Huang Lianshu ignored Cheng Raosong's complaints, picked up the teacup in front of him, took a sip of the tea that had long since gone cold, then unconsciously tapped the table with one hand before turning to Vice Chairman Wang and saying, "Haven't you contacted Mita Masao yet?"
Vice Chairman Wang shook his head with a wry smile and said, "No... Ever since Masao Mita injured his arm in Dangyang, he seems to have been recuperating somewhere in Japan and hasn't appeared in public for a long time. They have never taken the initiative to meet with anyone."
Huang Lianshu nodded slightly, then asked, "So... what about Zhou Ziwei of the Zhou family in Dangyang? Is there any news about him now?"
Vice Chairman Wang shook his head again: "No... This person only appeared briefly a few days ago, and then disappeared again... It's as if he vanished into thin air."
Volume 3, King of the City, Chapter 580: Loan Sharking
Huang Lianshu closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then a faint, cold smile appeared on his lips. He waved his hand lightly and said softly to the group of directors in front of him, "What's the panic... That person now controls 41% of our shares. It can be said that Yunzhong International is almost half of ours. If Yunzhong International suffers losses, he will suffer the most. Since he refuses to come to the forefront, let him do what he wants. Those bankrupt subsidiaries were originally cancerous tumors in our group. I have long intended to cut off these rotten parts, but I was just too embarrassed to do so. Now that he is doing it in the dark... I should thank him properly."
Vice Chairman Wang nodded in agreement, saying, "Although that person was clearly engaging in a hostile takeover, since he has made consecutive moves and acquired 41% of the shares, becoming the largest shareholder of Yunzhong International, his interests are naturally tied to our Yunzhong International. He really has no reason to ruin the company after acquiring a large number of shares. Wouldn't he be making things difficult for himself? I believe that if that guy isn't out of his mind, he would never do such a thing."
Actually, we really don't need to pay him any attention. He likes to play dirty tricks with his large stake, so let him play his game. He probably knows that we board members are old friends; we worked hard together to build Yunzhong International into what it is today. It's not like just anyone can come along and throw some money around to become our boss. In short… we must stick together to prevent that guy from having any opportunity. If he thinks he can just call a board meeting to fight for the chairman's seat with his 41% stake, each of us should cast one dissenting vote, and we'll completely overwhelm him.
"Hmph... I, Old Wang, will say this upfront: if that day ever comes, and if anyone votes in favor of that guy... then don't blame me for being ruthless. Maybe that guy will use everyone's money to bribe one of you, but... I advise you not to try to make money from everything. Money is certainly a good thing, but... even the best money needs to be spent alive, right?"
The threat in Vice Chairman Wang's words was no longer concealed, and the faces of the several minority shareholders below turned rather ugly upon hearing this.
They hold a small number of shares, which were originally not worth much money. However, if the two major shareholders were to compete for the chairman's seat... then the importance of these small shareholders would immediately become apparent.
As long as they attend the board meeting, they will naturally have a vote when the chairman is re-elected. Even if their vote is not very significant, it will often become a crucial vote in a battle between two equally matched sides. At this time, they can completely play both sides and win over everyone. They can just vote for whoever offers the most benefits.
A similar incident once occurred in a large corporation. Two major shareholders fought tooth and nail for the chairmanship, resorting to almost every means to win over the minority shareholders. In the end, regardless of the outcome, both major shareholders were severely weakened, while several minority shareholders took the opportunity to amass considerable benefits, even exceeding the market value of their shares.
This is a very funny thing, but it really exists.
Of course... if the two sides vying for the chairman's seat are too far apart in strength, this situation will naturally not occur. However, if such a situation does occur, it is usually the original power holder who is at a disadvantage. If the person trying to seize power does not have enough strength, why would they want to start a fight and invite trouble?
Several of the minority shareholders present had harbored such fantasies, but upon hearing Vice Chairman Wang's ominous warning, they suddenly realized the truth.
Don't be fooled by Old Wang's current appearance as a successful gentleman. Those who know his background know that twenty years ago he was a notorious hoodlum in Zhongdu, who did all sorts of despicable things. Although he has long since cleaned up his act, he still has intricate connections with some of the dark forces in Zhongdu.
If you really anger this guy, your house might explode with gas before you even leave the venue, or you might find your car's brakes have failed as soon as you get in and drive onto the main road after extorting a small amount of money from them. In short, this guy is no good person to begin with, and he's the kind of scoundrel who likes to play dirty tricks. If you offend him, you might not even know how you died.
However, upon further reflection, the party that launched this hostile takeover is no pushover either. These minority shareholders may not know who is behind it all, but it is certain that the acquisition was carried out by the Mita family from Japan.
The Mita family is a notorious and terrifying family throughout Asia. The Mita Group, controlled by the family, is a professional underworld organization. Compared to the Mita Group, those so-called gangsters in Zhongdu are practically model students.
Kidnapping and assassination are mere child's play for the Mita Group. If they really wanted to deal with small fry like them, it would be easier than stepping on an ant...
Upon reflection, they realized that their original idea of being able to please both sides was incredibly naive. They were now in a position where they were neither favored nor unfavorable. If they were caught in the middle and made the wrong choice, they might lose their lives and even endanger their entire families.
Damn, being a minority shareholder isn't easy... If I had known... I should have just done what those minority shareholders did and sold all my shares early on. I can't afford to play this game... So I'm not playing with you guys anymore, okay?
Thinking about this, the minority shareholders almost simultaneously felt a slight urge to withdraw.
Seeing the expressions on the faces of the minority shareholders below, Huang Lianshu had already guessed their thoughts. He snorted coldly and said, "If anyone is afraid of the Mita family and intends to withdraw from Yunzhong International to avoid being caught in the middle when the Mita family officially takes over, then I hope you can transfer your shares to me, Huang Lianshu. Don't worry, we've worked together before, and it's fate. I, Huang Lianshu, won't cheat you. I will buy your shares at a price two-tenths higher than the market value. If anyone is willing to withdraw... then hurry up! Hmm... I have to remind you, the Mita family hasn't officially stepped into the limelight yet, so this is the best time for you to withdraw. Otherwise, if you wait until the Mita family enters this venue, no matter what you choose, you will offend the other side, and then... hmph..."
Upon hearing Huang Lianshu's words, the expressions of the several minority shareholders changed again. To be honest, under these circumstances, acquiring their shares at a price two-tenths higher than the market value was not a significant amount.
However, as Huang Lianshu said... the Mita family has not yet stepped into the limelight, and they still have one more chance to withdraw. If they wait until the Mita family really comes to compete for the chairman's seat... and then sell their shares to Huang Lianshu at that time, it would be tantamount to going against the Mita family.
Although they understood the situation, selling their shares at a price 20% higher than the market value still left them somewhat unwilling. One of the minority shareholders, surnamed Zhong, couldn't help but cough and say, "Chairman, you see... well... our annual shareholder dividends at Yunzhong International are probably around 50%, which means... we could recoup our investment in just four years at the acquisition price you're offering. That's assuming we maintain the status quo. If Yunzhong International really does receive investment from the Santian family, then it's entirely possible for our shares to double in one or two years. So... do you think the acquisition price could be further..."
Huang Lianshu laughed and said, "Since you think your shares can double in a year or two, then you should keep your shares! I want to see if you can live to see your shares double!"
The shareholder surnamed Zhong shuddered at Huang Lianshu's laughter, immediately remembering that this man was ruthless and cruel. While Vice Chairman Wang might resort to underhanded methods to deal with someone, Chairman Huang, if he truly wanted to eliminate someone, would directly utilize official power. And once official power intervened, it was far more terrifying than the underworld, because they could use the law as a weapon against ordinary citizens, easily manipulating them at will, doing whatever they pleased…
The result was naturally smooth. Under the combined coercion and enticement of Huang Lianshu and Vice Chairman Wang, all the minority shareholders were kicked out of the company.
This was the safest plan that the two of them came up with after discussing it. They believed that the other party had gone to great lengths to acquire their shares in Yunzhong International, and that they were 100% determined to bring Yunzhong International under their control. Therefore, they were not worried about what the Santian family would do to Yunzhong International next. What they feared most was that the Santian family would also take action and acquire all the shares of these minority shareholders. If the Santian family controlled more than 50% of the shares in Yunzhong International at that time, then there would be no need to compete for the chairman's position, and Huang Lianshu would have no choice but to immediately relinquish it.
Therefore, Huang Lianshu decided to strike first and buy up the shares of these minority shareholders before the Mita family could make a move.
In this way, Huang Lianshu's shareholding will reach more than 40%, even exceeding the shareholding controlled by the Mita family.
Adding to the 15% held by Vice Chairman Wang... the Mita family has no hope of ever regaining control of Yunzhong International.
The minority shareholders have some influence and connections in Zhongdu. Huang Lianshu is not afraid of them if it comes down to a fight, but he doesn't dare to go too far. Therefore, he still has to pay 20% more than the market price.
Otherwise, if it provokes a strong backlash from these individuals, even if Huang Lianshu manages to deal with them, he will likely have to pay a price. In such a life-or-death moment, making more enemies is certainly not a good thing.
The combined shares held by the several minority shareholders amount to only 8.5%. While 8.5% may not seem like much, given the sheer size of Yunzhong International, with a market value exceeding 3 billion, Huang Lianshu would have to pay an additional 20% on top of that. This means that Huang Lianshu would have to pay nearly 4 billion directly for this 8.5%.
Although Huang Lianshu was very wealthy, it was absolutely impossible for him to come up with such a large sum of money.
His wealth is mainly in his shares in Yunzhong International, followed by some fixed assets, real estate, etc. As for liquid funds, the amount he can immediately take out is definitely no more than 100 million yuan.
However, such equity transactions cannot involve IOUs. Those minority shareholders already felt wronged by transferring their shares at this price, and they would absolutely not allow Huang Lianshu to use fixed assets as collateral.
Huang Lianshu was worried that the Mita family might step in at any time, fearing that things might get complicated if things dragged on. He also couldn't let the deal fall through, so he had to prepare a full four billion yuan in just a few days.
Forty billion... It would be extremely difficult for Huang Lianshu to raise forty billion in a short period of time. He could borrow some money from banks thanks to his connections, but banks are not owned by his family, and there are limits to how much he could lend. If he pooled his resources from several banks, raising one or two billion wouldn't be a problem.
However... loans don't arrive immediately. From the time of application until the funds are deposited into his account, it takes at least some time.
But Huang Lianshu couldn't wait even a day longer. What if the Mita family came knocking on his door after just one more day?
Fortunately, Vice Chairman Wang had some connections, and at a crucial moment, he connected with a powerful financial company in Macau through his friends in the underworld. Although the amount of money they needed was huge and the time was tight, the financial company still accepted the big order.
However, the interest rates charged by these finance companies are naturally much higher than those of banks. They lend money exactly according to casino rules, with nine outs and eleven ins, meaning that if they lend out 4 billion, they can get back 5 billion in principal and interest in at most three months. Such a speed of making money is even faster than robbing a bank...
Of course, finance companies also require collateral. No matter how famous or important you are, you can't just say you want to borrow as much as you want. You have to provide at least 150% of the value of your assets as collateral.
So... Huang Lianshu had no choice but to use his own shares as collateral, raising a full four billion to acquire the shares held by those minority shareholders.
The three-month deadline was indeed a bit tight for Huang Lianshu, but he was still somewhat confident that he could fill the huge hole within three months because he had a chance to make a fortune... A big shot with considerable influence in the capital promised to approve a major new desert transformation project for the country for him to do.
Desertification control is essentially a bottomless pit for the country, but for those who implement this project, it can become a very lucrative job... As long as they can secure this project, the mere 4 billion yuan can be easily obtained by simply changing some accounts.
Even if Huang Lianshu didn't get that lucrative position within three months and couldn't withdraw money from the national treasury to pay for himself, he could still borrow a large sum of money from the bank to pay back the money to the finance company first.
However, what Huang Lianshu never expected was that... just as he had spent a huge amount of money and borrowed money at high interest rates to acquire the shares of those minority shareholders, his direct control suddenly reached 40.5% of the total shares of Yunzhong International, which completely exceeded the control of the Santian family.
But at that moment... the Mita family seemed to have gone mad, and started throwing out all the shares of Yunzhong International that they had acquired recently.
The sudden dumping of shares worth tens of billions of dollars severely disrupted the stock market's balance. This reckless and frantic selling undoubtedly caused Yunzhong International's stock to plummet throughout the day, eventually hitting the daily limit down.
Meanwhile, rumors about Yunzhong International's chairman owing a massive high-interest loan of up to 4 billion yuan spread like wildfire among shareholders. Some financial newspapers and local tabloids treated the rumor as gossip, and online, a video of Yunzhong International's chairman meeting secretly with a tycoon from a Macau finance company in a certain place in Zhongdu went viral.
Although the video did not show any actual signing of the contract, the two people on screen repeatedly mentioned Yunzhong International and the topic of the 4 billion yuan loan.
The video has clear images and sound, and experts have confirmed that the entire video was filmed on-site without any editing. It seems that the events depicted in the video are basically true.
The news that the chairman of Yunzhong International was borrowing money at exorbitant interest rates, and that he was borrowing 4 billion yuan at once, was like a bombshell, causing a huge uproar among shareholders across the country.
Such a large conglomerate is already relying on high-interest loans to stay afloat. How long can this company last? And once it goes bankrupt, all of its assets will likely be used to pay off its debts! Will Yunzhong International's shares still be convertible into currency then? They'll probably become worthless paper!
Volume 3, King of the City, Chapter 581: Scheme
Once the tide turns in one direction, even a god can hardly stop it.
The fact that Yunzhong International borrowed money at usurious rates has caused all shareholders to be extremely fearful and uneasy. Chinese people already have a deep prejudice and misunderstanding against usury, and do not regard it as a normal loan behavior at all. They believe that anyone who gets involved with usury is basically sentenced to death and can only wait for their family to be ruined.
Many investors had just made a profit from the frenzied selling of Yunzhong International's stock. Now, even though the stock price continued to fall, no one dared to hold onto their Yunzhong International shares anymore and all rushed to sell at a reduced price.
However, the issue of Yunzhong International's massive usury has already caused a nationwide uproar. Which stock investor doesn't know about this? And who would dare to buy shares in this spendthrift company? As a result, Yunzhong International's stock price is like a rocket falling from the sky, constantly declining. Every day, as soon as the market opens, it inevitably starts to fall, and within ten minutes of opening, it inevitably hits the daily limit down.
This was like a terrifying plague. Not only did Yunzhong International's stock fall into a quagmire of despair, but other stocks that were somewhat related to Yunzhong International were also affected, and the extent of their decline was alarming.
Huang Lianshu never expected things to develop this way. He originally thought that whether it was the Santian family or the Zhou family of Dangyang who wanted to acquire his Yunzhong International, they must be trying to take away the foundation he had worked so hard to build. He thought they were just after money.
Since the other party has already acquired more than 40% of Yunzhong International's shares, their interests are now firmly tied to Yunzhong International's. Therefore, Huang Lianshu does not believe that the other party can really do anything to seriously harm Yunzhong International.
Huang Lianshu was worried that the other party would target the minority shareholders and secretly acquire more than 50% of the shares. If that happened, he would be finished and ousted from the chairman's seat. Therefore, in order to defend himself, he had to take the lead and firmly grasp all the shares in his own hands.
That way, no matter what the other party does, he won't have to worry.
However, little did he expect that the other party, after acquiring so many shares, had no intention of holding them as a major shareholder. In fact, right after he borrowed a huge sum of money to acquire the shares held by a few minor shareholders, that guy started frantically selling off his shares.
Huang Lianshu didn't react at first, until he saw Yunzhong International's stock hit the daily limit down for three consecutive days, with the stock price plummeting by 30%. Only then did Huang Lianshu finally panic. He had to be anxious... He was an old hand at stock investment, but he had never seen any stock play out as dangerously as his Yunzhong International. Every day, the stock would hit the daily limit down within ten minutes of opening. What did that mean? It was obvious that there was no trading volume. Everyone was frantically selling their shares, but no one was buying.
The fewer people take over, the more the stock price will fall.
The more the stock price plummets, the less willing anyone is to buy it. This is clearly a vicious cycle. In this situation, the group itself has no choice but to find a way to save the market. Otherwise, if the stock price of Yunzhong International is allowed to continue to fall, it may be necessary for Yunzhong International to be suspended from trading or delisted in just a few days.
Huang Lianshu immediately summoned Lao Wang and frantically asked him to borrow money again. He wanted to save the market; he had to step in. He absolutely could not stand by and watch Yunzhong International, which he had worked so hard to build to this scale, collapse.
Old Wang looked like he was suffering from a bitter taste in his mouth, shaking his head repeatedly and saying, "You want to borrow money again... No, no... Absolutely not. The news that Yunzhong International is borrowing money at exorbitant interest rates is still spreading like a malignant tumor online. If you borrow money again at this time, won't our company's reputation be even worse? No, you really can't borrow any more."
Huang Lianshu snorted coldly and said, "But in this situation, what can we do if we don't immediately raise a massive amount of funds to save the market? Are you going to let me just watch Yunzhong International go bankrupt? Anyway, we already owe 4 billion, I don't mind owing another 10 billion. No matter what, I have to get some money to save the market. If you can't help this time, I'll find a way myself... Last time, I was careless and was secretly photographed by some financial reporter. If you're willing to help this time, I won't have to meet with them in person again. You can act as a middleman. I think as long as I have enough chips to use as collateral, dealing with the finance company shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"What?! You...you want to borrow another 10 billion?!" Old Wang was so shocked he stumbled over. Had the whole world gone mad? Borrowing 4 billion last time was crazy enough, and now he wanted to borrow another 10 billion right off the bat... But...this finance company isn't a government bank...If you owe money to a bank and can't repay it, they can be lenient and extend the loan term indefinitely. As long as you have connections, everything is fine...you can even drag out a loan indefinitely.
But those guys at finance companies only care about money, not people, and they basically won't allow delays. They say you have to repay in three months, and you have to repay in three months, otherwise... well, they won't be polite. What did you use as collateral? You can use that to make up the difference!
A loan of 10 billion... how much collateral would that require? It's estimated that Huang Lianshu would not only have to pledge all his shares, but also the newly acquired 8% stake, and probably all his movable and immovable property, real estate, etc. Otherwise... the finance company would never lend him money again.
If Huang Lianshu can turn his life around by borrowing such a large sum of money, that would be fine. But if he loses it all and can't repay it after three months, then Huang Lianshu will probably become penniless.
After listening to Lao Wang's advice, Huang Lianshu sighed. He knew all this, but saving the market was like putting out a fire, and he was forced into a corner. If he didn't do this, his Yunzhong International would probably go bankrupt in just a few days, not even three months later. Since that was the case, he might as well take a gamble... Moreover... Huang Lianshu had an important trump card, which was the desert management project. As long as he could win the project in a few days and become the full agent, then... all the crises would just be a drizzle and would not pose any threat to him at all.
It must be said that Huang Lianshu's idea is quite reasonable. If everything goes according to his plan, then this crisis will only be a thrilling moment in the ups and downs of his life. In the end, as long as he is still a super-rich man standing on the clouds, then everything that happened today will just be a topic for him to brag about in the future.
However... the changes in events were completely beyond Huang Lianshu's control from the very beginning. He was being led by the nose step by step, but he was still unaware of it.
Zhou Ziwei looked at the document in his hand and signed his name on the loan application document for more than 10 billion yuan... Of course... Zhou Ziwei's name would not be on the official contract signed with Yunzhong International; this was just an internal company document.
That's right. The so-called Macau finance company was actually a subsidiary completely controlled by Zhou Ziwei. The reason Zhou Ziwei set up this subsidiary was to scheme against Huang Lianshu. All of this had been in the works since the day Zhou Ziwei returned, and now... he was luring Huang Lianshu into an abyss step by step.
All the nets have been laid, but the fish in them need to be let to jump around for a few more days. If we want to completely take over Yunzhong International, we'll have to wait a few more months.
In the following period, Zhou Ziwei planned to go to the United States again, firstly to find his sister's whereabouts, and secondly to help the four agents rescue their families.
All four agents were of mixed race with Chinese ancestry. They had all grown up here and received rigorous training and education before being dispatched. However, none of their families in the United States knew about these things.
So their wives and children are innocent, but faced with military families who are tantamount to traitors, the US side would never allow them to continue to live freely, so... they should have been imprisoned long ago.
Zhou Ziwei also wanted to go home to check on things, but... now that he was in such a state, barely 1.2 meters tall, with a face as youthful as a five or six-year-old child, how could he dare to go back home like this? If Wang Xuewei and Liu Xiaofei saw him like this, wouldn't they be terrified? So... going to the United States again was the only option he could choose at this time.
Hopefully, this time he can find a way to restore his body to adult size, otherwise... wouldn't he become the legendary Child Granny of Tianshan?
"Are you really going to the US again?"
The old leader was speechless when Zhou Ziwei came to say goodbye. This kid was getting "younger" and "younger" now. His skin was so fair and tender that it looked like you could squeeze water out of it. If Zhou Ziwei hadn't admitted it himself and told the secret that only the two of them knew, the old leader probably would never have believed that the boy in front of him was really the same Zhou Ziwei from back then.
"Yes, sir, there are some things I have to do." Zhou Ziwei nodded readily, then immediately changed the subject and tentatively asked, "I heard... that project to plant fire lotus flowers to transform the desert is about to start?"
"Yes..." The old commander became very excited when he mentioned this matter, saying, "Your contribution to the country this time is truly immense. Putting aside everything else, just these fire lotus seeds alone are a great thing that will benefit future generations... After receiving the seeds you brought back, we immediately organized an expert team and went directly to the desert area to cultivate them on-site. The results showed that... this fire lotus is completely adapted to the Earth's ecological environment, and the plant's growth cycle is astonishingly fast. With some special growth-inducing methods, each seed can complete a growth cycle in just a few days. So far, we have harvested three times using that growth-inducing method, which has brought the seed reserves to a certain level. We plan to conduct two more rounds of growth-inducing to bring the fire lotus seed reserves to the predetermined target, and then we can officially begin a large-scale desert planting plan."