Chapter 12 — The Creator Cannot Be Erased

But the company has the right... Because of "organizational development needs"... Just give thirty days notice to terminate the contract. Non-compete clause... Calculated from the date I leave my current management position. Deadlines... All are arranged extremely perfectly. First... Force me to sell shares at a cheap price. Keep me on as an advisor... To coordinate the completion of the listing. Stable customers. Handing over work. When I'm no longer needed... Just a thirty-day notice... I'll have to leave. But the non-compete clause... Has taken effect before. They don't want me to retire. They want me... To personally take Zhou Kaiming to the listing door. Then lock me up... Get out of this whole industry.

"What about compensation for the non-compete clause?"

La Man turned to the appendix. Each month... I will receive thirty percent of the average salary of the last twelve months. Also... Direct investment. Own shares indirectly. Do consulting. Technical support. Introducing distribution channels. They are all placed within a limited scope. If violated... The compensation level will be equal to... Five times the value of the share transfer contract.

"Ten years..."

"Is it really possible?"

"La Man replied:

"The term, scope and compensation of this provision are all subject to debate."

"If there is a dispute..."

"In the end, it still has to be decided by the arbitrator or the court."

She did not continue. Maybe they don't need to win the case either. I am thirty-five years old this year. During the past nine years... Almost my entire career has been associated with Trung Quang. After leaving here... My most valuable thing... Still the experience of smart hardware. Supply chain. Distribution channel. And executive capacity. As long as that clause exists... Any new company will fear the risk of being sued. Investors will ask me to resolve old disputes first. Partners will also pause the project. Wait until an arbitration case is actually over... It's been a long time. Every time I join a new company. Every time I meet an investor. Or every time I prepare to launch a project... I receive a letter from a lawyer. Then every next step I take... Will become extremely expensive. And slow. Chu Dinh Son calmly said:

"Non-compete clauses are just common sense protections."

"Normal security..."

"But does it take ten years?"

"She was exposed to all of the company's core business information."

"Zhou Kai Ming is also in contact."

"Did he sign?"

"It won't leave the company."

"I never said I would leave."

"Just because you will stay..."

"Should I sign or not..."

"It makes no difference."

If it won't happen... Then I have no reason to refuse. But once signed... Whether it happens or not... It's entirely up to them to decide. I turn to the provisions on share transfer prices. Then he raised his head and looked at Chu Dinh Son.

"Why..."

"Using the price from six years ago again?"

"Rearranging the shareholding structure from an early stage is essential."

"These five percent shares are not shares in the household's name, nor are they options."

"This is the actual number of shares I retain after each round of capital raising."

"The company will compensate you in money."

"It's not written in the contract."

"A complementary agreement can be made fig."

"Write where?"

Chu Dinh Son frowned slightly.

"Thu Ninh."

"Don't scrutinize every sentence and every word like that."

"But what I'm about to sign..."

"It's every sentence, every word."

Chu Khai Minh closed the computer.

"General Manager Trinh."

"After the transfer, you still have seven percent of the shares."

"According to the current valuation before listing..."

"That amount is enough for you to no longer have to worry about money for the next half of your life."

"Should I thank you two for only taking away a portion?"

"I just wanted to remind you."

"Don't say you have nothing left."

"I never said I had nothing left."

"I was just asking..."

"On what basis did you use the price six years ago..."

"To buy my shares now?"

The smile on Chu Khai Minh's lips faded.

"The company needs a stable control structure."

"There also needs to be a clear shareholding structure for founders."

"The more shares you hold..."

"The outside raises more questions..."

"Why are you no longer part of the core management team?"

He said... As if he were helping me solve a disclosure problem. First... Remove me from the core management team. Using the fact that I am no longer a key manager is the reason to strip shares. Finally... Using the decreasing number of shares to prove that I no longer deserve to appear in the founding team. Each step... is prepared to legitimize the next step.

"Not the simplest solution..."

"Is it so I can continue to stay on the core management team?"

"The organizational structure has made a decision."

"Who decides?"

"President and Executive Committee."

"In the Executive Committee..."

"Am I there?"

"This is an administrative decision."

"It's not about dividing the credit."

He separated... My name. My shares. And my future.