Chapter 246: Valuable advice from elders(2/2)
“Really impossible?”
“Really impossible.” Li Qiong really regretted personally coming here now. If only she had known, she would have made one of her sales managers come here instead.
“Let’s do a partnership. Sell the medical equipment to me on loan. We can discuss how to split the profits. Don’t refuse yet, and listen to what I have to say,” Zhang Fan hurriedly said as he noticed that Li Qiong was furrowing her eyebrows in displeasure. “Currently, just about all patients pay their medical fees with the national medical insurance. Because their medical fees are all paid for with insurance, public hospitals don’t have a lot of power regarding purchasing medical equipment. You probably also have a lot of competition. Additionally, this type of medical equipment is something that will become outdated within only three to four years.”
“Of course not!” Li Qiong exclaimed.
“Then just say if you have a lot of competition or not! How many biochemical analyzers can you even sell in an entire year? My bet is that you only sell one on average every two or three years, am I right?”
“Yes, you’re right.”
“You see? And if a hospital wants to purchase medical equipment, they’ll only want the newest medical equipment. They definitely won’t want something that’s two or three years old, even if it’s never been used. So, each year that you can’t sell off a major piece of medical equipment, it will lose a lot of value. Not only that, you probably have to pay for its storage and maintenance. Won’t that also cost money? You might as well sell it to me on loan instead. Not only will that reduce your own upkeep, it can even bring economic benefits to you. I’ve already invested more than 1,000,000 yuan in my own hospital. Do you think that I’d really be willing to see all my money go down the drain?”
“Let me go make a phone call. Please excuse me!” Li Qiong went to go call her higher-ups. She wasn’t actually the highest-ranking person in the medical equipment company she worked for.
“That’s what’s going on,” Li Qiong said on the phone after explaining the current situation. “Also, this Doctor Zhang is the most skilled doctor in all of Chasu City. Even expert doctors from Raptor City come to learn from him.”
“You should first go and confirm the condition of his hospital. If his hospital seems to be alright, then this could actually work. We do have several sets of medical equipment in storage that we’re currently unable to sell. Although the big hospitals would probably have no interest, such medical equipment would already be considered really good for a private hospital.”
“Understood!”
Li Qiong then went to go take a tour of Zhang Fan’s hospital. After she finished looking around, she felt that she could indeed make money here.
“Superintendent Zhang, your hospital is too small! Not only that, you only provide such a limited amount of treatment types. You also don’t have a large number of people coming in for physical examinations. This would be far too slow for paying off the loan.”
Zhang Fan immediately could tell that there was hope that she would agree! He understood that having complaints meant that there was actual interest.
“Although this hospital isn’t very large, a large hospital wouldn’t be interested in the medical equipment you have in stock, don’t you agree? Besides, why would we lack patients coming in for checkups? Just think about it. In the entire area around Chasu City’s jurisdiction, we’re the only hospital around that focuses on hand and foot surgery, so of course we won’t lack patients. Besides, giving physical examinations isn’t our main service. As long as we properly perform hand and foot surgeries here, that will definitely attract a large number of patients. How about it? You can enter a partnership with my hospital while it’s just getting started. That will give you a good opportunity to negotiate your share of the profits. There won’t be such a chance again once my hospital properly gets going.”
“My company wants to become a stockholder in your hospital. We want that rather than just taking a portion of your profits. We’ll directly use our medical equipment to become a stockholder in your hospital. We’ll take care of all of the medical equipment maintenance for you. We can also provide you with basic medical equipment and medicine. You can definitely feel reassured with us.” Li Qiong began her own attack.
“That won’t be possible. What basic medical equipment would hand and foot surgery even use? At most, just some Kirschner wires. There’s even less medicine that we need. We only need some common antibiotics, not much medicine other than that. Besides, if you want to become a stockholder, what percent of the stocks do you want? You also know already that for hand and foot surgery, the doctors are the most important. The medical equipment isn’t actually that important. I’m only doing this in order to elevate the status of my hospital. In my opinion, there doesn’t even need to be anything more than a single C-arm X-ray.”
“Haha, Superintendent Zhang, I never expected that you wouldn’t be simple at all. Let’s all just be direct with each other. We’re both in the medical field. I won’t be able to fool you, and you can’t scam me. We want to become a stockholder. Otherwise, this discussion won’t continue.”
Zhang Fan was actually still too inexperienced. For this type of negotiation, he should have invited at least one more medical equipment merchant. This way, Li Qiong would have been more pressured, and would be forced to lower her demands as she would have a competitor.
“How much percent stock do you want?”
“I’ve finished looking over your hospital. Your main expenses are probably just rent and paying everyone’s salaries. I also calculated the value of your current medical equipment. At most, it’s worth 3,000,000 yuan. Adding on hospital renovations and rent, the entire hospital is worth 4,000,000 yuan at most,” Li Qiong said with a smile as she looked at Zhang Fan.
“Of course it’s more than that. You sell new medical equipment, so you know how it is. Back when we purchased everything, it cost us at least 6,000,000 yuan.” Zhang Fan was breaking out in a cold sweat because Li Qiong’s analysis had been far too accurate.
“Alright, I’ll count your hospital’s value as 6,000,000 yuan, then. I can equip your hospital with 6,000,000 yuan’s worth of medical equipment. In exchange, our company becomes a 50% stockholder of your hospital.” Now that Li Qiong had begun her attack, she wouldn’t rest until she obtained results.
“Forget it, then. I’ll consider thinking of some other method.” Zhang Fan instantly refused. He was thinking that perhaps he should try contacting orthopedic department #2 Director Wang Dehua’s medical equipment merchant instead.
“40%. I can’t go for any less than that.” Li Qiong started panicking since Zhang Fan was threatening to leave.
“10%. I don’t need the 6,000,000 yuan’s worth of medical equipment that you offered me. I won’t even have any place to put it all. I only need the medical equipment that I requested for. Also, you’ll only have the dividends and the right to look through our finances. I’ll still be in charge of everything else!” Zhang Fan was now standing up already. He didn’t have much time. He couldn’t afford to keep his hospital closed for a long period of time. Otherwise, his employees would lose all confidence, and the hospital would also lose all of its patients.
“Superintendent Zhang, even for just the medical equipment that you requested, you also wanted the most modern versions. 10% is way too little for that much value of medical equipment. Not to mention, you still want full management rights, so we won’t feel secure at all. There’s no need for you to rush. We can talk things over slowly.”
“I don’t have the free time right now. 15% at the very most. That’s my limit. Feel free to call me if you agree to this. There won’t be a chance for us to collaborate anymore by this time tomorrow. I’ll be leaving now.” Zhang Fan really did immediately leave after this. He had come to a realization that his hospital was the only hand and foot surgery specialization hospital in the entire area around Chasu City, but there would be plenty of medical equipment merchants other than the company that Li Qiong worked for.
The end result was that the boss of Li Qiong’s company arrived in Chasu City before it was even noon in order to personally talk to Zhang Fan, who refused to budge on how much stock he would offer. In the end, they signed a contract agreement that Zhang Fan would give up 18% of his hospital’s stocks in exchange for the medical equipment. Zhang Fan would retain all management rights. The medical equipment merchant wasn’t actually that interested in the hospital itself. They were doing this as an investment in Zhang Fan, valuing his potential.
After Ma Wentao’s hospital became Zhang Fan’s hospital, not every doctor working there was confident that Zhang Fan would be able to properly run the hospital. While everyone knew that Zhang Fan was highly skilled, some were of the opinion that it would take more than just medical skills to properly run a hospital. Three of the doctors previously working for Ma Wentao resigned, although it was at least on friendly terms.
Chen Qifa had been absolutely correct regarding former Director Nuar. When Zhang Fan called Nuar, the latter instantly agreed to come be the hospital’s veteran doctor in name who would rubber stamp every surgery. After retirement, Nuar had really withered. He was no longer an alcoholic. When he met with Zhang Fan, he wasn’t as direct as he used to be. He seemed just like a scared old man. This was all due to the passing of time. Reality was just like a knife, cutting down someone who used to be department director into someone like this!
Zhang Fan finally finished all of the work he needed in order to start up his hospital. His hospital now officially opened for business!