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

Chapter 836, 835: Was it President Gao's idea to send a risk director his own, or President Chen's?

At 7:50 a.m. the next morning, Gao Pan arrived on the top floor of the Nanxin Bank Building on time. He took a deep breath, straightened his suit, and went to the door of the bank manager's office. He gently knocked on the half-open door, where the temporary secretary, Zhou Yu, was sitting.

"Good morning, President Gao." Zhou Yu stood up and greeted him, "Please wait a moment while I inform President Fang."

Zhou Yu quickly went into the inner room and came out less than a minute later.

"Gao Xing, Fang Xing is waiting for you. Please come in."

Gao Pan pushed open the door and entered, only to see Fang Qingye standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window talking on the phone. When she saw him come in, she gestured for him to sit down on the sofa in the reception area.

Zhou Yu smiled and brought him a cup of freshly brewed Longjing tea, saying softly, "President Gao, please have some tea."

"Thank you."

Fang Qingye quickly ended the call and came over. He didn't sit in the main seat, but casually sat on the single sofa next to Gao Pan. This subtle gesture made Gao Pan's tense nerves relax a little.

"Fang Xing, good morning," Gao Pan greeted him quickly.

"Good morning." Fang Qingye smiled. "You must have had a long journey coming all the way from Wuyang."

"It's no trouble at all, it's my duty," Gao Pan hurriedly replied.

"Did you go to the chicken farm in Liujiaying Village yesterday?" Fang Qingye picked up her teacup and asked casually, "How did it go?"

Gao Pan was slightly startled, not expecting Fang Qingye to be so knowledgeable about such specific business matters. He immediately replied, "Yes, I've conducted an on-site investigation. It is indeed affected by avian influenza, which is considered force majeure. The farmers are very proactive and are trying their best to help themselves. I think we can grant them a six-month loan extension to help them overcome this difficulty."

Fang Qingye nodded. "This is the right thing to do. It upholds principles and reflects our bank's social responsibility and compassion." He then changed the subject.

"I've called you here today to talk to you about Jinghai Bank's plan to set up a branch in Pengcheng. Pengcheng is a big city and a special economic zone, so its environment and policies are quite different from those in the inland areas. You are a top student who graduated from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and I'd like to hear your thoughts on setting up the Pengcheng branch. Speak freely and say whatever comes to mind."

Gao Pan knew the crucial moment had arrived. He sat up straight, pretended to ponder for a moment, and then laid out his carefully considered plan:

“Fang Xing, I believe that Pengcheng Branch cannot follow the old path of traditional banks. Its positioning must be differentiated, and its core target customer group should be the most dynamic technology startups in Pengcheng and the private equity funds behind them.”

He paused, and seeing Fang Qingye listening attentively, continued, "Therefore, I suggest focusing on developing 'investment-loan linkage' business. For example, for companies that have received investment from well-known venture capital institutions, we can provide credit loans, forming a combination of 'equity + debt'. We can even establish closer cooperation with Guofeng Investment and Yunfeng Fund to recommend projects and conduct joint due diligence. The goal is to build Pengcheng Branch into a 'science and technology innovation financial hub' connecting industry and capital, establishing a professional brand image of 'understanding technology and being proficient in investment' within the industry."

Fang Qingye listened intently, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest of the sofa, a habitual gesture when he was thinking.

"The thinking is very clear, and the entry point is very accurate. This is indeed our advantage compared to local banks and even large state-owned banks." He affirmed Gao Pan's idea, but then his eyes became serious, and he raised the core question.
"However, this type of business is highly innovative and carries higher risks. How do you plan to manage these risks? In particular, if you were to become the bank president, how would you avoid repeating the mistakes made in Shanghai?"

This question went straight to the heart of the matter, and the air in the office seemed to thicken. Gao Pan didn't avoid Fang Qingye's gaze. He took a deep breath and spoke of the countermeasures he had discussed with Chen Danlu the previous night, which were also his true thoughts:

“Fang Xing, I will always remember the lessons learned in Shanghai. If I become the branch manager of Pengcheng Branch, in order to fundamentally strengthen risk control, I urge the head office to send a risk director to Pengcheng Branch. This risk director will be completely vertically subordinate to the head office's risk management department in terms of business and personnel, reporting only to the head office, thus forming an effective check and balance with the branch manager.” At this point, Gao Pan paused and continued, “I believe that if this system is effective, it can be promoted to other important branches in other locations in the future, ensuring the safety of business during rapid development through institutional mechanisms.”

After saying this, Gao Pan's heart jumped, and he carefully observed Fang Qingye's reaction.

Fang Qingye remained silent for a moment, then stopped tapping.

“I’m requesting headquarters to send me a ‘supervisor’…” Fang Qingye’s lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile. “Gao Pan, I’m very pleased that you took the initiative to make this suggestion. This proves that you haven’t wasted your time in Wuyang over the past year. You have truly understood what ‘respect for risk’ and ‘the way of checks and balances’ means. This makes me happier than any outstanding performance you have achieved.”

"As for whether to send a risk director, we still need to evaluate it. But in any case, you must always keep the word 'risk' in mind!"

After saying that, Fang Qingye stood up, walked to her desk, picked up a document, and then turned to look at Gao Pan: "Okay! The responsibility of leading the Pengcheng branch preparatory team is now in your hands. The preparation period is three months. You need to build up the team, clarify the business ideas, and establish the framework of the 'science and technology innovation financial hub' that I just mentioned in a short period of time."

A surge of emotion welled up in Gao Pan's heart. He immediately stood up, his voice slightly hoarse with excitement: "Thank you for your trust, Fang Xing! I promise I will never let you down!"

"Don't rush to make any guarantees." Fang Qingye waved his hand, his tone serious. "Pengcheng is a crucial step in our cross-regional operations. Success is the only option; failure is not an option. The operations center, including headquarters, will fully support you, including the vertical risk control system you requested. I will personally oversee its implementation."

"But," he emphasized, "I've given you the stage. How you perform, and whether you perform well, is up to you. What I want to see is a capable general who can both expand territory and uphold principles, not a reckless brute who only knows how to charge into battle."

“I understand, Fang Xing!” Gao Pan nodded vigorously.

“Go ahead,” Fang Qingye’s expression softened as she sat back down in her chair. “Go find Zhao Xing to hand over your work at the Wuyang branch. Get into the role as soon as possible. I need to see a detailed preparation plan next Monday.”

"Yes!"

Gao Pan left the office with light steps.

Fang Qingye looked at Zhou Yu, who was tidying up the teacups, and suddenly asked, "Zhou Yu, did you hear my conversation with President Gao just now?"

"Mm." Zhou Yu nodded as she tidied up.

This wasn't Zhou Yu intentionally eavesdropping; the secretary's room and the office inside were separated by a wall, and the reception area was also close to this side of the wall.

If you really have something private to say, you can go to the small conference room inside. The soundproofing there is excellent, so you won't be able to hear it even from the bank manager's office.

"Then tell me, was it President Gao's idea to send a risk director his, or President Chen's?" Fang Qingye asked, as if speaking to Zhou Yu, but also as if talking to herself.

"Huh? Fang Xing, I don't know about this," Zhou Yu quickly replied.

Fang Qingye hummed in response but didn't press for details, simply sipping her tea.

(End of this chapter)