Back to 2008: I Helped My Dad Become the Richest Man

The 100,000 yuan that Zhao Hu took out shocked everyone at the table.

Luo Xinde and Li Minxia were speechless for a moment.

They considered countless ways to solve their financial difficulties: asking for help, taking out loans, and even mortgaging their newly built house. But they never imagined that at this critical moment, the one who would extend a helping hand to them would be the market tycoon they once regarded as their mortal enemy.

This money put Luo Xinde in a difficult position.

"Manager Zhao... what are you doing? Quick! Put the money away!" Luo Xinde was the first to react. He waved his hands repeatedly, trying to push the bag of money back.

Although Luo Xinde had been poor, he was proud at heart.

He can get a bank loan, that's a business matter. But to accept help from a former rival, especially in his current predicament, where would he put his face?

"Boss Luo, don't be so polite with me!" Zhao Hu slammed the bag of money firmly on the table, his attitude unusually resolute. "I, Zhao Hu, am a rough man, I don't know how to say nice things. I just know that a person should repay kindness. I treated you so badly back then, but you didn't hold a grudge and even gave me a decent job, allowing me to earn money honestly to support my family every month. I'll remember this kindness!"

He looked at Luo Xinde, then at Luo Xiyuan, his eyes full of sincerity: "The factory is in trouble now, and I can't just stand by and watch. This 100,000 yuan is money I've scraped together over the years. If you don't accept it, you're looking down on me, Zhao Hu! You're not treating me like one of your own!"

His words carried great weight.

Li Minxia stood to the side, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She looked at the thick wad of money on the table, then at Zhao Hu's dark and sincere face.

She was touched, but more than that, she felt wary and uneasy.

"Could he... what if he has other ideas?" She quietly tugged at Laroxind's sleeve and muttered to herself. She couldn't believe that someone who had once been so domineering would suddenly become so kind.

Luo Xinde was caught in a dilemma. If he accepted the gift, he would lose face, but he would also feel uneasy.

If we don't accept the money, we'll hurt their good intentions, and besides, the factory has a real financial hole.

Just as he was hesitating and unsure of what to do, Luo Xiyuan, who had been silent all along, spoke up.

"Uncle Zhao, our whole family appreciates your kind gesture." Her voice was calm.

She stood up, walked up to Zhao Hu, and gently pushed the bag of money back to him.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Hu looked anxious: "President Luo! What's wrong...?"

"Uncle Zhao, please don't be hasty, let me finish." Luo Xiyuan gestured for him to calm down. "We can't just take this money for nothing. If you really want to help us, I have two options here. Please listen to which one suits you best."

"A plan?" Zhao Hu didn't react for a moment.

"Our first option is to treat this 100,000 yuan as a loan you gave to the company. We will issue you a formal IOU and calculate the interest based on the highest loan interest rate offered by the credit union. After one year, we will repay you the principal and interest in full."

Upon hearing this proposal, Zhao Hu frowned. He wasn't there to lend money; he was there to repay a debt of gratitude.

"The second option," Luo Xiyuan said, looking him into the eyes, "is that 100,000 yuan? We won't consider it a loan from you. We'll consider it an investment."

The words "investment and equity participation" were even more unfamiliar to Zhao Hu than the QS certification.

"That's right." Luo Xiyuan nodded and began to explain in simpler terms, "It means that from today onwards, you're no longer just a supervisor in our factory. You're also a shareholder of Luo's Food Factory, one of the owners. This 100,000 yuan will be considered your share. In the future, if the factory makes money, at the end of each year, in addition to your salary and bonus, we will also give you dividends according to your shareholding ratio! Of course, let me be clear from the start, if the factory loses money, your 100,000 yuan might be lost. Uncle Zhao, do you dare to gamble with us?"

Luo Xiyuan's two proposals surprised everyone present.

Luo Xinde and Li Minxia never expected their daughter to suggest that Zhao Hu be the boss. This… how could this be allowed?

Zhao Hu, on the other hand, was deeply moved by Luo Xiyuan's second proposal.

Shareholders? Boss? Dividends?

He never dreamed that he, a rough man who slaughtered pigs and sold meat, would one day be associated with these words.

He thought that by taking out this 100,000 yuan, he would at most receive a word of thanks from the Luo family, and that his position in the factory would be more secure in the future.

But to his utter surprise, the young girl had no intention of taking advantage of him at all.

They gave him a choice, a choice that would give him the opportunity to go from being an employee to becoming a business owner!

He looked into Luo Xiyuan's clear eyes, his mind filled with countless thoughts.

He knew that the girl was testing him, but also helping him achieve his goals.

If he chooses the first option, then his relationship with the Luo family will be that of a creditor and a debtor.

Although you can still earn some interest, the relationship becomes strained, and you might just become an outsider in the future.

But if he chooses the second option, he will be completely tying his life and fortune to the Luo family's business. They will rise and fall together.

This required immense courage, but it also meant a future he had never dared to imagine before.

Zhao Hu's breathing became rapid. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

He recalled the days he spent in the vegetable market, arguing heatedly with people over a few cents' worth of profit.

He recalled how he had humbled himself, offering gifts and bribes to the slaughterhouse owner.

He also recalled how his son was looked down upon by his classmates at school because his father was a butcher.

He didn't want to live like that anymore!

He suddenly looked up at Luo Xiyuan, his eyes shining.

"President Luo!" He jumped up from his chair with a thud, almost tipping it over in his excitement. "I...I choose the second option! I choose to invest! I, Zhao Hu, am committed to the Luo family for life! You tell me to go east, I won't go west! Even if I lose, I, Zhao Hu, will accept it! To fight alongside people like you, even if I lose, it's worth it!"

His voice was hoarse with excitement, but every word conveyed a firm determination.

"Great!" Luo Xiyuan smiled. "Uncle Zhao, welcome to your official position as a shareholder of Luo's Foods!"

She turned to her parents, who were still somewhat bewildered, and said, "Dad, Mom, from today onwards, Uncle Zhao is family."

Luo Xinde looked at the scene before him, his feelings a mix of emotions.

He felt that his daughter's decision was too bold.

But for some reason, he felt that his daughter was doing the right thing.

Although Zhao Hu wasn't a good person before, his ruthless and fearless spirit was something I didn't have.

Bringing him on board might actually be a good thing for the company's future development.

"Then...how are the shares calculated?" Coming back to her senses, Li Minxia started to focus on practical matters again.

"That's easy," Luo Xiyuan said. "We need to first value our current company. We have a farm, two stores, and a brand. I've made a preliminary estimate that the total assets are around 1.5 million. Uncle Zhao's 100,000 yuan investment will give us about 6% of the shares. Of course, this is just a preliminary calculation; we'll need to have a professional accountant do the exact calculation."

Valuation, shares... these new terms left Luo Xinde and Zhao Hu somewhat bewildered.

"Alright, alright, Ms. Luo, whatever you say goes! I trust you!" Zhao Hu was now completely convinced by Luo Xiyuan.

And so, a crisis caused by a shortage of funds was resolved in a way that no one expected.

Zhao Hu's 100,000 yuan, plus the 150,000 yuan that Luo Xiyuan borrowed from Director Zhang of the credit union using the new house as collateral, plus the more than 200,000 yuan from the family.

We've finally raised the 500,000 yuan needed to build the factory!

Luo Xiyuan immediately drafted a shareholder investment agreement, clearly outlining the rights and obligations of both parties.