Chapter 9
He had been replaced because he failed his assignment.
Murong Cheng stared blankly at the message on his screen, despondently typing “Okay” after a long pause.
“Mr. Murong, don’t worry, we’ll revise the draft immediately,” the PR agency staff member said, noticing his dejected expression.
“Thank you for your hard work,” Murong Cheng murmured, forcing a smile.
He turned and left the training base, heading back towards the company.
He should have cycled.
Walking would take over twenty minutes, while cycling was much faster.
But right now, he didn’t want to rush back.
The muscles in his face ached from days of forced smiles. He had tried his best, but he had still failed.
Uncooperative clients were common in this industry. This was his first encounter, but certainly not his last. He understood that.
But he still felt wronged.
He didn’t know who to talk to.
He envied his friend, Chi Yu. While he was still struggling, Chi Yu was a renowned artist, enjoying recognition and praise.
But Chi Yu had also endured hardships in his early days. He was just starting his career. Things would get better.
Murong Cheng tried to cheer himself up as he walked. Reaching the company building, he bought a bottle of flavored milk from a convenience store and sat down on the curb, slowly sipping it.
The sweet and sour pineapple flavor was a childhood favorite. Chi Yu always teased him for liking milk drinks like a child, even though he was an adult who couldn’t handle alcohol.
But it was delicious.
A few sips lifted his spirits. Just as he finished the bottle and was about to head upstairs, he bumped into Duan Shao, who was getting out of a car.
“Duan-ge.”
Even though he wasn’t slacking off, being seen during work hours still made him feel guilty. He forced a smile and brushed off his pants.
“Murong Cheng? What are you doing here?” Duan Shao asked.
The young man held a yellow milk drink, his eyes slightly red, looking as if he had been wronged.
Wasn’t everyone in the company treating him like the CEO’s brother? Who would dare upset him?
“Just finished an off-site assignment,” Murong Cheng explained. “I’ve been at the training base with Fan Hechang for the past few days.”
“Oh,” Duan Shao nodded understandingly. “Go on up then. It’s almost lunchtime.”
Murong Cheng nodded obediently. “Yes, I’ll head up now. See you later, Duan-ge.”
He swiped his access card and entered SKYLINE Building I. Duan Shao went to Building II, retrieved some documents the CEO needed, and then returned downstairs.
“CEO Murong, here’s the background information for the negotiation,” Duan Shao handed the folder to the back seat.
Murong Yan took it and signaled the driver to leave.
Duan Shao fastened his seatbelt and glanced at the CEO through the rearview mirror. “CEO Murong, I just saw that young man from Brand Marketing downstairs.”
Murong Yan, flipping through the documents, gave a noncommittal “Hmm.”
He didn’t ask which young man, so he knew who Duan Shao was referring to.
This young man was definitely not ordinary. Duan Shao raised an eyebrow inwardly. Sneaking into the CEO’s villa and returning to the company unscathed, he must have some connection to the CEO, even if Murong Yan denied it.
Probing further, Duan Shao said, “He’s working with the brand ambassador, Fan Hechang. It seems to be going poorly. Should we intervene?”
Murong Yan’s fingers paused on the page. He recognized the probing tone.
“No,” he said coldly. “Xu Yayun can handle Brand Marketing’s affairs.”
Besides, why would he need to intervene? Wasn’t the entire company already convinced that Murong Cheng was his brother?
“Understood, CEO Murong,” Duan Shao retreated, his attempt unsuccessful.
Finishing the documents, Murong Yan sighed, lowered the car window, and lit a cigarette.
An uncooperative brand ambassador was a minor issue. The contract was signed, and with the coaching staff involved, this “pseudo-brother” situation didn’t require his attention.
His real concern was the trouble his actual brother had caused, the reason for his current meeting.
The black Rolls-Royce stopped in front of a gray courtyard building.
This was a private restaurant owned by the Murong family, used for family gatherings and business meetings.
Today’s meeting was with several distributors shared by Guangyu Group and its parent company, Lingyu Group.
Guangyu was currently experiencing peak sales for its new product, but someone within Lingyu was stirring up trouble, claiming that Guangyu’s business was impacting the parent company, and inciting the distributors to complain.
Murong Yan knew without a doubt that the instigator was his younger brother, six years his junior.
They were biological brothers, but due to the emotional detachment common in wealthy families, they had both attended boarding schools from a young age. Sibling rivalry often overshadowed familial affection.
He had founded Guangyu and led it to become an industry leader, while Murong Jing constantly tried to sabotage his efforts with petty tactics. Although Murong Yan had people monitoring the situation, preventing any major incidents, the constant undermining was annoying, especially since their father was aware of it and sometimes even tacitly supported Murong Jing.
Three distributors, all long-time partners of Lingyu Group, had raised concerns. Their demand was simple: a two-percent increase in commission.
Upon hearing this, Duan Shao was furious, almost getting into an argument with them. They were long-term partners; it was unfair to renegotiate after signing a contract. They wouldn’t dare make such demands without Murong Jing’s backing.
However, ignoring them wasn’t an option either.
These three distributors accounted for a significant portion of Guangyu’s sales, and the competition in the high-tech new energy vehicle market was fierce. If they decided to work against Guangyu, it could severely impact the Light City Go’s sales and have unpredictable consequences.
But agreeing to a two-percent increase was impossible. Not only because Murong Yan, as CEO, couldn’t allow himself to be manipulated by distributors, but also because Guangyu couldn’t afford it. Guangyu targeted the mid-range market with lower prices, high production costs, and thin profit margins. A two-percent increase in commission could push the Light City Go series into a loss. Furthermore, if he agreed to their demands, other distributors would follow suit, putting Guangyu in an impossible situation.
“CEO Murong, the three distributors have arrived. They’re in the innermost private room,” Duan Shao said, checking a notification on his phone.
Murong Yan nodded and walked towards the courtyard.
“CEO Murong, shall I accompany you?” Duan Shao followed closely.
“No,” Murong Yan shook his head, walking through the long corridor. “I’ll speak with them alone.”
Half an hour later, he emerged from the private room.
Instead of returning to the car immediately, he stopped in a corner of the courtyard and reached for his lighter.
As he clicked the lighter, as expected, his troublesome brother appeared behind him.
“Impressive, brother. You persuaded them so quickly.”
Murong Jing’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
His shirt hung loosely on his slender frame. He wore his formal suit with a casual air, a stark contrast to his brother’s impeccable appearance. However, they shared the same strikingly handsome face.
He snatched the cigarette pack and lighter from Murong Yan’s hand.
“Click.”
The lighter’s flame flickered in the still air.
Persuading the distributors hadn’t been difficult.
Their alliance was fragile, based on unevenly distributed benefits, easily broken.
He had Duan Shao compile Guangyu’s pricing and cost data for the new product and also dig up information on the distributors’ sales costs and performance history with Guangyu.
Increasing commission wasn’t impossible, but not for everyone. The decision would be based on their performance. He also presented the sales cost data, subtly implying that he knew they were deliberately causing trouble but wasn’t going to pursue it. After the negotiation, their alliance crumbled, and no one insisted on the increased commission.
“I’m leaving.”
After finishing his cigarette, Murong Yan turned to leave.
He didn’t want to argue with a child, especially since their father would always take Murong Jing’s side.
“Wait,” Murong Jing narrowed his eyes, blowing a smoke ring towards his brother’s back.
Murong Yan stopped but didn’t turn around.
“Dad said I’ll be joining Guangyu soon.”
Murong Yan’s expression remained impassive. “He’s a shareholder. He can decide.”
“Aren’t you going to object?” Murong Jing challenged, a smirk playing on his lips.
Murong Yan started to walk away again.
“I should visit Guangyu soon,” Murong Jing said, his voice laced with meaning. “I heard someone’s been impersonating me.”
“What?” Murong Yan paused, surprised.
“That Murong fellow. It’s all over Guangyu. Didn’t you know, brother?” He was smiling, but his amber eyes were cold. “Or was this your doing? I heard he spent the night in your room during the team-building event. Is he your little lover? Haha.”
Murong Yan turned around, his voice hardening. “Don’t involve innocent people.”
Whether Murong Jing felt threatened by his success or resented his position, Murong Yan could tolerate his petty attempts to undermine him and Guangyu.
But dragging others into it was crossing a line.
Seeing his usually calm brother display a flicker of emotion, a rare and intriguing sight, Murong Jing couldn’t resist pushing further.
“Innocent? How can he be innocent? He’s your person, of course, I’ll pay him special attention.”
“Murong Jing.” Murong Yan’s displeasure was evident.
Extinguishing his cigarette, Murong Jing’s smile vanished. This time, he was the one to turn and leave.
“Don’t worry, brother, just a little attention. I won’t do anything. Why would I harm the little one you’re protecting?”
Leaving Murong Yan standing alone in the courtyard, Murong Jing walked towards a black limousine waiting at the entrance.
Once inside, he raised the partition and dialed a number.
“Hello, this is Murong Jing.”
“I heard Guangyu’s new employees’ probationary periods are ending soon.”
His voice was casual.
“How are they performing?”
“Has that new employee in Brand Marketing offended the brand ambassador recently?”
His voice suddenly turned cold.
“Although the company doesn’t typically terminate employees during their probationary period, we shouldn’t keep those who perform poorly. It’s easier to let them go now. Once they become regular employees, it’s much more complicated.”
