"Brother, brother, play horsey with me."
"Brother has to go to work. How about I play horsey with you when I get back from work?"
"What is work?"
"Uh, work is going to buy Barbie dolls and nice clothes for little Jinyue. How about I play with you after I buy the dolls and come back?"
A one-and-a-half-year-old child could talk and run, but explaining what "work" was to her was truly a bit difficult.
Fortunately, Tan Jincheng had experience with children.
As soon as she heard about buying toys, Tan Jinyue became happy and wished Tan Jincheng would leave immediately.
Clapping her little hands, Tan Jinyue's cheerful voice entered his ears:
"Okay, okay, then brother, go to work quickly."
"Then, Jinyue, won't you kiss brother? If you don't kiss brother, brother won't buy you toys."
"You should leave quickly. You're meeting the leader today, don't be late."
Zhang Suzhi saw that her son was still teasing his little daughter and had no intention of leaving, so she couldn't help but feel a little anxious.
On the way back from the city the day before yesterday, she heard her son mention that he had to meet the leader in the district on Monday morning.
This was a big deal.
She didn't expect him to be so unhurried and calm this morning.
He had learned this composure quite well.
"No rush, it's not far, and it doesn't start until 9:30. Going so early wouldn't be very useful,"
Tan Jincheng replied to his mother while teasing little Tan Jinyue.
It was just past 8 o'clock now.
Driving to the district government would take at most 15 minutes, so there was no need to go that early.
If it were the residential area he lived in in his previous life, he could have walked there directly, but unfortunately, it hadn't been built yet.
"How many times have you met big leaders? Why aren't you nervous at all? I remember I used to be a little nervous even seeing our factory manager,"
Zhang Suzhi asked, a bit curious.
"Not many times. I wouldn't say I'm very nervous. I haven't done anything wrong, so what is there to be nervous about?"
This was probably the difference between having worked in the system and not.
In his previous life, Tan Jincheng, as a businessman, couldn't access such high-level leaders.
Although there were some negative phenomena at the grassroots level, it was, after all, in a region with a good business environment.
His development in this life had also been smooth, so he didn't feel much about power.
And Zhang Suzhi, due to the different era and environment she was in, had such feelings.
"Then you're quite impressive, but you should hurry up and go. Go prepare first, and stop teasing Jinyue; she's wrinkling your clothes."
"Haha, it's fine. Jinyue seems very happy these days, let her play."
"How can she not be happy? When we were in our hometown, your dad had to work, and most of the time it was just the two of us at home. There was no one to play with her, and not many toys. You should buy fewer toys in the future; our house is getting too full."
"It's fine. If there's no space, we'll buy a house. In a few days, when I get back, I'll go check out that villa. Maybe you can have Gu Qingqing go with you then."
"Hmm, okay. Gu Qingqing is a really good child. She's beautiful, capable, and can even help you with work. You must treat her well."
"Hmm, don't worry. I'm leaving now, Mom. My assistant is downstairs."
Tan Jincheng said, looking at his phone.
"Okay, go."
"Jinyue, say bye-bye to brother."
"Bye-bye."
---
"Good morning, boss. We're going straight to the district government, right?"
"Yes, go straight there."
"Okay, then please give me the keys, boss. I'll drive."
Tan Jincheng glanced at her, nodded; he didn't speak, and after handing over the keys, he sat in the back.
Seeing that her boss didn't object, Zhao Xinyi stuck out her tongue, secretly thinking, 'Good.'
This overly young new boss seemed a bit strange to her, preferring to go solo.
She had been with the company for almost 10 days, and as the boss's personal assistant, he never took her anywhere.
Today was the first time she had gone out with her boss.
She wanted to show off a little but was also afraid of annoying him.
Voluntarily offering to drive for him was also a test.
Zhao Xinyi is 26 years old this year, a graduate of Yongcheng University, and a senior to Gu Qingqing.
However, she doesn't know Gu Qingqing and wasn't introduced by her; she was hired through a normal recruitment process.
She is from Beicang and is one of the new assistants Tan Jincheng hired after Zhang Xuhui was transferred.
There is also another assistant, Zeng Jixiang, 25 years old this year, who also graduated from Hangcheng University of Electronic Science and Technology.
He was introduced by Gu Yanling and is Gu Yanling's senior.
His girlfriend is also Gu Yanling's best friend.
Because Tan Jincheng himself doesn't understand computer technology, he needed an assistant who knew a bit about technology.
Zeng Jixiang was introduced under these circumstances.
Conveniently, he is from Yinzhou, so working in Beicang is relatively close to home.
Zeng Jixiang was sent by Tan Jincheng to be responsible for the establishment of Orange Technology.
In the future, his division of labor with Zhao Xinyi would also be very clear: Zhao Xinyi would be responsible for Shanchi Technology and the industrial enterprises, while Zeng Jixiang would be responsible for the internet sector.
The two assistants are both university graduates.
Including Zhang Xuhui, the newly recruited employees of Shanchi Technology, the overall educational attainment has finally improved.
For grassroots employees in physical enterprises, a diploma may not be so important.
But for internet companies and corporate executives, having more highly educated talents join is very beneficial for the company's development.
There's a saying that company bosses often use "chicken soup for the soul" to fool employees into thinking diplomas aren't that important, but you never see any Fortune 500 company recruiting at vocational colleges or similar institutions.
So, that saying is just something to hear; if you take it seriously, you lose.
Studying is still very important.
Tan Jincheng himself is a high school graduate, and his company is in physical manufacturing, so he naturally wouldn't look down on employees with lower education.
However, he also hopes the company can attract more highly educated job seekers.
For no other reason, this is one of the best symbols of a company's strength.
Currently, there are still too few available talents.
Tan Jincheng himself actually doesn't have much in the way of talent resources.
The biggest asset in his current talent pool is Lu Ruifeng's group of people, but that is merely a collaboration.
He only hopes that in a few years, they can cultivate a group of qualified talents in lithium battery-related fields for Hangxin New Energy.
Tan Jincheng specifically instructed Zhang Xuhui on this when he went north.
Lithium battery talents, internet-related technology talents, and automotive talents are the key areas Tan Jincheng needs to focus on recruiting in the future.
These are all future development directions for Shanchi Technology.
Perhaps it was her first time driving for the boss, and Zhao Xinyi was somewhat nervous.
Tan Jincheng, sitting in the back, quickly noticed this.
"Don't be nervous, it's fine to drive slowly; we're not very familiar yet, but I'm actually very easy to talk to. Just do your part, and in the future, for such occasions, you can call the company driver to come along."
"Oh, okay, I'm not nervous. I'm just unfamiliar with the roads. Boss, don't worry, nothing will happen,"
Zhao Xinyi quickly replied.
"Oh, come on. Look how tightly you're gripping the steering wheel. Besides, you're a local from Beicang, and you're telling me you're unfamiliar with the roads? If it weren't for the short distance, I wouldn't dare let you drive. Female drivers are a scary species."
"Beicang has changed so much in recent years, and I was studying in school and then interning, so it's normal not to know the roads, right? Who said locals must know all the roads?"
"Besides, what's wrong with female drivers? Maybe I've been driving longer than you, boss."
With her boss joking with her, Zhao Xinyi's inner tension eased considerably.
(Thinking to himself) Dream on, longer driving experience than me? Exaggerating a bit, my driving experience is almost as long as your age.
"After we arrive at the district government, don't talk too much; just take good notes. Remember to observe and learn a lot. Zhang Xuhui had instructed you on these things before, right?"
"Yes, Assistant Zhang did mention it before. Boss, don't worry, I'll be careful."
At nine o'clock, the two arrived at the district government.
With half an hour to spare, Zhao Jinsheng was responsible for arranging them to rest in the reception room.
As soon as they entered, Zhao Jinsheng sized up Tan Jincheng, making Tan Jincheng's hair stand on end:
"Brother Zhao, what's wrong?"
"Nothing much. Haven't seen you for a few days, and you've already caused a huge stir for us, even making me work overtime on Saturday. I had planned to rest that day. You'll have to treat me to a meal next time to make up for it."
"No problem at all! Brother Zhao, whenever you're free, your younger brother will be waiting. It's just a meal, after all,"
Tan Jincheng quickly replied.
It was a meal, and it wasn't just a meal.
Zhao Jinsheng was showing him goodwill; Tan Jincheng couldn't possibly misunderstand.
"Is this your new assistant?"
"Yes, Zhao Xinyi. She shares the same surname as you, Brother Zhao. Xinyi, this is Secretary Zhao Jinsheng, who serves Leader Gu. You two will undoubtedly interact frequently in the future, so remember to learn a lot from Brother Zhao."
His official position wasn't small; this was Zhao Xinyi's first thought.
She greeted him repeatedly:
"Hello, Secretary Zhao. I'm General Manager Tan's new assistant. Please guide me in the future."
"No need for guidance; let's all learn and exchange ideas with each other,"
he said, giving Tan Jincheng a wink.
"Xinyi, please step out for a moment. I need to chat with Brother Zhao about something."
"Okay."
After Zhao Xinyi left, Tan Jincheng quickly asked:
"Brother Zhao, is there something I should pay attention to?"
"It's good news, don't panic. But how could you bear to hire a female secretary, aren't you afraid your sister-in-law will get jealous?"
Zhao Jinsheng was in no hurry, teasing him.
Zhao Xinyi, in her professional attire, was indeed pleasant to have around.
Her perceptiveness was also much better than Zhang Xuhui's.
That blockhead Zhang Xuhui had been with him for so long and never once thought to offer to drive.
In terms of being an assistant, Zhang Xuhui still had a lot to learn.
"Jealous of what? I also have a male assistant. I hired two assistants this time. Besides, isn't it perfectly reasonable for me, a private company owner, to have a female secretary? I don't need to avoid anything."
"You kid, fine, I can't argue with you,"
Zhao Jinsheng said, pointing at Tan Jincheng with a smile.
Zhao Jinsheng had witnessed the development of Shanchi Technology firsthand.
He also felt the leaders' emphasis on Tan Jincheng.
For example, last Saturday, two leaders were actually able to add a temporary meeting, which greatly surprised him.
However, as soon as he thought that young Tan might bring a complete automotive industry chain to the district, Zhao Jinsheng understood that such treatment was reasonable.
Everything was for economic construction~!
Because of this, Zhao Jinsheng paid even more attention to Tan Jincheng.
Someone who could and dared to get involved in the automotive industry, whether successful or not, was an extraordinary person.
"Let's talk business. I'm informing you in advance: it's good news, but the Urban Investment Company will not directly get involved."
Although somewhat puzzled, Zhao Jinsheng conveyed the leader's meaning very well.
Tan Jincheng was stunned, but quickly remembered that Zhao Jinsheng had said it was good news, and then understood.
Since it was good news, there could only be one reason for the Urban Investment Company not to be directly involved: the two leaders tacitly approved his plan to acquire equity later.
Judging by Brother Zhao's reaction, he probably didn't know the inside story.
"Understood, thank you, Brother Zhao."
"Aren't you curious?"
"Curious, but since Brother Zhao emphasized that it's good news, the leader must have a deeper meaning in doing so. I'll know when the time comes."
"Alright, I underestimated you. I thought you'd ask me why it's like this, but even if you asked, I couldn't tell you, because I don't know either."
Tan Jincheng smiled.
The fewer people who knew about this matter, the better.
The leaders probably had this in mind too.
"Since Brother Zhao doesn't know either, I won't ask later. I'll just do whatever the leaders arrange. Anyway, we have the initiative in this matter, and neither the district nor I will suffer a loss. If he doesn't agree, I'll just get a piece of land and build a factory myself, and then introduce a few production lines, and we can still make it work."
Since a tacit understanding had been reached in advance, the subsequent meeting was essentially a formality.
General Manager Qin, the person in charge from the Urban Investment Company, indeed did not appear.
A new company would go to Yongkang to negotiate with Shanchi Technology.
But no matter what, since this company could emerge, it definitely had intricate ties with the Urban Investment Company or the district.
Let's provisionally call it a shadow company.
Time was pressing, and delay might bring changes.
Tan Jincheng didn't want to waste too much time, so after communication, it was decided to officially depart for Yongkang the day after tomorrow.
Today and tomorrow would be reserved for the district to communicate with Yongkang and Zhongtai.
The meeting process was very simple, with only a small number of people attending.
There wasn't much wasted talk; they simply discussed what minimum combined shareholding would be satisfactory for the two companies to acquire.
"I think we shouldn't be fixated on the parent company's equity. If we want the parent company's equity, it's actually more convenient through additional issuance or even secondary market acquisition. How about we focus more on Zhongtai Auto's equity? After all, the production chain we want, General Manager Tan merely wants to sell it at a good price.
On the other hand, Zhongtai Auto is currently in a difficult period. Although their products have been produced, first, they cannot be sold without a production permit, and second, they haven't been market-tested. We can better suppress their valuation.
But for the parent company, its market value is already there. Even if we wanted to acquire it much cheaper, secondary market shareholders wouldn't agree, and our reputation would be damaged then."
A financial leader at the meeting suggested this.
He didn't know Tan Jincheng's plans, only calculating from the perspective of financial market valuation.
As soon as this proposal was made, the conference room fell silent.
Evidently, everyone was considering its feasibility.
"What do General Manager Tan think of this proposal?"
Leader Gu asked, looking at Tan Jincheng, while the Senior Leader also looked at Tan Jincheng.
Everyone couldn't help but glance sideways, surprised that the leaders valued this young man's opinion so highly.
After a moment of thought, Tan Jincheng said:
"Okay, we will primarily target the equity of Zhongtai Auto. The worst-case scenario is that we don't take any equity from their parent company or even Zhongtai Auto itself. However, we need to acquire over 51% of the equity in Zhongtai Auto's Beicang branch, using our say in Beicang to gain greater benefits."
The automotive production qualification would be used by Zhongtai in exchange for Zhongtai investing in and building a factory in Beicang.
Xinchi Smart Manufacturing and the shadow company would collectively hold 51% of the equity in the Beicang branch, allowing Beicang to have the final say.
Later, even if Zhongtai were to be deeply mired in difficulties and the acquisition cost was too high, it could be divested in time.
Then, only the Beicang branch would be acquired, and a new start could be made.
As for the shares in Zhongtai Auto, it would naturally be best to acquire as many as possible, which would be greatly beneficial for either subsequent acquisitions or cashing out after listing.
If not, it wouldn't matter.
If the deal is made, Zhongtai Auto will be responsible for setting up the Beicang automobile branch factory.
The Beicang District Government will be responsible for providing land and policy resources, and Xinchi Smart Manufacturing will be responsible for providing the automobile production qualification.
And by only requiring control over the Beicang branch, it is believed that Zhongtai and Yongkang would also find it acceptable.
For Zhongtai Auto, the founder family's equity control would not be significantly affected.
For Yongkang, there would be no major impact.
For Beicang District, having an automobile factory would enable the development of an industrial chain.
This is the ideal outcome.
The industrial chain is more important to Beicang District than the so-called control over an automobile factory, and it is actually also beneficial to Tan Jincheng.
He only needs to provide an automobile production qualification, and people from various sectors will help establish the automobile factory in Beicang, responsible for production and sales matters.
This is equivalent to handing over all the initial setup work, allowing him to step back.
When the right time comes, by acquiring the shares held by the shadow company or Zhongtai in one fell swoop, he can obtain a complete automobile factory.
This satisfies his pursuit of the automotive business while also allowing him to withdraw at this stage, making him less conspicuous.
In the eyes of outsiders, Shanchi Technology is currently still an electric vehicle manufacturing enterprise.
Entering the automotive industry with a high profile just after gaining a firm foothold would inevitably have a significant impact on its existing business.
"General Manager Tan's plan is even better. We'll be in charge on our own turf, allowing us to fully develop the industrial chain. It only has some impact on General Manager Tan's original plan,"
The financial leader still spoke.
"That's fine, I won't lose out anyway. The automotive qualification isn't very useful in my hands, and it's only right to make some contributions to the district."
"Good, the young man has foresight. Having an entrepreneur like General Manager Tan is a blessing for the district."
"You flatter me; these are things I ought to do."
Leader Gu's lips curved slightly, and he couldn't help but curse under his breath, "Little sly fox." The pleasantries were indeed nice to hear; the equity of a branch company naturally couldn't be compared with that of the parent company.
But those who knew his ultimate plan could easily understand the key behind it.
It's very normal for business partners to part ways if a collaboration isn't working out.
By holding a controlling stake in the Beicang branch in the name of two companies, they can later find a reason to say that the collaboration is no longer working, and thus legitimately take over a complete factory.
He was practically exposing his intentions, yet he was still pretending to be a good person, putting on a righteous front.
Coupled with his youthful face, it was truly a bit comical.
"Since that's the case, let's settle it then. We'll proceed with this plan."
Seeing that Tan Jincheng was about to continue boasting, Leader Gu, unable to listen anymore, interrupted.
"Yes, it's settled then. Old Gu, you handle the rest,"
The Senior Leader also interjected.
He was also in the know and understood why Old Gu interrupted.
Everyone there was old enough to be young Tan's father; knowing he was thinking purely for his own benefit, yet having to listen to him boast, was really quite awkward.
"Okay, thank you, leaders."
Tan Jincheng was also good at reading the room and immediately shut his mouth.
"Alright, meeting adjourned. Everyone go prepare. Let's strive to open up a new industry for the district,"
He said, giving Tan Jincheng a meaningful glance, then stood up and left.
"General Manager Tan, you should also go back and prepare. We'll depart at eight o'clock the day after tomorrow. Make the plan more detailed and strive to persuade them,"
Leader Gu said to Tan Jincheng.
"Okay, we'll go back and prepare right away,"
Tan Jincheng bowed.
Watching everyone leave, Tan Jincheng said to Zhao Xinyi, who had been taking notes and hadn't been able to speak:
"Pack up, let's go back."
(End of Chapter)