I'm in the county town, and you say I'm a big shot?

Chapter 797 If the IPO would affect the smooth progress of the pilot program, we would rather postpone the listing!
Gan Jiawei's speech was concise and to the point, his voice remarkably clear in the quiet conference room: "Looking at the financial statements, the profit margin in the Jinghai region is not negative, which is commendable, but there is still a significant gap compared to the Lanling region. The most crucial point now is that the Hong Kong Stock Exchange is working on revising its rules, and Ele.me may become the first company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with both A and B shares!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a slight commotion arose in the conference room. Several executives unconsciously sat up straight, some rubbing their pens, while others exchanged excited glances with their colleagues.

Sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting dappled shadows on the gleaming conference table, and an irrepressible excitement seemed to fill the air.

Yes, the first one!
This is not only a great honor for Ele.me, but also means real benefits for the executives present!
In addition to Wang Chenyang, the founding team and other senior executives all hold shares in the company to varying degrees under the company's equity incentive plan.

Once the IPO is successful and the equity is realized, not only will the four founding team members become billionaires, but the rest will immediately become several multimillionaires.

How could such a prospect not stir the hearts of those present?
“Therefore, I believe the most fundamental and important task right now is the IPO!” Gan Jiawei continued. “In order to make the financial statements look better and achieve higher stock prices in the future, I suggest suspending the social security pilot program for food delivery riders, or at least not expanding the scope of the pilot program.”

These words resonated with some people, some nodding slightly and others echoing in hushed tones. However, Wang Chenyang frowned; he knew clearly that this was definitely not Fang Qingye's idea.

After Gan Jiawei finished speaking, Wang Chenyang looked directly at him and asked, "Mr. Gan, if we suspend the pilot program as you suggested, will this pilot program continue after the IPO is successful?"

“If the timing is right, we can continue to move forward,” Gan Jiawei replied cautiously.

A smile appeared on Wang Chenyang's lips as he said, "Boss Gan, according to you, the core purpose is actually to embellish the financial statements and ensure Ele.me's smooth listing, right?"

“That’s right. As the CFO, Mr. Wang, you should understand this better, right?” Gan Jiawei countered.

At this point in their conversation, Fang Qingye slowly put down his teacup, the ceramic striking the table with a crisp sound. He calmly continued the conversation:
"Let me interject: if our only goal is to embellish our financial statements, how should we respond during the IPO process when shareholders and investors ask whether the company will actively promote the social security pilot program after listing?"

“Well…” Gan Jiawei paused slightly before answering, “I just said that we can restart when conditions are right and the timing is right. I think this answer should be enough to answer investors’ inquiries.”

Fang Qingye picked up her teacup, took a sip of tea, and said nothing.

He knew perfectly well that Gan Jiawei was pretending to be ignorant!
They fundamentally do not want to restart the pilot program!
Relaunching after listing? Not to mention the opposition from major shareholders, the market will inevitably respond with a sharp drop in stock price, at which point public opinion and pressure will flood Ele.me's top management.

Gan Jiawei's business development capabilities are beyond doubt. Whether at Alibaba, Meituan, or now Ele.me, he has demonstrated outstanding market development skills.

But his stubbornness on this issue is puzzling—is it due to his personal stance, or is it because, as a director, he must represent Alibaba?

It seems I need to communicate with Ma Yun beforehand.

Fang Qingye thought to himself.

Although Fang Qingye didn't immediately reveal this, Wang Chenyang wasn't willing to give up. He looked directly at Gan Jiawei and said:
"Mr. Gan, your words sound far too perfunctory. 'Conditions are ripe, the timing is right'? Once we go public, the pressure on our profits will only increase. What will the market do if we suddenly announce the restart of the pilot program, leading to a reduction in profits? To put it bluntly, this is just an excuse; you don't actually intend to restart it at all, right? We're all colleagues in the same trench, why beat around the bush like this?" The atmosphere in the meeting room suddenly became awkward. Someone coughed softly, someone adjusted their posture uncomfortably, and sunlight streamed through the gaps in the blinds, casting long, thin shadows on Gan Jiawei's slightly tense face.

He stared at Wang Chenyang.

Who's in the same trench as you?!
Did you collect your salary and bonus through Ele.me? No, you collected it through Tuofang Technology!

The company's profits and losses theoretically have absolutely nothing to do with you!
Moreover, I've heard that Tuofang Technology is also preparing to become a shareholding company and will adopt an equity incentive mechanism for outstanding employees. You, Wang Chenyang, will definitely be included!
Gan Jiawei muttered to himself, but he didn't say it out loud. After all, the two were colleagues, and although they didn't get along very well, they hadn't fallen out yet.

Also, Fang Qingye was present!

Fang Qingye is no longer just the chairman of Ele.me; he's a true big shot!
In Wuzhen, he can argue with Ma Yun's views during the day, take a boat trip with the two Mas at night, and even gather a group of internet bigwigs to have tea at his nursery—who can compare to his status in the industry?

Other executives present also joined the discussion. Some supported Wang Chenyang's point of view, while others agreed with Gan Jiawei's proposal. The debate was lively and noisy.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" CEO Zhang Xuhao tapped the table at the opportune moment: "Our topic today is to discuss Deng Ye's report, not to debate the IPO."

As he grew older, Zhang Xuhao's prestige within the company increased day by day. He was no longer the young college student who was at a loss when faced with problems.

His words gradually quieted everyone present, and they refocused their attention on the report in front of them.

As the discussion drew to a close, Fang Qingye delivered a concluding speech. He surveyed the room, his gaze calm and resolute:
"First of all, I would like to commend the team led by Deng Ye for their performance in the pilot program this year. They overcame numerous difficulties and successfully achieved their goals."

"Secondly, this report shows that our pilot program was successful. Although it affected the company's short-term profits to some extent, the social benefits it achieved are undeniable. As the report states, the 'Ele.me Jinghai Model' has become a benchmark in the field of protecting workers' rights in the platform economy, significantly enhancing Ele.me's brand reputation and social responsibility image. This is crucial for a company like Ele.me, which has influence nationwide."

"As for the questions that everyone was discussing earlier, such as whether the pilot program should continue and whether it should make way for IPOs, I can now give a clear answer." Hearing Fang Qingye say this, everyone in the conference room looked at him intently.

The conference room was so quiet that the faint sound of the air conditioner running could be heard, and everyone held their breath.

"My stance is that the pilot program must continue and be expanded as originally planned. As for whether this will affect the IPO, I admit that it will."

“However,” his voice was firm and clear, “we absolutely cannot stop the pilot program just because we want to go public. On the contrary—if an IPO would hinder the smooth progress of the pilot program, we would rather postpone the listing!”

(End of this chapter)