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With Changhong Company as the host, several major companies in Daxia Country's television industry had gathered for a meeting that would determine the fate of the entire home appliance sector.

In Changhong Company's small conference room, everyone present was a company president or director—figures who practically embodied their companies' will.

Behind each of them, their company's entire board of directors was watching closely. Whenever an important decision had to be made, they could call in and hold a video conference with the board at the highest level.

The meeting began with a director from Changhong Company rising to speak.

Dressed in a suit and already past fifty, the Changhong director got straight to the point.

"The Phantom Projector's powerful performance should already be clear to everyone. This is a crisis that will determine whether the television industry lives or dies. If we get through it, we can keep making money. If we don't, most of our companies may soon be swept away by the tide of history.

"Well, I won't waste time with more pleasantries. I'm sure everyone here whose company's main business is television manufacturing has already experienced the catastrophic drop in sales and the frightening losses their companies are suffering every day.

"I'm sure we've all tried every solution we could think of."

As the Changhong director spoke, the other company executives listened in silence.

"Cutting prices won't work. Consumers won't choose a hundred-inch television unless it costs just a few hundred yuan. But selling one for a few hundred yuan would mean taking a loss—a massive one. I doubt any company is willing to sell at a loss.

"And while we're producing projectors too, ours can't even display properly under bright light. Their resolution and clarity are nowhere near the Phantom Projector's. That path is closed as well.

"We've tried to figure out how the Phantom Projector achieves such excellent results, hoping to reverse-engineer it. But several months have passed, and not one company has announced that it's mastered the same technology. Nor has anyone produced a product with comparable performance and price.

"It's easy to see where that path leads: the same dead end.

"As for negotiating with Shenma Technology Company over cooperation, technology licensing, and the like, I'm sure everyone has already tried. There's no need to discuss the results.

"If any of you had succeeded, word would have gotten out by now. You wouldn't be here attending this meeting.

"Everyone, with our companies' survival at stake, our wishful thinking has already come to an end. Our only chance of surviving is to make one final all-out effort. I'm sure you all understand that.

"Changhong Company has come up with a solution, and it's the same old one: pay up!

"But this isn't a small sum. It's more than any one company can afford. We need to offer Shenma Technology Company's Ning Yifan a sky-high price he can't refuse!

"That's why we called this meeting. We've already offered Ning Yifan our highest bid when we were able to reach him before: one hundred billion Daxia Coins.

"One hundred billion is almost the limit of what our company can raise, but he still rejected it.

"He's smart. Compared to the profits to be made by monopolizing the entire television industry, that sum isn't much. Given Shenma Technology Company's demonstrated capabilities, it would only take a few years to earn that much.

"But what if we offered ten times as much? Five hundred billion, or even one trillion!?"

At this point, the Changhong director paused, then smiled.

"That's almost half a lifetime's worth of earnings from the Phantom Projector. And now, all he has to do to get it is sell the whole company!

"He wouldn't have to work hard for any of it. I don't believe he could possibly turn down that offer!

"Of course, if he really does, then we should all start looking for new jobs as soon as possible.

"So the main purpose of this meeting is to raise the money. How much each company contributes will also be an important factor in determining our respective shares in Shenma Technology Company.

"But we can discuss those details after we complete the acquisition. Right now, the most important thing is raising the money to buy Shenma Technology Company and the Phantom Projector's manufacturing technology.

"Changhong Company is willing to put up two hundred billion. We'll have to sell off the whole company, sell everything we own, and even sell our land and equipment to raise that much. It represents decades of company earnings, including our property and subsidiaries.

"This is a huge gamble. If we succeed, the era of televisions around the world will come to an end, and the Phantom Projector will rise in its place.

"And we'll monopolize the industry. No, why say 'monopolize'? We're several companies, and we'll still be competing with one another. It just so happens that we're all Daxia companies.

"Then we'll sell our products around the world. Television and monitor products from Nippon, the United States, and Korea will all be pushed back by the Phantom Projector.

"With a good product, our existing domestic and international distribution channels, our brick-and-mortar dealers, and the reputation we've built over the years, consumers will gladly open their wallets!"

After laying out the entire plan his company had come up with, the Changhong director asked the others:

"Changhong Company is willing to sell everything we own—our land and buildings included—to raise two hundred billion and make this gamble. What do the rest of you, and the companies you represent, think? Are you willing to join in?"

The executives from several television companies looked at one another. Then a company representative stood and said:

"This plan could work, but the fate of TCL Company is at stake. We have to discuss it at a meeting before we can make a decision. Please give us a moment."

"We at Skyworth Group are in the same position. Personally, I think the plan could work, but I can't make that decision on my own. It has to go through the board."

The board representatives from several companies used their phones to invite the directors waiting at their companies to video meetings. The meetings went on for several hours, with votes and discussions of everyone's views.

At last, the companies began reporting their boards' decisions one by one.

"Hisense Company is willing to raise two hundred billion Daxia Coins to acquire Shenma Technology Company and the Phantom Projector. However, once they express a willingness to sell Shenma Technology Company and the Phantom Projector technology, we want to settle how much of the company each of us will own."

"TCL Group is willing to contribute one hundred billion. We have the same conditions as Hisense Company."

"Skyworth Group is willing to contribute one hundred billion..."

"Haier Group is willing to contribute two hundred billion..."

With their survival at stake, several major Daxia companies in the television industry voiced their willingness to make the gamble. They had a good chance of winning!

The Changhong director finally relaxed and smiled.

"Excellent. That makes eight hundred billion Daxia Coins in total. That's more money than the genius boy Ning Yifan could spend in a lifetime. I refuse to believe he won't be tempted by that!"

With the broad plan agreed upon, the next topic was how to tell Ning Yifan that several companies wanted to jointly acquire Shenma Technology Company and were offering him the sky-high sum of eight hundred billion.

Lately, it had become harder and harder for these companies to get in touch with Ning Yifan. Before, they could wait outside Shenma Technology Company's gates and sometimes catch sight of him. Even if they couldn't catch up, they could at least shout out the message their companies wanted to convey.

But over the past two days, he hadn't been seen at the gates at all. Most absurdly, one company's sales representative had once spotted him climbing over the wall to leave!

Once they got in touch with him, the negotiators would need to know what to say to make him understand what eight hundred billion Daxia Coins could do for him: he could live without a care for the rest of his life, never worry about money, and buy whatever he wanted.

They would also need to explain the limits of running a company alone: how to build domestic distribution channels, how to establish international ones, how to handle lawsuits, and how to manage after-sales service. They would lay out all the problems he might face, making the business sound as difficult as possible!

The joint meeting of the companies continued late into the night...

(I'm rolling around and begging for support—please collect the story if you happen to pass by, and leave a recommendation too.

Every collection and every recommendation gives the author the motivation to keep writing.

Data is very important for a new book. Recommendations and results determine whether I get to eat steamed buns or drink the northwest wind. Please, I'm begging you.)