The Rich Man's Life Begins with a Comeback

Chapter 169 The Board of Directors and the Chu Brothers (6k)

Three days later.

Grand Plaza, Boardroom.

Wang Junjin, chairman of Junyao Group, sat in the main seat at the front, with dozens of people in suits and ties, exuding an air of authority, sitting on his left and right sides.

They included men and women, middle-aged and elderly people.

Looking around, only one person seemed out of place: the young man sitting to Wang Junjin's left.

Compared to the others at the same table, he was far too young.

At this moment, in the boardroom, in addition to the numerous group directors at the central long table, there were also many staff members from the board offices sitting along the edge of the wall, as well as secretaries or assistants of the directors.

Every few minutes, their gazes would involuntarily drift to the young man to Wang Junjin's left, their expressions a mixture of daze and感慨.

"Dear Board Members!"

"In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Company Law, the Articles of Association of Junyao Group, and the Rules of Procedure for the Board of Directors of Junyao Group, and after the qualification review by the Nomination Committee of the Board of Directors, Mr. Gu Heng is hereby nominated as a candidate for non-independent director of the 12th Board of Directors of Junyao Group, and submitted to this meeting for consideration. The specific details are as follows:"

I. Shareholding Structure and Governance Needs. Mr. Gu Heng currently holds 13.67% of the shares of Ruyi Aviation, a significant asset of Junyao Group, making him the second largest shareholder of Ruyi Aviation. This increase aims to optimize the board's governance structure, strengthen the synergy between shareholder rights and corporate strategy, and complies with the requirements of the corporate governance guidelines for listed companies.

II. Company Development Value. This addition will further enhance the foresight of the Board's decision-making and the efficiency of resource integration, injecting new momentum into the company in key areas such as industrial upgrading and capital operation…

Ahead, Wang Junjin stood with imposing and solemn presence.

He held the prepared speech and read it solemnly, speaking at a steady pace with a clear and resonant voice.

The entire boardroom was completely silent.

As the heir apparent of Junyao Group, Wang Yan didn't even have the right to sit at the table; he could only sit on the edge of the wall with many staff members from the board's office.

A few meters away from him was Jiang Ruan, who was attending the board meeting as Gu Heng's assistant. From the beginning of the meeting until now, her eyes had never left Gu Heng.

It has been exactly ten days since I left Beichun.

But those ten short days felt like an eternity to Jiang Ruan.

Even if she didn't want to admit it, she had to admit that she seemed to have fallen hopelessly in love with Gu Heng.

Gu Heng's charm is like a poison that gnaws at your bones. The longer she stays by his side, the stronger the poison becomes, eventually consuming her completely.

'He obtained me through such despicable means...'

How could I forgive him…?

'How could I fall in love with him…'

A painful struggle flashed in Jiang Ruan's eyes. Her reason was fiercely battling with her emotions. She wanted to use reason to suppress her emotions, but she forgot one thing: her heart would not lie.

Whenever she had the thought of leaving Gu Heng, her heart would feel a slight tearing sensation, and countless sweet or passionate memories of the two of them would surface in her mind.

"call……"

Jiang Ruan took a deep breath, forcing herself not to think about those things.

She looked at Gu Heng, who was sitting elegantly and dignifiedly to Wang Junjin's left, and as if possessed, she took out her phone and took a picture of Gu Heng at that moment.

"The nomination process complies with regulations, and the candidate's qualifications have passed compliance review. Now, we will hold a vote by raising hands to deliberate on the nomination of Mr. Gu Heng as a director of the 12th Board of Directors of Junyao Group. Please raise your hand if you agree."

As Wang Junjin finished speaking, he raised his right hand first, followed by the other directors and independent directors below. Directors and independent directors who were unable to attend in person but were participating via video also raised their hands on the screen.

At this moment, the director of the board's office stood up, his gaze quickly sweeping across the entire room.

"21 votes in favor, 0 votes against, 0 abstentions!"

"This resolution passed unanimously!"

Finally, the Director of the Board's Office announced in a loud voice.

"Chairman Gu!"

"From now on, we are family!"

Welcome to Junyao Group!

The audience erupted in applause. Wang Junjin slowly rose from his seat, smiling broadly as he extended his hand to Gu Heng in a familiar and friendly tone.

"Chairman Wang, it's an honor!"

Gu Heng also stood up with Wang Junjin, and at the same time stretched out his hands to hold Wang Junjin's hands tightly.

When everyone saw Wang Junjin and Gu Heng stand up, they all stood up as well, and the already enthusiastic applause became even more intense.

Looking at Gu Heng's youthful face, everyone felt a mix of emotions.

At just 18 years old, he was already a powerful director of a listed group!

If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they probably would have thought it was a fantasy.

"Chairman Wang, I will be returning to Jilin Province in two days."

“I am very grateful to Chairman Wang for his hospitality and care during this period. So before attending the board meeting today, I booked a private room at Linjiang Banquet in advance.”

Gu Heng smiled at Wang Junjin and said, "I hope Chairman Wang will give me the opportunity to host a banquet for you all."

"Chairman Gu, this..."

Wang Junjin looked slightly embarrassed: "How could I let you spend money!"

"Chairman Wang, didn't you just say that?"

"From now on, we are family."

Gu Heng said with a smile, "It doesn't matter who invites you, Chairman Wang. Were you just being polite to me?"

"Chairman Gu, is that what you mean?"

"Then I have no objection. If you're coming today, then you can come."

Wang Junjin spread his hands, no longer refusing to Gu Heng.

"Shall we go over now?"

"Does Chairman Wang have any other work to handle?"

Gu Heng asked Wang Junjin.

"The most important thing today was to convene a board meeting for you, Chairman Gu. Now that the important business is done, there's nothing else to do. Let's go straight to the restaurant."

Wang Junjin shook his head: "Chairman Gu, I'll help you greet them. I think they'd all like to have this opportunity to get to know you better."

"Then I'll have to trouble Chairman Wang."

After the two finalized the matter, Wang Junjin approached the board members and told them about Gu Heng's plan to host a banquet for everyone later. Gu Heng then walked to the edge of the wall, first greeting Wang Yan and Jiang Ruan and telling them about the banquet arrangements, before approaching Yang Wenjie and Xu Ke.

Today, Junyao Group held a board meeting to nominate Gu Heng as a new director. At such an important moment, Yang Wenjie and Xu Ke naturally had to be present to listen in.

"Congratulations, Chairman Gu!"

Congratulations to Chairman Gu on your new appointment!

When Yang Wenjie and Xu Ke saw Gu Heng approaching, they immediately offered their blessings to him.

"Thank you both for your hard work during this time."

Gu Heng smiled at the two of them: "However, this is only a partial victory. After we return to Beichun in a couple of days, we will still need to trouble you two to continue to take care of the acquisition of Xingchuan International and Beichun Junlan Hotel."

"Chairman Gu, this is what we should do."

Yang Wenjie adopted a very humble attitude and responded to Gu Heng in this way.

"Chairman Gu, Deloitte China has completed the due diligence report on Xingchuan International, and we have drawn a total of 30 professional accountants from our offices across the country. We plan to depart for Beichun tomorrow. What do you think?"

Xu Ke remained as refined and cultured as ever. While asking Gu Heng for instructions, he took out a thick document from his briefcase.

"Chairman Gu, our Juncheng Law Firm has also completed its due diligence report on Xingchuan International. Since both Juncheng Law Firm and Xingchuan International are local businesses in Jilin Province, we have also included information about the personality preferences of Xingchuan International's management in the due diligence report."

After Xu Ke finished reporting to Gu Heng, Yang Wenjie, not wanting to be outdone, also took out a thick document and handed it to Gu Heng.

Gu Heng took the two due diligence reports from Xu Ke and Yang Wenjie, and then casually handed them to Jiang Ruan beside him, asking her to keep them for him.

Although both of these due diligence reports involve due diligence, they have completely different focuses.

Deloitte China's due diligence report submitted to Gu Heng focused on examining multiple aspects such as financial status, assets and liabilities, business model, and market position. In contrast, Juncheng Law Firm's due diligence report submitted to Gu Heng focused on investigating multiple aspects such as corporate governance, legal compliance, credit status, and social evaluation.

If Gu Heng's current level of understanding of Xingchuan International is 10%, then after he has thoroughly reviewed these two due diligence reports, his level of understanding of Xingchuan International will soar to 90%.

As for why Gu Heng did not conduct due diligence on Ruyi Airlines when he acquired its shares, it was because doing so would not have been very meaningful.

Although Gu Heng is nominally the second largest shareholder of Ruyi Airlines, he actually only controls 13.67% of the shares. He has no real control over Ruyi Airlines. Even though he was added as a director of Junyao Group by the Wang family, it was just a nominal position.

As long as core interests are not involved, everyone is happy and harmonious.

If core interests are involved, Gu Heng may at most have the right to make suggestions.

However, Xingchuan International is different. It holds 34% of the shares, which is a safe control threshold, and it will automatically have veto power.

In other words, Gu Heng must make reasonable and correct judgments whenever Xingchuan International needs to make decisions on any major matters in the future, because the prerequisite for any major matter to be implemented is that it needs the approval of more than 2/3 of the shares.

Gu Heng nodded, indicating that important matters could be implemented.

Gu Heng shook his head, saying that important matters should be returned for further discussion.

In his position, he seeks his government.

Having a comprehensive understanding of Xingchuan International's specific circumstances is not only to protect one's own rights from infringement, but also to be responsible to Xingchuan International's other shareholders.

"Mr. Xu, Attorney Yang, I will carefully review the due diligence report you provided in the next two days. After the banquet tonight, you can head to Beichun tomorrow to prepare for the takeover of Xingchuan International's equity assets."

Gu Heng responded to Xu Ke and Yang Wenjie.

"Ok."

"Then let's set off tomorrow."

With Gu Heng's permission, Xu Ke immediately stated that the original plan would remain unchanged.

“The headquarters of Juncheng Law Firm is in Beichun. We’re not in a hurry to go back. Let’s go back to Beichun with Chairman Gu.”

Yang Wenjie thought about it and decided it was better to play it safe. Returning to Beichun a day early wouldn't make much difference.

Conversely, if they stayed in Zhonghai, they could intervene and handle any issues that might arise with Gu Heng immediately.

"You can manage your own time."

Gu Heng responded with a smile, indicating that he did not interfere with their schedule.

After a brief conversation, Wang Junjin had also made all the necessary arrangements.

The group left one after another and headed to the riverside banquet to reunite.

……

Beichun, Xingchuan International Headquarters.

In the dead of night, only a few lights were still on in the entire building.

Inside the chairman's office, Chu Zhengxiong sat upright in a leather swivel chair in front of his desk. His eyebrows were sharply defined, his square face had a strong profile, and a pure black business shirt covered his muscular body. Two buttons at the collar were undone. Just sitting there, he exuded a suffocating sense of authority.

"Dong dong dong..."

A knock sounded on the door, but Chu Zhengxiong didn't look up, continuing to scrutinize the documents submitted by his subordinates with his pen.

"Come in."

The slightly indifferent voice had just rang out when the door to the chairman's office was pushed open, and a man who bore a striking resemblance to Chu Zhengxiong, but was even more robust and tall, hurriedly walked in.

If Chu Zhengxiong gave off the feeling of a wolf, then the man in front of them gave off the feeling of a bear, especially the two-centimeter scar on his left eyebrow, which made the aura of the underworld around him even stronger.

"Brother, there's new information."

The man in front of you, who looks like a bear, is none other than Chu Zhengnan, the younger brother of Chu Zhengxiong, the chairman of Xingchuan International, and the executive vice president of Xingchuan International. He currently manages four music and entertainment centers and three large bathhouses of Xingchuan International.

Chu Zhengnan placed a sheet of paper on Chu Zhengxiong's desk, but Chu Zhengxiong didn't even glance at it and continued to write his comments at a leisurely pace.

Seeing this, a hint of helplessness flashed in Chu Zhengnan's eyes. He had no choice but to pull over a chair in front of his desk, plop down, and quietly wait for the other person to finish writing.

Five minutes later, Chu Zhengxiong slowly stopped writing and put the pen cap back into the pen.

"Cultivating one's character and temperament."

"I practically have those four words etched into your forehead."

"You can usually put on an act, but when you encounter a problem, your true colors will be revealed."

Chu Zhengxiong looked at his younger brother in front of him, his voice deep and steady. His tiger-like eyes, which were imposing even without anger, seemed to contain a deep pool, making it impossible to see through them.

"Brother, please put off educating me for now."

Chu Zhengnan quickly handed the paper to Chu Zhengxiong, his tone slightly urgent: "You should take a look at this quickly."

Chu Zhengxiong frowned almost imperceptibly when he saw his younger brother's eagerness.

"Hasn't the matter already been investigated and clarified?"

As Chu Zhengxiong took the papers from his younger brother, he asked a question.

"You'll know for yourself when you see it."

"This news was only made public less than three hours ago."

Chu Zhengnan said with a wry smile, "Brother, the other party's background seems to be a bit beyond our expectations."

As Chu Zhengnan finished speaking, Chu Zhengxiong's gaze slowly fell on the paper.

In an instant, his hawk-like pupils suddenly contracted.

However, this change in his pupils was only momentary, and he quickly returned to normal. But his left hand, which was resting on the mahogany table, unconsciously began to tap the table with its knuckles.

This is an announcement from the official website of the listed company Ruyi Airlines, indicating that just three hours ago, Ruyi Airlines held a board meeting to add a new director.

The entire announcement was concise, containing only a few hundred words.

Normally, announcements like this would go unnoticed.

The announcement only revealed the name and gender of the newly appointed director of Ruyi Airlines, and briefly summarized the reasons for appointing him as a new director, without revealing any details about the new director's personal information.

However, to Chu Zhengxiong, this announcement was like a thunderclap suddenly exploding in his ears.

Gu Heng, male, is the second largest shareholder of Ruyi Airlines, independently holding 13.67% of Ruyi Airlines' shares. He has been newly appointed as a director of Ruyi Airlines and simultaneously appointed as a director of Junyao Group.

"Has it been verified?"

"Is it really the same person?"

After a long silence, Chu Zhengxiong finally spoke, asking a question in a low voice.

"It's been confirmed!"

"The moment I received this announcement, I mobilized all my connections to investigate."

Chu Zhengnan nodded repeatedly, speaking rapidly: "According to the news from Zhonghai, the person who was newly appointed as a director of Ruyi Airlines and Junyao Group today is indeed very young, no more than twenty years old, and he comes from Jilin Province."

Upon hearing this, Chu Zhengxiong fell silent.

"I just checked..."

"Ruyi Airlines has a market value of 241 billion yuan today."

"According to the data disclosed on Ruyi Airlines' official website, the equity of Ruyi Airlines held by the other party alone is worth 33 billion yuan."

Seeing that his brother remained silent, Chu Zhengnan added a couple more sentences at the opportune moment.

"Notify them..."

"All store managers outside the province are to return to the Beichun headquarters immediately tomorrow for a performance review."

"The group's middle and senior management should stop taking leave, and those who are currently on leave should stop taking leave."

"The Board Office, General Office, Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, Finance Department, Business Department, General Management Department, Strategic Enterprise Department, and Human Resources Department compiled their respective data from the past five years into a booklet as quickly as possible."

At this point, Chu Zhengxiong let out a long sigh: "Have everyone prepare to welcome Director Gu Heng."

Upon hearing Chu Zhengxiong's words, Chu Zhengnan's expression immediately changed.

"Brother, what do you mean by this?"

"Are you really planning to give him real power and let him interfere in the group's operations and management?"

Chu Zhengnan grew anxious: "Didn't we agree..."

“We have an agreement, but the condition is that he is only the chairman of Zhencui Group.”

“Now that the situation has changed, we naturally need to change as well.”

Chu Zhengxiong interrupted Chu Zhengnan directly, looking very calm: "Anan, I know you're unwilling, but since we chose to raise funds, this matter is ultimately unavoidable."

"Even if it's not Gu Heng, tomorrow it might be Wang Heng, Niu Heng, or Ma Heng. Adjust your mindset. Just the fact that he can control over Ruyi Airlines' shares worth over 3 billion yuan at such a young age means he's not someone we can afford to mess with."

Upon hearing this, Chu Zhengnan responded with a muffled sound.

Judging from his expression, he was clearly still unwilling to accept it.

"Big brother..."

"I still don't understand it."

"Why do we need to raise funds?"

"If you're short of money, you can earn it slowly."

"Now it's all good, we've managed to bring in such a magnificent Buddha statue."

Chu Zhengnan scratched his head, looking somewhat irritable.

“All of our businesses are offline, and every day we wake up to huge costs. This puts too much pressure on our cash flow, and we must seek change.”

"We not only need to diversify our industries, but also upgrade our existing industries and launch a full-scale expansion to further seize market share and strengthen our brand effect."

"If you want change, you have to be drastic!"

"To catch our competitors off guard as quickly as possible!"

At this point, Chu Zhengxiong's demeanor became completely different from before.

It was as if a hungry wolf had spotted meat, its eyes gleaming with undisguised ferocity.

"With our current funds alone, it would be difficult to achieve these goals, and the risks are too great."

"Under these circumstances, we must bring in external funds, which can not only provide us with sufficient cash and reserves to meet the challenges of this battle, but also help us share the risks."

"In addition, Bethesda Trust, which provided us with financing, is the world's largest multi-family office. Even if it is just a regional office, its influence in the entire East Asia region is second to none."

"With such a strong backer, the difficulty of expanding our three brands, Chajue, Shenglang, and Houtang, to the south will be reduced many times over, and the benefits will be enormous."

Some time ago, Chu Zhengxiong knew that Chu Zhengnan had a lot of opinions about financing, but he was so busy with financing at the time that he didn't have time to pay attention to Chu Zhengnan. Today, he took this opportunity to explain the financing matter to Chu Zhengnan.

"Hey……"

"Looking back now, it seems like the happiest time was when we first opened our first music venue in Beichun."

Chu Zhengnan sighed softly: "The brothers are together every day, and we don't need to think about or deal with so many things. Now that the industry is growing and the scale is getting bigger, we don't feel as happy as we used to be."

“Anan, you can be content with the status quo, but I can’t.”

“Since the brothers call me Big Brother, I have the responsibility and obligation to lead all the brothers to a better life. And you have to know that doing anything is like rowing against the current; if you don’t move forward, you fall behind. If you are content with the status quo, you are destined to perish.”

Chu Zhengxiong smiled at Chu Zhengnan: "Alright, that's all for today. Hurry up and carry out what I just told you, and don't give me any discounts."

"Yes!"

Chu Zhengnan stood up from his chair.

They came in a hurry and left in a whirlwind.

Chu Zhengxiong watched Chu Zhengnan's retreating figure, shook his head with a smile, then picked up the page again, looking at Gu Heng's name on it, a thoughtful look appearing in his eyes...

(End of this chapter)