Chapter 1962: Father and Son

Zhao Fusheng really didn't take the company matters seriously.

Wanda nowadays was at best a real estate company with some influence in the three northeastern provinces. Whether it was the investors like Han Bin and Tan Kaixuan, or Father Zhao himself, they all knew it was far behind the Future Group.

That was also why Zhao Fusheng had confidence.

In his understanding, even if his father handled things poorly in the end, he could still find a way to cover for him.

But unexpectedly, Father Zhao had actually resolved the matter perfectly.

"How did you handle it?"

A week later, Zhao Fusheng looked at Father Zhao, who sat smugly in front of him playing with his precious granddaughter, and asked in confusion: "That was too fast."

Father Zhao chuckled: "Simple. I sold the shares to Han Bin and the others. As for Uncle Chen and the rest, if they want to stay in the company, they have to follow the rules. Otherwise, they can sell their shares like I did."

"That works?"

Zhao Fusheng laughed in spite of himself.

He really hadn't expected his father to handle the company in such a swift and decisive manner.

Though it sounded a bit unreliable, on second thought, it seemed to make sense.

At the very least, what his father did was a good approach for both himself and the entire company.

The people taking over the company cleared out the old shareholders left behind, which was a good thing in itself. And his father's comrades also got a chance to choose.

Everyone was happy.

Of course, some might be reluctant to give up the power and benefits they had in the company, but under such circumstances, even if individuals objected or had opinions, they could only endure.

In a sense, Father Zhao's method, though crude, was indeed a good one.

The biggest drawback of family businesses lies here. Often, you can't handle things with modern corporate management methods because many factors are involved.

As a family business grows, various interest groups form within it.

Due to complex emotional ties, leaders find themselves in a more complicated, even dilemmatic position when dealing with interests. When relatives or family members violate rules, managers find it hard to treat them equally like ordinary employees, leaving hidden dangers for internal management.

Another common trait of family businesses is that they can share hardships but not prosperity. During the startup phase, all conflicts are masked by entrepreneurial passion. But after startup, the three hurdles—dividing wealth, evaluating honor, and ranking positions—often hinder the organization's healthy growth. When views on honor, money, and power diverge, even brothers or father and son may turn against each other.

That's why Zhao Fusheng never arranged for his own relatives to join the Future Group.

Because he knew that once a company became a family business, especially one related to the internet, it would be like putting a leash on its development.

Family businesses are always排斥 external vitality and resources.

To put it bluntly, in a family business, outsiders rarely enjoy equity; they always see themselves as employees and find it hard to integrate into the organization.

Moreover, due to the difficulty of attracting external talent, the company's higher-level development is limited.

If elites from outside can't come in, and all top management are family members—who, being family, think more or less alike—it becomes harder to achieve faster and greater development.

Another issue concerns decision-making.

The arbitrariness of decisions was an important guarantee for the initial success of many private enterprises. Many entrepreneurs succeeded by being decisive and seizing fleeting opportunities.

But as the company grows and the external environment changes, the entrepreneur's personal experience becomes ineffective. Business gets bigger, investment risks increase, and unlike the startup phase, losses from a few mistakes can no longer be easily recovered.

At this point, ensuring democratic and scientific decision-making becomes increasingly important.

Family businesses rarely have such opportunities.

Take Father Zhao, for example. When he started his business, guided by Zhao Fusheng, he was among the first in Ninghai to run large supermarkets and trade centers, and later one of the first to venture into real estate.

But what was the result?

Years later, Wanda's influence was still confined to one province.

The reason was that they always hesitated, held meetings to discuss, and ultimately missed the best development opportunities.

Even Father Zhao himself had to admit that.

A good hand played terribly.

To be honest, Zhao Fusheng had considered whether to personally help his father manage Wanda.

But on second thought, his father wasn't stupid. Perhaps he had long understood this truth but pretended to be ignorant.

After all, if they followed the management style of the Future Group, most of his old comrades would have to be kicked out of the company.

"Don't worry about it."

Father Zhao shook his head and said to Zhao Fusheng: "Anyway, I'm completely retired now. The company's legal representative has been changed. What happens next has nothing to do with our family."

"What about Uncle and the others?"

Zhao Fusheng frowned and asked.

"They've pulled out too. They plan to start a farm. They've saved enough over the years, so it's enough." Father Zhao explained to Zhao Fusheng.

"That's good."

Zhao Fusheng nodded. This arrangement was the most suitable.

Family is family. As the saying goes, help in emergencies, not in poverty. Besides, these relatives couldn't still be poor after all these years.

Others might not know, but Zhao Fusheng knew his parents too well.

They were the type who, if they earned a hundred yuan, would find a way to help others earn as well.

Selfishness was something you wouldn't see in them.

"But there's something I think you should know," Father Zhao said to Zhao Fusheng. "Those friends of yours plan to expand Wanda."

The friends he referred to were Tan Kaixuan, Xue Yuanfang, and others.

Now, the largest shareholders of Wanda were three people: Tan Kaixuan, Xue Yuanfang, and Han Bin.

Of course, Xue Yuanfang was involved covertly; the public shareholders were Han Bin and Tan Kaixuan.

"I know."

Zhao Fusheng nodded: "Let them do it."

Then he said to his father: "You're older, and you're not in the real estate business. To be honest, the future development of real estate might exceed our imagination."

"What do you mean?"

Father Zhao frowned, clearly not convinced by Zhao Fusheng's words.

Zhao Fusheng chuckled and said nothing more. Saying too much might make him seem disrespectful to his father.

Though unwilling to admit it, Father Zhao wasn't very talented in big business.

He was too honest.

In business, especially large-scale business, leaders can't be honest.

The more honest you are, the easier it is for competitors to deceive you. Even your partners might think such a collaborator is too unreliable.

The business world is like a battlefield.

When fighting, would you stop attacking just because the opponent is honest?

Do you think everyone is Duke Xiang of Song?

In the Spring and Autumn period, when wars were fought without righteousness, clinging to ritual led only to death and the extinction of one's clan.

In modern business, a good person ultimately cannot sustain a company's development.

Zhao Fusheng didn't mind cleaning up his father's mess, but he didn't want his father to be cheated.

"You..."

Looking at his son, Father Zhao shook his head helplessly.

He knew that his son looked down on his ways.

Or rather, from the start, this guy had taken a completely different path in business.

Father Zhao used to be unconvinced, thinking Zhao Fusheng was too fond of taking risks, always dabbling in internet-related businesses without being down-to-earth.

But now, seeing his son's wealth grow and his business expand—even collaborating with the largest conglomerate in South Korea—

Father Zhao gradually understood.

His son had his own considerations. His own approach, though steady, couldn't have achieved such growth in just a few years.

As they say, everyone has their own aspirations. Clearly, his son's aspirations were greater than he had imagined.

As a father, Father Zhao felt both proud and somewhat失落.

Proud that he had raised such a capable and successful son—a sense of achievement that needed no words.

And失落 because he realized that the child who once needed his protection had grown up.

He no longer needed his protection.

On the contrary, he had become someone his father could rely on.

Father Zhao knew well that the reason he could freely pursue some projects in Ninghai was largely due to Zhao Fusheng.

The business community in Ninghai knew what kind of son the boss behind Wanda had.

So even if Father Zhao had no money for a project, others still dared to cooperate with him.

The reason was that everyone knew he had a good son.

If things ever reached a dead end, a little support from him would be enough to tide them over.

"Don't worry about my affairs," Zhao Fusheng said with a smile when he saw Father Zhao about to speak again. "From now on, just take good care of your granddaughter. Accompanying her is more important than anything."

Then he added bitterly: "You don't know, this kid is getting more and more disobedient. At home, she's almost spoiled rotten by Mom and Baobao. She's a little demon."

"That won't do!"

Father Zhao's eyes widened: "Our family's child can't develop a willful temper."

"Exactly."

Zhao Fusheng nodded repeatedly: "This is something you need to teach."

He conveniently ignored that he himself was the one who spoiled his daughter the most.