I See through Everything

Chapter 263: Chapter 142: Each Showing Their Prowess

Even Archer Daniels Midland Company, one of the four great grain traders, had received related intelligence. Their business portfolio included various feed products, and they secretly controlled a number of fishmeal producers.

But Haida Group had already risen, and any attempts to suppress it were futile.

After all, Haida Group was already one of the world’s top ten feed producers by capacity. Now that it had overcome the fishmeal bottleneck, it would be difficult to suppress the company, even if the four great ABCD grain traders joined forces.

Likewise, Hailufeng Company, the entity behind Haida Group, had re-entered the crosshairs of the four great grain traders.

However, after a thorough investigation of Hailufeng Company, they found it to be an equally thorny problem.

While ABCD had many partners in East Asia, they weren’t invincible. Hailufeng Company, specializing in luxury agriculture, occupied a different niche than traditional large agricultural conglomerates like ABCD.

There was no way to suppress this kind of company through normal business means.

And Company B, which had previously attempted an acquisition, knew full well that Hailufeng Company would not cooperate with them.

If the company were in Southeast Asia or elsewhere, ABCD would have a hundred ways to force Hailufeng Company to submit.

Unfortunately, the collapse of America’s Locke Consortium had triggered a severe chain reaction, leading to the removal of many of ABCD’s pieces from the board. Now, they struggled to devise an effective strategy.

Left with no other options, the four great ABCD grain traders could only resort to attacking Hailufeng Company in the court of public opinion.

They earmarked a special fund of several million US Dollars to hire domestic and international troll farms. The plan was to attack Hailufeng Company on fronts such as product safety, market monopolization, and harming competitors.

Simultaneously, they prepared to send people to approach Rokkaido Eel Company and Brown Company, hoping to purchase the artificial eel breeding technology from them. This would allow for the mass production of eel fry, which would in turn hurt Hailufeng Company’s profitability.

Of course, the four ABCD firms were not a monolithic bloc.

This was especially true for Company D. While it had American capital, its core equity was still controlled by Gaul Capital.

As a result, Brown Company wasn’t directly controlled; they had merely sold 33% of their shares to Company D in exchange for its protection.

But Rokkaido Eel Company was likely out of luck. After all, East Japan was, in the end, a colony of America.

「February 10th.」

「East Japan.」

「Kagoshima Prefecture.」

The negotiation team from Archer Daniels Midland Company arrived at Rokkaido Eel Company, swaggering as they demanded to see President Watanabe Junichi directly.

Watanabe Junichi’s expression soured upon hearing his assistant’s report. These people were incredibly rude, but considering who they represented, he could only suppress his dissatisfaction.

「Inside the meeting room.」

Once both parties were seated, Yukimura Heiji, the head of ADM’s East Japan branch and a Japanese-American, spoke.

"Mr. Watanabe, we at ADM wish to acquire Rokkaido Eel Company. What are your thoughts on the matter?"

Watanabe Junichi furrowed his brow slightly before shaking his head. "I’m sorry, but we have no intention of selling the company at this time."

Unfazed by the rejection, Yukimura Heiji smiled. "Are you sure, Mr. Watanabe? Don’t you want to hear our offer? We are prepared to pay 200 million US Dollars to acquire Rokkaido Eel Company."

Watanabe Junichi hadn’t been angry, but this price sparked a flicker of rage within him. If they had offered a little more, he might have given it some thought, but he never expected such a lowball offer.

Rokkaido Eel Company was a major aquaculture firm in East Japan. Its fixed assets alone were worth nearly two hundred million US Dollars.

On top of that, it possessed the artificial eel breeding technology, which generated fifty to sixty million US Dollars in profit annually. Acquisitions typically came with a premium, usually 10 to 20 times the company’s price-to-earnings ratio.

Watanabe Junichi had expected an offer of 500 or 600 million US Dollars. Two hundred million was nothing short of an insult.

Of course, he was well aware that these America Conglomerates were used to acting high and mighty in East Japan. Especially in recent years, with America’s economy faltering, they had taken to treating companies in East Japan, South Korea, and the European Union like pigs for slaughter.

"There’s no need. I will not sell the company," Watanabe Junichi said, his tone resolute.

Yukimura Heiji didn’t resort to threats. Instead, he took the overcoat his assistant handed him, draped it over his shoulders, and said with a faint smile:

"Very well! Since President Watanabe is unwilling, we won’t impose any longer. Farewell."

"I won’t see you out."

Watching the retreating backs of Yukimura Heiji and his group, Watanabe Junichi’s brows knitted together again. He looked at his son, Watanabe Mahiro.

"Father, ADM is an American company, with the shadow of a major conglomerate behind it. Will rejecting them so directly make them fly into a rage?"

Watanabe Junichi sighed. "It’s just as the Chinese say: they are the knife and block, and we are the fish upon it."

"Father, what are we going to do?" Watanabe Mahiro asked, worried.

Watanabe Junichi looked at his younger brother, Watanabe Kenji, and then whispered a few words in his ear.

After hearing his instructions, Watanabe Kenji’s face showed a trace of shock and uncertainty.

"Go! Hurry!"

"Father! You..."

"I’m just taking precautions."

Seeing the grave look in his father’s eyes, Watanabe Mahiro hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. He knew his father’s personality well. Rokkaido Eel Company was the family’s life’s work, built through blood, sweat, and tears. His father would never give it up easily.

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