Restart life

Chapter 512 0500 [Old Zhang is depressed]

This year's Forbes and Hurun Rich Lists have been released.

Forbes' statistics have an earlier cutoff date, coinciding with the outbreak of the US debt crisis and when ByteDance's stock price plummeted, causing Chen Guiliang to fall to fifth place on the Forbes list.

The four ahead of him are Liang, CEO of Sany Heavy Industry; Li Yanhong of Baidu; Liu, CEO of New Hope Group; and Zong, CEO of Wahaha.

When the Hurun Rich List was compiled, ByteDance's stock price had already recovered somewhat, and Chen Guiliang's ranking on the Hurun Rich List had dropped to fourth.

Regardless of the ranking, Chen Guiliang has fallen out of the top three this year.

Unfortunately, ByteDance's stock price plummeted due to the US debt crisis.

Baidu's stock price is much more stable, and it rebounded much faster.

A bunch of netizens tagged Chen Guiliang on Weibo, all making sarcastic remarks like "President Chen's stamina is lacking" and "Old Master Chen needs to work harder."

At this time, Lu Yu's interview with Chen Guiliang was broadcast on television and websites, titled "A Day in the Life of Entrepreneur Chen Guiliang".

The TV ratings for this program haven't changed much, remaining roughly the same as Lu Yu's usual shows.

However, it received a huge number of views on Tudou, AcFun, and Bilibili, and was subsequently reposted by netizens to platforms such as Tieba, forums, and Weibo.

Netizens are simply driven by voyeuristic curiosity, wanting to know how the big boss spends his day.

"I'm so moved, I'm dying of gratitude. Old Master Chen actually cares about office workers and is worried that hogging the elevator will make them late."

"Mr. Chen's daily life summary: Work for five minutes, then play around all day."

"Damn it, I want to be a boss too. I can finish the job in a few minutes and then slack off the rest of the time."

"Working at ByteDance and Youke is so great? Some employees are even lifting weights in the gym during work hours!!!"

“I eat better lunch than Chen Guiliang, so my quality of life surpasses that of a billionaire. Suddenly I feel like I’m something again.”

"No wonder Mr. Chen's ranking on the rich list dropped this year. It turns out he was living too leisurely and had no ambition."

"..."

Some business management experts have even started discussing the management models of ByteDance and Youke.

For example, Professor Xiao Zhixing of CEIBS is the founding director of CEIBS's AMP and MDP courses.

His representative work is "Why Can't the Chinese Organize?"

The book's main argument is that the Chinese are not incapable of organizing themselves, but rather struggle to build modern organizations based on institutions, trust, and professionalism.

He said that Chinese companies succeed by relying on the personal charisma, opportunities, connections, and strong salesmanship of their bosses, who only trust a few veterans and relatives. Employees are loyal only to their superiors, not the company. Rule by man outweighs rules, and there is a lack of systematic organizational management…

All of the above points are very reasonable and point out many of the shortcomings of enterprises.

However, in order to explain the issue more clearly, he used Western modern organizations as a comparison.

In his writings, the West portrays everyone as equal before the rules, focusing on the issue, not the person. Trust within Western organizations is built on systems and contracts, not personal relationships. The West respects professional competence and ethics, and decisions are based on facts and data, not rank or personal connections…

Xiao Zhixing commented in an article on his Sina blog:
"Yesterday, on a friend's recommendation, I watched 'A Day in the Life of Entrepreneur Chen Guiliang' online. Mr. Chen is undoubtedly one of the most successful entrepreneurs in contemporary China. He has great personal charisma and a forward-thinking vision..."

"Judging from the employees' behavior in the video, the management style of Youke and ByteDance is very relaxed and democratic. President Chen is also willing to delegate power and hand over company affairs to senior executives... This surpasses most companies in China..."

"But we must also recognize the problems and potential risks. Mr. Chen's two companies have grown too rapidly in recent years, doubling their number of employees twice over. ByteDance restructured its group last year and is moving towards a modern organization. However, Youke's management remains very extensive..."

"As far as I know, Mr. Chen personally determined the development direction and major projects of Youke. He would even get involved in the design of specific games, including the content of each game. This is especially evident in 'Three Kingdoms Kill,' where Mr. Chen is still personally designing the generals..."

"All of Youke's successful games to date are inseparable from Mr. Chen's hands-on involvement. This model is unsustainable. As the company grows larger and the number of subsidiaries increases, Mr. Chen's energy is limited, and he cannot personally develop games forever. We must cultivate a replicable and sustainable game development mechanism..."

An entrepreneur, @Chen Guiliang, recommended this article, to which Chen Guiliang simply replied: "Thank you for your correction, Professor Xiao. I have learned a lot, but I will never change my ways."

Professor Xiao Zhixing is quite capable; his assessments of many problems facing Chinese enterprises are incisive. Moreover, his theoretical understanding is very high.

However, after each argument, he always used successful European and American companies to prove his point, completely ignoring the various problems within these large companies.

His counterexamples are also absurd, such as using the Yue Family Army, Qi Family Army, and Yang Family Generals to prove that Chinese organizations rely on family blood ties.

Let's leave aside the Yang family generals, as most of their stories are fictionalized accounts. And besides Yue Yun, who in Yue Fei's army was related to him? And who in Qi Jiguang's army was related to him?
Does the word "home" imply that family ties are the bond between people?

"Haha, I've learned my lesson, but I'll never change. Old Master Chen's words remind me of my own spirit when I was a student."

"Where did this old fogey come from? How dare he give Old Master Chen advice on how to manage a game company?"

"I misunderstood Master Chen. It turns out that Master Chen personally participates in all of Youke's successful games. I really thought he only worked a few minutes a day. If that's the case, Master Chen, please increase your efforts and create more fun games!"

"I used to admire Mr. Xiao quite a bit, thinking he was incredibly talented. But if you're not familiar with a certain field, you shouldn't comment on it casually. All the good games in the world have founders involved. If the founding team ever leaves the front lines, that game company is doomed."

"..."

Xiao Zhixing's Weibo and blog were bombarded with criticism from a group of gamers.

He was so angered that he immediately shut down the comments section.

……

A noodle shop in the capital.

Zhang Chaoyang slurped up his Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodles: "I took Professor Xiao's class at CEIBS (China Europe International Business School)."

Chen Guiliang didn't respond to that question: "Is the Tian Shu Pro any good?"

"Absolutely awesome!" Zhang Chaoyang exclaimed.

Of course it's awesome. No competing products have entered mainland China yet, making the TianShu Pro unrivaled in China at this stage.

Many wealthy Chinese and elite white-collar workers immediately bought the TianShu Pro.

Only die-hard Apple and Samsung fans are still eagerly awaiting the release of new Apple and Samsung phones.

"Why did you suddenly ask me out for rice noodles?" Chen Guiliang asked.

Zhang Chaoyang put down his chopsticks: "I'm depressed."

Chen Guiliang: “…”

Zhang Chaoyang said, "It's true, I felt something was wrong a while ago, and when I went to the hospital for a checkup, I found out that I have depression."

“This means your depression isn’t severe yet,” Chen Guiliang said.

Just then, Wang Erlei, CEO of Kongzhong.com, walked into the noodle shop: "What's the rush? Why do you insist on meeting today?"

Zhang Chaoyang said, "I'm depressed." Wang Erlei: "..."

Chen Guiliang asked, "What are the symptoms?"

Zhang Chaoyang recalled: "I felt anxious for no reason. My mind was often foggy, and I couldn't think clearly. I also had inexplicable fears, and sometimes I would even wake up in a fright from a dream. I couldn't find joy in anything I did. Sometimes, I couldn't even understand what other people were saying. My heart would often suddenly race, and I would have a strong feeling of impending death. I usually felt uncomfortable all over... I felt better today, so I asked you guys to come out and talk."

Wang Erlei said, "It sounds very serious."

Chen Guiliang said, "I am not a doctor, but I think your problem is caused by long-term sleep deprivation, which has led to physical and psychological problems due to the deterioration of your bodily functions."

Zhang Chaoyang is the kind of person Lu Yu described, who only sleeps four or five hours a day. Moreover, he deliberately forces himself not to sleep, staying up until he is extremely sleepy before closing his eyes, and even boasts that this allows him to enter deep sleep.

Wang Erlei nodded: "I agree with Liangzi's point of view."

"Don't call me Liangzi, just call me Xiao Chen," Chen Guiliang reminded him.

Wang Erlei said, "Okay, Liangzi."

Zhang Chaoyang thought for a moment: "That might be true, but I'm suffering from severe insomnia right now, and I can't fall asleep even when I want to. I plan to study psychology and try meditation to adjust my condition."

Chen Guiliang thought to himself: This guy is finally about to start his cultivation mode.

Chen Guiliang said to Wang Erlei, "Congratulations, Erlei, you've really done well this year."

Wang Erlei said, "Don't call me Erlei, just call me Lao Wang."

Chen Guiliang said, "Okay, Erlei."

Kongzhong Corporation experienced a significant decline in performance last year, but has seen a major surge this year.

Wang Erlei first successfully introduced and operated "World of Tanks," and then his self-developed mobile games also achieved good results. This quickly turned Kongzhong Corporation from loss to profit.

Wang Erlei said, "How about strengthening cooperation in the future? I'll prioritize developing mobile games compatible with the HarmonyOS system, and you can help me promote them on your phone and tablet."

“Promoting the traffic is fine, but we’ll do it for money,” Chen Guiliang said.

"Isn't this too formal? We're good friends," Wang Erlei said.

Chen Guiliang said, "Youke also has many mobile game products, and they can't even promote all of their own games."

Wang Erlei said impatiently, "Fine, fine, I'll give you the money."

The two spoke earnestly, but there was definitely a sliver of friendship between them. When multiple companies were competing, under equal circumstances, they would still prioritize helping Wang Erlei promote his product.

The two of them chatted enthusiastically while eating noodles, but Zhang Chaoyang's depression seemed to have flared up again, and his mind was foggy so he couldn't hear what they were saying.

Wang Erlei pointed at Zhang Chaoyang, who was in a daze.

Chen Guiliang said to Zhang Chaoyang's bodyguard, "Take your boss to the hospital."

Watching the bodyguard drive the person away, Wang Erlei said, "Won't there be any problems? Shouldn't we go after them and check?"

“We’re not doctors, what’s the use of going back to the past? People should take care of their health,” Chen Guiliang took out his phone and called Xie Yang. “Old Xie, come over and play basketball after dinner… to the stadium at Peking University… don’t ask me what’s wrong with me, we need to exercise too, just come over after dinner.”

Wang Erlei was both amused and exasperated: "He's the one who's sick, why are you exercising?"

"To prevent getting sick. Are you going to play basketball?" Chen Guiliang asked.

Wang Erlei said, "Let's go, it's been a long time since I played basketball."

The two didn't take a car, but strolled over to Peking University.

Halfway there, Wang Erlei received a phone call, and soon a friend was coming to visit.

She could be considered a beauty, albeit barely.

Wang Erlei introduced, "This is my friend Li Yaqian, who was also my former business partner."

"Hello, Ms. Li," Chen Guiliang greeted her with a handshake.

Li Yaqian smiled and said, "Hello, Mr. Chen, I've heard so much about you."

This is the daughter of the CEO of Hanergy Group.

She's an investor, a low-profile rich woman.

Li Yaqian sold her investment in Xinrui Internet to TOM, earning a 20-fold profit from this single transaction. At the time, Wang Erlei was the CEO of TOM.

What is the relationship between Wang Erlei and Li Yaqian?

They are all children of high-ranking officials, their grandfathers were from the "red" generation.

Xie Yang was too lazy to find a parking space, so he took a taxi directly: "Why are you playing basketball for no reason?"

"It's good for my health," Chen Guiliang said, rolling up his sleeves to show off his muscles. "And also to let the juniors from Peking University see what a basketball master looks like!"

The group chatted and laughed as they headed to the Peking University Gymnasium, where they met up with Bian Guanyue from the library halfway there.

The two girls, Li Yaqian and Bian Guanyue, were chatting enthusiastically.

"Old Ancestor Chen!"

A Peking University student exclaimed in surprise.

Chen Guiliang waved to the man, then said to Wang Erlei, "How about it? I'm quite famous at Peking University, aren't I?"

Li Yaqian said, "If you came to Tsinghua University, you would definitely be treated differently."

Bian Guanyue laughed and said, "Given his personality, he'd definitely be shouting 'Peking University is the best... you know' all over Tsinghua University."

"And then you got kicked out by Tsinghua students, right?" Li Yaqian laughed.

Xie Yang asked in a low voice, "Who is this girl?"

Chen Guiliang said, "His father is the CEO of Hanergy Group, so don't even think about it."

"What am I thinking about? I was just asking casually. I have a girlfriend now!" Xie Yang said.

Chen Guiliang laughed and asked, "Which school's girl is it this time?"

Xie Yang said smugly, "We met through WeChat's Shake feature. She didn't know who I was; she thought I was just a programmer. I won her over entirely with my personal charm, and this time it's definitely going to work out."

(End of this chapter)