Volume 1, Chapter 22: Samsung, the Client, Only Recognizes Zhou Yang

The room fell into a heavy silence. EPS pharmaceuticals had maintained an impeccable reputation for years, earning the deep trust of both distributors and consumers. Perhaps it was this long-standing security that had caused the R&D team to lose their former vigilance; as the speed of new product launches accelerated, safety risks had quietly mounted. Now, the problem had finally surfaced.

"When did this news come in?" Su Jing asked.

"Just after ten o'clock this morning," Chen Xue replied.

"Gather the entire department for a meeting immediately," Su Jing commanded. "For the sales team currently out with clients, have them open the 'Dabai' app and join the meeting room via video."

"Yes, Director Su!"

Soon, the sales department held an emergency meeting, presided over by Su Jing herself.

"Our latest batch of new drugs has encountered an issue. The product is already in the market. If any of your clients are distributing these new drugs, please reach out to them immediately to reassure them," Su Jing directed. "Marketing team, conduct an urgent survey to assess the impact of this situation in the market. Furthermore, keep a close watch on our competitors to ensure they don't seize this as an opportunity to launch a surprise attack on us."

"Understood!"

Everyone threw themselves into action, working at full throttle. Only Zhou Yang sat there blankly. As a newcomer, he had no clients to maintain, and market issues were outside his jurisdiction.

"Zhou Yang, come here."

Su Jing’s tone softened as she called him into her office. Liu Yan and Chen Xue followed.

"With this new drug issue, Sanxing will undoubtedly have grievances. The three of you must go personally to pacify them," Su Jing said. "After all, Sanxing is a major client in this city. Even if we can't cooperate on the new drugs, we should still strive to maintain our existing business."

"But..." Liu Yan started, looking troubled. "Sanxing wasn't interested in us to begin with. It took every ounce of my effort to convince them to come to our headquarters for a meeting, and then Zhou Yang ruined it. Now that the new drugs have failed, I’m afraid there’s no chance left!"

The remark was vicious, clearly intended to shift all the blame onto Zhou Yang.

Su Jing frowned. "We must at least try."

Since the director had spoken, Liu Yan could not refuse. "Fine, I’ll leverage my rapport and see if I can secure another meeting."

He pulled out his phone and dialed Tang Jianye, the General Manager of Sanxing. He put the call on speakerphone and placed it on the coffee table, ensuring everyone could hear.

He wanted everyone to see how angry the client was, deliberately trying to embarrass Zhou Yang.

"Hello, Manager Tang, this is Xiao Liu from EPS. Yes, Liu Yan!" Liu Yan said with a fawning smile. "I’m sure you’ve heard—our new drugs have encountered a minor issue, but don't worry, we are already conducting an emergency recall. The launch of the new product might be delayed, but our classic products remain highly effective. Are you free this afternoon for a visit?"

"There is no need," came the cold reply from the other end.

Hearing this, the room felt the chill. Liu Yan spread his hands and mouthed the words, "It's over."

Su Jing signaled for the phone. She took it and said, "Manager Tang, this is Su Jing from the EPS sales department. Hello, we met in the boardroom at our headquarters the other day. Yes, that’s me."

Su Jing’s tone was calm and measured, projecting a sense of professional ease.

"Hello, Director Su," Tang Jianye said. "To be honest, I was just about to call you, even if you hadn't called me."

"Oh? And what is the reason for your call?" Su Jing asked, her voice sounding surprised while her expression remained composed.

"During our last meeting, our Chairman was deeply impressed by a young man in your department," Tang Jianye said. "His name is Zhou Yang."

"Oh, Zhou Yang was indeed present at our meeting," Su Jing replied.

"Our Chairman would like to invite Mr. Zhou Yang to our company for a chat. We didn't have his contact information last time, so could you please arrange for him to come and discuss business with us?" Tang Jianye asked.

This caught Su Jing by complete surprise. It meant they recognized Zhou Yang personally, which made things much easier. What surprised her even more was that the elderly man who had visited earlier was actually the Chairman of Sanxing.

This was a failure of intelligence on Liu Yan’s part. Liu Yan had reported that the three visitors consisted of a General Manager, a secretary, and a technician. The Chairman had been very low-profile and hadn't introduced himself, so everyone had assumed he was a technician.

Su Jing shot a sharp glare at Liu Yan. The Chairman had been there in person, and he had treated him like a mere technician—it was a grave slight.

"Manager Tang, that is certainly no problem. Xiao Zhou is available to come over and discuss business at any time," Su Jing responded.

"Director Su, I must say, your Xiao Zhou knows how to conduct himself," Tang Jianye said. "After our Chairman returned, he couldn't stop praising him. When we saw the news about your company's new product issue this morning—which, by the way, Xiao Zhou had actually predicted—our Chairman urged me to contact him immediately. I only just finished my morning tasks when your call came through."

Hearing this, everyone in sales understood: this was a major business opportunity. As Liu Yan had mentioned before, if this client were secured, it would fulfill the entire department's quota for the quarter. The current outlook was incredibly optimistic.

However, standing to the side, Liu Yan was consumed by jealousy. He felt that since he had been the one to follow up on this client, he should be the one to handle the negotiations and claim the commission.

Liu Yan interrupted, "Manager Tang, I will bring Xiao Zhou to your company this afternoon to meet your Chairman."

"You don't need to come," Tang Jianye said. "The Chairman specifically requested Zhou Yang."

"Manager Tang, Xiao Zhou is a newcomer to the department and isn't familiar with the business. My presence would facilitate the negotiation," Liu Yan insisted. "Besides, I’ve been in contact with you for a long time and we’re quite familiar with each other..."

"Xiao Liu!" Tang Jianye’s voice dropped, turning colder. "I didn't want to say this in front of your superior, but why must you keep pushing?"

The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. Tang Jianye’s sudden change in tone signaled deep anger. Su Jing frowned, listening intently.

On the other end of the line, Tang Jianye continued. "Do you know why we have never cooperated with you?"

"Manager Tang, please tell me," Liu Yan said, his face turning pale.

"Xiao Liu, you are too clever," Tang Jianye said. "You are always looking for ways to manipulate us, trying every trick to push your sales. I cannot deny that you are a good salesman—you speak well, and I was even tempted once or twice. But you ignored one thing: we choose partners based not just on products, but on character. A good product is the foundation, but good character is the guarantee. You put so much effort into trying to 'win' our cooperation that, from my perspective, it felt very unpleasant."

"Conversely, Zhou Yang is different from you. That day in the boardroom, our Chairman had already signaled that we were willing to trial your new drugs."

"Yet, Zhou Yang flatly refused, telling us to reconsider because he suspected the new drugs might have issues."

"Xiao Zhou is not just doing business; he is conducting himself with integrity. He considers the client's perspective and thinks about long-term interests. That character, that perspective, and that vision are completely different from yours."

Tang Jianye seemed to have been holding this in for a long time; perhaps he had long detested Liu Yan’s flashy, superficial style. Each word felt like a bullet, shattering Liu Yan’s composure and leaving him humiliated.

Tang Jianye wasn't finished. "Just now, when our Chairman specifically requested Zhou Yang, you were already trying to snatch the business away from him. That behavior is even more detestable."

"I will be clear: whatever business our Chairman has with EPS, he will deal exclusively with Mr. Zhou Yang. Anyone else need not apply."