Chapter 486 - 294: Lin Chu’s Flamboyance and Shenanigans, Buying Out the Auction

Chapter 486: Chapter 294: Lin Chu’s Flamboyance and Shenanigans, Buying Out the Auction

The first was to acquire subsidiaries individually, finding the right opportunities and methods to bring these business segments into the fold one by one.

The second was to target the parent company’s stock, nibbling away and then swallowing it whole by buying up shares bit by bit.

The former was about acquiring blocks of business.

The latter was a continuous thread of acquisition.

However, neither of these two methods was easy.

For the former, even if the parent company was willing to sell, they would certainly start by offloading their poorly performing brands.

As for the latter, in the capital markets, the moment you made a move and your intent to acquire was exposed, the stock price would likely skyrocket. The amount of capital needed to secure a controlling stake could very well multiply several times over.

What’s more, money wasn’t even the most important factor.

For this kind of mega-merger, the factors with the greatest impact were actually nationality, as well as heritage and cultural identity.

On the nationality front, the deal could be vetoed by higher powers.

On the heritage and cultural identity front, if the owner changed to someone from China, consumers might not accept it.

Even if you spent a fortune on the acquisition, the whole thing would be a failure if consumers didn’t approve.

Not only would it destroy these renowned brands, but it would also be a massive personal loss.

’So annoying...’

Yang Huixian ran through the entire logic again, scratching her hair in agitation.

’That bastard Lin Chu!’

’He’s out there living it up, leaving me here to fry my brain!’

Grumbling resentfully, she picked up her wine glass and took a large gulp. After collecting herself, Yang Huixian sank back into her thoughts.

Her fingers CLACKED away on the keyboard as she recorded her flashes of inspiration in a document.

The legitimate path was certainly the primary direction for this endeavor.

But there were other, more underhanded methods as well.

’A bit shameless, perhaps.’

’But this is high-stakes business warfare... Who needs to save face?’

"First: poach their executives. A fortress is best breached from within. Know your enemy and know yourself."

Yang Huixian typed the first point into the document.

While a luxury brand’s platform was certainly crucial, its elite executives were not to be underestimated.

"Second: negative PR and marketing campaigns."

Take, for instance, the recent viral incident in China involving a Maybach with a plastic rain cover. For a luxury brand, that was an absolutely fatal blow to its image.

A good reputation takes years to build, but a bad one can be cemented by just a few landmark incidents, creating a massive impact.

Waging wars in public relations and public opinion was an indispensable part of building a luxury brand.

If her own company could gain an edge here, it would be like a sharp sword, useful for both shorting their rivals and boosting themselves.

Moreover, this was akin to building up one’s foundational strength.

"Third: intangible cultural heritage, tying it to patriotic sentiment..."

Yang Huixian instinctively thought of this. She typed out the line, hesitated, then deleted it. But after another moment of contemplation, she typed it back in.

This was a powerful weapon, a double-edged sword.

If a marketing strategy like this backfired, the price would be absolutely devastating.

Besides, Yang Huixian didn’t think this would strongly appeal to the main customer base of luxury goods—the wealthy. Otherwise, so many of them wouldn’t be choosing to emigrate.

She couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.

’It feels like I’m only now touching the true core of this acquisition.’

’It’s really about cultural confidence on a national level.’

’Only when your country is number one, the top dog, will its products achieve a global consensus as luxury goods.’

’Like the silk, tea, and porcelain of the Golden Tang Dynasty...’

She pursed her lips, her gaze turning to the window, lost in thought.

’Come on, Motherland, you’ve got to get your act together!’

’If you do, this whole thing will be twice as easy!’

But this sort of thing couldn’t be rushed. For now, the only option was to follow the conventional path, build things up slowly, and wait for a favorable wind.

’In any case, first things first—get the Dubai store open!’

Yang Huixian made up her mind and immediately began to work out the various details.

An unexpected sense of mission even began to stir quietly within her heart.

’Someone has to do this job, right?’

’If not now, then in a few years, a decade, or even a few decades, it’ll still have to be done.’

’As long as humanity exists, as long as commerce continues, as long as people still desire luxury goods, the demand will always be there.’

She was inexplicably reminded of a passionate saying.

’Success need not be mine.’

’But I must be a part of its success.’

With that thought, her perspective suddenly broadened, and she felt filled with fighting spirit.

...

After a joyous party on the yacht, Lin Chu was completely wiped out by four in the morning.

He had never partied this hard before.

He had to admit, the Little Prince, rich as Croesus, really knew how to party.

Even at this hour, the Prince was still insisting they go to the desert to watch the sunrise. They would take a helicopter, he said, and chase the horizon to see the very first ray of dawn.

Lin Chu smiled and politely declined.

Rashid didn’t insist, merely expressing his regret.

Fortunately, Lin Chu was staying for a few more days, so there would be plenty of time later.

「The next day.」

Yang Huixian was scouting suitable locations for the store.

Lin Chu and Lu Ming continued to eat, drink, and be merry with the Little Prince. The Prince didn’t even bother with work; he just came straight over after waking up.

It was another day of extravagance.

Yang Huixian didn’t say anything about the men’s wild partying. ’Let them have their fun.’

’She could just consider it "client relationship management."’

’If they were opening a store here, getting help from a Prince—even one from a collateral branch of the family—would be a huge advantage.’

’Besides, it wasn’t like she could control Lin Chu anyway.’

’He had clearly decided to completely let loose.’