novelraw Chapter 126: Back on Track
Chapter 126: Back on Track
Su Lingzhi wasn’t too affected by this matter, believing that any company would be intolerant of plagiarism, especially when the person plagiarizing behaves so brazenly.
Veterans in the workplace are most skilled at suppressing newcomers.
After all, it’s her own lack of experience and not being very convincing.
She must face the doubts, quietly prepare for the fashion show, and rely on her strength to elevate the brand to silence those who doubt her.
Handling the plagiarism issue took all afternoon, and Assistant Shen came into Su Lingzhi’s office, reporting, "The matter with Song Xinru has been clarified. After three years in the industry, she’s achieved nothing and craved attention, which led her to steal a design draft, gambling with her career. The draft came from a very small website, the publisher an unknown designer. Song Xinru tried to fool us like idiots, but fortunately, you discovered it before any major problems were caused."
"It was just by chance."
In fact, during that project assignment, the professor saw the design as lacking innovation, yet it was taken as a treasure and handed over to her.
"Rest assured, President Pei won’t let her off."
Su Lingzhi knew well that Pei Xu wouldn’t keep a plagiarist in the company, but by not letting her attend the meeting, was he trying to keep her from witnessing his anger?
Actually, she’s not that fragile; she has seen such situations before.
Assistant Shen continued, "I’ll send you the website link, and you can decide whether to contact your classmates."
"Okay."
About half an hour later, she overheard faint noises of doors opening and closing next door.
Shortly after, Pei Xu called her into his office.
He sat calmly in the office chair, his face as gentle and graceful as usual, showing no sign of pressure.
Pei Xu’s tone was mild, "I’ve fired Song Xinru. If anyone under you makes a mistake in the future, handle it according to your method without considering anyone’s feelings. If you encounter someone who refuses to be disciplined again, come directly to me."
Su Lingzhi nodded in compliance, "Understood."
"Creating such a disturbance right after joining, it’s unfair to you."
"Holding this position, the pressure is something I need to bear. I think this kind of difficulty is entirely normal. I was too lenient with her, which gave her the chance to be so arrogant. From now on, I’ll try hard to manage my duties, so you won’t have to worry."
Upon hearing this, Pei Xu’s eyes deepened, recalling what Secretary Yao mentioned to him at noon.
It seems he really should heed Secretary Yao’s advice and shouldn’t be too close to her, to avoid causing misunderstandings again.
He explained, "Plagiarism is something the company cannot tolerate, so today it was taken very seriously. Come to me anytime if there are any issues in the future."
"Okay, if there’s nothing else, I’ll head back."
"Mm."
The storm came to a temporary halt, and as soon as Su Lingzhi returned to her office, she received a call from Fu Yinli.
He mentioned a sudden business trip, with his return to Beijing pending, advising her to contact Housekeeper Zhao for urgent matters.
Leaving so suddenly, she wasn’t prepared, reluctantly gathering herself and slowly refocusing on her work.
...
For the next two days, Su Lingzhi was almost constantly in meetings.
The last one was about the autumn and winter fashion show, and she still wore her usual loose-fitting, casual attire in the same unchanging pink and white colors, soft and gentle, with not a hint of aggressiveness.
Her clear voice resonated throughout the conference room, and her extraordinary demeanor and elegant temperament drew everyone’s gaze toward her, including Assistant Shen, who was somewhat mesmerized.
"Our team currently has nine people. This year’s autumn and winter fashion show will focus on peonies and plum blossoms as themes, using structural and color aesthetics for design. We’ll choose twenty-seven pieces in the end. I won’t restrict your creativity, but both initial and final drafts must be approved by me. Submit the initial drafts within half a month, then complete the version sampling after the final drafts."
Someone below raised a doubt, "Is the company’s future positioning mainly centered on flowers? Isn’t that a bit tacky?"
Facing everyone’s gaze, Su Lingzhi responded calmly, "Our brand excels in fabric design. Previously, your designs focused more on showcasing the fabric and neglected practical creativity. I’ve just analyzed the market with you. I’m using flowers for positioning because numerous popular elements can be drawn from flowers. Peonies and plum blossoms correspond to two different styles; you can choose to design in your preferred style. Besides, whether something is tacky or not depends on your design, not the concept itself. Do you have any prejudice against flowers?"
Her words instantly made the person blush with embarrassment.
"I hope everyone takes this fashion show seriously, and please trust my taste. I won’t disappoint everyone’s labor results."
After speaking, Su Lingzhi’s gaze fell on Assistant Shen, calling out her name.
Assistant Shen quickly regained her focus and distributed the required materials according to her request.
The meeting concluded there.
Returning to the office, Su Lingzhi found herself facing another round of challenges.
"Do you think their confidence and morale seem low?"
Assistant Shen appeared troubled, unsure how to respond.
She had been distracted earlier and hadn’t observed the others’ expressions.
She replied, "Perhaps it’s due to the large structural changes in the design department, breaking their comfort zone."
The design department was initially led by a chief designer but now divided into two groups with appointed leaders, one focusing on structure and the other on color aesthetics.
Su Lingzhi dismissed the idea, "I’ve reviewed everyone’s design work. This grouping actually allows them to enter their comfort zones and refine their skills within their areas of expertise."
Assistant Shen pondered for a while and then spoke, "Actually, if you find them lazy, you could directly replace the personnel."
Su Lingzhi shook her head, "That approach is too simple and crude, not advisable."
With no answers found here, Su Lingzhi didn’t delve further into the conversation with her, "I’ll need to further consider this issue. You can go ahead with other tasks."
"Okay."
After she left, Su Lingzhi pulled out the company’s original incentive policy and started reviewing it line by line.
In fact, the benefits regarding competition are already quite satisfactory and don’t require any removal or addition.
Her mind was temporarily blank.
Just as she placed the materials back, she saw Secretary Yao knocking on the door and entering, carrying a cup of tea, which she set down in front of her.
"After an afternoon of meetings, your throat must be feeling dry."
Su Lingzhi felt somewhat flattered, "Did you make this just for me?"
"Mm."
Su Lingzhi took a sip and spoke in a soft tone, "Secretary Yao is always so thoughtful and considerate. I suspect you have ulterior motives."
Her words made Secretary Yao burst into laughter, "What kind of intentions could I possibly have towards you? I’m not G."
Su Lingzhi almost choked on her tea, "Can we move past this topic? It would be quite embarrassing if it accidentally got out."
"Alright." Secretary Yao promised, "I’ll never mention it again."