Chapter 1
After the legal case in my last project, I have been reflecting on the experiences that have shaped me into who I am today.I believe that everyone is the same.
When you realize enlightenment, even if you are much younger than me, it will not hinder my gratitude to you.I have to admit that I have no communication skills, Please allow me to write down what I want to say in the form of words, Thank you for your tolerance.
As a fortunate individual born in the 1980s in China, I found myself shedding tears while sipping wine with my parents and watching a video about the office politics of Dong Yuhui. Despite lacking any personal connection to the situation, I was deeply moved by the shadows within this mirror. With this article, I would like to honor mr.Alexie, my first American boss. My hope is that Alexie can rediscover his true self,the same to myself and that you can draw inspiration from our experiences in doing business in Shanghai, China.
Also, thank you so much for taking the time to read my article in this fast-paced era. I know it can be challenging to find a moment to relax, so I really appreciate your attention. Let’s dive into the story from here and hopefully bring a smile to your face. Everything is going to be just fine.
September 29, 2023, 10:25 a.m
My mobile phone vibrated and I saw that Monsieur An, my French partner in Hong Kong, had messaged me on WeChat. Together with the help of friends and loans from banks, we have been working on a chain of French food projects. Currently, we have 5 restaurants and are planning to open the sixth one soon. He is responsible for the main operations there.
Monsieur An：“https//the beat.asia/delish/people/yes-chef-Willy-on-making-spanish-cuisine-fun-and-sexy?utm_sourdce=The+Beat+Aisa+master+list&utm_compaign=47079936bb-HKG+%7c+Delish+%7c+Sept+%292c+2023&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-8fc8258f7f-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D.”
Monsieur An: “Hey.Ken.I`d love to share an article about your chef Willy with me?”
Monsieur An mentioned, “It’s a small world - the writer is actually a Spanish friend of our new group chef.”
Me:“I wish him the best of luck.”
Monsieur An: “Do you still have shares in his Willy F&B group?”
Me: “Not anymore, not now.”
Monsieur An: “What`s the story there?”
Me:"After gaining more legal knowledge, I cannot accept the fact that he allowed my finance manager to purchase fake invoices to cover up costs without my knowledge. This is something that I might have overlooked in the past, not anymore.”
Monsieur An:"OK. I see.”
Me:“I used to manage the back office for him based on my previous experience, I realized that I was not the right backoffice manager who he was looking for. In the meantime, I helped him resolve many of his issues about culture difference and took care of most of his social responsibilities in China for over 10 years. However, I can’t continue doing that anymore, especially illegal things. That’s why I decided to sell all my shares in his trading company and restaurants in Shanghai, Manila, and Vietnam. It may be a small share, I’m grateful for the valuable experiences gained from this journey despite everything that has happened.”
Monsieur An: “That makes sense.”
Monsieur An: “I’m glad that you were able to somehow divest your shareholding.”
Me: “After discovering that the fake invoice was for a large amount and lacked any contract or bank transfer records, I brought up this issue in the shareholder WeChat group. However, I realize now that it was selfish of me to do so and that I unintentionally offended many people, especially my financial manager who has always been very kind to me. This was my first time encountering such a situation and I regret not handling it properly. It is tough when you mix business with friendship.You won`t understand clairly that people offer you true friendship or judgement after their calculations.”
Me:“Chef Willy called me from Bangkok to apologize. I explained that I can’t continue to allow my staff to buy fake invoices for him and I have kids now. I don’t mind if he goes behind my back if both he and my finance manager want to.He is the boss”
Monsieur An: “Okay, I understand.”
Monsieur An: “Have you also seen a positive return on this investment, in addition to your pizza business for the homeless?”
Me: “The return isn’t quite as satisfying as pizza, I’m still grateful for it and I use the payment for that finance manager who brought fake invoice for Willy without noticing me.As some make up for her hard working for me so many year.Willy`s partner Albert got confused that why I need do that.I have to say that it is different choice.”
Monsieur An: “So, it turns out that investing in the homeless Pizza ended up doubling your investment, didn’t it?”
Me: “Something similar to that.”
Me: “I want to sincerely apologize once again for my previous behavior. I’ve come to realize that business is not just about financial transactions, but also about effective communication. I acknowledge that I have fallen short in this area recently, particularly in the legal case involving Mathild.”
Me:“Also,you remember other French friends les café guys.I learned from them about a new Jazz club that opened on F158 Julu road. I found out about it from your other French friends at the café club, and they were very welcoming. However, things changed when one of the owners’ fathers got involved with his own management style. It made me realize that I struggle with the structure and management style of pure western companies.”
Me:“For example.when this old French gentleman asked me on our first business lunch if I paid to my GuanXi illegally.I donot know what to answer him and I felt weird.Different city different rules.Don`t force me to follow the standard of Europe Union. Due to my busy schedule with other projects and personal life, I find it difficult to fully focus on their needs even though they pay me. It’s probably best for me to leave at this time as I don’t feel like I fit in well there.”
Monsieur An: “Hey, I understand that you may always be feeling sensitive to others’ opinions, but why haven’t you been able to move forward on more business together?”
Me: “Well, maybe we could consider these points next. This is just from my perspective.”