Chapter
12.1: He Comes Back into My Dreams Again
A single meal lasted from dawn to dusk outside. Night crept
up the windowpane, licking the glass and becoming a neighbor of the brightly
lit house.
After everyone had almost finished their meal and put down
their chopsticks to sip their tea, Yu Yue began another round of humbly asking
Ren Yan for advice.
"Mr. Ren, what's the best way forward for this matter
that won't affect the company's IPO progress?"
Ren Yan slowly spun the teacup, his slender fingers
thrusting out and retracting the joints. It was a beautiful hand.
"Let's defeat them one by one," he said.
Chu Qianmiao immediately pricked up her ears and listened
intently.
Being able to identify a problem is a skill; but being able
to beautifully solve it after identifying it is an even greater skill.
This is what distinguishes the top investment bankers at the
pinnacle of the pyramid from those below—they're not only able to identify
problems, but also adept at solving them with the most sophisticated means.
"First, talk to each person individually, using both
kindness and force. First, use force. Tell them that this patent is a
work-related invention and inherently belongs to the company. The company
doesn't have to pay any equity or cash. Then, show them kindness. As long as
they don't make a fuss, the company can provide a corresponding reward. As for
the type and amount of the reward, and whether it will still be in the form of
equity, consult with President Zhou after you return and let him decide. Then,
tell those three people that they can still receive such a reward. This is
President Zhou's kindness, a gesture of gratitude. If they refuse to accept,
then fine, they'll get nothing."
Yu Yue rubbed his chin and asked, "But what if they
refuse to accept neither kindness nor force?"
Ren Yan raised the corner of his mouth slightly, a hint of
his characteristic playful amusement tinged in his half-smile. When people who
live too clearly look at those who live muddled lives—like him looking at those
three people—they are most likely to have this expression. There was a hint of
faint disdain, a hint of indifference, a reluctance to argue, a reluctance to
share common ground.
But this wasn't Ren Yan's personal matter, it was a work
matter. Even if he wasn't bothered, he still had to consider it for the client
he served.
"You're right," Ren Yan said, taking a sip of tea.
"Among the three of you, one might yield to favors, one might be wary of
power, but there's also one who might bend both favors and power. He'll say he
doesn't accept this argument and will sue you, Hanhai Home Textiles, in court.
He'll also say that a major lawsuit would undoubtedly impact the company's
listing. If there truly were a competitor behind him, stirring up trouble and
giving him advice and support, he'd offer a more professional rationale. He'd
say, 'Don't try to fool me. I've researched it. If a company gets into disputes
and lawsuits over trademarks, patents, proprietary technology, or franchises,
the listing review process will be delayed at best, or even terminated
outright.'
Ren Yan lowered his head and took another sip of tea. Qin
Qianyu discerningly stood up and refilled his water. Chu Qianmiao listened
intently, almost impatient for Ren Yan to continue. It was the first time she'd
found such absorbing practical questions related to going public so
captivating.
Yu Yue was clearly in the same state. He asked urgently,
"Mr. Ren, what if someone really wants to sue them?"
Ren Yan smiled calmly, "Then tell them to sue wherever
they want."
Yu Yue's scowl returned, "But won't that affect the
company's IPO?"
Ren Yan shook his head, "You can tell them clearly that
even if they sue about this patent, they won't win. It's a clear employee
invention, and the company will definitely win. So this lawsuit is actually
beneficial to the company. As long as we explain the reasons clearly at the
meeting, it won't have any real impact on the IPO."
Ren Yan paused, then smiled again, a smile that held a hint
of coldness, even cruelty. "On the contrary, if the lawsuit causes any
repercussions, their reputation in the industry will be ruined. They're greedy
and self-serving, raising prices. The employer trained them, and now they're
turning against the employer. Who in the industry would dare to employ them in
the future? Tell them, don't be afraid of severing your own path, and go ahead
and sue."
Yu Yue's scowl vanished, a beaming smile filling his face.
He slammed his teacup onto the table, as delighted as a drowning man who
suddenly discovers he's wearing an inflatable suit and can't die.
"Tomorrow I'll do just as you say!"
Chu Qianmiao took a sip of her tea, digesting the cooling
liquid while also digesting Ren Yan's words.
She thought he was truly rational. The stakes were clearly
laid out, and if the other party refused to cooperate, his methods and attitude
were both rational and ruthless.
She silently asked herself, if she were in Ren Yan's shoes
today, how would she handle this situation? She doubted she would have the same
decisiveness as Ren Yan.
***
After the meal, the group walked to the restaurant entrance.
It was getting late, and twenty minutes earlier, the last subway train to Chu
Qianmiao's residence had roared through the Beijing underground.
Yu Yue said he lived nearby and could walk back. He asked
Ren Yan how to get there and if he wanted a driver. Ren Yan told him he had
driven the car, which was parked in the parking lot in front of them.
Yu Yue thoughtfully asked Qin Qianyu and Chu Qianmiao how to
get there.
"Do you need a driver to take you? You're welcome. Our
company has a team of drivers on duty 24/7!"
Qin Qianyu hurriedly said, "Mr. Yu, don't worry about
us. We'll just take a taxi." After a pause, he added with a smile,
"Mr. Ren will reimburse our taxi fare from the project budget!"
Chu Qianmiao: "..." She actually had something
else to say, but decided not to.
Yu Yue laughed and said, "Oh, since Mr. Ren is
reimbursing, then I really don't have to worry about it anymore, right?"
He turned and went home.
Ren Yan took out his car keys, unlocked the car, and got in
first. Qin Qianyu waved his arms and shouted, "Goodbye, Mr. Ren," as
he started the ignition.
Then he turned around and saw Chu Qianmiao. Finally, his
mind came to its senses, and he cried out, "Ouch! Qianmiao! I forgot
you're not from our investment bank, you're from the law firm! So, if you take
a taxi tonight, will your law firm reimburse you?"
Chu Qianmiao smiled and shook her head.
—Thank you for finally remembering that I'm actually an
outsider. Thank you for finally understanding that the "we" in
"Mr. Ren will reimburse us for the taxi fare from the project
expenses" doesn't include me, brother!
Qin Qianyu looked regretful. "That's ridiculous! I
should have asked Mr. Yu to arrange a car for you! How about this? I'll take a
taxi and take you back, and then I'll go back home. It's a longer trip, but we
can get one ticket, and Mr. Ren can sign it and reimburse me later!" He
turned and shouted to Ren Yan, who had already turned the car out of the
parking space, "Is this okay, boss?"
The driver's window rolled down, and Ren Yan's voice came
out faintly from inside.
"Get in the car." After a pause, "Both of
you."
Qin Qianyu was stunned for a moment, then immediately and
joyfully pulled Chu Qianmiao into the car.
"Let's go! Our leader rarely sends people home; this is
a special honor!"
He took the passenger seat, and Chu Qianmiao took the back.
After fastening his seatbelt, Qin Qianyu excitedly began to
boast, "Leader, you look so handsome today! Super handsome! You've really
taken on all the work that the Hanhai Home Textiles driver class should be
doing. You truly radiate the brilliance of humanity!"
"Shut up," Ren Yan steered, swerving the car from
the side road onto the main road. "If you keep offering such shabby
flattery, get out of the car."
Qin Qianyu immediately raised his hand to slap him in the
face. "Leader, I misjudged your preferences. I was wrong!" He had
assumed Ren Yan was a sucker for flattery; otherwise, why would he have laughed
the more Chu Qianmiao's nonsense went on?
0 Comments