I'm in the county town, and you say I'm a big shot?

Chapter 764 Second Acquisition of a Brazilian Soybean Trading Company

When Fang Qingye received a call from JPMorgan Chase's Hong Kong investment bank president, Blake Beck, she expected a discussion about the Brexit referendum or the turbulent financial markets. However, the caller went straight to the point, discussing Ele.me's IPO. Beck's tone was confident, stating that JPMorgan Chase's Hong Kong investment bank would do everything in its power to make the deal happen.

"Mr. Fang, according to our information, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Board of Directors will hold its regular meeting in September. At that time, shareholder representatives from HSBC and BlackRock will propose changes to the existing IPO system to allow for the introduction of dual-class shares. As you know, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Mr. Chan, also supports this. This means that we are very likely to push for amendments to the IPO system to allow for dual-class share structures, paving the way for Ele.me's listing."

"Even if it doesn't pass this time, we will take this opportunity to actively build momentum and gain more shareholder support, laying the foundation for its passage at the next regular meeting. JPMorgan Chase will do its utmost."

After listening to Bei Zhehan say so much, Fang Qingye's first impression was: interesting.

He hadn't expected JPMorgan Chase to be so pushy. But regardless of their motives, this was undoubtedly a good thing for Ele.me.

Fang Qingye expressed her gratitude over the phone.

Time flew by and it was mid-July, with Nanxin City entering the sweltering summer. Fang Qingye prepared to take his official leave, and his wife, Bai Ou, returned from Shanghai with their child, allowing the family to finally enjoy a rare vacation.

A typhoon had just swept through Nanxin a couple of days ago, leaving the nursery in a mess. Early in the morning, the workers were busy clearing the mud and dredging the ditches.

Fang Qingye also joined in, wearing a straw hat and work clothes, with her trousers rolled up high, barefoot, holding a shovel and working alongside the workers.

Sitting in the office all day, even her biggest hobby of fishing involves sitting, Fang Qingye finds it quite comfortable to do some physical labor.

Yangyang, the son, stood to the side in his mother Bai'ou's arms, a pacifier in his mouth, his big, round eyes wide open, watching his father work with curiosity, seemingly finding the scene very novel.

Just then, Fang Qingye's phone rang. He wiped his hands, took it out, and saw that it was a call from Omega Brazil.

O'Anli is the director of Topway Technology's office in São Paulo, Brazil, and also Fang Qingye's authorized representative in Brazil's soybean trade.

In the past few months, he worked closely with Qiao Yongfeng, who went to Brazil, and with the assistance of Katia, the wife of the general manager of Filgre Company, they overcame the difficulties of reduced soybean production in southern Brazil due to continuous rain. They purchased soybeans from all over the country and finally completed COFCO's task of purchasing 40 tons of soybeans.

Every six months, O'Neill submits a work report to Topway Technology, summarizing the work of the branch office.

Fang Qingye had assigned him two tasks: first, to assist Philgrey Company, especially in the annual soybean procurement; and second, to gradually establish a local intelligence network and connections. These resources had already begun to prove useful in the previous soybean competition with ADM.

O'Neil rarely makes overseas calls unless it's an emergency.

Fang Qingye wiped her hands, pressed the answer button, and Ou Anli's not-so-standard Mandarin came through the receiver:

"Boss, Mr. Qiao is in Brazil again."

"Huh? Why did he go again? Shouldn't he be resting?" Fang Qingye was a little surprised.

Qiao Yongfeng's blood pressure rose due to the stress of purchasing soybeans, and he was hospitalized after returning to China. Fang Qingye even made a special trip to Huijing to visit him.

"Is it about acquiring a soybean trading company?" Fang Qingye pressed.

"Yes. He Qingfeng is negotiating with two Brazilian companies, but there are some things that President Qiao has to decide personally, so he rushed over."

He Qingfeng is the director of Qiao Yongfeng's Bangcheng International Trade Corporation's office in São Paulo, Brazil, and also Qiao Yongfeng's plenipotentiary representative in Brazil.
"Oh... how did the talks go?" Fang Qingye asked.

"Both companies are working on it simultaneously, and I'm now involved as well. I've already sent you detailed information about both companies."

"it is good."

Fang Qingye and Qiao Yongfeng had previously agreed that this acquisition would still be a collaboration between the two companies.

Fang Qingye chatted with O'Anli for a while about the operations of the office and the Philgeri company. Brazilian farms have two harvests a year: soybeans are planted from September to November when the rainy season begins, and harvested from January to March of the following year; corn is then planted from January to March and harvested from June to September. Currently, it's corn harvest season, and the company will continue to purchase corn, but has not yet started exporting to China.

After chatting for a while, Fang Qingye hung up the phone.

After a moment's thought, Fang Qingye made another international call to Qiao Yongfeng, expressing her concern while also unable to suppress a few complaints: "Brother Qiao, Sister-in-law Tian Qian said you should come back and rest properly, why did you go to Brazil again? Why don't I go with you?"

"I originally planned to go with you, but I saw you were busy with Ele.me's IPO in Hong Kong recently, so I didn't bother you. Don't you trust me?" Qiao Yongfeng replied on the other end of the phone.

"Of course not, I'm mainly worried about your health."

"It's nothing serious. Besides, this trip is mainly about visiting these two companies in person. We'll just talk things out at the negotiating table. We're not going door-to-door collecting money." Qiao Yongfeng joked, "I was planning to call you about this. Now that you know, I'll send you the detailed information about the two companies so you can take a look."

"O'Anli said to send it to me."

"Okay, take your time looking at it. If you have any questions, call us and we'll find a time to have a video conference to discuss it."

"OK!

As the weather grew hotter at noon, Fang Qingye returned to her office after lunch, enjoying the air conditioning. She brewed a pot of cold-brewed tea in a sweet white glaze teapot with an incised orchid design that she had bought from Hong Kong, and read the materials sent by Ou Anli while drinking it.

Southern Harvest Agricultural Ltda.
Rio Grande do Sul, located in the south
Core assets and output:
Cooperative farms: We have long-term contracts with 38 family farms and medium-sized agricultural enterprises, and our cooperative relationships are solid.

Land area: Total contracted area of ​​44 Brazilian mu (approximately 17.6 hectares, 264 million mu).

Soybean production: The land has great potential, with an average annual output of 53 tons.

Corn production: The proportion of corn planted in the second season is high, with an annual output of 105 million tons.

Total operating volume: 158 million tons.

core advantages:

Stable profitability: Five consecutive years of profit growth, thanks to efficient logistics and a stable customer base.

Excellent location: adjacent to Paranaguá, Brazil's second largest grain port, logistics costs are 25% lower than inland areas.

Mature business model: The business model is traditional and the risks are controllable.

Potential disadvantages:

No growth potential: The production area is well-developed, land resources are scarce, and there is almost no room for expansion.

Orizonte Agroindustrial Ltda.
Core assets and output:
Cooperative farms: We have long-term contracts with 45 family farms and medium-sized agricultural enterprises, and our cooperative relationships are solid.

Land area: Total contracted area of ​​50 Brazilian mu (approximately 20 hectares, 300 million mu).

Soybean production: The land has great potential, with an average annual output of 63 tons.

Corn production: The proportion of corn planted in the second season is high, with an annual output of 123 million tons.

Total operating volume: 186 million tons.

core advantages:

Strategic location: Located in Mato Grosso state—Brazil's largest and most promising agricultural hinterland, with enormous room for expansion.

High-quality resources: The contracted farms have better soil conditions, and the soybean protein content is generally 1-2 percentage points higher than that in the south.

Potential risks:

Located in the heart of Brazil's interior, far from coastal ports, logistics costs are high.

Weak profitability: The company's profits are meager due to high logistics costs.

Outdated management: Family-style management is inefficient and requires a lot of effort to integrate.

……

Fang Qingye carefully reviewed the materials and then pulled up a world map to check the specific locations of these regions.

Finally, his gaze fell upon the port of Chanca in Peru.

(End of this chapter)