Chapter 249: Two Possible Outcomes

After the incident in the gym, Lin Ruoxi didn't exchange a single word with Yang Chen over the entire weekend. Yang Chen, looking at Lin Ruoxi who seemed frozen over like a block of ice, couldn't help but sigh that the journey to "thawing" her was still a long road ahead.

At least for now, Lin Ruoxi still saw him as a pervert. Although legally he didn't qualify as one, her perception of such matters left him helpless.

On Monday, Yang Chen went to work as usual. After buying breakfast for the group of women in the Public Relations Department, he chatted casually with Zhao Hongyan and others for a while. When he saw that it was almost time, he left the Yulei headquarters and headed to the newly built office building across the street.

Taking the elevator up to the fiftieth floor, he stepped out and was greeted by the prominent stylized font of "Yulei Entertainment Culture Company" on the door.

At the front desk sat two young women with sweet and dignified appearances, looking to be around twenty-three or twenty-four, likely recent college graduates.

"Director Yang, you're here," Wang Jie, dressed in a light blue professional suit, smiled as always and was already standing at the door waiting for him. Beside her was Zhao Teng, who nodded politely to Yang Chen.

Yang Chen hadn't expected his two deputies to hold him in such high regard, standing at the company's door early in the morning waiting for him. Fortunately, he wasn't late and had arrived according to the agreed-upon time, otherwise it would have been unfair to these two diligent comrades who were wholeheartedly working for the company's future.

Seeing his subordinates show such respect, Yang Chen subconsciously made a decision. Although he wouldn't personally handle everything and give his all, he would still take things seriously. At the very least, he wouldn't hinder these two devoted comrades striving for the company's future.

"Have you had breakfast?" Yang Chen asked with a smile.

Wang Jie and Zhao Teng were momentarily surprised. They hadn't expected Yang Chen to greet them with such a question and with such a smiling and amiable demeanor, devoid of any bossy airs.

In their eyes, Yang Chen had risen to a high position at a young age and yet could remain so modest and calm. It was truly remarkable. Unconsciously, Yang Chen earned a few more points in their estimation.

They nodded, and Zhao Teng smiled, gesturing, "Director Yang, let me show you to your office. You were busy last week and couldn't come, so I'll also introduce you to our various departments."

Although Yang Chen wasn't particularly interested, he agreed and followed Zhao Teng and Wang Jie as they toured the company.

Because it was an entertainment culture company, in addition to administrative staff, there were also many entertainment professionals such as producers and various training rooms and artist studios.

Therefore, it was necessary for Yulei to purchase ten floors of the office building.

Yang Chen followed Zhao Teng up seven floors before arriving at the executive management level where he worked. Stepping into the brightly decorated and neat office lobby, many busy employees curiously glanced at Yang Chen. Everyone wondered who this young person, escorted by the company's two managers, could be. As Yang Chen entered his "Director's Office," almost everyone's jaw dropped.

This seemingly ordinary and somewhat inexperienced-looking young man, with a friendly smile, turned out to be the company's true leader—the elusive director who had never shown his face before!

Although Yang Chen's office wasn't as grand as the CEO office Lin Ruoxi had, it still spanned over a hundred square meters. Through the large French windows, the bustling urban landscape of Zhonghai City unfolded, directly facing the headquarters of Yulei Tower.

Carefully tended green potted plants adorned the office perimeter, alongside mahogany desks, genuine leather swivel chairs, and a few sleek black leather sofas.

An Apple computer was already running, displaying the Yulei logo on the desktop with the company's name below it. Yang Chen was quite satisfied; he suddenly felt that being a director wasn't a bad choice at all. At least this office felt comfortable just to look at.

"The setup is very nice; I like it," Yang Chen remarked to Wang Jie and Zhao Teng.

"As long as the Director likes it. If there are any shortcomings, feel free to inform the secretary's office," Zhao Teng said. "By the way, does the Director need a secretary or assistant? We have sufficient basic administrative staff now, but we're still recruiting for assistant positions. If needed, I can help the Director find someone suitable, or the Director can personally select."

Secretary? Assistant? Yang Chen couldn't help but recall a saying: "When there's nothing to do, the secretary has nothing to do; when there's something to do, the secretary does everything."

Thinking along these lines, Yang Chen felt a bit eager. Unfortunately, the only woman he could approach right now was Liu Mingyu, the head of the Public Relations Department, or Rose, who was a big sister in the underworld. With so much on his plate already, and considering Tang Wan, who hadn't contacted him in days despite having multiple industries to manage, he couldn't possibly ask her to be his secretary.

The most suitable candidate seemed to be An Xin, who had excellent cultural qualifications and was skilled both in "doing things" and "being done to," but she was currently playing hide-and-seek on an airplane.

Although he really wanted to see if there were any beautiful women suitable to be his secretary, Yang Chen decided against it. He had unintentionally attracted so many women already; adding more to the mix would only complicate things further.

"Forget it. I'm lazy anyway. You two will have to take on more daily work. I trust in your abilities. If there's anything you find difficult to decide on or need to discuss with me, just let me know," Yang Chen concluded.

Zhao Teng and Wang Jie exchanged a glance, somewhat resigned but nodded in agreement nonetheless. Yang Chen glanced at the stack of documents on his desk and asked, "What are these?"

Zhao Teng immediately explained, "Director, although our company is still recruiting artists and managers, we can't afford to wait indefinitely until we have a full team. Therefore, we plan to launch one or two projects soon. These documents outline the projects we intend to invest in. It's our first major investment since the company's inception, so we hope the Director can be directly involved."

Yang Chen felt a headache coming on, but seeing the dedication of his two deputies, he reluctantly sat down, picked up the pile of documents, and casually flipped through them.

Zhao Teng and Wang Jie took seats opposite the guest chairs, quietly waiting for Yang Chen to speak.

Despite his speed in reading, Yang Chen didn't fully grasp some of the technical aspects, but it didn't hinder him much. After reviewing approximately eight project proposals, Yang Chen furrowed his brow and asked, "For these projects—whether in films, TV dramas, commercial performances, or variety fashion programs—our company's current team will need to rely heavily on external talent to complete them, correct?"

"Yes, Director. For instance, low-budget films can still yield considerable profits with investments as low as two to three million," Wang Jie suggested. "I believe we can seek out good scripts, hire one or two top-tier actors, and keep production costs under ten million. This approach should yield a high profit margin."

Yang Chen smiled, "Let me ask you a question."

"Hmm?" Wang Jie was puzzled, "Please go ahead, Director."

"What is the total scale of Yulei Group?"

Wang Jie was unsure but replied, "Excluding liquid assets, it's nearly thirty billion in total assets."

"And what position does Yulei Group hold in the national business landscape?"

"It's undoubtedly a leader in the industry. With the upcoming investment in new materials, it will be one of the top fashion industry companies globally within a couple of years," Wang Jie said proudly.

Yang Chen nodded, "So, for a company like Yulei, with our brand reputation, if our first major investment and initiative is merely a small to medium-budget film—considering it from our perspective of what qualifies as such—how do you think the outside world will perceive us?"

Wang Jie and Zhao Teng frowned, pondering his words. "Director, are you suggesting..."

"Yes, there are two main possibilities. First, we lack determination, courage, and confidence; our leadership team's capabilities are insufficient. Employees and the external world will be disappointed, and while Yulei's board, despite ninety percent of shares being under Lin's control, may not directly express it, Lin herself would likely be disappointed. Second, our peers and the industry may perceive us as just dabbling, lacking the resolve for serious collaboration," Yang Chen explained.

Zhao Teng nodded in agreement, "The Director makes a valid point. Since it's our first major project, we indeed need to make a substantial impact. Even though European and American blockbusters may receive mixed reviews critically, their box office numbers often showcase their grand scale. Investing hundreds of millions is a powerful statement that can pique audience interest. Even if it doesn't yield enormous profits, it usually doesn't result in losses either. Importantly, it boosts the company's and the production team's reputations."

"However, our company is still in its initial stages. While Mr. Lin has provided ample funding, investing over a hundred million in one go could strain our financial resources temporarily, which would be detrimental to our operations. After all, we still need to sign on many renowned artists and teams," Wang Jie, as head of the marketing department, expressed her concerns.

Zhao Teng added, "Yes, Director Yang, aside from the investment itself, the fees just for signing top-tier teams and artists are not insignificant."

Yang Chen nodded understandingly. "You don't need to worry about that. I have a good relationship that I can leverage for collaborative investments. If things go well, we can establish long-term partnerships."

Wang Jie and Zhao Teng were momentarily stunned, surprised that Yang Chen already had potential partners for collaboration.