Reborn since 1993

Chapter 1423 Passing the test
Life's encounters are unpredictable. Sometimes luck can indeed change one's destiny. No amount of effort can compare to the effect of fate giving you a gentle kick.

Yu Ningzhi had been worrying about taking the position of general manager of Hanxi Tobacco Company for a long time, and he had done a lot of preparation and used a lot of connections.

Unexpectedly, what ultimately helped him was his unintentional act; Ruyan e-cigarette company finally made it happen!
When Ruyan e-cigarettes first appeared, Hanxi Tobacco hesitated. As a traditional tobacco company, Hanxi Tobacco instinctively wanted to nip this "heretic" in the bud.

However, Ruyan e-cigarettes are quite special. Its headquarters are located in the port city, and it is a subsidiary of Torch Group, which provides the largest number of jobs in Hanxi.

Putting aside the fact that Ruyan e-cigarettes are skirting the line, it's important to know that there are currently no regulations in China that can regulate e-cigarettes.

Even if they really violated the rules, so what? Given Torch Group's position in Hanxi, Hanxi must protect Ruyan e-cigarettes no matter what.

If Hanxi doesn't want to protect it, there are plenty of other places that are willing to protect it, like Yan.

Ruyan is not only a major shareholder of Torch Group, but also has a major financial backer, Dongling Hi-Tech!

Protecting Ruyan e-cigarettes might offend some people, but for many places, being able to connect with Dongling High-Tech is definitely worthwhile!
It's no secret that Dongling High-Tech is so important to Hanxi; it's an open secret.

Just like the famous saying, the West cannot lose Jerusalem, and Hanxi cannot let Dongling High-Tech leave.

Anything involving Dongke is the first thing the Hanxi Provincial Government must deal with. Anyone who loses Dongke from Hanxi is a sinner against Hanxi, and no one can bear the consequences!
It was against this backdrop that Hanxi Tobacco Company acted as a peacemaker, taking the initiative to invite Yanjing Tobacco Corporation to intervene.

Finally, an agreement was reached that Ruyan e-cigarettes will be in an observation phase in China, and if e-cigarette sales licenses are issued in the future, Ruyan will be given priority.

In addition, although the direct sale of e-cigarettes in China is not permitted, the domestic production and research and development of e-cigarettes are allowed. Furthermore, Yanjing Tobacco Corporation supports Ruyan e-cigarettes and has established the Mainland E-cigarette Industry Association.

This also established the rules for e-cigarettes in China: they can be researched, produced, and exported, but only under the "guidance" of the China E-cigarette Industry Association.

In other words, Ruyan e-cigarettes reached a deal with Yanjing Tobacco Corporation, and whether Ruyan e-cigarettes can be sold in China is decided by Yanjing Tobacco Corporation.

Meanwhile, Yanjing Tobacco Corporation supports Ruyan e-cigarettes, making it the dominant player in the mainland e-cigarette industry, at least in terms of e-cigarette exports, Ruyan e-cigarettes has the final say!

Ruyan e-cigarettes made this deal to prevent mainland e-cigarette companies from getting bogged down in internal competition for overseas OEM orders and exports, ultimately leading to a price war that would kill them.

Yu Ningzhi was the person who led the negotiations between Ruyan e-cigarettes and Yanjing Tobacco Corporation as a representative of Hanxi Tobacco Company.

After the negotiations, he represented Hanxi Tobacco Company and invested in Ruyan e-cigarettes, and also obtained Ruyan e-cigarette equity.

If we were to say whether Yu Ningzhi deserves any credit for the launch of Ruyan e-cigarettes, would he be credited?
If Ruyan e-cigarettes were to go public at its current valuation, then Yu Ningzhi, who was with Hanxi Tobacco Company, would have received back 1.84 billion RMB for the 120 million RMB he initially invested in Ruyan e-cigarettes!

If you get an 18-fold return in one go, and then cash out after Ruyan e-cigarettes goes public, that's a profit of over a billion yuan.

Moreover, this sum of over a billion yuan was the "slush fund" of the Hanxi Tobacco Corporation. According to custom, after handing over the portion that should have been handed over to the Yanjing Tobacco Corporation and distributing a portion of the profits to the Hanxi Provincial Government and other relevant parties, the Hanxi Tobacco Corporation could keep the rest of the profits!
If this doesn't count as merit, then what can be called merit?
It can be said that as long as Hanxi Tobacco Corporation wants to continue to reap the benefits brought by Ruyan e-cigarettes, it must acknowledge Yu Ningzhi's contributions. Otherwise, how can it win over the public, and who will be willing to risk their lives for it in the future?

The other deputy general managers of Hanxi Tobacco Company were also aware of this, which is why they were filled with envy, jealousy and hatred towards Yu Ningzhi. They knew that they could no longer compete with Yu Ningzhi!
"Manager Yu has made great contributions to our Hanxi Tobacco Company!"

"Yes, it's fair to say that investing in Ruyan e-cigarettes has been one of Hanxi Tobacco's biggest gains over the years!"

Whether they liked it or not, the other deputy general managers of Hanxi Tobacco Company, who knew the situation was already settled, still praised Yu Ningzhi. This was a way of admitting defeat and showing goodwill to him.

Yu Ningzhi was well aware of this. He couldn't possibly eliminate all these people, as they would still have to work together in the future. Therefore, he remained humble, claiming that everything he did was for the sake of Hanxi Tobacco Company...

"Ning Zhi, don't be modest!"

"You have made outstanding contributions to Hanxi Tobacco and even Yanjing Tobacco Corporation!"

The general manager of Hanxi Tobacco Company also spoke to Yu Ningzhi.

Hanxi Tobacco Company invested in Ruyan Electronic Cigarettes, which is equivalent to sharing in the profits made by Ruyan Electronic Cigarettes.

The listing benefits are one aspect, and another aspect is the export of Ruyan e-cigarettes. The more Ruyan e-cigarettes earn from exports, the greater the profits for Hanxi Tobacco Company.

Whether it's traditional tobacco or e-cigarettes being exported, as long as they can be sold and foreign exchange is earned, it's a great achievement. Currently, among domestic tobacco brands, how many can actually export? Instead, they import large quantities of Marlboro, cigars, and other overseas tobacco products, which require foreign exchange to purchase.

"Ning Zhi, Hanxi Tobacco Company will be cooperating with Ruyan Electronic Cigarette Company in multiple areas. You will be in charge of this!"

The general manager of Hanxi Tobacco Company said that this was also to do Yu Ningzhi a favor. If Hanxi Tobacco Company wanted to reap more benefits from e-cigarettes, it needed to cooperate with Ruyan e-cigarettes!
As for whether it would be beneath a traditional tobacco company to approach an e-cigarette company for cooperation, would that be?

It depends on whether you value appearances or substance, whether you want to earn foreign exchange or just watch enviously.

Furthermore, once Ruyan e-cigarettes goes public, if its stock price rises even once, it could very well become a giant company with a market value of hundreds of billions.

At that time, it's uncertain who will be marrying whom!

As Yu Ningzhi walked out of the conference room, he felt a lightness in his step, as all the worries of the past year and a half had vanished.

Everyone knows that clinging to Dongke's coattails can bring huge rewards, and Yu Ningzhi has now truly experienced it. Even the scraps that Dongke's system reveals are enough to make him extremely happy. From now on, Yu Ningzhi is a staunch supporter of Dongke!
……

Shouts rang out, and supporters for each horse race rose and fell in waves.

"Ladies and gentlemen, now entering the racetrack is this year's new racehorse, 'Golden Boat'!"
Let us give a warm round of applause to Mr. Li Dongling, owner of the Golden Ship and advisor to the Cyberport Board of Directors, and welcome him and his beloved horse to the Cyberport racing family!

At Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong, the announcer's impassioned voice rang out over the stadium's loudspeaker, drawing the attention of the spectators and the television cameras broadcasting the races to the VIP area.

Facing the camera, accompanied by Huang Gang, president of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Li Dashan waved gently to the audience and the television cameras.

Today is the first race of Li Dashan's Golden Horse Racing Boat. Li Dongling, Ning Wenke, Lin Xianhui, Zhang Xiaocheng, Zhou Hongyi and others, as well as Khalid from the Qatar Foundation and others, have all come to the race.

Today, nearly half of the VIP seats at the racecourse were occupied by members of the Eastern Taiwan Science Park Group (ETSP) and Cyberport Group, marking a public appearance for these two groups in Hong Kong.

Huang Gang, president of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, personally welcomed and accompanied Li Dongling upon his arrival. Horse racing is an expensive sport. To enter this industry, one must first invest hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars. Training foals, professional horse trainers, jockeys, and logistics are all very costly.

Even if someone of Li Dashan's stature is just dabbling in it, the Hong Kong Jockey Club wouldn't dare to treat him with any disrespect.

Only with more and more top tycoons like Li Dongling joining will the Hong Kong Jockey Club's influence grow, and of course, its profits will also increase.

Horse racing is popular in the port city. A single race can attract countless celebrities, tens of thousands of spectators to watch live, and even be broadcast on television.

On the one hand, horse racing has become one of the social venues in the port city, where countless celebrities gather. The racecourse has become a top social venue, where you have the opportunity to meet many tycoons and celebrities in the VIP section.

Just like in the VIP section today, there were several minor celebrities and models who kept glancing at Philanthropist Li with flirtatious glances, hoping to catch his eye for a second. If something could happen, all the better...

On the other hand, there's the betting aspect of horse racing. If you're just watching the race, it only takes a few minutes, so why bother?

Only when betting occurs do spectators watch their chosen horses race on the field, much like the lottery results. Every number that appears makes the bettors tense. Although most people end up losing money, the thrill and adrenaline rush make it irresistible for countless people. Gambling is part of human nature.

"Golden Boat is the most talented racehorse I've seen this year. It might just win the championship today!" Chairman Huang praised to Philanthropist Li.

Li Dongling replied with a smile, "Thank you for your kind words, Chairman Huang!"

Li Dashanren didn't care at all whether the Golden Boat could win the championship; he just wanted to take it out for a walk since it only ate grass and didn't do any work.

Before the competition, the ceremony was very elaborate, with the host and guests providing various analyses of the horses to be competed.

This is also a way of extending the race, giving the audience a better experience and a greater sense of participation. Otherwise, if the race is over in just a few minutes, it won't be sophisticated at all. How can it attract users to participate, and how can it allow horse owners to show off in public?
If you can't show off in front of others and flaunt your skills in public, then what's the point of horse owners spending so much money on horse racing and training?
"Tomorrow, Andrew, president of Reynolds Tobacco, will arrive in the port city!"

Li Dongling whispered to Zhang Xiaocheng beside him, telling him that Ruyan e-cigarettes were about to face the final hurdle before being launched on the market.

(End of this chapter)