After escorting the landlord to the door, she turned around again and said, “Xiao Lu, although you’re the leader, you’re young, so you shouldn’t be too soft. Otherwise, you won’t be able to control them. Make them work more! Especially that little Huang!” While saying this, the landlord gestured toward Huang Dafang and Qian Xin. 

Lu Nan suppressed a smile and nodded in agreement. 

After the landlord went upstairs, walking in her cotton slippers, Lu Nan turned to the other two and said, “Alright, I think we’re done here. Let’s call it a day. If you’re on the way, I can drop you off.” 

Even without the earlier awkward moment caused by the landlord, Huang Dafang and Qian Xin wouldn’t let Manager Lu drive them home. First, she was their superior, and second, she was a young woman. 

Huang Dafang put his arm around Qian Xin’s neck and said, “No need, no need. We live nearby, we’ll just walk back.” 

Lu Nan had only asked out of a faint, almost imperceptible concern for her subordinates, so it was fine if they didn’t need it. If they had, she would’ve given them a lift, but she would’ve had to note it down in her little mental notebook. 

Being a superior has its ‘sly’ side. 

Lu Nan nodded and said, “Alright, turn off the lights and close the door. Let’s go.” 

The next day at the morning meeting, Lu Nan told everyone, “Thanks to the tireless efforts of Supervisor Li, Wucheng has successfully signed a distributor for the circulation channel. The first payment will be arranged next week.” 

This was truly an exciting piece of news. 

“And with the help of Supervisor Huang, Qian Xin’s target client is coming to the city office for a detailed discussion today.” 

Everyone at the city office knew that Huang Dafang initially helped Qian Xin because Lu Nan had named him. Later, it was for Huazi’s sake, so people looked down and chuckled. 

However, the fact that the client was coming for a discussion showed there was still a high chance of success. 

This month, the Hua’an City office might just get two pieces of good news! 

However, before everyone could be happy for more than a few seconds, they heard Manager Lu continue, “So, everyone else working on other channels, let’s work harder!” 

The boss who said this was truly a devil! 

Huang Dafang, lacking confidence, raised a concern: “Manager Lu, all the potential client data for the circulation channel was compiled by you. What about the other channels?” 

After Huang Dafang spoke, Luo Junjie and Feng Yi also turned to look at Manager Lu, waiting for her response. 

It seemed those who liked to slack off were quick-witted. 

Lu Nan glanced at Huang Dafang and said, “Didn’t you give me a list earlier this year? The information I gave to the circulation channel was based on the list you gave, with some additions and improvements. Actually, not many new ones were added. You can follow the list you submitted to me and go meet the clients.” 

“But… it’s a big difference. We didn’t know the client data could be this detailed,” Huang Dafang sighed. “Manager Lu, I’ve realized through this experience that when it comes to client meetings, you really need to ‘know yourself and know your enemy’!” 

Lu Nan replied with a troubled look, “What am I supposed to do then? The circulation data already took me ages to compile. If I have to do the same for the other channels—what happens to my monthly reports, my core responsibilities? Besides, it’s been a week already. You’ve all seen the circulation team going all out visiting clients. And you’ve just been waiting? Waiting for me to hand over data?” 

When she said the latter part, she pretended to joke: “When I asked for the data, you just gave me a half-hearted response. Now that you see the circulation channel achieving results, you’re all shouting for my help. Do you think I’m that easy to talk to?” 

A well-placed reminder doesn’t need to be loud. 

Lu Nan said all of this with a smile, yet Luo Junjie and Feng Yi lowered their heads in shame. 

Meanwhile, Old Huang stood firm, showing a trace of guilt but still hoping for help from Manager Lu. 

“I’m the city manager. Bringing in new partners is my primary job. You’re supposed to support me—by filtering potential clients and bringing me to negotiate. Not the other way around, where I do all the groundwork and you swoop in to enjoy the results.” Lu Nan tapped the table. “Didn’t Supervisor Huang just say it wasn’t fair? Well, when I gave out the data on Monday, I had already considered this. That’s why any new distributor acquired through the list I provided to the circulation team will have their incentive bonus calculated at a 0.7 rate. The other 30% goes to me. They agreed to this.” 

Qian Xin nodded, confirming that Manager Lu had indeed sent an email about this matter. 

Lu Nan continued, “But if you discover potential clients on your own, the bonus is still calculated at the full 1.0 rate. Plus, if you exceed your targets, there are extra rewards. So, Supervisor Huang, still want my help?” 

Huang Dafang thought about it. The national brand liquor channel was different from circulation. The distributors in circulation could only manage about 500,000 a year, while in the national brand liquor channel, deals could go for millions. The reward difference of 30% was quite a sum. 

He considered: 

Whether Hongtu Liquor, regardless of whether they renew or not, was not as strong as before, and there must be people in the city wanting to take over Old Han’s resources. 

Plus, Manager Lu had said during their supplementary lesson yesterday that they could find information through the Yellow Pages and websites. 

And combined with his local advantages and the company’s explosive sales during the New Year, it shouldn’t be too hard to “persuade” a distributor. 

Huang Dafang asked, “Then, the final negotiation will still have to be handled by you. This won’t affect our bonuses, right?” 

Lu Nan shook her head. “Of course not.” 

Seeing that everyone was still not feeling energized, Lu Nan clapped her hands and said, “There isn’t much detailed information, but I’ve looked through everything you submitted, and there are a few companies we can focus on. I’ve marked them with a check next to the store name. Just for reference, it doesn’t guarantee 100% accuracy!” 

Although Manager Lu made this final reminder, who in the room didn’t admire her judgment in selecting target clients? With 32 options to choose from, the success rate was already high. 

Just like Huang Dafang, even though he knew this was the sweet fruit after Manager Lu had wielded the big stick, he was still very happy and sincerely thanked her when he received the data. 

Lu Nan specially told Feng Yi from the restaurant channel, “Here, take this. I’ve already asked Zheng Jing to send an email to Supervisor Guo. As for the specific division and arrangement, you’ll listen to him.” 

Feng Yi nodded. 

The city office staff were all disciplined after a morning session, and after the meeting, they left with a refreshed energy, holding their materials in hand. 

Huang Dafang stayed behind—after all, he had played a part in getting the Shunfa boss to come today, so he wanted to stay and see if the deal would go through. 

Of course, Old Huang would never admit that he was curious about Manager Lu’s negotiation skills. 

Around 10 a.m., Mr. Yang from Shunfa arrived. 

Mr. Yang was a short, lean middle-aged man, and when he learned that Lu Nan was the city manager of Hua’an City, his reaction was more controlled than Mr. Wei’s from yesterday. 

Lu Nan shook hands with him and exchanged business cards, then suggested they move to the office for a detailed discussion. 

In fact, anyone who had a serious conversation with Lu Nan would find their impression of her vastly different from the first glance. 

Mr. Yang was well-informed and had already heard that Hongtu Liquor Industry had encountered some problems. So, he was indeed interested in signing a distributor contract this year, but like any businessman, he still had reservations about the salespeople who actively pushed for deals. He came to the city office with a mindset to find faults and negotiate prices, but after talking with Lu Nan until 11:30 a.m., he even considered signing the contract on the spot. 

Lu Nan smiled and said, “Mr. Yang, no need to rush. Let’s go grab a quick meal nearby first.” 

“Right, right, I didn’t even notice the time. Manager Lu, Old Huang, and Xiao Qian, let’s all go have a meal. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Manager Lu, I’ll treat.” Mr. Yang said generously. 

“You’ve come all the way to our city office. No way I’m letting you pay. I should be the one treating you.” Lu Nan, feeling optimistic about the deal, replied. 

In the end, the four of them went to a nearby restaurant for a simple meal. Since they still had business to discuss in the afternoon, they didn’t drink alcohol. 

The meal cost over 200 yuan. During the meal, Lu Nan gave Huang Dafang a look. Old Huang excused himself to the restroom and paid the bill. 

After the meal, Lu Nan and the others followed Mr. Yang’s invitation to visit Shunfa’s wholesale department. 

Lu Nan didn’t say anything vague and told Mr. Yang directly, “Actually, whether you sign the contract now or next month, it’s no different for our office; it would still count as the first-quarter results. But to be honest, President Han from Hongtu Liquor Industry still wants to renew the contract with us. However, he’s a bit busy at the moment. If he gets through this busy patch, he’ll want to sign a full-channel agreement with us. Our company has regulations to prioritize the rights of old distributors…” 

Mr. Yang frowned and pulled out a cigarette, asking, “Manager Lu, would you like one?” 

Lu Nan waved her hand. 

“Then wait for me a moment, I’ll go smoke outside.” The wholesale department was filled with various alcoholic beverages, and Mr. Yang was very cautious about safety. 

After Mr. Yang went out for a smoke, Huang Dafang and Qian Xin looked at Lu Nan: Can this work? 

Lu Nan silently told them, “Stay calm.” 

In the end, Mr. Yang came back after his smoke, saying he still needed to think it over and would give an answer the day after tomorrow. As Lu Nan and the others were leaving, he asked, “If we sign the contract and make the payment in the first quarter, can the year-end rebate be a bit more?” 

“That depends on the contract amount and payment amount. The rebate will vary accordingly. I can’t make promises out of thin air; such detailed terms will have to be discussed later. What I can assure you is that within my authority, I’ll work hard to get the best deal for the distributors.” Lu Nan’s words were watertight. 

After leaving Shunfa, Qian Xin said cautiously, “I thought Mr. Yang would sign today.” 

Huang Dafang comforted him, “It’s several hundred thousand, it’s not that easy. He’ll definitely need to think it through. Did you notice, when we were leaving, Mr. Yang even came after us to ask that question? I think the possibility of success is still very high.” 

Lu Nan nodded and told Qian Xin, “Don’t rush tonight, follow up tomorrow at noon. Supervisor Huang, please report the restaurant bill to Zheng Jing.” 

At the Saturday meeting, people from the outer counties of the city also attended. 

The most noticeable change was that Supervisor Li’s attitude toward Lu Nan was more respectful than before. 

Lu Nan briefly went over the negotiations from the previous two days, then asked about the progress with Li Ziheng. 

Li Ziheng, a bit embarrassed, said, “There hasn’t been much progress yet.” 

Lu Nan nodded and switched to another topic, one she had been considering for a while—whether the city office staff should be eating at the distributors’ places. 

“Everyone has their own way of doing things, and each distributor has different plans for these kinds of expenses. I’m not forbidding anyone from eating at distributors’ places, because occasional meals are actually a way to maintain good relationships. I just hope everyone pays attention to the frequency—quarterly, mid-year, or year-end, it should be an occasional thing. For small distributors like the wholesale department, if we go every month, won’t the boss be bothered?” 

Lu Nan wasn’t too strict when she said this, but she added, “I’m very confident about this year’s client acquisition goal, and I know it will be tough, so I’ve set aside part of the budget from the city office for meals and travel expenses when meeting with distributors in our area, and another part for those who meet distributors from other areas. This is a trial run, and once the first quarter is over and we’ve achieved good results, I’ll ask the provincial office for more subsidies.” 

The flattering Huang Dafang said, “Wow, Manager Lu is going to keep us well-paid and honest!” 

Lu Nan smiled and replied, “We’re all in business, why wouldn’t we work for money? As long as you all deliver results, I’ll go to the provincial office and knock on the door to get you what you deserve. Isn’t that better than getting a handful of small things?” 

When she said this, the staff understood: Manager Lu actually wants us to stop taking advantage of the distributors. 

They had been doing this for so many years, and now asking them not to be greedy was a challenge. They didn’t know if they could do it or how long they could stick to it, but—let’s wait and see. If the Hua’an market really thrives, will Manager Lu deliver on her promises?