Chapter 43 After you came back, I...
Meanwhile, the lights in Beijing were still on.
The Shenzhen project was finally secured. It was a tug-of-war that lasted for months, from preliminary research to due diligence, strategy formulation, bidding negotiations, and finally signing the contract. Every step was like a race against time, almost draining the entire team's energy.
At the last minute, even Zheng Yaotian made a rare personal trip. The moment the contract was electronically signed, the conference room fell silent for two seconds, as if everyone was confirming that the document had indeed been successfully uploaded.
Then, a burst of applause, though subdued, was clearly filled with relief, as if releasing pent-up fatigue and tension.
The company held a small celebration in a small meeting room on the top floor of its headquarters. Champagne glasses clinked under the lights, bubbles rising gently and popping with a soft, delicate sound.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the night view of the Third Ring Road is unobstructed. The lights of thousands of homes and neon lights intertwine, like a densely woven city map, still bright in the dead of night.
Zheng Xiaotian walked to her side with a wine glass in hand. His suit jacket was unbuttoned, and he still carried the dust and grime of the day's journey. He lightly clinked glasses with her, his tone still as languid as ever, but his eyes held a rare seriousness: "This step, well done."
Xia Zhiyao raised her glass, a slight smile playing on her lips. Her tone was steady, yet it conveyed a weariness and satisfaction reminiscent of the afterglow of battle: "You didn't let me down either."
The golden liquid swayed gently in the glass, reflecting their shadows. They each took a sip. No one counted how many sleepless nights they had endured, nor did anyone mention how many moments of wanting to give up yet gritting their teeth and persevering were hidden behind that revised plan.
The living room was filled with the sounds of people, laughter, congratulations, and the clinking of glass, all blending together in a lively and joyous atmosphere.
Xia Zhiyao held her wine glass and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. In the distance, the traffic looked like slowly moving ribbons of light.
She watched quietly, a polite smile on her lips, but in that instant, the lights and noise seemed to be separated by an invisible glass. Only she knew that it was a void after victory, a loneliness where the excitement had faded and emotions had not yet settled.
The midday sun dappled through the blinds onto the office carpet, the air thick with the drowsy feeling typical of the afternoon. Zheng Xiaotian leaned back in his chair, his long legs casually stretched out, a pen twirling in his hand, his eyelids half-closed, as if slowly being lulled to sleep by the warm afternoon light.
A loud bang shattered the drowsy tranquility, as the office door was violently pushed open and slammed against the wall with a muffled thud.
Zheng Xiaotian was startled and looked up, his voice filled with a mixture of surprise and anger: "Xia Zhiyao, have you lost your mind? This is a door, not your punching bag."
"Take a look at this," Xia Zhiyao walked in with a brisk pace, her eyes filled with a sharp excitement, and slammed a folder on his desk. "I guarantee you'll go crazy after you see this."
Zheng Xiaotian frowned, pulled the document over, and casually flipped through it. After reading just a few lines, his eyes lit up as if something had struck him: "Xinglai Medical... domestic M&A consulting?"
"Where did you get this?" His voice was half an octave higher than before, and he sat up straight.
Zheng Xiaotian frowned as he pulled the document over, flipped through it, and after scanning just a few lines, his eyes lit up as if he'd been electrocuted, and he instantly snapped to attention: "Xinglai Medical... domestic M&A consulting?"
"Where did you get this?" His voice was half an octave higher than before, and he pushed his chair forward and sat up straight.
Xia Zhiyao simply plopped down on his desk, her long legs dangling naturally. She took out her phone, pulled up a WeChat message, and handed it to him: "It's a long story. Two years ago in New York, I lost my clothes, and she found them. I said I should treat her to a meal, and that's how we met."
She paused, tapping the screen twice with her finger as if to emphasize a key point: "They had been using the consulting team of their parent company, Yunlai Group, but they're really not very good in the healthcare industry. When they saw that we had done some relevant cases, they came directly to me."
Zheng Xiaotian lowered his head and scanned the WeChat messages from beginning to end, his eyes gradually brightening.
"Holy crap..." He looked up, as if he couldn't help but lower his voice, then couldn't help but grin, "If this works, we can also use it to cut into Yunlai's case."
He suddenly seemed to remember something: "Oh right, my brother said a few days ago that Yunlai is also interested in changing its consulting team."
After saying that, he slammed his hand on the table with a "bang," as if he had suddenly been injected with adrenaline, even the afternoon drowsiness was completely driven away: "Xia Zhiyao, you are my lucky star!"
Xia Zhiyao smiled, twirling her phone in her hand, as if enjoying watching his reaction: "So how do you plan to thank me?"
Zheng Xiaotian raised his hand and pointed at her in the air, smiling slyly: "Thank you... After I finish this case while I'm still alive, I'll treat you to a meal, and you can drink as much as you want."
"Okay, I'll put it in the books first." Xia Zhiyao raised an eyebrow, jumped off the table nimbly, and pushed the document back in front of him. "I've given you the chance, don't let me down."
Zheng Xiaotian looked at the documents with a smile on his lips, as if the stack of papers in front of him was a ticket to the next step.
“Then let’s not waste time.” Xia Zhiyao picked up her phone and typed as she spoke. “I’ll first compile a version of our existing medical industry case studies and send it to them before tonight.”
“Okay.” Zheng Xiaotian had already pushed his laptop to the center and was typing rapidly on the keyboard. “I’ll go and pull up the templates for the merger and acquisition plans we made before, mark out the parts that can be used directly, and have the analysis team fill in the data for the rest.”
While organizing the documents, Xia Zhiyao looked up and asked, "Is the information from your brother's side reliable?"
“Reliable.” Zheng Xiaotian said without looking up. “He talked to the strategic vice president of Yunlai. That guy always complained that the original consulting team was too troublesome. If we can perform well on the Xinglai deal, we may be able to get a direct transfer to the parent company’s project.”
“We need to pave the way in advance.” Xia Zhiyao continued, “In addition to the merger and acquisition plan, Xinglai also needs to conduct an assessment of the integrated human resources and operations. The medical industry emphasizes compliance, so we don’t want the plan to fail to be implemented.”
"Don't worry." Zheng Xiaotian looked up and smiled at her. "This isn't the first time we've fought a battle like this, where we have to run and fight at the same time."
The two quickly divided their tasks: she was responsible for liaising with Xinglai's partners, arranging needs interviews, and collecting front-line business data; he, on the other hand, mobilized internal and external resources within the company to streamline financial modeling, industry benchmarking, and legal clauses.
Meetings came one after another, from Xinglai's senior management to the heads of various departments, and the two of them almost filled the video conference room's schedule.
A few days later, the framework of the first version of the merger and acquisition plan was finalized. Zheng Xiaotian threw a thick stack of documents on the table: "This is just the beginning. The real battle is yet to come."
Xia Zhiyao turned to the first page, her eyes sharp with composure: "This is the step I've been waiting for."
The night outside the window gradually deepened, but the lights in the office area remained on. Documents, data, emails, and phone calls—everything was running at high speed, like a machine that had been fully ignited, and they were the ones steering the wheel.
The negotiations were arranged in Xinglai Medical's temporary office in Beijing. The meeting room was brightly lit but coldly white, with draft proposals spread out on the long table and revision records flashing on the screen in real time.
Gu Yunlai sat in the main seat, resting his chin on one hand, like a cat eyeing its prey, slow and deliberate, yet exuding an undeniable sense of intimidation.
"The overall plan is alright." He flipped to the operational evaluation section, his tone so flat that no emotion could be detected. "However, your human resource integration plan is as conservative as a nursing home."
Xia Zhiyao raised her eyes, her expression unchanged: "In the medical industry, the premise of improving efficiency through mergers and acquisitions is compliance and quality. Excessive layoffs will bring regulatory risks and also affect business continuity."
Gu Yunlai chuckled softly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes: "I'm buying a company, not applying for a charity project."
Zheng Xiaotian interjected, her tone more relaxed than Gu's: "President Gu, the problem isn't charity, it's the pace. If the integration is rushed, we might have to spend even more money to fix the mistakes six months later. At that point, will that budget be included in the acquisition costs or your management fees?"
Gu Yunlai looked up, as if looking at him directly for the first time, and smiled slightly: "I like your straightforwardness, but are you reminding me not to eat too fast or I'll choke?"
“We’re making sure every bite you take is worth the price,” Xia Zhiyao said, meeting his gaze with a crisp tone.
After a moment of silence, Gu Yunlai suddenly looked away, closed the file, and tapped the table lightly with his finger: "Okay, two versions, one according to your conservative standards, and one according to my radical standards. I want to see both the conclusion and the cost at the same time."
“No problem.” Xia Zhiyao immediately agreed, her pen tracing patterns on the notebook. “For the more aggressive version, we’ll include a risk assessment on the cover so you won’t fall into a blind spot when making decisions.”
Gu Yunlai smiled slightly: "The blind spot is my problem. You just need to complete the map."
After the meeting ended, as he walked towards the elevator, he suddenly stopped, turned to look at her, and said, "President Xia, I hope that next time you will offer more than just 'safety'."
After saying that, he turned and walked into the elevator, his tall figure disappearing the moment the doors closed.
Zheng Xiaotian clicked his tongue in a low voice: "This person's way of speaking is both roundabout and straightforward."
She paused, turned her head to look at him, and said with a hint of mockery in her eyes, "Shouldn't you and Gu Yunlai be kindred spirits? You're both third-generation rich kids starting your own businesses, you sound like you're from the same species."
Zheng Xiaotian clicked his tongue and leaned lazily against the elevator wall, laughing: "The species is the same, but the habitats are different. More importantly, he is the legitimate heir, and what about me?"
Xia Zhiyao chuckled at his words and waved her hand dismissively: "What nonsense are you talking about? The Qing Dynasty has been gone for so many years!"
“Fine,” Zheng Xiaotian raised an eyebrow, as if she had interrupted the end of a joke. His tone changed, and a faint sharpness returned. “The capital hunting ground is his home turf. I’m in the strategy battlefield.”
Xia Zhiyao raised an eyebrow: "And now?"
"Right now..." He pushed the folder aside, his smile enigmatic, "we're temporarily on the same boat, but who's at the helm depends on which way the wind is blowing."
As it turned out, this battle was worthwhile. The acquisition of Xinglai Medical was completed perfectly in a near-textbook manner. Following this, they won two more heavyweight cases in succession. Only then did Tianxing, this young consulting firm, truly gain a foothold in the industry.
As its reputation grew and its business expanded rapidly, new teams and departments took shape, and the office was filled with unfamiliar yet eager faces. The atmosphere of growth was gradually filling every corner of the building.
A massive influx of capital followed, opening up the channel that had previously been questioned and observed by the market. The originally consulting-oriented structure quickly began to transform into a platform for substantive investment and capital operation.
They are no longer just advisors sitting behind the scenes, nor just creators of elaborate PPT presentations, but true operators who can make moves on the game, influence the direction, leverage resources, and determine the flow of funds.
Within just a few months, projects from Hong Kong, Singapore, and Zurich were successively brought in. The establishment of SOV structures and M&A funds proceeded simultaneously, and high-net-worth individuals and family offices began to proactively approach them, with some proposing joint investments and others simply willing to relinquish independent decision-making power over projects.
The outside world now views them differently; they are no longer seen as "a sharp and innovative consulting firm," but as an investment entity with the will to invest and the ability to implement strategies. They can even be regarded as a potential "new type of capital integration platform."
With a severe shortage of internal staff, a massive influx of funds, and new projects being launched one after another.
Xia Zhiyao's schedule was packed with no gaps. She walked faster and faster from one meeting room to another, and lunch was reduced to a few bites of sandwich and a cup of coffee in the office.
She has always been accustomed to a high-density pace and is indeed good at accurately extracting the core of a problem from chaos. But even with her calm demeanor, she had to admit one fact: this company had reached a point where someone needed to truly control the funds and take the helm.
That evening, as she finished work, she leaned back on the sofa and said to Zheng Xiaotian, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Investing is definitely not my forte. I'm only good at spending money on you."
Zheng Xiaotian smiled with an expression that said, "I knew it all along": "Okay, then go ahead and spend it. I'll find the money."
On the other side, Zheng Xiaotian entered Zheng Yaotian's office early in the morning and collapsed onto the guest sofa without any regard for his image, saying, "I can't hold on any longer."
"Didn't you say you'd let us fight the war?" He was half-slumped on the sofa, too lazy to even open his eyes. "The project really came in, and the funds really came in, but on my side! There's absolutely no one to manage the money."
"The legal department is watching the finance department, and the finance department is watching me. Every day when I open my eyes, I'm dealing with documents, approval channels, and payment structures... I'm not the GP."
Zheng Yaotian sat behind his desk, not even looking up: "You need people?"
"Hey bro, you're so nice!" Zheng Xiaotian stretched, his tone tinged with tired anger. "I need someone who can really manage the structure, understand compliance, and coordinate with your team."
"Ideally, I could build my own SPV framework, so I wouldn't have to be chased by the legal department every day to explain LP penetration and project exit."
Zheng Yaotian then put down his pen, glanced at him, and clicked his tongue softly: "You have pretty high standards."
“It’s not that I’m asking for too much, it’s that I’m afraid if you’re any later, I’ll die of a sudden.” Zheng Xiaotian turned over and buried his face in the sofa cushion. “Give me a person, or hold a memorial service for me, the choice is yours.”
In less than a week, the candidate was chosen, while Xia Zhiyao was preparing for a business trip to Hangzhou to discuss an environmental technology project, which would take at least five days round trip.
Before leaving, she quickly finished organizing the bidding materials in the conference room. Just as she closed the folder, Zheng Xiaotian poked his head in from the doorway: "Once you come back, our investment vice president will be finalized."
She looked up at him, raising an eyebrow: "So fast?"
Zheng Xiaotian shrugged: "My brother made the decision. I glanced at the background, and it's pretty clean."
"What kind of background?" she asked casually.
"He's in finance, funds, multinational investment banking, that kind of field," he said. "I heard he has a pretty impressive resume."
She didn't reply, but simply nodded, glanced at her schedule, and casually said, "Don't forget to send me his resume later."
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