After arriving at the company, Ming Lan headed straight to the conference room. Everyone was already present, and Fang Yixing had reserved the seat next to him for her.
“Since everyone is here, let’s begin,” Fang Yixing said as the meeting started. “Xiao Zhang, go ahead and present the weekly project plan.”
The routine projects raised no concerns. These were long-term partnerships with Qinglan Group and had been running smoothly. The real focus was the new development projects.
As an established enterprise, Qinglan Group not only relied on its stable core businesses but also needed to innovate and expand in order to maintain vitality and keep up with the fast-paced market, especially in recent years.
Soon, the conversation shifted to a proposed partnership with the Li family. This was one of the new projects Qinglan Group was paying close attention to.
Ming Lan, who had remained quiet up to this point, perked up. This particular project focused on the expansion of smart home technologies. It had strong development potential but required a high level of technological capability. After all, no one wanted a house full of clunky, annoying voice-activated gadgets.
Once Assistant Zhang finished the report, Ming Lan was the first to voice an objection.
“As far as I know, the Li family’s Bo Wen Technologies hasn’t been around long. Their track record in this field is weak. Are they really suitable as a partner?”
In truth, there were very few companies in the smart tech space that were truly outstanding. The high up-front investment had scared off many small to mid-sized firms. Even larger companies needed time to break into the field. Compared to most, the Li family had done relatively well.
Everyone in the room understood that. But they were also new to working with the young heiress of Qinglan Group. Since she was the one asking the first tough question, many of them hesitated, unsure whether to challenge her directly.
“Vice President Ming may not be fully aware,” the project director finally spoke up under everyone’s gaze. “The Li family may be new to the field, but they’ve built a strong team by recruiting top talent at high cost. On top of that, their terms are highly favorable to us. Overall, they’re the best candidate.”
He also handed out Bo Wen Technologies’ data and proposal. On paper, it looked impressive.
Ming Lan glanced at a short demo video showcasing their product’s performance, then shook her head.
“This won’t give us any edge in the market. If we invest so much into a product that has no competitive advantage, what’s the point?”
The project director frowned slightly. He clearly didn’t appreciate being challenged and seemed to believe Ming Lan didn’t understand the field.
“Vice President Ming, when it comes to product design, cost matters. Most companies adopt this level of smart technology because it minimizes expenses. That gives them pricing power, which is part of being competitive.”
“By that logic,” Ming Lan replied calmly, “we shouldn’t aim for innovation at all. If we only target the low-end market, then we don’t even need a partner. Qinglan’s own R&D team can handle it. But the truth is, smart tech is evolving rapidly. If we start by chasing trends, our product might be obsolete before it even launches. That would push us even further down-market. Forget pricing advantage, the entire project might collapse.”
Her statement was slightly exaggerated, but not without merit. Smart technology was advancing at breakneck speed. If they tried to catch the wave too late, it was foolish to expect the market to wait for them.
Seeing the tension rise, Fang Yixing tried to ease the atmosphere.
“So what’s your suggestion, Ming Lan?”
“If we’re going to do this, let’s do it right,” she replied firmly. “We should enter the high-end market first. When we develop newer generations of the product later, those can naturally reach the mid and lower markets. If this project matters, we shouldn’t settle for mediocrity.”
That had been the rule with every high-tech product since the industry began. The development would start at the top and gradually filter downward. There was no such thing as instant mass adoption.
Although this approach meant a longer return on investment and more financial pressure in the beginning, it would also create real future value. However, partnering with the Li family would place all the risk on the Ming family. They would be propping up a company that was looking to exploit them.
The favorable terms the Li family offered now? Those would be the first things they’d try to back out of once they gained strength. What they truly needed was a stable partner to carry their risks during the early stages. They had no real interest in mutual success.
The room fell silent. Ming Lan’s expectations had just disqualified most of the potential partners. There were only a handful of companies in the market with the strength to meet her criteria. And collaborating with them would elevate this project from a side initiative to a core enterprise effort, likely affecting other departments and increasing risks.
“If Vice President Ming is so confident, maybe she should take over the project herself. The rest of us clearly aren’t up to the task.”
The project director leaned back in his chair, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
Everyone turned to see how Ming Lan would respond. Even Fang Yixing looked slightly uneasy.
But Ming Lan simply smiled.
“Alright then. Let’s do that. Once the meeting ends, send all related project materials to my office. From today on, I’ll be taking over as project lead. President Fang, do you agree?”
Fang Yixing looked at her poised and confident expression. He could tell she wasn’t acting recklessly. After a moment, he nodded.
“If the project team cannot proceed, then starting today, Vice President Ming will be in charge of this project.”
That statement made everything clear. Ming Lan wasn’t just a symbolic executive parachuted in by the family. She had real backing within the company. Most people in the room weren’t surprised. After all, Fang Yixing had always had a close relationship with the Ming family.
The meeting continued. Other than the project director, whose face had turned visibly sour, the rest of the team carried on as usual.
When the meeting ended, Ming Lan stood and left with Fang Yixing, ignoring the whispers behind her.
Fang Yixing was still a little uneasy.
“Lan, are you really confident about this project? Do you already have a partner in mind?”
She hadn’t yet mentioned Yi An to him, so his concern was understandable. But now seemed like the right time to let him in.
“Uncle Fang, I wouldn’t have said all that if I didn’t already have a plan. To be honest, I’m considering working with Ye Corporation.”
At that, Fang Yixing paused. He looked thoughtful, but his expression grew more serious.
“Ye Corporation? We’ve never had any direct dealings with them. And they’re the leader in this field. They have a complete and independent system. They might not need to work with us at all.”
“That may be true,” Ming Lan replied, “but nothing is impossible. We won’t know until we try.”
She kept her words measured. There was no need to sound overconfident and risk being dismissed as unrealistic.
“Alright then,” Fang Yixing said. “If anything gets difficult, come to me anytime.”
Young people need real-world experience to grow into capable, independent adults. This was Ming Lan’s first real challenge, and Fang Yixing naturally chose to support her.
“I will,” she replied confidently.
She knew she was still new to the company and had no intention of trying to handle everything on her own. The meeting earlier made it clear that quite a few people still held resentment toward her. Even if the project started smoothly, there was no guarantee that someone wouldn’t try to sabotage it later. Having Fang Yixing by her side gave her a layer of protection to keep things on track.
Back in her office, Ming Lan felt quite pleased. Initially, she had only planned to delay the project for a bit, buying time until Yi An settled in. But now, unexpectedly, the entire project was in her hands. That would make things even more convenient.
Not long after, the files related to the project were delivered to her desk. Ming Lan skimmed through them and quickly realized the project had not been taken seriously before. They had not even assembled a complete team yet.
This was the first time she had ever led a project herself. Not even in her previous life had she done this, so for a moment, she wasn’t sure where to begin. She checked the time and saw it was nearly lunchtime. She decided to call Yi An and invite her to lunch. It would be a good opportunity to ask for some advice.
Meanwhile, it was Yi An’s first day stepping into her official role at Ye Corporation. The news had already made its way through the company, and many employees were talking. Those who had worked with her before were especially uneasy. Even their smiles looked forced and awkward, more like grimaces than greetings.
Yi An did not see any of this. She was not even on the same floor. After arriving, she went straight to the private elevator and rode to the top floor. She had a meeting with the chairman and several other executives, where her appointment was officially announced. After that, she headed down to the floor where the project department was located. Her new office was on that same level.
To Yi An, the space felt unfamiliar, even though she had worked at Ye Corporation in the past. During her earlier years at the company, before returning to the Ye family, she had never set foot on this floor. In her past life, after rejoining the family, she went abroad soon after. When she returned, she stepped directly into the chairman’s seat. Back then, this very department had caused her plenty of trouble.
This time, she intended to eliminate any problems before they started. She remembered the look on Ye Hai’s face during the meeting earlier. Her eyes turned cold at the thought.
When the elevator doors opened, she glanced briefly at the office space and then turned to the assistant the chairman had assigned to her.
“Call all the project leaders to a meeting. I want to meet everyone properly.”
Yi An had done her homework before arriving. She already knew that Ye Hai’s son, Ye Chuan, worked in this department. This was the position Ye Hai had carefully prepared for his son. That was why he had been reluctant to let go of his own role. He had been trying to pave the way for his son’s rise. But now that this seat had been handed to her, he was probably furious.
“Yes, Director Yi. Everyone has been waiting for you.”
Of course, it was an important day. With the arrival of a new department head, everyone had been told to be ready. Since it was Monday, attendance was high.
“Then let’s not keep them waiting. We’ll go straight to the conference room.”
Yi An did not even sit down in her new office. She walked directly toward the meeting room.
She already had a clear picture of how the department was functioning. She did not need to look through the files again. This meeting would be her opportunity to hear from each of them directly.
As soon as she entered the room, the quiet conversations stopped. Everyone turned to look at her. The room was full, as expected. After all, the chairman was still active in the company. But what stood out more than anything was the coldness in the air. It was subtle, but unmistakable.
Yi An could feel the resistance in their eyes, the silent challenge behind their cautious expressions. They were watching her closely, already testing their new leader.
This was the first impression. A moment of silent confrontation. It was about who would establish authority first.
Among them, the first person to greet her warmly, even with a smile, was someone she had seen a few times before at family dinners. It was Ye Chuan, Ye Hai’s son.
It was obvious that the team here aligned themselves with him. Which meant, in reality, they answered to Ye Hai.
Yi An had no intention of confronting Ye Chuan directly right now. She already had someone else in mind for her first move. Someone more suitable.