While Yao Yuan and Yu Jiajia were struggling in the United States, Bai Yongxiang also arrived in Nigeria, where he was loyal.
Nigeria is Africa's largest economy and largest oil producer, with a population of 170 million. Bai Yongxiang, like most people, came to this mysterious continent with clarity and a hint of stupidity.
Looking down from the plane, he saw some tall buildings and spacious roads, which made him feel relieved, ah, this is a civilized world.
Then he got off the plane and when entering the country at the airport in Abuja, the capital, he was stopped by two customs officers.
"What are they going to do?"
"Check luggage?"
"Um?"
"There was a bomb attack a few days ago, and security checks are very strict now!"
The guide hired from China, a Nigerian businessman, grinned his big white teeth and explained in fluent Mandarin.
"Bomb attack?!"
Bai Yongxiang immediately trembled, looked around, and asked: "Is it common here?"
"Only once or twice a year. Abuja is very big and some areas are more dangerous. You know, there are no safe places in Africa, only relatively safe places."
The guide said a famous saying.
During the conversation between the two, the customs kept checking the luggage. Bai Yongxiang didn't pay attention at first, but the inspection took a bit too long.
"Excuse me, what's the problem?"
"Your stuff needs to be taxed!"
The customs pointed to the clothes in the suitcase, and Bai Yongxiang asked curiously: "How many clothes should I bring with me to pay tax?"
"Of course, you have to buy it at a local store!"
"But……"
The guide stopped him and muttered a few words. The official language of Nigeria is English, but there are several other ethnic languages, and he couldn't understand it anyway.
Bai Yongxiang saw the guide open his wallet, took out a few banknotes and handed them over, and the customs decisively let them go.
I wipe it!
Only then did he realize that this was blackmail!
"How much did you pay?"
"300 yuan, about 30,000 naira (Nigerian currency)."
"You are a local!"
"So what?"
"I can logically understand blackmailing foreigners, but they don't even let locals go?"
"I work for you now, and we are in the same team..."
The guide spread his hands and laughed at himself proudly: "This is Africa!"
Well! Bai Yongxiang had only been off the plane for an hour, and he had already fully experienced the vitality of this mysterious continent. When he walked out of the airport and saw the vendors openly selling fake certificates, he felt very calm.
Plus two assistants, a total of four people, we will find a hotel to stay in first.
There are many Chinese people in Abuja, some are investors, some are engaged in trade, and some open hotels, supermarkets, restaurants, etc. The group stayed at a hotel run by a Chinese owner, which can provide Chinese food.
But when you go abroad, you have to try the specialties. Bai Yongxiang had a set meal of Fufu (transliteration) + Egus soup.
Fufu is a large steamed bun-like staple food made from cassava.
Egus soup is pumpkin, melon, gourd and the like, dried and ground, plus palm oil, onions, peppers, locust beans, African crayfish, fish, chicken and other messy things, stewed in one big piece.
It turns into a mushy substance.
The standard way to eat it is to break off a piece of fufu with your hands and eat it with the paste...
There is a word called: acclimatized.
Bai Yongxiang is very thin and his physical condition is not good. Eating this thing is like picking his butthole with his hands - seeking death (shit)!
Scurrying around all night, its power is approximately equal to 10 Wallaces.
The next day, his legs were weak and his face was pale, but he still held on and went to Transsion's branch in Abuja. Along the way, he saw Transsion's influence in Nigeria.
Whether it is the building, the wall of a low house, or even the telephone poles, they are all painted with blue paint and painted with white words: Tecno!
Tecno is Transsion’s flagship brand in Africa.
"This is a marketing tool for the urban-rural fringe area. He is a character!"
Bai Yongxiang nodded frequently and was playing with two Transsion mobile phones in his hands. One was a smart phone with low specs and low performance; the other was a feature phone with four SIM cards and four standbys, and a high-spec, awesome Glass!
Because Nigeria's operators are weak, base station coverage is limited. A person may have to pass through the coverage areas of two or three operators from where he lives to where he works.
Therefore, some people often carry several mobile phones in their bags, one for each operator.
These four cards and four waits are a sure win.
What's more important is that they are all very cheap. A smartphone is about 450 yuan, and a feature phone is even more expensive, less than 100 yuan!
"The main focus is on exporting a copycat machine, with small profits but quick turnover, small capital, and insufficient capital..."
Bai Yongxiang sat in the car, already feeling the lifeblood of Transsion, and thinking about how to negotiate for a while. He had only talked on the phone twice before, and the boss of the other party said that he was in Nigeria. Bai Yongxiang didn't say that he would come, but he took action quietly.
, want to have a surprise.
In negotiations, this method is very effective, especially when the powerful party takes the initiative to show its attitude.
"arrive!"
The car stopped and Lao Bai looked around. He saw an ordinary small third-floor building, which was extremely old.
He staggered in and was met by a Chinese girl at the front desk. She asked in surprise: "Is there anything wrong with you?"
"I am Bai Yongxiang from Meizu!"
"Um?"
The little girl didn't react, but she quickly opened her mouth: "Meimei Meizu? Why are you here? No, I mean you want to see our chairman?"
"He said he was in Nigeria, so I came!"
Bai Yongxiang tried his best to show an attitude of being open-minded and looking at the thatched cottage. As a result, the little girl had a strange expression and said embarrassedly: "I'm sorry, the chairman has gone to Kenya!"
"..."
Lao Bai was in a daze for a while before he understood this sentence, and he was also a little confused: "He went to Kenya?!!!"
"Yes, our main focus is on the two markets of Nigeria and Kenya. He just left yesterday and will not come back for three to five days. Otherwise, you..."
The little girl was anxious and uneasy.
“How far is Kenya?”
Bai Yongxiang ignored her and asked the guide.
"It's not too far, it takes 5-6 hours by plane."
"Okay, let's go back first..."
The two of them came out and returned to the hotel first.
Bai Yongxiang really wanted to fly to Kenya again and continue to surprise the other party, but last night's egg soup was too strong, so he gave himself a surprise. Not long after returning, he started to feel dizzy, nauseous, and had a slight fever.
The assistant was so frightened that he rushed to the hospital.
Ruined!
Wasted!
Lao Bai lay groaning in the hospital, feeling that he was going to die young. He, who had always been honest and willing to work, couldn't help but curse Yao in his heart, who was happy in America.
…………
Zhu Zhaojiang was born in Fenghua, Zhejiang.
In the 1990s, I graduated from Nanchang Hangkong University majoring in mechanical and electronic engineering and joined Bird to be responsible for the sales of pagers - at that time, Bird was still making pagers.
Due to his outstanding performance, he quickly became the executive vice president, responsible for offline sales and overseas sales. He is a veteran.
Later, Zhu Zhaojiang resigned and founded Transsion by himself, landing in Nigeria and Kenya and entering the African market. The reason is very simple. The African market has low technical barriers and is relatively easy to get mixed up with.
This person was very good at business. He knew how to surround the cities from the countryside and adapt to local conditions. In later generations, he sold up to 156 million mobile phones a year, and his smartphone market share in Africa exceeded 40%.
Known as the King of Africa!
At this time, he had just flown to Kenya from Nigeria to inspect the operations here.
As a result, just one day after arriving, the branch office called and said that a man named Bai Yongxiang was looking for him...
Damn it!
Zhu Zhaojiang, who has always been calm and calm, almost lost his phone. He had called twice before, but he never expected that he would come to Africa to visit him!
………
Lao Bai spent a miserable day in the hospital, and his condition improved greatly. But as soon as his eyes rolled, he learned that the honest man had gone bad, and he had to endure another day.
This morning.
Bai Yongxiang ate some porridge, stood at the window of the ward and looked out. He could see the city center of Abuja, and suddenly he became sentimental.
Trouble at sea!
If Meizu enters the African market, it can do it, but it will have to build channels from scratch. Transsion's channels are very mature, and Zhu Zhaojiang is also a great talent in this area, so the best way is to invest or acquire.
Before he came, he thought about a lot of words, repeatedly considered and sorted them out, and when he was lying on the hospital bed, he was inspired again, thinking of NetDragon, which he killed last year, and the newly established Middle East business department.
What Yao Yuan means is to face the Middle East market as a whole industry and transplant various products, including games, to the Middle East to create a localized ecosystem.
Can the same be true in Africa?
E-commerce, games, music, videos... African people definitely need entertainment in their daily lives!
"Mr. Bai! Mr. Bai!"
While he was thinking about it, his assistant ran in and said, "Here we come!"
"Where are you?"
"Going upstairs!"
"Quickly, feed me!"
Bai Yongxiang went back to bed, tilted his head and leaned back, feeling weak and helpless for a moment. The assistant sat next to him and fed him half a bowl of porridge one spoon after another.
When Zhu Zhaojiang entered the door, he saw this scene.
The two formally met for the first time, and there was an inexplicable aura match. Bai Yongxiang was like a dying man seeing hope, his eyes suddenly lit up: "Mr. Zhu?"
"Don't move! Don't move!"
Seeing that he was about to get up, Zhu Zhaojiang hurriedly stepped forward and said rather complicatedly: "Mr. Bai, what are you...Oh, I really don't know what to say. I really didn't expect you to come to Nigeria."
"I was so entrusted that I fell down on this day. It is extremely embarrassing and ashamed!" Bai Yongxiang shook his head with a wry smile.
"what did the doctor say?"
"It's no big deal, I just can't adapt to the climate."
"Oh, please be careful, Africa is not as good as China."
On a special occasion, we got a lot closer when we first met. After chatting for a while, the assistant consciously went out and gently closed the door.
Bai Yongxiang still tilted his head, leaned back, and said with a look of exhaustion: "It was only when I came to Nigeria that I felt the influence of Transsion. I wanted to talk to you all night long, but unfortunately my health was not up to par.
If you don’t mind, can we have a brief chat?”
"Okay, you tell me!"
Zhu Zhaojiang pulled over a chair and sat on the opposite side.
"You know the reason why I'm here. I'm going to talk about the general plan. First, Meizu will buy shares in Transsion. The price will be discussed in detail. We must be the largest shareholder.
Meizu will set up an African business unit and enter the market as an independent sub-brand, and you will provide all your resources and channels. Meizu and Transsion will not attack each other and will work together to develop the market."
"..."
Zhu Zhaojiang raised his eyebrows. This condition was very harsh, but he did not refute it and continued to listen patiently.
"In addition to funds, we also provide products from the 99 series of large ecosystems."
"for example?"
“Do Africans like music?”
"Of course I do, they all rap when they talk!"
“Do Africans like to watch movies?”
"I like it, especially kung fu movies!"
"Then do they like to watch reality shows?"
"What are you..."
Zhu Zhaojiang was stunned.
“In terms of hardware, we have a 10-year smart life strategy to develop electronic products such as TVs, speakers, headphones, laptops, etc. I don’t need to explain the content, you must know it.
In short, we can launch African music streaming media, we can do cross-border e-commerce, and we can even sponsor TV stations and create a Nigerian talent show..."
Bai Yongxiang smiled weakly and said, "Don't tell me that you have no ambitions and only want to sell copycat phones in Africa your whole life?"
"..."
Of course Zhu Zhaojiang has ambitions, but his career has just reached a certain scale and he has not yet had time to show his ambitions.
99 suddenly came and accelerated the process suddenly.
He does not object to the introduction of capital, and he also knows how strong the 99 ecosystem is, but one code is one code, and he cannot give up his shares and must strive for the maximum benefit.
"Your terms are very tempting, but the matter is so big that I can't express my position now."
Zhu Zhaojiang thought about it and said: "I will return to China probably next month, and I will visit you then. How about we talk in detail?"
"sure!"
Seeing his attitude, Bai Yongxiang knew it.
After sitting for a while, Zhu Zhaojiang stood up and left.
"have they gone?"
"Let's go downstairs!" the assistant said.
Lao Bai sat up, refreshed, and called Yao Yuan directly: "It's done! It's not in vain for me to come all the way here."
"Of course you can take action, but I can't do it here. We have to wait until "Black Robe Picket" is launched to get the results."
"Then I'll go back to China first. By the way, how should I deal with the bank?"
"Don't worry about it. We have made it clear that we will not participate in NFC mobile phones. As for ICBC, you must let them underwrite it, otherwise we won't do it!"
"Okay, I understand."
As a result, Bai Yongxiang insisted on returning to China due to his busy domestic affairs, despite his illness, which greatly impressed Zhu Zhaojiang.
In the years to come, when history books are written, it will be a good story.
"Lao Bai went to Africa alone and decided to send the message before his bed!"
…………………………
"What can rule superheroes? Answer: Capital and media."
"So are the people of the motherland premature ejaculation men? It will be over in a few strokes!"
"Spider-Man tells us: with greater power comes greater responsibility. But have you ever thought about why there can't be 'with greater power, comes greater desire'? If I were a superhero, I would definitely want to control the world!"
"The core of this drama is not an anti-hero, but an anti-people. The symbolic characters are born from the people, are needed by the people, and are then borrowed to consume the people..."
A few days after "Black Robe Picket" was launched, the number of members increased again, reaching a peak of more than 1.7 million. However, everyone knows that when this month is over, there will definitely be a wave of unsubscriptions.
The IMDB score is 9.0, and the Rotten Tomatoes freshness rating is as high as 93%!
The broadcast mode of all 8 episodes in one go has been praised by most viewers, and it has caused a wave of discussion about anti-superheroes, anti-18 ban, violence, sexual desire, revenge, political metaphors, etc.
There are also criticisms, which are nothing more than pornographic and violent remarks.
No one cares.
American video websites have always been very confused when it comes to classification. At most, they put a label on the work: suitable for minors to watch, watch under parental guidance, suitable for adults to watch, etc.
But there is no point in labeling it. You can view it if you have an account. The uncertainty of account is too great.
Yao Yuan and Yu Jiajia had been staying for more than a month. When the results came out, they finally breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to leave for their return trip.
That night, hotel.
Yao Yuan had just finished talking to Yinyin on the phone, got dressed, and wanted to go to a movie as a farewell gift, but Yu Jiajia suddenly called: "Wang Jianlin invited us to dinner!"
"who?"
"Wanda, Lao Wang!"
"What are you eating for no apparent reason? Does it have anything to do with him? He is also in Los Angeles?"
"Oh, Wanda is acquiring the AMC theater chain. Now is a critical moment. He might come over to take charge. I heard that we are also here, so we came to socialize."
"Oh, let's go and have a look!"
99 and Wanda have no business conflicts except for entertainment. Yao Yuan has never met Lao Wang, but Yu Jiajia has met him at some film exchange activities.
Yao Yuan went out, met Yu Jiajia, and went to the hotel restaurant.
After waiting for a short while, a man came in, wearing a suit, walking with a long stride, and looking like a soldier. He looked at it for a few times, and then went straight to the table.
"Mr. Yao!"
"Mr. Yu!"
It was Wang Jianlin. His voice was very powerful and every word was clear. He held Yao Yuan's hand tightly and said with a smile: "I have wanted to meet you for a long time, but I never had the chance. What a coincidence this time, we are both in Los Angeles."
"
"I have also admired Mr. Wang's name for a long time. It is no coincidence that this book has been written. Please sit down, please sit down!"
The three of them were seated.
Lao Wang has not yet reached the peak of his career, nor has he been beaten down to a low profile in the future. His whole person exudes a strong upward spirit. He speaks and acts very directly, and he says straight away:
"I'm here to take a look at AMC's case. You guys are making a lot of noise. I've been here for a few days, and everyone around me is talking about your show."
"It's just a big scale. It relies on gimmicks to attract people. It can't be taken seriously."
He was so cheerful that Yao Yuan didn't pretend to be pretentious and asked directly: "AMC has been negotiated?"
"It's settled, we'll sign it right away!"
"congratulations!"
Yao Yuan bowed his hand and didn't care much.
There is something strange about this acquisition.
At the earliest time, Wanda claimed that the total price was US$3.1 billion, including US$700 million in acquisition costs, US$500 million in theater renovation costs, and US$1.9 billion in debt.
At that time, everyone thought that Wanda had acquired US$1.9 billion in debt, and everyone said it was a loss.
After the acquisition, AMC turned a profit in a short period of time, and its stock price soared. Later, Wanda withdrew, withdrawing US$1.476 billion and claiming to have made a profit.
At this time, he said that the 1.9 billion that was not taken over at the beginning was still AMC's debt.
Therefore, the outside world does not know how much money Wanda spent and what tricks were involved during the process.
The risk with this person was too high. Yao Yuan didn't want to have too many interactions with each other, so he just chatted casually. After hearing this, Yu Jiajia got interested and asked, "AMC has theaters all over the world. I remember there are two in Hong Kong, right?"
"Is there one in Hong Kong? I haven't noticed it."
"Yes, yes, we are one at Pacific Place, and we are at one city after another."
Yu Jiajia took advantage of the opportunity and said, "Mr. Wang, since we are so destined, let's discuss it. After you acquire it, how about you sell me those two theaters in Hong Kong?"