I can become stronger by paying salaries. I have one billion employees!

Chapter 536 You won't sell? Then I'll fight you for 7.5 billion US dollars! First meeting with the Cloning King!
"Boss, Mr. Chen from Senlian Capital has arrived!"

Maximilian's assistant knocked on the office door and addressed Oliver and Maximilian.

"Is it at the park entrance or downstairs in the building?"

Oliver stood up instinctively and casually asked in return.

"The park gate," the assistant quickly replied.

"Maximilian, come on, let me show you the youngest richest man in history."

Oliver was in a good mood and joked.

A German, a Frenchman, and a Temasek employee took the elevator and quickly walked out of the lobby on the first floor.

A completely black Maybach slowly drove up, followed by two Mercedes-Benz vans.

Xiao Li parked the car, got out first, and opened the car door for Chen Yansen.

Gao Weilin, Song Yuncheng, Huang Zheng, and their accompanying finance and legal staff filed out of the car, each dressed smartly and exuding composure and competence.

Among them were three foreign employees, each carrying a document bag; they were all experienced professionals at Senlian Capital, skilled in handling international affairs.

Eight security personnel dressed in black suits quickly spread out in a fan shape, tightly protecting the surroundings. Their eyes were sharp as eagles, and their demeanor was full of power.

Oliver and Maximilian stood still, instinctively straightening their backs.

His expression, which had been somewhat casual just moments before, had become much more restrained.

Even though Oliver had spent some time in China and had witnessed the grand displays of many super-rich people, he paled in comparison to Chen Yansen.

However, after considering the other party's identity, he thought it made perfect sense.

Chen Yansen stepped out of the car with a calm smile on his face and looked up at Oliver and the other man.

International King of Counterfeits!

A master of plagiarism who's even better at copying than Ma Wenteng!

He really wanted to bring the other party under his command.

But he knew in his heart that someone like Oliver, who only thought about making quick money, couldn't possibly settle down and work for someone else.

"Mr. Chen, I've long admired your name! Actually, during my time at Gaopeng, Zheng Yun mentioned your name. I never imagined that in just three years, Mr. Chen's business and wealth would grow like a snowball, getting bigger and bigger."

Oliver was all smiles, and he was extremely enthusiastic in front of his "sugar daddy".

It's worth noting that despite Lazada undergoing several rounds of financing, Rocket Internet still holds a 60% stake.

If this acquisition goes through, he will make a profit of $500 million.

Zheng Yun?

Chen Yansen quickly remembered that the other party was the marketing director of Gaopeng.com, and the two had previously collaborated on the FoxTao Super Cashback project.

He understood what Oliver meant.

Three years ago, Oliver copied the group-buying giant Groupon in Germany and named it "City Transaction".

Later, the project caught the eye of the founder of Groupon, who bought it for 14% of Groupon's shares, and Oliver joined Groupon as a result.

When Groupon later entered the Chinese market, Oliver and Ma Wenteng jointly invested in the establishment of the Chinese version of Groupon.com.

However, the project ultimately failed.

Oliver had no choice but to slink away from China and move on to Southeast Asia, Africa, and other places to continue his copy-and-paste operation.

Chen Yansen knew him, but had never met him.

"Oliver, it's a pleasure to meet you! I've heard of you before."

Chen Yansen looked at the other person with a smile and said.

Oliver chuckled dryly and said shamelessly, "Indeed, I have always had a great reputation in Europe, America and Asia."

He was completely unconcerned about his plagiarism, and even seemed to be proud of it, as if nothing else mattered as long as he could make money.

Germany's internet infrastructure was originally extremely weak, but it has been revitalized thanks to the development of rocket-based internet.

Employees who left Rocket Internet later founded companies that now account for almost half of the German internet industry.

It's no exaggeration to say that Rocket Internet is the Whampoa Military Academy of the German IT industry.

It has provided a continuous stream of cloning experts to the European internet community!
Chen Yansen looked at Oliver and thought to himself, "Given Oliver's style, he'll probably sell Lazada one minute and then go to Africa to start a new business the next."

After all, Oliver's business principle is rapid replication, not in-depth operation.

How much did Lazada lose last year?

Chen Yansen asked abruptly.

“5900 million US dollars,” Oliver replied with a smile, stating the truth.

His entrepreneurial strategy is to first select suitable role models, then hire young and high-quality managers with high salaries, then set rapid expansion and growth goals, and finally start the cycle of "financing → burning money to acquire land → financing".

As long as there is money, the project will continue until the funds are exhausted.

Loss?

He doesn't care!
Anyway, it's all investors' money that's being burned.

Chen Yansen chuckled to himself. The German in front of him was indeed both cunning and honest.

The two of them walked and talked.

Oliver initially spoke English, but upon learning that Chen Yansen also knew German, he immediately switched to his native language.

Maximilian, standing to the side, paused for a moment, then awkwardly touched his fingertip. He was French and didn't understand.

Not only him, but most of the people present couldn't understand it.

A few minutes later, Oliver realized that while speaking his native language was enjoyable, everyone except his secretary looked completely bewildered.

He gave an awkward smile and switched back to English.

He led Chen Yansen on a tour of Lazada's headquarters.

Because the office area was too small, with a total of just over 400 people, the group finished their tour in less than ten minutes and then entered a meeting room.

Oliver gave Maximilian a wink, and soon someone came over with a thick stack of documents, handing a copy to each of Chen Yansen and the others.

Chen Yansen casually flipped through the page, and the first page introduced Lazada's business coverage area in Southeast Asia, as well as core data such as daily orders, sales, average order value, and conversion rate.

This is a promotional document that covers financial and business information from the past few years.

Oliver certainly has considerable experience in selling companies.

Before Chen Yansen could speak, the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement were handed over.

Oliver unfolded a document and explained in detail Lazada's platform operations, supply chain management, and marketing model.

Maximilian was responsible for supplementing Lazada's data on user numbers, user growth trends, user activity, and user retention rates.

After listening, Chen Yansen asked for information such as the educational background and work experience of the Lazada team members.

"Based on Lazada's transaction volume, revenue, and gross profit margin, whether valued by price-to-earnings ratio, price-to-sales ratio, or user count, Lazada's valuation cannot reach $8.5 million."

After a long while, Chen Yansen put down the documents and began formal negotiations.

“Mr. Chen, Southeast Asia has a population of 6 million, and the e-commerce penetration rate is less than 10%. Lazada is in a stage of rapid growth, so it is natural not to use the conventional price-to-earnings ratio or price-to-sales ratio valuation method. According to the Series D financing, 10 billion US dollars is reasonable. I have already made concessions.”

Oliver paused for a few seconds before speaking slowly.

"After receiving its Series D funding, Lazada's growth rate has fallen short of expectations. It has made little progress in terms of the number of merchants on its platform, logistics fulfillment capabilities, and after-sales service. Given this lack of growth, why has its valuation risen to $10 billion?"

Chen Yansen asked back.

Oliver was speechless, because what the other party said was true. After a moment of silence, he asked bluntly, "What is Mr. Chen's bottom line?"

“7.5 million US dollars,” Chen Yansen said casually.

Oliver frowned slightly, about to refuse.

Then Chen Yansen said, "If you are unwilling to sell, I will use this 7.5 million US dollars to build Pinduoduo branches in Southeast Asia. Let's let our strength speak for itself."

The implication is that they either have to lower their prices or go head-to-head with Pinduoduo.

Fuck!
Oliver cursed under his breath. He had accepted Chen Yansen's bargaining, but cutting a hundred million US dollars off right off the bat was really unacceptable to him.

However, he had no intention of competing with Pinduoduo; otherwise, he wouldn't have considered selling Lazada.

"Mr. Chen, how about we compromise and set the price at 8 million US dollars?"

Oliver asked tentatively.

While speaking, he kept observing Chen Yansen's facial expressions and demeanor, but to his disappointment, the other party made very few subtle movements, and he could not get any useful information at all.

"7.5 million US dollars is the highest price I can offer."

Chen Yansen smiled slightly, unmoved.

Oliver frowned in thought; he wanted to raise the price, but he was also afraid that the negotiations would break down.

Competition in the Southeast Asian market is already becoming increasingly fierce, and Lazada's sluggish growth over the past two years has long made investors lose patience.

If it really gets targeted by a strong competitor like Pinduoduo, it's uncertain whether it can even survive the next round of financing, let alone maintain its current valuation.

$750 million is fine!
Compared to the company's initial investment, he can earn at least 30 times the return.

“Phew—” Oliver let out a long sigh, his tense shoulders relaxed, and then said, “I can agree to the price, but I have one condition: this deal must be completed within two months, and you must guarantee the stability of Lazada’s existing core team.”

Chen Yansen nodded: "No problem, we can clarify these details one by one in the contract."

Ensuring the stability of the core team is crucial for a smooth takeover of Lazada.

Even if Oliver hadn't said anything, he would have done it anyway.

After all, Lazada has been deeply rooted in the Southeast Asian market for many years, and its core team has a deep understanding of local consumption habits, market rules, and supply chain systems. Their experience is irreplaceable in the short term.

If the core team is unstable, even if the transaction is successfully completed, subsequent integration and operation will be difficult, and the best opportunity to seize the market may be missed.

Chen Yansen knew that Oliver made this condition not only to ensure a smooth transition for Lazada, but also to secure protection for the team.

In his view, as long as the ability is not a problem, he is willing to accept any job regardless of the person or the money.

Once the general direction is agreed upon, the subsequent details can be left to the legal and financial departments.

Next, Gao Weilin and Huang Zheng will stay at Temasek for a few more days to conduct a comprehensive review of Lazada's finances, team and human resources, business operations, and legal compliance documents.

$7.5 million is no small sum. Who knows if Oliver might be hiding something?

For example, the impending expiration of contracts with certain key suppliers, coupled with uncertainties surrounding renewal terms, could affect the stability of product supply and thus diminish Lazada's true value.

For example, whether or not local laws and regulations are followed, such as consumer rights protection laws, data privacy protection laws, and tax regulations, and whether there are potential legal disputes or risks of violation, will all have a significant impact on the transaction.

Once all issues are confirmed and Pinduoduo takes over Lazada's business, payments will be made in batches according to the contract requirements.

At 3 p.m., Chen Yansen left Lazada headquarters by car and headed towards 8 Stephens Road.

　Godfathers, Chapter 3 is still being written and will probably be updated before 2 a.m. Bosses, get some rest.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)