Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Mei Yi Group
Ye Shanshan's out-of-the-blue comment startled everyone; they all turned to look at her.
Her cheeks flushed as she stuck her tongue out a bit embarrassingly, but still, she pointed at Xu Yang and said, "I remember now, aren't you the boss of Fengcai Guild? Last New Year's Day, you attended the pilot live-stream shopping ceremony of your guild and Douyin with the president of Douyin. I saw that news; there was a picture of you."
Xu Yang smiled and nodded, "Yes, that's me."
Ye Shanshan spoke excitedly and with enthusiasm, "I really didn't recognize you incorrectly, you're Xu Yang, the boss of Fengcai Guild!"
Just a moment ago, she had thought that Xu Yang and the boss of Fengcai Guild named Xu Yang were two people with the same name.
Du Lian couldn't help but ask, "Xiao Hai, your son-in-law is the boss of both Fengcai Guild and Jiangdi Lao?"
Everyone knew that the boss of Fengcai Guild and Jiangdi Lao was the same person.
"Yes," Zhao Hai nodded.
Although they had already concluded it was probably true, hearing Zhao Hai's affirmative answer still shocked Du Lian and the others.
Zhao Hai's son-in-law being the boss of both Fengcai Guild and Jiangdi Lao was an extraordinarily favorable circumstance.
They also watched the news usually, and to be honest, Fengcai Guild was alright, relying on the Douyin platform, so its potential was rather limited.
But Jiangdi Lao was different; it wasn't dependent on any enterprise, so its potential was very high.
The estimated value of Jiangdi Lao had already surpassed tens of billions by now, and market analysts even said that once Jiangdi Lao completely expands into second and third-tier cities, it could be valued at over a hundred billion.
With such a son-in-law, Zhao Hai was literally entering the world of the wealthy elite.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Ruyan at her age had married into such a wealthy family.
And Zhao Hai wasn't that much older either, only about a decade older than Zhou Ruyan.
By modern standards, he was still in the prime of his life.
"President Xu, I...I..." Ye Shanshan became somewhat coy and embarrassed to speak up.
Originally, her intention of joining the Fengcai Guild was something she meant to discuss with Zhou Ruyan.
She was well-acquainted with Zhou Ruyan, so she would have known exactly how to talk to her.
But now that the boss of Fengcai Guild was here, it seemed more appropriate to speak with Xu Yang, yet she wasn't familiar with him and was unsure how to broach the topic.
"Shanshan, why are you hemming and hawing? Just say what you want to say," Ye Shanshan said, somewhat amused.
"Ru Yan, here's the thing. I came over today intending to find you..." Ye Shanshan explained her situation and then said, "But with President Xu here, I'm not familiar with him and don't know how to approach this."
After speaking, she stuck out her tongue embarrassingly again.
Zhou Ruyan looked towards Xu Yang. This wasn't something she could decide on her own.
If Xu Yang weren't there, she would have definitely said, "Let me ask when I get back."
But with Xu Yang present, it was up to him to speak.
"You first need to tell me about your situation, and I'll also have to check your Douyin account," Xu Yang said, without immediately agreeing.
After all, even with a connection, he couldn't just hire anyone indiscriminately.
If someone was unsuitable, he couldn't take them on.
This was not only his responsibility towards the guild but also to Ye Shanshan.
If she wasn't suited for this line of work, she would be better off doing something else.
"Alright, my current situation is..." Ye Shanshan briefly introduced her circumstances and then gave her Douyin account to Xu Yang.
"Okay, I understand your situation, and I'll have a look later," Xu Yang nodded.
Now that he had just arrived at the Zhou's, everyone was chatting, so it wasn't a good time to check.
"Thank you so much, President Xu." Ye Shanshan was delighted. As long as Xu Yang was willing to look, and with Zhou Ruyan's influence, she believed there would be no problems.
Joining Fengcai Guild and becoming an internet celebrity with a million followers was no longer just a dream.
After chatting for a bit more, Yu Xiuhui left with her granddaughter.
She brought her granddaughter over for the purpose of joining the Fengcai Guild. Now that the matter was discussed and she had gotten a basic understanding of Zhou Ruyan's boyfriend, Zhao Hai, it was time to take her leave.
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Staying here any longer would be inappropriate.
Not long after Yu Xiuhui and Ye Shanshan left, Zhou Ruyan's brother and sister-in-law returned with their children.
The whole family made the place extraordinarily lively.
Fortunately, the Zhou residence was spacious; had it been a regular house, the crowd would have indeed felt congested.
Zhou Ruyan's brother and sister-in-law also worked for the government.
Zhou Ruyan's brother, Zhou Wenyao, was in the Commerce Bureau, and her sister-in-law, Zhong Xin, was in the Education Bureau.
Both of them were very adept at socializing with people.
Zhou Ruyan's nephew, Ming Ming, and niece, Tong Tong, were very close to her, sweetly calling her "little auntie."
During the meal, Zhou Ruyan asked, "Brother, are you really that busy now? Mom told me you've had to work overtime even on weekends recently."
Zhou Wenyao sighed and said, "Ah, the economic situation isn't so good right now. Many businesses are struggling, and we have to find ways to help them out. Other companies are manageable, but if the Mei Yi Group doesn't secure funding this month, it might have to close down. It's a major issue that affects the employment of tens of thousands of people; we're all very anxious."
Mei Yi Group was among the top ten enterprises in Sichuan Province, specializing in garment manufacturing and considered a labor-intensive enterprise with tens of thousands of employees.
Moreover, these workers were mostly middle-aged uncles and aunties.
Mostly locals, they needed to work and take care of their families at the same time.
If the company were to go under, it would affect the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people and impact numerous families.
Banks were no longer an option for loans.
When it came to financing, no one was willing to invest.
If no one stepped in to invest, the company would truly be finished.
Xu Yang was acquainted with this company.
Mainly because he had once speculated on the stock market and followed the price trends of this company's stocks.
For the past year or so, it had been a continuous decline. From its peak, the value had already been cut in half.
It was precisely this downward trend that caught his attention, and he had looked into some basic information.
Unexpectedly, the company's operations were now so dire.
If it couldn't secure funding within a month, it would have to close down.
Xu Yang wasn't a savior; he had no interest in taking over a losing enterprise, so he didn't utter a word.
However, just then, the system's notification sounded in his mind.
[Ding! Mei Yi Group is facing financial difficulties. One month later, it receives investment from an investment firm. With a profound reflection by the management, they identify the reasons for the downturn. Based on market research, they launch several popular clothing lines six months later.
Three years later, they break into the high-end brand market, and five years on, their market value has increased tenfold!]
Xu Yang's eyes lit up.
Here was another investment opportunity.
"How much money does Mei Yi Group need to get through this tough time?" Xu Yang inquired.
At his words, not only did Zhou Wenyao freeze, but everyone else did too.
That sounded like he was considering investing.
"Mr. Xu, are you thinking of investing?" Zhou Wenyao asked eagerly, setting down his chopsticks.
"I don't think the economic situation will continue to worsen, and it should get better by next year at the latest."
"Moreover, I'm aware that Mei Yi Group is one of the top apparel brands in the country. It's just struggling due to the current economic climate and because it hasn't been able to keep up with fashion trends, leading to operational difficulties."
"I believe the company's executives must have realized this. As long as they secure investment to overcome this hurdle, they should be able to bounce back."
"Of course, this is just my preliminary judgement. I haven't visited the company to inspect it in person, so I can't make a final decision."
"If possible, I would like to visit the company with you tomorrow. As long as there are no major issues with the company's management and production, and the required capital is within my capacity, I might consider investing."
Xu Yang said a lot, just to give others the impression that his investment would be well-founded.
Mostly, it was to reassure his wife and those around him, lest they worry.
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