How A Ride-Hailing Driver Comes To Dominate The World? [EN]: Chapter 223

The secretary, Xiao Li, stammered, unable to speak, but her eyes darted towards Liang Tao, who stood nearby.

Liang Aihe spotted Liang Tao and quickly approached him, asking, “Xiao Tao, what’s going on? Why is your secretary working as a waitress here?”

The diners finally realized that the waitress named Jingjing was actually the chairman of Heli撈’s [a popular hot pot chain] secretary.

“So, this whole thing was staged!”

“Wow, how incredibly bored are they? The chairman brings his secretary to put on a show for us?”

“Supposedly, it’s a low-key visit to get real customer feedback, but it turns out he brought his secretary to play dumb and deliberately cause trouble for his old friend!”

“I’m speechless! How can people be so pathetic? How utterly ridiculous can you get!”

“As the chairman of Heli撈, he runs into an old friend who always outshone him as a kid. Since he had no real reason to make things difficult for his old friend, he deliberately orchestrated this whole scene. First, to flaunt that he, the chairman, is superior to a ride-hailing driver, and second, to create a legitimate excuse to humiliate his old friend and get back at him for all the childhood slights. Tsk, tsk, tsk… You can see why people who become business tycoons are so calculating. I have to admit, it’s quite a performance!”

……

Seeing his little scheme exposed, Liang Tao’s face flushed with embarrassment.

At that moment, Yang Chen smiled and addressed Liang Aihe and Zhang Huili, “Uncle Liang, Aunt Zhang, do you remember me? It’s Yang Chen!”

Liang Aihe and Zhang Huili peered at him more closely. “Oh, it really is Chenzi! My goodness, it’s been ten years! We haven’t seen each other since you went to high school.”

Zhang Huili chimed in, “This child has grown up so much! Still as likeable as he was when he was little.”

Yang Chen smiled and replied, “It’s been exactly ten years. Uncle, Aunt, how have you been?”

Liang Aihe chuckled. “Haha… Good, good. I’m able to take care of myself now, so I have plenty of free time.”

Zhang Huili added, “What a coincidence! I never expected we’d meet again like this. We just came to eat hot pot. Are you finished eating?”

Yang Chen replied, “Yes! Just finished. Do you still live in the same place? I’ll come visit when I have time.”

Liang Aihe said, “Hehe… Yes, your Aunt Zhang and I still live in the old house. Xiao Tao now lives in Tomson Riviera [a luxury residential complex in Shanghai].”

Liang Tao interjected angrily, “Anyone who didn’t know better would think he’s your son. I’m doing so well now, and he’s just a ride-hailing driver. You used to hold him up as my role model every single day. Now do you realize how wrong you were?”

Ride-hailing driver?

Liang Aihe and Zhang Huili were genuinely surprised because, based on how things looked back then, Yang Chen should have been more successful than Liang Tao. How could he have ended up as a ride-hailing driver?

Then they both decided it made sense. Yang Chen lost his parents and missed out on opportunities to develop his talents. It was understandable that he became an ordinary person.

The bigger the city, the fiercer the competition, and the more crucial your initial advantages become.

If you’re just an average person, the burden of a house can crush you, so how can you even think about building a career?

Liang Aihe scolded, “Xiao Tao, why are you talking like that? Chenzi, don’t mind him.”

Yang Chen smiled and shook his head.

Liang Tao retorted:

“Do you still think I’m not as good as him? Do you still want me to learn from him? Fine, I’ll quit the company right now. I won’t be the chairman anymore. I’ll become a ride-hailing driver too. I want to learn from the role model in your hearts.”

Liang Aihe snapped, “You little brat! Your mother and I told you to learn from Chenzi because Chenzi was better than you in every way back then. What’s wrong with wanting you to learn from someone excellent? Did you want to be a good-for-nothing and give up on yourself?”

Liang Tao shot back, “What about now? I’m the chairman of Heli撈 Group, and he’s a ride-hailing driver. Who’s better now? Tell me! I just want your approval now. I just want to hear you say that you were wrong back then and shouldn’t have compared me to him because I was destined to be better than him.”

Everyone finally understood that the conflict stemmed from the classic case of “someone else’s kid.”

Parents are definitely not wrong in this situation. Who doesn’t want their children to learn from outstanding individuals?

Liang Tao isn’t necessarily wrong either. Hearing his parents constantly praise others would inevitably cause psychological damage. It’s normal for him to harbor resentment and want to prove that he’s better than the “someone else’s kid” in his parents’ eyes.

The ride-hailing driver is even less at fault. He was indeed exceptional as a child, and it was right to praise him. It wasn’t his intention to become less successful as he grew up.

So, who’s to blame?

Just then, Jin Ming’s phone rang. It was Huang Xiaomin calling.

Jin Ming frowned and quickly handed the phone to Yang Chen, saying, “Mr. Yang, the company has an urgent matter that requires your personal decision.”

Yang Chen answered the phone and said, “Hello.”

Huang Xiaomin reported, “Mr. Yang, President Chen just called me. He’s very pleased with our performance and wants to transfer another 3 billion yuan [approximately $420 million USD] to us. If we only invest in stocks with such a large sum, it will be difficult to guarantee an annual return rate of over 50%. So, I suggest we decline, or have him transfer the funds gradually, instead of giving us 3 billion yuan all at once. What do you think?”

Yang Chen replied, “3 billion isn’t too much, accept it all! There are so many stock markets around the world; it’s not much to spread it out a little. In the future, open overseas accounts and earn money from foreigners too!”

Huang Xiaomin said, “Okay! I understand. By the way, how’s your negotiation with Heli撈 going? How much are you investing, and how many shares will you get?”

Yang Chen answered, “We haven’t discussed it yet. Jin Ming is handling that, so you can ask her later.”

Huang Xiaomin said, “Okay. I’ll hang up then. I won’t disturb you.”

Yang Chen hummed and hung up the phone.

Yang Chen returned the phone to Jin Ming.

Liang Tao quickly asked, “Do you two know each other? What’s your relationship?”

Yang Chen replied, “Xingchen Investment Company is mine. She’s the person in charge and helps me manage the company.”

The people at the scene exclaimed again.

“Wow…”

So, the ride-hailing driver is a capital tycoon.

Are rich people really this bored these days?

Playing dumb with each other?

Liang Tao scoffed, “Are you kidding me? How could you be the boss of Xingchen Investment?”

Jin Ming retorted, “Why couldn’t he be? Mr. Yang isn’t just the boss of Xingchen Investment; he’s also good friends with all these other big bosses. He was just trying not to embarrass you, so he hinted that we shouldn’t voice our opinions. You worked so hard to put on this big show, and everyone played along to let you have your fun, so you could quickly get down to serious business. You don’t actually think you’re better than Mr. Yang, do you?”

Xue Yinong added, “Mr. Yang, you don’t have to be so polite to him. If the investment in Heli撈 falls through, we’ll all invest in Haili撈 [another hot pot chain]. Both companies are preparing to go public and are seeking the last round of financing. The initiative is in our hands. You don’t have to indulge him at all.”

Zhang Wu chimed in, “Haha… That’s right. We hold the purse strings, so we make the decisions.”

Liang Xiuyun said, “Mr. Yang is so good-tempered. You can still talk and laugh so cheerfully after being deliberately provoked in such a big show, without showing any anger. I admire you, I really do. Mr. Yang isn’t very old, but his mentality has been tempered to a state of indifference to honor and disgrace.”

……

Diner.

“I’m speechless, another plot twist?”

“The big shots these days are really something else. A chairman pretends to be a waiter for an undercover visit, and an investment tycoon pretends to be a ride-hailing driver to experience the life of ordinary people eating hot pot. Sigh… the world of big shots is so simple, boring, and unpretentious.”

“But this investment tycoon is obviously more impressive. He knows all the big shots in the investment world and controls the money, so he gets to decide who gets the investment.”

“So, this chairman comrade put on this whole show to vent his resentment from over a decade ago, only to find out that the other guy is still better than him, but just doesn’t bother to argue. Wouldn’t that be even more depressing?”

“Haha… The chairman of Heli撈 wanted to play dumb, but it turns out he really is dumb. The investment tycoon has been patient again and again, but he’s a real tiger. Sigh… that’s the difference in their level, and their behavior reflects that.”

……

Liang Aihe quickly stepped forward to greet Xue Yinong and the others, taking the opportunity to learn who they were.

After learning their identities, Liang Aihe asked, “Are you all friends with Chenzi?”

Xue Yinong replied, “Of course. Mr. Yang and I are not just friends; we’re also neighbors.”

The others also emphasized how close they were to Yang Chen.

Clearly, if Yang Chen were angered, these investors would definitely withdraw their funds and stop investing in Heli撈.

Heli撈 probably needs about 3 billion yuan for the final round of store expansion.

After this round of expansion is complete, their performance will significantly improve, and they can submit their listing application.

Therefore, Yang Chen must not be offended. Keeping him means keeping these investors.

Liang Aihe smiled and nodded, then turned to Yang Chen and said, “Chenzi, I didn’t expect you to be doing so well now, becoming a capital tycoon. Haha… Xiao Tao, see? Your mother and I didn’t misjudge him, did we? Why don’t you quickly apologize to Chenzi?”

Yang Chen replied, “No need, no need. Uncle, Aunt, please don’t say that. Everyone has their own personality and destiny. There’s no need to compare with others. If it were me, I might not be able to stand my parents constantly comparing me to others. In fact, Liang Tao has done very well. He’s brought Heli撈 to the point of going public and is willing to hide his identity and come to the front lines for field research. He’s truly excellent.”

Liang Aihe sighed, “Sigh… no matter how excellent he is, he’s not as excellent as you. Learning from excellent people is a positive thing in itself.”

There’s nothing wrong with that statement. To be fair, Liang Tao has done well enough. He’s definitely a leader among young people, but the “someone else’s kid” who has influenced him for twenty years is still better than him.

Yang Chen smiled and said, “He’s already very good; there’s no need to compare him to me. Okay, I won’t delay your discussion of serious business. I hope you all have a good talk and that we can all successfully invest in Heli撈.”

With that, Yang Chen turned to leave.

Liang Aihe stepped forward and smacked Liang Tao on the head, scolding him, “Why are you standing there like an idiot? Hurry up and apologize to Chenzi. Don’t you understand? What made you come up with this idea? How bored are you to do something so stupid?”

Liang Tao’s mentality completely collapsed. Yes, he’s good enough, but he’s still not as good as Yang Chen. Why is he always overshadowed by Yang Chen?

Liang Tao said stubbornly, “No matter how well I do, I’ll never be as good as him in your eyes, right? Am I your son, or is he your son? Is he your illegitimate son with his mother?”

“I’ll beat you, you little brat!” Liang Aihe slapped Liang Tao across the face, then quickly turned to Yang Chen and said, “Chenzi, don’t mind him. He’s talking nonsense. Don’t be like him.”

Yang Chen frowned, his eyes showing a strong sense of anger. He slowly walked up to Liang Tao.

“I can overlook your childishness, but I can’t forgive you for speaking without thinking! Kneel down!” Yang Chen roared.

Liang Aihe and Zhang Huili quickly stepped forward to apologize to Yang Chen and urged Liang Tao to apologize.

Liang Tao realized he had said the wrong thing, but he was in a fit of anger, and with so many people watching, he was worried about losing face, so he stubbornly said, “I was just saying it casually; why are you so sensitive?”

Yang Chen grabbed Liang Tao’s neck and said, “I said, kneel down and apologize!”

Liang Aihe and Zhang Huili quickly tried to pull Yang Chen away, showering him with apologies and good words.

But they didn’t address the specific words he had said, so their apology was useless.

Liang Tao was determined to fight to the end, saying, “If you have the guts, kill me! You want me to kneel down and apologize? Keep dreaming! Without your funds, I can still seek other capital. Are there only a few investment companies in the world?”

Yang Chen nodded, released Liang Tao, and said in a gloomy tone, “If Heli撈 doesn’t go bankrupt, I’ll take your surname!”

After saying that, Yang Chen turned and left.

Xue Yinong and the others followed closely behind.

It was useless for Liang Aihe and Zhang Huili to chase after him.

“Hehe… scaring me! You just wait to take my surname!” Liang Tao shouted.

Without the investment from these firms, Liang Tao had another option: his senior brother Zhang Jiacheng from MIT.

Zhang Jiacheng’s family’s investment company specialized in investing in companies with listing potential. If he could convince him to invest in Heli撈, all his problems would be solved.

This was Liang Tao’s last bit of stubbornness and his final trump card.

Diner.

“I’m speechless; this is the real big shot. His aura is noticeably stronger than the chairman’s.”

“The same entourage, but the aura they project is completely different depending on who they’re with. The guy from before was pretending to be a big shot; this one is the real deal.”

“The chairman of Heli撈 pretended to be a pig to eat the tiger, but it turned out he was just a pig. The capital tycoon is ruthless and doesn’t waste words: either kneel down and apologize, or wait to go bankrupt. Tsk, tsk, tsk, this is the domineering president I always imagined.”

“This investment tycoon is not only handsome and has charisma, but he also has a powerful aura when he walks. I’m in love.”

……

After leaving Heli撈, Yang Chen immediately told Xue Yinong and the others, “Let’s invest in Haili撈. After we reach a cooperation, we need to open a Haili撈 next to every Heli撈. To defeat Heli撈, Haili撈 must successfully apply for listing.”

Everyone nodded, clearly stating that they would do as Yang Chen instructed.

Yang Chen got in the car and left with Chen Qingxia, while the others got into their cars and headed back, asking their assistants to contact Haili撈 to discuss investment matters.

Chen Qingxia smiled and said, “Don’t be angry; there’s no need to get worked up over such a petty person. I’m speechless; he’s still holding grudges about things from when he was a child, and it has nothing to do with you. It’s their own family problem, but they’re taking it out on you.”

Yang Chen’s face was very grim. He could ignore Liang Tao’s silly games, but Liang Tao’s words about the illegitimate child had completely enraged him.

Losing his parents in his teens was already a major regret in Yang Chen’s heart, and he wouldn’t allow anyone to disrespect his parents in the slightest.

Yang Chen drove Chen Qingxia home.

“What do you want to drink, milk?” Chen Qingxia asked.

Yang Chen nodded.

Chen Qingxia made a cup of milk and brought it over, then took some ice cubes from the refrigerator. She smiled charmingly and said, “Last night, while you were asleep, I secretly learned something online. Do you want to try it?”

“What is it?” Yang Chen asked.

Chen Qingxia put the ice cubes in her mouth, and Yang Chen suddenly understood what she had learned.

……

The next morning, Yang Chen left Chen Qingxia’s house, went out to eat, and then went to get his car.

Meanwhile, Xue Yinong and the others talked with He Xuyong and Zhang Yunna, the chairman and major shareholders of Haili撈, for the entire morning, finally reaching a general agreement.

Xingchen Investment and several other investment companies would invest a total of 5 billion yuan in exchange for 30% of the shares.

How these companies allocated the shares among themselves was their business, and He Xuyong and his wife wouldn’t interfere.

Yang Chen clearly stipulated that a Haili撈 must be opened next to every Heli撈, and He Xuyong and his wife agreed.

Heli撈 had always been Haili撈’s direct competitor. The two companies were nearly identical in terms of dishes and customer positioning, and even the service was the same. It was impossible to say who copied whom.

If Heli撈 could be bankrupted, Haili撈 could dominate the mid-to-high-end hot pot market.

In the past, Haili撈 didn’t have enough capital to eliminate Heli撈, but now, with the help of so many investment companies, they could launch a final offensive against Heli撈.

On the other side, Liang Tao wasn’t idle either.

He contacted his senior brother Zhang Jiacheng from MIT.

Liang Tao asked, “Brother Cheng, what have you been up to lately?”

Zhang Jiacheng replied, “I’m busy negotiating cooperation with foreigners and preparing to take care of someone.”

Liang Tao asked, “Who?”

Zhang Jiacheng said, “You wouldn’t know him, a ride-hailing driver.”

Um?

Also a ride-hailing driver?

Liang Tao asked, “What’s his name?”

Zhang Jiacheng replied, “Yang Chen. Do you know him?”

Liang Tao laughed and said, “Haha… Isn’t that a coincidence? I came here this time to ask Brother Cheng to help me deal with him.”

Zhang Jiacheng’s expression turned serious, and he asked, “Do you also have a grudge against him?”

Liang Tao quickly added fuel to the fire, recounting the story of the conflict between him and Yang Chen, placing all the blame on Yang Chen and portraying himself as innocent.

Zhang Jiacheng laughed and said, “So, that grandson is really bad news. So, you want our family to invest in your company so we can help you go public and then deal with him?”

Liang Tao replied, “Yes! His Xingchen Investment Company is just starting out and isn’t well-established yet. As long as our company can successfully go public, I can crush him at will. Moreover, Brother Cheng, you also have a grudge against him. If you let his Xingchen Investment Company develop, it will be harder for you to deal with him in the future, and your Jiacheng Investment will have a strong competitor. It’s always easier to eliminate the competition in its infancy. Right, Brother Cheng?”

Zhang Jiacheng said, “Haha… that’s right. Okay, show me your company’s financial statements for the past five years and the current operating report. If there are no problems, I’ll immediately convince my dad to invest in your company.”

Liang Tao replied, “Hey, okay, no problem! Brother Cheng, I respect you. I wish us a happy cooperation and that we can work together to defeat Yang Chen!”

Now it’s a battle between two major capital camps, to see which side is more powerful.

……

Soon, Haili撈 and Xingchen Investment and several other companies signed a capital injection agreement.

Xingchen Investment injected 2 billion yuan and obtained 12% of the shares.

Fengming Investment injected 1 billion yuan and obtained 6% of the shares.

Tianmu Investment injected 800 million yuan and obtained 4.8% of the shares.

Peninsula Hotel Asset Management Company injected 700 million yuan and obtained 4.2% of the shares.

Shengjin Investment injected 500 million yuan and obtained 3% of the shares.

He Xuyong holds 26% of the shares, and Zhang Yunna holds 25% of the shares. The couple are acting in concert and hold a total of 51% of the shares, making them the controlling shareholders of the company.

The remaining 19% of the shares are held by another 8 institutions.

Therefore, Yang Chen’s Xingchen Investment accounts for 12%, which is still a significant amount.

The cooperation agreement took effect, and several companies immediately transferred funds into Haili撈’s company account.

Subsequently, Haili撈 issued a store expansion announcement.

The simple summary is this: “We will open a Haili撈 next to every Heli撈, so that consumers can evaluate and choose to determine the fate of the two stores. The market only needs one, and we hope that in the end, there will only be one Haili撈 and no Heli撈 left.”

As soon as the announcement was released, Haili撈 immediately launched an expansion wave across the country. Wherever there was a Heli撈, there would be a Haili撈 next to it or across from it, just like there’s a KFC wherever there’s a McDonald’s.

Two days later, Heli撈 and Jiacheng Investment also reached a capital injection agreement.

Jiacheng Investment injected 3 billion yuan and obtained 30% of the shares of Heli撈.

Subsequently, Heli撈 also issued an announcement.

The simple summary is this: “Heli撈 doesn’t start trouble, but it’s definitely not afraid of it. Since our friendly competitor clearly wants to fight us to the death, we must actively respond. Only one of us can survive; let the market decide who it will be!”

Yang Chen attached great importance to this investment and transferred 2 billion yuan of the 3 billion yuan transferred by President Chen to Haili撈, then used the funds mortgaged by the Haishang Financial Building to supplement the investment and generate more money.

To prepare for the challenge from Heli撈, Haili撈 held a shareholders’ meeting.

Yang Chen attended the meeting as a representative of Xingchen Investment.

In addition to routine business and some policy votes, the most important thing at this meeting was to discuss how to deal with Heli撈.

Yang Chen seriously presented his ideas.

Because the styles of the two stores are too similar, and it’s impossible to distinguish between the dishes and tastes, they could only focus on service.

Yang Chen gave a few examples.

Each store must recruit a store manager or deputy store manager who can sing and dance. If there are customers in the store who are celebrating birthdays, or couples who have broken up, this employee can sing a song for free to express blessings or offer comfort.

No matter what problem a customer encounters, they must do their best to help solve it. Even if the customer is short on money, Haili撈 must help them find a way to get a loan.

For customers in need, the store can even provide free pick-up and drop-off services, etc.

In addition, Yang Chen would also invite his affiliated internet celebrities to visit the store and promote it.

When he had time, Yang Chen would invite Ju Jingyi’s SNH48 team [a Chinese idol group] to eat hot pot in the store to promote it.

Next year, when “Zhu Xian Zhen” [presumably a TV show or movie] is released, Yang Chen could also invite Zhang Yanni to eat in the store and use her star power for publicity, etc.

The shareholders nodded in agreement, convinced that Yang Chen was right.

However, there was still a problem: what if Heli撈 copied them again?

Yang Chen smiled and said, “We’re now focusing on improving service quality, and every employee must undergo strict training before taking up their posts. They can only learn the superficial aspects, not the essence. If service were so easy to learn, many more companies would be successful.”

Everyone nodded.

Service is indeed the most difficult thing to copy. Even if the products can be made the same, the service quality can’t be replicated exactly.

Because the product is inanimate, while people are alive.

Everyone’s appearance, personality, experience, etc., are different. Even a slight smile can give customers a different feeling.

Before Heli撈 realizes it, Haili撈 will conduct centralized and systematic training for its employees.

By the time Heli撈 discovers that Haili撈 is winning through service, it will be too late for them to catch up.

After the agreement, Haili撈 immediately took action.

Yang Chen firmly believed in his ideas. Since it was impossible to distinguish between the dishes and tastes of hot pot, service would determine the victor.

In the evening, Qiu Yuhong asked Yang Chen to report on the work situation in the secret room of Shield Security.

All electronic equipment was prohibited here to ensure the absolute security of their conversation.

Qiu Yuhong reported, “Mr. Yang, we received news from Southern Myanmar that Jiaye Mining is unwilling to transfer the shares of Li Dengfeng and Di Di to Zhang Lijun and invited Cha Can to intimidate Zhang Lijun. What should we do now?”

Yang Chen asked, “So, Li Jianan’s reliance is General Cha Can, right?”

Qiu Yuhong confirmed, “Yes! That’s right!”

Yang Chen stated, “Then there’s nothing more to discuss. Summon the mercenaries, eliminate Cha Can and his key forces, and support a force in the local area that will obey our orders.”

Qiu Yuhong asked, “Okay! Then, for safety reasons, should we bring Zhang Lijun and the others back first?”

Yang Chen replied, “No! Let them stay there. After eliminating Cha Can and his key forces, Zhang Lijun will step forward to support a force that will always obey our orders. In the future, this force will have no connection to Shield Security Group and will be completely contacted and managed by Zhang Lijun personally. Remember, Shield Security Group must maintain a clean image in China. Do you understand what I mean?”

Qiu Yuhong replied, “Understood! I will be careful to handle overseas mercenary business in the future and ensure it doesn’t affect China.”

After a week, news arrived from Southern Myanmar.

The mercenaries of Shield Security Group, at the cost of 10 deaths and 25 injuries, killed Cha Can and over 60 of his men.

Now, they have fewer than a hundred people left, all small fry, and are leaderless.

With the help of the mercenaries, Zhang Lijun has selected a man named Bang Cai to be the commander and is building a force that obeys Zhang Lijun’s orders, according to Yang Chen’s instructions.

It’s estimated that it will take a few more days to complete, and he will report to Yang Chen immediately after it’s done.

Yang Chen didn’t need to worry about these things; he just needed to wait for the results.

Another happy day begins with driving…

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