"Everyone, if I am not mistaken, the core of this finalized proposal for the Collection Pavilion is 'attracting traffic through collections, and retaining guests through culture,' right?"
"The core framework is very clear, but it misses the core lifeblood of the Collection Pavilion's foothold in the town."
"I have three optimization points to add: First, the selection of collections should align with the essence of the Cultural Tourism Town, prioritizing the inclusion of local intangible cultural heritage, unique handmade items, and old collections from local prominent families, rather than piling up external collections. No matter how many collections from other regions are included, it does not fit the Gu Corporation's layout principle of 'one town, one specialty' for cultural tourism."
"Second, the exhibition flow should..."
Before Meng Shu Tang could finish speaking, the people at the table could no longer sit still.
They looked at one another.
How could she, an outsider, know these things?
Who told her?
Wasn't the version President Gu sent over just a moment ago a simplified one?
How did she know it so clearly!!!
Bai Ci Xian was even more restless. This proposal was something she had painstakingly worked on for several sleepless nights. She thought she had guessed President Gu Yun Ci's intentions, but the result was not even as good as Meng Shu Tang's understanding after two minutes of looking at it?
No, she would not accept this fate. She should be the woman standing by Gu Yun Ci's side.
"Actually, besides the above, there is also operational linkage. There is a century-old prestigious school near the Cultural Tourism Town. You should connect with them and let the Cultural Tourism Town serve as a research and study base. These can all become successful experiences for cultural tourism projects."
After Meng Shu Tang finished speaking, she looked at Gu Yun Ci's expression and slowly sat down.
The conference room was very quiet; no one made a sound for at least two minutes.
"Did you all hear that clearly? Meng Shu Tang is not a Gu Corporation employee; she is only cooperating with us on a few projects."
"She is able to fully grasp the core logic of the Cultural Tourism Town, understand the positioning of the Collection Pavilion, and even the Group's localization layout."
"And you? Each of you takes a salary from Gu Corporation, yet the proposals you make cannot even grasp a single pain point."
"Is this your work attitude?"
After speaking, the man grabbed the proposal book on the table and slammed it onto the table, the corners flipping and making a loud sound.
Everyone looked at Bai Ci Xian. She was the one who wrote this proposal, and some people had felt it was superficial when they first saw it.
But she had insisted fervently that she had asked for Gu Yun Ci's opinion.
Before the meeting started, she had even boasted that she had just come out of the President's Office and that Gu Yun Ci said he would take her to eat something or other tomorrow.
So, it was a case of being gold and jade on the outside, but rotten on the inside.
If Gu Yun Ci liked her, he probably only liked her appearance!
"Meng Shu Tang, come to my office."
The man stood up after speaking.
Meng Shu Tang only felt aggrieved. She was not a Gu Corporation employee, nor did she take a single cent from Gu Corporation for free.
Why did she have to do these things? She had offended quite a few people today, and she didn't know if they would hold a grudge and trip her up in the future.
But even though she thought that, she still obediently hugged her computer and followed Gu Yun Ci to the 28th floor.
The two of them took the President's Private Elevator.
Inside the transparent glass, there were only the two of them.
Meng Shu Tang stood with her back to him, not wanting to talk to him.
The man stood behind her, and she could not see his expression or attitude.
In the past, taking the elevator always felt very fast.
But today, for some reason, from the 7th floor to the 28th floor, Meng Shu Tang only felt it was slow.
They hadn't had any intimacy for a while, and she was no longer used to being in a confined space with the man.
His aura was too strong, and she couldn't handle it.
So when the elevator door opened, she didn't care about workplace "status and hierarchy" and couldn't wait to walk out.
The man was used to being deferred to, so he also walked out at the first opportunity, and as a result, the two of them collided solidly.
In that instant, a scene flashed through Gu Yun Ci's mind: at 14 years old, was the young Meng Shu Tang like this when she collided with Gu Jin Xing?
No!
Gu Jin Xing said she bumped into his arms, which should have been more intimate than this.
The man's cold and profound breath lingered in her nose, seeping into her bones, and Meng Shu Tang froze there for an instant.
No matter when, the scent branded with Gu Yun Ci's personal mark could make her mind wander and fall apart.
She subconsciously stepped back.
The usually noble and precious man was overly gentlemanly today; his retreating steps were larger than hers. "You go first."
Meng Shu Tang didn't even think, hugging her computer and coming out.
But she suddenly remembered she had to go to the office in a moment, so she called out to him on the way, "President Gu, do you have something to say to me? Let's say it here; I'm quite busy."
"Busy with what? Busy serving tea and water, or handing out fruit platters?"
The man knew how to strike where it hurts.
He continued to walk forward. "Teacher Meng, the Cultural Tourism Town project hasn't ended yet; you can't always be thinking about earning extra money!"
What extra money? It was only 50 yuan an hour.
Meng Shu Tang didn't want to either.
But they were going to divorce soon, and she had to work hard to earn money; otherwise, her mother would be moved out of the special care ward.
The man entered the office, and Meng Shu Tang hesitated for a moment before following him in.
The man placed a document on the table. "The Collection Pavilion is holding a cultural tourism special exhibition next month. You are responsible for the provenance and organization of the exhibits. The salary..."
His fingers tapped the tabletop slightly. "...is 30% higher than your salary as a collection exhibition guide."
As he spoke, the man lowered his eyes to look at her fair and slender hands.
Meng Shu Tang hesitated. Her mother had recently had a phlegm blockage, and if she went to the Cultural Tourism Town for a month, there was also her maternal grandmother, who was also getting old.
"Are you not satisfied?"
"I am very satisfied, but can I come back in between?"
The man seemed to understand what was going on, and a low scoff escaped his throat, but it lacked its usual cold and hard tone. "I am talking about the Collection Pavilion in the old alley in the West City, not the one in the Cultural Tourism Town."
As he spoke, his well-defined fingers opened the computer and began to type on the keyboard.
She and Gu Jin Xing first met there.
She must be very happy!
Hearing "West City Collection Pavilion," Meng Shu Tang was slightly stunned.
She did not expect the man to mention this place.
"Does the Collection Pavilion belong to Gu Corporation?"
"Yes, we bought it in full the year we got married."
He had always been low-key in his actions, but for this matter, he had people promote it.
Yet she was completely unaware; she didn't care about anything related to him!
The man pursed his lips and smiled bitterly.
Meng Shu Tang looked at him, then raised her eyes to look toward the West City, her eyes hiding too many old scenes.
That was the past between him and her, her youthful obsession.
It's just a pity that he doesn't remember her.
Meng Shu Tang turned to leave, but the man called her back again. "I just looked at the Cultural Tourism Town project; your Fanxing Pavilion only has a few finishing tasks left, right?"
"Yes, Chen Man is back, and she is now responsible for the coordination."
"I know your level; the West City Collection Pavilion is not a difficult task for you."
"You have seen the level of the Culture and Tourism Department. I want to hire you to work in the Culture and Tourism Department for a period of time to help them organize their proposals and such."
"The position is Deputy Supervisor. What do you think?"
Meng Shu Tang didn't make a sound.
The man took a card out of the drawer and pushed it in front of Meng Shu Tang. "There is 100,000 here."
Meng Shu Tang glanced at the card, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, as if she were in a dilemma.
Seeing this, the man took out another card. "There is 200,000 here."
Meng Shu Tang pursed her lips and lowered her eyes.
Agreeing to this request was equivalent to making a living under his roof once again.
On one side was the embarrassment of divorce, and on the other was her mother lying in the special care ward. She wanted to refuse, but she also needed every bit of stable income.
Seeing that she still hadn't agreed, the man took another card out of the drawer. "There is 700,000 here."
Having reached the point of divorce, her dignity had long since been crushed to pieces.
This was her mother's life-saving money; she had no right to say no.
"I'll do it, but I'll say this first: you have to give me a deadline. You wouldn't want us to be divorced and have me still hovering under your nose, would you?"
The man's sword-like eyebrows furrowed slightly, and his tone turned a bit colder. "A deadline? You're quite impatient!"
"You just do your work as you should. As for the divorce, I will decide when it happens."
Meng Shu Tang took the card and left. When she reached the door, she suddenly heard him say, "Call Bai Ci Xian in."
Her footsteps paused, her back stiffened for a moment, and she turned her head slightly to look back. "Okay."
Meng Shu Tang went to the seventh floor. "Supervisor Bai, President Gu is calling for you."
Bai Ci Xian approached, her voice soft. "Thank you, Jiejie, I'm going to find President Gu."
Watching her graceful figure leave, Meng Shu Tang felt that the "Jiejie" she had just used was not called casually.
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