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"Starting next year, I will take on the role of General Manager of Showrooms in the Asia-Pacific region, and An Zhiren will take the role of General Manager for both the Taiwan and Hong Kong markets," Kenji announced at the Hong Kong company meeting. Everyone was happy with his promotion and career development. Amidst the applause from the dozens of people in the room, faint sobs could be heard. Among the crowd, three female colleagues from the sales team had tears in their eyes. Beyond their sadness, there was also a subtle mix of confusion and worry.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYkZisMP2Z
Following Kenji's announcement, An Zhiren introduced himself to the team, sharing his past work experience and management style. He also spoke about his experience taking over the Taiwan market three years ago and how he led the team through various challenges to become the best-performing market in the Asia-Pacific region.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJymSXBrtK
An Zhiren, a native of Hong Kong, went to the U.S. for school at a young age and eventually ended up working in Taiwan after graduation. While Allie was establishing its Taiwan branch, An Zhiren was working for a leading company in the industry. Allie took the opportunity to recruit him as the General Manager of its Taiwan branch. An Zhiren, tall and broad-shouldered, wore a sharp dark grey suit, with dimples showing when he smiled. His thick eyebrows and bright eyes conveyed a slight sense of experiencing many vicissitudes of life, and his fluent Cantonese made him seem approachable. With such an impressive background and charming appearance, the Hong Kong team had a favorable impression of him, believing he could lead the Hong Kong branch to new heights.
On that day, An Zhiren noticed the three crying female colleagues and later asked the sales department head. The department head explained that the Hong Kong team was as close as family and found it hard to say goodbye to their leader. It wasn’t uncommon for colleagues to cry during farewell events, but An Zhiren, having never encountered such strong emotions before, didn’t fully grasp the sentiment and found it rather perplexing.
Seeing how successful the Hong Kong branch had become, the Queen decided to replicate the Hong Kong experience by establishing a branch in Taiwan. With An Zhiren already working in the industry, he leveraged his experience and connections to get a firm grasp of the business. Under his leadership, the Taiwan branch’s business began growing fast. But why did the three female colleagues feel anxious and worried? It’s likely because they had heard about An Zhiren’s actions in Taiwan.
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According to information from the Taiwan team, before An Zhiren joined Allie Company, the Taiwan branch had only 16 employees. To support the company’s rapid growth, An Zhiren continually hired more staff, increasing the workforce to over 20 employees within a year. However, as soon as he took charge of the Taiwan branch, he changed the company’s vacation policy without consulting his team, reinstating the practice of working Saturdays and reducing employees' time off. He also posted each employee’s attendance and leave schedule on a large bulletin board in the office, allowing him to monitor their time off and exert pressure on those taking leave.
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An Zhiren criticized the financial department head, claiming that the Taiwan employees’ wages were too high, and constantly sought ways to cut costs. He even removed the rooms of all managers except his own, which caused widespread dissatisfaction. Yet he disregarded their concerns, continuing with his plans without any communication. An Zhiren also enjoyed stirring conflicts between departments to create internal tension, using manipulative tactics to consolidate his power. When the financial head disagreed with his budget proposals, he installed a new director above them. When the sales manager opposed his marketing strategies, worrying they would alienate customers, An Zhiren instructed salespeople to bypass the manager and report directly to him.
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The sales manager, who had laid a solid foundation for the Taiwan branch and earned the Queen's trust, became a target of An Zhiren's suspicion. He began setting the stage for a sweeping reorganization, including replacing the sales manager’s team and those who didn’t share his vision. The medical department head, known for her dedication to product quality, clashed with An Zhiren, and her contract renewal was deliberately delayed, eroding employee morale. When she finally resigned, she was met with harsh criticism from An Zhiren, further demonstrating his disdain for those who challenged him.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡldnrkQ0ID3
Taiwanese employees quickly realized that An Zhiren would never admit to his mistakes, and anyone who voiced concerns would only suffer for it. He disliked hearing praise for his employees from clients, as he believed that all employees would eventually leave, and he preferred that they remain distant from customers. To carry out his reorganization plan, An Zhiren brought over the HR manager from his previous company to serve as his right-hand confidante, and she soon earned the nickname "boss lady" among the Taiwan staff. With this trusted ally, An Zhiren’s manipulative tactics became even more refined, using a mix of harsh and soft approaches to control the employees. The team lost trust in the company, and the environment became unbearable. Over a dozen employees resigned in one year, leaving only two original team members behind.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXROGXNQAE6
Despite An Zhiren’s cold and manipulative nature in Taiwan, senior colleagues observed that his demeanor changed dramatically in front of the Queen—he became warm, kind, and humble. Was this the decorum of a senior executive, or a case of a "two-faced" leader? Only An Zhiren himself could say for sure.
After hearing about An Zhiren’s behavior in Taiwan, the Hong Kong staff felt a chill of unease, worried that the Hong Kong branch might meet the same fate. An Zhiren and Kenji were worlds apart. In the past, whenever problems arose in Hong Kong, Kenji would always protect his subordinates, face challenges with them, and work together to find solutions. He never shifted the blame onto his team, instead sharing the responsibility.
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The Hong Kong management team worked hard to ease their concerns, encouraging them to trust An Zhiren’s leadership. Foreign companies are often stringent in selecting expatriate managers, and the Queen likely considered their professional qualifications and their ability to adapt to new cultures. Excelling in one's corporate environment does not necessarily guarantee success in a different culture. For instance, a senior manager at a U.S. automobile company, known for being a tough negotiator with steel suppliers, failed miserably when transferred to Korea. His aggressive tactics backfired, souring relations with Korean suppliers and leading to his recall after a year, leaving his successor to clean up the mess.
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With the Queen’s endorsement, the Hong Kong management team put their worries aside and focused on helping An Zhiren integrate into the market. Each department prepared thoroughly, providing him with detailed reports on the Hong Kong market, and analyzing past data and future trends to give him a deeper understanding. Sales colleagues took him to meet key clients, specialist doctors, lecturers, and young doctors, strengthening relationships with local clients. The marketing team presented a five-year market analysis, covering market share, past and future strategies, brand positioning, competitor strengths and weaknesses, customer segmentation, and business plans. The medical team explained the advantages of Allie’s products and outlined expectations from doctors and patients regarding product development. The operations manager spent a whole day explaining the internal operations of the Hong Kong branch and the workings of the customer service team.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnzunvGwDz
After spending two weeks in Hong Kong, An Zhiren returned to Taiwan, promising to spend two weeks in Hong Kong each month to support the market’s growth. The Hong Kong team appreciated his sincerity and looked forward to him sharing more of his success stories from Taiwan.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDvVFJrZZS
However, a month later, the world entered the long COVID-19 pandemic. With masks, isolation, testing, and border closures lasting three years, Allie Company was forced to adapt to a new working model. Although An Zhiren’s promise to visit Hong Kong regularly was not fulfilled, he maintained online communication with the Hong Kong team, holding weekly meetings with department heads, strategy sessions, and client meetings via video conference. The daily operations in Hong Kong were managed by the experienced local team, who had strong relationships with clients and supported each other during this challenging period. Kenji, unable to travel due to the pandemic, remained in Hong Kong, offering advice and acting as the team’s spiritual pillar. Thanks to the loyal clients and the team’s strong spirit, the Hong Kong branch managed to sustain business throughout the pandemic.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzbOt7TdXp
However, as the interactions with An Zhiren increased, the Hong Kong management team gradually began to notice issues. Under pressure, An Zhiren’s true nature was released, and a trust crisis between him and the employees starts to surface.
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