I was the Founding Father of the United States

Chapter 77 KFC

"...But sir, at the Newport shareholders' meeting, you promised to grant PUIC the right to use the sewing machine patent."

John Adams hesitated, then asked, "Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

What he really meant was, "Boss, if you do this, the shareholders of New England will definitely come after you. Be careful not to get shot in the back!"

Chen Wenbin understood what he meant, and waved his hand dismissively, saying, "I did promise them that I would hand over the new sewing machines to PUIC for production and sales, but I didn't say that they would be given to the company for free!"

Everyone knows that patent rights are valuable, and utility invention patents such as the Diana sewing machine and the Jenna spinning machine are worth hundreds of thousands of pounds!

I have already invested the patent rights of the Jenna spinning machine into the company, and it is impossible for me to give up the profits from the sewing machine!

Furthermore, I don't intend to charge too much in patent fees. For each sewing machine PUIC produces, I only need to pay five percent of the selling price... New technology research and development and testing also require costs. I can't keep providing the company with new technologies for free, can I?"

"You're right, Robin!"

Before John Adams could even speak, Franklin voiced his support for Boss Chen, saying, "No one wastes their time on work that doesn't pay off!"

I think Reverend Johnson, Governor Hopkins, and Mr. Hancock will understand you!

John Adams nodded in agreement. If it were him, he certainly wouldn't want to provide the company with new technology for free either!

"I support you too, sir!"

He thought for a moment, then reminded Boss Chen, "But I suggest you send this decision back to North America via Clipper as soon as possible to inform the company's shareholders and obtain their approval... After all, this involves your business reputation!"

"Of course! I would never harm the interests of my friends and shareholders!"

Chen Wenbin smiled and nodded, thinking to himself that if those local bullies and tyrants in North America knew that he had become the king's friend and a baron of Britain, how could they possibly care about such a small matter?

Moreover, he wasn't directly abandoning PUIC's shareholders to start anew; he was simply trying to protect his own interests.

When he decided to establish Robin Metals, he had already planned to involve Southern Development Company in their cotton plantation business. Now that it was in the startup phase, the more powerful allies the better.

He looked at John Adams, who was not tall but was becoming increasingly mature in his work, and instructed him, "Then you are entrusted with drafting the shareholder notice and the legal documents for the incorporation of Robin Metals, John. I will also write a shareholder letter to Reverend Jason and Mr. Hancock explaining the situation!"

"Yes, sir!" John Adams breathed a sigh of relief and agreed.

Next, Mr. Chen handled some company affairs and signed off on several applications for the use of funds... This time when Chen Wenbin came to the UK, his personal money was kept by himself and Mary, while PUIC's funds were supervised by John Morris and John Adams, and jointly managed by Shelby and Coleman.

That's a huge sum of £20,000 in cash; it has to be kept safe by someone close to us to be sure.

After securing the approvals, he had John Morris gather the company's fifty-odd employees in the lobby on the first floor. As the company's boss, he encouraged them to work diligently, explaining that PUIC was a company with limitless potential that was about to change the world. He said that as long as they worked hard and achieved results, promotions and raises every year were within reach, and after two years of service, they could receive company stock options and share in the company's growth.

In short, it's just the same old rhetoric and empty promises of modern corporate culture. Modern Chinese people are basically immune to this; they know that most of it is just empty promises, like carrots that are meant to entice donkeys to work hard but can't actually be eaten. It's far less substantial than a 500 yuan bonus. But the British people present didn't know that!

In an era where big businessmen place great importance on commercial reputation, Chen Wenbin, as a big boss, publicly promised them promotions, salary increases, and stock options... This binding force is even stronger than making a private oath to God!

They actually believed the promises made by Boss Chen!

Although this was their first time meeting Chen Wenbin, it was common knowledge that he was not only a renowned doctor in Britain, but also a wealthy businessman and tycoon from North America, and his fiancée was a British noblewoman.

This means that if the other party breaks their promise in the future, he and his family will lose their business reputation, and the company will fall into crisis... No one dares to cooperate with a businessman who even deceives his own employees in the long term.

In Western Europe today, small workshops and small businesses may use deception and contract fraud to swindle money from customers, employees and partners, but large companies and long-established business families will do everything in their power to maintain their business reputation, because for businessmen, reputation is money and reputation is life!

In fact, the same was true in the East during the same period. From the large banks and banks of Huizhou and Shanxi merchants to the small shops and businesses in county towns, reputation and fame were absolutely the primary factors that business people had to pay attention to. Because once the reputation of a familiar society is ruined, unless it is a monopoly industry, it will definitely go bankrupt.

Chen Wenbin wasn't surprised by the excited employees. He had seen similar reactions many times when he was in North America. Anyway, he always kept his promises, so of course he had to say them in advance to encourage these employees to work hard and create value for him.

At noon, everyone had lunch in the company cafeteria.

Looking at the simple wheat bread, beef, and mashed potatoes on the table, along with sausages of questionable origin, Boss Chen had to give some instructions to the company's logistics department, considering his own future stomach.

For example, chefs must be able to cook, not only with good skills but also with good hygiene. We could try to bring in French and Italian chefs to offer standardized work meals such as fried chicken, hamburgers, and pasta to all company employees as a company benefit.

Faced with Morris's concerns about increased costs, he simply decided to use his own money to open a standardized restaurant next to the company headquarters, offering fried chicken burgers and braised beef noodle soup. This would not only provide meals for company employees but also generate revenue by serving customers.

After lunch, Mr. Chen, John Morris, John Adams, and James Bloom, a licensed physician of the Royal College of Physicians of London, rode together in a carriage to Great Portland Street in North Westminster.

On the carriage, the group chatted about the restaurant that Boss Chen had impulsively decided to open. John Morris asked curiously, "KFC... Boss, why did you name the restaurant that? Is there any special meaning behind it?"

What does it mean?

Of course, I miss the taste of that juicy, tender chicken in my mouth!

Chen Wenbin sighed inwardly, but he certainly couldn't say that aloud, so he could only say, "...I just picked one randomly. Do you have a better name?"

"..."

Morris stroked his mustache, not believing that the KFC had no special meaning, but since the boss was unwilling to say, he couldn't keep asking.

KFC...is that perhaps a woman's name?