"By the way, boss! Avex Music in Japan has sent an invitation, hoping that you can spare some time to visit Avex Music for some guidance. President Matsuura seems to want to 'perform' in front of you!" Wu Xiuying quickly remembered a fax she received yesterday and reminded Zhang Junfeng in time.

"Ah? The Avex Music Company in Japan? This Matsuura Seito is an interesting guy..." Zhang Junfeng was a little surprised. In his impression, the Avex Music Company should be doing well. Why would they let him, a major shareholder, go there to give guidance?

"This... Could it be that they want to pull me over and arrange some special itinerary?" Zhang Junfeng thought secretly in his heart.

However, speaking of Japan, Zhang Junfeng couldn't help but think of the big companies in Japan, such as the Mitsui Group, Mitsubishi Group, Toyota Motors, etc., which seemed to be having a hard time now. Perhaps he could operate in Japan and make some investments! ...

Although these companies did not suffer heavy losses in the Asian financial crisis two years ago, they were still inevitably hurt. As for Sony, a company well-known in the world for electronic products, games, entertainment and other fields, the losses this time are unbearable to look at!

In early 2000, Sony took advantage of the Internet wave and its market value once reached a historical peak of 125 billion US dollars! However, with the sharp drop of the US Nasdaq index, the Internet bubble continued to burst, and the stock price also plunged!

Sony's market value has now fallen by more than 40%, and as the Internet crisis continues to ferment, its market value may fall further.

"...Maybe I can take this opportunity to try to contact Sony. If I can buy Columbia Pictures from them at a low price, that would be even better!" Zhang Junfeng quickly thought of a good idea to "take advantage of the situation"! (Note: Columbia Pictures has become one of the most important studios in Hollywood with its 80 years of accumulation. Its film library has more than 4,000 classic films, including many "Oscar Best Picture" winners. In November 1989, Sony successfully acquired it from the American Coca-Cola Company.) ...

In addition to Columbia Pictures, Zhang Junfeng is also quite interested in game entertainment companies such as Bandai, Nintendo and Sega. Even if he cannot acquire them, taking some shares and becoming a shareholder of the company is also a good choice to lay the groundwork for subsequently acquiring the overseas copyrights of these companies' popular products and games.

After making up his mind, Zhang Junfeng quickly gave a reply, planning to deal with and explain the company's affairs in the next few days, and then go to Japan next Monday.

After hearing what Zhang Junfeng said, Wu Xiuying nodded and planned to ask her subordinates to give Avex Music a reply as soon as possible after returning.

…

America, inside the general manager's office of AOL.

Henry Scott's expression was quite complicated at the moment. Due to the current collapse of the Internet industry, the situation of their AOL company was also quite bad! You know, in early March of this year, before the Nasdaq index plummeted, the market value of their company reached a sky-high price of 160 billion US dollars!

But now, the company's stock price has continued to plummet, and has fallen by nearly 45%, and its market value has almost been cut in half. If they continue to sit there and wait for death, I am afraid that before the end of the year, their company may have to declare bankruptcy! The biggest feature of these Internet technology companies is that their market value is seriously overestimated, while the company's revenue is not satisfactory, and sometimes even the expenses are greater than the income.

In the past, the company's market value was high, so if they were short of money, they could just sell some shares to cash in. But now the value of the company's shares has shrunk dramatically, and even if they want to sell, I'm afraid no one is willing to take on this "hot potato"!

…

These ungrateful guys don't even think about the fact that in order to get their company into the Internet industry, they spent a lot of money to buy some Internet products that looked good but were useless, and even shares in Internet companies.

For example, ICQ is the best example! They spent nearly 300 million US dollars to buy this thing, but it was not profitable and they did not register the patent copyright in time, which made them suffer a lot!

Later, as the president, he sued the infringing company like a nanny, trying to obtain huge compensation for the infringement. In order to turn losses into profits, he installed plug-ins and even advertising functions on the basic version of ICQ to make the software profitable.

As the CEO, he has put in so much effort, but he has not received any reward from these stingy company directors. It is really ridiculous! ...

"Maybe you don't have to worry so much. According to the company's board of directors, they are in contact with Time Warner's top management. If all goes well, the merger of the two companies will be completed by the end of this year or the first half of next year...", assistant Ashley Moore reminded her boss.

Hearing what the other party said, Henry Scott's face became even uglier. He snorted coldly, "The reason why those guys are so eager to cooperate with Time Warner is that they want to sell off their shares that have plummeted so that they can cash out and leave, right?"

Henry Scott was quite dissatisfied with these snobs. Last year, when AOL was being plotted against and negative public opinion was flying everywhere, he tried to ask for help from these company directors, but these guys who only cared about their own interests chose to stand by and watch, asking him to cooperate with the relevant departments in the investigation, and did nothing at all, as if they were afraid of being implicated because of him.

Later, I was able to get out of this situation smoothly and suppress all the negative public opinions, but I paid a lot of price. Otherwise, how could the regulatory authorities let them go so easily? …

"...Perhaps, we should prepare in advance and find a way out for ourselves..." Henry Scott was silent for a while, then he sighed helplessly and said in a faint voice.

He knew very well that under the current situation, as long as the board members could guarantee their own interests, they would not mind even if the entire company was sold. But those senior executives working at AOL might not have an easy time! After all, a company could not and did not need two heads. Once AOL was merged with Time Warner, the other party would definitely send someone they trusted to replace him.

Even if I surrender to the other party, I may not get much benefit. Demotion and transfer are routine operations, and even forced dismissal is very likely.

"...If you have an opportunity to join another company, take me with you, right?" Ashley Moore thought for a moment and said what she was going to do. As the other party's assistant, Ashley Moore was also very clear about her situation.

If the two companies really reach an agreement on a merger, it would be hard to say whether she would still have a position as the president's assistant. It would be better for her to make her position clear in advance and stand firmly on Henry Scott's side. As long as the other party has a way out, she will follow him!

——————Dividing line——————

Inside a luxurious private hospital in downtown New York City.

Catherine Zeta-Jones, who is already 8-9 months pregnant, came here for a regular checkup accompanied by her assistant. After a few days of crazy time in the hotel with Zhang Junfeng last year, Catherine Zeta-Jones got her wish and became pregnant two months later.

When she told Zhang Junfeng the news, Zhang Junfeng was also very happy. In addition to letting her rest assured and recuperate while he would arrange for an assistant and a nanny to take over, he also said that she could contact the company at any time if she needed anything.

…

"The child is in good health right now. In addition to getting enough rest, he can also walk around a bit, but he needs to avoid getting tired..."

Listening to the doctor's instructions, Catherine Zeta-Jones also smiled and nodded. Now she is looking forward to the arrival of this child. Perhaps this little life can make her current life more complete.

On the way back, the assistant smiled and joked to Catherine Zeta-Jones, "Do you need to share this good news with Mr. Zeta? I think he will be very happy to receive the news."

Catherine Zeta-Jones smiled and shook her head. "He has a lot of things to do, so I won't bother him. I'll tell him when he remembers to contact me!"

…

In the office of the chairman of Hyundai Kia Automotive Group in Seoul, Korea.

Chairman Chung Mong-koo was excitedly confirming the news with his subordinates. "What you mean is that Hyundai Group has financial problems?"

"Yes, Chairman. According to the information we received, Hyundai Group Chairman Chung Mong-sun embezzled a large amount of funds from Hyundai Credit Card Company in order to invest in Daum. Now Daum's stock price has plummeted. That money has gone down the drain..."

"And the worst thing is that since the completion of the Mount Kumgang tourism project last year, the revenue has been far below expectations. It is conservatively estimated that this project will cause a loss of at least several hundred million won every year, and the billions of US dollars invested previously may not be recovered..."

The subordinates solemnly recounted the news they had learned. If the source of the news was not from the middle-level cadres of Hyundai Group, they probably would not have thought that the Hyundai Group, which was once so prosperous, would also be in such an embarrassing situation!

Chung Mong-koo laughed and said, "I had a feeling that this Mt. Kumgang tourism project would be a big problem. It would cost so much money to build it, and it would also involve the relationship between the two countries. The risk is too great."

"But Zheng Mengxian, this brainless guy, relied on the support of the old man to force the merger and push it forward. Now he has even ruined their Hyundai Group. Hahaha!"

When he split Hyundai Motor Company from Hyundai Group, he was under a lot of pressure. Fortunately, he had the full support of allies like Comet Capital. Now the scale and turnover of their automobile group continued to rise, and they were thriving.

On the other hand, it is really pleasing to see the Hyundai Group, once a major group, gradually decline in the hands of the useless Chung Mong-sun! ...

"President, the current predicament of the group is an indisputable fact. The heads of many subsidiaries there have also thought about separating from the Hyundai Group. Do you think we should give them a hand?"

"…If those subsidiaries are separated from the Hyundai Group and then merged into our Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, then the dream that you failed to fulfill at the beginning might be realized again…" The subordinates quickly came up with a brilliant suggestion.

According to the system of primogeniture, Chung Mong-koo, the second son, was the successor of Hyundai Group. However, the old chairman Chung Ju-yung favored Chung Mong-sun, which led to the Chung brothers leaving Hyundai Group.

Now there is an opportunity to take over and merge other subsidiaries of Hyundai Group to form a new Hyundai Group. This is definitely an extremely tempting proposal for Chung Mong-koo!

Chung Mong-koo subconsciously wanted to agree, but he soon thought of the most critical link in acquiring those companies and poaching from the Hyundai Group, which was that Hyundai Kia Motors did not have enough funds to launch an acquisition war.

To successfully acquire those companies, a large amount of funds is necessary. As support, the only institutions in Korea that can come up with so much funds in a short period of time are probably Comet Capital and KB Bank.

It's just that it's hard to say whether Zhang Junfeng of Comet Capital will agree! However, if he gives up like this, Zheng Mengjiu will be very unwilling! After struggling for a while, Zheng Mengjiu finally said, "I will communicate with Zhang Junfeng, chairman of Comet Capital, first. If the other party agrees, then we will contact the heads of those companies as you said before to start the acquisition and you will be responsible for it!"

Hearing that Zheng Mengjiu entrusted him with an important task, the subordinates nodded excitedly. If this succeeded, he would be considered to have made a great contribution, and would be promoted and given a raise, right?

There is no mistake in the poem, post, content, and read the book on 6, 9, and bar!

…

When Chung Mong-koo and his subordinates were discussing and plotting against Hyundai Group and Chung Mong-sun, Chung Mong-sun, as the person involved, was like an ant on a hot pot, extremely anxious. Meanwhile, the senior executives of the group were like ostriches playing dead, not daring to say anything.

"...Asiba! Didn't you bastards say at the time that investing in this Daum company would definitely be profitable and could make up for the group's financial losses? How are we going to deal with this situation now?!" Zheng Mengxian roared madly at his subordinates.

In his opinion, if these guys hadn't frequently encouraged him to invest in this daum company, and even used the funds obtained from the credit card company and the bank, how could they have suffered such heavy losses today? However, he was in a high position and didn't consider that the reason why it became like this was actually largely caused by himself.

Especially after tasting the sweetness of Daum's rising stock price and the huge returns brought by the invested money skyrocketing every day, how many people can avoid losing themselves, immersed in the happiness of making crazy money just lying down every day, gradually losing their way and finally losing their vigilance.

"...What else can you do besides being dumb? Tell me, what should we do next? Some of the debts to the bank are due for repayment, and there are also office expenses and employee salaries for each subsidiary next month..."

At this point, Zheng Mengxian felt very aggrieved. They had already gone through the most difficult time of the financial crisis, but their Hyundai Group's situation was even worse than it was then? It was really ridiculous to think about it! ...

The subordinates who were forced to answer looked at Zheng Mengxian, who was staring at them like an angry lion, and they were also panicking. They knew that Zheng Mengxian was being pushed into a corner. If they couldn't come up with a solution, who knew if this guy would vent his anger on them first?

After all, in Goryeo, none of the chaebols and the people in power in big companies are good people. If they are pushed into a corner, they can do anything!

"... President, how about... we ask for help from the Blue House?" a subordinate said with some guilt.

In his opinion, the relationship between Hyundai Group and the Blue House has always been good, and the key project in recent years - the Mount Kumgang tourism project is also completing certain "tasks" for Mr. Dae Jong.

Now that Hyundai Group is in such a bad situation, I think the other party will not stand by and watch it die, right? If Hyundai Group really collapses, it will not be of any benefit to the Blue House or even Mr. Daejong!

"Yes, other financial institutions cannot provide us with so much loans. Only the Blue House has a possibility..." Seeing someone speaking up, others also echoed.

As things stand now, Hyundai Group has long lost its former glory, and the title and strength of Korea's largest enterprise, which it was proud of, has long since disappeared. Lack of funds and the continuous departure of core subsidiaries from the group have completely made Hyundai Group lose its ability to revitalize.

Without strong external support, they would probably go bankrupt and follow the same path as the Daewoo Group, which has already declared bankruptcy! Hearing what these subordinates said, Zheng Mengxian couldn't help but sigh. He had naturally considered asking for help from the Blue House. However, it was his father Zheng Zhouyong, not Zheng Mengxian, who had a close relationship with the top leaders of the Blue House.

The other party may be able to help them once or twice, considering that Hyundai Group lost money building the tourism project in Mount Kumgang, but it is impossible for them to help them endlessly. After all, favors are worth less and less the more they are used. If they are used too many times, they will become worthless.

Thinking about the trouble he had caused to the senior officials at the Blue House last year, Zheng Mengxian was even worried. He was not sure whether Mr. Da Zhong was still willing to help him.

"...Don't you have any other way besides the Blue House?" Zheng Mengxian said unwillingly. If there were other ways, he really didn't want to go to the Blue House again.

These subordinates looked at each other with some guilt, but none of them took the initiative to speak. Of course there is a way. KB Bank, which is currently the most financially powerful in Goryeo, can naturally come up with money to help them through the difficulties.

However, Hyundai Group Chairman Chung Mong-sun has no connection with KB Bank. However, Chairman Chung Mong-koo, who left the group to start his own business, has a close relationship with Comet Capital's Zhang Junfeng. If it were the other party, there might be a certain possibility.

But what's the difference between saying this at this time and "lighting a lamp in the toilet"? They all know how their president got to the top!

…

In the end, the angry Zheng Mengxian scolded them again and told them to get out. The group cadres who had been trembling with fear for more than an hour felt relieved as if they had survived a disaster.

If the previous Hyundai Group was an unsinkable aircraft carrier, capable of coping with all storms and emergencies, then under the command of the second-generation commander Zheng Mengxian, the aircraft carrier has been riddled with holes. If the tide cannot be turned, the Hyundai Group is doomed!

"...Hey, why did the old chairman force him to be the successor instead of that one? The Hyundai Kia Automotive Group over there has opened up the market in Longguo and other Asian countries, and its sales are also very good..."

When a colleague suddenly mentioned Chung Mong-koo, the former chairman who had bad luck, everyone agreed. If Chung Mong-koo was still the current chairman of the group, perhaps the extremely money-burning bottomless pit of Mount Konggang would have been stopped in time.

The financial situation of their Hyundai Group wouldn't be as bad as it is now, right? It's just that all this is not something that they, the subordinates, can decide!

…

After more than a day of thinking, Chung Mong-sun chose to face reality and went to the Blue House with his trusted subordinates to seek help. When he appeared in the Blue House again, many Blue House staff members secretly talked about the Hyundai Group chairman who often came.

Although I don't know why this guy came here this time, it's definitely not a good thing. Even the kind-hearted Mr. Da Zhong has some complaints about Zheng Mengxian.

…

After more than an hour of waiting, Zheng Mengxian finally met Mr. Da Zhong as he wished. However, when he finished explaining his request, Mr. Da Zhong, who was sitting in his seat, looked at him with a little more contempt and disdain.

The founder of Hyundai Group, Chung Ju-yung, was obviously a first-rate person in terms of both ability and means, so why did he choose such a useless person to manage and operate a company like Hyundai Group? Did he think this was a charity or a wishing well?! (End of this chapter)