18: Chapter 18 "Promotion and Salary Increase"

March 31, 2025, Monday, Sunny, 12 ~ 20°C.

The last day of March, 8:40 AM, at the office building where Company Name is located.

By this time, the lobby was already filling up, slightly crowded, and the flow of people filled the entire space with the busy atmosphere of a Monday.

Qiao Yichen walked out of a nearby chain coffee shop, carrying two cups of Americano. Today he wore a light blue shirt with a crisp cut, layered with a thin suit jacket, making him look refreshed and neat.

After more than a week of regular sleep schedules and morning runs, the dark circles under his eyes left by staying up late had faded considerably, making him look much more energetic.

The two cups of coffee in his hand, one was his, and the other...

He reached the elevator bank just as he saw Liu Yanran entering through the revolving door.

She also saw Qiao Yichen, didn't stop walking, and headed straight toward him. Today, she was still dressed in her capable style—a silk blouse paired with sharp black cigarette pants, though she had a dark overcoat on top. Her hair was tied back at the nape of her neck, her ponytail swaying as she walked.

"Morning," Qiao Yichen said naturally as she approached, simultaneously handing over the bag containing the coffee.

Liu Yanran's gaze lingered on his face for a moment before dropping to the bag he offered. The paper cup bore the coffee shop's logo, and she instantly understood.

She didn't ask questions like, 'How did you know I wanted coffee?' or 'Why did you buy two cups?' She simply took it smoothly.

"Morning," she replied softly, her voice carrying the slight huskiness typical of early morning.

The elevator arrived, and the two entered one after the other. The car was already packed tightly, and they were enveloped by the crowd, forced to stand shoulder to shoulder.

The elevator ascended, the numbers ticking up slowly.

"Did you look at the weekend data?" Liu Yanran asked quietly, looking straight ahead.

"I did," Qiao Yichen replied, his voice equally low. "The curve for the conversion rate increase is healthier than anticipated."

"Mm," Liu Yanran responded, turning her head to glance at him. "Management has a short meeting this morning, and afterward, I will convene a meeting for the Planning Department."

"Okay," Qiao Yichen nodded, understanding immediately. The meaning was clear—it seemed there was important news to announce, and it was highly likely to be good news concerning him.

The elevator stopped on the twenty-third floor. The doors opened, and the two stepped out.

"I'll head over first," Liu Yanran tilted her head toward her office direction, still holding that cup of coffee.

"Understood." Qiao Yichen watched her leave until her figure disappeared around the corner of the hallway, then turned and walked toward the Planning Department's work area.

— —

10:30 AM, the notification pop-up for the work group appeared right on time.

The notice was brief: "All Planning Department staff, A1 Conference Room, short meeting."

The chatter in the conference room finally subsided.

Liu Yanran walked to the far end of the long table and connected her laptop to the projector.

"The first week's data report for the Party A project is out," her voice sounded, not loud, but every word landed clearly. "All core metrics are on the expected trajectory, and some have even slightly exceeded expectations."

The atmosphere, which had been somewhat tense at the beginning, immediately relaxed.

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Qiao Yichen sat in a back seat in the conference room, his laptop open in front of him, twirling an unopened pen in his hand. He wasn't taking many notes, but his gaze passed through the sparse figures, landing on the far end of the long table.

"As everyone can see."

Liu Yanran turned around, resting both hands on the edge of the table. Her gaze swept across the conference room, briefly pausing on Qiao Yichen's face before moving on.

"The start has been smoother than anticipated," her voice was clear and steady. "Especially the directional advantage brought by the early strategy adjustment, which has been validated by the data."

She tapped the slide advancer, and the screen switched to a comparison chart of core metrics.

"The entry point focusing on social attributes appears effective for now," she pointed to the clearly upward-trending curve on the screen. "The proportion of voluntary user propagation is eight percentage points higher than the average for similar projects."

There was quiet discussion among people in the conference room, and the atmosphere was noticeably livelier.

Liu Yanran waited a few seconds before continuing. "However, the project has just begun; the real test is ahead." Her tone became a little more serious. "The next three weeks are the critical conversion period; we cannot afford to relax."

She paused, her gaze once again looking in Qiao Yichen's direction.

"But a good start deserves recognition," she said. "Especially the contributions made during the strategy phase, which saved the project from taking many detours."

The conference room fell quiet.

"Therefore," Liu Yanran's tone softened slightly, "after internal departmental discussion and approval from the company, we have decided to provide immediate incentives and position adjustments for colleagues who have shown outstanding performance."

She pressed the page-turning button.

A simple notice appeared on the screen. There were no flashy charts, just a few lines of text:

After company review, it is decided to adjust the positions and salaries of the following personnel, effective immediately:

Qiao Yichen, promoted from 'Marketing Planner' to 'Senior Marketing Planner,' with his monthly base salary simultaneously adjusted to 16,000 Yuan.

Wang Xu and Liu Li, positions slightly adjusted to 'Senior Planner,' with their monthly base salaries each increased by 2,000 Yuan.

Chen Mochi, awarded a one-time bonus of 3,000 Yuan for the 'Project Launch Special Award.'

For all other colleagues participating in the Party A project, special bonuses will be calculated and distributed uniformly based on the project's final profit after the project cycle (the remaining three weeks) concludes.

The notice ended, and applause broke out in the conference room. It wasn't enthusiastic, but it was sincere enough—everyone understood that this was a genuine promotion and salary increase.

Qiao Yichen stood up first, followed in succession by Wang Xu, Liu Li, and Chen Mochi. The words of thanks were all similar, nothing more than 'Thank you to the company, thank you to Director Liu, thank you all for your support,' but Qiao Yichen's voice was exceptionally steady. Only when his gaze swept past Liu Yanran did it pause briefly, and he nodded.

As he sat down, the colleague next to him leaned over and whispered, "Not bad, Yichen, you're a Senior now."

Qiao Yichen smiled at him but said nothing.

The meeting concluded twenty minutes later. People gradually dispersed. Qiao Yichen packed his things and was just standing up when he heard Liu Yanran's voice:

"Qiao Yichen, stay behind for a moment."

He turned his head and saw her standing at the other end of the conference table, tidying up documents. Sunlight streamed in through the window behind her, outlining her silhouette with a faint golden edge.

After everyone else had left and the conference room door gently closed, she looked up at him.

"Sit down," she said.

Qiao Yichen sat down again, watching as she walked to the seat opposite him, pulled out the chair, and sat down.

A wide conference table separated them, and the air held a subtle quietness.

"What are your thoughts on this adjustment?" Liu Yanran asked, her tone very casual.

"Very practical," Qiao Yichen said. "Thank you."

"A 3,000 Yuan raise probably doesn't mean much to your current situation," Liu Yanran looked at him. "But what's important is the title of Senior Planner; you will have more opportunities to lead proposals independently in the future."

Qiao Yichen nodded: "I understand that."

"The project bonus is the main event later on," Liu Yanran continued, tapping the edge of the table unconsciously with her fingertip. "The framework for the entire plan was basically conceived by you. If the final data meets the target, as the primary proposer, the percentage you receive won't be low."

"I know," Qiao Yichen replied.

Liu Yanran looked at him, a trace of something unusual flashing in her eyes before quickly returning to calm. She stood up and picked up the coat draped over the back of her chair.

"The outsourcing party is coming this afternoon to discuss the placement details for next week," she said while draping the coat over her arm. "You will attend as well."

"Okay."

She walked to the door, her hand on the knob, paused for a moment, and looked back.

"Oh, right," she said, her voice a little softer than before. "Are you free tonight?"

Qiao Yichen looked at her and nodded.

"I am free."

"Then after work, at the coffee shop downstairs from the company," she said. "Seven o'clock."

"Okay."

Liu Yanran smiled, pushed the door open, and left.

The conference room fell quiet again.