Rebirth in Hong Kong: From Dessert Shop to Industrial Empire

Chapter 184 Countermeasures (Seeking monthly votes, recommendations, and subscriptions!)
The next two days were uneventful.

Neither Li Jiacheng nor the Qingzhou Yingni board of directors made any move, as if the letter requesting an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders had sunk without a trace.

Chen Bingwen wasn't in a hurry. He was calculating the time; according to the three-day deadline stipulated in the procedure, there was only one day left.

The key is how the opponent plays their cards on this final day.

On the morning of the third day, Chen Bingwen had just arrived at his office when the phone on his desk rang. Before he could even ask if the board of directors of Aliqingzhou Yingni had replied, the phone had already been ringing.

"Chen Sheng, it's me, Li Weiming."

Li Weiming's voice came through the telephone line, but it didn't sound very joyful; instead, it carried a hint of suppressed disappointment.

"Hmm, is there any news about Michael Jackson?" Chen Bingwen asked directly, already having a premonition.

His team declined our endorsement offer.

Currently, Michael's affairs are mainly managed by his father, Joe Jackson, and a professional management team.

They were very strict about protecting Michael's image, requiring that the brands he endorsed must conform to a 'high-end, international' positioning.

At this point, Li Weiming paused, then added somewhat angrily, "They believe that our functional beverage brand image does not meet this standard."

This result wasn't too surprising, as Michael's team was known for their arrogance at the time.

Chen Bingwen paused for a moment, then asked, "Have they proposed any other possibilities for cooperation?"

No. Their attitude was very clear; they refused outright.

Joe Jackson didn't even meet with us in person; he just sent a message through his agent.

Li Weiming said indignantly.

“Okay, I understand.” Chen Bingwen’s tone was calm. “This is not your problem.”

They have high standards now and look down on us.

Since this path is blocked, let's try another one.

Even without Michael Jackson, we can still build our market.

Michael Jackson's future superstar status is beyond doubt, but Chen Ji is not at the point where he absolutely has to beg him.

Since negotiations have failed, let's try another approach.

Without Butcher Zhang, are we just going to eat hairy pigs?
He paused briefly, then continued, "Since the Michael Jackson path isn't working, let's try another one."

You immediately adjust your strategy and implement the second plan.

“Please speak, Mr. Chen.” Li Weiming immediately perked up.

"First, go to Minnesota immediately and find a singer named 'Prince'."

He released his debut album "For You" last year, which is very avant-garde and unique, blending funk, rock and pop. Although he is not as famous as Michael now, I am very optimistic about his potential and unique stage presence.

His musical style is more unconventional and sexier, which may actually better align with the core brand message of "Pulse"—breaking conventions and unleashing energy.

Try to contact him and discuss an endorsement deal.

If the endorsement fee is too high or he himself is not keen on it, start by sponsoring his tour, getting 'Pulse' featured backstage at his shows and in promotional materials.

Chen Bingwen chose Prince because this musical prodigy is about to rise to prominence, and his unique image and musical style will sweep the globe in the coming years, becoming a pop icon that rivals Michael Jackson.

Buy now for low costs and high returns in the future.

Rolling Stone magazine once ranked the 100 greatest artists of all time, with Michael Jackson at number 35 and Prince at number 27.

"Second, we will simultaneously launch promotion through ground channels."

In New York and Los Angeles, we're seeking partnerships with top-tier discos and nightclubs, offering them free of charge to renowned DJs, dancers, and active patrons.

These people are trendsetters among young people, and their opinions can quickly drive consumption trends.

At the same time, we contacted major fitness centers and gyms, especially high-end venues where professional bodybuilders and body shaping enthusiasts gather, to offer free samples and distribute our products through various channels.

University students are a major potential consumer group for energy drinks. Brands can directly contact bars near university campuses or go through student unions to offer discounts or even free samples to students throwing parties, quickly building brand awareness and reputation among young people.

Chen Bingwen's strategy is clear: if a high-end image is not feasible for the time being, then start with the most down-to-earth scenarios that require a quick refresh and energy boost, and open up the market with solid product strength and precise channel penetration.

"Push these two things forward simultaneously, don't wait."

It would be best if we could sign the prince, but if not, we should at least establish the distribution channels first.

We need to establish brand reputation and consumer habits among our target consumer group in North America in the shortest possible time.

To prepare for the next step, we will leverage the extensive distribution channels of Coca-Cola and Pepsi to conduct large-scale distribution as preliminary preparation and market groundwork.

Chen Bingwen said very decisively.

At this point, six months had passed since Coca-Cola opened up its franchised bottling plant channels.

It has been more than a month since Pepsi opened up its sales channels.

However, sales of Pulse energy drinks in North America remained lukewarm. Faced with this situation, Chen Bingwen knew that he had to break the current stalemate as soon as possible.

"Understood! I will immediately arrange for people to split up and take action."

Li Weiming answered crisply and decisively.

“Also,” Chen Bingwen added, “I recently read in the newspapers that the NCAA basketball finals are generating a lot of buzz. Michigan State’s ‘Magic’ Magic Johnson and Indiana State’s Larry Bird are two very impressive rookies who are attracting a lot of attention.”

They will all participate in the NBA draft this year.

You could try contacting them or their team to see if there's a possibility of collaboration.

Li Weiming asked with some doubt: "Mr. Chen, the NBA's overall image is not good right now. There have been some drug scandals within the league, and its commercial value is at a low point."

Will contacting NBA rookies at this time negatively impact our brand image?

"It is precisely because we are in a slump that the cost of cooperation is low." Chen Bingwen pointed out incisively, "Johnson and Bird are both very distinctive, their matchups are very compelling, and I am optimistic that they can change the image of the league in the future."

Let's get to know each other first and stay in touch.

Even if they can't sign her now, she can be kept as a potential future spokesperson.

Their image is healthy and hardworking, which actually aligns well with the functional attributes of 'Pulse'.

"Okay, Mr. Chen, I understand."

I will send someone to make contact and investigate.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Bingwen leaned back in his chair.

It's a bit of a shame that they couldn't sign Michael Jackson, but supporting Prince, who is on the rise, might be more cost-effective, and the brand fit might be more unique. However, all of this needs to be proven over time. Even if he has memories of his past life, there's no guarantee that having Prince endorse Pulse energy drink will achieve extraordinary results.

After all, a large proportion of the songs written by the singer Prince involve sex.

Prince was named one of the "15 dirtiest songs in the world" by an organization.

However, since it's already decided, there's no point in hesitating; at worst, we can just change the spokesperson.

Thinking of this, he checked the time and found that it was already 10 a.m.

He pressed the intercom button and asked his secretary, Ali, to invite Vincent Fang and Ling Peiyi over.

Even now, Li Jiacheng and the board of directors of Qingzhou Yingni have not made any response.

However, no matter what they do, they cannot change the fact that Vincent Fang and Ling Pei-yi have entered the board of directors of Qingzhou Yingni.

Chen Bingwen planned to call the two over to discuss how to deal with potential difficulties they might face after joining the board of directors of Qingzhou Yingni.

A few minutes later, Vincent Fang and Ling Peiyi walked in one after the other.

"Chen Sheng, you're looking for us?" Fang Wenshan asked.

"Hmm." Chen Bingwen gestured for them to sit down. "I called you here mainly for two things."

First, in the US, negotiations for a Michael Jackson endorsement fell through.

Upon hearing the result, both Vincent Fang and Ling Pei-yi appeared slightly surprised.

But seeing Chen Bingwen's calm expression, one knew he must have something to say next.

"However, I have already instructed Li Weiming to adjust the strategy and contact a new singer named 'Prince,' while focusing on channel promotion and penetration into campuses and gyms."

Chen Bingwen gave a brief explanation, then changed the subject, "The second thing is Yingni in Qingzhou."

We sent our letter requesting to join the board two days ago, and today is the deadline.

But regardless of whether they return today or not, according to our shareholding ratio and the company's articles of association, it's only a matter of time before they join the board of directors.

The reason I called you here is to discuss what strategies and attitudes we should adopt after joining the board of directors of Qingzhou Yingni.

In particular, regarding potential actions by Cheung Kong Holdings, we need to reach a consensus in advance and study countermeasures.

Fang Wenshan hesitated for a moment before speaking first: "Mr. Chen, according to the information revealed by Huoduoli, the board of directors of Qingzhou Yingni should have already held a meeting."

Li Jiacheng seemed somewhat surprised by our sudden increase in shareholding to 20% and our demand for a seat on the board of directors, but the reaction was not intense.

Their current attitude seems more like a wait-and-see approach, or a desire to stall and see how we react.

Ling Peiyi agreed, saying, "According to procedures and regulations, they must give a formal response to our request and arrange a meeting within the stipulated time."

It can't be delayed for long.

I suspect they are more likely to respond at the last minute or resolve the situation in other ways.

Chen Bingwen nodded. "Li Jiacheng is a smart man. He won't stubbornly insist on such procedural issues."

I suspect he will likely employ a 'retreat to advance' strategy.

Fang Wenshan said thoughtfully, "To retreat in order to advance?"

You mean he'll agree to let us join the board?

"It's highly likely," Chen Bingwen analyzed. "His inflexible refusal to respond will only make him seem petty, and it's also procedurally untenable."

He is more likely to agree readily on the surface, or even take the initiative to show goodwill by giving up one or two seats.

This way, we can keep him calm and avoid creating procedural problems for him by abusing our shareholder status when he has other important matters to attend to, such as requesting a special shareholders' meeting to consider certain urgent proposals, thus diverting his attention.

Ling Peiyi immediately followed up on the line of thought: "And then? He definitely won't genuinely welcome us."

"Then, he will definitely try to 'outmaneuver' us," Chen Bingwen said with certainty. "For example, he will propose some proposals that sound high-sounding and in line with the company's long-term interests, but are extremely time-consuming and energy-intensive."

They dump these tedious tasks, which don't yield immediate results, on us new directors, dragging us into the quagmire of specific matters and wasting our time and attention.

Meanwhile, he continued to quietly acquire shares in the market, or further consolidate his control through other means.

Upon hearing Chen Bingwen's analysis, Fang Wenshan and Ling Peiyi's expressions turned serious.

This gentle yet effective strategy is indeed a common tactic used by seasoned businessmen like Li Jiacheng.

"So how should we deal with this?" Fang Wenshan asked. "We can't really get bogged down in these trivial matters."

After a moment's thought, Ling Peiyi suggested, "Mr. Chen, Director Fang, I believe our core objective is not to participate in daily operations."

We want the future value of that land, as well as voting rights at crucial moments, especially the right to veto major issues.

Therefore, our strategy should be: maintain our presence, but avoid deep involvement in day-to-day operations.

Chen Bingwen nodded approvingly: "Director Ling has hit the nail on the head."

Director Fang, what are your thoughts?

Fang Wenshan chimed in, "I agree with Director Ling's opinion."

In addition, I believe that for operational proposals that do not involve core interests, we should, in principle, express our support or even second them to show a cooperative attitude and lower their guard.

However, when it comes to the disposal of core assets, especially major matters such as the Hung Hom Hok Yuen Street plot, the issuance of new shares, significant financing guarantees, mergers and acquisitions, etc., which may dilute equity or seriously affect asset value, voting rights must be exercised resolutely, and veto rights must be used if necessary, and reports must be made to Mr. Chen in a timely manner.

“Very good,” Chen Bingwen continued, “However, we can’t always be on the defensive.”

If we are targeted by Cheung Kong Holdings in the board meeting, we must take the initiative to retaliate.

"Director Ling, you are in charge of preparing a proposal." He looked at Ling Peiyi: "The proposal is that, based on the development of the Hong Kong Island real estate industry, the wet process cement production technology of Qingzhou Yingni is outdated, and it is recommended to carry out technological transformation and replace it with a new dry process cement production line."

Dry process technology can reduce cement production costs by 20%, while also reducing energy consumption and pollution, and improving efficiency and product quality.

This proposal is in the best interests of the company and demonstrates our commitment as the second-largest shareholder.

We can use this issue to divert their attention.

Ling Peiyi immediately understood: "Understood, Mr. Chen."

I will prepare the relevant materials and feasibility analysis for this technology upgrade proposal as soon as possible.

Fang Wenshan laughed and said, "Chen Sheng's idea is really great. Technological progress and cost reduction are the hard truths, and it will be difficult for them to openly oppose it."

Even if they delay or create obstacles, we can still demonstrate our sincerity in driving the company's progress to the board and minority shareholders.

(End of this chapter)