Come on, What Kind of CEO Chases His Roommate Back to the Country? - Chapter 68

After two months of screening and negotiations, the supplier for the smart system of the Senior Living Haven project was finally confirmed. The selected company, Zhilin Technology, had extensive experience in the elderly care sector and strong technical capabilities.

Pei Song sat in the conference room, watching the negotiations enter their final stage.

Everything seemed to be progressing according to plan, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Sure enough, just as the contract was about to be signed, the supplier suddenly raised a new demand.

“Based on the latest cost estimates, the system construction fee needs to be increased by 30%,” said Zhilin Technology’s representative, pushing over a new quotation.

Pei Song frowned. “This isn’t what we agreed on before.”

“The market’s changing too fast, raw material costs are rising, there’s nothing we can do,” the other party replied with an air of helplessness.

And it wasn’t just the pricing. Along with it, the delivery timeline and maintenance terms were being drastically altered. What was originally a three-month delivery period was being extended to six months, and the maintenance fees were doubled.

“These terms were confirmed after multiple rounds of negotiation,” Pei Song said in a low voice. “Isn’t it a bit inappropriate to change them at the last minute like this?”

Unfazed, the supplier’s representative replied, “Manager Pei, we’re left with no choice. If your company finds it unacceptable, you’re welcome to consider other suppliers.”

Though the words sounded polite, the underlying threat was clear.

They knew full well, with the project at a critical stage, switching suppliers now was almost impossible.

The atmosphere in the conference room grew heavy.

“Give us two days to consider,” Pei Song said before getting up and leaving the room.

Since the Senior Living Haven was a flagship initiative for SNK’s senior care division, the company had authorized project managers to report major developments directly to the president.

Pei Song went straight to Shi Yancheng’s office and briefly reported the situation.

After listening, Shi Yancheng remained calm. “What’s your take on this?”

“When I was in Singapore for research, I looked into their supplier management systems,” Pei Song replied. “I think we can adopt a dual-supplier strategy.”

He opened his laptop. “I’ve already contacted two other companies of comparable strength and asked them to prepare backup proposals. It’ll raise costs a bit in the early stage, but it’ll prevent us from being held hostage by a single supplier.”

Shi Yancheng nodded thoughtfully. “And?”

“There’s a reason Zhilin Technology is suddenly backing out. I had someone look into it, turns out they’re currently negotiating a major project, possibly with Galaxy Real Estate.”

“Follow that lead,” Shi Yancheng ordered. “But don’t spook them.”

The next day, at the project’s regular meeting, Liu Yan openly questioned, “Isn’t replacing the supplier too risky? Wouldn’t it be better to accept their new terms? We still have room in the project budget anyway.”

Pei Song shot him a sharp look. “This isn’t just about money. A supplier that casually violates contract terms lacks even the most basic commercial integrity. What kind of cooperation can we expect from them?”

“You’re too idealistic.”  Liu Yan leaned back in his chair, a mocking smile on his lips. “In situations like this, you have to be flexible. Replacing a supplier over a few clauses? That’s not worth the trouble.”

A few others chimed in, “Yeah, yeah, this is a huge project. Time is everything. If we switch suppliers now and delay the schedule, who’s going to take responsibility?”

At that moment, the APAC quarterly meeting was convening, regional leaders were video conferencing to report their quarterly progress. Zhou Feng, the regional director, was scheduled to present on the Senior Living Haven project and specifically asked Pei Song to join, since he was overseeing it.

When it came time for their project report, the CFO immediately raised a concern. “I heard the supplier made new demands? Will this affect the project timeline?”

“Yes,” Pei Song replied steadily, “but we’ve already prepared contingency plans. We’ve reached out to two alternative suppliers with strong technical capabilities and credentials.”

“Replacing the supplier is too risky!” The head of the investment department suddenly raised his voice. “This concerns the project’s core system, changing it now is playing with fire!”

“I agree,” another executive added. “Even if you find new suppliers, the integration period will take at least three to six months. The project schedule is already set, if you change now, the whole timeline will be thrown off!”

“But Zhilin Technology’s behavior has already shown they’re unreliable,” Pei Song countered.
“If we don’t take action now, we’ll face even bigger risks later.”

“Risks?” A senior executive let out a cold laugh. “Replacing the supplier is the biggest risk right now. Manager Pei, you’re still young, you don’t understand the consequences of a decision like this.”

“According to our evaluation,” Zhou Feng interjected, “The current supplier poses significant risks in system stability and security. While changing suppliers will create short-term pressure, it’s the better long-term decision.”

Throughout the heated discussion, Shi Yancheng had remained silent. Just as the conversation was about to spiral out of control, he finally spoke. “Let Manager Pei proceed as planned.”

One simple sentence, and the room fell quiet.

After the meeting adjourned, Pei Song received word, Zhilin Technology had suddenly changed its stance, agreeing to sign under the original terms.

“They gave in this fast?” Shi Yancheng eyed the message Pei Song sent him, his gaze sharp. 

“Yeah, the shift in attitude is a little too sudden,” Pei Song admitted, feeling something was off.

“Have Legal review the contract carefully,” Shi Yancheng instructed. “Pay extra attention to the fine print.”

“Understood.”

“And also,” Shi Yancheng added, “Have Risk Control monitor their financial transactions.”

That evening after work, Pei Song unexpectedly saw Li Ming and Liu Yan entering the parking lot together. The two seemed to be having a heated discussion, but immediately separated when they noticed him.

Pei Song stood still, deep in thought. The supplier’s sudden U-turn, Li Ming’s odd behavior, Liu Yan’s vague attitude… Could these seemingly separate events be connected somehow?

Just as he was thinking, his phone vibrated.

A message from Shi Yancheng, “Dinner.”

Pei Song hesitated, “Maybe not tonight, too much going on these days…”

A second message arrived, leaving no room for refusal. “Come to my office.”

When Pei Song stepped into the president’s office, he was stunned. The spacious lounge area had been set up with exquisite meal boxes, the air filled with the spicy, numbing aroma of Sichuan cuisine.

From the most famous nearby restaurant, the one that required booking a week in advance.

“Since you won’t go out to eat,” Shi Yancheng was already seated on the sofa and gestured for him to come over, “Then let dinner come to you.”