My heart is tied to that sky

Chapter 25: External Business Warfare, Internal Warmth

In Shanghai and Zhejiang after the turn of the millennium, the business world was rife with undercurrents.

Like a lurking beast on this land, waiting to devour its prey.

Industries are springing up like mushrooms after rain, with countless companies fighting fiercely in the Bohai Rim region.

The battle for every inch of market share is a matter of life and death for the economy of Shanghai.

The atmosphere in the top-floor office of Henderson Land Development's East China headquarters was oppressive.

Gao Tianlang stared intently at the screen, at the operational data of Qingyang Industrial Group's Jiangnanli project.

His knuckles were white from the exertion, and his face was so gloomy it seemed as if water could drip from it.

"Qingyang's Shanghai branch is quite a tiger with a big appetite."

"If we don't control them, they'll swallow the entire Shanghai market, including the Jiangnan market, whole."

Assistant Lin Zhou stood aside, barely daring to breathe, and reported in a low voice: "President Gao, they are gradually encroaching on our distribution channels."

"Even those few long-time clients who were with us until the end have been poached."

Gao Tianlang slammed his laptop shut with a loud bang, a sinister smile creeping across his face, his eyes filled with ruthlessness.

"Want to play games with me? Then don't blame me for being ruthless."

"Intercept resources, spread rumors, and poach talent with high salaries—use these three tactics to lock Tang Jianguo down completely, making it impossible for him to move an inch!"

He paused, tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, and spoke in a chilling voice.

"In addition, thoroughly investigate Tang Jianguo's background, including his spending records, accounts, and past disputes—dig out everything you can."

"Contact several familiar media outlets and prepare press releases, saying that Qingyang is facing financial difficulties and that Jiangnanli is fraught with hidden dangers."

"Don't hold back when poaching talent. Specifically target their sales and engineering departments, and double the offers they make."

Lin Zhou felt a chill run down his spine and quickly replied, "Yes, Mr. Gao, I'll arrange it right away."

At the headquarters of Zhejiang Water Qingyang Industrial Group, the morning sun shines through the clouds and through the glass curtain wall.

The light shone brightly into the CEO's office, as if to dispel the gloom that filled the room.

"What are you thinking about? Why are you so lost in thought?" Gong Yiqing tiptoed into the office, holding Tang Shiyang, who was just over six months old, in her arms.

The little one was sleeping soundly, his breath carrying the scent of milk. She placed the warmed honey water on the corner of the table.

Her voice was so soft as if she were afraid of disturbing the dust in the air, but her gaze was gently fixed on her husband's furrowed brows.

"Have a sip of water first. No matter what storms the group faces, no matter who is sharpening their knives outside, remember, I'll always be here."

Tang Muyang turned around and carefully took his daughter. The little one was sleeping soundly, completely unaware of the tense atmosphere outside.

He lowered his head and gently kissed the child's forehead, his heart filled with tenderness and the heavy burden on his shoulders intertwined intensely at that moment.

He picked up the water and took a sip, but his brow remained furrowed.

His tone carried a hint of helplessness regarding the situation: "Those two brats, they got married, and they also took away my right-hand men along with them."

Gong Yiqing instantly understood. Looking at her husband's solemn expression, she chuckled softly.

Trying to ease the tension: "Haha, you're probably complaining that there's not enough people at home."

"Jiahui abducted Zhou Yanting, and Jianguo took Yang Liu away, leaving two key positions vacant."

Tang Muyang put down his cup.

His fingers tapped unconsciously on the table. "I've racked my brains these past few days to finally settle on one person. But for the other crucial position, I..."

Before she could finish speaking, a knowing glint flashed in Gong Yiqing's eyes.

She gently pressed his arm, her voice tender yet firm: "I know what you're worried about. Are you still short of someone to make money?"

Tang Muyang suddenly looked up, the weariness in his eyes vanishing, replaced by surprise: "How did you know?"

Gong Yiqing handed over a resume, her eyes full of confidence: "Ye Zhi Qiu, a finance master's graduate from overseas, I've already asked my dad to keep an eye on him."

"She is extremely professional, specializing in financial compliance and capital planning. With her, the financial gap left by Zhou Yanting was filled."

Tang Muyang looked at the resume, and his tense brows instantly relaxed, as if he had seen an ace in his hand.

"This is a real lifesaver. Coincidentally, Chairman Lu Zhenting also recommended a top sales talent to me, named Su Man."

"Su Man has previously fought against malicious competition in East China. She has plenty of practical experience and is a capable person."

He took a deep breath and gripped the resume tightly: "With these two people, the headquarters' management back-end is completely stable."

Gong Yiqing smiled and nodded. Tang Muyang held his wife's hand tightly, feeling a familiar and firm strength in his palm.

Through thick and thin for many years, no matter how big the storms outside, she will always be his most reliable support.

Meanwhile, in Kyoto, a thousand miles away.

The risk control center of Raycus Capital boasts huge floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the bustling financial district.

Jiang Ruoxi held Qingyang Industrial's financial report in her hand, her slender fingers gently tapping the table.

His eyes were sharp as knives, as if he could see through the paper to Tang Muyang's hand.

"With a solid industrial foundation, technological empowerment, and the expectation of listing, if this unicorn takes off, its valuation will be completely exploded."

Assistant Chen Mo pushed up his glasses and said cautiously, "Boss, Tang Muyang is a man who won't listen to reason."

"He is only focused on real business and refuses to be swayed by capital, so he may be difficult to control."

Jiang Ruoxi took a sip of coffee, a faint smile playing on her lips, a smile that revealed the arrogance and ruthlessness unique to capitalists.

"No one in the market is beyond our control. Since he refuses to back down, we'll accumulate shares from the secondary market."

"Cut off his funding and force him to halt his research and development. Then, I'll make him beg me for investment on his knees."

She turned her head and instructed, "Have the trader keep a close eye on Qingyang's loan and settlement schedule next month, don't miss a single second."

"Send more people to contact their core suppliers and spread the word that anyone who dares to continue cooperating with Qingyang is going against Raycus."

Chen Mo's heart skipped a beat, and he bowed his head in response, "Understood, I'll go make the arrangements right away."

At nine o'clock the next morning, at the headquarters of Zhejiang Qingyang Industrial Group, Tang Muyang stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

As darkness fell outside the window, his gaze remained exceptionally bright.

In the second half of 2014, a wave of transformation and upgrading of the real economy swept across the country.

Qingyang Industry stands at a critical juncture in the transformation of old and new growth drivers, ushering in a profound transformation that will affect its future.

Tang Muyang held the industry report in his hand; the atmosphere in the headquarters executive conference room was solemn.

The large screen connected in real time with branch venues in Hezhou, Shanghai, Lingnan, Sichuan-Chongqing, Sichuan, Shaanxi-Anhui, and Beijing.

He walked to the main seat, his gaze slowly sweeping over the various split-screen windows.

"Today we are convening a national video conference, mainly to review the performance of each war zone and at the same time to understand the current market situation."

The room fell silent instantly, everyone held their breath, Tang Muyang looked toward the Hezhou branch venue, and Peng Jiahui straightened his back.

"President Tang, the Hezhou jewelry production base is operating at full capacity, the defect rate continues to decline, and the production side is completely under control."

Zhou Yanting nodded slightly, adding the details clearly and confidently.

"With sound finances, controllable costs, and healthy cash flow, Hezhou has firmly established itself and is ready to take on a new round of capacity expansion at any time."

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhou Yanting's expression suddenly changed slightly. She subconsciously covered her mouth, her brows furrowed slightly, and she tried her best to suppress the churning in her stomach.

Upon seeing this, Peng Jiahui immediately looked at her with concern and gently reached out to support her back.

With her other hand, she quickly handed over a bottle of mineral water with the cap unscrewed, and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong? If you're not feeling well, go and rest for a bit?"

Several senior executives in the audience nodded slightly, and someone quickly jotted down the stability of the Hezhou base in their notebooks.

Tang Muyang nodded in satisfaction: "Very good. You are the stabilizers of the group by holding the Hezhou base."

Immediately afterwards, Tang Muyang looked at the Shanghai region and said in a deep voice, "Shanghai region, report your performance first, then talk about the competitive market situation."

Tang Jianguo leaned forward, his face almost touching the camera lens, his hands unconsciously rubbing together, and beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Reporting to Muyang! Jiangnan Lane is... it's incredibly busy right now!"

"Celebrities come every day, the club is always packed, and sales...sales have doubled!"

He's a natural comedian, and everyone was ready to laugh the moment he appeared. But as he got more and more flustered, he became increasingly incoherent, making the whole audience hold back their laughter.

Yang Liu gently covered her forehead and face, feeling both annoyed and amused.

Tang Jianguo scratched his head, looking rather simple and honest: "Anyway, it's just...it's really good! I can't remember the data!"

His expression immediately darkened, and his tone became somewhat indignant as he proactively reported the enemy's movements.

"It's because Henderson Land Development in Shanghai is targeting us too much; their boss, Gao Tianlang, is doing dirty work behind our backs!"

"They hijacked the cooperative resources we had agreed upon and spread rumors everywhere to smear Qingyang."

"They're even poaching our entry-level employees with high salaries, engaging in malicious competition against the Jiangnanli project at every turn!"

Yang Liu immediately took over the conversation, her voice crisp and clear, her points logical and well-organized.

"Mr. Tang, Jiangnanli has seen over 12 visitors in the past six months, and 3800 new members have joined."

"Sales in the jewelry sector increased by 110% year-on-year, exceeding the half-year target."

"In response to Henderson Land's series of suppressive actions, we have made contingency plans."

"We have temporarily maintained our market share, but a long-term passive response will affect our future market expansion."

After listening, Tang Muyang's eyes turned slightly cold, and he responded in a deep voice.

"The headquarters will make unified arrangements to deal with Henderson Land's malicious competition. You just need to defend your position in Shanghai."

Tang Muyang smiled and shook his head, looking at Tang Jianguo: "Fortunately, you had Yang Liu in your life."

He chuckled sheepishly and put his arm around Yang Liu's shoulder: "That's right! My wife is my little schemer! Without her around, I can't even speak properly!"

He was quite self-aware, and the video was filled with laughter.

The atmosphere in the meeting room instantly shifted from relaxed to tense after the Shanghai region reported on the opponent's malicious actions.

Tang Muyang raised his hand to signal the conference organizing team to project all the information on competitor suppression reported by the Shanghai branch venue onto the main venue's large screen in real time.

The executives in the audience all looked up, their faces darkening as they saw the targeted and malicious competitive tactics being used. Pens hovered over notebooks, and no one dared to utter a sound.

Some people frowned, staring at the words "spreading rumors," "poaching talent at high prices," and "hijacking resources" on the screen, their eyes filled with anger.

Someone bent down to take notes quickly, whispering to their colleague beside them, their tone full of worry.

"Gao Tianlang is trying to wipe us out completely, leaving us no way out."

"Shanghai is our core new battlefield. Being targeted like this will make it too difficult to advance further."

"If our frontline staff are poached, the operations of Jiangnanli will be affected."

The whispers were clear, and everyone was deeply concerned about the plight of the Shanghai area.

Tang Muyang did not rush to interrupt, but quietly looked at the audience, making everyone keep this crisis in mind.

He knew that only by hearing firsthand and truly understanding the ruthlessness of their opponents could the entire team be truly awakened.

After the murmurs from the audience subsided slightly, he slowly spoke, his voice steady yet weighty.

"As you all just heard, the predicament in Shanghai is something we were completely unaware of before."

"Henderson Land, as a long-established local enterprise in Shanghai, is using its resource advantages and unfair competition tactics to try to kill our Jiangnanli project."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room, before continuing.

"This is just the first case. Other areas will report on related developments, so everyone should be aware of the situation."

"Throughout its journey, Qingyang has never initiated any conflict, but it has also never been afraid of malicious provocations."

"Once all the regions have reported, we will discuss countermeasures together and solve them one by one."

As soon as he finished speaking, the executives in the audience sat up straight, cleared their minds, and their eyes became firm again as they waited attentively for the reports from their respective regions.

Tang Muyang stopped talking and turned his gaze to the Kyoto area, saying seriously, "Kyoto area, report on your performance."

Inside the sub-venue, Gu Zhixing, dressed in formal attire, appeared calm and capable, while Ma Haoming, the production manager beside him, looked serious.

Gu Zhixing spoke first, his voice clear and strong. When he talked about capital trends, his brows furrowed slightly, but his eyes were unusually firm.

"Mr. Tang, the offline channels in the Kyoto area are being steadily established, market recognition of Qingyang is gradually increasing, and performance is progressing steadily."

"Recently, Kyoto Raycus Capital has been frequently targeting the group and has been repeatedly requesting our public financial reports."

"The fact that they are secretly accumulating shares in the secondary market is clearly an attempt to intervene in the capital market, interfere with the actual business operations, and control the group's decision-making power."

Ma Haoming then added, "President Tang, the national production supply chain is stable, and production capacity can fully meet market demand."

"In response to potential pressure on the supply chain from investors, we have made advance material reserves, and our contingency plans can be activated at any time."

After listening to the report from the Kyoto region, the meeting room fell into complete silence, and the initial worries instantly turned into immense pressure.

No one expected that, in addition to the malicious competition in the positive market, there was also the watchful eye of the capital market.

The atmosphere was extremely tense, with an overwhelming sense of business warfare.

Tang Muyang raised his hand and gently pressed down, and the entire room immediately fell silent without making a sound.

His expression was solemn as he kept this sudden double crisis in mind, then turned his gaze to Lin Mo at the Lingnan branch screen.

Before roll call could be taken, Lin Mo stood up on his own initiative, his expression serious.

"President Tang, the main structure of the Lingnan Old City Renovation Project has been completed."

"The interior decoration of the branch building is nearing completion and it will be officially completed and put into use by the end of the year."

"There are currently no strong competitors targeting the Lingnan area, and all work is progressing smoothly."

Tang Muyang nodded slightly, his eyes filled with trust and encouragement, his tone steady.

"Lin Mo, Lingnan is the southern gateway of the group. I am very reassured that you will work steadily and solidly to build a strong foundation and protect the rear of the group."

As soon as he finished speaking, all eyes in the room turned to Tang Muyang again.

In the golden autumn of 2014, the wind began to blow and the air grew cool.

This was a high-level meeting in Qingyang that spanned the entire country.

After figuring out all the unknown opponents' moves, the real show is just about to begin.