Hu and Liu exchanged a glance. They both felt that Lu Feng didn't want to help, and as for him not having the final say, it was simply impossible.
They didn't understand business models, let alone why their factory was being kicked out of the market.
“Brother Feng, if you think our old classmates aren’t qualified to work with you, you can just say so. We’re all good buddies, and I understand. But you can’t lie to us.” Liu Jiang chimed in from the side, “It’s your company, you don’t have the final say. Aren’t you treating us like idiots?”
Those present largely agreed that it was an insult to people's intelligence to not have the final say in their own company's affairs.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Lu Feng was not lying about this. Forced into a corner, he had no choice but to say, "Really, if it were up to me, I would have arranged everything for you today. You should know people at Jiaming Food Factory. Just find someone with a higher position and ask them."
"You said it yourself, Jiamei. If it's up to you, you'll arrange everything. You're a man of your word," Hu said excitedly.
“That’s right, that’s what I said. No matter how you look at it, I can’t control Jiaming Foods right now,” Lu Feng said seriously.
Hu said to Liu Jiang, "Go to my car and get my cell phone. I know the deputy factory manager of Jiaming. Give him a call. Fengzi, this isn't an old classmate teasing you; you said it yourself."
"It's alright, just ask away," Lu Feng said calmly.
Liu Jiang grabbed the car keys and jogged downstairs to get his mobile phone. He came back up shortly after and handed the phone to Hu. Everyone turned to look at them; some were curious about what was happening, but most wanted to see the legendary mobile phone.
Hu found a business card and started dialing a number. After fiddling with it for a while, he said the signal was not very good, so he stood by the window.
The call connected, and it was Deputy Factory Director He on the other end. He answered the phone and asked, "Who is it?"
"Old He, this is Han San, Happy New Year!"
"Han San, Happy New Year! What's up? I'm quite busy." Deputy Factory Director He looked at the pile of reports on the table with some anxiety.
"I just wanted to ask you something. Is Jiaming Foods now owned by Lu Feng? You know, he's my classmate. Does he have the final say now?" Hu asked directly.
"I'm not too sure about that. The headquarters is in Beijing now, and it's always been managed by a manager surnamed Gao. But he came by a few days ago," said Deputy Factory Director He.
"Could you help me ask? I want to confirm something. I heard it's some kind of board decision now, but I don't understand it. I just want to know if what he says still counts?"
"Okay, this is a small matter. I'll ask the factory manager's office next door and get back to you in a bit." Deputy Factory Manager He said a few words and hung up the phone.
Hu put away the antenna on his mobile phone, sat back down in his seat, put it on the table, and said, "Fengzi, I'm not trying to tease you."
"It's alright, feel free to ask," Lu Feng said nonchalantly.
Seeing Lu Feng so calm, Liu Jiang felt that he wasn't lying. This class reunion was funded by Hu, and if Lu Feng really didn't have the final say, the loss would be significant.
Deputy Factory Director He entered Factory Director Li's office with several folders, placed them on the table, briefly discussed work, and before leaving, asked, "Factory Director Li, is General Manager Lu still in charge of Jiamei Foods?"
“President Lu? He’s the founder, but he doesn’t have the final say now. There’s already a board of directors, and major companies hold controlling stakes above him. People like President Gao and Vice President Ding manage the company and also have a certain amount of shares. I also have shares. Lu Feng is at most a major shareholder now.” Factory Director Li said without looking up.
"Oh, I see. So he can't get involved in supplier matters either. For example, if I want to become a supplier, it's useless to ask him?"
"It's no use. We might as well go to General Manager Gao. A local official is more powerful than a distant one."
Deputy Factory Director He nodded thoughtfully, stood up and walked out, returning to his office to call Hu back.
"Hey!! Can you hear me?" Hu's voice was loud. As he spoke, he pulled the antenna out of his mobile phone and stood up to walk towards the window.
Lu Feng laughed when he saw his expression. This was why he didn't buy a mobile phone; he preferred the later-developed "Little Smart" phone.
"I can hear you, Han San. I just asked, and Lu Feng isn't involved in anything anymore. He's just a shareholder, so his words don't count." Deputy Factory Director He asked, "Did you hear that?"
"I heard it! I heard it!"
Hu felt uncomfortable for a moment. He had spent money to prepare three tables of food, and this was the result. He was also someone who had gone out to make a living. With his current achievements, he could definitely look down on all his peers.
As a result, when he was by Lu Feng's side, he had to put on a smiling face. Now that he hears that he's no longer in charge, he's not in a good mood at all.
He sat down again, glanced at Lu Feng, and said, "What's wrong with you? You're getting worse and worse."
"I had no choice. For a company to grow, it needs financing and to bring in shareholders. The more you bring in, the more shareholders you need. That's how it is with companies. Once the founder loses control on the board of directors, they basically face the situation of taking the money and leaving. I've calculated it all," Lu Feng said with a smile.
"You're still laughing? You think you're ridiculous too, right? You finally got a chance to get back on your feet, but the result doesn't matter. Someone else took it. I knew you were no good back in school, that you got beaten up in the toilet by some idiot." Hu leaned back in his chair, scratching his head. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Let me tell you, you have to pay for the food for these three tables today. Since you've messed up, I'm not going to argue with you anymore."
"It's alright, we're all classmates, it's just a meal, I'll pay." Lu Feng was very polite.
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