Chapter 330: Walking Into a Trap (Two in One)

"Brother Fan, sit down."

"I asked you to come here today. I have nothing else to do. I mainly want to talk about your friend's funds."

In Yike's New York office, Fang Zhuo, in a suit and leather tie, poured a glass of water for Fan Xiong, who was a little embarrassed.

"Mr. Fang, are there any fund problems?" Fan Xiong felt like he was ecstatic about picking up money this month, and it was even more satisfying to bring this joy to his brothers.

"There's only one problem. The amount is too low and too fragmented." Fang Zhuo held Fan Xiong's financial statement dumbfounded. "It says thirty-two thousand on it. Brother Fan, do you think I have a bank deposit here?" ?”

Fan Xiong said in shock: "Isn't this and this total three hundred thousand?"

Previously, Fan Xiong took out the principal and profits from two profits, and brought together three brothers to collect US$1.5 million. The money was told that it had tripled and could be delivered at any time.

That’s a full $3 million!

This time, he was informed that he could add money to enter. Fan Xiong expanded the scope of his brothers and collected US$300,000.

Fang Zhuo sat directly on his desk and said with a smile: "Private equity funds have capital thresholds. I told you last time that your 30,000 to 20,000 yuan is not enough to make my procedures cumbersome."

"Besides, one of your friends wants to deliver the profits from the last round, and it's too troublesome for you and the other two friends to stay still."

"Brother Fan, your chamber of commerce and I have a one- or two-year closed period. Now I will relax it to half a year, and you can choose freely after that."

"Also, you pool up the money of these brothers and friends, and put two hundred thousand dollars into one person's name, and one million dollars is the entry threshold."

"is that OK?"

Fang Zhuo reached for the tea cup.

Fan Xiong understood the meaning, which was to put together a small amount of money into a big sum of 200,000 yuan, and then collect another 5 big sums to put it into a private equity fund.

This time the total is only 300,000, and we still need to raise another 1 million...

"Mr. Fang, none of our brothers have much money. This..." Fan Xiong was a little embarrassed.

"Huh?" Fang Zhuo said in surprise, "I think your Chamber of Commerce is very rich. Last time I invested five million. This time I said I must get another five million, and they readily agreed."

Fan Xiong grinned but said nothing.

After a while, he opened his mouth and continued to complain. People who are in the world have no idea of ​​saving money. They usually spend money lavishly, either in casinos or on women's bellies.

"I'm not discussing with you, I'm informing you." Fang Zhuo said calmly without any emotion about this.

Fan Xiong was suffocated and suddenly realized that this was someone playing with him.

"Then I'll think of a way." He said helplessly.

"This kind of good thing still takes so long." Fang Zhuo shook his head and said disappointedly, "Just forget it if you can't get it within this week. The fund is not waiting all the time."

Fan Xiong quickly assured: "There will definitely be no problem this week. I'll let the brothers join in."

He decided that he would no longer limit himself to 23,400. He could try to scrape together 23,400, or look for a red stick that usually had less traffic. The opportunity to make a fortune was right in front of him.

Fang Zhuo glanced at Copper Pea, said "Yeah", and waved to him: "Go out."

Fan Xiong's mind was filled with "money, money, money", so he got up and left in confusion.

He didn't feel anything was wrong, but he suddenly remembered something before going out: "Mr. Fang, what is the name of this private equity fund? I can tell my brothers."

A client who has done this three times didn’t even think of asking for his name until now, which goes well with the casual private equity style.

"Peace & Love, referred to as PL Private Equity Fund, according to our abbreviation habits, you can call it a beautiful fund." Fang Zhuo said, "My partners and clients all hope that its performance will be better."

Fan Xiong was a little stunned, muttered to himself, turned around and left.

After the copper pea left, Kong Yu, the head of fund affairs, came in from the president's office.

"Mr. Fang, can PL bring in six million US dollars this week?"

"Absolutely." Fang Zhuo nodded, "The one who went out just now has a very positive attitude and can contribute one million."

Kong Yu was surprised: "Are all the gang members so rich?"

Fang Zhuo shrugged and did not answer the question.

Kong Yu waited for a few seconds and continued to ask: "What is the strategy this time?"

"PL will first buy NetEase and Sohu, and keep them below the quotation line. Don't let the fund trigger announcements. The extra money will be invested in US real estate stocks, and the style will be conservative." Fang Zhuo said.

Two requirements.

Kong Yu heard three meanings, which were to stay below the sign-raising line...

He considered his words and said tactfully: "How is the profit and gain reflected in the contract?"

Fang Zhuo glanced at the fund manager lightly and emphasized: "PL should be more private, with management fees and performance compensation added, and the terms should be more flexible."

Kong Yu understood instantly.

Private equity funds are opposite to public equity funds. One very important difference is transparency.

What is more private equity?

Be more opaque!

"Don't have any problems with the contract written in black and white." Fang Zhuo said again.

No matter how clear Kong Yu is, he must be more opaque and protected by law!

MIGA Fund currently holds shares in three portals, and many actions must be announced. PL Fund must avoid this situation so that it can better control its customers.

In particular, the funds that PL absorbs come from gang groups, the kind of people who are not familiar with the terms of the contract.

Kong Yu clapped his hands and exclaimed: "Boss, this is a win-win situation. They make money and we make money too."

Fang Zhuo nodded in surprise. Yes, Lao Kong understood the spirit very well.

Regarding the new fund shell, in addition to helping cultivate the financial management concept of the gang group, it will also be used to test the waters of subprime mortgages in the United States and actively participate in the current wave of real estate economic prosperity.

The current funds are still small, but Li Xinyue and Fan Xiong's group still have great potential. They have the Chamber of Commerce behind them, and the Chamber of Commerce has Chinatown behind them. And there is more than one Chinatown in the United States?

…

In November, Yike contacted Apple for the second time at the instruction of Fang Zhuo and actively discussed acquisitions.

Apple recognized Yike's market value, just as it acquired SoundJam MP, the predecessor of iTunes, and also wanted to use funds to take over Yike's market share and iMusic, which was praised by users.

Compared with the $200 million in the last negotiation, Apple was not stingy and tried to finalize the acquisition as soon as possible.

Both sides frequently reported news of progress.

However, to Fang Zhuo's disappointment, Sony Music was still very calm and had courtesy communications with the previous negotiation team infrequently.

Cold on one side, hot on the other.

Seeing that the negotiations between Apple and Yike were going more and more smoothly, the marketing director could not sit still.

On November 6, Yu Hong went straight to the president's office after listening to the results of another negotiation.

"Mr. Fang, you won't really sell Yike during the negotiation, will you?"

Fang Zhuo laughed: "Why do I remember you asked me the same question last time?"

Yu Hong said confidently: "Because the situation is always changing, Apple's bid is higher."

After a week of contact, Apple's acquisition price was negotiated to 280 million US dollars, and other conditions such as retaining the independent operation of the sub-brand, exchanging shares in proportion, and the management retaining their positions were not erased.

Apple is quite sincere.

Yu Hong clearly felt this.

"Yes, Apple is increasingly recognizing our value." Fang Zhuo shook his head slightly and sighed, "Sony, why doesn't Sony open its eyes?"

Yu Hong sensed the mentality from the tone and smiled with relief: "Yes, Sony, open your eyes quickly. If you don't open your eyes, the bride will get on someone else's sedan chair."

The two chatted and laughed in the office. The trick of using Apple to put pressure on Sony Music has come to an end. Now it is decided that Fang Zhuo, the president, will attend the meeting the day after tomorrow.

If the real process is followed, this acquisition case will be the president's appearance and statement, and then the signing will be successful.

So, Apple's president Steve Jobs will also appear at the meeting on November 8th. They think that now it's a matter of the two presidents shaking hands.

Fang Zhuo plans to pass this message to Sony Music - by notifying the other party that the negotiation team will no longer continue the negotiation contact.

The purpose is to make the final call: Hey, Sony Music, I really want to sell myself to Apple, surrender, and achieve personal financial freedom!

What can I say, anyway, Yike's business negotiation team has talked about the point that it is inappropriate for their side not to sell.

If Sony Music remains indifferent the day after tomorrow, Yike’s president can only announce the failure of the acquisition again with the excuse of “temporary change in shareholders”…

This will inevitably be strongly questioned by Apple.

But Fang Zhuo, as the president, can only abandon his business ethics to conduct cunning pressure tests.

Fang Zhuo and Yu Hong did not discuss the straw boat borrowing arrows style acquisition pressure anymore, but instead talked about the professional manager recently selected by the headhunter.

Yike not only needs a professional manager responsible for the US market, but also one to develop the European market.

M1 and P1 have proved with quality and price that they can also take advantage in developed countries such as the United States. As Europe has similar consumption habits, Yike has no reason to give up.

If the US market is gradually weakened due to music copyright, the European market can still survive with hardware products.

Just as the marketing director finished talking to managers from different backgrounds and was about to leave, Fang Zhuo’s mobile phone on the table suddenly received a call from China.

“Xiao Yu, wait.”

Fang Zhuo called Yu Hong and said while pressing the phone: “It’s Zhou Xin calling.”

Yu Hong stopped.

"Hello, Brother Fang, are you busy?" Zhou Xin's voice was very calm.

"No, I'm chatting with President Yu." Fang Zhuo asked, "What's the matter? Is there something wrong with the registration website?"

"No, it's something personal, Brother Fang, I'm planning to get married at the end of the month, and I want to ask about your schedule." Zhou Xin was still calm.

Fang Zhuo's eyes widened, and he once suspected that the flow of time abroad and at home was inconsistent. If I remembered correctly, he had asked this person about her relationship status before going abroad...

He was a little out of control: "Uh, get married? At the end of the month? Did I hear it wrong?"

"No, she likes me very much, and I think she is not bad." Zhou Xin narrated, "And, I have to be responsible."

Fang Zhuo: "..."

He was silent for a few seconds, turned on the external speaker of the phone, and congratulated: "Xiao Zhou, congratulations, it's a good thing to start a family, uh, it's just that you are a little anxious, if it were someone else, it would be fine, but there is nothing wrong with you and me. Marriage must be considered carefully and not impulsive."

"I have considered it very clearly." Zhou Xin smiled, "Is Sister Yu here too? Then please notify her for me. I will get married on the 30th of the month!"

Yu Hong: "..."

She was shocked and hurried to speak, congratulations.

When the call ended, the president of Yike and the marketing director looked at each other in silence. They all knew that Zhou Xin's last relationship ended hastily. This one... is it to start a new stage of life by taking responsibility?

"I'll ask him later." Fang Zhuo could only say this to Yu Hong, but according to the little he knew about Zhou Xin, he would attend his wedding at the end of the month.

Yu Hong: "Okay!"

The marketing director left in a daze. She felt that it was very strange to see a friend's emotional process like this... wonderful.

Fang Zhuo was also very confused, but there were still many things to deal with.

Five million US dollars from the Li family of Anliang Chamber of Commerce arrived, and one million US dollars from the Copper Pea Brothers Group arrived.

Neither of these two sums of money will enter the MIGA fund but will be operated by the PL fund.

Formal private placement, written in black and white, no deception.

However, compared with the MIGA fund, the PL fund has framed its profit ceiling for some customers at the beginning of its birth. With such a number, it will consider how to account out.

At present, the stock prices of Sohu and NetEase are hovering below 2 US dollars, and there is still a lot of room for appreciation, which will also be immediately apparent with the Q4 financial report.

On November 8, Fang Zhuo, the president of Yike, who looked particularly energetic in a formal suit, led the team to Apple.

Today was the default process of both companies. The presidents met with each other, affirmed each other, and then announced that the final acquisition intention had been agreed.

"Or, just sell it to Apple. I'm really embarrassed to regret it in person." Fang Zhuo sat in the car, holding his mobile phone, and teased himself.

"In our Yike, only President Fang can do this job." Yu Hong seemed to be derogatory and praise.

Fang Zhuo said "huh" with disdain and put the phone back in his pocket.

The company's news was passed to Sony Music, but there was no movement until this time. I'm afraid the other party really didn't care much about the new music ecology. This was really beyond Fang Zhuo's expectations.

But he was unwilling to give up directly, thinking that he would come to meet Jobs after the deal was settled.

After the first acquisition negotiations broke down, Jobs once criticized competitors to the media and accused Yike's products of having no soul.

Fang Zhuo decided to tease and question what the soul of the product is today.

At nine o'clock in the morning, Yi Ke and his team arrived at Apple.

Fang Zhuo only met Apple CEO Steve Jobs at this point.

The two presidents sat down and exchanged polite greetings.

However, before the greetings were over, Fang Zhuo's phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated strongly.

Fang Zhuo's heart moved, he took out his phone, and saw a call from Sony Music.

He apologized to Jobs and walked out of the meeting room with his phone.

The caller was Sony Music President Stringer.

"Mr. Fang, I think Sony Music and Yi Ke have a lot of room for cooperation. Yi Ke has obtained music copyrights, which is enough to fight against Apple. Sony Music has transformed its model and has future development."

Stringer's voice was extremely steady.

"Mr. Stringer, don't you think it's a bit late for you to call at this time? I'm already standing outside Apple's meeting room." Fang Zhuo didn't give in.

Stringer lobbied: "Mr. Fang, would you rather accomplish something great or watch others become great?"

Fang Zhuo: "Hmm..."

"I fully believe in Mr. Fang's ability, and Sony Music is willing to make concessions on previous business negotiations. Apple's acquisition is nothing more than some immediate interests. Mr. Fang is a person with a listed company, and he must know that going public will bring the greatest benefits." Stringer persuaded sincerely.

"I'll think about it again." Fang Zhuo sighed, "The main thing is that I have almost reached an agreement with Apple, and it's not good to ignore business ethics."

"There is a good saying in China, those who achieve great things don't care about trivial matters." Stringer spoke faster.

Fang Zhuo said in embarrassment: "But Sony Music and Apple's valuation of our Yike is too different. If I go into the conference room to sign now, Apple will immediately pay 280 million US dollars."

Singer showed the determination of the president of a giant: "We also recognize the value of Yike. We can talk about copyright based on this valuation. Moreover, with the cooperation of copyright, the value of Yike will immediately rise."

"I'll give you a number, Mr. Stringer. Let's calculate the valuation of Yike based on 300 million US dollars. If it's okay, we'll talk about it. If not, I'll go in and shake hands with Jobs." Fang Zhuo gave a number.

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

Fang Zhuo counted silently in his mind, 1, 2, 3, 4...

5.

"Okay." Stringer agreed immediately, "I believe Yike and Sony Music are a match made in heaven!"

"Yeah, I think so too." Fang Zhuo has long thought so!

A call from the president of Sony Music ended here.

Fang Zhuo walked back into the conference room.

He walked towards Jobs, whom he met for the first time, and extended his right hand.

Jobs shook hands with some surprise.

"Sorry, Mr. Jobs, our negotiations are over." Fang Zhuo said regretfully, "One of the company's shareholders strongly opposed it. I really can't ignore the interests of shareholders. This goes against my business ethics."

Jobs: "..."

Fang Zhuo shook his head regretfully and turned away without hesitation.

Yi Ke and his group all stood up and followed the president out of the Apple conference room.

Jobs looked at this scene in astonishment, and looked at Yi Ke's regret again in astonishment. Strong and complex emotions rose in his heart. It's not that Yi Ke's products have no soul...

It's that Yi Ke's president has no soul!