King of Capital

Chapter 72 Capital Never Sleeps

"What's going on with you guys?" Xie Jingxing and Cheng Wei said and turned to look at Peng Zhijian.

The oil stains on Peng Zhijian's mouth disappeared, and he said calmly as usual: "Mr. Ma hopes to wait and see. At least the investors are in place."

Xie Jingxing did not comment, Cheng Wei lowered his head to pour wine into the wine dispenser and his expression could not be seen clearly, his partner Wang Gang was hesitant to speak, Su He silently watched the expressions of everyone present, and the scene was a little quiet.

"Then wait a minute. I actually think it's a waste of time." He said helplessly after a moment of stalemate.

Tencent is so overwhelmed by the WhatsApp acquisition that it wants to delay the battle for mobile payment ports as much as possible, at least until the Chinese New Year period to launch a simultaneous attack in conjunction with the "Spring Festival Gala Marketing Plan." But the problem is that Alibaba doesn't want to wait any longer, and the intensity of its counterattack is much more exaggerated than the original timeline, and it's ready to fight to the death from the start.

So after he returned to China, Pony Ma took the initiative to contact him and expressed his hope that Didi would first acquire Bumblebee and then look for financing opportunities to delay time as much as possible.

In short, the acquisition of Bumblebee is not important. The purpose is to bring Alibaba to the negotiation table to sit down and bid rather than to confront it head-on in the market. If Alibaba does not sit down and participate in the bidding, it will be of great help for Didi to really acquire Bumblebee.

From Xie Jingxing's perspective, this doesn't make much sense and is even a bit of a loss. Didi first took Beijing and then entered Shanghai, taking the approach of starting from one point to another and then starting over. Kuaidi, on the other hand, adopted the strategy of surrounding cities from the countryside and has now developed 30 second- and third-tier city markets.

Under such circumstances, Didi is stuck in Shanghai and wasting time entangled with Bumblebee. Even if the merger is successful, what can it do? In the end, it will have to fight to the death with Kuaidi.

Then the ultimate question came. The foreign beast Uber jumped into the wall, and its founder publicly declared that for the development of Uber in China, he was seriously considering becoming a Chinese citizen.

Therefore, the war mode that suits Xie Jingxing's interests is: while Uber has not yet integrated and realized that it is not free to play in the North American market, don't do anything fancy, just seize the initiative and start a high-intensity money-burning war.

Regardless of whether Didi and Kuaidi Dache will fight or make peace in the end, it is best to first sort out the boss. This will save some money and energy when Uber enters the domestic market. The only thing they can do is to form a united front to ensure internal and external security.

Xie Jingxing thought for a moment and added, "Let's talk to Deng Wei first. I'll go see her."

"I'll make an appointment here. Thank you for your help, Mr. Xie. I'd like to offer you a glass." Cheng Wei stood up swiftly, holding the full glass of wine in the wine dispenser.

Peng Zhijian stood up and raised his glass: "Everyone has worked hard. The sharing economy market has broad prospects. If we can get through this, we will soar to the sky!"

"It's my treat next time."

Xie Jingxing smiled and picked up the wine glass. Su He suddenly quietly pulled his sleeve, filled the wine vessel with white wine, and said with a smile: "You are a bit chauvinistic. You say you are the boss, but you don't even look at me when you hold the wine glass. I have to drink this glass with you."

After saying that, he drank it all in one gulp without waiting for any response. Peng Zhijian and Cheng Wei looked at each other. Seeing this, Wang Gang, who was a transparent person in the audience, had no choice but to fill his glass.

Xie Jing Xing shook his head and said apologetically: "I didn't bring a driver. Originally, Mr. Su should drive. Then I will use tea instead of wine."

Peng Zhijian and Cheng Wei expressed their understanding in a very understanding manner. Everyone had a different status and position, and the rich second-generation in front of them had suffered a loss because of his youth.

If he was in his thirties and had won the WhatsApp acquisition and was a top second-generation rich man, we would not have the opportunity to sit at the same table for dinner today.

"Are you okay?"

On the way home after dinner, Xie Jingxing asked while cautiously glancing at the passenger seat with his peripheral vision.

Su He's face was ruddy and he was breathing out the alcohol: "I didn't prepare in advance today. These two people can drink too much."

"Actually, you don't have to force yourself. I just don't want to affect the atmosphere." Xie Jingxing explained.

There is a slight conflict of interest between Didi and Tencent in the Didi project, but they have close cooperation on WhatsApp. He has given enough face by taking a step back, and it doesn't matter whether he drinks more or less at the table.

Su He tilted her head and looked at him with her red lips slightly parted. After a few hesitations, she said, "Do you want to not drink in any situation?"

"I don't mind if others toast me." Xie Jingxing could only say this.

Su He raised his lips and smiled helplessly and relievedly: "Is there any project for me to do next?"

"Bilibili, ByteDance, Kuaishou, Yuanfudao, there are many projects waiting to be invested in for you to choose from." Xie Jingxing was well prepared.

The car stopped at a red light. Su He rolled down the window and the hot evening breeze blew her hair around her ears. She looked up at the tall buildings and shining neon lights and slowly closed her eyes.

That night in New York, she was sitting in the passenger seat of the car. Blood mixed with gunpowder smoke rang out behind her, and police lights flashed. She could only hold the empty pistol and the steering wheel tightly and step on the accelerator with a vague sense of direction.

At this moment, my brain is still fuzzy due to the paralysis of alcohol, but I have many choices. I can curl up comfortably in the passenger seat and watch the night view of the city with thousands of lights. Is this a reward or a return?

[…I am lost, lost, lost, and completely trapped in this fog. Who can show me a way and put me on the right path…]

Rhythmic and cheerful songs came from the car speakers. Xie Jingxing drove the car slowly to the entrance of the community and suggested softly, "Shall I take you upstairs?"

"I can do it myself, thank you, Mr. Xie."

Su He spoke strangely, got out of the car as skillfully as usual, slammed the door shut, and walked into the residential area swayingly, swinging the five or six kilogram commuter bag in his hands back and forth.

After a few back and forth movements, the bag finally slipped out of her hand as expected. She walked closer, bent down, and instead of picking up the bag, she vomited it out first.

"Fuck!" Su He cursed at someone, took off her high heels and hooked them with two fingers, picked up her bag and threw it over her shoulder, stood up and continued to stagger towards her home which blended into the night.

Xie Jingxing raised his head and saw that a light was on in a house upstairs. He exhaled his last puff of cigarette with a sense of relief, threw away the cigarette butt and turned to leave.

"The car has been towed away. I just reminded you not to park here." The community security guard said with a grunt.

Xie Jing Xing blinked blankly and stood there in a daze for several minutes before coming to his senses: "Fuck!"

He scratched his hair, opened his phone, called a Didi car, switched to WeChat and sent a message to Su He: [I will go to the vehicle management office to pick up the car tomorrow. I am on personal leave and my salary will be deducted by 200 yuan. ]

…………

"What does Taihe want?"

At the same time, on the way back to the company, Cheng Wei asked questions from the bottom of his heart.

Partner Wang Gang held his head and couldn't figure it out: "Maybe he really just values ​​our development prospects?"

"It's better to believe that the young master is angry, not for money but for revenge." Cheng Wei said gloatingly.

He had been drinking with Peng Zhijian quite a few times these days, and for the purpose of united front ideology, he learned about the feud between Tencent, Taihe and Alibaba in the WhatsApp acquisition case a few days ago.

Tencent has to fight Alibaba to the end for its mobile payment port, but why should Taihe, a pure venture capital institution without an entity, fight to the end? Does it mean it will not even make money just for revenge?
At this critical juncture, Cai Chongxin personally issued a "hunt order", and domestic venture capital institutions avoided Didi like the plague. Even a strong man like Zhu Xiaohu was scared and gave up the initiative to take the lead in the acquisition of Bumblebee without even showing up.

As a result, this young master of Taihe jumped up and down to take up the banner of attack. Not only did he meet with Deng Wei in person to discuss mergers and acquisitions and help find investors, he even complained that Tencent was slow and the fight between the two sides was not intense enough.

What a fighting spirit! As the founder of Didi, Cheng Wei really couldn't understand it and was very afraid of being led into a ditch by Xie Jingxing.

"No matter what he thinks, Tencent and our interests are aligned. If there is any problem, let Peng Zhijian figure it out. Let him go and argue with Deng Wei first. It would be a waste if he didn't use the free M&A expert."

Wang Gang felt that it didn't matter. None of the investors were willing to engage in a decisive battle with Kuaidi Dache right now, and Taihe had very little say.

The current unclear policies are putting pressure on the taxi industry every day. Uncontrollable factors may appear at any time. Not only the online car-hailing industry, but even the "QR code" has been banned now. No one can predict what will happen tomorrow.

It is true that investors are pouring huge amounts of money into the mobile Internet sector, but it is also true that they are worried. A big part of the reason why they are so uncomfortable is because they are afraid of being left behind.

No matter whether a certain field or a certain project is successful or not, as long as someone invests in it, you must follow suit. It doesn't matter if we all die together, but you must not make money while I don't.

Capital never sleeps, and money always has to find a place to go while flowing.

Cheng Wei glanced at his partner's disdainful look, which was concealed by the night, and said in a low voice: "Deng Wei is not easy to deal with. We should not have too high expectations. It will be fine if we can delay it for a while. Instead of a merger, I really want to kill the Bumblebee head-on."

Didi is using the point to lead the whole, Kuaidi Taxi is using the countryside to surround the city, and everyone has a clear development strategy.

Bumblebee is completely different. It only focuses on the magic market. This is not a serious way to start a business. It is more like buying new stocks in the stock market. When the market is hot, it rushes in to occupy a piece of land, and when the time is right, it directly sells it to the leading companies in the industry to make a quick buck and leave.

Therefore, Deng Wei has either really hooked up with investors, or she has smelled an opportunity to raise the price from Ali's hysterical attitude, and is playing crazy and bluffing, waiting for Didi and Kuaidi Dache to offer her higher prices one after another.

Xie Jingxing had this intention in asking Didi to use fighting to promote peace. It doesn't matter if you want a high price, we are just trying to buy time. If we accidentally kill you head-on while delaying, it would be a double blessing.

…………

Late at night, Xie Jingxing returned home and received a message from Cheng Wei on his mobile phone saying that he had made an appointment to meet with Deng Wei. Then Liu Qiming sent a message saying that Alibaba CEO Joseph Tsai wanted to talk to him on the phone.

[Let him call me.] Xie Jingxing replied after a moment's thought.

A few minutes later, the call reminder vibrated and he picked up the phone and said directly, "Did Deng Wei tell you?"

"She's not very honest."

Perhaps it was too direct. There was silence for a moment before a gentle voice came from the other end of the phone.

Xie Jingxing chuckled: "Didi will start increasing its subsidies tomorrow, do you want to follow? The two of us now occupy 80% of the national market. Kill the Bumblebee, and we can each divide the remaining market based on our own abilities."

"Well, then we won't acquire Bumblebee, and no one should make an offer for it."

Boss Cai made a decisive promise, paused and continued, "The prospects for the online car-hailing market are quite good. We don't have to engage in a price war that hurts both sides and wastes money on users. We can meet and talk when we have time."

"The Didi shares I hold can be exchanged with Alibaba for Kuaidi Dache shares."

"I'm busy here, let's talk next time."

"..."

(End of this chapter)