"Please, have a seat!" Edith calmly said after recognizing Louie as the person she encountered earlier. However, before she finished speaking, she noticed that Louie had already taken a seat across from her. "This guy's got quite the thick skin, well-suited for the sales industry," Edith thought to herself.
"Manager, we've met before," Louie said, hands clasped together on the desk, looking directly at Edith. "I'm not a fan of having lazy subordinates. I hope you're not one of them."
"He's clearly warning me about taking his parking spot. Hmph, I won't fall for that," Louie thought. "It seems like dealing with this woman will be quite a challenge, but that's fine. It saves me from being bored at work."
Louie squinted his eyes, deliberately scanning Edith's proud and well-endowed chest. Edith suddenly felt a flutter in her heart, an unfamiliar sensation she hadn't experienced in years. She couldn't believe she was having such a feeling. It was a kind of intuition, the so-called sixth sense. Edith quickly suppressed this strange feeling, coughed deliberately, and put on a displeased expression. She sternly said, "Manager, please be mindful of your behavior."
"Oh, you misunderstood. It's just a habit of mine. Whenever I see a beautiful woman, I can't help but display this habit. But, I assure you, I am an upright gentleman with integrity," Louie said, not becoming submissive due to Edith's serious expression. On the contrary, he portrayed himself as an open and honest person.
Edith's clasped hands trembled slightly, and her gaze at Louie became even more piercing. In Edith's eyes, this was clearly harassment. Within InfinityGroup, no one dared to openly harass her. Yet now, she was being harassed by a newcomer. The anger at this moment could be imagined. However, Edith suppressed her anger and spoke sternly, "Manager, according to your resume, you only graduated from high school. Although you settled abroad, you didn't specify your occupation during that time. Could you explain this?"
"Well, I'm not sure how to explain that. Honestly, I did graduate from high school, and I even got my diploma through bribing a teacher. As for the six years I spent abroad, most of the time was just traveling around the world. You know, it's tough to find a job overseas nowadays. I ended up traveling out of necessity," Louie explained.
Seeing Edith looking at him with suspicion, Louie added, "I understand you might be wondering why I was appointed to this position. Truth be told, I'm not sure either. Perhaps your group urgently needed someone for this position, and I happened to be pulled in. Well, you know, talents like me are hard to come by, and accepting the role of a regional manager is a bit of a compromise. Vice General Manager, could you talk to the higher-ups and try to get me a higher position where I can truly showcase my talents?"
Louie made Edith burst into laughter, something she hadn't done in a while. She had encountered all sorts of people before, but Louie was a unique character. Today was truly an eye-opener, meeting someone shameless to this extent. If it weren't for her position, Edith would have loved to tell Louie, "A person shouldn't be shameless to this extent."
Seeing Edith laugh, Louie's heart skipped a beat. The contrast between her previous cold demeanor and her current laughter increased the mature charm of Edith.
Suppressing her laughter, Edith, for the first time, felt a kind of powerlessness, finding it challenging to understand the man in front of her. He seemed to have a bit of a flirtatious nature, but there was no clear sign of the typical lecherous man. Compared to those men who would eagerly use their eyes to devour her, this man had a clear and pure look in his eyes. Labeling him as not flirtatious would be a mistake, though, as his words always carried a hint of a rogue. The more Edith thought about it, the more intrigued she became by Louie.
Edith leaned back, crossing her legs in a relaxed posture. "Now that you're the head of the marketing department, you should be familiar with the company's products. It's an essential quality for a marketing executive, and only by doing so can you gain the trust of your subordinates. Imagine, how can a leader who doesn't understand the company's products gain the respect of the team? Yet, based on your education and experience, you lack any relevant knowledge, not even in mechanical aspects. How do you plan to lead your team effectively?"
Louie chuckled, "Though I lack experience, I can learn. I believe that given ten years, I can surely grasp the details of the company's products."
Edith had just picked up her coffee from the desk, taking a small sip when she heard Louie's statement. She nearly spat out the coffee. "Ten years? Do you think InfinityGroup is a school? Even if it were, it wouldn't take ten years to learn."
She wasn't sure why she was so angry. Previously, she rarely intervened in the affairs of the marketing department. However, today, she couldn't resist wanting to manage her subordinate.
Edith raised her right hand, extending her fingers. "This is the time I'm giving you. If you fail to satisfy me, regardless of who arranged for you to be here, I will make you resign. As the vice general manager in charge of marketing, I absolutely won't allow my subordinates to be ignorant of the products."
"Five years, alright, I accept," Louie earnestly agreed.
Edith felt a headache coming on. She thought, "President, next time, please arrange for someone normal to join the company. Don't bring in an idiot." Even someone as strong-willed as Edith found herself at a loss dealing with Louie. She suppressed the urge to smash the coffee cup on Louie's head and said, "Five days. I'm only giving you five days."
"Just five days? That's too short," Louie frowned. "Either give me six months, or three months, you need to at least let me warm the seat. I've only been in the company for five days, and the chair is still cold."
"Five days, and it starts from the moment you entered the company," Edith's tone was firm, allowing no room for negotiation.
Louie chuckled inwardly, thinking, "Even if you or the president want me to leave, you'll have to discuss it with me first." Knowing Edith was deliberately doing this, he still pretended to be clueless, checking his watch, "Well, it's 9:30 now. I need to go back and prepare. That gives me about eleven hours."
"You don't have time; it's now, right here, in my office," Edith couldn't hold back any longer. She spoke sternly, "Louie, this isn't a place for your antics. I'm giving you two options: either tell me the detailed information about InfinityGroup's products right now, or you resign immediately."
Edith was almost provoked by Louie. She didn't understand why she was so angry; it seemed like every word from this man carried an unusual flavor.
Louie adjusted his expression, putting away his smile. At this moment, he was entirely different from the guy who spoke with a rogue vibe earlier. Edith blinked, confirming she wasn't mistaken. The significant contrast made her momentarily uncomfortable.
Louie reached for the promotional brochure placed on Edith's desk, opened the first page, and said, "InfinityGroup's main product is the engine, with clients all over the country, applicable in automobiles, ships, large engineering machinery, and more." Louie closed the brochure, locked eyes with Edith, and continued, "The main models are La series, Qc series, and hd series. The hd series is currently being phased out."
Edith listened in amazement. She couldn't believe Louie could learn so much in such a short time—not only about the models and performance of the engines but also the power of each engine model. Even seasoned sales staff might not be able to explain it so clearly, and even the technical personnel involved in the production and design of these product models needed to refer to relevant information to present a comprehensive description.
Louie continued, surprising Edith even more, "The key technology in the engine lies in combustion. Effectively converting fuel into energy is crucial. Based on my estimation, InfinityGroup's engine achieves only 70% conversion efficiency, with a significant portion of energy wasted. Moreover, in terms of structure, stroke, displacement, etc., there's room for improvement. Particularly in multiple valve technology, it lags behind, only reaching 4 valves. While suitable for automobiles, it falls short for more sophisticated devices. In my view, the sealing technology employed by InfinityGroup is also quite outdated, and it shouldn't result in such significant energy wastage. Therefore, to enhance InfinityGroup's performance, substantial improvements are needed in structural design, sealing, valve technology, and more."
Edith's eyelids remained unmoving as she stared at Louie. Her intuition told her that the man in front of her was definitely not the same person as before. What Louie spoke about was precisely where InfinityGroup was working to make improvements, and there were even some details she hadn't considered.
Louie stood up, still talking as he walked over to Edith's side.
"In terms of engines, the technology in the M country is quite mature, especially in their military equipment. These engines ensure efficient fuel combustion and perform well under various conditions. Take the Humvee series as an example; it's a model in this regard. The Humvee military vehicle is one of the best-selling military vehicles in the arms market. If you ever plan to buy a military vehicle, be sure to choose the Humvee. Don't forget to let me know, and I might consider giving you a 20% discount," Louie patted Edith's shoulder. "Remember, make sure to inform me; otherwise, you might end up buying counterfeit goods. My reputation has always been good, and I never deceive. I absolutely won't sell assembled cars as genuine military Humvees, unlike those other arms dealers."
Edith listened in fascination, nodding approvingly. She responded, "Okay." As soon as the words left her mouth, she snapped back to reality, looking at Louie's hand still on her shoulder with irritation. "Get out now, roll out of my office."
"Beauty is scolding people!" Louie grinned mischievously. "I'll leave, but no personal revenge, okay?" With that, Louie swiftly exited Edith's office.
As Louie left, Edith felt a strange sense of loss. She harbored an unexpected desire for Louie's hand to linger a bit longer on her shoulder—a hope she had never experienced before. She wasn't someone who couldn't control her emotions, and the reason for her earlier emotional outburst was her attempt to conceal the inner unrest.
Who exactly was Louie?
Edith found herself unable to figure out this peculiar man. Initially, she thought Louie was just someone who had entered through connections, speaking with a disagreeable tone. However, after what happened just now, she changed her perspective. Louie's demeanor during that moment was captivating. Even Edith, who prided herself on controlling situations, was unknowingly drawn in and influenced by Louie.
As a professional in sales, the key skill is to control the situation and not be led by others. Only with this quality can one smoothly guide clients to complete transactions. Edith was confident in her strength in this aspect, or else she wouldn't have become the vice general manager in charge of marketing at InfinityGroup. However, just now, she was completely led by Louie and, in the end, nearly impulsively bought a military Humvee.
Edith felt a slight warmth around her ears and touched her neck, confirming the warmth there. "This isn't real; I was just provoked by him." Edith kept reminding herself. After some time, the stirred emotions settled down. Suppressing the desire that surged within her, she began to work on the files. There were many tasks and documents that needed her attention.