The situation with the cold-faced lady had changed ever since that inexplicable blunder last week.
Last week, Meng Chang had arranged for some investors to inspect the cold-faced lady’s store. In the end, he had no idea what happened but the kitchen was in a bad state and left a very bad impression on the investors. The investment that he had been so confident about getting had also failed.
Of course, these investors would not completely look down on the cold-faced lady just because of the mishap. However, once their expectations were discounted, the investment conditions would naturally become stricter.
Meng Chang could not accept these harsh conditions at all, so both sides entered a stalemate once again.
Both parties looked evenly matched on the surface, but the pressure was all on Meng Chang.
Investors had the money in their hands so it didn’t matter how long they wanted to wait. However, Meng Chang was burning money every second!
He had been spending more money previously. He had booked the entire venue for a conference and organized various marketing activities. The cold-faced lady had to make it to hot searches every now and then, and was becoming more famous.
However, all of these were sustained by burning money.
The cold-faced lady’s true form would be revealed once the money was gone.
What’s more, Meng Chang could not slow down his burning of money. Once the popularity dropped, investors would become even more suspicious of the cold-faced lady’s true situation.
Thus, Meng Chang had to continue looking for money. Otherwise, the cold-faced lady’s capital chain would become very dangerous.
After much thought, he could only look for Boss Pei.
Meng Chang could feel that most of the investors’ attitudes were already very relaxed. He would definitely be able to get more money from the other investors and continue playing the game as long as Boss Pei gave him another sum of money to sustain the Cold-Faced Lady for a while longer.
However, Boss Pei had only given him six million yuan, not even half a month ago.
Meng Chang was a little worried that he would burn money too quickly and make Boss Pei unhappy.
Therefore, Meng Chang decided to personally make a trip to Jingzhou after making sufficient preparations to persuade Boss Pei.
He had already carefully prepared his powerpoint. At the same time, he had also worked hard to turn the statistics of the two stores profitable.
For example, he could use a longer period of depreciation for the various assets of the shop to push the capital expenditure further away, or, he could use word play to remove some of the marketing expenses from the capital expenditure. That way, the cold-faced lady would look very healthy and profitable on the powerpoint with very good prospects.
The Cold Faced Lady was impeccable in all aspects coupled with current brand reputation, cognition, trending figures, etc.
Moreover, strictly speaking, Meng Chang was not faking it. He had indeed used the correct number. However, he had modified the powerpoint and could easily lead investors astray with his words.
Of course, Meng Chang did not think that he could fool Boss Pei 100%. He was not that arrogant.
However, Meng Chang felt that he could at least give it a try and used real data, and Boss Pei was more or less clear about the financial situation of the cold-faced lady. Meng Chang had never thought of ways to get kickback from the cold-faced lady. He had been wholeheartedly thinking about generating high valuation profits.
Boss Pei would not invest anymore at best if he was not satisfied. Would he be able to undermine the company on the spot?
That was very unlikely.
Therefore, Meng Chang came to Jingzhou after making ample preparations and decided to give it a try.
Meng Chang saw He Desheng when he arrived at Dream Realization Ventures. Both of them shook hands warmly.
“Give me a moment. Boss Pei has agreed to meet you, but he just returned from Shanghai. He’s on his way here,” He Desheng said.
Meng Chang quickly nodded. “Of course, Boss Pei gave me this chance despite being so busy. I’ll definitely perform well!”
He Desheng did not say much and got someone to serve tea. The two of them chatted in the guest room as they waited for Boss Pei to arrive.
Boss Pei arrived about half an hour later.
Meng Chang quickly stepped forward and said eagerly, “Boss Pei! Welcome back from Shanghai! The legend of a small boat covering a thousand miles and a million strong soldiers take off their battle robes is really admirable!”
Meng Chang had been taking money from Boss Pei for the past few months, but he had never had the chance to interact with him face-to-face.
He could only say that Meng Chang’s level was too low previously and it was not worth Boss Pei taking the time to meet him.
However, as the cold-faced lady’s valuation grew higher, its performance in Dream Realization Ventures could be said to be outstanding. He had gradually gained Boss Pei’s favor and attention.
Thus, Meng Chang was filled with praises for Boss Pei when they met.
In his opinion, Boss Pei had gone to Shanghai alone and defeated Long Yu Corporation without using a single soldier. That was something to be proud of.
As the saying went, one should not slap a smiling face. Many people might say that they did not like bootlicking, but who would be unhappy if they felt comfortable while being bootlicked?
However, Boss Pei’s expression collapsed instantly to Meng Chang’s surprise. If he had been nonchalant earlier, he was obviously unhappy now.
Meng Chang could not help but feel a chill in his heart. This was bad.
What’s going on? Did I say something wrong?
It couldn’t be.
Meng Chang was extremely confused. Boss Pei did not even like ordinary compliments?
The corners of Pei Qian’s mouth twitched. The more he looked at Meng Chang, the more he disliked him.
I’ve just returned from Shanghai and my anger has yet to subside. Yet, this person is rubbing salt into my wounds!
However, Pei Qian was a magnanimous person after all. He did not say much and just entered the guest room with Meng Chang and He Desheng.
He Desheng had already called to report that Meng Chang had arrived in Jingzhou, hoping to report the situation of the cold-faced lady in person when Pei Qian was still on the high-speed rail.
Pei Qian did not think too much about it and agreed immediately. He had been keeping an eye on the cold-faced lady previously after all. He was very worried that he would suddenly start making profits one day and make him a lot of money. He was prepared to slip away at any time.
On the other hand, Meng Chang knew nothing about this. He thought that Boss Pei had agreed so readily because he thought highly of the cold-faced lady. He could not help but feel more confident.
He Desheng showed a powerpoint on the projector. Meng Chang readied his emotions and started his performance.
“Boss Pei, I came to Jingzhou this time mainly to report good news to you! The cold-faced lady has turned its losses into profits! While I cannot say for sure that this business model will succeed, it definitely means that the cold-faced lady has taken a solid step on the road to success!”
Pei Qian picked up his teacup and was about to take a sip of tea to moisten his throat when the teacup stopped in front of his mouth.
“The losses have been turned into profits? So fast?” Pei Qian sounded shocked and frightened.
Meng Chang could not help but feel elated when he saw Boss Pei’s reaction.
Boss Pei’s reaction was huge. That meant there was a chance!
He quickly continued, “That’s right. Boss Pei, you can see the current situation of the cold-faced lady from this graph. Our financial situation is very healthy. As long as we continue to invest more, we will definitely be able to reap rich rewards…”
Meng Chang was well-prepared. He had even made the data into various columns and pancake-li
ke images. It was a clear picture.
Pei Qian looked at He Desheng skeptically and asked, “Are these figures… all accurate?”
He Desheng hesitated and nodded.
Meng Chang’s forceful operations to generate profits were a little flashy, most companies would more or less have similar operations in order to make their profits look good. It could not be considered fraud.
Boss Pei asked if the data was accurate, but he did not ask anything else. Of course, He Desheng answered truthfully. The data was indeed accurate.
Meng Chang was filled with excitement and was prepared to show off seeing Boss Pei’s reaction.
It looked like he would definitely win Boss Pei’s favor as long as he performed well today. It would not be a problem for him to get another few million yuan in investment!
However, Boss Pei raised his hand to stop him just as Meng Chang was about to continue.
“Alright, you don’t have to continue.”
Pei Qian turned to look at He Desheng. “Sell all of our shares in Cold-Faced Lady!”
Chapter 784 - Sell Them as Fast As You Can!
He Desheng and Meng Chang were both stunned by Boss Pei’s words.
Meng Chang was about to continue speaking when Boss Pei’s words poured a bucket of cold water over him.
Meng Chang’s expression changed from shock to confusion to lost.
His usual calm and composed demeanor disappeared without a trace. He was so flustered that his words collided. “B-Boss Pei, why do you say that? You’re joking, right? You can point out what the cold-faced lady did wrong!”
Meng Chang panicked.
It was very important to get the money from Boss Pei today. However, it would not be too much of a loss even if he could not get the money since he had enough money to last for a while.
Under such circumstances, it was always right to try his luck.
However, Meng Chang never expected Boss Pei to withdraw his investment!
This news was like a bolt out of the blue to Meng Chang!
That was because what Meng Chang needed the most at the moment was not money but the confidence of the investors.
It was all to increase the confidence of the investors whether it was taking investments from Boss Pei, burning money to make speeches or generating hype.
The company’s valuation would continue to rise only if the investors were confident in the cold-faced lady and money kept rolling.He would then be able to continue playing the game, cash out and achieve financial freedom.
However, on the other hand, Meng Chang wouldn’t be able to sustain it for long with its current burning speed once the investors’ confidence collapsed and no one thought highly of the cold-faced lady brand.
Once Boss Pei left, the news would not be kept a secret. It was very likely that the cold-faced lady would collapse completely!
Therefore, even Meng Chang, who had always been calm and composed and could handle all sorts of situations with ease, could not help but panic.
Pei Qian smiled very politely. “There’s no problem with the Cold Faced Lady brand. I’m doing this purely because of Tengda’s internal affairs. It has nothing to do with you.”
The corners of Meng Chang’s mouth twitched. He felt like his intelligence had been insulted.
What the f*ck, do you take me as a fool?
We had a good discussion when you just arrived, but you suddenly said you wanted to leave halfway through my PowerPoint presentation and then said it had nothing to do with me?
Who are you trying to fool!
Boss Pei is doing this on purpose!
However, Meng Chang had no other choice. He could not possibly point at Boss Pei’s nose and scold him now, right?
Pei Qian sipped his tea. “Given Cold-Faced Lady’s current situation, there should be many investors fighting to invest. People will definitely buy the shares that Tengda wants to sell. The Cold-Faced Lady’s valuation will not be affected. What’s more, since it’s already profitable, there’s nothing to worry about, right?”
Meng Chang’s mouth gapped, speechless.
He could not refute what Boss Pei said since he made sense.
Indeed, Tengda’s exit would not affect the cold-faced lady if everything was in accordance with Meng Chang’s bragging. There would be many people waiting to take over. However, the problem was why did Tengda want to leave?
Wouldn’t it be better to keep holding onto shares and wait for the value to rise?
Or could it be that Boss Pei had already seen through my plan and was playing with me on purpose?
Was this sarcasm or humiliation?
Meng Chang froze for a moment. He could not figure out what Boss Pei was really thinking even with his intelligence and cunning. He was at a loss.
He Desheng, who was seated at the side, did not speak. Instead, he paid close attention to the subtle changes in Boss Pei’s expression.
From his point of view, Meng Chang’s Powerpoint data did hide some tricks up his sleeve. It was obvious that he had played some numbers game in the finance department. However, this was a common phenomenon. The flaws could not hide the beauty of the moon. The cold-faced lady was still a company worth investing in.
Boss Pei was not thinking about selling a portion of the shares to cash in and retaining a portion of the shares. Instead, he was thinking about leaving the game and cutting all ties with the cold-faced lady.
Could it be that Boss Pei was still firmly implementing his previous investment strategy? Even a brand like the cold-faced lady was no exception?
However… Strictly speaking, the so-called ‘turning losses into profits’ of the cold-faced lady was actually very fake. It was the ‘turning losses into profits’ of the PowerPoint after moving a lot of the expenditure into the future and deducting a portion of marketing fees. It was not really making money.
He Desheng felt that he had to remind him as his subordinate.
He leaned close to Boss Pei’s ear and said in a low voice, “Boss Pei, the cold-faced lady has not really made profits yet. It is only showing signs of making profits. Should we strictly follow the previous investment rules and wait for the cold-faced lady to make a profit before withdrawing, or should we withdraw now?”
Eh?
Pei Qian frowned and hesitated.
He was afraid that he would kill a loyal subject if he were to withdraw his investment, however, if he did not withdraw his investment, he would be afraid that the valuation would become higher and higher. The later he withdrew his investment, the more he would earn. Then, he would be in trouble.
After some consideration, Pei Qian decided to give Meng Chang his last chance.
He looked at Meng Chang. “Don’t talk about those fancy things on the Powerpoint. Just tell me the truth. How high is the probability that the cold-faced lady would let me earn money and how much I would earn?”
“Is there any possibility of incurring losses? What is the maximum loss we will incur?”
“Tell me the truth and give me an accurate number.”
Meng Chang saw He Desheng whispering in Boss Pei’s ear. While he did not know what exactly he said but he could tell from Boss Pei’s attitude that things had taken a turn for the better.
Meng Chang was overjoyed as if he had found a straw to clutch at.
In his opinion, Boss Pei was obviously trying to give him a warning to show his determination!
Meng Chang could not help but feel slightly regretful because he felt that he had made a fool of himself earlier.
Once Boss Pei said that he wanted to withdraw, his reaction was a little extreme. This showed that the cold-faced lady was indeed very reliant on Tengda’s financial support.
The latter part of Boss Pei’s question was like asking how much benefits Meng Chang could bring to Tengda Corporation after accurately grasping their influence on Cold-Faced Lady’s life.
At this point, Meng Chang had no other choice. He had to stand firmly on Boss Pei’s side and promise him br
ight prospects in exchange for Boss Pei’s continued support.
At that thought, Meng Chang immediately became very serious and assured Boss Pei decisively. “Boss Pei, don’t worry. The cold-faced lady will definitely make you money! It’s just a matter of how much you earn!”
“I can assure you that at least one of the two ways to make money can be realized.”
“The first is that the cold-faced lady continues to generate profits. As the cold-faced lady’s major shareholder, you will receive dividends for a long period of time. You will gain long-term benefits if you hold on until we are listed. The second is that once more capital enters, you can leave whenever you want. The longer you hold, the higher the value, and the more you will earn!”
“As for incurring losses, I promise you that this will not happen.”
“Up until now, every step of Cold-Faced Lady’s development was in accordance to my plan. Your investment will definitely be able to reap rich rewards without any risk of incurring losses as long as we continue to develop step by step!”
“Therefore, I hope that you can persevere for at least another three months, no, a month. You will definitely see a return! Of course, it would be even better if you could invest more money…”
Pei Qian fell into a long minute of silence.
Then, he picked up his teacup. “Send the guest out!”
Meng Chang was shocked. “Eh? Boss Pei!”
He looked at Boss Pei, then at He Desheng, his mind blank.
What was going on? Didn’t things just take a turn for the better? Why did Boss Pei’s face suddenly collapse?
Did I say something wrong?
He Desheng stood up. “Please.”
Losing Money to Be a Tycoon c1-883 Page 518