How A Ride-Hailing Driver Comes To Dominate The World? [EN]: Chapter 162

Generally speaking, a major shareholder is definitely more powerful than a minor shareholder.

However, nothing is absolute, and specific situations must be treated specifically.

The equity structure of the Jinhai Club is as follows: Chen Jinhai holds 45%, Yang Chen holds 30%, Zhao Chenglong holds 10%, Chen Wangyuan holds 6%, Li Zhengfu holds 5%, and Wu Han holds 4%.

The equity structure of the Jinying Club is as follows: Chen Jinying holds 45%, Yang Chen holds 30%, and the remaining 25% is equally divided among Ge Chuntian, Wang Xiahua, Zhang Qiushi, Tong Lina, and Wu Siji.

From the perspective of equity structure, Chen Jinhai and Chen Jinying undoubtedly have the most influence.

However, if Yang Chen can join forces with other shareholders to oppose them, they will lose their decision-making power.

Because according to company law, more than two-thirds of the shareholders (by equity) must agree to pass the company’s decisions.

As long as Yang Chen and other shareholders join forces, Chen Jinhai and Chen Jinying will have to concede.

In some overbearing CEO dramas, the protagonist is obviously a major shareholder or founder but is forced out by other shareholders joining forces. The situation is similar to this.

Major shareholders do not have absolute control and can easily be controlled by other shareholders.

Therefore, when many people sell equity for financing, they will often include an agreement creating different rights for the same share. The equity held by the other party only has the right to dividends but no voting rights, so as to ensure that the major shareholder or founder has absolute control over the company.

However, Chen Jinying and Chen Jinhai lacked this foresight. When they competed, they blindly expanded and upgraded. In order to finance their ventures, they sold as much as 55% of the equity to other shareholders and did not stipulate different rights for the same share, which left hidden dangers for their future.

Judging from the attitude of customers and employees, everyone hopes that Jinhai and Jinying can merge into the largest golf club in Longguo [China].

Other shareholders will definitely have such ideas, so Yang Chen dared to publicly challenge Chen Jinhai and Chen Jinying simultaneously.

If other shareholders side with Yang Chen, the merger will definitely not be difficult.

If other shareholders do not side with Yang Chen, then as a second-largest shareholder, it is his legal right to demand that the major shareholders operate the company responsibly and not cause losses to the shareholders.

Therefore, Yang Chen’s move was not wrong, but it was somewhat unexpected to everyone.

Chen Jinhai said with a forced smile: “Mr. Yang doesn’t know much about the competition between us, so please don’t get involved.”

Before Yang Chen could speak, the customers of Jinying Club arrived in a large group from not far away.

The customers of Jinhai Club also quickly gathered in their original place, and then they all came over.

Yang Chen smiled and replied: “I’ve spent so much money to acquire equity, how could I not understand what’s going on? It’s not that I want to get involved, but the customers can’t stand it anymore. Look, they’re all here. Let me be clear: if I lose money because of you two, I will definitely hold you accountable. Deliberately harming the interests of shareholders is illegal, and I have the right to sue.”

Now is the time to put Chen Jinhai and Chen Jinying on the hot seat. Only when they feel the pressure will there be hope for a merger.

Chen Jinhai and Chen Jinying panicked and hurried to greet their respective customer groups.

No matter what they think, they can’t let their customers witness a bloody conflict.

However, the customers had already discussed using this conflict as a catalyst and cooperating with Yang Chen to coordinate the merger of the two companies.

Therefore, they ignored what Chen Jinhai and Chen Jinying said and stubbornly approached the scene of the conflict.

Seeing that the grass was stained red with blood in several places, the customers began to complain loudly.

“Are you two ever going to stop? Is it fun to fight every day? This is golf, not rugby. We’re here to enjoy an elegant sport, not to watch brawls. Do you think this is appropriate?”

“Damn it, I’m losing interest. This is the first time I’ve felt that golf is so low-class. You’re making me lose interest in golf, you know?”

“I don’t want to play anymore either. Small clubs are boring, and big clubs are full of fights and arguments. What’s the point? Let’s get a refund and go to Beijing Pine Valley Golf Club together in the future.”

“I think that’s a great idea. Let’s all get refunds together.”

“I’m getting a refund too! People will think that golf is a low-level sport, like street gangs fighting. I can’t afford to lose face like this. Refund!”

“Refund! Refund! Refund…”

…

These customers’ acting skills were surprisingly good; it was impossible to tell they were pretending.

Perhaps they had genuinely suffered from the consequences of the two companies’ competition and had long been dissatisfied. Now, they were simply expressing their true feelings.

Chen Jinhai and Chen Jinying panicked. There are indeed many wealthy people in Haicheng, but there are only so many who play golf.

If the customers actually cancel their memberships and blacklist Jinhai and Jinying, these two clubs might have to close.

The two companies have invested tens of billions of funds to expand and upgrade. They have only started to make profits and recover their costs in recent years. It would be devastating to go bankrupt now. Not to mention that the money invested before would be wasted, the shareholders would definitely not let it go.

Chen Jinhai and Chen Jinying quickly apologized to the customers and promised that such things would not happen again in the future.

However, the customers didn’t care what they said and insisted on getting a refund.

A refund was definitely out of the question. How could they return money they had already spent?

Moreover, the two clubs didn’t have enough money to refund everyone at the same time.

However, customers have the right to request a refund; it’s a clause written in the agreement, and the club cannot refuse.

Therefore, Chen Jinhai and Chen Jinying wanted to delay and deal with it passively, using the excuse that they needed to hold a meeting to discuss it before giving everyone a reply.

However, the customers did not agree. They demanded that the club refund the money immediately, or they would call the police.

Chen Jinhai and Chen Jinying were going crazy, but these were all rich people, and they didn’t dare to do anything to them.

If they offended so many wealthy people at once, their days in Haicheng would be over.

Yang Chen said sternly: “Mr. Chen, as a shareholder, I request that you convene a shareholders’ meeting, and a joint meeting of the shareholders of both companies! The two companies are facing common problems, and I hope the shareholders can sit down and discuss how to solve them.”

The customers seized the opportunity to voice their demands.

“What does this shareholder mean? Is he going to merge the two companies?”

“If the two companies really merge, we will…

…not get a refund! After all, who wouldn’t want to be a member of the largest golf club in Longguo?”

“Yes! Are you two merging? As long as you merge, we won’t get a refund! If you don’t merge, we want our money back. I really can’t stand you two making such a fuss.”

…

Chen Jinhai: “That’s definitely not possible. How can we merge?”

Chen Jinying: “Yes! I won’t agree to merge either!”

“Okay! Give me a refund immediately! Otherwise, I’ll call the police!”

“Yes! You must give me a refund immediately. This is my right!”

“Apart from merging, there is no other solution that can reassure me. Your verbal promises are useless. We don’t believe you anymore.”

…

The customers pressed on relentlessly, and Chen Jinhai and Chen Jinying had no choice but to agree to convene the shareholders of both companies to sit down and discuss the matter before making a decision.

They would pretend to appease the customers for the time being, and the specific solution would depend on the results of the subsequent discussions.

…

At 12 noon, Peninsula Hotel, large private room.

Yang Chen hosted a banquet to entertain all the shareholders of Jinhai and Jinying clubs.

Except for Chen Jinhai and Chen Jinying, everyone else got along very well.

After all, everyone’s purpose in investing is to make money. Who cares about their sibling rivalry?

After three rounds of wine and five courses of food,

Yang Chen put down his cutlery, wiped his mouth, and said loudly: “The reason I called everyone together today is for one thing: to discuss the merger of Jinhai and Jinying, to restore the glory of the former Haishang Elite Club, and to build it into the most powerful golf club in Longguo. Now the customers of both companies are threatening to get a refund. Only a merger can change their minds. I spent so much money to acquire the equity of both companies, but not to preside over the closure of the two clubs. I want to make money!”

Chen Jinhai: “I definitely disagree! Only one of us can survive; there is no possibility of merging and coexisting!”

Chen Jinying: “It’s not as if I’m willing to coexist with you. I can’t wait for you to die so you can go apologize to our parents.”

Chen Jinhai: “What crime have I committed? If anyone needs to apologize, it’s you! Look around the world, how many daughters come back to their parents’ home to compete with their brothers for inheritance? You’re so shameless!”

Chen Jinying: “I am also my parents’ child. When they were sick, I spent a lot of money and effort. They didn’t say to give all the inheritance to you when they passed. Whether from a legal or moral point of view, I have the right to divide it in half. Shareholders, please judge, am I right?”

The shareholders of Jinying Club nodded in agreement. Although the shareholders of Jinhai did not directly express their agreement, their eyes flickered, obviously supporting Chen Jinying.

People’s thinking is gradually becoming more progressive now, and there’s no longer a widespread belief that daughters shouldn’t inherit anything. They have to be given something.

If Chen Jinhai hadn’t been so greedy and wanted to keep all the family property for himself, Chen Jinying wouldn’t have gone to court to demand an equal share.

So, in the final analysis, it was Chen Jinhai’s own actions that led to the subsequent conflict.

Chen Jinhai: “Then you can divide a little bit; why did you ask the court to divide it equally?”

Chen Jinying: “I originally only wanted 5 houses and 10 million in cash, but you refused to give it to me. Since I’ve already torn my face and gone to court, why should I spare you any face? Of course, the court should divide it equally according to the law.”

…

The siblings confronted each other fiercely, and neither would give in.

But from an outsider’s point of view, Chen Jinying wasn’t wrong; Chen Jinhai was simply too greedy.

For the first time in over a decade, the two of them sat down and vented their grievances to each other.

Unconsciously, an hour passed, and the two of them were parched. Some issues had been repeated several times, and they really had nothing left to say, so they stopped.

Yang Chen stretched and said with a smile: “Finally finished arguing; we were all getting tired of watching.”

“Haha…” The shareholders on both sides laughed.

Then Yang Chen continued: “Speaking of which, it’s just a conflict caused by dividing the inheritance; it’s not a deep-seated hatred. Not just you rich people, even poor people will have disputes when dividing family property. But disputes are disputes; your parents are gone, and you are the closest people to each other. You will definitely reconcile eventually. You’ve been complaining about each other for more than ten years; that’s enough. It’s time to join hands to let Haishang Elite Club reappear.”

Chen Jinhai and Chen Jinying both shook their heads and refused, insisting that their grievances could not be resolved.

Yang Chen put away his smile and said: “It seems that you two are very selfish people. You only care about your own grievances and completely ignore the interests of us shareholders. The customers have clearly stated that unless the two companies merge, they will all get a refund. Once customers get a refund on a large scale, the reputation of Jinhai and Jinying will be ruined. What about the money invested by us shareholders? Will you two compensate us?”

Involving their own interests, the shareholders became active.

“Yes! We’ve invested so much money, and now there are signs of recovery; we can’t let it be ruined by your squabbles.”

“We don’t care how you two used to fight. But it’s different now. The customers have clearly stated that only a merger can keep them. We can’t sit idly by and let you mess things up.”

“That’s enough. You’ve been fighting for more than ten years, and you’re both middle-aged. What can’t you figure out? Now a merger is necessary for both companies. If you separate, you will die, and if you merge, you will live. Can’t you understand?”

“We all agree with what Mr. Yang said about merging the two companies into the largest golf club in Longguo, so that we can earn more and recover our investment as soon as possible.”

…

Chen Jinhai: “I don’t agree to merge. I’m the major shareholder, and I have the final say.”

Chen Jinying: “I don’t agree to merge either!”

Yang Chen: “If you two insist on that, then you are disregarding the interests of so many of us shareholders. Since you two don’t care about morality, then we have no choice but to handle things according to the rules. Everyone, if the two Mr. Chens don’t agree, I hope others will join forces. In the future, we will jointly vote against anything they propose. Since they don’t want to cooperate, we don’t need to be polite. When the two companies go bankrupt, we will join forces to take over the venue and open a new club. We are doing what the customers want, so we don’t have to worry about not having customers then.”

The shareholders’ eyes lit up, and they nodded in agreement with this plan.

“Hehe… Mr. Yang spent so much money to invest in both clubs at the same time, so he had this in mind.”

“I think young people should have ambition; otherwise, what’s the difference between them and us old guys?”

“I agree with Mr. Yang’s plan. My investment of 100 million can’t be wasted. It doesn’t matter to me who is in charge, but I must make money.”

“That’s right, that’s what I mean too. It doesn’t matter who is the major shareholder; the important thing is that we can make money, and we will support it. The two Mr. Chens, don’t be angry. If you invested real money and got into this situation, you would definitely feel the same way, right?”

…

Li Jinhai and Li Jinying were speechless.

They didn’t want to merge, but they also felt that what the shareholders said made sense, and they were irrefutable.

At this time, Li Jinhai and Li Jinying both received reports from their secretaries that the customers were causing trouble again and demanding refunds. Now the situation was out of control, and they had to go back and take a look.

The two of them had no choice but to go back and see what was happening.

Someone had spread the rumor in the membership group that Jinhai and Jinying were going bankrupt, which caused all the members to rush over to get a refund.

No matter how Li Jinhai and Li Jinying explained, it was useless. The customers just wanted their money back.

Some people even called the police, and the police were negotiating a solution.

For this kind of high-end club, the amount of money customers deposit is generally relatively large. In order to encourage them to deposit money, many clubs allow customers to get a refund.

Therefore, no matter what the reason, it is definitely not wrong for customers to request a refund. The police are now persuading the club to fulfill the agreement and quickly raise funds to process the refunds for the customers.

The problem now is that the customers are panicking, fearing that if the two clubs go bankrupt, the money they deposited will be lost.

Li Jinhai and Li Jinying’s words were no longer effective. No matter what guarantees they made, the customers would not listen and unanimously demanded a refund.

The two of them could not persuade their own customers to give up the idea of getting a refund, so they had to come out to find Yang Chen.

Li Jinhai: “If the two companies merge, how will the equity be divided?”

Li Jinying: “Anyway, I can’t have less than him.”

Yang Chen: “The two clubs will merge at equal value, and the equity of all shareholders will be halved. After the merger, the club will be renamed Haishang Elite Club.”

Li Jinhai: “Then we will each account for %, and you will still account for 30%. Then you will become the major shareholder.”

Yang Chen: “Isn’t this good? If you two let each other be the major shareholder, the other will definitely not accept it. I am the major shareholder, but I only have 30% of the equity. You can still join forces with other shareholders to check and balance me. To put it bluntly, I am just the major shareholder in name, and in reality, it is still the struggle between you two. Of course, you are siblings after all. One day, if you join forces, wouldn’t you have the final say? In the current situation, you have no way out. If the news spreads, both clubs will be finished. It’s like a bank saying it’s going to go bankrupt, and depositors will definitely rush to withdraw their money. No one can stop it.”

What Yang Chen said was not wrong at all. The crisis faced by the two clubs now is equivalent to a bank run.

Either, raise enough money to pay everyone back.

Or, give them a reason to feel secure.

The customers have clearly stated that the only thing that will reassure them is the merger of the two companies, so Li Jinhai and Li Jinying have no choice but to accept the merger.

Chen Jinhai and Chen Jinying exchanged glances for a moment.

Then Chen Jinhai said: “I am willing to merge because I don’t want my father’s hard work to be ruined in our hands. This doesn’t mean that I forgive you.”

Chen Jinying did not give in and said: “It’s not as if I can forgive you. I don’t want to have no face to see my parents in the future; otherwise, I wouldn’t merge with you.”

Yang Chen grabbed Chen Jinhai’s hand with his left hand and Chen Jinying’s hand with his right hand, put their hands together, and said with a smile: “That’s enough. You are close siblings. It’s been more than ten years; it should be over. From a legal point of view, the sister also has the right to divide the parents’ inheritance. From a traditional moral point of view, the sister should not come home to compete with her brother for the inheritance. So, neither of you is wrong. Since neither of you is wrong, why bother making everyone lose their shirts? Shake hands and make peace, and focus on how to restore the glory of Haishang Elite in the future. Okay?”

The siblings did not speak, but at this time, not speaking was equivalent to acquiescing to Yang Chen’s statement.

Yang Chen let go and said with a smile: “Okay, you go and gather the customers, and I will guarantee them as the second-largest shareholder of the two clubs, hoping to persuade them not to get a refund!”

The two nodded and hurried to call the customers of both companies over.

Yang Chen signaled everyone to be quiet and then said loudly: “Dear guests, hello everyone. My name is Yang Chen, and I have just acquired the equity of the two clubs. Now I am working to merge the two companies. After the merger, everyone can enjoy this 1,000-acre venue. At that time, we will become the largest golf club in the country, and even the world. We will definitely be able to provide you with the most high-end services and make golf worthy of its title as a noble sport. Therefore, I hope everyone can give us a chance and let us become a member of the most powerful golf club in the country, and even the world.”

The customers became excited.

“Really? Don’t lie to us! Someone said that the two clubs are going to go bankrupt, so we came to get a refund!”

“Yes! You are so young; how could you acquire the equity of the two companies?”

“What guarantee do you have?”

“Yes, what guarantee do you have?”

…

Yang Chen called all the shareholders of the two companies to stand behind him and then said loudly: “Now all the shareholders of the two clubs are here. We can sign a guarantee in front of the police officers that we will complete the merger of the two clubs as soon as possible. If we don’t do what we say, all shareholders will bear all legal responsibilities together.”

After speaking, Yang Chen looked back at everyone and asked: “Are you willing?”

The shareholders immediately shouted in unison: “Willing!”

Yang Chen nodded and said to the customers again: “Can everyone believe it now?”

The customers nodded and asked the shareholders to sign the agreement immediately.

So, in front of the police and the customers, all the shareholders of the two companies signed a guarantee that they would support the merger.

In fact, their shareholding ratio is small and does not affect the result at all.

As long as Yang Chen and the Chen siblings agree.

Seeing that the shareholders had signed the agreement, the customers happily dispersed.

A man-made crisis was resolved with the merger of the two clubs as compensation.

After the customers dispersed, the shareholders of the two companies sat together again to discuss the specific details.

Until 8 pm, all the problems were discussed, and agreements were reached.

The summary is also very simple.

After the merger, the equity of all shareholders will be halved.

Yang Chen accounts for 30%, the Chen siblings each account for %…

The two companies will be indistinguishable from each other; customers will be shared, resources will be shared, etc.

…

Yang Chen will not personally participate in the remaining matters. Yu Shishi will arrange for someone to take over the affairs here and exercise supervision and management rights on behalf of Yang Chen.

Be thrifty and don’t go back empty-handed.

Yang Chen accepted an order to the Pearl Tower.

When he picked up the customer, he found that the other party was carrying a golden retriever dog.

The passenger put the golden retriever dog on the seat as soon as she got in the car.

Yang Chen quickly said: “Miss, I’m sorry, pets are not allowed in the car.”

Passenger: “Why? My Mao Mao [pet name] is very well-behaved. Don’t worry; it won’t damage your car.”

Yang Chen: “To be honest, it’s not a big deal if it’s actually damaged. I can just get it fixed. The key is that if the dog’s hair is left behind, subsequent passengers who are allergic to pet hair will be affected. It’s okay if you bring a pet carrier, but it’s definitely not okay to put it directly on the seat.”

Passenger: “Why are you so difficult? When I take other cars, the drivers don’t have as many problems as you. Besides, why did you accept the order if you don’t allow pets?”

Yang Chen: “Didn’t you specify that you were bringing a pet dog in the remarks? Didn’t you call me to tell me? Isn’t it common sense that pets are not allowed on public transportation? The platform also reminds passengers in the order instructions not to bring pets. If you bring one, you must communicate with the driver in advance. Why didn’t you communicate with me in advance? Other drivers have to be willing in order to accept the order. It doesn’t matter to me whether I take this order or not, but I definitely can’t allow you to bring a pet dog in the car. I’m sorry; I’ll cancel the order, and you can call another one.”

Passenger: “You dare to cancel it; I’ll complain about you!”

Yang Chen: “Then you can complain; I’m really not afraid of you complaining about this order.”

After speaking, Yang Chen canceled the order.

The passenger was so angry that she got out of the car, muttering unpleasant words.

If it were a driver who depended on this for a living, he would probably take her.

But Yang Chen didn’t need to take her. If he was unlucky enough to encounter a passenger who was allergic to pet hair, then Yang Chen would definitely be in trouble.

There was no need to create a health hazard for subsequent passengers for a dispensable order.

Yang Chen drove forward for a distance and received another order near the airport.

As soon as Yang Chen saw the passenger, his eyes lit up. It was actually a flight attendant in uniform.

Not only was she beautiful, but her figure was also very attractive. She was very quiet and had a good temperament. She deserved at least 98 points.

Yang Chen: “Hello, please fasten your seat belt. We are now heading to Binjiang Apartment.”

Passenger: “Okay. Driver, I’m a little sleepy after flying back from the US. Can I lie down in your car for a while, and you can wake me up when we get there?”

Yang Chen: “Sure, no problem. You can sleep.”

The flight attendant thanked him and lay down on the back seat and fell asleep…