24: Chapter 24 Negotiation

"Mr. Chen, I've long admired your reputation. Meeting you today, your demeanor is indeed extraordinary!"

JACK Ma walked at the very front, his face wearing his signature smile, followed by PONY Ma and ROBIN Li.

Any discerning person could see that among the current BAT giants, Ali was subtly taking the lead.

Baidu had long been on the decline, and while Penguin was being beaten back repeatedly by Chen Mo, if this were 2012 in the previous life, it should have been PONY Ma's time to shine.

Chen Mo, however, leaned casually against the doorframe, a hint of mockery playing on his lips:

"I wouldn't dare claim to be admired. You probably speak the truth when you curse me behind my back."

This group was clearly not here with good intentions; he saw no need to put on a polite facade.

JACK Ma's smile remained unchanged, but he thought to himself that this young man was indeed difficult to deal with:

"Mr. Chen is direct; that's refreshing."

"Cut the nonsense. Either talk directly, or follow the proper procedure. Hurry up; don't waste my time."

Chen Mo waved his hand impatiently, not even sparing JACK Ma a proper glance, let alone PONY Ma and ROBIN Li beside him.

ROBIN Li's expression darkened, and he couldn't help but speak up:

"Being too arrogant when young is never a good thing."

He had once been the richest man in the Dragon Country; when had he ever been looked down upon by such a young upstart?

PONY Ma remained silent. He had dealings with Chen Mo before and knew this kid wasn't just being arrogant; he genuinely had the confidence, and his depth of character was far greater than what he showed on the surface.

"If a young person isn't arrogant, are they still considered young?"

Chen Mo's gaze locked onto ROBIN Li.

"Don't tell me that just because you're older, you expect everyone to treat you with utmost respect?"

"You!"

ROBIN Li was so angry his face flushed red, pointing at Chen Mo but unable to speak.

He did harbor a deep sense of jealousy in his heart:

Chen Mo was younger, better looking, richer, and braver than him—all things he currently lacked most.

"Alright, alright. Everyone here is a person of status. Let's sit down and talk."

The Investment Promotion Director quickly stepped in to mediate, terrified that if the argument continued, this negotiation meeting would turn into a shouting match.

JACK Ma seized the opportunity and said:

"Since Mr. Chen is anxious, let's get straight to the point."

Saying that, he walked directly to the oval conference table in the center of the hall and unceremoniously took the head seat, leaning back with one hand resting on the tabletop, gazing across at Chen Mo with commanding presence.

This was a clear signal to Chen Mo that he would be leading today's negotiations.

Representatives from Sequoia, Matrix Partners, and other capital firms, along with heads of major banks, all took seats behind him.

PONY Ma and ROBIN Li exchanged a look and also sat down on either side of the head seat.

In the entire hall, only Chen Mo, Wu Xue, and the Investment Promotion Director remained standing.

"It would have been better if you had done this earlier."

Chen Mo scoffed, completely ignoring JACK Ma's imposing aura, and pulled Wu Xue to sit in a seat opposite.

After sitting down, he even turned his head, winked at Wu Xue, displaying a somewhat frivolous manner.

Wu Xue glared fiercely at him, but inwardly, she couldn't help but feel proud.

This was the man she admired; facing so many tycoons, he remained calm and composed, his arrogance even exuding a kind of handsomeness.

"Mr. Chen, what are your thoughts on the future of the mobile ride-hailing industry?"

JACK Ma spoke first, his tone casual but carrying a hint of probing.

He wouldn't jump straight to the core issues. In terms of negotiation experience, he was far more seasoned than Chen Mo. The longer it dragged on, the more advantageous it would be for him.

Chen Mo replied without hesitation:

"It looks great. A trillion-dollar market, with the potential for monopoly. If you can't make money from this, the person in charge should just smash their head against a wall."

He knew perfectly well this was a probe.

In his past life, this industry was bizarre; despite monopolizing it, they lost fifty billion over eight years, averaging thirty million in losses daily, and ultimately, no one would even take them public. He had no interest in analyzing it seriously with JACK Ma.

Chen Wei, the CEO of Kuaidi Taxi sitting behind them, instantly turned pale.

If this industry was truly so easy to profit from, why would he have to constantly watch the faces of investors?

But he also knew that even if Chen Mo truly had a way to make money, he would never tell him.

After all, he was backed by Penguin and Ali.

JACK Ma smiled:

"Thank you for the auspicious words, Mr. Chen."

But inwardly, he cursed Chen Mo for talking nonsense. If mobile ride-hailing was so profitable, why didn't Chen Mo accept the shares when they offered them for free back then?

But they had already sunk too much money in; they could only bite the bullet and press on, planning to cut the leeks later when they went public.

"Then what about the food delivery industry, Mr. Chen?"

PONY Ma picked up the conversation, his eyes full of inquiry.

"This industry isn't good. It's hard to make money, and you might even lose money."

This time, Chen Mo was telling the truth. Even he couldn't guarantee that Tianxing Takeout would definitely be profitable, but he could guarantee that anyone other than him running it would lose money.

ROBIN Li immediately seized the opportunity to mock:

"Since Mr. Chen thinks it's not good, why not withdraw?"

"I have too much money and like to burn it for fun. What business is it of yours?"

Chen Mo retorted without restraint.

He truly did have money to burn right now. If he were willing to collude with these capital entities, they might even treat him like an ancestor.

After all, when these people had sought reconciliation with him before, he had completely ignored them.

"You!"

ROBIN Li was angered again. He noticed Chen Mo seemed to be specifically targeting him, but he genuinely couldn't recall where he had offended this kid.

"Mr. Chen is joking."

JACK Ma quickly smoothed things over. He truly didn't believe anyone would casually burn tens of billions; he just assumed Chen Mo was posturing.

"Whether I'm joking or not, you'll know in the future."

Chen Mo's expression remained flat.

These people simply didn't understand. To him, money was no different from waste paper. With the system in place, he didn't care about this bit of 'waste paper.'

JACK Ma, PONY Ma, and ROBIN Li exchanged a look and finally asked the crucial question:

"Mr. Chen, what do you see for the future prospects of your Tianxing Technology?"

Chen Mo suddenly smiled:

"What, you guys want to invest in Tianxing Technology?"

He finally understood the true objective of these people.

Ride-hailing, food delivery—those were just excuses. They were targeting Tianxing Technology, specifically his chip factory!

They must already know that he possessed 32nm chip manufacturing technology, and perhaps even the capability to develop chips independently.

These people were truly bold to dare dabble in technology that was a strategic asset for the nation!

Seeing the bank representatives behind them, Chen Mo also figured it out.

It was highly likely that certain people had tacitly approved this meeting, perhaps even waiting for him to ask for help so they could step in legitimately—avoiding criticism for interfering with the free market while also gaining favor.

And these capital groups were betting that he wouldn't ask the state for assistance.

They believed Chen Mo was one of them; capital and the state were naturally opposed.

They were right in their bet: Chen Mo didn't need to ask for help at all.

"What if I say yes?"

JACK Ma stared at Chen Mo with sharp eyes, making no attempt to hide his ambition.

"On what grounds do you think I would allow you to invest?"

Chen Mo smiled easily.

"I don't lack money. You can't beat me in fair competition; if you play dirty, I won't need to ask for help—the state will naturally step in. Why should I compromise?"

"Based on the fact that Tianxing Technology's scope is spread too thin!"

A representative from Sequoia Capital suddenly stood up and declared righteously:

"Fetion, gaming, food delivery, live streaming, chips—which one doesn't burn cash? Fetion's profitability is average, gaming's is unstable, and the chip investment is a bottomless pit. The technology will become obsolete within one or two years! The state tacitly allowing us to negotiate means they hope Mr. Chen will focus wholeheartedly on chips and contribute to the Dragon Country's technological progress!"

Chen Mo was almost amused. If he hadn't reviewed this guy's file and known he held an American passport, he might have actually been moved by this display of 'righteous indignation.'