The world is in trouble

Chapter 252 A Frenzied Blow! Liao Feng's Condition is Unbearable to Behold!
"No need to wait for Ms. Wu, she has given me full authority to represent her."

At the board meeting, Liao Feng spoke directly and frankly.

"Mr. Wu and I are willing to accept the offers from Yahoo! Group and SoftBank Group. What are your opinions?"

These words immediately sparked a flurry of discussion among the shareholders present.

For a moment, it seemed completely unacceptable.

The main issue is that everyone's expectations were raised to the max, with people thinking there would be a valuation of $1.5 to $1.6 billion. But after all that effort and time, the valuation is still only around $1 billion.

How much did they earn? The difference is huge.

Miyazaki remained silent for a while: "We have three major business clusters and two blockbuster games in our hands, yet our market value is still lower than that of Shanda Group? It's only supported by one game, 'Legend of Mir'."

The shareholder sent by Sohu said, "Isn't there a bit of a rush? After all, negotiations are a drawn-out process, and it's normal for them to take more than six months to complete."

Liao Feng slowly said, "We've been pulling and tugging at things from beginning to end for several months, almost half a year now."

"Of course, I also respect everyone's opinions very much."

"But I also have to tell everyone a fact: the first to strike wins, the last to strike suffers. We have competitors."

Miyazaki: "Isn't there absolutely no possibility of cooperation with the Lightning Group anymore?"

Liao Feng: "It's Alibaba. They are also in deep negotiations with Yahoo! Group, and their progress is not much behind ours."

"I reiterate that I fully respect everyone's opinions. If Yahoo! is absolutely unwilling to change the price, does that mean we should sever all possibilities of cooperation and just watch Yahoo! give this huge investment to Alibaba?"

"It's fair to say that once this opportunity is lost, it will never come again."

"Do you all have the courage to continue working diligently, relying on outstanding financial reports to take your company to Nasdaq and obtain a huge valuation?"

"If you are confident, then I will completely follow your advice. At worst, it will just be a two or three-year delay in listing. At worst, it will just be another tough battle."

The entire room fell silent.

Capital is inherently weak, and this weakness is most evident at times like these.

Accepting this offer and valuation, although it's far from what we expected, still means we can make a profit.

Miyazaki: "Mr. Liao, we've spent about a hundred million US dollars in the past few months to prepare for this investment."

It's not just one hundred million US dollars, but slightly more.

From buying out Perfect World to securing the exclusive operating rights for World of Warcraft in China, plus the money spent on CCTV's Spring Festival Gala to maintain Facebook's enormous prosperity.

Everyone took a huge gamble.

Burning through $100 million to get $300 million, plus a stake in Yahoo! China? But the shares held would be greatly diluted.

Liao Feng: "I know this deal didn't yield as much profit as I expected. But it was still a big profit, wasn't it?"

"More importantly, securing this large investment will enable us to achieve two strategic goals."

"With the backing of Yahoo! Group and SoftBank Group, we are one step closer to listing in the United States. A US IPO is the real feast of wealth for us."

"The second objective was to cut off Lin Xiao's escape route and completely block his path to internationalization."

Then, Liao Feng continued, "According to our agreement with Yahoo! Group and SoftBank Group, once the strategic cooperation between the two parties is completed, we will immediately establish Renren Group's overseas department. Yahoo! Group, Renren Group, and SoftBank Group will join forces to acquire Zuckerberg's Facebook in the United States, completely crushing Lin Xiao's Facebook in the United States."

"And Ms. Wu Lingxi will become the global president of Renren Group."

"Her capabilities on social media are undeniable. In the domestic market, despite facing formidable competitors like Facebook, she still managed to prevail. And overseas, with the backing of Yahoo! and SoftBank, do we even have any rivals?"

"Absolutely not!"

"In about a year at most, we can create another Renren Group!"

"Everyone knows that the United States is the center of the world's internet industry. For the same size, their valuation is many times that of ours."

"With the acquisition of The Faces, the North American social media empire is already more than halfway to success. The next step is to keep replicating and expanding."

"What level will our valuation reach when we recreate Renren.com and Renren Video overseas?"

"That's not $3 billion, it's $5 billion, or even more!"

"Lin Xiao is very capable, and Facebook is also very powerful, so why did he fail miserably in the United States? It's because the timing, location, and people were all wrong."

"It is even more important to board the ship at this time."

Upon hearing this, the shareholders exchanged bewildered glances.

This is interesting; this has a lot of stories to tell.

Miyazaki: "Acquire The Faces, then merge it into our Renren Group, and eventually list it on the stock exchange? Mr. Wu will then take charge of overseas expansion?"

Liao Feng slowly said, "Yes!"

Everyone present exchanged another glance.

Mr. Liao, you really are ruthless.

In this way, Wu Lingxi has been working tirelessly for everyone.

She spearheaded the merger of Renren.com, and now that its data has reached its peak, it has attracted investment from SoftBank and Yahoo! Group. Now, she's been made the global president, tasked with creating another Renren.com overseas.

People may have various opinions about Wu Lingxi, but they still have great trust in her abilities.

In this way, the prospects are truly promising.

China's No.1 social networking site, the US's No.1 social networking site, the No.1 video site, and if we expand into the European market...

Then this story would go straight to the heavens.

By then, a market capitalization of three to five billion US dollars will truly be no longer a dream.

Once the company goes public, everyone's shares will increase at least tenfold.

Capital is all about creating brands, concepts, and stories out of thin air.

Liao Feng said, "Mr. Masayoshi Son and Mr. Yang Zhiyuan have been waiting for our reply."

"Now, let's vote by show of hands!"

"Raise your hand if you agree with this investment proposal!"

A moment later, everyone in the room raised their hands.

This is why Lin Xiao didn't want to be a large-scale investor; they were always thinking about realizing their gains and the outcome.

In particular, a significant portion of Renren Group's capital comes from Hong Kong, making them even more short-sighted in this regard.

Liao Feng smiled, already confident of this outcome.

..........................................

next day!

Renren Group couldn't wait to leak the news to the media.

Immediately, similar headlines appeared on all major portal websites and in many media outlets.

Renren Group secures victory! Facebook is out!

The leader of the Er Gou cult has lost his biggest strategic ally!
Renren Group receives the largest investment in internet history!

Masayoshi Son ultimately abandoned Lightning Group and chose Renren Group.

In other words, Renren Group is not yet listed on the stock market. If it were listed, its stock would definitely hit the daily limit today.

Despite Liao Feng's eagerness, he held a banquet in front of everyone to announce this great victory.

But whether it's inviting leaders, VIPs, or a large number of media outlets, it all takes time.

finally……

A grand banquet is scheduled for February 25th.

In fact, the negotiations between the two sides are not over yet, because they involve many details and will take a long time.

However, a grand signing ceremony will take place at this dinner.

Liao Feng and Wu Lingxi, representing Renren Group, SoftBank Group, and Yahoo! Group, signed a strategic cooperation agreement.

Because of the long and arduous battle, there always needs to be a result, a ceremony.

And this grand banquet, this signing ceremony.

It represents the fruits of victory.

..........................................

Wu Lingxi had already ordered several high-end gowns for this day.

At this moment, several major luxury brands delivered more than a dozen pieces of custom-made jewelry, waiting for Wu Lingxi to choose.

"Xixi, you're the absolute star tonight!"

"You are the biggest contributor to this victory."

"Without you, there would be no Renren Group today, and there would be no victory."

"I am a green leaf, we are all green leaves."

Liao Feng stood beside her, helping Wu Lingxi choose a dress and jewelry.

On this point, Liao Feng was not lying.

Tonight's grand feast will once again make Wu Lingxi the absolute star, the most radiant person.

They will publicly announce that she has become the global president, creating the illusion that I, the chairman of Renren Group, am also under this global president.

Firstly, it was to make amends, and secondly, it was to encourage Wu Lingxi to continue working tirelessly for their cause.

You've built up Renren.com in China, so I'll reap the rewards, give you a promotion in name only, let you keep fighting, and then we'll sit back and enjoy the fruits of victory.

“This white one!” Liao Feng said, “You’ve always worn white most of the time, and… I dream of seeing you in a white wedding dress.”

Wu Lingxi's gaze fell on the white dress. It was indeed beautifully designed and very suitable for an engagement.

"A white dress paired with a sapphire necklace, perfect!" Liao Feng then selected more jewelry.

Wu Lingxi smiled and said, "Okay, I'll listen to you."

Liao Feng said, "I have discussed with Mr. Yang Zhiyuan and Mr. Son Zhengyi that in order to go international and global, it is necessary for us to form a joint venture and put Renren.com, Renren Games, and Renren Video under the name of this joint venture group. After we acquire The Faces in the future, we will also put it under this group."

If they were to acquire The Faces, then the question would arise: what should they name it?

Also known as Renren.com (American Renren.com)?
No!

Because this is a typical Chinese word.

Since the goal is to continue packaging and telling new capital stories, it's necessary to create an even larger shell.

Liao Feng: "We've come up with a few names, which one do you think is better?"

Next, he handed over a piece of paper with several names printed on it.

Globalization, it's all about new names, new stories, and a new look.

Wu Lingxi suddenly said, "Call it META Group!"

Liao Feng was taken aback. What did this name mean?

Beyond Group?

Metadata Group?
Because the concept of the metaverse wouldn't be realized for another decade or more, Zuckerberg renamed Facebook META to show his determination.

Wu Lingxi said, "It's settled then, it will be called META Group."

Liao Feng laughed and said, "Okay, you're the global president, so you're in charge. We'll go register everywhere right now."

"Oh right, and the website address, you should also register it or pay to buy it."

"Anything is fine as long as you're happy."

....................................

2 Month 24 Day!
Lin Xiao, Xia Xi, Gao Changhe, and Li Shuang all received an invitation.

Meta Dinner!

It’s interesting!

Xia Xi couldn't help but laugh and said, "Even the name META was chosen by you. That's really interesting."

"What a love-hate relationship!"

February 25st evening!
The Shanghai Exhibition Center was brightly lit.

After several days of preparation, the banquet became much more formal.

Distinguished guests were numerous.

Many reporters, business tycoons, and Shanghai officials were present.

Of course, there weren't many celebrities present, or even almost none, because the banquet was quite high-profile, and only the wealthy and powerful attended, so celebrities weren't qualified.

Even though the conditions for online video live streaming were still very immature at that time, Renren Video still struggled to conduct pseudo-live streaming.

The entire dinner was served in a Western style.

There were about two hundred people attending the banquet, most of whom sat at the long tables at the back.

Those of high status sat at small tables in front, four to a table.

This arrangement can be considered meticulously planned.

Because Liao Feng, Wu Lingxi, Sun Zhengyi, and Yang Zhiyuan were to be seated at the same table.

And coincidentally, the four giants of the Lightning Group were also at the same table.

When Lin Xiao led the three people into the banquet hall, a group of people were surrounding Liao Feng, Sun Zhengyi, and Yang Zhiyuan, treating them like stars around the moon.

"President Lin, a rare guest, a rare guest..." Liao Feng, dressed in an elegant suit, saw Lin Xiao at first glance.

Lin Xiao: "Mr. Liao, you're dressed so handsomely tonight, are you getting married?"

"Mr. Lin, you're joking with me," Liao Feng said. "However, they are indeed almost identical."

Then, Liao Feng gently patted Lin Xiao's shoulder and said affectionately, "President Lin, I'm really glad you could come."

Then, his gaze fell on Li Shuang, and he praised her, "President Li, you were absolutely stunning tonight."

Li Shuang: "Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Liao, but compared to Ms. Wu Lingxi, I still pale in comparison."

Liao Feng: "You flatter me, you flatter me."

Then, he pulled Lin Xiao toward Sun Zhengyi and Yang Zhiyuan.

"Although it's not necessary, as the host, I'll still introduce you," Liao Feng said to Lin Xiao. "Mr. Masayoshi Son of SoftBank Group and Mr. Jerry Yang of Yahoo! Group."

This statement seems to be a declaration of sovereignty.

From this day forward, SoftBank Group will be our overseas strategic ally.

Lin Xiao, I'm very sorry, but I've cut off your international escape route.

"President Lin, I've also seen the movie 'Journey to the End of the World,' and it's really well-made." Liao Feng said with a smile, "I hope that President Lin can produce more excellent films in the future and bring glory to the country."

This makes the irony even more pronounced.

Lin Xiao, I admit you make good movies, and I admit you make excellent games.

But so what?

No matter how good a product is, it can't compete with the power of capital.

So, you should focus on making movies, which is a very promising career.

Lin Xiao: "No problem, no problem."

Liao Feng: "Then please make yourself at home, Mr. Lin. I'll go and attend to the other guests."

Lin Xiao: "Please go ahead, Mr. Liao."

Then, the two shook hands, their smiles completely forced and insincere.

Liao Feng is backed by senior executives of Renren Group, while Lin Xiao is backed by senior executives of Shandian Group.

I wonder how many reporters quickly captured this scene.

They even came up with a title.

"The winner is the king!"

The first major battle in the Chinese internet industry, which lasted a full year, has finally come to a conclusion.

This handshake is the symbol of victory or defeat.

Because Lin Xiao brought the senior executives of the Lightning Group to attend the META dinner.

at the same time!

Many people within Lightning Group are working overtime.

Because if Wu Lingxi's madness hadn't occurred, then the Lightning Group itself would have launched a full-scale, deadly attack.

A detailed report on traffic fraud on Renren.com.

It also dealt a fatal blow to the game "Perfect World".

And Liao Feng's involvement in financial fraud, etc.

Since the investment agreements between SoftBank Group, Yahoo! Group, and Renren Group were not signed, they can still be overturned.

However, the cost of this Plan B was still quite high.

The most crucial point is that the Ant Power God fraud case is not yet thoroughly investigated, and Liao Feng has not been completely brought to his death.

The best possible outcome is still Wu Lingxi's betrayal.

That's true deflection of force with minimal effort.

................................................

Seven o'clock in the evening!

After several days of preparation, the highly anticipated META dinner officially began.

Liao Feng, Wu Lingxi, Sun Zhengyi, and Yang Zhiyuan sat at the most magnificent main table.

Wu Lingxi was wearing that white dress and sapphire necklace, both of which Liao Feng had chosen for her.

Moreover, she rarely smiled, and the smile remained throughout.

Absolutely breathtaking!

She truly has the highest level of beauty.

Liao Feng, holding a glass of champagne, walked onto the stage and gently tapped the glass in his hand.

Instantly, all eyes were on his face; tonight was truly his moment of glory.

"Dear Mr. Masayoshi Son."

"Dear Mr. Yang Zhiyuan."

"Distinguished guests, good evening, and welcome to the META Dinner!"

"As we all know, 2004 was an extraordinary year."

"This year saw the birth of the biggest war on the Chinese internet."

"This major battle is unprecedented in its intensity and length."

"This is a battle that will almost certainly be recorded in the history of the Internet."

"But now, it's all over."

"Peace is so precious."

"Because Mr. Lin, the CEO of Lightning Group, is sitting among the VIPs tonight."

Many shots immediately shifted to Lin Xiao's face.

"This dinner is not to celebrate victory, because I believe there are no losers in this great battle."

"After all, General Manager Lin of Lightning Group has achieved great success on the cultural front."

Although he repeatedly claimed there were no losers, the victor's true colors were blatantly obvious.

Mentioning this major battle at the dinner is a way to emphasize one's victory—a victory ceremony that was hard-won.

"In the past year, under the leadership of Ms. Wu Lingxi, Renren Group has achieved unprecedented success!"

"Our Renren.com has reached the pinnacle of website traffic in China."

"We have completely solidified our position as the world's number one social networking site."

"Moreover, within this year, we successfully incubated Renren Video and Renren Games."

"Renren Video needs no introduction; its daily IP addresses have already exceeded ten million!"

"We have the world's largest copyright library, which is five or six times larger than that of our competitors."

"And our Renren Games has achieved even greater success."

"Our 100% self-developed game, Perfect World, achieved a peak concurrent user count of over 360,000, setting a new record for domestically produced games. This is not only a victory for Renren Video, but also a victory for the entire Chinese gaming industry."

"We also hold the exclusive rights to operate World of Warcraft in China, Mr. Allen. Under our management, World of Warcraft will thrive in China."

Blizzard Vice President Allen also attended the META dinner, sitting at the same table as Masayoshi Son.

"It was precisely because of the fruitful results in 2004 that we were able to attract the esteemed Mr. Masayoshi Son and the esteemed Mr. Jerry Yang."

"That's why we have this dinner party. Renren Group will reach a strategic cooperation agreement with SoftBank Group and Yahoo Group."

"Here, I would like to thank our helmsman, Ms. Wu Lingxi, once again."

"You led us to where we are today."

Liao Feng continued tapping the champagne glass, leading the audience in applause.

All the cameras in the room focused on Wu Lingxi's face.

The audience burst into warm applause.

"2004 was extraordinary; in 2005, we will create brilliance."

"Renren Group has the responsibility and mission to lead the Chinese Internet to the international stage."

"Therefore, I hereby officially announce the establishment of the META Group!"

"The establishment of this group is a symbol of our going international."

"Renren.com, Renren Video, Renren Games, and future overseas subsidiaries will all be under the META Group."

"In 2005, we will allocate at least $200 million for overseas expansion."

"And the first global president of our MTEA Group is, of course, Ms. Wu Lingxi, who has made great contributions."

"Ms. Wu, from now on, I, the chairman of Renren, will be one of your subordinates." Liao Feng smiled and said, "President Wu, please take good care of me and give me your guidance in the future."

All eyes were once again focused on Wu Lingxi's face.

Countless people looked on with envy.

This woman, at such a young age, has risen to such a high position; she is more than just a favored daughter of heaven.

Therefore, Liao Feng was very deceptive; his seemingly promotion but actually demotion was extremely cleverly executed.

Then, Liao Feng slowly said, "Next, please welcome Ms. Wu Lingxi, Global President of META Group, to the stage!"

Then, the entire audience erupted in enthusiastic applause once again.

Even the lights in the entire venue were dimmed in coordination.

A beam of light shone on her.

Wu Lingxi stood up and picked up the microphone: "Distinguished guests, please wait a moment, I'll be right there."

Then, she left the banquet hall and went straight to the backstage lounge.

After arriving at the lounge, she took off her white dress in front of a large mirror, even stripping herself completely naked.

Then I took out my Nokia N90, looked in the mirror, and took another nude photo.

It was sent to the familiar phone number again.

Lin Xiao's phone vibrated.
This phone originally belonged to Xia Xi, but now it belongs to him. It's like a ripe melon falling from the vine, and then being handed over to someone else to pick.

He couldn't resist taking it out and opening the MMS message.

Fuck...

Damn it, that crazy woman, I'll never dare to provoke her again.

Xia Xi glanced over, then glared at him fiercely.

........................

Soon, Wu Lingxi changed into a black dress and put on a red gemstone necklace.

Then, he appeared on stage once again.

The beam of light shone on her once again.

Wearing a black dress, she appeared even more stunning for some reason.

Moreover, her lipstick used to be very light, but now it's a true fiery red.

She was truly dazzling and captivating.

She came to the center of the stage and stood next to Liao Feng.

but……

The entire stage remained dark, with the beam of light still shining on her alone.

But everyone heard Liao Feng's voice.

His voice at that moment was magnetic, incredibly gentle, and full of affection.

"Tonight is truly special."

"To the point that I want to prioritize personal matters over public ones!"

"I have distinguished guests, let us play the zither and the sheng!"

"Xi Xi, Miss Wu Ling Xi!"

"I bought this engagement ring a year ago, but I haven't taken it out yet."

"Because you are so dazzling, I don't have the courage to take it out."

"But tonight, I have countless guests to encourage me."

"Career is career, and love is love."

"Today I want to steal a little bit of time to fulfill my love."

"Miss Wu Lingxi, will you marry me?"

"Will you entrust your life to me? Let's weather the storms together, okay?"

Then, another beam of light shone down and shone on Liao Feng.

He knelt on one knee, held up a ring, and proposed to Wu Lingxi.

"Crack, click..."

Countless cameras and video recorders captured this scene.

Luxurious, yet romantic.

All the distinguished guests held their breath, ready to applaud at any moment.

As soon as Wu Lingxi said "I agree," the entire audience cheered and applauded. Although many people were genuinely filled with envy and jealousy—why does Liao Feng have both a successful career and such a top-tier beauty?—they were secretly thinking, "Why should Liao Feng have both a successful career and such a stunning beauty?"

This was, of course, another kidnapping.

In Liao Feng's view, Wu Lingxi would agree to such an important occasion no matter what, because she couldn't bear the consequences of refusing.

"Promise him!"

"Promise him!"

Below, Renren Group's shareholders and senior executives shouted in unison.

Immediately afterwards, the entire audience joined in chanting, "Say yes! Say yes!"

"Give me the microphone," Wu Lingxi said with a smile.

Immediately, someone handed her a microphone.

The entire audience fell silent once again, waiting for Wu Lingxi's response, although it was still formulaic.

For quite a while, there was a pause of more than ten seconds.

"It is said that a marriage without love is immoral," Wu Lingxi said slowly. "Therefore, I cannot accept your proposal, Mr. Liao Feng!"

As soon as these words came out!
The whole audience was stunned.

What... what does this mean?
Wasn't this proposal part of the plan?
“Mr. Liao Feng, both our families have tried very hard to make this love happen.”

"But I'm really sorry, I've tried, and I've tried for several years, but I still can't do it."

"I don't love you, so I can't accept your proposal!"

Not only did she reject me, but she also said "I don't love you" in front of everyone. It was so tragic.

I am!

Everyone in the room was completely stunned.

Can't believe my ears at all.

But the reporters present were practically ecstatic.

Exciting, exciting, so exciting!
Who would have thought that tonight's feast would yield such a great reward?
Liao Feng, on the other hand, seemed as if he had been struck by lightning.

In an instant, he was almost completely unable to move.

Then he immediately stood up to hug Wu Lingxi.

"Xixi, it's okay, it's okay..."

Wu Lingxi took a step back and stared at him coldly: "You, don't touch me!"

"Furthermore, I disagree with Mr. Liao Feng's theory of victory!"

"This was indeed the first major battle in the history of the Chinese internet, but you just said that under my leadership, we achieved a great victory and brilliant success?"

"No, no, no!"

"I don't think we won; we lost!"

"That's right, I did create Renren.com from scratch."

"I did indeed bring Renren.com to its peak in terms of traffic and user registrations."

"But it is also the biggest mistake of my life."

"I deeply regret all of this. If I had another chance, I would definitely start from scratch, from zero to one, from one to two, from two to three, and from three to everything!"

Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this.

What do you mean by that?
Is this just modesty?
It's similar to what Ma Yun later said: "The thing I regret most is founding Alibaba."
Although this famous quote has not yet come to pass, people are still thinking in that direction.

I still can't quite believe that Wu Lingxi, the most crucial figure, would carry out such a crazy backstabbing at this crucial moment.

No one would be that crazy; this is completely self-destructive. How many shares do you, Wu Lingxi, own in Renren Group? How much effort have you invested? Are you willing to ruin it like this?
Wu Lingxi's voice continued.

"Renren.com is a complete failure. No matter how brilliant, successful, or popular it may seem on the surface, it is still a failure!"

"It's like a castle in the air!"
"It was so rushed, so incoherent."

"Just like Renren Games, just like Perfect World, it's just a half-finished product hastily created by capital."

"I would like to advise all entrepreneurs not to get too caught up in the game of capital, but to do their best to complete their work."

At this moment, female public relations officers dressed in suits appeared and entered the stage from all directions.

Immediately afterwards...

The stage lights dimmed.

The four female public relations staff stepped forward and tried to forcibly drag Wu Lingxi away.

However, the lights that had just been turned off came back on.

The scene of four female public relations staff surrounding Wu Lingxi was completely exposed to everyone, and they were instantly frozen in place.

Wu Lingxi said slowly, "This is no longer my home turf, nor is this my game."

"I don't need you to take me away."

"I can walk by myself."

"I will not take on the position of Global President of META Group."

"In addition, I will resign from all positions at Renren Group."

"Finally, I would like to advise Mr. Yang Zhiyuan to be cautious, cautious, and even more cautious!"

........................

Note: My benefactor, do you still have any monthly passes left? I humbly beg for your help, and I am extremely grateful!
(End of this chapter)