Chapter 189: Li Qingyuan's Misery (Part 1)

Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang Province and the mouth of the Qiantang River. It is not only an important city now, but also historically, having left behind many natural and cultural relics and a reputation as paradise on earth. Of course, Hangzhou is not just a tourist city, its economic development is also excellent, and it is even one of the best places for economic development since the reform and opening up. In particular, for a period of time, its high housing prices actually surpassed those of Beijing and Shanghai.

But no matter how awesome it is, that's all in the future. At this time, Hangzhou's economy, like that of other places, is just getting started, groping its way forward. Even if some people can see Hangzhou's future take-off, the current overall situation is here, and no matter how powerful Hangzhou is, it cannot surpass the times.

But it is precisely this chaotic situation, where the best rise to the top, that allows a select few to rise above the rest and become the great figures admired by the masses. Li Qingyuan was one such person. However, just as all immortals must overcome tribulations in order to ascend, the success of any entrepreneur will not be plain sailing. They will always encounter various difficulties, and even Li Qingyuan, who would become the richest man in the country, was no exception.

Hangzhou City, South City, South City Middle School, a silent middle-aged man hurriedly walked past the school gate and arrived at the bungalow area next to the school gate. This middle-aged man was Li Qingyuan.

A large sign hung at the entrance of the bungalow: Doll Smile Co., Ltd.

Li Qingyuan looked up at the sign for a long time, and finally sighed. At that moment, a voice came from next to him: 'Li Qingyuan, what are you doing here again? Do you want to dissolve this Doll Smile company and go into drinks and food again? I'll tell you if that's what you're thinking, I advise you to get lost quickly, you're not welcome here!'

Li Qingyuan knew this voice very well, and he didn't even need to turn around to know who it was: 'President Ye, I also want to tell you that this Doll Laugh company is not just yours. I also have a share here, and I have more shares than you, and I have made a greater contribution than you. You don't have any right to kick me out, on the contrary, I can kick you out!'

The Ye Zong in Li Qingyuan's mouth is named Ye Jianlin. In the past, when he worked in the school-run factory, he was Li Qingyuan's leader. Later, in response to the reform and opening up, they went into business together and were one of the founders of this doll-laughing company.

Next to Ye Jianlin is another man named Wu Zheng. He is the director of the office of the school-run enterprise at Nancheng Middle School. Like Ye Jianlin, he is also one of the founders of the doll-laughing company.

At the moment, he could only shake his head helplessly when he saw Li Qingyuan and Ye Jianlin arguing here. Obviously, he had seen this kind of scene many times. Ever since Li Qingyuan proposed restructuring the company, abandoning the original oral liquid business and establishing a new beverage and food company, they have had a fierce argument almost every time they meet. It seems that if they don't do this, they are not the same as Li Qingyuan and Ye Jianlin.

Ye Jianlin laughed heartily as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world: 'Oh b! I say Li Qingyuan, are you afraid of a chicken fight? How can you say something like that? Do you really think we are playing house? You don't even have the power to kick you out. Not to mention that the three of us have almost equal shares, even if all the shares were yours, it would be a matter of saying the word for me to tell you to get out of Doll Laugh. Do you believe that?'

Li Qingyuan was very angry. He pointed his finger at Ye Jianlin and shouted, 'Ye Jianlin, don't think that just because your uncle is the deputy director of the education bureau, you can do whatever you want. This is not the time of the turmoil in the past. This is the rule of law. We are talking about business here, and your uncle can't back you up!'

Li Qingyuan was angry, and Ye Jianlin was also very unhappy. He glared at him and said, 'What the hell are you pointing at? If you point again, I swear I'll find someone to cut off your fingers!'

'You still know what the law is? You're really enough!'

Ye Jianlin said coldly, looking at Li Qingyuan with pity in his eyes. He shook his head and continued, 'Okay, since Comrade Li Qingyuan wants to be lawful, I'll explain the law to you.'

'Li Qingyuan, I'm going to ask you who founded this company?' Ye Jianlin pointed to the Baby Smile signboard, 'It was founded by our district education bureau in response to the central government's reform and opening up policy. It is affiliated with Nancheng Middle School, and I was assigned by the education bureau to come here to Baby Smile to oversee the company. Why? It's because I'm worried that some people will become arrogant and do whatever they want just because they've achieved something.

'My role here is to supervise, and that means I have the responsibility to supervise you, Li Qingyuan. Under extraordinary circumstances, I can have you fired! Of course, if Comrade Li Qingyuan doesn't believe what I'm saying, you can go to the Education Bureau and ask for advice. I'm sure they'll give you a convincing answer.'

Ye Jianlin said this, looking at Li Qingyuan's angry expression, feeling very smug.

'Ye Jianlin, you son of a bitch!'

Faced with Ye Jianlin's appearance, Li Qingyuan could no longer hold back and reached out to grab Ye Jianlin's collar.

Li Qingyuan was angry, and Ye Jianlin was also very angry. He first froze, and then also grabbed Li Qingyuan's collar, spitting at him and saying, 'Li Qingyuan, you really want to get physical, don't you? Come on, I've put up with you for a long time. If you don't kill me today, I'll make sure I take someone with me to kill your whole family tomorrow!'

Seeing that the scene had suddenly become chaotic, Wu Zheng, who had been standing nearby, immediately stepped in to break up the fight: 'Qingyuan, Ye, what are you doing? Can't you all just talk things over? Why do you have to resort to violence?'

'Brother Wu, you saw it just now, do I look like I want to fight? It's that son of a bitch Li Qingyuan who's gone crazy!' Ye Jianlin said.

'Come on, Ye, you're still the eldest brother of our company, and Comrade Qingyuan is our younger brother. We have to look after him. Do you still look like an elder brother when you act like this? Put away your bad temper,'

After persuading Ye Jianlin, Wu Zheng said to Li Qingyuan, 'Comrade Qingyuan, you are also to blame. Why did you have to fight when we could have just talked things over? You see, you single-handedly built up the Doll Laugh Company, and you are still the company chairman, taking the lion's share of the dividends. You once said that the Doll Laugh Company was your heart's desire, but now because you and Ye are at odds, the company's business is declining every day. Can you bear to see that?'

Wu Zheng's words filled Li Qingyuan's face with pain: 'Director Wu, you don't understand. It is precisely because I, Li Qingyuan, single-handedly built up this Doll Laugh company that I don't want to see it decline.'

'Comrade Qingyuan, why are you saying such depressing things again? Isn't the performance of our Doll Laugh company booming right now? Everyone is saying that the health oral liquid industry is booming right now, and the leaders of the education bureau above are also very optimistic about us and are also preparing to invest additional funds in us, but you are saying that the market outlook is not good and that oral liquids are going to end...'

Wu Zheng said that when he saw Li Qingyuan glaring at him, he was about to speak up in rebuttal, but he immediately raised his hand in surrender and said, 'Okay, okay, Comrade Qingyuan, I know you are very good at business, and I also know that our Doll's Laugh company has developed to the present state thanks to your efforts. But you also have to listen to the opinions of the older comrades. You can't be so stubborn and arbitrary? After all, we all have a stake in this Doll's Laugh company.'

Li Qingyuan shook his head helplessly: 'Director Wu, I'm not showing off, and I'm not saying you don't understand business or the market. It's just that some things we need to change our mindset on, and take it further...'

Wu Zheng didn't wait for Li Qingyuan to finish, and interrupted him: 'I know, we need to reform and improve. The central government is also holding high the banner of reform and opening up, and it's on the news every day. We are also pioneers of reform and opening up, and we should be very proud of our achievements.'

Having said that, Wu Zheng changed the subject and continued, 'But no matter how we reform and improve, we should be down-to-earth and not aim too high, shouldn't we? Look, we're doing a good job with oral liquids and are about to break the million mark in monthly sales. You're just going to give up and go on a whim to make some kind of beverage or food. Aren't you being a bit too frivolous?'

'Director Wu, this is not a whim. I've given it careful consideration,'

Li Qingyuan explained to Wu Zheng, 'First of all, the positioning of oral liquid health products is awkward. They are neither medicine nor ordinary food, so they are in a grey area. Now we can obtain great benefits by relying on advertising and business methods as well as government support, but this benefit is not sustainable. Once there is a problem with this product, it will be difficult to fix.'

'Therefore,' Li Qingyuan concluded, 'I think we should take advantage of the fact that there have been no problems with health products so far and quickly transform to beverages and food products that are guaranteed.'

Ye Jianlin was not impressed by Li Qingyuan's words. As soon as Li Qingyuan finished speaking, Ye Jianlin said, 'Brother Wu, you heard it. I told you that Li Qingyuan is a stubborn and unreasonable person. He is as stubborn as a rock in the toilet and as unreasonable as a bull.

Wu Zheng gestured for him to calm down, and then continued to persuade him, 'Comrade Qingyuan, you say that health products are neither medicine nor food. I agree with you, but how is his positioning embarrassing? He is nationally certified and approved for production, and is in full compliance with the regulations, so how could there be a problem? If you say there will be a problem and it will be difficult to fix, why is the Education Bureau still investing additional resources in us?'

Wu Zheng concluded, 'So we are doing a very good job making oral liquids, and there is no need to switch anything.'

Li Qingyuan still shook his head and said, 'Director Wu, just because something is doing well now doesn't mean it will always do well. We need to take a longer view. And I think the drinks and food sector is definitely going to be bigger than the health product market.'

'I'll just let you fart!' Ye Jianlin said indignantly. 'According to you, you have the best view in the world when it comes to relationships, and you know how to do business, while everyone else is stupid?'

Li Qingyuan's eyes shot open again, and Wu Zheng saw that the two of them were about to argue again, so he hurriedly stepped in to be the peacemaker: 'Qingyuan and Ye, you both need to calm down. Look, it's getting late, so why don't we go to a restaurant for dinner first? People are made of iron and steel, and if you don't eat, you'll get hungry. Let's talk about whatever it is you have to say after dinner, okay?'

After he finished speaking, Wu Zheng took Li Qingyuan and Ye Jianlin away without further ado.