33. A dream bubble
When Jia Lan walked into the office, Zhang Ruolin was sitting in front of a pile of documents, thinking about how to talk to Jia Lan.
Regardless of the type of company, disposing of core executives is always a difficult matter. A moment's carelessness can lead to mutual destruction, and few can afford to let go of their leadership without a glass of wine. Zhang Ruolin thought that Jia Lan, having worked closely with him for years, was probably aware of his less than savory past. But Jia Lan was no fool; he should have known he held far fewer cards than he did. Unless he was completely mad, he wouldn't be willing to truly tear his relationship apart.
So he decided to show his amiable side and talk things over openly without beating around the bush. His goal was to remove the thorn in his heart, no matter the cost.
High-end business wars in movies and TV dramas are meticulously planned, rigorously executed, and instantly effective. Real business wars, on the other hand, involve one side hiring a burly man to seize the official seal, while the other side ties the seal to their waistband, creating a scenario everyone finds unrealistic.
"Lao Jia, have you offended anyone recently?"
Jia Lan was not alert and felt puzzled: "Where did this come from?"
Zhang Ruolin threw the pile of documents to him across the table.
Jia Lan only took a glance and his expression changed.
Zhang Ruolin said calmly, "The FA said they were completely unaware of this matter. I don't believe that. I've already called their CEO, Mr. Wang, and he promised a thorough internal investigation. I'm sure they'll get to the bottom of it. After all, no boss would tolerate embezzlement."
Jia Lan remained silent, thinking about what would be the most beneficial statement for him.
"Old Jia, this is a small project. I haven't been involved. I just saw that Xiao Fang and the others' financial model was really crude, and I couldn't help but say a few words. It's not directed at you. But," Zhang Ruolin said leisurely, "this document has been simultaneously delivered to several key investors in this fund. The LPs' feedback was shocking, and they asked us to issue an internal report with a detailed explanation. This is something I can't hide."
Jia Lan's face flushed red, but he remained silent.
Zhang Ruolin is a man who won't show his hand until he sees the rabbit. Having said that, he must have more inside information.
He really had nothing to refute.
"If you're willing, I can recommend you to Mr. Jiang as vice president. He's always admired you and has jokingly mentioned to me a few times that he wants you to come over. In this case, I'm willing to give you up."
Jia Lan said dejectedly, "Thank you, Ruolin. I... I'll think about it first and then give you an answer, okay?"
Mr. Jiang leads a high-end restaurant chain. In recent years, the restaurant industry has seen numerous disputes between companies and private equity/VC firms, often leading to legal action, with the South Beauty gambling agreement controversy being the most notable. Despite this backdrop, Mr. Jiang's company was able to secure funding from Apex, all thanks to Jia Lan's unwavering support. Mr. Jiang also knows how to reciprocate, having covered Jia Lan's daughter's tuition and apartment at a private high school in the UK. He also pays for the family's twice-yearly overseas trips.
What Zhang Ruolin mentioned today is self-evident.
As for how they verified it, it's safe to say there are few absolute secrets in the world. Unless an operation takes place between two people who absolutely trust each other and uses cash throughout, any link in the process could be a leak.
However, when nothing happens, people always think they are exceptionally smart and can get away with it.
Only when problems arise do we realize that everything was a dream.
"What about Dai Qi..." Jia Lan asked hesitantly.
"You don't have to worry about that. You've been busy lately, so take a few days off. By the way, you don't have to inform Dai Qi about this. Just treat it as a long vacation. Otherwise... it will be difficult for me to help you even if I want to." Zhang Ruolin shook the stack of documents in his hand.
Jia Lan left dejectedly, and Zhang Ruolin watched him go with interest. Jia Lan's originally tall figure seemed to have shrunk a few centimeters in vain, revealing a shrunken look.
Even if you are as cunning as a fox, you still drank the foot washing water.
Zhang Ruolin was very satisfied.
Everything happened so fast, like a dream. Jia Lan certainly didn't want to give up. But Zhang Ruolin promised that if he resigned, the company wouldn't pursue his past actions. Otherwise, there were already cases in the industry where people were imprisoned for bribery as non-state employees. Internal reports were always successful.
Zhang Ruolin must have been able to use such a thundering method.
As for the gossip he knew about Zhang Ruolin, it was just after-dinner gossip at best. How many of the industry's biggest names were innocent? Rumors were flying around all the time. It was useless.
Jia Lan always prides himself on being rational. After figuring this out, he immediately started writing a letter of resignation.
I wrote and revised, revised and wrote again, and finally only a few short lines were left:
I would like to resign due to personal reasons and hope the company will approve it.
I am grateful for the opportunities and support the company has provided me during my time here, an experience I will always cherish. I am willing to assist with the transition and ensure a smooth transition before leaving.
Jia Lan fulfilled his promise, and Zhang Ruolin treated him with respect, sending a letter to all employees solemnly announcing the news. The letter praised Jia Lan highly and expressed his reluctance to let him go. Many colleagues, unaware of Jia Lan's background, were wondering where Jia Lan was going to pursue a more successful career, leaving behind such a promising future.
Jia Lan appeared calm and composed, but he was actually suffering in silence.
It wasn't long before HR came to discuss his departure details. The biggest loss was that all the unrealized excess returns/carry had been wiped out. Although Jia Lan had earned a high salary in recent years, the bulk of his income still depended on returns from projects. Thus, much of his hard work at the company had been wasted.
The eight-digit US dollar book wealth previously displayed in the IT system suddenly shattered like a soap bubble.
Jia Lan had previously informed Amy that the project had passed the review, and although the transaction would still take time, Amy was quick-witted and had even prepared a press release, which would be sent to the media as soon as both parties confirmed the text.
Dai Qi and Amy celebrated their success at the "Beijing Liang" event, inviting over a dozen close friends and drinking bottles of wine costing over 10,000 yuan to celebrate their achievement. Amy even immediately notified management to search the CBD for a new office site and immediately distributed the management bonuses that had been deferred last year.
The company was in jubilation.
It sounds absurd, but this is how many startups work. Investors' money, once deposited, quickly turns into bonuses for management, bigger and more luxurious offices, and even Herman Miller chairs worth tens of thousands of yuan for each employee.
A few days later, I received bad news from FA.
Dai Qi was dumbfounded.
Several established stores had indeed performed well, but the rapid expansion of new ones meant they couldn't generate significant customer traffic or buzz. To quickly lure investors in, they spared no expense, decorating each store with exquisite, beautiful decor. Yet, the interiors were often empty, and their daily revenue barely covered rent and electricity bills.
Coupled with the recent team expansion, which involved poaching senior executives from larger companies at great expense, management costs were extremely high. As a result, money was flowing through us like water every day, and some suppliers were no longer paid on time, leaving us with a very poor cash flow.
Recently, Dai Qi and Amy appear to be calm and composed both inside and outside the company, but they are actually extremely anxious and are counting on investors' money to come in quickly to keep them alive.
The dream burst like a soap bubble.
Despite being the CEO of two startups, Dai Qi is a naive, innocent soul. He's never experienced hardship, and if it weren't for his parents' support, he would have been a lost cause. Thanks to his parents, he's been able to boast about being a glamorous entrepreneur, freely offering his life insights to executives and subordinates. He's always been complacent, but lacks the intelligence and thoughtfulness to back it up.
This time, despite his family's financial support, he couldn't handle this constantly bleeding business. He had no choice but to turn to his father for help. Even the doting father couldn't help but sigh at seeing his son spending so much money. Moreover, this foolish son wasn't burning through investors' money, but his own.
At least get the investors in first.
To serve as a warning, his father only promised to help him pay part of the money to fix the problem, leaving him to raise the rest himself. After much deliberation, Dai Qi had no other options but to put his newly renovated large flat up for sale.
For Amy, it was also a shattered dream. She had devoted all her energy to helping Dai Qi, a hopeless loser, for so long, hoping that ABC would raise funds and reach the pinnacle of her life, becoming one of those young, stylish, and enviable entrepreneurs.
She could have just turned around and left, after all, she hadn't contributed any money to Sanchuan; it was all Dai Qi's family wealth. But she refused to give in. She was confident that with her intelligence and talent, she would definitely find a way out.
Perhaps, in future media reports, there will be another exciting plot about her turning the tide.
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