novelslam Chapter 57 Rules Must Not Be Broken
Chapter 57 Rules Must Not Be Broken
On the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month, schools began to let out their winter vacation one after another.
After the warehouse inventory was completed and the payment was received, the figures in Fengchi Digital Studio's accounts jumped up significantly again.
But Lin Feng didn't let everyone relax. He had Xu Qiang notify all the campus agents that they would be attending a meeting at Xichuan University of Technology at 2 PM the next day.
"What kind of meeting?" Old Huang, the agent from the University of Finance and Economics, was somewhat surprised on the other end of the phone.
Xu Qiang replied, "It's about the periodic summary and rewards/penalties for campus agents."
The next afternoon, in the activity room of Xichuan University of Technology.
While smoking, Lao Huang chatted casually with Wang Wei, who seemed a bit reserved, next to him.
Sun Mingyu, the agent from Jiaotong University, was boasting to Lao Chen about the great success of their Jiaotong University "audio audition".
Zhou Min and Li Ting sat quietly in the corner.
Xu Qiang arrived first, and Lin Feng came in right on time, followed by Liu Qian.
The room fell silent instantly, and several pairs of eyes turned to Lin Feng. This senior student was younger than many of those present, but at this moment, no one dared to underestimate him.
He got the goods, and he set the rules.
"Dear bosses, thank you for your hard work these past few days." Lin Feng calmly glanced around. "I've invited you all here today for three things: to reconcile the accounts, to discuss any issues, and to establish some rules."
Liu Qian handed out several pages of forms to everyone. They listed the shipment volume and payment schedule for each agent over the past two weeks, along with a few lines of notes.
Sun Mingyu glanced at his own column, where his shipment volume was ranked at the top, and a bright smile appeared on his face.
He cleared his throat: "President Lin, regarding our situation at Jiaotong University..."
"We've shipped quite a few," Lin Feng looked up at him, "but some students have reported that someone at your Jiaotong University got a machine for 630. Others have said that they saw Jiaotong University students reselling them at the flea market at the neighboring Normal University for 650."
Sun Mingyu's smile froze on his face.
Lin Feng's expression turned serious: "We made it clear before we started this collaboration that the unified retail price is 699 yuan, and cross-regional sales are not allowed. You're a student leader, quick-witted, and eager to get things going as soon as possible, which I understand. But you're using low prices to attract people, and then you're distributing the goods to other people's territories."
He glanced at the others in the room. "If everyone here did this today, would we still be able to do business?"
Old Huang clicked his tongue. The others all looked at Sun Mingyu with disdain.
"President Lin, there might be a misunderstanding here..." Sun Mingyu wanted to explain further.
"You know there might be a misunderstanding, and I haven't just listened to one side of the story." Lin Feng didn't let him continue. "The rules were established a long time ago; they're the bottom line. You've crossed that line."
Lin Feng's attitude was non-negotiable: "From today onwards, your agency rights at Jiaotong University are being revoked. You must hand over all the goods and accounts to Xu Qiang. The deposit will be deducted as agreed, and all previous payments will be settled."
Sun Mingyu's expression changed, and he suddenly stood up: "President Lin, you can't..."
"Xu Qiang." Lin Feng called out without looking at him.
Xu Qiang, who had been standing to the side, straightened his back and said, "Brother Feng."
"You're in charge of finding a new agent for Jiaotong University. They need to be reliable and follow the rules; we can't hire people who don't follow the rules," Lin Feng said before looking at Sun Mingyu.
"Sun Mingyu, you're a smart man. Let's part ways amicably. Don't make it too ugly."
Sun Mingyu looked at the silent faces of the others in the room, and in the end, he didn't say anything more. He grabbed his coat from the back of the chair, slammed the door, and left.
The door slammed shut, and the room became even quieter.
"Alright, the troublemakers are gone." Lin Feng's tone returned to normal. "For a business to last, rules are essential. I want to reiterate today: anyone who lowers prices privately and disrupts the market will be disqualified."
Each department should operate its own school within its designated area. Any special circumstances should be communicated in advance. Regarding after-sales service, we will acknowledge any genuine machine problems, and will try our best to resolve minor issues; please don't push customers away.
He looked at Zhou Min and Li Ting: "These two female students from the Normal University have stable sales, timely payments, and haven't changed prices. They've been organizing small-scale sharing and trials in their dormitories, getting classmates to refer others—that's a great approach. They deserve an award."
Liu Qian took out two envelopes and handed them over. Zhou Min and Li Ting took them and thanked her repeatedly.
"Old Chen from Xichuan University is very meticulous in his after-sales service, and his reputation is solid. If there are any minor issues with Xichuan University in the future, I'll have to trouble you to put in the effort. I won't let you work for nothing."
Old Chen nodded without saying anything more.
"These are the rules, everyone knows them. If you do well, you'll receive a year-end gift. If you don't," Lin Feng glanced at the closed door, "that person just now is an example."
The meeting was short, but the decision was made quickly. People gradually dispersed, and Xu Qiang watched Lin Feng from the side, a little sweat on his forehead.
"Brother Feng, I was really worried that things would get out of control..."
"Afraid of conflict?" Lin Feng asked him.
"A little," Xu Qiang honestly admitted.
Lin Feng said, "To be a manager, you must ensure that orders are obeyed and that there are no conflicts. Otherwise, you won't be able to manage people or get anything done."
Xu Qiang nodded; Lin Feng had taught him another lesson today.
Lin Feng then instructed, "Sun Mingyu has left Jiaotong University. Go there personally. Once the new agent is appointed, help him with the handover smoothly. At the same time, make the rules clear so the new agent can learn from them."
"Also, don't be timid. You represent me now. Be firm when you need to be, and offer some incentives when necessary. If you're unsure, feel free to call."
"I understand, Brother Feng."
Xu Qiang left. Lin Feng leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples. Sun Mingyu, this black sheep, must be removed immediately; otherwise, the consequences will be dire. If this loophole isn't plugged now, it will be difficult to repair later.
The activity room door was gently pushed open, and Su Wan leaned halfway in: "President, is now a convenient time?"
"Come in."
Su Wan held up several sketches: "I have an idea for this pre-New Year sales campaign. What do you think?"
The sketch is a promotional poster featuring a student wearing headphones, with the words "Bring songs and longing home" written next to it. Below are a few lines of text that read "Free New Year's greetings recording" and "A voice gift for your family."
"I'd like to organize an event. Our MP3 players can record audio. With the Lunar New Year approaching, many students will be going home. We could set up a booth at the school and have students who want to buy one record a message for their families for free, which would then be stored on the device. We could also distribute some flyers and post a few short stories on the BBS to encourage people to buy it as a 'memorable gift.' What do you think, President?"
Lin Feng looked at the sketches. The idea was excellent, accurately capturing the connection between the Spring Festival travel rush and product functionality, and it was also highly feasible.
This girl is indeed more quick-witted than most people.
"Good idea," Lin Feng affirmed. "Hurry up and get the posters and flyers out, and distribute them to all the agents. You write the stories for the BBS, don't make them too contrived, make them genuine and heartfelt. We'll pilot the free recording stations at our school first, with Wang Peng and the others taking turns overseeing them. Keep the equipment simple. If it works well, then we'll expand it."
Su Wan was delighted: "Great! I'll finish the poster tonight!"
"No need to rush," Lin Feng called out to her. "If this succeeds, it'll be considered a project you planned independently. If you do a good job, you'll get a bonus at the end of the year!"
Su Wan happily picked up the sketch and went out.