After calling two profitable companies, the two bosses were equally grateful.
He Desheng called the companies which had spent quite a bit of money but with still no sign of profitability.
“Hello? Boss Liu, how are you? It’s like this. Dream Realization Ventures is planning to give you another million yuan, I’m calling to let you know in advance.”
Boss Liu, who was on the other end of the line, was stunned as well. He was in disbelief. “Huh? Invest another million yuan?”
He Desheng nodded. “Yes, is there a problem?”
Boss Liu quickly said, “No problem, of course there’s no problem! I’m just a little surprised. Our current business situation is not very good. We’re far from making profits. We spent money but did not see any results. I was just thinking hard on how to go about telling you this…”
“I didn’t expect you to trust us so much! Thank you, thank you so much!”
Chapter 768 - Boss Pei’s Aloof Methods
Boss Liu had been worrying about funds recently.
He had been working hard to make every cent count but he did not have enough money.
Thus, the problem became where should he get the money from.
He had already received a sum of money from Tengda but had not achieved much. He was too embarrassed to ask for more.
However, if he did not get money from Tengda, it would be even more difficult for him to get money from other places.
In the end, he did not expect He Desheng to take the initiative to approach him when he was feeling conflicted. That was so heartwarming!
This meant that Tengda had high hopes for this project. Be it in terms of funding or confidence, it had given everyone a boost.
Therefore, Boss Liu was very touched and thanked He Desheng profusely.
He Desheng smiled. “Oh, you don’t have to thank me. I’m just following Boss Pei’s instructions.”
Boss Liu quickly said, “I understand. Anyway, thank you so much! Thank you for your support and trust in our company, Boss Pei and Boss He!”
“My employees and I will work harder!”
He Desheng called the other two small companies that had no hope of making profits in the short term to inform them of the additional investment. These companies were also overjoyed and moved.
To them, Tengda and Dream Realization Ventures’ actions were too heartwarming!
These small companies were in different situations and there were those with good and bad chances of succeeding but most people really wanted to complete the project.
That was also because the finances of these companies were under Tengda’s supervision. They could not come up with any tricks. Everyone’s interests were aligned. If the project succeeded, not only would the investors be able to earn money, but the bosses and employees would also be able to earn money.
Under such a shortage of funds, Tengda’s generosity was very touching.
Finally, He Desheng called Meng Chang.
“Hello? Boss He!” Meng Chang’s passionate voice sounded from the other end of the line.
He Desheng could not help but feel emotional. To others, Meng Chang was a perfect, perfect entrepreneur.
He had an excellent image, was eloquent, able to infect others with his speech, good execution, long-sighted vision, and always full of energy. He would pour 100% of his energy into work at any time…
These merits were all concentrated on one person. Even if there was a small flaw, most investors would subconsciously ignore it.
He Desheng said, “Boss Meng, congratulations. Boss Pei has decided to invest another six million yuan into Cold-Faced Lady.”
Meng Chang was stunned for a moment before he became elated on the other end of the line.
Finally!
He had finally gotten Boss Pei’s additional investment!
Ever since he established the Cold Faced Lady brand, Meng Chang had been putting in a lot of effort. From the initial PowerPoint presentation to the press conference, to the most recent stores and various marketing events…
He had done so much to move the investors!
Of all the investors, Meng Chang was most concerned about Boss Pei. Boss Pei was a talented investor. As long as he could get Boss Pei’s investment, he could easily get others’ investment!
Actually, up until now, many investors had approached Meng Chang in private to invest in the cold-faced lady.
However, Meng Chang did not agree to them.
To him, the conditions of these investors were too harsh.
Some wanted too many shares, some wanted to sign a valuation adjustment mechanism agreement, and some wanted to sign investment terms. Some wanted investors to preferential selling rights and restrictions on the transfer of the founder’s shares.
The so-called preferential selling rights referred to the investors and founders agreeing that if a third party’s founders bought shares, under the same conditions, the investors would have the preferential selling rights; and the restrictions on share transfer meant that the founders were not allowed to sell their shares before a certain stage (such as before IPOs or mergers).
To put it simply, it was to restrict the creator from selling his shares.
This was actually a very common phenomenon. To investors, investing in projects was akin to investing in people. If they invested money, pushed up the company’s valuation, and the founder left the company with cash, how could they ensure that the company continued to develop rapidly?
Of course, investors wanted their founders to live a hard life forever. That was the only way they could work hard on their business and make money for their investors.
To Meng Chang, this was an unacceptable condition.
I put in so much effort just to cash out yet you wouldn’t allow me to cash out?
Am I really going to work hard for you for the rest of my life?
Therefore, Meng Chang did not accept this condition. Instead, he was waiting for an opportunity to increase his right to speak.
If the company developed too quickly, it would be in high demand. Countless investors would want a share of the profits. Naturally, there would be investors vying to invest in it. Meng Chang would no longer need to sign these restrictions.
Boss Pei’s investment was a good opportunity.
That was because Boss Pei was an investment guide in many people’s eyes. If Boss Pei had invested six million yuan into the Cold-Faced Lady. That was a clear signal that someone would follow suit and sign looser terms.
This was a crucial step for Meng Chang!
That was because he was burning money very quickly. If he ran out of money halfway, he would be in an awkward situation.
Fortunately, Boss Pei made his move!
Meng Chang suppressed the joy in his heart. “Thank you, Boss He. Thank you, Boss Pei. I will definitely…”
Before he could finish speaking, He Desheng interrupted him. “Hang on, Boss Pei has conditions.”
“The condition is that you must keep Tengda’s investment of six million yuan a secret. You cannot divulge any information to the outside world. This will be covered under the confidentiality clause in the investment agreement. You cannot violate it.”
Meng Chang: “?”
He was originally in a state of ecstasy, but hearing this, he felt like he had been hit in the head and was knocked unconscious.
Keep it confidential?
Why?
Meng Chang was confused.
If it were other investors, they would normally restrict their founders from selling their shares to cash out. However, Meng Chang boldly judged that Boss Pei would not do that because Boss Pei had never arranged for a similar clause when he invested.
That was why he valued Boss Pei’s investment so much.
Reality proved that his guess was right. Boss Pei had indeed not raised such restrictions. However, he had not expected Boss Pei to have such requirements for confidentiality!
This hit Meng Chang’s soft spot. I
t was not fatal, but it was very uncomfortable!
Did Meng Chang need this sum of money? Of course he did. However, his goal was not just to make the Cold-Faced Lady burn more money for a month or two. Instead, he wanted to stir up more investors’ funds and push up the company’s valuation.
In other words, this matter had to be spread to the investors in order to be valuable.
Otherwise, the six million yuan would only be enough for the Cold-Faced Lady to spend more money.
However, Meng Chang had no reason not to accept the money.
That was because Boss Pei’s money did not restrict the founders from selling their shares. Compared to the other investors’ conditions, it was much better.
What’s more, the Cold-Faced Lady’s reputation had to be maintained. Money had to continue burning. The capital chain could not be broken. Once it was broken, the show would not continue.
Therefore, this sum of money was just slightly higher than Meng Chang’s bottom line. It was a pity to give it up, but it was tasteless.
On the other end of the line, He Desheng asked, “Is there a problem?”
Meng Chang reacted quickly and quickly said, “No problem!”
He Desheng did not say much and only encouraged him to work harder before hanging up.
Meng Chang heaved a sigh of relief as worry surfaced on his face.
After his previous experiences, Meng Chang knew very well that there was no point in haggling over such matters. Boss Pei was a man of his words. There was no way he would give him a chance to bargain.
If he did not take the money now, he might not be able to get it in the future. Compared to the other restrictions on selling shares, it would be more comfortable to take the money.
Meng Chang could not help but feel emotional. Boss Pei was indeed unfathomable. From the time they had interacted until now, Boss Pei’s every move seemed to make him very uncomfortable!
When Meng Chang first received the investment, he had no choice but to accept Tengda’s decision on the finance department. Now, the second investment had to be kept a secret.
If he were to give a score of satisfaction, Meng Chang’s satisfaction would be around 60.
If this score had been any lower, Meng Chang might have given up. There would have been no Cold Faced Lady brand.
Boss Pei could make this score just right, step on Meng Chang’s bottom line, and let him start his own business. However, he would always make some restrictions in seemingly unimportant areas, making Meng Chang very uncomfortable.
What worried Meng Chang the most now was whether Boss Pei had seen through his thoughts or not.
Did Boss Pei set these restrictions on himself or on all investors?
Meng Chang knew very well that Boss Pei had sent Boss Ma to teach him a lesson at the last news conference. Expert players like that were like playing Tai Chi. They would not go overboard, but neither would they be able to scratch an itch through their boots.
Boss Pei’s series of actions made Meng Chang feel like an extremely calm wolf, following him from afar.
He looked nonchalant, but it made one’s hair stand.
This wolf might just be passing by and would not hurt him. However, it could also suddenly jump out, push him to the ground and tear his throat.
Boss Pei’s method of keeping a distance from Meng Chang had not harmed his core interests nor given up on threatening him.
He felt a chill run down his spine, but he still doubted himself. He did not know if it was an illusion.
It was very contradictory.
However, at this point, Meng Chang felt that he was only one step away from success. There was no reason to give up.
At that thought, Meng Chang calmed down and made up his mind to continue with his original plan.
Boss Pei might have set some restrictions on him but he did not completely restrict him. There was still some room left for Meng Chang to operate.
Chapter 769 - Buy an IOI Team With Bottom Ranking
December 5th, Monday…
Pei Qian arrived at the office as usual. He read the weekly reports from the various departments while waiting for the person-in-charge to report on work.
Before long, there was a knock on the door. Pei Qian looked up and saw He Desheng.
“Boss Pei, I’m here to report on Dream Realization Ventures’ new investment.”
Pei Qian continued flipping through the weekly newspaper. “Hm, speak.”
He Desheng reported truthfully. “Boss Pei, the shares of the two companies that made money have been negotiated to be sold! We made a total of two million yuan in total, while it was not much, we’ve earned enough reputation!”
“The shareholders of those two companies said that Tengda was of timely help. We lent a helping hand when the company was at its most difficult, and left when the company was about to turn about, such magnanimity is touching!”
“Compared to other investment firms whose minds were filled with money, Tengda’s investment has left a deep impression on them. I believe that more companies will soon know that Dream Realization Ventures is a real investment firm!”
Pei Qian could not help but look stunned as his mouth twitched. “Two million yuan?”
He made so much money in just a short while?
Two million yuan might not seem like much and was nothing compared to the current investment quota. However, they had invested very little in these two companies!
They invested a total of less than three million yuan in these two companies. Yet, they had doubled their investments so easily?
He Desheng nodded. “That’s right, Boss Pei. A company that can generate profits in such a short period of time must be in high demand in the eyes of other investors. The price would naturally be higher if we raise the price!”
“Why, is Boss Pei not satisfied with this price? If we continue holding it for a while, we would definitely be able to earn more, but…”
Pei Qian raised his hand to stop him. Then, he took a sip of tea to calm himself down.
“This amount is within my expectations.” Pei Qian could only say this in order not to mislead He Desheng.
However, it was alright from another perspective.
It was a good thing that they had sold early. Wouldn’t they have earned more if they had sold it later?
As the saying went, it was better to deal with painful things quickly. The two companies had only made two million yuan in total. That was already an acceptable result.
He Desheng continued to report. “Boss Pei, we’ve also put additional investments in those companies that did not see any possibility of profits. The bosses and employees of these companies have all been encouraged and expressed that they will do their best to achieve profits as soon as possible. They will not let you down!”
Pei Qian laughed bitterly within.
He Desheng added, “There’s also the Cold-Faced Lady.”
“After receiving the remaining six million yuan, according to the investment agreement, Meng Chang did not disclose any information to the outside world. No one should know that we have increased our investment in Cold-Faced Lady.”
“However, Meng Chang is spending more money on marketing this weekend.”
“He announced that he was going to open a second branch of the Cold-Faced Lady and continue with a series of promotional activities, including buying advertising space in a movie;”
“Some web programs and television programs have reported on the cold-faced lady and praised this brand new business model, calling it ‘the perfect combination of tradition and modernity, catering and the Internet’.”
“Also, Meng Chang spent hundreds of thousands of yuan to rent a venue for a thousand people to give more than ten high-intensity business speeches, meant for students, young people, and entrepreneurs to share his experience when he created the Cold-Faced Lady brand…”
Pei Qian had been reading the weekly reports of the various departments but could not help but look up when he h
eard this.
Eh?
This brother is good.
He spends as much as I give him?
Cold-Faced Lady had been burning money through marketing previously but the burning speed was not fast enough. He managed to increase his burning rate after getting the six million yuan investment?
After some thought, Pei Qian asked, “How’s the response?”
He Desheng said, “The response is very strong!”
“That’s because the cold-faced lady had already obtained a certain amount of popularity and attention based on internet marketing. It can be considered an internet celebrity food and beverage brand. The popularity has increased with more investment now.”
“The entire marketing campaign has been upgraded, including many television and online shows. This has greatly improved the brand image of the Cold-Faced Lady in the eyes of ordinary consumers.”
“Initially, many people thought that this was just roasted cold noodles and snacks. However, after webshows and television stations introduced the business model, everyone realized that ‘cold-faced lady’ was very new and popular. Naturally, they had the urge to understand it.”
“What’s more, Meng Chang is fully utilizing his eloquence. These speeches would definitely attract widespread attention. More and more people would think of Meng Chang as a ‘business mentor’. Then, everyone’s understanding and trust in the brand ‘cold-faced lady’ would naturally increase significantly.”
This was what they meant by marketing could make up for the lack in quality of products.
What Meng Chang was doing now could be summarized as marketing, but it was targeted at several different aspects.
Opening shops, buying trending searches, buying placement advertisements, and so on were all to continue expanding their popularity. Letting online programs and television stations report them could be considered to be using these news programs to promote them. It would make more consumers trust the ‘cold-faced lady’ more. As for making speeches, it was to tie himself and the brand ‘cold-faced lady’ together.
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