The world of film and television begins in the ideal city

Chapter 19 Meeting

As night falls over Shanghai, neon lights illuminate the city one after another, and the bustling traffic is silenced once a courtyard is closed off.

Nestled deep within Jing'an, this elegant riverside teahouse offers private, soundproofed rooms overlooking the river. With tranquil tree shadows outside the windows and the fragrant aroma of tea wafting inside, it's the perfect place to discuss secrets, explore human nature, and devise strategic plans.

Lin Chen arrived 15 minutes early.

He sat in his chair, leisurely scrolling through his phone. He didn't need to do much anymore; the stage was set, and he could just enjoy life while waiting for the actors to come on stage.

A moment later, there was a light knock on the door of the private room, the waiter opened the door, and Xia Ming walked in slowly.

Xia Ming was dressed in a sharp business suit, his shirt buttoned up perfectly. He had handsome features, a calm demeanor, and a steady gait. Upon seeing Lin Chen, he quickly stepped forward to greet him.

Their eyes met briefly, and Lin Chen stood up, smiled slightly, and raised his hand: "Director Xia, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to come over."

Xia Ming bowed slightly: "I'm so sorry to have kept President Lin waiting for me. There was some traffic on the way, please forgive me!"

"Haha, it's alright. A young talent like Director Xia is worth waiting for."

After everyone was seated, the tea master brewed the tea, bowed, and withdrew, completely sealing off the private room.

Lin Chen raised his hand to indicate the teacup: "Try it, it's pre-Qingming Longjing tea. It has a light flavor and won't upset your mind. When I meet people, I always prefer to have a quiet conversation."

Xia Ming took a sip of tea, put down the cup, and said sincerely and respectfully, "President Lin is very magnanimous. To be honest, since you came to Yinghai and took charge of the overall compliance of the listing, all of us below have felt much more at ease."

Lin Chen smiled faintly:

"Director Xia is too modest. Since you joined Tianke, the company has changed dramatically. President Huang is truly blessed to have you as his nephew!"

"I've always wanted to meet the real pillar of Tianke in person. Meeting him today, I can confirm that he is indeed extraordinary in demeanor and composed in his demeanor."

Xia Ming was startled. This was his first formal meeting with Lin Chen, and he had only heard a little about Lin Chen. Yet, the other man seemed to know him very well—this was clearly not a friendly visit! He quickly said:

"President Lin, you flatter me. I don't deserve such praise. You are the true young talent. I have long heard of your illustrious achievements, but meeting you today, I know that your reputation is well-deserved."

Lin Chen picked up his cup, took a small sip, and spoke slowly with a smile on his face.

"Alright, Director Xia, let's not stand on ceremony like our seniors. I'm here to make friends today, but I don't know if you, Xia Ming, will accept me as a friend?"

Xia Ming also smiled and said, "It is my honor to have President Lin as a friend."

The two looked at each other and then burst into laughter.

"Then I'll just call you Xia Ming, you can just call me Lin Chen."

"Alright, Mr. Lin is being kind. Then I won't stand on ceremony."

"Xia Ming, what do you think about the change of the group's audit team leader from Xu Zhiping to Xu Feng?"

Xia Ming smiled slightly and calmly said:

"In my opinion, it's just a normal personnel rotation within the group, a normal annual audit schedule. Mr. Xu is getting on in years and has been working long hours, so it's only natural that he needs to rest and recuperate after his old gastrointestinal problems flared up. Mr. Xu is young, hardworking, and has strong execution skills. He's also a key young talent that the chairman is grooming, so it's reasonable and compliant for him to take over the audit work."

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen smiled faintly and shook his head gently, saying, "Xia Ming, you still don't consider me a friend. You're not telling the truth."

"We all know whether Xu Zhiping is recuperating or not. You know Xu Feng better than I do."

Lin Chen looked calmly at Xia Ming: "We both know where the knife is pointing."

Xia Ming's eyes flickered almost imperceptibly, but his expression remained unchanged as he asked in return:

"I was just about to ask Mr. Lin for his guidance."

Lin Chen took a sip of tea and said slowly:

"Tianke".

"President Lin is joking. Tianke is a subsidiary of the group and has made significant contributions to the group in recent years. Tianke has always been committed to the development of the group. My uncle and the chairman have been brothers for decades. How could the group possibly target Tianke?"

Lin Chen pressed on, his tone still calm, yet every word sharp:

"Since we're talking about Tianke, I'd like to ask a question. Since the beginning of this year, Tianke has deliberately slowed down its cash collection, concentrated on upfront payments of large amounts of advanced financing costs, made large one-time provisions for equipment depreciation, resulting in a rapid decline in book profits and a reasonable increase in operating liabilities."

"Xia Ming, you really have some tricks up your sleeve! But even if these operations are all compliant, they still seem too greedy. Zhao Xiankun probably won't be happy about it."

Lin Chen looked up and stared directly at Xia Ming: "Xia Ming, you've meticulously crafted Tianke into a state of 'operational pressure, barely breaking even, and on the verge of a slight loss.' Is this simply for survival during this difficult time, or do you have other long-term plans?"

Even after the truth was exposed, Xia Ming remained calm and composed, speaking slowly and deliberately:

"President Lin is truly a thoughtful person; nothing can be hidden from you."

"I do not deny that we have indeed made some adjustments to our financial statements recently due to the pressure."

Xia Ming did not deny it, because it was meaningless.

"First, Tianke consistently undertakes the most demanding municipal projects, which are risky, time-consuming, and require significant upfront investment. Second, it consistently hands over the highest percentage of profits, with the group only taking a cut and offering very little in return. Third, its financial control, procurement, personnel, and subcontracting are all restricted; it does the most work but has the least autonomy."

"Now, the group is using the listing as an opportunity to further consolidate its control, gradually squeezing Tianke under its thumb. As the actual operator of Tianke, am I wrong to stabilize the accounts, solidify them, and create pressure in advance, leaving Tianke a way out?"

Lin Chen nodded slightly after listening.

"Of course, that's only human nature."

Upon hearing this, Xia Ming felt a slight sense of relief.

But the next second, Lin Chen changed his tone and went straight to the heart of the matter:

"But let me ask you one more question. Besides protecting yourself, do you also intend to take the opportunity to make Tianke lose money, weaken it, and render it insolvent, and then use the excuse of operational difficulties to apply for independent self-rescue, independent financing, and independent operation, gradually breaking away from the control of Yinghai Group?"

The atmosphere in the private room fell silent for half a second.

Xia Ming hadn't expected Lin Chen to have investigated so thoroughly. He stopped avoiding the question, looked Lin Chen directly in the eye, and spoke frankly, his sharp edge revealed:

"Since Mr. Lin has put it this way, I will speak frankly as well."

"I do have this idea. If we stay under Yinghai, Tianke will never grow into a towering tree. Tianke has first-class qualifications, government and enterprise resources, a strong team, and a solid cash flow foundation. Leaving Yinghai, Tianke can thrive better. Staying under Yinghai will only result in being drained of its resources, suppressed, and controlled year after year. I am just looking for a better way out for Tianke."

Frank, direct, and confident. That's Xia Ming's charisma.

After listening, Lin Chen clapped his hands and laughed loudly:

"Good, ambitious and decisive."

Then, Lin Chen raised two fingers:

"I've always valued harmony, and I treat my friends with utmost sincerity and honesty."

"I can give you two choices: First, I will help you persuade Zhao Xiankun to peacefully separate Tianke and Yinghai; second, you can help me, and I promise you that after Yinghai Group goes public, it will set up an independent business segment for Tianke, and when the time is right in the future, it will allow Tianke to be independently spun off and operated in the market."

"Take your time to think it over, Xia Ming. It's a pleasure to meet you, and I hope we can be good friends."