章節 12: Chapter 12: Successful Acquisition
Ding Shengwu, the third owner of "Famous New Newspaper," had only a primary school education and had started working early in life.
After making a bit of money from his business, he aspired to climb to a higher social level. With some guidance, he acquired "Famous New Newspaper," hoping that owning the paper would elevate his status.
Perhaps everyone has an illusion of being the main character in their own story.
Initially, Ding Shengwu was full of confidence, dreaming that "Famous New Newspaper" would rise under his leadership. He imagined gaining fame, achieving his goals, entering the upper echelons of society, expanding his network, growing his business, and eventually becoming a prominent tycoon.
But dreams are often beautiful, while reality can be harsh!
After struggling for a few years, his illusions gradually shattered, and he slowly came to accept reality.
He realized that "Famous New Newspaper" could not help him achieve his life goals.
However, out of a sense of pride and because the newspaper, while not profitable, was at least breaking even, he allowed it to continue operating under his ownership.
Unfortunately, over a year ago, the Hong Kong stock market experienced severe fluctuations, leading to the bankruptcy of many companies. His business was affected, resulting in losses, and he had to sell assets to cover the shortfall. From that time, he had been trying to sell "Famous New Newspaper."
At first, he was so desperate for money that he hoped to sell it at a high price, scaring off several potential buyers and damaging his reputation.
Later, as creditors pressed him hard, he had to lower the price. But by then, outsiders had also understood the situation of "Famous New Newspaper" and deemed it a losing deal, making it even harder to find a buyer.
Ding Shengwu regretted his greed more than once.
Fortunately, early this morning, he received a call from an employee with an appointment to discuss the acquisition of "Famous New Newspaper." Ding Shengwu was pleased and agreed to meet.
He had been waiting anxiously in his office, drinking three or four cups of tea and constantly glancing at the door, clearly impatient.
On the other side, after successfully scheduling the appointment, Xia Yu first went to HSBC to confirm that the funds had arrived in his account. With his final concerns resolved, he headed to the location of "Famous New Newspaper."
"Hello, I'm Xia Yu. I have an appointment with your boss," Xia Yu said with a smile as he entered the old office.
The receptionist, a woman in her twenties named Li Qian, looked surprised when she heard Xia Yu's name. She had received an appointment call from someone named Xia Yu but hadn't realized the connection until now.
Despite her disbelief, Li Qian had no grounds to doubt and promptly directed Xia Yu to the boss, especially since Ding Shengwu was already anxiously waiting.
"Hello, sir. Our boss is already in the office waiting for you. Please follow me!" Li Qian said with a smile, leading the way. Xia Yu thanked her and followed.
"Boss, Mr. Xia Yu has arrived." At the office door, Li Qian knocked and announced before stepping aside to reveal Xia Yu.
Ding Shengwu, seeing Xia Yu, was momentarily stunned by the sight of the young teenager. Hearing Li Qian's words, he blinked in disbelief and felt inexplicably irritated.
The person who had made him wait so long was a kid coming to acquire "Famous New Newspaper"? Was this a joke?
He had many important matters to handle and no time to entertain a child!
This thought only made Ding Shengwu more annoyed.
But being over fifty and having worked in the business world for years, he still maintained basic courtesy and composure.
Suppressing his irritation, he forced a professional smile, stood up, and motioned for Xia Yu to sit. "Mr. Xia, please have a seat!"
"Li Qian, make a cup of tea for Mr. Xia!"
"Thank you!"
Xia Yu thanked him, sat down with a smile, and sipped his tea, praising it. His calm demeanor for someone so young made Ding Shengwu slightly uneasy. A thought crossed his mind: "Could he really be here to buy the newspaper? Or is he from a wealthy family?"
Ding Shengwu scrutinized Xia Yu discreetly, noting the teenager's well-dressed appearance and confident demeanor. This eased Ding Shengwu's anxiety somewhat.
After Li Qian finished making tea and left the office, Xia Yu took a sip and complimented the tea before engaging Ding Shengwu in conversation.
Xia Yu didn't directly propose buying "Famous New Newspaper" to avoid appearing too eager and prompting Ding Shengwu to raise the price. Instead, he discussed newspaper-related topics, keeping the conversation well-paced, which prevented Ding Shengwu from becoming upset.
Ding Shengwu found Xia Yu's approach difficult to gauge but could tell that Xia Yu was interested in buying the newspaper. However, he couldn't yet determine how serious Xia Yu was about it.
"Definitely a negotiation expert!" Ding Shengwu thought, recognizing that Xia Yu's demeanor was on par with that of much older, more experienced individuals. He became more convinced that Xia Yu must be from a wealthy family, receiving elite education. Ordinary families would not produce such an impressive young man.
Ding Shengwu, however, had overestimated the situation. If he knew Xia Yu was merely a sixteen-year-old from a fisher family, he might have been shocked.
Of course, Ding Shengwu wasn't entirely lacking in perception. Given Xia Yu's current state, most people would suspect he came from a wealthy background, as such a demeanor is rarely cultivated in grassroots families.
But who could have known that this sixteen-year-old harbored memories of adult elites?
After chatting for a while, Ding Shengwu's patience wore thin. He had other matters to attend to and was in urgent need of money. Having struggled for over a year to sell "Famous New Newspaper," he was aware of the situation and was prepared for a lower price. He was ready to accept an offer below his minimum threshold as long as it didn't go too far.
"Mr. Xia, I do want to sell 'Famous New Newspaper'. What price can you offer?" Ding Shengwu asked seriously, fixing his gaze on Xia Yu.
Xia Yu calmly took a sip of tea and smiled, "Mr. Ding, I haven't been in this industry, so I don't know much. I've consulted a few friends in the newspaper business, and they recommended 'Famous New Newspaper.' You name your price, and if it's reasonable, we can discuss it. Otherwise, we can just walk away. It's all about maintaining civility even if the deal doesn't go through."
Ding Shengwu's eyes narrowed as he thought, "Xia Yu is like a fox. Even though he's clearly trying to lower the price, his attitude puts pressure on me."
For a moment, Ding Shengwu's smile turned awkward as he struggled with how to respond.
Finally, he decided to accept the offer and get it over with. The longer it dragged on, the greater his losses.
"Since that's the case, I'll give a price. The entire newspaper, including everything, for a minimum of 300,000 HKD!" Ding Shengwu stated. He had originally planned to ask for 350,000 HKD, but after the interaction with Xia Yu, he felt less confident and quoted a lower price.
Hearing the 300,000 HKD price, Xia Yu raised an eyebrow, his mind racing. He realized his approach had influenced Ding Shengwu, causing him to lower his price. Ding Shengwu was eager to sell.
"In that case, the price should be reduced further!" Xia Yu thought.
"Mr. Ding, your price is too high and lacks sincerity. The location is outdated, and the newspaper's circulation is declining daily, with an uncertain future. I'm taking a significant risk here. To me, it's worth at most 180,000 HKD," Xia Yu boldly cut the price by 120,000 HKD.
Ding Shengwu clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and forced a smile to contain his frustration.
"Mr. Xia…"
After a heated negotiation, the price was settled at 230,000 HKD. Ding Shengwu refused to go any lower, and Xia Yu gave up.
"Pleasure doing business with you!" Xia Yu stood up and shook hands with the reluctantly smiling Ding Shengwu.
Ding Shengwu then had the contract printed and delivered to Xia Yu. After confirming and signing it, Xia Yu and Ding Shengwu headed to HSBC for the transfer.
After confirming the transaction, Ding Shengwu handed the contract to Xia Yu and accompanied him back to the newspaper office. He needed to gather the staff, announce the news, and complete the handover.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
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