“Divest?”
Wen Ying’s decision came rather suddenly, and even Xie Qian paused for a moment. “Are you worried it might be dug up later and used against you?”
Wen Ying nodded. “It is indeed a potential risk, but not the main reason. I supported He Zhen in setting up his own company with ulterior motives. I hoped his firm would squeeze Slann, and in fact He Zhen achieved that quickly. Without competition from He Zhen’s products, Zhao Dong would not have lost composure so soon. Now the goal is accomplished, there is little point in me remaining a shareholder.”
Wen Ying had invested in He Zhen with three private motives.
First, she hoped he would gain financial independence soon and have a happy ending with Rebecca in this life.
The second was the reason she gave Xie Qian: He Zhen’s company growing would compete with Zhao Dong.
The third was to get close to Pang Jinglong as a shareholder and prevent him from following the criminal path of his previous life.
Now the second and third objectives were met.
The first was still a little short.
Yet Wen Ying could only hope. She could not interfere in He Zhen’s romantic affairs with Rebecca. Doing this much was enough.
Xie Qian considered it and agreed. “Up to you. If you do not wish to remain a shareholder, then do not. With money in hand, investment opportunities will never be lacking.”
The medical aesthetics sector did indeed have great potential.
But many sectors had potential. There was no need to fixate on medical aesthetics.
Take the “YouNi Group Buying” founded by Yan Yuchuan and others. Even if they lost all the investors’ money, no one would question their personal ethics. Food and medical aesthetics were different. The slightest mishap, and consumers would curse from the boss down to every shareholder. For a public figure like Wen Ying, involvement would be even harder to explain. Just look at the current “Slann rights defence”. At first, public opinion attacked only Slann for making black-hearted profits. Now even the celebrity endorser Hu Man had been dragged into the mire.
Hu Man’s PR team had not initially grasped the severity. As the scandal escalated and the rights defence grew fiercer, any statement from Hu Man’s side came too late.
Had Hu Man, as endorser, ever actually used Slann products?
Even Slann’s boss’s own sister had suffered allergies, yet Hu Man remained unaffected.
Either Hu Man’s luck was extraordinary, or she had never used them at all.
A celebrity takes such high endorsement fees yet dares recommend a product to consumers without trying it herself. Is that fair to the fans who admire and trust her?
Die-hard fans would still defend Hu Man, claiming she had been deceived by Slann.
But passers-by now viewed her very unfavourably.
Thinking this way, Xie Qian strongly approved of Wen Ying’s decision to divest.
He Zhen seemed reliable now, but no one could say what the future held. Even if He Zhen himself never changed, once the company scaled up, a management lapse in some link might escape the helmsman’s notice. Just like the recent uproar over “toxic milk powder”. The brand had become an industry leader, expanding rapidly, yet management risk awareness had not kept pace, leading to an irredeemable downfall.
Xie Qian reckoned the big boss behind that milk powder brand would not escape prison.
Medical aesthetics carried somewhat lower risk than food, but with better options available, why should the little hamster take unnecessary chances?
Xie Qian asked how Wen Ying planned to divest. She smiled slyly. “I have my own ideas. Even if I am no longer a shareholder in He Zhen’s company, this must be handled in a way that satisfies everyone.”
Wen Ying kept it mysteriously vague.
Only when she invited He Zhen and Pang Jinglong to dinner, and during that evening’s meal, did Xie Qian learn what Wen Ying meant by a withdrawal that “satisfies everyone”.
When Wen Ying first announced her intention to divest, Pang Jinglong reacted vehemently, and He Zhen was equally puzzled.
At the company’s founding, Wen Ying had provided crucial support with a 3 million investment.
With Slann collapsed, He Zhen’s side could now seize its market share and grow rapidly. To put it crudely, it was time for He Zhen to make serious money. How could Wen Ying withdraw now?
“Is there some particular reason?”
He Zhen restrained the agitated Pang Jinglong.
Wen Ying glanced at Xie Qian and told the truth about Zhao Qian arranging for journalists to expose her.
“Though the Zhao siblings have left, it does not mean no one else might dredge this up again.”
He Zhen understood instantly. “I suspected as much. If it is only for that reason, I can arrange for someone else to hold the shares on your behalf. No one could attack you on that point again!”
“Yes, proxy holding!”
Pang Jinglong all but thumped his chest, assuring Wen Ying that as long as he remained in the company, he would never allow He Zhen to sacrifice ethics for profit. He would guarantee product safety.
“We would rather earn less than lose our conscience. Rest assured!”
He Zhen shot Pang Jinglong a glare, suppressing the urge to thrash him.
Zhuo Chen’s shares in Slann had been held by proxy.
When Slann’s scandal broke, the Zhao siblings were vilified, yet Zhuo Chen escaped all criticism. The public never even knew Slann had such a shareholder.
Well.
Proxy holding was indeed a solution. Wen Ying had not considered it earlier, not because she could not think of it, but because she truly felt it was time to retire from the field.
Seeing Wen Ying’s hesitation, Xie Qian took over. “She has other arrangements.”
At that, He Zhen could hardly press her further.
Each to their own aspirations. Wen Ying could invest or withdraw as she wished.
Pang Jinglong looked crestfallen.
He had accepted that Wen Ying had a boyfriend, but as long as she held shares, he felt close to her.
If she gave up even the shares, would they grow distant?
He Zhen was more open-minded. After a moment’s thought, he replied, “I respect your decision. Whether you remain a shareholder or not, it will not affect our friendship. I will buy back your shares. Please give me a little time to raise the funds.”
The shares from Wen Ying’s 3 million investment were now worth far more. He Zhen’s company was genuinely thriving, but he truly could not produce so much cash at once.
His “raising funds” meant finding someone else to take over Wen Ying’s shares, without letting that person drive down the price.
Seeing Wen Ying unwavering, Pang Jinglong also feared others undervaluing them. He thought perhaps he could take them over himself.
Funds were no issue. Pang Zhigang fawned over him daily. Why not spend the scoundrel’s money?
Pang Jinglong voiced his idea. Wen Ying smiled and shook her head. “Too late. I have already found a buyer, and you both know this person.”
He Zhen and Pang Jinglong turned to Xie Qian in unison.
Xie Qian remained composed. “Do not look at me. It is not I.”
The private room door was pushed open. Wen Ying stood. “Ready? Let us welcome the new shareholder together!”
The new shareholder entering the room was none other than Rebecca.
Not only He Zhen and Pang Jinglong, even Xie Qian was somewhat surprised.
“Rebecca, how…”
He Zhen was dumbfounded.
Rebecca laughed heartily. “You invited me to be the company’s head of R&D, and I turned you down. But if it is head of R&D plus shareholder, I am willing!”
