47. What’s this, are you about to brush it off again?

"Mr. Chen, how did it go?"

Stepping out of the public security bureau, Jiang Ziyao noticed Chen Che's quickened pace and gloomy expression, and hurried to catch up.

Once they were seated inside the rented Tianjin-plated Audi, Chen Che took a breath of frustration and asked seriously:

"Lawyer Jiang, what should we do if Gong Yaowu used Bangyuan Group to take out overseas loans?"

Hearing this, Jiang Ziyao was momentarily stunned.

The two exchanged glances, both of their eyes carrying the serious weight of facing immense pressure.

Hesitating, Jiang Ziyao asked:

"That shouldn't be possible, right?"

There were indeed cases of people using an entire company to secure overseas loans, but it required someone who could cover the sky with a single hand.

And it would necessitate illegal pathways.

Otherwise, Jiang Ziyao and his legal team would have been bound to discover the existence of such loans tied to Bangyuan.

"I feel the possibility is very high. If something like this really happened, how should we face it?"

Chen Che felt a wave of vexation, but he had to put on a strong front on the surface—now was the time when anyone could collapse except him.

A single oversight amidst a hundred precautions, this was it.

He should have anticipated long ago that Gong Yaowu was deliberately milking the company for money and would surely exploit anything and everything he could get his hands on.

Inside just now, Gong Yaowu hadn't said much of substance, almost as if he wanted to infuriate him purely to make him anxious.

And he had to admit, the man had succeeded.

If Bangyuan Group was truly in debt to the tune of a hundred billion, then as the largest shareholder, it was equivalent to him owing that hundred billion.

To resolve the debt crisis all at once given Bangyuan's current state, the only option would be to apply for bankruptcy liquidation.

Yet once bankruptcy was declared, all his efforts would be reduced to nothing.

"If that really is the case, then our only option will be to gather the materials, report it to the public security authorities, and prepare for a lawsuit."

Jiang Ziyao pondered for a moment before replying.

Chen Che nodded without saying much more.

What Gong Yaowu had done was equivalent to mortgaging a car to borrow money and then turning around and selling the car behind the scenes.

As for the buyer of the car...

Unlike the overwhelming thunder of their previous moves, this was going to be a protracted war, but Chen Che was not all that pessimistic.

First, Gong Yaowu might simply be bluffing to deceive him.
Second, the loan amount might not be as astronomical as claimed.
Third, the money could be forced back out.
Fourth, a war of attrition can be fought.

Gong Yaowu had never signed a person-acting-in-concert agreement with the other shareholders, meaning he did not have absolute, unchallenged authority within the company.

His secret loans were illegal and unrecognized under Chinese law.

Chen Che could simply refuse to acknowledge them!

All in all, this was not an insurmountable problem. If worst came to worst, he would flip the table and ensure nobody got to walk away happy.

If Gong Yaowu could mortgage the company's assets, Chen Che could sell them off at a dirt-cheap price just as easily.

After all, he wasn't the legal representative of Bangyuan, so he bore zero personal liability.

He had acquired all of this through nothing more than a wolf-snake empty-handed maneuver to begin with, so no matter how bad things got, he wouldn't lose his capital.

Right now, though everything needed to be rebuilt from the ruins, it was an exceptionally fresh starting point for Chen Che personally.

Whatever fines Bangyuan Group needed to incur, let them incur; whoever needed to leave, let them leave. All it would take was a change of name for the phoenix to be reborn from the ashes.

After the rebranding, they would announce externally that new capital had been injected, restart the ongoing projects, and smoothly placate the public.

***

However, Chen Che didn't even throw a celebration banquet. After handing matters over to Lawyer Jiang and Yang Qinghua, he directly booked a commercial vehicle and headed straight for the capital city, Beijing.

Unawares, the end of June had arrived, and eight days had already passed since his last meeting with Qin Yanan.

...

"You really are a master at passing the buck and leaving everything to others."

Stepping into the restaurant booked by Qin Yanan near Dawang Road, Chen Che approached and immediately heard the beauty's complaint.

Inside the quiet, dimly lit Michelin-ranked French restaurant, the exquisite decor invisibly enhanced a romantic and atmospheric mood.

Today, Qin Yanan was dressed somewhat more seductively in a French floral dress, paired with a necklace and other accessories that highlighted her elegant temperament while adding a touch of gentleness.

It was already eight o'clock in the evening. Having run right into the evening rush hour, Chen Che was late, so being complained to was entirely to be expected.

Furthermore...

Sister Nan wasn't just complaining about that.

Seated opposite Qin Yanan, Chen Che didn't evade her point. He wiped his hands and smiled in explanation:

"Don't even mention it. I never expected things back home to be so tedious, but fortunately, it didn't delay the important matters."

Hearing this, Qin Yanan wore a trace of doubt, but she didn't press him with direct questions. Instead, she gestured toward the bread:

"You must be starving. Let's eat and talk."

"Right."

He was indeed rather hungry, so Chen Che didn't stand on ceremony and dug right in, dipping a piece into some butter and stuffing it into his mouth.

Seeing this manner of eating, Qin Yanan knew he was genuinely famished. She let out an amused, helpless chuckle and probed testily:

"Now that the family matters are all settled, can big boss Chen finally set his mind at ease and work in Beijing?"

"Not yet."

Chen Che replied, raising his gaze.

Qin Yanan raised a delicate eyebrow at this.

"I'm only staying in Beijing for two days this time, and then I have to head off to another place for about two or three days."

"Why? You're leaving again?"

Qin Yanan asked point-blank, feeling as though she had encountered the most irresponsible entrepreneur in her entire career.

Big brother, you're running a startup!

Could you please take it a little more seriously?

"A friend and I have partnered up on an e-commerce company in the south; I need to go down there and take a look."

Chen Che explained once more, being completely honest with Qin Yanan without any deception since there was no need to hide these things.

Several days ago, Guo Youcai had already secured the company paperwork and licenses, and had even negotiated with several factories.

He was the major shareholder.

In terms of both reason and sentiment, he had to make a trip down there, and Tianjin had more or less reached a temporary milestone.

Over the coming month, Bangyuan Group would be renamed Huakai Group, undergoing reforms centered around the new announcements, striving to get back on track within two months.

Chen Che's trip to Hangzhou this time would only last two or three days. Moving forward, Beijing would serve as his main base of operations, while he could still keep an eye on things in Tianjin.

Yet upon hearing his reason for going to Hangzhou, Qin Yanan wore a look of utter shock—she truly could not comprehend this logic.

"You've even dabbled in e-commerce?"

"Just a small venture to play around with."

"Fine, as long as you know what you're doing."

Since Chen Che said he would only be gone for two or three days, Qin Yanan didn't harp on it endlessly. Understandingly, she continued eating.

Reflecting on Chen Che's previous lifetime, he had genuinely never accompanied a young woman to such a high-end French restaurant before.

He had dined alone on such occasions.

Accompanied by a young woman, this was a first.

***

Noticing Qin Yanan's refined and unhurried dining etiquette, Chen Che picked up a soup spoon, scooped a portion of caviar paired with the Mediterranean red shrimp underneath, and popped the entire mouthful into his mouth as he said:

"Speaking of which, I really have to thank you this time. If it weren't for Sister Nan, I truly wouldn't have known what to do."

Qin Yanan was eating potato salad, a rather humble dish that, under her care, looked like a feast of color, aroma, and flavor.

Watching her eat was genuinely a form of enjoyment.

Chen Che, on the other hand, was incapable of such grace, devouring whatever was in front of him in a wolfish manner.

"You're thanking me?"

After chewing and swallowing, Qin Yanan offered a gentle smile. Meeting Chen Che's nodding response, she curved her red lips into a light, teasing smirk:

"To be honest, I haven't felt an ounce of sincerity from you. Sometimes, actions speak louder than just words."

"Then..."

With a sarcastic, playful smile—a side of her Chen Che had never seen before—he was momentarily left dumbfounded.

Fortunately, the atmosphere remained harmonious.

Knowing she was merely venting her mild grievances, Chen Che glanced around the surroundings, stood up directly, and said:

"Then should I go pick out a bottle of wine? What do you think?"

"Forget it, water is fine."

Qin Yanan motioned toward the sparkling water infused with lemon beside her, gesturing for Chen Che to sit back down and continue eating as she asked:

"Are you planning to head to the company today, or tomorrow morning? Have you contacted President Zhou and the others yet?"

The President Zhou Qin Yanan referred to was the vice president she had sourced for Chen Che. He had previously served as the vice president of McDonald's Greater China, later joining a catering enterprise as executive CEO before starting his own venture in 2016, which ended up lingering in a half-dead state.

To call him a major titan might be an overstatement, but to say he wasn't one would ignore the fact that he was already at the absolute ceiling of ordinary mortals.

Chen Che was starting to realize something.

Qin Yanan was quite literally the person sent to mend all his shortcomings.

Was attending university important? Of course it was; many personal networks and connections branched out from alumni circles.

At least for those who couldn't rely on their families.

Since Chen Che was unwilling to go to university, embarking on entrepreneurship meant he inherently started a step behind others, lacking even a basic professional network.

He didn't care excessively about the Beijing company, not only because the situation in Tianjin was pressing, but also because he possessed self-awareness and didn't expect to ring the bell for an IPO within a short span of time.

There was no urgent rush for the Beijing enterprise.

Yet Sister Nan alone was worth an army of thousands.

Over these past eight days, Qin Yanan had helped him secure three vice presidents, covering technology, management, and operations respectively.

This was practically spoon-feeding success directly into his mouth.

Of course, human hearts are made of flesh; he had promised that he would only let Qin Yanan help him for a week if he was away for a week.

If he continued to slack off and do nothing in the future, Qin Yanan naturally wouldn't maintain her patience.

...

"Let's make it tomorrow morning instead. I'm a bit too tired today and my condition isn't great. We have already spoken over the phone, though."

Chen Che replied softly after finishing his bite.

He spoke the truth; he had been far too exhausted these past few days, having scarcely enjoyed a single night of sound sleep.

Even though he knew President Zhou, President Han, and the others were still working overtime at this very moment, there was no need to rush things to this exact second.

As for the side in Tianjin...