Lin Yufeng left Saroni Company and didn't return to Lesheng Company. He sought a quiet and elegant place to be alone and think. Naturally, a coffee house came to mind. Driving through the city streets, he found a coffee house called "Old Vines" on a less bustling street.
Before getting out of the car, he glanced at the black briefcase with the gun on the seat. He walked a few steps but then decided it was unwise to leave the gun in the car. Returning to the vehicle, he retrieved the briefcase, locked the car again, and entered the coffee house.
Old Vines Coffee House created an ambiance of an ancient forest with old trees and green vines. The interior was completely cut off from natural light, with soft lighting creating a serene and quiet atmosphere. The place exuded a faint wildness, with philosophy, music, and film books casually placed in seemingly random spots. The barely perceptible music filled every corner, making one feel as if they were in a distant, sacred spiritual sanctuary, soothing the weariness and helplessness of life's struggles.
Daytime was the coffee house's quietest time, with few customers. In a corner, a man sipped tea and read a book. A rustic ceramic vase with a single red rose stood on the brown slate tea table. The bar counter, made of thick brown planks with bark, had three men, either bald or with long hair, gathered, occasionally toasting and smiling, likely discussing avant-garde art and profound thoughts.
Lin Yufeng found a seat surrounded by vines and ordered a high-quality coffee for 40 yuan. He wasn't interested in drinking it, just occupying a spot. Rather than seeking peace, he needed to process the psychological turmoil caused by sudden changes, to face and deal with reality.
Sitting quietly, he occasionally lifted the cup to inhale the coffee's rich aroma and took slow sips. He smoked sparingly, mostly letting the cigarette burn in his hand. His exterior calmness betrayed his inner turmoil, a heavy heart shrouded in defeat, with the harsh reality and his fierce nature straining every nerve.
Lesheng had stirred the waters with its aggressive publicity, creating a life-or-death standoff with Greystone. Marquis Company announced a high-price acquisition of Greystone, simultaneously currying favor and adding fuel to the fire. Slec lowered its amplifier prices, appearing reluctant yet benefiting from the chaos. In a way, these entities formed an unintentional alliance of interest with Greystone.
Marquis's sales network, foreign brand speakers, and Greystone's low-cost manufacturing - this combination posed a significant threat to Lesheng's market. If Lesheng lost the lawsuit, would its operational system collapse? Was it truly so vulnerable? Was there any chance of peaceful coexistence? After much contemplation, Lin Yufeng concluded that any further delusion was self-deception. Regardless of the reason, the market was the eternal Achilles' heel of any enterprise. Once the market died, the company, no matter how large, became a corpse. Historical business failures were rife with examples of total defeat from a single misstep. Why hadn't he learned from them?
He sighed in regret: It was the blunder with those 1,000 sets. Smarts turned into folly! People shouldn't think they're much smarter than others; there's no such thing as a free lunch!
Using Greystone's speakers as bait, offering 1,000 sets as a trap, and suing to crush them, he believed he was a step ahead. But if the result was defeat, all his cunning turned into stupidity. It was he who handed over 1,000 sets, making a comparison between the two speakers possible. It was his lawsuit and media frenzy that made him Greystone's spokesperson for cost and poverty alleviation. Lesheng used its core technology and brand to defeat itself, stabbing its own Achilles' heel... Shame! What a shame!
His extreme pride made him feel suffocated, as if a wad of cotton was lodged in his chest, causing a suffocating pain. Greystone was ruthless, Marquis was cunning, Slec was mean, and Lesheng was foolish. For the first time, his usually proud and strong self felt what it meant to want to cry but have no tears, to want to speak but have no voice.
The financial manager's words seemed to have come true: if Lesheng lost its ability to survive on existing assets, its 75% debt-to-asset ratio would make it insolvent in creditors' eyes. Lesheng's "oven" wouldn't bake bread anymore, and the existing bread would devalue. Realizable assets would be worth less than their book value.
Post-defeat, what would creditors do? Bankruptcy liquidation and auction, brand value gone, fixed assets devalued, market network worth evaporated, talent pool disbanded... Limited tangible assets, sold to whom? Who would bear the debt? Bankruptcy was the worst-case scenario, the last thing creditors wanted. They preferred Lesheng to survive on existing assets, collaborating with Greystone, supplying flagship kits while selling Greystone speakers through Lesheng's network. This maintained the speaker production line and sales system, preserving brand, technology, and talent resources. Only the flagship line would stop, while computer, car, and commercial speakers continued. This complementary advantage could even enhance market competitiveness.
Creditors would likely choose this path. If shareholders rejected it, bankruptcy proceedings would ensue, leading to lawful asset restructuring by creditors. Perhaps, this was Ding Yuanying's true aim with Greystone, and why Greystone refused Marquis's offer.
Analyzing this, even defeat was Lin Yufeng's personal failure, leaving Lesheng with a way out.
So, should he withdraw the lawsuit and seek reconciliation now? This would safeguard his major shareholder status and interests... The mere thought of this brought immense pain, conjuring a humiliating image: a noblewoman forced to plead with a rogue after being defiled, amidst countless pitying eyes, begging the scoundrel to marry her.
His heart questioned: Would Lin Yufeng sign such a humiliating document?
Regret surged through him for seeking Zhou Jianhua's advice, revealing his panic and confusion. Was he a tiger or a cat? Had his past power been mere pretense? Was today's misfortune proof that even a fallen tiger is weaker than a cat? Where was his pride? His honor, valor, and dignity...