Chapter 651: Lack of Ambition
Chapter 651: Lack of Ambition
As soon as he arrived at work, Nie Zhan called Kruppe. Once the call connected, he shared his intention to open a branch of Wansheng Bank in Moscow.
Kruppe thought he had misheard, "You want to open a branch here?"
"Yes, why? Don't you support me?" Nie Zhan asked.
Kruppe fell silent. The government had just announced a new policy the day before, and now Nie Zhan wanted to open a branch in Moscow. "What if I refuse?"
Nie Zhan replied with a smile, "Then I'll have to look for other partners, but that will take more effort and time."
Kruppe sighed inwardly. He had been feeling restless since learning about the new policy the day before. As a graduate of a top business school, he clearly understood the potential harm this policy could bring to the country, but the leader only listened to his confidants. "This is a big matter. I need to discuss it with my father and uncle."
"I'll await your good news," Nie Zhan said.
After hanging up, Nie Zhan called Nie Jingwen but didn't mention the plan to open a branch in Moscow. Such a significant decision had to be discussed in person, not over the phone.
Nie Jingwen knew something was up when Nie Zhan invited him to lunch. "Sure, my second uncle just opened a new Cantonese restaurant. Let's go check it out."
Zhang Lanlan's family had a long history as imperial chefs. Although her great-grandfather lacked culinary talent, her grandfather had inherited the gift. Over the years, he had built a successful business, starting from a small restaurant and eventually expanding to large hotels and a food company.
Zhang's second eldest brother also had a talent for cooking, but he was content with simply cooking and had no interest in the family business or hotels. So, the eldest brother inherited the company, while the second brother received some shares and year-end dividends. It was believed that he was learning culinary skills from others, but surprisingly, after returning home this time, he decided to stay and open a private restaurant specializing in Cantonese cuisine.
"Okay," Nie Zhan agreed.
At noon, the two men met at the private restaurant and went to a private room. Once they were seated, Nie Jingwen smiled and asked, "Why couldn't this be discussed over the phone? Why did we have to meet in person?"
Nie Zhan didn't beat around the bush and shared his idea about opening a branch in Russia. "I just want to use the name of Wansheng Bank. Lanlan and I will raise the funds, and if you're interested, you can invest as well."
Nie Jingwen was stunned. "Open a branch in the Soviet Union? Nie Zhan, what are you thinking?"
Nie Zhan didn't mention the new Soviet policy or his speculations. Instead, he said, "Brother, I think there's great potential in opening a branch there."
Thinking about the current situation in the Soviet Union, Nie Jingwen couldn't help but express his concern. "Nie Zhan, please reconsider. Their system is different from ours. If we open a bank there, most of our investments will likely be in vain."
Nie Zhan smiled and said, "Brother, any investment carries risks. Lanlan and I have discussed this at length, and we both feel that this investment won't result in a loss."
Nie Jingwen knew his stubbornness and that once he made a decision, he wouldn't change his mind. "I'll bring this up at the meeting on Monday. I don't think they'll refuse."
After all, it wasn't a request to use the Wansheng Bank name for free. They would be paying for it, so the family would likely agree. However, Nie Jingwen truly didn't think investing in the Soviet Union was a wise move.
Seeing that he couldn't change Nie Zhan's mind, Nie Jingwen didn't push further. "Nie Zhan, you're already 31 this year. Isn't it time to set a wedding date?"
With their engagement, the next step was naturally marriage.
Nie Zhan also wanted to get married soon, but the problem was that Lanlan disagreed. "Brother, Lanlan is still young. Let's talk about marriage in a couple of years."
Nie Jingwen brought up Old Man Nie. "Grandfather is getting on in years. He's just waiting for you to get married and have children. Don't keep him waiting any longer."
Nie Zhan disagreed with this idea. "I married Jiaxin because I love her, not because I want her to have children for me. Even if we get married, we won't be planning to have children in the near future."
They had also discussed the topic of children before. Jiaxin wanted two, regardless of gender, saying that it would be nice for them to have companions. However, having children was a matter of fate and not something one could force.
Nie Jingwen had no choice but to change the subject and chat about work-related matters.
Regarding this matter, Nie Jingwen specially convened a board meeting on Monday. During the meeting, he brought up Nie Zhan's desire to use the bank's name and presented it as seeking everyone's opinions, but in reality, it was more of a notification. After all, Nie Jingwen held 49% of the shares, and his staunch supporters accounted for another 10%.
One of the older directors felt his heart warm at the mention of this, and he said, "Since Ah Zhan wants to go to SL to open a branch, he must see potential in SL's economy. I think we should partner with the third young master to open the branch."
After all, Nie Zhan had been very prominent in the past few years, and his wealth had increased severalfold. There was also his fiancee, whose financial luck was so good it made others envious. Although SL had a different system from Harbor City, if he was prepared to invest, he must have his reasons. If they couldn't get a bite of the meat, they could at least sip some of the soup.
Two other high-level directors also felt that this shareholder's words made sense.
Nie Jingwen immediately rejected the idea without a second thought and explained his reasons for doing so: the risks were too high, and the returns were unknown. There were already many potential issues with Wan Sheng Bank, and if they partnered to open a branch in SL, they might end up detonating those time bombs if they suffered losses.
After the meeting, the director who had wanted to invest with Nie Zhan left with a belly full of resentment. As he was leaving, he grumbled to another director, "Those old fogies from Wan Sheng Real Estate are so full from following Ah Zhan's lead. And what about us? Our year-end dividends aren't even enough to spend."
If he had known earlier, he would have sold his shares in Wan Sheng Bank and bought shares in Wan Sheng Real Estate instead. That way, he would have at least doubled his money.
An older shareholder of similar age said, "As a bank, we still need to be stable. The third young master is too aggressive. Wan Sheng Real Estate had a debt-to-asset ratio of nearly 80% at its highest, and during the stock market crash, the bank almost came knocking on their door. If their cash flow is cut off, they'll go bankrupt. On the other hand, Jingwen has always been steady and cautious."
That very evening, Lu Jiaxin found out about the outcome. With a smile, she asked, "Did you invite your big brother to join the investment, and he refused?"
Given Nie Zhan's personality, he would definitely want to bring Nie Jingwen along to get rich, but this person simply lacked courage.
Nie Zhan didn't deny it. "Yes, I originally wanted to give him a one percent stake, but I didn't expect him to be unwilling. Forget it, that's just his personality."
Lu Jiaxin shook her head. "Harbor City's economy will soon enter a period of rapid development. If we stagnate, we will definitely be left far behind and eventually be eliminated by the times."
To put it nicely, they were seeking stability, but to put it bluntly, they were sticking to old rules and refusing to seek innovation and change. The 1980s and 1990s were the best times for Harbor City's economic development. If they could ride this wave, Wan Sheng Bank's problems would be solved; but if they continued as they were now, there would only be one outcome: bankruptcy.
Nie Zhan couldn't be persuaded, and he was helpless in the face of this. "Kruppe replied and said he supports me going to Russia to open a bank, but for something this big, we need to meet in person. I plan to go to Russia next week. Firstly, to discuss the matter of opening a bank with Kruppe, and secondly, to survey the market."
Lu Jiaxin's heart stirred, and she was just about to say that she wanted to go to Russia with him, but the words stuck in her throat, and she swallowed them back down. "Then be careful."
She was afraid that if they made plans to go to Russia together, something might come up again and cause them to cancel, and she had been stood up so many times that she now had a phobia of it.
"Okay."
(End of Chapter)
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