Chapter 143: Chapter 142: Exchange of Interests (9/10)
Seeing that Qi Jianhong seemed to be yielding, Gu Bai did not want to push things to the extreme he had mentioned earlier.
Although he was confident enough to throw in 20 billion, it wasn’t worth it just for Wu Qian. That money could be used for greater purposes. The system upgrade tasks all required money. Without it, who knew how long he would have to wait to reach Level 3?
Thinking of this, Gu Bai spoke again.
"Actually, I have another solution. If President Qi still can’t accept it, then there’s no need for us to continue this dinner."
"Please, President Gu, do tell."
"To be honest, President Qi, the reason you want to protect Wu Qian is that he still holds value for you and can make money for you. However, I have a plan that can make you even more money. I wonder if you’re interested in hearing it."
Upon hearing Gu Bai’s words, Wu Qian’s expression changed.
If Gu Bai could indeed propose terms that satisfied Qi Jianhong, Wu Qian would undoubtedly be abandoned.
He dared not imagine the situation he’d face with Gu Bai if he were forsaken by capital.
As soon as Gu Bai finished speaking, both Qi Jianhong and Chen Long became intrigued. With Chen Long being a major shareholder of Yaolai Film and Television, it concerned his interests, of course, he would care.
"I heard that Yaolai Film and Television is developing cinemas?"
Qi Jianhong did not hide it; this was a well-known fact within the industry.
"I wonder if President Qi is interested in collaborating with me?"
"How do we collaborate?"
"As a listed group with a market value of 16 billion, although Yao Lai Group is leaning heavily towards the entertainment industry, you are different from my Black Swan Capital. Your cash flow must be insufficient, right?"
"President Gu, feel free to speak directly."
Upon this, Gu Bai stopped holding back and directly said, "My meaning is simple. As a seasoned company, Yao Lai Group is deeply rooted in the entertainment industry with rich resources. My Black Swan Capital, while a new company, has a cash flow that Yao Lai Group can hardly match. Our two companies can absolutely join forces.
You handle the operations, and I will finance it. We can establish a cinema company and build it into a new giant in the cinema industry. If we succeed in this collaboration, President Qi, you must understand how massive the potential profits could be?"
Gu Bai’s words reached the ears of Qi Jianhong and Chen Long, and the two exchanged a glance.
In each other’s eyes, they saw two words.
Temptation!
They had long been working on cinema layout, but after several years, the original plan to open 60 cinemas nationwide was barely a third completed, with only 16 established. Why was it so difficult to achieve this goal?
The answer lies in two words.
No money.
The construction of each cinema and all related aspects required money, and they simply couldn’t come up with that much. Just maintaining these 16 cinemas had already stretched them to the limit. Had it not been for the ongoing revenue from the cinemas, it might have been challenging to sustain.
Next to them sat Principal Wang, whose father’s Wanda Group entered the cinema market in 2011 and, within a few years, expanded to over 80 cinemas nationwide. Qi Jianhong watched as they surpassed them.
In terms of resources, was Yao Lai Group, deeply rooted in the entertainment industry, any worse than Wanda?
Not at all.
The difference was that Wanda Film had a trillion-level industrial giant backing it, capable of overwhelming them with money.
Now, suddenly, someone was waving cash at Qi Jianhong, saying, "I have money, let’s cooperate!"
Could he not get excited?
Gu Bai saw the temptation in Qi Jianhong’s eyes and immediately struck while the iron was hot, saying, "If President Qi is considering collaboration, I can promise here that in the new company we’ll establish, the equity ratio will be 1:0.8. I invest 100 million, and you only need to invest 80 million, with 20 million as Yao Lai Film and Television’s channel equity. How about that?"
"President Gu, are you serious about this?"
"Does President Qi think I have any reason to deceive you?"
It’s no wonder Qi Jianhong was skeptical; the terms Gu Bai offered were too generous. Don’t be deceived by the mere 20% equity difference; in practical terms, the funding required could easily reach billions in terms of investment scale.
This verbal agreement seemed to give Yaolai Film and Television an advantageous position, but was Gu Bai the type to seek losses without reason?
If I recall correctly, in 2016, after Wentou Holding went public, Qi Jianhong pledged Wentou’s equity with Ludao Trust to secure a 3.548 billion trust fund for Yao Lai Group’s financing.
The condition for obtaining this financing was that it had to be paid back in two years, that is, by 2018.
Little did they know they would encounter the film industry winter thereafter, leading to a drop in stock prices and devaluation of the pledged equity.
Despite Yaolai Film and Television subsequently adding equity pledges with Ludao Trust, they were still unable to repay the funds owed to Ludao Trust.
Ultimately, for various reasons, the once vast Yao Lai Group’s market value dwindled from its peak of 16 billion yuan to less than 1 billion in 2021.
Gu Bai’s plan was simple: collaborate with Yao Lai Group to build cinemas, slowly gain internal control, and when Yao Lai Group inevitably encountered trouble, he could swiftly acquire the entire cinema company at a low price from within the firm and potentially even swallow the entire giant in the entertainment circle.
Qi Jianhong wasn’t aware of the fate awaiting him in just over a year, but he was completely captivated by the cooperation proposal put forth by Gu Bai.
"If it’s according to this model, I think this collaboration is feasible."
Qi Jianhong’s words clearly indicated his agreement to Gu Bai’s proposal.
Upon hearing Qi Jianhong’s words, Wu Qian’s face instantly turned pale. If Qi Jianhong really collaborated with Gu Bai, what would happen to him?
Thinking of this, his long silence broke as he finally couldn’t help but speak.
"President Qi..."
However, before he could say anything more, Qi Jianhong impatiently interrupted him.
"Say what you have to say later."
The impatient tone reached Wu Qian’s ears, causing his already pale face to turn even more ashen.
As an observer, Ma Xiaogang glanced at him sympathetically. As a top director at Huayi, he was well aware of the battles between capitals. A so-called top idol could be abandoned at any moment. He himself had once had a betting agreement with Huayi, which ended poorly, losing 230 million yuan. Now, he had long since become prudent.
Gu Bai casually glanced at Wu Qian and addressed Qi Jianhong again, "If President Qi is interested in this collaboration, we can find a time to have both companies formally finalize the details. After all, market dynamics change rapidly, and the sooner we collaborate, the sooner we can be at ease."
Qi Jianhong thought Gu Bai was reassuring him, afraid that he might think Gu Bai was making empty promises, and so he replied with a chuckle, "Rest assured, President Gu, I will have someone from our company reach out to yours regarding the collaboration as soon as I get back."
Little did he know that Gu Bai was counting the days, as the turmoil in Yao Lai Group was not far off; the sooner they collaborated, the sooner he could seize a share of the benefits.
As for Wu Qian, by that time, he was already insignificant, and dealing with him was merely a by-the-way matter.