The Birth of Shanghai's First Conglomerate

Chen Lu and Zhao Kai went to the market to investigate the situation.

He was notified in the group chat that there would be a large colleague gathering in a few days, which would also be a group outdoor activity, and people from many departments, including colleagues, would be attending.

April is approaching, and there are more and more group activities. Zhao Kai has also found someone he likes, a female colleague in the group.

She wasn't particularly beautiful, just exceptionally gentle. In Zhao Kai's words, he wouldn't dare pursue pretty girls; he wasn't good enough to be with a beautiful woman.

A woman who is average in appearance but kind in character is the kind of woman he should cherish.

When Zhao Kai talked to Chen Lu about these things, he found it hard to understand because in his mind, as long as you like it, that's enough; there are no other factors involved.

A few more days passed, and the group held a large-scale outdoor team building activity.

The stock price continues to fluctuate due to ongoing high-level personnel changes.

However, those at the grassroots level were not affected in any way.

The benefits have only increased, and as for employee activities, there is a large departmental gathering and team building activity every two months.

There are two departmental dinners a month, weekends off, and 18 days of annual leave.

The entire Tengying Group does not encourage any overtime culture. It only emphasizes completing work during working hours, and after get off work, it is a private life space for individuals.

It can be said that Tengying Group is the best private super giant conglomerate in combining work and life, bar none.

It has become the paradise that working people in this era yearn for most.

To enable employees to realize their work value in a happy environment.

This has become one of their group's core values.

Only entrepreneurs who are respected by their employees deserve respect from the outside world. Although my father has been retired for thirteen years, his influence on this era is still ubiquitous.

On the day of the group's team building event, Chen Lu, like Zhao Kai, rode his bicycle freely through the mountains and fields.

Many employees were also having barbecues and picnics nearby; the leisure time spent together was always joyful but short-lived.

Chen Pingsheng also rode behind on a bicycle; he, like Chu Qiuyan, had come to this team-building activity.

But a short while later, he came to find Chen Lu alone.

"Dad, what brings you here?"

"Qiuyan told me you had an event, so I came over."

Chen Pingsheng parked his bicycle to the side and wiped the sweat off his face with a towel.

Chen Lu stopped riding and the father and son found a spot to sit down, where they could see many wild ducks swimming in the middle of the lake.

"Dad, you didn't come here specifically to see me, did you?"

"If I didn't come to see you, would I be riding a bicycle with you colleagues?"

Chen Pingsheng said, "Xiao Xi is doing very well in Hong Kong. You should also work harder, or people will say that you are not even as good as your own wife."

"Dad, you never used to say things like this?"

"Yes, Dad still remembers when your mom gave birth to you, she was so happy that tears streamed down her face. Your grandparents and your maternal grandmother were the same. Your mom's biggest fear at the time was that she would have another girl. She was determined to have another boy no matter what I did. Fortunately, she had you as her third child. Otherwise, you would probably have had one or two more older sisters."

Chen Lu lowered his head. "Dad, even you think I'm useless now? I've still disappointed you and Mom."

"Don't overthink it. Your mother's only wish for the three of you since you were little was to live a happy life. You were born into a family like ours, so why would she expect you to become a dragon or a phoenix? No matter how hard you try, can you really fly to the sky?"

Chen Pingsheng patted his shoulder, "Dad just came to see you, that's all. Don't overthink it. No matter what you do in the future, you'll always be my best son. When you have time, go to Hong Kong to see Xiao Xi. She took over such a big company like Teng Hui Capital all by herself, and the pressure on her shoulders is much greater than yours."

"I'll be there."

Chen Pingsheng left. He just wanted to see his children, not only Chen Lu but also An'an.

An'an manages the family's largest businesses and group all by herself. She doesn't have Chen Lu's ease, nor does she have the leisure of Er Ya, who only works six hours a day.

Chen An'an is already a mother of two, and her personality is mature and stable.

Her past mischievous memories only exist from when she was little.

An An was one of the initiators of this major upheaval within the group, but she was still relatively inexperienced, given the large-scale changes in senior management.

She alone cannot command the situation.

Before Chen Pingsheng had dinner with Zhang Wanyi, An'an talked to him many times.

This is why we have the current large-scale personnel reshuffle.

An'an is also turning thirty this year, and her goal is to retire before she turns forty-five.

She hasn't decided what she'll do after retirement, but she'll definitely find something she enjoys doing.

She was very happy when her father came over, and she even cooked a meal at home to entertain Chen Pingsheng, while also inviting a few friends over.

"Dad, did you come from my brother's place?"

"Yes, your brother is organizing a team-building activity. He's probably the most relaxed one in the family, but he has quite a few ideas."

An'an nodded, "I'm just afraid of embarrassing you, nothing else. But Dad, I have something I'd like to ask you for help with in a while."

"What do you need my help with? Tell me..."

"I'm planning to give a series of lectures at various universities next month, and I hope you can come and support me."

Is it necessary to give speeches at universities?

Being able to give a speech at a prestigious university does not necessarily require a high academic degree, but it certainly requires a very high social status.

Without a doubt, An'an's social status is exceptionally high.

This is also the first time she has publicly attended a large-scale commercial event since taking over the family business more than a decade ago.

Besides promoting the company, the most important purpose of university commercial performances is to recruit talent.

Twenty years ago, Tencent Group didn't need to do any of this.

Their reputation was already established, even without any advertising. Countless college students dreamed of joining Tencent Film Group from the very first day of their studies.

Therefore, they don't need to go out and promote themselves at all.

"It's necessary, Dad, you'll come with me," An'an said sweetly, pulling on his arm.

"You're such a big chairman now, aren't you afraid your employees will laugh at you for still acting like a child?"

“Even the biggest CEO is still Dad’s daughter!” An’an giggled, because she knew her father had already agreed.

"Okay... I'm fine with nothing anyway. Just let me know when you're going, and I'll definitely grab a good spot."

Chen Pingsheng didn't want to disturb his daughter's dinner with her friends; he needed to go home and take care of Xiao Jiye.

After he left, An'an said happily, "My dad definitely doesn't know what my speech was about. When he gets there, he'll probably be furious." "Impossible, An'an. If Uncle Chen knew what your speech was about, he'd be overjoyed."

"That's because you don't know my father. He's too low-key, so low-key that he doesn't want any news about him to be reported. If I hadn't begged him several times, he wouldn't have allowed the group's senior executives to be interviewed, let alone reveal any information about him."

An An's two friends are, one is the daughter of a domestic social media giant, and the other comes from a family with powerful connections.

In circles like theirs, ordinary people simply cannot participate after leaving university.

Many people only come into contact with the highest-ranking figures in their lives, namely university teachers or professors who teach their classes.

An An's speech was a carefully planned event. She told Zhang Wanyi and Chu Qiuyan about it, but not her father.

The only thing is to invite him to come along, as many senior executives from the group will also be attending.

After leaving, Chen Pingsheng went to his own Mulanqing Short Drama Company, and both of the scripts he wrote were put into film.

Both are small-scale productions with 80 episodes each, but they contain just as many memorable and impactful scenes as longer dramas.

Yue Yuting will still play Zhang Wanyi, and after filming the short drama, there will be a long drama.

All of them are adapted from the real-life character Zhang Wanyi.

At the end of March, Mulanqing also organized a large gathering for the entire company.

Chen Pingsheng went to a simple buffet and waited until his wife, Song Yanxi, returned to Guangdong from Shanghai.

She will stay in Guangdong Shuiyunjian as the dean of her college; she still doesn't want to be too far from home.

Time flies, and April has arrived in the blink of an eye.

Guangdong is summer all year round, so short-sleeved shirts and blouses are the most common clothing.

Baiyun University was also bustling with activity, as April is the season for companies to come to the university for spring recruitment.

Prestigious universities often invite well-known figures from society to give lectures on campus at this time.

Firstly, it encourages graduating university students, and secondly, it's a way to showcase the university's rich heritage.

It's not surprising that Chen An'an chose Baiyun University for her first public speech, since Baiyun is her home turf now.

Outside the university, whether it's the commercial street, the Tengying Supermarket, or the five-star hotel, they are all her businesses.

An An has kept a low profile for many years, and the outside world doesn't know much about her, except that she is known as the youngest female richest person in China.

And this title was undoubtedly given to her by her father.

On April 3rd, An'an, accompanied by the company's organization department and secretary, officially entered the Baiyun University auditorium, which was already filled with thousands of people, at 1 p.m.

She wore a well-fitting dress, exuding the elegance and grace of the nation's premier socialite.

Chen Pingsheng, sitting below, applauded her with genuine joy, because it was An An's first public speech, and there were an unusually large number of important figures present.

The front row seats were almost entirely filled with celebrities.

Chen Pingsheng and his wife sat in the middle, while Zhang Wanyi, Chu Qiuyan, and Yang Qian sat on either side.

If you're as wealthy as An'an, you've long since achieved true financial freedom, able to do whatever you want and not do whatever you don't want.

This nationwide university tour appears to be a large-scale public speech she has been planning for several years.

She wanted to give her thirtieth birthday a perfect ending and also give the public a chance to truly get to know her.

An'an is no longer the little kid she used to be; she's only grown into a more mature and sophisticated young woman.

When the host introduced her on stage, he listed a whole bunch of titles but didn't say a single one.

Instead, it can be described in just one sentence.

"Next, please welcome Ms. Chen An'an, the daughter of the founder of our famous Tencent Film Group."

After Chen An'an took the stage, the host immediately and respectfully handed her his microphone.

An An smiled warmly, her face radiating a unique ease and comfort.

"Hello everyone, my name is Chen An'an. I know I have many titles in society, but the title I am most proud of is still my father's name, Chen Pingsheng."

"He was also honored to be invited to the event today, and this year marks my thirtieth birthday."

"Before today, I had fantasized many times about what kind of big gift I should give myself, so that I could bid farewell to my youth in the most ceremonial way and express my love for my youthful days."

"After much thought, I realized that neither holding a concert nor taking a month-long sea trip could give my youth a perfect ending."

"Therefore, this open tour of universities came about."

"In order not to disappoint everyone, and to make sure you listen to my rambling for more than an hour, every student present today will receive a bonus of 50,000 yuan after the event."

Attending the lecture was entirely voluntary, and you had to fight for a seat before the lecture even started, but you could also receive a 50,000 yuan bonus after the lecture.

To be honest, this is the first time in my life.

Money is the fastest way to make people revel, especially when money falls from the sky.

The faces of every student were filled with disbelief.

They had naturally heard of Chen An'an while studying at university in Baiyun; she was the richest woman in Baiyun, bar none.

Her family background was beyond imagination.

An An waved to them to calm down, and continued, "Don't be surprised, everyone. After the speech, each of you will definitely receive a 50,000 yuan bonus. Not only you, but everyone will receive one at every place I give a speech."

“My father gave me the ability to manage money freely when I was very young. Today I’m going to tell you a story about a father and daughter.”

“I still remember one summer when my father took me to open a restaurant in an urban village. He also showed me a real case of a migrant worker father and his college student son.”

"The college graduate son couldn't find a job, but he kept it a secret from his migrant worker father, saying that he worked in a big company. The father would brag to his coworkers every day, always looking proud when talking about his son. Little did he know that the college graduate son he had raised with his life savings could only squeeze into a rented room of less than ten square meters. He left early and returned late every day, and even if he was very frugal, he couldn't save even a thousand yuan a month."

"At that time, I asked my father if society was sick. Two hundred yuan a day couldn't hire migrant workers, but it could hire countless college students that they had raised with their life savings."

"My father said it's not that society is sick, but rather that social development is an inevitable process that leads to a serious oversupply of college graduates in society."

"And then I asked him, is there no way to change this?"
He said there was something to it, but the only thing he could change was himself. I did a lot of good deeds in that urban village and helped countless young people in need.

"The difficulties they encountered were just a small amount of living expenses for me, or even the cost of a meal."

"I'm not saying this to discourage anyone, I'm just telling you the truth."

"Just like how I can easily give everyone 50,000 yuan today, my father spent a whole summer teaching me what corporate responsibility means."

"He taught me through his words and actions that running a business is not just about making money, but more importantly, about enabling more people to live with dignity. It took me many years to fully understand this principle."

(End of this chapter)