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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 20-F

(Mark One)

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For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021

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Date of event requiring this shell company report                      

For the transition period from                 to                

Commission file number 001-35126

VNET Group, Inc.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

N/A

(Translation of Registrant’s name into English)

Cayman Islands

(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

Guanjie Building Southeast 1st Floor, 10# Jiuxianqiao East Road

Chaoyang District

Beijing, 100016

The People’s Republic of China

(Address of principal executive offices)

Mr. Tim Chen, Chief Financial Officer

VNET Group, Inc.

Guanjie Building, Southeast 1st Floor 10# Jiuxianqiao East Road

Chaoyang District

Beijing, 100016

The People’s Republic of China

Phone: (86) 10 8456-2121

Facsimile: (86) 10 8456-4234

(Name, Telephone, E-mail and/or Facsimile number and Address of Company Contact Person)

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

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*   Not for trading, but only in connection with the listing on the Nasdaq Global Select Market of the American depositary shares

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

(Title of Class)

Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act:

None

(Title of Class)

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Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report: 857,359,421 Class A ordinary shares (excluding treasury shares and Class A ordinary shares in the form of ADSs that are reserved for issuance upon the exercise of share incentive awards), 30,721,723 Class B ordinary shares and 60,000 Class C ordinary shares, par value US$0.00001 per share, were outstanding as of December 31,2021.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.   Yes  ☒    No  ☐

If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.   Yes  ☐    No  ☒

Note – Checking the box above will not relieve any registrant required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 from their obligations under those Sections.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.   Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).   Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

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If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

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†  The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.  ☒

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Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:

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If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow.

Item 17  ☐                Item 18  ☐

If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).   Yes  ☐    No  ☒

(APPLICABLE ONLY TO ISSUERS INVOLVED IN BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed all documents and reports required to be filed by Sections 12, 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 subsequent to the distribution of securities under a plan confirmed by a court.   Yes  ☐    No  ☐

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INTRODUCTION

Unless otherwise indicated and except where the context otherwise requires, references in this annual report on Form 20-F to:

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This annual report on Form 20-F contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including those listed under “Item 3. Key Information-D. Risk Factors,” may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

You can identify some of these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to,” “potential,” “continue” or other similar expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. These forward-looking statements include:

These forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties. Although we believe that our expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, our expectations may later be found to be incorrect. Our actual results could be materially different from our expectations. Other sections of this annual report include additional factors that could adversely impact our business and financial performance. Moreover, we operate in an evolving environment. New risk factors and uncertainties emerge from time to time and it is not possible for our management to predict all risk factors and uncertainties, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. You should read thoroughly this annual report and the documents that we refer to with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from and worse than what we expect. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.

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PART I

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Please carefully consider the risks discussed under “Risk Factors” in this annual report beginning on page 19. We provide the following disclosure to help investors better understand our corporate structure, operations in China and the associated risks.

As used in this annual report, (i) “variable interest entities” or “ VIEs” refers to VNET Technology, BJ iJoy, WiFire Network, and SH Zhiyan, each of which is a company incorporated in the PRC; (ii) “PRC WFOEs” or “our wholly-owned PRC subsidiaries” refers to VNET Data Center Co., Ltd., or VNET China, Joytone Infotech Co., Ltd., or SZ Zhuoaiyi, Abitcool (China) Broadband Inc., or aBitCool DG, and Shanghai Edge Connect Technology Co., Ltd., or SH Edge Connect, our wholly-owned subsidiaries incorporated in the PRC; (iii) “VNET Group” or “our holding company” refers to VNET Group, Inc., our Cayman holding company; and (iv) “we,” “us,” “our company,” or “our” refers to VNET Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries and, in the context of describing our operations and consolidated financial information, also include the VIEs and their subsidiaries, unless the context otherwise requires.

Our Corporate Structure and Operations in China

VNET Group, Inc. is not an operating company but a Cayman Islands holding company with operations primarily conducted by its subsidiaries and variable interest entities, or VIEs, and VIEs’ subsidiaries. Foreign ownership in the business involving data center and value-added telecommunications service (except for e-commerce, domestic conferencing, store-and-forward, and call center services), is subject to significant restrictions under current PRC laws, rules and regulations. In order to provide certain data center and value-added telecommunication services in China while ensuring compliance with PRC laws and regulations, our wholly-owned PRC subsidiaries entered into a series of contractual arrangements with the VIEs and their shareholders. The contractual agreements are designed to provide us economic exposure and control over such services to the VIEs’ data center and value-added telecommunication services in China where PRC law prohibits, restricts or impose conditions on direct equity investment in the VIEs. For a detailed description about these contractual arrangements, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure—Contractual Arrangements with the Variable Interest Entities and Their Shareholders.”

As a result of such series of contractual arrangements, VNET Group and its relevant wholly-owned subsidiaries become the primary beneficiary of the VIEs for accounting purposes and treat them as PRC consolidated entities under U.S. GAAP. We consolidate the financial results of the VIEs and their subsidiaries in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Neither we nor our investors own any equity ownership in, direct foreign investment in, or control through such ownership/investment of the VIEs. These contractual arrangements have not been tested in a court of law in the PRC. As a result, investors in our ADSs are not purchasing equity interest in the VIEs or their subsidiaries but instead are purchasing equity interest in VNET Group, a Cayman Islands holding company.

Our contractual arrangements with the VIEs and their respective shareholders have not been tested in a court of law in the PRC and foreign investors may never be allowed to hold equity interests in the VIEs and their subsidiaries under PRC laws and regulations. Chinese regulatory authorities could in the future disallow these agreements, which would likely affect our operations in China. For a detailed description of the risks associated with our corporate structure, please refer to risks disclosed under “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors— Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure” in this annual report on Form 20-F.

We and the VIEs face various legal and operational risks and uncertainties related to doing business in China, including complex and evolving PRC laws and regulations. For example, we and the VIEs face risks associated with regulatory approvals on offshore offerings, the use of variable interest entities, anti-monopoly regulatory actions, and oversight on cybersecurity and data privacy, as well as the lack of inspection by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or PCAOB, on our independent registered public accounting firm, which may impact our ability to conduct certain businesses, accept foreign investments, or list on a United States or other foreign exchange. These risks could result in a material adverse change in our operations and the value of our ADSs, significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors, or cause such securities to significantly decline in value or become worthless.

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The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act

Our ADSs may be delisted or trading in our ADSs would be prohibited under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act if the PCAOB is unable to inspect auditors who are located in China for three consecutive years pursuant to the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which was enacted on December 18, 2020. On June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the “Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act”, which, if passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed into law by the President, would decrease the number of non-inspection years for foreign companies to comply with PCAOB audits from three to two years, thus reducing the time period before their securities may be prohibited from trading or delisted. On December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize the interim final rules previously adopted in March 2021 to implement the submission and disclosure requirements in the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a report relaying to the SEC its determinations that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms in Mainland China and Hong Kong due to positions taken by Chinese authorities. The report, issued under Rule 6100, lists dozens of accounting firms based in Mainland China and Hong Kong subject to the determinations, including our independent registered public accounting firm. Under Rule 6100, the PCAOB will reassess its determinations at least annually. The delisting of our ADSs, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment.

Permissions Required from the PRC Authorities for Our Operations

We conduct our business primarily through our subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities in China. Our operations in China are governed by PRC laws and regulations. As of the date of this annual report, our PRC WFOEs and the VIEs have obtained the requisite licenses and permits from the PRC government authorities that are material for the business operations of our subsidiaries and our consolidated affiliated entities in China, including, among others, the value-added telecommunications operation licenses. Given the uncertainties of interpretation and implementation of relevant laws and regulations and the enforcement practice by relevant government authorities, we may be required to obtain additional licenses, permits, filings or approvals for business operations in the future. For more detailed information, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks related to Doing Business in China— If we fail to acquire, obtain or maintain applicable telecommunications licenses, or are deemed by relevant governmental authorities to be operating without full compliance with the laws and regulations, our business would be materially and adversely affected.”

Furthermore, in connection with our issuance of securities to foreign investors, under the current PRC laws, regulations and regulatory rules, as of the date of this annual report, we, our PRC WFOEs and the VIEs, (i) are not required to obtain permissions from the China Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC, (ii) are not required to go through cybersecurity review by the Cyberspace Administration of China, or the CAC, and (iii) have not been asked to obtain such permissions by any PRC authority.

However, the PRC government has recently indicated an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers. For more detailed information, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks related to Doing Business in China— The approval and/or other requirements of the CSRC or other PRC governmental authorities may be required in connection with an offering under PRC rules, regulations or policies, and, if required, we cannot predict whether or how soon we will be able to obtain such approval.”

Recent Regulatory Actions by the PRC Government

Recently, the PRC government initiated a series of regulatory actions and guidelines to regulate business operations in China with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas, regulating overseas securities offering and listing, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and expanding the efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement, which may impact our ability to conduct business, accept foreign investments, or list on an U.S. or other foreign exchange.

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For a detailed description of risks related to doing business in China, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China” and “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation” in this annual report on Form 20-F.

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ITEM 1.        IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS

Not applicable.

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ITEM 2.        OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE

Not applicable.

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ITEM 3.         KEY INFORMATION

Our Corporate Structure and Its Related Risks

VNET Group, Inc. is a Cayman Islands holding company with no material operations of its own. We conduct our operations in China primarily through our PRC subsidiaries and the VIEs. Foreign ownership in the business involving value-added telecommunications service, including data center service (except for e-commerce, domestic conferencing, store-and-forward, and call center services), is subject to significant restrictions under current PRC laws, rules and regulations. Accordingly, we operate these businesses in China through four domestic PRC companies, namely VNET Technology, BJ iJoy, WiFire Network, and SH Zhiyan. Investors in our ADSs thus are not purchasing equity interest in our operating entities in China but instead are purchasing equity interest in a Cayman Islands holding company.

The following chart illustrates our corporate structure as of the date of this annual report.

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Neither we nor our subsidiaries own any equity interest in the VIEs. The VIE equity holders are founders, directors, executive officers, employees or shareholders of our Company or entities ultimately controlled by our founders. We receive the economic benefits of the business operations of the VIEs through a series of contractual arrangements between our wholly-owned PRC subsidiaries, the VIEs and the VIEs’ shareholders. The contractual arrangements enable us to: (a) collectively exercise effective control over the variable interest entities and their subsidiaries; (b) receive substantially all of the economic benefits of the variable interest entities and their subsidiaries in consideration for the services provided by our wholly-owned PRC subsidiaries; and (c) have an exclusive option to purchase all or part of the equity interests in the variable interest entities when and to the extent permissible under PRC laws. As a result of the contractual arrangements, we bear the risks of, and enjoy the rewards associated with, and therefore are the primary beneficiary of these variable interest entities. We treat the VIEs as PRC consolidated entities under U.S. GAAP. We consolidate the financial results of the VIEs in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

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Our contractual arrangements with the variable interest entities and their shareholders are briefly described as follows.

Agreements that Provide Us Effective Control

Share Pledge Agreements

On February 23, 2011, VNET China entered into a share pledge agreement with VNET Technology and each of its shareholders. Pursuant to the share pledge agreement, each of the shareholders pledged his shares in VNET Technology to VNET China in order to secure the shareholders’ payment obligations under the loan agreement. Each shareholder also agreed not to transfer or create any other security or restriction on the shares of VNET Technology without the prior consent of VNET China. VNET China, at its own discretion, is entitled to acquire each shareholder’s equity interests in VNET Technology as permitted by PRC laws. We have registered the pledges of the equity interests in VNET Technology with the local branch of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce of the PRC (currently known as State Administration for Market Regulation of the PRC).

Irrevocable Power of Attorney

Each shareholder of VNET Technology has executed an irrevocable power of attorney. Pursuant to the irrevocable power of attorney, each shareholder of VNET Technology appointed VNET China or a person designated by VNET China as his/her attorney-in-fact to attend shareholders’ meeting of VNET Technology, exercise all the shareholder’s voting rights, including but not limited to, sale transfer, pledge or dispose of his/her equity interests in VNET Technology. The power of attorney remains valid and irrevocable from the date of execution, so long as each shareholder remains the shareholder of VNET Technology. The above irrevocable power of attorney was subsequently assigned to the Company by VNET China.

Optional Share Purchase Agreements

The optional share purchase agreement is entered into among VNET China, VNET Technology, VNET Beijing and the shareholders of VNET Technology on December 19, 2006. Pursuant to the agreement, the shareholders irrevocably grant VNET China or its designated persons the sole option to acquire from the shareholders or VNET Technology all or any part of the equity interests in VNET Technology and VNET Beijing when permissible under PRC laws. VNET Technology and VNET Beijing made certain covenants to maintain the value of the equity interests, including but not limited to, engage in the ordinary course of business and refrain from making loans and entering into agreements exceeding the value of RMB200,000 with the exception of transactions made in the ordinary course of business. The initial term of 10 years has expired on December 18, 2016. The parties to this agreement have entered into a supplemental agreement on December 19, 2016, pursuant to which the term of this agreement is extended for 10 years and will be automatically renewed at the end of each 10-year term, unless otherwise terminated at the option of VNET China with a 30-day advance written notice.

Agreements that Transfer Economic Benefits from the Variable Interest Entity to Us or Absorb Losses

Loan Agreements and Financial Support Letter

VNET China and the shareholders of VNET Technology entered into a loan agreement on January 28, 2011. Pursuant to the agreements, VNET China has provided interest-free loan facilities of RMB7.0 million and RMB3.0 million, respectively, to the shareholders of VNET Technology, Mr. Sheng Chen and Mr. Jun Zhang, which was used to provide capital to VNET Technology to develop our data center and telecommunications value-added business and related businesses. There is no fixed term for the loan. To repay the loans, the shareholders of VNET Technology are required to transfer their shares in VNET Technology to VNET China or any entity or person designated by VNET China, as permitted under PRC laws. The shareholders of VNET Technology also undertake not to transfer all or part of their equity interests in VNET Technology to any third party, or to create any encumbrance, without the written permission from VNET China. In addition, we will provide unlimited financial support to VNET Technology for its operations and agreed to forego the right to seek repayment in the event VNET Technology is unable to repay such funding.

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Exclusive Technical Consulting and Services Agreements

On July 15, 2003, VNET China and VNET Technology entered into an exclusive service agreement, which was superseded by a new exclusive technical consulting and service agreement entered into among VNET China, VNET Technology and VNET Beijing on December 19, 2006. VNET China agreed to provide VNET Technology and VNET Beijing with exclusive technical consulting and services, including internet technology services and management consulting services. VNET Technology and VNET Beijing agreed to pay an hourly rate of RMB1,000 and the rate is subject to adjustment at the sole discretion of VNET China. VNET Technology and VNET Beijing agreed that they will not accept similar or comparable service arrangements that may replace the services provided by VNET China without prior written consent of VNET China. VNET China is entitled to have sole and exclusive ownership of all rights, title and interests to any and all intellectual property rights arising from the provision of services. The initial term of 10 years has expired on December 18, 2016. The parties to this agreement have entered into a supplemental agreement on December 19, 2016, pursuant to which the term of this agreement is extended for 10 years and will be automatically renewed at the end of each 10-year term, unless otherwise terminated at the option of VNET China with a 30-day advance written notice.

For more details about our contractual arrangements, please refer to “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure” in this annual report on Form 20-F.

The contractual arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing us with control over the VIEs, and we may incur substantial costs to enforce the terms of the arrangements. The legal environment in the PRC is not as developed as in other jurisdictions, such as the United States. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability, as a Cayman Islands holding company, to enforce these contractual arrangements and doing so may be quite costly. There are also substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current and future PRC laws, regulations and rules regarding the status of the rights of our Cayman Islands holding company with respect to its contractual arrangements with the VIEs and their shareholders. It is uncertain whether any new PRC laws, rules or regulations relating to VIE structures will be adopted or if adopted, what effect they may have on our corporate structure. If, as a result of such contractual arrangements, we or the VIEs are found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations, or such contractual arrangement is determined as illegal and invalid by the PRC court, arbitral tribunal or regulatory authorities, the relevant PRC regulatory authorities would have broad discretion to take action in dealing with such violations or failures. For a detailed description of the risks associated with our corporate structure, please refer to risks disclosed under “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors— Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure” in this annual report on Form 20-F.

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We and the VIEs are also subject to risks and uncertainties related to our corporate structure, including, but not limited to, the following:

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Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

Risks and uncertainties related to our and the VIEs’ business and industry include, but are not limited to, the following:

Risks Related to Doing Business in China

We and the VIEs face risks and uncertainties related to doing business in China in general, including, but not limited to, the following:

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Risks Related to Our ADS

A.[Reserved]

Financial Information Related to the VIEs and Parent

Set forth below are the selected condensed consolidated statement of operations data, balance sheet data and cash flows data for our holding company, our subsidiaries, one of our WFOEs that is the primary beneficiary of the VIEs under U.S. GAAP, or the Primary Beneficiary of VIEs, and the VIEs and VIEs’ subsidiaries, eliminating adjustments and consolidated totals as of and for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

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Selected Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations Data

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