Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 320 Food and grass go first
ten minutes later.

"boom!"

A cork flew into the air, symbolizing the finalization of a contract with an annual salary of 180 million and a 3% project commission.

The clinking of glasses and the sizzling aroma of suckling pig filled the air.

Bi Yaxiong's smile was relatively reserved, while Jiang Yunzhou laughed heartily.

"Haha, Mr. Chen, our Chongqing branch has made up for that bottle of champagne that we didn't open in Shenzhen a year ago!"

This was a deal worth 54 in commission, and it was closed in just two days!

In the past, without a major client like Gu'an, given the business environment in Chongqing, it would have taken a group of guys two or three months to work!
He can get one-tenth of the bonus, and each member of the team can get at least several thousand!
They appear glamorous to ordinary people, wearing suits, driving BMWs, and mingling with wealthy people. But in the presence of someone like Chen Xuebing, a single thought from him can drastically change their lives.

Chen Xuebing did indeed have such a thought at that moment.

"Mr. Jiang, how is your English?"

“Mr. Chen, you’ve come to the right place! I graduated from Shanghai International Studies University, majoring in German! My total score wasn’t high enough when I entered the university, but I was admitted because of my high English score!” Jiang Yunzhou said with some emotion, “I originally wanted to take the exam for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but all the spots for fresh graduates from our school were filled that year, so they only selected from the military and civil service. I didn’t pass the civil service exam, and by some twist of fate, I’ve ended up in this line of work for so many years. My language skills have become a bit rusty, but I’ve signed up to be an Olympic volunteer and have already received an email notification! The year after next, I can go to Beijing for training and be responsible for receiving foreign delegations!”

Speaking of these things, Jiang Yunzhou's face seemed to light up.

Chen Xuebing noticed that he was in his thirties or forties, yet he still seemed to be driven by his dreams, which he found somewhat admirable.

"Would you be interested in going abroad and doing something for me?"

"?"

Jiang Yunzhou's smile turned awkward: "President Chen, our company has contracts for employees. Even if they leave, they cannot work for a client's company. The penalty is very high."

“I didn’t mean to poach you,” Chen Xuebing said with a smile. “I just plan to discuss with your company about lending some people to me. My company is setting up a global business department overseas and needs some people to help me organize the talent structure. I see that you have offices in Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America, so it would be best if you could send a few bilingual people from China to go with my employees. Since you are good at foreign languages, as long as you agree, I will discuss with your headquarters and have you lead this team abroad. Don’t worry about the compensation; I will prepare an extra bonus, which will not be lower than your company’s salary.”

A year ago, he would have considered buying Emerson's Chongqing branch into Gu'an, partly to save money, but more importantly for the safety of his talent pool.

But people's ideas change, and with the company developing so rapidly, personnel changes are happening all the time.

Even he doesn't know whether, a few years from now, the talents he relies on will still be in front-line positions, or whether their abilities will be able to keep up with the company's development.

Take construction companies for example. A year ago, he was poaching technical backbones from Chongqing Construction Engineering Group, but now he's able to take on the factory director of Gezhouba Group. In the future, he might directly look for talent from the list of chief engineers of China State Construction Engineering Corporation or other central enterprises.

His business began to spread to various places, and he was destined to build a huge human resources system. He needed to cooperate with an equivalent organization like Emerson headquarters. Moreover, one Emerson was not enough, and he might need several more in the future.

The mindset of small businesses and modest operations is no longer sufficient to support enterprise development.

He should still pay attention to the security of the company's talent list, but there's no need to do it that way. He can follow Bi Yaxiong's idea and infiltrate the other party's system.

“If you go, get things done for me. When you come back, I’ll prioritize contacting you with Emerson’s business. What’s the point of the Chongqing branch? I think you’re more than qualified to be the vice president of the Shanghai headquarters. We can also entrust the talent services of Spreadtrum Shanghai to you.”

Jiang Yunzhou's heart pounded as he listened, recalling the last time Spreadtrum expanded its business, with headquarters leaders personally providing services and commissions exceeding one million yuan.
"Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Chen. I'll go back and contact Ms. Ren to see what your needs are. If I'm confident I can assemble the overseas human resources team you require, I'll get back to you, is that alright?"

Agreeing outright would be beneath him, but he had already decided to seek help from the company's overseas department as soon as he got back. He had to come up with an overseas headhunting plan that would impress Mr. Chen within three days! He had to take control of the team!

"Okay, then that's settled." Chen Xuebing was quite satisfied with his attitude and raised his glass with a smile.

Bi Yaxiong also participated in the toast.

"President Chen's blueprint is ambitious, encompassing construction, real estate, finance, consumer electronics, and 3G. The last time I heard of a company like this was Fosun Group. With such a strategic development, even President Huang of Gome would probably pale in comparison."

"Hehe, speaking of which, Mr. Guo from Fosun and I have some collaborations. We may also meet in the real estate market soon. If you are interested, you can learn more about them through our interactions."

He'll soon be entering Shanghai's social circles.

Shanghai real estate will be a hot commodity in the future, and given its small size, competition is inevitable.

On the other hand, Mr. Guo was very generous. The three million US dollars invested in overseas funds had already arrived in his account a couple of days ago. The five million US dollars from Liu Chuan and the two million US dollars from Lu Zhiqiang were also in circulation and would soon be transferred to the overseas account, bringing the total to ten million.

That hidden overseas fund is now growing stronger. Its soybean futures contracts have rebounded from a sharp drop to 570 cents in September, and as Brazilian soybeans gradually exit the market in the second half of the year, the USDA has lowered its estimate of US soybean stocks to 5.65 million bushels. The latest contract for the current month is $672.25, and the forward contract is $702.50. The position has grown from $2100 million to $3300 million.

That adds up to 4300 million. Once we've made them a profit, it's time to leave.

Logically, soybeans should have risen to over 1500 cents, and a 3x leverage would have been a safe bet. However, after the inhumane crash before September, he decided to only profit from the middle part of the price movement and withdraw when it reached 1000 cents at most, then dive into the larger market to play the game.

"Gome." Chen Xuebing said, a slight smile playing on his lips as he mentioned another person Bi Yaxiong had brought up.

Gome and Suning are not very friendly to him. The online sales controversy sparked by Qilin has made both companies very dissatisfied. Recently, their offline sales negotiations have been met with a cold reception, and it seems that they intend to join forces to block him.

What else could he do? He had no choice but to fight.

He hadn't figured out whether to fight a small-scale or large-scale battle yet, and he needed to make a move to test the waters and observe the other party's attitude before deciding.

However, it was not a good time to bring this up, so he simply poured himself another glass of wine and drank it all in one gulp.

"President Bi, please get to work as soon as possible. We have a tight schedule and a heavy workload."

Bi Yaxiong hesitated for a moment, then said, "My former boss wants me to take over as general manager of the Yangtze River branch. He wants me to manage this area first and wait for an opportunity. To be honest, I'm very grateful for the boss's favor, but I'm also a little worried about the DC power grid. I was wondering if I could take a leave of absence first and wait for the higher-ups' decision. If the country is going to build a DC power grid, I still hope to contribute."

Chen Xuebing pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "This is a great thing for the country, how could I refuse? If a better position awaits you in the future, it will be a source of pride for our company, Gu'an. However, you must make the most of your position while you are still here. When you leave, I will reserve a consultant position for you so that you can return to a state-owned enterprise without worrying about salary."

Upon receiving this reply, Bi Yaxiong was immediately invigorated: "President Chen is truly touching! Don't worry, I will definitely get this company done well for you!"

Jiang Yunzhou, who was standing next to him, was also intrigued.

This is like wanting more than you have!

Mr. Chen truly has a grand vision!

Those who betray you will all be given a million.
Three days later, in Jiangbei, at the construction site of Gu'an Construction's "Angel City" project. Within the fence, this landmark building, which Chen Xuebing had high hopes for and which aimed to enhance the quality of the city, now resembled a giant biological embryo in its early stages, firmly attracting everyone's attention with its unprecedented fluid curved surface.

Led by Professor Zhang, the design team from Chongqing Jiaotong University shed their refined demeanor on the podium and transformed into technical tyrants on the construction site. Wearing reflective vests covered in dust and oil, they mingled with the construction workers and laborers of Gu'an Construction. Their eyes were sharp as eagles, their ears were plugged with noise-canceling earplugs, and their walkie-talkies were almost always in their hands.

The expression on his face was definitely one of cursing, but the sound was inaudible; hoisting was underway at the scene.

The massive boom of the Zoomlion crane, which costs 35 yuan a month including the crane and its crew, slowly moved. A 18-meter-long, 15-ton irregularly shaped concrete component swayed slightly at a height of 20 meters. The hydraulic system began to fine-tune the angle, and a creaking sound immediately came from the boom joint.

Young Yang, a fresh-faced graduate student, became the chief equipment commander, standing outside the crane control room and shouting into a walkie-talkie: "Left offset! A little more! Okay, okay!"

A group of people stood about ten meters away watching.

"Excellent teamwork!" Bi Yaxiong, the newly appointed general manager of Gu'an Construction, remarked with a hint of admiration. He then looked at Tang Boming, the president of Jiaotong University, and said, "President Tang! Your university has an excellent system for nurturing talent! Look at Professor Zhang and his team! These aren't just scholars in an ivory tower; they're clearly engineering generals charging into battle! And then there's graduate student Xiao Yang, who can command a hundred-ton crane and coordinate so many processes. His composure and ability to translate professional knowledge into practical application are remarkable! Absolutely remarkable!"

Chen Xuebing stood to the side, smiling.

The five million design fee was well spent.

Outside design institutes produce drawings but then do nothing else; you rarely see them on the construction site. If you end up with a design team that lacks professional skills, the drawings will always have problems.

Unlike others, where graduate students personally oversee key processes, and a team of experts helps with the design.

Now that Jiaotong University has been authorized to grant doctoral programs, doctoral students can come and help out with part-time work in the future.

This is just a small project. For large-scale projects in the region, we will need to put out tenders and adopt the BT (Build-Transfer) model. We will also need to firmly bind the bigwigs of each institute to our projects.

An army marches on its stomach; this time, we must achieve in-depth cooperation with Chongqing Jiaotong University.

However, he doesn't need to speak up today; the two intermediaries he's brought in will solve the problem for him.

"President Tang, President Liang, I, Lao Nie, don't like empty talk. From my perspective, the development of university-enterprise cooperation should provide hardworking teachers and students with opportunities to improve their lives! Of course, in the long run, university-enterprise cooperation is a major issue in itself! Tongji University's School of Civil Engineering received over 100 million yuan in funding from external projects last year. How can we, as non-national universities, support scientific research when we lack funding? I think Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications (CQUPT) is ahead of the curve. Although CQUPT's Information Technology Company has worked hard for two years, its output will soon be realized. This commission will be enough for those who come after to eat well for several years. When the teaching buildings and dormitories are renovated and the laboratories have new equipment, those who come after will all thank me, Lao Nie!"

The former president of Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nie Neng, would point out the flaws in the situation, speaking with great enthusiasm.

Chen Xuebing then smiled and chimed in, "Principal Nie, you're too modest. Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications (CQUPT) is now involved in the research and development of LTE projects. If 4G projects are approved for LTE, CQUPT will be more than just financially secure. I think CQUPT Information Technology is not far from going public."

University-affiliated enterprises go public
The two presidents of Jiaotong University felt a pang of sadness.

If their predecessors had left Jiaotong University a listed company, the workload would be reduced by half. It's no exaggeration to say that their workload would be reduced by half.

And they can do it even better.

University development is all about money, isn't it?

Without funding, even Harvard can only watch helplessly.

but
“This…” Liang Naixing said with a somewhat conflicted expression, “President Bi, what President Chen told me back then was a collaboration between the university and an enterprise, but how did it become a joint venture between the university, the enterprise, and Gu’an? And they’re even letting our professors hold shares in an off-campus company, and graduate students are being sponsored and paid salaries… This isn’t… this isn’t…”

This is just like mixing sand into our mix!

Eleven professors!

Gu Anbang, a bridge engineer; Zhou Zhixiang, secretary of the School of Civil Engineering and Architecture; He Zhaoyi, dean of the School of Transportation and current head of the expert group for special roadbed treatment of the Chongqing Ring Expressway; Zhu Hongzhou, who developed asphalt pavement recycling technology immediately after graduating with his doctorate and won the first prize of Chongqing Science and Technology Progress Award; Wang Duoyin, the academic leader of the River and Ocean Engineering discipline; and Huang Chengkui, who presided over the National Natural Science Foundation of China Materials Engineering Science Project.
The character for "face" has exactly eleven strokes. The face of a school is represented by these eleven people, each occupying a stroke that is either longer or shorter than the previous one!
Chen Xuebing must have studied this list, which is so deeply ingrained in his memory, for quite some time, right?

If these people have benefited from investing and then the company stops letting them work, and the professors raise objections, who can withstand that?
They even have a program for commissioned trainees, where graduate students work with their supervisors. Isn't that just exploiting students?
“It’s a market-driven operation!” Bi Yaxiong said matter-of-factly.

Since the joint venture is to serve as the technical background for Gu'an's bidding process, Gu'an must invest in it, and the company name must include Gu'an's name.

"For the university-enterprise cooperation to catch up, we, Gu'an, must help. If professors want to do research but lack funding, we will provide it without using a single penny of national funds. The research results, including teaching rights, belong to the university, while the patents belong to Gu'an."

"Our collaborative lab is regularly open to all returning students!"
Regarding the issue of sponsored trainees and participation in work, we are not a so-called "mentor factory". We pay formal salaries, but they are about 20% lower than those of regular employees. There are no formal contracts. This price is already very reasonable!
"Regarding compliance, since Chongqing Jiaotong University is now a municipal enterprise, we can discuss it with the city. Since the Teachers Law does not prohibit part-time work, let's do a pilot filing for the school-enterprise model. If there are special regulations in the future that prohibit this, we will find a way to compensate the professors who hold shares!"

“We will start implementing major projects next year, and the design will be entirely handled by the joint venture. The company’s profits will not be low.”

Bi Yaxiong paused for a moment at this point, without making any specific promises.

Tang Boming and Liang Naixing exchanged glances.

At this moment, Chen Xuebing said calmly, "The design profit will not be less than 40 million yuan per year. The company only serves Gu'an Construction Group. Gu'an accounts for 44%, Jiaotong University accounts for 45%, and each of the 11 professors holds 1% of the shares. The laboratory investment is separately listed and will be provided by Gu'an, with no less than 10 million yuan per year."

Both of them paused for a moment.

Even if this company spends 10 million on salaries every year and has a profit of 30 million, Jiaotong University can still get a profit of 13.5 million!

There's also ten million in flexible project funding!
According to the equity structure, if there are any disputes between the two parties in the future, Jiaotong University and Gu'an will each hold less than half. In reality, the decision will be made by 11 professional professors. As long as the school's decision is not problematic, it is unlikely that most of the professors will turn against the decision. On the contrary, if most of the professors feel that there is a problem, the school cannot act recklessly.

The decision-making process showed respect to all parties involved.

Liang Naixing couldn't help but look at Chen Xuebing with admiration.

This student is no ordinary person; his design alone is truly remarkable.

"Good!" Chen Xuebing suddenly shouted and clapped.

Everyone was stunned.

Following Chen Xuebing's gaze, not far away, the huge, irregularly shaped component overcame its swaying under precise command and finally fit perfectly into its designated position. Ground workers quickly stepped forward to secure it, and then the professor, students, administrators, and workers all cheered in victory.

Tang Boming's brows relaxed as he watched, and he joined in the applause.

Everyone applauded.

"it is good!"

(End of this chapter)