E-Ladies: Navigating the Wired World
Chapter 161: Episode 161: Why is it so hard to have a few comfortable days?2

Chapter 161: Episode 161: Why is it so hard to have a few comfortable days?2

This guy really has some thick skin! Team funds are meant for everyone and kept in a shared account, aren’t they? How come with just a word from Zhang Yongzhong, it’s supposed to be handed over to him?

"Yongge, forgive my bluntness..." Zhou Xueyin shot back at him, "Team funds are not for team building; they’re for everyone’s Friday benefit. If they’re canceled, just allocate the money into everyone’s salaries for the month! Aren’t team building expenses supposed to be specially approved by the group?"

"Well, since that’s how you use your funds, I have nothing to say. It’s not impossible to distribute it among everyone..." Zhang Yongzhong, his plan to enrich himself thwarted, glared at Zhou Xueyin resentfully, "Actually, I did this to help you all quickly integrate into the CBIS group atmosphere, nothing more."

"So the biweekly schedule is for syncing up with the group’s overtime, too?" Zhou Xueyin blurted out without thinking.

"Speaking of which, the CBIS Group is now just a front, the real head office is Zhongonline! Oh, right, a transfer of headquarters contract will be signed this afternoon. You’re not busy this afternoon, are you?" Zhang Yongzhong said, glossing over the weightier issues.

"Huh? Since when was this decided? Why didn’t anyone tell me?" Zhou Xueyin was even more baffled.

"It was decided at a meeting before the National Day, and there was no need to inform you small companies. It’s not too late for me to tell you now, is it?" Zhang Yongzhong’s nonchalant attitude only intensified Zhou Xueyin’s feeling of being duped.

Fortunately, the money from the company acquisition had all been converted to RMB and allocated to everyone’s hands. Otherwise, there was a chance that all of it could have potentially been swindled away by the Zhang Yongzhong right in front of her.

"Alright, that’s all I have to say about things related to the group," Zhang Yongzhong spoke with an air that made him seem like he was the general manager of 51buy, "Next, regardless of how you were working before, starting tomorrow, everyone needs to write a daily report, write a weekly report every week..."

Zhang Yongzhong took a sip from his tea mug and continued, "Every Monday at 10 a.m. we’ll have a regular meeting to discuss the work plan and every Friday at 5:30 p.m. a weekly summary meeting to see if you’ve completed the plans set on Monday! That’s how we keep up with the mainstream pace of big groups! Did everyone get that?"

Meetings? Meetings? What is there to meet about concerning work plans? What’s the point of summaries? It’s a complete waste of time! Do they not realize that plans cannot keep up with changes? Why stick to formalism? Isn’t it better to get real work done?

After hearing Zhang Yongzhong’s latest policy, Zhou Xueyin internally ranted in frustration.

Probably not just her, everyone present didn’t want to waste time on these pointless regular meetings.

What others need to do each week has nothing to do with me, does it? Does knowing others’ work plans help me in my work?

The company has been established for so long, and Zhou Xueyin has never seen the need to hold meetings every week to keep up with the situation. Yet she always finds a way to know the progress of every project of every team member!

Only an incompetent leader would hold useless regular meetings!

Zhou Xueyin scanned the expressions of everyone around and felt she had to stand up and counter Zhang Yongzhong, "Yongge, since 51buy developed to this point, we have never needed regular meetings. We only have coordination meetings when there’s a need for collaboration on large projects. This kind of time-wasting regular meeting is utterly meaningless, okay?"

"Meaningless? How could it be meaningless? Don’t I need to understand everyone’s work status, work progress? Don’t you want to know what everyone has to do each week? Besides, a regular meeting! It’s also a part of company culture! Don’t tell me you don’t have one... No wonder it took 4 years to sell only 200W..." Zhang Yongzhong, still maintaining his superior demeanor, tried in every way to suppress Zhou Xueyin.

"It’s 200W US Dollars! I don’t need to know what everyone’s doing, I just need to know that the work I assigned is completed on time by everyone. I care only about the results; if the results are perfect, is the process important? Not really, right?" Zhou Xueyin rebuffed Zhang Yongzhong.

"Young lady, you are still too young... lacking experience. I can’t be bothered to explain to you! Anyway, now that you’re part of the CBIS Group, you must conform to the group’s rules! The meeting must be held! I have to know about everyone’s work!" Zhang Yongzhong slammed his tea mug down on the table, speaking assertively and not allowing for any rebuttal.

’Sick... and no small sickness at that!’ Zhou Xueyin rolled her eyes at him, no longer wanting to confront him.

It’s just impossible to reason with such an unreasonable person...

New officials must assert their authority, and although he’s just a deputy general manager, he needs to display an aura of being second only to the top to suppress everyone.

Leveraging his seniority, even if you’re a general manager who’s not even 30, you still have to obediently follow his lead.

On his first day at 51buy, that’s exactly the kind of outdated thinking and nauseating attitude Zhang Yongzhong had.

"Alright, that’s all for today’s meeting. You’re dismissed..."

At Zhang Yongzhong’s words, everyone began packing up their things and left the meeting room one after another.

"Xiaozhou, wait a moment; I have something to discuss with you alone," he called Zhou Xueyin back.

"What do you need?" Despite being utterly impatient, Zhou Xueyin still put on a professional smile.

"Clear out the office for me, you’ll move to sit with everyone else. And organize the customer information too; I need to get a full understanding of the company situation. Got it?" Zhang Yongzhong continued with the demeanor of someone who was the real general manager.

"...I, am not..." Zhou Xueyin was about to ask why he, a deputy general manager, should have a private office.

But after reconsideration, she thought it was better to isolate him in the office; she could re-integrate with the team like back in her Dinghao office days.

It was better than him wandering around the office area, interfering with this and that.

So, she swallowed the words that had reached her mouth, "Alright! How about I clear out the office for you first thing tomorrow morning? Would that be okay?"

"Why wait for tomorrow morning? You go back and start clearing out now; have it ready for me before you leave today." Zhang Yongzhong was really eager to get settled in there.

"Alright..." Zhou Xueyin said reluctantly; who told him to be the older one? Who told him to be sent over by the group?

Zhou Xueyin went back to her office, packed her belongings into a cardboard box, then asked Wang Anqi to help her clear a desk...

"Yo, Yinyin, what are you up to? Joining the common people?" Zhang Jingwan joked as he saw Zhou Xueyin moving her possessions out of the office.

"Yep, joining the common folk!" Zhou Xueyin joked back, and after looking around and not seeing Zhang Yongzhong, she continued in a low voice, "Or would you rather work in the same office with that person?"