Chapter 19 — When I Stop Being Invisible

"Twenty million? Eighty million valuation? To Van, do you understand what this means?"

“It means our products have been recognized by the market.”

“No, that means your shares are now worth—”

“Don't count anymore.”

“Why do you block every important number?”

"Because those numbers are not the core thing. Whether customers actually use it or not, whether they continue to renew or not... that's what's worth paying attention to."

Tham Dich gently pushed his glasses, momentarily unable to say anything. A moment later he burst out:

“To Van, you are the most... different type of businessman I have ever met.”

"It's not strange. Before, I was just an administrative specialist."

After round A capital was disbursed, Gian Chu Technology moved to a new office. Area of one hundred and sixty square meters, still located in the startup area, but has private meeting rooms and separate rest areas. Staff expanded from seven people to twenty-two people. The product is upgraded to version 2.0, adding automatic reporting functions and a smart warning system. The number of customers exceeded three hundred. I don't track these numbers directly. Every Friday afternoon before work, Vu Tieu Man sends reports to the group. What I'm more concerned about... is the situation at Hang Vien Group. Ha Kien Quoc has been discharged from the hospital. After three months of recovery, he returned to the company. On the first day back, he made a decision that surprised everyone. He did not withdraw executive authority. Which directly assigned the CEO position to Tran Loi. He himself retired as Chairman of the board of directors. Six years ago, Tran Loi was still just a normal operations team leader. Two years ago, he took over the chaos I left behind and struggled to overcome the most difficult period. A year ago, under my remote guidance, he completed the restructuring of the operating system. And now... He has become the CEO of Hang Vien Group. The day the information was announced, Tran Loi called me. His voice was completely different two years ago. Two years ago, he said, "Sister To, I'm begging you," his voice filled with panic. And now:

"Miss To, boss Ha gave me the CEO position. I was a bit surprised, but I want to do well. Do you have any advice for me?"

The tone is very steady.

"First, don't take it all to yourself. You've seen my lesson."

"Second, the workload of each position must be transparent. It cannot happen that one person takes on the work of eight departments without anyone knowing."

"Third, don't spare costs. If you need to recruit, then recruit, if you need to buy a system, then buy. Have you used Gian Chu's products yet?"

"I've used it. The effect is very clear. Administrative productivity increased by nearly 60%."

“That's good.”

“Thank you.”

"No need to thank me. Just run Hang Vien well."

Hanging up the phone, I leaned back in my chair. Hang Vien Group. The place I have stayed the longest in my life. From thirty-one years old to forty-three years old. Twelve years. More than a thousand times the sun has risen and set. I don't know how many nights I worked until late. I don't know how many times I've cleaned up the consequences for others. Countless times... considered as if it never existed. But it was also there that I learned all the skills that have helped me stand strong today. Build process. System setup. Supplier management grant. Compare books. Arrange your schedule. Write minutes. Complaint handling. Project coordination. If it weren't for those twelve years in Hengyuan... There would be no Jianzhou Technology. If there were no forgotten nights… There would be no days as visible as the present. Therefore, I do not hate Hang Vien. It's just... I don't owe that place anything anymore. To celebrate the first anniversary of the establishment of Gian Chu Technology, we only held a small gathering. There are no lavish parties. Just more than twenty people in the team sitting around eating hot pot right in the office. Vu Tieu Man prepared a PPT file summarizing the journey, only three pages. First page: One year ago — 7 people, 0 customers, 0 revenue. Page two: Present — 22 people, 312 customers, annual revenue 9,600,000 yuan. Page three has only one sentence:

“Operating well isn't about making the company look good, it's about making everyone's work visible.”

This sentence is mine. The last day I left Hang Vien, when I walked out the door, I said to myself. Never told anyone. Vu Tieu Man said it was her own idea. Perhaps... similar thoughts will meet each other. Halfway through eating the hot pot, Tham Dich picked up a glass of beer and walked over.

“To Van, the civil lawsuit demanding compensation from Chu Han has ended.”

“What was the result?”

"The court has issued a verdict. Chu Han and related parties must repay 570,000 yuan in profit, plus 300,000 yuan in fines. Phuong Ngan is an accomplice, must pay 120,000 yuan in compensation. Chu Han was not satisfied so he appealed, but the appeal upheld the original verdict."

“How is he now?”