Sail across the sea

Chapter 511 Otherwise I won't let him off the hook

Gao Fan said, "That's not quite right. The $2500 million loan provided by the Hachi Group was a crucial factor in the establishment of our vitamin factory. My decision to give the Hachi Group a 10% stake was largely due to this loan."

“Calculating the original shares is very complicated,” Fu Yiming said. “The Hachi Group also took some risks when it invested in us. Now that its equity has appreciated, it can be considered a return for the risks they took.”

"However, our company now has sufficient funds, and the returns from the previous projects have shown that President Gao does indeed have the ability to turn lead into gold. At this time, it would be rather pointless to absorb investment from the Hachi Group."

“Bob is a smart man, and he realized that too, which is why he didn’t bring it up with me,” Gao Fan said.

"So, what projects does the Hachi Group plan to invest $10 billion in in China?" Gu Kunquan asked curiously.

He was quite tempted by the $10 billion. Even if Canghai Chemical didn't want it, there were plenty of large projects in the province looking for funding, and he might be able to broker a deal. Gu Kunquan had many connections in the province. If he could help these people connect with a big spender with $10 billion, they would have to give him face when they needed his help in the future.

Gao Fan understood what Gu Kunquan meant. He said, "The Hatch Group's investments tend to favor projects with long-term stable returns, and they generally don't invest in the same industry. Instead, they pursue a combination of industries to diversify risks."

"If the province has any long-term projects that need investment, you can act as a go-between. However, Bob is very casual about personal matters, but very serious about investment and won't be swayed by personal feelings."

"If you want to recommend a project to him, you must offer him something that will appeal to him. Trying to persuade him with just emotions is probably futile."

Fu Yiming cautioned, "Gao Fan, you said we need conditions that will tempt him. Does that mean we have to sell out some national interests? If Lao Gu gets involved in something like this, he might have to take responsibility later."

Gao Fan said, "No. I have already spoken very seriously with Bob about this issue. I warned him that he must not harm China's interests when investing in China, or I will not let him off the hook."

"You don't really mean that, do you?" Gu Kunquan asked in astonishment.

If someone else had said that, Gu Kunquan would have thought they were bragging. How many people in China would dare to make such bold statements to foreign businessmen, especially one who is an international investment consortium that can come up with $10 billion with just a few words?

But when it came to Gao Fan, Gu Kunquan didn't dare to gamble, because he knew Gao Fan really dared to say that.

Back then, when he took the Japanese man Kitajima Masanobu to see Gao Fan, Gao Fan directly threatened to arrest Kitajima Masanobu and send him to Siberia.

Back then, Gao Fan was only 16 years old and penniless, yet he already didn't treat foreign businessmen like rare animals. Now, Gao Fan is 26 years old, and his several companies have a combined market value of over a billion US dollars. He told Bob that he wouldn't let the other party off the hook, and there's actually a possibility that he might actually do so.

Gao Fan laughed, "Old Gu, I'm a cultured man, how could I speak so directly? But that's what I meant to Bob, and he's a smart man, he'll understand." "He agreed?" Fu Yiming asked.

Gao Fan nodded and said, "Of course I agreed. However, this isn't Bob's decision alone; he represents the company's intentions. A company like Hatch Group can distinguish between gains and losses. Its purpose in coming to China is to make profits, and I told it that to make profits, it must protect China's interests. How could it refuse?"

Gu Kunquan said, "If that's the case, then that would be even better. Gao Fan, you don't know, in the past, when the province attracted foreign investment, those foreign businessmen would ask for exorbitant amounts of money and put forward all sorts of conditions, some of which could even be described as humiliating and detrimental to the country. If the Hachi Group is not so demanding in its cooperation conditions, it would be a blessing for the province."

Gao Fan smiled and said, "Old Gu, when you talk to your relatives in the province about this, please remind them that when attracting funds from the Hachi Group, they can propose some further conditions, such as asking them to help introduce some key technologies and equipment. I believe the Hachi Group would be very happy to do that."

"What do you mean?" Gu Kunquan frowned, unable to process Gao Fan's words for a moment.

Gao Fan said, "The United States is currently undergoing industrial transformation, with the electronics and information industry booming and traditional manufacturing gradually declining. American workers are becoming increasingly lazy, and wages are rising again and again. Many traditional manufacturing companies are facing the choice of closing down or relocating. If you were a capitalist, what would you choose between these two options?"

“Compared to closing down, relocation is definitely a better option,” Fu Yiming answered for Gu Kunquan.

Gao Fan said, "That's right. Closing down means all of the company's assets are scrapped, and there's no profit at all. Relocating, on the other hand, means that the company's tangible and intangible assets can still shine in another place and contribute profits to capitalists. At the very least, they can still be sold for a good price."

"You mean the province can ask Hatch Group to help bring in these companies that are preparing to relocate from the United States?" Gu Kunquan understood. "But didn't you just say that these companies are traditional manufacturing companies that the United States is going to eliminate?"

“Even if they are eliminated, they are still better than us,” Gao Fan said. “Americans complain that the profits of traditional manufacturing are too low. They work hard for a year, but they can't make as much money as they can by speculating on stocks on Wall Street. But we don’t care. These companies move to China and take advantage of China’s cheap labor, and they can immediately be revitalized.”

"Our province's industrial base is too weak. If we can take advantage of this opportunity to bring in hundreds of factories from the United States, who will dare to look down on us in the future?"

"I understand!" Gu Kunquan said excitedly. "I'll go back to Ruizhang tomorrow and talk to my uncle about this. As for Bob, the province won't treat him unfairly. Business is all about mutual benefit. If he can bring hundreds of American companies to the province, the province will definitely give him a satisfactory return."

Fu Yiming joked, "Don't forget to tell your uncle that Bob is willing to help the province mainly because of our company. The province benefits, so don't forget to give our company a satisfactory return."

"Yes, yes, I'm still the company's general manager, why would I side with outsiders?"

Gu Kunquan said with absolute certainty.

(End of this chapter)