Chapter 612: The end of the richest man?
Ji Qi, who has started a new business, is now completely relieved.
With the equity design plan of the new company in his hand, even after multiple rounds of financing or even after listing, even if he only has 30% of the company's shares on the surface and has not reached the 51% controlling line, he can still keep the company firmly in his hands.
Because he can set up a family-controlled business and become the major shareholder of the new company. As long as he holds more than 20% of the shares and ensures that the controlled family business is completely controlled by his own family members, then Ji Qi will actually control more than 50% of the voting rights of the entire new company, which means that he will have the final say on all major and minor matters of the company.
Seeing that Ji Qi had let go of his guard and doubts, Lu Yiming smiled and poured him a glass of Maotai: "Mr. Ji, this glass is to celebrate your new life."
Ji Qi took the wine glass with a wry smile and said with emotion: "I only now understand that this is how capital works. I feel that my previous thoughts when I started my own business were so naive and childish."
Lu Yiming encouraged, "You are a person with a lot of ideas, and you have enough talent to realize your ideas. Although I am a capitalist, I used to be a worker, so I know that people who work should be rewarded. So I will not use the rules of the game of capital to seize the fruits of victory that should belong to you. I will only take what I deserve."
At middle age, Ji Qi, who thought he had a heart of stone, was still moved to tears at this moment, and promised Lu Yiming: "Mr. Lu treats me as a national hero, and I will repay him as a national hero."
Lu Yiming laughed: "Work hard, I, a big capitalist, am waiting for you to make money for me."
Ji Qi raised his glass: "Happy cooperation."
Lu Yiming also raised his glass and drank it all.
Then, Lu Yiming asked Ji Qi: "By the way, what is the name of our new company? Do you have any ideas?"
Ji Qi thought for a moment and said, "Home."
"puff……"
Lu Yiming, who had just taken a sip of soup to sober up, turned his head and vomited.
Ji Qi was startled and asked quickly, "Mr. Lu, what's wrong with you?"
Lu Yiming waved his hand and said, "It's okay. Rujia means you feel comfortable at home. It's indeed a good name."
Ji Qi joked, "You invested 30 million in me without even asking for the name of the new company. This is the first time I've seen an investor like you, Mr. Lu."
"I can't help it. I'm just such a straightforward person."
On the way back, Yu Jiayi couldn't help asking Lu Yiming in the car: "Mr. Lu, why should we help Mr. Ji complete the equity design of Home Inn?"
In her opinion, Lu Yiming is the capitalist who wants to maximize profits. By doing this now, he is actually restricting himself and giving Ji Qi the greatest room to play.
Isn’t this a betrayal of the bourgeoisie?
Lu Yiming said calmly: "Capital is insatiable, it will never be satisfied. But I am a human being, not a slave to money, so when doing business, I focus on win-win. I will not take less of what is mine, and I will not give less of the benefits that are due to me. This is fairness."
Yu Jiayi seemed to understand what he said, but not quite.
Since she joined Future Capital, she has followed met many entrepreneurs and financial capitalists. She has met all kinds of people, but Lu Yiming is the most special among them.
If she had to describe him, she felt that Lu Yiming should be considered a principled capitalist.
Don’t underestimate the three words “principled”.
Before entering society, Yu Jiayi had already suffered a beating from life, so she deeply understood how difficult it is to be principled and to stick to principles and conscience in the face of huge interests.
As an investor, Lu Yiming always considers entrepreneurs and emphasizes "win-win" rather than taking actions to maximize his own interests. In Yu Jiayi's view, this is simply incredible.
She asked herself, if she and Lu Yiming switched positions and identities, would they be able to make the same decision?
She didn't dare to think about the answer. After all, human hearts could not stand the test.
Zhonghai, Astronomy Building, Nandan Road.
When Ji Qi stepped into the company's door again, his feeling was completely different from before.
Before coming, he slept soundly for more than twenty hours, feeling completely relaxed, and then had a good meal.
Now when I show up at the company, the tension in my heart has disappeared completely. I feel as relaxed as if I were shopping in a supermarket.
"Morning, President Ji."
"Boss Ji."
"Hello, President Ji."
The employees were as respectful to him as always, and Ji Qi responded with a smile. If it were in the past, he would have felt proud at that moment, proud of the business he had founded.
But now, his heart has become colder than stone.
After resting for a few days, there was almost no change in the company and it was still running in an orderly manner, as if he was no longer the same. Ji Qi saw everything and understood in his heart that Ctrip was no longer his kingdom, and he was no longer the monarch of this kingdom.
Ji Qi responded to the employees with a smile, looking as humble as before.
Ji Qi had just sat down in the office and was about to boil water to make tea when Fan Min came in and said, "You're here. We'll have a meeting in the small conference room at nine o'clock."
Ji Qi said calmly: "I know, I just arrived at the company, let me take a break and have a cup of tea first."
Fan Min felt a little surprised. After all, Ji Qi was a well-known workaholic in the company. He arrived at the company at dawn every day and left late at night. It had never happened before that he arrived at the company after eight o'clock like today.
But after all, it was just a few days of vacation, and Fan Min thought that it might be that Ji Qi's biological clock had not adjusted properly, so he didn't think too much about it.
Ji Qi slowly boiled water to make tea. Facing the mountain of documents on his desk, he had no interest in even flipping through them.
Half an hour later, it was already past eight fifty before Ji Qi got up, went to the bathroom, and then walked towards the meeting room.
In the conference room, all the participants were already in place, and Ji Qi was the last one to enter. Liang Jianzhang, who was presiding over the meeting, was surprised, but he was also very happy to see that Ji Qi looked very good, and said, "How was your rest? I see that you seem to be more energetic."
Ji Qi sat down in his seat and said slowly, "Not bad."
Liang Jianzhang smiled and said, "That's good. You have a heavy burden on your shoulders. I was worried that you were not in a good mental state and could not do your job. Now that you have rested, let's discuss what you think about the company's layout for the next month."
Ji Qi yawned and said slowly, "I don't have any opinions or ideas. I was notified of the meeting just now, and I didn't want to come. But after thinking about it, I came here. I'm here to resign. I quit."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the conference room looked at Ji Qi at the same time, their eyes filled with confusion and shock.
One of the company's founders is resigning?
What kind of divine development is this?
Liang Jianzhang's expression froze. After a long while, he smiled dryly and said, "Old Ji, we're in a meeting now. Don't joke around. Be serious."
Although several people had already communicated with each other and planned to ask Ji Qi to leave the company when the time was right, it was still before the company went public, and there were really a lot of things to do. Without Ji Qi, the hardworking old ox, the other founders would have a lot more work to do.
Therefore, Ji Qi's decision to resign caught Liang Jianzhang off guard.
For the other company executives present, it was even more incomprehensible. Ctrip was founded by Qi Qi and Liang Jianzhang, and there were rumors that the company was going to go public in the United States. It could be said that after years of hard work, spring was about to come. Now Qi Qi actually said he wanted to resign. Was he seriously ill?
You've finished all the work, but you don't want any benefits at all?
What is the new century god of wealth?
Ji Qi said seriously: "I'm not kidding you, I'm serious."
Not only that, he even took out his resignation letter.
"Well, I have everything ready. I wrote it overnight last night."
Amid the confusion among the crowd, Ji Qi let out a long sigh, with a feeling of relief in his heart.
"Ctrip was born from our hands. I watched it grow step by step, just like my own child. The child has grown up and has become strong, so he naturally no longer needs his old father. I am very pleased that Ctrip has come this far. In the past few years, I have also felt that my body has been hollowed out. Facing the company's growing orders, I am no longer able to cope with it. In this case, I should retire now that I have accomplished my mission."
Obviously, everyone knew that what Ji Qi said was bullshit.
What do you mean by quitting after success? Isn't this just one step away from success? Shouldn't we hold on a little longer?
The company's management who were unaware of the truth suddenly became restless.
"What happened to Mr. Ji? He was in a bad mental state some time ago, and he resigned directly after returning from vacation. Is there something going on here?"
"Are there conflicts among the company's founders?"
"The company is just about to go public. Please don't create conflicts at this time. Please."
Everyone was talking about it, looking a little panicked.
Those who can sit in this office are not ordinary workers. They have some shares in their hands and are just waiting to make a fortune from dividends when the company goes public. But now something like this has happened and they are all very unhappy.
Seeing this, Liang Jianzhang quickly said, "Let's postpone today's meeting to the afternoon. We'll talk about it in the afternoon. Let's adjourn the meeting."
Afterwards, he and Fan Min stopped Ji Qi who wanted to leave.
Fan Min waited until everyone in the office had left before asking, "Old Ji, what happened? If you have any dissatisfaction, you can just tell me. There's no need to resign directly."
Ji Qi shook his head slightly and said, "There is nothing more to say. You don't need to persuade me. I have made up my mind."
Then, Ji Qi looked at Liang Jianzhang and said, "Mr. Liang should know why I want to resign."
Fan Min felt very puzzled. He stared at Liang Jianzhang and his tone gradually became serious: "What on earth is going on?"
Liang Jianzhang opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing.
He is not Shen Nanpeng, and he cannot just make promises to others. And if it comes to talking, he is no match for Ji Qi, who comes from a sales background.
Seeing that Liang Jianzhang didn't say anything, Ji Qi smiled, then got up and left.
Liang Jianzhang did not stop him.
Liang Jianzhang's silence broke Fan Min's defense. He rushed out of the door and asked Ji Qi, "What happened? Are you hiding something from me?"
Among the four gentlemen of Ctrip, Fan Min was the last to join, so naturally he is not very close to the other three emotionally. At most, their relationship can be considered as partners.
But precisely because of this, there was no direct conflict of interest between him and Ji Qi, and they cooperated very well on a daily basis, so they could have a say.
Fan Min was very puzzled by Ji Qi's decision to leave.
Ji Qi sighed and said, "It's not that I want to leave Ctrip, but there is no place for me in Ctrip anymore. What's the point of me staying?"
"There is no place for you? Old Ji, where do you get that from?"
Fan Min still didn't understand: "You are a founding shareholder, how could there be no place for you?"
Since he was leaving anyway, Ji Qi didn't hold back. He sighed and said, "Old Fan, I've already submitted my resignation, so I'll be frank with you. With several rounds of financing, the shares I hold are getting fewer and fewer. Didn't the company say it would go public? After the listing, the shares will be further diluted. Once the equity change occurs, I will not be on the list of board members. I am a person who values face. Rather than being kicked out at that time, I might as well resign now so that I can at least retain a little dignity."
Now, Fan Min finally understood why Ji Qi wanted to leave. As he said, there was no place for him as the founder of Ctrip anymore. If he stayed on, he would be kicked out in the future.
Fan Min actually had no say in this matter. He felt a sense of sadness that the cunning rabbit was dead and the running dog was cooked. Patting Ji Qi on the shoulder, he sighed and said, "So what are you going to do next? Do you want me to find some connections and help you find a job?"
Ji Qi smiled and said, "That's not necessary. I got 30 million in start-up capital from Mr. Lu and plan to start a business again."
“…”
Fan Min's hand, which was patting Ji Qi's shoulder, froze for a moment.
What does it take to get 30 million in start-up capital?
"You haven't even left the company yet, and you've already found a new job?"
"No, you're planning to resign after you've found a new job?"
"Thirty million."
Before joining Ctrip, Fan Min was already a heavyweight in the tourism industry. After obtaining a master's degree from the School of Management of Zhonghai Jiaotong University in 1990, he officially entered the tourism industry. In 1999, he was already the general manager of Zhonghai Travel Agency, driving luxury cars and having a special driver to pick him up.
But even so, 30 million in start-up capital was a number he could not even imagine.
You should know that Ctrip's initial start-up capital was only two million yuan, which was raised by the three founders, Neil Shen, James Liang and Qi Qi, who worked together to raise it.
Now Ji Qi has gone out to work on his own, and before he even starts working, a financial sponsor has invested 30 million yuan in him?
For some reason, Fan Min felt sour, as if he had eaten several kilograms of lemons.
Soon, the news that Ji Qi obtained 30 million yuan in financing and left Ctrip to start a new business began to spread throughout the tourism industry in China Overseas.
At the same time, a company called "Home Inns Hotel Group" also appeared in everyone's sight.
The emergence of Home Inn has made many of its peers in the industry feel like they are facing a formidable enemy.
Pioneers in the domestic online travel industry, such as China Travel Network, E-Tong Network, and CYTS Online, have all cast their eyes toward Home Inn for exploration and scrutiny.
Especially after learning that the founder of Home Inn was Ji Qi, one of the four gentlemen of Ctrip, he became extremely cautious.
Founded in 1999, Ctrip was the first company to solve the basic domestic air ticket and hotel booking needs through a combination of e-commerce and call centers. Its main business is the sale of standard products such as air tickets and hotels, and it was the first company to enter the online travel industry.
Before the rise of online tourism, offline travel agencies had been developing on a large scale for more than ten years, but overall they were still in a chaotic state of local separatism, and there was great price elasticity between different channels. The emergence of Ctrip has to some extent broken this information asymmetry.
Having an industry leader like Ctrip was already enough to make other peers uncomfortable. Now Ji Qi has "run away from home" and started a new business with 30 million yuan of funds from Lu, the richest man.
Now that there is one more person to share the meat, won’t everyone’s life be even more difficult in the future?
For a time, the online travel industry was full of complaints, expressing anger and helplessness.
After all, in addition to Ji Qi, the "professional", there are also rumors that Home Inn received 30 million yuan in venture capital from Lu Yiming.
Lu Yiming.
The richest man in Xia country.
Therefore, in everyone's opinion, this is not as simple as Ji Qi starting a business, but the richest man in Xia country is here to compete with these people for business!
At a regular press conference, a reporter asked Lu Yiming this question: "Mr. Lu, you were clearly investing in chips and semiconductor industries before, so why are you suddenly investing in aquaculture and spending money on tourism?"
Another reporter asked, "Mr. Lu, are you investing recklessly like this because your continuous success has gone to your head?"
Facing the doubts and questions from the reporter, Lu Yiming remained calm and composed: "Please rest assured, I am very calm. I am neither arrogant nor irrational. I invested in aquaculture to support the economic development of my hometown. I am only responsible for investing money and do not participate in the actual operation and management, so it will not take up too much of my time and energy."
"As for investing in the tourism industry, it is purely because I am optimistic about the development of this industry. And everyone should know that I have always liked to invest in Internet-related companies, so investing in Home Inns is a normal move and there is nothing to be surprised about."
A reporter asked: "Mr. Lu, why are you so optimistic about the tourism industry? There are so many travel companies now, the market has long been saturated, right? Is there any new business opportunity here?"
