“According to reports, Hongcheng Technologies’ total liabilities added up to more than eight billion yuan. How did a company that had made 174 million yuan just a year ago suddenly collapse? In an interview, its founder revealed that the direct cause was a rupture in the capital chain. The root problem was that the company had been incurring losses for a long time.
“However, the former Vice President of Hongcheng Technologies, Chang You, seemed to express a different opinion about this online. He thought that Hongcheng Technologies had failed because the company had been too short-sighted. This later led to Chang You being heavily criticized online. Many netizens thought that Chang You had been the one who made wrong decisions, bit off more than he could chew, and caused the collapse of Hongcheng Technologies. “It is worth noting that from August 13th to this day, Hongcheng Technologies has defaulted four times and has accumulated debts of about 130 million yuan…”
Pei Qian could not help but feel envious.
They owed at least a hundred million yuan!
If I lost that much…
In any case, there must have been a hidden talent in Hongcheng Technologies! It was either the founder or the Vice President. After all, both of them tried to shift the blame to the other. Obviously, one of them was very problematic.
Pei Qian researched more about Hongcheng Technologies and discovered that the company was quite a reputable cell phone manufacturer in the country. Of course, they also ventured into industries other than the cell phone one. At the start of the year before, the company announced that it had made over a hundred million yuan.
Another year passed, and they collapsed just like that.
Pei Qian looked for more information on Hongcheng Technologies’ Vice President, Chang You. At once, his eyes lit up.
Chang You became Vice President of Hongcheng Technologies a year ago and took charge of the cell phone business. A year later, the perfectly good company collapsed! The more Pei Qian read, the more this high-profile individual was his dream employee! Chang You looked short and thin, but Pei Qian could almost feel the unlimited energy hidden inside his body!
Pei Qian made up his mind immediately. It was him!
Pei Qian would put him in charge of the new cell phone business. This was the talent he had tried so hard to find.
He quickly called Assistant Xin into his office. Assistant Xin entered and immediately updated Pei Qian on what he had asked her to do earlier.
“Boss Pei, you told me to look for an investment assistant earlier. I’ve already found one. If you have the time, you can meet him and see if you’re satisfied.”
Pei Qian pondered for a moment and said, “How about this? Tell him to go to Fish-Catching Internet Cafe’s Handong University branch in two hours. I’ll meet him there.”
“Also, help me to look for a way to contact Hongcheng Technologies’ former Vice President, Chang You. I want to meet him, too.”
Assistant Xin nodded. “Alright, I’ll do that.”
Assistant Xin was just about to turn around and leave when Pei Qian recalled a very important thing. He said, “Wait a minute. What’s the name of the investment consultant you found?”
Pei Qian was going to interview the man; it did not seem right that he still did not know his name.
Assistant Xin said, “His name is He Desheng. I’ve already sent his resume and other relevant information to your email address.” Pei Qian was speechless.”…”
“Is there a problem?” Assistant Xin noticed Pei Qian looking dumbfounded and became puzzled.
Pei Qian waved his hand. “No, go back to work.”
Assistant Xin left the office.
The moment Pei Qian heard the man’s name, he felt the urge to turn him down.
He Desheng[1]?
This name was intolerable.
However, on further thought, Pei Qian realized that he was a young man who had been deeply influenced by materialism. There was no need for him to be so superstitious.
There was a man named ‘Hao Qiong’ in Shang Yang Games as well, but he was becoming rich after receiving such high salaries from the company, wasn’t he? His life no longer matched his name!
Of course, at the end of the day, Pei Qian could not turn this applicant down for no good reason. They had not even met. He would seem too weird if he said he wanted to find someone else.
Pei Qian pondered for a moment. Since the man was already here, Pei Qian had might as well bring Ma Yang to meet him as well.
If he really did not make the cut, Pei Qian would find a reason to turn him down.
Two hours later, at Fish-Catching Internet Cafe’s Handong University branch…
Pei Qian and Ma Yang were already prepared. Boss Pei’s first impression of He Desheng was only so-so. Thus, he did not harbor high hopes.
On the other hand, Ma Yang could barely sit still. He looked so nervous that one would have thought he was going on a blind date. From time to time, he looked outside the shop.
Pei Qian gently reminded him, “Old Ma, he’s a man, and he’s not that good-looking. You don’t have to be so nervous.”
Ma Yang immediately looked defensive. “Brother Qian, what are you talking about?! I’m just excited to meet a man of worth and ability! In high school, I made a resolution to learn finance. It was only because I did horribly in my sciences that I was forced to study humanities.
“That’s why I’m looking forward to meeting someone well-versed in finance! I’m filled with respect for him!”
Pei Qian faintly noticed something wrong. He quickly said, “Old Ma, you may respect him, but remember that you’re the angel investor making the decisions. You must have your own opinions!”
Ma Yang patted his chest confidently. “Don’t worry, Brother Qian. I’m so opinionated; what are you worried about?
Pei Qian was speechless.”…”
Old Ma knows nothing about himself. Is that good or bad?
Pei Qian was not sure.
As both of them chatted, He Desheng finally arrived.
Pei Qian had seen his picture and read his resume before this. He Desheng was a 27-year-old male who looked very ordinary, like any other employee in the company. Finding anything special about his appearance was a difficult task.
Generally, he lacked a strong presence.
Pei Qian was quite happy with this. If he lacked a strong presence, he probably lacked influence as well. That meant Ma Yang would be allowed to display his talents.
He Desheng did not look nervous. Perhaps it was because Fish-Catching Internet Cafe’s atmosphere was too relaxing, and it did not feel as imposing or pressurizing as most company interviews did.
He Desheng explained his achievements, but since Pei Qian knew nothing about investments, he could not tell when He Desheng was bootlicking and when he was stating a legitimate achievement.
However, since Assistant Xin had recommended He Desheng, Pei Qian trusted that he was relatively good at what he did.
The only thing worth noting was that He Desheng was currently working as an investment assistant at Fu Hui Investments. What’s more, he said that he was about to be promoted to investment manager.
When he heard the words ‘Fu Hui Investments’, Pei Qian could not help but drift off and think about Boss Li. Pei Qian wondered how Boss Li had been and when he would be able to help Pei Qian out once again.
While Pei Qian daydreamed, He Desheng finished his self-introduction.
As he introduced himself, He Desheng had kept eyeing Pei Qian. It was almost as if he was interested in the latter. Since Pei Qian had not thought about what to ask, the atmosphere quickly became awkward.
He looked at Old Ma, who yawned and nodded apologetically. “Well said!”
Pei Qian was speechless. “…”
I knew he would daydream as well. He wasn’t even listening!
Pei Qian was just about to start another conversation topic when He Desheng spoke.
“Boss Pei, I’m your fan!”
[
1] In Mandarin, ‘He’ means congratulations, and ‘Desheng’ means to triumph.
Chapter 322 - Knock Shenhua out of the Market!
Pei Qian did not know how to react.
My fan? Why am I famous even among people in the investment industry?
He Desheng was obviously excited. “Boss Pei, I used to be Boss Li’s investment assistant. From time to time, I would hear about you from him.
“Be it Fish-Catching Internet Cafe or Ming Yun Villas’ nameless restaurant, your investments proved to be textbook-worthy successes! It’s worth spending a few years fully digesting and learning these lessons!
“Whenever Boss Li talks about you, he seems to have a telepathic connection with you. That’s why I did not hesitate to apply when I heard that you were looking for an investment consultant.
“I did not come here for money but purely to learn your profound investment knowledge!”
Pei Qian finally understood.
This fellow had been infected by Boss Li!
However, on further thought, this was not bad for Pei Qian.
Since He Desheng came with the intention to learn, he would not ask too many questions or offer too many opinions.
Pei Qian subtly cleared his throat. “Let’s not talk about the past. That was all pure luck.
“Your job would mainly involve helping out with various procedures whenever Boss Ma requires it in the future. Also, you should not interfere with Boss Ma’s thought processes and investment decisions.”
He Desheng quickly nodded. “I understand! It’s more than enough for me to learn the ways of investment from the two big bosses. I only have basic and superficial investment knowledge. I wouldn’t dare to show off in front of both of you.”
Pei Qian was extremely pleased with He Desheng’s attitude.
Very good—this young man knew his limits very well.
You just have to steadfastly act as a tool, and I will pay you as much as I can. It’s a win-win situation! How great!
Pei Qian thought that this applicant was not bad, and he was just about to seal the deal.
However, Ma Yang had been flipping through He Desheng’s resume. At that moment, he softly said, “Brother Qian, how can he be my investment assistant? He isn’t even an investment manager. He has too little experience. Can we find someone else?”
Pei Qian was speechless. “…”
This Old Ma!
You got distracted, yawned, and remained silent while the guy had been introducing himself. Now that we’ve almost settled everything, you’re picking on his resume?!
Yet, Pei Qian had no other choice. He wanted Old Ma to fully display his intelligence and talents. He could not force things on him.
If Old Ma did not like He Desheng and ended up not trusting him, Old Ma might end up looking for his own investment consultant in secret. Then, Pei Qian would have a bigger problem on his hands.
After all, this man would be Old Ma’s investment assistant. Pei Qian had to spare a thought for how the latter felt.
However, Pei Qian had no idea how to persuade Ma Yang. He could only turn to He Desheng and ask, “Well, do you have any other merits? Please explain your strengths to us.”
He Desheng had thought that he had already secured the job after seeing Pei Qian’s expression. He did not expect to be put in a spot again.
He quickly listed in detail the decisions he had been a part of in Fu Hui Investments and the results he had achieved.
Pei Qian did not understand him the entire time. He stole a glance at Ma Yang and realized that the latter still looked unsatisfied.
Of course, Ma Yang definitely did not understand He Desheng either. He was only upset because he thought an investment assistant was too lowly-ranked.
Pei Qian began to regret it. If he had known this would happen, he would have replaced the words ‘investment assistant’ on He Desheng’s resume to a higher position like ‘investment manager’.
Seeing that Ma Yang remained unconvinced, Pei Qian quickly dropped He Desheng a hint. “You can talk about your other interests and strengths as well. Do you sing, dance, or write? What kind of games do you normally play?”
He Desheng scratched his head, puzzled.
After a moment of silence, He Desheng tried asking, “Does it count if I have a total of 1900 points on Gods Rising’s PvP platform?”
Ma Yang immediately made up his mind. “Good! Brother Qian, he’s the one!”
Pei Qian was speechless. “…”
He had never thought that this would be the thing that changed Ma Yang’s mind. The points a player had on Gods Rising’s PvP platform were indicative of the player’s standard. Ordinarily, people with 2000 points and above could be considered professional gamers.
If He Desheng really had 1900 points on the platform, it meant that he could easily defeat ordinary players even with his eyes closed.
A formidable player with 1900 points could definitely buy Ma Yang over… right?
It was no wonder that Ma Yang had made up his mind at once. He had been won over by these 1900 points.
Although this was preposterous, Pei Qian decided that this was the ending he wanted.
As long as Old Ma was happy with the investment assistant Pei Qian wanted, the latter could not be bothered about the process.
All Pei Qian cared about was that Old Ma could call the shots and lose all the investment firm’s money. Then, everything would be alright.
Pei Qian was very pleased. “Alright, I will leave Dream Realization Ventures to both of you, then. If you need anything, call me. Don’t be shy to tell me whenever you’re in need of money.
“Also, Old Ma, remember the investment secrets I imparted to you before.” Ma Yang nodded profusely. “Don’t worry, Brother Qian! Leave it to me! I’ll get it done!”
Pei Qian turned to face He Desheng. “How much did Fu Hui Investments pay you?”
He Desheng hesitated and said, “Boss Pei, I already said that I’m here to learn your profound investment knowledge. As for salary… I wouldn’t mind even if you just give me a token sum.”
Pei Qian waved his hand. “Just tell me the truth. How much did they pay you?”
He Desheng answered, “About eight thousand yuan. Of course, that was how much I was paid as an investment assistant. As an investment manager…”
Pei Qian interrupted him. “I’ll give you sixteen thousand yuan, with an additional four thousand yuan as a special allowance. Your monthly salary would be twenty thousand yuan.”
He Desheng looked puzzled. “Boss Pei, that’s too much! What’s more, there’s no reason I should receive special allowance.”
Pei Qian patted his shoulder and said, “This is to compensate you for the psychological suffering you will endure while playing games with Boss Ma.”
That weekend, Pei Qian had nothing much to do. He browsed houses online. His plan was to find a good real estate, pay the full price upfront, and then ask his parents to move in.
As for Boss Pei’s own accommodation…
He could probably start thinking about moving as well.
However, Pei Qian did feel quite comfortable where he was. Since he was too lazy to move houses for now, he figured that there was no rush.
November 8th, Monday…
Assistant Xin had already contacted Chang You and bought return tickets for him to make a trip to Jingzhou.
This meeting was quite important to Boss Pei. If he could hire a good right-hand man, all of Boss Pei’s concerns about the future would dissipate!
Speaking of which, the thing that frustrated Pei Qian the most was that not one of his countless employees could share his burdens. Some of them had looked reliable at first but started doing crazy things a few months later.
The only one who could really share his burdens was Ma Yang, but Ma Yang was only considered half a man.
Boss Pei was miserable.
He could not wait to find someone who could share his burdens. Boss Pei would immediately give him he
avy responsibilities and put him in charge of all the businesses!
Pei Qian was very hopeful. He hoped that this Chang You would turn out to be the man he had been searching high and low for.
At 2 pm, Pei Qian met Chang You in Tengda’s guest room. Before this, Pei Qian had learned about Vice President Chang’s current situation from Assistant Xin.
Chang You was the former Vice-President of Hongcheng Technologies. He had been a high-ranking employee, but he had not been the boss. Thus, after Hongcheng Technologies’ collapse, the boss became a judgment debtor, but Chang You’s life and subsequent jobs remained unaffected. Of course, Chang You had not been happy either. After all, he had lost his job. According to Assistant Xin, Vice President Chang was also a highly ambitious person. After Hongcheng Technologies went bust, Vice-President Chang received offers from various companies. However, he turned them all down.
That was because none of them were to his liking.
Some had been small-scale cell phone manufacturers while others had practically been producing counterfeit cell phones.
Chang You turned them all down because he had only been after serious, reliable cell phone companies. Yet, all the serious, reliable cell phone companies despised him.
Thus, Chang You remained jobless.
Pei Qian thought that that was quite good.
Wouldn’t it be a waste for a talent like that to be in the business of producing counterfeit cell phones?!
You can only reach your full potential by manufacturing cell phones with me.
As Pei Qian had been thinking about this, the guest room’s door had opened.
Pei Qian stood up and saw Chang You in person for the first time. He was not tall; he looked shorter than 1.7 meters. While he looked thin and weak, he also seemed to exude energy.
“Boss Pei, how are you?”
Chang You shook Pei Qian’s hand. It was quite a solid handshake.
On the whole, Pei Qian’s first impression of Chang You was that he was a man of action. Pei Qian guessed that he was quite stubborn and opinionated.
It was good that he was a man of action!
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