The debt-to-equity swap agreement was over forty pages long, as thick as a book, with so many clauses and convoluted details. Lu Feng simply didn't want to pay.
These clauses conceal a 20-year lock-up period. Most importantly, even after 20 years, the 50 million may not be converted into equity; it could very well just be used to pay off the debt.
Lu Feng returned to his office, wondering if this kid was going to cause trouble again, when the phone rang. He answered, "Who is it?"
"Oh, Mr. Lu, it's me, your old friend Zhuang Yuntian!" Zhuang Yuntian's voice on the other end of the phone was full of joy.
Hearing him so happy, Lu Feng breathed a slight sigh of relief. It seemed he wasn't asking for money, but rather coming to give it away. He smiled and said, "How have you been lately? It's been a long time since we last contacted each other. I was just thinking about you a few days ago."
Zhuang Yuntian didn't expect Lu Feng to be so shameless as to say such things. He continued, "President Lu, Jiafeng Electronics has been doing very well lately. As you know, I'm not a low-ranking employee at Goldman Sachs. Why don't we sit down and have a chat? Maybe there will be some unexpected surprises."
"An unexpected surprise? That money is all in the past, you're not still holding onto it, are you?" Lu Feng couldn't help but ask.
“President Lu, you’re being too polite. Fifty million is nothing? To talk about such a small amount is an insult to both you and Goldman Sachs, don’t you think?” Zhuang Yuntian said firmly, “I’m in Shenzhen. Let’s have dinner together tonight.”
Lu Feng could tell he seemed pleasantly surprised, and agreed, "Sure, it's on me, let's go to Xianqueju!"
The meeting place was arranged. At seven o'clock in the evening, in a private room at Xianqueju, not far from the company, Zhuang Yuntian, dressed in a suit and tie, was waiting. Looking at the time, he looked a little unhappy. It was clearly his good thing, so why did it seem like he was the one who was rushing to do it?
The waiter came in to refill his tea, and Lu Feng followed him in, saying, "You actually arrived early?"
Zhuang Yuntian turned around and saw that Lu Feng was angry. He said in a deep voice, "President Lu, this is a good thing for you. Why do you make it sound like I'm begging for help?"
"My good news?" Lu Feng sat down and said, "Tell me first."
"Are you short of funds lately?" Zhuang Yuntian asked.
"What are you talking about? When have I ever been short of money?" Lu Feng casually ordered the waiter, "Just bring a set meal and a bottle of red wine."
“Goldman Sachs recently had an internal opportunity to screen potential investable companies globally, and I have a spot available. These companies that submit their applications will have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with renowned investors on Wall Street,” Zhuang Yuntian said, offering his incentive.
Lu Feng was taken aback by these words. He didn't recall Goldman Sachs having such a mechanism. He looked up at Zhuang Yuntian and asked, "You mean, you want to give me this spot? Or do you want me to buy it from you?"
“I don’t think you’ll buy it. How about we make a bet? I’ll give you the spot I have for free. If you actually get the investment, you’ll give me back one percent. How about that?” Zhuang Yuntian offered his price.
"President Zhuang has a lot of confidence in me!"
As Lu Feng spoke, his mind raced. Would someone he hadn't seen in so long hand over such a great opportunity to him?
This is rather unusual!
Lu Feng firmly believed in the principle that there must be something fishy going on when things are out of the ordinary, but for the time being he couldn't figure out what the other party was up to.
"One percent? You seem very confident, you've even calculated the amount. Are you afraid of having too much money and burning your hands?" Lu Feng teased.
"What kind of talk is that? I'm just collecting a handling fee at most. Ultimately, the company's development is the priority. I think this is an opportunity, and you should seize it," Zhuang Yuntian advised.
As the food was served, Lu Feng ate without saying a word. He never believed that good things in this world would happen to him.
Especially when it comes to something that's entirely beneficial and without any drawbacks, how could it possibly fall into one's lap so easily?
"I'll think about it!" Lu Feng raised his glass and said, "Cheers! That's all for today. I've been quite busy lately. The company is getting bigger and bigger, and managing it is quite troublesome. I also have to go to Suzhou tomorrow!"
"There's nothing to consider about this!" Zhuang Yuntian really couldn't understand it. Such a good thing had fallen from the sky. According to his idea, Lu Feng should be extremely excited and drink with him tonight. Why did he seem to have any concerns?
“There are many companies in China that need to develop. You have a good relationship with Lenovo, right? Why don’t you ask President Liu? Let me tell you, all companies in China, whether state-owned or private, are like brothers. I can’t be the only one developing!” Lu Feng tentatively pushed this hot commodity forward.
"President Lu, I'm only getting in touch with you because I think your company is doing very well. Other companies don't really fit the bill, and their chances of getting investment are too slim," Zhuang Yuntian said earnestly. "This is a great opportunity for you. What are you going to decline?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Feng immediately understood that this was not what he described—a pie falling from the sky, and one that landed exactly where he was going. It was either a trap, or the pie already had his name engraved on it.
"I feel unworthy of such praise!" Lu Feng picked up his glass of red wine and drank it all in one gulp. He stared at Zhuang Yuntian with deep emotion, sighed for a long time, lit a cigarette, and said, "Brother, I've never wronged a foreigner in my life. You're the only foreigner I've wronged. You're a good foreigner!"
“What are you saying? I’m not a foreigner. There’s a song that’s about me. Even though I wear a foreign coat, my heart is still Chinese. I’m a genuine Chinese.” Zhuang Yuntian said to Lu Feng, “Don’t be so formal with me. Let bygones be bygones. Let’s start over.”
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