Chapter 164: was absolutely awesome!

“Unless Fang Huan Investment has lost its mind, it's impossible for them to touch us!” Li Guozhong's confidence was practically bursting.
“Don't forget, who's behind us? It's the parent company of Xia Hua Shipping! Xia Hua Group!
What do we hold in our hands? Decades of accumulated shipping experience and a vast network of connections!
Does he dare touch us? Wouldn't that be tantamount to turning his expensively acquired shares into a pile of worthless paper?”
Li Guozhong was absolutely certain of this.
Fang Huan Investment would never dare to touch these veterans of the old regime.
Moreover, Li Guozhong himself was the nephew of the chairman of Xia Hua Group; his foundation was as solid as a mountain!
After this discussion, the group of executives puffed out their chests, confident of victory, and strode confidently into the shareholders' meeting hall.
“…”
However, what greeted them was a deathly silence that could freeze the air.
Inside the meeting hall, countless shareholders' gazes were like knives and swords, filled with undisguised contempt and anger, piercing them fiercely.
Li Guozhong and the others forced themselves to remain calm, ignoring the murderous stares, and prepared to walk towards the reserved seats marked with their names.
Just then—
“Oh, I thought I was seeing things. I didn't expect you all to actually have the nerve to come. Your shamelessness is truly eye-opening.”
“…?”
Is he… talking about us?
Li Guozhong frowned, abruptly looking up and glaring fiercely at the man standing on the stage, microphone in hand.
“Good afternoon, shareholders. I am Huang Fengwen, Chairman of Fanghuan Investment.
Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend today's shareholders' meeting.”
As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause and deafening cheers erupted from the audience.
This reaction was perfectly normal.
For these shareholders, who had struggled for so long in the quagmire and were almost in despair, Fanghuan Investment was the hero who had rescued them from the abyss!
Huang Fengwen gestured with his hands, waiting for the applause to subside, before continuing:
"I know many people outside are saying that Fanghuan Investment manipulated the stock price of 'Xiahua Shipping' to cash out and fleece everyone.
Today, I solemnly promise you all:
We are not like those unscrupulous management members who were the first to abandon shareholders and lead the way in running away when the company was in crisis!"
What a veiled attack!
These words were undoubtedly another resounding slap in the face to Li Guozhong and his associates!
Everyone could tell who Huang Fengwen was insulting!
"Therefore, in order to completely sever ties with the past and allow the company to be reborn, we have decided to remove the old 'Xia Hua Shipping' signboard and officially change our name to—Fang Huan Shipping!"
"Wh-what the hell!?" Li Guozhong and the others' expressions changed drastically.
Huang Fengwen completely ignored their astonishment and continued to drop bombshells:
"Furthermore, every single one of the senior management team members who are still shamelessly lingering in their seats—are to be fired!"
"Outrageous! You… what are you trying to do!!"
Li Guozhong finally lost his temper, jumped up from his seat, and roared at Huang Fengwen on the stage:
"You, a financial speculator, dare to manage shipping?! Do you even know how to manage a shipping company? You know nothing!"
Huang Fengwen grinned, a smile that was utterly infuriating:
"I personally don't intend to run this company myself.
However, the professional managers I've hired are a hundred times, a thousand times, better than you bunch of good-for-nothings who brought the company to the brink of bankruptcy and are now thinking of deserting!
We will build a truly responsible, transparent, and efficient modern enterprise for all shareholders!
Not just a cash cow for the higher-ups to line their own pockets!"
He paused, surveyed the room, and said coldly:
"Even if I, an outsider, were to manage it, I'd still be far better than you bunch of traitors who pushed the company into the fire and were the first to jump ship!"
"…!" Li Guozhong trembled with rage, unable to utter a single word.
"I've finished speaking. Fellow shareholders, who agrees? Who disagrees?"
The meeting room fell silent.
Not a single person stood up to speak for the executives.
The next second, a deafening roar of angry shouts erupted from all directions simultaneously!
"You still have the nerve to come here? Get out!"
"The first traitor to abandon ship!"
"Do you even have one percent of the shares left? Huh?!"
"Stop polluting the air here, get out of here!"
The shareholders were enraged, and the scene became extremely ugly.
Amidst the increasingly surging waves of shouts, Li Guozhong's face turned a deep shade of purple. Amidst countless scornful glances and curses, he practically scrambled out of the meeting room.
His hands and feet were trembling uncontrollably.
Never in his life had he been so humiliated in front of so many people!
He was both the general manager of Xia Hua Shipping and the nephew of the chairman of Xia Hua Group.
He was always the one who scolded others; who dared to utter a single word in his presence?
But today… that Fang Huan Investment guy… named Huang Fengwen, right?
“This arrogant bastard!”
Just because he got lucky and swallowed up a run-down company, and was hailed as some kind of hero by a bunch of fools?
He's already forgotten who he is?
Firing all the company's veterans and replacing them with a bunch of so-called “professional managers”?
Fine, I'll see what tricks you come up with!
But amidst his burning anger, a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind, sending a chill down his spine.
...They...could they...know something?
***
"Brother Huang, you've worked hard!"
"Ouch, I'm covered in sweat." Huang Fengwen stepped off the stage, letting out a long breath. "How was my performance just now?"
"More than just okay! Absolutely stunning!" Su Hao handed him a bottle of water, sincerely praising him.
"The atmosphere, the applause, the cheers, wow! A tidal wave!
Anyone who didn't know better would think it was some top idol holding a fan meeting."
"Get lost, stop talking nonsense." Huang Fengwen cursed, but his face beamed with joy.
Today, Huang Fengwen stood before all the shareholders in his dual capacity as Chairman of Fanghuan Investment and the newly appointed largest shareholder of "Fanghuan Shipping."
Even Su Hao, watching from below the stage, felt his heart race, but Huang Fengwen remained calm and composed, methodically outlining his future plans and even engaging in friendly interaction with the shareholders.
Especially when he publicly announced the dismissal of the management team and proposed establishing a "shareholder-centric" operating system, the scene was absolutely electrifying!
To put it simply, Su Hao felt that Brother Huang was exceptionally impressive today, practically radiating brilliance.
"No wonder he's the strongest player to emerge from our 'guild'," Su Hao exclaimed sincerely.
"Hehe, of course! Don't you know who your brother is?"
Huang Fengwen puffed out his chest smugly, then let out a long sigh of relief, finally feeling a weight lifted from his shoulders.
However, jokes aside, both of them knew that the real battle was just beginning!