Control

At 8:50, Zheng Shuai delivered the last stack of materials to Lin Qiang's desk.

He slammed the door shut and jokingly scolded, "Boss Lin, you sure know how to make a statement, going head-to-head like this!"

"Of course, they're shoving us into the basement; no point playing dumb games," Lin Qiang cursed while sorting the thick pile of documents on his desk. "Zhang Jiaming wouldn't have the guts to put us in the basement without Hao Wei's orders. You have to confront sneaky people like him head-on."

Zheng Shuai stepped forward to help sort the materials and asked, "But after all, he is the boss here..."

"I did my research before coming here. This guy has no real ability. He's been stuck in the position of outlet manager for over ten years, just playing power games and being greedy," Lin Qiang confidently replied. "I really don't know how he got his position."

"Hao Wei... Hao Wei..." Zheng Shuai mumbled, "The name sounds familiar..."

Meanwhile, a different conversation was taking place in Hao Wei's office.

"Manager Hao! That kid is blatantly challenging you!!" Zhang Jiaming was drenched in sweat, obviously exhausted, with a pained expression on his face, almost in tears. "Who orders people around like that on their first day? No respect at all!"

"I told you not to insist on shoving them into the basement!" Hao Wei's expression wasn't much better. "Sure, we want them out, but provoking them like this can backfire."

"Manager... Manager..." Zhang Jiaming defended himself, "Didn't you say to toughen their spirits, strain their muscles, use both methods to force them to request a transfer themselves..."

"Enough, it's too late to discuss this now." Hao Wei waved his hand. "Lin Qiang is very capable. He was outstanding back then and was promoted quickly because he directly threatened the previous branch manager's position. But now, he's offended the higher-ups and can't be transferred back up. He's clearly aiming for the branch manager position. Besides, his presence makes things inconvenient for us."

He looked seriously at Zhang Jiaming: "Don't disappoint me. Hold on to your clients, don't give him any opportunities, and make him powerless. This way, I can handle future matters more easily."

"Absolutely! That kid won't take a single client from me!" Zhang Jiaming declared, shaking with determination, making a solemn vow.

"Good... You've been with me for years, so I trust you. Lin Qiang is strong-willed and will trip up eventually." Hao Wei's mood finally eased. "As for Zheng Shuai, he seems to be on the same line as Lin Qiang. That young man looks more honest. See if you can win him over."

"Don't worry, even if we can't handle Nail Lin, we can definitely handle that kid!"

...

Lin Qiang spent the entire morning in his office.

The materials compiled by Zhang Jiaming and others were a mess, with various reports and client data piled together, mixed with many irrelevant items. If this were his own project team, such people would have been called out and scolded long ago.

But facing Zhang Jiaming, it seemed he couldn't expect much.

In a bank outlet, there are two main types of banking: corporate and personal.

Corporate banking caters to companies, including remittances, checks, payroll, and more. In large commercial banks, this part is a major profit channel. However, for a small outlet like Longyuan, this business is still scarce, involving only some emerging local businesses.

The more corporate business an outlet handles, the greater the profits, and the larger the bonuses distributed to everyone. Unfortunately, this is not something that can be rushed. Given Longyuan Outlet's location, corporate banking could only be left to fate for now.

For the current outlet, personal banking is the top priority.

Attracting deposits from newly relocated residents, setting up online banking, promoting credit cards and financial products are the best ways to improve the outlet's performance and individual bonuses.

In this regard, Hao Wei wasn't lying—the outlet's deposit growth rate was indeed rapid, a benefit of being in a new area. However, their product marketing performance was just mediocre, with 70% of the deals attributed to Zhang Jiaming.

Lin Qiang carefully reviewed the data. With his years of experience and keen insight, he sensed that the reality was different.

An outstanding account manager should focus on securing large deals from key clients. If 70% of the sales came from Zhang Jiaming, it was normal. In Lin Qiang's eyes, this account manager was just passing.

On the other hand, theoretically, an account manager doesn't have the energy to cast a wide net and manage so many deals. In practice, small products like e-banking and credit cards should mostly be sold through counter marketing. However, most of these deals were also credited to Zhang Jiaming.

When Lin Qiang was an account manager, he used to let the tellers take credit for these achievements. They worked hard and faced various complaints, so they deserved some rewards. As for himself, his focus was on securing those clients that tellers couldn't.

"There's something fishy here," Lin Qiang thought, forming a rough hypothesis. He put down the materials and began studying the key clients.

Knock, knock, knock...

Hearing the knock, Lin Qiang assumed it was Zheng Shuai. He smiled and said, "Why are you knocking? Come in!"

The door opened slightly, and a long-haired girl timidly peeked in. "We're... ordering lunch delivery... What would you like, Supervisor?"

Lin Qiang was taken aback. During the meeting, his attention was on Zhang Jiaming, so he hadn't noticed the others. Now he realized that in this remote outlet, there was such a fresh and student-like beauty.

"Um... You are..." Lin Qiang pondered for half a second before recalling, "Lin Xiaozhao, right? We're from the same family. Come in and talk."

Lin Xiaozhao, avoiding eye contact with Lin Qiang, gently pushed the door and walked in.

United Bank's service uniforms were said to align with international (primarily Japanese) standards, with their female staff uniforms considered the sexiest in the industry. The tight white shirt, paired with a light gray vest, accentuated the chest and waist. The skirt, not too long or short, combined with stockings, was indeed alluring. It's undeniable that this attire was one reason for United Bank's rapid rise.

However, this sexy and alluring outfit had a different, innocent flavor on Lin Xiaozhao. She gently straightened her long hair and adjusted her shirt, nervously holding the hem of her skirt, thinking her clothes were dirty, and dared not look at Lin Qiang.

Amused, Lin Qiang observed her. In this era, most new employees were lively and enthusiastic. Her shyness was quite rare. "They don't usually ask me to order food. Why are you the one asking?"

Lin Xiaozhao struggled for a long time before squeezing out a sentence through her teeth, "If you don't eat, you'll be hungry..."

"..." Lin Qiang was speechless at this response.

At this moment, Zheng Shuai suddenly pushed the door open, "Order your food!! Stop being busy with nonsense!!"

"..."

Bang!

Seeing Lin Xiaozhao standing shyly and Lin Qiang's appreciative expression, Zheng Shuai seemed to sense something. He immediately closed the door and disappeared without hesitation.

"Ah... this..." Lin Xiaozhao panicked.

Lin Qiang shook his head, smiling, "Order me the same thing as you. Bring it to me later. I'll be busy for a while."

"Okay... okay..." Lin Xiaozhao, feeling relieved, turned to leave. When her small hand grasped the doorknob, she suddenly stopped and looked back at Lin Qiang blankly.

"Hmm?" Lin Qiang was puzzled, his eyes lingering on her small butt.

"Um... one shredded potato rice..."

"Okay."

"One shredded potato rice..."

"Hmm?"

Lin Xiaozhao hesitated again, "One shredded potato rice... twelve yuan..."

"..." Lin Qiang laughed, patting his head. "You were struggling to say that! Making it sound even harder than a love confession!!"

Lin Qiang stood up, took out 50 yuan, and placed it in Lin Xiaozhao's hand, laughing heartily. "It's on me."

"Thank you..." Lin Xiaozhao, having completed her task, hurriedly opened the door and ran out.