Chapter 782: Wu Zhong's Opening Remarks
Four months later, Real-Car was successfully listed on the ASX with an issue price of 17.50.
Carsales's popularity, which had previously benefited from new energy policies, has declined rapidly, and the stock prices of its competitors have also been subject to significant fluctuations.
To celebrate the successful listing, the company even held a celebration dinner, which is called Listing Celebration Gala or IPO Success Dinner in Australia.
This celebration banquet is not actually a carnival within the company, but an important event to consolidate investor relations and enhance brand image.
It is usually held near the Xicun Opera House, hotels, convention and exhibition centers, and art centers.
With the help of the Collins House Consortium, many celebrities were invited to give speeches, such as the New South Wales Treasurer, ASX executives, etc., in order to enhance its authority.
Generally, such listing dinners will have some special activities such as charity linkage and souvenir design, and Real-Car naturally did not skip this.
After the New South Wales Treasurer, ASX executives and others gave their speeches, Chen Xi took the microphone as the chairman of the board: "Dear guests, dear friends, welcome to this meaningful celebration dinner tonight. Tonight is not only a celebration of our Real-Car listing, but also a moment to express my heartfelt love to friends who have worked hard together... Thank you investors for your expectations for the future and your support for us in difficult times... It is your help that has enabled us to take a historic step... Real-Car's journey is far more than the glory of listing. In the future, we will stick to our original intention and build the most worthy automotive platform in Australia... Next, let us celebrate to our heart's content." Chen Xi thanked everyone.
"Clap!"
"Clap clap clap!"
The crowd cheered and applauded enthusiastically.
"I thought there would be a bell ringing, and I wanted to have some fun. Hey!" After finishing his speech and walking off the stage, Yuan Shuai whispered in Chen Xi's ear.
Chen Xi laughed when he heard that, glanced at him sideways, and said jokingly, "Ring the bell? If you want to ring it, go to the temple some other day and ring it slowly. You can ring it as long as you want. No one will stop you."
There was no bell ringing ceremony at the ASX listing ceremony in Australia. Instead, the core parts were the opening ceremony, document signing and celebratory reception.
But it’s better this way. Chen Xi doesn’t like those flashy things.
At this time, the band started playing, and the melodious music echoed in the banquet hall, and the atmosphere of the whole place suddenly became lively. The guests gathered in twos and threes, toasting their glasses and laughing continuously.
"Beautiful Miss CEO, can I invite you to dance?" Ouyang Ming looked even more handsome in his well-tailored black suit. He walked in front of Liya, bowed slightly, and extended his hand.
Liya looked up at him, a smile appeared on the corner of her lips, and she handed her hand over generously: "Of course, this gentleman with a promising future."
Now Liya is the CEO of Real-Car, so Yuan Shuai can finally put down his burden and return to China.
"Happy cooperation!"
"Happy cooperation!"
Chen Xi raised his glass and clinked it gently with the people from the Collins House Group. The champagne in the glass glowed golden under the light.
"Congratulations on your successful listing. What kind of deal did you make with them? The stock price was higher than ours right after listing. You know, Carsales' stock price plummeted today, and I'm almost losing money..." Just then, Norbert came over with a smile on his face, but his eyes were a little gloomy. He first said a few polite congratulations, then leaned close to Chen Xi's ear, lowered his voice, and said through gritted teeth.
"I didn't do anything... Stock market fluctuations are normal. Besides, there's nothing wrong with our stock price, which shows that investors have confidence in us." Chen Xi grinned and shrugged.
Norbert is having a headache now, as Model S delivery is lagging behind. Although he has reached a cooperation with Nissan to introduce electric cars, they are not selling as well as Real-Car.
During this period, there were a number of spontaneous combustion incidents of trams. Although he used money to suppress the news, the insurance company got to know about it. Now they would never lower the insurance price, and there was no news from the mining company, so Norbert didn't know what to do for a while.
At this time, a girl in a plain long dress was standing in the distance, holding a small dessert in her hand, her eyes drifting towards the crowd from time to time, with a hint of loneliness. She seemed to feel that she was out of place in this gorgeous scene, so she could only shrink in the corner silently, quietly listening to the music played by the band in the distance.
I don't know how long it took, but suddenly someone quietly walked around behind her and gently put his arm around her waist. Xia Lian was startled and was about to scream when she heard his familiar voice: "Don't move!"
"Chen...Chen Xi? Why are you here?" There was a hint of surprise and nervousness in Xia Lian's voice.
"Of course I'm here to accompany you!"
"Don't you have to accompany them?"
"They are not as important as you."
"You are the boss of a listed company now... I... I..." Xia Lian lowered her head and her voice became smaller and smaller. She was a little scared and felt that she was not worthy of this shining man in front of her.
"What are you thinking about? No matter what my identity is in the future, you are my woman." Chen Xi reached out and rubbed her hair.
After that, he took her hand, bowed slightly, and made an invitation gesture: "Beautiful lady, can you dance with me?"
Xia Lian looked up and looked around, hesitated for a moment, and whispered a reminder: "There are too many people around... You will be seen by others. You are the boss of a listed company now. If someone takes a photo of you, it will be used to make a fuss and affect the company's stock price."
Hearing this, Chen Xi also nodded.
The two of them were originally in a corner near the door. Chen Xi took her hand and slipped out of the banquet hall quietly.
In a garden near the lake of the hotel, the moonlight shines on the lake, casting a silver glow.
The surroundings were so quiet that only the sound of the breeze blowing through the leaves could be heard. The music from the banquet hall in the distance could be faintly heard, as if it was isolated from them in two different worlds.
"There's no one here, you can dance without worry." Chen Xi said with a smile, reaching out to hold her hand.
A blush appeared on Xia Lian's face and she nodded gently.
Chen Xi held Xia Lian's hand and gently put his other hand around her waist. Xia Lian's hand was on his shoulder, her palm was slightly hot, and her heartbeat quickened.
The two danced slowly in the moonlight, accompanied by the soothing melody coming from afar.
"I always thought that this kind of scene only appeared in movies." Xia Lian raised her head, her eyes looked especially clear in the moonlight.
Chen Xi looked down at her, a smile on his face: "This is not a movie, but it is more real than a movie, right?"
Xia Lian's face flushed slightly, and she hummed softly. Her fingers unconsciously grasped his suit collar, as if she was afraid that all this would suddenly disappear.
Chen Xi smiled and his eyes fell on her face with a hint of doting.
Xia Lian felt a little embarrassed when he looked at her, so she lowered her head and avoided his sight. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, making her look particularly attractive.
The wind blew gently, lifting a few strands of her hair and dropping them on Chen Xi's shoulders. His arms tightened slightly, pulling her closer. Xia Lian could feel the warmth from his body, as if even the air around them had become warmer.
"Chen Xi..." She was about to speak, but was gently interrupted by him.
"Shh, don't talk."
The next second, his lips were already covering hers and kissing her. Xia Lian's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and her hands unconsciously grasped his collar. Her eyes slightly widened, and then slowly closed again, and her whole body melted in his warm embrace. After a long time, Chen Xi reluctantly let her go, gently resting his forehead on hers, and whispered: "Xia Lian, no matter what happens in the future, you are an important person to me."
Xia Lian's cheeks were flushed, and her breathing was still a little unstable, but she nodded gently, her voice so low that it was almost inaudible: "Well, I believe you."
The banquet lasted until very late.
Chen Xi did not go home but came to Xia Lian's apartment, because he would be returning to China in a few days, and he planned to spend some time with Xia Lian before leaving.
The room was very quiet. Xiaoqian was not there. She must have gone to her boyfriend's place.
Xia Lian lowered her head, her heartbeat speeding up unconsciously. The kiss in the garden seemed to still be warm on her lips, and the restlessness after the suppressed desire became more obvious in the empty room.
She looked up at Chen Xi.
Xia Lian has always been passive, but tonight, she decided to put aside her previous reserve and take the initiative.
The two looked at each other for a moment, then Xia Lian stood on tiptoe and took the initiative to kiss him on the lips. Her kiss was a little awkward, but her passion was enough to ignite the fire in Chen Xi's heart. Chen Xi responded to her, tightened his arms, and held her in his arms.
The kiss gradually became more intense, Xia Lian took off her long skirt, and her fingers began to unbutton Chen Xi's shirt restlessly. Her movements were a little hasty, but they also made Chen Xi feel an unprecedented heartbeat.
Xia Lian reached out and pushed him, and Chen Xi fell on the bed. Before he could react, Xia Lian had already straddled him, looking down at him.
In the room, the lights were dim and the air seemed to become thicker. The body temperatures of the two people blended in the night, and their breaths intertwined into one.
"Xiao Lian, I'm leaving in a few days..." the man on the bed suddenly said.
Before Chen Xi could finish, she leaned over and kissed him. Her hands were not idle either, and she continued to help him take off his clothes, her movements were a bit clumsy.
"I know, so tonight, I will remember you well." Xia Lian pressed the man's firm chest and her body slowly sank. Chen Xi couldn't help but take a breath and clasped his hands around her waist.
Although Xia Lian's movements were a little awkward, her initiative and enthusiasm made him irresistible.
Under the light, the girl's figure swayed gracefully, her long hair swaying gently with her movements, and the room was filled with the intertwined breathing and moans of the two.
The night is dark, but it cannot conceal the warmth and enthusiasm of this moment.
A week later, Chen Xi left Australia.
Company restructuring in Australia takes longer than listing. The fastest time is half a year. If it is later, it may take another one or two years.
A merger by agreement is easy to do because the shareholders are all family members and they can simply approve the vote and submit it to ASIC (Australian Securities and Investments Commission) for registration. However, it still has to follow the procedures of the Australian Company Law and must be approved by the court, which is a bit slow.
The slowest process is the ACCC antitrust review. If the merger affects market competition, an application must be submitted to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. The initial review takes 2-3 months, and the in-depth review may take more than 6 months.
Things like Due Diligence, taxes, etc. are also a waste of time.
Chen Xi gave Xia Lian a day off these days and took her out for a good trip. During the day, they went to see the scenery, and at night they studied human anatomy together, which was a good indulgence.
They were having a lot of fun, but there was one person who was unhappy, and that was Lu Xiaofeng.
This guy saw that Xia Lian didn't come to the company, so he called to ask, but he didn't expect that she was in Xicun to participate in the listing activities. Thinking of his goddess being with that annoying boss, Lu Xiaofeng didn't sleep well for several days.
Just as Lu Xiaofeng imagined every day, Xia Lian discussed life with Chen Xi every night. If he saw it with his own eyes, he would probably want to die.
"I haven't closed any deals during this period. What's going on? It should be because I haven't been sleeping well lately and I keep thinking about Sister Lian... I said before that I would let that nasty boss take a good look at my strength, ah~" Lu Xiaofeng was sitting alone in a roadside cafe, in a daze, muttering to himself.
Xia Lian has been very busy recently, and all the orders he takes over are started from scratch.
Lu Xiaofeng, who used to be successful in negotiating cooperation, now has not made a single deal. He is even a little embarrassed to report to Xia Lian.
Xinlu, inside a Western restaurant.
"Xuanxuan, the baby in your belly is mine, right?"
"Wu Yan, what nonsense are you talking about! I'm already married, and this is outside..."
Zhang Xuan said rudely to the chubby male best friend in front of her, then looked around nervously.
During this period, she often quarreled with Chen Yifeng, who was very busy. She lost her patience and left her child to his parents. She went out to eat, drink and have fun every day, and of course she was accompanied by her male best friend Wu Yan.
With no one to talk to, Zhang Xuan could only complain to this male best friend. The two often drank together, and over time they started to have a relationship.
During that period, she had sex with Chen Yifeng several times and has been pregnant for several months now. When Wu Yan asked her this, she didn't know whose child the baby was.
"It must be mine. If you calculate the time when we had sex last time, it matches exactly! Xuanxuan, are you still blaming me for not taking any safety measures that time?" Wu Yan suddenly grabbed Zhang Xuan's hand and said.
The two were classmates, and Wu Yan had liked Zhang Xuan since they were in school. But Zhang Xuan didn't like him at all, so she could only accompany him as a male best friend, which was actually a backup.
"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll leave." Zhang Xuan was a little flustered.
"Are you blaming me for being poor? I can't compare to that guy named Chen, but I'm younger than him. If I were his age, I'd definitely be richer than him."
"Come on, you're the only one holding a camera every day and you want to become rich?" Zhang Xuan rolled her eyes.
As artists, Chen Yifeng's paintings can be sold for millions, while the male best friend in front of him can only take worthless landscape photos.
"Xuanxuan, you used to look down on me for fiddling with the camera, but it's different now. Times are changing, and my artworks can all be monetized. In the past, photographers could only take on unprofitable jobs such as advertising photos, wedding photos, and portraits. Now that the Internet is so developed, I can earn tens of thousands of dollars a month by taking pictures of products for e-commerce platforms, and I can also earn hundreds of thousands a year by selling pictures. I'm also working on my own media now, and the Tianya forum is currently running an advertising profit-sharing activity for popular users. It's possible for me to earn tens of millions a year in the future!"
"Haha, then wait until you earn hundreds of millions a year before you come to recognize the child. My child doesn't need a poor father!" Zhang Xuan sneered, stood up, picked up her bag and prepared to leave.
She had heard Wu Yan's dreams of getting rich so many times that her ears were callused when she was in school. How could she possibly believe them now?
Besides, compared with her current husband, his annual income of tens of millions is simply a world of difference.
"Xuanxuan, remember this. Don't look down on the poor young man! I won't let my child recognize a thief as his father."
Wu Yan chased out of the restaurant and shouted at Zhang Xuan's departing back.
However, the response he got was a middle finger from Zhang Xuan. (End of this chapter)