Movie: Get Alpha Dog at the start

Chapter 1550 Black and Red Are Also Red

Qiao Hailun was completely confused about the situation and could only mechanically greet Li Dongming, "Good morning, President Qin."

Her voice trembled slightly, her eyes darted away, and she dared not look Qin Hao in the eye, afraid that she would say the wrong thing and cause trouble for Li Dongming.

Upon hearing Qin Hao mention Zhao Mei, Bai Ruide's already gloomy expression darkened further, and his gaze towards Li Dongming was filled with displeasure. He glanced quickly at Li Dongming, then turned to Qin Hao and gestured an invitation: "President Qin, shall we go to that fairway over there? It's less crowded and quieter there."

"Okay." Qin Hao nodded calmly.

Seeing that Bai Rui was about to leave completely, Li Dongming steeled himself and stepped forward, blocking Bai Rui's path. His tone was urgent and humble: "Bai Rui, please wait a moment. I know that Zhao Mei's remarks at the press conference had a very negative impact on Guster and put you in a difficult position. But she and I don't agree on every level, and I firmly oppose her views and actions..."

Upon hearing this, Bai Ruide's expression seemed to soften somewhat, but his attitude remained firm: "Dongming, listen, I admire your abilities and professionalism, and I have always wanted to cooperate with Ruijing Consulting. However, I cannot entrust Guster's consulting business to you. Your wife is too foolish. She actually publicly slandered my company in public, saying that Guster is the root of all evil. This is something I absolutely cannot tolerate."

“Ghost is a respectable multinational company, and our reputation in the industry is the result of decades of hard work. But now, we're being criticized on social media just like those shabby little shops on the street. If my boss sees this, he'll think it's a problem with my management skills, that I haven't managed the company's image well, you know?”

Qin Hao stood to the side, listening to Bai Ruide's complaints, secretly finding it amusing. This was the arrogance and stubbornness commonly found among executives of foreign companies—always feeling that their company was superior, representing high-end status and prestige, and inviolable. In reality, with the economic downturn of the past two years and the continued sluggishness of the consumer market, Guster's high-end spirits series had long since stopped selling, with sales declining year by year; conversely, those mid-to-low-end brands with high cost-performance ratios were selling better and better. Bai Ruide, however, remained living in his high-end fantasy, unwilling to accept reality.

Hearing Bai Ruide's words, Li Dongming felt a chill in his heart, a sense of powerlessness washing over him. But he didn't give up completely, still unwilling to give up, his tone even more humble: "Bai Ruide, I understand your difficulties, and I know this matter has caused you a lot of trouble. Is there any way to remedy this? As long as it can salvage the cooperation and appease you, I'm willing to do anything. Both publicly and privately, I will remember this great favor and will repay you many times over in the future."

White pointed a finger at Li Dongming, his eyes sharp: "Unless you make Zhao Mei publicly apologize, admit her mistakes, and take full responsibility for all the consequences of this workplace harassment incident, and clarify Guster's image to the public, I will definitely sue her for defamation, make her pay the price for her reckless behavior, and make it impossible for her to work in this industry!"

After saying that, Bai Ruide didn't look at Li Dongming again, turned around and walked towards another field with his female companion without looking back.

Li Dongming stood frozen, his face deathly pale, watching Bai Ruide's departing figure, his heart filled with despair. He hesitated for a moment, then steeled himself and turned to Qin Hao, his tone pleading: "President Qin, please put in a good word for me, please speak on my behalf to Bai Ruide. If you can salvage this cooperation, I will be eternally grateful."

Qin Hao revealed a slightly sarcastic smile: "I thought you came here today to plead for Zhao Mei, but I overestimated how well you two are compatible."

He paused, his tone becoming more resolute: "However, I always keep my word. If I promise someone something, I will definitely do it. As for your request, I'm sorry, our relationship isn't close enough for that, so I can't help you."

After saying that, Qin Hao turned and left, leaving Li Dongming standing there alone, his face turning pale and then red.

Watching this scene, Qiao Hailun couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "What nonsense! In this situation, do you think he can make White take back his decision?"

Li Dongming glared fiercely at Qiao Hailun, his eyes filled with anger, which frightened Qiao Hailun into quickly shutting her mouth and lowering her head, not daring to speak again. Although unwilling to admit it, he knew very well that if there was anyone in this world who could change Bai Ruide's mind, Qin Hao was definitely one of them. After all, Xingyao Yanxuan was Guster's largest online sales channel, and Bai Ruide dared not offend Qin Hao at all.

“Let’s go, follow them.” Li Dongming took a deep breath.

Qiao Hailun quickly gripped her golf club and hurried to catch up with Li Dongming. Looking at Li Dongming's resolute figure, she was filled with admiration. If it were her, being publicly humiliated like that would have made her lose face and turned away long ago. But Li Dongming was able to humble himself; his perseverance and forbearance explained his outstanding achievements.

"No wonder Mr. Li's performance is so good, he's so flexible and adaptable." Qiao Hailun thought to herself, her eyes filled with more admiration as she looked at Li Dongming.

Meanwhile, Rhett Butler's female companion had reached the tee box, picked up her club, and gently swung it for her first shot. The white golf ball traced a beautiful arc through the air before landing on the grass a short distance away.

The group boarded the golf cart and slowly made their way to the ball's landing point. Along the way, Rhett Butler's female companion kept acting coquettishly, which made Rhett Butler's expression soften considerably.

Soon, everyone arrived at the ball's landing point. While Bai Ruide's female companion bent down to pick up the ball and prepare to hit it, Bai Ruide turned to Qin Hao, his tone filled with doubt and confusion: "President Qin, to be honest, why didn't you promote our Ghost's high-end series during this 618 promotion season? You know, the high-end series has higher profit margins, and the commissions your Xingyao Yanxuan can earn are much higher than those of the mid-to-low-end series."

Qin Hao raised his hand to interrupt Bai Ruide: "Of course I know that the profit margin of the high-end series is higher, but the current consumption environment has changed. You can no longer look at the market with the same perspective as before. In the past two years, the economy has been declining, and people's consumption habits have become more and more conservative. They prefer products that are good quality and inexpensive, rather than blindly pursuing high-end and luxury products."

“If I promote your high-end series, relying on the traffic of Xingyao Yanxuan, the sales volume may only be ten million; but if we switch to the mid-to-low-end series, which is in line with market demand, the sales volume can reach twenty million, or even thirty million.”

“I know, but…” Rhett Butler wanted to argue, still unwilling to accept the fact that his proud high-end series was not as popular as the mid-to-low-end series.

Qin Hao was too lazy to dwell on the matter any longer and waved his hand: "Bai Rui, I'm not here today just to play golf with you. There's something else I'd like to ask you for help with."

Rhett Butler shrugged. "Okay, tell me, is there anything I can help with?"

Qin Hao glanced at Li Dongming and Qiao Hailun, who had secretly followed him and were hiding to the side not daring to make a sound, then looked away and got straight to the point: "Zhao Mei called me before, wanting me to plead for her."

White's face instantly darkened again, his expression turning grim. "Oh, Qin, you know I respect you and value our cooperation. If it were anything else, I would certainly do my best. But regarding Zhao Mei, I really can't do it. She openly smeared Guster at the press conference, damaging the company's reputation. If I let this go unpunished and easily forgive her, how will I manage this company in the future, how will I gain the respect of the staff?"

As they were talking, Rhett Butler's female companion had already swung her club and hit the ball into the first hole. Seeing this, the caddie immediately rushed forward, clapping and showering her with compliments: "Madam, you're amazing! That was a beautiful shot, practically at a professional level!"

Although Bai Ruide was still angry about Zhao Mei, he forced a smile out of consideration for his female companion.

Seeing this, Li Dongming, who was hiding to the side, quickly joined in the clapping, a fawning smile on his face. Qiao Hailun was a beat slower to react; seeing Li Dongming clapping, she hurriedly followed suit, her eyes filled with nervousness.

Qin Hao ignored this scene, walked straight to the teeing ground, picked up his club, turned to Bai Rui and said, "Bai Rui, how about we play a game?"

Upon hearing this, Rhett Butler asked curiously, "Oh? What game? Tell me about it."

"If I can get a hole-in-one, you'll promise me that Zhao Mei will return to work at Guster, with the same salary and position, and we'll wipe the slate clean of what happened before."

"Oh, Qin, are you trying to make things difficult for me?" Bai Ruide spread his hands, thinking that Qin Hao was joking.

Qin Hao pointed his club to the number one hole in the distance and asked with a smile, "The distance from here to the hole is about 250 yards. Bai Rui, what do you think the probability of a hole-in-one is?"

Without hesitation, Rhett Butler replied, "Even for the world's top professional golfers, the probability of getting a hole-in-one is only one in three thousand, which is extremely slim. As for amateur players, they might only have a very low probability of doing it once in ten thousand swings, and some people might never do it in their entire lives."

"So what are you afraid of?" Qin Hao smiled. "If I fail to get a hole-in-one, I will never mention Zhao Mei's name in front of you again, how about that?"

Rhett Butler hesitated. He looked at Qin Hao, then at the small white flag in the distance. Two hundred and fifty yards away, it gleamed faintly white in the sunlight. A gust of wind blew, and the flag swayed slightly.

“Alright.” Rhett Butler finally nodded. “I accept your game. But can you tell me why you’re helping Zhao Mei like this?”

“She was my ex-girlfriend’s best friend, and I promised to plead for her. I’m a person who always keeps my word; I never go back on my promise. Since I promised her, I will definitely do it.”

Hiding to the side, Li Dongming instinctively lowered his head upon hearing Qin Hao's words, his face flushing red and then turning pale, filled with shame. Every word Qin Hao spoke felt like a slap in the face, making him feel utterly ashamed. As Zhao Mei's husband, instead of standing up for her when she was in trouble, he was trying to sever ties with her and curry favor with Bai Ruide.

Qiao Hailun gazed at Qin Hao's tall and straight back, her eyes filled with admiration and respect. How could someone so loyal and trustworthy to his ex-girlfriend's best friend be such a bad person? A sense of curiosity welled up within her.

"But if he's such a good person, why did his ex-girlfriend break up with him?" Qiao Hailun muttered to herself. Suddenly, she felt that Qin Hao was even more mysterious and became more curious about him.

Upon hearing this, White couldn't help but give Qin Hao a thumbs up, his tone full of admiration: "Okay, Qin, I have to admit, you are the first Chinese person I admire."

He paused, his tone slightly teasing: "However, the rules of the game must still be followed. Even if you have the skill of a professional player, you only have a one in three thousand chance of getting a hole-in-one. I don't believe you'll have that kind of luck."

Seeing that Bai Ruide had agreed to the bet, Qin Hao smiled confidently. Without saying anything more, he walked straight to the tee box. He stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, gripped the club, adjusted his posture, and focused intently on the number one hole in the distance.

After a moment, he slowly swung his arm to gather strength, and then swung the club with a powerful, fluid motion.

All they saw was a white arc slicing through the azure sky, accompanied by a whistling sound, rapidly descending towards the distant entrance of Cave One. All eyes were fixed on that white arc; the scene fell instantly silent, save for the sound of the wind whistling through the grass.

"Impossible!" White's relaxed expression instantly turned to utter shock. His eyes widened, his mouth gaped open as if he'd seen God, his face filled with disbelief. He simply couldn't believe that Qin Hao could actually hit such a perfect shot; judging by the trajectory, it was practically possible for him to get a hole-in-one.

Li Dongming was also dumbfounded, standing there motionless. He had originally thought that Qin Hao had only proposed this bet to save face and that it was impossible for him to actually get a hole-in-one. But now, watching that white arc plummeting towards the hole...

"He's not serious, is he? Can he really get a hole-in-one?" Li Dongming muttered to himself, his heart pounding faster.

Helen Qiao gripped the club tightly with both hands, her knuckles turning white from the force, her eyes fixed on the white arc in the air, silently chanting in her mind: "Go in, go in, it has to go in!"

At this moment, she was even more nervous than Qin Hao. Perhaps she was moved by Qin Hao's loyalty and righteousness, or perhaps she simply hoped that this mysterious man could create a miracle.

Finally, under everyone's watchful eyes, the white arc completely disappeared below the horizon, heading towards the first hole. White and his group, no longer caring about anything else, quickly hopped into their golf carts and sped towards the first hole, eager to find out what was happening.

The first person to get off the car and run towards the first hole wasn't Rhett Butler, but the caddie who had been following him. He ran very fast, his face full of excitement and anticipation.

The caddie trotted to the first hole, bent down, and carefully retrieved a golf ball from the hole. He then held the ball high and announced to the crowd, "Congratulations, Mr. Qin, a hole-in-one! Mr. Qin, you're amazing!"

A cheer erupted instantly, and the two caddies jumped up excitedly, clapping incessantly. It was Bai Ruide's female companion who was first to recover from the shock. She walked over to Qin Hao with a smile, her tone slightly teasing: "Mr. Qin, it seems you'll have to spend some money this time."

Qiao Hailun and Li Dongming also arrived at the hole. Upon hearing the caddie's announcement, Qiao Hailun was so excited that she almost jumped up, her face full of joy; Li Dongming breathed a long sigh of relief, a weight lifted from his heart, and a long-lost smile appeared on his face.

In the golf community, there's an unwritten rule: whenever someone gets a hole-in-one, a red envelope (cash gift) must be given out. And this isn't just for the caddie; it's given to all the golf course staff, including caddies, servers, cleaners, and so on. All told, it adds up to at least 100,000 yuan, and in some cases, it can cost over 300,000 yuan – a considerable expense.

It might seem like a wasteful display of wealth. But in reality, it's a very worthwhile deal. After all, those who regularly play golf are mostly business tycoons and successful individuals; a few hundred thousand dollars is nothing to them. However, a hole-in-one is something they can brag about for a lifetime. Widespread publicity not only enhances their reputation but also makes others think they have incredible luck, and might even lead to some business deals.

It's a well-known fact that the bigger a business becomes, the more superstitious people tend to be. The odds of getting a hole-in-one are roughly equivalent to losing the Holy Grail six times in a row in Fujian—it's considered an indication of exceptionally good fortune, and partnering with such a person increases the chances of making money. Therefore, many successful people are willing to spend hundreds of thousands on red envelopes (cash gifts) for this supposed "good luck."

Qin Hao naturally didn't care about the money. He looked at the caddie who came to take his club and said in a calm tone, "A red envelope of five thousand yuan for each person. All staff members will receive one. Go to your finance department to collect it after get off work."

"Thank you, Mr. Qin! You are so generous!"

"Long live President Qin!"

The two caddies were grinning from ear to ear, bowing repeatedly to Qin Hao in thanks.

Rhett Butler was still lost in self-doubt. He frowned, his eyes filled with disbelief, and he kept muttering, "Impossible, absolutely impossible! Qin, you didn't cheat, did you? How could you get a hole-in-one from 250 yards? Even Tiger Woods might not be able to do that!"

Faced with Bai Ruide's skepticism, Qin Hao smiled and held up the golf ball that the caddie had just marked, handing it to Bai Ruide with a hint of teasing in his tone: "Bai Ruide, you encountered a one in three thousand chance, which only proves that I'm lucky. Look, this is the ball I just hit, and it still has the caddie's mark on it. There was absolutely no cheating."

"Do you know what this is called in China?" Qin Hao paused, then said with a smile.

Rhett Butler frowned and asked in confusion, "What?"

“Fate is hard to defy! Heaven is helping Zhao Mei, giving her the opportunity to return to Gust and make amends for her mistakes.”

With a bitter expression and a tone full of helplessness, Bai Ruide said, "But Qin, as you know, Zhao Mei has had a huge negative impact on Guster. There are still many people online who are slandering our company. If we just let her come back like this, I will find it hard to convince the public and I will not be able to explain it to the company headquarters."

“Bai Rui, we live in the internet age, where traffic represents everything.” Qin Hao interrupted Bai Rui: “Whether the traffic is negative or positive, black-and-red is still red. Moreover, public opinion can be reversed. As long as we find the right method, we can turn negative traffic into positive traffic, which can not only restore the company’s reputation but also enhance the company’s brand awareness.”

White looked at Qin Hao with some surprise, his eyes full of doubt: "How can it be reversed?"

"It's actually very simple." Qin Hao said calmly, "Right now, the issue that netizens are most concerned about is not Zhao Mei's remarks, but Guster's attitude towards workplace harassment. If you fire Zhao Mei, it's tantamount to telling the outside world that you don't solve the problem, but only the person who raised it, which will only make public opinion worse and cause greater damage to the company's reputation."

He paused, then continued, "The best crisis management right now is to bring Zhao Mei back and focus the PR around her. Let Zhao Mei come forward, explain the situation to the public, and announce that the company will strengthen workplace environment management, crack down on workplace harassment, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of employees. In this way, the outside world will see your attitude towards solving problems, negative traffic will naturally turn into positive traffic, and you can also win the favor and trust of netizens."

After Qin Hao finished speaking, Bai Ruide was caught in a deep dilemma. Reason told him that Qin Hao was right; this was indeed the best crisis management plan at the moment, capable of salvaging the company's reputation to the greatest extent possible. But emotionally, he still couldn't accept it, couldn't back down, and couldn't forgive Zhao Mei's previous reckless behavior.

Just as Bai Ruide was hesitating, his female companion walked up to him, gently patted his shoulder, and said with a smile, "Bai Ruide, I think President Qin's crisis management plan is excellent. Moreover, you don't need to face the media or apologize. Just leave everything to Zhao Mei. There's an old Chinese saying: 'The one who tied the knot must untie it,' meaning that whoever caused the trouble needs to solve it."

White looked at his female companion, then at Qin Hao, pondered for a moment, and finally breathed a sigh of relief. He spread his hands, his tone tinged with helplessness: "Alright, I'm convinced. Let Zhao Mei come back then, but she must promise that she won't make those rash decisions again, that she will always be in sync with the company, and that she won't make decisions on her own and damage the company's reputation."

Upon hearing this, Li Dongming was overjoyed and quickly stepped forward, nodding repeatedly to Bai Ruide, his tone carrying a sense of assurance: "No problem, Bai Ruide, don't worry, I'll go home right away and talk to Zhao Mei, and I guarantee she will never do anything out of line again."

Rhett Butler nodded and said nothing more.

At lunchtime, the group went to the restaurant at the golf course.

The restaurant was luxuriously decorated and had an elegant environment. Li Dongming sat at the table, looking at Qin Hao, who was chatting happily with Bai Ruide not far away. His brows were tightly furrowed, his face was not good, and his heart was full of complicated emotions.

Qiao Hailun, who was standing to the side, noticed that something was wrong with Li Dongming and asked curiously, "Mr. Li, the matter has been resolved, your wife can return to work at Guster, and there is hope for our cooperation with Guster to be salvaged. Why do you seem unhappy?"

Li Dongming slowly shook his head, his tone tinged with helplessness and resentment: "I'm not unhappy, I'm just reviewing the situation. Why didn't I think of using this line to persuade Rhett Butler?"

Qiao Hailun subconsciously looked in Qin Hao's direction, her eyes full of admiration: "I heard that President Qin used to work at a consulting firm and did very well before resigning to found Xingyao Yanxuan."

Li Dongming didn't speak. He picked up his water glass, took a sip, and his gaze fell on the lush green sports field outside the window.

The flagpole in the distance swayed gently in the wind, as if mocking something.

He recalled Qin Hao's words—"Our friendship hasn't reached that level yet."

That's right.

In Qin Hao's eyes, Li Dongming was nothing more than a nobody who had only gotten in touch with him through his wife's connections. As for being a senior partner at a consulting firm or having the prestigious reputation of Ruijing Consulting, those were nothing compared to Li Dongming.

He gripped the cup tightly, his knuckles turning white.

Seeing his expression, Helen Joel wisely remained silent. She lowered her head and focused on eating the pasta on her plate. (End of Chapter)