Chapter 359 Reclaim Shares
"Mr. Cooper!" Nathaniel grinned and reached out his hand.
Before coming here, Emma had already told him about this guy, who was willing to invest in the Harris family factory to buy eco-friendly equipment in exchange for shares.
"Mr. Harris, I've heard a lot about you!" Bodhi smiled, shook Nathaniel's hand, and sat back down.
Nathaniel's expression stayed neutral. In his eyes, a big investor willing to drop serious cash on eco-friendly gear deserved some respect.
"It's you?" Hawk's eyes landed on Noah. He remembered this young man from the Intoxicated Red Boat, where Noah had signed influencer Clementine. Noah's tough and cocky attitude, even ignoring the Moore family, had left a mark on Hawk.
Hawk hadn't expected to see him again here. If he remembered right, this young man was named Noah.
"Hawk, anything you want to say?" Nathaniel, a seasoned businessman, noticed Hawk's change in expression and immediately asked.
"Yeah, I know this Noah. We met at the Intoxicated Red Boat." Hawk nodded and briefly recounted the incident.
When Hawk mentioned Noah's remark, "Even the Moore family can't save you," everyone turned to look at Noah, surprised that he would dare to disregard the Moore family.
Hawk stroked his thin chin and said, "I was curious why Noah dared to speak so boldly against Liam from the Moore family at the Intoxicated Red Boat. Turns out, he had Mr. Cooper backing him up!"
In Hawk's view, Noah's audacity at the Intoxicated Red Boat was likely due to Bodhi's support.
"That must be it!" The other businessmen murmured in agreement.
"The Moore family is one of the top three families in the East. We all look up to them! And this kid dares to disrespect them?"
"He's asking for trouble!"
"Are you stupid? Didn't you hear Hawk? Noah has Mr. Cooper backing him up, that's why he dares!"
"Just a dog relying on its master's power!"
The murmurs reached Noah's ears, but his expression stayed the same.
"Alright, I didn't call everyone here to discuss this," Nathaniel said, not even glancing at Noah. He sat upright, with Hawk obediently sitting beside him. To Nathaniel, Noah was clearly just Bodhi's subordinate, not worth his attention.
"Today, I gathered everyone to discuss the purchase of eco-friendly equipment for our chemical fiber and oil factories. Let's talk while we eat," Nathaniel said with a warm smile, trying to be approachable.
"As you all know, the government is really cracking down on environmental protection. Recently, several of our Harris family factories have failed to meet emission standards. If we don't buy new eco-friendly equipment within the stipulated time, we will have no choice but to suspend operations indefinitely for rectification, which is essentially equivalent to the factory shutting down."
"Environmental protection is a national policy, and even our Harris family can't fight it."
"Yeah, it's a national policy. Several factories in Dantu have already shut down!"
"The situation is really serious!" The businessmen discussed among themselves.
Nathaniel took a bite of food and continued, "But the cost of this eco-friendly equipment is in the billions. If the Harris family were to buy it, it would take years of profits to recoup the investment, let alone make a profit."
"This process takes forever. As you all know, I'm not the type to wait ten years for a return. I want results fast. I won't get into any business that can't turn a profit within three years."
The businessmen nodded, knowing Nathaniel's style.
"So, we can only buy according to our shareholding ratios. All of you here are shareholders in our Harris family factories. The total cost of the eco-friendly equipment is estimated to be two hundred billion dollars."
Nathaniel suddenly smiled, "If we purchase according to our shares, the Harris family will need to invest one hundred billion dollars. Each of you will need to invest between fifty million to one billion dollars."
"Is the eco-friendly equipment really that expensive?" The smaller shareholders were stunned. Most of them didn't have enough cash to purchase the equipment.
They had become shareholders during the early development of the Harris family, and while their net worth was in the millions or even billions, this included the value of their shares. Their actual cash flow was much lower.
Noah frowned slightly. He had originally expected this dinner to be a private discussion between Nathaniel and Bodhi about investing sixty billion dollars in eco-friendly equipment. But now, Nathaniel had invited all these small shareholders. It seemed Nathaniel had another plan.
"What's with those faces?" Nathaniel feigned anger. "Environmental protection is a national policy, unstoppable. Even our Harris family members in the government must comply. There's no room for negotiation."
"So, the eco-friendly equipment must be purchased. We will invest one hundred billion dollars according to our shares. Naturally, as shareholders, you all must invest as well! Do you expect the Harris family to cover your share?"
"Mr. Harris, you don't understand. We're just some small shareholders, we don't have the money!" one businessman said with a bitter smile.
"Yeah, fifty million dollars would require mortgaging our homes."
"I can't come up with a billion dollars."
The businessmen were all bitterly discussing.
"So, it's a matter of money," Nathaniel smiled, as if he had anticipated this.
"I have a suggestion." Nathaniel stood up, hands behind his back, and looked around. "You've all contributed to the development of the Harris family factories. Most of you have children and grandchildren now."
"So, why don't you all give up your shares and transfer them to me, to the Harris family? After that, you can live in your big villas, have some nice drinks and enjoy the rest of your life."
Hearing this, the businessmen's faces changed, sensing something ominous.
"Of course, we will buy back the shares at their estimated value. We won't shortchange you! After all, you can't afford the eco-friendly equipment, right?"
A faint sense of authority emanated from Nathaniel, making it hard for the businessmen to breathe.
Noah admired Nathaniel's strategy. By leveraging the eco-friendly equipment issue, Nathaniel was forcing the small shareholders to relinquish their shares, allowing him to gain full control of the factories. This was a masterful move to reclaim the shares!
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