Chapter 69: Quantum Jump on the Right Track
After receiving the call, Xu Jingren set aside his work. He had just arrived at the public office area when he saw Fang Hongzheng being escorted into the company by the receptionist.
Xu Jingren approached Fang Hong with a smile, while the receptionist returned to her duties.
"So, what do you think?" Xu Jingren gestured toward the office area and asked with a grin.
"Well, the progress is good. It looks like what you'd expect from a thriving internet company," Fang Hong remarked as he took in the surroundings, nodding in satisfaction.
His words were overheard by several employees in the adjacent cubicles, causing a stir among them as they began speculating about Fang Hong's background.
Xu Jingren chuckled and said, "Let's move to my office, and we can talk more in detail."
Although the office space was small, there was an independent CEO office. Upon entering, Fang Hong noticed a woman in formal attire. Xu Jingren introduced her with a smile: "Boss, this is the assistant I hired, Zhuang Youmin."
Fang Hong nodded. He had been thinking about getting an assistant for a while. Xu Jingren had not dropped out of school or taken a leave of absence, and sometimes, when he wasn't available due to school commitments, tasks were delegated to assistants. This position was crucial for managing day-to-day operations.
"Youmin, please bring us a glass of water," Xu Jingren casually requested.
"Understood, Mr. Xu."
As Zhuang Youmin acknowledged the request, she was surprised. She had just overheard her boss refer to the other man as "Mr. Fang," which raised her curiosity about his identity.
Once Zhuang Youmin brought the water, she didn't leave the office but instead began sorting out materials at Xu Jingren's desk.
As the two men continued their conversation, they were unaware of her presence. Since Zhuang Youmin was Xu Jingren's assistant, she had an important role in the company, comparable to that of a vice president in some organizations. She was part of the executive team and aware of the company's internal workings. Thus, Xu Jingren didn't feel the need to hide any details from her.
Xu Jingren continued, "However, we've made some internal assessments. To implement the current promotion strategy, the average cost for promoting to each university will start at 30,000 yuan. The funding gap here is between 70 and 80 million yuan, not including other operational costs such as employee salaries."
At this point, Xu Jingren turned to Zhuang Youmin, who was busy with the materials, and said, "Youmin, please bring the folder with the materials from the third floor."
Fang Hong couldn't help but nod in approval at Xu Jingren's efficient demeanor. It was clear that the man had the poise of a business leader.
Zhuang Youmin brought the folder with the requested materials. Xu Jingren handed it to Fang Hong and said, "We currently have over 4 million yuan in the company's account, but it will only last us until the end of the year at most—unless we change our current approach."
Fang Hong glanced at the materials and responded, "Don't worry about the money. I'm already in discussions with the VC regarding Quantum Beat's Pre-A round of financing. It's going smoothly, and we should be able to raise tens of millions without any issues."
Upon hearing this, Xu Jingren's face lit up with joy. "That's great news. With your support, I feel a lot more at ease."
Fang Hong placed the materials back on the table, and the two continued discussing other company matters. Overall, Fang Hong was satisfied with the company's current situation.
After spending more than twenty minutes in the office, Fang Hong left.
Once Fang Hong had departed, Zhuang Youmin couldn't contain her curiosity and asked, "Mr. Xu, who exactly is this Mr. Fang?"
Xu Jingren glanced at her and replied with a smile, "He's one of the co-founders of Quantum Beat."
Zhuang Youmin was surprised and exclaimed, "So he's one of the founders?"
No wonder the boss was so open about sharing sensitive company details. Xu Jingren nodded and continued, "Our company wouldn't have been able to evolve from a small workshop to a formal company without him. He is the real founder and head of Quantum Beat."
Seeing the confused look on Zhuang Youmin's face, Xu Jingren added with a smile, "You may be wondering why I'm leading Quantum Beat. The truth is, Fang Hong doesn't like directly managing the company or taking center stage. His involvement is more strategic—he formulates the company's direction and handles the crucial financing matters."
Zhuang Youmin's eyes widened as she nodded in understanding. This was the first time she had learned that Fang Hong preferred to stay behind the scenes and let Xu Jingren take the lead in daily operations.
Meanwhile, Fang Hong's reputation grew by over one hundred points, thanks to Zhuang Youmin's contribution.
At this point, Fang Hong's social reputation had accumulated to 11.13 million points, with his achievement points reaching 663,500.
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