Chapter 74: Officially Appointed Vice Chairman of Qingzhou Cement
Early the next morning, as Su Zhixue and other employees began arriving at work, Lin Haoran, accompanied by two bodyguards, left Hengfeng Building and headed to Qingzhou Cement Company in Hung Hom.
The journey from Central to Hung Hom wasn't far. They passed through the bustling districts of Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, then crossed the efficient Hung Hom Cross-Harbour Tunnel, swiftly exiting the main road and soon arriving at Qingzhou Cement's headquarters.
At that time, it was still early — only 9:30 a.m. — while the board meeting was scheduled for 10:00 a.m.
Upon entering Qingzhou Tower, Lin Haoran immediately noticed the receptionist's attitude toward him had drastically changed. Yesterday's news had evidently reached her, making her realize that the young man she had dismissed was actually a major shareholder of the company.
Recalling her inappropriate behavior the previous day, the receptionist was filled with regret and embarrassment, hardly able to believe her own rashness in offending such a key figure.
However, Lin Haoran paid her no attention. Without lingering in the lobby, he and his bodyguards took the elevator directly to Halier Centurion's office floor.
Upon arrival, Lin Haoran instructed his bodyguards to wait outside the corridor and entered the office alone, greeting Halier with a smile: "Good morning, Mr. Halier."
Halier looked up and returned the greeting warmly, "Good morning, Mr. Lin! It's 9:35 sharp. You're early — it seems you're eager to assume your role as Vice Chairman?"
His tone carried a hint of teasing.
Lin Haoran smiled confidently and replied, "Indeed, Mr. Halier. I am ready to embrace this new role. I look forward to learning from you, and I believe that with our joint efforts, Qingzhou Cement will reach even greater heights."
Halier could act, and so could Lin Haoran.
Soon after, the other board members began arriving at the company.
Qingzhou Cement had a total of thirteen board members.
Among them were Halier Centurion, five other British shareholders, and three Hong Kong Chinese shareholders.
In addition, there were four board members who were not shareholders — senior managers hired externally by Qingzhou Cement.
One of these was the company's General Manager, who also served as the current Vice Chairman, though he did not hold any Qingzhou Cement shares.
Every time a board member arrived, Halier enthusiastically introduced them to Lin Haoran.
Thus, before the meeting even began, Lin Haoran had already met all the board members.
The board members were visibly shocked — not just by Lin Haoran's young age, but also by the fact that he held the most shares among them.
"Alright, it's about time. Let's proceed to the meeting room," Halier said, checking the time.
The meeting room was just a few steps from the chairman's office. Though not overly spacious, it was elegantly furnished, featuring an oval-shaped conference table surrounded by comfortable chairs.
There was more than enough room for the original thirteen members, plus Lin Haoran and a secretary tasked with recording the minutes.
As a publicly listed company, transparency was paramount.
Any major matter — whether strategic adjustments or executive appointments — had to follow strict disclosure protocols, ensuring timely and accurate communication with the public.
Thus, if Lin Haoran were to be successfully appointed Vice Chairman, the decision would need to be formally announced within the required timeframe.
Every shareholder, regardless of how many shares they held, was entitled to information and participation rights — a fundamental principle of corporate governance.
"This board meeting's agenda should be clear to everyone by now," Halier began, "but I will repeat it once more: Mr. Lin Haoran has acquired 13.7% of Qingzhou Cement's shares, officially becoming a major shareholder. In view of this, I, as Chairman, formally approve Mr. Lin's membership on the board.
In addition, Mr. Lin has expressed his wish to serve as Vice Chairman of the board. Although Mr. Lin is young, his shareholding gives him significant influence in our company.
However, there's a complication: the current Vice Chairman role is held by Mr. Ziegler, our General Manager. If Mr. Lin assumes the Vice Chairman position, Mr. Ziegler must step down.
That said, we will now proceed to vote. Those in favor, please raise your hand; those opposed, simply do not raise your hand."
As Chairman, Halier presided over the meeting with composure.
Today's vote had no abstention option — not supporting was equivalent to opposing.
Halier had already decided: giving Lin Haoran the title of Vice Chairman was harmless. He would retain real power while letting the young man have a fancy but empty position.
Young and inexperienced, Lin Haoran would not likely uncover his secrets — thus allowing Halier to continue his comfortable manipulation behind the scenes.
The company's true operational power lay with the General Manager, Mr. Ziegler, and the Chief Financial Officer — both of whom were Halier's trusted men.
Outwardly, they seemed like independently hired executives. In reality, they were part of Halier's carefully cultivated inner circle.
With control over operations and finances, Halier had for years been secretly siphoning off profits through accounting tricks, funneling vast sums into his own pockets.
Meanwhile, shareholders received almost nothing, and the company's profits were intentionally kept low to avoid attention.
Thanks to this scheme, Halier, despite holding only 12.6% of shares, had maintained an iron grip over Qingzhou Cement for over a decade.
But now, Lin Haoran's sudden emergence as a major shareholder, along with another unknown force in the stock market, made Halier uneasy.
Today was one of the most stressful days he had ever experienced as Chairman.
As Halier finished speaking, the board members exchanged glances, hesitant.
On one hand, Lin Haoran's youth made him seem unsuitable for the Vice Chairman role.
On the other hand, he was now the largest shareholder — and offending him could have serious consequences.
Thus, many board members hesitated.
But Halier led by example, raising his hand first in support.
Seeing the Chairman's lead, many members followed.
In the end, surprisingly to Lin Haoran, all the shareholder members voted in favor, while the four non-shareholder directors voted against.
Including Lin Haoran's own vote, the final tally was 10 votes in favor and 4 against — enough for Lin Haoran to be successfully appointed as Vice Chairman.
The outgoing Vice Chairman, Ziegler, remained calm — he had already been informed of the plan the night before.
"Congratulations, Mr. Lin, on your official appointment as Vice Chairman of Qingzhou Cement!" Halier said with a smile, leading the applause.
Soon the room was filled with enthusiastic clapping.
Lin Haoran observed that Halier's influence within Qingzhou Cement was indeed immense.
The shareholders seemed to follow him blindly.
It was no wonder that Halier had managed to cling to power for so many years.
Clearly, once Lin Haoran secured absolute control, he would need to remove Halier quickly and cleanly.
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