Chapter 0336: The Smart Man

Ignorance is truly terrifying!

At this moment, that was the only thought flashing through Zhao Fusheng's mind.

Because he had never known that owning more than five percent of a listed company's shares required the shareholder's identity to be disclosed.

Now that Cheng Gong brought it up, Zhao Fusheng realized he had indeed made a mistake.

Of course, he didn't notice that Cheng Gong had actually said it in a joking tone.

The reason was simple: Cheng Gong didn't think it was possible for the two internet tech companies Zhao Fusheng owned to go public.

It was like when people often say, 'When I win five million, I'll do this and that.' Many would play along and say, 'Sure, when you win five million, remember to give me a hundred thousand.'

And that person would usually nod and say, 'Okay.'

Neither the speaker nor the one who agreed felt anything was wrong, because everyone knew it was an impossible dream.

And now, in Cheng Gong's eyes, what Zhao Fusheng was talking about was exactly that kind of impossible thing.

The gap between two internet companies founded just over a year ago and a listed company was no less than the gap between a small stream and a vast ocean. Cheng Gong felt that the client before him might be thinking a bit too optimistically.

As a lawyer responsible to his clients, Cheng Gong felt it necessary to remind him.

With that in mind, Cheng Gong said to Zhao Fusheng, 'Mr. Zhao, if you haven't thought this through yet, I think you can wait a while before discussing the investment again. You can also find an accounting firm to reassess the value of that five percent stake.'

The implication was naturally that he hoped Zhao Fusheng would invest cautiously.

After all, it was a million, not a one-yuan coin.

If he carelessly threw it away and it went down the drain, he would regret it beyond remedy.

Zhao Fusheng was stunned for a moment, then laughed. He hadn't expected Lawyer Cheng to be so considerate of his client.

But after all, Cheng Gong wasn't a prophet; he couldn't know what the future held, so Zhao Fusheng could understand his actions. Even though the other party was wrong, his starting point was to protect Zhao's interests, so he didn't mind.

'Lawyer Cheng, I trust my friend very much. Let's not discuss this further,' Zhao Fusheng waved his hand and said to Cheng Gong. 'If, as you say, owning more than five percent shares requires disclosing personal information when going public, shouldn't I take some measures to avoid that?'

Cheng Gong was taken aback. He looked at Zhao Fusheng and saw his serious expression, indicating he had made up his mind. He sighed helplessly inwardly, thought for a moment, and said, 'There are many ways to avoid it. The most common is to find a trustworthy person and register the shares under their name.'

'That's it?' Zhao Fusheng blinked and asked in surprise.

Cheng Gong nodded: 'The prerequisite is that you and the other person can trust each other, preferably parents or siblings.'

That was the best choice, because parents were generally more trustworthy than others, and there wouldn't be issues with inheritance.

In short, the most important thing about registering shares under someone else's name was security, to avoid financial disputes over the shares later.

After thinking, Zhao Fusheng asked, 'Lawyer Cheng, what if the person receiving the shares is a minor?'

Cheng Gong was startled, then smiled: 'That's acceptable. Although our country's regulations stipulate that minors cannot directly engage in stock trading of listed companies, they can hold company shares. For example, receiving shares through gifts or inheritance is acceptable.'

Zhao Fusheng nodded: 'So that works. After I buy this five percent stake, I'll give half a percent to a minor as a gift. That way, I won't have to worry about trouble when going public, right?'

Cheng Gong felt a bit dizzy but still nodded.

He really hadn't expected Zhao Fusheng to have such a way to circumvent the issue.

But the question was, who was that minor?

Seeing that Zhao Fusheng clearly didn't intend to tell him now, Cheng Gong smiled slightly and didn't ask further. He nodded and said, 'In that case, I'll prepare to go to Shenzhen.'

Zhao Fusheng smiled: 'May I ask how much you charge for this service?'

Cheng Gong looked at Zhao Fusheng and suddenly laughed: 'What would you think if I said I won't charge you?'

Zhao Fusheng was stunned. He looked at Cheng Gong's face, frowned, and said, 'No charge?'

To be honest, he never believed in the idea of a free lunch. In Zhao Fusheng's view, gain comes with loss, just like physicists always talk about the law of conservation of energy. He believed life was the same. If you gain something, you inevitably lose something; no one is exempt.

For example, celebrities who gain the adoration of many people naturally lose their personal privacy. Many things that might be trivial for ordinary people become magnified infinitely when they happen to celebrities.

So when Cheng Gong said he wouldn't charge, Zhao Fusheng's first reaction was that he wanted something from him.

That was a very natural thought. Tencent was no ordinary company; it was a behemoth worth hundreds of billions of dollars in the future, converted to trillions of yuan. Zhao Fusheng now felt like an innocent man with a precious jade that made him a target.

Seeing Zhao Fusheng's expression, Cheng Gong understood his thoughts. He smiled and said, 'It's like this: if you ever start a company someday, I hope to be its legal counsel. Is that okay?'

Zhao Fusheng was momentarily speechless.

He really hadn't expected that Cheng Gong would make such a seemingly outrageous request. It completely caught him off guard.

'Lawyer Cheng, you mean...?'

Zhao Fusheng didn't hesitate and asked directly.

Cheng Gong shrugged: 'For me, this is just a business trip, a routine legal consultation. I wouldn't make much money from it. But I think you'll surprise me even more in the future. So I thought I might as well build a good connection. If that day really comes, I believe you're a man of your word.'

In fact, this idea was purely a spur-of-the-moment thought. In a sense, Cheng Gong wasn't short of money. Although lawyers in China didn't earn as much as those abroad—since in criminal cases, Chinese lawyers were basically just for show—they could still make a decent amount in economic cases.

And Cheng Gong had always believed that he shouldn't be living his current life; he deserved a better one.

Or, to be more precise, Cheng Gong believed that the stage of his life should be broader.

So he didn't mind doing Zhao Fusheng a small favor to build a good connection.

Even if Zhao Fusheng didn't succeed later, Cheng Gong would lose nothing—just a few tens of thousands of yuan. But if Zhao Fusheng succeeded, today's action would be like buying insurance for his own future.

Watching Cheng Gong leave, Zhao Fusheng couldn't help shaking his head and sighing. He had indeed underestimated the heroes of the world. Even a lawyer like Cheng Gong understood the importance of leaving a way out, let alone strong figures like Boss Ma and the Chen billionaire.

Now that he thought about it, the reason the other party had agreed to cooperate with him was probably because there was profit to be made.

The Chen billionaire valued wo123's promotional effect on MyHome, while Boss Ma cared about the technical creativity and working capital Zhao could provide.

'Damn, none of these guys are easy to deal with,' Zhao Fusheng muttered under his breath. Calculating the time, he should also set off back to Ninghai.

As for Cheng Gong, although he said he wouldn't charge legal or consultation fees, Zhao Fusheng still gave him a bank card with fifty thousand yuan.

Flying and staying in hotels cost money; he couldn't let the other person pay out of his own pocket.

Moreover, after signing the contract in Shenzhen, Cheng Gong would have to bring the contract to Ninghai to see him. Zhao Fusheng was also considering that if Cheng Gong handled this matter well, he would entrust him with even more important responsibilities.

'It's time to cultivate some people,' Zhao Fusheng thought to himself, his gaze fixed on the window.