Chapter 87: Chapter 86: Talent Reserve Foundation
Just as Ge Aimin and Gu Bai were exchanging pleasantries.
The door of the private room was knocked on, and under the leadership of the general manager of Jinjiang Restaurant, a group of waiters came in carrying various dishes. In no time, the large dining table was filled with various dishes.
"I understand that Mr. Gu is from Anhui Province and may not be accustomed to Shanghai’s cuisine, so I specifically requested the restaurant’s chef to prepare in the Anhui style. I wonder if it suits your taste."
There were more than a dozen dishes on the table.
Although Ge Aimin said it was Anhui cuisine, most of it was something even Gu Bai himself hadn’t seen before.
However, there were some he recognized, such as steamed mandarin fish, ham-stewed soft-shelled turtle, and stewed pigeon from Huangshan. Though he hadn’t eaten them before, he had heard of them.
"Chairman Ge, you are very considerate."
Gu Bai thanked Ge Aimin with a smile. Although he knew Ge Aimin had a flattering intention, it didn’t affect Gu Bai’s mood.
At Ge Aimin’s enthusiastic invitation, Gu Bai began to taste these hometown delicacies one by one.
As the drinks flowed and the dishes were savored.
Seeing Gu Bai put down his chopsticks, Ge Aimin quickly asked with a smile, "I wonder if these dishes are to Mr. Gu’s liking?"
Gu Bai also smiled and nodded, "The taste is quite good."
Although they were famous dishes from his hometown, it was also the first time Gu Bai had eaten them, so he couldn’t really say much and could only give a perfunctory response.
After another round of courteous conversation, Ge Aimin finally got to the point.
"First of all, I still want to thank Mr. Gu again for trusting our Construction Bank with such a large sum of money."
Gu Bai smiled faintly.
"Chairman Ge, you’re too kind. I mentioned before that when it comes to financial matters, I will definitely prioritize your bank. Besides, we have been cooperating very pleasantly, and recently, I have troubled your bank many times, so this is only natural."
"Mr. Gu, you’re too polite."
After a bit of courteous exchange, Ge Aimin continued, "Mr. Gu, you are now our branch’s largest private depositor. Compared to the privileges we offered you before, they are no longer suitable. Today’s meal is to discuss this aspect with you."
Gu Bai took a sip of tea and said indifferently, "Please go ahead, Chairman Ge."
Having said that, he appeared to be listening attentively.
"Firstly, I won’t go into the basic privileges one by one, as I’m sure you have experienced the convenience they bring. What I want to discuss next are the personalized privileges our bank has crafted specifically for you."
Ge Aimin was right; Construction Bank had indeed provided a lot of convenience previously.
For instance, for those restaurants that needed reservations, all it took was one call for Construction Bank to handle it for him, without him needing to make reservations himself. This included handling his home purchase and even arranging visas for his trip to Europe. Although managing it himself would have been simple, the timing would certainly not have been as swift.
"Firstly, our bank has established a service office specifically for you, consisting of seven members, each dedicated to serving you. You can regard them as your personal secretary group that our bank created for you, and all the expenses of this office are borne by our bank. The sole purpose of the office is to center around you, completely independent in serving you personally.
The office encompasses various talents, capable of catering to all aspects of your life, including clothing, food, housing, and transportation..."
Gu Bai nodded.
This is essentially like gaining an assistant team without spending any money, and it’s a team backed by the resources of Construction Bank.
"Secondly, we have formulated a series of capital-preserving financial plans specifically for Mr. Gu and have hired the world’s top financial management team to conduct rational financial management for you. We guarantee that the annual financial return will not be less than 6%, and if it falls short, our bank will make up the difference for you."
As for this point, Gu Bai was not very interested.
Although Gu Bai understood what capital-preserving financial management meant.
Capital-preserving financial management is a financial product where the bank ensures the user’s principal is returned regardless of the situation. Since there’s no loss of principal, the risk is very low, making it a preferred choice for many risk-averse investors.
Six percent a year means Construction Bank will pay him as much as 1.2 billion annually in financial returns. If Gu Bai only had this sum of money and wanted to live a luxurious, worry-free life, this would be a great choice.
But the key point is, Gu Bai doesn’t need it.
In simple terms, financial management means letting the bank operate his money, and he wouldn’t be able to access these funds personally at that time.
He still had several upgrade tasks that required money, so if he put his money into financial management, what about his tasks?
To put it bluntly, Gu Bai didn’t care for this 1.2 billion return. Not to mention system rewards, with his foresight for the next four years, even investing this 20 billion would yield far more than this return.
Hearing this, Gu Bai gently shook his head.
"As for this point, I’m afraid I can’t accept it, as I have no interest in financial management."
"Mr. Gu, is there any dissatisfaction with the minimum returns? You should know, generally, each major bank only dares to guarantee a return of 4%-5% on investments. Offering you 6% already shows our sincerity. Of course, we can discuss these matters further."
"I can feel your bank’s sincerity. However, I really have no intention of investing, even if you offer me 10%, I don’t think I would consider it.
I can guarantee that this money will definitely stay in your Construction Bank, but, as before, it won’t be fixed-term, because I already have my own plans for this money."
Upon hearing Gu Bai say this, Ge Aimin could only agree reluctantly. He knew that the larger the cash flow a person has, the less likely they are to consider investments.
"Since Mr. Gu doesn’t need investment services, let’s move on to the third and final point.
Currently, we have thousands of large enterprises collaborating with our Construction Bank, not only domestically but also in the international market where we possess substantial social resources. Now, we have forwarded your information to the headquarters and received the fastest approval. From this moment on, you are our bank’s 165th ultra-high-end private client.
Since the establishment of our Construction Bank decades ago, we have only accepted 164 such clients, and now you are the 165th.
Let me clarify that this ultra-high-end private client is not a private banking client but a super VIP recognized within our bank. Each of you enjoys privileges unimaginable to ordinary people, such as ultra-low-interest loans, resource integration, and other privileges. Well-known business personalities like Ma Yun and Boss Huateng are among these 165 people."
Gu Bai squinted his eyes, showing a bit of satisfaction on his face.
As for the first two points mentioned by Ge Aimin, they were completely insignificant to him. It was this third point that pleased Gu Bai.
After all, money is the least of his concerns now; what he lacks is social status that matches his wealth. The final privilege from the Construction Bank is equivalent to a tacit acknowledgment of his social status, and one equal to those big names.
Personalities like Ma Yun and Boss Huateng are undoubtedly super VIPs at not just one bank. They are probably renowned in all domestic banks, even if they only deposit a single dollar in them.
Seeing Gu Bai’s satisfied expression, Ge Aimin knew the money would definitely stay in the Construction Bank.
"I have finished introducing the special treatment and privileges our bank can actively offer. Does Mr. Gu have any other requests? Please let us know, and we will do our utmost to satisfy them."
Ge Aimin said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Gu Bai didn’t plan on being polite. Previously, he had already intended to seek help from the Construction Bank, and now that they had brought it up, it was perfect.
"There is indeed something I need your help with, but it doesn’t quite qualify as a demand; it’s more of a request."
Ge Aimin and Sheng Lishan immediately sat up straight, carefully listening to every word Gu Bai was about to say.
"Please go ahead, Mr. Gu."
Gu Bai said slowly, "I believe you should know I own a company called Black Swan Capital?"
"Of course, since your company’s account is with our bank."
"Here’s the situation: I’m determined to expand this company, but there’s an issue that’s difficult to resolve in the short term."
"Is Mr. Gu referring to the talent acquisition issue?"
Having mingled in various circles, veteran banker Ge Aimin quickly guessed the problem Gu Bai was referring to.
After all, the primary factor for an investment company is money, and with 20 billion in liquid assets, Gu Bai certainly wouldn’t lack money. Considering the company is a startup, the issue would likely be with talent acquisition and the shortage of high-end talent.
Gu Bai didn’t hold back, nodding in agreement.
"Since the company is newly established, it’s tough to attract high-end talent to join us. As for talent reserves, that requires time to build, and right now, Black Swan Capital lacks time. To be honest, all current staff in our company were hired with hefty sums from major investment banks. It’s okay in the short term, but as the company stabilizes, problems might arise, especially since I’ll be dealing with capital operations involving over a hundred billion in the near future."
"What do you want us to do, Mr. Gu?"
Gu Bai took a sip of tea to clear his throat.
"I would like to request your Construction Bank to help me recruit some elite professionals in the capital industry. I believe your channels in the financial capital industry are definitely stronger than those of headhunting companies. I, of course, will not let you suffer any losses; the compensation will be equivalent to that of headhunting companies."
"No problem. As for the compensation, please don’t mention it, Mr. Gu. This is what we should do."
Ge Aimin agreed immediately.
For Construction Bank, one of the four major banks in Hua Country, this was a trivial matter.
Seeing Ge Aimin agree to his request, Gu Bai continued, "Additionally, I’m planning to establish a foundation in our company’s name. The main purpose of the foundation is to reward students majoring in finance at various universities, and I hope you can help liaise with major universities worldwide."
The intention behind establishing the foundation is very clear.
It’s about competing for talent from the cradle, which is something all major capital firms worldwide are doing.
After all, as a startup, building a talent reserve within the company is quite unrealistic.
"Alright, I will arrange these matters once I return and give Mr. Gu a reply as soon as possible."
Gu Bai raised his teacup and gave a grateful smile to Ge Aimin.