similarly sized, but a higher RMB deposit, to the Special Committee on December 11, 2023 in an effort to advance its proposed transaction at the time) that it had determined to join the Dazheng
Consortium through GA Technologies.
At 9 p.m. on January 25, 2024, a virtual meeting took place between the Special
Committee and Mr. Chen, on behalf of the Dazheng Consortium. Also in attendance was a representative of GA Technologies, and representatives of Davis Polk, Mourant, Deutsche Bank, S&C and UBS. Mr. Chen made introductory remarks
regarding the Dazheng Consortium and expressed his belief that the Dazheng Consortiums proposal was a Superior Proposal, referring to the offer price, the RMB deposit and the financing materials that had been provided. After that, the
representative of GA Technologies indicated that GA Technologies onshore investment platform would provide the RMB deposit for the Dazheng Consortium and further explained that GA Technologies, while not presently an equity investor of
the Dazheng Consortium, was expected to become an equity investor of the Dazheng Consortium after the closing of the Dazheng Consortiums acquisition of the Company. Legal advisors for the Dazheng Consortium also reported on the status of
negotiations of the Dazheng Consortiums draft debt commitment letter with its lender.
Thereafter, on the same
night, the Special Committee held a meeting, at which representatives of Davis Polk, Deutsche Bank, Brunswick and Morrow Sodali LLC (Morrow) were present. The Special Committee noted that the key clarification questions on the
Dazheng Consortiums proposal remained outstanding following the virtual meeting with Mr. Chen of the Dazheng Consortium and the representative of GA Technologies, in particular, information that would allow the Special Committee to assess
the financial wherewithal of the Dazheng Consortium to consummate a transaction.
On January 26, 2024, Dr. Teh,
on behalf of the Special Committee, sent an email to Mr. Chen reiterating the Special Committees clarification requests, including (a) a call with Investor A or the Investor B Owner for clarification on the questions previously
raised; (b) clarification on the Dazheng Consortiums composition and equity allocation; (c) latest drafts of the transaction documents; (d) a regulatory analysis of the Dazheng Consortiums proposal; and (e) the
details on the terms and conditions of the Dazheng Consortiums latest deposit proposal. Dr. Teh reiterated that final terms would need to be reached by January 29, 2024.
In the early morning on January 27, 2024, Mr. Chen, on behalf of the Dazheng Consortium, sent an email to the
Special Committee. In the email, Mr. Chen indicated that, subject to the condition that the Special Committee would commence negotiations of the transaction documents with the Dazheng Consortium by noon on January 27, 2024, the Dazheng
Consortium would arrange a meeting between the Special Committee and the largest sponsor of the Dazheng Consortium on or before January 29, 2024. Mr. Chen also noted that the Dazheng Consortium was confident in finalizing all
transaction documents by January 29, 2024 should negotiations commence by noon. Mr. Chen further reiterated that the Dazheng Consortium would be prepared to make a RMB deposit in an onshore escrow account, but that such deposit would be
returned to the Dazheng Consortium with accumulated interest if no merger agreement was entered into between the Company and the Dazheng Consortium by February 7, 2024.
In the same morning and following such email, a representative of UBS called a representative of Deutsche Bank, conveying that
the largest sponsor mentioned in Mr. Chens email referred to a previously unnamed new investor (Investor E) that would commit an amount equal to more than a majority of equity funding of the
Dazheng Consortium, and that the Dazheng Consortium would disclose the identity of Investor E only if the Special Committee agreed to the request made by the Dazheng Consortium to commence negotiations by noon on January 27, 2024. Based on such
communications, representatives of Deutsche Bank understood that, with the introduction of Investor E, Investor B and Investor A would no longer be the most significant equity investors of the Dazheng Consortium.
Later the same morning, the Special Committee held a meeting, at which representatives of Davis Polk, Mourant, Deutsche Bank,
Brunswick and Morrow were present, to discuss the latest developments in relation to the Dazheng Consortiums proposal. The Special Committee noted that the composition of the Dazheng
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