Chapter 77 Starting a Company Together
Li Yiqi's mentor has studied the causes of myopia and proposed a conceptual treatment method in his early years: through the action of light, the blood microcirculation of the fundus can be improved, the retinal pigment epithelial cells can be promoted to secrete dopamine, and the growth of the eye axis can be effectively inhibited; light irradiates the fundus and acts on the choroid behind the retina, so that the thinned choroid returns to its normal thickness, provides sufficient oxygen to the sclera, and improves the blood circulation of the fundus, which can prevent the degree of myopia from increasing.
The principle is simple enough, but any device created from scratch requires significant investment and extensive testing and development. Myopia rates in China remain high year after year, and if such a device were successfully developed and put into mass production, it would benefit millions of young people. Similarly, given the high prevalence of myopia in China, developing a device suitable for the Chinese population would offer ample examples and easier recruitment of participants.
If Li Yiqi had started her own business, she would have started with medical aesthetics equipment, but such low-tech equipment is easily imitated and only aims to make a quick buck. If Lin Ruoyan truly wanted to collaborate and invest, she could skip the initial stage of accumulating funds and directly develop the equipment she wanted, which would have greatly saved her time.
The sooner the device is developed, the more myopia patients can be saved. Why wouldn't she accept it?
Li Yiqi said: "I do have some ideas for myopia treatment equipment, but the initial R&D investment is huge. If I rely solely on my own strength, it is indeed difficult. Maybe I will choose medical beauty equipment to make money first. But..."
"But now I'm here. How much initial R&D investment is needed? And what's the estimated timeline?"
"Even if it's fast, it'll take four to five years, with an annual investment of several million. I need to evaluate this based on the technical situation." Li Yiqi paused. "Actually, there's an even faster idea. We could acquire a medical device company with relevant basic technology reserves, buy out the technology, bring it to China, and set up a dedicated laboratory and factory. That way, we could start producing some simple equipment, generate a certain profit, and then use it to fund the development of new equipment."
Lin Ruoyan's acumen in this area couldn't compare to Li Yiqi, who had been mulling over this issue. According to the original book, Li Yiqi had absolutely no funds to acquire another company. Starting from a small workshop with just a few people was incredibly difficult, and he was on the verge of giving up. Now that Lin Ruoyan had offered to invest, why not just acquire it directly?
Lin Ruoyan also thought this was a great idea and asked hurriedly, "Do you have any target companies? I'm already abroad this time, so I might as well check it out."
Li Yiqi smiled and said, "There is indeed a local company that wants to sell. It's in this city and has some connections with my mentor. If you really want to go and see it, I can ask my mentor for contact right now."
Lin Ruoyan remembered the plot of the original book: after the heroine started her own business, she wanted to import technology and approached several companies in Country Y. One of them was about to cease production. That company was genuinely interested in selling the business, primarily because the heir had gone into film and television and had no interest in continuing to make medical devices. The small factory had a small staff, all of whom were reaching retirement age, so they decided to sell the factory and enjoy the cash and retirement.
The transfer of an overseas factory to a domestic private buyer required complicated procedures, and the efficiency of the people from Country Y was particularly low. Li Yiqi was too busy to run back and forth between Country Y and China, and she had neither the money nor the time. It was also very expensive to hire someone to handle the matter, so in the original book, she finally gave up.
But now, Lin Ruoyan had the financial resources to hire a local agency and have Li Yiqi keep an eye on things. Back home, the Lin Group had its own elite team. If the Greater X region could come up with supportive policies in a timely manner, perhaps they could introduce this technology to the biopharmaceutical industrial park, invest in a factory, and receive strong support.
Lin Ruoyan agreed to visit the factory and proposed the acquisition method. She would set up a medical device company in China under the name of Lin Group and acquire a company from Country Y. The company would continue to operate in Country Y. People from China would be sent to the factory in Country Y for internships and technical training, and then return to China to open a factory.
All factory employees would be retained and later hired as consultants. Once the domestic factory was completed and operational, and the technology had been learned, the employees in Country Y could retire smoothly and the factory could be closed. The equipment would be shipped back to China, and the factory building would be treated as a fixed asset, easily resaleable or retained.
Li Yiqi was given full responsibility for the Country Y project. Lin Ruoyan simply invested the money and asked her to find an agency to assist with the necessary paperwork. Li Yiqi would be studying in Country Y for several years anyway, completing her master's and perhaps even a doctorate. She had plenty of time, so she didn't have to travel back and forth between China and abroad. This would also allow for a smooth transition of technology and the factory.
Li Yiqi could certainly tell this was a good thing. With this model, she would effectively be in control of the company and its technology. While she wouldn't have any influence in China, her opinions would be on all development. The legal representative could be someone appointed by the Lin Group in China, facilitating the various domestic procedures. Lin Ruoyan would give her the position of general manager, promising not to interfere with the company's technological development. She would arrange for domestic personnel to assist with production and sales.
This is a great trust, and it also makes up for the shortcomings that Li Yiqi cannot achieve in the short term.
But she still wanted to test Lin Ruoyan's sincerity, so she asked, "I accept the company being a branch of the Lin Group, but I want more independence and my own brand. For example, I want to come up with a brand name suitable for medical devices in both Chinese and English, without the word 'Lin' in it. Is that okay?"
The prodigal system warned: "Host, you can't agree to this. The Lin family funded the company, and Li Yiqi is working for you. Why should you give her so much control and even give her a separate brand name? This clearly indicates that they are planning to split up and become independent in the future."
Lin Ruoyan thought to herself that Li Yiqi's company in the original novel had nothing to do with the Lin Corporation. She was looking for Li Yiqi to start a company with her because she wanted to ride on the heroine's aura. If she could actually launch a medical beauty product that turned a profit during her lifetime, perhaps she could even survive. Even if she never got to see the myopia treatment device, it would surely be a huge seller in China, allowing her son to collect the profits in the future. Of course, Li Yiqi could choose the brand name she wanted.
If Li Yiqi wants independence, then she can. With the equity clearly defined, wouldn't it be great for Lin to receive dividends in the future? It's much easier just to invest money and not have to worry about anything else. In fact, Lin could be completely invisible in this company, simply being an investor and enjoying the dividends.
So Lin Ruoyan ignored the noisy system and said to Li Yiqi sincerely, "Okay, whatever you want. As for the money, after we go to see the company we want to acquire, you give me a plan and I'll show it to my brother."
In fact, Lin Ruoyan could make this decision completely on her own, but bringing up Lin Ruxu would make Li Yiqi feel at ease. Compared to her, the real daughter, Li Yiqi would definitely prefer to trust Lin Ruxu, who she had been with for more than 20 years.
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