Goodley understood that now was the time for him to make his move, and he had been placed in the position of company secretary precisely for this moment.
After hanging up the phone, Goodley sat in his office and pondered. He didn't know how Lu Feng planned to divest the R&D company.
However, he wanted to test Lu Feng's bottom line first.
Within days, the Thai baht rebounded to 25 baht, continuing to be pegged to the US dollar. The Thai authorities also announced that they would severely punish those who shorted the baht and created a financial crisis, stating that shorting the baht would not end well. At the same time, they prepared more than 10 billion US dollars as a protective shield, which is one-fifth of Thailand's foreign exchange reserves.
The determination is there, but the weaknesses have also become apparent. Thailand has nearly 50 billion US dollars in foreign exchange reserves, but more than 30 billion US dollars in debt. Once these 10 billion US dollars in foreign exchange reserves are depleted, it will fall into a debt crisis, become insolvent, and thus be unable to carry out import trade.
Thailand mainly engages in processing, importing raw materials, processing them, and then selling the products to developed countries. However, what is hindering them is not only the shorting of their currency, but also the ever-increasing prices of raw materials.
Developed countries can strangle any country in the world by controlling three things: raw materials, high-end industries, and tariff barriers!
Controlling raw materials leads to higher product prices and squeezed profits. Industries require high-end manufacturing, such as lithography machines and advanced production lines, which generate staggering profits. Tariff barriers, by raising tariffs on target countries, make their products expensive in developed countries, causing them to lose market competitiveness and squeezing out the last bit of profit.
Once this system is implemented, the target country will suffer from industrial hollowing out, massive bankruptcies, mass layoffs, and a decline in currency purchasing power. At this point, short selling will cause the currency to depreciate wildly. Land, factories, industries, and even people will become worthless.
This is the time to buy at rock-bottom prices. With just a small amount of US dollars, you can buy a large amount of wealth. Then, remove the restrictions that previously bound the target country. In less than ten years, the country's economy will be back to normal, only now it will have a different owner.
Thailand's insistence on pegging its exchange rate is a gamble; if it wins this round, foreign capital will continue to pour in, and everything will remain the same.
At the end of September, Lu Feng returned to Shenzhen, and on the same day, all the group's senior executives returned.
This was the first morning meeting Lu Feng had chaired in a year. Everyone reported on the market situation and the relocation of the new headquarters building.
“I think we should choose an auspicious date for the relocation, according to your customs,” Goodley said in a distinctly Chinese manner at the meeting. “After all, we are a Chinese company! The main issue is that it's a bit rushed!”
"Isn't October 1st auspicious? How auspicious do you want it to be?" Lu Feng glanced at him and continued, "Factory production needs to be accelerated. Safety is the top priority. When I inspected Tianjin, the local authorities emphasized the issue of worker safety. Large enterprises need to be standardized."
"Under the premise of safety, we must ensure quality and quantity. The marketing department must conduct thorough market research and be keenly aware of consumer needs during product iteration. The marketing department is at the forefront and must be sharp-eyed so that the R&D department can better understand in which aspects the product needs to be optimized."
"There are also many problems with the subordinate supporting enterprises. The copper plant's product capabilities cannot keep up with the development. When we have our own subordinate supporting enterprises, it doesn't mean that we can rest on our laurels and live off our achievements forever just because we have a stable source of production and sales. Whether it is raw materials, processed parts, or higher-requirement alloys, plastics, and composite materials, they are all constantly being developed."
Lu Feng was unusually serious at the meeting, criticizing several supporting companies for their lack of ambition, profiteering, and concealment of production output, as if this investigation had uncovered many problems and he wanted to turn the companies around.
The atmosphere at the morning meeting was exceptionally serious; for more than an hour, apart from a few people speaking, it was completely silent.
Goodley had wanted to find a topic during the meeting to demonstrate his status within the company, but he never had the chance. With the announcement that the meeting was adjourned, everyone got up and headed outside.
“Mr. Lu, there’s something I need to discuss with you.” Goodley walked towards Lu Feng and said, “I’ve heard that the processes between the R&D company and other companies in the group are very long now. This kind of administrative efficiency is too slow.”
"Who told you that?" Lu Feng looked up and stared at him as he asked.
"I've heard some people complaining that business development requires breaking down internal barriers, not adding more processes. And I heard from the finance department that you should allocate your assets to the R&D company. Why is that?" Goodley pressed.
"Where did the finance staff tell you that?" Lu Feng frowned as he looked at him. "Are you the company secretary or a corporate spy?"
"The most important thing now is to solve the problem, not to investigate who said it. I think your actions are unnecessary!" Goodley was practically forcing Lu Feng to reveal that he was ready to cut ties with him.
Everyone is aware of how things have developed, but no one can say it out loud. Whoever is the first to speak out will be the culprit who is trying to divide up the company.
It's just like two people dating. Even if neither of them wants to end the relationship, whoever speaks first will be labeled a scumbag!
"Nothing of the sort. Don't believe everything you hear. Just focus on managing the board's affairs. Leave the internal matters to the senior management. I've always thought you're an efficient manager. People like you are usually the ones who formulate the group's big strategies, not the ones who listen to gossip." Lu Feng patted him on the shoulder and left.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
