Chapter 1460
Catering Group
Greed is listed as one of the seven deadly sins in Western doctrine.
In Buddhism, it is also listed as one of the three poisons.
This shows how evil the word "greed" can be.
Countless people have fallen victim to this word.
Looking at the Zhang family mother and daughter in front of him, Zhang Yuan also had this word in mind.
Ultimately, it all comes down to greed.
If they hadn't been greedy, they wouldn't have had this seemingly grand, eye-catching, but actually chaotic wedding.
If you're not greedy, you won't be pulled into a room and given insincere words of concern, when in reality you're trying to take a bite out of yourself.
This mother and daughter are even trying to take advantage of their father... Fine!
These are all good things.
Originally, I made a special trip to this wedding, which I don't usually attend, because I wanted to have a chat with this mother and daughter.
That saved me a lot of trouble.
He suppressed the look in his eyes that seemed to regard him as an idiot, and looked at the other person with a gentle yet somewhat innocent gaze.
To understand exactly what kind of look he gave, just look at how Shou Zi Chew appeared during his hearings in North America.
Compared to those greedy and ignorant members of parliament, his gaze was frighteningly clear.
But who is smart and who is foolish, they know it in their hearts.
"Aunt Zhang," Zhang Yuan addressed her affectionately.
"We're quite destined to meet, since we both have the surname Zhang."
“Yes, yes, we’re from the same clan.” Zhang Lan immediately grinned and took his hand.
Unlike the previous time when S's mother held his hand, this time it was more like an elder's attitude, while the previous one was somewhat disrespectful to elders.
But Zhang Yuan was thinking to himself, who the hell is related to you?!
I am a Han Chinese!
Zhang Lan is of Manchu ethnicity and has always claimed to be a descendant of the imperial family.
On his first meeting with the woman's parents, he put on airs.
“We are descendants of the Manchu royal family, and there are many rules in our family, so Xiao Fei is a very good person.”
After hearing these words, Zhang Yuan even wanted to join the White Lotus Sect and the Heaven and Earth Society.
Problem S is particularly susceptible to this!
This is called "one thing finds its master," and saline-alkali land is known for producing crayfish.
When the other family heard that their husband, brother-in-law, and mother-in-law were descendants of royalty, they were incredibly proud.
Zhang Yuan recalled that in the 90s, after Zhao Lirong went to Taiwan to perform, people asked her about her impressions of the place.
"This is a complete picture of the old society!"
This is how Teacher Zhao answered.
The old lady was born in 28 and truly lived through the old society.
They boast about being remnants of a previous dynasty, and they've even become arrogant about it...
"Yes, yes, yes." He replied with a beaming smile, using his superb acting skills to get by.
"You know what, we were both torchbearers at the Beijing Olympics a few years ago."
"Really? That's such a coincidence!" Zhang Lan's two dark blue tattooed eyebrows almost flew off.
"Then you must sit next to me tonight, and we'll have a good chat."
"Welcome!"
"Xiao Fei, how are the seating arrangements for the ceremony later?"
He gave his son a look, and the other person understood and moved him forward.
"Since we're so lucky, let's talk about our South Beauty restaurant again."
"I'm not bragging, but I dare say that our company is the most promising chain restaurant company in all of China right now."
"You're so young but have such keen insight, you must have noticed it."
She was only after his money.
After Youku went public, many people knew about it.
It was clear he had a knife.
What South Beauty is lacking right now is Dao Le!
The company is in the final sprint before its IPO.
What she told Zhang Yuan was that if they invested now, they could reap several times the return once the company went public.
Theoretically, that's correct.
But there's also an old saying: "What you rush to do isn't a good deal."
Because nine times out of ten, there's a trap in a deal that's rushed into.
This mother and daughter are trying to fool me.
Back in 08, Zhang Lan took the initiative to contact the owner of CDH Investments, a well-known domestic private equity fund, through her connections and introductions.
The two parties signed an agreement to list South Beauty (俏江南) on the stock market by 2012 in order to secure investment from the other party.
CDH Investments valued South Beauty at 20 billion yuan at the time.
In reality, there aren't that many, but CDH does this so that it can increase the value of projects and make more money when it goes public in the future.
If the IPO fails, the compensation obtained through the agreement will be even greater.
Private equity funds don't belong to the investors themselves, so naturally, the larger the investment target, the higher the commission.
With a premium of at least 30%, Zhang Lan sold 10% of her shares in exchange for a 2 million yuan investment.
This is also why Zhang Lan herself, and the S family, have been promoting their in-laws' assets of billions of yuan.
But all of this is just fluff.
Why did Wang Sicong say that the mother and daughter didn't have many coins in their pockets?
Wanda is a giant enterprise with billions of yuan in working capital and the potential to reach tens of billions of yuan by concentrating its resources.
Despite its annual revenue of hundreds of millions, South Beauty is a restaurant industry with high gross profit but very low net profit.
Even if you asked Zhang Lan to raise tens of millions of yuan on short notice, she would have difficulty.
In their eyes, you're just a poor bastard.
That's why they make money from weddings.
The agreement signed between Dinghui and Zhang Lan was a performance-based agreement.
If the listing fails within the deadline, Zhang Lan will buy back the 10% stake at twice the price.
In other words, they have to cough up 4 million in cash!
Tens of millions are difficult enough, how can you expect her to come up with 4 million?
Just kidding.
From an outsider's perspective, as long as the company goes public and the performance-based agreement is fulfilled, isn't that enough?
But Zhang Lan herself knew it was risky!
She insisted on going public because she saw two predecessors in her field.
Quanjude went public in 07, and Xiang'eqing went public in 09.
She thought that if these two things were feasible, plus the boss's assets would skyrocket after the company went public, then she could do it too.
They have capital behind them, so I'll go find capital too.
That's why he's been constantly making headlines and appearing in public everywhere since the 08 Olympics.
Wang Xiaofei appears in entertainment news more often than top-tier celebrities.
It's an advertisement for the company.
This was also one of the considerations behind his whirlwind marriage to Barbie Hsu.
Because the mother and daughter got anxious.
The reason is simple: most of the time, those who drive you to your doom are not your competitors.
Most of the things that destroy industry giants are those that employ a "dimensional reduction attack".
For example, when Kodak went bankrupt, it was the world's number one film giant.
What brought down South Beauty was not other catering groups, but the "Eight Points to Note".
The authorities will launch a comprehensive crackdown on government spending in 12, which will severely impact catering groups nationwide, especially those targeting high-end business clients.
Collective revenue has declined significantly.
But this is just a blow; the death sentence is for things that aren't written down.
The authorities privately notified several major domestic securities markets that they "do not recommend" catering companies to list domestically.
To put it politely, I don't recommend it.
Would the subordinates dare to refuse the advice?
There's a saying that not advising is opposing, and not opposing is supporting; you have to know how to "listen."
The news had already been leaked, and Zhang Lan knew about it.
My heart felt incredibly cold.
Why am I so unlucky?
It's really just greed!
She saw Quanjude and Xiang'eqing go public, but she didn't see that in recent years, only these two chain restaurant groups have gone public in China.
Why don't so many other companies go public?
Do you really think of yourself as royalty, special, or do you have a powerful background?
Realizing things were going badly, he decided to avoid going domestically and instead try to list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange through immigration, but that still didn't work out.
As the party that proposed the bet, Dinghui will never lose.
Zhang Lan thought that at worst, she could sell her shares to pay off the debt and then look for another opportunity to go public.
But she was still too uncultured and didn't understand the logic of capital at all.
She had too high an opinion about capital.
As a result, CDH brought in CXC, an international venture capital firm, and the two parties secretly colluded to kick the mother and son out of the company they had built from scratch.
By doing so, CDH Investments can maximize its own profits.
For private equity funds, doubling profits in four or five years is still too little.
The mother and daughter are now talking animatedly, all they want is for him to invest.
If the IPO fails next year, at least we'll have the money to redeem the shares.
They could even raise the funds for a second IPO. But just like Tudou.com's IPO, the window of opportunity is very short; a person's fate is often decided in just a few months in their lifetime.
For many, the college entrance examination is a brush with death.
I'm going to spend money on you, hundreds of millions of it?
Are you sick or am I sick?
However, he did not show any disdain.
The other party's behavior clearly shows that they don't see him as a qualified investor, but rather as someone trying to fool him because they think he's young and easy to deceive.
I've actually contacted many companies, banks, and investors, but those who are well-informed have all avoided me.
I think Zhang Yuan is just someone who works in the entertainment industry, not someone who really knows his stuff.
Although it involves catering, it's just the most basic boxed meals.
They acted like they were really close, but they actually looked down on him.
Zhang Yuan understood their mindset, but he didn't say anything.
They not only cooperated, but also showed great enthusiasm.
"Going public is great."
"I've known Xiaofei for several years now."
"Barbie Hsu is also an old friend of mine; we're all family."
"I've eaten at South Beauty a few times, and it's pretty good."
"I have high hopes for it."
"As for investment... I don't know if I have enough funds."
"I need to go home and check the financial statements."
Hearing him say that, the two of them thought they had a chance!
They became even more enthusiastic.
"You have excellent taste."
"Xiao Fei, I'll go greet the guests first. You show us around."
"We'll discuss this in detail during the dinner."
"Okay, definitely." Zhang Yuan agreed.
Upon leaving the room, Wang Xiaofei personally greeted him and his family and friends.
Teacher Guo was also invited to attend.
Her outfit was just a bit of an eyesore.
A leopard-print suit...
The couple's fashion sense was no different from that of a nouveau riche.
I love big logos, big patterns, and garish colors.
The young master didn't have this trait; he was more like his master, Yu Qian—flirtatious, but still relatively normal.
Hello, you're here.
Zhang Yuanzheng was chatting with Teacher Guo when they talked about the "Fenhe Bay" incident from a few days ago.
Teacher Guo's face contorted with rage whenever she mentioned this incident, and it almost left her with psychological trauma.
Brother Qian, who came with him, kept clearing his throat, saying that he was bringing up the very thing he shouldn't have said.
If someone else did this, Guo Degang would surely accuse the straight man of colluding with his colleagues to harm him.
At this moment, a young man with a Korean-style messy hairstyle and black-rimmed glasses walked up and greeted Wang Xiaofei.
"Hello." Then she nodded to him.
Zhang Yuan glanced at him sideways and spoke steadily.
"It seems that Du Hua's management of the company is still insufficient, especially in the management of artists."
"They have no manners whatsoever when they're out in public."
Han Geng shuddered, quickly bowed, and greeted him formally with a big smile.
He couldn't be bothered to listen, and waved his hand to signal the other person to move away and not disturb his conversation.
My subordinate's subordinate greets me with a perfunctory "hello."
It seems they haven't suffered enough losses and beatings.
They thought they were worldly-wise, had suffered hardships, and were tough.
In reality, he hadn't encountered any major events.
"Oh, he seems to be quite famous." Teacher Guo glanced at him.
He's so famous, and this is how my junior colleague treats him.
"There are many famous people, but if they can't be used by me, their fame is wasted."
"Moreover, the most important thing for a person is to understand their own position."
Teacher Guo licked her lips, sensing that Zhang Yuan's attitude towards outsiders was significantly more ruthless than towards his own people.
Many of the people who come here are people I know.
He simply couldn't be bothered with people like Gao Xiaosong.
"Oh, Mr. Wang has arrived!"
There was one person who had just arrived, and he went up to him with a warm smile.
However, the other person's expression was stiff, as if they didn't really want to see him.
"Mmm," she replied faintly, her voice nasal.
The one who came was none other than Hua Yi's Xiao Wang.
He is familiar with Barbie Hsu and, like the Wang family, is of Manchu ethnicity.
How's Mr. Wang doing lately?
"Is business good?"
Xiao Wang gave an awkward laugh, said a few perfunctory words, then turned to greet an acquaintance and made an excuse to leave.
"Petty."
"So what if I snatched a few investment projects? The company's stock price plummeted, and its reputation isn't great either..."
Xiao Wang only controlled his temper when attending celebratory occasions like weddings; otherwise, he would have already started cursing.
When the ceremony began, the guests took their seats.
Why are you sitting here?
"Xiao Fei, I told you to adjust something, never mind, come with me."
Zhang Yuan took his seat according to the nameplate on the seat.
But when Zhang Lan arrived, she personally led him to the front and arranged for him to sit in the first row.
The best spot is still the first row, near the middle aisle.
This is a deliberate attempt to flatter him in front of everyone, to give him face, and to get him to spend money.
Xiao Wang peeked out.
I was sitting in the corner of the first row, and he was sitting in the middle?
Position is a form of status, especially in such important occasions.
Zhang Yuan glanced back and saw that half of the guests were looking at him.
He smiled, waved gently, and thanked Zhang Lan.
They've put me on their backs... He knew it; everyone was watching.
The fact that this mother and daughter can hold such an extravagant wedding, even arranging a seat for them is a publicity stunt.
This is telling certain people that we're rich!
When he turned around, he saw an empty chair.
The name tag read Huang Xiaoming's name.
I was late.
It says there that Xiaoming and Barbie Hsu have a good relationship. After all, they were the male and female leads in "Summer's Desire," and Xiaoming's "greasy" charm was fully displayed in this drama.
A dozen minutes before the ceremony began, the once bright sky turned completely black.
The sky was covered with dark clouds, and a few muffled claps of thunder could be heard in the distance.
Just as the ceremony was about to begin, a strong wind suddenly arose!
The decorative pillars and portico at the open-air ceremony site were almost blown away.
The newlyweds' family found more than a dozen young men to hold onto the decorations, and they were almost blown away along with the couple.
Those who are thinner or weaker cannot even stand up.
On the stage, Barbie Hsu's wedding dress was blown so badly it almost looked like a parachute.
Zhang Yuan looked at the sky, then at the people.
This is called a celestial omen, indicating that the marriage will not be very happy.
This isn't just something he made up or guessed.
Because a strong wind blew before the ceremony began, it immediately dissipated after the ceremony, and the sun shone brightly.
The half hour they spent reciting their vows and exchanging rings felt like a tornado was about to hit.
Even God couldn't stand it anymore and stopped you two from showing off...
When the bride went up to the ceremony stage, the wind blew so hard that all the flower petals scattered by the flower girls behind her were blown into her face and mouth.
He spat as he walked, making "pui pui pui" sounds all the way.
How could things possibly turn out well?
The flower girls couldn't open their eyes and almost fell off the stage.
However, Zhang Yuan squinted and observed that one of the flower girls with a big head looked familiar.
After pondering for a while and observing carefully, I realized that it was still the later "artificial flower".
That is, Li Gengxi...
Ms. Li's parents are in the arts and culture circle in Beijing and know many people. Otherwise, given her looks, education, and abilities, how could she have become a "pre-made dish movie queen"?
Zhang Lan's family was among them.
Except for this one, who is an "acquaintance".
Zhang Yuan turned his head and found that there was another "familiar face" staring at him with wide eyes and ill intent.
That's Zhang Chaoyang, the president of Sohu... (End of Chapter)