Chapter 39 3. Are there any rules in the world?The only rule is that the strong make the rules

He Zhijun's investigation activities were arranged in an orderly manner, without any flaws in the middle.Du Linxiang has no interest in these superficial skills.His attention fell on Lu Youshun and Chen Feng.Chen Feng came to Hongxi with He Zhijun, and his current identity is the deputy secretary-general of the Hongxi Provincial Party Committee.After watching from the sidelines, Du Linxiang discovered that Lu Youshun and Chen Feng hardly had any interaction in public, as if they didn't know each other at all.It is precisely because of this that Du Linxiang has a little confidence in Lu Youshun's career.

In the next few days, Zhuang Zhiqi went to Shanghai again to continue negotiations with Chen Yuanxiong.Du Linxiang rushed to Singapore and had a chat with Xu Haochang.After only staying in Singapore for two days, Du Linxiang diverted to Dubai in the Middle East.A week later, he flew back to River State from Dubai. After resting for a few days, Du Linxiang called Lai Jingdong: "Mr. Lai, hello! Are you in Beijing?" Lai Jingdong replied with a smile: "I am in Chongqing, attending an academic seminar." Du Linxiang said: "I really envy your unrestrained life of traveling all over the world."

Lai Jingdong said: "A farmer in the mountains and fields can't compare to a busy person like Mr. Du." Du Linxiang asked again: "When will Mr. Lai return to Beijing?" Lai Jingdong said: "The seminar just started today, and it is estimated to last for a week. Do you have anything to do?" Du Linxiang paused and said, "I have something important to ask Mr. Lai for advice. How about I just come to Chongqing?" "What's the matter?" Lai Jingdong said, "Can't you say it on the phone?" Du Linxiang insisted: "I'm afraid I can't explain clearly on the phone, it's best to meet up."

"Excuse me, it's too troublesome for you to go there yourself, isn't it?" Lai Jingdong said politely. Du Linxiang said, "It's all right." That afternoon, Du Linxiang arrived in Chongqing.Lai Jingdong said that he was drinking afternoon tea at Chen Cheng's mansion on the bank of the Jialing River, and Du Linxiang rushed over. Chen Cheng is the military and political leader of the Kuomintang. He is not only Chiang Kai-shek's fellow from Zhejiang, but also a descendant of Whampoa that Chiang relied on all his life.Chen Cheng Mansion, located in Chongqing, was the official residence of Chen Cheng when he served as the commander-in-chief of the Sixth Theater during the Anti-Japanese War.Anyone who is familiar with history knows that the sixth theater plays a pivotal role in the overall situation of the national war of resistance. In 1940, the national army lost in the battle of Zaoyi, Yichang, an important town in western Hubei, fell, and Chongqing, the accompanying capital, was coveted by the Japanese army.At a critical moment, Chiang Kai-shek decided to reorganize the sixth theater, and appointed his favorite general Chen Cheng as the commander-in-chief and concurrently as the chairman of the Hubei Provincial Government.From then until the end of the Anti-Japanese War, the sixth war zone shouldered the important task of blocking the Japanese army from the front and defending the capital.In view of Chen Cheng's prominent status in the Kuomintang, Chen Cheng's mansion also became a recognized architectural masterpiece at that time, witnessing the vicissitudes of Chongqing as the accompanying capital.

The owner of the house at the time eventually died in Taiwan, but today's political and business celebrities come and go in and out of it from time to time, chatting and laughing.In recent years, some companies have invested in the renovation of Chen Cheng's mansion and built it into the top private club in Southwest China.The newly decorated Chen Cheng mansion has a wide view of the river, overlooking the Huanghuayuan Bridge lying on the Jialing River, and Jiangbeizui Central Business District.The Cantonese cuisine prepared here is impressive regardless of taste and price. Lai Jingdong greeted Du Linxiang in person at the gate of the mansion. He smiled at Du Linxiang and said, "Mr. Du has worked so hard to come all the way here."

"Mr. Lai, hello!" Du Linxiang stretched out his hands enthusiastically, "I'm bothering you, I hope I forgive you." Lai Jingdong led Du Linxiang upstairs, not forgetting to introduce while walking.Today's Chen Cheng mansion is four stories high.In the stairwell of each floor, there are photos of Chen Cheng in various periods, from studying as a young man, to the Northern Expedition, the Anti-Japanese War, to serving as Chiang Kai-shek's deputy in Taiwan.Every space in Chen Cheng's mansion is also named after deeds related to Chen Cheng.On the first floor, there are Dexin Hall and Cixiu Hall. Dexin is Chen Cheng's baby name, and Cixiu is Chen Cheng's character.The second floor was originally the meeting room of the official residence, but now it is a private room, named General Hall, which means that Chen Cheng was an official to the first-level general of the Kuomintang. The private room uses a long dining table with more square seats, just like a high-level military meeting place.

The private room where Lai Jingdong drinks tea is located on the third floor, called Yuting Hall.Chen Yuting is the second son of Chen Cheng. He graduated from Harvard University in the United States. He likes to practice Zen and has been engaged in public welfare for the rest of his life.The decoration of private rooms also echoes Chen Yuting's personality, adopting a Chinese style that contains Zen. After sitting down in Yuting Hall, the service staff immediately served tea with a smile.Du Linxiang took a sip and said: "When I came to Chongqing, I only heard about Chen Cheng's mansion, but I never came here. Today is also thanks to Mr. Lai."

"I also borrow flowers to offer Buddha." Lai Jingdong waved his hand and said, "Tonight, a friend from Taiwan invited me to have a gathering. These bosses who came from Taiwan especially like this place. Knowing that the environment here is good, I simply came here to sit for a while in the afternoon. Enjoy the river view while reading and drinking tea." "Mr. Lai is really an elegant scholar." Du Linxiang said. "I'm kidding." Lai Jingdong shrugged, "Arty, just to pass some time. By the way, Mr. Du is in a hurry to come over, what's the matter?"

"One thing, the more I thought about it, the more strange it became, so I had to ask Mr. Lai for advice." Du Linxiang lit a cigarette, "Our company's Mr. Zhuang, after negotiating with Chen Yuanxiong a few times ago, found that this Mr. Chen seemed to be out of control. Negotiations We have to wait until the next day to give a clear answer to anything in the middle of the matter. Therefore, Mr. Zhuang speculates that behind Chen Yuanxiong, there should be another expert." Lai Jingdong was expressionless, playing with the teacup in his hand.Du Linxiang continued: "Before, for the next stage of negotiations, Mr. Zhuang drew up an outline, all of which were the key issues that Weitong thought would be resolved in the next negotiation. I also passed this outline to Mr. Lai. "

Du Linxiang emphasized his tone: "The strange thing is that Chen Yuanxiong's negotiating style has changed a lot recently. Regarding the questions raised by Weitong, whether he accepts them or not, at least he will answer them on the spot at the negotiating table. Presumably the masters behind Chen Yuanxiong already know about us. What to talk about next; at the same time, I also gave Chen Yuanxiong some advice on which conditions can be agreed to and which ones can be rejected on the spot." Lai Jingdong put down his teacup, laughed and said, "It seems that Mr. Du has decided that the master behind Chen Yuanxiong is the next one?"

Du Linxiang flicked the cigarette ash: "I'm afraid the actual helm of Taijiang Capital is also Mr. Lai!" The Jialing River flows slowly outside the window, and the traffic on the Huanghuayuan Bridge is like weaving. The originally wide bridge seems to be overwhelmed at this moment.There was a rare silence in the private room. About half a minute later, Lai Jingdong shook his head and sighed: "Small tricks can't escape Mr. Du's eyes." "Too serious." Du Linxiang said, "It was Chen Yuanxiong who showed his flaws, not you, Mr. Lai." "Oh!" Lai Jingdong sighed, "I also have unavoidable difficulties!" He said slowly: "The shadow of the prison disaster is still there today. When I was just released from prison, relying on the care of my friends, the business It gradually improved. Unexpectedly, troubles came to me again, and someone brought me a message, saying that Lai Jingdong is a person with a criminal record, and now he has such a big business, what does it mean? Could it be that he was arrested wrongly?" Lai Jingdong looked mournful: "The principle of a big tree attracting wind has not changed since ancient times. Especially for people like me, if there is any movement, there will be countless pairs of eyes staring at it. There is no choice but to retreat behind the scenes. Finally, Taijiang Capital was established in the United States. Push my student Chen Yuanxiong to the foreground." "This is also human nature." Du Linxiang said with a smile, "I admire Mr. Lai's indomitable and courageous spirit." Lai Jingdong smiled wryly and said, "I naturally have my own reasons for hiding behind the scenes, but it's really unreasonable that I didn't tell the truth when I was with Mr. Du's friends. However, maybe because we are friends, some things are more difficult to say." "How to say?" Du Linxiang asked. Lai Jingdong said: "Everyone has heard a saying that business is about business. As the helm of Taijiang Capital, I naturally have to give priority to the interests of Taijiang Capital, but I have to sit at the negotiating table with an old friend like Mr. Du. , it seems that there is no way to break the relationship. After thinking about it, let Chen Yuanxiong rush to the front line." Lai Jingdong bowed his hands at this time: "I offended Mr. Du, please forgive me!" Lin Xiang laughed loudly: "Mr. Lai's words are reasonable. If it were me, I would do the same." Du Linxiang then changed the subject: "However, Mr. Lai, you are really worrying too much. Everyone is a business People, who doesn’t understand the truth of business? You fight for the interests of Taijiang Capital, and I fight for the interests of Weitong Group. Lai Jingdong also laughed: "Mr. Du is really a man of temperament!" Du Linxiang said: "This time I was in a hurry to come to Chongqing to meet Mr. Lai, just to spread the word. Instead of letting Chen Yuanxiong and Zhuang Zhiqi dawdle in Shanghai for a long time, it is better for us to be open and honest." "President Du speaks quickly, so I will also open the skylight and speak out." Lai Jingdong said, "The conditions proposed by Chen Yuanxiong are naturally my inspiration. As a friend, these conditions are not only harsh, but even unreasonable. Partner, I don’t think those points are overstated.” Lai Jingdong continued: "Mr. Du's plan to lead Witton Group to expand across the country and then go public in Hong Kong with the scale of its land reserve is tantamount to a gamble. Since it is a gamble, it means huge risks and benefits. As a company with As a profit-oriented enterprise, we are very interested in the huge benefits that this plan may bring. At the same time, it is also the right thing to avoid all risks as much as possible.” Du Linxiang smiled faintly: "For me, it's indeed a big gamble. But Mr. Lai doesn't seem to be interested in this gamble. Your wishful thinking is to do a business that can make a profit without losing money." "Which businessman is not like this?" Lai Jingdong crossed his legs, "A businessman is not a gambler after all. With all due respect, the reason why Mr. Du is taking risks now is because he lost in the last bet about skyscrapers. Eyes. In order to get back the capital, you can only put all your net worth and continue to gamble. With the current situation of Taijiang Capital, it is true that there is no need to be as impatient as Mr. Du." Lai Jingdong's words hit Du Linxiang's sore spot, Du Linxiang's face was gloomy, and he was speechless for a while.Lai Jingdong slowed down his tone: "In any case, Taijiang Capital has spent more than 100 million U.S. dollars in real money. Needless to say, Mr. Du needs money now, and this is the only bargaining chip we rely on. Since it is a negotiation For business, take it as you like and I will. Whether to agree to our conditions, the decision is still in Mr. Du's hands." Du Linxiang continued to smoke a cigarette and said: "Seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages is the most normal business logic. But since it is a business, you must pay attention to the minimum rules." Lai Jingdong folded his hands on his chest: "Mr. Du thinks we don't follow the rules?" Du Linxiang said: "The conditions put forward by Chen Yuanxiong have two core points. The first is the convertible bond. You are shareholders if the listing is successful, and you are the creditors if it fails. You don't have to bear the responsibility of half a dime; Let’s gamble against the commercial real estate projects under Wisdom. If Wistron fails to go public on time, you will directly take these valuable commercial properties into your own hands, and even throw all the debts owed by these properties to me in the past. " Du Linxiang was indignant: "There are always rules in a business. Lai is always a senior in the capital market, and he should know more about the rules than I do. Do these conditions of yours comply with the rules?" "I don't agree with Mr. Du's words." Lai Jingdong said, "I have been in the capital market for many years, and I have never seen any unchanging industry rules, but I have seen many industry rules, and people stepped under their feet." Lai Jingdong also said: "Vitone has been planning to go public recently, Mr. Du should know that every company will hire an investment bank before going public." "Of course." Du Linxiang nodded, "The investment bank is an intermediary agency when a company goes public, and is responsible for selling the stocks of the company to be listed to investors. After the listing is successful, the investment bank charges a commission as a reward." Lai Jingdong then asked: "How about the investment bank's commission?" Du Linxiang said: "I heard from Zhuang Zhiqi that if cash payment is adopted, the investment bank commission is generally charged at a rate of about 7% of the financing amount." "That's right." Lai Jingdong said, "These 7% are industry regulations. Not only China's industry regulations, but also the world's industry regulations." Lai Jingdong took a sip of tea: "But does Mr. Du know how much the famous American Internet company Google paid to the investment bank when it went public?" "How much?" Du Linxiang asked. Lai Jingdong stretched out three fingers: "3%, not even half of the so-called industry regulations. Moreover, the people responsible for the Google project are all those big Wall Street investment banks who are usually arrogant. To put it bluntly, customers like Mr. Du, People may not take it seriously at all. But in the face of Google, which is so powerful, these guys are still fighting for the 3% commission." Lai Jingdong smiled: "A senior executive of an American investment bank told me that Google's project is not for making money, but for strengthening the influence of the investment bank and promoting the promotion of brand value." "So, there are no rules in the world? The only rule is that the strong make the rules." Sitting in a private room full of Zen, Lai Jingdong, who has always liked to worship Buddha and practice Zen, is not as gentle and humble as usual.At this time, he was just a domineering businessman. Du Linxiang said helplessly: "Boss Lai's words are harsh, but I can't refute them." Lai Jingdong's tone became more and more aggressive: "Taijiang Capital will only earn a few hundred million more if we are destined to make this business; if Mr. Du is unwilling to cooperate, we will not lose anything. There is no friendship in the business! But for Weitong, this It's a life-or-death gamble." Du Linxiang smiled wryly and said, "Mr. Lai has decided for us!" Lai Jingdong leaned his back on the sofa: "Buddhism pays attention to fate. Being able to meet President Du is also a kind of fate. These days, I have seen with my own eyes that President Du is not chaotic in the face of danger and supports the overall situation on his own. I have also witnessed you going through dangerous beaches, Overcome the difficulties and break Wanshunlong in the first battle. I am not convinced by Mr. Du, but admire Mr. Du. The reason why the two sides can cooperate now is because I am optimistic about Mr. Du. With the current situation of Weitong, If President Du is not in charge, I would not cooperate with him." "Furthermore," Lai Jingdong continued, "in the business field, there is no one who decides what to do. Mr. Du can completely reject us. As for whether we can still meet such generous investors after rejecting us, that is another matter." One thing." Du Linxiang said: "There are many investment institutions that are richer than Taijiang Capital, but I am afraid that there is no one who knows Weitong better than Mr. Lai, and who knows Du Mou better." "Mr. Du's words are thorough." Lai Jingdong laughed, "As far as the current predicament of Weitong is concerned, if you don't understand Mr. Du's extraordinary courage and extraordinary courage, I am afraid that no investor will dare to spend 100 million US dollars." Du Linxiang kept smoking, and said slowly: "Mr. Lai knows me. I earned my first pot of gold as a contractor through hard work. Many years ago, I was already a small rich man, and I was not very good at money. worry." "However, all these years, I have been thinking about money." Du Linxiang changed the subject, "Why? Because I believe that Du Linxiang has 30 million or 300 million, the difference is not big, but Du Linxiang is an entrepreneur Or a land rich man, but there is a world of difference." Lai Jingdong nodded and said: "Without this kind of ambition, there would be no achievements today." Du Linxiang also said: "Boss Lai means to transfer all the risk of listing failure to me, and Taijiang Capital will exit the market unscathed. In fact, once the listing fails, my personal fate is already doomed. Weitong will go bankrupt. , I’m going to go bankrupt too. So, what’s the difference between Du Linxiang’s debts of three billion or five billion? Since a little risk can overwhelm me, why not bear all the risks? " Lai Jingdong said: "President Du means that he agreed to our conditions?" Du Linxiang said: "The alliance under the city, how can I have any bargaining capital? But there is one thing that I will never accept." "Which point?" Lai Jingdong asked. Du Linxiang said: "Zhuang Zhiqi, who was negotiating in Shanghai a few days ago, called me and said that Chen Yuanxiong proposed new conditions about the form of convertible bonds. The issue price of the stock is bundled." Lai Jingdong said: "There is such a thing! The so-called convertible bond means that after the successful listing of Wiston, our investment will be converted into shares. If it fails, it will be regarded as debt. If we occupy the shares from the beginning, we will owe our debts if the listing fails. Under huge debts, Taijiang Capital, as a shareholder, will be entangled by other creditors. The purpose of binding the shareholding ratio to the issue price of the stock is also to ensure our income. In the process of debt-to-equity conversion, the amount of shares held fluctuates with the issue price. If the issue price of the stock is high, our shareholding can be lower, and if the issue price is low, our shareholding ratio will increase accordingly. In short, the total income after multiplying the stock price by the shares is what Taijiang Capital values ​​most.” Du Linxiang's eyes suddenly became resolute: "Boss Lai values ​​income, and what I value is the control over Weitong. If the future issue price is low and your shareholding continues to expand, won't I become a minority shareholder? I said I am most concerned about whether Du Linxiang is an entrepreneur or a local rich man. I will never tolerate the business I created by myself falling into the hands of others." Lai Jingdong suddenly laughed: "Mr. Du is really a master negotiator. I think this is the real purpose of your trip. The convertible bonds you talked about just now, and the betting on property projects are all false shots. On the negotiating table, you You backed down every step of the way, just to raise this condition at the end. Yes, you, Du Linxiang, have made concessions like this, and if I, Lai Jingdong, don't back down at all, it's a bit unreasonable." Du Linxiang stubbed out the cigarette butt: "I have no right to comment on whether Mr. Lai will retire or not, but I really have no choice but to retreat." "Retire, of course I have to." Lai Jingdong said, "Because I never thought about entering. My interest is not in the controlling stake, but in the return on investment. It can be stipulated in the agreement that no matter how the shareholding ratio of Taijiang Capital increases, I can never surpass you, Mr. Du." Du Linxiang finally smiled: "Thanks to Mr. Lai's words, I feel relieved." After talking all afternoon, there was finally a result.Lai Jingdong looked at his watch, "My Taiwanese friend will be here soon. It seems that we can only borrow flowers to present Buddha today, so I will treat this dinner as a celebration banquet for us." "Being obedient is worse than being respectful," Du Linxiang said. The dinner party in the luxurious private room of Chen Cheng's mansion started on time in half an hour.Friends from Taiwan also seem to know Lai Jingdong's preferences, so they specially brought Fenjiu, which is not common in Chongqing.Du Linxiang didn't know whether it was due to the joy of the end of the negotiation, or the grief and indignation of accepting the alliance under the city again, so he drank surprisingly much. During the dinner, Du Linxiang walked to the balcony outside the private room.Standing in this building with a sense of vicissitudes of history, overlooking the dazzling night view of the mountain city, and blowing the pleasant river breeze, Du Linxiang has mixed feelings in his heart.He unconsciously took out a cigarette, lit it and took a deep breath. Lai Jingdong came out, and he patted Du Linxiang on the shoulder: "Smoking less, you are almost fifty, you have to take care of your body." When not talking about business, Lai Jingdong's benevolent expression finally returned. "There are too many things in my mind, I'm afraid I can't smoke less." Du Linxiang said. "What are you thinking?" Lai Jingdong asked. Du Linxiang said: "I was thinking, after getting Lai's money, how to spend every penny wisely." "Whether it can be listed or not depends on the success or failure of Wisdom's national expansion strategy." Speaking of business, Lai Jingdong's expression became serious again, "The overall framework of your strategic plan is good, but it can still be refined." Lai Jingdong continued: "There is a timetable in your plan, how much land will be won every quarter, how many projects will be opened, which cities will be completed, and how funds will be allocated. All of these have been written out in great detail. But in my opinion, The time should not only be accurate to the quarter, but to the month, or even the week. Today’s Witcom, every step can’t be missed.” Du Linxiang nodded: "I think so too, so the people in the company are still revising the plan." Lai Jingdong said: "I found several internationally renowned consulting companies, and through friends, I contacted several big names in China's real estate industry. I think next month, everyone will gather in Shanghai to have a brainstorming session. Every detail of the strategic plan that is about to be put into practice is carefully simulated again." Lai Jingdong said with a smile: "The fees of these consulting companies are not cheap. I paid the money, and I have to do my best for my friends." "Boss Lai took the trouble, thank you." Du Linxiang said. Lai Jingdong said: "If you still say this word of thank you, you will be out of your sight." Du Linxiang shook his head: "For me, this is a big gamble. But Mr. Lai, you have signed a contract with no loss. Even if I lose the bet, you will be unscathed. So, Mr. Lai is like this Enthusiastic, I deserve thanks.” Lai Jingdong laughed: "There is no businessman who only cares about being unscathed. I hope you win the bet, which is in the interests of both parties." "Yes." Du Linxiang said, "I also hope that one day, I can have a happy celebration wine with Mr. Lai." Lai Jingdong looked at the river under the night: "In Chaotianmen, Chongqing, a few kilometers away, the Jialing River at the foot of the river will converge with the Yangtze River rushing down from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The river flows eastward, passing through Wuhan, the thoroughfare of nine provinces, and After passing Nanjing, the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties, and flowing through the great Shanghai, which is ten miles away, the waves are rolling and finally flow into the Pacific Ocean. I believe that with Mr. Du’s talent, he will one day have to go to the wide ocean to show his skills.” Du Linxiang smiled heavily: "Thank you for your good words, I hope there will be such a day!"