What's wrong with me being a rich man?

Chapter 108 It’s done
There was no movement in the Nasdaq stock price, the simplified report on the mountain peak did not receive much attention, and the Hong Kong media only reprinted it sporadically in tabloids. Everything seemed calm.

Yu Xing and Liu Wanying were both waiting and watching, but could not see any clues.

However, the day after Guo Shanfeng released the report, a temporary team was formed within Fenzhong Media to look into the matter.

The team is of very high standards, with Director Long Jun, Senior Vice President Ma Ruifeng, Vice President Tu Yafang, and Public Relations Director Ji Hairong working together to respond to emergencies outside the company.

Also, you have to report relevant situations to your boss Jiang Nanchun regularly.

However, after three days of research, we were still at a loss.

First, I thought I had to pay public relations fees, but the other party did nothing.

Second, we tried to investigate the Guoshanfeng Research Company, which is registered in Hong Kong, but it was organized in layers, making it difficult to track down the actual controller behind it.

Third, none of the contact methods available can be used to get through.

Fourth, the report produced by this research company is very concise, but it does have some... meaning.

It is precisely because of that little bit of meaning that the core senior management of Fenzhong Media are willing to show some appreciation, but the other side is blank and has no idea what it means.

"How about we find someone to hack into its website?" Vice President Tu Yafang made a suggestion.

"Hacking a website will not work, and it will only exacerbate the conflict." Long Jun shook his head. "A new website like this is irrelevant. It can continue to publish and can find media to publish. The important thing now is why it can target those things."

Guo Shanfeng’s research report did not give specific data, but the number of screens, related transactions, acquisitions and information disclosure were too obvious.

So... after learning about the situation, the leader Jiang Nanchun was first furious, then kept it a secret, and then asked someone he trusted to handle it.

Senior Vice President Ma Ruifeng said succinctly: "We are still investigating, but it is difficult to start."

With such precise reports, it is hard not to suspect leaks within the company, but only a few people know about data and transactions at this level.

It’s hard to check. It’s really hard to check.

The four people were discussing and negotiating when suddenly, Public Relations Director Ji Hairong's cell phone rang.

He looked at the unfamiliar landline number, pointed at the screen, and said, "It's a landline number in Hong Kong."

The expressions of the three senior executives became solemn.

Ji Hairong took a breath, dialed the number, and turned on the speaker: "Hello, how are you?"

"Hello, is this Director Ji Hairong of Fenzhong Media? I am Wei Yanli, a reporter from Hong Kong's Economic Daily. This is our office number." The visitor introduced himself and asked politely, "Recently, a research report on Fenzhong Media has been circulating in the market. Excuse me, do you know about this?"

Ji Hairong calmed himself down and racked his brains to respond to the interview from the Hong Kong reporter.

The three people nearby thought that there was finally some movement in "crossing the mountain", but they didn't expect it to be an interview with reporters. They didn't feel relieved, but more solemn.

Thanks to the "mountain crossing", they now have a rough understanding of the media in Hong Kong. Unlike the previous sporadic tabloid reports, the Economic Daily is a very influential media there.

Once the Economic Daily conducts large-scale reporting, the company's situation is likely to become passive.

Ji Hairong finally ended the call, put down the phone, and said, "We can't go on like this. We need to have a plan to deal with external changes."

Long Jun asked directly: "What do you think?"

"We don't know who is behind this 'Guo Shan Feng' and we can't find out for the time being. We have to deal with it as it happens. Since it says there is a problem with the number of screens, we have to prove that there is no problem." Ji Hairong has been thinking about the follow-up development these days. "We need to get two independent third-party institutions to conduct research and endorsement. They have to be well-known ones."

"As for the related-party transactions...the report only mentioned that they were suspicious and groundless. It would be better if they could clarify it."

"The issue of acquisition..."

Ji Hairong felt a little embarrassed, as those were things reflected in the financial report and were not easy to explain clearly.

"I have a question now. Do you think this 'Guo Shan Feng' is done by an outsider?" Senior Vice President Ma Ruifeng suddenly spoke up. "If it is not someone from our company, I think the motivation is weak. But if it is a short-selling institution like Citron, wouldn't the situation be more reasonable?"

Ji Hairong was stunned: "Could it be short selling? This..."

The formation of the temporary team came from the suspicion of the leader Jiang Nanchun, so the target was aimed internally from the very beginning.

But in this kind of thing, they look like everyone, but at the same time, they look like no one.

Ma Ruifeng said slowly: "It doesn't mean there are no problems inside. Maybe it's a collusion between the inside and the outside."

Director Long Jun asked, "The name 'Over the Mountain' is what it's called in China. That thing is a King Cobra, but we don't seem to have any shorts that specialize in this here."

Ma Ruifeng nodded, those famous short sellers seemed to be in Europe and the United States.

But he immediately said: "Maybe this is to fill the gap of no vicious short sellers in the country."

Long Jun glared at Ma Ruifeng, and he was still in the mood to make a joke.

"What I mean is, if this is a short-selling crime, then what we need to do is to grasp the basic market." Ma Ruifeng explained his thoughts, "As long as the performance is good, as long as we deploy more and more screens, this surface can support the stock price, and the company's troubles will be mostly solved."

He paused, and then said, "I just don't know how much this Guo Shanfeng has in his hands."

The report we have seen so far is very brief, but we can’t say whether there will be any follow-up. In the past few days, everyone has felt the uneasy feeling of being watched by a poisonous snake in the dark.

If this venomous snake is really a king cobra with strong venom as its name suggests, it would be more than just a cause for concern.

"Although there are some problems with the number of basic screens, the domestic advertising business in this area will definitely increase in the next few years," said Long Jun.

This is a question of industry development, and the overall direction is upward, which means that Fenzhong’s performance is bullish in the long run.

As the public relations director, Ji Hairong finally said, "Let's prepare first. You can't be so heartless as to not let people have a good New Year."

Long Jun nodded slightly: "Look at it in a positive way, maybe it's just blackmail."

Ma Ruifeng also nodded. Blackmail is better than short selling. The former may not have much in hand, and it can be dealt with with little money. Short selling is too bad. The income of the institution is far lower than the loss of the company.

I hope to have a good new year.

……

“I really hope to have a good new year.”

"I'm just waiting for the funding from Fenzhong."

"Xiaoying, do you think the attorneys in America will cheat on their own?"

On the morning of January 1, Yu Xing squatted downstairs of the company and talked to Liu Wanying on the phone, while waiting for Zhong Zhiling and Lu Haiying to meet Shen Nannan and Xu Xin together.

After all, Song Yufeng was in poor health, so he and Kong Huilin waited for the results in the company this time.

"That shouldn't happen. The lawyers haven't paid the full amount yet." Liu Wanying was a little nervous on the phone. "Also, if the SEC is successful in imposing a fine, we will get 20% of the bonus we received."

Yu Xing could only sigh: "It's so dark..."

"This is the price I'm going to pay for future cooperation." Liu Wanying sighed, "If I can hire people myself, the cost will definitely go down, but... it's still safer this way."

The lawyer contacted the company in the Cayman Islands, and PUT was purchased by different overseas companies through different brokerages. These settings increased the cost, but the different links were independent of each other, and the sense of security was indeed maximized.

Yu Xing was about to speak when he saw the second and third in command coming out of the community. He could only say, "Let me know if there's any movement."

"I don't know if I can get a response today. There may be a delay." Liu Wanying replied, "I will notify you as soon as possible. Send a text message."

Yu Xing ended the call, stood up and stretched his numb feet, and smiled at Zhong Zhiling and Lu Haiying: "Are you ready? Are you not as nervous as last time?"

Both Zhong Zhiling and Lu Haiying admitted that they were quite nervous after reviewing the last time they met Xu Xin.

They both shook their heads.

Lu Haiying said: "I was just discussing with Zhiling, wanting to know who is more powerful between Shen Nanpeng and Xu Xin."

Yu Xing thought about it. Sequoia Capital China, founded by Shen Nanpeng, is developing very fast. In the future, it should have a greater influence than Xu Xin, but now... He pondered for a moment and said, "Xu Xin has a long history in investment. She had a lot of dealings with the 99 faction in the past. She invested in NetEase in 1999. Now it seems that she is definitely more powerful."

Zhong Zhiling and Lu Haiying asked in unison: "99 faction?"

"It refers to a group of big guys who started businesses around 1999," Yu Xing explained. "In 1999 alone, Alibaba, Tianya, Shanda, Dangdang, Yitong and other companies were founded. There were also Sina, Penguin, NetEase... Many of them were successfully listed. BAT are now giants. Although Sina, NetEase, Sohu and others have slowed down, they are still doing well."

"In addition, the reason why Xu Xin's contact with them is mentioned is because their notable feature is that they embrace capital, and most of them are listed overseas."

Yu Xing added: "The environment was like that at the time. There was no soil for listing in China."

Zhong Zhiling thought for a while and asked, "Is this really such a clear division? If there are 99 factions, are there others?"

"I don't know either. Xiaoying and I were chatting and she told me, but it makes sense to me." Yu Xing smiled and said, "Let's go, get in the car first."

I was quite extravagant today. Instead of taking the subway, I took a taxi to meet the investors.

The main thing is, last time there were five of us and one car couldn’t accommodate us, but today it is possible.

After getting on the bus, Yu Xing started chatting: "Counting back to 99, there are 84 and 92, which are exactly the times when we went south twice. In 84, the market lacked everything. From nothing to something, more brand groups were established in China, such as Haier, Midea, Lenovo..."

"In 92, the real estate industry was booming. Hundreds of thousands of people went to Hainan, and the six gentlemen of Vantone escaped from the top. They were Feng Lun, Wang Gongquan, Pan Shiyi, Yi Xiaodi, Wang Qifu, Liu Jun, as well as Fosun and Taikang..."

Yu Xing talked so much that even the taxi driver listened quietly.

When they were close to the destination, Zhong Zhiling was somewhat fascinated: "84, 92, 99, if we count like this... We should also have a reputation in this era."

This time, Yu Xing just smiled and said nothing.

If calculated in this way, it can only be 15. The wave of mobile Internet is sweeping in, and everyone is surviving and looking for opportunities under the competition of giants.

The taxi driver encouraged him: "Come on, young man, the future belongs to you."

Yu Xing smiled and said, "Come on, come on, we will definitely do our best, Master, I see you are listening so attentively, you can chat with other passengers in the future, so please excuse us for this trip."

The taxi driver was also straightforward and decisive: "No!"

"Then you can round off the amount." Yu Xing gestured, "Zhi Ling, pay."

Zhong Zhiling successfully wiped out the zero, and felt that his senior brother was a person who would only focus on the big things and not let go of the small things.

When they arrived at the office they had visited last time, Zhong Zhiling and Lu Haiying looked at Xu Xin again and felt that she carried the historical glory of the development of the 99 School. Oh yes, so did Shen Nanpeng who appeared afterwards.

Xiecheng was also founded in 99. At that time, he was one of the entrepreneurs.

"Hello, Mr. Xu, Mr. Shen." Yu Xing greeted them. "Well, I'm quite surprised that Mr. Shen asked me to meet him here."

"I just came here to discuss with Mr. Xu the pros and cons of JD.com's investment decision." Shen Nanpeng said with a smile, "It's also a pity caused by you. If you send a message again, will you do it the same way?"

Yu Xing understood. If he hadn't mentioned JD.com in that way, perhaps Shen Nanpeng would not have reached a certain understanding with Xu Xin.

He shook his head: "I'll just send it out like that. At least I've gained an opportunity."

Xu Xin said directly: "Didn't I give you a chance?"

"I gave it to you, and I want more." Yu Xing said honestly, "But now it seems like I have failed."

He looked at Shen Nanpeng: "Do I need to tell you about Bai Xiaosheng's model? Mr. Shen, I have a letter of intent for financing here."

Shen Nanpeng waved his hand: "I have seen it. The model is clear, the team is okay, the user development is good, there is investment value, and there is room for development in the future. I think it is worth investing, but I have an additional question. Although I saw many daily activities of users on your website today, have you considered easing your main drainage mechanism?"

He laughed and said, "You can't keep relying on negative news to attract traffic like this, right?"

"What we provide is actually just an objective and neutral platform, but the actual effect is that negative news is more eye-catching." Yu Xing said, "But we think all of this is true, which is a bit regrettable, not for Bai Xiaosheng, but for the companies that were exposed."

He glanced at Shen Nanpeng and continued, "Negativity is not what we care about most. What we care about most is authenticity. In the workplace, many authentic things can only be posted anonymously."

"Although there is dual authentication of real name and work, considering the problem of anonymity mechanism, we will also launch a real-name clarification mechanism from enterprises in the future, which will surely ease some conflicts between us and the B-side of enterprises."

Focus on C and take care of the B side.

Shen Nanpeng thought for a moment and thought this was a good setting.

He glanced at Xu Xin and saw that she had no intention of speaking. He didn't want to beat around the bush and said directly, "220 million US dollars, 30%, Sequoia China and Capital Today each 110 million. If the website develops well, Sequoia is willing to lead the subsequent B round."

It is $20 higher than the previous price, and there are also conditions for the next round.

In other words, the company's valuation increased by US$66.67.

“If the company develops well, will it be difficult to raise funds in the B round?” Yu Xing asked in return.

Shen Nanpeng smiled and said: "It may be easy, but this is the sincerity from us at Sequoia China."

Yu Xing asked Xu Xin again: "Will the previous advisory office still be set up?"

Xu Xin tactfully insisted: "After all, Bai Xiaosheng was established not long ago. Mr. Yu, please don't regard this as a constraint. In fact, perhaps what I said may make you uncomfortable, but many companies want us to set up offices, but we won't go."

The meeting went much faster than Yu Xing had imagined. No one else even had a chance to speak, and they went straight to talking about price and conditions.

He pondered for a moment and stated the conditions he wanted: "US$300 million, 20%, and completely free development."

Xu Xin smiled and said, "Your valuation is unreasonable."

Shen Nanpeng nodded slightly and said, "Mr. Yu, I held an annual meeting in Beijing two months ago. 32 CEOs of companies attended the meeting. They were all companies invested by our Sequoia Capital. I really hope that you can also attend the annual meeting this year."

“A round of $220 million is very generous for a newly established website. It’s an entry ticket.”

"I didn't really think about it too much. I was willing to trust Mr. Xu's vision."

"You should thank Mr. Xu."

Shen Nanpeng said this as he looked at the hesitant young founder in front of him.

Yu Xing took a breath. In fact, this condition was within his expectations and was acceptable.

Just as he was about to speak, the phone in his pocket vibrated.

Yu Xing took it out and saw a message from Liu Wanying on it, with only two words - Done.

Become!

Fenzhong is going to allocate funds!

We have a sponsor for our A round!
Yu Xing kept his expression unchanged, put his phone on the table, and said, "Thank you, Mr. Xu," according to Shen Nanpeng's wishes.

Xu Xin smiled.

Yu Xing continued, "Thank you, Mr. Shen as well."

Then he paused and made a decision: "Let's put it aside for now."

Shen Nanpeng also had a smile stuck on his face.

Yu Xing stood up and said, "Mr. Xu, Mr. Shen, although we didn't cooperate in the A round, you will be our top priority in the B round. Thank you for your recognition."

Shen Nanpeng frowned and asked, "Why? What does shelve mean? No more round A financing? Not even considering it?"

Before Yu Xing could answer, his phone suddenly rang.

Shen Nanpeng picked up the phone, listened to a few words, and his expression became a little bad. It's bad!

(End of this chapter)