Chapter 102 - 101: Skipping 15 Levels (Part 2)

Chapter 102: Chapter 101: Skipping 15 Levels (Part 2)

"Having tea?"

Qian Zhengxing’s brows shot up. "Then why isn’t he answering my calls?!"

"Er..."

"Our Liu Hang said... he has a congenital case of red-eye disease and can’t stand seeing other people show off. He told me to call you and pass on a message..."

The male voice trailed off, stammering for a long while before finally daring to relay the message: "He said... he said you should go... go cool off wherever it’s cool..."

"Fuck!"

"That old bastard!"

"No wonder he’s the branch manager for Zhonghai!"

"He’s a real cunning motherfucker!"

"Forget that I’m calling about something important today. Even if I were just calling to show off, he’d have to take it! He flaunts his achievements at me eight times a month, and now I can’t even get my one turn to show off?"

Once he understood the reason, Qian Zhengxing flew into a rage. "Get him on the phone right now! Don’t make me fly to Zhonghai and beat the shit out of him!"

"Tsk tsk..."

"Old Qian, what’s the point of yelling at Xiaowu?"

"So crude, so hot-tempered. No composure at all."

Just as Qian Zhengxing finished his tirade, the young male voice on the other end of the line was replaced by that of a middle-aged man. His tone was teasing, with a hint of laughter in his voice.

"Piss off, piss off!"

"Next time you call me, I’ll do the same thing to you!"

"I have ’red-eye disease’ too! I can’t stand seeing other people show off either!"

Qian Zhengxing said, fuming.

"What a coincidence!"

"My family has a secret recipe for curing red-eye disease!"

The smile in Liu Sheng’s voice grew wider.

After a bit more lighthearted teasing, he stopped joking around and asked Qian Zhengxing, "You said just now you had something important to ask me? What is it?"

As fellow branch managers—with Liu Sheng overseeing the Zhonghai region, no less—his sources of information were naturally extensive and swift.

As early as half an hour ago, he already knew that the Ji Province branch, managed by Qian Zhengxing, had suddenly received a demand deposit transfer of a whopping 1 billion yuan.

A transfer of that magnitude was a rare event, not just for an economically underdeveloped province like Ji Province, but even for a top-tier metropolis like Zhonghai or Peng City, which might not see one in a whole year.

Putting everything else aside, the achievement of securing a 1 billion yuan deposit for Ji Province alone was enough to rank him among the top performers across all provinces this year, laying a solid foundation for his next rotation.

As brothers who had known each other for decades, despite Liu Sheng’s teasing words, he was actually happier for him than anyone.

"Let me ask you, for a staff member at grade 10..."

"If you were to give them an exceptional promotion, what’s the highest grade you could jump them to at once?"

To make sure Liu Sheng understood exactly what he meant, Qian Zhengxing even slipped into his Northeast dialect: "I mean, promote them as high as you possibly can. The kind of promotion where you’re red in the face, pushing for it like your life depends on it."

"Theoretically, you could promote them to grade 25."

"That’s higher than a sub-branch manager, but lower than a deputy branch manager."

Liu Sheng calculated for a moment before adding, "But that’s only feasible in theory. In practice, it’s impossible. Head Office would never approve it."

"A jump of 15 grades would have to be reported to the board of directors for discussion."

Hearing Liu Sheng’s words, Qian Zhengxing fell silent for a moment, then said quietly, "What if this person single-handedly secured a 1 billion yuan deposit for our bank? Would you still think it’s impossible?"

At this, Liu Sheng was momentarily stunned.

"Wait, what?"

Liu Sheng’s tone was one of utter shock. "Don’t tell me that deposit your branch received today wasn’t the result of your entire branch’s long-term efforts, but the work of a single person?"

"Whether it was or not, I’m not sure."

"But even if it wasn’t, it has to be now."

Qian Zhengxing’s words were a bit convoluted, but Liu Sheng understood what he meant.

"Who is this person?"

A glint flashed in Liu Sheng’s eyes as he asked, feigning casualness.

"She is..."

Qian Zhengxing started to answer subconsciously, but he quickly caught himself, a flicker of anger in his eyes. "Liu Sheng, you old bastard, are you trying to trick me into telling you?!"

’It just hit me,’ Qian Zhengxing thought. ’Considering the current relationship between Gu Heng and Luo Xiwen, if I let Liu Sheng find out about her, he’d offer her some huge benefit and poach her for Zhonghai. Would Gu Heng keep his accounts in Ji Province then?’

’That old fox Liu Sheng would dig her up, roots and all, and transplant her to Zhonghai!’

"Curiosity!"

"Purely out of curiosity!"

"Don’t get so worked up!"

Liu Sheng coughed twice. It had been pure habit. Back when he was the branch manager in the fiercely competitive Su Province, surrounded by circling wolves, poaching each other’s talent was all too common.

"Curiosity my ass! I know you!"

Qian Zhengxing finished, then said irritably, "Just give me your analysis. If I promote her 15 grades straight to a departmental manager position at the branch, will Head Office approve it?"

"A position with real authority... that’s hard to say."

"If it’s a sinecure, don’t worry, they’ll definitely approve it."

Liu Sheng said with great confidence, "Don’t the higher-ups know what’s more important? If they actually piss her off, she could transfer her business to Pudong Development Bank or Xingye in a minute."

"For a full 1 billion yuan in deposits, forget a departmental manager—they’d grit their teeth and give her a deputy branch manager position. They’d just treat her like a mascot."

Qian Zhengxing heard this and felt it made sense.

"Alright, I’ll have someone submit the application to Head Office right now!"

Without further hesitation, Qian Zhengxing made his final decision.

"Ahem..."

"Old Qian, we’re buddies, right?"

"If that VIP ever comes to Zhonghai, you have to introduce me."

Liu Sheng said with an obsequious smile, "I promise I’ll give her a grand reception and show her the full, meticulous extent of CMB’s hospitality!"