Chapter 925: Buy a Car, Get a Car Model?

Liao Yongfu from All-Star Group received a call from Zhang Yongjun and understood what was going on. He immediately comforted him, “Xiaozhang, don’t worry. You’re one of ours. As long as I don’t nod, no one can oust you. Let me give Jonathan a call. It’s absolutely impossible for Star Investment to get the CEO position!”

With the promise from Liao Yongfu, Zhang Yongjun felt reassured.

Liao Yongfu called Jonathan, the Chairman of Mercedes-Benz Dragon Country Group, and directly asked, “What exactly does Star Investment mean? Do they think they can seize the CEO position of Mercedes-Benz Dragon Country Group just by acquiring 15% of the shares? You tell them to stop dreaming. This position must be filled by someone from our All-Star Group. They shouldn’t even think about it.”

Jonathan replied, “Zhang Yongjun took advantage of his position to accept sexual bribes from Legendary Model Company, and it happened to be caught by Yang Chen, the boss of Star Investment. Yang Chen has explicitly made a demand: if we don’t remove Zhang Yongjun, he’ll call for a shareholders’ meeting to decide the CEO of Mercedes-Benz Dragon Country by the authority of a major shareholder. Your All-Star Group holds 49% of the shares of Mercedes-Benz Dragon Country, but doesn’t hold shares in Mercedes-Benz Group. Your words don’t count.”

Liao Yongfu said, “But our All-Star Group controls 45% of sales in Dragon Country and all of Southeast Asia for Mercedes. Is his little bit of stock more important, or is our All-Star Group’s channel more important? I think the shareholders know clearly! I’m telling you straightforwardly, there’s no way to kick Zhang Yongjun out! Tell them to go ahead and hold a shareholders’ meeting.”

Jonathan said, “OK! I’ll reply to them, and they will determine what to do.”

Very soon, Jin Ming received a reply from Mercedes-Benz Dragon Country Group that Zhang Yongjun would not be dismissed.

Without any hesitation, Jin Ming immediately sent a request to convene a shareholders’ meeting to the Secretary of Mercedes-Benz Group on behalf of Star Investment.

Upon receiving Jin Ming’s email, the Secretary of Mercedes-Benz Group immediately reported to the Chairman and then issued a notice to all shareholders to hold a shareholders’ meeting in the form of a network video conference on December 30th.

Not long after, the chairmen of Beijing Auto and Geely Auto called Jin Ming, each expressing their intention to partner with Star Investment.

Star Investment holds 15% of the shares, Beijing Auto holds 9.98%, and Geely Auto holds 9.69%. If the three companies ally, they will collectively hold 34.67%, leaving less than two-thirds of the shares outside, many of which are in the hands of individual shareholders and investment institutions.

As long as the three stand united and deliberately stir things up, even policies proposed by Mercedes-Benz executives would not pass.

Actually, Yang Chen was waiting for invitations from Beijing Auto and Geely Auto to join forces.

Individually, these three can’t confront the shares held by Mercedes-Benz executives, but together they can.

Frankly speaking, if these three want Mercedes-Benz to operate properly, it will. If they deliberately cause trouble, only the German government can step in to solve the problem.

For example, legislating to limit Dragon Country enterprises from holding more than a certain percentage of German enterprises’ shares, which would restrict Star Investment, Beijing Auto, and Geely Auto from collectively balancing Mercedes-Benz Group’s management.

Of course, in today’s world, companies wanting to compete internationally must be willing to play ball, and WTO rules are not to be trifled with.

At worst, if they dare legislate against Dragon Country enterprises, Dragon Country can legislate against their enterprises, and no one wants to see a mutual destruction scenario.

Generally speaking, Germany wouldn’t damage other companies’ interests in Dragon Country just to protect Mercedes-Benz.

So, the final result is that Star Investment, Beijing Auto, and Geely Auto will have a strong voice at the shareholders’ meeting.

Liao Yongfu, chairperson of All-Star Group, clearly anticipated this and hurriedly called the chairmen of Beijing Auto and Geely Auto, trying to convince them not to ally with Yang Chen.

What a joke. Why would those two auto giants listen to someone who’s just a sales channel?

Both Beijing Auto and Geely Auto have their own sales channels and networks, even if All-Star Group offers sales channel services, they wouldn’t covet them.

So, the result was that Liao Yongfu hit a wall, being clearly refused by the chairmen of Beijing Auto and Geely Auto, and their chairmen clearly told him that both companies had already formed a strategic partnership with Star Investment, standing together in a united front regarding Mercedes-Benz Group.

This made Liao Yongfu anxious. Yang Chen alone definitely couldn’t amount to much, but the alliance of the three makes even Mercedes-Benz executives helpless.

With this development, Zhang Yongjun’s CEO position is unlikely to be safe.

The key issue is that his position being unsafe is a minor issue, but because of this, All-Star Group offending Yang Chen leads to uncertain consequences.

Sunday.

Yang Chen was delivering food when Zhao Chunxue sent him a message.

“Brother, I’m starving. I haven’t eaten much these past few days, and I’m feeling a bit dizzy. Can you send me some glucose? Please, dear brother. You wouldn’t want my health to collapse, would you? After all, my pure body is reserved for you. (??)”

What the heck, this is such outrageous talk for a girl. Is this something a girl can say to a man?

Yang Chen replied, “Wait for me. I’m coming over now, might as well check out the car exhibition for some good stuff, and get my girlfriends new cars as New Year gifts.”