Looking at the test report, Wang Yanfeng felt overwhelming panic. His heart seemed to stop, his limbs went weak, and he could no longer control his body.
A complicated mix of disbelief, fear, dread, confusion, and other negative emotions churned through his mind. When he spoke, it was almost a groan, his voice trembling.
When Wang Yanfeng learned that Oupai and Zhongwei had replaced their high polymer optical film with FY-01, he had only felt a hint of threat. He had never believed FY-01 could truly replace their high polymer optical film. That was the technical confidence they had built up over the years. But now, this report shattered his established understanding. He had never imagined that FY-01, a material fresh off the line, would truly surpass their high polymer optical film across the board.
Almost instantly, Wang Yanfeng decided to impose the harshest sanctions on FY-01 and Fei Yang Optics!
"If Fei Yang Optics doesn't die, then we will!"
Wang Yanfeng immediately realized that if they did not react now, King Material would have no future.
Although he subconsciously knew that King Material could still survive, it was he, the domestic general manager, who would truly have no future.
But he did not mind exaggerating the consequences a little.
"Ah, ssibal!"
"Baka!"
The people from Tian Le Material and Tian Feng Chemical exchanged looks. Each saw the gravity in the other's eyes, and both silently cursed in their hearts.
They did not react as fiercely as Wang Yanfeng because Tian Le Material and Tian Feng Chemical were not the primary targets of Fei Yang Optics' new material. If they lowered their prices, they could still survive, though their profits would be much lower.
Of course, they also had to admit that action still needed to be taken.
Companies accustomed to enormous profits could never bear reduced profits. Employee salaries, benefits, machinery, and equipment all meant that they needed high profits to stay afloat.
So, when Wang Yanfeng asked the two companies what countermeasures they had, both gave the same answer.
"Start a price war!"
This move had never failed.
When many products could not yet be manufactured domestically, they sold them to China at high prices. Once domestic manufacturers could produce, or nearly produce, those products, they launched price wars to crush local companies, gain a monopoly over the products, then raise prices again and continue raking in huge profits.
Yet upon hearing this proposal, Wang Yanfeng hesitated.
But after thinking for a long time, with countless thoughts tumbling through his mind, Wang Yanfeng reluctantly agreed to the plan. Still, he added, "This is a major matter. Let's discuss it further."
After the people from Tian Le and Tian Feng Chemical left, Wang Yanfeng immediately threw the decision-making authority over the matter to King Material Company's headquarters in faraway Eagle Country.
What Wang Yanfeng had actually thought of was a sanctions plan, but after considering it, he decided not to mention it. He was still Chinese, after all. If he proposed that plan and someone exposed it later, he would no longer be able to get by in China. His countrymen would curse him to the skies, and his reputation would be utterly ruined.
Eagle Country, King Material Company headquarters.
"What the fuck?"
Michael Roman, King Material's chief executive officer, executive vice president, and board director, earned an annual salary of over eighteen million U.S. dollars and had a net worth of several hundred million. When he received Wang Yanfeng's email that morning at work, he could not help blurting out Eagle Country's favorite curse.
Michael Roman was sixty years old this year and still in his prime.
Well, presidents were already in their seventies and eighties. At sixty, he was practically still a young man.
Michael Roman found it hard to understand. Had Wang Yanfeng gotten water in his brain, sending him such a bizarre email? Was it April Fool's Day?
It was not until Wang Yanfeng called him again and explained everything in detail that he understood and confirmed that Wang Yanfeng had not lost his mind. A genuinely powerful challenger had appeared in China!
After ending the call, Michael Roman fell into a brief silence. He needed a moment to calm himself and let his understanding adjust to the facts.
Once he had sorted out his thoughts, Michael Roman immediately summoned the company's other two directors. One was Kevin Rhodes, the company's senior vice president and deputy general counsel, as well as King Material Company's president of intellectual property consulting and chief intellectual property counsel. The other was Susan Krier, the company's vice president and head of global business solutions.
"Kevin, I need you to investigate the patent situation of this Fei Yang Optics."
"Susan, assess a plan to acquire this company."
Michael Roman spoke simply and decisively. "I want a plan before the end of the workday."
He had great faith in Kevin Rhodes' professional abilities.
Before joining King Material Company, Susan Krier had held various leadership roles at the world's largest comprehensive payment company. She had led multiple acquisitions and possessed extensive experience.
"Understood!"
With their leader's orders, the two naturally got to work immediately.
Kevin Rhodes finished first, but his findings left Michael Roman deeply dissatisfied. He discovered that Fei Yang Optics' FY-01 had obtained a patent in China a month earlier, yet he had never heard anyone from the Chinese branch report any related information to him.
Michael Roman immediately became dissatisfied with Wang Yanfeng's business abilities.
Susan Krier also completed her plan and submitted it before the end of the workday, but the result left him equally dissatisfied.
Hua Long, Zhongwei, Qian Jia, and Di Guang were all Chinese companies listed in Hong Kong. Hua Long and Zhongwei had both reached market capitalizations exceeding one hundred billion; Qian Jia and Di Guang were somewhat weaker, but they had still surpassed ten billion in market capitalization. Converted into U.S. dollars, that was still over one billion dollars. They were no small fry.
King Material itself had a market capitalization of several hundred billion U.S. dollars, indeed more than the combined value of all four companies. But market capitalization was just market capitalization. It was impossible for one company to simply buy all four.
China would not allow it either!
Susan Krier gave her opinion. "Hua Long and Zhongwei will not allow us to acquire Fei Yang Optics. With Hua Long and Zhongwei backing it, Fei Yang Optics will not be easily swayed by our offer. The cost would be too high! King Material Company is not solely in the optical materials business. It is only a small part of our operations."
Michael Roman naturally knew that.
One hundred and twenty years ago, five young people founded King Material Company. At the time, China was still a ramshackle imperial dynasty that paid indemnities even to distant powers, while they had already begun research and development on various materials.
Today, King Material had developed more than sixty thousand products and released an average of over five hundred practical, reliable, advanced new products every year. Its reach extended into every corner of society: industry, chemicals, electronics, electrical equipment, communications, automobiles, aviation, healthcare, and more. According to some statistics, half the world's population used King Material's products directly or indirectly every day.
Among the Fortune 500 brands, King Material had remained in the top fifty for years!
Losing the market for one product might not seem to have much impact, but if such an advantageous product were casually abandoned, the company's revenue and profits would look terrible. The directors and shareholders would drown him in their spit.
Since there was no patent club to wield and an acquisition did not seem easy either, Michael Roman immediately made a decision. "Susan, contact Fei Yang New Material directly. The patent is in that young man's hands. We can see whether he has any interest. I'll arrange the rest."
"Understood. I'll contact him personally."
Susan Krier glanced at the photograph of the young man named Zhou Feiyu in the documents in her hand.
After she left, Michael Roman immediately called Tian Feng Chemical's chairman, Tian Feng Zhangnan. "Mr. Tian Feng, I think we need to discuss the sales of PI film in the mainland Chinese market..."
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