novelonline Chapter 1443 Why Hang Yourself on One Tree?
Chapter 1443 Why Hang Yourself on One Tree?
Chapter 1443 Why Hang Yourself on One Tree?
The implementation of the business division plan for the sales department did cause some initial confusion. The reorganization of personnel, adjustments to industry classifications, and changes to work processes all significantly impacted the daily operations of the sales department. Several groups experienced a temporary decline in performance, and some employees accustomed to the original work model felt uncomfortable and complained privately.
However, as time went on and the team members gradually stabilized, the advantages of industry specialization began to show. Firstly, there was a significant increase in business volume. Because each team member chose their area of expertise, their professionalism improved considerably. When providing consulting services to clients, they were able to gain a deeper understanding of industry characteristics and propose more targeted solutions.
The business consulting industry demands a high level of expertise. Clients pay consulting firms not for vague, general theories, but for practical, actionable professional advice. When consultants focus on their areas of expertise, they can grasp client needs more quickly, analyze problems more accurately, and propose more persuasive solutions.
In just two months, the business department's overall performance increased by 15% compared to the same period last year. Even more surprising is the significant increase in the proportion of major clients—those high-value clients who might have been lost due to unprofessional solutions are now more willing to cooperate with Bianti.
Secondly, after the division of labor, the overtime phenomenon in each group decreased significantly. Previously, the vast majority of sales staff worked more than 30 hours of overtime per month, and working through the night to meet project deadlines was commonplace. The lights in the sales department often stayed on until 2 or 3 a.m., and the office was filled with the smell of coffee and takeout.
But now the situation is completely different. Although overtime still occurs, the total amount of overtime per week has decreased to less than 20 hours per person. The most obvious change is that after 9 pm, more than half of the people are gone from the office. By 10 pm, basically only a few project managers are still handling urgent matters.
According to the finance department's statistics, the company saves hundreds of thousands of yuan a month just on electricity bills and reimbursement for taxi fares during overtime. Not to mention, because of the reduced overtime, employee efficiency and motivation have actually increased—people who frequently work overtime are prone to fatigue, sluggish thinking, and higher error rates. Now that everyone is getting better rest, they are more focused at work, and naturally, the quality of their work is higher.
Of course, reforms always come with growing pains. Some salespeople, having used up all three of their transfer opportunities and failed to join any team, were forced to transfer or leave the company.
After the industry division, the professionalism of each team member was quite high, and those team members who previously relied on flattery to get by immediately became apparent. Under the old model, team leaders might have protected subordinates with whom they had good relationships, but now the members of each team were randomly reorganized, and there were no longer so many scruples among the members; they spoke entirely based on their abilities.
In addition, Qin Hao kept a close eye on things, checking the project progress and member performance of each group every week. No one dared to gamble on whether a member in their group would report to Qin Hao. For their own future and for the performance of the entire group, the group leaders had no choice but to "reluctantly make the difficult decision" and remove those who were not suitable from the team.
……
However, with the rapid growth of business volume, a new problem arose—the business department began to run out of manpower.
Tang Jing faces mountains of project documents every day, and her team members are already nearing the end of their workload. Although overtime hours have decreased, everyone's work efficiency has its limits. Continuing to increase the workload will not only affect work quality but may also lead to employee burnout, ultimately impacting team stability.
Tang Jing's idea was that the most direct solution was to expand the team by headhunting. She carefully analyzed the personnel needs, developed a detailed recruitment plan, and then submitted it to Qin Hao for approval.
To her surprise, Qin Hao rejected her application directly, adding a message: "Come to my office to talk."
Tang Jing was somewhat dissatisfied, but she still took the rejected documents and went to Qin Hao's office.
"President Qin, this is the staffing needs analysis for the business department. I think we need to expand the team immediately." Tang Jing placed the document on Qin Hao's desk: "Recently, the business volume has grown too fast, and the current manpower is not enough. If we don't increase manpower, it will not only affect the project schedule, but may also damage the company's reputation due to a decline in work quality."
Qin Hao took the document, quickly glanced through it, and then looked up at Tang Jing: "I know the business department's workload has surged recently, and you're all overwhelmed. But have you considered this question—how much will we need to spend on recruitment costs for adding so many new staff? And how much will we need to increase management costs for these new employees?"
He stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Tang Jing: "The headhunter's fees, interview time, training costs, salary and benefits... all of these add up to a considerable expense. Moreover, after new employees join, it takes time for them to fully integrate into the team and generate real benefits. During this process, experienced employees have to spend time mentoring new employees, which may actually decrease work efficiency."
Tang Jing paused for a moment; she hadn't actually considered the costs. But she still insisted on her point of view: "However, if we don't have enough manpower, we might not be able to complete the project on time, or the quality of our work might be lower. These losses could be greater than the recruitment costs."
Qin Hao turned around, a mysterious smile on his face: "So, I have a better solution—have you thought about outsourcing some of the less profitable business?"
"Outsourcing?" Tang Jing looked at Qin Hao in surprise, thinking she had misheard.
“Yes, outsourcing.” Qin Hao walked back to his desk and sat down. “But not outsourcing in the traditional sense. We’re not outsourcing our core business, but rather entrusting those low-profit projects that still require a lot of manpower to professional partners.”
Tang Jing felt like she was falling behind. Qin Hao had just implemented sweeping reforms to the business department, and now he was going to introduce business outsourcing? This change was happening way too fast!
“But wouldn’t it be difficult for an outsourcing company to meet Bianti’s requirements?” Tang Jing questioned. “Our clients pay high consulting fees because of Bianti’s brand and professional capabilities. If we outsource the work and the quality is substandard, it will damage our own reputation.”
Qin Hao said calmly, "There will definitely be some difficulties at the beginning, and we'll need to work things out. But don't look down on our domestic counterparts. They just haven't fully opened up their thinking yet. Once they catch up, they might not necessarily do worse than us. Besides, we're not completely sitting back and doing nothing."
“My idea is that we train a group of project managers to specifically handle liaison with outsourcing companies. These project managers will be deeply involved in the projects, control the quality, and ensure that the final deliverables meet Bianti’s standards. Simply put, we outsource the execution-level work, but we still control the core aspects such as solution design and quality control.”
Tang Jing fell into thought. This idea was indeed novel, and if implemented properly, it could really solve the manpower shortage problem while also reducing costs.
"It seems you already have a suitable candidate?" Tang Jing keenly sensed the hidden meaning in Qin Hao's words.
Qin Hao smiled: "Smart. Chen Xing downstairs, to be precise, is Chen Junsheng. I've seen his plan; it's clear in its thinking and rigorous in its logic. Even if we get it from Bianti, it can still serve as a training model. Most importantly, their costs are much lower than ours. Some businesses that aren't very profitable for us can actually be profitable if we let them handle them."
"To be honest, a large part of the reason why the big boss transferred Fleck back to China is that the business volume of the mainland branch has been increasing every year, but the profit growth has not kept up with this pace. To put it bluntly, the previous management costs were too high, there was overstaffing, and efficiency was low."
“Before taking office, I made a promise to the big boss that profits would increase by 20% within a year and double within three years. If I couldn’t do that, I would resign and leave.”
Tang Jing suddenly realized. No wonder Qin Hao started with sweeping reforms as soon as he took office; he was carrying such heavy pressure. A 20% profit increase was already a very high target in the consulting industry. Doubling it in three years was even more difficult.
But she understood Qin Hao's approach. In multinational corporations, performance is everything. If you can't create value, even the most capable person will be eliminated.
“Okay.” Tang Jing took a deep breath. “I will fully cooperate. But the selection and training of this outsourced project manager may take some time.”
"Don't worry, I've already asked HR to start preparing," Qin Hao said with a smile. "The recruitment of the first batch of outsourcing project managers will begin next week. We need talent who understand both business and management, and can also communicate effectively with outsourcing companies."
……
Soon, internal recruitment for outsourced project managers began. Although the salary and level of this position were one level lower than that of a regular project manager, many employees still applied through internal channels for this once-in-a-lifetime promotion opportunity. At the same time, HR also found a group of qualified external candidates through headhunters.
The competition was fierce. Internal employees had the advantage of being familiar with the company culture and processes, while external candidates could bring fresh perspectives and approaches. After several rounds of rigorous interviews, four people were ultimately selected—three internal employees and one external hire.
These four individuals were carefully selected. They not only possess outstanding business skills but also excellent communication and coordination abilities, enabling them to simultaneously address the needs of both clients and outsourcing companies.
What followed was intensive training. Qin Hao personally designed the training program, which included: outsourcing project management processes, quality control standards, cost control methods, risk assessment and response, etc. Tang Jing also participated, sharing her years of experience in project management.
After a month of training, these outsourcing project managers officially started their jobs. Their first task was to liaise with Chenxing Company and begin their first outsourcing project.
Initially, the collaboration did not go smoothly. Chenxing was accustomed to the traditional work model and found it somewhat difficult to adapt to Anti's high standards and strict requirements. There were also communication problems—the two sides might have completely different understandings of the same requirement.
But Qin Hao was prepared. He instructed the outsourced project manager to submit daily work logs and hold weekly project coordination meetings to identify and address problems promptly. Regarding Chenxing, he assigned Chen Junsheng to directly liaise with Bianti to ensure smooth communication.
After more than a month of adjustment, the cooperation between the two parties gradually got on track. Chenxing began to understand Bianti's work standards, and the quality of delivery improved significantly; Bianti also figured out Chenxing's work habits, and communication efficiency greatly improved.
After the first outsourced project was successfully delivered, the client's feedback was positive, and they had no idea that a part of the project had been outsourced. This relieved Tang Jing and gave her more confidence in the outsourcing model.
Therefore, Qin Hao gradually began to delegate some of Bianti's lower-profit-margin projects to Chenxing. Although these projects were not highly profitable, they still required a significant investment of human resources. By handing them over to Chenxing, Bianti could free up these resources to take on more high-value projects.
Of course, this also meant a surge in Chenxing's business volume. As the project manager, Chen Junsheng's workload increased several times over. Chenxing's employees began working overtime frequently, and their working hours became increasingly longer.
……
At 12:30 a.m. that day, Chen Junsheng returned home exhausted. He dragged his heavy steps into the living room, too weak even to turn on the light.
"Honey, you're back?" Luo Zijun came out of the bedroom in her pajamas. Seeing Chen Junsheng's tired appearance, she quickly went over to help him take off his coat. "Why are you so late? You must be exhausted."
Chen Junsheng felt a warmth in his heart, realizing that his wife was still very considerate. He forced a smile: "It's nothing, it's just that there were a lot of projects, so I worked overtime a bit late."
"Go take a shower, I'll heat up some milk for you," Luo Zijun said gently.
Chen Junsheng nodded, placed his briefcase on the sofa, and headed to the bathroom. When he came out, he saw Luo Zijun holding his coat, carefully searching for something.
Chen Junsheng's heart sank. He stood at the bathroom door, watching his wife intently searching, and a feeling he couldn't quite describe welled up inside him.
But he didn't react. Instead, he pretended not to see anything, went back into the bathroom, deliberately turned on the tap to wash his face, and then came out, even pressing the flush button on the toilet.
Upon hearing the sound, Luo Zijun quickly hung her coat back on the hanger and pretended to be tidying up the sofa.
“Honey, why are you working later and later at your company lately?” Luo Zijun walked over, her voice filled with worry. “Every night before Ping’er goes to bed, he asks me, ‘When is Daddy coming back? You haven’t taken him to the amusement park in ages.’ If you keep going like this, our son won’t even recognize you anymore.”
Chen Junsheng felt a headache coming on. Of course he wanted to spend time with his son, but he had just too much work. He could only say perfunctorily, "There's nothing I can do. Ever since Chenxing partnered with Bianti, our business volume has increased several times over. We're practically doing the work of three people, so working overtime is unavoidable."
"Bianti? Isn't that Tang Jing's company? How come you're cooperating with them?"
"Yeah, they outsourced some projects to us," Chen Junsheng said dismissively. "I'm sleepy, I'm going to bed now. I have to get up early tomorrow."
"Oh, okay." Luo Zijun could tell that her husband didn't want to talk about it anymore, so she had no choice but to give up.
While Chen Junsheng went to take a shower, Luo Zijun couldn't help but pick up her phone and call Tang Jing.
The phone rang for a long time before being answered. Tang Jing's voice sounded tired: "Hello, Ziju, what's wrong so late?"
"Tang Jing! When did your company start outsourcing?" Luo Zijun complained as soon as she opened her mouth. "It's making my Junsheng come home at 11 or 12 every night. How can his body take it if this continues?"
Tang Jing chuckled wryly on the other end of the phone: "Big sister, it's already pretty good if I can get off work at 11 or 12. You know what? I'm not off work yet. I just finished a meeting and I still have a ton of documents to review."
"Huh? So late?" Luo Zijun said in surprise, "That Lao Qin is really something. Isn't he the one who calls the shots in your company now? Why doesn't he give you any special treatment so you can leave work earlier?"
Tang Jing shook her head: "He did advise me to leave work early, saying that health is the most important thing. But I'm a new boss, and I have a ton of work to do. If I don't finish today's work, there will be another ton tomorrow, and it just keeps piling up."
"Sigh, what's the difference between you working overtime like this and a sweatshop?" Luo Zijun complained.
Faced with Luo Zijun's complaints, Tang Jing smiled helplessly: "My dear lady, can sweatshops offer us this kind of salary and benefits? You've been out of touch with the world for too long. Go out and look around, there are so many jobs out there that pay only two or three thousand a month and require overtime. We're already doing pretty well; at least the rewards are proportional to the effort."
"Two or three thousand a month?" Luo Zijun said in surprise, "Who would do such a low salary? When I first graduated, although my salary wasn't high either, it was still more than this!"
"You graduated in the early 2000s, back then college graduates were still worth something." Tang Jing sighed. "Look at now, college graduates are everywhere. You don't know, our company recently recruited project managers, and the resumes of the people recruited by headhunters are all from prestigious universities with master's degrees and rich work experience. I'm glad I graduated early; if I were looking for a job now, I might not be able to get into Bianti."
Luo Zijun's tone suddenly became ambiguous: "You should be glad you joined Bianti. First, you had He Han, who was both your mentor and boyfriend, protecting you, and now you have Lao Qin protecting you... Your luck with women is truly enviable."
"You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth," Tang Jing said irritably. "So, you're saying I'm where I am today because of He Han and Lao Qin? That I have no ability of my own at all?"
"Oh dear, that's not what I meant," Luo Zijun said with a grin. "But to be honest, you've got some good luck with men. Both of them are so outstanding, and both treat you so well... By the way, how's He Han doing now? Any news about him?"
Tang Jing paused for a moment before saying, "I heard he went to a company about the same size as Bianti, and he's the business director. They've been competing with us for business lately. I saw him at the client's company last week, and to be honest, it was quite awkward."
"Tsk tsk, so you're planning to choose Lao Qin?" Luo Zijun asked gossipily.
Tang Jing said in a low voice, "It's as if he can't live without me. I've noticed he's been getting very close to Vivian lately. They often eat together and chat and laugh."
As she spoke, Tang Jing mimicked Vivian's tone, "recreating" the scene she had witnessed: "'President Qin, I don't quite understand this question, could you explain it to me again?'—her voice was so sweet it could drip water. Another time, Vivian 'accidentally' spilled coffee on Qin Hao and quickly grabbed a tissue to wipe it off for him. The way she did it, the look in her eyes... tsk tsk."
Upon hearing this, Luo Zijun immediately became anxious: "Then you can't let her succeed! To be honest, Lao Qin is still very outstanding. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you hesitate any longer, and someone else snatches him away, it will be too late to regret it!"
"Forget it," Tang Jing sighed. "What's mine can't be taken away, and what's not mine can't be taken even if you try. Let nature take its course."
"Bullshit! Happiness is something you have to fight for!" Luo Zijun said excitedly, "Look at me back then, so many people were chasing after Chen Junsheng. If I hadn't taken the initiative, Chen Junsheng would have been snatched away by those sluts long ago. Tang Jing, just listen to me, don't hesitate anymore. Next time you see Lao Qin, just pounce on him and take him down!"
Tang Jing was both amused and exasperated: "Pounce on me? I'm not as shameless as you. Anyway, I'm not finished yet, I'm hanging up now."
"Hey, wait a minute!" Luo Zijun said with exasperation, "You're great in every way, except your extreme fastidiousness. Don't blame me for not warning you, Lao Qin's conditions are very sought after, be careful you don't regret it later!"
Tang Jing shook her head and hung up the phone. But she subconsciously glanced in the direction of Qin Hao's office.
Recalling Luo Zijun's words, a complex emotion welled up inside her. But quickly, she shook her head, banished those distracting thoughts, and refocused on her work.
……
That morning, a group of senior and middle-level executives from Chenxing Company stood neatly at the elevator entrance, waiting quietly. Chen Junsheng was among them; he had specially worn a brand-new suit and his hair was neatly combed.
With a "ding," the elevator stopped on this floor. The elevator doors opened.
A late employee of Chenxing arrived just in time and was startled by what he saw. He stood there dumbfounded, wondering if he had broken any rules. Why were so many managers catching him for being late at the elevator?
Fortunately, no one noticed him. All eyes were on the tall figure behind him.
"President Qin, welcome to Chenxing and for your guidance." General Manager Lin of Chenxing stepped forward and warmly shook hands with Qin Hao.
Qin Hao replied with a smile, "President Lin, you're too kind. I wouldn't dare call it guidance; it's just a friendly exchange."
"President Qin is too modest. It is an honor for Chenxing to have you here..." President Lin said, introducing Chenxing's other senior executives to Qin Hao.
After exchanging pleasantries, the group entered the conference room to review the proposals Chenxing had recently prepared for the Bianti outsourcing project. The meeting lasted from 9:00 AM to midnight, with only two short breaks for meals.
Qin Hao listened attentively, occasionally raising pointed questions and demanding that Chenxing explain the logic and feasibility of their plan. Although Chenxing's executives were well-prepared, they still appeared somewhat nervous under Qin Hao's persistent questioning.
Finally, around 1 a.m., Qin Hao tapped the table: "Alright, it's getting late, let's call it a day. The overall idea of the plan is good, but there are a few details that need to be revised. I'll have someone compile the specific feedback and send it to you."
Chen Junsheng yawned, feeling like his brain was about to shut down. He was about to pack his things and go home when Qin Hao called out to him, "Manager Chen, let's find somewhere to talk?"
"Oh, okay." Chen Junsheng paused for a moment, then quickly agreed.
The two arrived at Lao Zhuo's Japanese noodle shop. Although it was past 1 a.m., there were still several tables of customers eating and chatting. Lao Zhuo saw Qin Hao and greeted him with a smile, "Little Qin, you're here so late? And who is this...?"
"This is my friend, Chen Junsheng," Qin Hao introduced. "The usual, two bowls of tonkotsu ramen, plus a few side dishes."
"Okay, coming right away." Old Zhuo turned and went to the kitchen.
Qin Hao and Chen Junsheng found a seat by the window. Before the food arrived, they chatted about some issues related to the project.
"Old Qin, the idea you proposed today, combining traditional retail with online live streaming, is indeed very novel," Chen Junsheng said. "However, this will probably increase the budget considerably, right?"
Qin Hao nodded: "Increasing the budget was actually proposed by the client. They are currently facing the impact of online channels and declining sales in traditional channels, and urgently need to find new growth points. Although online user acquisition requires a large initial investment, the returns can be considerable if done well. We don't need to consider that; we just need to help them solidify the solution."
“Okay, then I’ll go back and modify it according to your idea.” Chen Junsheng rubbed his sore shoulders. “But that means I’ll have to stay up for a few more days.”
Qin Hao teased, "How are you? Can your body handle it?"
Chen Junsheng shook his head with a wry smile: "There's nothing wrong with my body, I'm still young. It's mainly my mind that's tired."
"Oh? Is it due to career factors or family factors?"
"I think so..." Chen Junsheng hesitated before speaking.
At this moment, Lao Zhuo brought over the ramen and side dishes: "Enjoy your meal, both of you. Call me if you need more."
"Thanks, Lao Zhuo." Qin Hao nodded.
The two began to eat noodles. The steaming hot ramen seemed to alleviate their fatigue somewhat. After a few cups of sake, Chen Junsheng finally started to talk more.
“Old Qin, you have no idea how much money Luo Zijun spends these days,” Chen Junsheng sighed. “She tops up her beauty salon cards with tens of thousands of yuan at a time, and she has cards at more than one salon. Designer bags and clothes, she buys them without batting an eye. And ever since we moved to our new house, she’s left all the housework to the housekeeper and spends all her time getting beauty treatments, shopping, and buying things…”
He took a sip of his drink and continued, "I checked my bank account the other day, and you know what? There was only a little over 100,000 left. Over the past few years, my salary and bonuses have added up to at least several million. I really don't know where she spent it all. When I asked her, she couldn't explain it either, just saying that her daily expenses were high."
Qin Hao patted Chen Junsheng on the shoulder and sighed, "Who told you to be so generous, Chen Junsheng? Your salary card is in your wife's hands. Anyway, it's not like she worked hard to earn it, so she definitely doesn't feel bad about spending it."
“Yes, it’s too late for me to regret it now,” Chen Junsheng said bitterly. “Sometimes when I come home late at night after working overtime, she’s still suspicious, going through my pockets and checking my phone. How can I possibly have the energy or time for that? Work is almost crushing me.”
Qin Hao was silent for a moment, then asked, "So what do you plan to do?"
“What can I do? Just make do.” Chen Junsheng shook his head. “After all, we have a child. We can’t just get a divorce like that. And Ping’er is still young and needs a complete family. I just… sometimes feel really tired and frustrated.”
Qin Hao raised his glass: "Come on, let's have a drink. That's life, there are always things that don't go as planned. But we still have to keep going."
The two clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp.
"Alright, let's not talk about me, let's talk about you." Chen Junsheng changed the subject: "How are things going between you and Tang Jing?"
Qin Hao chuckled, his tone slightly teasing: "After seeing your tragic experience, little brother, I've decided that I'll never get married in this life. I'll just go back to being my playboy self, free and unrestrained, isn't that better?"
"No!" Chen Junsheng hurriedly said, "If you do this, I won't be able to explain it to Tang Jing. What if she makes things difficult for me? Our company is currently relying entirely on Bianti's outsourcing business to survive."
"Haha, well, you're just unlucky." Qin Hao laughed, then raised his glass and clinked it against Chen Junsheng's: "So Tang Jing is allowed to waver, but I'm not allowed to give up? There are plenty of women in this world, why hang yourself on one tree?"
Looking at Qin Hao's expression, Chen Junsheng felt that he wasn't joking: "You're not serious, are you? Are you really going to give up on Tang Jing?"
"What do you think?"
Chen Junsheng: ...