The Charismatic Charlie Wade

“Brewing Puer tea is like coaxing a dragon from a slumber, an intricate dance of heat and time. Yet now, folks take the easy path,
bottling its essence. Not just for sipping from a cap twist, but chilled, over ice. While our patrons, they’re confined to the embrace
of boiling water at a steadfast hundred degrees. And then there’s the matter of aging tea leaves, the passage of time as their
warmth dwindles, their flavors shift, how do we hope to keep up with them?”
A heavy sigh escaped Anthony Robbins’s lips, his words laden with melancholy. “Father,” he began, voice tinged with
resignation, “I’ve long harbored the inkling that our venture isn’t a stroll through cherry blossoms. The competition, it’s a
maelstrom, an unrelenting tempest.”
He paused before adding, “Moreover, our roots run deep in the southern province, where resources and connections flourish, but
the industry remains an infant, held back by inconvenient pathways. Even if we transition to dry tea beverages, like the neighbor
with their famous old godmother sauce, we’d find the journey fraught with hardship. Back when e-commerce was in its infancy,
they reigned as sauce sovereigns. Yet, as the digital tide surged, they found themselves adrift, left in the wake of a new era...”
Anthony Robbins’s gaze grew steadfast as he dared to voice the unthinkable. “Father, hear me out. Perhaps, it’s time we search
for a new home, a worthy spot to dock our company. You’ve toiled your life away; now, it’s the age to bask in life’s twilight.”
Eric Robbins’s response was a dismissive snort, and he inquired sharply, “A new home, you say? This home of ours, is that not
good enough? Do you think it’s a breeze to find a place anew? If you’ve lost faith in the industry, how can you expect others to
believe?”
“Ours is the most precarious of times. Bigger fish are trimming sails, budget slashes all around. No one’s keen on spending a
dime to scoop us up, or those fledgling brands smaller in size. The market’s plagued by fly-by-night schemes, hoping today’s
seeds will blossom by morrow’s sun, and no soul’s willing to burden themselves with a load like ours. Even the small fry view us
as mere contractors, why, you ask?”
“The cost of our tea’s creation is steep! Without integrity, they’d probably hawk decayed leaves as ‘tea’ – as if our artistry’s worth
nothing.”
A somber exhale escaped Anthony Robbins’s lips, his query tinged with defeat. “Is there no window to cash out, then?”
Eric Robbins’s nod was laden with sagely agreement. “Indeed, the current financial standings of our conglomerate, factoring in
market evaluation and net assets, should tally to around 1.12 billion. Let’s not entertain steep premiums – a reduction to 800
million seems reasonable, doesn’t it? Yet, none approach with such an offer in sight. The market grants no quarter for premium
bids. Set the price beneath 500 million, maybe someone might nibble. Descend below 400 million, likelihood surges.”

His gaze held, Eric Robbins continued, “But 400 million is a paltry sum. A fair valuation would be no less than 700 million.”
“700 million?” A disbelieving curl of the lips from Anthony Robbins. “You’ve time for such fancies, yet no plan to tame the dealers
tonight? They clamor for a 40% carve, a concession I can’t stomach. See if you can’t sweet-talk them to a 4,50 split after a few
swigs. Time to seal the pact.” Anthony Robbins couldn’t help but interject, “Father, a dream must find room to breathe. Who’s to
say it can’t come true?”
A gruff impatience from Eric Robbins, “If someone forks over 700 million, I’ll streak thrice down main street!”
The spark of hope in Anthony Robbins’s eyes waned as he processed this audacious statement.
A sale beneath a hundred million yuan, perhaps?
The magnitude of his father’s pessimism was more daunting than he’d anticipated.
As both father and son stewed in their collective melancholy, an explosive crash sounded through the door. In strode the
secretary, a tornado of enthusiasm.
Before steadying himself, he blurted, “Chairman Robbins, Chairman Robbins, big news!”
Eric Robbins, a seething cauldron of irritation, flared at the intrusion. “Since when did you stop knocking? What kind of manners
is this?”
Disregarding the reprimand, the secretary gulped and burst forth, “Chairman, the Banks Group... The very titan of our country!
Their secretary just rang. They’ve voiced interest in acquisition talks!”