Chapter 576: Green Forest Goes Public
Chapter 576: Green Forest Goes Public
The IPO of Green Forest attracted not only entertainment gossip but also accolades from the News Evening Post, praising Lu Jiaxin as the youngest chairman of a listed company in Hong Kong, a young and promising talent.
The focus was on Lu Jiaxin's journey from moving to Hong Kong five years ago under the wing of Ms. Gu to becoming the boss of a listed company through her own hard work in a short span of time. Now, with both career success and romantic fulfillment, she was the epitome of a winner in life, envied by many.
Susan called Lu Jiaxin to inform her about a journalist who wanted to interview her. "Boss, this journalist is from the Economic Guide, one of the most prestigious financial magazines in Hong Kong. If you agree to the interview, more people will get to know about our company, and the positive exposure could boost our stock price."
Lu Jiaxin replied, "As long as the company performs well and achieves annual profit growth of more than 20%, the stock price will naturally rise. But since this is a rare opportunity, why don't you and Xu Yue take the interview together?"
Susan hesitated and said, "Boss, the journalist specifically wants to interview you. If you don't attend, they might cancel the interview altogether."
Lu Jiaxin nonchalantly said, "Then let them cancel it."
Some people relished such interviews as they could not only benefit the company but also enhance personal reputation and social status. However, Lu Jiaxin simply wasn't interested and didn't want to force herself.
Susan had guessed that Lu Jiaxin might not be receptive to the idea. Ever since the attempted kidnapping incident, their boss had become even more low-key, and even the paparazzi struggled to get a clear photo of her.
In the evening, Zong Shimeng called and said with a laugh, "Jiaxin, congratulations! You've become the youngest female chairman in Hong Kong."
"Thank you, Sister Shimeng," Lu Jiaxin replied.
"Such a momentous occasion calls for a celebration. Are you free this weekend? Let's get together if you are."
Lu Jiaxin apologized, "I'm afraid I'm busy for the next two weeks. This week, I need to visit our newly built factory in the mainland, and next week, I'm off to Australia for business negotiations."
Upon hearing this, Zong Shimeng laughed and said, "In the past, you used to complain about how Nie Zhan stood you up all the time, calling him the king of standing people up. Now that you're managing the company yourself, you understand how busy it can get, don't you?"
Lu Jiaxin disagreed, "If it were work-related matters that caused him to stand me up, I could understand the importance of prioritizing work. But the problem is that most of the time, it's because of issues within his family."
Initially, she could empathize, but eventually, it became tiresome. Fortunately, Nie Zhan had assured her that he wouldn't let it happen again.
Bringing up the subject, Zong Shimeng said, "I heard that Nie Zhan's mother will be returning next week. You should prepare yourself for that."
This was news to Lu Jiaxin, but she didn't seem too concerned, "It doesn't concern me since Nie Zhan and I aren't even engaged yet."
"If I recall correctly, you two haven't even met, have you?"
Lu Jiaxin acknowledged with a hum, "We haven't met, and to be honest, I'm not particularly interested in doing so. Even if I marry Nie Zhan in the future, I don't foresee myself having much interaction with her."
Given Lu Jiaxin's background and status, she certainly didn't need to curry favor with her in-laws. Everyone had their own way of living, and she, unlike Lu Jiaxin, was content with taking care of her own small family and raising her children.
Zong Shimeng laughed, "I went for a check-up, and the doctor said it's a boy. I thought it might be a girl, as that would make a nice pair with our existing child."
"A boy is great, too," Lu Jiaxin said sincerely. She genuinely meant it, as the Hu family valued boys over girls, and having more sons would solidify Zong Shimeng's position in the family. Plus, being the only daughter would also mean being cherished by the entire family.
To say something a bit morbid, if she had three sons by her side and Hu Zhifeng ever found true love and wanted a divorce, the elders of the family wouldn't agree to it. Of course, the probability of such an event was extremely low, given that Hu Zhifeng wasn't the romantic type.
"What about you? When are you planning to marry Nie Zhan?"
Lu Jiaxin didn't beat around the bush and directly shared her plans, "We'll get engaged this year. As for the wedding, it depends on Nie Zhan's performance. If he does well, we'll marry before I turn twenty-five; if not, we'll see."
Zong Shimeng was taken aback, "You're getting engaged this year? When did you decide this?"
"We haven't set a date yet! But when we do, I'll definitely let you know right away."
Hearing this, Zong Shimeng couldn't help but laugh, "Around what time? If it's in the second half of the year, I can help you with the arrangements."
There were many things to prepare for an engagement, and with Nie Manli and the eldest matriarch of the Nie family on the groom's side, there wasn't a single reliable elder on Lu Jiaxin's side.
"We plan to choose a date in the second half of the year. There's too much going on in the first half, and I won't have the time."
The next day at work, Lu Jiaxin convened a high-level meeting. With the company's IPO, executives like Susan and Xu Yue, who held original shares, saw their stakes soar. Currently, Green Forest's shares were trading at 3.9 Hong Kong dollars each, while their original shares had been purchased at 1.8 Hong Kong dollars.
The meeting focused on Green Forest's development direction for the coming year. Lu Jiaxin's strategy was to refrain from further expansion and instead, prioritize signing more foreign brands while also developing their own in-house brands. Following the success of Rosemary, she launched a trendy fashion label and a sports brand.
During the meeting, some executives offered suggestions, and Lu Jiaxin was receptive to the good ones while dismissing the inadequate proposals. With a 65% stake in Green Forest, she held absolute decision-making power in the company.
After the meeting, her newly hired secretary, Ye Zhuojun, reported an important matter, "Boss, Mr. Tian from Wanjia Film and Television called earlier and said he had something important to discuss with you."
Knowing that Lu Jiaxin was busy, he specifically mentioned that it was an important matter, hoping that she wouldn't neglect or forget about it later.
Lu Jiaxin immediately returned Mr. Tian's call, "What's the matter?"
Mr. Tian smiled and said, "The television stations in Bay Island and Macau want to purchase the broadcasting rights for 'Noble Family,' and a company from South Korea is interested in acquiring the rights for 'Legal Beauty 1.'"
'Legal Beauty 2' was already in production with the original cast. Lu Jiaxin offered market-rate salaries, and given the previous series' explosive popularity, the actors couldn't refuse. If they declined, there were plenty of others waiting to take their place. Just like 'Gambling God 2,' which was about to start filming, countless actors were vying for roles. Wanjia Film and Television wasn't about to let this opportunity slip through their fingers, so key roles remained with their own actors, while minor roles were filled by newcomers from the company.
Previously, Mr. Tian had mentioned cultivating newcomers and not constantly creating opportunities for other companies. Lu Jiaxin wasn't opposed to the idea, but the roles simply didn't suit their rookies. Of course, if a suitable script came along, she would definitely promote their own talent.
Lu Jiaxin inquired about the offered prices, and while the Bay Island and Macau television stations were offering market rates, the South Korean company's bid was too low.
After giving it some thought, she said, "2 million Hong Kong dollars. Anything less is unacceptable. However, if they agree, we can explore a profit-sharing arrangement with them."
Buying out the rights would be a one-time transaction, and even if the series became a massive hit in their country, it wouldn't benefit Green Forest further. On the other hand, a profit-sharing model would ensure a continuous stream of revenue as long as the series generated profits, and Lu Jiaxin was confident in the success of the projects she greenlit.
Mr. Tian immediately understood that his boss was inclined towards a profit-sharing deal, hence the high asking price for the buyout. After all, even the massively popular 'Gambling God,' which had been a huge hit, only fetched 9 million Hong Kong dollars for its broadcasting rights when sold to Golden Harvest Entertainment.
"Alright, I'll discuss this with them again," Mr. Tian agreed.
(End of Chapter)
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