Luo Wanjiang frowned: "So you want to cash out?" If you don't want to increase your holdings, you obviously want cash.
Gao Tian was straightforward: "Yes, we don't live in Donghai City, so it's inconvenient for us to attend board meetings. Back then, we only invested in Haifeng Group because of Old Master Luo. We've held these shares for years, so it's time to get our returns."
Luo Wanjiang said, "So you mean you'll help me if I buy back the shares you hold, and you won't help me if I don't?"
Ning Zichen, being more diplomatic, said, "Vice President Luo, you can't say that. We still hope you will take charge of Haifeng Group's business. After all, our cooperation has been quite pleasant lately. It's just that our companies are all facing a tight cash flow recently, so we'd like to cash out some funds. What do you think?"
Luo Wanjiang flatly denied it: "I have no cash, you should know that better than I do." Luo Wanjiang was penniless at the moment. He had used up all the working capital he had to hire people and hitmen, otherwise the finance department would have been in a better position.
Gong Linsheng chuckled and said, "If we don't have cash, we can use our subsidiaries to cover it. These days, there are too many cases of debts being settled with goods. Why don't we learn from them? I'm very interested in Haifeng Group's electronics factory in our city, as well as Sunshine Home Appliances Chain and the communications department."
Luo Pingping slammed her hand on the table: "Gong Linsheng! Why don't you just say you're taking over all of Haifeng!"
Gonglin Shengyi tossed away his cigarette butt and said coldly, "I don't like talking to women!"
Liu Heping quickly calmed his wife down, saying, "Everyone, please calm down, let's talk this over."
Yu Shifeng stood up abruptly: "No need to discuss, let's be frank. We're here to divide up Haifeng Group. Agree to our demands and we'll help you, otherwise you'll get nothing! Just watch your elder brother take away your Luo family's assets. Maybe it's a good idea for your elder brother to take the lead. If we hold onto our shares, they can appreciate in value in the future."
Luo Wanjiang was so angry that his hands trembled. Gong Linsheng, with only 12% of the shares, actually wanted a municipal-level electronics factory and a Sunshine Home Appliances chain store, and even wanted to add a communications department, including production lines for landline and wireless landlines, which accounted for a large portion of Haifeng Group's profits.
Gao Tian said, "Actually, my requirements are very low. Just give me the Sunshine Home Appliances chain in Haifeng."
"Damn it!" Luo Wanjiang cursed inwardly. Gao Tian only owned two percent of the shares, yet he dared to ask for the entire Sunshine Home Appliances chain!
The negotiations ended in discord, and Luo Wanjiang's plan to convene a board meeting that afternoon to remove Luo Wanfeng failed. He could not meet the demands of the five directors, so naturally they would no longer help him.
After the five directors left, Luo Pingping burst into tears, crying out, "Second brother, they've gone too far!"
Liu Heping sighed: "Alas, this is a case of a tiger fallen into the plains being bullied by dogs. No wonder this group agreed so readily and came immediately after being notified. It turns out they had something to gain. But they are too greedy. How can they ask for such an exorbitant amount?"
Luo Wanjiang muttered to himself, "But if we don't agree to their demands, we'll have nothing left."
Luo Pingping scolded, "Second brother, if you agree to their terms, you'll end up with nothing!"
Luo Wanjiang frantically pulled at his head, "What should we do?"
After considering for a moment, Liu Heping said, "I think they are asking for an exorbitant price. Let's not rush things. We are the hosts and they are the guests. They will eventually reach their breaking point, and then we can renegotiate and lower their demands."
Luo Wanjiang said, "That's the only way, but I'm afraid Luo Wanfeng won't give us time to wait."
Liu Heping said, "But that's all we can do for today. Let's make arrangements quickly. We need to entertain these five ancestors well tonight, otherwise who knows what else they might want."
Zhao Qiang also received the news that the five shareholders from other places on the board of directors had arrived in Donghai City and were all gathered in Luo Wanfeng's general manager's office to discuss countermeasures.
Xu Xiaoya announced the news she had just received: "The people we sent to keep watch at the Donghai Hotel reported that Luo Wanjiang has already held a meeting with five directors. They are about to go out for dinner. Judging from their expressions, they probably haven't reached a cooperation agreement yet."
Hu Qian said, "Since they agreed to Luo Wanjiang's invitation to come to Donghai City, I think they must have something in mind. Luo Wanjiang probably can't meet their demands, so we might have a chance to take advantage of this and try to buy the stocks they have."
Xu Xiaoya tapped the table and said, "But Luo Wanjiang and Liu Heping have been with them the whole time. We need a quiet place to negotiate, otherwise Luo Wanjiang will definitely say something inappropriate."
Zhang Lingfeng said, "Let me handle the task of drawing Luo Wanjiang away. I can't say how long it will take, but an hour should be enough."
Xu Xiaoya said, "If they are interested in cooperating, an hour may not be enough; if they are not interested in cooperating with us, five minutes will suffice."
Zhang Lingfeng said, "What are we waiting for? It's no use arguing here. Let's just go and see."
Xu Xiaoya said, "It's not good to talk in the restaurant because we can't avoid Luo Wanjiang. We'll find a chance to approach them when they've finished eating and gone downstairs to relax."
Actually, finding such an opportunity to get close wasn't difficult. Zhang Lingfeng's Tianmeng Nightclub was a place Luo Wanjiang frequented. Although he and Zhang Lingfeng were now at odds, he still had to spend money. How could he not take good care of these five VIP guests? It was unlikely that he could secretly get all five directors away at once, but Zhang Lingfeng still managed to entangle Luo Wanjiang with a group of women and then successfully took Lu Tiannan, Gong Linsheng, and Ning Zichen to another private room. These three held the most shares, and as long as they were dealt with, the remaining two wouldn't be a problem. Their shares wouldn't amount to much.
Only Xu Xiaoya and Zhang Lingfeng were sitting in the private room. With more people, it might not be possible to get things done. They weren't comfortable letting Xu Xiaoya talk to Zhao Qiang alone, so Zhang Lingfeng was there to back her up. After all, he was a local bigwig and the most suitable person to step in.
"So you're the one who came looking for us?" Lu Tiannan sized up Xu Xiaoya. The girl was in her early twenties, with a sexy and alluring appearance, which was his type. However, Lu Tiannan wasn't stupid. This was Donghai City, not his old lair. He could like her, but he couldn't make a move. The local bigwigs were keeping things under control.
Xu Xiaoya took the initiative to extend her hand and shake hands with the three of them lightly. "Hello, I am Xu Xiaoya from Jiayuan Investment Company. I apologize for inviting you three out here, but I have something to discuss with you."
Gong Linsheng chuckled: "How could we dare not come when such a beautiful girl invites us? But I don't think it's as simple as just inviting us for a drink. If you want to spend the whole night with the three of us, that doesn't make sense. Haha, we know our place. I guess this old-fashioned look isn't the type you young people like."
Zhang Lingfeng wanted to beat up Gong Linsheng for making suggestive remarks about Xu Xiaoya, but Xu Xiaoya glared at him and dissuaded him. Xu Xiaoya said, "Let's be frank, I'm interested in the shares of Haifeng Group held by the three of you. Name your price."
Volume 2 [287] Old ginger is spicier
Lu Tiannan and the other two exchanged glances. They were all businessmen who wouldn't act without a profit motive. They held shares in Haifeng Group hoping to make a fortune at some point, and none of them really intended to hold onto them long-term. It was obvious to everyone that the Luo family's empire was about to collapse. Previously, only Luo Wanjiang was interested in their shares, which had led to a stalemate in the negotiations. Now, someone else had finally intervened, which meant that Luo Wanjiang would have no choice but to agree to their conditions!
The three men exchanged knowing glances and laughed heartily. Lu Tiannan spoke up, "I wonder what Mr. Xu's background is. I've never heard of this Jiayuan Investment before. Who knows if you have the power to take over our shares? Haifeng Group is a behemoth in the electronics industry. It's not a company that anyone can just buy off."
Xu Xiaoya sneered: "Not weak? That's just you few directors bragging. What strength does Haifeng Group have today? Outdated products, aging production lines, lax personnel management, slow capital recovery, product backlog, paralyzed management at headquarters, and endless infighting within the Luo family. What strength do you think it has to boast about?"
Ning Zichen smiled faintly: "Since President Xu knows about these things, why would he be interested in Haifeng Group? We don't understand this. We naturally won't discuss our doubts in depth. It would be best if you could explain it to us more clearly."
Xu Xiaoya took a sip of tea and said, "Let me put it this way, I'm just helping a friend. Luo Wei is my junior from my school, you understand?" The people on the board of directors were certainly aware of the Luo family's structure. Luo Wei was the daughter of the eldest son, Luo Wanfeng. Now the issues had converged, and the shareholding dispute was essentially a battle between Luo Wanfeng and Luo Wanjiang, which made perfect sense.
Gong Linsheng said, "Okay, name your price! I have 12%, President Lu has 9%, and President Ning has 4%, which adds up to 25%, which is already 20% of what Luo Wanjiang and his sister have."
Xu Xiaoya said, "I am willing to acquire your shares at a price that is 50% higher than the market price."
Lu Tiannan laughed heartily: "A price that's fifty percent higher? Do you know how much Haifeng Group's stock is worth right now?"
Xu Xiaoya said, "If it's less than 100 yuan, I can buy it at 150 yuan per share. What do you think?"
Gong Linsheng slammed his fist on the table and roared, "No way! We've invested so much money in Haifeng Group, and it's a fact that we've lost millions due to the stock price decline last year and this year. Now you want to buy back our shares with this little money? That's wishful thinking!"
Ning Zichen sneered: "If you, President Xu, were to spend the night with the three of us, perhaps we could discuss this further."
Zhang Lingfeng flew into a rage: "You're asking for death!" Xu Xiaoya was Zhang Lingfeng's legitimate master's wife, and Donghai City was his territory. Wasn't it a slap in the face for his master's wife to be insulted?
Ning Zichen slammed his fist on the table and stood up: "If you dare to shit, I dare to come after you!"
Zhang Lingfeng shouted, and more than a dozen security guards rushed in, but they were driven back by Xu Xiaoya's sharp shout. Xu Xiaoya said to the three men, "You really don't want to sell? Can't you see that Haifeng Group is about to go bankrupt?"
Lu Tiannan said, "Whether Haifeng Group succeeds or not is our business. We're willing to invest our money in it, so what?"
Xu Xiaoya snorted coldly: "Fine, if you really want to throw your money into this, then I'll grant your wish. As far as I know, none of your companies are financially well-off. Since you don't want to cash out, then you might as well let it go to waste."
After speaking, Xu Xiaoya got up and left. Zhang Lingfeng glared at the three of them and also left. He hadn't expected these guys to be so ungrateful. If it were up to Zhang Lingfeng's temper, he would have started a fight. However, Xu Xiaoya knew that threatening these people with force wouldn't be very effective and would only cause unnecessary trouble for Luo Wanfeng. Since they wanted to keep these shares, she would grant their wish. Did they really think they were easy to bully just because they were women? Women can be terrifying sometimes!
Only three people remained in the private room, and smoke rose again. In fact, Lu Tiannan and Gong Linsheng, who held more than 20% of the shares in Haifeng Group, were extremely uneasy. Neither of them were well-known large companies with average financial strength. They had been misled by old man Luo Xin. Since the stock price of Haifeng Group fell, they had considered selling at a loss countless times, but they were unwilling to lose money like that. Therefore, they did not accept the low-price buyback proposed by old man Luo. They estimated that there would be a power struggle in the Luo family and wanted to get the biggest profit in this battle. The Luo family's empire was about to collapse, but the subsidiaries below were all valuable assets. As long as the production lines were utilized and their trademarks were changed, production could be started.
"Old Lu, what do you think?" Ning Zichen asked. He had relatively fewer shares, so he wasn't in a hurry. The fact that he asked first showed that he was in a calm state of mind.
Lu Tiannan said, "This woman surnamed Xu also said that she came on behalf of Luo Wei. This is Luo Wanfeng declaring war on his second brother. We have no reason not to wait. What do you think? Whoever controls our shares has the power to decide the board's resolutions. Of course, this is on the premise that Old Man Luo doesn't step down. But judging from his current state, he doesn't want to get involved in the children's affairs at all. This is even more in line with our requirements. It's a rare commodity, a rare commodity indeed." Lu Tiannan praised smugly.
Gong Linsheng was somewhat worried: "Won't something unexpected happen if we wait any longer?"
Lu Tiannan said, “There are definitely risks, but without taking risks, there will be no gains. The two are directly proportional. Luo Wanfeng is too conservative. Once he takes power, he will not let a single factory of the Luo family be lost. This will not benefit us at all. Therefore, we must stand with Luo Wanjiang. Only this spendthrift son can do something like dismantling the Luo family. Only then will our investment get the greatest return. Otherwise, even if we increase the stock price by 50%, we will still lose money. It is not worth it.”
Gong Linsheng said, "But Luo Wanjiang doesn't seem to have any intention of dismantling the Luo family, and his demands on us are quite excessive."
Lu Tiannan said, "Now we're just seeing who can stay calmer. Whoever loses their composure and gives in first will lose this battle. Anyway, Luo Wanjiang is more anxious than us, so we'll just wait until he agrees. Hehe, he's not in a hurry, is he? We'll tell him what happened earlier and let him know that Luo Wanfeng has his eye on our stocks. Then he won't be in a hurry."
The other two laughed happily. Competition is a good thing. If you ignore an item, it has no value. But when everyone is fighting over it, its importance is revealed. At first, they were worried that Luo Wanjiang would not exchange the goods for shares. Now that Xu Xiaoya has suddenly appeared, they think that the bargaining chips to threaten Luo Wanjiang have increased.
In the general manager's office of Haifeng Group, it was another sunny morning. Zhao Qiang had already gone to the university to attend classes and conduct experiments. Xu Xiaoya was now in charge. The negotiations last night had not made any progress, which annoyed her. Of course, Luo Wanfeng was even more annoyed. If he did not get the shares, he might be expelled by the board of directors, which would disappoint his father's expectations. Although no one had notified him of the upcoming board meeting, once Luo Wanjiang and the five people reached an agreement, the board meeting would be held in just a few minutes, and his removal would be just a matter of raising his hand.
Everyone was preoccupied. Luo Wei said apologetically, "I've made you all anxious because of my dad. I think we should go to my grandfather. He holds 30% of the shares. If he steps forward, my second uncle's scheme will fail. At the very least, the other directors should respect the opinion of my grandfather, the largest shareholder. After all, he is the chairman. He was the one who put my dad in this position. Would he just watch my dad be ousted by my second uncle?"
Xu Xiaoya said, "That's true, but I'm afraid that Grandpa Luo is just sitting on the sidelines and watching the fight, and he might just ignore it. We'll have to handle this ourselves."
Luo Wanfeng said, "I think it would be good to ask my father's opinion. At the very least, we should inform him of the arrival of the other directors, otherwise it would be impolite."
Xu Xiaoya said, "Of course we can give it a try. I'm just afraid you'll be disappointed. Well, the old man should be awake by now. Uncle Luo, you'd better go and ask him now. We're waiting for your news. It would be good for us to have more support."
Not long after, an hour later, Luo Wanfeng and Luo Wei drove back to Haifeng Building. Inside the general manager's office, both father and daughter had grim expressions. Xu Xiaoya, having anticipated this outcome, showed no surprise and asked, "How was it? Disappointed?"
Luo Wei said angrily, "My grandfather said that if my dad doesn't have the ability to hold the position of general manager, there's nothing he can do."
Xu Xiaoya smiled slightly: "Is there anything else?"
Luo Wei said, "That's it. How could my grandfather do this? He pushed my dad into the eye of the storm and then ignored him. What is he up to?" Luo Wanfeng also looked confused.
Xu Xiaoya said, "It's very simple, your grandfather is using all of us as pawns!" These were the words Yang Shiqi said yesterday, but she didn't say it so clearly. At the time, many people thought she was only referring to Luo Wanfeng being used as a pawn by Luo Xin.
Luo Wanfeng hurriedly defended his father, saying, "How could that be? My dad isn't that kind of person. At most, he was just using me."
Xu Xiaoya said, "Uncle Luo, I'm not blaming Grandpa Luo. He has his own difficulties and purposes. We're just talking about the matter at hand. Actually, before he knew about your relationship with Zhao Qiang, he wasn't too sure about letting you take control of the Luo family. Later, Zhao Qiang's behavior at the birthday banquet was too extreme, which made Grandpa Luo think that Zhao Qiang and his team behind the scenes could open up a new path for the Luo family. But it's undoubtedly a pipe dream for him to directly instruct Zhao Qiang to do this and that. But when Grandpa Luo learned about the relationship between Zhao Qiang and Wei, he had already planned today's events. Zhao Qiang wouldn't ignore Wei. If he takes action, his backing forces will naturally follow suit. At that time, Grandpa Luo can rebuild the family and let the younger generation take over. Indeed, old ginger is spicier."
Volume 2 [288] Destroy It
Luo Wanfeng plopped down on the sofa, while Luo Wei looked equally bewildered. Her bewilderment stemmed from the fact that Xu Xiaoya was absolutely right; Luo Xin had initially conveyed the same meaning to her. However, Luo Wei hadn't acted on it. Instead, Zhao Qiang had taken the initiative to approach her, which made Luo Wei feel even more guilty. She was the center of attention at school, but in front of Zhao Qiang, she was merely a girl being protected. She hadn't reciprocated Zhao Qiang's kindness at all, only taking from him.
Hu Qian was afraid that Xu Xiaoya's words would hurt the Luo family father and daughter too much, so she said, "Uncle Luo, Wei, you don't need to blame yourselves. Zhao Qiang had already guessed Old Master Luo's scheme, but what can we do? He cares about you and Wei, and he doesn't want Wei to be hurt in any way. We are also willing to help you. We are friends, not just people with naked interests. What do you think?"
Luo Wei nodded emphatically to Hu Qian. At this moment, Hu Qian was like an older sister to her, which relieved her of a lot of burdens. Hu Qian was definitely a good friend worth confiding in. Although she didn't usually communicate with Hu Qian much, true feelings are revealed in times of crisis, and this was exactly the situation.
Xu Xiaoya continued, "Uncle Luo, don't be sad. Zhao Qiang said that we will help Wei no matter what happens to her, even if it means selling everything we own. Besides, we also get something in return. You can think of our relationship as an equal exchange. We are also rewarded for helping you and Wei."
Luo Wanfeng looked up in confusion: "Rewards? We need your help to even eat now, what rewards could we possibly give you?"
Xu Xiaoya said, "Those shares outside, and our long-term cooperation in the future."
Luo Wanfeng was even more puzzled, "The shares outside? Didn't the negotiations break down?"
When the topic turned to the five board members, Xu Xiaoya's expression turned cold: "The negotiations broke down because Lu Tiannan and his group were too shameless!"
Hu Qian also snorted coldly, "I think we don't need to give them any face. Let them know what it means to regret something!"
Yang Shiqi slammed her hand on the table again, as was her habit. "If it were up to me, I would have tied them all up together, put a gun to their necks, and made them sell whether they wanted to or not!"
Xu Xiaoya glared at Yang Shiqi: "Is all you know how to use a gun? Can't you have a little humanity?"
Yang Shiqi said, "I learned this from Zhao Qiang. Doesn't he pull out a gun at the slightest disagreement?"
Xu Xiaoya said, "But he never resorts to force when it comes to economic matters! What if we force them to sell their shares and they turn around and bite us?"
Yang Shiqi awkwardly retreated to her seat and sat down. "Then I won't pull out my gun. Just tell me what to do already. You're keeping me in suspense."
Xu Xiaoya returned to her seat. Everyone had arrived today, including Zhang Lingfeng, who had just arrived. She nodded and then shook her head, muttering to herself, "We have the military, the government, the internet, and the economic strength, but we lack media support. Why doesn't Zhao Qiang bring one in?"
As a manager responsible for macroeconomic control, Xu Xiaoya paid close attention to the behind-the-scenes strength of the people around Zhao Qiang. Yang Shiqi represented the military. If it weren't for that, Zhao Qiang wouldn't have needed to cooperate with her at the 168 Military Factory, let alone go to the trouble of refining 'g' substances for her. Even if Yang Shiqi's grandfather had harmed Zhao Qiang, Yang Shiqi could still help him out.
Hu Qian represents the power of the internet, but in reality, her power in the government is not much weaker than Zhang Lingfeng's. It's just that Hu Qian has never been good at using it. However, if she were to issue some orders through Old Master Hu, the effect would be quite strong. But there probably isn't anything that can get Old Master Hu to speak up yet.
Their economic strength goes without saying. For every day that is delayed, Zhao Qiang’s funds will increase by 1.4 billion (before tax). This is an astronomical figure for ordinary people, but for these people, it is just a number and has little significance. If the time is delayed any longer, it will be enough to rebuild the Haifeng Group.
Hu Qian was intrigued by Xu Xiaoya's monologue and said with a smile, "I know a reporter from CCTV, why don't we bring him in?"
Xu Xiaoya said, "That's great. We don't need non-mainstream media. CCTV is the best partner. But it's too late to pull it today. Let's talk about it later. I get angry thinking about Lu Tiannan and Gong Linsheng last night. They want to hoard goods. Let's let them have their goods stuck in their hands. In the end, they will come back crying and begging us to buy them."
Luo Wanfeng was hardly convinced: "Xiaoya, is that possible? You know Luo Wanjiang is still watching over there. If those directors want to sell their shares, Luo Wanjiang will definitely drive up the price and scramble for them."