The Rich Man's Life Begins with a Comeback

Chapter 35 Time reveals true character, adversity reveals true friends

"boom……"

The door closed gently, leaving only Gu Heng and Fan Hong in the office.

"Uncle Fan, sit down and let's talk."

Gu Heng smiled warmly and gestured to Fan Hong.

"Thank you, Chairman Gu."

Fan Hong wasn't one to mince words; he smiled at Gu Heng and sat down without hesitation.

"Uncle Fan, when there are no outsiders, you can still call me Xiao Heng."

Gu Heng picked up the teapot that had been prepared in advance and poured Fan Hong a cup of tea.

“Chairman Gu, if I weren’t an employee of Zhencui Group, even if you were the chairman of Zhencui Group, I would still address you as I always have.”

Fan Hong shook his head: "But now we are in a superior-subordinate relationship. Without rules, there can be no order. No matter what, I can no longer address you as I used to."

Gu Heng looked into Fan Hong's eyes and saw that he was very serious. He looked a little helpless and said, "Alright, then you can call me whatever you want, Uncle Fan."

Seeing Gu Heng's expression, Fan Hong felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

Time reveals true character, and adversity reveals true friends.

You can't truly understand a person without experiencing something firsthand.

Over the past three years, Fan Hong has witnessed too much of the coldness and warmth of human relationships.

He thought his wife was someone he could share joys and sorrows with, but when he was going through the toughest time, she chose to abandon him.

He thought they were close brothers, but when he needed help the most, they all avoided him like the plague.

He thought his family members were his last hope, but when he needed comfort the most, they mocked and ridiculed him.

To know--

He has always treated these people very well!
At the same time, he never expected that during the darkest period of his life, the person who offered him the greatest help would be the boy he had once casually helped.

The two sat together, drinking tea and reminiscing.

About half an hour later, the conversation between the two gradually got back on track: "Uncle Fan, I transferred you directly from below to my side, and I think you can guess the reason."

“You’ve dedicated most of your life to the catering industry; you’re definitely an expert in it. But I know very little about the catering industry, so I urgently need to brush up on my knowledge in this area.”

"At the same time, I do need a knowledgeable person to oversee things for me, so that my subordinates won't try to fool me with their tricks again."

Upon hearing this, Fan Hong gave a wry smile: "Chairman Gu, I wouldn't call myself an expert. If I were truly an expert, I wouldn't have failed to see the situation clearly back then, and ended up in this predicament."

"However, I am indeed quite experienced in the many inside stories, the twists and turns, and common sense knowledge of the catering industry. If Chairman Gu wants to learn about them, I will definitely tell you everything without reservation."

Gu Heng smiled and said, "Uncle Fan, I can master all the things you know. As for the more specialized things, there are naturally professionals to do them. Otherwise, why would we hire them at high salaries?"

"makes sense."

Fan Hong chuckled and then said, "Chairman Gu, I think the core operating experience in the catering industry can be summarized in seven main aspects."

"The first major aspect is supply chain and management. Take the procurement of high-end fresh seafood as an example. As the boss, you first need to understand many factors such as the place of origin, season, transportation time, temporary holding equipment, and transportation losses."

"Secondly, because our Zhencui Group mainly focuses on high-end catering, our demand for rare and high-end seafood has always been very high. Therefore, we have signed exclusive agreements with many large fishing boats in coastal cities, giving us priority purchasing rights, thereby establishing a differentiated advantage..."

As the saying goes, everyone has their own expertise, and Fan Hong's words are full of practical knowledge.

Compared to the courses Gu Heng found online, Fan Hong's lectures went straight to the core of business operations and were all based on the specific circumstances of Zhencui Group.

Gu Heng listened intently, and later even took out paper and pen to start taking notes.

Seeing this, Fan Hong shared all his life experience with Gu Heng without reservation.

Before we knew it, time flew by.

By the time Gu Heng and Fan Hong came to their senses, the sky was already covered with orange-red sunset clouds.

"Finally, the seventh major aspect is marketing and brand operation. Our high-end customer base is one that we, Zhencui Group, must maintain in the long term. Therefore, we need to regularly use various marketing strategies to increase our appeal to our high-end customers."

"For example, we can partner with well-known wine and spirits brands to host private tasting events, collaborate with famous food bloggers to create hidden menus for high-end customers, or host a whole tuna banquet, etc."

"In addition, high-end seafood restaurants also need the support of abundant political and business resources, such as expanding their customer base through local chamber of commerce activities or providing customized services for government receptions..."

Fan Hong talked for several hours straight, until his throat was practically hoarse.

"Alright, that's all for today."

Fan Hong then unscrewed the bottle of mineral water: "Chairman Gu, please digest this first. Today I've only given a general overview of these seven main aspects. If I were to go into detail, I could talk for two days and two nights and still not finish."

"Thank you for your hard work, Uncle Fan."

"Even your casual remarks have been incredibly insightful for me."

Gu Heng slowly closed the notebook, looked at Fan Hong with a smile, and said. The two chatted for a while longer, and when they saw that it was getting dark outside, Gu Heng led Fan Hong to get up and walk out of the office.

Back in the main conference room, the once empty conference table was now piled high with various legal documents.

Yang Wenjie, who was sitting in the main seat, immediately stood up and went to greet Gu Heng when he saw him arrive.

"How about it?"

Gu Heng glanced at them and casually asked.

"There are some problems, but they are all minor ones."

Yang Wenjie knew what Gu Heng was asking, and he answered in a low voice.

Compared to other traditional industries, the catering industry is inherently a breeding ground for corruption.

Gu Heng understood the principle that water that is too clear has no fish. He could tolerate the water being a little turbid, but only if the turbidity did not obstruct his view.

Today, Yang Wenjie brought not only senior tax lawyers, but also many senior audit accountants who have cooperated with Juncheng Law Firm for many years.

With such a combination, no matter if Zhencui Group is just a catering group or a more complex financial group, no problem can escape their eyes.

of course……

Gu Heng's investigation of these old accounts was not intended to settle scores with anyone.

He simply wanted to be aware of the situation and also take this opportunity to give those executives a warning, so they would all know their place.

"Thank you for your hard work, Lawyer Yang."

"In my opinion, let's call it a day."

"I'll leave work when it's time to leave. I'm not in a rush to get these things."

"Don't delay everyone's normal rest after get off work."

Gu Heng checked the time and smiled at Yang Wenjie.

"Okay, then I'll let them go home after they finish their get off work."

Yang Wenjie smiled and nodded.

"Then you guys get busy."

"I'll leave first."

Gu Heng said something to Yang Wenjie, and then his gaze inevitably fell on the red-clad figure who was working diligently at her desk.

"Mr. Gu, how about we have Siyao drive you home?"

Yang Wenjie noticed Gu Heng's gaze and tentatively asked.

"No need, let her keep busy."

Gu Heng shook his head, then said nothing more, and turned to leave the conference room with Fan Hong.

"Chairman Gu."

"Assistant to Chairman Fan."

Gu Heng and Fan Hong had only taken a few steps out of the conference room when they ran into Qi Min.

"Manager Qi, I plan to visit all the restaurants in the group starting tomorrow. Please arrange the specific itinerary."

As Gu Heng walked out of the company, he gave instructions to Qi Min.

"Ok."

Qi Min nodded in response, "I will immediately notify the general managers of each restaurant and have them prepare."

"Um……"

"That's it."

"You all go about your own business."

"I'm leaving now. Call me if you need anything."

Gu Heng stepped into the elevator and gave instructions to the two people before leaving.

"Take care, Mr. Gu..."

The elevator doors slowly closed, and Qi Min and Fan Hong bowed slightly at the same time.

Only after the elevator doors closed did the two of them straighten up again...

(End of this chapter)