32. Through the Eye of a Needle
A week before the second decision-making meeting, Vivian asked Jia Lan for leave, saying that she needed to undergo intestinal polyp surgery. Although she did not need to be hospitalized, she needed to rest for three days according to the doctor's orders.
She had checked with Secretary Zhang Ruolin before requesting leave. Jia Lan, unsuspecting, approved her sick leave application within seconds, urging her to take care of herself. By the time the meeting time was finally coordinated, her "surgery" could no longer be rescheduled.
Jia Lan had no choice but to arrange for Yang Ziqi to present the report on behalf of the project team. However, he thought that this girl usually didn't pay attention at all, so she probably wouldn't be able to explain it clearly. He would have to handle the key parts himself. Furthermore, since Lao Zhang had gone crazy last time, he had to be extra careful this time.
Jia Lan, having worked his way through the hardships of working for Zhang Ruolin, knew Zhang Ruolin was a master of observation. Even with hundreds of densely packed documents, countless figures and charts, he could always get to the bottom of even the most tenuous parts. Young colleagues at the company often panicked when they heard they were going to have a meeting with him. He was a master at reading people's minds, and whenever there was an ambiguity he tried to brush aside, he would probe to the bottom. He rarely lost his temper, and never lost his composure, but his calm demeanor in peppering questions was enough to make people shudder.
Of course, Jia Lan is not as afraid of him as ordinary employees now, but whenever he looks gloomy, Jia Lan can't help but start to wonder if he has done something wrong or how he has provoked him.
It was the same this time, and Jia Lan always felt a little uneasy.
On the day of the meeting, Vivian stayed home, connected to the video conference in advance, and repeatedly confirmed that her camera was off and her microphone was muted. She had experienced the tragedy of someone accidentally turning on their camera during a video conference without realizing it, changing clothes in front of the camera and being seen by everyone. Today, she wanted to avoid showing her face, so she checked repeatedly, fearing any leakage.
The meeting began. As usual, Jia Lan began by summarizing the project overview. Then, he asked Yang Ziqi to discuss the simpler aspects, such as the industry landscape and the current state of the business. He was left to discuss the transaction structure, financial forecasts, and project returns. He even stuttered a bit, as he lacked the granular knowledge of the frontline details.
After the report, the investment committee members asked some nonsensical questions as usual, such as whether to franchise in the future, how much investment resources would be required for the upside case, possible buyers who would exit in the future... None of them were difficult questions to answer.
Zhang Ruolin seemed to be in a very good mood that day. He listened to the whole process with a smile and never asked any questions.
Jia Lan concluded, "The freshly brewed tea beverage market is a highly self-sustaining sector. Several leading companies in the market have been generating revenue internally for a considerable period of time since their early days, without relying on capital for expansion. We currently have an exclusive opportunity to advance this transaction and hope to complete the signing of the agreement and close the transaction within this quarter."
Finally, as usual, it was time for Zhang Ruolin's summary and comments:
"I really admire Jia. Even when I put so much pressure on him last time, he still pushed this project with a clear-cut stance. That's what being an investor is all about. There's no such thing as easy money in a crowded market. You have to overcome all odds to find the real gold."
Vivian smiled silently in front of the computer screen.
She knew Zhang Ruolin. The moment he began to spout literary language, it was a sign he was in battle mode. Such was the nature of the alpha male: when faced with an enemy, a fight, he instantly became excited and unstoppable.
Jia Lan breathed a sigh of relief, and Yang Ziqi beamed. Not only had she been fully involved in the project since joining the company, but today's presentation also seemed quite successful. Other analysts who had joined the company at the same time as her were still struggling to fetch documents and buy coffee for the investment managers.
She happily sent a message to her boyfriend:
It just so happened that V-sister was sick and didn’t come to the office today, so I carried the whole show! Isn’t that amazing!!!
Vivian also logged off, made a cup of hot tea, and relaxed. Even though she wasn't expected to speak today, watching so many people perform was exhausting.
Eric's message suddenly popped up: "I heard you weren't feeling well?"
Weiwei immediately guessed what had happened and was both amused and annoyed: "A couple is chatting, but there seems to be no need to mention me, right?"
"Are you really okay?"
"It's okay. I'm a little upset about work. Let's talk about it next time we meet."
"when?"
Vivian slowly typed: "???...Are you that free?"
He seemed very serious. "Really, tell me sometime. I have something very important to tell you."
On this side, Zhang Ruolin was already calm and composed, and made an appointment to meet with Jia Lan in a few days.
Typically, the two partners coordinate meeting times through their secretaries, stating the topic in advance so they can prepare discussion materials and arrange for the relevant personnel to attend. This time, Zhang Ruolin simply instructed his secretary to notify Jia Lan to reserve a time, without specifying anything else.
Jia Lan wasn't nervous anymore. Zhang Ruolin had supported him so strongly at the second decision-making meeting that he felt relieved, as if he had returned to the time when they had no grudges against each other and he had wholeheartedly admired and followed Zhang Ruolin.
Zhang Ruolin was a strict disciplinarian. After securing his top position, he began searching for a trusted lieutenant who could share the workload. However, his work intensity and standards were too high. After a while of working closely with him, some people couldn't stand it, while others were dismissed by him and sent to the sidelines.
Only Jia Lan, who is both hardworking and clever, gives him enough emotional value without being overly flattering. Although Jia Lan feels like he is walking on a tightrope inside, he appears relaxed on the surface, as if everything is from his heart.
In short, at that time Zhang Ruolin felt that he had a deputy who could share his worries and was loyal enough.
Jia Lan's career began to rise rapidly, from a minor director to MD, and soon after, he was nominated as a partner. Promotion to partner should be approved by all partners through discussion and voting, but who would object to someone nominated by Zhang Ruolin himself?
Soon, the company's investment decision-making system was revised, and Jia Lan successfully joined the investment committee, becoming Zhang Ruolin's right-hand man. The two worked together, making nearly all decisions on the company's major and minor matters.
However, Jia Lan was still relatively young, and his rapid rise to power was like a balloon, inevitably inflating. He didn't understand the principle of keeping a low profile. When he first became a partner, he felt like a poor man suddenly rich, his spending swelled dramatically, and dining out often cost him tens of thousands of yuan. Even at company team-building events, his table would order a separate bottle of Penfolds Grange, something not even Zhang Ruolin could boast of. Many colleagues were displeased, some whispering about him, others privately complaining to Zhang Ruolin.
Although he was usually submissive in front of Zhang Ruolin, he was second only to Zhang Ruolin, and he treated his subordinates and even colleagues with an arrogance that he could not hide, and even disdained to hide. Zhang Ruolin had heard this rumor several times, but he didn't take it to heart.
As long as it doesn't harm his interests, he can turn a blind eye. As for some old partners and old employees, they have long been useless and difficult to move negative assets. Why not let Jia Lan deal with them?
This has always been Zhang Ruolin's way of balancing things. He only needs to take charge of the overall situation at critical moments.
It's just that those acts of usurpation are like a thorn that is accidentally stuck in the back of a camel, or straws that break the camel's back. A single straw may seem light and insignificant, but if there are enough of them, they are enough to break the camel's back.
Zhang Ruolin had originally been indifferent to the "Sanchuan" project. He had never been interested in this offline-heavy, operationally intensive, and slow-growth model—it was simply too slow and tiring. But if Jia Lan was interested, he could have done it. An investment of this magnitude wouldn't affect the overall fund's performance. Furthermore, all investments in these projects now required co-investment from the responsible directors and project team members, with the responsible directors receiving the lion's share. This shared interest structure prevented excessive slacking.
The so-called "fiduciary responsibility" of the fund manager is sufficient as long as it does not deviate from the overall situation.
He had occasionally heard of Jia Lan's usual arrogance, but he hadn't taken it seriously. Who knew this wasn't just a matter of food and drink, but a direct attack on his foundation? He prided himself on being a hardworking and frugal man, working day and night, a role model. "I am the ruler of the world," so harming the company would be a great disrespect to him.
This is what Zhang Ruolin cannot tolerate.
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