The Birth of Shanghai's First Conglomerate

In a blink of an eye.

This was a week after Chen Pingsheng was hired as a driver.

During this week, he also gained a general understanding of the lifestyle of the beautiful CEO, Su Zi.

This woman is meticulous and quite strict at work.

But she is also very principled; once it's time to leave work, she will never disturb anyone's private space.

Unlike some antique shop owners who send you messages at midnight and accuse you of not loving your job if you don't reply, this is different.

No dreams.

Having a boss like that would be incredibly suffocating.

Su Zi, as expected of someone who studied abroad, would never allow such a thing to happen around her.

Moreover, despite her dedication to her work, she is still pressured by her family to get married in her daily life.

They forced her to meet her blind date.

Chen Pingsheng gave her a very easy job; she usually just drank tea and chatted with people in the company.

I only need to drive this beautiful CEO around occasionally.

Mo Yao was right; Su Zi rarely spoke and never initiated conversations with him.

The longest conversation the two had was probably during the job interview.

The rest of the time was mostly spent going somewhere, okay.

Once you arrive, she'll say thank you, but that's about it.

Chen Pingsheng really liked this job; it paid 10,000 yuan a month, and it was a very easy job close to home.

However, Su Zi has developed a brand new AI communication tool.

It possesses certain social attributes and also has a self-destructing message function.

This feature has been popular overseas for a long time, but it hasn't become popular in China yet.

After Su Zi developed it, she promoted it on an internet platform.

The number of downloads exceeded 100,000 on the same day.

This excited her; she felt like she could steal a job from the big penguin.

During this period, the entire company has been working around this newly developed AI-powered intelligent chat application.

Su Zi herself invested 200 million yuan, which represents the majority of the company's cash flow.

In addition, she is actively seeking financing from large companies.

However, the question that is asked most often is very simple.

What would you do if a giant penguin copied you?
To be honest, this problem is somewhat fatal and also quite difficult.

Regardless of the type of app, most of them originated from overseas and have since become popular.

With the sheer size of the internet giant Tencent, it no longer needs to be at the forefront.

Once you've successfully tested an app and determined it has a broad market, others can easily imitate it.

It leaves those who walk in front of it with nowhere to go.

Over the years, the only two areas that have failed are probably Alibaba's e-commerce and Douyin's short videos.

The rest are simply not enough for it to fight in a single round.

Chen Pingsheng also took a look at this AI chat tool, and to be honest, it had some interesting ideas.

It caters to the tastes of today's young people; it's mainly fun.

I can send you a nude photo and it will be automatically deleted immediately.

In addition, there are many AI functions on it.

Current AI technology has reached an intermediate stage, suitable for assembly line workers, including those performing repetitive tasks.

They've all been rendered obsolete by this thing, and not only that, countless technical workers have also been rendered obsolete.

Most companies are now striving to enter this sector.

However, those who came before have already accumulated enough experience, making it extremely difficult for those who come after to surpass them.

Chen Pingsheng acted as if nothing was wrong, watching Mo Yao and the others busy every day.

Suffocating for dreams, and striving for dreams.

"Brother Chen, Ms. Su is going to a private cocktail party at 7 p.m., and she might be drinking. Is your time convenient?"

To be fair, Su Zi is quite respectful; that was after his workday.

Su Zi wanted to drink, so he couldn't drive. He even made sure Mo Yao asked him first, which showed he was quite respectful.

"I should have time tonight."

"That's good. President Su doesn't trust others to pick her up and drop her off. She's mainly going there for the company's financing, and she'll finish before nine o'clock at the latest."

"Okay...it's no big deal."

"Thank you, Brother Chen."

After Mo Yao replied in the work group, Chen Pingsheng waited until he got off work to pick up Chen Lu and take him home.

When Chen Lu found out that he had become someone else's driver, his gaze was extremely strange.

“Dad… if you’re really bored, you can go back to Shanghai. I can take care of myself.”

"What can you possibly take care of? Are you looking down on your dad for becoming a driver?"

"No, it's just that I feel it's completely unnecessary."

Chen Lu asked curiously, "With your status now, why are you doing this? Does your mother know?"

"Of course she knows. I tell her everything. Besides, there's a reason why I went to work. In short, it's not something you can understand right now."

Chen Lu really didn't understand, and neither did Su Xiaoxi.

The two would sneak out together for a walk and a chat in the evenings.

Chen Pingsheng saw this but didn't say anything.

Chen Lu thought Su Xiaoxi was smarter than him, but when he asked Su Xiaoxi, she didn't understand at all.

The two of them were completely dumbfounded.

Chen Pingsheng didn't care what his son thought; he was still a very competent father.

I cook dinner for my son every night.

He didn't leave until 6:30, just in time, to take Su Zi to the company's financing party.

Su Zi had just finished her work and only ate a few bites of food.

After she got in the car, she had to do her own makeup in the car.

While changing clothes, Su Zi, who has a very elegant demeanor, is the typical mature and sophisticated woman.

She has large breasts, a perky bottom, and a slim waist.

As the boss's driver, Chen Pingsheng certainly possessed the proper manners.

That means I will never initiate a conversation, and I will never say anything irrelevant.

Su Zi quite liked this about him. Perhaps taking advantage of his work time, after quickly finishing her makeup, Su Zi even asked Chen Pingsheng:
"Is your son already out of school?"

"Hmm... I picked him up around 5 o'clock and even cooked dinner for him. He should be home doing his homework now."

How are his grades?

"It's alright. Getting into a decent high school shouldn't be a problem. As for university, I might go abroad or stay in China."

The cost of going abroad for a year will not be less than one million, and that is just the very basic cost.

Su Zi had only asked a personal question casually, but now she was a little curious because she herself had studied abroad.

"Compared to domestic universities, foreign universities have much more advanced teaching philosophies. If your family can afford it, it's best to send your child abroad."

Although this statement may be somewhat hurtful, it is easy to be morally blackmailed by those mindless people online.

But it is an indisputable fact.

You don't need to look at anything else; just look at where the children of wealthy people, including those from upper classes, go to university, and you'll know.

It's no exaggeration to say that any family with the means would send their children abroad.

Especially in developed cities and regions.

The more backward a place is, the more patriotic it is; the more developed a place is, the more it will try to send its children abroad.

This strange phenomenon depends entirely on how you interpret it.

Su Zi was simply offering advice based on her own experience; she knew all too well where the shortcomings of domestic education lay.

It's too clear that if you want to excel in future technology, you have to go abroad, or at least learn English to the highest level.

Because of the research teams and research projects of those large companies.

Many of them are labeled in English, and the translations will be completely different.

Chen Pingsheng naturally understood this as well.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to take his three children abroad so often from a young age, and stay for months at a time.

To be honest, when it comes to the level of advancement in the field of science and technology, we really need to learn from the strengths of others.

“My son is still young and has several more years of university. It’s up to him to make his own choice.”

Chen Pingsheng took the initiative to end the conversation, and the rest of the time they remained silent.

Su Zi wore a high-end sexy dress, which exuded both a sophisticated and professional aura and her own unique beauty.

She also showed a little bit of her cleavage, and when they got off the bus, she told Chen Pingsheng that he could wait upstairs.

The cocktail party upstairs is a buffet; you can help yourself to whatever you want to eat.

Chen Pingsheng had not attended such a business cocktail party for many years.

The places he attends meetings are either in Beijing or at the Seven Chiefs Global Industry Conference in Hong Kong.

The investments they make often start at tens of billions.

This is nothing like a small cocktail party. Su Zi's purpose in coming here is to secure a 500 million yuan Series A funding round. She has already invested in the angel round herself.

If she cannot find partners to share the risks with, and if she cannot find a partner to target future giants as competitors.

Her current project alone is enough to drag her company to the brink of ruin.

She simply doesn't have the ability to independently enjoy all the profits from this project.

The people Su Zi invited were all small investors from Shenzhen.

Given her current circumstances, she would have a very difficult time even meeting Chu Qiuyan, including several of her major investors.

Not to mention inviting a big shot like Zhang Wanyi.

Business cocktail parties are not for eating, but Chen Pingsheng is definitely an exception.

Because of his consistently low profile over the years, he rarely participates in public speeches or business gatherings.

Not many people in Shenzhen actually know him; most are only in that circle and have only heard of him.

Those projects that actually get their business financing plans handed to him are not small projects.

It would cost at least 30 to 50 billion.

The overseas projects of the seven chief executives are all worth hundreds of billions of yuan, and most of them require everyone to pool their funds and share the risks.

Tong Zhelan did not give up on her short-selling fund because of one or two failures.

Similarly, even after the domestic internet market became saturated, Shen Nanpeng and his team did not reduce their investment scope.

It's just a shift from the internet to the AI ​​field.

Investors are not only taking money, but also a lot of external business resources.

These are the most important.

It's fair to say that if it weren't for Masayoshi Son's investment, and someone else had been his angel investor...

It's highly likely that Alibaba wouldn't have developed to its current state.

This is the influence of investors' external business resources; Tencent Group has also invested in many projects.

The traditional sectors, including entertainment projects, have the highest chance of success.

Chen Pingsheng focused on eating because he had a good appearance and looked like a big boss.

There were also quite a few women who greeted him in a very elegant and pretentious manner.

"Sir, you also like macarons?"

"It's alright, I just eat a couple of bites when I'm hungry."

"I like the chocolate mousse from the shop next door."

Women who want to chat with you don't need you to find topics; they will find ways to get information from you on their own.

Chen Pingsheng understood this type of woman quite well; beneath her beautiful appearance lay extreme materialism.

If you just introduce yourself as a driver, they'll run faster than a rabbit.

"Sir, do you have some time tonight? I happen to live upstairs. Would you mind coming up for a drink?"

"Miss, you may have misunderstood. I'm just a driver, not some big boss."

Upon hearing this, the woman cursed under her breath, then left without saying goodbye.

Meanwhile, Su Zi noticed this side and, while somewhat surprised, subtly introduced her business project to the person.

She prepared to leave at 8:30.

She had drunk quite a bit and was slightly tipsy, so Chen Pingsheng had to help her walk.

The Maybach is very stable, and you won't feel any swaying while riding in it.

Su Zi probably didn't get the result she wanted, and she squinted all the way home.

After she got home, Chen Pingsheng drove back as well.

Chen Lu had already gone to sleep, so Chen Pingsheng didn't disturb him. He tiptoed back to his room and made a phone call to his wife, Song Yanxi.

He fell asleep after chatting for more than ten minutes.

The atmosphere at the company became tense the next day, perhaps because they hadn't secured funding.

Su Zi is under a lot of pressure right now, especially with a social networking app like this.

Everyone knows it has great potential, but all investors are also very clear about it.

This is something a small business simply cannot succeed at.

Any giant company that comes up with a similar competing product can easily imitate it.

What will they have to fight these giants with then?

They want to break the blockade and monopoly of the giants.

The prerequisite is that you can find another giant to support you; this is a universally acknowledged business rule.

Su Zi's current difficulty lies in this: small investors dare not invest.

Major investors, including giants, don't really trust her.

It's extremely difficult for her to get money from the giants.

Su Zi has always wanted to achieve something great; she really wants to prove herself.

It's a pity that after several parties, she still couldn't secure 500 million in funding.

Chen Pingsheng himself had also looked at this project, and frankly speaking, Su Zi did not have the potential to make it a success.

Right now, because the project is still small and just a small-scale operation, even giants like Tencent and Douyin won't pay attention to her.

Once she secures billions in funding and is certain that this path is viable and feasible...

Countless giants will immediately take action upon hearing this news.

This likely includes Zhang Wanyi and Chu Qiuyan, two women who truly stand at the pinnacle of Guangdong's powerful women.

Tencent's attitude towards the social media market is one of fighting for every inch of ground.

Others have been locked down in this area for too long, and once a crack appears...

With Douyin, Tencent, Tengfei AI, Yuanmeng Fund, and Tengyou Media all involved, the situation has become even more complex.

Any one of them could come up with tens of billions, and they have a top-notch team composed of tens of thousands of outstanding talents.

What can Su Zi use to compete with these giants?

This is the main reason why entrepreneurs today shouldn't focus on large projects.

The internet knows no boundaries; once a conflict breaks out...

No matter how much money you invest, only one or two companies will survive in the end.

The others either got merged or became cannon fodder.

Su Zi's project is good, but the biggest problem is that she wants to compete with the giants for business.

Once discovered, one of them moved their body.

She was always the first one to be trampled to death.

What remains is the battlefield of giants, a brutal and realistic business war where often all that's needed is a distant glance from a giant.

You are already dead.

This is probably why it's becoming increasingly difficult for self-made individuals to achieve great success in this era.

No one dared to vote for Su Zi because everyone knows that social apps are still mainstream apps.

It's not just apps that rely on casual sex or other borderline needs; those are bound to attract the attention of tech giants.

The only ones who can truly compete with the giants are those in the same industry.

Some investors even went so far as to say that if Su Zi could secure investment from the Dream Fund, they would be willing to invest.

Then they'll immediately follow suit; if they can't get it, then everyone can only wait and see.

The reason for taking investment from the Dream Realization Fund.

That's because among the giants, Tencent is unlikely to support them in the social networking field.

Douyin has always wanted to dig into the heart of the giant penguin territory.

Ah Li's investment skills are terrible, and he likes to wield power, so he sent his own loyal troops to manage the troops.

The final result is often that they die a horrible death.

They were directly outmatched by the Penguin-affiliated companies.

The Dream Fund is different; although it is also an independent top-tier investment fund.

But behind it is someone who is recognized in the business world as someone who is not short of money.

Moreover, he owns several highly independent conglomerate projects, including automobiles, mobile phones, entertainment, short videos, and AI.

It can be said that as long as Su Zi can secure investment from the Dream Fund...

Then it's impossible for it to be eliminated by someone's mere glance.

At least we can compete for a spot, and if we perform well, we can hand the project over to that person.

That would be terrible.

Based on that person's investment philosophy, he either doesn't do it at all, or he invests the most money and acquires the best technology.

The worst outcome is a merger.

Once the merger is completed, it means the investors behind it have reached an agreement.

You can't kill me, and I can't kill you.

After that, things became simple. After the merger, everyone worked together to establish the rules of the game.

Despite the fierce competition among these giants, no one else has a chance to get involved.

Therefore, Su Zi has to find a way to get investment from the Dream Realization Fund.

This is also a crucial step for her to succeed.

(End of this chapter)