Era: I was a farmer at the foot of Yaoling Mountain

"Yes, your arrangements are good. Let's do it this way."

Fang Wei nodded, then left the coal mine and returned home.

As the final decision-maker in this matter, he needs to keep a close eye on its progress, given that it involves a transaction worth over 10 billion yuan.

A few days passed quickly.

More and more organizations are coming into contact with Yaoling Coal Mine, and although some people in the county are dissatisfied, there is nothing they can do.

They wouldn't dare create obstacles in the procedures, but they would strictly follow the rules and regulations, leaving no one with a problem.

This inadvertently weeded out a number of companies that didn't meet the required qualifications, something Fang Wei could understand. After all, the county had supervisory responsibility after the coal mines were sold, and any problems that arose would be bad for everyone.

This evening.

Fang Wei was just about to have dinner when she received a call from a stranger.

"Is this Secretary Fang? Hello! I'm Xia Feng, the general manager of Qingzhou Coal Mine. Did Leader Huang mention our company to you?"

Fang Wei knew about Qingzhou Coal Mine; it was a large state-owned enterprise, not an unknown entity in the coal industry.

However, the other party's sudden mention of Huang Zhigang made it difficult for him to determine their purpose for the time being.

"Mr. Xia, hello. How can I help you?"

Fang Wei didn't respond to the other person's words. Whether what the other person said was true or false, he couldn't respond.

Simply using Huang Zhigang's name won't work. If Huang Zhigang really wanted to help, he would definitely call him. Since he didn't make that call, he'll pretend the matter doesn't exist.

"Well, there's something I'd like to talk to you about. Do you have some free time right now? I'd like you to come to the county for a meal."

The other person was clearly taken aback, seemingly not expecting Fang Wei not to respond to his words.

However, he still revealed his purpose: he wanted to meet with Fang Wei alone.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Xia, for calling so suddenly, but I already have plans for tonight. Why don't you come to my office tomorrow morning and we can talk?"

Fang Wei had no idea about the other party's background, so naturally she wouldn't go out to eat with him.

But no matter what, the other party was the head of a large state-owned enterprise, so we still had to meet. So we arranged for the other party to come to the office the next morning.

"That's really unfortunate! Well, there will be other opportunities in the future. I'll visit your office tomorrow."

The other party didn't press the issue and quickly ended the call.

Fang Wei then went to have dinner. Just as she put down her chopsticks, the phone rang again at home.

He walked over, picked up the microphone, and Huang Zhigang's voice came through.

"Secretary Fang, I'm so sorry, I've been so busy these past few days that I forgot to call you. I asked General Manager Xia to contact you. Qingzhou Coal Mine is an excellent company in the industry, and I hope you will consider them under the same conditions."

Huang Zhigang stated the purpose of his call directly, which surprised Fang Wei.

It seems his judgment was wrong. It wasn't that President Xia came to him under Huang Zhigang's name; this was something Huang Zhigang wanted to make happen all along.

Whether he made the call early or late was not the issue; the issue was that Huang Zhigang ultimately made the call anyway.

"Understood. I will try my best to take care of Mr. Xia's company without harming our own interests."

Fang Wei answered cautiously. He had to give Huang Zhigang face, but he wouldn't do anything that would harm Yaoling Group just because of Huang Zhigang's face.

"Haha, you're quite meticulous, Secretary Fang. Don't worry, I won't let you do anything against the principles. Just treat President Xia fairly. Alright, I won't bother you anymore. I'll treat you to dinner next time you come to the provincial capital."

Huang Zhigang laughed and made his principles clear.

Fang Wei breathed a sigh of relief. The two chatted for a few more minutes before ending the call.

The next day.

Fang Weiyi had arrived at the office early and started handling official business.

At 9:30 a.m., Xia Feng, led by Yang Feng, entered the house.

"Chairman, this is General Manager Xia from Qingzhou Coal Mine. General Manager Xia, this is Chairman Fang from our Yaoling Group."

Yang Feng introduced the two parties, and Xia Feng then sat down on the sofa.

Secretary Du then brought tea and fruit, and the two left the office, closing the door behind them.

"Mr. Xia, I'm so sorry, I had guests at home last night and I really couldn't leave. I'll treat you to lunch today and you can try some of our local specialties. Please do come and join me."

Fang Wei walked over and sat down next to Xia Feng. He noticed that the other man was very young, only in his forties or less than fifty years old, yet he had already become the CEO of a large state-owned enterprise.

Huang Zhigang has already called to confirm his relationship with Xia Feng, and Fang Wei is at least outwardly more enthusiastic.

“Great! I’d also like to try your delicious food. The purpose of my visit is to purchase your coal mine. I know that many companies have their eyes on this mine, but I assure you, the terms we offer will be no worse than theirs.”

Xia Feng wasn't tall, but his voice was loud and clear. Fang Wei liked this straightforward personality; in business, anything was negotiable as long as the conditions were right. However, for transactions involving over 10 billion yuan, Huang Zhigang's connections alone weren't enough.

What he can do is give the other party a fair chance to compete, and give priority to the other party under the same conditions.

"Great idea! Mr. Xia, how about I take you to see the coal mine now?"

Fang Wei couldn't help but give a thumbs up. He thought that President Xia was really a smart person. His statement was more effective than any amount of nice words.

So he decided to take the other person to the coal mine for a visit, and also to register them with Fang Ping.

To be honest, when he decided to sell the coal mine, he didn't expect Yaoling Coal Mine to be so sought after. However, he also knew that it would be difficult for Yaoling Group to keep the coal mine; only large enterprises like Qingzhou Coal Mine could grow and become stronger.

“Great! I’ve been wanting to visit your coal mine to learn from you.”

Xia Feng was being very polite, but Fang Wei didn't take it seriously.

So the two of them left the office together and drove to the coal mine.

Fang Ping accompanied Xia Feng on a tour of the mine. Although it was a brief visit, Xia Feng's experience allowed him to discern many things.

The management level, advanced equipment, and emphasis on safety at Yaoling Coal Mine all exceeded his expectations.

It seems that the coal mine was not being sold due to poor management, but rather because of changes in national policy, which forced the other party to sell such a good company.

He was even more eager to take over the Yaoling Coal Mine, and his eyes were filled with fervor as he looked at the mine.

Fang Ping then recorded the basic information about Qingzhou Coal Mine. The group company would immediately begin a background check on the company.

Next, we can move on to the negotiation stage and see what conditions the other party will offer.

noon.

Fang Wei invited Xia Feng to dinner at the Linhe Hotel. The two kept quiet about business and seemed to feel like they had known each other for a long time.

The meal was enjoyed by both host and guests. As Xia Feng got into his car, the smile on his face vanished completely.

He thought that with Huang Zhigang's influence, taking over Yaoling Coal Mine would be a piece of cake, since he had no intention of getting a better price anyway.

Now it seems that they have left no room for error, and he has to consider the issue of acquiring them at a premium.

a few days later.

Holding the background check results sent by the group company, Yang Feng walked into the office and reported to Fang Wei.

"Chairman, after verification by the group company, five companies meet the standards we initially set. These five companies are Qingqingzhou Coal Mine and Tianhe Mining."

The first screening is very rigorous, including but not limited to the company's annual revenue, annual profit, asset size, liabilities, safety production record over the past ten years, equipment status, etc.

It's not that Yaoling Group has any special quirks; it's just that they want to find a good buyer for the coal mine, stabilize employment, and avoid causing trouble for the county.

Imagine a company that doesn't prioritize safety in production, and safety accidents happen every now and then; that's not a good thing for anyone.

In addition, having the strength is the guarantee of continuous operation, which can also shut up some people in the county.

As for the three companies recommended by Xu Bo, only one passed Yaoling Group's review and entered the second round of competition.

As an advanced enterprise in the national coal industry, Qingzhou Coal Mine naturally entered the second round. In this stage, Fang Wei was confident that the company had achieved fairness and impartiality.

But some people in the county still talked behind their backs, probably because they didn't achieve their goal.

"Well, the next step is to have the group company and the coal mine negotiate with them separately, and try to reach a deal as soon as possible."

The next step was to be spearheaded by Lu Zhiwen and Fang Ping, who sent people to conduct substantive negotiations with several companies.

In this process, several companies may be eliminated, and an agreement will eventually be reached with one of them.

"Okay, but why are we using a bidding model? Several companies bidding openly can speed up the transaction and also get a better price."

Yang Feng responded, but did not leave immediately. Instead, he asked his question.

“Bidding is not suitable for this, because this transaction is not about whoever offers the highest price, but about who has the best overall conditions. For example, even if a company offers the highest price, but its subsequent business plan is not feasible, I will not agree to sell to that company.”

Fang Wei felt that in this matter, we should not only look at the economic benefits, but also at the social benefits.

Otherwise, why would the group company go through the trouble of conducting background checks? Isn't it because they're worried about entrusting the task to the wrong person?

A smooth handover of a coal mine will affect the employment of a large number of people, so he attaches great importance to this aspect. During the negotiation process, he will look at the other party's business plan, firstly, whether it can operate stably in the long term, and secondly, whether it can treat the original employees well.

This time, it's about the other company's awareness of safe production, which is also very important. They can't leave a mess for the county.

In short, selling a coal mine is not a simple economic transaction; it involves many aspects and cannot be taken lightly or solely driven by profit.

Of course, he and Lin Bingkun had also discussed it, and the basic valuation was the bottom line. A high premium was acceptable, but the bottom line couldn't be crossed. (End of Chapter)