My autobiography is definitely not a tragedy!
Chapter 267 - 191 Who is Swimming Naked

Chapter 267: Chapter 191 Who is Swimming Naked

"The American Trap?"

Mr. Yu thought hard and finally still looked at Brother Dong with confusion.

"Is there such a book in our country?"

Brother Dong shook his head. "Forgive my ignorance."

Uh...

Meng Lang was stunned. Could there be a mistake?

How could you not have read such a famous book? Then what’s in my head...

He suddenly realized!

He’d spoken without thinking!

With no guard up, no second thoughts, you just appeared in my mind, bringing me surprises...

The knowledge came too fast, too suddenly for me to cope.

Sorry, sorry! My being caught off guard by this flood of reading...

"Cough! That book probably hasn’t been officially published yet, I just happened to have seen its manuscript," Meng Lang coughed to remedy the situation.

"The book is roughly about, once upon a time, there was a badass French electrical company called Stoneal.

Inside there was a very stubborn executive named Ruzipier..."

"Hmm?" Hearing these two names, Mr. Yu, who had been dismissive earlier, suddenly looked surprised.

As a senior executive in the related field, he naturally had heard of this world-shocking global industrial acquisition case.

During its heyday, Stoneal’s business spanned 70 countries and regions worldwide with annual sales approaching 20 billion Euro, and it was hailed as France’s "industrial jewel."

It was also a major Western supplier of power generation equipment to Country Hua, with projects including the Three Gorges Hydropower Station of the Yangtze River and Guangdong Lingao Nuclear Power Plant.

It is said that nearly one-fourth of the world’s electricity came from Alstom’s technology, evidence of its badassery.

However, precisely because it was too badass, even daring to snatch orders from GE, it got targeted.

In April 2013, at Gotham City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, Stoneal Group executive Ruzipier was arrested by FBI agents just after getting off the plane, accused of a "ten-year-old" case of business bribery.

The US overtly and covertly hinted for him to plead guilty, to act as a "spy" and "stained witness" inside Stoneal.

The stubborn Ruzipier refused on the spot and was imprisoned.

Subsequently, several other senior executives were arrested, creating a chilling effect where everyone felt at risk.

Eventually, even the CEO panicked, knowing that the French Government couldn’t protect them and indicated willingness to yield.

GE wants to buy? Sell!

In June 2014, after being fined 772 million US Dollars, Stoneal’s management announced acceptance of GE’s acquisition offer, selling Stoneal’s core energy department and reported to the French Government and Europa Antitrust Bureau for approval.

However, the then French Minister of the Economy still held the key "veto right," but... the Minister did not exercise the veto right.

The Antitrust Bureau was quickly handled as well.

Rumor has it that GE had spent nearly 300 million Euro on special "PR" efforts...

Interestingly, in 2017, this Minister of the Economy was elected President of France.

That’s right, his name... was Clone Horse!

What kind of behind-the-scenes deals took place, I dare not say, I dare not ask.

But the outcome of the affair is clear to see.

Under triple pressures of law, economy, and politics, the once French "industrial jewel" was successfully dismembered...

And the tragic Ruzipier, after years of accusations, shuttling between prisons, pleading guilty, and being paroled... was only released in 2018.

Only recently did he write "The American Trap," profoundly analyzing that history from the perspective of a sacrificial lamb.

If the secretive struggles and the gaming of all sides in the book were made into a movie, it would be even more thrilling than "Mission: Impossible."

Sometimes, real events are more exciting than fictional stories...

Mr. Yu hadn’t read this future renowned book and naturally couldn’t be aware of the intricate details of the affair.

But knowing the causes, the course, and the outcome, he already understood what Meng Lang meant.

"Are you suggesting they will make a move against Mr. Ren?" Mr. Yu fixed his gaze on the young man in front of him.

"How could that be!" Meng Lang waved his hands.

Mr. Yu’s face just relaxed when Meng Lang took a deep breath.

"One still should save face even if shameless, right? Stoneal didn’t grab the opposite side’s CEO, a typical case of playing both sides.

But it’ll definitely involve important executives, like the next generation successors and the likes...

Oh right, I heard your CFO is also a kinsman of mine?"

Mr. Yu: "..."

"What proof do you have?" Brother Dong, alarmed, asked.

"Of course not, I just came up with it while casually reading a book."

And you dare to speculate like that!

Brother Dong was indeed somewhat frightened by Meng Lang’s bold "speculation."

After all, before such things happen, no one has that kind of foresight and mental preparation.

To be honest, upon hearing this guess, the first reaction of both Mr. Yu and Brother Dong was to think the other was exaggerating and even seeking attention.

This time, our countrymen generally still held a bit of awe towards the strong from across the ocean.

It’s hard for anyone to believe that such a powerhouse would go so far as to discard all decency and use such despicable methods to suppress a company.

But to calm down and give it a careful thought...

Holy shit!

The situation faced by Hua Wei and Stoneal indeed seemed very similar.

Only now, the main competitors like GE of the past had been replaced by today’s Apple, today’s Gao Tong, today’s Si Ke...

Sheesh~ Looking at it this way, Hua Wei’s threat to the other side of the ocean seems even more serious than Stoneal’s back then!