Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Jiang Yicen marked the matter of the Jiang family down as an important item on his agenda.

Once the weekend was over, it was back to work.

After his promotion to Deputy General Manager of the Marketing Center, the department's personnel and work had a clearer division of responsibilities.

Nan Shuyi was finally able to delegate more of his authority to Jiang Yicen, letting him take the reins freely without being constrained.

In his first week after the promotion, Jiang Yicen felt the weight of tasks and responsibilities on his shoulders grow heavier.

The first order of business was to follow up on the project with Jiangda and evaluate whether the second phase of investment funds could be disbursed on schedule.

The new product evaluation report from last time had come out, and Jiangda was urging Nanyuan to release the second tranche of funds to prepare for production and launch.

But Jiang Yicen had tried the new products—they lacked distinctiveness, completely failing to meet the requirements for Nanyuan's products, and were even inferior to the original line.

Project leader General Hu called everyone together for a meeting.

During their last visit to Jiangda, General Hu hadn't taken Jiang Yicen seriously. But a week later, he now knew who Jiang Yicen was. At the meeting, Jiang Yicen's seat was no longer at the back but near the front.

Nan Shuyi didn't attend today's meeting, entrusting it entirely to Jiang Yicen.

At the meeting, General Hu only briefly mentioned the new products: "The new product test reports are out. If no one has any objections, the second installment of investment will be paid to Jiangda as planned."

Jiang Yicen flipped through the detailed breakdown of the first-phase fund usage for the new project, which his project assistant had handed out.

The list was long. Most people glanced over it and moved on, without cross-referencing the listed items with their corresponding amounts. Moreover, many technical terms were included, and non-professionals generally had no idea about their specific prices.

Jiang Yicen didn't know either, but instead of focusing on the technical terms, he first looked at the categories he recognized.

He and Nan Shuyi had discussed the prices of Fuyu's natural cosmetic extracts, and they had also looked into the price of licorice root.

He raised a question to General Hu: "General Hu, there's something I don't quite understand."

General Hu had assumed this part could be skipped smoothly. When Jiang Yicen spoke up, his expression tightened.

"What is it? What's the problem?"

Jiang Yicen pointed to a line on the list: "Why is the unit price of licorice root so high in the project details?"

General Hu flipped to the section in question. "Licorice root? What's wrong with this price?"

"I've looked into the price of licorice root. Normally, it's 30 to 50 yuan per kilogram. High-quality or wild licorice is about 50 to 100 yuan per kilogram. But here, the unit price is 0.5 yuan per gram. One kilogram is 500 grams, so if my math is correct, that's 250 yuan per kilogram. Right?"

As soon as he raised this question, everyone in the room sat up straighter.

General Hu's face tightened even more: "..."

Jiang Yicen asked the project colleagues present: "Is anyone from the procurement team here? Could you verify this detail list and cross-check the quotations for the corresponding items? This price is clearly nearly double the market rate. How did no one catch this? What do you think, General Hu?"

He threw the question back to General Hu, whose forehead was already beading with sweat.

General Hu dropped the topic of payment for now: "Alright, let's have the procurement team verify the detailed list later, and also check with Jiangda to see if there was a mistake in the list they gave me. How could there be such a big discrepancy? Good thing Manager Jiang was meticulous enough to spot the problem."

He had thought Jiang Yicen, being young, would be easier to fool than Nan Shuyi. He never expected to run into such a tough nut.

Jiang Yicen just gave a faint smile: "Then let's all take a closer look and verify. As for the second-phase investment payment, let's put it on hold."

The project between Nanyuan and Jiangda was suspended for the time being.

There was no point in continuing the project meeting.

The first installment of investment had already been paid to Jiangda, and it was likely money down the drain.

Nan Shuyi had gone to Fuyu, where the Yutu series products were about to be relaunched. He needed to be there to oversee things for a couple of days, so Jiang Yicen could only communicate with him over the phone.

The former deputy general manager and Jin Huanxin had both left the company together. Jiang Yicen's new office was right next to Nan Shuyi's—not very big, just a small single room. If it weren't for the increasingly sensitive information on his computer, he would have preferred to sit outside with everyone else.

He had just moved in, and the office was still bare except for a pot of greenery on his desk that Nan Shuyi had given him—a small money tree.

He knew Jiang Yicen liked cute, inexpensive little trinkets like this; he might even be happier receiving this than gold.

Jiang Yicen texted him, asking if he was free. A second later, Nan Shuyi called him back.

Nan Shuyi asked, "Found a problem at the meeting?"

The detailed list had been handed out during the meeting, not sent via email, so Nan Shuyi wasn't aware of it.

Jiang Yicen got the original copy from the project assistant and sent it to him.

"I found one. Take a look at the list."

Nan Shuyi paused on his end, checked the list, and with his sensitivity to numbers, spotted the issue at once.

He let out a soft laugh: "Such an obvious problem, and General Hu didn't notice it?"

Jiang Yicen said, "The report was just handed out before the meeting, and they were about to authorize the second-phase investment."

Nan Shuyi: "He didn't want to give anyone time to react. Your eldest brother must have promised him a pretty big cut."

Jiang Yicen: "So, how do you want to handle this? Should we suspend the project?"

Nan Shuyi: "No need to suspend it. I've already married my little wife—if I suspend the project now, people will say I'm burning bridges after crossing the river, won't they?"

Jiang Yicen was speechless: "I'm hanging up."

Nan Shuyi let out a low chuckle: "Alright, I'll stop. What I mean is, you don't have to suspend the project. You can do whatever you want with it."

Jiang Yicen: "Including replacing everyone on the project team?"

Nan Shuyi laughed softly: "Of course."

He typed a few words on his computer and sent them to Nan Anru.

"Alright, from now on, every request from this project team has to go through you."

Jiang Yicen: "You contacted Dad?"

Nan Shuyi: "He's the fastest way. No need to go through anyone else."

Jiang Yicen: "True."

Nan Shuyi asked him, "Do you think I'm like a tyrannical ruler?"

Jiang Yicen knew this man couldn't stay serious for more than two seconds.

But he played along: "Yes, yes, yes. And I'm like the enchanting consort who beguiles the emperor."

Nan Shuyi: "That's great."

They chatted for a while before Nan Shuyi had another meeting to attend and hung up.

As soon as he hung up, Jiang Yicen's phone rang.

He thought Nan Shuyi had something else to tell him and called again, so he answered without looking.

His hand was faster than his eyes; only after swiping did he realize it wasn't Nan Shuyi, but Jiang Yiting.

Ever since the incident at Jiangda when they met Chen Zhicheng and Jiang Yifeng, the Jiang family had been in turmoil. Lu Xiao told Jiang Yiting and Jiang Gongming about Jiang Yifeng's refusal of sponsorship from the Twin Stars racing team. When the Jiangs learned they had missed a perfect opportunity to turn things around, Jiang Gongming was so furious that he cut off all of Jiang Yifeng's credit cards and forbade Jiang Yiting from helping him.

For Jiang Yifeng, this punishment didn't really count as punishment; Jiang Yiting would definitely help him, and his biological mother would also help him. However, bringing shame to the Jiang family was the greatest punishment.

Jiang Yicen was in a fairly good mood: "Is there something you need from me?"

To call right after his meeting ended—it would be disingenuous to say that Jiang Yiting and President Hu didn't have a good relationship.

Jiang Yiting: "Dad asks if you're free tonight, come home for dinner."

Jiang Yicen thought about the matter of Jiang Yicen's background: "Is my mother at home?"

Jiang Yiting: "She is."

Jiang Yicen: "Okay then."

-

At the start of summer, on the way back to the Jiang residence, Jiang Yicen saw a rare sunset, dyeing the sky a fiery orange-yellow, which was very soothing to look at.

Jiang Yicen took a few photos in the car and sent them to Nan Shuyi.

Nan Shuyi, who was still in a meeting, looked out the window. He had originally planned to work overtime, but the photos Jiang Yicen sent him lifted his spirits.

"Meeting adjourned. We can't reach a conclusion today; let's continue tomorrow."

Everyone exchanged glances.

The boss wasn't going to work overtime after all; so they finally didn't have to work overtime either!

The driver dropped Jiang Yicen off at the Jiang residence and naturally didn't leave; the butler took the driver to have dinner.

The news of Jiang Yicen's promotion to Deputy General Manager of Nanyuan's Marketing Center also reached the Jiang family.

After Lu Xiao sarcastically told them about what Jiang Yicen had done for Nanyuan a few days ago, Jiang Gongming was so angry he nearly had a heart attack. He had no idea Jiang Yicen had such ability. Later, he sent someone to investigate what Jiang Yicen had been doing at Nanyuan. Not looking into it was one thing, but after he had someone check, he not only had a heart attack but was almost reaching for the quick-acting heart medication.

He had kept Jiang Yifeng, who only caused trouble, at home, while sending Jiang Yicen, who could bring benefits to the company, to the Nan family. What was the point of all his scheming to form a marriage alliance with the Nan family? Wasn't this simply handing the money bag over to others, and doing so with great fanfare and joy?

When Jiang Yicen entered the house, everyone in the living room was there: Jiang Gongming, He Nuanqing, and Jiang Yiting and Jiang Yifeng were all there—a scene he rarely saw.

He Nuanqing appeared to have been briefed by Jiang Gongming and was especially warm when she saw him return.

"Son, are you tired from work? I think you look thinner."

When he first came to the Jiang family, He Nuanqing's warmth made him think this was how a mother should treat her son, but now he realized there was no genuine emotion in her eyes.

He hadn't lost weight; under Nan Shuyi's care, he had actually gained a few pounds.

When Jiang Yicen saw He Nuanqing, he thought of his real mother, who would definitely come up to observe him first and then ramble on and on to him.

He said flatly, "It's okay."

He really has nothing to discuss with the Jiang family.

Jiang Gongming naturally assumed the role of the head of the family when he got home: "Since you're back, let's eat first."

During the meal, Jiang Gongming played the role of a loving father: "Yicen, how are things in the Jiang family? Has Nan Anru been bullying you?"

Jiang Yicen: "Pretty good. Dad often sends me pocket money."

For a moment, Jiang Gongming didn't react to who "Dad" was. He never imagined that one day he would have to share his son with someone else. His mood was like swallowing a fly—a disgusting feeling lodged in his chest, unable to go up or down.

He still had to continue playing the loving father, so he could only barely maintain a smiling face. In the past, he had glared coldly at Jiang Yicen, but now it had turned into a father begging his son—a complete role reversal.

Jiang Gongming made small talk: "I heard you're working at Nanyuan and got a promotion?"

Jiang Yicen answered briefly: "Yeah, it was just a coincidence that I wrote a few planning proposals that caught their eye. The vice president position isn't that big a deal." He then made a bold claim: "I'd rather be the general manager of Nanyuan."

Isn't the vice president of the marketing center a big position?

Nan Shuyi couldn't have been so blinded by infatuation that he arranged for him to be the marketing vice president, right?

Only then did Jiang Gongming start to value Jiang Yicen's academic credentials from the United States. Compared to his good-for-nothing second son, the one with a degree was clearly more capable. But there was no use regretting it now.

He was now very envious of Nanyuan, whose stock kept rising, while he was still struggling to keep Jiangda, which was riddled with problems, afloat.

Jiang Gongming smiled and said, "Ambitious. When you become general manager, you must help our Jiangda a lot."

Jiang Yicen just smiled: "Then I definitely won't become one."

Jiang Yiting: "Why didn't you ever say you could write planning proposals?"

Jiang Yicen played dumb: "Huh? I didn't have a job before."

Jiang Yiting: "..."

He Nuanqing had mentioned to him at the time whether Jiang Yicen could work at Jiangda and be placed in the planning department. It was originally a good fit for his major, but he had refused then and even told He Nuanqing that Jiangda was not suitable for Jiang Yicen.

Now, they had ended up doing all the work for someone else's benefit.

Jiang Yifeng was straightforward and quite displeased with Jiang Yicen: "You sure know how to snatch up the easy pickings. If I had sponsored Twin Stars, it wouldn't be your turn."

Jiang Yicen: "Second brother, you can't say that. At that time, you promised Zhong Zixing to sponsor their racing team, but you went back on your word. The other party even begged you humbly. Have you forgotten? It was in the rest area of the racetrack."

He was directly hitting the Jiang family's sore spots.

Jiang Yifeng's face reddened from the scolding.

Jiang Gongming glared at Jiang Yifeng and scolded: "Good-for-nothing, you only cause trouble for the family. You never accomplish anything, but you always manage to spoil everything. Have you forgotten the lessons we taught you about being humble and polite? Jiang Yifeng, I see you still haven't learned to reflect on your mistakes. All the manners you learned have gone to the dogs. Starting tomorrow, you'll start at the bottom—go to the company's No. 1 warehouse and haul boxes!"

Jiang Yifeng: "I'm not going. Whoever the hell wants to go can go!"

He threw down his chopsticks and went back to his room without eating.

He Nuanqing naturally had to speak up for Jiang Yifeng: "The child just doesn't know any better. There's no need to send him to the warehouse."

Jiang Gongming wanted to scold her too, but then he remembered that Jiang Yicen was her son, so he softened his tone.

"What do you know? It's because I've been too indulgent with him that he's such a spendthrift." Such a good opportunity was just handed over to others.

He was also a pragmatic person who could let things go. He turned to Jiang Yicen and said: "Yicen, although you haven't lived at home these years and your parents have taken little care of you, if you ever feel wronged in the Nan family in the future, you must tell your father. And if anything good comes your way, you should keep the family in mind."

Jiang Yicen saw no need to have a falling out with them.

“After all, I am also a son of the Jiang family,” he said, looking at He Nuanqing, who forced a smile that was more painful than tears.

Jiang Yifeng was not one for empty words: “I've got something to bring up. You’re also on the ‘Jiangnan New Series’ project team. Why didn’t it pass at today’s meeting?”

Jiang Yicen smiled and said, “Brother, you should ask President Hu, not me. I’ve only just joined the project team.”

Jiang Yifeng saw his calm composure in his smile as Jiang Yicen gracefully put down his chopsticks and gently dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin.

He said, “I’m full. Everyone, please enjoy your meal. Brother Shuyi is working overtime today. Mind if I crash here tonight?”

Jiang Yiting frowned slightly. The Jiang Yicen he remembered was nothing like this. He should have been meek, deferential, and obedient to him.

When did Jiang Yicen stop listening to him?