Reborn Action Star: Starting in Hollywood

Chapter 159: Unexpected Changes
What Eisen said is indeed true. In the 90s, the country was once in urgent need of foreign exchange.

Because at that time, in order to vigorously develop the economy, we not only needed foreign exchange to purchase advanced foreign technology and production equipment, but also needed funds to invest in various industries.

In the case of extreme capital shortage, policies that are favorable to capital will inevitably be introduced.

At that time, special investment promotion agencies were established in various places. It was said that as long as officials at the county level could attract investments of several million dollars, they would be promoted immediately.

At that time, the exchange rate of the US dollar to the RMB was close to 1:9.

By 2002, although the foreign exchange shortage had improved a lot, there was still an urgent need for capital.

This situation changed with China's accession to the WTO, which resulted in a large trade surplus in international trade. It was not until after 2010 that capital surplus gradually emerged.

By around 2020, China had already experienced a double surplus of financial capital and industrial capital.

But overeating in the future cannot solve hunger today.

Therefore, from the perspective of his own preliminary communication, Mr. Eisen did not think that there would be any problems with this domestic trip.

You are short of money, and I come with real money. We can make a lot of money together. Don’t you welcome such a good thing?

"It is the government that welcomes foreign investment, but from a personal perspective, that may not be the case. I'm worried it won't be that smooth," said Lin Yuan.

"Is there a difference? Shouldn't individuals be more business-oriented? How can they go against their own interests?" Mr. Eisen doesn't know much about Chinese people.

"Be cautiously optimistic. Let's try it out and see." Lin Yuan said.

When the two walked out of the airport, a luxurious Maybach sedan was already waiting at the door.

A man in his early thirties came forward and said, "You are the VIPs from New York, right? I'm Mr. Li's secretary, responsible for your reception this time."

The other party's attitude was very polite, but Lin Yuan felt a little uneasy:
Although there is nothing rude about the other party's arrangement, it is not enthusiastic enough.

As Mr. Eisen is the head of a top investment bank with tens of billions of dollars in funds, it is only natural that Mr. Li from Hengdian Group would come to the airport to greet him in person.

After all, in 2002, the wealth of the richest man in the country was about US$7 million.

Even if Mr. Eisen does not count the investment banking resources he controls, just looking at the current profits of Linyuan Film Studio, even if it is valued at 7 times PE, his wealth is far greater than that of the richest man in the country.

Therefore, Mr. Eisen can be considered one of the top wealthy people in the world.

The last time they went to Japan, the head of JNTO personally came to the airport to pick them up.

The reason why Director Zhang Mou did not come to the airport when they came to China last time was because Zhang Ziyu was more friendly and could serve as a lubricant before the formal meeting.

It is completely different from the situation today.

Being polite but not overly enthusiastic is an attitude in itself.

However, Lin Yuan and the other two followed the secretary into the car and drove all the way to a beautiful house in Lin'an City.

As soon as the two got out of the car, Li Yunsheng, the president of Hengdian Group, came forward and shook Mr. Eisen's hand with a smile.

"Welcome to our two distinguished guests. Those of us in this industry have long been familiar with Mr. Eisen's influence in Hollywood, and today we finally have the opportunity to meet him in person.

I've seen every one of Mr. Lin Yuan's films. The recent releases of "Hero" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" are both truly fantastic; I've seen them multiple times and still can't get enough. Mr. Li smiled and shook hands with each of them. Li Yunsheng's English wasn't great, so he needed his secretary's translation. This was common for entrepreneurs of the previous generation who didn't study abroad, and it wasn't surprising.

He is tall, about 1 meters, a little overweight, and is wearing a dark suit and a white shirt.

His gray hair matches his age of over 50, and his round, chubby face gives people a strong sense of affinity, but the determination and depth in his eyes give people a feeling of calmness and wisdom.

Lin Yuan has a legendary talent for treating life as a drama. When he looks at a stranger, it is obvious what is acting and what is his real thoughts.

After just a few glances at Mr. Li, he was sure that this was someone who would be suitable for making friends but difficult to work with.

His anticipation for today's trip couldn't help but drop a little.

"You two have worked hard on the journey. How about we go have a quick meal together first and then talk about things later?" said Mr. Li.

Although it was called a simple meal, Lin Yuan knew that it must not be cheap.

Mr. Eisen said directly: "It's only four o'clock in the afternoon, it's still early for dinner, let's talk about business first?"

Mr. Li was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect Mr. Eisen to be so direct, but this was also the usual style of Americans, so he didn't think it was too abrupt.

So, after inviting them to sit down, he said, "I've seen the cooperation offer you sent me. To be honest, it's very sincere."

Lin Yuan waited for him to say "but". Judging from his tone, this was inevitable.

"But we also have our own difficulties, and the specific content of the cooperation may need to be discussed," said Mr. Li.

"Please say."

“There are mainly two issues. The first is that our group’s current equity structure is already quite complicated. If we introduce more investors, I am worried that there will be problems with the company’s control.

Therefore, if you invest, I hope you can accept the A and B share structure, or sign a concerted action agreement," said Mr. Li.

When Mr. Eisen heard the first question, he couldn't help but frown. Just as he was about to speak, Lin Yuan grabbed his hand under the table.

Lin Yuan asked in Chinese: "What about the second question?"

Mr. Li continued, "As mentioned earlier, our group's equity is currently in a relatively dispersed state. Even with such a large amount of capital from you, I'm afraid we won't be able to offer enough equity as a bargaining chip."

I can transfer part of the shares I hold, and the rest needs to be coordinated with other shareholders who are willing to exit and cash out.

So I want to attract investment in phases, and a $100 million investment in the first phase is the limit for us."

After asking both questions, Mr. Li waited for Mr. Eisen's reply.

In fact, the conditions Mr. Li offered today were not good, even very bad.

Whether it is the AB share structure or the agreement on joint action, it is equivalent to weakening Lin Yuan's voting rights on major matters of the company.

Mr. Li’s meaning is actually very clear: You can invest, but you can only be a shareholder who receives dividends. I want to hold the decision-making power of the company in my own hands.

He does not accept the risk of losing control due to equity financing.

(End of this chapter)