Intimate Trial Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The atmosphere in the conference room was stagnant. Operations Director Javier had just finished his urgent statement in Spanish about the technical difficulties, and his deputy, Annie, immediately followed up, speaking even faster and with clear anxiety:

“Se puede decir que este chip es básicamente obsoleto, solo podemos tratarlo a bajo precio, de lo contrario, la pérdida es pesada.” (It can be said that this chip is basically obsolete; we can only dispose of it at a low price, otherwise the loss will be heavy.)

As Annie’s voice faded, the eyes of several local executives subtly or overtly turned toward Ye Chang, who was seated at the head of the long table, awaiting her reaction. Finance Director Elena even leaned forward slightly, ready to provide data supporting the conclusion.

Ye Chang’s expression remained unchanged. She didn’t even look at Annie, instead turning her gaze to Shen Silin, who was rapidly taking notes beside her, and asked in clear, steady Chinese: “What exactly does her ‘tratarlo a bajo precio’ (dispose of it at a low price) refer to? Is it selling at a discount to the secondary market, or is there another agreement? What is the basis for the judgment of ‘pérdida pesada’ (heavy loss)? Is it inventory devaluation that has already occurred, or a forward-looking forecast of future cash flow?”

Her questions were precise and calm, directly targeting the semantic ambiguity and logical leaps, completely stepping outside the single narrative framework the other party had preset—”obsolete Chip = must be disposed of at a low price.”

When Annie began speaking, Shen Silin had already simultaneously jotted down the key Spanish terms and their possible commercial implications in her notebook. Hearing Ye Chang’s question, she immediately looked up, turned her gaze to Annie, and fluently and professionally restated Ye Chang’s questions in Spanish. Based on the context she had just heard, she also clearly listed several common commercial methods for handling the word “tratarlo” (discounted sale, bundled sale, finding specific buyers, or even dismantling and recycling), demanding clarification from the speaker.

Annie clearly hadn’t expected the question to be thrown back in this manner, and with such detail. She paused, glanced at Javier, and then haltingly explained that the so-called “disposal” was currently only a preliminary idea, mainly involving marketing to small, price-sensitive clients, based on feedback from the marketing department and the price trends of similar products.

While listening, Shen Silin quietly added her brief assessment: “She is being vague, and her basis is not solid. It seems more like she is looking for a predetermined solution for potential inventory backlog rather than basing it on rigorous sales strategy analysis.”

Ye Chang gave an almost imperceptible nod. She did not immediately press Annie, instead shifting her attention to the General Manager, Diego, who had remained silent.

“Diego,” Ye Chang addressed him directly, her tone flat but carrying significant weight, “This Chip was one of the key components that Headquarters required you to strategically stockpile three months ago, based on global supply chain adjustments and future product line planning. The technical assessment report at the time indicated its lifecycle was at least another 18 to 24 months. Now, your director tells me it is ‘basically obsolete.’ Was Headquarters’ foresight wrong, was there a sudden market change, or…” She paused slightly, her gaze like a calm, icy lake, “Has there been a fundamental deviation in the understanding and implementation of the execution process?”

She spoke in Chinese, which Shen Silin simultaneously translated into Spanish, ensuring every word was accurately conveyed.

Diego’s face darkened. He attempted to explain using boilerplate language about macro market fluctuations and the unique needs of local clients.

Ye Chang listened quietly, then lightly tapped her finger on the smooth tabletop, interrupting Diego’s nascent lengthy explanation. “I don’t want to hear about ‘difficulties.’ Every strategic implementation has difficulties. I want to know how the thinking and judgment occurred at every decision point, from receiving the Headquarters directive to forming the local execution plan, and then to the current situation where you ‘must dispose of it at a low price.’ Director Elena,” she suddenly turned to the Finance Director, “Please provide the complete cost flow details for this Chip from the time it entered inventory until now, as well as any profit and loss projection models related to its disposal. Director Javier, I need to see all technical assessment updates, customer feedback records, and the raw reports from the sales team related to this Chip over the past six months.”

Her instructions were clear and specific, directly demanding to see the most original process documents and data, rather than reports that had been processed and summarized. This was like a precise scalpel, bypassing the “discussion of results” that the other party was trying to guide, and cutting directly into the “review of the process.”

The conference room fell silent. Several executives exchanged glances. The atmosphere, which had been attempting to form a united front of explanation, began to show subtle cracks under Ye Chang’s calm and sharp questioning. They realized that Ms. Ye from Headquarters was not here to listen to complaints or offer support; she was here to review the process, trace responsibility, and find the real root of the problem.

This meeting had already transformed from a “problem reporting meeting” into a “process review meeting.” And the real breakthrough might be hidden in the details being questioned and the original documents about to be presented.

“Algunos han pensado qué decir.” (Have some of you thought about what to say?)

Ye Chang’s voice was not loud, but it was like an ice bead dropping into a silent lake, creating a clear and cold echo. She used Spanish, with standard pronunciation and a steady tone, even carrying a hint of almost polite inquiry. But the content of the words caused everyone present, except Shen Silin, to stiffen slightly.

This was not an encouragement to speak; it was an ultimatum-like challenge—under this relentless process scrutiny, can your prepared, unified narrative still hold up?

The air in the conference room seemed to be drawn even tighter. General Manager Diego’s lips were pressed into a pale, straight line, his fingers unconsciously gripping the pen in front of him. Finance Director Elena avoided Ye Chang’s gaze, lowering her head to quickly flip through the folder in her hands, as if salvation could be found within the papers. Operations Director Javier’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and the sweat on his temples became more noticeable. Annie, who had spoken earlier, looked slightly pale.

In the brief silence, only the low hum of the central air conditioning and the rustling of papers as Elena flipped through them could be heard.

Ye Chang was not in a hurry. She leaned back into her chair, hands clasped in front of her, her gaze calmly sweeping over everyone in the room. There was no anger, no pressure in her eyes, only a near-pure patience, waiting for the truth to surface. It was this extreme calmness that was more oppressive than any harsh words.

Finally, Javier was the first to break. He cleared his throat, his voice somewhat dry, and spoke in Spanish, much slower than before: “Ms. Ye, regarding the specific technical status update records for the Chip… I may need a little time for the team to compile more complete documents. Some internal assessment emails may… may not have been fully archived into the formal reports.”

This was a small, yet crucial, concession. He was beginning to admit that there might be omissions or incompleteness in the process documents, rather than insisting that all conclusions were based on complete evidence.

Ye Chang did not respond immediately, merely shifting her gaze to Elena.

Elena felt the gaze and looked up, trying to keep her voice steady: “The financial forecasting model was constructed based on the market judgment provided by the Operations Department. If the foundational data for the technical assessment is… pending verification, then the model will naturally need adjustment.” She cleverly shifted part of the responsibility back to Javier while leaving herself room to maneuver for potential errors.

Diego’s face grew even darker. The statements from his two directors already revealed problems with poor internal communication and gaps in procedural execution, which was undoubtedly direct evidence of his ineffective management.

Ye Chang finally spoke slowly, still in Spanish, her voice echoing clearly in the conference room: “I need to see the raw data, the raw emails, the raw records. Not summaries, not reports—’raw.’ Director Javier, you have two hours to compile all relevant technical assessment emails, meeting minutes, and internal communication records. Director Elena, one and a half hours, I want to see all financial data flow and the draft versions of the model construction related to this Chip. Diego,” she looked at the General Manager, “you are responsible for coordination, ensuring I receive unedited, first-hand information. The meeting is suspended. Go prepare. Eleven thirty, return here.”

The instructions were clear, the time limit tight, with no room for negotiation.

Having spoken, Ye Chang stood up, signaled to Shen Silin, and was the first to walk out of the nearly solidified conference room.

Shen Silin closed her notebook and quickly followed. She could feel the complex gazes behind her—the exhaustion after pressure was released, the annoyance of being exposed, and the confusion of being at a loss.

In the hallway, Ye Chang’s pace remained steady. She stopped by the window, looking down at the traffic on the street below, her back to Shen Silin.

“Did you see?” Ye Chang’s voice came, reverting to Chinese, carrying a hint of cold insight. “The problem is often not caused by a single mistake, but by an accumulation of ‘close enough,’ ‘maybe,’ ‘should be,’ and intentional or unintentional information filtering. Only by tearing open that wrapping paper can we see what is truly inside.”

Shen Silin stood half a step behind her and nodded: “Their previous explanation was too unified, too perfect, which made it seem unreal. Your questioning of the process details is to verify whether that ‘perfect’ packaging is solid.”

“Mm.”

Ye Chang did not turn to look at Shen Silin.

“What comes next is the key. The ‘raw’ documents they bring out might undergo secondary processing. Your task is to find opportunities to contact mid-to-lower-level technical and financial staff while they are preparing. Use your methods to listen to the ‘voices in the hallway’ and see what the truly unreviewed drafts look like on their computers. Do you understand?”

“Understood, Ms. Ye.” Shen Silin grasped the meaning. Ye Chang was applying high pressure in the conference room, forcing management to act and potentially expose flaws; meanwhile, she herself needed to dive beneath the surface to explore the more authentic undercurrents that were being concealed by the management reports.

With one meeting, two lines of investigation, one overt and one covert, had been laid out. The real contest was now entering its core phase.