23: Chapter 23 Big Shots Gather for Discussion

"You're saying Cousin Chen Mo asked you to draw manga and is paying 600 yuan per page?"

After figuring out the whole story, Ling Jing's eyes widened, and she nearly dropped the phone in her hand.

She lived in the same dormitory as Nalan Ruoshui and knew the market rates for her best friend's part-time manga drawing very well.

Previously, the most she got was less than a hundred yuan per page; sometimes she'd even take jobs for a dozen yuan while rushing to meet deadlines at midnight. This 600 yuan per page was like a pie falling from the sky!

"He said he wants to make domestic animated films. For now, I'm the only artist, so the price is higher."

Nalan Ruoshui touched the cash on the table, still feeling a bit uneasy in her heart.

She felt she didn't deserve this twenty-thousand-yuan advance payment, but since she had accepted the money, she could only draw well to repay him.

Ling Jing smacked her lips, her heart filled with both envy and bitterness:

"Hey, who cares! Cousin Chen Mo has plenty of money. As long as he doesn't cross any lines, you might as well fleece this tycoon for all he's worth!"

She said this, but she couldn't help muttering in her heart:

If she had known learning to draw was this profitable, she should have majored in fine arts back then. Then she wouldn't have to work herself to death in the livestream room acting cute and singing just to earn 1,920 yuan a night.

However, seeing her best friend's happy face, Ling Jing was also genuinely happy for her.

Nalan Ruoshui's family was going through a hard time, and her mother was waiting for medical fees. This money came just in time.

The next day, Chen Mo took the two of them to a Michelin-starred restaurant at the Bund for a grand meal.

The crystal chandeliers glowed brilliantly, and the view of the Huangpu River outside the window was fully visible. Exquisite dishes were served one by one, leaving the two girls dazzled. It was only then that they truly felt how luxurious the "life of a tycoon" really was.

After sending them back to Tomson Riviera, Chen Mo moved into Wu Xue's duplex villa next door.

He had bought four duplex villas in Tomson Riviera. He lived in one in Building C and gave one to Wu Xue. The two in Building D were intended for Bai Fengjiu and Yang Mi.

As for Wu Dongju, they certainly couldn't live together before getting officially married. However, Chen Mo had no intention of getting married at all, which Wu Dongju didn't know yet.

Just as he had settled in, the news of Tianxing Technology acquiring A Certain Point for 800 million USD exploded across the entire internet.

"Holy crap! Tianxing Technology made another move? What's the deal with A Certain Point? Is it really worth 800 million USD?"

"The person above must be living under a rock! Ever heard of 'battle through the heavens'? The author makes several million in royalties a month, and A Certain Point is its home platform!"

"First, Tianxing tricked me into being a delivery rider, then into being a streamer, and now they want to trick me into writing novels? I'm not falling for it!"

"Don't talk nonsense! My cousin is a rider for Tianxing Takeout and earns over ten thousand a month; my classmate does Tianxing Live and makes over ten thousand monthly. They never make empty promises!"

"On the other hand, look at Ride-hailing service and Fast Ride. Their subsidies were hyped up to the sky before, and many people took out loans to buy cars to become drivers. Now they've merged, the subsidies are all gone, and everyone's been screwed over!"

"Tianxing Technology is still the most badass. It's all Chen Mo's own money, not a cent of bank loans. He never drags his feet when doing business!"

The netizens were arguing heatedly, mostly just watching the excitement, but in the Penguin headquarters, PONY Ma's face was so dark it looked like it could drip ink.

"Chen Mo is coming for our Grand Entertainment business!"

PONY Ma slammed the documents onto the table.

"A Certain Point is the most crucial source of creativity in our plans, and he actually beat us to it!"

An executive beside him sighed:

"It's not just A Certain Point. Tianxing Live is also pushing our gaming business into a corner. Revenue from CF and DNF has dropped by thirty to forty percent. Players have all run off to watch games on Tianxing Live, and our games can't even be broadcasted on there."

"Why can't we make our own livestreaming app?"

PONY Ma asked.

"The technology can't keep up!"

The executive said helplessly.

"Making an app isn't hard, but making it run smoothly on all phones, especially low-end ones—we don't have that technology. If it can only be viewed on computers and high-end phones, we'd lose at least half the audience."

PONY Ma rubbed his temples, feeling incredibly stifled.

Ride-hailing service was swallowed up, the takeout market couldn't compete with Tianxing, and now even the path for games and entertainment was blocked by Chen Mo. This kid was simply Penguin's nemesis.

On the other side, Chen Mo looked at the news of the A Certain Point acquisition, feeling quite expectant.

He thought Penguin and Ali would be forced to increase their takeout subsidies and fight a hard battle against him.

He still had 20 billion in cash left and was worried about having nowhere to spend it, but instead, he received an invitation.

"Business Promotion Meeting?"

Chen Mo looked at the list on the invitation and sneered.

Penguin, Ali, Baidu, along with major capital firms, banks, and even the Magic City government had stepped forward. This was clearly a group effort to 'encircle and suppress' him!

"Afraid I wouldn't dare to go, so they even invited the authorities as endorsement?"

Chen Mo threw the invitation on the table, his eyes full of disdain.

He had nothing to fear. Tianxing Technology operated legally, the money was all his own, and even if these big shots joined forces, he wouldn't be the least bit intimidated.

Three days later, at the Grand Hyatt Shanghai.

As one of the top hotels in Magic City, the decor was luxurious yet permeated with a cultural atmosphere. Those coming and going were all people of real status.

Today, the conference floor had been booked out. Security at the entrance was tight, and everyone attending the promotion meeting was a big shot in the Dragon Country business world.

Ali's JACK Ma, Penguin's PONY Ma, Baidu's ROBIN Li, as well as representatives from Sequoia Capital and Matrix Partners, and heads of major banks, were all gathered together.

The investment promotion director sent by the Magic City authorities sat in the main seat, but he was feeling uneasy:

This wasn't a promotion meeting; it was clearly a 'Hongmen Banquet.' His task today was to be a peacemaker and prevent these big shots from fighting on the spot.

He actually quite admired Chen Mo in his heart:

Tianxing Technology did business honestly, without violating rules or laws, and even spent 15 billion of its own pocket to build a chip factory. The government had to hold such a socially responsible enterprise in high regard.

However, these capital giants held a large amount of employment and tax revenue, so the government couldn't ignore them either and could only step in to build a bridge.

Chen Mo walked into the conference hall with Wu Xue, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

The hall was filled with male big shots; Wu Xue's appearance was like a beautiful scenery, but no one dared to underestimate her.

Being able to attend such an occasion with Chen Mo meant that even if her family background was ordinary, she could not be looked down upon.