I'm reborn and I'm an international student again?

"It seems you know him." Musk's face lit up with delight. He hadn't shown any change in expression even after Jia Riting had said so much.

“Of course I know him, we’re old acquaintances.” Jia Riting handed the phone back.

"Oh? What kind of person is he?" Musk took a sip of coffee.

“What kind of people? Smart people, people as smart as me, are also worth cooperating with.” Jia Riting said, pointing to himself.

Musk doesn't dislike this self-promotion tactic. Unlike most Easterners, most Westerners are accustomed to showcasing their abilities.

"Really? Then how do you think Tesla should cooperate with him?"

“You’ve hit the nail on the head! I just thought of a better way to cooperate. His batteries, your vehicles, plus my blockchain electric vehicle ecosystem—combining the three of us, wouldn’t that raise a lot of money?” Jia Riting clapped his hands excitedly and said.

"The idea is good, but I have a question. As far as I know, you've never been involved in the car manufacturing industry, yet you've come directly to America to build electric cars, and you're going to do something this big right from the start. Where does your confidence come from?" Musk had always thought the man in front of him was a fraud.

There have been many such people in American history, the most famous being the founder of a Ponzi scheme. But it is indeed rare for a foreigner to raise so much money here just by talking.

"Why can't you build a car if you've never built one before? Everyone has a first time. Did you have experience building cars before?"

“No… I mean it has to be at least somewhat related to the industry, like someone who makes tractors and then goes on to make cars…” Musk shook his head. He himself had worked in the internet and aerospace industries, but at least some of his technology could be applied to electric vehicles. Jia Riting, however, was involved in industries completely unrelated to electric vehicles.

This is actually a common point among many business owners in China; they are not originally in the field. For example, Chen Yifeng didn't understand machine tools at first and only succeeded by relying on other people's technology.

“The bosses there only need to know how to manage, raise funds, and do accounting. The technical work is done by the subordinates. Look at Chen Xi, he didn’t originally work in the battery industry, but now he’s making you want to cooperate with him, isn’t he?” Jia Riting replied.

"But they've already made it, while yours... what's this Farago? It hasn't even built a single car yet," Musk mocked.

"That's not the key point. As long as we cooperate and can raise the money, isn't that enough?"

"What role can you play in this collaboration? I can find others to do blockchain technology, so why should I collaborate with you?"

"No, no, not everyone can do that. We live in the internet age, and fundraising methods need to be innovative. To raise more money, you need to package yourself well and create a personalized persona. I, this mysterious entrepreneur from the East, am very attractive to Americans. And you... this popular tech boss, can also be packaged even better."

"Oh? What kind of image do you want to project for me?"

"A dreamer! A dreamer who abandons the stench of money for the sake of human progress!"

"go on."

"Let me give you an example. Where I'm from, whether it's a car manufacturer or a mobile phone manufacturer, after-sales issues always arise. But consumers can't complain about product quality, otherwise the legal department will send a lawyer's letter accusing you of spreading rumors. Think about it, how can an ordinary consumer possibly fight against a company's professional legal team? Take electric vehicles, for instance. Don't be fooled by how many electric vehicles are springing up like mushrooms after rain in our country; these vehicles can't even leave the country. The few that do export do so secretly sign agreements with importing countries, requiring the batteries to be shipped back to China for processing, just to avoid damaging the local environment. So, the difference between the two sides is huge. Learn from Apple's CEO and cultivate an admirable persona. They have Apple fans, you can have Elon Musk fans too! Don't worry about that, I'll help you. What we're going to do isn't just raise funds in America, but target the entire world!" Jia Riting snapped his fingers. He had already noticed Musk's expression; he was clearly persuaded.

"Many people online are asking when you're going back to China. It seems you're quite popular there." Musk didn't answer directly but changed the subject.

"Um... I'm going back to China next week," Jia Riting said after thinking for a moment.

"Oh, then we'll talk again next week!" Musk grinned.

"..."

Two days later, at the new residence.

"This is utterly lawless! You're all in cahoots! You want to rob me outright? If you're so capable, go make your own money! What do you mean by 'individual employee behavior'? Doesn't the bank bear any responsibility? I see it now, this is a trap. First, you let us wealthy entrepreneurs lend money under the guise of supporting small and micro enterprises. Once we have more funds and deposit them in the bank, you disappear without a trace. Finally, you label us as bloodsucking capitalists online to appease public anger. Haha, I bet in a few years, you'll be targeting the small and medium-sized enterprises we've helped to establish. Let me tell you, if you keep doing this, who will dare to do business with you in the future?" Chen Yifeng erupted in fury upon learning of the verdict.

"How dare you make such a scene in such a serious place? Be careful, or I'll arrest you!" The bespectacled man on the bench slammed his fist on the table, and two guards in the back row immediately stepped forward to restrain Chen Yifeng.

"Are you kidding me? You won't even let me speak the truth? Do you know who I am? Be careful, or I'll fire you!" Chen Yifeng shouted, pointing at the judge in the distance.

“A madman!” the judge muttered under his breath.

To be honest, he was having a tough time handling this case. No matter what the verdict, he would offend one side. But offending Chen Yifeng, a well-known local entrepreneur, was obviously safer than offending those above him.

"You just wait! I'm going to take this to the Supreme Court!" Chen Yifeng continued to threaten as he was being dragged away. But as soon as the words left his mouth, he realized something was wrong.

Damn it, it seems like it's useless to sue anywhere.

This time, the combined losses from several banks amounted to over a billion yuan, which is no small sum. For 99% of business owners, it's impossible to come up with that much cash at once.

What to do next? The thought of his shareholders demanding payment gave Chen Yifeng a headache. Although he had considerable assets, it was difficult to quickly liquidate them. Furthermore, Huade was in a poor state, and he was also planning to invest in a market war with Xinde.

"They're a bunch of thugs!" Chen Yifeng continued cursing as he got back into his car. He turned on his phone, saw a bunch of missed calls from shareholders, and then silently turned it off.

"Always rushing, always rushing. They're all smiles when it comes to money, but when there's no money, they're like a motherfucker!" He shook his head helplessly.

Just as I was about to start the car, a man walked over, cursing: "Damn it, you're just like a chamber pot, used and thrown away! When you're helping me boost GDP, you praise me as a savior, but when problems arise, you criticize me. I wonder who will help you with development in the future..."

"Knock knock." It was Yang Dingtian who had arrived. He saw the familiar car, walked over, and knocked on the window.

"What's up?" Chen Yifeng, in a bad mood, rolled down the car window and asked casually. Their relationship was already strained, so naturally, he didn't give them a friendly look.

"What are you doing here? Have you been sued too?" Yang Dingtian asked suspiciously. He had just been sued for fundraising issues.

"Hmph, I'll be sued? If anyone's going to sue someone, it'll be me suing them!" Chen Yifeng pushed open the car door and got out.

"You didn't hire someone to report me, did you?" Yang Dingtian took out a cigarette, lit it, and subconsciously offered one to Chen Yifeng. Then, remembering Chen Yifeng didn't smoke, he was about to take it back when Chen Yifeng took it and put it in his mouth. Yang Dingtian was stunned for a moment, then lit it for him without saying anything. Chen Yifeng took a drag, coughed a few times, but his mood improved slightly. He said, "Report you? Do you think I have the time for that?"

"Then what are you doing here? Suing someone? Who are you suing?" Yang Dingtian asked curiously.

"bank!"

"Haha, you're suing a bank? I've never seen anyone win a lawsuit. You're letting your own people fight your own people? How could you even think of that!" Yang Dingtian laughed.

Chen Yifeng, his face flushed with embarrassment, retorted, "Hmph, I've seen through it all. Trying to do business here is difficult! No wonder so many people are transferring their money elsewhere. Putting all your eggs in one basket will not only leave you with nothing, but you, the hen that laid the eggs, will also be eaten!"

"Hehe, in the eyes of ordinary people we are bosses and capitalists, but in reality we are nothing more than chamber pots. After we've urinated, we find them smelly and just throw them away," Yang Dingtian chimed in.

"What kind of capitalists are we? We're just sacrificial lambs created to ease tensions. With the little money we have, we're nothing in developed countries! Here, only banks are capitalists; we're just their employees. No... not capitalists, more like bandits. We business people make and lose money, but they never lose money..." Chen Yi was furious upon realizing the truth.

“You’re right, Mr. Chen. Our previous squabbles were nothing more than a matter of interests. Now that everyone is facing difficulties, let’s not make things too tense,” Yang Dingtian said.

Chen Yifeng didn't refuse, which was taken as tacit agreement. He threw his half-smoked cigarette on the ground: "This cigarette is really awful. I don't know why you guys like this stuff."

"Haha, that's because you didn't have many worries before. You'll grow to love your worries when you have more. Speaking of which, we're all business people; we've worked hard for decades to get where we are today, it wasn't easy. According to my information, the liberal faction has already... been replaced by the restrictive faction... There will likely be more and more rules in the future, and business will become increasingly difficult... Prepare a few backup plans for yourself," Yang Dingtian thought for a moment and then reminded him.

"Sigh, I had already planned for this. It's a pity my son thinks I'm preventing him from coming back so I won't get a share of the inheritance," Chen Yifeng sighed.

Yang Dingtian's words made sense. The recent events had given him the feeling of being robbed or forced to buy something for free.

“Chen Xi is smart, but he’s been in Australia for too long and doesn’t know anything about this place. Young people… well, he’s still better than my son. You should be content… when we were his age, we weren’t as good as him.” Yang Dingtian sighed as well. He was speechless at the thought of his good-for-nothing son.

Yang Dingtian and Chen Yifeng, one a graduate of Tsinghua University and the other of the University of Washington, are both graduates of top universities and now well-known entrepreneurs, yet they have been reduced to the state of being like stray dogs. They are truly kindred spirits in the same boat.

"Alright, let's talk again when we have time," Chen Yifeng said, opening the car door.

"Things are about to change... Even someone like Chen Yifeng, who runs a legitimate business, has been taken down. I need to make plans early." Yang Dingtian muttered to himself as he watched the car drive away.

Seoul.

“Mr. Chen, we have already reported your requests to headquarters. Apart from these few unacceptable clauses, there are basically no problems. If you think it's feasible, we can reach an agreement.” Hooknose took out a document and pointed to the underlined parts.

"No problem," Chen Xi exhaled a puff of smoke and readily agreed.

"Then it's settled." The hook-nosed man gestured to his assistant to bring out several contracts for Chen Xi to sign. These were documents concerning specific business matters, while most of the negotiations were still based on verbal agreements.

As soon as Chen Xi and his group left the conference room, Hooknose immediately stood up and excitedly high-fived the other three: "That idiot, once we've resolved this issue, we'll launch a counterattack! We'll make him lose everything, down to his last pants!"

"Heh, I thought he really had some trump card up his sleeve. He agreed so readily; he must have been putting on a brave face. If we had known this would happen, we should have dragged it out a bit longer, and we wouldn't have had to make so many concessions." The blonde woman beside her shook her head regretfully.

"Whatever, we'll make him vomit it all up sooner or later." The hook-nosed man waved his hand dismissively.

They're too busy with other things to waste time with Chen Xi. Ever since that reliable guy's last remarks, local farmers have been complaining, with many even demanding his resignation. This is understandable; who wouldn't be angry when their elected representative turns on them and ruins their livelihoods?
These local farmers are one of ABCD's important sources of goods. If the supply chain is disrupted, global operations will be affected. At that point, let alone countering Chen Xi, even maintaining the group's normal operations may be difficult.

Meanwhile, Chen Xi was also in a good mood as he left the meeting room. He went to his hotel suite, where Simba asked bluntly, "Aren't you afraid they'll tear up the agreement afterward and turn around and get back at you?"

"Are you referring to the incoming new leader, or ABCD's global operations? If it's the former, don't worry. This time, I cut off the food supply; anyone who's not a fool won't easily turn against me. As for the latter… as far as I know, many American farmers are already quite dissatisfied because of someone's actions. ABCD simply can't spare the resources to deal with me in the short term." Chen Xi chuckled, not revealing everything. "However, this incident has shown me a new opportunity…"

He already had a plan in mind: to make the fire in the other party's backyard burn even brighter.

Since the farmers are already dissatisfied, let's make them even angrier.

Moreover, as a reborn individual, he clearly understood the true intentions of that blond fat man.

At this moment, he was planning to take advantage of the opportunity to get a share of the profits.

In the evening, Jin Nana sat on the edge of the bed, resting her chin on her hand, while Chen Xi sat quietly smoking beside her.

Yesterday he went to see Jin Nana's mother.

The other party's English wasn't very good, so communication was mainly handled by Jin Nana translating.

Similar to Saori's mother, Kim Nana's mother didn't have a good first impression of Chen Xi. It was the kind of alienation and disdain for people from other countries that was ingrained in her. However, as an elder of a wealthy family, she still maintained a facade of politeness, but her words always carried a hint of indifferent distance.

There doesn't seem to be a deep emotional bond between Jin Nana and her biological mother.

Regarding the relationship between Chen Xi and Jin Nana, Jin Nana relayed her mother's words: "I have no objection, as long as you like each other."

But Chen Xi didn't see it that way. He read the unspoken meaning in the other person's expression. It was more like saying, "I can't be bothered with your affairs, but don't hold the wedding here. If you're going to have a wedding, go abroad, and don't make a scene, because I can't afford to lose face."

However, Chen Xi actually felt that this outcome was good. He didn't want to make things worse, and he also didn't have a good impression of his future mother-in-law, so avoiding seeing her in the future suited him perfectly.

"What is your impression of my mother?" Jin Nana didn't ask yesterday because Chen Xi had negotiations to prepare for today, so she only spoke up now.

"Arrogant, extremely arrogant, even more arrogant than Saori's mother. Now I know why I acted that way when I first met you—it's hereditary! Luckily, she doesn't know martial arts, otherwise she probably would have come up and given me a couple of punches." Chen Xi chuckled. (End of Chapter)