Chang Jiang Shang Bao·2025-07-20 22:46Core Viewpoint - The recent complaints from fruit wholesalers at Chengdu Mengyang Wholesale Market regarding the change in rental payment terms from annual to a one-time payment for three years have raised concerns about the performance guarantees associated with the bankruptcy restructuring of Yurun Group led by Zhu Yicai [1][17]. Group 1: Company Background - Zhu Yicai founded Yurun Group, which evolved from a small fish vendor to a major player in the meat processing industry, creating a market structure in China known as "South Yurun, North Shuanghui" [1][5]. - Yurun Group experienced rapid growth through aggressive acquisitions and restructuring, achieving significant market share and sales figures, with annual sales reaching 3.4 billion yuan by 2001 [6][8]. - Zhu Yicai was once the richest person in Jiangsu from 2003 to 2005 and aimed for Yurun Group to enter the Fortune Global 500 by 2015 [2][7][9]. Group 2: Financial Crisis and Restructuring - In 2015, Zhu Yicai faced legal issues, leading to the collapse of Yurun Group, which was later subjected to a court-ordered bankruptcy restructuring involving 800 billion yuan in debt [3][10]. - The restructuring plan was approved with a high voting rate of 99.72% from creditors, aiming to resolve debts through a tiered repayment structure [12]. - Yurun Group's total assets were valued at 127.3 billion yuan, with liabilities of 117.8 billion yuan, indicating a precarious financial situation [12]. Group 3: Performance Guarantees and Challenges - The restructuring includes performance guarantees where Yurun Group must achieve a total net profit of at least 2 billion yuan from 2023 to 2025, and 5 billion yuan in 2026, or face penalties [13][15]. - Recent complaints about rental payments are seen as a potential strategy by Zhu Yicai to meet these performance guarantees, raising concerns about the sustainability of such actions [18][19]. - The two publicly listed companies under Yurun Group, Central Mall and Yurun Food, continue to struggle financially, with Central Mall's total assets decreasing significantly since the restructuring began [20][21]. Group 4: Market Reactions and Future Outlook - The market has shown skepticism towards Zhu Yicai's ability to fulfill the performance guarantees, as evidenced by financial institutions withdrawing from investments related to Yurun Group [22][23]. - The future of Yurun Group remains uncertain, with ongoing challenges in both operational performance and financial stability, as the company attempts to navigate its restructuring process [23].