Rebirth 05: From Coal Mine Owner to Mobile Phone Tycoon

Lu Yuan raised his hand in greeting.

The third brother took out a briefcase containing a stack of contracts. After looking at it, he divided it into three piles and placed them on the table in front of Lu Yuan.

When the distributors saw this stack of documents, their faces turned green.

"President Lu..."

"What, do you all think I, Brother Lu, have been too lenient with you? Want to taste my fists?"

The second brother stood behind Lu Yuan and clenched his fist, which was as big as a sandbag.

"Second brother, when you're talking to these bosses, tone down your gangster-like attitude. We're all civilized people here."

Lu Yuan spoke up to stop him, and the second brother could only reluctantly withdraw his fist.

The distributors present subconsciously swallowed.

I'm giving you three choices.

Lu Yuan pointed to the documents in front of him.

"The first option is for you to voluntarily transfer all your sales channels, including stores, agency rights, and various levels of distribution agents. I will pay you a transfer fee based on the current market valuation."

"Boss Lu, this..."

Just as the distributors were about to speak, Lu Yuan waved his hand, telling them to wait.

"Hey, don't rush, let me finish speaking first, then you can say what you want."

"The second option is for you to voluntarily transfer half of your sales channels, but I will only pay 20% of the market price. The difference will be offset by your compensation."

"My brothers know exactly how many phones they bought from you these past two days. The contracts are signed, and they won't be coming to ask for compensation anymore. Of course, I won't pursue your previous underhanded tactics either."

Seeing the confusion on the faces of the distributors upon hearing about the compensation, Lu Yuan thoughtfully added an explanation.

"For this last option, you don't need to transfer your sales channels, and I'll also give up seeking compensation from you."

Upon hearing this, the distributors perked up immediately, looking at Lu Yuan with expectant eyes, hoping he would show leniency and spare their lives.

But would Lu Yuan let them off so easily?

Obviously not

"But," Lu Yuan paused deliberately, waiting until everyone's attention was on him.

"This requires you to voluntarily transfer 30% of your company's shares to Tiangong Electronics Manufacturing Company. Note that this is a gratuitous transfer."

"If you choose this third option, after the contract takes effect, I, as the owner and actual controller of Tiangong Electronics Manufacturing Company, will automatically become a shareholder of the companies represented here today."

"This means that from now on we're all one family, so there's no point in talking about compensation anymore. Plus, our high-quality phones will be sold in your stores."

"This is a win-win situation, good for me and for everyone, so personally, I hope everyone will choose the third type of contract."

"Of course, it also depends on everyone's thoughts. It's entirely voluntary. I'll give you 15 minutes to consider."

"Second brother, come out for a smoke with me."

After saying that, without waiting for their reply, Lu Yuan led the second brother out of the private room. If there were any problems, the third brother could stay behind, which would be enough.

In March, people on the streets of Shenzhen were already wearing short sleeves. This was unimaginable for Lu Yuan and his brothers, who had lived in the north for many years. Being able to take off their cotton-padded clothes in March was already considered a mild winter, let alone wearing short sleeves.

It has to be said that the weather in Guangdong Province in March is really good.

Upon reaching the roadside, the second brother took out a pack of cigarettes, opened it, handed one to Lu Yuan, and lit it for him.

"Hey second brother, why have you switched to smoking cigarettes?"

The second child looked a little embarrassed and scratched the back of his head.

"Oh dear, I was just coughing from something else."

Lu Yuan kicked the second brother in annoyance.

"Smoke if you want. We're not like we were when we were just starting out, with our pockets emptier than our faces. We used to share cigarettes. Why are you talking like those street thugs?"

The second brother gave an awkward laugh and changed the subject rather stiffly.

"Hey, Brother Lu, do you think these people will actually sign the contract?"

Lu Yuan exhaled a deep puff of smoke, watching it slowly dissipate into the air.

"It's hard to say. The methods we used to force them to submit weren't particularly sophisticated, but they were effective in the short term. Otherwise, Zhou Liren wouldn't have fallen for it."

"But just as we countered their move, they can use the same method to counter ours, only it will cost them much more time and money."

"So the best option for them is to choose the third contract. They won't have to worry about compensation or a ruined reputation, and our high-quality phones will also be sold in their stores."

"It is foreseeable that with the hot performance of our mobile phones in the market, their store turnover will definitely increase significantly, and at the same time, the reputation and brand awareness of their sales channels will also improve."

"What I fear most is that some people fail to recognize reality, yet believe they possess some prestige and strength, and try to incite others to fight us to the bitter end, regardless of the cost."

"But there's no need to worry too much. I'll play the bad cop to put pressure on them, while the third brother will play the good cop to soothe their emotions."

"I believe most people are smart enough that even if a few don't sign in the end, it won't have much of an impact on the overall situation. They'll just have to come back and do something with us again at some point in the future."

"We've just gained a foothold, our business is just starting, and with our current weakness, a smooth little combo will leave them defenseless."

"Not to mention in the future, when offense and defense will be easy, the enemy can go there, and so can I."

"Brother Lu, if you ask me, don't waste your breath on them. I'll just take my men and teach them a lesson. Whether they want to sign or not, they'll all have to sign."

Lu Yuan rolled his eyes at his second brother, annoyed.

"How many times have I told you? Tune yourself out of that thuggish attitude. We're in Guangdong Province now, not your hometown in Shanxi Province."

"You think this is like two villages fighting over a water source? Everyone gathers their forces, grabs their weapons, and they fight it out. Whoever wins gets to decide."

"If you really did that in Guangdong Province, let me tell you, the very next day! The very next day someone would have taken you into custody, and even if your big brother is rich, he couldn't get you out of it, believe it or not."

"I believe it, I believe it, I'm willing to..."

As they were talking, the second brother suddenly noticed three people with undisguised anger on their faces coming out of the restaurant and walking straight past Lu Yuan and his companion, as if they had completely ignored their presence.

They walked up to a black Audi A6, got in, and drove off.

Of the three, two were around 40 years old and wore well-fitting tailored suits, giving them the style of bosses of this era.

The remaining person had gray hair and looked to be at least fifty-six years old. He was wearing a long robe, the material of which was unclear, but the overall style was simple and elegant, giving the impression of someone who had been in business for generations and had a deep-rooted background.

"Hey, Brother Lu, these three seem to be from one of those distributors from earlier. What are they doing here?"

Lu Yuan casually stubbed out his cigarette and threw it into the trash can next to him.

"Alright, stop guessing. It looks like there's an answer inside. Let's go in."