Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 344 Discussing the Way, Setting Off

"In the fourth year of the Hongwu reign of the early Ming Dynasty, there were no more than 5480 civil officials in the country."

"The number of military officers is no more than 28000."

"By the mid-Ming Dynasty, it had expanded several times over."

"In the late Ming Dynasty, the number of officials in Changshu County alone reached 5900, which was a hundred times more than the authorized number."

"Do you know why?"

"It's because of the autocratic imperial system. The emperor wanted to control everything, and the bureaucratic system was an extension of the autocratic imperial system."

“When traditional dynasties enjoy a long period of peace, they usually experience economic recovery and development, a continuous increase in population, and an increasingly complex social life, just like the process of Gu An’s rapid expansion.”

"With more people, there are more ideas. As living standards improve, people's thoughts are no longer limited to just having enough to eat."

"The way Ming emperors dealt with the increasingly complex social life was never to encourage self-management by civil organizations; their choice was to manage it themselves."

"Suspect everyone, govern everything."

"The emperor's time is running out, so he can only increase the number of direct agencies and officials to manage all aspects in order to prevent social unrest."

"This is a kind of flattening. There are too many people and too many things, so flattening is not possible. The emperor increases the number of decrees and sends people to strictly implement and supervise his decrees."

“The number of regulations and documents increased day by day, and then supervisors and governors were appointed to oversee them.”

"Too many rules and regulations mean that if one rule has a problem, another rule is created to prevent it, which often results in compounding the problem."

"The bureaucratic system is destined to continue to expand. If the emperor wants to abolish it, it means to streamline administration and delegate power, and relax control over society, which is exactly what the emperor does not want to see."

"Second, although the imperial bureaucratic system was meant to serve the imperial power, once it emerged, it became an interest group with the characteristics of self-protection and self-reproduction. It would do everything possible to seek rent and to expand its institutions continuously, with its vested interests only increasing and never decreasing. This led to the rapid expansion of officials in the late Ming Dynasty."

"Even prosperous times have this characteristic. For example, Emperor Renzong of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhao Zhen, ordered the Censor-in-Chief Du Yan to abolish the Three Departments. As a result, more than 500 officials went to the Prime Minister's residence to cause trouble, and then went to Du Yan's door to curse and throw tiles and stones in protest. Although the court arrested three officials and exiled them to Shamen Island, the layoffs were forced to stop."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuebing coughed lightly.

"It's just my company, and I delegate a lot of authority, so it can't be that bad, right?"

Wu Jiesi gave a half-smile.

"I heard from Mr. Kan that you're planning to establish a think tank? I'd like to know, will this think tank be your own decision-making body, the group's decision-making body, or a body that both advises you and oversees the group's decision-making? If this decision-making body becomes increasingly powerful, will you need another decision-making body to ensure its correctness?"

Chen Xuebing felt a chill run down his spine.

Do I really want to be the emperor?
Wu Jiesi shook his head and smiled leisurely:

"The corporate system that has been explored for four hundred years is simple enough. You can't just delegate power without simplifying the administration. Simplifying the administration means making use of the mature system. If you need a think tank, then transform your head office structure from a holding platform to a strategic control center. That's a ready-made think tank."

"The core of flat management is to reduce management levels, accelerate decision-making response, and improve operational efficiency. However, when expansion leads to the addition of new regional companies or complex hierarchies, the advantages of flat management no longer exist. Your company is currently this complex. Some projects originally required multiple business lines and regional layouts. Your management style will make branch offices hesitant to expand, fearing that it will violate your logic."

Chen Xuebing fell into thought.

Have it?

I don't think so yet.

Wu Jiesi added, "I suspect that your group president may be having a difficult time. He may often hesitate, unsure whether he should take charge of certain matters, and he may not have anyone to help him manage them. You should ask for his opinion."

Chen Xuebing was silent for a few seconds, then remembered that he had sent the management team that Cai Zhijian had brought to different business units, and that he would communicate and relay any matters through Kan Zhidong.

He asked Cai Zhijian to set up a think tank, but he overlooked the fact that Cai Zhijian himself was his think tank.

"My plan is to establish a separate think tank so that the entire group can leverage the advantages of Hong Kong's financial management system while maintaining the strategic thinking of the mainland company. It should not be completely institutionalized, but rather have a long-term vision and make direct and effective decisions."

After stating his demands, he looked intently and said, "Since Mr. Wu has given this much thought, would you be interested in joining Gu'an and putting your ideas into practice? Huawei invested heavily in learning from IBM's systems and creating the 'Huawei Basic Law,' which gave us the 'market-driven' gene. A company like ours should also have its own basic law. I think learning from Western companies won't work; we need to combine policy-oriented thinking with market-based decision-making to form our own systematic summary and explanation, so that employees understand our corporate values. I want you to lead this effort and serve as our Group Vice President, participating in Group decision-making. Name your conditions for joining."

He has always regarded company management as a top priority and believes that the development of a company like Gu'an cannot be done by simply following the established methods.

For a long time, he made many decisions that he couldn't explain to his subordinates, which caused everyone to be confused. Ultimately, it was because his management skills were still limited to the level of his previous life, and he was used to managing the company by "managing a few people".

He tried to make changes, but all he did was replace the less capable colleagues with a group of senior managers.

He could clearly sense that once he left his post for a period of time, the group's development would fall into confusion and stagnation. His subordinates and Huawei's top executives had a completely different sense of purpose and ambition.

Moreover, such management leads to a situation where those who are better able to understand one's meaning are more likely to become senior executives, while those with truly independent thinking abilities rarely have the opportunity to stand out in public.

He may have had more talented subordinates, but they were probably buried by his own limited thinking. People who were nameless and unknown in their previous lives had no say in front of him, which is a kind of constraint.

Some changes are truly time to happen.

"Mr. Chen, the fact that you can think of these things is enough to prove that you are an excellent leader. However, I feel that you are too anxious. I have some understanding of the emergence of Huawei's management system. It is because they developed too fast and absorbed too many different groups. There are many different ideologies and diverse thoughts. Ren Zhengfei is worried that the company will be controlled by short-term interests and lose its core competitiveness. Your company is different. Its proposition is very singular. After talking with Mr. Lu and Mr. Kan, we all think that you are a tech fanatic. But after talking with you today, I saw some grand ambitions. Patriotic businessman is your true nature. You should be brave enough to admit this. Don't let your employees fall into confusion. If you trust me, let me help you compile a 'Basic Law for Stock Market Security'."

The last sentence really hit him hard.

He's really not suited to be an international businessman; he's more of a pure, albeit patriotic, businessman.

However, the strict restrictions on international technology made him hesitate, and he dared not express his preferences in any public setting, forcing himself to maintain the image of a capitalist.

"Won't this image affect our development in the United States?" he asked cautiously.

“What image?” Wu Jiesi retorted, “You’re going to America to do business. Your beliefs and stances aren’t important. What matters is what you do. As long as you abide by the local laws, there’s nothing to be afraid of. There’s communism in America, and they’re all doing just fine.”

"Hehe." Chen Xuebing chuckled dryly: "It's been a long time since I've heard that term. I'm afraid capitalist countries have forgotten about it."

Wu Jiesi shook his head and laughed: "The struggle between ideologies will always exist. Capitalism takes the private ownership of the means of production as its core, which concentrates wealth in the hands of a few. Socialism takes public ownership as its main body, and its goal is to eliminate exploitation and realize the common ownership of the means of production and the fruits of labor by the workers. If you can't see this point, you will never understand national politics."

“However,” he added, “my third suggestion is to take advantage of the loopholes in capitalism. Delaware’s general corporation law is known for its flexibility and protection of shareholder rights. Its privacy protection mechanism does not mandate the disclosure of shareholder and director lists, which can reduce the risk of political scrutiny caused by Chinese investment. The enforcement standards for non-compete agreements are also very strict, making it easier to recruit top technical talent without triggering lawsuits. You can set up your core R&D team in Delaware and establish sales branches in California, or use a Delaware holding company + California operating entity model, holding core patents through Hong Kong or Cayman entities and licensing them to US companies to circumvent the cross-border transfer restrictions of the Technology Import and Export Administration Regulations.”

Chen Xuebing was stunned: "You know about this?" Cai Zhijian had actually made a similar suggestion to him, but it wasn't as comprehensive, and it was about Nevada because there is no state income tax.

Wu Jiesi smiled inexplicably and said, "A friend of mine discussed this with me, but his purpose is different from yours. He is worried about having his assets controlled if he goes abroad, unlike you, who is upright and righteous."

Chen Xuebing laughed: "I'm not all righteous. I'm planning to bring back some technology from the US. By the way, is Delaware a red state or a blue state?"

"Deep blue, a Democratic stronghold, why are you asking this?"

Chen Xuebing hesitated for a moment, then said slowly, "What do you think about investing in a candidate from the blue camp during the US midterm elections?"

Wu Jiesi's expression turned serious. After a moment's guess, he asked:
"Shillari?"

Hillary Clinton is now widely considered the most likely candidate for the next election.

Chen Xuebing nodded: "Her husband made a lot of money doing gigs in China a few years ago, and he was also the spokesperson for Jiannanchun."

Retired official Clinton visited China in 03 and introduced Jiannanchun liquor, earning $40 in three hours. After that, he seemed to have developed a path dependency, visiting China four or five times in the following years.

This couple can be considered representatives of pragmatism.

As for why not vote for Obama, it's because he's already the president, and with such strict scrutiny around him, why would you rush up and expose yourself to his gun?
Hillary's husband enjoys public speaking engagements and has his own public health foundation, giving him far more legitimate opportunities to make contacts.

Although she lost the election, she is a representative of the blue wing of senators, so Obama still has to invite her to the election and make her the fourth member of the party.

And eight years later, they will still have to choose.

It's only worth talking if you've failed but still have aspirations.

"Are you going to deliver the money?" Wu Jiesi asked.

"No, donating money is too tacky. A symbolic donation will suffice. I'm prepared to..."

Chen Xuebing whispered in Wu Jiesi's ear, "This is how it is, and this is how it is."

Wu Jiesi frowned for a moment, then relaxed.

"Can you do it? Can you take over the American market?"

"Take it slow. I have Apple's support."

The following day, Wu Jiesi took his leave.

His contract with Hopson Development Holdings was not time-limited; the key was helping Zhu Mengyi secure 1 billion yuan from Temasek and Tiger Fund. Chen Xuebing knew that Cai Zhijian knew many high-ranking people at Temasek, so he asked Cai Zhijian to help him. This was also a way of showing goodwill to Mr. Zhu, hoping that they would release him smoothly after the financing was completed.

Taking this opportunity, Chen Xuebing made a long phone call to Cai Zhijian, discussing the group's future development and his expectations for Cai Zhijian. He also spoke frankly about Rong Xianwen and Goto Miki, saying that he thought the two were good people and wanted to keep them in the group long-term. He also hoped that Cai Zhijian could stay after his three-year term. If he couldn't stay, he was willing to give an extra 30 million as compensation to his former employer.

Cai Zhijian was driven by money, but over time, they had developed some affection for each other. Chen Xuebing compensated him, and Cai Zhijian solemnly promised to cultivate more talent for the group.

Chen Xuebing knew that some people were unwilling to remain subordinate to others for long, so he didn't say much. He then called Rong Xianwen and learned that Rong Xianwen wasn't too busy at Zhanxun recently, so he assigned him a task.

Contact headquarters.

The group is relocating; let's get started right away!
On December 14th, Chen Xuebing returned to Chengdu.

A newly registered Mercedes-Benz S600L with license plate "川A69999" picked him up at the airport. When Bi Yaxiong saw him and Ren Ying coming out together, he got out of the back seat and sat in the passenger seat.

"Mr. Bi, didn't I arrange to buy two cars? Why is it only one?"

Rolls-Royce requires pre-ordering, while Mercedes-Benz cars are available immediately with just an extra charge.

In Sichuan, business trips require a certain image, and since company cars are relatively inexpensive, Chen Xuebing simply spent 650 million yuan to purchase two small, impressive vehicles for the company.

520 million is the price of the car, and 130 million is the cost of the two license plates.

One is marked "川A69999", and the other is marked "川A58888".

I bought it from the real estate agency closest to the vehicle management office.

There are better options available, but you'll have to wait, or you might have to go to court.

"The other car Mr. Yu has already driven away. We have found two plots of land in Mianyang, but you said the money would take two months to arrive, so Mr. Yu went to find someone to smooth things over."

Bi Yaxiong looked slightly doubtful as he went down the tunnel.

Before Yu Chunyin left for Mianyang, he only said that Chen Xuebing had asked him to handle these matters and had transferred 500,000 yuan from the company account. It was not clear how Chen Xuebing had specifically arranged things.

Chen Xuebing did indeed make the arrangements.

A housing construction project requires more than 180 stamps from project approval to water and electricity connection. It's impossible to do it without arranging for someone to handle the procedures, which is also my uncle's forte.

His idea was to complete the large-scale occupancy before 08, and he even went to Shenzhen to find Ye Yuanxi to do the interior decoration.

But the arrangement didn't include the land payment; my uncle made this decision on his own.

However, at this moment, he was more concerned about another issue.

Beichuan is located in Mianyang.

"Mianyang? Two plots of land? There are only three projects planned for Mianyang, right?"

"Ah."

"Don't choose the third plot yet, I'll arrange it."

(End of this chapter)