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Sitting in the office of Yu Xueqing Company, Xiao Ran looked at the logo of the three characters "Yu Xueqing" on the wall and felt a strong urge to change the name.

He wanted to fight back and prove that he wasn't Suning's puppet, or a dog who could only make money for Suning.

The first step is to completely sever ties with the past, including this name that bears Han Ling's mark.

That day, Xiao Ran called Zhou Zhenxing to his office.

"Old Zhou, I want to change the company name."

Zhou Zhenxing was taken aback. "Change the name? Yu Xueqing has a very high brand awareness now. It would be a pity to change it..."

"If we want to grow bigger and stronger, we must take this step."

“This…” Zhou Zhenxing hesitated, “but the market recognizes this brand, and changing the name is very risky.”

“So it’s not a complete overhaul.” Xiao Ran had clearly thought it through. “We’ll establish a group called Junda Daily Chemical Group. Yu Xue Qing will be retained as a sub-brand of the group. This way, we’ll have a fresh start without losing our old market.”

Zhou Zhenxing thought for a moment, "That's one way. But setting up a group requires capital and equity restructuring. And... will President Su agree?"

"Why doesn't he agree?" Xiao Ran sneered. "As long as I pay for the shares, he'd be eager to cash out."

"You want to increase your holdings?"

“Yes.” Xiao Ran nodded. “I currently own 20%, and Suning owns 70%. I want to buy back 31% from them, so that I will have 51%, giving me absolute control. Then I can say I want to change the name, and they won’t have anything to say.”

"But will Suning sell it?"

"Give it a try."

"Do you have that much money? Yu Xue Qing is worth a billion right now."

"I'm already in talks with the bank; after all, I have to rely on myself eventually."

"..."

……

The next day, Xiao Ran arranged to meet Su Ning.

The two sat down in the conference room at the headquarters of Shenzhen-Hong Kong Group, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

"President Su, I would like to repurchase some of Yuxueqing's shares from you." Xiao Ran got straight to the point.

Su Ning raised an eyebrow. "Why the sudden urge to increase your holdings?"

"The company needs to grow, and I want to increase investment," Xiao Ran said grandly. "In addition, I want to upgrade the company into a group, which requires more equity to operate."

How many do you want to buy?

"Thirty-one percent. According to market prices, I've calculated it to be approximately 310 million."

"Three hundred and ten million? Do you have that much money?"

“I have already contacted the bank for a loan, mortgaging that 20% of the shares and several properties, which is almost all my savings over the years.”

Su Ning remained silent for a few minutes, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.

Xiao Ran felt uneasy—he didn't know if Suning would sell.

If Suning doesn't sell, his entire plan will fall through.

“Okay,” Su Ning finally said, “but I have one condition.”

"You said."

“We cannot abandon the Yuxueqing brand,” Suning said. “You can establish a group or change the name, but Yuxueqing must be retained as a core brand. This is my promise when I invested – to make this brand bigger and stronger.”

Xiao Ran felt relieved; this was exactly what he wanted.

“No problem. As the most important sub-brand under the group, I will continue to invest resources to strengthen Yuxueqing.”

“Alright.” Su Ning nodded. “Let my people handle the specific details. Once the contract is signed and the money is in your account, the shares are yours.”

"Thank you, Mr. Su."

The negotiations went more smoothly than Xiao Ran had imagined.

A week later, the contract was signed, and 310 million yuan was directly transferred to the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Group's account, with 31% of the shares transferred to Xiao Ran's name.

Currently, Xiao Ran owns 51% of the shares, Suning owns 39%, and Zhou Zhenxing and other minority shareholders own 10%.

Xiao Ran obtained absolute control.

……

That afternoon, Xiao Ran convened a board meeting.

"Ladies and gentlemen, starting today, Yuxueqing Company is officially upgraded to Junda Daily Chemical Group. Yuxueqing will become the core sub-brand of the group, and we will also launch new brand lines to cover more niche markets."

Zhou Zhenxing led the applause.

Although the other directors were somewhat surprised, none of them dared to object when they saw that Xiao Ran held more than half of the shares.

“In addition,” Xiao Ran continued, “the group headquarters is relocating. The group has bought an office building in Futian District and will move there next month. This place will serve as a production base and warehousing center.”

"Should we hold a press conference about the name change?" Zhou Zhenxing asked.

"Yes," Xiao Ran said. "Not only should we hold a press conference, but we should also promote it extensively. Let everyone know that Yuxueqing has been upgraded and Junda Group has been established. We aim to become a leading enterprise in China's daily chemical industry!"

"Okay! I'll contact the media."

After the meeting, Xiao Ran remained alone in the conference room.

He walked to the window, looked at Shenzhen outside, and felt a long-lost sense of pride welling up in his heart.

Junda Daily Chemical Group.

This is his own company, his own business.

Although he still holds shares in Suning and is still subject to Zhou Zhenxing's control, at least he now has absolute control and a voice.

The next step is to completely break free from Suning's influence.

But this takes time and opportunity.

Now, let's take the first step steadily.

……

The renaming press conference was held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Shenzhen.

Dozens of media outlets attended, as well as many industry peers.

Xiao Ran stood on the stage, full of vigor and confidence.

"Today, I am here to announce two things. First, Yuxueqing Company has been officially upgraded to Junda Daily Chemical Group. Second, the group will launch a 'multi-brand strategy', in addition to retaining the core brand Yuxueqing, it will also launch the 'Yueji' series targeting young people and the 'Yazhen' series targeting the high-end market."

The audience was ablaze with flashes from the cameras.

A reporter asked, "Mr. Xiao, does changing the name mean cutting ties with the past? The Yuxueqing brand is so important to you, is there any special significance to changing the name now?"

This is a very pointed question.

Xiao Ran remained unfazed. "Changing the name is necessary for the company's development. Yu Xue Qing has grown from a small company to a medium-sized enterprise, and it needs a broader platform. Jun Da means 'a wise man reaches the world,' representing our ambition and vision. As for my romantic history—that's my private matter and has nothing to do with the company."

Another reporter asked, "Is Shenzhen-Hong Kong Group still a shareholder of the group? What are his thoughts on the name change?"

“Shenzhen-Hong Kong Group remains the largest shareholder and partner of Junda,” Xiao Ran replied officially. “Mr. Su of Shenzhen-Hong Kong Group is very supportive of the group’s upgrade, believing it to be an inevitable stage in the company’s development.”

The press conference was a great success.

The following day, major media outlets reported the news of the establishment of Junda Group.

The headline in the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily was: "Yu Xueqing upgrades Junda Group, Xiao Ran embarks on his second entrepreneurial venture."

The Economic Observer analyzed: "Can Junda Group's strategic upgrade from a single brand to multiple brands succeed?"

There's been a lot of discussion within the industry.

"Xiao Ran is trying to separate from Shenzhen and Hong Kong!"

"Changing the name is a way of cutting ties; it's clearly a sign that they don't want to be controlled by others anymore."

"But Shenzhen-Hong Kong still holds 40% of the shares. Can that make him so relaxed?"

Xiao Ran heard all these comments, but he didn't care.

What he needs to do now is to make Junda Group bigger and stronger.

Once the group is strong enough, we'll find a way to buy back Suning's 20% stake.

At that time, he will be completely free.

That evening, Xiao Ran was alone in the new office of Junda Group.

The office wasn't fully furnished yet, but the "Junda Daily Chemical Group" logo was already hanging on the wall.

Sitting in the boss's chair, looking at the brand new logo, I felt both excited and pressured.

What's exciting is that I finally have my own platform where I can really showcase my talents.

The pressure is that the road ahead is difficult...

With fierce market competition and Suning eyeing the market, Zhou Zhenxing may not be reliable.

But he had no way out.

Han Ling is gone, Chen Qiming is dead, and Liu Yuan has his own business.

Now, all he has left is the Junda Group.

This is his last stand, and his only chance to prove himself.

Therefore, he must win.

In this brand-new office, a man began his second entrepreneurial venture.

Although the road ahead was unknown, he had no other choice.

It can only move forward, ever forward.

Until he proves himself, until he takes back everything that belongs to him. This is Xiao Ran's choice.

It was also his only way out.

……

When Liu Yuan first started managing Paradise KTV, he was indeed very honest.

At that time, he had endured too many harsh realities in Shenzhen. Being able to climb onto the big tree of Suning was like his ancestors' graves emitting auspicious smoke.

He works diligently every day, personally overseeing everything from sourcing goods to providing services and managing accounts.

As the KTV business flourished, Liu Yuan gained increasing trust from Suning.

During that time, Liu Yuan really wanted to do a good job.

He wanted to impress Suning and gain more resources, hoping that one day Suning might be in a good mood and invest in him to open a branch store, or let him join the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Group to do some legitimate business.

Therefore, he was extremely cautious in everything he did.

I drank less alcohol, smoked less, and even gave up gambling, which I used to love.

But as the old saying goes, it's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature.

Liu Yuan is a gambler at heart, with a strong gambling instinct.

When he first came to Shenzhen, he was a gambler, but he was poor at the time, so he gambled small amounts, winning or losing only a few dozen yuan.

However, he still lost all of his and Xiao Ran's living expenses.

So, once life became comfortable, the gambling addiction returned.

At first, he just played cards with a few regular customers in a KTV room. The stakes were low, with wins and losses amounting to a few hundred yuan per night.

Just for fun.

Later, feeling unsatisfied, he started going to small gambling stalls on the street.

The gambling there is high-stakes; it's common to win or lose thousands of dollars in a single night.

When Liu Yuan is on a winning streak, he can win tens of thousands of yuan in one night.

When you're on a losing streak, you can lose more than half a month's income.

But he didn't care at all.

KTV business is good; they can earn over 100,000 yuan a month. What's a little money loss?
On his first trip, Liu Yuan brought 50,000 yuan with him, wanting to test the waters.

As luck would have it, he won 80,000 in one night.

He was holding that pile of cash, his hands were trembling. This was much more lucrative than running a karaoke bar!
From then on, Liu Yuan was completely entangled.

He gradually stopped managing the KTV business and handed it all over to his subordinates.

Once, an old customer ran into Liu Yuan and asked, "Mr. Liu, you play this game too?"

Liu Yuan waved his hand, "Relax a bit."

"This is no small matter!" the customer kindly warned. "I have a friend who lost over a million here and even mortgaged his house. You'd better be careful."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Liu Yuan said this, but he didn't really believe it.

He felt that his luck was different.

He climbed his way up from the bottom, and he had the help of benefactors. Heaven won't let Liu Yuan lose.

……

Three months later, Liu Yuan was shocked when he did the accounting...

In the past three months, he has lost more than 600,000 yuan at the casino!
Six hundred thousand! That's almost half a year's profit from his KTV!
He panicked and decided to stop.

But gambling addiction isn't something you can just quit.

After a week of abstinence, Liu Yuan felt unwell all over, as if ants were crawling on him, and he kept thinking about making up for his losses.

Around that time, KTV business was not doing well, and revenue was declining.

I want to win some back to cover the losses.

He brought 100,000 yuan with him this time, hoping to make a comeback.

As a result, he lost everything in one night.

Unwilling to give up, Liu Yuan went to the bank and withdrew another 200,000 yuan, which was all his savings.

Still a loss.

Driven mad by his losses, Liu Yuan started borrowing money to gamble.

Borrow from friends, or buy on credit from suppliers.

The more you gamble, the more you lose; the more you lose, the more you gamble.

In the end, Liu Yuan was drowning in debt...

The money from friends, the payments from suppliers, the principal plus interest, add up to more than two million.

"Mr. Liu, when are you going to pay me back?"

"Give me a few more days, I...I'll figure something out," Liu Yuan said in a humble voice.

"A few days' grace? You've already given me a month's grace! You have to pay it back today, or you can forget about opening this KTV!"

"No, no, no, I'll pay you back, I'll pay you back!" Liu Yuan cried out anxiously. "Here's what I'll do: I'll go to Hong Kong and Macau. Once I win the money, I'll pay you back with interest!"

"You still want to gamble?" The loan shark looked at him like he was a fool. "Mr. Liu, wake up! Gamblers always end up bankrupt!"

"This is the last time! It really is the last time!" Liu Yuan pleaded. "Give me a week, and I'll definitely pay you back in a week!"

The loan shark thought for a moment: "Fine, I'll give you another week. If you can't pay it back after a week, don't blame us for being ruthless."

That evening, Liu Yuan went to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's casinos are much more luxurious and crowded than those in Shenzhen.

Liu Yuan exchanged HK$500,000 for chips, thinking: This is my last chance.

He was playing baccarat.

He had good luck at first, winning over 100,000 yuan, which made him even more convinced that he could win back his losses.

But their good luck didn't last long.

Starting in the latter half of the night, Liu Yuan kept losing.

Five hundred thousand chips were lost in just two hours.

He was not satisfied and went to exchange chips again, this time exchanging 300,000.

Still a loss.

At daybreak, Liu Yuan walked out of the casino, penniless and still owing the casino 200,000 yuan.

He slumped down by the roadside, watching the morning traffic in Hong Kong, his mind blank.

It’s over.

It's all over.

All the profits from the KTV over the past few years, all the savings, have been lost.

They also owe more than three million yuan in debt.

The loan shark said he'd pay back the money in a week, but how am I supposed to pay him back now?

Liu Yuan wanted to ask Su Ning for help, but he couldn't bring himself to ask...

Suning entrusted the KTV to him because they trusted him.

Now that he's in this state, how can he face Su Ning?

At this moment, Liu Yuan suddenly remembered Chen Qiming.

That old classmate who jumped from the 38th floor.

He didn't understand before, but now he does...

When a person is at their wit's end, death truly is a relief.

Liu Yuan stood up and swayed as he walked towards the sea.

It's very windy by the sea in Hong Kong.

He looked at the distant horizon and thought that if he jumped, it would all be over.

But just as he was about to take that step, his phone rang.

It was the KTV manager calling.

"Mr. Liu, where are you? The loan sharks are here again. They say they have to see the money today, or they'll smash up the shop!"

Liu Yuan's hands were trembling.

Smashing the store? That's his last bit of capital.

If the shop is destroyed, he will truly have nothing left.

"Tell them to wait, I'll be right back." He hung up the phone.

Dying is easy, but the debt remains even after you're dead.

Those people will look for his parents and his relatives in his hometown.

He cannot die.

Not at least not now.

...(End of this chapter)