Internet moguls are being held hostage by the entertainment system!

Chapter 177 Sun Tongyu: I'd like to ask you a question about women...

Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou, West Lake.

After walking along a winding path through a garden-style building with white walls and blue tiles, where canna lilies leaned against the wall, Chen Xiu and Xiong Ben were led by a waiter to the hotel's restaurant, Jinsha Hall.

In addition to the main restaurant, there are 11 separate VIP rooms, each with an outdoor terrace, allowing guests to enjoy the lotus pond view while dining.

Upon arriving at the reserved VIP lounge, Chen Xiu said to Xiong Ben, "You can eat in the next room! After you finish eating, go back to your room and rest. I won't call you unless it's absolutely necessary."

"it is good."

Xiong Ben nodded slightly, then followed the waiter to the private room next door.

Chen Xiu had invited Sun Tongyu to dinner alone tonight; it was clearly inappropriate to bring Xiong Ben along.

Of course, he didn't mistreat Xiong Ben either. In addition to opening a separate hall of the same size next door for Xiong Ben to eat and drink alone, he also habitually gave him a red envelope.

Pushing open the door, Chen Xiu glanced around at the familiar Suzhou-style decor of the restaurant before fixing her gaze on the figure standing quietly on the terrace with her back to the door.

"Today is April 5th, the 4th day of the lunar calendar, which is probably not a good time to admire the moon."

Upon hearing this, the figure moved slightly, then slowly turned around and looked up to meet Chen Xiu's gaze.

He wore rimless glasses, had a long, narrow face, and a mole on the right side of his nose that made him easily memorable.

This person is none other than Sun Tongyu, the father of Taobao and the former 003 of Ali.

Upon seeing Chen Xiu, Sun Tongyu forced a smile and said, "Enjoying the moon here is indeed a unique experience. If you have time next time, you can come over on the 15th or 16th of the lunar calendar."

"I will."

Chen Xiu nodded, then walked up to Sun Tongyu and extended her hand to him.

Good evening, Mr. Sun.

"Good evening, Mr. Chen."

Sun Tongyu's handshake was very firm, and given his slightly rapid tone of voice just now, Chen Xiu thought he must be a decisive and efficient person.

After the handshake ended, the two smiled at each other. Sun Tongyu pointed to the large round table in the inner room: "President Chen, the food here is quite good, mainly Cantonese and Zhejiang cuisine. Do you like it?"

"I'm quite used to it."

Chen Xiu smiled and agreed, but in her heart she was thinking about why Sun Tongyu was willing to have dinner with her.

We're all adults, and business people at that. No one would waste their time simply having a meal with a stranger without a purpose.

Chen Xiu's purpose in meeting with Sun Tongyu was to invest in Pinduoduo through him, which is what he called "profit".

So why did Sun Tongyu agree? She couldn't possibly be a fan, could she?

Even after the two of them sat down, ordered their food, and the dishes were brought in, Chen Xiu still couldn't figure out the answer to this question.

Finally, he simply asked, "Mr. Sun, I'm curious, we didn't know each other before, why did you take the time to have this meal with me today?"

"Hehe, then I'd also like to ask, Mr. Chen, why would you, a rising star in the internet industry, want to meet someone like me who's already outdated in the internet circle?"

Sun Tongyu picked up a piece of Longjing shrimp and put it in her mouth, then looked at Chen Xiu with interest, wanting to hear his reasons first.

The phrase "outdated" was a self-deprecating remark he made when he was persuaded to leave Ahri.

Chen Xiu glanced at him and replied irrelevantly, "I don't think so. Mr. Sun, your kung fu is outdated, and besides..."

Chen Xiu turned the table around, picked up a piece of the Longjing shrimp that Sun Tongyu had just tasted, and threw it into her mouth: "You should think that your business philosophy is correct, and you are putting it into practice in another way, right?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Tongyu's smile froze, and her gaze toward Chen Xiu became hesitant and uncertain.

He had assumed that he and Chen Xiu were completely unaware of each other.

However, judging from the amount of information contained in Chen Xiu's statement.

Sun Tongyu immediately realized that Chen Xiu must have done some in-depth investigation on him, and he had even guessed the purpose of Chen Xiu's dinner today.

To confirm her guess, Sun Tongyu forced a smile and said, "President Chen, what business philosophy are you talking about? I don't understand."

"Actually, I only heard about it..."

Chen Xiu smiled slightly, her choice of words instantly leaving herself room for maneuver.

"I heard that when Mr. Sun proposed the strategic development direction for Taobao, he was more inclined towards the market in fourth- and fifth-tier cities, while Mr. Ma valued the development potential of major cities more..."

"Since it's just hearsay, the credibility of this matter is highly questionable."

Sun Tongyu deliberately avoided the conversation, attempting to get Chen Xiu to reveal more information and her demands.

Having guessed his intention, Chen Xiu thought for a moment and then began to use reverse psychology: "Actually, I think that Mr. Ma's idea at the time was not wrong, and it is indeed the case."

"Hehe, by reasoning backward from the result, Mr. Ma's idea is certainly not wrong..."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with your idea, Mr. Sun."

Sun Tongyu's fake smile suddenly froze. In terms of acting skills, he was no match for a professional.

Looking at the young man in front of her who was denying himself one second and affirming himself the next, Sun Tongyu suddenly wanted to hear what kind of "lofty talk" he had.

"Mr. Chen, do you also think that e-commerce needs to develop markets in fourth- and fifth-tier cities?"

"I just think that compared to the market environment of consumption upgrading and the gradually eroded market share in major cities, the market potential in fourth- and fifth-tier cities is still huge. Isn't the company that Mr. Sun is optimistic about already making moves in this area?"

"Hmph! You really did come here for Pinduoduo."

That "humph" was tinged with contempt.

Having confirmed her suspicions, Sun Tongyu, realizing Chen Xiu had ulterior motives, naturally didn't need to give him a friendly look. Seeing this, Chen Xiu wasn't annoyed, but simply asked in a relaxed tone, "Mr. Sun, is your investment in Pinduoduo to verify the correctness of your strategic direction, or to prove yourself to certain people?"

"What do you think?"

I think it's both.

"So, who am I supposed to prove this to?"

"Naturally, it's those you care about."

Chen Xiu quietly looked at Sun Tongyu, feeling that the situation was still under her control.

After a long silence, perhaps thinking about why she had accepted Chen Xiu's dinner invitation, a sigh suddenly appeared on Sun Tongyu's lips.

"Mr. Chen, may I ask you a question?"

"what is the problem?"

"I'd like to ask a question about women..."

"..."

Chen Xiu sat in her seat, staring at Sun Tongyu without moving, her expression stiff, speechless.

He felt that the art style had changed a bit too quickly.

Chen Xiu's mind, which was originally engaged in business negotiations, was suddenly switched to a pure love mindset, causing her brain to freeze for the first time.

"Ahem, Mr. Sun, why would you ask me something like this? I don't understand women."

"At the beginning of last year, you left Didi. Did Su Xiao, who was also in charge of human resources at Didi, also leave with you?"

"Tsk, why would you take the initiative to learn about these things?"

“I didn’t intend to find out; Zhang Yiming revealed it to me ‘inadvertently.’”

Hearing this, Chen Xiu forced herself to roll her eyes while inwardly condemning Zhang Yiming for his big mouth.

Why tell Sun Tongyu of all people? It's like rubbing salt into her wounds!

Thinking of this, Chen Xiu also came to her senses and instantly understood why Sun Tongyu had accepted her invitation.

Sigh... I didn't expect a science and engineering guy to be so innocent.

However, that's understandable, considering that Sun Tongyu shed tears when she was "persuaded to leave".

Heartbreak often comes from betrayal by one's own people.

Chen Xiu couldn't understand this kind of pure affection, but she respected it: "President Sun, what question did you want to ask me again?"

"Well, why did you get Su Xiao to resign with you? Your feud with Cheng Wei is nothing new in the internet industry. I believe that if Su Xiao could be bribed, he would be willing to offer any terms."

"Didn't you already tell me the answer?"

"what?"

"She won't be bribed."

Now, the one who was speechless and stunned became Sun Tongyu.

He trembled, his lips quivering, and said, somewhat bewildered, "So I want to know why? You know what I'm trying to ask, right?"

"I understand, but I don't want to answer."

"why?"

"Because you don't want to hear this answer, and I'm here today because I need your help, so naturally I don't want to upset you."

Sun Tongyu pursed her lips, leaned back strategically, and took a deep breath.

He desperately wanted to tell Chen Xiu that he wasn't stupid, and that some things, even without being explicitly stated, were already clear to her...

"However, if you want to know how to get along with girls, I can give you some advice."

Chen Xiu's sudden change of tone made Sun Tongyu's eyes light up.

You could tell from his bright, piercing eyes that he really needed to learn how to interact with girls.

However, her years of experience in the business world made Sun Tongyu cautious: "President Chen, are you saying all this to curry favor with me and get me involved in the Pinduoduo project?"

"Hahaha!"

Chen Xiu laughed, and then, under Sun Tongyu's puzzled gaze, said, "President Sun, I don't need to curry favor with someone just for a project. If the business can be done, that's great, but if it can't, it's no big deal."

"Then why are you willing to help me?"

"Let's be friends! Even if we can't do business, we can still get to know each other and build good relationships. It's not easy to come all the way to Hangzhou, we can't just leave empty-handed!"

Chen Xiu picked up the red wine glass on the table, raised her hand and toasted Sun Tongyu from a distance, demonstrating her magnanimous and open-minded manner.

Although this statement sounds pragmatic, it is not offensive.

Sun Tongyu frowned, looking at Chen Xiu with a hesitant expression.

After a long while, he finally spoke: "Tell me, how did you come to know about Pinduoduo? This company was just established last year. Apart from our small circle of a few people, not many people should know about it. There's really no reason for it to have reached your ears."

"Hehe, I'd be more than happy to..."

(End of this chapter)