Li Muchen took the report and flipped through it carefully. His expression was focused and serious, his eyes moving quickly between the lines of data and analysis.

After reading it, he looked up at Xiao Wang with a decisive look in his eyes: "Xiao Wang, I have decided to acquire the formulas and brands of these companies. You go and negotiate the acquisition with them. Don't worry too much about the price, but you must ensure our interests."

Xiao Wang knew in his heart that the boss saw the greater commercial value behind these formulas and brands and did not care about temporary gains and losses.

He replied, "Boss, I understand. I will reach an agreement with them as soon as possible."

At the negotiation table, Xiao Wang fully demonstrated the professionalism and strength of Li Muchen's business team.

After rounds of negotiations, Li Muchen finally spent 236 million US dollars to purchase the formulas and brands of seven companies.

When Xiao Wang told Li Muchen the news, Li Muchen was sitting at his desk, holding a delicate pen in his hand, tapping lightly on a document. Upon hearing the news, he put down the pen and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"Well done, Xiao Wang. This is an important step for us to become a functional beverage group." Li Muchen looked at Xiao Wang approvingly.

Xiao Wang smiled modestly. "Boss, this is all due to your wise decision. But, Boss, I have an idea. Although we have acquired these formulas and brands, if we want to gain a long-term foothold in the functional beverage market, it is crucial to have independent research and development capabilities."

Li Muchen's eyes lit up after hearing what Xiao Wang said. He stood up, walked over to Xiao Wang, and patted him on the shoulder. "Xiao Wang, you and I are thinking the same thing. That's exactly what I was thinking. We can't just rely on acquired formulas. We also need to have our own R&D capabilities to stay competitive in the market."

Li Muchen returned to his desk and sat down again, his eyes revealing a long-term plan for the future. "I've decided to spend $500 million to build a laboratory and recruit R&D personnel. This laboratory must be equipped with the most advanced equipment, and the R&D personnel we recruit must be top talents in the industry. We will continuously upgrade the formulas of Red Bull and these other companies, and also develop our own brand-new functional beverages."

Xiao Wang was shocked by his boss's courage. He said with admiration, "Boss, your decision is truly far-sighted. With such R&D capabilities, our functional beverage group will definitely stand out in the market."

Afterwards, Li Muchen began to build a laboratory and recruit R&D personnel.

He personally participated in the site selection of the laboratory, paying attention to every detail.

In his opinion, the laboratory environment and facilities are directly related to the quality and efficiency of R&D work.