How A Ride-Hailing Driver Comes To Dominate The World? [EN]: Chapter 305

305. I Will Definitely Guarantee the Interests of the Country

Early in the morning, Yang Chen went out for a morning run.

Coincidentally, Xue Yinong was also running, so the two ran and chatted together.

After a while, Ram called Yang Chen.

Ram: “Good morning, Mr. Yang. Where do you live? I’d like to visit you.”

Yang Chen: “Villa No. 1, Binjiang Villa. Is there anything you need, Mr. Ram? I’m leaving to attend the symposium later; we can talk when we meet.”

Ram: “I have something I want to say to Mr. Yang. I’ll come over to see you right away.”

Yang Chen: “Okay! I’ll wait for you at the gate.”

Hanging up the phone, Yang Chen invited Xue Yinong to sit down and chat.

“Longchen Group is going bankrupt and reorganizing; are you interested?” Yang Chen asked.

“Longchen Group? The Longchen Group with Longchen BMW?” Xue Yinong asked.

Yang Chen nodded and said, “Yes! Longchen Group was driven to bankruptcy and reorganization by Li Xin. I acquired 21% of BMW’s shares. The president of BMW, Ram, will come to me later, and we will go to the symposium together. If you are interested, I will mention you when we talk about this matter later.”

Xue Yinong nodded happily and said, “Amazing, you acquired 21% of BMW Group’s shares again! I really didn’t misjudge you. I thought you were amazing the first time I saw you. Ah Chen, thank you for thinking of me in everything. I don’t know how to repay you. How about coming to my house for dinner tonight?”

Yang Chen: “It depends. I’ll go if I have time. Let’s go, let’s go to the gate to meet Ram together.”

Xue Yinong nodded and ran to the gate with Yang Chen.

Ram lived in the Bulgari Hotel, which was not far from here.

Savoff had already driven the cars to the Bulgari Hotel parking lot in advance and came with Ram this time.

At this time, a row of twelve BMWs drove over mightily.

Among them, 7 were gifts prepared by Savoff for Yang Chen, and the remaining 5 were for Ram’s team to ride in.

Such a mighty BMW fleet was the focus wherever it went, and all cars took the initiative to give way.

No one wanted an accident with cars worth two million each.

“Damn, who is this, buying so many BMWs at once? Damn, they are all 8 series; that’s something.”

“It seems that there are foreigners in the car; are they going to give it to someone?”

“To have so many foreigners personally deliver the car to the door, the other party should not be a simple person.”

……

Soon, the BMW fleet arrived at the gate of Binjiang Villa.

The gatekeepers and security guards ran out quickly when they saw this.

Whose family is getting married with such a big fanfare?

But no owner said they were getting married.

Yang Chen and Xue Yinong also happened to walk to the gate. Seeing so many cars lined up, Yang Chen said with a smile, “What are these foreigners doing? Are they driving one each to attend the symposium?”

Ram got out of the car quickly, smiled, and opened his arms to Yang Chen.

“Mr. Yang, my friend, your place is so beautiful, with singing birds and fragrant flowers, and beautiful mountains and rivers,” Ram said with a smile.

Yang Chen stepped forward and hugged Ram, and said, “Too poor, I can only live in a crowded place. You foreigners know how to enjoy it. Buying a mountain villa is much more comfortable than mine.”

Ram: “Haha… Mr. Yang is joking.”

Savoff came up, smiled and bowed to Yang Chen, and said, “Mr. Yang, I’m really sorry; I sincerely express my apology for my previous recklessness. To show my sincerity, I personally funded the purchase of these 7 cars to give to Mr. Yang. You can drive a different one every day, and you don’t have to repeat it for a week.”

The security guards at the side, as well as passers-by, were dumbfounded.

These cars were all given to Yang Chen.

I have always heard that the owner of Villa No. 1 is very mysterious, driving a JAC [a Chinese automobile brand] car around every day. I didn’t expect his true identity to be so powerful that someone would give him 7 cars worth two million each at once.

At this time, an owner recognized Savoff.

“That’s Savoff, the president of BMW China! I’ve seen him and attended a forum summit with him.”

“Really? Are you sure you didn’t see it wrong? Why would the president of BMW China give so many cars to the owner of Villa No. 1? And they are all cars worth two million each; this is a big deal.”

“The owner of Villa No. 1 has always been very mysterious. Now it can be seen that his identity is not simple. Savoff, as the president of BMW China, even the mayor has to be polite to him. He actually gave so many cars to the owner of Villa No. 1 so humbly; it’s really unbelievable.”

……

Savoff would never give cars for no reason; Yang Chen instantly thought of his intention.

Yang Chen said with a smile: “Mr. Savoff, what do you mean? Do you want to use Li Xin’s method to deal with me?”

Savoff: “No, no, no, Mr. Yang, don’t misunderstand. I don’t mean to bribe you; I’m just expressing my apology to you. After all, adults have to bear the consequences for doing wrong things, and I’m no exception. I also have to bear the consequences for doing wrong things. I recklessly bumped into Mr. Yang; it’s all my fault; I’m apologizing to you, not bribing you.”

Yang Chen smiled and said nothing.

Ram quickly whispered: “Mr. Yang, Savoff is my good brother; we have been brothers for decades, and I know his abilities very well. He may have some of the problems that people in high positions have, but his personal ability is absolutely unquestionable. I hope Mr. Yang will give him another chance for my sake. If it’s convenient, let’s go to Mr. Yang’s house and talk about it.”

Yang Chen nodded with a smile, without speaking.

Ram nodded happily to Savoff and then followed Yang Chen into the villa area.

Savoff breathed a sigh of relief and quickly told the driver to drive and follow them.

Yang Chen: “Mr. Ram, let me introduce you. This is my friend Xue Yinong. Miss Xue, this is Mr. Ram, the president of BMW Group.”

Xue Yinong and Ram nodded with a smile and greeted each other.

The three walked onto the bridge.

Ram: “Wow, is Mr. Yang’s home this villa? Surrounded by stars, it’s really cool. This is what you Chinese people often call Feng Shui [a traditional Chinese practice that seeks to harmonize individuals with their environment].”

Yang Chen: “Haha… Mr. Ram knows more than I do! I didn’t even consider Feng Shui, but you actually understand this.”

Yang Chen took Ram to the villa, and Savoff directed the driver to drive the seven luxury cars to the lake island and arrange them in order.

Yang Chen invited Ram to sit down, and Yu Shishi made coffee and sent it over.

Ram’s purpose this time was twofold.

The first was to intercede with Yang Chen for Savoff.

Now it seems that this goal has been achieved.

The second purpose was to communicate with Yang Chen in advance about the decisions made by BMW Group regarding the issues to be discussed at this symposium.

To put it bluntly, Ram hoped that Yang Chen could consider the issue from BMW’s perspective rather than from the perspective of the Chinese people.

Yang Chen certainly couldn’t agree to that. Not to mention that Yang Chen is already very rich, even if he didn’t have money, he would never betray the interests of the country.

Therefore, Yang Chen very clearly stated: “As long as it is a preferential policy within the scope permitted by policies and laws, I will definitely help to fight for it. But if it really harms the core interests of China, then I would rather turn against the Covante family than betray the interests of my motherland. In addition, I also know that the group has two plans: one is to increase investment and expand the production line in the United States, and the other is to build a new production line in China. You should know the answer without asking me this question. I will definitely choose to build a new production line in China. In exchange, I can help the group get interest-free loans. It is equivalent to the group building the production line just by using a BMW brand. You will definitely not get such a favorable policy in the United States.”

Ramton was overjoyed and said, “Is Mr. Yang sure that he can get an interest-free loan for the group?”

Yang Chen: “If you insist on me guaranteeing it, then I can say yes!”

When the Haicheng City Government introduced brands such as Tesla, it gave many years of interest-free loans, free land, and a series of other preferential policies.

At first glance, it seems like a loss, but the factory can increase a lot of employment and contribute taxes to the Haicheng City Government. These are long-term and continuous benefits, which are much better than the bank’s interest.

The bank’s interest can only enrich the bank, but building the factory will drive the economic development of the entire Haicheng.

Therefore, Yang Chen is confident that he can help BMW get an interest-free loan.

Ram: “Haha… Okay! If Mr. Yang can be sure to get an interest-free loan, we will build a new production line in China. Then, what are Mr. Yang’s thoughts on the joint venture between the group and Longchen Group?”

Yang Chen: “Li Xin has limited ability and should not continue to be the chairman of Longchen Group. I hope Mr. Ram can maintain the same position as me and ask Longchen Group to replace the chairman. In addition, the joint venture between BMW and Longchen must be restructured. BMW Group’s shareholding ratio will increase from 50% to 60%, my friend Miss Xue will inject capital and hold 10%, and the remaining 30% will be left to Longchen Group. Miss Xue is my friend, and her voting rights will be consistent with mine. In this way, on the surface, BMW does not have absolute control over the joint venture, which is easy to pass the review, but in reality, BMW still has absolute control. What does Mr. Ram think?”

Ram: “Haha… I think it’s very good. Mr. Yang is indeed considering the issue from BMW’s perspective.”

If it really succeeds, Xue Yinong’s 10% equity will be very important.

According to the company law, some major decisions require a two-thirds vote of the company’s shareholders to pass. Xue Yinong’s 10% equity can help Longchen Group disrupt the decisions of the major shareholder BMW Group at critical moments.

Yang Chen has considered all the issues clearly, and it is impossible to really let BMW be completely in charge.

Yang Chen: “Does Mr. Ram have any other questions to ask?”

Ram: “Haha… Yes! It may be a bit too much, but I still have to tell Mr. Yang. The group has decided to increase the investment in Shenyang’s super battery factory by 2 billion US dollars. I wonder if this money can also help us apply for an interest-free loan?”

Yang Chen: “Are the batteries produced by this super battery factory all used in BMW’s electric vehicles?”

Ram: “Yes! After the increase in investment and expansion of production, the batteries needed for electric vehicles in Asia and some parts of Europe will be supplied from this factory.”

This is a good thing; it can increase employment and drive the regional economic development of Shenyang.

Yang Chen: “Okay! I can promise you this now.”

Ram: “Ah? Is Mr. Yang too hasty? Don’t you need to discuss it with the relevant department leaders?”

Yang Chen: “No need. I am a major shareholder of Haicheng Bank. If the relevant leaders don’t agree, I can give BMW a loan through Haicheng Bank. However, BMW needs to ensure that all future financial transactions will go through Haicheng Bank. This shouldn’t be difficult, right?”

Ram: “Haha… It’s not difficult, not difficult at all! Mr. Yang is much more powerful than I imagined. He is actually a major shareholder of Haicheng Bank. If I had known that Mr. Yang had such an identity, we wouldn’t have had to hold meetings overnight to study it. Then let’s go, let’s go to the symposium site now and follow the decisions I just discussed with Mr. Yang.”

Yang Chen nodded and said, “I’ll go upstairs to change my clothes. You guys go out and wait for me for a while.”

Ram nodded and quickly got up and took his subordinates out.

Xue Yinong also hurried home to change clothes.

Afterwards, Yang Chen drove a JAC car with a row of BMWs to the city government.

At this time, the relevant personnel responsible for this negotiation were waiting at the door.

As soon as the car arrived, they quickly stepped forward to greet Ram.

But Ram just smiled at them and quickly went to invite Yang Chen to get out of the car.

Yang Chen said with a smile: “Mr. Ram doesn’t need to be so polite; I’ll park the car first.”

Ram: “Okay, okay.”

Yang Chen parked the car and walked over with Xue Yinong.

Ram led the relevant personnel of the city government to greet them.

“Hello, President Yang, sorry, I didn’t recognize you just now.”

“I saw a JAC car, and I thought it was a guide.”

“President Yang, you are too low-key, right? With your wealth, shouldn’t you also get a BMW 8 series to drive?”

……

Yang Chen said with a smile: “Don’t talk nonsense, leaders, I’m just a Didi [ride-hailing service] driver; what kind of 8 series should I drive? Yo, Chairman Li, you don’t look very good.”

Li Xin, who was behind the crowd, looked embarrassed and even a little scared.

“Hehe… Hello, President Yang,” Li Xin said weakly.

Yang Chen smiled, ignored him, and invited Ram and others in.

Xue Yinong has nothing to do with BMW now, so naturally she can’t directly participate in the meeting.

She waited in the lounge first and came back when it was time to discuss the reform of the joint venture between BMW and Longchen Group.

The person in charge of hosting this meeting was Director Li of the Investment Promotion Bureau.

After some greetings, the negotiation entered the topic.

Director Li: “Mr. Ram, President Yang, let’s talk about BMW Group’s plan to invest in a new factory in China.”

Yang Chen: “No need to talk about it; I have talked with Mr. Ram, and the new factory will be located in Haicheng.”

Ram laughed and said, “That’s right, that’s right, I have talked with Mr. Yang. We will not expand production in the United States. We plan to invest 5 billion US dollars in China, right here, in Haicheng, to build a new factory. In the future, this will be the main production base for BMW Group’s electric vehicle series.”

Director Li and others were very excited. They had already prepared to talk to the BMW team for half a day on this issue, but they didn’t expect it to end at the beginning.

Director Li: “Haha… Thank you, President Yang.”

“Haha…” The big shots laughed together; only Li Xin remained silent.

“It’s really convenient to have one of our own!”

“That’s right; I was prepared to discuss this issue for half a day. As a result, President Yang has already solved it.”

“Haha…”

Yang Chen smiled and motioned everyone to be quiet, and said: “Don’t be happy so early, leaders; there must be conditions for agreeing so readily. The Haicheng City Government needs to provide relatively cheap land and a 5-year interest-free loan, just like it did for Tesla.”

For such an important business negotiation, the relevant departments of the Haicheng City Government must have held meetings in advance to study it, and they all have a bottom line for negotiation in their hearts.

According to the bottom line set by the relevant leaders, the Haicheng City Government can provide free land for 20 years, and BMW can choose to purchase or lease the land later, and the price will definitely be cheaper than the market price.

At the same time, the Haicheng City Government is also willing to provide BMW with an interest-free loan for up to ten years.

Now that Yang Chen has negotiated all the conditions, cheap land and a five-year interest-free loan, these two conditions are within the acceptable range of the Haicheng City Government.

Therefore, when Director Li and others heard Yang Chen say these two conditions, they smiled happily again.

Director Li: “No problem, President Yang and Mr. Ram are so straightforward, so we will be straightforward too!”

Ram nodded with a smile and said, “Okay, then we will consider this issue as preliminarily settled, and we will discuss the details later. The second issue is that our super battery factory in Shenyang needs to be expanded to cooperate with the new factory in Haicheng to create a global supply base for BMW’s electric vehicle series. We expect to increase the investment by 2 billion US dollars. For this investment, we hope that the Haicheng City Government can also help us communicate with Shenyang and provide us with a 5-year interest-free loan.”

Director Li: “We can be responsible for communicating this matter, and I don’t think there will be any major problems.”

Ram: “No, no, no, Director Li needs to give me a definite answer and guarantee that it can be done before we can continue.”

Director Li: “Is that so? Then Mr. Ram and President Yang, please wait a moment; I’ll go out and make a call.”

Cross-provincial business is not something that anyone can decide casually. This requires coordination from higher-level leaders.

Yang Chen smiled and said to Li Xin: “Chairman Li, why are you so quiet? You belong to both BMW and the Haicheng City Government; your identity is so special; why don’t you say anything?”

Li Xin swallowed, opened his mouth, but didn’t make a sound, then he swallowed a few more times, and said: “President Yang, why do you have to laugh at me like this? I know that I will definitely not have a good ending today, and I’m already lying down and waiting. You are also a character, so you shouldn’t do things like kicking someone when they’re down, right?”

Yang Chen: “That depends on who it is. If it’s an ordinary citizen, I’m really not interested in kicking them when they’re down. But for a big shot like Chairman Li, I’m especially interested in kicking them when they’re down.”

Li Xin looked helpless, turned his head away angrily, and stopped talking.

Others didn’t know what was going on, why Yang Chen had an unpleasant relationship with Li Xin.

Deputy Director Chen asked: “Is there anything unpleasant between President Yang and Chairman Li? Everyone is one of us; if there are any misunderstandings, you can talk about them, and it will be fine.”

Others also chimed in, hoping that Yang Chen could have a good chat with Li Xin.

Yang Chen smiled and replied: “The things between me and Chairman Li can be written into a novel and made into a commercial war drama. I don’t think we will ever be able to talk it out. Chairman Li, what do you say?”

Li Xin: “President Yang, why do you have to be so aggressive? It doesn’t mean that you will definitely be able to do anything to me.”

Yang Chen: “If I don’t kick you out today, I will have come here for nothing. Everyone, sorry, I’m going to the bathroom. If you want to know anything, let Chairman Li tell you.”

Afterwards, Yang Chen got up and left.

The representatives of the Haicheng City Government quickly asked Li Xin what he had done to Yang Chen.

Li Xin was unwilling to say these things at all and kept his head down without speaking.

Savoff on the side opened his mouth and carefully explained the whole story to everyone.

Everyone shook their heads helplessly. It seemed that Li Xin could not be saved. This was beyond their expectations. When they discussed the reorganization of Longchen Group and the reform of the joint venture between Longchen and BMW, no one thought of replacing Li Xin as the chairman.

Deputy Director Chen thought for a while, then quickly made an excuse to go out and discuss with Director Li.

After about half an hour, all the participants returned.

Director Li said with a smile: “Mr. Ram, President Yang, everyone, sorry, I have delayed everyone’s time. I have reported to the leader, and the leader has also discussed it urgently and confirmed that they can meet BMW Group’s interest-free loan requirements for the Shenyang Super Battery Factory. 2 billion US dollars, 5 years, guaranteed no problem.”

Originally, Yang Chen wanted to use Haicheng Bank as a backstop, but now that the leader has agreed, he doesn’t have to worry about it.

Ram: “Haha… Good. Then let’s discuss the third issue, which is the reform of Longchen BMW Group. However, before discussing this issue, we need to discuss another matter first. We at BMW believe that Mr. Li Xin’s personal ability is limited, and he cannot continue to serve as the chairman of Longchen Group. We need to replace him with someone with ability to serve in this position. Under the management of Mr. Li Xin, Longchen Group has been getting worse year by year, and now it is going bankrupt and reorganizing. If it were not for the Longchen BMW brand providing stable profits for Longchen Group, I think Longchen Group should have gone bankrupt and reorganized five years ago. We BMW are also a big international brand, and we cannot allow the situation of partners going bankrupt and reorganizing to happen again. We need someone with ability to serve as the chairman of Longchen Group. If this requirement cannot be met, then we don’t need to discuss the reform of Longchen BMW; we will directly withdraw the authorization, and Longchen BMW will become history from now on.”

After Ram finished speaking, he smiled and looked at Yang Chen.

Yang Chen also smiled at him in response.

Deputy Director Chen had already reported to Director Li, and Director Li had also discussed with the leaders of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission. The leader’s opinion was that they could agree to replace the chairman.

Therefore, when Ram proposed to replace Li Xin, Director Li agreed without hesitation.

“No problem. Chairman Li, you know the situation yourself, so I won’t explain it. You can leave now and wait for the notice from the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission,” Director Li said.

Li Xin argued: “This is not an unforgivable mistake, so you really won’t give me any chance? I have managed Longchen Group for so many years; I have worked hard even if I have not made any contributions. Is it necessary to do things so absolutely?”

Yang Chen immediately said: “You still have the nerve to say that. How famous were the Jinbei and other brands under Longchen Group back then? Look at what you have turned them into. People on the Internet discuss Wuling [Chinese automobile manufacturer] more; does anyone discuss Jinbei? The other two car brands have even disappeared directly. At least ten years ago, when it came to domestic cars, some people still bought Longhua and other brands. Who can still remember Longhua cars now? You have ruined such a good brand name, and you still say that you have worked hard even if you have not made any contributions. You have turned a good hand into this; how can you have the nerve to say such things?”

Li Xin lowered his head and was embarrassed to speak.

Director Li: “President Yang is right; the country gave you a good hand, but you have turned it into a spring, which is really unacceptable. Mr. Li, please leave first; we still have more important things to discuss; irrelevant people should avoid it.”

Li Xin smiled bitterly and said: “One second I was still the chairman of Longchen Group, and the next second I am an irrelevant person. Even if you want to take me down, it has to be decided by the board of directors, right? At least I am still the chairman of Longchen Group now.”

Director Li: “Do you want to cause trouble for yourself?”

Li Xin was stunned for a moment, then took a light breath and got up to leave.

If it were a company of other nature, Li Xin could indeed argue that as long as the board of directors had not issued a notice, he would still be the chairman.

But for state-owned enterprises, whether he is the chairman or not is just a matter of words. If he really wants to argue and wait for the board of directors to vote, then he is just making trouble for himself.

After all, the president of BMW cannot wait for Longchen Group to hold a board meeting before coming to discuss the affairs of Longchen BMW.

Director Li said with a smile: “Mr. Ram, President Yang, we can now discuss the reorganization of Longchen BMW Company, right?”

Ram: “Yes. I have discussed with President Yang. In order to ensure the stability and sustainability of Longchen BMW, after the reorganization, BMW will hold 60% of the shares, Longchen Group will hold 30% of the shares, and President Yang’s friend Miss Xue will hold 10% of the shares.”

Director Li: “President Yang, this equity division is a bit inappropriate, right? Originally, BMW and Longchen Group each held 50%, but now it has become BMW 60%, Longchen Group only has 30%, and your friend Miss Xue has to be added 10%; this is too unreasonable.”

Yang Chen: “Director Li needs to understand a truth: BMW can withdraw the authorization and choose other companies to form a joint venture; it is not necessary to form a joint venture with Longchen Group. Longchen Group is going bankrupt and reorganizing; what qualifications do they have to negotiate? It is already good to retain 30% of the shares for Longchen Group. This is the decision; if Director Li cannot make the decision, you can call and ask for instructions.”

Director Li really didn’t dare to make the decision, so he had to go out and call the leader for instructions.

Another half an hour passed before Director Li came back and nodded to accept this equity allocation.

Yang Chen called Xue Yinong in, and the three parties explained the equity allocation decision in person.

At this point, this symposium, which was originally planned to last all day, ended in less than two hours.

Director Li specially invited Yang Chen to chat alone.

Director Li: “President Yang, you have become the second largest shareholder of BMW, and you should strive for more benefits for the Chinese side.”

Yang Chen: “Am I not striving for enough benefits for China? Don’t look at each thing separately; look at them together. Do you think that if you let you talk to Ram, how much would China have to pay to persuade BMW to build a new factory in China instead of increasing investment and expanding production in the United States? When the Haicheng factory is put into production, together with the Shenyang Super Battery Factory, BMW’s main production base for electric vehicles in the future will definitely be located here. Have you thought about how much employment it can drive and how much tax revenue it can increase? Longchen BMW only has tens of billions of profits a year, so what if all of it is given to Longchen Group? Moreover, I specially introduced my friend Xue Yinong to hold 10% of the shares. Cooperating with Longchen Group’s 30% equity, they can jointly veto BMW’s proposal at critical moments. Plus the 21% equity of BMW Group that I hold, we can definitely guarantee that BMW will not do anything that harms China’s interests. Moreover, BMW wants to build a new factory in China instead of increasing investment in the US factory. The US will definitely put pressure on them. Don’t they have to rely on my 21% equity to ensure the smooth progress of BMW’s investment plan in China?”

Director Li was speechless. Obviously, he was being petty and completely misunderstood Yang Chen’s position and ideological awareness.

Afterwards, Yang Chen said again: “You tell the leader that my ideological awareness is absolutely correct, and I know which country I am from. In the future, when you encounter such things, you just need to be consistent with me, and I will definitely not harm the interests of the country. I have arranged lunch at Tang Pavilion; you go and have dinner with Ram.”

Director Li: “Understood; I was narrow-minded; sorry. Then President Yang, are you not going?”

Yang Chen: “I’m not going; it’s almost time for dinner, and I have to deliver food.”

After speaking, Yang Chen turned around and left.

Director Li looked at Yang Chen speechlessly, standing there in a mess in the wind……