Chapter 1072 This Agreement Cannot Be Signed
Xiao Peng took the document and put it aside without even looking at it, then continued to ask, "What's going on with Britain and France?"
Fabian suddenly became excited after hearing this. "Remember that time you were injured in the Caribbean? Drake's treasure was indeed discovered there! Historians have basically confirmed this. This is the first time in human history that a real pirate treasure has been discovered! So it caused quite a stir. Even the broken chests found inside were being sold at high prices! This is what they call the 'celebrity effect'. I finally understand why so many people spent so much money on junk from the Titanic."
Xiao Peng coughed dryly and said, "Brother, don't get excited when you mention money! What's the matter with Britain and France?"
Fabian said disdainfully, "The Brits are jealous. So many shipwrecks have happened in British waters. They're worried about more of these things happening in the future, so they're supporting Portugal and Spain. And even though Drake is a pirate, he holds a British title. The British say his title was bestowed upon us, and his wealth is ours, so they're also pursuing the seizure. But they're being even more unreasonable, and he's not even in the EU yet, so forget it."
Pascal said, "Fabian, don't be so optimistic! Britain's influence is there. Even though Britain has already left the EU, if it hadn't intervened, would this matter have been so troublesome? Xiao, several countries have already rejected our entry applications. Xiao, especially after France's intervention, you know their influence in Africa. We're already encountering a lot of trouble in West Africa. Although some countries haven't directly refused us entry, the application procedures have become several times more complicated than before. It's really frustrating to see these countries acting like hooligans."
"What's France's intention?" Xiao Peng was puzzled. "It has nothing to do with their interests, right?"
Fabian replied, "Because our company's departure from France caused quite a stir, they came to me because of the gold. They believed that the gold we salvaged should belong to them. After we salvaged the 'Queen's Gift', not only did we not sell the gold to them, but we also withdrew our company from France. This was unacceptable to them. So they sided with the two Italians this time."
Pascal said, "It all comes down to 'profit'."
Xiao Peng said, "There's a saying in our country, 'A pinch of rice in gratitude can be followed by a pinch of rice in resentment.' It means that if you give someone a small favor, they'll be grateful. But if you keep helping them and they become dependent, and then lower their standards, they'll resent you. This is just a habit they've been fed! Have you collected and processed the 'Queen's betrothal gift'?"
Fabian shook his head and said, "We haven't processed the salvaged items yet. For one thing, the porcelain from the 'June Gardenia' and the Middle Eastern silver and bronze artifacts are easier to auction for. The 'Queen's Gift' is even easier to sell; the gold pales in comparison to the top-tier jewels inside. Drake's treasure is in a similar situation. After all, it's the first pirate treasure discovered, so it's more valuable if auctioned. Selling it hastily would mean a significant loss of revenue. Another reason is that all of the problems we're facing right now are basically caused by these three shipwrecks, so we haven't rushed to sell them yet. We're waiting for you to come back and see how to deal with this problem."
Xiao Peng grinned and said, "Can't you two just leave me? Just make your own decisions, right?"
It was Fabian who answered this question: "I don't want the three of us to break up like this."
Xiao Peng was stunned: "Oh?"
Fabian said helplessly, "Pascal and I are both French, and we have a complicated relationship in France. You always say 'the head follows the butt'. Our French identity will definitely make us biased. If our choice is the opposite of yours...tsk tsk, we should just wait for you to come back. Besides, we've known each other for a long time, and we know your temper. If you give in, you won't be yourself!"
Xiao Peng laughed: "Just like you cherish your friendship with me, I also cherish your friendship, so if you really want me to bow my head, I will accept it for the sake of our friendship."
Fabian waved his hand and said, "Come on! I'll take your words seriously! Don't we know who you are? Anyway, we've been waiting for so long. Now that you're back, you make the decision!"
William on the side quickly said, "Xiao, there's no need to jump to conclusions. You haven't even looked at the solution yet! It contains a relatively gentle solution to this problem. Take a look at it!"
Xiao Peng thought for a moment, opened the folder, took out the document inside, looked at it, and handed it to Fabian: "You and Pascal have a look!"
After reading it, the two shook their heads and said, "Alright, after reading the first condition, I know this thing has no chance of success."
The first point in this solution is: Xiao Peng's ocean exploration company must be listed to allow foreign investment, and prevent direct withdrawal from one country to another.
For countless businessmen, the word "listing" is undoubtedly the most attractive thing. It means that there will be a lot of capital injection. Whether it is to expand the scale for further development or to cash out and make money to thicken their pockets, as long as they are listed, there will be countless choices.
But most of the time, going public is just a way to raise money. And if you actually go public, you're likely to face another situation: your say won't count! A bunch of so-called "boards of directors" will be there to dictate your decisions!
Why did they let Xiao Peng go public? To "kill" Xiao Peng and control him.
Why has Irish whiskey been slow to develop? It's because Scottish distilleries bought up a large number of Irish whiskey brands and then shelved them. This is a common practice in China.
Let me give you the simplest example: Nanfu Battery, the national pride that once defeated Duracell Battery, was listed under the Nanping Municipal Government's policy of introducing foreign investment. Morgan Stanley and others directly acquired 69% of Nanfu's shares and then sold them to their defeated rival Gillette. From then on, Nanfu withdrew from the international market, and Gillette gained most of the domestic market in one fell swoop!
There are many other domestic brands that have experienced the same thing as him: "Little Nurse", "Dabao", "Ting Jiayi", "Vitality 28", "Robao", "Beibingyang Soda", "Tianfu Cola" and so on. They invested in and acquired shares not for development but for "shelving".
What if Xiao Peng went public? With his current influence in the industry, he's confident his net worth would skyrocket tenfold! But then he'd have a 'collar' around his neck, and be led around by someone else!
Xiao Peng isn't trying to make money, and he's not used to being a dog! This agreement can't be signed!
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