Document:

Exhibit 10.24

 

Exclusive Technology Consulting and Service Agreement

 

This Exclusive Technology Consulting and Service Agreement (hereinafter referred to as “this Agreement”) is entered into by and between the following Parties on January 30, 2019:

 

Party A: Beijing Melo Technology Co., Ltd., with its domicile at Room 1406-016, 14/F, Shining Tower, No. 35, Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, its legal representative is Zheng Han.

 

Party B: Beijing Weixue Tianxia Education Technology Co., Ltd., with its residence at Room 205, 2nd Floor, Building 1, No. 10, Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, and its legal representative is Guohang Wang.

 

In this Agreement, “Party A” and “Party B” shall be collectively referred to as “the Parties”, and individually, “either Party”.

 

Whereas:

 

1.                  Party A is a wholly foreign-owned limited liability company duly incorporated and existing under the laws of the People’s Republic of China, having the resources to provide technologyconsulting and services;

 

2.                  Party B is a domestic limited liability company duly incorporated under the laws of the People’s Republic of China; and

 

3.                  Party A agrees to provide technology consulting and related services to Party B, and Party B agrees to accept the technology consulting and services provided by Party A.

 

Therefore, the Parties, upon amicable negotiation, reach the following Agreement based on the principle of equality and mutual benefit:

 

I.                       Consulting and Services: Sole and Exclusive Interests

 

During the term of this Agreement, Party A agrees to provide Party B with relevant technology consulting and services (see Schedule 1 for details) as Party B’s exclusive provider of technology consulting and services under the terms of this Agreement. Party A and Party B agree that during the term of this Agreement, the Parties may, directly or by their respective affiliates, enter into any other technical services agreement or consulting agreement, stipulating the contents, methods, staffing and fees of certain technical services and consulting services.

 

Party B agrees to accept the technology consulting and services provided by Party A during the term of this Agreement. Taking into account the value of the technology consulting and services provided by Party A and the good cooperation between the Parties, Party B further agrees that it will not accept any technology consulting and services provided by any third party in respect to the business scope of this Agreement during the term of this Agreement without Party A’s prior written consent.

 

1.              Party A may, at its sole discretion, subcontract to any third party part of the services to be provided to Party B hereunder.

 

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2.              Party A shall have the sole and exclusive right and interest to and in any right, title, interest and intellectual property arising from the performance of this Agreement (including but not limited to copyright, patent, know-how, trade secret, etc.), whether developed by Party A, developed by Party B based on Party A’s any intellectual property or developed by Party A based on Party B’s any intellectual property, and Party B may not claim any right or interest from Party A, including, but not limited to, any title and intellectual property.

 

3.              If, however, such development is conducted by Party A based on Party B’s any intellectual property, Party B shall warrant that there are no defects in such intellectual property, otherwise Party B shall be liable for any loss incurred by Party A. If Party A is therefore held liable for any compensation to any third party, Party A may, upon making such compensation, recover from Party B for all its losses.

 

4.              Considering the good cooperation between the Parties, Party B undertakes that it shall obtain Party A’s consent if it intends to carry out any business cooperation with any other enterprise, and Party A or any of its affiliated companies shall have priority right to cooperate under the same conditions.

 

II.                  Calculation and Payment of Fees for Technology Consulting and Service (hereinafter referred to as “Service Fees”)

 

1.              The Parties agree that the service fees (taxes included) shall be determined and paid by the method set out in Schedule 2.

 

2.              If Party B fails to pay service fees and other fees as specified herein, Party B shall pay the liquidated damages at the rate of 0.05% for each day to Party A in respect to the outstanding amount.

 

3.              Party A may, at its costs, appoint any of its employees or any certified public accountant from China or any other country (hereinafter referred to as a “Party A’s authorized representative”) to inspect Party B’s accounts for the purpose of verifying the calculation method for and amount of the service fees. For this purpose, Party B shall provided any of Party A’s authorized representatives with the documents, accounts, records, data, etc. requested by him/her to allow him/her to audit Party B’s accounts and determine the amount of the service fees. Unless there is any material error, the amount of the service fees shall subject to that determined by any of Party A’s authorized representatives.

 

4.              The service fees paid by Party B to Party A hereunder shall be a tax-included amount, and any included taxes shall be paid and borne by Party B.

 

5.              Unless otherwise agreed on by the Parties, the service fees paid by Party B to Party A hereunder shall be paid without any deduction or offset (e.g. bank charges, etc.).

 

6.              Furthermore, Party B shall pay Party A the actual expenses incurred by Party A in connection with the provision of consulting and services hereunder in addition to the service fees, including but not limited to travel expenses, transportation expenses, printing costs and postage.

 

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7.              Party B shall indemnify and hold harmless Party A from any loss, damage, liability or cost incurred by any action, claim, or other demand against Party A arising from or caused by the consulting and services provided by Party A at Party B’s request, unless such loss, damage, liability or cost is incurred by Party A’s gross negligence or wilful misconduct.

 

III.             Representations and Warranties

 

1.              Party A hereby represents and warrants as follows that:

 

(1)         Party A is a wholly foreign-owned limited liability company duly incorporated and validly existing under Chinese law.

 

(2)         In performing this Agreement within the scope of its corporate power and business, Party A has taken the necessary corporate actions and made the proper authorization, and has obtained the necessary consent and approval from any third party and government authority, without violating any legal or contractual restriction binding on it or affecting it.

 

(3)         Upon execution, this Agreement shall constitute a legal instrument which is legitimate, valid, binding and enforceable for Party A.

 

2.              Party B hereby represents and warrants as follows that:

 

(1)          Party B is a limited liability company duly incorporated and validly existing under Chinese law.

 

(2)          In performing this Agreement within the scope of its corporate power and business, Party B has taken the necessary corporate actions and made the proper authorization, and has obtained the necessary consent and approval from any third party and government authority, without violating any legal or contractual restriction binding on it or affecting it.

 

(3)          Upon execution, this Agreement shall constitute a legal instrument which is legitimate, valid, binding and enforceable for Party B.

 

IV.              Liability for Breach of Contract

 

1.              Unless otherwise provided in this Agreement, either Party’s failure in full performance or suspension of performance of its obligations hereunder, and its failure in remedying the above actions within thirty (30) days as of the date of receipt of the notice from the other Party, or its representations and warranties being untrue, inaccurate or incomplete, shall constitute a breach of contract.

 

2.              If either Party hereto violates this Agreement or any representation and warranty made by it herein, the non-breaching Party may, by written notice to the breaching Party requesting it to remedy the breach within ten (10) days as of the date of receipt of the notice, take appropriate measures to avoid the damage in an effective and timely manner, and perform this Agreement specifically.

 

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3.              In the case of any costs, liabilities or losses incurred by the other Party (including but not limited to any loss of profit of the company) due to either Party’s breach of this Agreement, the breaching Party shall compensate the non-breaching Party for any of the above costs, liabilities or losses (including but not limited to attorney’s fees and interest paid or incurred due to the breach). The total amount of compensation paid by the breaching Party to the non-breaching Party shall be equivalent to the losses caused by the breach, and the above compensation shall include the interest to be obtained by the non-breaching Party due to its performance, provided that the compensation shall not exceed the reasonable expectation of the Parties hereto.

 

4.              In the case of any claim made by any person due to Party B’s non-compliance with Party A’s instructions, its improper use of Party A’s intellectual property or its improper technical operation, Party B shall be solely liable. If Party B discovers that any person uses Party A’s intellectual property without lawful authorization, Party B shall promptly notify Party A and cooperate with Party A in any action taken by Party A.

 

5.              If both Parties violate this Agreement, either Party shall determine the amount of compensation to be paid by it to the extent of its breach.

 

V.                   Taxes and Fees

 

The taxes and fees incurred by either Party’s performance of this Agreement shall be borne by the Party as specified in the provisions of the relevant laws.

 

VI.              Confidentiality

 

1.              The Parties agree that they shall make every effort to keep confidential the execution, terms and performance of this Agreement, as well as the confidential materials and information (hereinafter referred to as “Confidential Information”) of the other Party that either Party knows or accesses to in the performance of this Agreement, and shall not disclose, offer or transfer such confidential information to any third party without the prior written consent of the Party providing the Confidential Information.

 

2.              The above restrictions do not apply to:

 

(1)         Information that has become generally available to the public at the time of disclosure.

 

(2)         Information that has become generally available to the public upon disclosure not due to the fault of either Party hereto.

 

(3)         Information that either Party can prove to have been possessed prior to disclosure and not to be obtained directly or indirectly from the other Party.

 

(4)         The above-mentioned Confidential Information that either Party is obligated to disclose to the relevant government authority, stock exchange or the public in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, the rules of the stock exchange or the requirements of the supervisory authority or the court, or that either Party shall disclose to its legal counsel and financial counsel as required by its normal business.

 

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3.              The Parties agree that these clauses will survive the change, rescission or termination of this Agreement.

 

VII.         Entry into Effect and Term

 

1.              This Agreement shall enter into effect on the execution date first mentioned herein upon affixing the Parties’ company seals on it.

 

2.              This Agreement shall remain in effect unless it is terminated prior to the expiration date as determined by Party A in writing or otherwise specified in Chinese law.

 

VIII.    Termination

 

1.              During the term of this Agreement, Party B may not terminate this Agreement prior to the expiration date unless Party A become bankrupt, is dissolved by law or otherwise terminated. If Party B terminates this Agreement prior to the expiration date without any reasonable cause, it shall compensate for all the losses incurred by Party A and pay the relevant service fees for the services completed.

 

2.              To the maximum extent permitted by Chinese law, if either Party’s business term expires during the term of this Agreement, that Party shall renew its business term in a timely manner to allow this Agreement to be valid and performed. If any application for renewal of the business term by either Party is not approved or consented by any competent authority, this Agreement shall terminate when that Party’s business term expires.

 

3.              Party A shall have the right to terminate this Agreement at any time by giving a thirty-day written notice to Party B and its shareholders.

 

4.              If, whether otherwise stipulated herein, Party A and Party B have not been sold as a whole to the designated third-party buyer (hereinafter referred to as “Potential Buyer”) as of June 30, 2020, and the final beneficial owners of Party A and Party B acquire the corresponding additional shares issued by the Potential Buyer to them, this Agreement shall terminate unless the Parties otherwise agree in writing in advance.

 

5.              This Agreement may be terminated by reaching the mutual agreement upon negotiation between the Parties.

 

IX.             Governing Law, Dispute Settlement and Changes of Law

 

1.              Governing Law

 

The execution, validity, performance and interpretation of this Agreement, as well as the settlement of disputes, shall be governed by Chinese law.

 

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2.              Arbitration

 

In the event of any dispute between the Parties hereto over the interpretation and performance of the provisions hereunder, the Parties hereto shall settle the dispute in good faith through negotiation. If the Parties fail to reach an agreement on the dispute settlement within thirty (30) days upon either Party’s giving a written notice to the other Party requesting to settle the dispute through negotiation, either Party may refer the dispute in question to the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission for arbitration in accordance with the arbitration rules then in force. The seat of arbitration shall be Beijing, and the language for the arbitration shall be Chinese. The arbitral award shall be final and binding on the Parties hereto. The provisions of this Article shall not be affected by the termination or rescission of this Agreement.

 

3.              Changes of Law

 

At any time after the date of this Agreement, in the case of the enactment or change of any Chinese laws, rules or regulations, or any change in the interpretation or application of such laws, rules or regulations, the following stipulations shall apply: (1) if the changes of law or newly enacted provisions are more favourable than the relevant laws, regulations, decrees or provisions in effect as of the date of this Agreement (and the other Party has not been seriously adversely affected) for either Party, the Parties shall promptly make an application to obtain any interest arising from the changes or the new provisions. The Parties shall make every effort to have the application approved; and (2) if the economic interest of either Party under this Agreement is directly or indirectly adversely affected by the above-mentioned changes of law or newly enacted provisions, this Agreement shall be performed specifically under the original provisions. The Parties shall obtain exemptions from compliance with such changes or provisions by all lawful means. If any adverse effect on the economic interest of either Party cannot be settled in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement, after the affected Party notifies the other Party, the Parties shall promptly negotiate and make all necessary amendments to this Agreement to maintain the economic interest of the affected Party under this Agreement.

 

X.                  Force Majeure

 

1.              “Force Majeure” means all events that cannot be controlled, foreseen, or even if foreseen but cannot be avoided by either Party hereto and that prevent that Party from performing all or part of its obligations hereunder. Such events include, but are not limited to, any strike, lock-out, explosion, shipwreck, natural disaster or public enemy act, fire, flood, sabotage, accident, war, riot, rebellion, and any other similar event.

 

2.              If any Force Majeure Event results in the failure of the affected Party in performing any of its obligations hereunder, the obligation hereunder failing to be performed shall be suspended within the duration of the Force Majeure Event, and its date of performance shall be automatically extended to the date when the Force Majeure Event ends, and the Party failing to perform its obligation shall not be subject to any penalty.

 

3.              The Party affected by force majeure shall promptly notify the other Party in writing and provide appropriate evidence of the occurrence of the Force Majeure Event and its duration. The Party affected by force majeure shall also make every reasonable effort to terminate the Force Majeure Event.

 

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4.              In the case of any Force Majeure Event, the Parties shall immediately negotiate with each other to seek a just settlement and shall make every reasonable effort to minimize the adverse consequences of the Force Majeure Event.

 

5.              If the duration of the Force Majeure Event exceeds ninety (90) days and the Parties fail to reach an agreement on a just settlement, either Party shall have the right to terminate this Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated in accordance with the foregoing provisions, no new rights or obligations will be created for each Party, but the rights and obligations that have been created for each Party as of the termination of this Agreement shall not be affected by the termination hereof.

 

XI.             Miscellaneous Provisions

 

1.              Amendments to and Transfer of the Agreement

 

(1)         The Parties hereby acknowledge that this Agreement is a fair and reasonable agreement entered into by and between the Parties on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. If any discussions, negotiations and written agreements made between the Parties prior to the execution of this Agreement in respect to the contents covered by this Agreement are inconsistent with this Agreement, this Agreement shall prevail.

 

(2)         Any amendment, addition to or change in this Agreement shall be made in writing and shall enter into effect upon affixing the Parties’ company seals. Any amendment and addition hereto by the Parties shall be an integral part of this Agreement and have the same legal effect as this Agreement.

 

(3)         Party B shall not transfer its rights and obligations hereunder to any third party, unless it has obtained the prior written consent of Party A. Party A may transfer its rights and obligations hereunder to any of its affiliates without Party B’s consent, provided that the above-mentioned transfer is notified to Party B.

 

2.              Notice

 

It is required in this Agreement that any notice or other communication given by either Party shall be given in writing, written in Chinese, and sent by hand (including by express mail) or by registered airmail. All notices and communications shall be sent to the following addresses without written notice of changing the mailing address:

 

Party A: Beijing Melo Technology Co., Ltd.

Address: Heng-Space Room 315, Bldg. 1, No. 10, Jiuxianqiao Rd., Chaoyang District, Beijing

 

Party B: Beijing Weixue Tianxia Education Technology Co., Ltd.

Address: Heng-Space Room 315, Bldg. 1, No. 10, Jiuxianqiao Rd., Chaoyang District, Beijing

 

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3.              Service of Notice

 

Notices and communications shall be deemed as served in accordance with the following provisions:

 

(1)         If by hand (including by express mail), on the date of acknowledge of receipt by the recipient.

 

(2)         If by registered mail, on the third day upon issuance of the receipt by the post office.

 

4.              Severability

 

Without prejudice to any other provisions of this Agreement, if any provision or part of this Agreement is determined to be invalid, illegitimate or unenforceable under Chinese law, or in violation of the public interest, the validity, legitimacy and enforceability of other provisions of this Agreement shall not be affected or impaired. The Parties shall negotiate in good faith to agree on a provision satisfactory to them in lieu of the invalid provision.

 

5.              Successor

 

This Agreement shall be equally binding on each Party’s legitimate successor and assignee.

 

6.              Waiver

 

Failure by either Party hereto in exercising or its delay in exercising any right hereunder shall not be deemed as a waiver, and the separate exercise of any right shall not prejudice the exercise of any other rights in the future.

 

7.              Language and Copies

 

This Agreement shall be concluded in Chinese and in duplicate, each of which shall be held by either Party, and both of which shall have the same legal effect.

 

(The remainder of this page is intentionally left blank.)

 

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(This page is only used as the signature page for the Exclusive Technology Consulting and Service Agreement.)

 

Party A: Beijing Melo Technology Co., Ltd.

 

	
/s/ Seal of Beijing Melo Technology Co., Ltd.
    	
 
    

 

Party B: Beijing Weixue Tianxia Education Technology Co., Ltd.

 

	
/s/ Seal of Beijing Weixue Tianxia Education Technology Co., Ltd.
    	
 
    

 

9Exhibit 10.25

 

Equity Pledge Agreement

 

This Equity Pledge Agreement (hereinafter referred to as the “Agreement”) is made on January 30, 2019 by and among:

 

Party A: Beijing Melo Technology Co., Ltd., with its domicile at Room 1406-016, 14/F, Shining Tower, No. 35, Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, its legal representative is Zheng Han.

 

Party B1: Guohang Wang, ID number: [____________]

 

Party B2: You Liang, ID number: [____________]

 

Party B3: Yadong Xingchen Investment Development Co., Ltd., with its domicile at No. 8 Chengdong Road, Yadong County, Tibet, and its legal representative is Donghui Pan.

 

Party B4: Ningbo Meishan Bonded Port Area Bozhong Shangdong Investment Center (Limited Partnership), with its domicile at Room 1504, Office Building 11, No.1 Meishan Salt Field, Beilun District, and its executive partner is Ningbo Meishan Bonded Port Area Bozhong Tianyuan Investment Management Co., Ltd.

 

Party B5: Zhuji Shangde Heli Investment Partnership (Limited Partnership), with its domicile at 5/F, No. 138, Genta West Road, Taozhu Street, Zhuji City, Zhejiang Province, and its executive partner is Beijing Shangde Heli Investment Management Co., Ltd.

 

Party C: Beijing Weixue Tianxia Education Technology Co., Ltd., with its residence at Room 205, 2nd Floor, Building 1, No. 10, Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, and its legal representative is Guohang Wang.

 

In this Agreement, Party B1 to Party B5 are hereinafter collectively referred to as “Party B”, Party A, Party B and Party C are collectively referred to as the “Parties” and individually as a “Party”.

 

Whereas:

 

1                     Party A is a wholly foreign-funded limited liability company duly established and validly existing under the laws of the People’s Republic of China.

 

2                     Party A, Party B and Party C entered into an Exclusive Option Agreement and a Shareholders’ Voting Right Proxy Agreement on January 30, 2019, Party A and Party C entered into an Exclusive Technology Consulting and Service Agreement on January 30, 2019 (the foregoing three Agreements are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Agreements”).

 

3                     In order to make sure that Party B and Party C perform their obligations under the Agreements, Party B is willing to pledge all of its equity in Party C, as guarantee for the performance of Party B and Party C.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in order to clarify their respective rights and obligations, after friendly consultations, the Parties agree as follows:

 

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I.                    Scope of Pledge Right and Guarantee

 

1.              Party B will pledge all equity it owns in Party C to Party A, as guarantee for the performance by Party B and Party C of all their obligations under the Agreements. “Pledge Right” refer to the priority enjoyed by Party A to be compensated with proceeds from evaluation or auction or sale of the equity pledged to it.

 

2.              The effectiveness of the guarantee hereunder shall not be affected by any modification or alteration of this Agreement. The guarantee hereunder is still applicable to the obligations of Party B and Party C under the Agreements as modified. If this Agreement becomes invalid or is revoked or dissolved for any reason, each Party shall use its best endeavors to safeguard Party A’s rights under this Agreement by other means.

 

II.               Equity Pledged

 

The equity pledged hereunder is all equity held by Party B in Party C and all related equity interests, as well as other registered capital (amount of contribution) of Party C and all related equity interests that Party B might obtained in the future. As of the effective date of this Agreement, the details of the equity pledged are as follows:

 

Company from which the equity pledged originates: Beijing Weixue Tianxia Education Technology Co., Ltd.

 

Registered capital: RMB8,055,555.00

 

Subject matter of the pledge: 100% equity of Beijing Weixue Tianxia Education Technology Co., Ltd.

 

III.          Creation of Pledge

 

1.              The pledge hereunder shall be registered in Party C’s share register on the effective date of this Agreement.

 

2.              The Parties further agree to register the pledge in Party C’s share register in the form set forth on Annex I hereto in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, and to hand over the share register recording pledge matters to Party A for custody.

 

3.              Since the creation of pledge requires registration with the market inspection and management department of the jurisdiction where Party C is incorporated, the Parties shall comply with the provisions of applicable laws and regulations and make reasonable efforts to complete such registration.

 

4.              The Parties jointly confirm that, in order to go through the formalities for registration of equity pledge, they shall submit this Agreement or an equity pledge contract (“Pledge Registration Contract”) that is executed in the form required by the market supervision and administration department and truly reflects information about the pledge hereunder to the market supervision and administration department, and matters uncovered by the Pledge Registration Contract shall be subject to the provisions of this Agreement.

 

IV.           Pledge Period

 

1.              The validity period of the pledge under this Agreement (hereinafter referred to as the “Pledge Period”) shall be two years from the expiration of the period for the performance of all debts under the Agreements.

 

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2.              Within the Pledge Period, if Party B and Party C fail to fulfill their obligations under the Agreements, Party A shall be entitled to dispose of the pledge in accordance with the provisions of Article IX below.

 

V.                Custody and Return of Pledge Certificate

 

1.              Party B shall deliver the pledge registration certificate to Party A for custody within three working days from the date on which the pledge is recorded in Party C’s share register in accordance with Article III above; Party A is obliged to keep the pledge documents received.

 

2.              If the pledge is released in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement, Party A shall return the pledge registration certificate to Party B within three working days after the pledge is released according to the provisions of this Agreement, and provide necessary assistance while Party B goes through pledge release formalities.

 

VI.           Representations and Warranties of Party B and Party C

 

(I) Party B hereby represents and warrants to Party A that, as of the effective date of this Agreement:

 

1.              Party B is the sole legal holder of the equity pledged.

 

2.              Except for the benefit of Party A, Party B has created no other pledge or other rights over the equity.

 

3.              The shareholders’ assembly of Party C has passed a resolution approving the equity pledge hereunder.

 

4.              Once this Agreement comes into effect, it shall constitute legal, valid and legally binding obligations of Party B.

 

5.              Party B’s pledge of equity pursuant to this Agreement will not violate the relevant provisions of national laws, regulations and other departmental rules, nor violate any contract or agreement signed by Party B with any third party or any commitment made to any third party.

 

6.              All documents and materials provided by Party B to Party A in relation to this Agreement are true, accurate and complete.

 

7.              Only with the written authorization and Party A and at the request of Party A may Party B exercise its rights as a shareholder of Party C.

 

(II) Party C hereby represents and warrants to Party A that, as of the effective date of this Agreement:

 

1.              It is a limited liability company duly incorporated and validly existing under PRC Laws with independent legal personality; and has full and independent legal status and capacity to execute, deliver and perform this Agreement.

 

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2.              Once duly executed by Party C, this Agreement will constitute legal, valid and legally binding obligations of Party C.

 

3.              It has full internal corporate power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and all other Agreements as well as full power and authority to consummate the transactions contemplated hereunder.

 

4.              There is no material security interest or other encumbrance (including, but not limited to, transfer of any intellectual property rights or any assets of Party C that have a value of over RMB100,000, or any encumbrance or limitation on right to use attached to such assets) over the assets owned by Party C that may affect Party A’s rights and interests in the equity.

 

5.              Without the prior written consent of Party A, no debts will be incurred, inherited, guaranteed or permitted to subsist, except for (i) debts incurred in the normal course of business rather than through borrowing; and (ii) debts already disclosed to Party A and permitted by Party A in writing.

 

6.              Party C has conducted all its operations in the normal course of business, so as to maintain the value of its assets, and will take no act/omission that may affect its operating state and asset value.

 

7.              There is no pending, or to the knowledge of Party C, threatened, litigation, arbitration or other legal proceedings before any court or arbitral tribunal or by any governmental body or administrative authority against Party C or its equity or assets that have a material or adverse effect on the financial condition of Party C or Party C’s ability to fulfill its obligations and guarantee liability hereunder.

 

VII.      Undertakings of Party B and Party C

 

(I) Party B undertakes to Party A that,

 

1.              During the term of this Agreement, Party B undertakes for the benefit of Party A that it will:

 

(1)                     Complete the registration with the market supervision and administration department of the jurisdiction where Party C is incorporated in respect of the pledge hereunder pursuant to the provisions hereof.

 

(2)                     Not transfer the equity or create or permit to subsist any pledge that may affect Party A’s rights and interests without the prior written consent of Party A.

 

(3)                     Comply with and implement all provisions of laws and regulations concerning the pledge of rights, and present any notice, instruction or advice to Party A within five days upon receipt of the same from the relevant authority in respect of the pledge, and comply with such notice, instruction or advice, or raise objections and statements on the above matters at the reasonable request of Party A or with the consent of Party A.

 

(4)                     Promptly notify Party A of any event or notification received that may affect Party B’s rights in and to the equity or any part thereof, and of any event or notification concerning Party B altering any guarantee or obligation created hereby or that may have any influence.

 

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2.              Party B undertakes that, the exercise of rights by Party A pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall not be interrupted or impeded by Party B or any successor or nominee of Party B or any other person through legal proceedings.

 

3.              Party B undertakes to Party A that, to protect or improve the guarantees for Party B’s and Party C’s obligations under the Agreements, Party B will faithfully sign and procure other parties interested in the pledge to sign all legal titles and deeds and/or take and procure other interested parties to take all actions required by Party A, and facilitate the exercise of rights and authority by Party A conferred by this Agreement.

 

4.              Party B undertakes to Party A that, it will sign all documents concerning alteration to the equity certificate (if applicable and necessary) with Party A or its designated person (natural person/legal person), and will provide Party A with all notices, orders and decisions regarding the pledge within a reasonable period of time as it deems necessary.

 

5.              Party B undertakes to Party A that, for the benefit of Party A, it will comply with and perform all warranties, commitments, covenants, representations and conditions. If Party B fails to comply with or fails to perform or fully perform its warranties, commitments, covenants, representations and conditions, it shall compensate Party A for all losses suffered therefrom.

 

6.              Without the prior written consent of Party A, Party B and/or Party C shall not (on its own or in assistance with others) increase, reduce or transfer Party C’s registered capital (or its capital contribution to Party C) or create any encumbrance thereon (including equity). Subject to this requirement, Party C’s equity registered and acquired by Party B after the signing date of this Agreement shall be referred to as “Additional Equity”. Upon acquisition of the Additional Equity, Party B and Party C shall immediately enter into a supplementary equity pledge agreement with Party A for the Additional Equity, procure the board of directors and the shareholders’ assembly of Party C to approve such supplementary equity pledge agreement, and submit to Party A all documents required for the supplementary equity pledge agreement, including but not limited to: (a) the original capital contribution certificate issued by Party C in respect of the Additional Equity; and (b) a certified copy of the capital verification report issued by a Chinese CPA in respect of the Additional Equity. Party B and Party C shall go through formalities for the pledge of the Additional Equity in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

 

(II) Party C undertakes to Party A that,

 

1.              If the execution and performance of this Agreement and the equity pledge under this Agreement require the consent, permission, waiver or authorization of any third party, or the approval, permission or exemption of any government agency, or registration or filing with any government agency (if required by law), Party C will try its best to assist in obtaining and maintaining the same in full effect and force during the term of this Agreement.

 

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2.              Party C will not provide any loan or credit or any form of guarantee to anyone without the prior written consent of Party A; it will not assist or allow Party B to create any new pledge over or grant any other security interest in the equity, nor assist or allow Party B to transfer the equity.

 

3.              Without the prior written consent of Party A, Party C shall not transfer its assets or impose or permit to subsist any security interest or other encumbrance (including, but not limited to, transfer of any intellectual property rights or any assets of Party C that have a value of over RMB100,000, or any encumbrance or limitation on right to use attached to such assets) over the assets owned by Party C that may affect Party A’s rights and interests in the equity.

 

4.              When there arises any legal action, arbitration or other claim that may adversely affect the interests of Party C, Party C’s equity or Party A’s interests under the Agreements, Party C undertakes to promptly notify Party A in writing in the soonest time possible, and to take all necessary measures to safeguard Party A’s pledge interests in the equity at the reasonable request of Party A.

 

5.              Party C shall not conduct or permit any act or action that may adversely affect Party A’s interests or equity under the Agreements.

 

VIII. Event of Default and Liability for Breach

 

1.              The following events shall be considered events of default:

 

(1)            Party B or Party C fails to perform its obligations under the Agreements.

 

(2)            Any representation, warranty or undertaking made by Party B in Articles VI and VII is materially misleading or incorrect; or Party B violates any other provision of this Agreement.

 

(3)            Party B discards the equity pledged or transfers the equity pledged without the written consent of Party A.

 

(4)            Any borrowing, guarantee, compensation, commitment or other debt service liabilities of Party B
 (a) is required to be repaid or performed in advance due to Party B’s default; or (b) has become due but cannot be repaid or discharged or performed, causing Party A to consider based on reasonable judgment that Party B’s ability to perform its obligations hereunder has been affected.

 

(5)            Party C becomes unable to repay general debts or other debts having an amount of over RMB50 million.

 

(6)            The Agreement becomes illegal or Party B becomes unable to perform its obligations hereunder due to any reason other than force majeure.

 

(7)            Unfavorable changes occur to the properties owned by Party B, causing Party A to consider that Party B’s ability to perform its obligations hereunder has been affected.

 

(8)            Party C’s successor or custodian can only perform part or refuse to perform the payment obligations hereunder.

 

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(9)            Default caused by Party B’s acts or omissions violating other provisions of this Agreement.

 

(10)     This Agreement is deemed illegal or Party B is considered to be unable to resume its ligations hereunder under any applicable law.

 

(11)     Any approval, license or authorization from government agency that renders this Agreement enforceable, legal and valid is revoked, terminated, lapsed or substantially modified.

 

2.              Party B shall notify Party A in writing immediately if it knows or discovers the occurrence of any matter set forth in item 1 above or any event that may lead to the above matters.

 

3.              Unless the events of default listed in item 1 above have been solved to the satisfaction of Party A, Party A may issue a written notice of default to Party B upon or at any time after the occurrence thereof, requiring Party B to immediately dispose of the pledge according to Article IX of this Agreement.

 

IX.          Enforcement of Pledge

 

1.              Before the obligations under the Agreements have been fully fulfilled, without the written consent of Party A, Party B may not transfer the equity pledged.

 

2.              If any event of default set forth in Article VIII occurs, Party A shall issue a notice of default to Party B when enforcing the pledge. Party A may enforce its right to dispose of the pledge upon or at any time after the issuance of a notice of default in accordance with item 3, Article VIII above.

 

3.              Party A has the right to sell or otherwise dispose of the equity pledged hereunder according to legal procedures. If Party A decides to enforce the pledge, Party B promises to transfer all its shareholder’s rights to Party A for exercise. In addition, Party A has the right to be first compensated with proceeds from evaluation or auction or sale of the pledged equity in whole or in part according to statutory procedures.

 

4.              When Party A disposes of the pledge pursuant to this Agreement, Party B shall not set up obstacles and shall provide necessary assistance, so that Party A may realize its pledge rights.

 

X.               Assignment

 

1.              Party B shall not be entitled to donate or assign its rights and obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of Party A. Party B agrees to immediately assign upon death its rights and obligations hereunder to the person designated by Party A.

 

2.              This Agreement shall be binding upon Party B and its successors or successors, and shall be applicable to Party A and its respective successor, inheritor or permitted assign.

 

3.              Party A may, at any time and as permitted by law, assign all or any of its rights and obligations under the Agreements to its designated person (natural person/legal person), in which case the assignee shall enjoy and assume the rights and obligations of Party A under the Agreements as if it was a party thereto. When Party A assigns its rights and obligations under the Agreements, it shall only send a written notice to Party B, and Party B shall, at the request of Party A, sign all agreements and/or documents in respect of the assignments.

 

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4.              After Party A changes due to assignment, the new pledge parties shall re-sign an equity pledge agreement, the contents of which shall be substantially consistent with this Agreement.

 

XI.          Effectiveness and Termination

 

1.              This Agreement shall be effective and take effect from the date on which it is signed and sealed by the parties or their respective authorized representatives.

 

2.              If practical, the Parties will endeavor to handle and procure the registration and filing of the equity pledged hereunder with the market supervision and administration department of the jurisdiction where Party C is incorporated, provided that the Parties confirm that, whether the pledge hereunder is registered and filed has no impact on the effectiveness and force of this Agreement.

 

3.              The release of the pledge shall be recorded in Party C’s share register, and deregistration shall be completed with the market supervision and administration department of the jurisdiction where Party C is incorporated according to law.

 

4.              Upon the full performance and discharge of consulting and service fees under the Exclusive Technology Consulting and Service Agreement and the termination of other obligations of Party C under the Agreements, this Agreement shall be terminated, Party A shall cancel or terminate this Agreement as soon as reasonably practicable.

 

5.              Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, if as of June 30, 2020, Party A and Party C have not been sold to the designated third-party buyer (the “Potential Buyer”), and the ultimate actual stakeholders of Party A and Party C have not acquired the shares additionally offered to them, unless otherwise agreed in writing, this Agreement shall be immediately terminated.

 

6.              Unless otherwise provided by law or otherwise prescribed in this Agreement, under no circumstance shall Party B and Party C be entitled to terminate or dissolve this Agreement.

 

XII.     Commission Charges and Other Expenses

 

Any and all expenses and actual expenditures in connection with this Agreement, including but not limited to legal fees, production costs, stamp duties and any other taxes and fees, shall be borne by Party C. If Party A is required by applicable laws to bear certain relevant taxes and fees, Party B shall procure Party C to fully reimburse the taxes and fees paid by Party A.

 

XIII.          Force Majeure

 

1.              “Force Majeure” means any event beyond the reasonable control of one Party and which is unavoidable even with reasonable care of the affected Party, including but not limited to, government action, natural force, fire, explosion, storm, flood, earthquake, tide, lightning or war. However, insufficient credit, funds or financing shall not be considered as matters beyond the reasonable control of one Party. The Party affected by force majeure event shall notify the other Parties of such events exempted from liability as soon as possible.

 

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2.              When the performance of this Agreement is delayed or hindered by force majeure event defined above, the Party affected thereby shall take no responsibility for any liability under this Agreement to the extent delayed or hindered. The affected Party shall take appropriate measures to mitigate or eliminate the effect of force majeure and shall endeavor to resume the performance of obligations that are delayed or hindered due to force majeure event. Once the force majeure event is removed, the Parties agree to use their best efforts to resume the performance under this Agreement.

 

XIV. Confidentiality

 

The Parties to this Agreement acknowledge and confirm that any oral or written information exchanged between them in relation to this Agreement is confidential. All Parties shall keep all such information confidential and shall not disclose any relevant information to any third party without the written consent of the other Parties, except in the following cases:

 

1.              The public is aware of or will be aware of such information (other than through disclosure by the information receiving party).

 

2.              Information required to be disclosed by law or stock exchange rules or regulations.

 

3.              If any Party is required to disclose any information to its legal or financial adviser regarding the transactions contemplated hereby, such legal or financial adviser shall also comply with similar confidentiality obligations to these clauses. The disclosure by any employee of or agency engaged by any Party will be deemed disclosure by the Party, which is liable for default under this Agreement. Notwithstanding the invalidity, dissolution, termination or unenforceability of this Agreement for any reason, this clause shall remain in force.

 

XV.      Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

 

1.              The conclusion, effectiveness, performance, interpretation of this Agreement and the dispute resolution hereunder shall be governed by the laws of China.

 

2.              Any dispute arising out of or in connection with the performance of this Agreement shall be resolved through friendly negotiation among the Parties.

 

3.              If, within 30 days after a Party claims to resolve the dispute through negotiation, no agreement can be reached, any Party may submit the dispute to the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission for arbitration in Beijing in accordance with its then-current arbitration rules. The arbitral award shall be final and binding on any Party and the Parties agree to be bound by and to enforce the arbitral award. When any dispute arises and any dispute is under arbitration, the Parties may exercise other rights and shall perform other obligations hereunder except for the matters in dispute.

 

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XVI. Notice

 

Notices or other communications sent by any Party hereunder shall be made in writing and sent by hand, by letter or fax to the other Party at the address below or other address designated by the other Party from time to time. A notice shall be deemed to have been actually delivered on:

 

1.              The date of delivery if sent by personal delivery.

 

2.              The seventh day following the date of mailing (as indicated by the) if sent by registered airmail with postage prepaid, or the third day after deposited with an internationally recognized courier service agency, if sent by letter

 

3.              The date as indicated on the transmission confirmation sheet of the relevant document if sent by fax.

 

Party A: Beijing Melo Technology Co., Ltd. 
 Address: Room 315, Universal Business Park, Building 1, No. 10, Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing

 

Party B1: Guohang Wang
 Address: Room 315, Universal Business Park, Building 1, No. 10, Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing

 

Party B2: You Liang
 Address: Room 315, Universal Business Park, Building 1, No. 10, Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing

 

Party B3: Yadong Xingchen Investment Development Co., Ltd.
 Address: Room 2509, 25/F Floor, Fosun International Center, No. 237 Chaoyang North Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing

 

Party B4: Ningbo Meishan Bonded Port Area Bozhong Shangdong Investment Center
 Address: Room 2006, Block A, Raycom Wangjing industry Center, Chaoyang District, Beijing

 

Party B5: Zhuji Shangde Heli Investment Partnership (Limited Partnership)
 Address: Room 3-2107, Damei Central Plaza, No. 7 Qingnian Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing

 

Party C: Beijing Weixue Tianxia Education Technology Co., Ltd.
 Address: Room 315, Universal Business Park, Building 1, No. 10, Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing

 

XVII.      Miscellaneous

 

1.              The headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not be used to explain, illustrate or otherwise affect the meaning of the provisions hereof.

 

2.              The Parties acknowledge that, once come into force, this Agreement shall constitute the entire agreement and understanding among the parties with respect to the contents hereof and completely supersede all oral or written agreements and understanding among the parties with respect to the contents hereof.

 

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3.              This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure solely to the benefit of the Parties hereto and their respective inheritors, successors and permitted assigns

 

4.              No failure or delay by any Party in exercising any of its rights hereunder shall be deemed a waiver of the right or preclude further exercise of that right.

 

5.              If any provision of this Agreement is held invalid, void or unenforceable by a competent court or arbitral body, the validity and enforceability of the other provisions shall not be affected or impaired. In such event, the Parties shall suspend the performance of such invalid, void or unenforceable provision, and shall only modify such provision to the extent rendering the specific fact and circumstance valid and enforceable which is closest to its original intent.

 

6.              As for matters not covered in this agreement, both parties shall settle them through negotiation. The Parties shall make amendments and additions to this Agreement by way of a written agreement. Modifications and supplements relating to this Agreement that are duly signed by the Parties shall constitute an integral part of this Agreement and have the same legal effect as this Agreement.

 

7.              This Agreement is executed in eight originals, each having the same legal effect; Party A, Party B and Party C each hold one copy, while the other originals will be submitted to the equity pledge registration agency for registration.

 

(No text below)

 

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(No text on this page, this being the signature page to the Equity Pledge Agreement)

 

Party A: Beijing Melo Technology Co., Ltd.

 

	
/s/ Seal of Beijing Melo Technology Co., Ltd.
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
Signature of authorized representative: 
    	
/s/Zheng Han
    	
 
    
			

 

Party B1: Guohang Wang

 

	
/s/Guohang Wang
    	
 
    

 

Party B2: You Liang

	
/s/You Liang
    	
 
    

 

Party B3: Yadong Xingchen Investment Development Co., Ltd.

 

	
/s/ Seal of Yadong Xingchen Investment Development Co., Ltd.
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
Signature of authorized representative: 
    	
/s/Donghui Pan
    	
 
    
			

 

 

Party B4: Ningbo Meishan Bonded Port Area Bozhong Shangdong Investment Center (Limited Partnership)

 

	
/s/ Seal of Ningbo Meishan Bonded Port Area Bozhong Shangdong   Investment Center (Limited Partnership)
    

 

Party B5: Zhuji Shangde Heli Investment Partnership (Limited Partnership)

 

	
/s/ Seal of Zhuji Shangde Heli Investment Partnership (Limited   Partnership)
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
Signature of authorized representative: 
    	
/s/Yixin Xu
    	
 
    
			

 

Party C: Beijing Weixue Tianxia Education Technology Co., Ltd.

 

	
/s/ Seal of Beijing Weixue Tianxia Education Technology Co., Ltd.

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