Sail across the sea

Chapter 510 Are you secretly happy?
"Two of you! Two of you!"

Gao Fan had no choice but to step in and smooth things over:

"Calm down, it's not that bad, it's not that bad, let me say a few words."

Upon hearing Gao Fan speak, the two stopped talking, turned to look at him, and waited for him to continue.

Gao Fan laughed and said, "Actually, we are just a private enterprise, and we don't have any administrative ranks. Whether you are the general manager or the deputy general manager, there is no difference. There is no need to be so modest."

"exactly!"

Gu Kunquan and Fu Yiming spoke to each other in unison, only to realize afterward that their meanings were exactly opposite, which made them both a little embarrassed.

Gao Fan stopped the two who were about to say something more and continued, "Old Gu is good at strategy and has good connections in the province. In addition, he has always served as the company's general manager. If he is replaced without a reason, it may cause some unnecessary gossip..."

“I can explain this to the employees. I will say that I resigned voluntarily,” Gu Kunquan volunteered.

"This is completely unnecessary, a waste of time," Fu Yiming commented.

Gu Kunquan was about to argue again when Gao Fan interrupted, "Don't rush, don't rush, let me finish. What I mean is, there's some truth to Lao Gu's suggestion. Senior Brother Fu has done a lot of practical work in the past few years and has actually taken on the responsibilities of general manager, which everyone has seen."

Fu Yiming said, "I am the executive vice president, so it is my duty to do these tasks."

Gao Fan said, "I think there's no need to adjust the specific positions for now. However, we can adjust the division of labor. Since Lao Gu said that Senior Brother Fu has stronger management skills, let's give Senior Brother Fu more responsibilities."

The two of them fell silent and waited for Gao Fan to make his arrangements.

Gao Fan said, "I think you two can divide the work like this. Lao Gu is good at planning, so he will be in charge of the company's strategy, leading a team to specifically analyze policies and markets and determine key investment directions. In addition, Lao Gu should also take charge of government relations, as you have relatively abundant resources in this area."

Gu Kunquan nodded and said, "There are no problems with either of these aspects. I still prefer doing strategic research."

Gao Fan then turned to Fu Yiming and said, "Senior Brother Fu is in charge of the company's daily affairs, including production and operation, human resources, finance, etc., and in fact he is taking on the responsibilities of the general manager."

Fu Yiming said, "I can do these things, but for major business decisions and personnel adjustments, I still need to ask Lao Gu for his approval."

Gu Kunquan pointed at Gao Fan and said, "Important matters should be decided by President Gao."

“Yes, yes, we need to get Mr. Gao’s approval first, and I will also consult with Mr. Gu first,” Fu Yiming said.

“Then let’s settle on this,” Gao Fan said. “Nominally, you two have a distinction between boss and deputy, but in my mind, you are both general managers of the company, just with different responsibilities. Your compensation will be exactly the same. What do you think?” Having said this much, Gu Kunquan and Fu Yiming couldn’t say anything more. Gao Fan was right about one thing: in private companies, the level of your position doesn’t really matter; what matters most is your standing in the boss’s eyes.

Since Gao Fan said that the two of them were treated exactly the same, it would be too pretentious for them to argue about who was better or worse.

Previously, Gu Kunquan had offered to step down, mainly because he found Fu Yiming to be more capable and suitable for the position of general manager. He felt that rather than clinging to his position and waiting for Gao Fan to remove him, it would be better to be sensible and resign voluntarily, which would at least save face.

But if Gao Fan actually accepted his request and removed him from his post, he would also feel somewhat disappointed. He had given up his position as deputy director of the Provincial Science and Technology Commission to work for a private company, and his former colleagues had certainly gossiped about him behind his back. If they knew he had even been removed from his position as general manager, those resentful colleagues would undoubtedly be gloating.

With Gao Fan's arrangement, Gu Kunquan has saved both face and substance. On one hand, his position remains unchanged; he can still refer to himself as the company's general manager. On the other hand, Gao Fan has clearly stipulated that Fu Yiming will be responsible for the company's daily affairs while enjoying the benefits of a general manager, ensuring Fu Yiming has no reason to complain.

As for assigning Gu Kunquan to be in charge of company strategy and government relations, this is indeed something Gu Kunquan is good at and willing to do. Speaking of government relations alone, he has some connections in the province and can help the company resolve many issues. Therefore, he is justifying the salary Gao Fan pays him.

After dealing with this interlude, Gao Fan returned to the main topic and said, "According to the analysis of some senior figures, the country's policies should not change much in the next few decades, so we can focus on development wholeheartedly."

"When I was in Ruizhang, I also exchanged views with Bob. He said that the analysts at Hatch Group are very optimistic about China's development trend. Bob came to China this time on behalf of the company to formally establish an office."

According to him, Hatch Group initially planned to invest at least $10 billion in the Chinese market, which fully demonstrates foreign capital's confidence in the Chinese market.

"One billion US dollars, that's a huge sum!" Fu Yiming exclaimed in amazement.

Gu Kunquan laughed and said, "Gao Fan, didn't you try to persuade him to invest in our company?"

Gao Fan shook his head: "I didn't mention it, and neither did Bob. We've reached an understanding on this issue."

Fu Yiming thought for a moment and said, "I understand Gao Fan's meaning. Our company's businesses all have great development potential. If we absorb investment from Hachi Group, they will have a larger share, which will be a loss for us. If they have a smaller share, they won't be happy either. Rather than having both sides argue over such a thing, it's better for us to each do our own thing and still remain friends."

Gao Fan smiled and said, "What Senior Brother Fu said is absolutely right. That's exactly what I was thinking."

Gu Kunquan said, "As for the biochemical company, Hatch Group only invested $150 million initially, but it acquired a 10% stake. Now, that stake is worth at least $1 million. Come to think of it, we really lost a lot of money."

Gao Fan said, "Old Gu, you're just being wise after the event. Let me ask you, when I said I'd exchange 10% of the vitamin factory's shares for Bob's $150 million investment, weren't you secretly happy?"

Gu Kunquan laughed loudly: "Isn't it a secret joy? At the time, it wasn't just me who felt like I got a great deal. Even your old Tai Shui Director Xu thought the Americans were really stupid for only wanting such a small amount of equity. But looking back now, I feel like we're the ones who suffered a loss."

(End of this chapter)