Island Nation Fisheries Company

Li Zhi called Dong Xiaorou on the way back to tell her about buying a car. He also wanted to invite her to dinner at his place in the evening, personally buying groceries and cooking, ostensibly as a treat. Of course, whether there were any other intentions, no one knew.

Dong Xiaorou responded with an "okay," indicating her appreciation for the kind gesture. However, she mentioned that she couldn't attend in the evening as she needed to return to the Fish Head Island Village processing factory.

After hanging up the phone, Li Zhi looked somewhat helpless. Dong Xiaorou, oh Dong Xiaorou, could it be that this enchantress has seen through his "scheme" and is deliberately avoiding him?

Alone again in the evening, the long night seemed boring. On the other hand, a simple phone call to Mu Xiaomei could bring her over, not to mention spending the night discussing life or even providing "full-service" if Li Zhi requested it. However, Li Zhi didn't want to go down that path. They were good friends now, and he wondered if they could still remain just friends after crossing that line in the future.

Although there was a hint of self-deception.

With money still in his pocket, Li Zhi pondered that he couldn't just leave it in the bank. He needed to take action to make the money grow so that he could earn even more.

Is it wise to invest all of it in expanding the "Happy Fish Ball" chain store? It was possible, but definitely not a wise choice. Managing ten branches had already kept him and Dong Xiaorou busy for over half a month. Suddenly opening a hundred more would surely exhaust them.

Rapid expansion required a solid foundation, and "Happy Fish Ball" had just set sail without a strong base. Moving too fast might not be a good thing. Taking it slow might be more stable.

If the money wasn't invested in expanding "Happy Fish Ball" branches, then where should it go?

Expanding the "Xiaorou Food Factory"? It didn't seem necessary as the current production capacity was significantly excessive, and the factory was severely understaffed in various areas. It needed time to adjust, and it wasn't suitable to make significant changes in the short term.

"Acquisition!"

Suddenly, two words popped into Li Zhi's mind. Acquiring and merging was undoubtedly the fastest way to expand. It could also effectively solve the issue of inadequate human resources.

With over twenty million in his bank account, he had enough to make a move. He just needed to carefully consider where to make that move.

Upon returning to the rented apartment, Li Zhi took a shower and then turned on his computer to search online for companies that would be suitable for acquisition in the Hai Cheng area.

During this break, Li Zhi transferred the two million he owed to Su Feier and included a message of gratitude.

Despite Su Feier's ambitions and possessiveness towards "Happy Fish Ball," she did contribute in the early stages. Without her two million dollars, Li Zhi would not have been able to progress so quickly.

The weakest period had passed, and Li Zhi didn't dare to say that he could now move forward in big strides. However, at least he wouldn't be as weak and helpless as before.

Although Su Feier had mentioned wanting to retaliate against Li Zhi, she hadn't taken any action yet. Li Zhi didn't want to speculate about future events. No one could predict things that hadn't happened yet.

Free from worries!

Three days after the processing factory was robbed, Dong Yingxue called Li Zhi to inform him that the case had been solved. All the suspects had been arrested, including the three masterminds, and the equipment had been recovered intact.

"Who was the mastermind behind it?" "Have they confessed?" Li Zhi curiously asked. With the Zhao family's influence in Hai Cheng, the speed at which the police solved the case far exceeded his expectations.

"It was someone named Li Ming." "Do you know him?" Dong Yingxue said.

Li Ming?

Upon hearing the surname, Li Zhi paused briefly and realized that he was not familiar with anyone by that name. He shook his head and said, "I don't know him." "Where were they arrested?"

Dong Yingxue hesitated before saying, "They weren't arrested by us." They voluntarily surrendered to the police.

"Surrendered?" Li Zhi suddenly realized. He had thought that the case was significant, but in reality, the equipment in his factory wasn't worth much. Even if they were sentenced, it wouldn't be for many years. With the Zhao family's connections in Hai Cheng, finding a few scapegoats wouldn't be difficult.

To put it bluntly, it wasn't even a sacrifice.

Despite this, the police had made significant efforts, and the equipment had been recovered intact. The sentencing of the masterminds was up to the judge. Li Zhi thanked Dong Yingxue before hanging up the phone.

"Zhao Xueying, huh?" "Quite a strategist!" Li Zhi muttered with a playful smile. He was ninety percent sure that it was Zhao Xueying who had orchestrated the case. This woman was quite ruthless. If she were smart, she would only do it once. Of course, if she made a mistake, no one could save her.

Li Zhi drove to the headquarters of "Happy Fish Ball." Coincidentally, the neighboring company had just moved out, and Dong Xiaorou had negotiated with the property management company to rent the entire office building. The original 100 square meters had now expanded to over 600 square meters, which was more than sufficient for the current stage of the company.

As Li Zhi entered, Dong Xiaorou looked up at him with a stern expression and said, "You've arrived at the perfect moment." A company from the island nation is very interested in acquiring 'Happy Fish Ball' and is offering a high price!

Li Zhi walked over with a smile and sat down opposite Dong Xiaorou, asking in confusion, "We haven't even expanded 'Happy Fish Ball' beyond Hai Cheng, so how did a company from the island nation set their sights on us?"

Dong Xiaorou shook her head and said, "I have no idea!"

"What's the price?" Li Zhi inquired.

"One billion US dollars for the complete acquisition of the 'Happy Fish Ball' brand, its subsidiary production factory, and the production technology," Dong Xiaorou calmly replied.

"Are the oligarchs interested in us?" Li Zhi furrowed his brow. "Do we not have any connection with the Dai Chi Ming Ocean Fisheries Company of the island nation?"

Dong Xiaorou smiled and said, "Indeed, 'Happy Fish Ball' has no connection with Dai Chi Ming Ocean Fisheries, but it is related to fish." The fisheries industry is not as prosperous now, and they need to expand their offline resources. If the fish is processed into fish balls, its value can increase several times immediately. Do you think they would be thrilled? Do you think the people of the island nation are foolish? They are not interested in the "Happy Fish Ball" brand, but rather in the production technology we possess!

Li Zhi tapped the table, pondering. Collaborating with a Japanese fisheries company might be feasible, but we definitely won't sell "Happy Fish Ball" if they want a full acquisition!

Dong Xiaorou looked at Li Zhi and asked, "What are your thoughts, boss?"

"We have the technology, and Dai Chi Ming Ocean Fisheries Company has the financial resources and a vast amount of fisheries resources." If we collaborate with them, we won't have to worry about raw materials anymore. "We can also expand 'Happy Fish Ball' into the Japanese market and high-end fish ball areas," Li Zhi said.

Dong Xiaorou shook her head. "But have you considered that if we collaborate with Dai Chi Ming Ocean Fisheries Company, they could easily overpower us?"

Li Zhi furrowed his brow. For "Happy Fish Ball," Dai Chi Ming Ocean Fisheries Company was currently a behemoth. Although there were many benefits to collaborating with them, it felt like associating with a beast. They might be bitten at any moment, as "Happy Fish Ball" was in an absolutely disadvantaged position, with no room for resistance.

When the technology was removed, 'Happy Fish Ball' could be easily manipulated. Yes, the technology for producing "Happy Fish Ball" was crucial. If they couldn't confiscate the technology, then "Happy Fish Ball" might not incur any losses.

Li Zhi suddenly smiled, expressing confidence. "It's fine." We are strong, and Dai Chi Ming may not be able to overpower us. Even if they can, they will have to spit us out the same way they swallowed us. Let's do this: you go talk to Dai Chi Ming and discuss the possibility of a full acquisition. We won't sell, but we can propose a joint venture to invest in a new "fish ball processing factory." We provide the technology, and they provide the funding, but they need to sell the fisheries resources to the factory at a price twenty percent lower than the market price. Let's start with this and see if they are interested. We can discuss more in the future.

"Okay!" Dong Xiaorou looked at Li Zhi and said, "But you need to think about the consequences."

"Don't worry." I, your boss, have a mountain and river in my heart. A small island nation's ocean fisheries company can't harm us! Li Zhi laughed and shook his head.