By the time Simon finished his conversation with Joseph Schlaap, it was already evening.
After seeing Joseph off, Miss A inquired about dinner plans and reminded Simon that Lin Su and Chen Qing had arrived over an hour ago and were waiting in the living room that connected to the backyard of the villa.
Simon went to the living room on the east side of the first floor. As soon as he entered, the two women on the sofa quickly stood up.
The heating in the room was ample, so neither of the women wore coats. Lin Su was dressed in a camel-colored turtleneck sweater and slightly loose black pants, her hair tied up in a bun, giving her a look that was both intellectual and conservative. Chen Qing, on the other hand, wore a light pink, form-fitting top and tight white pants, her tall and graceful figure fully revealed. Her shoulder-length black hair, which wasn't long to begin with, had been cut even shorter, just grazing her ears, perfectly complementing her face shape, adding a touch of sexy efficiency.
As they exchanged greetings, Lin Su noticed Simon's gaze and subtly lowered her eyes, moving discreetly to the other side of the coffee table, leaving the single-seat sofa closest to the door for Simon, and intending to sit across from him.
To keep a little distance from him.
Chen Qing, in contrast, was not as reserved as Lin Su. She confidently approached Simon, gave him a hug, and then slightly lifted her chin, shaking her head lightly as she said in Chinese, "Boss, how do you like my new hairstyle? Miss B recommended the stylist."
Simon took a closer look and responded in Chinese as well, "It looks great."
Language is something that needs to be practiced regularly to prevent it from deteriorating. To maintain his proficiency in Chinese, Simon specifically requested that the two women speak to him in Chinese when they were alone together.
Chen Qing seemed a bit uncertain, "I just thought it would be easier to manage like this. But if you prefer long hair, I'll grow it out again."
"It's fine. Besides, you're already beautiful; any hairstyle looks good on you."
After saying this, Simon looked at Lin Su, who had greeted him and then moved to sit across from him. With a mischievous smile, he walked over to her.
Lin Su felt Simon approaching and could sense his presence. That smiling, infuriating face drew closer, and before she could say anything, he had already scooped her up.
What is he going to do?
A flurry of chaotic thoughts crossed her mind, leaving her momentarily stunned. She wanted to struggle, but her body didn't seem to obey, and she could only resign herself to closing her eyes.
Her body soon stabilized again.
Instead of carrying her directly to the bedroom, Simon sat down on the single-seat sofa beside them, with Lin Su sitting on his lap. He took off her black ankle boots, and she instinctively curled up, as if she had actively nestled into his embrace. The overwhelming masculinity of Simon's scent made Lin Su's cheeks start to flush.
Simon held her in his arms but didn't make any further moves. Instead, he asked, "Are you not adjusting well to the US? You seem to have lost weight."
Lin Su kept her eyes closed, her delicate, fair face blushing.
She didn't plan to respond.
This was her way of resisting.
Chen Qing, sitting on the nearby long sofa, looked at the scene with a slight tinge of jealousy. Seeing Lin Su not answering, she teasingly replied, "No, Boss, Sister Lin has always been slim, but she's actually gained some weight recently."
The word "fat" is probably an enemy of all women.
Lin Su, hearing Chen Qing's words, still remained silent, though her body subtly showed her dissatisfaction with a slight wriggle.
Simon patted Lin Su gently in a reassuring manner and shifted the conversation to more serious matters. He asked Chen Qing, "How's the progress on the Shuanghui project?"
Chen Qing straightened up and replied, "Our team had the third round of negotiations with Shuanghui yesterday. If all goes well, we should be able to acquire all the shares held by the local government, fully privatizing the company."
The Westeros system was actually a step behind.
Earlier this year, Shuanghui had already accepted investment from the China Merchants Group.
This is a Hong Kong-based enterprise.
China Merchants Group primarily operates in the real estate sector, and in its expansion into the mainland, it also targets large-scale infrastructure projects, with Shuanghui being an additional venture. When it invested earlier this year, it only took a 25% stake, leaving 75% of the shares still in the hands of the local government.
Now that the Westeros system wanted to get involved in this company, the best approach was to directly acquire the state-owned shares.
Currently, Shuanghui's scale isn't that large, with an estimated value of around 200 million yuan, which is equivalent to just over 23 million US dollars. Even with a premium, acquiring 75% of the shares wouldn't cost more than 20 million US dollars.
However, when it comes to investing in China, money isn't the main issue.
Simon asked, "Do you think the local government will approve the full privatization?"
Chen Qing confidently nodded, "No problem, Boss. The two major trends in China right now are the reform of state-owned enterprises and the introduction of foreign capital. Our acquisition of Shuanghui aligns perfectly with these trends. Selling the shares to us allows local officials to gain political achievements, gives the company's management more autonomy, and boosts the local economy as the company grows. Everyone benefits, so why wouldn't they approve?"
Lin Su, curled up like a kitten in Simon's arms, frowned slightly at Chen Qing's words but didn't say anything.
Simon smiled and said, "If that's the case, then keep pushing forward. However, the key issue isn't the acquisition itself but what happens afterward. I don't want to see a promising company turn into a mess after we take over."
"That's another issue," Chen Qing nodded, "I believe that after the acquisition, the company should allocate a portion of its shares to the management to bind their interests with ours."
"No problem," Simon agreed, then tested her by asking, "How much do you think would be appropriate?"
Chen Qing replied, "20%, Boss. I think we only need to maintain absolute control. Talent is hard to come by, and Shuanghui's management team is excellent, so they deserve this. Of course, this 20% doesn't have to be given all at once; it can be gradually transferred over the next 5 to 10 years. Also, considering the local government's sentiment, it would be best not to do this within a year after the acquisition."
Simon looked at Chen Qing and pressed, "Why wait a year?"
Chen Qing was about to answer when she felt Simon's clear gaze, and her tone suddenly became tinged with inexplicable sadness and helplessness, "Boss, you already know why, don't you?"
Of course, Simon knew.
During the restructuring of China's state-owned enterprises, many ambitious and capable managers wanted to engage in management buyouts or privatization to gain more freedom in running the companies. However, local governments often refused and were more willing to cooperate with foreign capital.
After a few seconds of silence, Simon said to Chen Qing, "There's no need to dwell on this point. In essence, human nature is the same everywhere. You'll understand this better in the future."
Chen Qing quickly set aside her thoughts and smiled, "Is this the Boss's gene instinct theory?"
Simon was surprised, "You know about that?"
Chen Qing replied, "Miss B told me. She said that Boss has this theory that's even more scientific than Freud's. Freud said that all human behavior can be explained by sex, but sex is just a part of the gene instinct."
"It seems you get along well with Miss B and the others."
"Yes, everyone gets along well. I really admire the companies that Miss B, Miss C, and Miss D have created. Of course, there's also Miss A, who's the most outstanding for staying by your side, Boss."
Simon smiled, "Not leaving anyone out, huh? Being this smooth isn't necessarily a good thing."
Chen Qing also laughed and glanced at Lin Su, who had closed her eyes and curled up in Simon's arms as if she were asleep. She then said, "Boss, I've also been eyeing another project recently. It's actually one of the ones you gave me. Do you remember Little Tyrant?"
Simon nodded without giving anything away.
He was a bit surprised that Chen Qing's eye had landed on such a good opportunity.
The materials Simon had given to the two women included not just valuable opportunities like Shuanghui, but mostly filler.
Simon had initially given Chen Qing a two-year timeframe, hoping that after some training, the two women would be able to stand on their own.
However, in just a month, Chen Qing had quickly found her footing.
Not only had she started her MBA studies, but she also began working with the Apollo Management team to acquire shares in the renowned Shuanghui Group.
And now, she had her eye on Little Tyrant.
The team behind Little Tyrant was set to jump ship and form BBK next year. Simon was determined to acquire this team, though he wasn't in a rush, but Chen Qing had beaten him to it.
In fact, Simon had been keeping an eye on the two women's activities during this period.
Balancing work and study, the two women had been working over 12 hours a day. Chen Qing had also made full use of the two bodyguards and two maids Simon had provided, gradually building a small team of
her own.
Success is never easy.
Given that the two women were both exceptionally talented and hardworking, they had basically earned Simon's approval.
Now, with this keen business sense, Chen Qing had scored additional points in Simon's book.
Chen Qing said, "This is also a state-owned enterprise, founded in 1987. In just seven years, it has grown to generate an annual sales volume of 1 billion yuan. Recently, the head of the company has been hoping to privatize it but was rejected."
Simon asked, "Are you suggesting that we also take a stake in this company?"
This time, Chen Qing shook her head, "I've had a few phone conversations with the president of Little Tyrant, Mr. Duan. The company's current scale is almost entirely due to his efforts. Recently, Duan has been trying to persuade the government to privatize, but I don't think his efforts will succeed. Unlike Shuanghui, I believe that this time, we should directly poach Little Tyrant's team to form a new company. China's electronics industry is still in its early stages, full of opportunities. By poaching a management team familiar with the Chinese market, we can gain more control."
"Do you have a specific business plan?"
"Not yet, but if you approve, Boss, I'll engage in deeper discussions with Mr. Duan."
Simon stared at Chen Qing for a moment, making her feel a bit bewildered before he suddenly smiled again, "Go ahead and do it. If you pull this off, tell Duan I can give him $10 million straight away for 70% of the shares."
Chen Qing was taken aback by how straightforward Simon was, not even asking a few more questions before deciding to throw in $10 million.
But after a moment's thought, she realized that the materials Simon had handed over were probably already on his radar. He simply hadn't had the time to pursue these smaller deals. $10 million was just a drop in the bucket for him.
After considering for a moment, Chen Qing said, "Boss, 70% is a bit too much. I think starting with 10% is enough. If things go well, we can transfer more shares later. Mr. Duan's push for the privatization of Little Tyrant was only to secure a small stake for his team."
"You just said that talent is hard to come by, right?"
Chen Qing replied, "Yes, but you shouldn't give too much at once. Boss, in ancient times, if a general had reached the peak of power and had no more rewards to earn, the only option left might be to overthrow the emperor."
Simon chuckled, "If Duan is going to bring his team over, 10% would be too stingy. It wouldn't be enough to go around. So, 30%. I'm not a generous person, but too little won't win people over either."
Chen Qing thought for a moment and said, "30% works, but we don't need to give them too much money upfront. $5 million will be enough. Converted to RMB, that's over 40 million yuan, which is already a substantial sum. If they do well, the 30% stake stays intact. If not, and we need to inject more funds, their shares will be diluted, which also serves as an incentive."
Chen Qing's suggestion was reasonable, and Simon nodded in agreement, "Alright, and of that $5 million, $500,000 will be a loan from me to you and Lin. You can have a stake in the company as well, and this will be the standard procedure moving forward."
Chen Qing's eyes immediately lit up.
Over the past few days, as she grew closer to the other girls, she had envied them most for being able to hold shares in their own companies.
After a quick thought, Chen Qing said, "Boss, I think I should have a bit more of that $500,000."
"How much more?"
"$400,000."
Before Simon could respond, Lin Su, who had been curled up like a sleeping kitten in Simon's arms, suddenly stirred. She opened her eyes and glared at Chen Qing, "You can have it all. I don't want any of it."
"Great," Chen Qing replied bluntly and then turned to Simon, "Boss, you heard her."
Simon could feel Lin Su trying to wriggle out of his embrace to go and fight Chen Qing. He quickly tightened his hold on her and soothed, "Alright, stop arguing. Half each. That's the rule from now on."
Chen Qing pouted, "Boss, that's not fair. I'm doing more work."
Lin Su huffed, "I don't want any of it."
Simon responded by giving Lin Su a firm but gentle pat and then said to Chen Qing, "What I say goes. Don't talk to me about fairness. There's no such thing in this world. If you think Lin isn't doing enough, then push her to do more. If she's unwilling or deliberately slacking off, tell me. If you can't do that, then you'll just have to accept this unfairness."
Chen Qing didn't expect Simon, who was usually mild-mannered, to suddenly become stern. She didn't dare to argue any further and obediently nodded.
She understood that Simon was warning her.
Although she had initially agreed with Lin Su to support each other and work together, Chen Qing naturally assumed a leading role. When she heard Simon offering 30% of the shares to someone else without hesitation, she thought she deserved a bit more.
But men can be unpredictable.
Putting aside her restless thoughts, Chen Qing continued discussing other matters with Simon until Miss A came in to inform them that dinner was ready. The three of them then left the living room.
After dinner, it was natural for them to stay the night.
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