Chapter 45: Yu Chengmin’s Dilemma

In the office.

After the call connected, Yu Chengmin said, “Young Master Jiang, what’s the matter?”

Jiang Yaowen replied over the phone, “Things are a bit troublesome right now. For the moment, I don’t know how to resolve it. The Spaniards will be here in two days. When the time comes, you’ll accompany me on board and give a business report.”

Yu Chengmin frowned, “Is this about the so-called ‘Pacific Rim Tour’? For such a small sum in one of the minor batches, is it really necessary to make such a fuss?”

“That’s not so easy to say. These people care a lot about rules. Sometimes, even a few tens of thousands will make them haggle over every detail,” Fatty Jiang explained on the call. “That’s how the world is. It’s not that conditions can never be negotiated, but rather, when you don’t have the standing to bargain, they simply won’t negotiate with you. When they do, it’s always in response to your strength, not their sympathy.”

Yu Chengmin couldn’t help but sense impending trouble. After a brief hesitation, she frowned and asked, “So, by your logic, we’ve broken the rules. Even if it’s just pocket change, they’ll feel compelled to respond to maintain the system?”

“That’s a fair way to put it,” Jiang Yaowen said.

“So, they won’t break the rules out of sympathy—they’ll only bend them for greater profit?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.”

“So, what you’re saying is, the volume of our previous money-laundering can be abandoned by them now. Unless we offer a new structure, expand to a larger scale, and show them a new profit, only then might they adjust the rules?”

“Yes, that’s indeed one solution,” Jiang Yaowen replied.

“But isn’t business supposed to be on hold for now?” Yu Chengmin felt the situation was becoming thorny.

Jiang Yaowen gave a bitter laugh. “The problem is, Mr. Huo—the one who suggested suspending business—has already gone into hiding to avoid suspicion. I’m not sure whether to follow his ‘advice’ or not. But I’ve received hints from other channels, and I believe these are signals to restart operations. To be safe, we must expand, let the Spaniards see the profits, which is also in our interest.”

Yu Chengmin said, “To make them interested, it can’t be just a modest increase. Take myself for example—if you want to persuade me not to come down hard on Ni Feihong, unless she hands in a ‘guaranteed performance order’ within three days, proposing a feasible plan to double performance and influence, I’d rather cut her off. A small percentage increase isn’t enough; I’d prefer to get rid of her. Putting myself in their shoes, it means we must double the scale of operations, or there’s nothing to discuss. But expanding too fast and too aggressively will inevitably create more loopholes. Eventually, even you might not be able to control the firestorm that follows?”

“Yes, it must be doubled to be persuasive. As for how to achieve safe, steady, and rapid expansion, that’s your problem, not mine—which is why I need you. You’re a brilliant woman, and I believe you’ll deliver a solid plan to present on the yacht in two days, convincing them with your report.” With that, Fatty Jiang hung up.

Damn it!

After ending the call, Yu Chengmin smashed her Apple phone against the glass wall. She’d always prided herself on making a living with her intellect, but now her face was clouded with hostility. Looking through the glass at the parade of stylish men and women outside, she couldn’t help but think: sometimes relying on one’s looks isn’t so bad—pleasure and the carefree happiness of the young and foolish.

Shaking her head, Yu Chengmin prepared to make a few more calls, only to realize she couldn’t even find the remains of her phone. She picked up the desk phone and pressed a button: “Go buy me a new phone. Also, send an email in my name to Ni Feihong, telling her to submit a plan to double expansion within seven days.”

“That’s impossible, isn’t it? Their department’s rapid growth period for ‘The Most Beautiful’ is already over. Just maintaining the industry lead is an achievement,” her assistant said in surprise.

“That’s her problem, not mine. If she can’t do it, let her hand in her resignation. Yes, send the email just like that. Not just her—I’m under pressure too.” With that, Yu Chengmin hung up.

Holy shit...

When Ni Feihong received the email, she just happened to be examining a pair of ambiguous panties on her desk. She immediately wanted to go to the president’s office and put them over Yu Chengmin’s head.

It was only thanks to Miki Ryuzawa dragging her back that Ni Feihong abandoned this rebellious impulse.

Left with no choice, Ni Feihong gathered her core team members for a discussion.

After giving them a rough outline, Ni Feihong looked around and said, “Everyone, unfortunately, our esteemed Yu Chengmin is in heat. There’s no doubt she’s not just a moron but has gone insane. A mad idiot is very dangerous. She’s about to initiate major industry acquisitions. I believe the plan to merge several competitors back when Zhan Yunfei was around was her handiwork. Unfortunately, I resisted at the time, so it was shelved. Now she’s in charge, and it’s back from the dead.”

“Boss Ni, expansion does have its advantages,” said a bespectacled team member.

Ni Feihong cut him off, “All those websites, apps, and publications she wants to acquire are garbage—not a single useful one. They might command about forty percent of market attention, but their existence only serves as proof of our excellence, gives us a place to dump our own rejects, and spurs us forward. Once we acquire them, the market might look unified, but our organization will become a cesspool. Our pure bloodline will be diluted, we’ll lose our drive and innovation, and we’ll end up looking utterly stupid. In the industry, I’ll go from being a top artist to an ugly, greedy corporate shark. This is a stain, a disgrace—do you understand?”

They did, more or less.

It was an old refrain. In fact, the reason Ni Feihong derailed Zhan Yunfei’s acquisition plan earlier was just this. But what could she do? For her, this was about career and art. But whoever the CEO is, they’ll have different priorities, focusing on capital.

This sort of conflict is inevitable. It’s why Ni Feihong succeeds—and why she is destined to fail.

“Boss Ni, unless you have dirt on her and can push for a boardroom ‘no confidence vote’ to get rid of Yu Chengmin in one stroke, I don’t like your chances. If you keep talking out of turn, we’ll all be job-hunting or starting over—and the non-compete agreements we signed back then were draconian,” said an elderly man.

“Uncle Zhong is right. Boss Ni, you’ve been so strong all these years, you must have some sway with the board,” said an ordinary-looking middle-aged woman.

The team was fired up, but Ni Feihong was the first to lose heart. “The board? Forget it. Back when I clashed with Zhan Yunfei and Yu Chengmin, I realized our entire board is made up of zombies.”

Everyone exchanged glances.

By “zombies,” she meant they were just figureheads—representatives sent by shareholder companies, which were likely mere shells, their shares ultimately ending up, through a labyrinth of transfers, as bearer equity certificates held by a single person.

So, in theory, the company seems to have a board, but in reality, one person calls all the shots. But who that is—even Ni Feihong didn’t know. Probably only Zhan Yunfei, Yu Chengmin, and a few others did.

As for Zhan Yunfei, he’d already been “ruled out by three standards.”

In other words, fired by the board, bound by non-compete and confidentiality agreements, and also dumped by Ni Feihong as her boyfriend. A tragic case—rumor had it he wasn’t even in Haizhou anymore, and while traveling in the US, he was arrested for suspected drug possession and sexual assault of a prostitute.

No one could quite understand how he managed to “sexually assault a prostitute,” but that really was the charge. Well, that’s how that bizarre country works—sometimes even presidents or IMF chiefs get embroiled in such messes.

In any case, Zhan Yunfei had effectively vanished. Only Yu Chengmin remained. She certainly wasn’t going to share any inside information with Ni Feihong or do her any favors.

Now, what was Ni Feihong to do? This wasn’t a war, because there was no way to fight one. On the surface, she faced only two options: compromise, or unemployment...