Chapter 128: Yang Feng

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Wei noticed the sales agents in the store looking at him with curiosity, wondering why the Beijing branch had called. However, Zhang Wei did not intend to explain; he simply turned and walked into Xu Ming’s office.

Few people were aware that Xu Ming had recommended Zhang Wei for the position of store manager at the Yayuan branch. After all, Zhang Wei had only been with Zhongtong for a short time, and he had only started closing deals the previous month; no one expected him to climb the career ladder so quickly.

Once inside the office, Zhang Wei briefly explained the nature of the call. Xu Ming offered a few words of encouragement and told him to go home early to prepare the necessary documents, adding that he didn't need to return to the store and should report directly to the branch office that afternoon.

With Xu Ming’s permission, Zhang Wei accepted the kindness, exchanged a few polite words, and left the office. After bidding farewell to the staff, he departed from the store alone.

Back at home, Zhang Wei followed the instructions in the text message, placing the required documents into a manila envelope. Since he had never driven to the branch office before, he set off around eleven o'clock to avoid any potential traffic jams or delays.

He arrived at the Zhongtong branch office shortly after twelve. After parking his car in a nearby lot, he had a quick lunch at a nearby restaurant and arrived at the company at exactly 2:20 PM.

Zhongtong was located in the Antai Building on Financial Street in Beijing, occupying the sixth through tenth floors. Following the instructions in the text, Zhang Wei took the elevator to the eighth floor. After reporting his name at the front desk, he was directed to a waiting area.

Half an hour later, the receptionist approached him, gestured for him to follow, and said, "Mr. Zhang, please come with me. General Manager Yang is free to see you now."

"General Manager Yang?" Zhang Wei, who had been kept in the dark, asked with some confusion, "Miss, which leader am I meeting, exactly?"

"Oh, you don't know?" The receptionist smiled at his bewildered expression. "It’s Mr. Yang Feng, the Deputy General Manager of the Sales Department. Did no one inform you before you came?"

"Ha, I suppose not," Zhang Wei sighed, thinking of Xu Jie, whose communication style was as robotic as an automated voice system.

After a brief exchange with the receptionist, they arrived at an office on the west side of the corridor. The plaque on the door read "Deputy General Manager of Sales." The receptionist knocked, and a moment later, a man’s voice called out, "Come in."

The receptionist opened the door, bowed slightly, and said, "Mr. Yang, Mr. Zhang from the Yayuan branch is here."

"Alright, I see. You may go now," Yang Feng said without looking up from the documents he was reviewing. He waved his hand dismissively.

"Yes, Mr. Yang." The receptionist acknowledged him, nodded at Zhang Wei, and stepped out, closing the door behind her.

A moment later, Yang Feng looked up, gestured toward the chair opposite him, and said with a smile, "You must be Xiao Zhang. Please, have a seat."

"Thank you, Mr. Yang," Zhang Wei said, feeling a bit restrained.

Yang Feng was a tall, handsome man in his thirties. He wore his hair slicked back, and his face, slightly tan and resolute, gave him an air of natural authority. He was dressed in a crisp, sharp suit.

"Relax," Yang Feng said kindly. "I didn't call you here for any special reason; I just wanted to have a chat with you young folks."

"I go way back with your store manager, Xu Ming. When he first joined Zhongtong, I was his regional manager. Your Director, Han, was a store manager under me, so there's no need to be so formal," Yang Feng laughed.

"Yes, Mr. Yang."

Hearing this, Zhang Wei understood the hierarchy: he was Xu Ming’s protégé, Xu Ming was Han Zhong’s protégé, and Han Zhong was Yang Feng’s. In a sense, he belonged to Yang Feng’s faction.

"The main reason I called you today is to inform you that the company has decided to promote you to store manager of Yayuan Group One. You can use this time to handle the paperwork, and you will officially take office on the first of next month," Yang Feng said.

"Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Yang," Zhang Wei said, his face glowing with gratitude and excitement.

Though he had suspected the summons to the branch office meant a promotion, he hadn't dared to let his guard down until it was confirmed. Now that the Deputy General Manager of Sales had spoken to him personally, it was a done deal. He had transformed into a store manager—the first major step in his career.

"Don't thank me. You were promoted within three months of joining for two reasons: first, your stellar performance over the past two months; and second, the strong recommendation from Manager Xu. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to convince the General Manager to make an exception for you," Yang Feng laughed.

Yang Feng was very approachable. He asked Zhang Wei about the challenges he faced at work and proactively offered management advice based on his own experiences, which Zhang Wei found incredibly insightful.

Like Zhang Wei, Yang Feng had started as a grassroots agent and fought his way up over several years. His interpersonal skills were masterful, and after just ten minutes of conversation, Zhang Wei felt a great deal of respect and affinity for him.

*Knock, knock, knock.* A knock interrupted their conversation. Yang Feng frowned and said, "Come in."

A woman in her thirties opened the door and said anxiously, "Mr. Yang, the meeting time is almost here. Shall we prepare?"

"Mr. Yang, I apologize for taking up so much of your time," Zhang Wei said. He wasn't dense; he understood the woman’s unspoken message. "If you are busy, I will take my leave."

"Alright, let's stop here for today. We'll chat again when we have more time," Yang Feng said with a smile. As if remembering something, he added, "Xiao Zhang, stop by the finance office on your way out and give them your bank account details. Your commission is quite substantial, and it’s inconvenient to pay it in cash. I’ll have them transfer it directly to your card."

"Thank you, Mr. Yang," Zhang Wei said.

"Don't mention it," Yang Feng replied with a wave.

"Then I’ll leave you to your work, Mr. Yang."

After taking his leave, Zhang Wei suppressed his joy and asked the staff for directions to the Human Resources department. He spent the next hour filling out forms, making copies, and getting documents stamped. Finally, he went to the finance department to register his bank card, completing the entire process.

As he walked out of the Antai Building, Zhang Wei was, officially, a store manager at Zhongtong.