Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 152: Used as a stepping stone?
Chen Xuebing looked in the mirror and smiled confidently.

Surprisingly, he looks so handsome in a double-breasted peak lapel suit.

He really wanted to ask that question posed by Zou Ji.

The female headhunter next to him, at Lan Hanwen's prompting, oblivious to his charm, started rambling on and on with a notebook.

"...Mr. Chen, according to our latest understanding, Liu Chiping has gained importance at Tencent and recently orchestrated a large-scale share buyback, which stabilized the stock price. However, he has not yet gained substantial power in internal management."

"Furthermore, Tencent's listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange was on his advice, for three reasons:"

First, North American investors are used to finding benchmarks for newly listed companies, and Tencent's model has no such benchmark.

Second, the closer the listing location is to the domestic market, the more accurately the company's value is reflected. While the valuation may not be as high as on Nasdaq, the probability of significant stock price fluctuations is relatively lower.

Third, listing in Hong Kong increases the likelihood of a future return to the mainland capital market.

"For your opening remarks, you can start by praising his strategic vision in light of this IPO to ensure the conversation flows smoothly."

"Furthermore, your current advantages lie in your compensation and stock options, which are four times that of Tencent. If you want to discuss the future, you should start with the president's position and the group's financial background, focusing on investment, and tailoring your approach to his professional attributes..."

"Alright." Chen Xuebing raised his hand to interrupt, straightened his tie, and smiled, "I'm the one who sent you to find the person, I know what to say."

After saying that, he turned to look at Lan Hanwen sitting on the sofa next to him.

"Your Shenzhen office is undoubtedly professional, and I believe you have spent a lot of time studying target managers and negotiation processes. However, if you want to become a branch office of the same level as the Chongqing branch, you probably need to spend more time studying the clients who are willing to spend money. How to satisfy clients and get them to willingly spend money is the core of your work."

Lan Hanwen understood, but he wasn't embarrassed.

He stood up, chuckled, and said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Chen. Different places have different work habits. Mr. Jiang focuses on maintaining clients, while we prefer to attract clients with successful results. The introduction of high-end talent is different from ordinary personnel work, requiring clients to have more patience and respect. I believe Mr. Chen can understand. I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. Xiao Fang, please take Mr. Chen there.”

The female headhunter next to him smiled more broadly, and her tone became less formulaic.

"Mr. Chen, this way please."

Chen Xuebing smiled and nodded, glanced at Lan Hanwen with some interest, and walked out of the room.

Just a few steps from the reception office, Chen Xuebing entered and saw Liu Chiping sitting on the sofa with a document in his hand.

With short hair and thin-rimmed glasses, he looks a bit like a young Guo Degang at first glance.

There was also a young and pretty woman in work clothes sitting very close to Liu Chiping. When she saw them come in, she smiled at Liu Chiping and said in a lazy and alluring tone, "Mr. Liu...you two chat."

Liu Chiping smiled politely and nodded to the beautiful woman.

Chen Xuebing was slightly taken aback.

Was Liu Chiping lured here by a honey trap?

It shouldn't be.

Chen Xuebing had people dig up information about Liu Chiping, so he had a fairly good understanding of him.

Liu Chiping's wife in his previous life was a socialite, a wealthy heiress from Hong Kong, and his aunt was TVB actress Angela Tong.

She's beautiful, and they're a good match in terms of social standing and background. They have a good relationship.

Although Liu Chiping is currently unmarried, given his vision, he shouldn't let a young girl influence important career decisions.

After everyone had left, leaving only the two of them in the room, Liu Chiping closed the documents in his hand, smiled and nodded at Chen Xuebing.

"Hello, Mr. Chen."

They did not shake hands, and their attitude was not warm.

After all, this is a headhunter's office, and an important manager of a listed company should be vigilant about the possibility of hidden cameras.

Chen Xuebing understood, sat down on the opposite sofa, glanced at what he was holding, and smiled:

"Mr. Liu is looking at our company's information."

“Yes.” Liu Chiping nodded, scrutinizing Chen Xuebing directly with his eyes. “President Chen is very young and has started his business very quickly. Your earliest company was only established for a little over half a year.”

"I've been an entrepreneur for more than half a year. It's just that the company was established relatively late. All three subsidiaries started in Banpo."

Liu Chiping then asked, "With such a concentrated shareholding in Mr. Chen's company, are you planning to turn it into a family business in the future?"

Chen Xuebing noticed a hint of a smile appear on his face when Liu Chiping asked this question.

It seems like...mocking.

However, this was just a gut feeling. He explained calmly, "I invested in the business myself, and the team members initially received high salaries and commissions, so the equity was naturally concentrated."

"Does Mr. Chen have any plans to bring in financing shareholders and managing partners?" Liu Chiping asked again.

Chen Xuebing hadn't expected him to ask so many questions about equity. After a moment's thought, he smiled and said, "Of course there's a plan, but since President Liu hasn't joined yet, it's not convenient to disclose it for the time being. The equity I promised you is part of the managing partner plan, isn't it?"

Liu Chiping then smiled slightly: "President Chen, please don't misunderstand. I just think that for a company to go far, the founder should not be a dictator. There must be checks and balances for development. Otherwise, the superior system of the board of directors will be meaningless. Companies with strong personal labels have no unicorn potential. Investors will also stay away from companies where the founding team does not have equity. The founder of Tencent, where I work now, was able to create a listed company in five years because he knows how to share."

Chen Xuebing's smile gradually faded.

These words touched a nerve with him.

He definitely has a landlord mentality; he doesn't want to lose his voice, which is why he hasn't gotten involved in the internet industry.

"Mr. Liu, you shouldn't compare us to Tencent. The growth of the internet industry is a process of burning money. Tencent can't operate without financing; it can't even afford servers. On the other hand, our three subsidiaries have been profitable since day one. We can be completely self-sufficient in production and R&D. We don't need to invest for now. With our operating performance, we don't need five years to go public; three years will be enough. Moreover, we will go public on the A-share market. We don't need to go through the lenient policies of overseas listings, nor do we need to make up any stories to attract investors. Profits are our story."

His core message can be summed up in one sentence: Even if we don't seek funding, Tencent's growth rate still can't keep up with ours.

Liu Chiping adjusted his glasses and retorted, "I admit that you are indeed an excellent company, but Mr. Chen, you should know that I used to be the COO of the Technology, Media, and Telecom industry group at Goldman Sachs. TMT is my forte and also the industry that capital values ​​most. The only core of this industry is user volume, and Tencent has already achieved absolute leadership in this aspect. As long as we operate correctly, our profits will expand rapidly, far exceeding what we have now."

Chen Xuebing frowned.

wrong.

Very wrong.

Logically speaking, Liu Chiping should either not come at all, or if he does come, he shouldn't keep bragging about his current employer.

This person seemed to have come today just to argue with him; after a few words, he didn't seem to care about his own treatment at all.

Or rather, what is he deliberately avoiding?
After a moment's thought, Chen Xuebing said directly, "How does Mr. Liu know that we don't plan to do TMT? The Internet is not just about communications, and even in the communications field, Tencent is not invincible. There are many ways to surpass them. If a software product is surpassed, the enemy is often not on the list. To defeat an Internet giant, all you need is a new idea."

He had originally planned to have a long talk about the internet with Liu Chiping today, but the other party's attitude made him change his mind. He only used a few words to show that he understood the internet and had some trump cards up his sleeve.

Then, he simply raised the price: "If Mr. Liu feels that our development is not keeping up with Tencent, in other words, if Mr. Liu feels that our shares are not worth anything, then I can change the terms. I will not give you the shares, but your annual salary will be 500 million, six times your current salary. I think we don't need to talk about the future at this price, right? A five-year non-compete agreement. If you sign it, you will be the highest-paid employee in mainland China. I have already mortgaged your future for you. Moreover, our company has a salary increase system of 10% every year. If you renew the contract after five years, your salary will be 800 million."

Today, the salaries of financial executives are leading the entire industry, with directors generally earning only 50 yuan. You can't find Liu Chiping at this price in any company in mainland China, or even in foreign companies.

Liu Chiping began to hesitate, and his hand unconsciously went into the right pocket of his clothes.

Chen Xuebing's eyes caught this subtle movement, and his heart skipped a beat, but his face remained expressionless as he said:
"You don't need to worry about the salary payment issue. Just like you said, I'm the one who makes all the decisions in the company, and your salary can be paid in advance. The buyout fee is 2.5 million, plus half a year's salary, totaling 5 million. You signed the contract and started working today, and the money will be in your account within three days. As for the future, you will be paid first and then start working. If we can't afford to pay you, the non-compete clause will be canceled, and you can find another job at any time. This can be stated in the contract."

This was a final test; if Liu Chiping agreed, he would immediately go back and borrow the money. He considered it a very worthwhile investment to spend an extra two or three million each year for five years to buy back the promised 1% stake in the group.

Liu Chiping hesitated for about twenty seconds.

It only took him twenty seconds to regain his composure regarding the 500 million annual salary.

"Mr. Chen, as a professional manager, I think about how to manage the company well. The final results are what I value. Your annual salary makes me feel that you are neglecting the company's future development. I think you should spend one-tenth of the 500 million to buy two years of EMBA courses in Wudaokou. How to improve shareholder value and not be a dictator are the most important lessons you should learn now."

After he finished speaking, he got up and walked outside decisively.

Someone outside went to chase them, but Chen Xuebing didn't.

He wasn't upset about the last sentence.

Because after Liu Chiping finished speaking, he pursed his lips, gave him an apologetic nod, and then left.

This insincere action made Chen Xuebing realize that he wasn't there to apply for a job at all.

That apology might have stemmed from the respect he felt from the high price of five million, or something else entirely.

The suggestion to buy the Wudaokou course sounded somewhat sincere, which made Chen Xuebing frown a little.

A moment later, Lan Hanwen rushed in, his tone somewhat dejected:

"Mr. Chen, why did you leave after only a few minutes? What did you discuss? Didn't you follow our script?"

He never expected that three weeks of effort would be wasted in just a few minutes. The female employee whom Liu Chiping had quite a crush on chased him to the elevator, but Liu Chiping seemed very angry and refused to get off the elevator with her.

“It’s my fault,” Chen Xuebing said, scratching the back of his head. “Teng Xun must have promised him something. We’ve already missed the best opportunity to poach him. He’s probably using us as stepping stones to his own rise.”

After saying that, he thought for a moment and then reminded him, "He brought a voice recorder with him today. You'd better send someone to check what he's going to do next."

Lan Hanwen's expression changed upon hearing this, and he quickly chased after him again.

……

……

The next day, evening.

The apartment in Xuefu Residential Complex was quiet, the lights were off, and only the flickering light from the television shone through.

Chen Xuebing sat on the sofa, drinking tea and watching today's news.

“Iranian ZT Ahmadinejad said in Tehran on the 28th that the remarks about Islam being completely eradicated are correct and reasonable, and reflect the sentiments of all Iranian people.”

"Ahmadinejad made the above remarks in an interview with the official Islamic Republic News Agency of Iran. He had previously participated in a march organized by Tehran citizens against Israel and in support of Palestine."

"The day before yesterday, Rong Yiren, the former leader known as a 'red capitalist' and founder of CITIC Group, passed away..."

The two news items standing side by side evoked a sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, mixed feelings) in Chen Xuebing.

Some histories are cyclical, and they can still rhyme more than a decade later.

Some histories, however, are gone forever, representing the end of an era.

Mr. Rong represented the pinnacle of China's business world for decades. His passing completely opened up the ceiling of China's rich list. No one was respected anymore, and no one questioned "how could he be richer than the Rong family?" In the following twenty years, people chased each other, and different faces left their own quotes and traces on that top spot.

Today, top-tier business districts across the country are probably busy with this matter. Anyone associated with the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce should be expressing their condolences through their own channels or going to the scene of mourning.

Chen Xuebing's phone was completely silent; there wasn't a single person in his circle discussing the matter.

He hasn't entered the industry yet.

He didn't even touch the Fifth Ring Road; he's far from being a true star.

Recruiting a renowned general like Liu Chiping was undoubtedly driven by a desire to reach the top of the business world, yet now he is being questioned simply for offering an annual salary of 500 million.

It's been a whole year, and we've only gotten this far. That's so slow...

The phone rang suddenly.

Chen Xuebing glanced at it and answered.

"General Manager Jiang."

A bitter laugh came from the other end of the line from Jiang Yunzhou.

"Chairman Chen, this Liu Chiping is ruthless."

Chen Xuebing's right eyelid twitched, but he didn't say anything. He picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip quietly, and waited for him to continue.

"This afternoon, Tencent held a board meeting. Liu Chiping released the recording of your negotiations and then took the opportunity to attack internal management issues. He also presented a strategic plan to generate over 10 billion yuan in revenue within five years."

"Ma Huateng nominated him to be the president and put him in charge of the group's restructuring."

“You offered him a five million annual salary, and none of the directors had anything to say. You’re right…we’ve been used as a stepping stone.”

“Ma Huateng also mocked us at the meeting, saying that Liu Chiping had agreed to join Tencent in the fall of 2003, but it was delayed because of the IPO. We actually thought he was a new employee of Tencent.”

“Three of our employees in the president’s office and the human resources department had contact with Liu Chiping, and they were all taken away by the police on charges of accepting bribes and stealing confidential internal information. We are now hiring an external lawyer to help them appeal… Two of them may face several months in prison, and the girl who was pregnant escaped but still has to pay a fine of tens of thousands of yuan.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuebing coughed and said, "I will take care of the fines and legal fees for these three employees. If they really have to be sentenced, I will try to change their sentences to probation. As for their jobs, I will arrange for the Shenzhen company to take them in, and their treatment will not be worse than before."

He certainly wouldn't give important positions to someone who could help headhunters poach talent, but if someone who helped him got into trouble, he had to protect them—that's a matter of principle.

"Then thank you, Mr. Chen. Otherwise, we would have to compensate them with money. Otherwise, if word gets out, it will be difficult to do business in the industry."

"That's to be expected. They didn't disclose your company, did they?" Chen Xuebing said casually.

The other side remained silent for several seconds.

"No, maybe they don't want to offend us, but... the president's office sent an email to employees, saying they would crack down on internal corruption, and they even mentioned your company's name, saying they would blacklist you in the internet industry... the language was very strong."

Chen Xuebing's expression was obscure under the television light.

Jiang Yunzhou also felt that their working methods had caused a problem, and quickly offered some words of comfort:
"Mr. Chen, you don't actually have an internet project, do you? They're just using this opportunity to scare the employees. Don't worry, they shouldn't make this public. If they dare to publicly defame your reputation, our legal team will handle the lawsuit for you until they apologize... free of charge."

Chen Xuebing suddenly laughed.

"If it's war, then let it be war. Why bother with lawsuits and blacklisting us? I really want to see what they're capable of."

Jiang Yunzhou was startled: "Chairman Chen, are you really going to get involved in the internet industry?"

Chen Xuebing didn't answer. After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "Where is Cai Zhijian now? Can we meet as soon as possible? I don't have time to waste."

"Hmm... I'm in Hong Kong. Why don't you go back the day after tomorrow? I'll arrange for you to meet at Shenzhen Bay tomorrow afternoon."

(Happy New Year to all the big shots!)

(End of this chapter)