Chapter 266: Top of the Earth List

Words : 1827 Updated : Sep 29th, 2025

Liang was taken aback, he hadn't expected to be able to bring investments to NIO and Li Xiang. However, seeing Sergey so interested, he shared Li Bing and Li Xiang's contact information with him. Afterward, the two parties discussed the details of future collaboration. They planned to go all in, with a guaranteed investment of no less than 5 billion US Dollars. The specific amount would be based on Lu Liang's decision, essentially showing him ample trust and support. They talked until evening, when Sergey returned to his hotel to change his clothes, preparing for tonight's banquet. "Plans cannot keep up with changes." Liang watched them leave, His heart filled with mixed emotions. He hadn't seen Cisco's connected car technology, but he had pulled in a strong and powerful base. With strong public circulation, a base was needed to act as a steadying anchor to prevent sudden incidents that could cause a fund squeeze. Initially, this base was reserved for the Modu Human Resources Bureau and State-owned Xiao Xin, among other state institutions. He planned to sign a five-year contract with them, forbidding early redemption before settlement to ensure that they wouldn't withdraw funds abruptly. But now, Lu Liang had changed his mind. State money wasn't easy to take, especially funds related to people's livelihood. He planned to bring in a sovereign fund, letting them hold a major share to counterbalance the Modu Human Resources Bureau and State-owned Xiao Xin. Creating an impression of rare goods availability to prevent the authorities from flipping the tables, thinking Lu was taking advantage of them. In reality, it was Lu giving them an opportunity, not them giving Lu one. They needed to understand their position. "Mr. Lu, it's seven o'clock." At that moment, Wen Chao stepped forward to remind him. The first day of the conference, Wuzhen would host a welcome banquet, starting at 7:30 tonight and lasting for an hour and a half. "Let's head back." Liang nodded slightly and returned to the hotel to change into a dark suit. The guests numbered over a thousand, gathering together, among them not lacking officials of rank six or higher. Old Ma made an appearance, instantly becoming the brightest star there, surrounded by foreign leaders and treated exceptionally well. Little Ma was wealthier and his company was larger, yet he didn't receive Old Ma's treatment, because Tencent internationally didn't have the same influence level as Ali. Liang ate his dinner, having talked with Sergey all afternoon. He had no time for food earlier, and had just come down after a quick shower and change at the hotel. "Why are you eating alone here?" Suddenly, a laugh sounded from behind; Such words could only belong to Zhu Hu. "Want to join me?" Liang turned to look at Zhang Yiming not far away. Zhu Hu had just come from there, where Mr. Zhang and the representative from Temasek were in a heated conversation. "Ran out of saliva talking." Zhu Hu sighed, picked up a glass of juice, and drained it, then started talking about his recent conversation with them. This half of the year, Douyin was conquering territories in East Asia and was about to expand into Western markets when suddenly faced a legal roadblock. Musical.ly accused them of plagiarism, suing them for 350 million US Dollars and demanding a public apology. Thus, Zhang Yiming was planning to discuss with Temasek to bring in some more foreign support and simply acquire the other party outright. Zhu Hu said, "Mr. Zhang is still wrangling with them, let me come over and ask if you have any good suggestions." "A minor issue, just acquire it then; can't just obediently pay up, right?" Lu Liang laughed without a word. The next year's issues were occurring now. According to the acquisition schedule, it might even be advanced by half a year. His butterfly, the changes he initiated were getting bigger and bigger, and he hoped everything was positive. "Lu, you were talking so enthusiastically with Sergey, maybe ask him if they're interested." Zhu Hu chuckled, revealing his intentions. Douyin already had sufficient state funds, but to develop internationally, they needed foreign investments, including acquiring Musical.ly, which required foreign aid. Temasek was one, Monroe Venture Capital another, yet Monroe Venture Capital held shares in Musical.ly and planned on a share swap, not intending to invest money. Though Temasek was wealthy, they didn't want to fund it alone, the risk was too great for them to bear by themselves. Softbank Group was indeed interested, but Sun Zhengyi was always looking to enter the board and participate in decisions. Zhang Yiming was still hesitant. Lu Liang expressed surprise, "You're well-informed?" "Well-informed my foot, everybody knows about it." Zhu Hu openly teased, laughing, "Today's biggest news is that Old Li is guarding the gate for you." He raised his eyebrows and quietly asked, "How much money did you circle from Mr. Rich this afternoon?" Baidu negotiated a 500 million US Dollar project with a sovereign fund, with Old Li helping guard the gate, while Liang had been discussing with Mr. Rich for an afternoon, the amount involved was probably much larger. Liang smiled, "In a little while, everyone will know." "Acting mysterious." Zhu Hu expressed his distaste. At that moment, Sergey made his entrance, greeted the conference leaders, and headed straight towards Liang. "Mr. Lu, good evening." Sergey was all smiles, as they had discussed not only the public offering in the afternoon but also the priority subscription rights for future private offerings. The thought of their funds turning into sickles reaping through the United States gave them a feeling of serfs overturning the old order through song. Making money was a minor matter, but the thrill was significant. "Zhu Hu, a renowned venture capitalist in our country," Lu Liang introduced with a smile, also mentioning the international version of Douyin. "Mr. Zhu, hello," Sergey's smile faded, his warmth and trust reserved for Lu Liang alone. They had money, but they weren't fools; Lu Liang's track record was publicly known, earned through genuine battles. Sёarᴄh the NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Now, Wall Street would change color at the mention of Mr. Lu, and no one could ensure they'd outplay him without resorting to extraneous tactics. Others' words would need extreme caution. After all, their money wasn't delivered by gales, and even picking money off the streets required some effort. "Hello Mr. Sergey." Zhu Hu's face was brimming with smiles, hurriedly summoning Zhang Yiming to stop chatting with Temasek. If terms were agreed upon with Sergey, any amount of money was possible; let Temasek, Softbank go to hell. Upon introducing everyone, Lu Liang gracefully stepped back. How they negotiated and whether they could seal the deal was up to them; his role was now complete. Lu Liang found a quieter spot to continue dining. Yet his meal was uneasy. At the welcome dinner in Wuzhen, secrets were nonexistent. Before he knew it, news had spread. Thanks to Lu Liang's networking, Douyin secured a $1 billion investment from the sovereign fund. Consequently, the looks aimed at Mr. Lu turned predatory, as if they wanted to devour him. Having money was one thing, but having such robust connections and being buddies with the universally acknowledged top boss was another. "Liang~" Little Wang suddenly appeared, tenderly caressing the back of Lu Liang's hand. His Panda also needed the top boss's support. "Don't even think about it. It's not going to happen." Lu Liang grimaced, quickly shaking off Little Wang's hand. "Why not?" Little Wang looked pitifully hopeful, wasn't their relationship close enough? "Cut the bull; you and I have nothing to do with each other." Lu Liang's gaze was stern, warning Little Wang to keep the gossip at bay. He was willing to facilitate connections for Douyin partly because he was a co-founder and ought to assist. On the other hand, the sovereign fund had relevant business interests, and a potential partnership with Douyin indeed existed. When both parties had the possibility to collaborate, that was facilitating connections, but forcing an unsuitable match would end up fruitless. Little Wang's Panda, if it weren't for the goal of going global and using the US Dollar for valuation in financing estimation, they wouldn't even consider it. There were plenty of live streams abroad; Sergey would invest in YouTube instead of Panda. Little Wang smacked his lips, "That makes sense, but why does it feel so unpleasant coming from you?" Lu Liang couldn't be bothered to talk further, wiped his mouth, and moved towards Zhang Yiming to see how their discussion was going. "It's settled." Zhang Yiming was visibly excited, looking at Lu Liang, any previous resentment vanishing. Boss Lu was disgraceful, shameless, and scheming, but deep down, he wasn't bad at all—the addition of Mr. Lu to Douyin was like wings to a tiger. "That's good to hear," Lu Liang squinted, his gaze ominous. He always felt Zhang Yiming was cursing him internally. Then, Shen Peng also came over to inquire about the situation; the progress of Douyin had clearly exceeded his expectations. Once Douyin acquired Musical.ly and penetrated the European and American markets, it would no longer be just an app but a tool for public opinion. The Western world spared no effort to slander them, and they were powerless because all mainstream media globally was in their opponents' hands. Military strategies suggest: siege warfare is inferior to winning hearts, and the battle of public opinion is the best strategy to subdue the enemy without fighting. After all, some people simply from textbooks or certain magazines assume that the air overseas is sweeter and the moon rounder. The country had always been contemplating solutions, and if Douyin could take on this role, its status might be elevated, gaining some covert support. "It's hard to say whether it's good or bad." Lu Liang was pensive, not holding much hope. Considering how a businessman had recently been elected by abandoning traditional media and paving a new path through the internet to rally young voters around him. The businessman was well aware of the internet's influence, long surpassing traditional media. He would be in charge for the next four years. If Douyin didn't thrive, well and good; if it did, it could either be tamed as a pet or become a target. Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent. Seeing this, Lu Liang chuckled, "Why think so much? There isn't even a start, and you're already worried." Where there's a will, there's a way. When the time comes, a solution will emerge.

Chapter 266: Top of the Earth List

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