2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 383 Confident and Arrogant

My son is determined to leave his hometown and travel 3,000 kilometers to attend a junior college.

I graduated from junior college and worked in an electronics factory; I was the best at screwing in screws.

Longgang District.

In the open area of ​​the Dexian Electronics factory, rows of employees in uniform stood. Naturally, there were no college graduates among those who were tightening screws in the early 2000s.

The management model of the electronics factory is relatively strict. After orders are given, the employees are highly obedient and there is no disobedience.

Of course, whispering among themselves was inevitable.

"The new boss is giving a speech to everyone today. Do you think we'll change our company name?"

"Let them change it, it's not important. As long as the new boss raises our wages, that's fine. They'll even pay social security. In Longgang, only foreign-invested enterprises and large companies pay social security."

"I heard that the new boss is the owner of Flash Group, the one that sells electric cars. But it seems a bit unreliable. Why would an electric car company acquire an electronics factory? The businesses don't seem to match."

"You never know. Maybe they think electronics factories are profitable and want to start one too. But if it's the owner of Flash, then it's understandable that he would give us a raise."

Flash's territory is around Beicang, but Tan Jincheng's reputation is quite extensive nationwide.

It can be said that wherever there is electricity, whether you are rich or poor, you have heard of Tan Jincheng. He started his business from scratch at the age of 19, became a billionaire at the age of 20, and became a billionaire at the age of 21.

It sounds like a legend, and many parents even regard Tan Jincheng as a role model for their children.

Shanchi is known for its good employee benefits, as many people who have used the internet know. As a result, Tan Jincheng has a good reputation among grassroots employees. Furthermore, Shanchi's electric vehicles are very cost-effective.

Cheap and affordable, with excellent quality and service, Flash Electric Vehicles are a popular choice in Shenzhen, a city with a large migrant worker population.

The main thing is that this thing can hold quite a lot. For working people who don't have much stuff, a few trips on an electric scooter are enough.

When Tan Jincheng finally appeared on stage, those in the audience who recognized him immediately caused a stir.

"Holy crap, it really is! The girl next to him is his girlfriend, and she's really beautiful."

"The most beautiful female CEO, she's supposedly still a student; damn, she started her business while still in college, she's so lucky."

"Tsk tsk tsk, if it's the owner of Flash, then there's no need to worry about him trying to cut wages later. This guy is very generous."

"I wonder if they'll give us a car as a prize in the lucky draw this Chinese New Year, haha."

"Not that early. Their headquarters issued it at their annual meeting in the second year after the company was founded, but you never know, haha."

Tan Jincheng's appearance caused a stir among the audience. Those who recognized him were quite happy, as it's always better to work for a boss with a decent reputation.

The feeling of not recognizing the boss was that he was too young. While feeling envious, they were also a little puzzled. Could it be that some rich second-generation kid was messing around?

"Hello everyone, I am Tan Jincheng, and also your new boss. I've gathered you all here today for no other reason than to get to know each other."

As Tan Jincheng began to speak, the room fell silent.

"Some people may recognize me, but I'll still briefly introduce our company. The company that acquired Dexian Electronics is called Hangxin New Energy Technology, which is a company dedicated to the development of lithium batteries."

The parent company of Hangxin New Energy Company is called Shanchi Group, meaning that Dexian Electronics is now a subsidiary of Shanchi Group. Shanchi Group is a company that manufactures and sells electric vehicles. The electric vehicles endorsed by celebrities like Chris Lee, Liu Yifei, and Jay Chou are all produced by our group.

"So, I do have some online recognition. If you don't recognize me, you can search for me online. Our group is quite powerful, so you don't need to worry that my youth will ruin the company or that we won't be able to pay salaries."

"As long as you work hard and improve production efficiency, what belongs to you will eventually come. You've all heard about Flash Group giving cars to its employees, right?"

"Yes, I did it!"

With a confident yet arrogant speech, Zhao Wu, sitting in a corner of the audience, looked at Tan Jincheng on stage and couldn't help but compare it to their previous conversation, when Tan Jincheng was very humble.

Bosses all have two faces, there's nothing more to say about that.

However, Zhao Wu had to admit that Tan Jincheng's arrogant remarks were very effective. Young faces can sometimes easily cause employees to distrust them. It's fine for small teams, but in companies with thousands of employees, people tend to trust older bosses more.

Today's employee meeting didn't have any other tasks; it was just about getting to know the employees and letting them know who they work for. Tan Jincheng's speech was simple and straightforward, but also rather empty, and it ended quickly.

Zhao Wu is still a shareholder of the company, so we should give him some face. Some specific promises are not suitable to be made in public. For example, the biggest complaint from the workshop employees is about the canteen.

Zhang Xuhui also mentioned that the food was indeed not very good. The company actually spends a lot on food, but the person in charge of purchasing for the canteen is Zhao Wu's relative, and everyone knows what that means.

The actual manager of the electronics factory was changed to Zhang Xuhui. After introducing Zhang Xuhui, Tan Jincheng stepped down from the stage and handed the microphone to him. Core departments such as finance and sales were transferred from Beicang to take over. Tan Jincheng also renegotiated contracts with the R&D department, using methods such as significant salary increases, patent royalties, and non-compete agreements.

With the framework of Dexian Electronics, which belongs to the Flash Group, now complete, the trip to Shenzhen is almost over.

Next, Tan Jincheng is going to Hong Kong with Gu Qingqing.
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I received Dexian Electronics, visited Tencent, and unexpectedly met Pony Ma.

I also met with Shen Nanpeng and we discussed investment intentions.

Tan Jincheng gained a lot from his trip to Shenzhen.

In particular, Tencent was also interested in investing. After meeting with Tan Jincheng, Shen Nanpeng went to see Wang Wei. Regarding Tan Jincheng's strong recommendation for him to invest in SF Express, he still wanted to meet Wang Wei in person before making a decision.

Shen Nanpeng did not look down on Tan Jincheng because of his youth and lack of investment experience; he still valued Tan Jincheng's advice.

An entrepreneur who can grow his company to such a national scale in just two years, control the entire industrial chain of his own company, and make a name for himself in the internet industry must have unique insights into investment.

"If Mr. Shen can persuade Mr. Wang of SF Express to accept your investment, remember to include me."

When saying goodbye, Tan Jincheng smiled and said to Shen Nanpeng.

Investing in a company like SF Express is something a lead investor certainly can't do, but a co-investor can. They might forgo building their own logistics network, but strategic investment is still necessary, both from a return perspective and a cooperation perspective.

Tan Jincheng wanted to follow up, which surprised Shen Nanpeng, but not entirely.

Just like buying stocks, if you have a strong belief in something, you will definitely buy some. This requirement is reasonable.

"Okay, if I can reach an agreement, I'll let you, Mr. Tan, co-invest. You'll have to thank me then."

"No, no, no, it should be President Shen thanking me. Remember to give Orange Technology a higher valuation later, otherwise I won't have the money to invest."

Shen Nanpeng was taken aback, then burst into laughter and left.

This young man is quite interesting.

Shen Nanpeng thought Tan Jincheng was joking, but in reality, Tan Jincheng was not joking at all. In his previous life, Shen Nanpeng invested in half of the express delivery and logistics companies in China, but he failed to acquire the leading company, SF Express.

At this time, SF Express had just begun its nationwide expansion and was in need of funds and resources. Investing in SF Express at this crucial juncture would be far better than investing in a lesser-known company.

This courier company, which was founded in Shunde, moved its headquarters to Shenzhen in 2002.

Like the online shopping industry, it happened to coincide with the SARS period, which was particularly severe in South China. At that time, people dared not go out, which gave the company a major opportunity for development.

It can be said that it was a matter of timing and fate.

In 2005, they independently developed an infrared scanner and launched the first generation of barcode scanners, which greatly improved efficiency.

In its early stages, SF Express had no experience with financing and relied mainly on Wang Wei's personal investment and bank loans. It was normal for it to reject venture capital investment in the past.

For companies that are more focused on physical assets, the capital investment required is substantial, and their valuation is not as arbitrary as that of internet companies. They have their own set of formulas, and the more money they receive from venture capital firms, the more equity they have to give up.

No physical business would accept venture capital funding in its early stages.

But things are different now. SF Express has clearly seen the trend of online shopping and is preparing to popularize it nationwide. At this time, introducing investment institutions is in line with the company's development plan.

The scale has been built up, and the investment can not only solve the expansion problem, but also the equity required is acceptable.

Timing is often a crucial factor in investing.

After meeting with Shen Nanpeng, Tan Jincheng's trip to Shenzhen was basically over.

Shen Nanpeng has basically confirmed his investment intention, but the subsequent valuation still needs to be evaluated, and he also needs to communicate with Kuang Ping.

These things all had to be done back in Ningbo, and Orange Technology's financing has been quite fast.

Three months after its launch, it secured its first round of funding, and within seven months, it had expressed interest in securing a second round of funding.

Capital has a keen sense of smell, and it is among the first to sense the recovery of the internet industry; the train of the internet age has already departed.

Interestingly, just as Tan Jincheng and his group were preparing to go to Hong Kong, news came from Cheng Hao that some of the business cards that Li Yaohui and Liu Suman had distributed had actually worked and had contacted Cheng Hao.

"That's normal. Not many people like big companies. Big companies have their benefits, and small companies have their advantages. Some people also have family reasons. How about this, go and poach another batch of people from Ali. Our e-commerce project is about to start."

(End of this chapter)