"What? Discharge pollutants directly into the groundwater?" Henry Morgan was shocked and speechless.
"Yes, direct discharge will save a lot of sewage treatment costs." Chen Zhiwen nodded and said.
European and American societies have been advocating environmental protection for many years. The first reason for this is naturally to suppress those countries that are not yet developing. After all, these developed countries have passed the stage of relying on pollution to develop their economies, and technological research It is also stronger, and there are many low-pollution technologies. Secondly, moving polluting industries abroad is one of the strategies of Europe and the United States. In the future, environmental protection can also be used to suppress countries that are developing economies.
But normal European and American companies still have some basic bottom lines. After all, many years of cultural education have made many people pay more attention to environmental issues. In the past few decades, many places have also been harmed by environmental pollution. Everyone is worried about this. Not to mention that Wanwan itself also has certain environmental protection laws. It can be said that people and gods are outraged by RCA's operation.
"So, we can use this matter to make a fuss? But it may not be effective. It is indeed surprising if it is heard for the first time, but after all, the United States has not been affected. It is estimated that many people will forget it soon." Henry Morgan thought for a while and said, he was also surprised that a large company with a market value of billions of dollars and a net profit of three to four billion dollars a year would actually do such a thing for a small amount of environmental protection expenses. After all, RCA's Pollution emissions mainly come from the purchased raw materials for various picture tubes. It is not a chemical factory, the pollution emissions will not be very large, and the environmental protection costs will not be very high. However, no matter how small the pollution emissions are, they cannot withstand direct emissions, especially if they are not ranked among In a flowing river, it is groundwater that is basically motionless.
"Yes, but if it's wrong, it's wrong. The key lies in how big of a fuss this matter can cause? If no one interferes, with RCA's energy in the United States, it may not even be able to be published in the newspapers, but if there is the same People with energy are constantly making use of this matter, which is completely different." Chen Zhiwen said with a smile.
In fact, for many things, it depends on whether they are pursued or not. Even in the Internet age, everyone knows the hype, but as long as the White House does not care, who will remember it a few months later? For example, the US chemical train rollover incident in early 2023? Months later, who is paying attention except the nearby victims?
But if someone pursues the matter and insists on making a big deal out of it, then even a small incident can go to the sky. For example, when a black man from FD was crushed to death by the police when he was arrested, it was actually an accident, but the trouble caused Americans to fall on their feet.
RCA has caused serious pollution overseas, and it has actually had no impact on the United States. But as long as someone makes trouble, makes the matter bigger, and invites some environmental saints to come, how dare you, no boss can stand it.
"I understand what you mean, but I alone cannot do this." Henry Morgan said.
"So, this will definitely require the participation of the family behind you, otherwise, you will not be able to defeat RCA, and I cannot end this matter, and I will not end it. If the Chinese end it, it will easily expose loopholes. "Chen Zhiwen said again.
In his previous life, he knew about the RCA pollution incident, which was well-known in the domestic environmental protection industry. In the original history, when this incident was discovered, it was already in the 1990s, when RCA had been acquired by General Electric. , the original RCA management has disappeared, and because of General Electric's "number one" principle, the entire home appliance business was sold to a French home appliance giant in the early 1990s.
The responsibility here is completely unclear, and transnational lawsuits need to be filed. A large number of local victims are unable to do anything. Although the number of local cancer patients has increased significantly, there is no way to prove that their cancer was contaminated. As a result, even if the Gulf government issued a certificate, it would be useless in France and the United States and would not be recognized at all.
In the end, the Bayan government could only get GE to pay a sum of money and compensate the possible victims through years of hard work, but the victims have passed away, and many of them are of little significance.
In this life, Chen Zhiwen remembered this incident as early as the late 1970s after accidentally hearing about RCA, and then sent people to Taoyuan to collect groundwater and look for evidence. However, RCA's investment in Taoyuan City was actually in the early 1970s. No one knows the year when the sewage began to be discharged. Either it had not been discharged at that time, or there was a large amount of groundwater, and the discharged volume was diluted and could not be detected after being taken out. Until recently, it was not considered a stone hammer.
"You are right not to come forward. This is a game within the Americans. Your participation may indeed cause trouble." Henry Morgan nodded and said.
"One more thing, you need to get the support of the Gulf government. The Gulf government itself is also a victim in this matter, but they will definitely be worried that such a large foreign company may withdraw its investment, so you need to have other benefits to convince him. I think people from the Morgan family should be able to do this," Chen Zhiwen added.
"Morgan's bank can indeed help Wanwan in some profitable businesses, but this value may not be comparable to RCA's investment in Wanwan. As far as I know, this company has driven tens of thousands of dollars in Wanwan." It provides more jobs and more indirectly, and it is also the largest export company in the Gulf,” said Henry Morgan.
"Don't worry about it. If your plan succeeds, I will acquire RCA's TV business. There will be no surprises in Wanwan's employment and export problems. Just focus on holding NBC." Chen Zhiwen said with a smile.
"I guessed that you were interested in RCA's TV business. It seems that just GE's air-conditioning business cannot satisfy you." Henry Morgan said with a smile. As Chen Zhiwen's partner, he can be considered half My friend, he naturally understands Chen Zhiwen's business needs very well, although it is not clear why this Chinese is obsessed with the home appliance market. It is obvious that this industry is almost becoming a sunset industry in the United States.
"Yes, I am just interested in RCA's TV business and radio business." Chen Zhiwen nodded and admitted: "But if you control NBC, I can also give you a lot of advertising business. You also know that my products are sold in the United States every year. Advertising investment, in this way, your liabilities after acquiring NBC TV stations will also be buffered."
He had previously entrusted Morgan's investment bank to approach General Electric and wanted to acquire its home appliance business, but was rejected because Welch was not short of money and wanted to exchange business or technology with other giant companies to complement each other's strengths. For example, in the original history, General Electric's home appliance business, including the RCA TV business, was sold to the French giant. In exchange, it received its company and cutting-edge technology in the field of medical devices, which made GE's achievements in the field of medical devices even more High, but obviously beauty does not have this condition.
However, through the efforts of Morgan Investment Bank, Welch agreed to sell General Electric's central air-conditioning business for a final price of US$80 million. Chen Zhiwen also obtained 10% of the central air-conditioning U.S. market share and a set of sales channels, but the central air-conditioning business , mainly for business use, it does not greatly promote the business of household appliances. At most, it can provide some technical help.
After Chen Zhiwen obtained evidence of RCA's massive pollution to Taoyuan City, he also had ideas for its color TV business. You know, RCA's first asset is naturally NBC TV station, and its second largest asset is television. Currently, it is one of the largest television sellers in the United States, similar to the status of TCL in later generations. However, in the past decade or so, it has been dominated by the Japanese for a long time and has fallen into losses. It has moved its factory to Bay Area. The Gulf and Mexico are actually designed to deal with the Japanese, and they have some effects, but they still can't stop various Japanese companies, the strongest competitor of which is Sony.
After technology reaches the top level, the national culture of Europe and the United States simply cannot compete with Asian companies on cost, but it is possible within Asia. If they can acquire RCA's TV business, plus Midea's advantages in other electronic markets, as well as its own The layout of terminal channels, the TV business, let alone defeating the Japanese, can definitely survive, and TVs are the same as white household appliances. Once the TV sales channel of RCA is obtained, it can be used on household appliances. In this way, Midea's home appliance business can grow rapidly and rapidly in a short period of time.
Of course, another benefit is technology. RCA's technology is actually a little worse than Japanese technology, but it is not yet a revolutionary gap. In the future, before the commercialization of LCD TVs, the technical ceiling of traditional picture tubes is actually not that big. , it can be completely replaced and competed in other ways.
But how to cheat RCA has become a problem for Chen Zhiwen. It is absolutely impossible to expose himself. Originally, he expected General Electric to cooperate with him, but Welch and Midea did not reach any major cooperation, and at the same time, he may not see it at all. In this case, Chen Zhiwen would naturally not give General Electric the opportunity to take over RCA, a "new power technology company" like Shangmei, although in the original history, RCA was acquired by General Electric.
Henry Morgan is currently my best partner. First of all, he has cooperated with me for a long time and has a very good relationship. He is also one of the trustworthy people. Secondly, although he may not have the ability to fight against RCA, there are many people behind him. There is a family. As long as he inflicts a small wound on a bison, the lion pride will naturally not miss the opportunity. Thirdly, if Henry Morgan acquires NBC, he will have several industries in the future, including advertising and marketing in the United States. , will be more guaranteed, and this is also mutually beneficial. After Henry's acquisition, the NBC TV station can also obtain a large amount of advertising revenue from Midea, Red Bull, Costco, Best Buy, etc., killing two birds with one stone.
Of course, RCA's television business is what he needs most at the moment.
"This is indeed very good. I am very moved by what you said now." Henry Morgan said sincerely. He actually understood that this was really a rare opportunity. With someone to attack, the other party's weaknesses, and With the help of a big chaebol and so many opportunities together, as long as he takes action, the family behind him will definitely be willing to help him.
The reason why he had this opportunity was because Chen Zhiwen was not a white American. Otherwise, he would have been preparing to sharpen his knife by himself, and it would be impossible for outsiders to have a turn, and it would be difficult for him to even drink a cup of soup.
Chen Zhiwen also has his own needs. He needs RCA's second largest TV business, and he also hopes to find a stable partner in the U.S. media field in the future. This is much more beneficial than being a Midea distributor. Not only It's not just profit, but influence. Once he really gets NBC, it is estimated that the people in the White House may be polite to him.
This is your chance to climb the top of America's pyramid.
"Actually, I have a bolder idea." Chen Zhiwen smiled and said, "What if you get NBC, which is just the starting point of your career?"
"What do you mean?" Henry Morgan didn't quite understand.
"The media industry is very special. Its profits cannot be said to be bad, but they are not very high either. It is far less than the electronics industry. However, its influence is very huge. If possible, I would definitely be willing to invest heavily in the United States. The media industry, but the legal restrictions on the media industry in the United States are very strict. Non-Americans cannot even acquire newspapers, and TV stations allow foreign investors to control up to 25% of the equity." Chen Zhiwen paused and said: "But you can, if you After acquiring NBC, you can then find ways to invest in other media industries, such as newspapers, radio, movies, publishing, etc. Then maybe you can become a media tycoon in the United States?"
"Media tycoon?" Henry Morgan was shocked by the future blueprint described by Chen Zhiwen. If Chen Zhiwen helps him and he has the ability to obtain more family resources, then this blueprint is really possible to realize.
"Yes, and the media industry in some countries in Europe, South America, and Asia does not have many restrictions on American capital. In the future, you will also have the opportunity to enter these countries and become a global-level media tycoon." Chen Zhiwen added.
"Forget it, stop talking. You're going too far. Even if I acquire RCA with your help, I don't know how many years it will take to pay off this kind of debt. The future is too far away." Henry Morgan finally said Wake up from the blueprint for the future.
"Don't worry about it. In fact, it won't be much. After you acquire RCA, the TV business sold to me will be worth at least a few hundred million dollars. The rest, except NBC, can be sold for an estimated one billion dollars. Then you just need to concentrate on running the NBC TV station. Moreover, after you stabilize, I will also invest in NBC as permitted by law. Although it will not be a lot, it can still provide you with some funds. In this case, although you are in debt It’s very heavy, but NBC will have a lot of funds in its hands. At least it can expand in the United States first. The greater your media influence, the higher the income will naturally be." Chen Zhiwen said with a smile.
This ambition is indeed a bit ambitious, but it is not impossible, because Murdoch, the media tycoon of later generations, did it. Relatively speaking, Henry Morgan has better conditions. He is a native of the United States and has a strong family behind him. The only problem It's about ability. Murdoch's ability is naturally very strong, but if Henry Morgan has his own guidance, even if he can't defeat Murdoch, it is still possible to grab part of the media tycoon's business. The United States is very big, and the earth is It is also very big, and can still accommodate two different media tycoons.
PS: In a rebirth business novel, it is naturally impossible for a Chinese to control American television stations, etc., and I did not let the protagonist have this idea.
The media industry is inherently beyond the reach of outsiders. Not to mention Europe and the United States, even some countries in Southeast Asia and West Asia cannot allow Chinese to control TV stations or even newspapers. Therefore, this will be something that is inherently impossible for a Chinese protagonist. Most of them rule the roost in Hong Kong, but if they go out, they will not be able to do so even in the mainland. (Except movies, not media, right?)
But because of this, the protagonist has no conflict of interest with the media industry, so I wrote a plot like this. With a small amount of help and prophetic ability, an American who has worked with me for many years becomes an influential person in the media industry. , regardless of Murdoch’s level, at least he has a certain influence.
As for the comments in the previous chapter, Angsa people are not good people. I also know that capitalists are all the same, just for profit.
As there is no conflict of interest with the media industry, and there is still cooperation in the electronics industry, the protagonist has no ZZ requirements. Logically speaking, the possibility of conflicts should not be high, right? Besides, according to the protagonist's future dependence on the American market, he will definitely make great efforts to find powerful people in the United States to cooperate and bundle interests. This can be considered one of them. No matter how influential the media is, its profitability is average. (Compared to the technology industry), everyone needs money, so even if they cooperate with each other, at least they are looking for people they are familiar with.
Even if all capitalists put profit first, there is always a long-term cooperative relationship, right? I don’t believe that Li Jiacheng invested on such a large scale in Europe in the 21st century. There are no rich people of the same level who have “long-term cooperation” with him there? As long as there is long-term mutual benefit, white capitalists also know that there will be long-term success.
Just talking about the United States, there are actually many opportunities that can be used to make money, but some are inconvenient for Chinese people to participate in. If you reveal this kind of thing a little, the "allies" can make a lot of money, and in turn, the other party will naturally give some to the protagonist appropriately. Other benefits, etc., such as some benefits in the United States. This can be considered a waste of time.
As long as there is no conflict of interest and there is profit to be made, then this relationship can be maintained for a long time. This should be no problem, right?
The logic is like this. The protagonist does not intend to completely control Henry and then control American TV stations. It is purely a cooperative relationship, because without him, he will need to find other people in the future, or win over a large group of people through listing and other means. The essence is the same.
And in the next 30 years, Sino-US relations will remain good for most of the time. As long as you don't seek death and are willing to invest in your network, you can reasonably protect your wealth, right?
As for decoupling after 40 years, that is too far away. We can just go slowly ten years in advance.
If you still feel it is unreasonable, please explain it and I will think about it carefully. After all, my brain is limited and I may not be able to think it through.
(End of chapter)
