Volume 3: Fate's Escape (Revised Edition) Chapter 12
October 14th, 2002, 10:00 AM, Liheng Chang'an Headquarters Conference Room No.1.
The sky is slightly overcast, with a layer of cloud completely blocking out the sun, it's an overcast day.
Qian Lao was sitting on the sofa in the chairman's office with his eyes closed, looking very unwell. Director An Yi approached him quietly and said: "Chairman, everyone is here, Jin Zong and Ye Zong are waiting for you outside the door, shall we start now?"
Qian Lao seemed to be very weak and nodded: "Director An, please get me another cup of strong tea." He then rubbed his temples with his right hand and closed his old eyes, saying, "Also, go find a hot towel for me."
An Yi is a highly professional woman, 35 years old, with an efficient work style. As soon as she turned around, she quickly prepared everything. Lao Qian took the towel from her, unfolded it and covered his face with it, gently rubbing his eyes with both hands for a while, then scrubbed the towel against his hands and handed it back to An Yi. He picked up the cup, stood up, and walked towards the conference room.
An Yi was surprised to find that Qian Lao had seemingly recovered his vigor in just a short while.
Qian Lao walked into the conference room accompanied by CEO Jin Gangning and Vice President Ye Ziheng.
Everyone immediately stood up and gave a salute to Qian Lao, who smiled back at them. He walked steadily to the conference table and sat down in the prominent Italian leather chair, turning to face the general managers of the subsidiary companies and department heads above him. With a spirited and sonorous voice, he said: "Alright, alright! Everyone's here, please sit down, everyone sit down!" After that, he gestured with both hands for everyone to take their seats.
Just as he sat down, Du Pingchun, the deputy general manager of Liheng Pharmaceutical, said loudly: "Everyone take a look, the chairman's complexion is great! It's simply the spirit of the dragon and horse, the style remains the same, the mountains and rivers are unchanged! I really don't know who spread those rumors! Now you can rest assured for 24 hours! Hehe, Chairman, wait a moment, I'll toast you two more cups!"
Duan Pingchun's words instantly triggered a collective scan of everyone towards Qian Lao and their whispers to each other. Qian Lao smiled slightly, looking at everyone, and jokingly said: "Haha, later on I can only drink beverages now, my private doctor has repeatedly instructed me to absolutely quit smoking and drinking, I'm afraid you can only find another target for teasing today! I think, Jin Zongcai should be able to handle one or two of you, right, Kuang Ning?"
The entire conference room suddenly burst out laughing, and the serious and dull atmosphere became relaxed. Long Bao sat in the most inconspicuous corner of the conference room, also with a seemingly happy smile on his face.
After everyone's laughter subsided, Jin Kuangning, the president, solemnly said: "Today we are holding a high-level meeting of the group. This is just an informal meeting about the group's business situation. Everyone has arrived, and the chairman attaches great importance to this meeting, specially coming from Hong Kong to supervise us. Everyone is clear that recently there have been rumors circulating within the group about the chairman's health. Now everyone has seen the chairman with their own eyes. We hope that those unfounded rumors will stop here, in accordance with the principle of not pursuing them for the time being. As high-level employees of Liheng, everyone has a responsibility and obligation to clarify this within the group. If anyone still spreads these baseless rumors, once discovered, they will be dealt with severely!"
Jin Zong spoke with an unusual seriousness today, completely devoid of his usual warmth. All the attendees exchanged glances, and the conference room was silent except for Jin Zong's voice.
"Next, please ask each group company to report their basic situation truthfully. The reporting order remains the same as before, and do not discuss highly confidential information. Mainly talk about the current development of the enterprise and comprehensive issues. First, let Liheng Fashion speak."
The boss of Liheng Garment is a Hong Kong woman named Li Yuzhilan. From her slightly evasive and ambiguous words, Longbiao can tell that Liheng Garment is not optimistic. The intense competition in the industry has greatly compressed the profit space, and the textile industry's fierce competition has forced Liheng Garment to take a mediocre path. It seems that Liheng Garment indeed needs to be re-examined!
Li Heng's CEO, Lu Jiaming, was in high spirits and gave a detailed account of the achievements of Li Heng Real Estate and Li Heng Investment, two subsidiaries under his leadership. However, he glossed over the severe losses incurred by Li Heng Commercial Building. With his excellent oratory skills, he vividly described the unity and prosperity of Li Heng Trade, earning warm applause from the audience. Ye Zihen chimed in with timely praise.
This man must be a die-hard supporter of Ye Ziheng! Long Bao thought to himself.
Li Heng Chemicals is a company mainly producing cosmetics, and the boss is also the vice president of the group, Mr. Potterley. His report was very stable and calm, mainly saying that the current sales of products are obviously better abroad than at home and in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, and expressed that they will strengthen the R&D efforts of new products and increase advertising investment. This foreigner has always had no extra expression.
The reports of Liheng Building Materials, Liheng Pharmaceutical and Liheng Electronics are similar.
It's Li Heng Mechanical and Heavy Industry's turn now, the old general manager is Zhu Ben Tong, he clearly stated that the company has completely failed in the three-dimensional garage project, it has become a useless thing now, he suggested the group to adopt his abandonment plan.
Finally, it was Yu Hui's turn at Li Heng Shoe Industry. The predicament of Li Heng Shoe Industry was well-known to all, and everyone's eyes were fixed on her face, waiting for her explanation rather than her report.
Qian Lao's expression turned extremely solemn, very serious, from her eyes to her facial expression, all of which conveyed a sense of blame. Several people began to feel uneasy for her.
Qian Yuhui's tone was self-critical, and her expression turned gloomy. After detailing the various difficulties in the shoe industry, she said: "The reason for all this is my own incompetence. So I am making three requests: first, I ask the group to re-evaluate my management abilities; second, I ask the group's human resources department to strengthen its allocation of personnel in the shoe industry; and third, I demand that the shoe industry conduct a thorough audit and rectification. That's all I have to say, thank you!"
Qian Yuhui sat down, and the tears she had been holding back finally rolled down. She was clearly full of grievances, but could only bear all the responsibility for management on her own shoulders, and take all the blame upon herself. She hoped to use today's meeting to draw the attention of the higher-ups to the shoe industry, and change their indifferent attitude towards it.
Everyone stared at Qian Lao in unison, this was his property, this was his daughter! What would Qian Lao say?
Qian Lao lifted the teacup and Director An Yi of the General Manager's Office immediately filled it with water. Qian Lao gave Jin Zong a hint with his eyes.
Jin Zong immediately understood and said: "Next, please let the Vice Chairman of the International Headquarters, Mr. Zeng, talk about the situation in Hong Kong."
He was the vice chairman but also served as the CEO of the international headquarters. His burden was heavier than anyone else's, and he could be said to be in charge of the throat of the Li Heng Group. The international headquarters was the most important transit station for the group, and its smooth operation directly affected the development of the group's enterprises. However, he had a hard time speaking out. He was one of Qian Lao's personally trained subordinates, but he had clearly become unable to manage the international headquarters, yet Qian Lao wouldn't let him retire. The reason was simple: he was most familiar with Li Heng's old clients.
Mr. Chien had already moved most of the economic entities to mainland China before handing over the position of CEO, fully utilizing the policy advantages and human cost advantages of the mainland to achieve long-term development. To some extent, the international headquarters is just a branch of the group's headquarters in Hong Kong.
Ye Zi Hen knew how much water was in Zeng Hai Zhang's report, and he secretly laughed to himself, privately calculating his own plans. He had every reason to believe that as long as nothing unexpected happened, within a year at most, the position of Chairman and CEO would be his!
Qian Lao, wearing his old glasses with gold frames that he had used for over twenty years, raised his cup to take a sip of water. His eyes, which were introverted and full of wisdom, looked through the glasses and the rim of the cup, as if staring intently at someone, yet also scanning everyone in the room. They glanced past the heads of the dignified figures seated around the long conference table, and for an instant, his gaze collided with that of Long Bao, who was running in the same mode. The sparks flew briefly before he quickly looked away, finally settling on the face of his most capable son-in-law, Ye Ziheng.
Qian Lao put down his cup, and a familiar calm smile appeared on his face as he said: "Zi Heng, tell me, what are your thoughts on the current development of the group?"
Ye Ziheng was extremely surprised to hear that Taishan had called him "Ziheng" in front of all the powerful figures today, this is a shocking and unprecedented event! This is a matter worth pondering, worth savoring, worth celebrating, and worth being moved by! Could it be that this old thing has finally... developed some deeper meaning?!
Ye Zi Hen immediately straightened his waist, stood up straight, and changed the facial muscle combination that had just shown a slight disdain for Zeng Hai Chang. His five senses suddenly presented an image of sincerity, kindness, and deep thought. He opened his mouth to speak: "Chairman, President, and fellow colleagues, as I..."
At this moment, a brilliant lightning bolt suddenly appeared from the dark cloud horizon, and several people sitting by the window saw clearly that the lightning bolt was like a dragon descending from the sky, hitting the three flagpoles in front of the headquarters, which were respectively flying the national flag, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region flag, and the company logo flag. The flagpoles instantly shone with golden light! Immediately afterwards, an incredibly loud thunderclap shook the universe! All the glass was shaken violently.
One or two people who were just about to lift their cups to drink tea were startled by the thunder and spilled tea everywhere. The vast majority of people instinctively looked out, and Du Pingchun, the deputy general manager of Liheng Pharmaceutical, stood up and looked down, shouting in a slightly terrified tone: "Damn! Something's wrong! Our Liheng logo flag is on fire!!"
Qian Lao and Xue Zong suddenly had the same four words appear in their minds: "Heavenly Phenomenon Warning"!
Long Bing heard the words and stood up, looking through the gap between people's heads to see this scene. He immediately walked to Xue's ear and whispered: "Xue, change the flag immediately and stop the rumors!"
Xue Zong suddenly came to his senses and shouted at everyone: "What are you doing! Do you still have any dignity? Sit down!"
These high-ranking officials also found themselves without any rules, immediately sat back in their original positions, but everyone's heart was filled with eerie and mysterious doubts! However, no one dared to speak out.
Xue immediately called over Director An of the general manager's office and gave him some low-key instructions. An hurried off to take care of things.
Xue Zong's forte was psychological counseling, and at this critical moment, he didn't need to obtain permission from Lao Qian or Jin Zong. Xue Zong slammed his hand on the conference table twice, his tone extremely severe: "Duan Pingchun, you're always smiling and joking around, but what's going on in that head of yours? What are you thinking?! You can't just spout nonsense like this! Get out, think it over, and then come back to apologize to everyone!"
Duan Pingchun realized he had made a serious mistake, an unforgivable one! He was filled with remorse and stood up honestly, bowing deeply to Qian Lao, Jin Zong, and all the people present, saying in a low voice: "Sorry, sorry!" Then he opened the door and went out to reflect.
Xue Zong absolutely cannot let this rumor that completely shakes the military's morale spread within the group again. He must at least try to control it within this small scope! Otherwise, the situation will be even more unfavorable for the Chang'an plan! He stood up, severely scanning the surroundings, and said very seriously: "A thunderstorm in the sky, a flash of lightning, what's there to be so shocked about? Is this your first time seeing thunder and lightning? Is it worth making such a fuss? This flagpole is just like a lightning rod, it only guides the lightning from the sky down! Today was purely an accident. I hope everyone won't spread rumors outside, if I investigate and find any unfavorable rumors circulating that harm the group, I will definitely investigate to the end and expel those who create and spread the rumors!"
Having said that, he scanned everyone's eyes in turn and finally stopped at the faces of Jin Zong and several vice presidents, asking: "General Manager Jin, Vice President Ye, Vice President Qian (Tonghua), Yu Hui, and Mr. Potter, what do you think?"
Ye Zi's eyebrows slightly raised, and he immediately took over the conversation with a very firm tone: "I agree with Vice President Xue's proposal. This kind of person is simply a loser and doesn't deserve to be an employee of Li Heng! I think Duan Pingchun is the first one who needs to be dealt with!"
Wow, he's really good at seizing every opportunity to eliminate dissent! Duan Pingchun is the top general of Liheng Pharmaceutical, a Ph.D. in pharmacology, fearless and arrogant, specially poached by General Xue from a certain research institute with high salary, making great contributions to the pharmaceutical industry, and only admiring Money Old and General Xue in his life. Long Bao secretly sneered, isn't this method a bit too showy? Can Lao Qian and Jin Zong agree?!
The head of the pharmaceutical company, Wu San-kui, had long been somewhat disgusted with Duan Ping-chun's personality and added fuel to the fire: "Deputy General Manager Duan needs someone to discipline him. If not, everyone will learn from his example, and the entire management system will be paralyzed."
At this time, Mr. Potter said, "I see that Vice President Duan Pingchun has also apologized, and since it was an unintentional mistake, let's not pursue the matter further. He is a very important technical talent in the pharmaceutical company."
Jin looked at Qian Lao, who still had no expression. Jin then turned to Xue, who said calmly: "I agree with Mr. Potter's opinion."
"Regarding the incident involving Mr. Duan Pingchun, Deputy General Manager of the Pharmaceutical Company today, we have taken into consideration that it was an unintentional mistake and will not impose any disciplinary action for the time being. However, I solemnly declare to all of you present here that if in the future, any rumors or gossip that damage the reputation of our group or harm the image of Liheng Enterprise are found to be circulating within your respective departments, not only will we resolutely dismiss the spreader, but also the head of the department concerned will be held accountable!"
Jin turned around and cast his gaze at Qian Lao beside him, saying: "Now please let Mr. Qian Zhengsheng, the chairman of our Li Heng Group, give us a lecture."
Everyone immediately straightened their waist and looked at Old Qian in unison - this profit-balancing sun, although it was already dusk.
Qian Lao smiled, his smile was like the warm sunshine on a sunny day, warming everyone present. He looked around at these people who were currently in power, detecting their various thoughts and emotions - some sincere, some gloomy, some guilty, some complacent, some intentional, some unintentional. Every time Qian Lao's gaze stopped or scanned over them, it stirred up a ripple in their hearts. However, no one revealed their inner thoughts on their faces; each person wore an expression of devout admiration and obedient worship.
Apart from Long Bao's deep contemplation and distracted appearance.
Qian Lao opened his mouth and said something that made everyone curious: "Director An, please call Deputy Director Duan in!"
Duan Pingchun walked in with a guilty look on his face, bowed his head to Qian Lao and said: "Chairman, I'm sorry, I've lost face for you!"
Qian Lao chuckled and beckoned to Duan Pingchun, saying: "Pingchun, it's a good thing that young people are straightforward and speak their minds, but they must also be mindful of the occasion and distinguish between different people. Alright, never mind, go back to your seat."
Qian Lao picked up the teacup, took a slight sip, and put it down. A benevolent smile floated onto his face, as if every wrinkle, every crease was filled with satisfaction, serenity, and gratitude. Qian Lao's voice was aged yet resonant, interspersed with standard Cantonese phrases amidst the Mandarin Chinese. Anyone who had heard Qian Lao speak in the Li Heng Group knew that his words were not just instructions, but a form of heart-to-heart communication, a soulful inspiration. Listening to Qian Lao's teachings was simply a pleasure.
Mr. Qian said with a smile: "Seeing your physical and mental state so good, I am really happy. The reason is simple, because you are the main organs of Liheng's body, Liheng is full of vitality only because of you, can get such vigorous development, Liheng's present and future all depend on your correct management and guidance to employees, depend on your sincere dedication, it can be said that without you there would be no Liheng, as the chairman of Liheng, I would like to thank you here!"
Qian Lao stood up and bowed to everyone.
Most people hastily got up, they didn't dare to sit and receive the chairman's great courtesy. A few people even returned gifts to Lao Qian unevenly, of course, there were also those who wanted to get up but couldn't.
The scene suddenly became somewhat chaotic, losing its previous stiffness and pretentiousness, and everyone's expressions also began to show slightly different characteristics.
Qian Lao gestured for everyone to sit down, his expression very focused. With a serious yet humorous tone, he said: "You may be wondering why I, Qian Lao, am suddenly learning the art of bowing and scraping today? Honestly, I'll tell you, I don't like the Japanese way of bowing 90 degrees all the time. They do it with friends and enemies alike, whether to thank or to scheme against you. Their bows don't represent any genuine thoughts or feelings, it's all fake. I, Qian Zhengsheng, am different. I only bow to my friends and those who make me feel a deep sense of respect. I only do this when I'm deeply moved, grateful, and sincere in my heart. You are all old employees, think back and you'll know that I hold this ceremony in high regard."
"Only talent is the true foundation of Li Heng. In my mind, you are the foundation of Li Heng, so I can only show my respect to you in this way!" Qian Lao said as he observed the expressions of these people, and continued, "Unfortunately, today I can only express my spiritual sincerity, and temporarily cannot express my material sincerity. How about I come to toast everyone with three cups of wine later? Ping Chun, (Qian Lao turned his gaze towards Duan Ping Chun, who was suspected of spreading rumors) didn't you just say you wanted to drink with me? What do you say?"
The conference room suddenly burst into a joyful laughter, Duan Pingchun's face turned red and he stuttered, nobody could hear what he was saying. Everyone's mood completely relaxed.
"Chairman, you should really quit smoking and drinking!" Jin Zong interjected somewhat nervously.
Qian laughed heartily and said with relish: "It's rare for people to live to seventy since ancient times. The doctor's words are nonsense! If I listened to him completely, this wouldn't be allowed and that wouldn't be allowed either... even if I could live to a hundred years old, it would be meaningless! Haha."
Right after that, Old Qian suddenly changed his tone and said: "At this age, who doesn't have some minor illnesses? Even the heavens will thunder, storm, and rain, right? You all listen, speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives! Look, another clap of thunder has started!" Having said that, Old Qian pointed out the window.
Outside the window, dark clouds are layered like stacked eggs. Golden dragons swim and flash in this uneven black sea. Occasionally, with a fierce momentum, they cut through the air like a sharp knife. The thunder rolls in waves, one after another, rumbling across the vast expanse of the sky, as if it were the mighty roar of the heavens, destroying everything, conquering all. The powerful gusts of wind are like the angry breath of the heavens. Suddenly, raindrops the size of coins strike the earth with a force like ten thousand galloping horses, pounding against the mountains and fields, and all the buildings that rely on the earth for existence!
Suddenly, the sound of raindrops hitting the windowpane rose high! In an instant, a surge of heroic spirit, a sense of awe, a sense of reverence, a fighting spirit, and a hint of shrinking, all swelled up in the inner hearts of these people who were hiding their true selves.
Qian Lao's eyes suddenly became exceptionally sharp, as if they were about to pierce into the most secret and vulnerable place in the soul of every Li Heng employee. His originally aged voice was no longer aged, his originally low tone was no longer low, it was completely a metallic sound produced by the collision of gold and iron, the clash of swords! It made people's ears deaf!
"What is this? Look carefully, listen clearly, think carefully, this is the sacred power of the heavens! Reverent and fearful of heaven and earth, what does it mean to be reverent and fearful of heaven and earth? To be reverent and fearful means to know that human actions must follow heavenly principles, and one's heart cannot offend heaven and earth! What is a legal person? It refers to the norms that should be followed when people interact with each other. A person not only needs to speak of personal interests, but also of moral integrity and conscience! Even if a person does not know, heaven knows; even if I do not know, the earth knows!"
Qian Lao picked up his cup, ready to drink tea, but put it down again. He took out a cigar from his pocket and sniffed it under his nose before putting it back. Then he pulled out an exquisite Yunyan cigarette and lit it up in front of everyone, taking a drag. Qian Lao exhaled a mouthful of clear smoke, and after the smoke dispersed, his expression returned to its usual calm state. His voice resumed its classic cadence: "Team spirit is one of Li Heng's most excellent traditions. The stability of team emotions is a prerequisite for Li Heng's development. The adhesive that holds the team together is the sense of belonging that all employees have towards Li Heng, that feeling of being part of a family. You are all working hard outside, as members of Li Heng, you are not only living and developing for yourselves, but also have a responsibility to devote more energy to the development and growth of the company, and to care about the well-being of your fellow employees. You must work together to maintain the stability of Li Heng's overall situation."
Qian Lao's heart ached sharply, he knew that all this had a direct relationship with his own unfilial descendants, but now the most crucial thing was to guard against those excellent talents who had not yet fallen deeply, otherwise it would be ineffective. Moreover, this must be done in accordance with his usual style!
"A true entrepreneur should focus solely on the business, and never engage in internal power struggles or form cliques! As the old saying goes: 'No one is perfect, but those who learn from their mistakes are truly great.' If you choose to let it go, then I will too." Qian Lao extinguished his cigarette butt in the ashtray and said: "I once visited Suzhou, where I saw a couplet at the Accumulated Merit Hall that left a deep impression on me. Listen carefully: the top line says 'Accumulating virtues is like building a mountain, gaining an inch is an inch, gaining a foot is a foot.' The bottom line says 'Cultivating virtues without intention, planting beans yields beans, planting melons yields melons.' I hope this couplet will be our common motto for self-reflection."
Long Bao sat in the corner of Conference Room No. 1 at Li Heng's headquarters, as if appreciating a work of art, listening to the old man's magnificent speech. He truly felt that the old man's speech was like a thunderous drumbeat that shocked the heavens and earth, greatly awakening those who were still wandering in their dreams, and also like a sharp scalpel, ruthlessly cutting away the malignant tumors within the hesitant ones!
The old man not only took the first step in implementing the Chang'an plan, but also uniquely and outstandingly played the overture of this symphony! Believe that the effect far exceeds one's own expectations.
Everyone listened with their own different mindset, had their own different thoughts and feelings, and struggled to reconcile the pre-existing concepts in their inner world. Everything cannot be accurately described by language.
Qian Lao knew it was about time to change the subject, so he lit another cigarette and spoke in a tone of disappointment to Qian Tonghua, the vice president of Li Heng Group and his eldest son: "Qian Tonghua, you're the vice president of the group. How many things do you participate in managing every day? Tell me! Tell everyone here! Look at your brother-in-law, Zi Heng. Wasn't he busy with company matters that day? Wasn't he rushing around for company business? If you, Qian Tonghua, had half of your brother-in-law's diligence and seriousness, managed your own business well, I, Qian Zhengsheng, could die in peace! How much longer do you want me to worry about you?"
Everyone's eyes involuntarily fell on Qian Tonghua and Ye Ziheng, and their minds naturally rose to the same judgment.
Only a few thoughtful people secretly thought: Why did Mr. Qian say something that could only be privately reprimanded to his son in front of so many high-level employees today? Isn't this intentionally embarrassing Vice President Qian? Is Mr. Qian comparing Vice Presidents Ye and Qian at such a high-level meeting just a momentary impulse, or is there another deeper meaning? Could it be...?
Qian Tonghua's face turned blue and white, his whole body felt uncomfortable, he really wanted to shout at his old man: Enough!, but he didn't have the guts, even if he had twenty-four guts, he wouldn't dare to talk back to his father, he was deeply afraid.
Ye Zi Heng felt a thrill in his heart, it was exactly the same as that temporary feeling, floating, floating, becoming an immortal! You know, to get old man's praise is even harder than ascending to heaven!
Qian Tonghua's wife, Ah Rong, stared at Ye Zihen with an extremely venomous gaze, who was sitting across from her and couldn't hide his triumphant smile!
Qian Tonghua also shot a venomous glance at Ye Ziheng, and then in his heart, he had already ruthlessly **ed Ye Ziheng's mother, sister, and possibly even his mistress three hundred and eighty times!
Qian Lao narrowed his eyes, scanning the expressions of everyone in the room through his old glasses, especially paying attention to Ye Ziheng and Qian Tonghua's emotional displays. He then turned his gaze to Long Bao, who was sitting upright with a serious expression, but whose mouth still had a hint of hidden smile, like a playful fish swimming subtly, appearing and disappearing in Qian Lao's eyes.
Qian Lao continued to direct his words at his youngest daughter, Qian Yu Hui. His tone turned helpless and had a hint of the sorrowful tone that old people often have, saying: "The shoe industry company was founded by my wife, Qian Zheng Sheng, with her own blood and sweat, and has contributed greatly to the growth of Li Heng." Mr. Qian held up a document from his face with his left hand and threw it onto the office desk, "I really didn't expect that the current situation in the shoe industry would be so shocking! What do these parasites, these people who reap without sowing, want to do?"
"Qian Lao pointed to the document with his cigarette hand, knocking it a few times, strong and powerful. The kind of righteous indignation, the kind of determination to see it through, was evident in his tone. 'Investigate, investigate thoroughly! Kuang Ning, as the group's CEO, this matter must be investigated until the truth is revealed! I think the regulatory department has also been neglecting its basic duties. This time, we'll form a special business investigation team from the group's various enterprises, and you, Zi Heng, and Guo Wei will decide on the personnel. I'll wait for your news in Chang'an! Qian Yu Hui, write me a detailed report.'"
"Money can't buy happiness, but poverty can't either. As I look back on my 70 years of life experience, this saying is indeed true. However, the key is that a gentleman loves wealth, but must acquire it in a proper way. If I had to choose between talent and money, I would definitely choose talent. So, I'd like to make a promise to all of you here today: as long as you continue to serve Li Heng with your abilities, I will give you returns that match your value. Li Heng is your home, it's your true haven! That's all I have to say, thank you!"
Applause erupted, seemingly covering up the sound of wind and rain outside the window.
Qian Lao returned to the chairman's office, and Director An Yi of the general manager's office followed in. Qian Lao gestured for her to close the door.
As soon as the door was closed, Qian Lao's face suddenly looked exhausted and his spirit was extremely worn out. An Yi secretly found it strange but didn't dare to say anything. She entered the bathroom, quickly twisted a warm towel, preparing to hand it over to Qian Lao, but was surprised to find that he had already fallen asleep on the sofa!
An Yi gently took out a small thin quilt and carefully covered Qian Lao's body, then quietly closed the door and left.
Qian Lao suddenly opened his eyes!
Qian Lao's current display of health in front of everyone has shattered all versions of the rumors about his physical condition, and it seems that overnight the rumors have completely melted away like snow in the scorching sun. No one dares to spread them again. Ordinary employees all believe that Qian Lao's body is now very good. However, after some of Qian Lao's words at the meeting were circulated, they triggered another round of discussion among employees behind his back:
"Looking at Qian Lao's attitude, it seems that Qian Lao is indeed planning to pass on the position to Vice President Ye."
"It's hard to say, but Qian Lao's body is still so robust, and he's only 72 years old. Can he give up the highest position of power? It also seems unlikely that he will pass on the position to his son-in-law!"
"Qian Tonghua is still a vice president after all, although he doesn't have as much real power as Ye Vice President, but he's still Old Qian's biological son! And Old Qian only has one grandson, Qian Yu Fan, born to Vice President Qian!"
"It seems that Vice President Ye and Vice President Qian are going to have a fight! I think we're just born to be working class, who becomes the chairman doesn't make a difference? This is muddy water, better not get involved! Old Qian has his own ideas, offending either side won't be good!"
"Qian Lao's anger was like a thunderbolt! What a coincidence! That day, his mother's company was hit by a lightning strike! It's absolutely incredible! Qian Lao must have been highly alert to many problems in the group now! Perhaps Qian Lao still holds a grudge against the group's logo flag catching fire that day!"
"Sure enough, they're cracking down on the shoe industry! If things don't go well, everyone will be fired! Think about it, the chairman is personally overseeing the inspection in Chang'an for the first time ever!"
……
For a time, within the high-level management of the group, numerous extremely small-scale underground discussions unfolded, with everyone repeatedly speculating and studying the various wonderful scenes from the October 14th high-level meeting, each weighing their own plans for action, each plotting their own ideological preparations.
Ye Ziheng thought this was the best opportunity to strike at Qian Tonghua and Qian Yuhui, so he immediately arranged for capable personnel to enter the business investigation team. Xue proposed that in order to better draw attention from various enterprises within the group to the shoe industry's problems and to learn from their experiences, each subordinate enterprise must combine different departments and divisions to send out excellent talents to participate. Thus, Jin Kuanning, Ye Ziheng, and Xue Guowei researched in the general manager's office until late at night before finally determining the candidates and establishing the entire investigation procedure.
Long Wan was informed by Xue Zong on the second day that he had been appointed as a special assistant to the chairman by Qian Lao, but this identity could not be made public and only three people, Jin Zong, Xue Zong, and Qian Lao knew. During this period, he still had to continue cooperating with the business investigation team in the shoe industry for investigation.
Long Bao has been authorized to access all company secrets, and now he is even more confident. He naturally understands the intention of this cooperation with the investigation. That night, Xue Zong had another long conversation with Long Bao, further perfecting the tactical details.
Kang Dingzhuang, Qian Lao's driver and bodyguard, was a retired soldier from the Central Guard Regiment. He was a fellow townsman of Kang Tie from Henan Province. After being demobilized from Beijing for making a mistake, he was assigned to work as a chauffeur at the local municipal party committee. Displeased with the behavior of the local leaders, he defected to Kang Tie in a fit of anger. Four years ago, one day soon after he started working, Zhou Qing and Kang Tie were practicing martial arts on the training ground when they encountered him. After being discovered by Qian Lao, who appreciated his skills, he was hired as a driver and bodyguard after a period of observation. Qian Lao even helped him obtain a Hong Kong labor export permit, granting him temporary residence in Hong Kong.
He is familiar with most of the intelligence technology, and the bug was discovered by him half a year ago! He even found out through secret filming that two maids in Qian Lao's house had suspicious behavior five months ago.
Qian Lao accepted Kang Dingzhuang's suggestion, on the one hand, he had to remain silent and let them eavesdrop, on the other hand, he also wanted to send a professional detective agency to investigate, but unfortunately, there was little progress. The feedback from the United States only knew that Jiao Rongsen had some shares in a newly established capital management company in the United States. The company's main business was financial investment, and its scale was not large, with a registered capital of only $25 million. Currently, the total amount of capital managed by the company is less than $100 million, which means that Jiao Rongsen's principal can be at most $4 million.
According to Qian Lao, Jiao Rongsen was seriously injured in the attack five years ago and caused other investors to lose heavily due to his stubbornness. It is said that Jiao Rongsen had to use all his strength to get things back on track. Normally, Jiao Rongsen didn't have the power to launch a counterattack against Li Heng. The investigation did not yield much in the following days, but Qian Lao did not give up and continued to investigate. Two months ago, Qian Lao discovered that Jiao Rongsen had again won over investors and controlled several economic entities through a company, all of which had some business connection with Li Heng Group! On the surface, Li Heng looked prosperous, but in reality, it was already struggling internally and externally. Only then did Qian Lao become highly alert and realize that Jiao Rongsen's attack this time might be aimed at destroying himself.
Qian Lao could only adopt a numb tactic towards Jiao Rongsen's personality, pretending to be confused about everything, and continue to secretly investigate. However, he found that the investigation could no longer go deeper, completely unable to infiltrate Jiao Rongsen's management team, and unable to obtain more valuable intelligence.
Unexpectedly, Jiao Rongsen actually started a public challenge! However, it's also good that it gave me a reason to re-manage the group's daily affairs. Undoubtedly, my current performance won't trigger Jiao Rongsen's vigilance and won't launch a preemptive strike, but the time available for use is extremely limited, who knows when his attack will be?
He basically agrees with Longpo's Chang'an plan strategy, at least for now, this is the only optional strategic plan, which has optimized all strategic resources and is more deceptive than his own thoughts, and believes it will be more effective.
San Francisco City in America
Jiao Sen likes it here, he doesn't know why, just because he likes the Chinese translation of this city's name "Old Gold Mountain", he likes money, especially gold, he likes mountains, because his name "Sen" uses the mountain radical, and he thinks forests can only thrive on mountains.
He met a numerology master in Taiwan after his last revenge failed, and this master completely conquered him with just a few simple words. This master is a super monster who doesn't want money, claiming to specialize in the study of yin and yang, only needing a secluded villa in the mountains, and every three days, a skin-whitening **. This master is truly worth tens of thousands! He is proficient in Mei Hua Yi Shu and Qi Men Dun Jia, basically able to predict major fluctuations in the financial market, and even knows how to change his own luck!
He spared no expense to hire this expert, satisfying all of the expert's demands, and the returns were incredibly rich! He rather regretted why he didn't get to know this expert earlier.
He lay on a traditional Chinese rattan chair, gazing out at the sea, analyzing the intelligence information he had just received from several different channels: This old turtle is playing his usual mind games again, and still has the nerve to hold some high-level meeting! I really don't know how much longer he can keep this up before he kicks the bucket! It's as if heaven itself is helping me out! Heaven is even striking him with lightning! How ridiculous that this old ghost is spouting nonsense theories to his underlings, and soon he'll find out what real rumors are all about! Even more laughable is that he still wants to play some kind of "stingray plan"! It's really killing me!
What a pity that I couldn't see this old devil's face when he got a stroke! However, you mustn't die, Jiao Rongsen still needs to see his own miserable state with his own eyes! He must also personally taste the flavor of family destruction and human extinction! I will return the pain I experienced a hundredfold onto your body, onto your whole family's body!
……
San Francisco, San Francisco, clothes are not as good as new ones, people are not as good as old ones! Sisters, wives, I, Jiao Rong Sen, must give you an account, comfort your spirits in heaven!
Jiao Rong Sen gazed out at the sea, wishing he could see all the way to the other side of the Pacific Ocean, wishing he could immediately tear off every last bit of flesh from Qian Zheng Sheng's body with his teeth!
The vast ocean did not understand his emotions, the sunset was decorating the color of the waves with a dynamic flashing light, yachts, seagulls, and white clouds were still performing the exquisite beauty of the sea in this dusk scene, as if a gentle breeze blew by, whispering "Soul returns"!
On the afternoon of October 15th, Ye Zi Hen specially arranged a dinner party to reward his loyal subordinates who were selected to participate in the special business investigation group. These people are all promising candidates for future use. Moreover, he had to personally instruct them on how to grasp the "degree" and rhythm of this investigation, which is crucial!
First, each person was given a red envelope with 168 yuan as a gift. Then came the toast and encouragement, followed by face-to-face investigation guidance, telling them the direction of the survey, etc., arranging responsible personnel selection, clarifying reporting procedures, and finally leaving behind the person in charge, Yao Feng, to instruct and hand over.
