Chapter 65: Pie in the Sky vs. Inviting a Wolf into the House

"Could it be that we are not successful enough?"

"Why are you unwilling to believe someone who has already succeeded?"

"Li Dongling will regret today's choice for the rest of his life!"

Li Wenjun's angry words at the entrance of the Dongling High-Tech office building quickly made it into the reports of major media outlets, and the reason for Li Wenjun's anger was also dug up by the media.

Or rather, there was no need for the media to dig at all; people inside the Sitong Group leaked to the media what Li Wenjun's purpose for coming to Dongling High-Tech was.

Subsequently, more sensational news was leaked, such as the Sitong Group wanting to spend as much as 300 million to acquire Dongling High-Tech, helping Dongling High-Tech complete its listing, etc. Each piece of sensational news was exposed by the media, causing a huge uproar.

Coupled with the fact that the Sitong Group was listed on the Hong Kong stock market, the news media reports once caused the Sitong Group's stock price to fluctuate.

The news reports from the Hong Kong media used even more eye-catching headlines, such as "Sitong Group Wants to Acquire Mouse King for 280 Million Hong Kong Dollars," "Mouse Wang Li Dongling Will Enter the Domestic Rich List," and other news headlines started to appear.

The Sitong Group's high-priced acquisition of Dongling High-Tech was already full of highlights. Once the news came out, many people thought, was the Sitong Group being too adventurous? Acquiring a technology company that was somewhat famous but had been established for less than a year for the price of 300 million was truly too risky.

Of course, there were also those who said this was Duan Yongji's keen eye for talent. If they could acquire Dongling High-Tech, the Sitong Group would have one more banner of domestic technology brands in its hands. The revenue this banner could bring to Sitong would far exceed the 300 million spent.

If it were just the news above, although it could be called big news in the technology industry, it was not enough to completely detonate public opinion in the country, Hong Kong, and even Southeast Asia.

But Li Dongling refused the Sitong Group's acquisition, and even refused the investment, which was too eye-catching!

That was 300 million! Many people wouldn't be able to earn a fraction of that money in their entire lives even if they didn't eat or drink. Putting it in the bank to collect interest would be enough to support several generations, yet it was directly refused by Li Dongling.

Refusing the acquisition was one thing, but not even accepting the investment, and that was when the Sitong Group proposed that they could help Dongling High-Tech complete its listing—this made many people feel it was inconceivable, and even produced the feeling that Li Dongling was the one who made the wrong choice!

Listing—not to mention listing on the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ, even completing a listing on the Hong Kong stock market or the A-share market—how many domestic companies broke their heads wanting to get in? Now, what was the standard for defining a company or a person's success? Completing a listing was one of the hard-core standards, and there was no "one of" about it!

"Li Dongling indeed missed an opportunity. I admit that Dongling High-Tech might be one of the most dynamic technology companies in the country right now, but if it cannot be listed, without the support of a large company like the Sitong Group, how long can it hold out against the impact of foreign brands?!

This is not only Dongling High-Tech missing an opportunity, but also the Silver Mink mouse, as a domestic technology brand, missing an opportunity!"

On the Finance Channel of CCTV-2, the invited guests were discussing today's hottest news. A professor from a finance college at a local university in Beijing was fiercely criticizing Li Dongling. Although he didn't say it explicitly, the meaning in his words was very clear: refusing the Sitong Group's acquisition and investment was absolutely a wrong choice made by Li Dongling.

"I often tell my employees, character determines destiny!"

Also as an invited guest in the TV studio, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, the sign in front of him showed that Qian Wanshan was the boss of an investment consulting company. The label on him was also a famous domestic investment consultant, the kind who charged fees to guide people on how to make money.

"I haven't had contact with Mr. Li Dongling, but from the incident of Dongling High-Tech's lawsuit with Microsoft, as well as this refusal of the Sitong Group's acquisition, we can also see Mr. Li's character. I want to say, being too rigid leads to breaking; impulsiveness, arrogance, and conceit will make people fall from a cliff like a car out of control."

Compared to that professor, Qian Wanshan was more direct, simply saying that Li Dongling was blinded by the lawsuit with Microsoft, to the point that he didn't even look down on a giant like the Sitong Group.

Now was an era of "success-only" theory. This phenomenon would last for more than a decade or even decades. As long as a person succeeded and their net worth was high enough, even if what they said or their views were strange, they would be interpreted and sought after.

And now, between Dongling High-Tech and the Sitong Group, who was more successful was obvious.

Li Wenjun's sentence, "The Sitong Group is already so successful, why don't you believe Sitong?" indeed couldn't be considered wrong in this era; it was even the mainstream view.

Just knowing from the direction of public opinion at this moment, after the news was reported, most of the media and external public opinion believed that Li Dongling's refusal of Sitong was too arrogant, and he didn't even know the immensity of heaven and earth.

"President Duan, this time I..."

Returning to Beijing, Li Wenjun, when meeting Duan Yongji, had a look of shame on his face. He originally thought that his trip to Pingyang to talk to Li Dongling about the acquisition and investment would basically be a sure thing, and he would be able to bring back a merit. Who knew he would hit a nail hard.

Facing Li Wenjun, who was the Vice Chairman of Sitong and also his confidant on the board of directors, Duan Yongji appeared very magnanimous, showing no signs of anger at all. Instead, he comforted Li Wenjun, "Wenjun, you worked hard this time. This matter can't be blamed on you. Who knew you'd run into a hot-headed youth!"

"Young people, if they haven't been beaten a few times, how can they know the immensity of heaven and earth? Wait until they are beaten until their heads are broken and bleeding; then they will know who is the one truly looking out for them!"

Duan Yongji picked up the tea set, poured a cup of tea for Li Wenjun, and said lightly, as if this matter was completely insignificant.

"However, young people sometimes should also receive some lessons. In the future, our Sitong's domestic companies, agents, including companies that cooperate with us, should be more cautious when cooperating with Dongling High-Tech!"

When Duan Yongji said this, it was plain and unremarkable, but hearing it in Li Wenjun's ears, he knew this was the Sitong Group wanting to target Dongling High-Tech. Not only the Sitong Group, but companies, distributors, and agents that cooperated with Sitong would all have to refuse to cooperate with Dongling High-Tech and refuse to sell Dongling High-Tech's products.

With Sitong's size and influence in the country, if they really put the word out that they wanted to target Dongling High-Tech, then whether other companies would cooperate with Dongling High-Tech would have to be weighed. Even distributors in computer malls across the country would have to consider whether to risk offending Sitong to sell Dongling High-Tech's products. Even the banks would probably have to be wary.

Duan Yongji needed to make a response. If he didn't establish his authority, in the future, anyone would dare to contradict him and use him as a stepping stone to fame. What kind of decorum would that be!

In Pingyang, Luo Junwu, who saw the news report in the newspaper, also couldn't help but feel a burst of regret when he saw Li Dongling refuse Sitong's cooperation. If Dongling High-Tech could rely on Sitong to complete its listing, it could truly be considered the largest technology company in Pingyang City. During his tenure, being able to have a listed private technology company would definitely be a heavy stroke on Luo Junwu's resume!

Picking up the phone at hand, he originally wanted to call Dongling High-Tech, but when Luo Junwu pressed the number, he withdrew his hand.

The Sitong Group had already been refused by Li Dongling. Calling Li Dongling at this time would be of no avail. If he still had a rift with Li Dongling, and Dongling High-Tech even moved away, that would be a loss that outweighed the gain. Luo Junwu could only slap his thigh and sigh in the end.

Yao Zhengru also saw the news report. However, unlike Luo Junwu's sigh, Yao Zhengru looked at the news report and not only did not sigh or feel disappointed that Li Dongling refused the Sitong Group, but was instead surprised by Li Dongling's courage. He felt that Li Dongling probably had some backup plan, which was why he refused the olive branch thrown by Sitong.

Yao Zhengru had been in contact with Li Dongling several times and often heard Yao Luoying mention Li Dongling. He knew what kind of character Li Dongling had. He wouldn't fight a battle he wasn't sure of. Daring to refuse the huge acquisition proposed by the Sitong Group meant he certainly had the confidence and believed that the value of Dongling High-Tech in the future would far exceed that 300 million RMB...

The outside world was just discussing it, but for the internal staff of Dongling High-Tech, the shock was even greater.

Li Dongling was the absolute major shareholder of Dongling High-Tech. No one within Dongling High-Tech could oppose what he decided. Regarding Li Dongling's refusal of Sitong's acquisition of Dongling High-Tech, the discussion wasn't loud; on the contrary, the discussion about Dongling High-Tech's valuation was constant.

From management like Hu Zixian, Yao Luoying, Zhang Ao, Gao Peng, and Chen Tao, down to supervisors and staff, everyone couldn't help but speculate about Dongling High-Tech's valuation and whether it would rise again in the future.

If Dongling High-Tech really wanted to be listed one day, could they get equity rewards and become hundred-thousandaires or even millionaires in one leap? Like Sitong and Lenovo, which was just listed on the Hong Kong stock market this year, the management's net worth had increased by dozens of times, and ordinary staff had received bonuses.

Regarding the various discussions, Li Dongling didn't care at all, but instead entered the laboratory again, wanting to develop the electronic pet machine as soon as possible.

As for refusing the Sitong Group's acquisition and investment, whether it was a loss or a gain, only time could prove it. At this time, whether it was regret or refuting the Sitong Group in the media, it would only be regarded as incompetent rage, being mocked by others. What was the point of wasting saliva?

But accepting the Sitong Group's investment now might not be a good thing. Not to mention that Dongling High-Tech hadn't reached the point of running out of money, even if they were short of money, was the Sitong Group's money that easy to take?

There was no such thing as a pie in the sky in this world. You covet their interest, but they want your principal!

Although Li Wenjun spoke eloquently, saying the Sitong Group was willing to agree to so many conditions, and after the investment, they wouldn't participate in Dongling High-Tech's management, wouldn't interfere with personnel, finance, etc., but once they really invested, it might not be the case, especially when the strength gap between the two sides was large. What might be drawn in was not an investor, but a hungry wolf! ===== CHAPTER 66 =====