Chapter 164: Chapter 150: Lin Qi: I Was Sold by the Company?

"I propose that our company purchase a new enterprise-level license from the Big Business Alliance, establish United Pharmaceutical through capital injection and equity distribution, and use the remaining personnel from the Liu’s Pharmaceutical Department as its foundational team. This will allow us to retaliate against the Si Clan with a new method: direct business competition."

This was an equally audacious proposal.

Enterprise-level licenses were sold in limited quantities each year by the Big Business Alliance in every administrative region.

A single enterprise-level license cost a full three hundred million Credit Points.

And that was just the prerequisite for founding the company. Whether it could grow into a large enterprise recognized by the Big Business Alliance depended entirely on its own performance.

This was why many large corporations supported "shadow companies"—businesses that operated on an enterprise scale but hadn’t purchased a license from the Big Business Alliance.

Only after turning a sufficient profit would they consider going legitimate and acquiring an official corporate charter.

The board members fell silent for a long moment, each calculating the potential profits and losses.

The Liu’s Pharmaceutical Department, while officially a division of Liu’s Heavy Industries, was in reality skirting the definition of a shadow company as defined by the Big Business Alliance.

At its peak in Greenfield City, its business volume had nearly reached an official enterprise level. In theory, it should have purchased an enterprise-level license for its operations.

"I agree with Director Liu Xuan’s new proposal. Since the rupture of our strategic alliance with the Si Clan, the company’s raw materials have no outlet."

"Three hundred million Credit Points is no small sum. Furthermore, the remaining staff in the company’s Pharmaceutical Department are insufficient to support an enterprise-level operation."

"I share that concern. Therefore, I propose an amendment to Director Liu Xuan’s proposal: the company can sign a loan agreement with Director Liu Xuan, who will also serve as the Chairwoman of United Pharmaceutical. She will personally maintain one hundred percent ownership, and United Pharmaceutical will assume the debt."

The board’s reaction didn’t surprise Liu Xuan, though their methods differed slightly from what she had anticipated.

If the proposal were modified according to the board’s wishes, it would mean the United Pharmaceutical that Liu Xuan founded would have to bear its own profits and losses.

If it incurred losses, they would be Liu Xuan’s alone; the debt would be deducted from her future personal share of the company’s profits.

And if it turned a profit? That was fine too. After all, Liu Xuan was a member of the Liu Clan. As long as they negotiated favorable terms later, a corporate merger was always on the table.

In other words, structured this way, the interests of the parent company, Liu’s Heavy Industries, would be protected regardless of the outcome.

All the risk was being shifted onto Liu Xuan personally.

Liu Xingyuan remained silent. Although Liu’s Heavy Industries was a family business, it still had its internal factions and profit-sharing disputes.

’If Liu Xuan wanted to secure her footing on the board, this was a necessary trial.’

’If the United Pharmaceutical she proposed could achieve massive profits, it would be a huge boon for her future standing on the board. It would also be highly significant, given her ’special status.’’

"I agree. If that’s the case, the company’s Intelligent Brain can now prepare the official documents for a vote."

"The official documents have been prepared. Voting may now commence."

Liu Xuan looked toward Liu Xingyuan. The board’s voting procedure required him to preside, unless he was absent from the meeting.

Liu Xingyuan offered no advice. He had always held high hopes for her.

"The vote will now commence. Members present will vote by a show of hands; absentee members will vote via the company system. The proposal will pass if it receives more than a two-thirds majority, which is twelve votes."

A brand-new proposal appeared before each director. Moments later, the voting officially began.

"Voting complete. Ayes: 18. Nays: 0. Abstentions: 0. The proposal has passed."

"Tomorrow, the company’s legal department will assist Director Liu Xuan in finalizing the process."

"Are there any other new proposals?"

No one else in the conference room spoke.

After waiting for two minutes, Liu Xingyuan announced, "This board meeting is now concluded. Everyone is dismissed."

As he finished speaking, the electronic screens in front of the empty seats retracted into the conference table. All board members who had been attending online logged off.

Only Liu Xingyuan, Liu Xinglu, and Liu Xuan were left in the conference room.

As far as Liu Xingyuan was concerned, Liu Xinglu was not an outsider, so he didn’t hold back. He looked at Liu Xuan and asked, "Xiaoxuan, do you have something else on your mind?"

Liu Xuan nodded, then shook her head.

After careful consideration, Liu Xuan spoke up. "Retaliating against the Si Clan on a corporate level is only one of my objectives. Beyond that, considering the shifts in the global business landscape and the fact that the Liu Clan’s core Extraordinary Professions are being targeted, the company must diversify to improve its ability to withstand risks."

"Relying on a single line of business, the Liu Clan will forever be confined to Red Fruit City, remaining just an ordinary large corporation in the Asian Administrative Region. We’ll never be able to become an intercontinental giant."

As she spoke, the blue light in her left eye flickered erratically.

’Seeing this, Liu Xingyuan knew that while Liu Xuan had spoken much of the truth, she hadn’t told him everything.’

He shook his head. ’The company will be passed on to the younger generation sooner or later. I just need to ensure Liu’s Heavy Industries continues to run smoothly.’

"Go on, get to work. With a new enterprise-level division being formed, you have a lot to do. Contact the head of the legal department; he’ll help you with the arrangements."

Liu Xingyuan waved his hand, not pressing her further.

...

「March 12, 2089. 8:00 AM.」

Lin Qi woke up in his apartment. The moment he came to, the Intelligent Brain connected via the electrode behind his ear bombarded him with a slew of messages.

There were more than ten from the company, a few from Liu Weicai, and even one from Dong Wenlong.

’What happened?’

’Did the company get blown up in the middle of the night?’

’Why is there so much commotion?’

Lin Qi decided to check all the emails from the company first.

He started reading them in chronological order.

[Liu’s Heavy Industries: Per a company resolution, your assigned division, the Pharmaceutical Department, is about to undergo a large-scale personnel restructuring. In accordance with Clause 981 of your employee contract, you are unable to refuse this transfer.]

[Liu’s Heavy Industries: Per a company resolution, the transfer of your assigned division, the Pharmaceutical Department, has commenced.]

...

[Liu’s Heavy Industries: Your employment is being transferred. You will be onboarded to the United Pharmaceutical Company.]

[United Pharmaceutical: Please arrive at the 1st-floor reception desk of the H4 Skyscraper on Company Road before 10:00 AM to clock in and complete your onboarding. Arriving more than three minutes late will be considered a violation of Clause 981 of your original Liu’s Heavy Industries Employee Contract, and the company will initiate legal proceedings against you.]

The dozen or so messages left Lin Qi completely bewildered.

’What is going on?’

’Did I get sold off by the company in my sleep?’

The contact in his comms labeled "Company" had already changed to United Pharmaceutical. Lin Qi now had no way to even contact Liu’s Heavy Industries.

At this point, Lin Qi had a pretty good idea of what Liu Weicai’s messages were about. They were probably to inform him that he’d been sold off.

What Lin Qi couldn’t understand was, given Liu Weicai’s attitude toward him yesterday, how could he have just stood by and let the company "sell" him off?

’And Liu Xuan... would she just let this happen?’

He opened Liu Weicai’s messages.

[Liu Weicai: You’re a legend!]

The first message left Lin Qi baffled.

’A legend for what? How am I a legend? What part of me is legendary?’

He read the next message.

[Liu Weicai: The Pharmaceutical Department is about to take off for real this time!]

’Take off? We got sold off and he calls that taking off? Did Liu Weicai get high or something last night?’

Feeling rather bemused, Lin Qi read the next message.

It wasn’t until he read the third message that it all clicked.

[Liu Weicai: The entire Pharmaceutical Department has been transferred to the United Pharmaceutical Company! You probably don’t know anything about United Pharmaceutical, which is totally normal, since it’s a new company that was just founded last night. United Pharmaceutical is one hundred percent personally owned by the new Executive Director of Liu’s Heavy Industries, Liu Xuan! She specifically asked for our department and plans to build a whole new business line with us as the core. Bro, you’re seriously a legend!]

Lin Qi now understood why he was supposedly a "legend."

It was because Liu Weicai had completely misunderstood the situation.

’He doesn’t actually think Liu Xuan founded an entire company just for my sake, and then bundled up the whole Pharmaceutical Department to go with it, does he?’

’That’s impossible!’

Lin Qi smiled and shook his head. His mood, which had been one of confusion, suddenly brightened. The sudden shift in his own feelings was, ironically, a bit confusing in itself.

He moved on to the remaining messages.

There was one last message, this one from Dong Wenlong.

’Why would Old Dong be messaging me?’

In Lin Qi’s experience, Dong Wenlong never did anything out of the ordinary. He was the quintessential company man.

He opened the message.

[Dong Wenlong: Farewell, you cage! See you never!]