Young and handsome, with a very simple and honest mind. Although the information from the human resources department said that this young man did not have a diploma or degree, Zhou Xiaoqi did not believe it. Judging from Lin Yao's demeanor and his ability to do things, he did not seem like someone who had not received higher education.
As for the basis, it's even easier to explain. As the deputy manager of the finance department, she already knew that this sales clerk in the marketing department earned an unbelievable 10,000 yuan a month. He received all the company's subsidies and benefits, and he could even take leave and apply for business trips at will. Not only were his bonuses not deducted, but he also received all the required business trip allowances.
What kind of business trip would a sales clerk take? Isn't that just a lie?
Lin Yao must have powerful backers, at least some shareholder in the company is supporting him, otherwise such a strange phenomenon wouldn't have occurred.
Zhou Xiaoqi found this strange as well. Based on her understanding and judgment of Lin Yao, this young man had no need to come here to earn a salary. It was as if he came to this trading company purely to kill time, and he didn't care about personal progress or career planning at all. It seemed that he was a person with a story.
Shaking his head, Zhou Xiaoqi put these thoughts aside and started proofreading the report data in his hand again.
As soon as Lin Yao entered the marketing department, a figure rushed over and grabbed his shoulder. The speed almost made him instinctively throw a punch, but fortunately he managed to control himself in time.
"Xiao Linzi, I heard you got scolded again. Don't be discouraged. The road ahead is smooth. We must be full of hope."
The person with his arm around Lin Yao was Chen Zhili, who was also in the sales office. He was a 23-year-old young man with an ordinary appearance and a thin build, but his bright and piercing eyes made up for all his ordinariness. If you paid close attention to those eyes, you would know that Chen Zhili was definitely not someone to be underestimated.
Currently, only Lin Yao holds this view. The world is not lacking in geniuses, nor is it lacking in talented people; what it lacks are talented people with luck.
Many people with ideals, ambitions, and abilities end up spending their lives in frustration due to a lack of sufficient opportunities and luck. They toil away for decades in some corner of society, struggling to make ends meet, or helplessly reading newspapers and watering plants in their offices. The most important reason for this is that they lack opportunities and luck.
It is said that opportunity is created for those who are prepared, but this statement only applies to a very small number of people who have already obtained opportunities. They agree with this view and have benefited from it. The vast majority of people are still waiting for opportunities, and even if they agree with this view, they may still have to prepare for a lifetime.
Lin Yao was well aware that Chen Zhili was a capable person, even though Chen Zhili had no diploma, no academic qualifications, no powerful relatives or friends to rely on, and no handsome appearance or physical condition to live off women and gain opportunities for development.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, this young man, whom Lin Yao believed to be no ordinary person, might have to struggle his entire life without achieving the results he deserves.
Starting from scratch was relatively easy twenty years ago. Back then, as long as you had ideas, courage, and found the right path, you were sure to make a fortune.
But now society has entered an era of resource competition. You either need connections, capital, or unique technology. Otherwise, starting from scratch is just a dream. After being exposed to countless scammers, no one will trust others so easily anymore. Anyone who thinks they can be promoted based on a single idea is simply naive.
Chen Zhili was such a pitiful person.
Without a diploma, one cannot start at a higher level. Even if Lin Yao knows that he has a head full of strange business ideas, and even if he knows that he has an extremely strong business sense and keenness, it is of no use. The boss doesn't know any of this.
Based on his analysis and judgment, Chen Zhili once devised a plan to integrate the resources of small domestic metal processing plants for commissioned processing in international trade. This plan was quickly adopted by the company and generated great benefits. However, the credit was only given to the top salesperson in the domestic trade department. Now, the person who plagiarized the idea has become the head of the domestic trade department.
This is reality: a genius with no diploma, no education, no background, and no good work experience or track record is destined to remain a sales clerk, earning a meager monthly salary of 2,500 yuan to barely support himself.
Putting those thoughts aside, Lin Yao smiled and shook off Chen Zhili's arm; he was still a little uncomfortable with such intimate gestures.
In Lin Yao's mind, he came to this company to experience life while concealing his identity. The premise of the disguise made him unconsciously keep a distance from his colleagues. Although he really liked some of them and was willing to become friends, it was just wishful thinking. Lin Yao was very sure of this.
"Smooth road? Did you have a smooth road at the company today? Didn't you get scolded?" Lin Yao punched Chen Zhili's chest to cover up his embarrassment at shaking off the other person.
"Stop talking. Everything was fine today, but Wang Sheng yelled at me." Chen Zhili's face showed a resentful expression. "Why am I, a mere office worker in the domestic trade department, who didn't do anything to his international department, taking my frustrations out on me after getting humiliated by you? Do you think we little people are easy to bully?"
"Don't be so loud, or you'll be in big trouble if someone hears you." Lin Yao maintained his smile, finding Chen Zhili quite interesting—young, impulsive, clean-headed, and possessing an indomitable spirit.
"What's there to be afraid of! At worst, the boss will find out. I'm not afraid of the boss finding out at all. That way, I can tell him that I wrote the proposal last time." Chen Zhili twisted his neck and glanced at the International Trade Department manager's office in the distance.
"Come on, I told you last time to go for it. Just tell Manager Yu that you wrote the proposal. Anyway, you did so much research, you're not afraid of Manager Yu verifying it." Lin Yao glanced at Chen Zhili, then turned his gaze to the innermost cubicle of the dormitory, where a pretty girl was engrossed in her work.
Manager Yu's real name is Yu Wang. He is 35 years old and a very capable man. He is the manager of the entire company's marketing department, and the heads of the international trade department and the domestic trade department are under his jurisdiction.
If Chen Zhili could gain Yu Wang's approval, he could rise to the top in one step. Unfortunately, Manager Yu values academic qualifications very much. In his own words, a grassroots salesperson might occasionally come up with a good idea or plan, but that's not normal. A trading company must seek stability and pragmatism while having novel methods.
Yu Wang naturally assumed that Chen Zhili, a person with no background, no connections, and no skills, was not worthy of promotion. Of course, Chen Zhili was unaware of this situation. Lin Yao only learned about it from Yang Lihong, the chairman and general manager who frequently spoke with him, because Lin Yao wanted to understand everyone's experiences and thoughts in order to succeed in his worldly cultivation.
“That’s no use. I don’t understand every aspect yet, including management.” Chen Zhili shook his head, his expression serious and earnest. “You know I started working before I even finished high school. Professional knowledge is what I lack most, and I should gain more experience now.”
“I don’t mind at all that my plan was plagiarized last time. On the contrary, I’m very happy. I’m even happier to see that the plan achieved great results after it was implemented. This shows that my efforts were not in vain and my ability in this area has been proven. As long as I improve in other areas, I can take on a major role after I leave this company.”
Lin Yao was originally talking to Chen Zhili while glancing at the beautiful women. Upon hearing this, he turned to look at Chen Zhili in surprise. This young man was truly extraordinary. Even if there was no opportunity, he would surely create one for him.
Lin Yao was well aware that Chen Zhili usually studied economics and trade on his own, and even knew that he had already passed the PETS Level 6 exam and was studying for Level 8. He never relaxed his studies, whether he was working or doing business.
Chen Zhili's views on gains and losses now impressed Lin Yao even more. He was a thoughtful young man who not only had ambition and a hardworking attitude, but also a strong sense of planning and organization. He knew what he needed and what his goals were at each stage.
After hearing this, Lin Yao no longer regarded Chen Zhili as someone who was just waiting for an opportunity, and he began to see him in a new light.
"When do you think you can take on a major role?" Lin Yao put away his smile and looked at Chen Zhili seriously. He wanted to know the answer. At this moment, Lin Yao no longer regarded himself as a passerby, but cared about the other party with the mindset of a friend.
"Six months, I estimate it will be six months." Chen Zhili hesitated slightly before giving his answer. He had never told anyone else about this, but he felt that Lin Yao was particularly congenial, so he wanted to share his plans and goals with him, because he already regarded Lin Yao as a true friend.
"Okay, I'll wait for you for six months. Tell me before you find a new employer, don't do it secretly."
Lin Yao's heart stirred, and a thought suddenly came to mind. Perhaps his previous focus on the pharmaceutical industry did not necessarily mean he had to exclude other industries. In any case, the limited company was independently accounted for, and it would not be dragged down by other industries falling into difficulties. He might as well try it out. Besides, he could also get in touch with a young man who might be a genius.
“Well, it’s definitely not set in stone. When the time comes, we’ll leave this company together, work to earn money first, and then start our own business once we have the capital. I don’t believe we two brothers will be poor forever.” Chen Zhili put his arm around Lin Yao’s shoulder again. This time, Lin Yao didn’t push him away. Just the idea of advancing and retreating together was enough for him to put his arm around Lin Yao.
Chen Zhili's bold words moved Lin Yao. Lin Yao, who had always kept a low profile, believed that apart from the boss Yang Lihong, only Yu Wang, who directly managed him in the marketing department, knew the company's details. Since he needed to take leave frequently, Yu Wang must have been told by Yang Lihong not to force himself to take leave.
Lin Yao usually dresses simply and is frugal, not at all like a rich person. Even the car he had to buy was just an Alto worth less than 30,000 yuan.
Chen Zhili's abilities are beyond question, yet he actually managed to pull in someone who was unambitious at the company, spending his days idly and wasting his life, to start a business together. This made Lin Yao sigh that people are truly emotional creatures; as long as they like someone, they don't care about the other person's situation.
"Little Lin, I will definitely become someone like Chen Liuzi in the future, do you believe me?" Chen Zhili lowered his voice, his eyes filled with hope. He didn't want to hear Lin Yao's negative answer.
Chen Liuzi is the alias of Chen Shouting, the protagonist of the TV series "The Grand Dyeing Workshop". This TV series, which depicts the history of the struggle of national industry before liberation, has always been Chen Zhili's favorite. Lin Yao also likes this story very much and has great respect for Chen Shouting's fighting spirit.
Chen Zhili had always regarded Chen Liuzi as his idol, mentioning him to Lin Yao no less than a hundred times, which made Lin Yao increasingly fond of Chen Liuzi as well.
"I believe you are the modern-day Chen Liuzi, and I will be Lu Jiaju, following you to make a living and earn money."
Chen Zhili laughed heartily, very satisfied with Lin Yao's answer. He looked at Lin Yao with a smug expression and said, "You know what, although I might not have done as well as Chen Liuzi in the old society, I certainly won't be worse than him in the modern society. He was illiterate but he could become a leader of his generation, so I can definitely do it too."
After a pause, Chen Zhili tightened his grip on Lin Yao's arm. "You're better than Lu Jiaju, I'm sure of it. At least you're more handsome than him, although he's handsome enough, but not as good as you. And I can tell you're more capable than him."