Li Yang was the boss, so people spoke to him politely. But the calls Dan Biao and Zhang Li received were often from people on the front lines, who were far more direct. Take Li Lei, the operations manager at Wanlong Square, for instance. The guy was known for his sharp tongue. He had called Dan Biao and said, "President Shan, everyone used to say Futong Commerce was so impressive. Now I'm starting to understand why. How else, if not for some truly extraordinary talent, could you manage to generate one-fiftieth of the sales of your competitor while running the very same brand? This is a classic case study that should be written into brand management textbooks."
He finished his taunt by adding, "So don't come asking us about marketing events or resource subsidies in the future. Any resources we have could create far greater value if given to another vendor."
