Internet moguls are being held hostage by the entertainment system!

Chapter 375 An Unpleasant First Encounter with Musk

Pinduoduo's stock price rose 40% throughout the day, with a total market value exceeding 290 billion US dollars.

Chen Xiu stood with Huang Zheng and a group of Pinduoduo executives, enjoying the respect shown to them by the world's financial center.

When the market closed, Chen Xiu took out her phone to shoot a short video, and Huang Zheng and the others also came over.

"Mr. Chen, can we film together?"

"Sure! You guys are the main characters. I'm just riding on Pinduoduo's popularity today."

Chen Xiu held up her phone, brought up the front-facing camera, pointed it at herself, and then walked towards Huang Zheng and the other Pinduoduo employees.

"Let me share with you that today is an important moment for the listing of Pinduoduo, a company I invested in. This man next to me is Huang Zheng, the founder and president of Pinduoduo. Come on, say hello to everyone."

"Forehead……"

Huang Zheng paused for a moment, stared at the phone screen for a second, and then realized what was happening.

"Hello everyone! I'm Huang Zheng, and I'm very happy to film this short video with Mr. Chen..."

"Tell me your thoughts and feelings."

"Of course I'm happy. As for my thoughts, I hope Pinduoduo will get better and better. The money raised this time will be used for technology research and development and to expand the company's existing business volume."

"Okay, thank you for sharing, Mr. Huang. Now let's ask the others."

Like a war correspondent, Chen Xiu moved among the executives of Pinduoduo, picking out those whose names he could recall to ask questions.

After walking around, everyone was in high spirits, but they lacked a sense of online trends and spoke in a somewhat rigid manner.

After finally finishing the recording, Chen Xiu edited out the few seconds of her solo appearance at the beginning and sent them to Musk.

After the message was successfully sent, the look of anticipation on his face had disappeared, replaced by a lack of interest, as if he didn't care whether he saw the person or not.

Seeing the change in his expression, Huang Zheng asked curiously, "Why do you look so down all of a sudden? Do you feel like the stock price hasn't risen enough?"

"Heh, that has nothing to do with it."

"What's that for?"

"It's a small favor, could you help me make an appointment with David Solomon? I forgot to ask for his contact information earlier."

"Oh."

Since Chen Xiu didn't give a reason, Huang Zheng didn't press her further: "Then I'll call him later and then send you the number."

"It's troublesome."

Chen Xiu nodded her thanks, then silently looked towards the entrance of the exchange.

When Chen Xiu returned to the hotel, she received a reply from Musk.

"I believe you're serious. Oh, this world is truly magical; you actually thought of contacting me this way."

So, shall we meet again?

"Of course! Tomorrow at 14 PM, Belgrade Shooting Range, see you there."

"This location is truly unique."

After sending the message, Chen Xiu called Huang Zheng and asked him for two bodyguards.

When traveling, especially in places like this, it's essential to consider safety factors.

Huang Zheng gave a positive reply and sent over David Solomon's contact information.

After receiving the number, Chen Xiu booked a private room to have dinner while discussing matters with the other party. Only after reaching an agreement did she finish her work and return to her room.

As soon as the door opened, Meng Ziyi ran over barefoot.

"Hey Xiu, I saw the short video you posted. Did you make a lot of money on Pinduoduo?"

"Okay!"

"How much did you earn in total?"

"Based on today's closing price, it's approximately $9 million."

Meng Ziyi stared wide-eyed in surprise, silently counting on his fingers to calculate the exchange rate between US dollars and RMB, and then his mouth formed an "O" shape.

Seeing her mouth agape like she could stuff an egg in, Chen Xiu chuckled and said, "It looks like a lot, but we can't sell it now. If we want to cash in, we'll have to find a third party."

"You're not short of money! Why are you cashing it out?"

"Hehe, it's okay. You've been so bored staying in the hotel these past few days. How about I take you to go shooting tomorrow?"

"Fire a gun?"

The last three fingers of the character "孟" are clenched together, the index finger is extended, and the thumb is raised, making a gesture.

Chen Xiu nodded and said, "We'll see then whether I or you are more accurate."

"It has to be you! You can hit the center of a target dozens of meters away normally, so with a gun with a scope, you'll be able to hit it every time!"

Having witnessed Chen Xiu's archery skills, Meng Ziyi did not believe that this American-style iaido would pose any difficulty for him.

"That's hard to say. Archery has no recoil, unlike shooting a gun."

"Let's make a bet. If you win the shooting tomorrow, you'll spend two days with me in New York!"

Meng Ziyi clung to Chen Xiu's arm, her bright eyes sparkling as she made her plans.

To this, Chen Xiu simply shook her head and said, "Whether I win or not, I'll play with you."

"Really?"

"You've been keeping me company while I work, so isn't it normal for me to keep you company while I play?"

"Hehe, I thought the person you're meeting tomorrow would be the kind you could talk to for days on end." Hearing Meng Ziyi's tone soften, Chen Xiu turned around and hugged her back with her other hand.

"These past few days have been boring for you! Don't worry, the person you're meeting tomorrow, whether it works out or not, it'll just be a one-time chat, there won't be any follow-up."

"oh oh."

Meng Ziyi tapped Chen Xiu's shoulder with his chin, then asked in a puzzled tone, "Why do you seem a little disappointed?"

"It's alright, seeing you makes me feel better."

"Hehe, you're just trying to flatter me."

Even so, Meng Ziyi still smiled broadly and tiptoed closer to Chen Xiu's face.

When the two were engaged in their regular exercise, Chen Xiu really stopped thinking about work. In fact, his disappointment was mainly directed at himself.

After all, there are so many smart people in the world; it's normal for others to come up with the same answer he did...

The next day, 14 p.m.

Chen Xiu, accompanied by Meng Ziyi, his assistant Luo Shikan, and two bodyguards arranged by Huang Zheng, arrived at the Belgrade shooting range that Musk had mentioned.

When Chen Xiu entered, she noticed that there were hardly any people in the venue at this time.

This made it easy for him to find Musk sitting in the corner, smoking hookah and making a phone call.

Chen Xiu let Meng Ziyi familiarize herself with the equipment first, and asked Luo Shikan to take care of her, while she went alone to the corner where Musk was.

Hello, Elon.

"Oh, you're more punctual than I expected."

"I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with the roads in New York. I usually arrive 10 minutes early."

"Because you made a date with me?"

"Because of habit."

Chen Xiu didn't ask any questions and went straight to sit down opposite him.

This action made Musk look at him with surprise, silently put down his phone, take a puff of his hookah, and then take the initiative to start a conversation.

"Let's talk about your suggestion. Moving Tesla's production line to China is indeed a very good proposal..."

"Aren't you already doing it?"

Chen Xiu interrupted abruptly, momentarily stopping the water pipes Musk was exhaling from his nostrils.

The backflow of smoke caused him to cough uncontrollably, and then he saw a hand in front of him holding two tissues.

"Please use it, don't choke. You still have to lead Tesla to become bigger and stronger!"

"Thank you."

Musk took the tissue and blew his nose.

Chen Xiu sat down and glanced at Meng Ziyi, who had already put on his headphones and started practicing. He said, "I have a habit when I collaborate with others: I make sure I have everything I need ready before I start to learn about potential partners."

"This is a very good habit, as it can save a lot of communication costs."

Musk automatically responded, as he prefers a straightforward communication style.

Chen Xiu turned to look at him and said, "I used the same method to contact you this time, and the result was somewhat disappointing. But on the other hand, I have become more optimistic about Tesla."

"..."

Musk remained silent for a moment, probably guessing what Chen Xiu meant.

Seeing that he didn't respond, Chen Xiu continued, "You seem to have always had objections to China's foreign ownership restrictions, and then in April, when the document announced the cancellation of foreign ownership restrictions in the new energy sector this year, you immediately went to register a company."

"The company you registered is not a new energy vehicle manufacturing company, but a service company that focuses on technology research and development, services, and consulting. This company should be the one you use for preparation and negotiations."

"You only started real negotiations after the document was released on the 28th of last month, announcing that starting from August 28th, a month after July 28th, all foreign ownership restrictions on new energy enterprises would be completely lifted. And now the factory construction contract has already been signed, right?"

As Chen Xiu laid out her entire plan with a blank expression, a hint of excitement began to appear on Musk's stunned face.

He thought to himself: I originally thought you were just a lucky boy, but I didn't expect you to be able to guess so much from these clues. It makes me want to cooperate with you...

No, if you already guessed all of this, why did you still come to the appointment?
Noticing the fleeting look of confusion on Musk's face, Chen Xiu said, "You're wondering why I would come to the appointment if I already knew, right?"

"..."

"Since you've already finalized your plan to build a Tesla production factory in China, you're still willing to spend time meeting with me, probably hoping to get more information from me, right? The so-called phone calls and short videos are actually unnecessary actions. You confirmed my identity much earlier."

"Oops, you were right about everything..."

Musk shrugged, readily admitting it, and then picked up a hookah and put it in his mouth.

Chen Xiu watched him take a puff before saying, "Since there's no possibility of us jointly building a factory right now, I'll save my trouble and just become a Tesla shareholder."

"Cough cough, what?"

“I said, I’m entrusting you with the responsibility of building the factory. I will do my best to buy Tesla shares and become a shareholder who listens to your reports.”

Are you kidding me?

"Obviously not. I came here today just to confirm one thing with you."

"what?"

Meeting Musk's questioning gaze, Chen Xiu directly presented another cooperation plan she had come up with.

"Would you rather accept targeted financing, or let me buy Tesla stock little by little on the secondary market?"

(End of this chapter)