Chapter 948

It wasn't until dusk that Simon and Sophia walked out of the master bedroom of the hillside villa on Lake Como.

After dinner, Sophia dressed up and went to Milan to attend a wine auction of Christie's Milan branch.

After the acquisition of Christie's several years ago, Sofia not only managed the old auction house prosperously and expanded its business continuously, but also perfectly combined it with melisandro's business, becoming a brand marketing platform with locomotive effect. The clothing, jewelry, clocks and watches, wine and other enterprises involved in melisandro are in Christie's flat from time to time There will be a treasure auction in Taiwan.

In most people's subconscious mind, the things that can enter the auction house are always higher in value and style, which virtually improves the brand value of melisandro's subsidiaries.

"I have set up a team of buyers for Chinese cultural relics. At present, I mainly collect calligraphy, painting and porcelain. I have to say that there are a lot of Chinese cultural relics scattered around Europe, and the price is very low. Recently, I bought a blue and white porcelain of the Yuan Dynasty. I remember you mentioned that it only cost about 30000 US dollars. The seller is an ordinary old man in Britain People, he said, were brought back from China by his father

On the bus to downtown Milan, Sophia and Simon talk about Christie's business.

Large auction houses not only sell treasures provided by collectors, but also sell them by themselves. Of course, on the surface, it certainly won't have much to do with the auction house.

Simon accidentally mentioned to Sophia that he could collect Chinese cultural relics in Europe in advance for hoarding. When China's economy develops further, more and more rich people will surely turn to the field of collection in pursuit of connotation, just like the Japanese rich who bought most of the Western Impressionist paintings in the 1980s.

At that time, Christie's can take the opportunity to ship and make a big profit.

At this time, I heard Sophia say that he had just bought a yuan blue and white porcelain. Even with Simon's present wealth, I was interested in hearing this kind of porcelain which was fried in my memory: "what exactly is it?"

Sophia said: "it's about two feet high. I can't tell you the details. It's a Chinese dragon totem and peony. Anyway, it's very well preserved. The expert from China said that if it's in China, it belongs to the kind that can enter the Palace Museum. Well, it's the same level as the British Museum. In short, it's very precious."

Two foot high blue and white peony Yunlong porcelain pot.

The Palace Museum is a national treasure.

Simon compared the possible prices in his memory. He was a little surprised. He was two feet, about 60 cm, but this figure is very rare. After all, the bigger the porcelain, the harder it is to keep. I really don't know how those guys traveled thousands of miles to bring things back to Europe.

And

Simon asked, "thirty thousand dollars, are you sure?"

Sophia said with a smile, "at least $2 million now, that's why I specially mentioned to you that I'm good at business, right?"

Simon complimented on the woman's face under the kiss, and told: "ten years, do not sell."

Sophia is a little confused: "it's too long to operate in this way."

Any business is successful only when it gets the highest profit in the shortest time. If it invests $1 million, it will earn 30% in one year and 100% in ten years. It seems that the latter is more than the former, but compared with the former, it is a complete failure.

Simon also knows that unless it is a real collection, the operation cycle of cultural relics speculation can be as short as two or three years, as long as four or five years, and it is hard to say if it is longer. After all, no one knows whether the collection hot spots will shift in a few years. Just like the Impressionist paintings that the Japanese liked very much in the 1980s, the prices of these paintings have generally fallen sharply.

The blue and white of Yuan Dynasty mentioned by Sophia just now has been stored for four or five years. It was sold around 2000. Compared with the current market valuation, it's no problem to double it, but it's still not the best time.

Simon didn't explain too much. He just said, "listen to me. Besides, where's the China? I'll take time to have a look."

"In the underground vault in Geneva, if you want to see it, I'll send it to North America."

"Forget it, I'd better go to Switzerland next time."

Think about a blue and white flower worth hundreds of millions of yuan in the future. If there is a mistake in the transportation process, even Simon now will inevitably have a pain.

"Good."

Sofia certainly won't object, so that men can come more times, so she decided to buy more Chinese cultural relics that men might be interested in.

Two people continue to chat, driving into Milan City, Sophia's mobile phone suddenly rings. After answering the phone and chatting with the opposite party, he hung up and said to Simon, "Fiat's Jennie Agnelli and his wife will come over later and want to have a chat with you."

Jenny Agnelli, head of Fiat Group.

Simon probably understood what the other person wanted to talk about.

Sofia also said: "it should be that Fiat Group is planning to enter China, but it can't pay attention to it. It wants to get some information from you."The aftermath of Simon's last visit to China continues.

Although it rejected the Apollo management team's proposal to invest in Geely, other hesitant overseas auto companies have accelerated the pace of layout. For example, General Motors Group began to negotiate with SAIC last year. It had been stumbling before. After Simon's visit to China, the progress of negotiation between the two sides has speeded up abruptly, and it is expected to sign a formal cooperation agreement in the near future agreement.

This is a full year ahead of the original time and space.

As for Fiat Group.

If you think about some information in your memory, Simon can't help shaking his head. Two successive attempts to enter China ended in failure. This can only be Fiat's own problem.

However, because of its deep layout in Italy, the vistro system also had a lot of cooperation with the Agnelli family, which can be called the "Italian royal family". The other side came here specially, of course, to give face and said casually, "let's talk."

Sophia noticed Simon's expression and asked, "don't you want to touch them?"

"No, I'm just not optimistic about Fiat's entry into China."

"Why?"

Simon said: "in addition to Italy, do you have any impression that Fiat is more successful in any overseas market?"

Sophia thought about it, but she didn't find it.

Fiat Group is the leader of Italian standard. It has occupied 90% of the country's auto market through the Italian government's overt or covert favoritism for more than half a century. But overseas, except for some of Fiat Group's luxury car brands, it has no business to win.

Moreover, even Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo and other Fiat Group's luxury car brands are not doing well in recent years, because they are losing money, and Maserati and other brands have been repeatedly sold and merged.

In the final analysis, Fiat Group is too comfortable to be a local leader in Italy and has lost its enterprising spirit.

According to the current seller's market situation of China's auto industry, Fiat can easily occupy an important position in China's auto market in the future if it manages seriously. However, combined with the information in memory, Fiat obviously lacks this kind of mind. Instead, it is very strict in controlling technology research and development and automobile production. It is always on guard against its partners stealing its own technology. It operates in a willful way regardless of the actual situation of the Chinese market. It only knows how to ask for it, but does not want to pay even a little more.

All in all, it's arrogance.

How to say that.

Weakness and ignorance are not obstacles to survival, but arrogance is!

therefore, Fiat Group made two attempts in 1999 and 2010, both of which were good times for the development of China's automobile industry, and both ended miserably.

Later, Fiat Group and Chrysler Group merged. After this deal, it seems Fiat Group still dominates. In fact, Italian automobile market has been successfully infiltrated by American capital and lost its independence.

Arriving at Christie's headquarters in central Milan, the auction will take more than ten minutes to start.

Simon and Sofia are waiting in a VIP lounge for a while, and Jennie Agnelli and his wife, Marilla Agnelli, are also arriving ahead of time.

Gianni Agnelli is 75 years old this year. Since he became the chairman of Fiat Group in 1966, he has just controlled Italy, the largest industrial group, for 30 years. The other party also has a younger brother, Umberto Agnelli, 62 years old, who is the CEO of Fiat Group.

In the original time and space, after the death of Jenny Agnelli, the power of Fiat Group fell to Umberto.

Because Jenny Agnelli's only son committed suicide in 2000.

About this young man, Simon's favorite Italian film "beautiful city" has also been alluded to.

Different from the low-key German business families, such as the Agnelli family, the Gucci family and even the Versace family, the behind the scenes family stories of these old enterprises in Italy are enough to be filmed in Hollywood for 30 years.

Jennie Agnelli specially came to meet Simon to enter the Chinese market. This Italian business tycoon has recently begun to pay attention to China. It's just that the other side still has all kinds of hesitations about investing in China because of some inherent Western ideas, even with Simon's exemplary role.

Simon is also Frank: "Jennie, the current cooperation mode of China's auto industry is usually that Western auto companies provide the necessary technology and core components, and the Chinese side provides the funds. Therefore, if Fiat enters China, it will only pay for technology, and the import of spare parts will bring you additional income. Moreover, in terms of technology, we don't even need the latest one. Just like the best-selling Santana car that Volkswagen cooperated with China, the latest model in the Chinese market is two generations behind Europe. "

Jennie Versace leaned back on the sofa in the lounge with a cigar in his hand. He probably didn't mean to smoke or light it. He shook his head slightly and said, "Simon, that's what I'm worried about. Don't you find that the goal of China is our technology? When the Chinese have mastered the technology, do you think they will leave us? "This is probably a common concern for many overseas enterprises to cooperate with China.

Simon just shrugged: "or, Jennie, you can also think that if Fiat Group does not cooperate with China, when the auto industry of this country develops, the market will certainly be other first entrants, and it will be very difficult for you to enter again. As far as I know, General Motors Group is about to reach a cooperation agreement with China, and other auto giants are also exploring, leaving little time for Fiat. "

"So, Simon, why did you turn down the proposal to cooperate with Chinese auto companies?"

Simon was a little stunned, and then he responded.

It's still the cooperation plan with Geely.

Simon was not surprised that Agnelli knew about it.

Just as Simon didn't wonder why Agnelli knew his itinerary immediately when he arrived in Italy in the morning, this is the inside story. After all, Simon must report to the customs when he enters countries, and he doesn't mean to hide it. This is also why Yeltsin's daughter was able to find her home easily a few days ago.

With the present power of the westero system, if Simon wants to hide it, no one can find it.

However, this trip to Europe, not only to Ukraine, but also to other regions, actually has the intention of inspecting territory. Of course, it is necessary to let everyone who should know that Simon westero has appeared.

With this in mind, Simon said: "it's different, Jennie, because the westero system has not set foot in the automobile industry for the time being. Moreover, at the present stage, China's automobile industry is monopolized by state-owned enterprises. That cooperation agreement is aimed at a private enterprise. If I do this, it will probably arouse the antipathy of some state-owned enterprises in China, and China's state-owned enterprises are closely related to China's top management It's not worth the loss. "

Simon explained this, and Jennie Agnelli understood immediately.

It's a local snake.

Because Fiat Group's position in Italy is like this, other overseas car companies want to enter Italy, either cooperate with Fiat Group, or they are bound to be strongly suppressed.

With an unlighted cigar in his mouth and a puff, and a little deliberation, Jenny Agnelli said, "Simon, or, what do we do together?"

"Well?"

"We'll work together to enter the Chinese market. You know, I really have a lot of concerns over there. I can rest assured if you join in. After all, you already have good contacts in China. "

"But, Jennie, in this case, we can only get 50% of the shares at most, 25% of each. Are you satisfied?"

"Of course, as long as the project is successful," Jennie Agnelli said with a smile

"Forget it," Simon said with a smile. "Jennie, if you plan to enter the Chinese market, I'll give you some suggestions. Don't be too cautious or too harsh. In my opinion, the potential of China's automobile market may be comparable to that of North America in the next ten years, reaching tens of millions of levels. Don't doubt that. You can inquire about some other industries in China The potential of this country is very great. As long as Fiat is willing to bet heavily now, China will definitely become Fiat's largest overseas market in the future. "

Jennie Agnelli's eyes flashed a light, but quickly said: "then why can't you join us?"

Simon and Agnelli looked at each other and said, "if you are willing to give me control of the project, I am very happy to cooperate this time."

Jenny Agnelli shook his head subconsciously.

Simon said with a smile, "so we can't talk together. Frankly speaking, I will enter the Chinese automobile market, but not now, because the westero system has no foundation in the automobile industry. In a few years, it will be more mature to complete a layout. "

"According to you, maybe I should wait a few more years, such as China's accession to the WTO."

"Of course, it's a good time." Simon nodded, remembering that Fiat's first entry into China in history was just stepping on the threshold of WTO entry, and said, "however, I can only feel sorry for you, Jenny, because with the conditions of Fiat Group, you don't need to wait, you are missing a very precious opportunity to advance the layout."

At this time, the staff came to remind that they could enter.

The two stopped talking at the right time.

It can be seen that Jennie Agnelli is still hesitant. Simon has already said what he should say. How the other party chooses is not his concern.

In a word, if it wasn't for Fiat's failure to enter China twice in memory, and if it wasn't for Jennie Agnelli's indecision, Simon really didn't mind cooperating with each other, even if it was just pure investment without control. In this situation, he has no interest at all.