The Birth of Shanghai's First Conglomerate

Chapter 120 The First Day of the CEO Training Program

Time flies, and it's already early August.

Chen Pingsheng enrolled in the EMBA executive management program as scheduled.

In Beijing, the highest-ranked economics and management school is undoubtedly Tsinghua University.

Secondly, there's Peking University's Guanghua School of Management and Renmin University's School of Business.

Next is the international business school he's enrolled in.

It is one of the earliest established EMBA projects in China and is also a well-known EMBA project in China.

This course emphasizes internationalization and practical application, and is primarily dedicated to cultivating business leaders with global leadership capabilities.

Most of those who sign up for this course are middle-aged people who already have their own businesses or companies.

Or they are senior executives in large corporations.

Of course, there is another special type of person.

This is related to a joke Chen Pingsheng had heard before, which is about what happens if you have a mistress.

When you broke up with your mistress, she came to you asking for a large breakup fee.

The kind of threat that goes like this or that if you don't give it to them.

At this point, all you need to do is enroll her in a CEO training program, and instead of asking you for a breakup fee, she might even give you some.

Although it was a joke, it wasn't entirely unfounded.

This also demonstrates the high value of the EMBA executive program.

Not to mention, they were among the students with the highest tuition fees.

The class Chen Pingsheng enrolled in only had about twenty students, and something unpleasant happened to him.

Surprisingly, Wang Yanfeng was among them. To be honest, after the two exchanged a glance, the old Wang family's son sat as far away from him as possible.

It's better not to meet than to meet. Since we've already met, we should keep as far apart as possible.

The class was mostly made up of middle-aged men, but two unusual individuals stood out.

One of them is Tong Zhelan, who has an exceptionally high level of education and was jointly named the most beautiful girl on campus during her university years.

She is now an investment manager at an international investment bank. Needless to say, someone who can get into such a company must come from a very well-off family.

For details, just look at the daughter and niece of the Liu family; they are both from advanced international investment banks.

One of them went to the well-known Didi, and the other went to the much larger Uber.

There is another woman whose temperament does not belong to the category of talented women.

She came in with a somewhat aloof demeanor, but it also seemed a bit deliberate.

She would occasionally glance at the middle-aged men around her, but pretended not to care.

This is somewhat like a product of high-end socialite training programs.

It's one of those all-girls classes that specifically teaches women how to snag a rich husband.

The things taught in these classes are quite bizarre; they mainly teach women to cater to the preferences of CEOs and understand their psychology.

In addition, they will also teach a variety of professional skills.

English, dancing, and playing the piano are all basic skills.

Her name is Huang Pujun, a self-reliant and independent woman who never relies on men.

Chen Pingsheng felt rather helpless, as the woman was sitting quite close to him.

She also had a faint scent of perfume on her.

Only women in nightclubs would wear heavy makeup; those in high-end circles are all about subtlety and understated elegance.

The key is to make it look smooth and natural, without being too deliberate or overly fake.

In contrast, the Tong Zhelan mentioned earlier was completely different.

She has enough ability and family background to do so, and she doesn't need to please others at all.

She just needs to be herself.

"That's great!"

The Guangdong Stomatology Department member is a bit chubby.

Chen Pingsheng stood up and shook hands with him.

“My surname is He and my given name is He Bijun. I raise pigs in Guangdong.”

"My name is Chen Pingsheng. I sell some fruit and pork in the capital."

"Hey, we're practically in the same industry."

He Bijun is in the livestock business; he has leased many mountains in Guangdong specifically to build pig farms.

In addition, pork prices have been quite good in recent years, so his income is also very high.

He Bijun sat next to him, and he felt that he got along better with Chen Pingsheng.

There are over twenty students in the class, and they come from all walks of life.

Those working in the internet industry look down on those working in traditional industries, while those working in traditional industries look down on those engaged in animal husbandry.

Ultimately, everyone looks down on those in the real estate business.

A group of younger brothers.

Unless you can reach his level.

The first day of school was mainly about introducing ourselves and getting to know each other.

They quickly formed their own small circle, with Tong Zhelan, who came from an international investment bank, having the widest network of resources. People from all circles wanted to get along with her.

Wang Yanfeng's Feiying Entertainment has become a highly sought-after business for many.

Everyone knows there are lots of beautiful women in the entertainment industry.

After people have money, they want to do something different, so they gather a group of minor celebrities to form a dance troupe.

It's so great to have fun late at night!

In addition, Wang Yanfeng's father is indeed very famous in Guangdong, a real estate tycoon.

He thus became the second most important person after Tong Zhelan.

Two companies in the internet industry are doing quite well; their valuations have already reached several billion dollars even before they've gone public.

Their status was also extremely high.

As for Huang Pujun, he was adept at navigating social situations before setting a clear objective.

Finally, there are traditional industries like Chen Pingsheng and He Bijun, neither of whom can be considered industry leaders.

In addition, traditional industries have been declining in recent years due to the impact of the internet.

She became almost the one with the fewest connections in the class.

However, they are not the only ones doing traditional things; there are several others.

Those few people all wanted to squeeze into the real estate industry.

The small cliques within a class also fully reflect the business circles in society.

Those in traditional industries all want to get into real estate, and those in real estate are expanding everywhere.

Football, hotels, entertainment industry, new energy.

Real estate tycoons have a hand in everything.

As for the internet, it aims to overturn everything.

In the morning, the teacher briefly introduced the schedule for the upcoming classes.

The rest of the time is for them to get to know each other.

When it was lunchtime, we were given extra time because it was the first day.

The main point is to let them get together on their own and get to know each other.

"I know a really good restaurant nearby, so I'll treat everyone today." Wang Yanfeng offered to treat everyone, which was actually quite normal, since not many people in the class were ordinary.

Everyone wants to build connections.

No one will be polite, because the amount of money spent on treating someone is insignificant to them.

If Wang Yanfeng didn't own his own entertainment company and have a real estate tycoon father, he wouldn't be qualified to organize the first day's event.

On the contrary, the fact that he could get everyone to sit at the same table he hosted on his first day already proved his strength.

The person who always sits in the center position in the class.

Chen Pingsheng didn't want to go, but he couldn't resist the fact that it was the first time his classmates were having a reunion, and if he didn't go, he would inevitably leave a bad impression.

The place where Wang Yanfeng treated everyone to dinner was actually his own family's hot pot restaurant, named Juxianzhuang.

Chen Pingsheng wanted to laugh. After sending someone to investigate Boiling Sheep, this guy turned around and pulled in a few celebrities to start Juxianzhuang.

The investment is also substantial, with each store having an area of ​​over 300 square meters. Currently, eleven stores have been opened in Beijing.

This is going to be a complete imitation of Boiling Sheep.

"Mr. Wang, you don't own this restaurant, do you?"

As a sophisticated woman, how could she lack discernment?

Huang Pujun leaned against Wang Yanfeng and seized the opportunity to play along.

"You noticed that. It really is mine. I just invested in it this year, and it only cost tens of millions, which is nothing."

Tens of millions is not much, but Wang Yanfeng is proud of his traffic business, which he is doing very well.

Thanks to the celebrity endorsement, Juxianzhuang's business was booming after it opened.

Wang Yanfeng found the largest private room, but there were too many people and one table wasn't enough, so he simply set up two tables.

"Ze Lan, what do you think of my restaurant?"

"It's fine," Tong Zhelan replied without much expression.

Before the food was even served, Wang Yanfeng took the opportunity to show off his investment.

"Actually, I didn't expect that using celebrities to partner with the catering industry would be so successful. My Juxianzhuang restaurant is a hit wherever it opens, no exaggeration. I plan to open another 100 stores next year, with an estimated investment of around 300 million yuan. If you want to invest, Zhelan, I can give you a quote based on the lowest valuation for a Series A round."

Tong Zhelan works at an international investment bank.

What does that mean?

Once she decides to invest in Juxianzhuang, the subsequent financing is basically secured.

This is exactly the same as when you start an internet business and get investment from Tencent in the Series A round.

With a giant penguin leading the way, which small investment bank wouldn't be chasing after you?

"Mr. Wang, isn't it inappropriate to only let Mr. Tong invest?"

Liu Hai, who works in real estate, spoke up. He didn't care whether Juxianzhuang made money or not; he only cared about using a small investment to gain access to Wang Yanfeng's connections.

This led to his acquaintance with his father, including visiting his dance troupe at Fei Ying Entertainment.

"Haha, you're welcome to vote for me if you want."

To everyone's surprise, Tong Zhelan replied without hesitation, "No interest."

Wang Yanfeng was embarrassed, seemingly not expecting the woman to reject him so readily. It was no different from being slapped in the face in public.

There was no other way; Tong Zhelan's strength allowed her to be so straightforward.

“I’m really not interested in your Juxianzhuang restaurant, but I might consider investing in some people’s hot pot restaurants.”

"Who?"

"Old Yang isn't talking about you, is he? You're in the restaurant business too."

"You dare to bring up my little restaurant?"

"Then who else works in the food and beverage industry?"

Many people are a little curious, since the catering industry is a traditional industry.

For traditional businesses like this, securing funding from international investment banks is virtually impossible.

To put it bluntly, the track is no longer viable, and even the best competitors on the track will struggle to receive enough attention.

Not to mention securing financing from international investment banks.

Tong Zhelan looked directly at Chen Pingsheng and said, "Your 'Boiling Sheep' is quite good. I've eaten there twice. The waiters are very friendly and their salaries are high. If you want to invest in 'Boiling Sheep,' I can represent an investment bank to give you 100 million. However, I'm more interested in your other company..."

You mean Shuiyunjian?

Of all the companies under Chen Pingsheng's control, Shuiyunjian actually has the greatest potential.

Tong Zhelan nodded: "I am a VIP customer of your Shuiyunjian and have ordered your door-to-door service three times. To be honest, it is very good. If Shuiyunjian needs financing, I can personally give a valuation of 2.5 billion. I want to use 1 billion to exchange for 40% of your Shuiyunjian shares."

Chen Pingsheng was slightly surprised: "You want to turn your door-to-door service into an internet app?"

“That’s right, one billion is enough for Shuiyunjian to take over the other three top-tier cities in one fell swoop.”

Tong Zhelan said earnestly, "The reason why we want to turn the door-to-door service into an app is because I personally believe that the market for door-to-door services is much larger than that for traditional stores, especially when we go public in the future. If Shuiyunjian has its own app, then it will be an internet company."

"As you know, only by being labeled as an internet company can your Shuiyunjian's future valuation exceed 10 billion, or even 100 billion. And the domestic high-end beauty and wellness market is enough to support your Shuiyunjian to reach 100 billion."

I have to say, this woman really has good taste.

He immediately recognized the most valuable part of Shuiyunjian; he had clearly seen this point back then.

That's why they've invested heavily in door-to-door service and repeatedly emphasized it.

Chen Pingsheng shook his head: "I'm sorry, I refuse."

You bastard... Wang Yanfeng was dumbfounded. He had taken the initiative to ask for investment, but Tong Zhelan hadn't even bothered to acknowledge him.

Chen Pingsheng sat there without saying a word, and the woman surnamed Tong actually went to find him.

They even gave us a billion dollars directly, although a billion dollars isn't a particularly large investment these days.

But you should know that this was provided by an international investment bank.

If it has taken a liking to you, it means you definitely have the potential and room for growth.

Otherwise, why would anyone give you a billion?

Do you really think it's so easy to take other people's money?

Not only was he stunned, but the two people working in the internet industry were also stunned.

I've never heard of rejecting an international investment bank so directly.

She was also surprised by Huang Pujun.

She knew beforehand that this person sold fruit, but she never expected that he could also run several companies so successfully while selling fruit.

They can easily get money from international investment banks.

This is definitely not the worst student in the class. Calling him a "diamond bachelor" would be an understatement.

Tong Zhelan herself did not expect Chen Pingsheng to refuse so decisively; 2.5 billion was already the highest valuation she could offer.

After all, Shuiyunjian had only invested less than two or three hundred million, and she calculated it based on a valuation of 2.5 billion.

That's more than ten times.

Of course, if you calculate it based on its price-to-earnings ratio, 2.5 billion is actually not high.

It's worth noting that investing in a Shuiyunjian property costs a maximum of ten million yuan, but the annual profit can range from twenty to sixty million yuan.

There's a saying in the banking industry: if you can offer an annual interest rate of 100%, then you're not borrowing money from a bank.

Instead, banks will chase after you and give you money.

this is the truth.

Of course, Tong Zhelan's value is definitely not just a simple billion.

Rather, it's that she can actually propel Shuiyunjian to the trillion-level.

That's terrifying.

(End of this chapter)