, couldn’t admit that. “Not at all. I’m only doing it for the greater good. Who would’ve thought, you’re still awake.” 

“Don’t call me ‘you’ like that, it’s creepy. Just speak plainly.” Every time Lu Nan called him “you,” Chen Xiao couldn’t help but get goosebumps. 

“Alright, Brother Xiao, since you want me to speak plainly, I won’t be polite,” Lu Nan said and explained the various difficulties the company was facing in the Hua’an market. She wanted her subordinates to execute the sales policies with more efficiency, “So, I’d like to borrow your name, intimidate them a bit, and apply some pressure.” 

Chen Xiao was momentarily stunned. When he heard half of what Lu Nan said, he thought she was asking him to help with some informal communication with the provincial office or regional directors to request more special products and distribution funds. But she hadn’t mentioned anything about that. Instead, she only brought up the “relationship background” that would be useful whether or not she had to directly communicate with him. 

“So, what do you think?” Lu Nan asked, a little uneasy. She knew how principled Chen Xiao was when it came to separating business from personal matters, so after saying her piece, she felt a bit guilty but immediately gave herself a pep talk: Everything I’m doing is for the city office. In the bigger picture, it’s for making money for the big boss, not for myself. Don’t get nervous! 

After a few seconds of silence from Chen Xiao, she steeled herself and urged, “So, Brother Xiao, will you allow me to use your influence?” 

“I agree. You can use it,” Chen Xiao replied helplessly. “But, your idea actually aligns with mine. After a year and a half in the local market, I’ve noticed that there are some issues with the company’s promotional budget allocation. The classic liquor is the most well-known product, and it’s been advertised on CCTV for years, which costs a lot. But honestly, with its established brand recognition, it could slow down the heavy advertising investment. We could save the money and reallocate it to lower-end products to accelerate market penetration in smaller cities. It might just lead to a breakthrough in sales and elevate the group’s overall liquor business.” 

Lu Nan knew this was Chen Xiao’s sales strategy for the company in the next three to four years. She didn’t expect him to have such thoughts already, and it made her feel even more confident about not backing the wrong side. “Special liquor and affordable smaller bottles are perfect for daily banquets and personal consumption. The city managers aren’t unaware of this, they just think it’s too much hassle to deal with it. After all, pushing lower-priced products through the channels is a time-consuming and labor-intensive task. If the results aren’t up to expectations, their year-end assessment won’t look good.” 

The year-end evaluation was directly tied to their bonuses. 

If they could just rely on the well-known classic liquor for good sales and still receive a hefty year-end bonus, why risk changing things? No one wanted to gamble with their bonus. 

The two continued discussing serious matters, becoming more in sync, and before they knew it, half an hour had passed. 

Chen Xiao sighed. “If only you came to the headquarters.” 

“Don’t even think about it!” Lu Nan quickly rejected the idea. She was still a newcomer with little experience, and the complex relationships at the headquarters would waste her energy. She’d rather spend her time doing work than socializing. 

Chen Xiao was only casually expressing his thoughts. Of course, he wouldn’t interfere with Lu Nan’s career path based on his personal preferences. “Don’t worry, I’m just saying. Personnel changes at the company follow procedures, and I wouldn’t favor anyone.” 

The phone gave a low battery warning, and knowing Chen Xiao wouldn’t casually contact HR, Lu Nan put down the wooden comb she’d been massaging her scalp with and said to him, “Thanks, Brother Xiao. Good night!” 

It was clear she was done using him. Chen Xiao smiled. “Good night.” 

*** 

With Chen Xiao’s approval, Lu Nan found an excuse to call Xiang Feifei the next day. 

They discussed a few minor things, like focusing on shipments before the new year and asking Xiang Feifei to send New Year gifts to a few clients. 

After the main topic was covered, they naturally started chatting. During the casual conversation, Lu Nan accidentally revealed Chen Xiao’s identity. 

Xiang Feifei was, of course, shocked. 

Brother Xiao was the big boss’s son? That kind of storyline sounded like something from a drama from ten years ago! 

But since it was Lu Nan who revealed it, it added some reliability to this otherwise absurd piece of information. 

“Of course it’s true, how could I joke about such things? A lot of people in the city manager’s group are secretly discussing it. I estimate that the provincial office will know soon as well,” Lu Nan told a white lie. Anyway, Xiang Feifei wouldn’t go to Wang Xinglong to verify it, and besides, she had already said it was a secret discussion, and what does secret mean? Of course, it means privately. 

News from the headquarters to the Hua’an office was slow, but news from Hailin City spread quickly. 

The first person to know was the office staff, Zheng Jing. 

Zheng Jing was, of course, shocked, but she had a good impression of Manager Lu. 

Since they were both from the same area, Zheng Jing found a moment to secretly speak with Huang Dafu about the matter and advised him, “You must never go against Manager Lu again.” 

Huang Dafu understood immediately: “Don’t worry, sister, I’ll take care of this.” He had his ways. Although he couldn’t inquire at the provincial offices, he could check with the surrounding city offices. 

Of course, the result of the inquiry was—yes, Chen Xiao, who had previously served as a brand specialist in the Hailin City office, was indeed the son of the big boss. He didn’t have the same surname as the big boss because after his parents’ divorce, he took his mother’s surname. 

After confirming this information, Huang Dafu was a bit stunned. 

His first reaction was: no wonder, this explains everything. How could such a young, female Manager Lu become a city manager? Turns out, she had someone backing her. 

But then Huang Dafu thought about it and slapped his own head. No, wait! 

If Manager Lu didn’t have the ability, even if the young heir liked her, wouldn’t they have just put her in a secretarial or assistant role at headquarters instead of leaving her in the alcohol-deserted province of Qianjiang? 

Even if it was just for a while, that would still be better than now. The young heir would have given her some severance or compensation in terms of work, at the very least, she should be a provincial-level group purchasing manager—less work, more money. Wouldn’t that be easier than being a city manager? 

No, no, no. 

Huang Dafu repeatedly slapped his head. Think about it—Manager Lu’s decisive way of working, the first day she arrived at the city office, without even meeting anyone, she assigned tasks; in two days, she visited three cities to meet with distributors; Old Liu was so respectful in front of her, and Liu Yang immediately resigned after seeing her. Then, she spent half a week quietly doing market research and, during the weekly meeting, directly told us to focus on promoting specific wines and small-scale circulation, leaving no room for anyone to object. With Manager Lu’s strong personality, I believe she rose through the ranks mostly on her own merit, with just a small part due to the young heir’s support. 

Huang Dafu’s guess wasn’t entirely wrong. 

Lu Nan didn’t care what the people at the city office thought of her after Chen Xiao’s identity spread, she was the boss of Hua’an City—everything would unfold as it would. 

So far, the “fox borrowing the tiger’s might” strategy had been very successful. Even Guo Yu, who had been somewhat negative about Lu Nan’s arrangements before, had started cooperating. It’s worth noting that Guo Yu’s earlier plan was only to have his subordinates “deal with Manager Lu in a perfunctory manner.” 

The old hands moved efficiently as well, and after a week, during the weekly meeting, the channel managers began to report on their work.