CHAPTER 552: CHAPTER 311 CAUTIOUS WORDS AND ACTIONS_2

"Ah? A toast just for me?" Chu Qin smiled as she raised her glass.

"Firstly, to thank my sister-in-law for devising strategies for Dili Private Equity, which secured the registration certificate so quickly."

Chen Cheng paused, "Secondly, to thank you for helping to calm the storm the other day."

Chu Qin waved her hand, "What’s there to thank? We’re all family, and it’s only right to help each other."

She took a sip of her juice, "The registration of Dili Private Equity was a minor issue, it was all in compliance with the regulations, I merely gave a little help."

"As for calming the storm..."

Before she could finish, Cao Yue asked, "Yes, I wanted to ask how that was resolved? I saw that it was still a big stir on the internet."

Chu Qin looked at him, "Father stepped in and asked Uncle Kang from the Securities and Exchange Commission to talk to that company. He knows you don’t like such methods, so I didn’t tell you."

She then turned to Chen Cheng, "Additionally, Xiao Chen here initiated a joint declaration of acceptance commitment from nine institutions, which quickly quelled the turmoil."

Cao Yue didn’t comment on his father’s approach, instead, he approved of Chen Cheng’s actions.

"The public’s money is hard-earned, stabilizing market confidence is the top priority. Xiao Chen, you did very well."

Chen Cheng humbly replied, "Seeing those protesters, I could not ignore it. Xiao Er and I are common people; we understand that earning money is not easy."

"As for money, whether an institution makes more or less, it’s at most about the attractiveness of the annual financial report. But for ordinary people like us, it’s a matter of survival." He continued, "It’s common to see a hero falter over a small amount of money."

Cao Yue nodded deeply, "During my time in the west, I saw too many difficulties caused by money. Many families have to sell everything they own to pay for medical expenses of a few thousand yuan."

He sighed, "Xiao Chen, you did the right thing. Institutions can make money, but they must not earn money unscrupulously. Only by stabilizing the market can we ensure a steady flow and safeguard people’s livelihoods."

Chu Qin, still controlling the pace, jokingly reminded, "Old Cao, we are not your subordinates; we don’t have to listen to your grand schemes!"

"Right, right, just look at me." Cao Yue poured more wine for Chen Cheng, "Come on, drink."

"Okay."

"You guys eat more dishes." Xiao Meier didn’t know what else to say, so she just kept promoting the dumplings Chu Qin made, "These dumplings were rolled out by hand by my sister-in-law, you must try them."

Cao Yue put down his wine glass, "Then I must taste the dumplings made by my wife."

"Aren’t you not good at saying nice things?" Chu Qin asked with a laugh.

"Hahaha..."

"Ha... hahaha."

...

...

The meal ended with Chen Cheng and Cao Yue having drunk more than half a bottle of liquor.

Xiao Meier and Chu Qin were busy cleaning up, and the two men stepped out onto the small balcony to smoke.

Cao Yue offered the cigarette, Chen Cheng lit it.

Two small red dots shone faintly amidst the lights of thousands of homes.

"Brother Cao, how long are you staying this time?"

Chen Cheng knew that Cao Yue was back in Beijing for a posting, but he still asked to let Cao Yue speak for himself about his plans.

Cao Yue flicked the ash, "I’m not leaving."

"Ah? Are you going to take a position in Beijing?"

Cao Yue nodded, "I’m going to be the General Manager and Secretary of Beijing Automobile."

Chen Cheng sincerely congratulated him, "Congratulations, Brother Cao, that’s great news!"

Cao Yue smiled slightly, his tone carrying a hint of emotion, "It’s supposed to be a good thing, but it’s also a challenge. Beijing Automobile is currently entangled in various issues, having just completed corporate restructuring; it’s not going to be easy being the General Manager."

Chen Cheng’s brows furrowed, instantly connecting this to what he had seen at Jin Baogen’s place a few days ago.

The disposal of the two rounds of vehicle assets was handled by Jin Baogen, and there might be more situations that Chen Cheng didn’t know about.

It seemed, therefore, that Cao Yue’s father, Cao Bofeng, was willing to step in and ask the Securities and Exchange Commission to put pressure on others, presumably because Jin Baogen had made some efforts behind the scenes.

However, Jin Baogen never mentioned this, merely completing the tasks quietly; unlike the clear and direct lessons of the past, this time, Chen Cheng learned the principle of "being cautious in speech and conduct."

Cao Yue continued, "Self-brands have had a tough time in recent years, squeezed by joint venture brands on the outside and plagued by rigid management systems on the inside. Their products cannot keep up with the market, and sales are even weaker."

He sighed, took a deep drag on his cigarette, "If there’s no improvement after I take office, then this new position will be challenging."

Chen Cheng’s mind raced, "Brother Cao, it’s indeed difficult to reform the system. But if we can start with the products, create best-sellers to boost market confidence, we might be able to break through more easily."

Cao Yue looked at Chen Cheng with approval:

"Great minds think alike! That’s exactly what I’m thinking. Redesign a few car models, increase R&D investment, and expand sales channels to enhance the core competitiveness of our products."

Chen Cheng gave a thumbs-up, "A three-step approach, every step in place, Brother Cao is truly far-sighted."

Cao Yue waved his hand, "The hardest part now is stepping into the new energy vehicles. It’s both an opportunity and a challenge."

He put out his cigarette, "New energy vehicles are the trend of the future, and Beijing Automobile definitely cannot miss this opportunity. I’ve planned to set up a dedicated new energy vehicle R&D department, bring in some top talents, and strive to launch several competitive new energy models soon."

"Brother Cao, if you can get Beijing Automobile’s new energy vehicles off the ground, that would be a great contribution to the country and its people!"

Cao Yue smiled modestly, "The road ahead is long, I shall search high and low. Hopefully, I won’t let everyone down."

"Definitely." Chen Cheng also extinguished his cigarette, which had only been lightly smoked, "When the time comes, I must try out Jingqi’s electric car."

"Just try it?" Cao Yue asked with a smile.

"Full support!"

Cao Yue patted Chen Cheng on the shoulder, "How’s your private equity firm doing?"

"The license is obtained, the location is set, now it’s under renovation." Chen Cheng replied: "You have to come to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Brother Cao."

Cao Yue readily agreed, and he continued, "If there’s any difficulty, seek Xiao Qin. Whatever she can do, let her handle. For what she can’t, I will take care of it. If we’re going to do this, let’s make a name for ourselves."

"Brother Cao, that puts a lot of pressure on me!"

"Hahaha... Pressure is what drives us. Dili Private Equity can’t be inferior to others!" Cao Yue’s words were full of conviction.

"Of course!"

"Oh, you’ve taken up smoking too?"

Having tidied up, Chu Qin and Xiao Meier came over. Chu Qin said, "It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you smoke."

The two men turned around, Cao Yue laughed happily: "Just enjoying a rare moment of happiness. Xiao Chen and I hit it off right away."

Chen Cheng also laughed and chimed in: "Yes, Sister-in-law, Brother Cao and I have a lot in common."

Chu Qin nodded with a smile, indeed, she hadn’t seen Cao Yue like this for a long time.

"Come on, let’s go inside, have some fruit, it’s cold outside." Chu Qin invited.

"Sister-in-law, I also brought some desserts." Xiao Meier opportunely said, "Would you like to give them a try?"

Chu Qin’s face lit up with surprise, "Ah? Xiao Er, you’re so thoughtful! Wanbao Hall’s desserts are famously delicious."

"Really?" Cao Yue joined in, "Then we must try it."

"I’ll get them, I’ll get them." Xiao Meier, although not familiar with Chen Cheng’s business, knew the significance of Cao Yue to Chen Cheng and said with a smile on her face, "I put them in the refrigerator when I arrived."

The four returned to the living room, with Xiao Meier serving the desserts she had brought on the table.

"This is the top-selling orange peel red bean soup this summer, and this is the rock sugar pear paste that’s best-seller recently," she introduced.

Cao Yue scooped up a spoonful of the red bean soup and tasted it, exclaiming, "Hmm, sweet and refreshing on the palate, the red beans are soft and glutinous with a hint of orange peel aroma, really nice!"

Chu Qin also tried the rock sugar pear paste and said, "This is good too, moisturizing the lungs and stopping coughs, perfect for the current season."

"As long as you like it." Xiao Meier settled next to Chen Cheng.

Chu Qin thought for a moment, "Eh? Why don’t we take a group photo? It’s rare for us to get together."

"Sure." Cao Yue nodded in agreement.

Chu Qin took out her phone, found the right angle, set the timer, and everyone took their places.

Chen Cheng and Cao Yue sat in the front, while Xiao Meier and Chu Qin stood on both sides, hands resting on their respective men’s shoulders.

"Look at the camera~" Chu Qin reminded, "One, two, three!"

"Cheese~"