Hong Kong variety show: I Am a Tycoon

Chapter 278 Trip to America

News of the destruction of the KK Industrial Park reached Hong Kong.

Actually, it wasn't sent back; rather, Chen Jiajun deliberately promoted it as something he made himself.

Hong Kong and Brunei were his private territories, and he did not allow any underground organizations to interfere.

Anyone who dares to reach out will have their hand chopped off.

This worked very well; now everyone around knows Sir Chen's attitude.

Those underground organizations that had been eyeing Hong Kong suddenly became much more obedient overnight.

After all, if Chen Jiajun has the ability to eradicate the pig-trafficking group in Cambodia, then he can also eradicate these people.

Especially those CIA agents who have re-infiltrated Hong Kong, they dare not make a move now.

They were afraid that if Chen Jiajun discovered them, he would carry out another bloodbath.

However, many people don't understand why Chen Jiajun did this; it's not worth it at all for a group that sells piglets.

You can wipe out one of these organizations today, but another one will pop up tomorrow. You can never kill them all.

Only a few of Chen Jiajun's close confidants might understand why he did this.

"Boss, are you planning to leave Hong Kong for a while?" Old Yu asked, somewhat surprised.

Chen Jiajun nodded: "Most of the businesses under my control are basic manufacturing industries, which are almost outdated. So I plan to go to the United States for a while to see if I can bring back some cutting-edge technology."

"So I plan to bring some talent from Guojun Group, along with Aoun, to form an inspection team to make some investments in the United States."

Old Prison suddenly realized and said, "I see, you want those underground organizations to be quieter?"

Chen Jiajun nodded: "I do have that idea, but most importantly, I hate human traffickers, and Lao E isn't in Hong Kong. I'm afraid you won't be able to handle things on your own."

Although Old Prisoner is exceptionally strong, he is not exactly a genius.

Old Yu understood this as well and nodded silently.

Their loyalty to Chen Jiajun is 100%, and they would never have any other thoughts.

Just do what Chen Jiajun tells you to do.

A few days later, Chen Jiajun finished dealing with all the matters in Hong Kong.

The gang was handed over to Old Prison, and the company was handed over to Wei Li.

Then he confidently led his inspection team to America.

Our first stop was New York, where the Citigroup conglomerate is located.

After I got off the plane, a representative from Citibank came to greet me.

Chen Jiajun promptly repaid Citibank, providing them with a lifeline, and because he was an investor, he received exceptional treatment.

However, as soon as he got off the plane, Chen Jiajun couldn't help but complain: "Damn, the air quality in New York is really terrible."

Orn shrugged and said, "It's a miracle these foreigners can tolerate it."

The Citibank representative who was responsible for welcoming Chen Jiajun and his party was also a Chinese American named Cao Weicai, and he could understand Cantonese.

Hearing Chen Jiajun's complaints, Cao Weicai smiled and said, "There's nothing we can do about it. Due to wildfires raging on the west coast of the United States thousands of kilometers away, cities in the eastern United States are shrouded in smoke."

The other party showed no displeasure whatsoever; instead, they joined Chen Jiajun in complaining about New York's air quality.

Chen Jiajun quite admired the young man in front of him and said with a smile, "Ah Cai, you don't mind me calling you that, do you?"

Cao Weicai said with a smile, "Of course I don't mind."

"How are things going with the companies I'm interested in?" Chen Jiajun asked with a smile.

Cao Weicai's face immediately fell: "These foreigners are very picky. I guess you'll have to visit them in person. Without meeting you in person, these companies are unwilling to talk about anything."

"Damn it, you're almost bankrupt and still trying to act all high and mighty with me." Chen Jiajun loosened his tie, somewhat annoyed.

Chen Jiajun was well aware of the inherent flaws of foreigners.

It's nothing more than racial discrimination. Otherwise, wouldn't that nearly bankrupt company be overjoyed to see its sugar daddy?
As a Chinese American, Cao Weicai has also suffered a lot of unfair treatment over the years.

Even if he worked at Citibank, it would be the same.

So he whispered to Chen Jiajun, "Mr. Chen, you don't need to be too polite to these foreigners. If you're unhappy, just start cursing. These people are all scoundrels."

Hearing Cao Weicai's words, Chen Jiajun became even more satisfied with the young man.

He smiled and said to him, "Don't worry, I've dealt with plenty of foreigners in Hong Kong, whether they're English or American."

Because Chen Jiajun is a VIP customer of Citibank, Citibank booked a five-star hotel for him well in advance.

Moreover, it's a penthouse suite at the Four Seasons Hotel New York, offering views of the Hudson River from the window.

As the saying goes, "the higher you stand, the farther you can see," and Chen Jiajun had a panoramic view of almost all of New York City's most bustling areas.
It must be said that Citibank's service is very good; at least Chen Jiajun was very satisfied with the accommodation.

Cao Weicai said with a smile, "I'm glad you're satisfied. If you need any other special services, I can arrange them for you."

"Holy crap? You're involved in this kind of thing?" Chen Jiajun looked at Cao Weicai with some surprise.

Cao Weicai said with a wry smile, "What can we do?"

Although Cao Weicai didn't say much, it was clear that he was very unhappy in America.

Chen Jiajun's only talent in charge of the company's business is Wei Li's team.

Unfortunately, Wei Li was managing the Dragon Fund while also being responsible for the business of China Power Company.

If he were to handle emerging industries as well, he would definitely be overwhelmed.

So Chen Jiajun has his eye on Cao Weicai.

However, Chen Jiajun was in no hurry to speak, since he hadn't yet accomplished what he needed to do here.

If you invite them rashly, they might not accept. After all, the position at Citibank is still just a vague promise, and anyone would know what to choose.

After declining Cao Weicai's offer, Chen Jiajun prepared to rest.

Even an iron man couldn't withstand a flight of more than ten hours.

The following afternoon, Chen Jiajun finally woke up from his sleep.

After calling the hotel to send lunch and tidying up, he let Cao Weicai take him to his first destination.

This is a small electronics company whose main business is magnetic tape drives.

Due to mismanagement and the stock market crash of 87, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy.

The company's owner not only runs a tape recorder company, but is also the owner of a venture hedge fund on Wall Street.

That's why Chen Jiajun met this guy on Wall Street.

Upon arriving on Wall Street, Chen Jiajun discovered that the city, known as the "financial heart of the world," was unusually desolate.

Among the people walking on the street, you hardly see anyone with a smiling face.

Cao Weicai said with a wry smile, "Mr. Chen, let alone Wall Street, anyone involved in finance is not happy at this time. The Golden Gate Bridge is like a dumpling-making machine all day long."

"My savings are now tied up, and I can only bear the loss and pay the price."

Chen Jiajun smiled, patted Cao Weicai on the shoulder and said, "With your abilities, you'll definitely be able to make a comeback soon."

"Thank you for your kind words," Cao Weicai said, shaking his head.

When Chen Jiajun arrived at the hedge fund's building, he found that the receptionists had all run away.

They arrived at the other party's office and saw an old white man with messy hair.

This guy seemed to have been at the company for a long time; he exuded an indescribable odor. His bloodshot eyes were fixed intently on the computer screen, and he didn't even notice when someone came in.

Cao Wei coughed several times before finally attracting the other person's attention.

"Who are you?" The man looked at Cao Weicai, Chen Jiajun, and the others with some curiosity.

Cao Weicai said somewhat helplessly, "Mr. Sean, we made an appointment a few days ago."

“Oh, I remember now, you’re here to acquire my tape recorder company?” Sean nodded, realizing what he meant. “Please make yourself at home. My assistant has already left, and there’s not even anyone to make coffee. Please forgive me.”

Sean was quite polite, but he seemed a little distracted during the conversation.

Clearly, his mind was focused on the stock market.

Chen Jiajun said with a smile, "It's okay, we're here to talk business, not to have coffee."

“Understood. How much are you willing to pay to acquire my tape recorder company?” Sean didn’t mince words and said directly, “If the price is right, I can sell it all to you as a package deal.”

The tape recorder company was passed down from Sean's father's generation, but Sean didn't like the company, so he entrusted its management to professional managers.

Therefore, I don't feel any burden about selling this company.

Generally speaking, acquiring a company with such mature technology requires a premium.

But now it seems that Chen Jiajun's worries were unnecessary.

Chen Jiajun acquired Sean's company at a normal market price.
This includes things like technical equipment, and they promised to rehire previous employees.

There are many such small tape drive companies in the United States.

The reason Chen Jiajun was interested in this company was because of its technical director, a man named Li Zhao.

This guy graduated from MIT, a true STEM guy.

My favorite thing is to invent and create.

However, his inventions couldn't support his family, and he wasn't good at socializing.

His somewhat withdrawn personality made finding a job a difficult task.

So I took a job at this tape recorder company.

In Chen Jiajun's view, the only valuable thing about Sean's tape recorder was Li Zhao.

This is why Chen Jiajun wanted to buy it.

Of course, poaching talent is also an option, but Chen Jiajun couldn't guarantee that Li Zhao would be willing to go with him.

Therefore, there are other ways to acquire a company, such as using non-compete agreements to force the other party to comply.

However, these are all inferior options.

Sean was not dissatisfied with Chen Jiajun's offer; in fact, he was quite pleased.

After all, the tape recorder company had become a burden for him, and selling it was the best option.

Moreover, the fact that they were able to acquire the goods at the normal market price at this time is already a blessing from Jesus.

So Sean was so excited he almost dragged Chen Jiajun to a massage parlor to "exchange feelings."

Chen Jiajun doesn't have that much time, and he's not here in America for leisure.

After dealing with Sean, he needed to meet Li Zhao, this engineering student.

The development of their technological empire will depend on this guy's capabilities.

The next day, after both parties signed the equity transfer agreement, Sean brought Chen Jiajun to his tape recorder company.

The company's storefront is quite dilapidated, and there are only a handful of employees.

Moreover, as soon as Sean showed up, several employees rushed up and grabbed him, demanding their wages.

Sean pushed several people aside helplessly and said loudly, "Alright, alright, listen to me first, OK?"

Sean seemed to have a solution, which is why he came to the company.

The employees then quieted down.

At least there's a solution, otherwise if Sean goes bankrupt, they'll have nowhere to turn for help.

Sean said to his employees, "I've sold the company to Mr. Chen, who is now your boss. Mr. Chen heard about the company's situation and plans to make up for any outstanding payments and rehire the employees who have already been laid off."

"So let's welcome Mr. Chen."

Upon hearing Sean's words, everyone's faces lit up with joy.

With a new boss who promised to rehire them, they naturally wouldn't owe them that small amount of wages.

Moreover, they no longer need to worry about where to find work.

Chen Jiajun had his lawyer settle the wages for the group of people, and then inquired about Li Zhao's matter.

"You mean Li? He's still tinkering with his little gadgets in the back." The plump, dark-skinned woman at the front desk said helplessly, "They can barely afford to eat, why are they still messing around with all that junk?"

Chen Jiajun followed Sean to the back office of the company.

This place was originally an office, but Li Zhao transformed it into a laboratory.

Li Zhao was a thin, middle-aged man wearing a plain, slightly yellowed white shirt and large glasses, fiddling with some machinery.

Sean coughed a few times but didn't get his attention. Instead, Orn, who was next to Chen Jiajun, suddenly spoke up: "Huh? It seems like there's something wrong with your circuit."

"I know, but we don't have enough materials," Li Zhao replied impatiently without even seeing who it was.

Orn wasn't angry and started talking to Li Zhao directly: "But doing it this way will greatly reduce the transmission efficiency, and insufficient current will cause a short circuit."

"Nonsense, I've been testing it for several days now, and apart from some significant wear and tear, there haven't been any problems."

"Why don't you try it out? Turn on the power and get the whole system running smoothly."

The two tech enthusiasts started arguing about the device in front of Li Zhao.

Chen Jiajun didn't understand what they were saying, but with this guy joining in, his Walkman project should be able to come to fruition.

In the 80s, the most profitable business was electronics.

Some people even made a fortune by reselling Walkmans and became wealthy.

The Walkman is one of the less technologically advanced electronic products, and Chen Jiajun plans to use it as the starting point for his envisioned technology business empire.

The two argued for a long time, and finally conducted a simulation experiment. In the end, Li Zhao's experiment failed.

The device in his hand was burned to ashes, but he didn't seem convinced and said to Orn beside him, "There must be something wrong with my materials."

"Li, can you stop for a second?" Sean couldn't take it anymore and interrupted their argument: "There's something I want to tell you."

Li Zhao immediately said, dumbfounded, "What did you say? You're planning to sell the company's equipment to us to pay our salaries?"

Sean almost choked on Li Zhao's words.

He rolled his eyes and said, "This is your new boss. He'll pay you the wages he owes you."

Li Zhaogeng said frankly, "That's fine too, this company will never develop under your leadership."

Sean's face was very ugly, but now that the company had changed hands, he had no right to criticize Li Zhao.

After saying goodbye to Chen Jiajun, he turned and left.

He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, Li Zhao would make him so angry that he would develop high blood pressure.

(End of this chapter)