Chapter 689 - Pompous

Chapter 689: Pompous

Xiao Luo flipped open their business report and project proposal again, taking a few more glances. He then said, "Neither of you have any relevant work experience. This report and this proposal, did you write these with nothing more than conjecture?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Xia grew antsy. She stepped forward to say, "We graduated from a prestigious university, one of the key universities under the country's Project 911—"

Xiao Luo waved a hand and cut her off curtly. "It's obvious that both of you poured a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into this, but it's a shame that you poured all that energy into this. Without any relevant work experience, what is your business report based on? Your imagination?" He looked at Tan Zisheng. "Someone probably guided you when you wrote this report, right? The writing is too conservative, and the methods are too trite. It doesn't seem to match the vigor and energy you have as a fresh graduate. I dare say that the expert who provided you with the material and guidance to finish this report is at least 50 years old."

Tan Yisheng was taken aback, because Xiao Luo had hit the nail on head. They had completed this report with the materials and assistance from a company's top-class and professional manager, someone his father had entrusted them to. He would turn 52 this year, and he was currently at the peak of his career, the most prosperous time.

Bai Xia, who stood beside him, was furious. She had poured so much effort into this report, only for Xiao Luo to refuse it. She could not keep her cool at this.

"What gives you the right to say this? This is a result of our hard work. Do you know how many nights we stayed up just to produce these two reports?" She glared balefully at Xiao Luo.

"What gives him the right?"

This did not sit right with Zhang Dashan. He huffed, and then said, "Hey, little girl, you two need to get one thing straight. We were making merry and enjoying the food here, and it was you two who barged in, asking my good man over here to review this garbage report of yours and comment on it. What, you're flipping out just because he didn't sing you praises? You think this report of yours is the best in the world?"

Bai Xia's embarrassment turned into rage, and she directed it at Zhang Dashan. "Who are you? Who do you think you are? Stop running your mouth!"

She was the typical rich kid, pampered and insolent.

"Who do I think I am?"

Zhang Dashan was almost amused. "Young lady, back when I took the reins for Luo's Workshop, I joined the International Professional Management Competition, and I placed 50 by some stroke of luck. You ask me who I think I am to be running my mouth here? You tell me what you've accomplished before you talk to me like this. Your name means 'summer', huh? More like bummer!"

He was no even-tempered man. He had initially thought that they were enterprising fresh graduates and wanted to help them as much as he could, but now they were just walking all over him. He would be a fool if he still treated them cordially.

"We graduated from one of the key universities under the country's Project 911. In school, we—"

"That's enough, Bai Xia!"

Tan Zisheng was so angry that he was shaking. "What did I tell you when we were on the way here? I told you to just stand by the side and not say anything."

He was classmates with Bai Xia, and their families had designated them as each other's spouses since they were young. He had brought her out this time as a sort of training, but he had not expected for her to throw a tantrum here. She thought the world revolved around her, and he thoroughly regretted bringing her here.

Bai Xia felt wronged now that her own fiance had admonished her like this, but she still put up a brave front and hit back, "Everything I said was the truth. Why should I respect them if they don't respect us?"

"Didn't you hear me? I said no talking."

Tan Zisheng was so enraged that his eyes were bulging. An incompetent ally was truly more fearsome than a powerful enemy, and he had half a mind to tell his father to call off this wedding. Marrying a woman like this would only become an obstacle in his life.

"Hmph!"

Bai Xia turned away, displeased.

With regret written all over his face and his head pounding, Tan Zisheng said to Zhang Dashan, "This is just how Bai Xia is, Mr. Zhang. You don't have to bother yourself arguing with her."

"I like what you're saying, Tan Zisheng. It's such a shame that there's such an arrogant, pompous lady by your side hindering your work. I've met my fair share of arrogant ladies, but I've never met one as pompous as her. There are so many ladies who come from rich families, who are refined, polite, and humble, whose every move and gesture emanates grace and class. I'm sorry to say this, but I don't see any of that on her," Zhang Dashan said.

"You damned fatty, you better watch out, or I'll have someone hack you to death!" Bai Xia was furious. She had never been insulted like this in her entire life.

Damned fatty?

This struck a nerve with Zhang Dashan, and his face instantly darkened.

Tan Zisheng saw that things were escalating quickly. In a panic, he raised a hand and swung down at Bai Xia's face, "I said shut up!"

Bai Xia was shocked by the slap. Her eyes watered and she stared in chagrin at the furious Tan Zisheng.

The air in the room instantly turned bad. Shen Qingyan, Su Li, and the rest of them were frowning. They had all initially thought the two of them were here to genuinely seek mentorship, but as things played out, it proved that the two of them had issues to sort out. They had completely ruined the atmosphere of the dinner party.

"Can you tell me what a business report is?" Xiao Luo raised his head and asked coldly as he comforted Su Xiaobei.

"Sir, a business report is—"

"I want her to answer," Xiao Luo interrupted. He raised a hand and pointed to Bai Xia who was nursing her left cheek.

"Are you quizzing me? I'm the top student in the business administration school, and you think such a simple question can stump me?" Bai Xia spat out through gritted teeth.

To her, all of the people in the room now were nothing more than dust. "A business report is an important basis upon which investors can ascertain if they want to invest in a project. It analyzes numerous factors including the background of the project, the macro environment, related industries, prospects of development, resources and capacity, a detailed study on the market, and an estimation on the value of the project. The analysis reflects the economic indicators of the project. A business report is a scientific, objective, and comprehensive conclusion."

"Pretty well put. It seems that you have, indeed, put in the work. However, you don't have any related experience in this field, and you lack even the most fundamental experience in management. On top of that, you weren't involved in the market research at all, were you? The structure of this report seems like a template you can download from the internet, and the figures in it are not realistic. They were merely copied from the company, by the expert who guided you through this.

"Virtual or local data can only be used as a reference and not as an accurate reflection of the actual numbers. A business report produced with such data is nothing more than empty talk—there is no value to it as a reference. This is not so much a report, as it is a pile of scrap paper. It's worth far less than the unused A4 paper. After all, you can still print words on an unused A4 paper."

Xiao Luo's words were precise as he diminished the value of the report without any hesitation. If it were not for the fact that he had been more welcoming and understanding to them on account of them being fresh graduates, he would have long instructed for them to be escorted out. He had been kind when he reviewed their report, and yet they did not appreciate that—but never mind that. If they had the audacity to be so pompous and kick up a fuss here, then they should be prepared to be smacked down.