01x09 - Episode 9

[bunniefuu]

SAY NO TO PIRACY, SUPPORT ORIGINALS

Celestial Insurance's annual
premium revenue is nearly 100 billion.

Even if you come up with a dozen or two

of these pet insurance scenarios,

they can only generate
at most several billion in premiums.

What impact could that possibly have

on Celestial Insurance's
multi-billion-yuan business?

I haven't collected enough materials.

In that case,

why did you tell Ma Ke
you were confident in your proposal?

The Celestial Insurance project
has been dragging on for too long.

Since the client wasn't happy
with the first version,

we can't just phone it in

for the second proposal
after all the time we've put in.

These slides are all descriptive.

No hard data to back them up.

And there's no holistic view
from the client's perspective!

This isn't Maxmise's standard.

-I'd like to explain.
-Sorry.

I don't want to waste everyone's time.

Ma Ke, as the project manager,
what's your take?

Alright.

NEXT STEPS

Mr. Pi.

My approach starts
with the key value drivers

of their current business.

I built a value tree
for Celestial Insurance.

I re-identified the key value drivers
of their current business.

The focus is on using AI
to optimize existing business processes.

This proposal is far too complicated.

I'd suggest redoing it with a focus

on scenario-based big data business
and enhancing the customer experience.

Mr. Pi, this is my proposal.

Ma Ke did a great job.

Everyone, good work.

Mr. Pi once told me a story.

There was a herder out on the grassland,

tending his sheep.

Suddenly, a man showed up.

He was wearing a shirt and tie,
carrying a briefcase.

He said to the herder,

"Hey, sir. I can give you
a high-end service.

I just counted your sheep. You have 548."

The herder said, "Yeah. How did you know?"

The man said, "I just tapped
into the satellite matrix up there.

That's how I counted.

So I'm taking this sheep
as my service fee."

Then the herder said, "Wait a minute.

Are you a consultant?"

The man was puzzled.
He went, "How did you know?"

"First, you showed up uninvited.

Second, you told me data I already knew.

Third, that's not a sheep you're holding.

It's my dog."

This is how ordinary people
misunderstand us, consultants.

They think we're
just smooth talkers. Right?

I'm sharing this story so you remember it

as a cautionary tale.

Don't let yourself
become the main character in this story.

Hot chocolate.

Thanks.

This kind of thing happens.
I've been through it too.

You have too?

That's just how Ma Ke is.

He used to be pretty good at his job,

but over the last couple of years,
with more going on at home,

his focus hasn't been on work.

He often takes credit for our work.

But he's good at networking.

Most of Celestial Insurance's projects
came from him drinking with clients.

That's why he's still at this company.

The project progress has been poor lately.

He probably figured
Mr. Pi would be back early,

so he took your proposal
and passed it off as his own.

And none of you ever pushed back?

Some people did object to his ways before,

but they got pushed out pretty quickly.

I've been with Ma Ke
since I joined the company.

I know him too well.

He's not a good person,

but the bonuses he gives out are generous.

Among the new hires,
he wouldn't dare touch Bu Tianna,

so he targeted you.

He set a trap to humiliate you in public.

Then, while you're still processing it,

he takes your proposal
to Mr. Pi and gets the credit.

After a maneuver like that,
most people just have to swallow it.

But I don't want to be
one of the silent majority.

Sorry, I didn't warn you sooner.

But you know the saying,
"If you don't bend, you break."

Lin Long is already on leave.

What happens if you go to w*r
with your direct supervisor?

Who do you think the company
will side with?

Knowing Ma Ke,

he probably left no evidence
for you to hold onto.

Right.

That night, everyone else had gone home,

so there were no witnesses,

and he just borrowed my ideas.

He never asked
for the original slide files,

so there's no physical evidence either.

Even if I made a scene,
he'd just say it was

a similar line of thinking that came
out of our team discussions. Right?

So I just have to accept it.

So we can't lose this job
over a moment of anger.

Don't be upset.

The world is just that harsh.

Is it?

Such simple slides.

Not like your usual style.

Just a stumble.

The final team review
isn't due yet anyway.

I'll redo the proposal with a new angle.

I might still beat you.

I'm going to talk to the CEO's office now
to reschedule the interviews.

Did Ma Ke do something?

Is that why you got so worked up
at the weekly meeting?

No. I just wasn't good enough.

I'm off.

Then try to outdo me!

Hello, Ms. Yu. I'm Xu Chi from Maxmise.

Have a seat.

Thank you so much for coming today.

Of all the people Ma Ke has wronged,

she's recovered the fastest.

She's someone
who can achieve great things.

You bet.

Didn't we already send you the reports?

Yes. We've read the reports.

But they don't go deep enough.

So we wanted to dig
into the real pain points

of frontline business leaders
like you, Ms. Yu.

The real pain point is you guys
constantly bothering us.

Business folks are busy.

One call from headquarters,
and they pull us in from the branches.

All kinds of interviews,
meetings, and training.

Come on, we all have sales targets to hit.

We don't have time to sit around
chatting with you.

How about this? Let me speed things up.

I'll only take half an hour
of your time, alright?

-Ten minutes.
-Okay.

From a practical business perspective,

which scenarios or functions
does your department

need digital transformation in the most?

How would I know?

Our branch staff doesn't have
that high an education level.

They wouldn't understand
all that digital stuff.

You don't have to be that specific.

Just give me a general sense.

Your nose is bleeding.

-Take it.
-Thanks.

Don't tilt your head up. Keep it down.

Give me your hand.

-Here.
-No, it's fine.

Don't worry.

I used to get nosebleeds all the time too.
I'd just pinch right here.

The bleeding would stop in a bit.

Did I pinch too hard?

Bear with it.

Have… Have you been wronged?

Is it work or your boyfriend?

I've been there.

This is not just due
to getting overheated.

This is you being pushed around
and holding it all inside.

But you just have to take it.

Once the tears and blood are out,

the anger settles.

There'll always be a chance
to get even later.

Thanks.

Don't mention it.

Let's see. Did it stop?

Young lady…

I'm so sorry. I… I took up
so much of your time.

Let's continue.

Xu.

Take my advice.
You're not happy in this job anyway,

and I really need
to get back to the branch.

Let's not waste any more time. Alright?

How about this?

Just ride with me back to the branch.

We can talk on the way.

Sort out our thoughts properly.

It's better than flailing around
like headless chickens right now.

-I…
-Let's go.

-Thanks.
-No problem.

Xu.

After talking with you the whole way,

I can tell you're not the type
to put on airs.

Let me give you a heads-up.

No matter how many times you redo it,

Maxmise's proposal won't get approved.

So don't waste too much effort on it.

Why?

NO. 92, YONG'AN ROAD

XU CHI LOVES MOM

Mom.

I got bullied at work today.

These slides are all descriptive.

No hard data to back them up.

-I'd like to explain.
-Sorry.

I don't want to waste everyone's time.

I even cried in front of other people.

So embarrassing.

This is you being pushed around
and holding it all inside.

Once the tears and blood are out,
the anger settles.

There'll always be a chance
to get even later.

Mom, go beat him up for me. Alright?

Xu. Don't be too upset.

My colleagues all know
how attached you are to this place.

But sometimes these things
just come down to timing.

Huang didn't tell you?

The owner of Unit 201 was willing to sell.

It was sold last Tuesday.

Sold?

Yes.

Unit 201 was sold?

Huang never told me.

Where is he?

He took his commission and quit.
Went back to his hometown.

Our industry has high turnover.

Xu… Are you okay? You…

Please don't scare me like that.

NO. 92, YONG'AN ROAD

Have some water.

Was it really sold?

This is the place I've been waiting for.

It's my mom's old apartment.

I didn't even get a chance
to see it inside,

and it's gone.

The contract has been signed online.

Please don't be too upset.

I've been thinking about it for you.

Once his kid gets into school,
he'll probably sell.

We're the only agency at this entrance.

He'll have to list with us
when the time comes.

I'll keep an eye out for you.

The market is still trending down anyway.

Once you have the funds ready,

I can offer a little above market
and get Unit 201 back for you.

-Really?
-Really.

Then I'm counting on you.

As soon as I have the money,
I'm buying it.

I'll get you a nice big bonus
when it's done.

Xu, actually,

-there are similar units upstairs--
-I don't want those. I only want this one.

Alright. Let me add you on WeChat.

Let me know if anything comes up, okay?

-Wait--
-Scan my QR code.

Please, just do me a favor.

Just come look at a few places with me.

It's almost the end of the month.

If I don't hit my showing quota,

I'll lose my performance bonus.

Xu, you're so kind.

I'll make sure
to keep an eye on Unit 201 for you.

Our line of work isn't easy.

Door-knocking, showings,
and meetings every day.

I thought it'd be easier
than selling insurance.

You used to sell insurance?

Yeah. I was a top agent.

Deputy director of the sales branch.

I even qualified
for the Million Dollar Round Table.

BLESSING

You're pulling my leg.

A branch director
makes at least 200,000 a year.

Why switch to real estate?

Look. This is me at the awards ceremony.

I just had bad luck.

I set up a slush fund in my department
and got caught. They fired me.

You're from Celestial?

We went to their company,
but they wouldn't agree,

and they wouldn't say why.

We went to Ms. Yu,
and she wouldn't agree either.

Xu, you came to the right person.

You know why Ms. Yu says
no proposal will ever get approved?

Because the business side
at Celestial will never agree!

Why?

Seventy percent of Celestial's employees
are salespeople out in the field.

Combining letters and reports
has already cut everyone's commissions.

If they go digital,
they'll have to share data for free.

That's basically giving away
all their hard-earned

business resources to others.

And once it's digitalized,

it'll probably all go
to the Internet Business Division.

They have separate accounting.

That's essentially taking money
from other divisions.

For that reason alone,
Ms. Yu and her people won't like you.

So at Celestial, aside from
the executives close to the CEO,

most employees actually don't want
digital transformation?

At least when I was there,
that's how everyone felt.

Their boss hired you, consultants.

No one dares to object openly,

so they find ways during review meetings.

Version one doesn't sit well
with one set of branches,

and version two
gets shot down by the rest.

I get it.

Maybe I can take back what's mine soon.

You sure you want to work
alongside the salespeople?

I'm sure.

Whatever they do, I do.

From field agent sales
to internal claims and underwriting,

I'll spend at least three days
in each department.

That's the only way I can figure out

the business pain points
you can't put into words.

You sure talk big.

But these are tough jobs.

Don't come crying when you get burnt out.

Still, tears from pushing myself

are better than those
from being pushed around.

I'll get some veterans
to show you the ropes.

HOME INSURANCE
PROTECTING EVERY CORNER OF YOUR HOME

-Let's bike.
-Okay.

Go MIA again?

Sorry. I've been buried
in the project all week,

working around the clock.

My phone died.

You're busier than me now.

How's the project going?

Did you have your internal proposal
review meeting yet?

YE XINZHI, XU CHI

It went pretty well.

What did you need?

-Are you off work?
-Yes.

-Hello?
-Hello.

The project's on track,
so I didn't mention it.

I'm really fine.

I'm at the hotel right now,

munching on chips and drinking cola.

I've been to your place before.

Not a single snack in sight.

And you don't usually snack anyway.

Are you lying to me?

I really am at a hotel. I'm really fine.

Given your track record
of running off in the middle of the night,

your credibility is low.

Switch to video.

No, no.

My room is a mess.

Xu Chi.

Where are you really?
Why are you being so evasive?

Give me a minute.

See? I'm at a hotel, right?

I see it.

I'm not lying to you.

Why don't you believe me?

Sorry. I was just a little worried
about you.

Something about the way
you were talking felt off.

Is there a problem with the project?

I didn't want to tell you
because if I did,

you'd definitely try to help me
figure it out.

But you can't mentor me forever.

So this time, I want to try
handling it all on my own.

-Think your wings are fully grown?
-No.

I almost had my feathers plucked
a few days ago.

It was just so embarrassing.
I didn't want you to see.

So humiliating.

How humiliating?

Humiliating enough that I cried
in front of someone.

But experience comes from lessons learned.

The hurdles I'm facing now
will become my greatest assets.

Once I get over this mountain,

I'll be unstoppable. Right?

You're pretty confident.

Guess I was worrying for nothing.

Just in case… I mean, just in case.

If you ever need help, come to me anytime.

Forget it.

I don't want to be a third wheel
between you and all those women.

{\an8}XIAOXI

Hello, Xinzhi.

Ms. Liu, hold on a second. I have…

I'm off.

Is that why you haven't been
contacting me lately?

Ye Xinzhi, do you really…

not have that kind of feelings for me?

What did you just say? Bad signal.

Nothing.

I just meant, uh,

if you keep ruining people's plans,
karma will come for you.

I wouldn't want that
to mess up my own love life.

And lately, I've been handling
basic business

with Celestial's salespeople.

If you have new work for me,

I probably won't be able to do it.

Okay. I'll be away on business
for a few days.

So I'll give you some time off. Good luck.

You too.

Love life?

Can't keep going like this.

Absolutely cannot.

CELESTIAL INSURANCE CONSULTING PROPOSAL
INTERNAL SELECTION

BU TIANNA: 4 VOTES

Zhou Sen got one vote.

Yang Rui got two votes.

Bu Tianna got…

four votes.

Alright. Let's hear it.

Why did you all choose
Bu Tianna's proposal?

Her data is very detailed.

The overall internet transformation budget
is reduced by 30%.

One reason Celestial
rejected the previous proposal

was that the budget was too high.

I think this one will definitely work.

Okay. Since it's the group's choice,

let's have Tianna present!

INTELLIGENT UNDERWRITING & CLAIMS
MVP SOLUTION

Not bad.

-Mr. Zheng.
-Mr. Zheng. We still--

Now, I'd like to present Plan B
to everyone.

Xu Chi, you--

You…

Speak up a little, okay?

The people in the back can't hear you.

A good proposal
needs to be heard by everyone.

Okay.

Today, I'm only going to speak plainly.

If we went with last month's old proposal,

Celestial's annual premium growth
could hit 20%,

but it would also cut commissions in half

for agents and salespeople
with below-median KPIs.

But this proposal aims

to boost Celestial's
annual premium growth to 30%,

while also increasing

salespeople's income by 10% annually.

You probably think
I'm selling you a pipe dream, right?

Because I know that to many people,

consultants are just smooth talkers.

But I'm pretty confident in my proposal,

so give me half an hour.

Hear me out
before you decide to tear into me.

Okay. Let's get started.

To be fair,
our previous versions weren't bad.

So why, after so many iterations,

has Celestial's acceptance remained low?

We've actually been thinking it over
and reflecting on it since we got back.

After the whole team's
on-the-ground research,

we finally figured out the problem.

If Celestial actually
accepted our proposal,

it would mean opening up
all your business data to Maxmise.

That would certainly be
a big win for Maxmise,

but for Celestial, there's real risk.

That has been a hidden concern
for your senior leadership.

And for the sales side,

everyone's worried about things like,
once they go digital,

how much departmental profit

would get taken
by the Internet Business Division,

and whether they'd be able
to keep their own clients.

Don't worry, everyone.

Because what we're doing for Celestial
this time isn't about subtraction.

It's about addition.

In short, the new app,

the digital marketing content center,

and the Agent Cooperation Network
being built on the middle platform

are all traffic and efficiency tools

that frontline salespeople
can actually use.

Let me wrap this up in a nutshell.

The digital transformation this time

isn't about making things
harder for everyone.

It's about helping you close deals
and make money.

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING

Now that's the right approach.

The earlier proposals
were like listening to Greek.

Mr. Pi, today's proposal was excellent.

We'll go back and study it carefully

-and get back to you soon.
-Alright.

Especially Miss Xu.

Her proposal was very solid.

You flatter me.

This proposal reflects the consensus
of the entire project team.

I was just the presenter.

But you're the one who spent

over two weeks working alongside
our salespeople.

-Mr. Zheng, I have to be honest with you.
-Oh?

Consulting firms have worked
with Celestial quite a bit,

but Miss Xu is the most hands-on person
I've ever seen.

-Exactly.
-Most importantly,

Miss Xu speaks in plain language.

Everyone can understand what she says.

I'm just a translator.

I took Mr. Pi and Ma Ke's ideas

and put them in simple terms.

Everyone helped me a lot.

Xu Chi, look at all this praise.

I need to remind you of something.

This is just the first step
of a long journey.

A project this big
requires careful attention. Okay?

Can't afford any mistakes.

If something goes wrong… Right?

-Mr. Pi, the follow-up--
-Ma Ke has a point.

If anything goes wrong…

deduct his pay.

Mr. Zheng, after you.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity.

You earned the opportunity yourself.

No need to thank me.

The slides you praised Ma Ke for that day

{\an8}were almost identical
to what I'd shown him the night before.

And after he saw my presentation,

he assigned me to work
on a completely new, unfamiliar proposal.

That's why I performed so poorly
at the meeting that day.

I pretended I couldn't find something.

Where is it?

I left it right on the desk.

Zhao Heng, have you seen my USB drive?

USB drive? What color?

The yellow one.

I remember putting it in that box.

How is it not there?

Found it?

Just a girl who panics
over a little criticism.

I was worried she might push back
after being set up,

but she's even more timid than I thought.

MA KE

I asked Security for the footage

and gathered the evidence
while Ma Ke wasn't on guard.

But Mr. Pi, I'm not here to complain.

I'm here to fight for a chance.

This is the first draft of a new proposal
I developed independently.

Please take a look.

If you think it's good,

I'd like to skip
the internal review competition

and present directly to Celestial.

If Celestial rejects it, I'll resign.

Xu Chi,

have you thought
about what happens if you fail?

You're gambling with your career.

I'm not gambling.

I'm taking control of my own destiny.

You awarded me the YangFan Cup
championship trophy.

So you know my talent and capabilities
better than anyone.

Ms. Sha was promoted by you.

She says she loves
ambitious, capable subordinates.

I believe you do too.

Congratulations. You won your gamble.

And your presentation
was even better than the slides I saw.

We used to take a disruptive approach,

constantly challenging
our clients' existing systems.

But most people push back
when you try to overturn everything.

They prefer validation and consensus
from consultants.

And what they really want is…

What they really want is a solution

-that truly addresses their anxieties.
-Exactly.

If the project moves forward smoothly,
Maxmise as a whole

benefits the most.

But it's just a normal progression,

so there won't be any bonus for you,

and Ma Ke won't be penalized either.

I understand.

Company management is complicated.

Too clean a system
leaves no room for flexibility.

And I just emphasized

that the credit belongs to Ma Ke
and the entire project team.

Ma Ke is actually a smart guy.

You helped him save face.

He'll return the favor.

You know what?

You're bolder than anyone else.

And you have a clearer vision
for the future.

So from now on,

I'll hold you to a higher standard.

What standard?

Does that mean I can't use GPS
to count sheep anymore?

Switch to BeiDou?

You know that joke too.

Humor is actually a great weapon.

Remember to use it more often.

-Xu Chi. Congratulations.
-Thanks.

Well done, Xu Chi.

Ma, you're back.

Spare me the chatter. Get back to work.

Chi.

You're back. No. Sit down. Sit.

Uh, let me talk to you.

Well, come to my office.

And, uh, no need to bring your laptop.

Just got back. Pretty tired.

Put the laptop down.

She really stole the show this time.

She came back in Mr. Pi's car.

I heard Tianna had just finished

when Xu Chi went straight up
and started presenting.

Everyone was stunned.

But it worked really well.
Absolutely crushed it.

Zhao Heng.

What about your princess?

Aren't you going to check on her?

A princess doesn't need comforting.

Not like us, weak commoners.

What a coincidence.

Congratulations.

Thanks.

When I was watching you down there,
I was actually pretty scared.

Scared of what?

Scared that if you get too good,

you won't have dinner with me anymore.

LET'S GO GET A GOOD MEAL LATER

Depends on what we're eating.

You came back this afternoon, right?

Yeah.

Tianhe is now with the project manager.

From today on,

I'm focusing on setting up
the game with Wen Ruosen.

Wen Ruosen screwed you over

almost ten years ago, right?

I bet he never imagined
you'd still be holding onto this.

Eat.

Why are you on your phone
while eating too?

Put it down.

Xu Chi sent me a file.
I need to take a look.

What did the girl send you?

Pretty interesting.

A few days ago,

she ran into some issues on her project.

I was going to help out,

but she said
she wanted to handle it on her own.

She didn't tell me the details.

I was worried.

Then she just told me
she'd resolved it perfectly.

And she sent me the project summary.

She can write project summaries now?



Not bad at all. Wow.

Bold, smart, and measured.

The younger generation is formidable.

Come on. Cheers.

Let's celebrate. That's a good one.

You've basically raised a thoroughbred.

I'm telling you,

once you retire,
you should just teach EMBA

at a business school.

Teaching isn't my thing.

In all these years,

I've only come across one person like her.

Wipe that look off your face. That…

That satisfied look. Get rid of it.

It's disgusting.

Now I get why you like her.

Both of you got burned

and betrayed by your bosses.

Neither of you could swallow it,

so you went straight for revenge.

She succeeded.

-But I haven't.
-You admitted it.

Admitted what?

Admitted what? You admitted you like her.

I just threw out a guess,
and I got it out of you.

You let your true feelings slip,
didn't you?

Drink up.

Changing the subject.
That just proves you admitted it.

Just drink.

Hey, what are you really thinking?

You clearly fell for her,

but you haven't realized it
or figured it out.

Do I have to knock some sense into you?

Hey, you… Sit down. Listen to me.

Let me ask you.

When are you going to make it clear?

Look at me.

I know you don't want to hear this,
but I have to say it.

You clearly fell for her,

but you haven't realized it

or figured it out, right?

Do I have to knock some sense into you?

-Thanks. Drive safe.
-Good night.

UNDERGROUND PARKING ENTRANCE

-What a coincidence.
-Yeah.

What a coincidence.

-He is…?
-My colleague.

We're on the same project team.

No wonder your Celestial project
went so smoothly.

So it's the power of love.

What are you talking about?

We were just having a meal.

At most, it's a date.

No need to be shy.

I also find ways
to unwind in my spare time.

Right.

Exactly. I remember you told me
that to be a good consultant,

you need to find an outlet
for your emotions.

So I learned fast.

Good student.

I still have a lot to learn from you.

Like how to…

A prize from the beer I just got. For you.

I have a meeting.

I'm heading off. Bye.