Chapter 100 "Mortgage Loan"
Huang Fengwen thought this matter would take at least a few days to resolve, but to his surprise, Shen Zekai returned the very next day.
Once a person is blinded by an overwhelming lust for power, reason ceases to exist.
The ancients were right when they said that greed blinds one's judgment!
"President Huang," Shen Zekai plopped down, trying his best to maintain a calm demeanor, though the anxiety in his eyes was already impossible to hide.
"I think you understand why I've come to visit again, right?"
Huang Fengwen took a leisurely sip of tea:
"Heh, Young Master Shen has returned. Could it be that you've decided to... have some further discussions about those 10 billion shares?"
Shen Zekai took a deep breath, as if to encourage himself, or perhaps to expel all the pent-up emotions from his chest:
"Phew—seriously, Mr. Huang, 10 billion...is there really no room for negotiation?"
"Didn't we make this perfectly clear last time?"
Huang Fengwen's smile remained unchanged, but his tone left no room for argument.
"Young Master Shen, my place is small and I don't negotiate prices. One hundred billion, not a penny less!"
Shen Zekai was seething with hatred, wishing he could tear off the face of this smiling tiger and see if there were any fangs hidden underneath.
He knew in his heart that this old fox had him cornered, that he was now backed to the edge of a cliff, and that one more step back would lead to an abyss.
"Fine! Ten billion? I, Shen Zekai, accept my fate!"
Shen Zekai seemed to be squeezing these words out from between his teeth, his voice hoarse.
"But... I really can't raise that much money right now, 10 billion."
Huang Fengwen raised an eyebrow in feigned surprise, his tone tinged with amusement:
"Oh? I've heard that you've been surrounded by quite a few 'hungry wolves' lately, Mr. Shen?"
Aren't those people who run funds and venture capital firms all deep down and have plenty of money?
"Don't even mention it!" Shen Zekai waved his hand, his face full of displeasure.
"Those greedy bastards, upon hearing the figure of 10 billion, ran faster than rabbits, afraid of getting even a little bit involved!"
Everyone wanted to distance themselves from me, saying the risks were too high and they couldn't afford to take the risk!
Huang Fengwen touched his nose; no wonder people wanted to run away.
This price is absolutely outrageous.
Buying 5% of shares for 10 billion is an outrageously high premium.
Being called a profiteer who takes advantage of someone's misfortune is considered polite.
But equity prices during extraordinary times are such an unpredictable thing.
As long as someone accepts it despite their reluctance, then it's a "reasonable" price!
As the saying goes, "Zhou Yu beats Huang Gai, one is willing to hit and the other is willing to be hit."
Shen Zekai's face turned pale and then flushed, finally settling into a tragic expression:
"But what if I don't get these shares..."
My old man has spoken, he wants me to spend the rest of my life rotting in his lousy factory!
This is still considered good; what if...?
If my dad really dies one day, will my older brother let me off the hook?
They're probably going to grind me to dust!
"Hiss—yes! Just thinking about that scene makes me sweat for you, Young Master Shen!"
Huang Fengwen clicked his tongue with an air of seriousness, but there wasn't a trace of sympathy on his face; he was simply enjoying the spectacle.
Shen Zekai ignored the insincere words of comfort and went straight to the point:
"I really can't come up with 10 billion. But I absolutely have to buy these shares."
That leaves only one option...
Huang Fengwen's eyes darted around: "Young Master Shen, you...you wouldn't be thinking of borrowing money from us, would you?"
Shen Zekai spoke slowly and deliberately, his eyes fixed intently on Huang Fengwen:
"That's right! Lend it to me!"
Huang Fengwen's lips twitched as he listened; this kid was indeed quite a character.
Although he had expected it, Shen Zekai's self-righteous demeanor still opened his eyes.
Shen Zekai was absolutely certain that, apart from selling to this sucker, finding another party willing to pay 10 billion would be harder than climbing to heaven.
Huang Fengwen pondered for a moment, then tapped his fingers lightly on the table, feigning difficulty:
"Young Master Shen, please wait a moment. I need to make a phone call to discuss this. This is a serious matter, and I cannot make the decision on my own."
Shen Zekai was taken aback: "Mr. Huang, aren't you the owner of Fang Huan Investment? Who else do you need to consult?"
"Hehe, that's what they say on the surface," Huang Fengwen said with a mysterious smile, his tone enigmatic.
"However, the world is a complex place, and sometimes, even the boss can't have the final say in everything."
That's quite intriguing!
Shen Zekai's heart jolted, and a thought flashed through his mind like lightning:
Could it be that from beginning to end, there was an unseen hand manipulating everything behind the scenes?
"Holy crap! I knew it! Something felt off! Something was definitely fishy!"
Shen Zekai suddenly realized that this was all a setup from beginning to end!
It turns out someone had already foreseen the succession battle that was about to erupt in the Changqing Group...
So they secretly acquired the shares for 2 billion in advance, and then waited for this big fish to walk into their trap before selling them to him at five times the price!
This is like ripping a sheep off its head!
Where would an institution of Huanfang Investment's caliber get such a large sum of money to dare to fish so brazenly in the murky waters of Changqing Group?
And he even touched a big one!
With an initial investment of 2 billion, they dared to ask for 10 billion in the next transaction. Their ruthlessness and heartlessness are simply outrageous!
He wouldn't believe it for a second if there wasn't some incredibly powerful figure pulling the strings behind this!
"Damn it, which bastard is behind this?"
Shen Zekai was seething with hatred. He really wanted to drag out the guy hiding behind the scenes and see if he had gold trim on his face to dare to play him like this!
At the same time, Su Hao suddenly felt an itch in his nose.
"Achoo! Who said I'm handsome behind my back?"
The phone rang at just the right moment; it was Huang Fengwen.
"Hey, Brother Huang, what's going on? That kid's planning to borrow 10 billion from us?"
"That's right! He said he couldn't raise 10 billion and wanted us to lend it to him!"
Huang Fengwen sounded extremely happy.
"Will it work?"
"Theoretically, it's feasible. We're not actually handing over 10 billion in cash to him. To put it bluntly, it's just transferring money from one pocket to another."
Huang Fengwen explained.
"It's just 'lending' him those shares for a while, and then we can get them back with interest. This deal is a sure thing!"
"So what's the usual procedure?" Su Hao asked curiously.
"What other tricks could they have? It's just pledging something as collateral and then collecting interest monthly!" Huang Fengwen paused.
"But to be honest, there aren't many institutions in the entire financial industry that can immediately come up with 10 billion yuan in cash."
But the current situation presents an opportunity to manipulate him. We can ask him for some tangible assets as collateral, raise the interest rate a bit, set a repayment date, and then 'lend' him the shares."
Su Hao thought to himself, "Logically speaking, for a behemoth like Changqing Group, 10 billion is a painful sum, but they should be able to squeeze it out."
He initially decided on a five-fold price based on this judgment, anticipating that the other party would have to accept it even if they were spitting blood.
Unexpectedly, the other party chose the "mortgage loan" route.
What are you mortgaging?