Conan: I'm a zaibatsu in Tokyo

Chapter 285 Zheng Yi is just a greenhorn.

"Could you be a little more specific?" Zheng Yi leaned forward slightly, his tone sincere.

He gently put down the glass in his hand, his fingertips smoothing out a fine crease at the hem of his suit jacket, his back straight.

He appeared to be a young talent eager to learn and improve.

Shinichiro Higashino, a senior executive at Higashino Honda Group, was momentarily stunned.

He had assumed that Sumitomo Shoichi, known as a "genius capitalist," would handle the cooperation negotiations with arrogance or perfunctoriness.

But the posture before him, so humble as to be almost pious, left him momentarily dazed.

Seeing his hesitation, Zheng Yi gently added, "Only by truly understanding your needs can we provide the most accurate and effective technical services. After all, the essence of service is empathy."

"Alright." Higashino nodded, finally letting his guard down. "Then I'll get straight to the point."

He cleared his throat, his speech steady yet undeniably firm: "First, we need to force the installation of a background monitoring program on all employees' office computers. This program has the highest system privileges, cannot be uninstalled or closed, and can even run in safe mode."

"The real-time recorded content includes: mouse movement trajectory, click frequency, number and duration of keystrokes, application switching records, web page browsing history... all operations must leave a digital footprint."

“No, no, no.” Zheng Yi suddenly raised his hand, shook his head with a smile, “The word ‘surveillance’ is too harsh. It sounds like a secret service, which is not conducive to employees accepting it.”

He paused, then his tone became lighter: "How about calling it an 'Intelligent Efficiency Collaboration Platform' or a 'Workplace Growth Companion'? We can advertise it as a safety component that enhances focus, which will reduce the psychological burden on employees and minimize resistance to its implementation."

Higashino was taken aback, then his eyes flashed with approval: "As expected of someone who writes screenplays often, even the naming is so particular."

Zheng Yi smiled modestly: "It's just a trivial skill."

Higashino continued, "Secondly, we hope the system will have an automatic scoring function."

Based on the behavioral data of historical high-performing employees, an AI model is trained to define 'high-efficiency behavioral standards'.

For example, the number of effective operations per minute should not be less than 8, and the voice emotion index should be maintained in the positive range.

"The system generates a personal score every 5 to 10 minutes, covering dimensions such as focus, motivation, and output potential."

Once the threshold is reached, an alert will be immediately sent to the individual and their immediate supervisor: 'A tendency towards passive resistance has been detected; intervention is recommended.'

"A brilliant idea!" Zheng Yi exclaimed, slapping the table lightly with his palm, his face full of approval. "This mechanism can not only correct deviations in a timely manner, but also cultivate employees' self-management awareness."

He silently added in his mind: "Too capitalist, practically an art form of exploitation."

But his enthusiasm remained undiminished: "Our AI can do that perfectly well. However..."

He paused briefly, his brow furrowing slightly, as if he had some concerns. "Won't evaluating every 5 to 10 minutes put too much pressure on the employees?"

He swallowed the words back down his throat.

How can a "young capitalist" question the advanced management concepts of his predecessors?
We should respect, learn from, and support.

"Do you have any other requests?" He quickly switched back to a smile.

A glint of light flashed in Dongye's eyes: "We also want to set up an internal ranking list. The 'Red and Black List' will be posted on the system homepage every day, ranked by comprehensive score. Those who consistently rank low will need to submit a written self-criticism."

"The self-criticism must be reviewed by AI. It must include an awareness of the deficiencies in the data, a commitment to improvement, and a reflection on the impact on the team."

Only after approval can it be publicly read at the weekly meeting.

"Brilliant!" Zheng Yi exclaimed in admiration. "I suggest launching a 'behavior reshaping program' for these 'low-performing' employees."

For example, mandatory participation in smile muscle training, voice and intonation imitation courses, and even posture correction.

AI can monitor and provide feedback on all of these in real time.

"That's exactly right!" Higashino laughed. "Mr. Shoichi really gets it right away."

The two smiled at each other.

Zheng Yi picked up the teapot and personally refilled the water for Dongye, saying, "Your philosophy is admirable."

The true essence of scientific management, transparency, and fairness lies in transforming human labor into a quantifiable, comparable, and optimizable data stream.

"With increased employee efficiency and high enthusiasm, the company naturally thrives." Dongye nodded in satisfaction.

This is precisely the truth that Honda's top management firmly believes in.

To weather the economic downturn, we need to rely on this "digital management" system.

However, when Higashino said with a hint of worry, "Our only concern is data privacy and system security..."

At this moment, Zheng Yi immediately straightened his expression, placed his right hand on his chest, and solemnly said:
"I swear in the name of the Emperor—the Justice Group will never steal a single piece of Honda's information."

Higashino smiled.

He knew it was just polite talk, but the gesture was enough.

He pressed his advantage, saying, "Mr. Zhengyi, your car company is destined to become an industry giant in the future."

Why don't we join hands to promote this AI management system and set a new standard for Japanese manufacturing?

Zheng Yi slowly shook his head, his expression serious: "I'm a rather conservative person. If Honda conducts a pilot program first and the results are significant, then it won't be too late for me to follow suit."

He touched his chest.

Oh, my conscience is still beating.

After his conversation with Higashino, he had a vague feeling that he still had humanity left.

His AI is used to maintain public order and promote social progress.

These people only want to use algorithms to squeeze every last drop of blood from their employees.

Higashino didn't notice his aloofness and instead advised, "You're being too hesitant. I'm planning to persuade Toyota to adopt this system as well."

Zheng Yi was stunned: "...Toyota?"

Higashino remained calm: "Although the company believes that this management approach is scientific, transparent, and fair."

But those stubborn employees, who fear change, cannot understand the company's deeper meaning.

If the three major automakers implement this policy simultaneously, they will have nowhere to escape. With the current economic downturn and a wave of layoffs, who dares to resign easily?

It turned out to be the case.

It's not for the sake of industry progress, it's to lock up the workforce.

Zheng Yi lowered his eyes and said gently, "My company is still small, so I won't cause any trouble for now."

Higashino nodded and did not press the matter further.

He believes that once news of Honda employees' soaring efficiency and plummeting costs spreads, Shoichi will proactively seek cooperation with them.

The meeting concluded, and Higashino departed with satisfaction.

The room fell silent again.

Zheng Yi stood up, went upstairs, and dragged Xiao Ai out of the bedroom.

While Ai looked confused, Masakazu said:

"I am such a good person."

"what?"

Zheng Yi said with a stern face, "Xiao Ai, you can't complain about me exploiting my employees anymore."