2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 723: Seeing the situation clearly, ZZ is right.

Yu Liguo, who has made countless choices throughout his life, made another bold decision when he was over forty.

Completely leaving the system, no matter how determined you are, you'll always feel some anxiety and uncertainty, plus, unlike last time, your family is somewhat against it.

The capital city has such great resources; its educational and medical resources are top-notch.

Having lived in the capital for a long time and enjoyed these resources, even the bigwigs of Shanghai look down on them, let alone a small city like Ningbo.

Even Zhang Yong was no exception. His family and children mostly lived and studied in the capital, and his trips to Ningbo were more like visiting relatives.

Yu Liguo will soon be living a life like Zhang Yong, with little time to spend with his family.

In fact, he had given it serious thought to jump directly from the government system to a private car company.

Yu Liguo has always been in charge of strategic planning at BAIC, particularly in the area of ​​new energy vehicles. Currently, this is actually a niche department, and the strategic planning, despite its fancy name, still requires the final approval of the board of directors.

However, it is precisely because of his long-term contact with the new energy industry that Yu Liguo understands the trends of new energy vehicles better than people in the industry.

While almost everyone in the industry was pessimistic about the new energy vehicle industry, or unwilling to invest heavily in it, Yu Liguo had a different perspective.

He is more convinced than most that new energy vehicles are a serious project, not just a vanity project.

To put it bluntly, investing in the new energy vehicle industry in the future is the right thing to do.

However, Yu Liguo also clearly recognized a problem: the current profit chain of gasoline vehicles is too large. To put it bluntly, this is a reform, and once reform is involved, there will be great resistance.

Especially in state-owned enterprises, there are far more constraints than in private enterprises.

Since then, Yu Liguo has been observing domestic independent brands to see which ones are truly investing in new energy, rather than just paying lip service.

After several years of observation, there is no doubt that BYD is genuinely engaged in new energy, while other companies are more or less all talk and no action, and more like bragging.

It wasn't until Yu Liguo discovered Weilai Automobile and Tan Jincheng that things changed.

Tan Jincheng stated in public on several occasions that Weilai Motors would develop new energy vehicles. After investigation, Yu Liguo found that the young man was not just bragging.

After careful investigation, Yu Liguo was surprised to find that Tan Jincheng had even started planning for new energy vehicles a long time ago.

Starting with batteries for two-wheeled electric vehicles, then moving on to mobile phone batteries, then to the power battery project in cooperation with BMW, and finally to Weilai Intelligent Driving, which recently recruited a large number of employees.

All of this indicates that Flash Motors is preparing to start manufacturing new energy vehicles by focusing on batteries.

Even Zhang Yong and Tan Jincheng themselves were worried that Yu Liguo might suspect that Wei Lai didn't really intend to develop new energy vehicles and was just using it as a gimmick. Little did they know that Yu Liguo would not easily agree to Zhang Yong's request just because his old leader had made the connection.

He wants to make a name for himself in the new energy vehicle industry chain. In his opinion, among domestic car companies, only BYD and Weilai Motors are the most suitable.

However, BYD's organizational structure has been basically stable in a short period of time, and besides, BYD's internal environment is not much easier than that of BAIC.

He wanted to go out and make a name for himself, not get involved in any power struggles.

Weilai Auto was his best choice. It was a newly established company with a less complex personnel structure. Zhang Yong and many of the employees had come from BAIC, so he would have a lot of room to grow.

When Zhang Yong had his old leader introduce him to Yu Liguo, Yu Liguo was genuinely excited.

You can really get whatever you want.

After several in-depth conversations with Zhang Yong, Yu Liguo made his own decision. He only attended this gathering today to learn about his new boss's daily habits. Zhang Yong's words reassured him quite a bit.

Tan Jincheng is outstanding at work, but it would be bad if he had any bad habits in his personal life.

Those who achieve success are invariably self-disciplined.
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"Huh? Why are you here?"

After returning from the capital, Tan Jincheng devoted himself to the preparation of the Weilai Automotive Engineering Research Institute. The 1000 mu of land to be used has been publicized and approved by the land and resources department.

Next comes the demolition work. The research institute is supposed to attract high-end talent. Just the fact that Tan Jincheng has proposed to relocate the three R&D departments of Weilai Automobile, Yangzi Automobile, and Huanghai Bus to Beicang is enough to excite the district.

In this era of rapid development, securing employment has always been a top priority for every city, and attracting high-end talent is a key focus for every city.

When he returned from a meeting in the district that day, he saw Liu Yifei chatting with Gu Qingqing in his living room.

"Why are you back so early today?"

Gu Qingqing smiled and pointed to the sofa, inviting Tan Jincheng to sit down and chat.

"Oh, today we're just discussing the resettlement of residents affected by the demolition. This issue doesn't really concern me."

The residents whose homes were demolished definitely need to be properly resettled. The land approved by the research institute is different from that of the previous factory, and Tan Jincheng cannot guarantee their future employment, so the resettlement housing needs to be arranged properly.

Resettlement housing is also commercial housing, so even if it's sold at a lower price, there's still a profit. Originally, the district wanted to take care of Shanchi and let Shanchi get involved, but Tan Jincheng wasn't interested.

Speaking of which, the plot of land designated for resettlement housing in the district is quite good. It is located in the area closest to the city center. Now, this resettlement community will be able to sell for 20,000 yuan per square meter in the future.

"The district asked you to participate, but you didn't agree?"

"Hmm, I'm not really interested in real estate. What brings you here, Little Liu?"

Tan Jincheng didn't want to talk about these things in public, so he changed the subject to Liu Yifei, who had suddenly appeared at his home.

Liu Yifei couldn't help but roll her eyes: "President Tan, do you have to hit people where it hurts? Sister Gu is almost seven months pregnant, I just came to visit her."

"Haha, is this my fault? I told you long ago that there are some advantages you shouldn't take. Don't treat people like fools, okay?"

"Alright, alright, that's enough. Yifei just came to see me, why are you being so sarcastic as soon as you get back?"

Tan Jincheng pursed his lips and didn't continue: "Where are Mom, Dad, and Jinyue?"

Today is Saturday, and Tan Jinyue didn't go to school. Tan Jincheng was originally going to take her to the headquarters to play, but there was a meeting in the district today, so they decided against it.

“I took him to my uncle’s house to play, and he won’t be back for dinner tonight. We were planning to order takeout, but you can cook when you get back.”

Uh, Tan Jincheng was dumbfounded. He didn't expect that coming back early would mean having to cook.

"Okay, what do you two want to eat? I'll see what's in the fridge."

"Before Mom left, she bought some bamboo shoots, toon leaves, some vegetables, and some seafood. Just make whatever you like."

Tan Jincheng thought for a moment and said, "Bamboo shoots take too long to stew. How about I stir-fry a few side dishes and make some seafood noodles instead?"

Pregnant women can eat some seafood to supplement their nutrition, and the Tan family had already found out which ones they could and couldn't eat.

"What did Yifei say?"

Liu Yifei smiled and said, "Of course I have no problem with it. Not everyone has the chance to eat a meal personally cooked by President Tan."

If President Gu has no objections, what objections would she dare to have? Besides, he didn't come here solely to visit Gu Qingqing; he has a favor to ask.

"Okay, you guys chat a little longer, I'll be done in a bit."

Tan Jincheng naturally knew that Liu Yifei wouldn't come to visit his wife for no reason; there must be something going on, and he could probably guess why.

This story goes back to 2007, a few years ago.

Tan Jincheng had advised the mother and daughter long ago that if they couldn't give others what they wanted, they shouldn't accept certain resources. However, the mother and daughter ultimately couldn't resist the allure of Hollywood.

He's a Hollywood superstar, so it's understandable. These days, how many stars can refuse that title?

After receiving resources from Huayi Brothers, The Forbidden Kingdom was successfully filmed and released in April 2008, causing quite a stir upon its release.

But are Huayi's resources so easy to obtain? Huayi wanted Liu Yifei's management contract, and the mother, daughter, and her godfather used Ji Ji's contract to string Huayi along, but then they went back on their word after the movie was released.

To be honest, although Huayi is no good, what these three did was really unethical. They just cheated out of resources worth hundreds of millions of yuan.
It seems that several hundred million US dollars were actually invested?

If it were actually profitable, that would be one thing, but with a domestic box office of only 1.7 million, it's a complete loss and they even got ripped off. If it were not profitable, it would be a sign of social progress.

"You've been resting for a year and now you want to get back to work? Help me wash those vegetables, and then beat the eggs and mix them well."

Tan Jincheng was cooking, and Liu Yifei didn't dare to just sit in the living room waiting for dinner. She made an excuse to see if she needed any help and came to the kitchen. Gu Qingqing, who had been sitting for a long time, also wanted to move around and came along.

"Nothing can be hidden from President Tan. If I don't start working soon, I won't be able to stay in China anymore."

"Ha, I told you to change your nationality a long time ago, but you wouldn't listen."

This guy is an American citizen; he can't stay in China for long without a work visa.

Her visa is about to expire, and if she doesn't find a new job soon, she'll be out of a job.

After the incident, Tan Jincheng asked her to cancel her place of origin, but her mother firmly disagreed. How could she give up so easily after all the hard work she had put into getting her place? While the other mudslinging could be dismissed as mere slander, this was a real stain on her reputation these days. Everyone pretended not to see it when no one pointed it out, but with comprehensive media coverage, it's really hard to clear her name.

"You're not cut out for Hollywood. You should give up on this as soon as possible. Besides, can't you see our own economic situation right now? The US is nothing."

Gu Qingqing smiled inwardly. Her husband was really ruthless towards Xiao Liu, daring to say and say anything.

Liu Yifei had no way to express her grievances. She had no work at all throughout 2009, which was essentially a disguised form of being blacklisted by the entertainment industry.

There are almost daily news reports online attacking her, and if it weren't for Tan Jincheng's intervention, the attacks would have been even more severe.

Even the pressure from other aspects was unbearable for her family. It wasn't until 2009 that she realized that the endorsement of Flash Electric Vehicles was practically her talisman.

It was only then that she realized how terrifying the power of capital could be.

"Let's wait a little longer. Things should be turning around soon. If you don't want to be kicked out of the country, you can register your name with Orange Technology first. I'll have them sign an employment contract for you, but there will be no salary, and you'll have to pay for your social security yourself."

It was Tan Jincheng's idea to give them a year of peace and quiet. How successful was Huayi in 2009? It was one of the first batch of companies listed on the ChiNext board!

Previously, because they needed to rush to go public, the two kings didn't have time to deal with you. If you're still making a fuss in the entertainment industry, you'll be in for a world of trouble after they go public.

Tan Jincheng is now a force to be reckoned with. Although he's not in the entertainment industry, he knows a lot of inside information.

Huayi's listing was, frankly speaking, driven by higher authorities. Simply put, the authorities needed to set an example to attract more capital and expand the market.

After a few years, the mine owners got tired of it, and traditional enterprises simply didn't care about their circle. So who else has money in their pockets and connections to the entertainment industry?

They're naturally the internet upstarts.

Unfortunately, in some people's eyes, Tan Jincheng and Gu Qingqing are also considered members of the internet upstarts.

Others may not know how powerful Flash Group and Orange Technology are, but the two kings certainly do. Ali is one of their shareholders, and they have to give Tan Jincheng face since he's not blocking their way.

These two brothers were lucky to have caught up with a good era. The shady things they did were well-known even to ordinary people, so how could the higher-ups not know?
However, for the sake of the bigger picture, nobody cared.

However, these two brothers also courted disaster. The higher-ups supported them to revitalize the entertainment sector, but what have they been doing since the company went public?
They've stopped making movies properly and are now focused on real estate, developing cultural tourism towns, and spending huge sums of money on calligraphy and paintings.

Damn it, do we need you to run the real estate business? If we can support you, we can support others too.

Those who cannot see the situation clearly are destined not to last long. The district wanted to give Wei some benefits by having him participate in the resettlement housing project, but Tan Jincheng refused. This would not make the district think he was ungrateful; on the contrary, it would only make them appreciate him even more.

"Honestly, Xiao Liu has to pay for such a small amount of money. Our Orange is not that bad."

"Alright, alright, let's talk later. I need to cook, and there will be a lot of smoke. You guys go out first."

After washing the vegetables, Liu Yifei nodded and helped Gu Qingqing out.

Tan Jincheng told her to wait a little longer, and also implied that she didn't need to go abroad, which made her feel much better. It was good to have hope, and she didn't have to wait endlessly like this.

"You don't need to worry. Since he said to wait a little longer, then there shouldn't be any problem. He has more information than we do."

Gu Qingqing comforted him, knowing that as the person who knew Tan Jincheng best, she understood that her husband would never speak carelessly about important matters.

After becoming pregnant, Gu Qingqing gained a maternal glow and became less wary of Liu Yifei than before.

Thinking about it, it makes sense. If something had happened over the years, it would have happened long ago. Even if she wanted to stop it, she couldn't.

Take this time for example, my husband was stuck in Beijing for more than a week, and he still hadn't met with Liu Yifei, who lives in Beijing, but instead, she came to his door.

Lei Jun has been quite the talk about ByteDance's investment in Xiaomi Technology these past few days.

"I hope so. Speaking of which, I'm really grateful to Sister Gu for the past two years."

Liu Yifei sighed. She could tell that Tan Jincheng didn't really care about her affairs, so even though she knew he was in the capital, she didn't dare to go to see him alone.

In recent years, because she hasn't had much work, she's been in more contact with Gu Qingqing, and they've actually built a real friendship. Gu Qingqing has been helping her out in private in some situations.

As a woman herself, Gu Qingqing sometimes couldn't stand seeing things go too far in her criticisms, and would use some of her resources to lend a hand.

She debuted at her peak and has been popular ever since "The Story of a Noble Family." However, she doesn't belong to any particular circle, and before the era of internet celebrities arrived, resources were limited.

Her meteoric rise to fame has undoubtedly blocked the path for many others.

Since her debut, Liu Yifei has been constantly targeted by various forms of online attacks. To be honest, she has become immune to these negative news articles, but she was genuinely frightened by what happened in 2008.

Because she lost her powerful backer.

The 2008 subprime mortgage crisis presented a great opportunity for FlashDrive, but it was a different story for other industries, especially those with high debt ratios, such as real estate.

Xiao Liu's godfather is in the real estate business. During the 08 subprime mortgage crisis, the real estate industry was severely impacted, and her godfather's business was greatly affected, so he no longer had as many resources to help her maintain it.

They even wanted her to exchange for some resources. The Beijing entertainment circle was exclusive, and she had offended Huayi Brothers to a fault. The Hong Kong entertainment circle also had no good intentions.

If it weren't for Sister Gu's care and Tan Jincheng's suggestion that she go out and hide, she wouldn't know what would have happened. She knew all too well how complicated the entertainment industry was.

“My husband is right. You have to see things clearly. Being a foreigner can be a protection for you sometimes, but it can also be an obstacle to your career. If your mother really doesn’t want to give up, then you have to be prepared for someone to block your career.”

"Or, take a more relaxed approach to your career. You're already very famous and have so many representative works. Even if you do nothing, it won't affect your development. When the time comes, people will naturally ask you to act."

Gu Qingqing actually knows more about the entertainment industry than Tan Jincheng does; Tan Jincheng doesn't have the time to care about these celebrities.

She's different. Since stepping down as CEO, she hasn't been as busy with work. Plus, she talks a lot with Liu Yifei, so she naturally started paying more attention to the entertainment industry.

In addition, Gu Qingqing is actually more well-informed than Tan Jincheng when it comes to the internet. Although she has stepped down, Orange Technology still has her informants.

In addition, she also manages the investments of Orange Live. Orange Live, which acquired AcFun, has not yet conducted Series A financing and its development is slow, but it can be said to have taken shape.

The popularity of Netflix in the US spurred the rise of domestic video websites. If it weren't for the lawsuit between the founder and his ex-wife, Tudou.com might have already gone public.

Youku is currently striving to go public and become the first listed video website in China, while LeTV is also aiming for a listing on the ChiNext board, along with various other video websites.

Both live streaming websites and video websites belong to the broader entertainment sector; the more you engage with them, the more you'll naturally learn.

"In the entertainment industry, although BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) has not officially entered the fray yet, their strategic planning has been underway for a long time. Almost all the companies in your circle have the shadow of internet companies behind them."

“The mine owners are no longer willing to invest, and the real estate developers are busy licking their wounds and making money. They have no time to care about the entertainment industry. Huayi’s listing is to attract more capital.”

"This is in line with the overall situation. You and your mother may not understand, but your godfather certainly does. That's why he doesn't dare to continue protecting you."

"The new capital is internet companies. Huayi is backed by Ali, and currently there is only one company that can compete with Ali. If you want to find a new backer, I can't say who you will choose."

The seafood noodles weren't complicated, and the side dishes were quick to prepare. Tan Jincheng ate with gusto, chatting away at the same time.

He really didn't want to get involved in this matter, but Gu Qingqing had just quietly asked him if he had any good ideas.

Damn it, all the online novels portray her as having a simple and innocent personality. Tan Jincheng really wanted to curse them. How could someone who's trying to become a wife be so simple?

"I don't know what your brokerage contract is like, but I've given you my idea. You can think about it yourself."

The big entertainment plan is nothing new. Shengda did this a long time ago, and it's impossible for internet companies not to know about it. Shengda was rejected back then because the timing wasn't right, but now they support it.

To be honest, these people in the entertainment industry are really shady and have no integrity. They want to swindle money from everyone. A big reason why established capital firms don't want to get involved is because they've been swindled before.

Coal mine owners are such shrewd people, and they have connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds, yet they still get ripped off.

Among the BAT companies, especially AT, they actually started making moves a long time ago. The reason they didn't get involved directly was simply to let those ahead test the waters and pave the way.

The entertainment industry is a real cesspool, and the investors know all too well how bad it is. A single movie can bankrupt a company. Who would want to get in without real talent? But the potential profits are also enormous.

It's a certain song and dance troupe.

Entering early has its advantages, such as holding at a low cost; entering late also has its advantages, such as having a clear objective and being able to directly pursue an acquisition strategy.

Liu Yifei is an outlier. She truly achieved minor fame through hard work and major fame through sheer luck. Even after being banned for a year, her popularity remained high, and that popularity alone is enough to leverage many opportunities.

Despite the harsh criticism she received and her absence from the public eye for a year, the impact on the Fengchi series of electric vehicles has actually been positive, and it hasn't diminished the brand's prestige.

If she were willing to hand over her management contract to a talent agency under Tencent, it's hard to believe that Pony Ma wouldn't be tempted.

In other words, Orange Technology doesn't have any plans for a major entertainment venture. Otherwise, Tan Jincheng would really like to dig deeper into it, since her so-called godfather couldn't cause any trouble after the subprime crisis.

Besides, Huayi itself has been courting disaster. Tan Jincheng is unwilling to offend them simply because there is no overlap in their interests. It's not that he's afraid of them at all.

I'm willing to go all out against Toyota, so why would I be afraid of a company that keeps self-destructing?

(End of this chapter)