She wasn’t there as a CEO—after all, she was only seventeen and not yet legally an adult. She was there in a learning capacity, mainly shadowing the branch’s general manager.
The Jiang Corporation had made its name in the food industry. This particular branch specialized in self-heating hot pots.
Once a booming product, the business had declined in recent years due to the influx of trendy, internet-famous foods crowding the market. The company still had a good reputation and a large scale, but self-heating hot pots were easy to replace. Without any innovations, even familiar brands were falling out of favor.
Everyone knew this was their weak point, and they were working hard to develop a new flavor that people would love—paired with the right marketing, they hoped to make a comeback that would wow the public.
This wasn’t going to be an easy task.
The general manager handed over the quarterly report, looking a bit embarrassed. “We’re already working on developing new flavors.”
Qingli skimmed the report and got the gist of it right away—sales were consistently declining. Occasionally, sales would bump up with influencer marketing or price cuts, but overall, revenue kept slipping.
“Can I take a look at the product room?” she asked, setting the report aside.
The general manager nodded immediately. “Of course! Maybe you’d like to try some? Our target demographic is right around your age group.”
“I’d love to,” Qingli replied with a smile. “One of each flavor, please.”
“Absolutely.”
The general manager didn’t dare slack off or act condescending—not when he was dealing with the heir apparent, the future head of the parent company. If he tried to bluff his way through now, it might fly in the moment, but unless he planned on quitting the company altogether, it would come back to bite him once she took charge.
The product room wasn’t far. It was a small warehouse packed with brightly colored, eye-catching packaging.
While Qingli examined the packaging, the general manager asked his secretary to help prepare the self-heating hot pots.
Before long, the room was filled with steam.
Self-heating hot pots usually take about fifteen minutes to cook. Once the time was up, the lid was removed, and Qingli picked up a bowl to start tasting the first one.
After just one bite, she shook her head. “This chicken is way too salty, and there’s a fishy aftertaste that you can’t hide. Check the source of the ingredients—we won’t be working with that supplier again.”
“Huh?” The general manager was stunned.
He’d only expected her to try a few and give some general feedback. When did it turn into direct decision-making? And… she seemed to know what she was talking about?
He grumbled inwardly but kept a pleasant smile on his face. “Alright, I’ve made a note of that.”
Qingli continued sampling the rest of the ingredients in the first hot pot. The lotus root was pretty good, and the glass noodles were solid. Then she moved on to the second one…
In total, she tried eleven different hot pots, pointing out flaws in every single one.
By the time she was done, she was full. She wiped her mouth and asked, “Did you get all that down?”
“Uh…” The general manager hesitated. “Well… I didn’t bring a pen and notebook, but I remember some of it.”
Without a word, Qingli pulled out a pad and pen. She wrote down each comment by product number and handed it over. “I’ve also listed suggestions for improvement. Start working on them right away. I want to see the updated versions in three days.”
The general manager gritted his teeth and nodded. “Got it!”
Qingli liked working with cooperative people—it made life a lot easier. Seeing him agree, she smiled. “Don’t worry. If it goes well, we both get credit. If it doesn’t, I’ll take the fall alone.”
“You don’t have to say that!” the general manager said with a laugh, though his smile looked much more relaxed. “I’ll go notify the product manager right away. Anything else you’d like to see?”
“Take me to the new product development area.”
“Of course, of course.”
—
5:30 p.m.
Qingli, who usually hated working overtime, stayed right on schedule.
Since the branch office was located in the suburbs, she had rented a place nearby before starting this assignment. It only took about ten minutes to get home.
As soon as she walked in the door, a message popped up on her phone:
Jiang Zheng is in contact with the branch office director.
The source of the message was surprisingly—Jiang Xi!
Over the past year, Qingli had known that Jiang Xi had been surprisingly tolerant of her provocations. But she’d never imagined that one day, he’d act like a concerned father, secretly handing her a cheat code while she was out gaining experience?
She stared at the message for a moment, then called him back.
The call was answered almost immediately, as if Jiang Xi had been waiting. “Saw the message?”
“I did. Thanks, Daddy!” Qingli replied in a deliberately sweet voice.
Jiang Xi sounded thrown off and replied in a low voice, “Talk properly.”
“Okay,” Qingli immediately dialed it back and answered calmly.
The sudden switch made Jiang Xi even more uncomfortable. He didn’t know why, but it bothered him—so he changed the subject. “This was a one-time exception. Since it’s your first time working on your own, I stepped in. I won’t interfere again. How’s the new place? You getting used to it?”
Qingli laughed. “Not really. Not many takeout options around here.”
“What about Auntie Zhang?”
“She took two days off and hasn’t come back yet,” Qingli replied lazily.
“Send me your address,” Jiang Xi said.
After hanging up, Qingli sent it over. Half an hour later, a delivery person showed up at her rental with a carefully packed meal from a high-end restaurant.
She accepted it, closed the door, and her eyes curved with delight.
Was this what 60% progress on her “strategy” looked like?
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152