On the afternoon of March 1, local time in the United States, NB Airlines CEO Bierman personally rang the bell of the NASDAQ market closure that day to celebrate the opening price of NB Airlines' first day of listing of $19.5. At the close of the first day, it closed at $20.9, up nearly 40% from the issue price, raising $380 million.

In the morning bell opening ceremony, each bell ringer can invite 50 guests to attend. Instead of ringing the bell or inviting friends, he stayed at the nearby Hilton Times Square and waited for good news with Prince Metb, who had just arrived in New York.

“…… The total share capital after listing is 90479686 ADS, and the highest market value of NB Airlines has exceeded $1 billion based on the issue price of $12. ”

The more than 10 million US dollars invested before received a high return of nearly ten times with the successful listing of NB Airlines, Prince Mateb was excited, rubbing his hands and pacing around the presidential suite.

The third batch of millionaires was born in the group, and the charter was also very happy, shaking the wine in the goblet, and said slowly: "Your Highness, the successful listing is only the first step, if you can't make full use of the funds raised, the valuation will always be the valuation, unless you don't plan to continue to hold." ”

Unlike those high-tech companies that hype up concepts, NB Aviation is doing a real business.

Aviation training is booming, training former East German Air Force pilots to become qualified civil aviation captains and co-captains, and recommending them to airlines in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. At the same time, with a very competitive price and a very rigorous training attitude, it has won training orders from more than 30 airlines around the world.

The aircraft recycling business was remarkable, just in the second half of last year. Five passenger planes were recovered from Lufthansa and Air Arabia. The profits are extremely substantial. It has become the largest passenger and cargo aircraft dismantling company in Europe.

The reason for listing on NASDAQ is that it has taken a fancy to the United States, the world's largest general aviation training market, and secondly, to raise funds for the next aviation repair business.

The prospectus makes it clear that in the next two years, NB Aviation will set up three aviation maintenance service companies with overhaul and modification capabilities in Leipzig, Germany, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Hujiang, China. Airbus expressed its support, and in order to ensure Boeing's position as the leader in the global aviation market, Boeing also extended an olive branch to NB Airlines to start informal negotiations on the "passenger-to-freighter" project.

In recent years, the world's air cargo has grown rapidly, and the demand for cargo aircraft is increasing. And under normal circumstances. Freighters are more expensive to manufacture than passenger aircraft, with limited cargo, high fuel consumption, and higher maintenance costs. Therefore, many airlines have begun to focus on changing passenger aircraft into cargo planes after a period of use, which can not only reduce costs, but also carry large cargo.

According to the current development trend, in the next 20 years, 75% of the world's freighter fleet will come from converted passenger aircraft, and the remaining 25% will be newly produced original freighters. It can be seen how strong the development potential of the "passenger-to-cargo" business is.

As expected by the charter, Prince Metbu shook his head and smiled without thinking, "Sell the stock." I'm not that stupid! In addition, even if you want to cash out, I will greet you in advance. ”

"Thank you."

The charter raised his arm and glanced at the time, and asked with a smile: "Your Highness, the guest is almost here, are you interested in going with us to meet you?" ”

"Of course, if it weren't for him, could I have come here?"

Prince Metbu was just about to open the door when Wiesen, president of BNB News Network America, arrived, "Mr. Zhang, His Royal Highness the Prince, there is a traffic jam on the road, and it will take about twenty minutes for Mr. Charles and his assistants to arrive. ”

The success of BNB News in the U.S. depends entirely on ratings. The cake has long since been divided, and it is impossible to use its own or rented cell towers to transmit BNB TV signals, as is the case in Germany.

There's no arguing about positioning BNB as a content provider in the United States, but the cable network has such a high coverage that even if the major operators can sign profit-sharing agreements with BNB, the number of viewers who can actually see BNB news and BNB entertainment will not exceed 10 million in the future.

After investing so much money and preparing for so long, how could the charter watch the American BNB honestly stay in the circle drawn by Uncle Sam, so I thought of the famous satellite TV operator in the future.

He is not well-known now, but in the future he will become a household name, an American success story that people talk about, thinking of all the legends about him, he smiled and asked, "Mr. President, what do you know about Mr. Charles?" ”

Having met twice before, Wieson couldn't help but laugh at the mention of the potential partner: "He's low-key, approachable, slow-talking, with a southern accent, and quite frugal, the company's headquarters is a property that was taken over from a bankrupt developer, and the management's annual salary is no more than 250,000 yuan, and any check over $10,000 has to be signed by him." It is said that he only has two suits, flies in business class, lives in an ordinary holiday inn, and even always shares a room with colleagues according to the company rules he set. ”

Prince Mateb couldn't help but smile and asked, "A harsh miser? ”

"Your Highness, this can only be said that he is keen on cost control, in fact, his unpretentious grassroots personality has won him good popularity. He seems to have an infinite patience with his customers and distributors, often spending hours listening to them. He also hosts a Charlie talk show on his television network, personally answering users' phone calls, sharing their joys and sorrows, and hosting fun programs to hand out prizes. Even former Federal Communications Commissioner Watson praised him as the most unassuming, unpretentious CEO he had ever seen. ”

Success is reserved for those who have enough perseverance and enough preparation, and the charter secretly imagines that perhaps someone like Charles Elgen may be able to build Echo Star into the third largest channel video provider in the United States in just over a decade, with more than 10 million subscribers!

It's amazing how smoothly and orderly it all happened. Unlike multi-system operators Comcast and Time Warner Cable, which acquired a large number of subscribers through a series of mergers and acquisitions. However, Echostar is slowly growing at a rate of adding one user at a time.

Wieson continued: "But if you think he's a good gentleman because of that. That would be a big mistake. When it comes to business. Charlie is a very difficult opponent. He is energetic, creative and unrelenting. The biggest headache is that he doesn't like to play by the rules, and tries to go beyond the rules at every opportunity, expanding the so-called gray area of the industry. ”

The charter smiled and asked, "What are the outrageous behaviors?" ”

As the president of BNB News in the United States, Wei Sen will never fight a battle that he is not sure of, and he will find out the details of the negotiation opponent clearly, and he does not even need to read the information to introduce it like a few treasures: "A lot, such as five years ago." Customs officers raided some of their offices in Miami and Dallas, accusing them of illegally exporting set-top boxes.

Charlie, who acknowledged lax supervision of his subordinates, reached an out-of-court settlement with customs by donating $800,000 worth of dish satellite receivers to the school, and said he would learn a lesson. The truth is, however, years later, he is still 'sticking to his habits,' and last month the FCC denounced his Echostar for "misconduct and lack of honesty." ”

With a lot of criminal records, Prince Mateb couldn't help but ask: "Zhang, are you sure he will be a good partner?" ”

The charter smiled casually: "Let's talk about it after listening to Mr. President's introduction." ”

Wei Sen nodded slightly and continued, "Your Highness. It doesn't matter if it's in the U.S. or anywhere else. Many companies that struggle from the bottom have a tendency to play cards according to the rules, perhaps only in this way can they break the convention, achieve a breakthrough in the shortest possible time, and seek to maximize the company's interests.

In my opinion, Echo Star belongs to such a company, and Charlie has not gotten rid of the mentality of a small company, perhaps thinking that only by daring to fight can he avoid being bullied by big guys in the industry like Hughes and News Corp. ”

"It's not easy to do business in the United States, and it's even harder to do the most competitive media," the charter lamented. Not only does we have a little international fame, but we have access to a whopping $700 million in money, but we are still a small and inconspicuous company in the American media industry, with little influence to speak of. That's not the case for BNB News, not to mention Echo Star, which started by selling satellite receivers. ”

In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be used, and Wieson did not think Charles did much out of the ordinary, and continued: "So in addition to constantly interacting with various regulatory agencies, Charlie is also inseparable from his peers. In the past few years, Echo Star has fought lawsuits with major television networks, as well as Hughes, News Corp., Disney and other companies involved in the television business, sometimes others sue them, sometimes they sue others, and the topics are nothing more than accusing each other of unfair competition, suspicion of monopoly, and so on. ”

If he wasn't brave and ruthless, would he be able to lead a billion-dollar company to compete with those hundreds of billions of large companies in the future?

The charter was very much looking forward to the upcoming meeting, and after thinking about it, he suddenly smiled and said, "Joseph, please order me a bottle of champagne, I think it should be able to be used later." ”

"Champagne to celebrate, Zhang, Mr. President made it very clear, that cowboy is very difficult, God knows if he would be interested in working with us."

The charter took a document from Lin Zhiguo's hand and said confidently: "He will definitely be interested, otherwise he will never rush here as soon as he receives the fax." ”

Prince Matebu gestured with both hands and asked suspiciously: "Zhang, are you sure that NB Industrial Manufacturing can make a big pot into a small pot?" ”

"There's no doubt about it!"

Pointing to the patent certificate in the folder, he smiled proudly: "In fact, as early as the beginning of the establishment of BNB News, Mr. Daniel placed a commissioned research and development order with the NB laboratory in Berlin, and after the efforts of more than 40 electronics experts and engineers, this 18-inch miniature satellite receiver was finally developed.

The value is not only in how small the size is, but also in how much the cost can be reduced. With it, Echo Star can reduce the spending of satellite TV users to the same level as cable TV users, and allow users to enjoy services with more channels, clearer sound and pictures. ”

As expected by the charter, Charles, the president and founder of Echo Star and as handsome as George W. Bush, just walked into the hotel and couldn't wait to ask about the parameters of the "miniature satellite receiver".

"Mr. Charles......"

"You can just call me Charlie, oh my god. What an amazing invention. It will surely become a milestone in the satellite TV industry. Mr. Zhang. Dear Royal Highness the Prince, I don't know what words to put to express my feelings right now, in short, it is so great that it can even set off a ratings revolution. ”

The reason why satellite TV cannot be promoted is because the cost of satellite receivers is too high, and the mini satellite receiver developed by the Berlin NB laboratory can reduce the cost to one-tenth of the "cauldron". This means that satellite TV can enter thousands of households like cable TV.

Charter, who understood his feelings, beckoned them to sit down, and said slowly: "Mr. Charles, as you know, BNB News does not have a franchise to distribute, install and operate satellite receiving equipment in the United States, so I would like to discuss with you the possibility of cooperation between you and me on this issue." ”

Unlike large conglomerates that are accustomed to spending a lot of money, Echo Star always tries to keep costs to a minimum, so as to ensure that they can always play with their opponents.

To keep costs as low as possible. It's almost everything, such as buying patented technology from small companies. Ask companies that have not yet registered their names to build set-top boxes, build their own customer service networks, and design their own viewing guides. Even upload devices are made in Wyoming, where electricity is cheap.

Although NB Electric is not a big group like CE, it is also a "behemoth" compared to the newly emerging Echo Star. The company's airline had just gone public today, and he had money in his hands, and Charles didn't think he had the possibility of buying patents from NB Electric.

He glanced at his companion and said bluntly: "Mr. Zhang, His Royal Highness the Prince, Mr. Weisen, if Echo Star has the 'mini satellite receiver' technology, then the TV program of BNB News Network can have unexpected ratings. ”

"I think so too, the key is what kind of cooperation is adopted." ”

"We can compromise on the subscription share."

The charter nodded noncommittally, and then asked with interest: "Mr. Charles, if I remember correctly, your company now has about 200,000 satellite TV subscribers. Haven't you thought about taking advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to grow satellite TV subscribers to 2 million or more? ”

Charles shrugged his shoulders, spread his hands and smiled: "Of course I do, but Mr. Zhang, you should know very well that if you want to do this, it is not enough to have a 'mini satellite receiver'. ”

In fluent English, Prince Metbu asked, "Mr. Charles, can you tell me what else you need?" ”

"First of all, we must have enough high-quality content providers, and secondly, we must have our own live broadcast satellites, and frankly we don't have the strength, at least not in the short term."

Seeing that the charter nodded slightly towards him, Prince Mateb said with a smile: "Charlie, I call you Charlie, and Mr. Weissen is a content provider. As for the TV satellite, I think that as long as there is enough money to buy it, and send it to the sky. ”

Charles was stunned for a moment, then reacted immediately, stared at him and the charter's eyes, and asked, "Mr. Zhang, His Royal Highness the Prince, can I understand that you two are interested in investing in Echo Star?" ”

"It can be understood that way."

The charter lowered his head and said sincerely: "Mr. Charles, we are very optimistic about the development potential of your company and sincerely hope to become a close partner with you. If you're interested in cooperating, we're not going to seek a controlling stake or interfere in Echo Star's internal affairs, just so that BNB News can have higher ratings. ”

Investment and financing between companies are too normal in the United States, but Charles was not surprised, looking at the articles of association with an expression that was not falsified at all, and couldn't help asking: "Mr. Zhang, can these commitments you make exist in the form of agreements?" ”

"Of course."

"Then how much equity do you and His Royal Highness the Prince want to have?"

"Mr. Charles, as I said earlier, you are only investing in your company for BNB News, and you don't have a clear goal of how much you want to take in Echo Star. In other words, how much equity I and His Royal Highness the Prince each own depends entirely on how much money you need. ”

After a pause, he added: "If the need for capital exceeds the cash value of 50% of the shares, then we can fund Echo Star in other ways, such as a low-interest loan from NB Bank, or a portion of your company's bonds subscribed by our investment department." ”

In order for BNB News to gain a foothold in the United States, they really left no stone unturned.

Charles realized that this was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Echo Star, weighed it for a moment, and muttered: "Mr. Zhang, His Royal Highness the Prince, and Mr. Weisen, thank you for the three of you for your favor to our company, but such a big matter needs to be recognized by all shareholders and company executives, please give me three days, and I will reply to you as soon as possible." ”

"No problem, we're looking forward to hearing from you."

As soon as the "aggressive rooster" of Charles, president of Echostar Communications, left, Henry Pearce, Bierman, Lu Yuanqing, De Bar, Wen Kaian, and other executives of American companies and NB Airlines, held a celebration party in the small bar downstairs. The charter and Prince Metbu naturally can't be absent from the fact that the assets have just risen with the listing of NB Airlines, one with champagne and the other with juice and a bunch of freshly released millionaires.

Henry Pierce, the group's investment in the United States, had the right to intervene, and when he had finished greeting the guests, he pulled him aside and asked, "Zhang, does that 'aggressive rooster' really want to launch a satellite?" ”

"He's ambitious, and launching a satellite is only a matter of time before he gets it. And BNB can't put all its eggs in the basket of cable networks, and working with them is the best option. ”

In fact, there is not a single sentence in the charter that once Charles, who is both "aggressive" and "stingy", has the funds to launch the Echo Star Company's own television satellite, then he will not hesitate to ask the China Great Wall Industry Company to launch it, because the American company charges too much. This is undoubtedly another very important chip for NB Electric. (To be continued......)