Chương 10: Competitor 2

Upon Ruprecht's signal, Manager Cameron Eichen passionately addressed the room, "Gentlemen, Gottfried entered the supermarket business at the start of the year and has achieved great success in Vienna. In just over three months since opening, it has started from zero and has achieved the number one status in the business..."

"Excuse me for asking you to stop, Mr. Cameron. If you're talking about being number one in the business in terms of losses, I don't think that's worth it at all!" Jakobus Helder interjected in a nice, polite manner, cutting Cameron off.

Jakobus Helder, Ruprecht's uncle and the second-largest shareholder, was the former director of the company's human resources. He co-founded Gottfried Department Store with Ruprecht Sr. and had a significant influence on the firm before retiring.

Ruprecht's face paled as Jakobus, who had retired, expressed clear dissatisfaction with him.

"Mr. Jakobus, the loss is just to capture the moment. When we drive all the players out of the market, that's when we will reap the fruits!" Cameron defended.

"So, Mr. Cameron, how long will it take to get rid of all the players?" Zamar Helder, Ruprecht's brother, asked with a cynical smile.

When Cameron fell silent, Zamar continued, "Be aware that our losses are growing every day. Gottfried is a big business, but don't forget that our roots are in a department store, not a supermarket! We can't put all of our resources into this endless pit!"

Seeing Cameron defeated, Ruprecht knew it was time for him to step up. After a moment of pondering, he said, "Well, we've come to this point now... and the nonsense is no longer acceptable!"

"Gottfried has spent too much on the supermarket, a whole eighty thousand pounds! Gentlemen, do you think we can still drop out now?"

"What? Eighty thousand pounds? Are you sure you're not wrong!" Zamar jumped up and asked Ruprecht.

"My brother, the information was sent to all shareholders yesterday. Don't tell me you didn't get it!" Ruprecht said angrily.

In his mind, Ruprecht cursed his brother, thinking, "Damn, at this hour, you idiot is still causing me mess. I don't know what's going on. Even if they are all from the Helder family, how come they have such an idiot!"

Zamar gave an awkward smile, and then he finished his part. It was clear that he was still a little afraid of his older brother.

Jakobus thought about it and came out as a mediator, saying, "Well, we have come to this point, so let's find a way to get along with each other! The company has already spent eighty thousand pounds, which is already one-tenth of Gottfried's assets. We are already in a hard position to overcome problems."

When there was a short wait, and no one spoke, Jakobus asked, "Ruprecht, I'm afraid the company's cash flow is about to go out of balance now, what's your plan?"

"The company has also made a lot of money over the years, and everyone's annual dividends are not small. I hope that all shareholders give the company a sum of capital to change things around, in principle, based on the ratio of capital!" Ruprecht responded without panic.

The room burst into instant chatter, with some in favor and others against it.

"What's the exact number of the gap for the company to get through the crisis?" Jakobus asked with concern.

The people turned their eyes toward Ruprecht with great hope. They looked ready to contribute if the margin wasn't too big.

"I asked people to report on the company's accounts. There is a shortage of funds. It is two hundred thousand pounds, or five years of dividends for everyone!" Ruprecht said solemnly.

The faces of the people paled; the figure was too big. Even if divided by shares, it was not a small number. On the assets, they surely have. But who has that much capital? They either spent it or invested in the business.

"How can it be so much? The supermarket has only put in eighty thousand pounds into the project!" Zamar asked with a pale face.

"Quite simply. Our department stores have also been hit, and we have a lot of items that overlap with the supermarkets that have affected our profits. It is crucial that the supermarket project still needs to continue to invest. This figure is only the ideal state, and more money may be needed later!" Ruprecht explained.

"We can pay the money, but what is your final goal?" Jakobus asked as he stared closely at Ruprecht discreetly.

Ruprecht knew that as long as he got Jakobus convinced, it would be a great end to the day. With more than two-thirds of the shares held by them, no one else would be enough to worry about.

"Clean up that bunch of small fish. Let Gottfried Department Store and Volvo stand on their own feet!" Ruprecht said with caution.

"Well, that's good. This goal is a bit hard to achieve, but it's still a little realistic!" Jakobus showed a long-lost smile.

To be frank, Ruprecht is the most capable one in the next generation of the Helder family. Jakobus has always thought highly of this nephew.

At the same time, he is also worried about Ruprecht's pride. The Helder family, at the same time, is just a latecomer in the capital area. It's not that strong, and Austria-Hungary is still the world of the aristocracy.

Ruprecht, this time, plays a price war with no other means. It is not about his high ethics, but he simply does not dare to break the rules.

When facing the Koháry family, they would not have chosen this time to enter if they did not have the support of the Hungarian flour capitalists behind them.

"By the way, Ruprecht, what about those Hungarians? Now it's time for them to give their support!" Jakobus went straight to its core.

"I have spoken with them. It's not ideal except for what has been agreed before. We were given a loan of two hundred thousand pounds. Besides the flour, which can be purchased at an affordable cost, they do not intend to give any help in." Ruprecht said bitterly.

Two hundred thousand pounds is indeed a lot of money, but it was a loan, and it was still under a mortgage. They didn't get the benefits they expected, except that the flour they could buy at an affordable cost.

"It was expected, wasn't it! They are not likely to make a big effort for us. You have to quickly put these terms in place. If Ferdinand comes to react, it is likely that we will not be able to get these, and then it is not so easy to get a loan!" Jakobus gave a serious note.

Ruprecht said bitterly, "Okay, uncle, I'll do it right away!"

It is obvious that this time, it hit him hard. The power of the old aristocracy is beyond his vision. After Ferdinand had only slightly shown a little goodwill, the flour capitalists backed off.

It is not looking good for Ruprecht.