NOVPUBChen Nan felt it was about time, so he arrived at the private room of the restaurant that had been reserved in advance.
Not long after, in less than ten minutes, Wang Guodong walked in with a middle-aged man, both chatting and laughing as they opened the door to the private room.
Chen Nan looked up and couldn’t help but be a bit surprised; the visitor turned out to be an old acquaintance—Qian Feng, the boss of Jizhou’s commercial street.
Qian Feng’s face was all smiles as he politely greeted, "Mr. Chen, good evening."
Wang Guodong explained with a smile on the side, "I had already planned to have dinner with Mr. Qian tonight."
"Then, you called out of the blue, so I thought why not have everyone at the same table since we’re all familiar with each other."
Chen Nan acknowledged with a word and warmly welcomed both men to take their seats, then asked the waiter to start serving the dishes.
Chen Nan was a straightforward person, and after taking his seat, he got straight to the point, "Uncle Wang, there are mainly two reasons I invited you to dinner this time."
"The first is about the matter of the ambergris. Thank you for giving me face."
"The second is that I’d like to ask for your help."
Wang Guodong waved his hand dismissively with a smile, "What’s all this talk about helping? Isn’t it too formal between us?"
Chen Nan continued, "The thing is, Uncle Wang, you know about my dad’s previous company."
"Since he sold his shares, the company’s performance has plummeted, to an extreme low."
"Although the company has nothing to do with my family now, my uncle is still running it."
"I was thinking, perhaps you could use your network and connections to introduce some business, so the company’s performance could improve?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Guodong’s face showed a troubled expression, "Chen Nan, it’s not that I don’t want to help you, it’s just... your request comes a bit late."
Chen Nan, full of curiosity, couldn’t help but ask, "Uncle Wang, what do you mean by that?"
Wang Guodong answered with a bitter smile, "I’m not going to hide it from you. I’m no longer the president of the Jizhou Chamber of Commerce."
"To be exact, I’ve been ousted."
"Ah?"
Chen Nan was stunned, with disbelief written all over his face, "What happened? Who ousted you?"
In his original plan, seeking help from Wang Guodong would definitely have saved Chen Group.
After all, Wang Guodong, as the president of the Jizhou Chamber of Commerce, had ample connections and resources.
But who could have imagined Wang Guodong would be ousted?
"Ah, it’s a long story," Wang Guodong sighed helplessly and began to recount the details of the event.
This matter had a direct connection to Dai Shouyi, the former secretary of the Jizhou City Committee.
After Dai Shouyi was brought down, Zhao Chengfeng took over as the secretary of the Jizhou City Committee, and this political change triggered varying reactions within the Jizhou Chamber of Commerce.
Many in the Chamber of Commerce felt that they should proactively establish good relations with the new city committee secretary, viewing this as a significant opportunity for the future development of the Jizhou Chamber of Commerce.
In their eyes, maintaining a close and active interaction with government officials was extraordinarily significant for obtaining resources, expanding business, and maintaining a stable development environment for the Chamber of Commerce.
However, Wang Guodong had a completely different philosophy.
He was always committed to the separation of business and politics, believing that although businessmen often have close connections with the political world in their operations, they must maintain a certain level of independence and distance, and not be overly dependent.
In his heart, the Chamber of Commerce needed to maintain its autonomy and neutrality; it couldn’t just change its development path and principles of action willy-nilly to cater to political leaders.
This concept caused a stark conflict with the ideas of some vice-presidents and directors within the Chamber.
In their eyes, the special period of the new municipal party secretary’s office was a key time to take the initiative to visit and build relationships in favor of the overall interest of the Chamber, while Wang Guodong’s attitude had become a stumbling block to the development of the Chamber.
Against this backdrop of conflict, the Chamber of Commerce election began.
The previous divergence over how to handle relations with the new municipal party secretary caused a recombination and realignment of forces within the Chamber.
Those vice-presidents and directors who advocated for active interaction with the new leadership united against Wang Guodong in the election, causing him to lose support, and ultimately, he sadly lost the important position of President of the Jizhou Chamber of Commerce in this election.
The loss had a huge impact on Wang Guodong, signifying not only a sidelining of his power but also a profound fall in his status within the Chamber.
Once revered, he had now become an object of disdain and estrangement to some.
After hearing Wang Guodong’s account, Chen Nan couldn’t help but laugh, "I really didn’t expect Uncle Wang to have such an experience; it’s quite unexpected."
Wang Guodong was indifferent, merely cracking a slight smile, "It doesn’t matter. I was planning on retiring anyway."
Chen Nan turned his head towards Qian Feng, his eyes full of curiosity, "Mr. Qian, if I may be so bold to ask, why do many people now avoid Uncle Wang like the plague, yet you do not shun him at all, and still dine with him?"
Qian Feng was unruffled and dismissive, "No matter what, President Wang has been kind to me. Although it’s said that businessmen value profit over integrity, the most basic decency for a man is to not be ungrateful."
Upon hearing this, Chen Nan revealed a smile with deep implications, "Well said, Mr. Qian. You’re broadening your roads and walking further."
Qian Feng was puzzled by his comment, a look of bewilderment on his face.
Chen Nan then looked at Wang Guodong and continued, "Uncle Wang, no matter what, I’ve told you about the situation, and you must help your nephew out!"
"I just can’t stand by and watch the company my father worked so hard to build go bankrupt."
Wang Guodong grimaced with a wry smile, "Chen Nan, don’t make things difficult for your uncle."
"If I were to get involved in Chen Group’s affairs now, not only would I be unable to help, but it would also make the situation even more difficult for Chen Group."
Chen Nan’s lips curled into a smile that seemed to carry a hint of enigma, "Uncle Wang, do you really think you can retire so easily?"
"What do you mean by that?" Wang Guodong looked at Chen Nan curiously, sensing a deeper meaning in his words.
Just then, the waiter began to bring in the sumptuous dishes and drinks to the private room.
Seeing this, Chen Nan conveniently changed the subject, "Let’s eat first."
In reality, Chen Nan wanted to wait until Yang Ruoshui had fully secured the favors, and then inform Wang Guodong.
After all, if anything unexpected happened before that, it would all have been in vain.
Wang Guodong, seeing that Chen Nan didn’t wish to say more, did not press further.
The three of them poured their drinks and toasted together.
Chen Nan actually didn’t want to drink.
He had already drunk quite a lot at noon, and his head was still somewhat groggy.
However, since he was the one who had invited them to dinner, not drinking would seem both unreasonable and disrespectful to the guests.
But after the three of them drank a glass.
Wang Guodong’s cell phone rang unexpectedly, and at the sight of the number, Wang Guodong’s pupils shook violently; he hadn’t anticipated a call from this person.
Nonetheless, he answered the call with a nervous heart...
