Funding crisis
"No way, I remember our company still has quite a bit of money in its account."
Jian Jianan couldn't believe it. How could the company, which had just been established for only a few months, have fallen to the point where it was "about to run out of money" as Huang Haiyan said?
Jian Jianan: "But I remember that I didn't keep a single cent of the millions I made in the US stock market. I put it all into our account."
Millions, I swear to God, after earning millions, Jian Jianan didn't touch a single cent of it, let alone spend it on a life of luxury.
Compared with other rich second-generations who spend all their money on shopping as soon as they make some, Jian Jianan can be considered an ascetic monk!
But even her ascetic behavior could not keep Nanjia Capital going for much longer.
As soon as Huang Haiyan heard Jian Jianan's question, she immediately threw their company's accounts on the table so that Jian Jianan could see them more clearly.
"Look, our company has set up Fund 1 since its inception to invest in various startups."
Of course, the only existing investment target is New Hope Group.
Jian Jianan recalled, "When Fund No. 1 was established, we invested two million yuan as start-up capital. Don't tell me there's nothing left of that two million yuan now."
When Nanjia Capital was first established, Jian Jianan had a brilliant idea: the company would set up several funds, each corresponding to a different type of startup. From number one to number ninety-nine, the fund pool would grow larger and larger!
But now, their makeshift team has just established the No. 1 Fund, and the only investment target is New Hope Group.
However, Jian Jianan is very optimistic about this. Although there is only Fund No. 1 now, things will develop, and they will have more and more fund numbers in the future!
Huang Haiyan was very serious. "Yes, it is two million. But you have no idea how difficult it is to start a company. When we first took over New Hope, it was on the verge of bankruptcy, with only Zhu Zicheng as the boss. Starting from scratch is not easy. Finding a new address and office costs a lot of money, registering the company costs another, renovating the company costs another, and then there's hiring. Is hiring free?"
Huang Haiyan's soul-searching question immediately brought Jian Jianan back to reality. She was absolutely right.
"What about the remaining money? There should be several million left. Can't we use that money?"
Huang Haiyan rubbed her forehead. "Yes, there is still some money left, but we have to keep that little money! Our Nanjia Capital also needs funds for its development. Moreover, if New Hope is the only company you want to invest in, I can give my all and strongly support your idea of investing all your money in it!"
Jian Jianan really had nothing to say this time. His Nanjia Capital would definitely not just invest in New Hope in the future. His idea was to search the world for various small companies that were in the growth stage and fund these seedlings to grow into towering trees in the future. How could he be satisfied with investing in only one company?
"So, we are really short of money now." Jian Jianan concluded.
Huang Haiyan nodded. "That's right. And it's not just New Hope that's asking for money. Nanjia Capital is also asking for money. So, our current accounts have to support the growth of both companies at the same time. It's not unreasonable that we're burning through funds so quickly."
Nanjia Capital also needs to recruit people. At the beginning, there were only Jian Jianan and Huang Haiyan. It is impossible that when the company gradually develops, there will still be only the two of them!
Huang Haiyan has been recruiting talents recently, and now their Nanjia Capital has grown into a small team of... five people!
This is really cause for celebration!
These five people are all talents from prestigious universities that Huang Haiyan found with great effort. They came to Jianan Capital after passing Huang Haiyan's hellish interview. In order to retain them, she offered them the highest salary. Otherwise, how could this small company, which doesn't seem to be very famous, retain these talented students from prestigious universities?
Although now, these talented people have fallen to the level of customer service who make phone calls everywhere.
"well……"
The two people thought of the same thing, looked at each other and sighed at the same time.
Why does everything cost money? You don’t know how expensive food and daily necessities are until you manage the household!
Jian Jianan recalled that when Nanbei Group and Shenya Clothing were just established, it was inevitable that his parents had encountered situations where they needed funds, but they were always able to solve the problems satisfactorily. Where on earth did they get such a large sum of money?
Su Qinxuan found investor Chen Anguo and together they opened the Jinhuiju chain store.
As for Jian Yangping, he took out a loan and invested to establish the independent garment factory of Shen Ya Clothing.
But these two methods of his parents are not applicable to Jian Jianan now!
Before Nanjia Capital achieved any results, it would be impossible for her to find a partner, as no one would be willing to invest money in this bottomless pit.
Not to mention loans. The country now encourages small and medium-sized enterprises to obtain loans, most of which are directed towards agricultural products or secondary industries. In short, they are all industries that are beneficial to the development of international people's livelihood.
Investment companies are still a new industry in the country, and no bank dares to approve them!
So where are they going to get the funds?
Jian Jianan asked Huang Haiyan: "We haven't succeeded in raising funds yet?"
As an investment company, it is impossible to rely solely on the boss's money. Now the company's accounts are only supported by Jian Jianan's money. This is far from enough for the development of any company. Therefore, they need more people's funds to invest in more industries and companies.
Foreign venture capital companies mostly raise funds in two directions, one of which is private relationships.
This refers to private network funding sources with close ties to management, such as relatives and friends. They often trust the founders the most and are the easiest to talk to.
The other type is other potential investors. These investors often decide to invest only after a venture capital firm has achieved certain projects and results. They are often the most generous, investing hundreds or even tens of millions of yuan at a time. However, they are also often the most demanding. If a venture capital firm shows any signs of decline, they will be the first to turn their backs on it without mercy.
But Jian Jianan believed that neither of these methods was suitable for Nanjia Capital. His parents had offered him some money, but it was only a drop in the bucket. The most important thing for Nanjia Capital now was to achieve some results and attract more outside investors.
The five newly recruited employees were holding the business cards of various entrepreneurs and calling them one by one to ask them if they had any intention of investing.
In short, it is to ask them whether they are willing to work with Nanjia Capital and let Jian Jianan help them get rich together.
Huang Haiyan's face didn't look good.
“Not one person has shown any willingness to join us in raising funds.”
"Some people refused after listening to what we said. And that's considered the best. Some even hung up before we even finished talking, clearly not wanting to get involved."
Jian Jianan had anticipated this. "I understand their concerns. The operating principle of an investment company is that everyone pools their money to invest in other companies. When those companies make money, the investors share in the profits. They are all industrial entrepreneurs and look down on these capital games. It's normal for them to have some concerns."
Jian Jianan had already anticipated that things would not be smooth at the beginning, and now he could only pray that his money could keep the company going a little longer!
Now we just hope that New Hope can succeed and make some good achievements for people outside to see, so that they can attract interested investors and take the first step.
Otherwise, the money in Nanjia Investment's account will only be enough to keep the company going for another three months. If there is still no results after three months, Nanjia Capital will have to close down regretfully.
In that case, Jian Jianan would become the laughing stock of the rich second generation in the city and be used as an example to embarrass both Su Qinxuan and Jian Yangping.
You know, there are quite a few people around the two adults who are waiting with a smile to see the end of Jian Jianan's failed business venture!
No matter how anxious and irritated Jian Jianan and Huang Haiyan were, when facing their only five employees, they still showed a strong sense of the overall situation, chatting and laughing, as if the fact that the company might go bankrupt at any time had never existed.
This also made their five new employees feel relieved, and they had more expectations and fewer worries about the company.
While five new employees - called managers but actually telephone customer service - were making calls to solicit investments every day, Jian Jianan took Huang Haiyan all over Beijing and visited many people. Some of them were partners of her parents, and some were entrepreneurs introduced by her teacher Lan Jingru.
Jian Jianan took Huang Haiyan with him to visit these entrepreneurs in person to solicit investment. However, just like soliciting investment over the phone had no effect, even if Jian Jianan visited in person, he was unable to raise much money.
"Don't send me off. I can handle it by myself. There's a driver waiting for me outside."
On this day, Jian Jianan took Huang Haiyan to the door to solicit investment as usual. About half an hour later, they came out of the door and walked towards their car.
The car was a gift from my mother, Su Qinxuan. When she gave it to me, she said, "If you don't accept the money from mom and dad, then you should at least accept the gift from mom."
Jian Jianan had no choice but to accept it.
The driver of the car had been waiting for a long time.
Jian Jianan also argued that when the company's money was almost gone, they still had to squeeze out money to hire a driver.
"The more we're at this moment, the more we can't let anyone see through us. We have to hide our cards tightly! Besides, clothes make the man, and saddles make the horse. Do you think we'd be more taken seriously if we had a driver to pick us up, or if we walked there, dusty and sweaty?"
So the housekeeper Huang Haiyan had no choice but to agree with Jian Jianan's decision.
When they got in the car, the two sat in the back and talked about today's visit.
Huang Haiyan lowered her voice to express her dissatisfaction: "That guy just now really has his eyes in his head. He waited for half an hour and only spoke for five minutes. He's obviously not the largest, but he's the most arrogant!"
He was also the most disrespectful of the entrepreneurs they visited during this period.
Jian Jianan comforted Huang Haiyan: "When you go out on your own, you're bound to meet all kinds of people! Relax, relax! We'll meet more people like this in the future."
And compared to the people they meet in the future, the people they meet today are relatively normal.
Jian Jianan smiled and said, "At least they actually invested money in our company today, didn't they?"
“Although the process was a bit uncomfortable, it was also rewarding!”
Jian Jianan looked like he didn't care at all about the offense he had just suffered, which immediately caused Huang Haiyan to roll her eyes.
"Yes, yes, yes, there is a gain. Five thousand dollars is also a gain!"
What did that person just say? Oh, she remembered.
The man handed a big red envelope to Jian Nan and said to her, "Come on, Nan Nan, use this money to play. It can be regarded as some pocket money given to you by your uncle."
What's this? Five thousand yuan to send away a beggar? And pocket money, it's clear that he still treats Jian Jianan as a child!
Huang Haiyan was angry because of the contempt for Jian Jianan and their company in those words, but now seeing Jian Jianan's heartless look, she was furious!
"Really? How can you still be in the mood to laugh? Are you satisfied with 5,000 yuan?" Huang Haiyan felt a little disappointed. In her opinion, it would be very difficult to attract investment. After all, their Nanjia Capital has not achieved any results yet. It is normal that no one is optimistic about their future development.
But, but! Even if he wasn't optimistic about their company's future development, he would still be generous when investing! At least in units of ten thousand. Today was the first time he had given them a few thousand dollars to get rid of them!
But it also echoes what Jian Jianan said, there are all kinds of people in this world, and it is just bad luck for them to meet such a weirdo!
Jian Jianan was very optimistic. She opened her notes and said to Huang Haiyan happily, "Actually, Haiyan, you see, our hard work these past few days to attract investment has paid off!"
Huang Haiyan said unhappily, "Yes, it did have some effect. At least it increased our company's account by nearly 100,000!"
Isn't it? This person gave 10,000, that person gave 20,000, and the fact that they were able to have this little 100,000 was all thanks to the fact that the two of them had visited enough companies and met enough people during this period of time, which is why they saved up this little money!
In fact, most people did not kick Jian Jianan out of the office for the sake of the adults, and they all gave him some money, more or less.
They call it investment, but in fact it is just pocket money given to Jian Jianan to spend. When they give it out, they don't expect to get it back.
Jian Jianan sighed. This was not a good sign.
Investors had no expectation of getting their money back. In other words, they were not optimistic about the development of Nanjia Capital. They did not think that Jian Jianan and his team could double the money they had given and return it to the investors.
Thinking of this, Jian Jianan became even more anxious, but he didn't show it on his face at all.
She raised her wrist and glanced at her watch. She found that it was almost two o'clock in the afternoon and she hadn't eaten yet. She simply invited Huang Haiyan, "Let's go have lunch together!"
Jian Jianan joked, "Haiyan, when we first recruited you, you said that if the company didn't develop healthily or showed any signs of decline, you would be the first to resign and run away. But now I see you don't have the slightest intention of running away."
The two people are in a superior-subordinate relationship as well as a friend relationship, so neither of them is at all used to this kind of conversation.
Huang Haiyan rolled her eyes. "Ha! Resign, resign! You reminded me. You're right. I'll hand in my resignation tomorrow!"
But it must be said that after working together for a short period of time, Huang Haiyan was almost conquered by Jian Jianan.
Although at the beginning, she was recruited into the company by Jian Jiannan with some tricks, and she was determined not to live and die with the company.
But people are all made of flesh and blood, and anyone who has gotten along well with Jian Jianan will be impressed by him.
Jian Jianan's bold, careful and adventurous character is very much to Huang Haiyan's liking. As long as she doesn't really reach the end of her rope, Huang Haiyan feels that she will not leave.
After dinner, the two of them continued to solicit investment.
Although they are now investing in the startup company New Hope, their Nanjia Capital is clearly still in the initial stage of entrepreneurship!
If we don’t hurry up and attract investment, we might lose the chance to invest in other start-ups!
Huang Haiyan thought of something and asked Jian Jianan, "Oh, by the way, Nannan, New Hope seems to have just opened a few days ago. Don't you want to go take a look?"
Jian Jianan shook his head. "No, they're busiest right after the opening. There's no need to disturb them; just let them focus on their own business. Also, I just discussed this with Zhu Zicheng the weekend before their opening. We talked for three hours and confirmed that New Hope's future development direction is still within the framework. As long as we move forward step by step according to our expectations, New Hope will eventually develop."
Huang Haiyan sighed. She didn't doubt the future development of New Hope at all. However, Huang Haiyan only hoped that New Hope could develop faster and faster to catch up with the speed of Nanjia Capital's outward expansion!
But unexpectedly, New Hope gave Jian Jianan and the other person a surprise that no one had expected.
On this day, Jian Jianan and Huang Haiyan returned to Nanjia Capital Company after another unsuccessful attempt to attract investment. However, as soon as they entered the door, they saw someone rushing towards them.
One of the company's fund managers came up to Jian Jianan and said, "Mr. Jian, New Hope called and asked if you have time to go over there and take a look."
Although Jian Jianan and Huang Haiyan were not in New Hope, they assigned tasks to the few people who stayed behind, asking them to keep a close eye on the developments in New Hope and report any emergencies to them immediately.
Therefore, when Jian Jianan suddenly heard the news, she immediately took it seriously. She nodded to the fund manager and said, "Okay, I'll go over now."
Then she instructed Huang Haiyan: "Haiyan, don't go out when you just come back. Just handle some business in the company. I will tell you when I come back if there is anything, and we can discuss it together."
Just like that, Jian Jianan had just come back from outside and hadn't even had time to sit down and take a breath before he had to go out again, without even having a bite of dinner.
Huang Haiyan hurriedly came up from behind and forcefully stuffed a piece of bread into Jian Jianan's arms, asking her to eat it on the way and replenish her energy.
Jian Jianan agreed with a smile, and while in the car he kept thinking about Zhu Zicheng's intention of asking him to come over.
New Hope officially opened a few days ago. The business was booming in the first three days. The number of people who came to register every day could fill up an entire classroom, which shows that their plan to reopen the store layout was successful.
However, in the long run, a company cannot only focus on the first three days, but also the subsequent steady progress is what needs more attention.
It wasn't like Jian Jianan didn't value New Hope. How could he not? New Hope was the only investment target of Nanjia Capital. Success or failure depended entirely on this one round!
Jian Jianan originally thought that he would wait a month and take a good look at New Hope’s development report after Zhu Zicheng handed it in, so that he could know what problems and advantages New Hope had and then use the report to continue to attract investment.
But unexpectedly, just a few days later, New Hope called her over.
What exactly went wrong? Jian Jianan was completely confused.
Zhu Zicheng called Nanjia Capital and asked her to come over. He didn't tell her why he was looking for him, but said that he had something important to discuss.
What could be going on?
Just like that, amidst Jian Jianan's various speculations, the car finally arrived at New Hope. As soon as Jian Jianan got out of the car, he saw Zhu Zicheng's wife Chu Xiucheng.
When Chu Xiucheng came up to pick up Jian Jianan, he said to Jian Jianan with some apology: "I'm so sorry, Mr. Jian, Lao Zhu was going to come out to greet you in person, but he got stuck with something. I happened to be free, so I came out."
Jian Jianan understood the meaning of the music and said with a smile, "It's nothing, it's just a small matter. Besides, it's not my first time here, and I'm quite familiar with the internal structure of New Hope. Next time, you don't need to come to greet me. I can go in by myself."
The first few times Jian Jianan came over, perhaps to show his respect for her as an investor, Zhu Zicheng would put down the things at hand and come to greet her no matter what he was doing. Then, when talking to Jian Jianan again, he would calmly show her how well New Hope was developing now. His main purpose was to tell Jian Jianan that her money was not wasted, and that every penny would help New Hope develop better, so that he could get more benefits.
But now, the business has just started. What happened to make Zhu Zicheng change his usual approach?
The further Jian Jianan walked inside, the louder the noise became. It was not the noisy environment of a vegetable market or a shopping mall, but an environment where students and teachers were chatting in a lively manner, full of a learning atmosphere.
It looks like a good atmosphere!
Chu Xiucheng took Jian Nan to the conference room she often went to, but instead brought her to the door of a large classroom and said to her, "Old Zhu is still teaching the students. Little Jian, are you going to wait here or go into the conference room to rest for a while?"
Jian Jianan looked into the classroom through the glass window and replied without looking up, "No need. I'll just wait here."
Chu Xiucheng brought her here specially, so how could she let him down?
Inside the classroom, Zhu Zicheng was speaking at the podium with great eloquence, devoting himself wholeheartedly to his teaching work.
Seeing Jian Jianan's attentive look, Chu Xiucheng, who hadn't left yet, explained to her, "Old Zhu has something to discuss with Little Jian. Although he also teaches in the company, since you're coming, Little Jian, Old Zhu has to come out to greet you. But the students were very unhappy when they heard that they were going to have a different teacher. They all said that they wanted Teacher Zhu to teach them. Otherwise, they would just sit in the classroom and not attend anyone else's class, waiting for the teacher to come back."
"So, it was really because something urgent happened that Old Zhu didn't go out to greet Prime Minister Jian. You must not take it to heart."
Jian Jianan didn't respond to her question. He nodded and said, "It seems that Teacher Zhu's teaching quality and personal charm are both very great. The students don't buy into other teachers and only recognize him!"
This also indirectly illustrates Zhu Zicheng's irreplaceable position in New Hope. At least from what Jian Jianan saw, the classrooms were full of people, all of whom came for Zhu Zicheng.
The transparent glass window provided Jian Jianan with a good opportunity to take in the scene inside, and she looked over bit by bit.
"Come on, students, take a look at these words! These are words that your teacher, Zhu, has collected from past GRE exam questions. From the patterns and general trends, I've found a few test points that appear frequently every year. Everyone, please memorize them, memorize them..."
Zhu Zicheng on stage is like a different person, completely different from his daily life.
Jian Jianan still remembers very clearly what Zhu Zicheng was like when she first met him offline.
Zhu Zicheng was just a middle-aged man who hadn't recruited a single new student in several months, so he sat on the podium all day doing nothing and felt depressed.
If Jian Jianan hadn't invested in him and freed him from his previous situation, who knows where Zhu Zicheng would be now, what would he be doing? Perhaps he would have already failed in his business and had to work in various companies to pay off his debts?
But what about Zhu Zicheng now? His face was flushed red, not because he was angry or scolded, but because it was an instinctive reaction because he spoke too loudly and too excitedly.
The classroom below was originally designed to accommodate a maximum of fifty people, and they only placed fifty matching tables and chairs.
But now the classroom is packed with people. No one knows where these students found the extra chairs. They don’t need a table, they just need a chair, a chair placed in the classroom, and they can sit down. Then they hold the teaching materials compiled and printed by Zhu Zicheng himself, and stare at Zhu Zicheng on the podium with fanaticism.
If Zhu Zicheng is the sun, then the students below are sunflowers. Everyone has a fanatical look on their face. Wherever Zhu Zicheng goes, they will turn their faces like sunflowers following the sun.
It's like following a life mentor.
Jian Jianan began to understand why Chu Xiucheng brought her to see this scene today.
Just as Jian Jianan was thinking silently, there was a snap, and something went wrong in the circuit somewhere. All the incandescent lamps in the classroom that had been on just now suddenly went out!
Not only in the classroom, but even in the corridor where Jian Jianan and Chu Xiucheng were standing, all the lights were turned off, and the entire company was suddenly plunged into darkness.
Chu Xiucheng was well prepared, as if he had experienced this countless times before. He took Jian Jianan's hand and patted her gently to comfort her: "It's okay, it's okay. The capital is currently undergoing massive infrastructure construction, and unstable power lines are common. Looking at this scene, it's possible that someone accidentally dug up the power line somewhere. We just need to stand here and wait."
Jian Jianan was not as calm and composed as Chu Xiucheng. Both she and Chu Xiucheng were fine. Chu Xiucheng had experienced this before. Jian Jianan herself was not afraid of the dark and was not panicked at all when she was suddenly trapped in a completely dark environment.
However, can every student in the classroom be as calm and composed as she and Chu Xiucheng?
Sure enough, Jian Jianan's worries were not unfounded. When all the visible light sources disappeared, the students in the classroom were like moths fluttering without light. They suddenly lost their target and became panic-stricken.
"What's going on..."
"The power is out? Why is there a power outage everywhere? No way, no way, the power goes out at this critical moment. I just glanced at the vocabulary and didn't even remember it. Teacher Zhu, please don't wipe the blackboard!"
Others were a bit angry. "I'm telling you, for a training institution this big, didn't you anticipate this kind of situation before you started? Can you please choose a better location? This crappy place has power outages every few days. I can't even concentrate on studying! Can you give me a refund?"
"That's right, give me my money back! How can I take this course when there's a power outage? I need a refund for this course!"
Seeing the originally orderly classroom plunged into darkness, everyone in the darkness, with their own thoughts, began to speak. Some were simply unhappy after being disturbed by the darkness, while others had all kinds of little thoughts of taking advantage of others after not being seen.
The classroom suddenly became a mess. If the situation was not properly handled, those who were demanding a refund would gain more and more power.
Jian Jianan was anxious, but he did not move. Now it was Zhu Zicheng's home court, and it all depended on how he would solve the problem.
Jian Jianan turned his gaze towards the podium. Although all the light sources around him had disappeared, Jian Jianan could still vaguely see the outline of Zhu Zicheng looming in the front.
He didn't seem panicked at all. Instead, he bent down and groped in the cabinet under the podium, as if looking for something.
While he was looking for something, he tried to comfort his classmates: "Everyone, everyone, be quiet! Listen to me!"
In the current situation, having a backbone can really provide a lot of help. As expected, the students were infected by Zhu Zicheng's calmness and gradually regained their original calmness.
At least the voices of those clamoring for a refund are getting quieter and quieter.
Zhu Zicheng quickly found what he was looking for, which turned out to be a pack of candles.
He walked up to the front row of students and handed them each a packet of candles, asking them to pass it around. "Come on, students, don't panic. Don't panic. Although there's a power outage and everyone can't see, we still have candles. Trust me. I've experienced more than you've experienced, and I've prepared everything. Come on, everyone, pass the packet of candles you received around. Make sure every student gets one. Light the candles and continue listening to the class."
There was a little commotion in the classroom because of the distribution of candles, but it was all under control. Even Jian Jianan, who was watching coldly from the side, couldn't help but nod his head. This was indeed the most correct thing Zhu Zicheng could do now.
Although he couldn't have someone fix the circuit and turn the lights back on immediately, at least it provided all the students with a chance to continue their studies!
Zhu Zicheng watched the students slowly distribute the candles, and almost everyone had a lit candle in their hands. Then he nodded with satisfaction and continued teaching.
"Hey, I see the students at the back don't have any candles. Maybe they don't have enough. You should share the candles with the students next to you. We all have limited resources, so we need to work together."
As he spoke, he began to laugh and said optimistically, "In ancient times, there was a saying about drilling holes in the wall to steal light. Think about it, aren't our conditions much better now? At least we don't need to drill holes in the wall to get light!"
The optimistic mood infected the classmates and everyone laughed together.
The teaching work went on smoothly.
Seeing this, Jian Jianan turned around and said to Chu Xiucheng who had been waiting for him, "Let's go back. It looks like Teacher Zhu's class will continue for a while. I'll just wait for him in the conference room."
Jian Jianan waited in the conference room for about half an hour before Zhu Zicheng came in with a flushed face.
Jian Jianan immediately joked, "Congratulations, Mr. Zhu! Seeing you look so happy, there's really hope for our New Hope development!"
Zhu Zicheng waved his hand modestly, "No, no, it's all because of your kindness that we signed up. And it's also thanks to Mr. Jian that he recognized our talent. Otherwise, we would have gone bankrupt long ago, and there would be no hope for us!"
Jian Jianan couldn't accept this. "How can you say that? Look at us, New Hope has only been open for a few days, and there are already hundreds of students signing up. We've become famous throughout the entire university town! They all came here for you, Teacher Zhu!"
Of course, Zhu Zicheng couldn't continue to follow Jian Jianan's words. "No, no, no, it's not just me who has achieved this. Our company has more than a dozen employees. Without everyone's active cooperation, we wouldn't be able to develop to this point."
The two of them exchanged business boasts again, but did not get to the point.
Jian Jianan knew that Zhu Zicheng asked her to come here in a hurry not just to express his gratitude to her, but he definitely had something important to say.
Jian Jianan also vaguely knew what he was going to say, but she pretended to be confused and kept playing Tai Chi with him to see who would be unable to hold back in the end.
Finally, Zhu Zicheng lost his patience. He had been very proud of himself recently. His identity had changed from the frustrated middle-aged teacher to a successful person with a cheerful face. He also spoke with a much more assertive tone.
He looked at Jian Jianan tentatively and asked him, "Mr. Jian, I've heard from others that you've been traveling a lot lately. If you encounter any difficulties, please tell me, Old Zhu. I will never forget your kindness to me. If there is anything I can help you with, please tell me and I will definitely help!"
Jian Jianan immediately understood the implication of Zhu Zicheng's words. Apart from not having enough money to attract investment, what other difficulties could their Nanjia Capital be facing now?
Where did Zhu Zicheng get the news? Was he managing and operating New Hope while keeping an eye on the news from his side?
It's really hard for him, he is so busy and has to do two things at once!
Jian Jianan asked back, "Difficulties? What other difficulties could we possibly encounter? Of course, when we're out and about, we're conducting normal business activities. Teacher Zhu, I think you're the one who understands this the most. Managing and operating a company is truly not an easy task. Maintaining normal interactions with business partners is essential for a company. I'm sure you've been interacting with people quite a lot lately, right?"
Zhu Zicheng didn't get the news he wanted, so he burst into laughter. "Oh, yes, you're right! After actually founding a company, I realized how naive I was before. I thought I could just rent a store, renovate it, and sit back and wait for students to sign up. Now I realize how many people I have to deal with after starting a company!"
Jian Jianan and Zhu Zicheng had a lot in common on this matter. She didn't know what was coming to her mind, but she sighed deeply. "Yes, in this world, achieving something from scratch is fraught with difficulty, and it's not something that can be brushed aside in a few words. Look at us at Nanjia Capital. To outsiders, it seems so simple. All we need to do is sit high in the office, occasionally take a few days a month to conduct field research, invest a little money, and then we can sit back and relax, waiting for the huge sums of money to roll in."
Jian Jianan shook his head as he spoke, "Really? It's not as easy as people outside think."
She looked at Zhu Zicheng, "Teacher Zhu, you must be the one who feels the most deeply, right?"
After practicing Tai Chi with Jianan for a while, Zhu Zicheng became visibly anxious. He calmly glanced at the clock hanging on the office wall. It was already nine o'clock in the evening. If they continued to talk in such a confusing manner, it was very likely that they would sit here until the next morning without making things clear.
Zhu Zicheng said bluntly, "Mr. Jian, I've seen the difficulties your company has been going through lately and I'm worried about you! I know that New Hope couldn't have been built without your help. You've also invested a huge amount of money in our company over the past few months. Without that money, I, Zhu, would never have gotten to where I am today."
"But, we humans always have to consider our capabilities before doing anything. If we accidentally do something beyond our status, that wouldn't be good!"
Zhu Zi also had something in mind, and Jian Jianan understood that he was planning to start a new business!
As expected, the next second Zhu Zicheng couldn't hold back any longer and spoke his mind: "Boss Jian, don't hide anything. If you have any financial difficulties during this period, just tell me directly. Our company will need money in many places in the future. If we make a wrong decision by mistake, we will lose everything!"
Jian Jianan smiled brightly, "You don't need to worry about that, Mr. Zhu. Since Nanjia Capital can make the decision to invest in New Hope, we will have other decisions. Our company has just been established and has already raised a large amount of funds as the source of the fund pool. You don't need to worry too much about the money."
"Besides, Nanbei Group and Shenya Clothing have never been short of money."
Jian Jianan was indirectly telling Zhu Zicheng that she had two companies backing her, so she didn't have to worry about money.
Zhu Zicheng stopped when he saw that things were going well, and said with a dry laugh: "Really? Really? That's good, that's good. Then I don't have to worry anymore..."
Seeing this, Jian Jianan nodded with a smile. Seeing that it was getting late, Zhu Zicheng had no way to achieve his goal, so he had to say goodbye to Jian Jianan.
"...So, that's roughly what happened."
Three days later, during Jian Jianan's rare break, she was sitting in her small room, talking to her boyfriend on the other side of the ocean with a microphone in her hand.
Shan Jiqing's voice came back from the microphone indistinctly, "I understand. Zhu Zicheng invited you to visit New Hope that night. Besides showing you the recent investment results, the most important thing was to tell you how well they've developed and how much potential they have for the future."
"Yes, yes, that's what Zhu Zicheng meant!"
Jian Jianan nodded continuously. Shan Jiqing was truly an eloquent person who understood other people's thoughts very well. He hadn't even experienced it himself, but he had pieced together what kind of person Zhu Zicheng was just based on the few sentences Jian Jianan relayed.
Jian Jianan said slowly, "I didn't fully understand it that day, but now several days have passed, and I've figured it out. Zhu Zicheng probably feels that his previous failures, the near-bankruptcy of his store, were due to a lack of funds, so he couldn't do anything. But now with our company's investment, publicity has been ramped up, and professional personnel have been fully trained. New Hope has achieved such great development, and he has become a star teacher. It's not an exaggeration to say that he is a backbone member and a central figure of New Hope."
"So, he's just being complacent, thinking he can survive without Nanjia Capital. When we first invested, we signed a strict contract. My investment in New Hope meant I could profit from its development, but Zhu Zicheng doesn't think that way. He wants to hold onto every penny of profit for himself and doesn't want to share it with anyone else."
Therefore, when Zhu Zicheng asked Jian Jianan to come over that night, it was actually a small test. He didn't know where he heard that Nanjia Capital was short of funds recently and had been trying to recruit investors from outside.
Therefore, Zhu Zicheng felt that this was a great opportunity to break away from Nanjia Capital. If the other party was short of money, he could propose some conditions and it was very likely that he would pay a large sum of money to make Jian Jianan willing to sign a separation contract, separate Nanjia Capital from New Hope, and return New Hope intact to Zhu Zicheng.
Shan Jiqing criticized him mercilessly on the phone: "You are short-sighted and eager for quick success!"
Jian Jianan laughed at her boyfriend's undisguised bias. "Hahaha, I actually understand why Zhu Zicheng thinks that way. If I were in his shoes, I would do the same thing."
She and Zhu Zicheng look different on the outside, but they are both extremely stubborn people at heart, with a strong desire for control, and they want to have everything under their own hands.
"But don't worry too much. Even if Zhu Zicheng had such an idea, he wouldn't be able to follow through. After all, our contract was signed several months ago and it's legally binding. I don't think he wants to be entangled in a lawsuit at the start-up stage of New Hope."
Jian Jianan rubbed her forehead with a headache. Although she had been prepared for this situation, as Nanjia Capital expanded outward, there would definitely be disputes between investors and entrepreneurs. However, the far-sighted Jian Jianan did not expect that such disputes would appear within a week!
The relationship between investors and entrepreneurs is not a simple cooperative relationship. In Jian Jianan's view, there is more of a game relationship.
When you are strong, I am weak; when you are weak, I am strong, just like a spring.
Both investors and entrepreneurs are dancing on their own bottom line, trying to see if they can earn more and greater benefits for themselves by forcing the other side to make concessions.
Jian Jianan mentioned another matter to Shan Jiqing, "It seems that many people already know that our Nanjia Capital is short of money. I originally thought that when New Hope started to stand out and gain a reputation, I could show this perfect report card to other investors and better attract investment."
After all, every investor is not here to do charity. They must see a return on their investment. If there is no return on their investment, they might as well donate the money to children in the mountains. At least they can do good deeds and leave a name for themselves, right?
Nanjia Capital was established only half a year ago, and it has no outstanding results. It just blindly invests money. Its founder Jian Jianan can only rely on his eloquence to attract investors. Will it be effective?
However, it now seems that Zhu Zicheng is not on the same page with them. While he has to rack his brains to find new partners and investors, he also has to be extra careful to prevent Zhu Zicheng, who is not on the same side as him, from causing any trouble.
Jian Jianan laughed again at the thought. "Haiyan was also very angry! I went straight home that night and told her about it in the morning. She stayed in the office all night and didn't go home. She was already listless, with bags under her eyes that looked like they were about to fall to the floor. But when she heard what I said, she immediately jumped up and down, almost reaching the ceiling."
Huang Haiyan was very emotional at the time. She jumped up and down and pointed her finger at Zhu Zicheng.
What about "ungrateful", "a dog bites Lu Dongbin who doesn't know the kindness of a good person", and so on...
This was the first time that Jian Jianan appreciated the profound language skills of his entrepreneurial partner.
"I knew Zhu Zicheng wasn't a good person! I knew it the first time we met! Look at how timid he was back then. If we hadn't found him, he would have closed the store. I don't know where he would have found a job. How could he be standing on the podium with such high spirits today? But now he kicks us out as soon as he gets rich! He doesn't even think about why we're short of money. Isn't it because we've been investing money in the early stages, but there's no effect? Why doesn't he reflect on himself? He hasn't made much money for investors in such a long time!"
That's the truth, but it's also human instinct to seek benefits and avoid harm, it's human nature.
Jian Jianan comforted Huang Haiyan: "Okay, Haiyan, don't be too anxious. This is the first time we've heard of this idea, but he definitely won't be able to implement it in a short period of time. There's a contract in place, so even if he wants to default on his debt, he's got nowhere to go!"
The most urgent task is to attract some investment to stabilize Zhu Zicheng!
While Jian Jianan was trying to comfort Huang Haiyan, he was thinking about his next plan of action. Although he said that, he would never let her go back to her parents in shame to ask for money before she made any achievements.
So where can we get investment?
"Nannan! Nannannannan!"
As Jian Jianan was talking, his voice gradually faded away. Shan Jiqing didn't know what had happened, so he hurriedly called out several times on the other end of the phone before he brought his girlfriend back to her senses.
"Are you short of money? I have some money saved from my teaching assistantship, and I don't have much to spend here anyway. I'll transfer it to you. How much do you want?"
After thinking for a while, Shan Jiqing denied everything and said, "No, I will give you everything..."
Jian Jianan stopped him, feeling both amused and helpless. "No, no, why would I need that? I'm short of money, but I'm not completely broke!"
Jian Jianan saw it very clearly that at this stage, the most important thing for their Nanjia Capital was to achieve some results and give other willing investors some confidence so as to convince everyone to make money together.
In addition to the money on the books, Jian Jianan still has some assets, but he can't really invest all his fortune into the company.
Otherwise, a virtuous circle cannot be formed at all. With Jian Jianan's capital alone, it is impossible to achieve the ambitious plan in her heart!
"Okay..." Shan Jiqing was very disappointed after being rejected by his girlfriend. He felt an indescribable frustration. The next second, he hurriedly warned, "Please don't be polite with me. There's an entire ocean between us. Seeing you're troubled by things in China, I really want to help you. If you really want to help, please remember to tell me first!"
Shan Jiqing gave Jianan many instructions, and if Jian Jianan had not refused in a stern manner, he would have sent all his wealth to him.
Jian Jianan finally calmed her boyfriend down and hung up the phone, but the next second the phone rang again. It turned out to be Huang Haiyan looking for her.
"Boss Jian!" Huang Haiyan hurriedly told Jian Jianan on the other end of the phone: "You have to come over. Zhu Zicheng suddenly came to our company and said he had something important to discuss with you."
Although Huang Haiyan felt guilty about interrupting Jian Jianan's hard-earned day off, the situation was urgent and they needed Jian Jianan to come back and take charge.
"What! You want us to keep investing money!"
In Nanjia Capital, in Jian Jianan's independent office, she and Zhu Zicheng were sitting and talking about something.
I don’t know what Zhu Zicheng said that made Jian Jianan suddenly become excited, and even his voice increased eight times.
Zhu Zicheng had come prepared for this trip. He nodded calmly at Jian Jianan and said, "Yes, Mr. Jian, I believe you have already reviewed last month's financial report and various financial statements. Our New Hope is experiencing strong growth. Every day, new students come in to sign up for our overseas study training courses. The monthly revenue is staggering."
Jian Jianan strongly agreed with this point. Their decision to invest in New Hope can be said to be very successful. The monthly return on investment has achieved the figures planned by Jian Jianan and his team, and even has a tendency to exceed them.
I believe that the cost will be recovered in the near future.
However, now, Zhu Zicheng seemed to have something to hide, and sighed sadly: "But there is a stumbling block in front of us, and we can't ignore it..."
"We simply don't have enough space to accommodate new students. The last time you came, every classroom was packed with people. Some even brought chairs just for a chair, not needing a table, just to listen to my lectures. But even so, the classroom space is far from enough for them."
"What's more, we don't have enough teachers. If I were alone, there would be no way I could provide high-quality training that's worth the price to every student who signed up for the training class."
Zhu Zicheng had a sad face and frowned tightly. It was obvious that these things had indeed been bothering him.
"So, you came to me today because you wanted money, right?"
Jian Jianan lay back, nestled comfortably in his tall boss chair, and looked leisurely at Zhu Zicheng in front of him.
Facing Jian Jianan's inquiring eyes, Zhu Zicheng didn't dare to meet them at all, and dodged them with a flick of his gaze.
"Yes, it's not that I need the money personally. It's that New Hope needs new investment. This investment is very necessary for New Hope right now. We want to rent the land next door and build new classrooms to accommodate more students. At the same time, we also need to recruit a group of new teachers so that we can build our reputation, provide better services to the students who trust us, and attract more students."
After hearing Jian Jianan didn't answer for a long time, Zhu Zicheng's eyes became more vague. He didn't know what he was thinking about, but as if he had made up his mind, he suddenly raised his head and said to Jian Jianan, "If you have any concerns, Mr. Jian, we can seek help from others. We at New Hope have made some achievements recently, and many people have come to seek advice. Among them is Mr. Zhang..."
Zhu Zicheng licked his lips as he spoke, but he insisted on finishing his words. "Mr. Zhang is also very optimistic about the future development of our New Hope. After my persuasion, he is very willing to donate money to help us. If we need help, I believe he will be very happy to ask for it."
"if only……"
As long as Jian Jianan, the only investor in New Hope, is willing to give up some of his current interests, this matter can be accomplished.
"Okay, I'll give you some money."
Zhu Zichen originally thought that Jian Jianan would need to think for a while before giving him the final answer, but he didn't expect Jian Jianan to be so straightforward. As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately nodded in agreement.
"...What?" Zhu Zicheng didn't react for a moment, and only heard Jian Jianan repeating his previous answer.
"I said, yes, New Hope needs more funds for expansion. This is a reasonable reason, and we at Nanjia Capital can provide it to you."
Oh, so this is an answer to my previous question.
Although he had a new investment, Zhu Zicheng was inexplicably disappointed.
"Ah... okay... okay, okay." He answered absentmindedly, still thinking in his heart how to make Jian Jianan accept his second condition. It seems that he has failed this time, and he has to think of a new way.
Jian Jianan crossed his fingers, leaned his weight on the table, and said sternly to Zhu Zicheng, "You can ask for new investment, but this isn't money you can get just by talking. I need a project report. So, New Hope, give me a report within seven days. It must clearly state how much money you want and what you're going to use it for. I'll review it with my subordinates and give you a definitive answer."
"What do you think, Mr. Zhu? This request is not too much, right?"
"Not too much, not too much, of course not too much. Seven days, right? Okay, then after today I will definitely hand the report over to you, Mr. Jian."
Not long after Zhu Zicheng left, Huang Haiyan rushed in.
Seeing her big eyes blinking and smacking, Jian Jianan felt amused and briefly summarized to her the reason why Zhu Zicheng came to see him just now.
As expected, Huang Haiyan was furious after hearing this. She angrily said, "I knew it! Zhu Zicheng is such a greedy person! Re-expanding the venue will cost money, and hiring teachers will also cost money, but why would it cost so much as he said! He really doesn't know how expensive food and clothing are until he runs the household. He doesn't even know how to find ways to reduce costs and find a cheaper place."
"He must have exaggerated what he said! He deliberately exaggerated it to let us know that we'll have to spend a lot of money in the future, so he wants us to back off! He's been wanting to part ways for a long time, right?
What best supports Huang Haiyan's point of view is that Zhu Zicheng suddenly changed his address for Jian Jianan from "Mr. Jian" to "Little Mr. Jian".
Doesn't this clearly show that he has grown stronger and feels that he can achieve something even without Jian Jianan, which is why he is so blatant!
***
"And then, what then?"
Su Qinxuan was very nervous about the story told by his daughter and wanted to know what would happen next.
Although several months had passed, Nanjia Capital was still operating steadily. Su Qinxuan knew that this problem would definitely be solved in the end, but listening to Jian Jianan's story, it was still very thrilling.
"Then, Mr. Jian, just at the critical moment, finally found a new partner. He has a wide network of contacts and brought in a large amount of new investment!"
Jian Jianan said with some pride.
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