HCB Chapter 1353 I'm so envious!
Chapter 1353 I'm so envious!
Liu Meilan raised an eyebrow. "Why are you all looking at me like that? Am I doing something wrong?"
Qian Kun nodded, "Right, right! You got money and you scammed people! But aren't you afraid that if these people don't get the formula and it doesn't work, they'll retaliate against your researchers?"
Liu Meilan laughed and said, "Yes, there are, but they've all been caught and sent to jail! Anyway, I'm the kind of person who'll take any kind of money, especially money that comes to me like this."
Zhao Yong chuckled, "I was worried at first, but now I want to see if that kid ends up so poor he can't even afford pants."
Chen Jing rolled her eyes. "People like this are always thinking about crooked ways to make money. If they want to invest, they can buy stocks!"
Yang Hao was both amused and exasperated. "They're used to taking what they can get, how could they possibly be willing to invest their own money? Besides, even if he offered to take a stake, Meilan might not agree! The local State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission wouldn't want to share a chicken leg with a hen that lays golden eggs!"
Chen Jingshen agreed wholeheartedly, "That's true! I'm only an agent for a part of the northern region, and I'm already making a fortune. If I were to invest in the head office, it would be like finding a gold mine!"
Yang Hao nodded, "If you can't afford it and can't buy it, then stealing is the only option left, isn't it?"
Liu Meilan raised her glass, "Thank you for all the information you provided. I've also found quite a bit! I, Liu Meilan, only take what is legally rightfully mine, and I would never steal from others! Such behavior may be seen as very weak and easy to bully by many people."
The group exchanged bewildered glances. "If those people knew you, they would never have such thoughts!"
Liu Meilan laughed heartily, "I just didn't expect these people to resort to such despicable means! They wanted to slander me and frame me, but they didn't have enough evidence!"
Chen Jing shook her head. "Meilan, those people aren't really framing you; they just want to smear your reputation and bring shame upon you and the Liu family! They'll make you act more cautiously, like a frightened bird! Then they'll make some unreasonable demands, and to avoid conflict, you'll agree to them! This method has always worked for them!"
While Liu Meilan was chatting with a group of people from Beijing, several other people were drinking and chatting in a five-star presidential suite in Shenzhen.
"Brother Tian, with so many people asking about this, if we go to Sifang Island Investment Company now, it might cause trouble for our family."
Wu Tian took a sip of the wine. The spicy and mellow taste stimulated his taste buds and made his brain even more excited.
"Are you scared?" Wu Tian asked, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.
Zhou Xiang shook his head. "It's too frustrating to watch such a lucrative opportunity slip by! If we approach them directly, it'll give them ammunition. Why don't we just bribe their researchers? If they refuse, we can kidnap them, get their formula, and then acquire a cosmetics factory elsewhere. We can then hire big celebrities to endorse the products. Wouldn't that be a safer approach?"
Song Yan nodded repeatedly in agreement, "I just received a call from home warning me not to mess with the investment companies from all sides! If I dare to act recklessly, they'll break my legs!"
With such a wide-ranging inquiry and investigation, how could their families not know?
The investigation led them to their own connections, and they were subsequently warned. Some were even sent back immediately, forbidden from getting involved in these matters.
There used to be more than a dozen people, but now there are only 5 left, and they are not giving up.
Zhou Xiang nodded in agreement, "Yes, Brother Tian! The returns from the investment company's private equity funds are practically free money. But how could we possibly hand over such a golden goose?"
If the other party were wealthy but lacked power, they could simply demand it back. But since the other party is no less powerful than them, they backed down.
At this moment, Liang Huanhuan raised her glass, "Actually, you're overthinking things! Zhou Xiang said, 'If we get the secret formula, do you think others haven't tried it before? It's such a lucrative business, there are plenty of people eyeing it. Especially those foreign brands in the high-end market, they're facing pressure not only domestically but also internationally. They want the formula even more than we do, and they're offering much more money, so why haven't they gotten it?"
"This..." Zhou Xiang was taken aback. "There's a problem with the formula? Isn't the formula controlled by those researchers?"
Wu Tian frowned and looked at Liang Huanhuan, "If you have something to say, just say it. You've been in Shenzhen for so many years, you should know this place better than we do."
Under Wu Tian's gaze, Liang Huanhuan gave an awkward smile. "Yes, Brother Tian. I don't know about the secret formula, but I do know about pearls, which are the main raw material for skincare products. You've heard of Roland, the French brand. They set their sights on the South Sea pearls from Sifang Island when the Seven White Pearls first gained fame."
"They purchased seven-white pearls from farmers on Sifang Island through agents. Liu Meilan not only didn't stop them, but also provided them with certain conveniences. However, Roland Company only purchased them for one year, and stopped purchasing them the following year. This was because the pearls they purchased were the same as those Liu Meilan had purchased, but the results were not good. Not only did they waste money, but they also offended Liu Meilan. In the end, in order to continue cooperating with Liu Meilan, they had to raise the purchase price."
Upon hearing this, Wu Tian suddenly realized, "There's something fishy going on here. We don't know, maybe only Liu Meilan does."
“Yes!” Liang Huanhuan nodded. “If we rashly bribe the researchers and get the secret formula, and make the same thing but without the same effect, we will not only lose the cost, but also a large amount of compensation.”
Zhou Xiang was dumbfounded. "So cunning?"
“What do you think?” Liang Huanhuan retorted. “I’ve studied Sifang Island’s products. No matter what they produce, they are all outstanding among similar products. If you want to make this money, you should honestly invest. Because we are not only dealing with Liu Meilan, but also the state-owned assets behind her. I know you have connections in Beijing, but this is Shenzhen, the forefront of reform. Your old methods may not work.”
Song Yan scratched his head, "Liang Huanhuan, this won't work, that won't work. But are we just going to watch the fatty meat go uneaten? Then why did you invite us here?"
Wu Tian glared at Liang Huanhuan with hostility. "Speak quickly, I don't want to return empty-handed this time."
Liang Huanhuan chuckled, "Go talk to Liu Meilan directly. If they don't agree, our domestic market, or rather our exports, will be hindered."
Zhou Xiang thought for a moment, "We can't do it in the South, but we can in the North."
Song Yan frowned. "I can try to increase border checks. But if there are no problems, they'll let people through, at most delaying them by two days. Without strong measures, they'll break through this impasse very quickly."