Teaching

Chapter 186 Teaching

Lu Hai shook his head: "I really didn't notice. Nanjing feels like... how should I put it, it's not as rushed as Shanghai. Cars drive slowly on the road, and people don't walk in a hurry."

"This is the essence of Nanjing. A capital of six dynasties, it exudes a sense of stability. Take a good look around the city first; it'll give you more to talk about when you're discussing business, like complimenting someone on the beauty of Nanjing's plane trees—you can't go wrong."

"Alright, I'll write it down: sycamore trees, city walls, duck blood vermicelli soup. Next time someone says I'm ignorant, I'll say I've been to Nanjing and even seen the Ming Dynasty city walls."

They got off the bus in Gulou District and took a taxi to the hotel. The taxi stopped in front of the Jinling Hotel at No. 2 Hanzhong Road. They got out and stood on the busy street. The 36-story, off-white building in front of them was the first building in China to break the 100-meter mark, once hailed as "China's tallest building," and also the first large-scale international five-star hotel in China managed by Chinese people. The hotel entrance faces the bronze statue of Sun Yat-sen in the center of the Xinjiekou roundabout. The statue is surrounded by a circular roundabout, around which all pedestrians and vehicles must walk. Xinjiekou is one of Nanjing's most bustling commercial districts, with small restaurants, newsstands, audio-visual stores, and street stalls everywhere. The hotel is surrounded by some of Nanjing's oldest buildings: the Post Office Building, the Cultural Palace, and two state-owned department stores.

As they entered the hotel through the revolving doors, a hotel hostess came out to greet them with a bright smile: "Welcome, this way please."

Jiangsu Mobile booked two rooms for them: an executive room for Han Fei and a standard room for Lu Hai. The two took their room key cards. Lu Hai looked at his key card, then at Han Fei's, and frowned.

"Why isn't it on the first floor?"

The receptionist smiled and explained, "2918 is our executive floor; you need to swipe your elevator card to go up. 1512 is a standard room; the regular elevator will do. Breakfast is served in the Zhongshan Hall on the second floor from 6:30 AM to 9:30 AM."

"What's wrong?" Han Fei said to Lu Hai, "You're not satisfied? Then let's switch."

"No, no, no," Lu Hai shook his head repeatedly, then smiled. "President, I wouldn't dare stay on your executive floor. It's not that I don't like the room; I was just thinking we could stay on the same floor so we could easily visit each other at night and go over tomorrow's lines. I'm not sure about it, so I thought I'd ask you for some advice before bed to avoid saying the wrong thing in front of others tomorrow. But I'm quite happy staying on a lower floor; it's more down-to-earth. If I get hungry at night, I can just turn the corner and buy some duck blood vermicelli soup."

"All I can think about is food," Han Fei said, raising one hand to politely decline a young man who offered to help him with his luggage. The two entered the elevator. Lu Hai pressed the button for the fifteenth floor. Han Fei inserted his room card into the elevator card slot and pressed the button for the twenty-ninth floor.

"President," Lu Hai whispered, "Did you see the prices on the counter? My standard room is 680 a night, yours is over 1000..."

"Who cares? It's not like you're the one paying."

The elevator reached the fifteenth floor, the elevator doors opened, and Lu Hai, dragging his suitcase, walked into the corridor.

"Meet in the lobby in ten minutes," Han Fei said.

"it is good."

Han Fei stepped out of the elevator on the 29th floor and felt the thick, soft carpet beneath his feet, as if he were walking on springy peat moss. The guest room was very large, fully equipped with a desk, television, computer, and fax machine. A dial-up internet connection was labeled on the desktop next to the computer.

The instruction manual for a China Telecom 16300 internet card was placed on top of the computer. The small refrigerator in the kitchen contained various drinks, with a price tag stating, "Please do not put your own drinks in the refrigerator."

Eleven minutes later, Han Fei returned to the hotel lobby and saw Lu Hai sitting in an armchair, leaning forward and flipping through a financial magazine. He was wearing a black suit jacket and had clearly blended in with the hotel's business guests.

"President, why don't you change your clothes?" Lu Hai looked up at Han Fei.

"Change clothes? It's not like we're going to discuss business today."

"Look at those people in this restaurant, their ties are tied more carefully than elementary school students' red scarves. And look at you, dressed like you're going downstairs to buy cigarettes."

Han Fei pulled a half-pack of cigarettes from his pocket. "I was just going downstairs to buy cigarettes. Did you only bring this one jacket?"

"yes."

"If you put this on now, it'll smell like food after dinner, not to mention the possibility of oil and soup splattering on it. Looks like you'll have to wear this jacket that smells like the back kitchen of a braised duck restaurant to shake hands with the CEO of China Mobile tomorrow."

Lu Hai stared at him in disbelief: "Then...then I'll go back and change."

"Don't bother," Han Fei said, glancing at his watch. "Just take it off and put it aside when you eat."

Xiao Jinling Restaurant is located on Shigu Road, less than 500 meters from the south gate of Jinling Hotel. Lu Hai said the smell on this road was like the vegetable market in his hometown—the aroma of braised food mixed with the smell of cooking oil, the ground damp and sticky, and little "professional drain cleaning" signs pasted on utility poles. Xiao Jinling Restaurant had a long counter-style table and four plastic chairs, and the owner gave them a friendly smile. Han Fei ordered salted duck, duck blood vermicelli soup, stir-fried asparagus with dried tofu, Jinling double stinky tofu, and sugar-coated scallions.

"President," Lu Hai said, his mouth full of food, "the duck blood here is so generous. What's that duck blood vermicelli soup in Shanghai? The duck blood is cut into paper-thin pieces, you can't scoop it up no matter how long you try."

"Yeah, people usually call that refined," Han Fei said. He had been so uncomfortable on the plane that his body was stiff, and no matter how he changed his posture, his body ached. He stretched his neck from side to side to improve blood circulation, then tilted his head back, making a cracking sound. He stared at the bluish-white fluorescent lights on the ceiling for a while before looking down.

"Refined my foot, it's just stingy. This soup is really good," Lu Hai pointed with his chopsticks, "The broth is flavorful, and there's enough white pepper."

Han Fei slowly broke open the sesame seed cake, dipped it in the soup, and took a bite: "What did you eat when you went to Guangdong last time?"

"Dim sum, shrimp dumplings, rice noodle rolls, chicken feet. The food in Guangdong is exquisite, but it always feels like something's missing. It's just... too formal. Look at this duck blood vermicelli soup, although it's rustic, it's very hearty, just like the city of Nanjing."

Han Fei chuckled a few times: "You've already gained some insights after only two hours here?"

"I've heard people say that when you arrive in a new city, the first thing you should do is eat. Once you understand how to eat, you've already understood half of what it's like to be in a new city."

"So what did you taste in this bowl of vermicelli soup?"

Lu Hai, biting his chopsticks, said, "I think Nanjing... isn't pretentious. Look at this restaurant, there are students..."

There were elderly men and men carrying briefcases, all sitting together, no one looking out for anyone else. Unlike some restaurants in Shanghai, where you have to consider whether you're dressed appropriately before going in.

Han Fei raised an eyebrow: "Not bad, you're quite perceptive about these things, your intuition is very accurate."

"President, don't praise me yet," Lu Hai said with a smile. "You can praise me after the Jiangsu deal is finalized. Or, why don't you tell me now what I should mainly remember when I meet the Jiangsu Mobile people tomorrow?"

"Hmm," Han Fei pushed aside the soup bowl, picked up the cup, and took a sip of water. "First, you need to remember the questions. It's not just about what I asked and what I answered, but also what they care about. For example, are they more concerned about the stability of conversion rates, or the content differentiation between southern and northern Jiangsu, or the revenue sharing ratio and settlement cycle? The weight behind these questions will be the basis for your predictions when you go to Shandong and Fujian for negotiations later."

"That's easy, I'll just listen carefully and take notes."

"Then, you need to pay special attention to those questions they don't explicitly ask but want to know. For example, if they ask if you have signed exclusive agreements with other provinces," or whether your technology can handle the user volume in Jiangsu."

For questions like these, you not only need to hear my answer, but you also need to be able to sense the other person's anxiety from the question itself.

"anxiety?"

"Yes. You need to understand that although we have the support of the mobile headquarters, for this cooperation, the mobile headquarters only issued a neutral document, specifying a direction for each provincial branch. They didn't force them to do anything specific, or even require them to do it. But they still took the initiative to come to us, which shows that they have internal needs and pressure to achieve results. At the same time, they are also worried about whether they will be responsible if there are any problems in cooperating with Qingniao. So you must remember, whether you go to Shandong or Fujian tomorrow or in the future, when you sit with people, you must keep a calm expression and not be easily startled, otherwise people will think that Qingniao doesn't even have confidence in its own people."

Lu Hai pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Uh, President, when they ask if the technology can handle it, I understand they're afraid of taking responsibility. But what if they actually ask that tomorrow? I can't just listen. How should I respond? Should I just pat my chest..."

'

"Don't you dare make any promises that there's absolutely no problem," that sounds like a quack doctor selling counterfeit medicine. First, nod and say, "This is a very professional concern of yours; we've encountered this issue in Guangdong as well." This shows empathy, making them feel you're not exaggerating. Then add: "At the peak, there were 700,000 requests, but we switched to asynchronous queues within ten minutes and stabilized the situation. Jiangsu's system is even larger, and we've already prepared a scaling plan." This step is called presenting facts and reassuring them. Finally, pass the buck back to them, telling them: "Of course, how to specifically integrate with your province's system will depend on your technical team's opinion; we'll optimize together." This is called shared responsibility, making them feel you're not shirking responsibility or showing off.

Lu Hai stopped chewing, looked at Han Fei, and a look of sudden realization slowly appeared on his face.

"My God, President," he said, "I've been an editor for so long, and I always thought that doing business was just about drinking, offering cigarettes, and patting someone on the shoulder. But after you exposed it to me today, I realize that every word is both a trap and an opportunity. I've learned that there's so much to consider in business negotiations... Now I understand more and more why you're so successful."

Han Fei smiled and said, "Just understanding isn't enough; you have to learn it."

"Hmm... President, you said we should keep a steady expression, but I tend to scratch my head and swallow when I'm nervous. What if they ask a tricky question and I blush? Will they realize we're guilty? If that happens, should I just give a straight answer or stay silent?"

Han Fei swallowed the last bite of his biscuit, suddenly realizing that training someone capable of independently handling business negotiations was more difficult than he had imagined. He also understood that what Lu Hai needed most right now wasn't content, but procedures. Content could be memorized in advance, but on-the-spot physiological responses couldn't. Moreover, Lu Hai's problem wasn't unique; many more employees would encounter similar scenarios in the future. He couldn't personally analyze every situation, so he needed to develop a universal crisis management package that included physical actions, language templates, and escape routes. This way, others could quickly apply it when facing unexpected situations.

"Lu Hai," Han Fei said, taking a breath, "your blushing and swallowing are normal reactions to an adrenaline rush; if you can't control it, don't force it. But you need to have something to do, like immediately looking down at your notebook, pretending to look for the key points you just jotted down. This action has two effects: first, it makes the other person feel that you are seriously confirming, rather than being caught off guard; second, the few seconds you look down are enough for half of the blush on your face to subside."

Lu Hai sucked on his toothpick and slowly nodded: "What if you still can't figure out how to answer?"

"After looking up, don't answer directly. First, repeat the other person's question. For example, if they ask, 'Qingniao relies so heavily on those top authors, what if they get poached by other companies with higher fees?' you can say, 'Are you asking about the risk of top authors being poached, or are you worried that Qingniao won't be able to consistently produce hit content?' This breaks down a large question into two smaller questions that they can understand and that you can control. Once they choose one, you have a direction to answer, instead of being led by their question. If you still can't answer a question after breaking it down, for example, if they ask about a technical parameter that you genuinely don't know, then honestly but gracefully admit defeat. You can start by saying, 'That's a very professional question, I've noted it down.' This kind of statement affirms the other person, gives you an out, and tells them that you will check with the technical staff and answer them next time. Finally, emphasize that Qingniao never makes promises to its partners without careful consideration; this is our policy."

"Use phrases like 'I don't know' to transform 'I'm not sure' into 'I'm responsible,' and no one will laugh at you. Lu Hai, remember, the essence of professionalism isn't knowing everything, it's not talking nonsense about what you don't know. In business negotiations, the worst thing isn't not being able to answer, but giving a wrong answer and then being stubborn. If you can't answer, the other party will think you're cautious; if you stubbornly give a wrong answer, the other party will think you're unreliable. And the word 'unreliable' is more fatal than any technical issue."

Lu Hai stared at the sky thoughtfully for a while before speaking, "President, I think I'm starting to understand."