Chapter 300: My Mentor's Last Name is Xu
Chapter 300: My Mentor's Last Name is Xu
On June 6, Xu Xin, head of Today Capital, who had visited Pengcheng to inspect a project, returned to Shanghai.
At eight o'clock in the evening, Xu Xin listened to the sound of rain outside and felt in a good mood thinking about the smooth progress of the inspection. He then called Liu Jiankai, whom he had not contacted for a while.
As for this vice president who left, it was previously confirmed that he went to WeChat. However, after WeChat was sold to Alibaba, there was no news about him, and it seemed that he did not even participate in Yu Xing's tram project.
Xu Xin was somewhat puzzled by his movements, and thought that if the other party was not looking for a buyer, it would be better for Today Capital to directly buy it back and still be able to work without any gaps.
Liu Jiankai quickly answered the phone and after a few polite words, he answered his current situation: "Mr. Xu, I'm studying cryptocurrency, the kind that's involved in blockchain."
Xu Xin had heard him talk about this once before. She didn't expect that he was still working on this thing in the middle of the year. She couldn't help but mock him in her tone: "Liu Jiankai, you just study this at home every day? Even if you don't return to Capital Today, you can go to Yu Xing and work on the tram together."
"I sometimes go to see the progress of his project." Liu Jiankai said with a smile, "Mr. Xu, you don't know, this thing is quite interesting. The price was $0.3 at the beginning of the year, and it rose all the way to $10 last month, and then it reached $31.91 a few days ago. As a result, just yesterday, an American exchange Mt.Gox was hacked and 2.5 bitcoins were stolen, and the price fell to $17!"
He exclaimed in amazement: "Look at this increase, it's so exciting, and the number of people playing this is increasing rapidly around the world."
The last time Liu Jiankai went to see Mr. Yu with a hamburger, there were only about 100,000 people playing this game worldwide. With the recent wave of rising prices, at least hundreds of thousands of people have flocked in.
This growth rate really exceeded his expectations, and it made him start to think for the first time whether he could really do something with it. After all, the rise and fall of Bitcoin's value is also unexpected.
Xu Xin listened to Liu Jiankai's excited voice, frowned and said, "If you want to do research, then do it in your free time. Are you going to stop working and do this?"
"Hehe, I'm just not in a hurry." Liu Jiankai only had vague ideas in his mind, but he was still unsure. He smiled and said, "I have talked to Mr. Yu twice. He is busy with the listing of Bai Xiaosheng recently. I plan to go and talk to him again at the financing meeting at the end of the month."
Xu Xin was about to speak when he was suddenly stunned: "Fundraising meeting at the end of the month? What financing meeting? Whose meeting?"
Liu Jiankai was also stunned when he heard this, and said hesitantly: "Mr. Yu, the one who runs the tram...right?"
Xu Xin: “…”
Liu Jiankai: “…”
There was an unspeakable silence during the call.
Some people did not receive the notice, and some people did not know that the other party did not receive the notice. At this moment, it is hard to say who is more embarrassed.
Liu Jiankai felt that he might have said something wrong, and thought for a long time about how to make amends. Finally, he asked, "Mr. Xu, is there anything else?"
Xu Xin said calmly: "It's okay, go play."
Liu Jiankai hung up the phone, thought for a moment, and simply put aside the question of right or wrong and continued to play with coins happily.
I don't know when the drizzle stopped.
Xu Xin's mood was completely different from when she just came back. She easily found out the news from Yu Xing and confirmed that the financing meeting for the tram project would be held on June 6.
There are two very clear messages: one is that the financing time has been brought forward, and the other is that Yu Xing did not approach Today Capital.
Then, the problem before us is also very clear...
Should Today Capital look for Yu Xing?
Xu Xin became a little conflicted. The other party's attitude of not notifying was already there. Although the relationship had recovered a little, they did have many unpleasant things. The more important factor was, what exactly was this tram project like?
I originally thought that there was still plenty of time to observe slowly, but the date was suddenly moved to the end of the month, which is very cramped.
Xu Xin naturally knew Yu Xing quite well. Logically speaking, an entrepreneur like him with a medical background would undoubtedly need to be cautious when making the leap from the Internet to the tram project.
However, she witnessed the communication between Yu Xing and Musk with her own eyes, and also saw Yu Xing's earlier conversation with Wang Chuanfu. In addition, Pang Ruiyang, whom she invited and recommended, also gave confirmation in action to a large extent.
Although I have some exposure to the automotive industry, I am certainly not as good as Musk, Wang Chuanfu, and Pang Ruiyang who are truly involved in it. If even they think that Yu Xing is at least heading in the right direction, then... can I relax a little bit in my caution?
In addition, this direction is indeed different from the areas that Today Capital excels in.
Xu Xin hesitated and struggled, and never made up his mind to go to Yu Xing in person again.
The next day, she reviewed the situation of the tram project again and came up with a new idea. Maybe Yu Xing had not had time to notify her yet.
There are still two weeks until the 30th, and perhaps Yu Xing’s number and so on will appear on the mobile phone screen.
Xu Xin waited and waited, but after one or two days, he didn't receive any invitation from the tram project.
She re-examined the entire project and the possible financial investment, and finally set a deadline, giving Yu Xing another 7 days!
If Yu Xing hasn’t notified Today Capital in these seven days, then... I’ll go find him myself!
Anyway, it’s not the first time.
Xu Xin unilaterally set a deadline for Yu Xing and then remained patient. However, within two days, she was questioned by her husband Li Song.
"What's wrong with you? You haven't been eating or drinking for the past two days."
Xu Xin was as if being poured cold water when asked this question: "No appetite? Really?"
Li Song confirmed: "Yes, it's obvious."
Xu Xin found a random excuse: "The Chinese national football team lost the game, and I'm in a bad mood."
Li Song looked at his wife suspiciously, and got a fierce look in return, so he stopped asking questions in disappointment.
As time passed, and the date approached the 24th, Xu Xin, who was still feeling uneasy, realized that this deadline was not set for Yu Xing at all, but for herself.
"Let's go find Yu Xing." Xu Xin frowned, called the driver, pointed out the destination, and had to revisit the past.
When the car was about to arrive at Shuohe International, Yu Xing's number suddenly appeared on Xu Xin's mobile phone screen.
"Hello, Mr. Xu, my tram project will have a financing meeting on the 30th. Is Today Capital interested in attending?" Yu Xing went straight to the point without any politeness.
When Xu Xin saw the number and heard the invitation, she was overwhelmed with emotions.
She took a breath and said sincerely: "Yu Xing, Yu Xing, you are really good at managing expectations."
Yu Xing was confused: "Ah?"
Xu Xin stopped talking nonsense and asked directly: "Time and place."
"It's on the 15th floor of the financial center. It's more spacious there. It starts at a.m." Yu Xing didn't understand what Mr. Xu said, and didn't have time to think about it. "Mr. Xu, we'll see you then." Xu Xin put down his phone and could see the sixth floor of Shuohe International through the car window. He said decisively, "Let's go, let's go, don't stop! Go back to the company!"
The black car was about to slow down when it heard this command and could only speed up and flee the scene.
Yu Xing had no idea what kind of psychological changes Xu Xin had gone through. Apart from dealing with Bai Xiaosheng's work recently, he was also confirming the invitations to suppliers one by one.
For example, with the Lijin Group, which is responsible for the die-casting machines, this could not be settled with just one phone call. They could only express their sincerity repeatedly and mention the participation of well-known organizations. Finally, they invited the senior executives they had met last time.
The meeting on the 30th will be a financing meeting as well as a supplier conference.
Due to the immaturity of the supply chain, Yu Xing's electric car project is destined to grow together with everyone, so he also hopes to take this opportunity to fully explain the prospects and direction of this car manufacturing.
However, with only two days left before the meeting, an unexpected piece of news made Yu Xing frown.
He received a call from Sun Hao, the co-founder of Zhibo Company, and heard the other party hesitantly mention the changes in the project.
Sun Hao was an entrepreneur who traveled with Yu Xing when he visited Chengdu University of Electronic Science and Technology before. After obtaining initial investment, he, Zhang Yong and Tang Wei, an associate professor at Chengdu University of Electronic Science and Technology, formed a core entrepreneurial team and established the "Zhi Bo" company.
Yu Xing's investment requirement is that the project should start with 77GHz millimeter-wave radar, persist in research and development, and strive for breakthroughs.
After its establishment, Zhibo Company moved quickly. As Zhang Yong said when they first met, he and Sun Hao quickly assembled a team of nearly 40 people, and will continue to recruit more than 100 people. At the same time, the company's headquarters is set up in Pengcheng.
Yu Xing later met Zhang Yong once in Shanghai, and then paid attention to Zhibo's progress in the team's contact reports.
However, Sun Hao's phone call revealed the news that "the company plans to abandon 77GHz and start from 24GHz", which is undoubtedly different from Yu Xing's initial investment requirements.
"Mr. Sun, when did Mr. Zhang make such a suggestion internally?" Yu Xing asked the other party.
Sun Hao hesitated for two seconds before answering, "More than a week."
"More than a week is more than enough time to communicate with me, but why is there no news at all?" Yu Xing's words were not a question, but just to show his legitimacy. He did not intend to listen to the answer, and then said, "We talked last time. Huayu Automotive is already developing 24GHz. The only requirement for my investment is to see a breakthrough in 77GHz. Otherwise, I will just wait for Huayu's results, right?"
Sun Hao remained silent. This was a very clear investment requirement.
Yu Xing asked again: "Mr. Sun, I saw that your argument was discussed with experts from Chengdu University of Electronic Science and Technology, and finally a promising answer was given. Can I still believe this answer now? Is this argument also a lie to me?"
Sun Hao sighed and said, "No, Mr. Yu, the argument is very serious, but... it is more difficult. So, Zhang Yong feels that it is more realistic to start from 24GHz, which makes sense."
Since Yu Xing was able to receive this call, he could naturally sense the implicit disapproval and asked directly: "Mr. Sun, do you think so too? Do you also want to repeat the 24GHz instead of 77GHz?"
Sun Hao was silent for a while and said nothing.
Yu Xing frowned, feeling a little embarrassed as it was the first time he encountered such a thing.
He took out a cigarette, did not urge Sun Hao to answer, nor did he light the cigarette. Instead, he asked himself a question in his heart: If it were Ms. Xu, what would she do?
Soon, Yu Xing did not wait for Sun Hao's answer and said, "Boss Sun, you wanted 1000 million Chinese Yuan, and I finally raised the amount to 1500 million. Am I being fair to you?"
Sun Hao said "hmm", finding it difficult to give a negative answer.
Yu Xing asked again: "You think Pengcheng is more suitable, and I have no objection to you being in Pengcheng, right? Did we agree on the direction of the project in advance? Did we sign the contract in black and white?"
Sun Hao sighed: "Yes, Mr. Yu, alas, that's right, but now this... this..."
He paused and asked, "Mr. Yu, what do you think we should do?"
"We have to follow the contract after signing it." Yu Xing said calmly, "My investment mentor is Xu Xin. She taught me how to invest. We have already made it clear. Mr. Zhang just wants to establish a fait accompli. In that case, Mr. Sun, let's change your partner. I have more voting rights."
Sun Hao made a "huh" sound. He didn't expect that Mr. Yu would react so strongly after just one phone call.
This was not his intention.
Sun Hao stuttered, "Boss Yu, Boss Yu, um, we don't need to do that. How about you try to persuade Zhang Yong?"
"You ignored the investment agreement and changed the R&D direction without any communication. Mr. Sun, the most important thing for a company like yours is R&D. I still have Bai Xiaosheng, who can help you find a colleague with the same operational capabilities." Yu Xing was determined. "I will fly to Pengcheng tonight and have a meeting tomorrow. You and I will fly here tomorrow night, and we will hold a supplier meeting the day after tomorrow."
Sun Hao found it hard to accept: "Boss Yu, this won't work..."
Yu Xing asked back: "What do you think voting rights are for? What do you think contracts are for? Do you think it's a joke?"
Sun Hao: "I..."
"Compared with Zhang Yong, I value your and Professor Tang's abilities more. If there is no R&D, then there is no need to talk about the market. Now there are only two options. Either I withdraw my investment and poach your people, or I push you to replace Zhang Yong first." Yu Xing gave two options.
It just sounds like the way to go.
Sun Hao couldn't give a choice in such a short time.
Yu Xing said quickly: "Mr. Sun, you can take your time to think about it. I just want to say that 77 GHz is more valuable to me and to the current situation of the domestic industry. See you tomorrow."
The call was hung up before Sun Hao could even say anything.
That night, he tossed and turned in bed. Sometimes he regretted making the call, sometimes he felt that it was more meaningful to stick to 77GHz, sometimes he fantasized that Yu Xing would come the next day and persuade Zhang Yong to change his mind, sometimes he worried that the company would fall apart, and sometimes he lamented the harshness of business.
The next morning, Zhibo Company held a meeting to discuss the implementation of the R&D direction and the subsequent recruitment of relevant talents.
Sun Hao was absent-minded and fidgety.
At half past ten, an uninvited guest showed up and pushed open the door of Zhibo Company's conference room from the outside.
Sun Hao saw Yu Xing coming from afar, and he seemed to still be carrying the wind and rain from Shanghai.
Yu Xing glanced around the conference room and saw the stunned Zhang Yong. He nodded slightly at Sun Hao with a blank expression on his face, but there was a helpless sigh in his heart.
Mr. Zhang, my mentor’s surname is Xu, I’m sorry.
(End of this chapter)