Chapter 581: Packaging
The man who came in was named Huang Shilin, an old classmate of Zeng Yuqun in his hometown Ningde No. 1 Middle School. When he heard that Zeng Yuqun had resigned from a state-owned enterprise in Fujian, he resolutely followed him and went south to meet Zeng Yuqun in Guancheng. Now that Zeng Yuqun has started a business, he naturally did not forget to invite this old classmate to join him.
Zeng Yuqun frowned after hearing what Huang Shilin said, "I don't have time for socializing right now. The battery inflation problem hasn't been solved yet."
Huang Shilin said: "The person who came today is different. You must meet him."
Chen Tanghua asked, "Who is it? I really have to see him."
Huang Shilin said: "Lu Yiming."
"Huh? Lu Yiming?"
"Lu Yiming, the richest man in the mainland?"
Zeng Yuqun, Chen Tanghua and Liang Shaokang looked at each other and were all shocked.
The title of the richest man is well-known.
What's more, what the company lacks most now is funds. If the richest man is willing to invest, their urgent needs can be solved immediately!
In the company's reception room, Lu Yiming met the founders of CATL.
In the days before Lu Yiming was reborn, when he last looked at the market, CATL's share price was 445.77, with a total market value of 1.09 trillion yuan.
And these tycoons who will be worth hundreds of billions in the future are now crying out for money.
"Hello, I am Lu Yiming, the founder of Future Capital."
After all, this is Hong Kong, so among Lu Yiming's many industries, Future Capital has the highest reputation.
Sure enough, after hearing the words "Future Capital", the expressions on Zeng Yuqun and others' faces became serious.
As the old superior, Chen Tanghua spoke first and said, "Mr. Lu's name is well-known. Everyone says that you are a young man who became famous and a business genius. Today, I see that you are really young. As the saying goes, the waves behind push the waves ahead. It is really shocking that such a young man can have such ability. I am Chen Tanghua, the director of New Energy Technology Co., Ltd."
Zeng Yuqun also shook hands with Lu Yiming: "Welcome, Mr. Lu, I am Zeng Yuqun, chairman of New Energy Technology Co., Ltd."
After everyone introduced themselves to each other, Zeng Yuqun asked, "I wonder what brings you here, Mr. Lu?"
Lu Yiming smiled and said, "I am here on behalf of Future Capital, of course I am here to invest. I am very optimistic about your project and plan to invest 100 million US dollars in exchange for 40% of the equity."
One hundred million!
US dollars!
That’s more than 800 million RMB!
For Zeng Yuqun and others who are currently short of funds, this is like a timely help, and the amount of carbon piled up into a small mountain.
Zeng Yuqun and others felt their breathing quicken.
"Mr. Lu, you are kidding, right? One hundred million US dollars, this..."
Chen Tanghua knew very well that if Lu Yiming sincerely invested 100 million US dollars, then they could conduct experiments boldly and confidently, and they would be able to completely solve the problem of battery bulging!
As for the 40% stake or something like that, they simply ignored it.
If the company can't survive, wouldn't 40% of the shares be nothing?
On the contrary, if we can achieve a technological breakthrough as soon as possible and enter the mass production stage, then even if only 60% is left, we can still make a fortune!
Lu Yiming knew that the people in front of him were all geniuses with ideas and abilities, so he had no intention of buying the company from the beginning and then giving them some options to make them work hard, because it was impossible.
Real talents are often proud and ambitious, and will not work for others forever.
In his previous life, Zeng Yuqun had sold New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. to his former employer, the Japanese TDK Group, but in 2011, Zeng Yuqun resigned with his colleagues and started a second business. If Lu Yiming buys the new energy company now, he will end up like the TDK Group.
The company is actually nothing, what matters is the people.
Therefore, for entrepreneurs with ideas and determination, all Lu Yiming has to do is give them money, let them do it on their own, and then enjoy their achievements.
You know, every investor who invested in CATL made a lot of money.
No one had anything to say about Lu Yiming's generosity.
This is the power of the richest man.
The business they co-founded has only been in operation for a year and they haven't had time to achieve any results yet, let alone $100 million. Even if it was sold for 10 million, I guess no one would be willing to take it over.
This bid made Zeng Yuqun and others feel as if they were in a dream and it was unreal.
"Mr. Lu, do you think New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. is worth 250 million US dollars?"
Lu Yiming smiled slightly and said, "This crappy company is nothing."
Zeng Yuqun: "..."
Chen Tanghua: “…”
Liang Shaokang: “…”
Huang Shilin: “…”
Facing the puzzled looks of the crowd, Lu Yiming said, "What is the most important thing in the 21st century? I think it is talent! You are worth 250 million US dollars, or even more. The company is just a byproduct. As a start-up, you are still willing to delve into technology and conduct independent research and development. This alone is commendable. And I heard that you recently bought the patented polymer lithium battery technology abandoned by Nokia?"
Seeing that Lu Yiming valued their value so much, Zeng Yuqun and others were quite moved. After all, in the eyes of some people, they were just a group of geeks who only knew how to do technology.
Zeng Yuqun was a little surprised and asked, "How did Mr. Lu know?"
They have always been very careful to keep this matter confidential and have never mentioned it to outsiders. As for the United States, they will not make the news public for no reason.
Lu Yiming showed a mysterious smile and said, "I have my own sources of information."
Zeng Yuqun knew that Lu Yiming already knew the truth, so he told him the truth: "Yes, we bought the patent, but the research progress was not smooth. There is a reason why Nokia abandoned . We took it for granted that a company as big as Nokia didn't understand it."
Zeng Yuqun had no intention of explaining the detailed research and development process to Lu Yiming. After all, in his opinion, Lu Yiming was a layman who knew nothing about battery technology.
However, what he didn't expect was that Lu Yiming actually knew the key to the research and development of this polymer lithium battery.
After all, CATL became very successful in the future, and Zeng Yuqun’s early entrepreneurial stories were also widely circulated on the Internet. As a senior "expert in getting rich quickly" - commonly known as an old leeks, Lu Yiming had naturally read these articles.
Facing the somewhat annoyed Zeng Yuqun, Lu Yiming smiled and said, "You can try to open your mind a little. Have you ever thought that the inflation of polymer lithium batteries has nothing to do with the battery itself, but is related to the electrolyte in the battery?"
"Um?"
Lu Yiming's light words suddenly sounded like a thunder, exploding above the heads of Zeng Yuqun and others.
Everyone present looked at Lu Yiming in shock.
Chen Tanghua blurted out: "Mr. Lu, do you know this?"
Lu Yiming said very modestly: "I understand a little bit, just a little bit."
Zeng Yuqun slapped his forehead suddenly, making a "bang" sound, which scared everyone.
"Yeah, why didn't I think of that? Mr. Lu, you really woke me up."
In fact, this research direction was originally thought of by Zeng Yuqun after countless trials and errors. At the beginning, he, like everyone else in the company, was too superstitious about American technology. Later, after trying all kinds of methods and still unable to find a way forward, he had to go back and recheck all the details. Finally, he discovered that the problem was not with the technology, but with the electrolyte composition of the battery.
The most important thing in scientific research is not hard work, or even talent, but direction.
If you have the right direction, you can achieve twice the result with half the effort.
But finding the right direction is often the most difficult.
Therefore, most of the time, trial and error are necessary, which wastes a lot of money and time, leading to a surge in costs. This is also the reason why most startups fail in their efforts, even though many of their technologies and ideas are eye-catching.
Zeng Yuqun said excitedly: "It must be this problem! Hahahaha, now that we have found the right direction, the future of polymer lithium batteries is bright. The company will definitely become famous with this flagship product!"
Seeing Zeng Yuqun's delight, Lu Yiming took the opportunity to say, "I also have some connections in America. If Mr. Zeng wants to get in touch with the most cutting-edge knowledge and technology, I am willing help introduce some foreign experts and scholars."
There is no doubt that Lu Yiming is demonstrating his strength.
Seeing that Lu Yiming had both money and connections, and had just suggested his research direction for polymer lithium batteries, Zeng Yuqun immediately recognized Lu Yiming.
Lu Yiming said, "Well, all the CEOs, do you think we can have a meeting to finalize this investment? Who is willing to sell their shares?"
"I can contribute a little."
"I'll give a little bit here, too."
Faced with huge profits, shareholders including Chen Tanghua and Liang Shaokang were willing to sell their shares to Lu Yiming in exchange for real money.
In the end, Lu Yiming got what he wanted and became one of the major shareholders of New Energy Technology.
On the way back, Li Yiwen looked at the documents and asked himself: "One hundred million US dollars to buy 40% of the shares of this company? Brother, do you know the scale of this enterprise? All the people in the company can't even fit around a round table."
Lu Yiming did not answer Li Yiwen's question, but asked: "Have the prices of mobile phones in our country become cheaper recently?"
Li Yiwen was surprised when he thought about it and said, "This is true. Mobile phones that used to cost 7,000 to 8,000 yuan have now generally dropped to less than 3,000 yuan. Some phones can even be purchased for 500 to 600 yuan."
In the 1980s, the price of mobile phones generally exceeded 20,000 or 30,000 yuan.
With the popularity of digital mobile phones, prices are starting to drop.
This year, the Nokia 8910, priced at more than 5,000 yuan, has been released. It is already a relatively expensive high-end mobile phone.
Nokia 8250 and 8310 are the two most popular mid-range phones, priced at 1790 and 2490 respectively. Ericsson's T65 and T29 are less famous and powerful, and only sell for more than 1,200.
Alcatel OT301 from France, as a representative of low-end phones, is sold at an ultra-low price of 660 yuan. It can be said that mobile phones are no longer a luxury item, but have become a consumer electronic product that even the working class can afford if they grit their teeth.
Lu Yiming said to Li Yiwen, "The popularity of mobile phones means that the demand for lithium batteries will surge in the future. Do you think it will be profitable to invest in battery companies at this time? And it's not just mobile phones. Think about it, after mobile phones become popular, will laptops become popular? Society is always moving forward, and we should always look ahead and not worry about the gains and losses of one or two dollars in front of us."
Li Yiwen suddenly realized: "So this battery they made has great potential?"
Lu Yiming said, "Yes, according to the statistics and forecasts of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, our country's mobile phone sales this year will exceed 80 million units, and each mobile phone needs at least one lithium battery. Many people even like to buy several batteries to use in rotation. If Zeng Yuqun's polymer battery is successfully developed, how much money can I make from my investment?"
As Lu Yiming spoke, Li Yiwen's breathing began to become rapid.
"So, Zeng Yuqun and his team are completely standing at the forefront of the trend when starting their business. When the trend of this era comes, even a pig will be blown away."
With the technical patent of polymer lithium batteries in hand and just in time for the popularization of mobile phones among Chinese people, it was hard not to make money.
Of course, this money should indeed be earned by Zeng Yuqun and his team. After all, they are a technology startup company that is dedicated to technological research and development, and does not rely on hype or marketing.
The Lei Tian Group ultimately failed because after developing a new type of battery, Zhong Lei Tian became obsessed with scheming and playing with capital, and ended up ruining a good hand.
If Zhong Leitian had been able to focus on research and development and product development, there would have been no CATL.
Afterwards, Li Yiwen praised Lu Yiming again and said, "Cousin, you are really awesome. You can even dig out gold from the sand."
Lu Yiming said: "It's not that I have a good vision, but they are gold. Even without me, they can still succeed. My appearance only speeds up the process."
Li Yiwen became more and more excited as he spoke: "I noticed that you seem to particularly like investing in technology-innovative companies like this."
Lu Yiming said calmly: "Because technological innovation can often subvert the existing market, this can bring the greatest benefits. Moreover, high technology is the core and most important cornerstone of a country. Compared with investing in stocks and real estate, I hope that Xiaguo's comprehensive national strength can be rapidly improved."
The bigger your business, the more you understand the importance of "background" and "backers".
Lu Yiming is a Xia citizen, so his interests are bound to be deeply tied to Xia. Without a strong motherland, he would not be able to hold his head high when doing business abroad, and he might even be killed like a pig.
Therefore, within his ability, Lu Yiming still hopes that his motherland will become stronger and stronger and provide protection for his business and investments abroad.
Without a strong country, how can there be a rich family?
What do you mean by not wanting a great power to rise but wanting the dignity of the common people? If you are not born in a great power, you can only be a beast of burden. Looking around the world, how many people in many countries are still digging for food in garbage dumps? How can they have any dignity?
Lu Yiming understood this principle.
With Lu Yiming's financial support and suggestions, New Energy Technology changed its thinking and began to study the formula of the electrolyte. It made a breakthrough in a very short period of time and then successfully developed a battery that would not bulge.
With Lu Yiming's publicity, this battery from New Energy Technology quickly became popular through various media reports. After all, bragging doesn't require tax, and Lu Yiming has several newspapers and knows people from TV stations. As long as he spends money, these people can help you make it come true, not to mention that this battery itself is awesome.
After all these operations, New Energy Technology immediately overshadowed Lei Tian Group. After all, Lei Tian Group made its name by developing awesome products that caused a sensation in the industry. However, New Energy Technology's reputation was based not only on its excellent products, but also on Lu Yiming's fancy publicity.
For example, in addition to battery safety, Lu Yiming deliberately promoted the development of mobile phone batteries and laptop batteries, so that people can see at a glance that this thing has a bright future and unlimited money-making potential.
After all the boasting, even the old owner, the Japanese company TDK, has said that it is willing to spend 1 billion to buy New Energy Technology.
This is not a valuation, but a real cash acquisition offer.
Even the "Science Approach" program invited Zeng Yuqun to participate in an episode to explain this battery.
New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. is filled with a festive atmosphere.
Chen Tanghua said: "After this battle, we have completely turned the tables. Before, we couldn't get investment no matter how hard we tried. Now, all the investors are rushing to give us money."
Huang Shilin smiled and said, "Isn't it? Let me tell you about a person, Shen Peng from Sequoia Capital. Are you familiar with him? I contacted him before, hoping that Sequoia Capital could invest in us, but he didn't even say a word and just hung up on me. Now, I received a call from him this morning, saying that he would come over to treat me to morning tea in the next few days."
“Sequoia Capital?”
When Zeng Yuqun heard the name, he couldn't help but be surprised. After all, Sequoia Capital is a very powerful company.
Sequoia Capital was founded in Silicon Valley, USA in 1972. In the years since its establishment, Sequoia has invested in many innovative and trend-setting companies such as Apple, Google, Cisco, Oracle, Yahoo, Linkedin, etc. as the first institutional investor.
The fact that New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. was favored by Sequoia Capital itself represents that the company has made great progress.
Huang Shilin said excitedly: "Yes, do you think we should contact them?"
Liang Shaokang said, "I don't think it's appropriate. Sequoia Capital is indeed awesome, but we are now relying on the thigh of Xia Country's richest man, Lu Yiming. To be honest, Xia Country's richest man is definitely more awesome than a foreign capital company, right?"
