This director is vindictive.

Chapter 577 Was that dinner? It was a pre-order for a stock!
This auction has long since deviated from the scope of a charity auction.

In fact, at this moment, the people watching this live broadcast, wondering what price Chen Mo's dinner, which replicates Buffett's charity lunch, will fetch, are no longer limited to ordinary netizens. The media, marketing accounts, self-media, and even capital are all paying attention.

Whether it's a case of people being foolish and having too much money, or whether it's a great deal, is no longer the point at this moment.

That happened after the auction ended.

When the bidding reached 50 million, Yang Mi and her friends were already incredibly excited.

Chen Mo actually underestimated his influence. Or rather, he had already broken out of the circle. No one really regarded him as a big director, or just a top-tier director in the entertainment industry.

In fact, the things he did, such as the 814 Welfare Festival which has become a globally recognized event, are things that no director could possibly do.

Let alone being a director, even legendary figures like Buffett and Musk can't achieve this level of success!

However, once the price reached 50 million, the bidding speed slowed down significantly.

Many netizens were also discussing it in the live chat.

"Are these brands out of their minds? Spending 50 million just to have a meal?"

"Hilarious! You think Chen Mo is some kind of director? Have you ever seen a director who gets people lining up to give him money?"

"Brands that have collaborated with Chen Mo have all made a fortune; you can't deny his influence!"

Meanwhile, many big names in the investment world are also watching this most bizarre charity auction in Chinese history.

Inside a VIP box at a high-end business club, several top domestic investment bankers were sipping whiskey and watching Chen Mo's charity auction livestream. Under the light of the crystal chandelier, cigar smoke mingled with the screen's glow, illuminating their amused faces.

"Holy crap, it's already reached fifty million!"

The bald Mr. Wang patted the leather armrest and clicked his tongue in amazement: "Old Xiong, do you think you could even get a fraction of the money if you put up an 'Investment Banking Godfathers' Dinner Auction'?"

The man named, Mr. Xiong, swung the ice hockey puck so hard it made a cracking sound: "Get lost! Last time I treated you to Japanese food that cost 3,000 yuan per person, and when it came time to pay the bill, you hid in the bathroom smoking for half an hour!"

This caused everyone to burst into laughter.

The only female investor, Ms. Xu, suddenly raised an eyebrow while scrolling through her tablet: "Look, PetDog Technology, which just went public, has also entered the fray!"

A golden barrage of comments popped up: 【PetDog Technology offers 5200 million – Director Chen, please advise on how to avoid being 'fleeced' by capital!】

"Tsk, these pet socializers really know how to piggyback on others' fame."

Mr. Wang pursed his lips and looked at another distinguished older man, asking, "Mr. Shen, what do you think of this 'King of Mergers and Acquisitions'?"

Mr. Shen took off his glasses and wiped them, the lenses reflecting a shrewd light: "This is no longer a charity auction, it's practically a money-burning marketing competition among major brands."

He pointed to the company logos flashing on the screen: "Condom brands are talking about population strategies, and milk powder companies are learning about scientific feeding—you think about it, this isn't buying dinner, it's clearly buying trending headlines and customized ad slots!"

He suddenly slammed his fist on the table: "Hey! It would be fun if those unicorn companies preparing for their IPOs got involved!"

Everyone became interested, and then Mr. Shen started counting on his fingers as he analyzed: "Think about it, if shared bikes are photographed, we can say, 'We're asking for advice on solving the social pain point of indiscriminate parking'; fresh food e-commerce companies can ask, 'We're learning how to get users to grab groceries like they're chasing after celebrities!'"

Mr. Xiong suddenly burst out laughing: "If you ask me, the platform that should be auctioned off the most is the dating platform!"

He mimicked the CEO's tone: "How do you make seven goddesses completely devoted to you? We guarantee it will only be used to improve the algorithm and will never be used commercially!"

Just as everyone in the private room was laughing, Mr. Xu suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Tsk tsk, a listed company has actually made a move."

At that moment, another line of flashing text exploded on the screen.

[Chengyou Medical 5800 Million – Seeking Advice from Mr. Chen Mo on Breaking Through the Market for Women's Health Products!]

"Pretty!"

Mr. Shen was so excited that he dropped his cigar: "That's what you call a business sense! A medical company leveraging entertainment traffic will see its stock price rise by at least three limit-up days!"

“However, if a listed company does this, it’s likely to get a talk from the China Securities Regulatory Commission,” another man who had been silent said with a smile.

"That's true! So, this is the most suitable dinner."

He suddenly lowered his voice: "I bet a VC will come in within five minutes. Do you believe those startups that are desperate for funding?"

"No, no, VC involvement is useless. I think the companies that are about to IPO or are in the final stages of financing should be the ones to maximize their profits. Even for us, to be honest, if there are companies like that that dare to take on this dinner at this time, I will immediately approve and investigate the financing!" Mr. Xiong said, shaking his head.

Before the words were even finished, a colorful bullet screen displaying the logo of an angel investment firm appeared out of nowhere: [Blue Ocean Capital 6000 million – Please have Mr. Chen teach the portfolio companies the art of 'how to get investors to chase after you for money'!]

"Hahaha! What did I tell you? What did I tell you? Old Xiong, hurry up and punish yourself with three drinks!" President Shen said smugly, as if he'd been right. President Xiong immediately splashed the drink on his custom-made suit: "What the hell is this 'investment art'?! These bastards can make up stories even better than Chen Mo!"

"But what the market believes is who can make up the best stories?" Mr. Xu joked with a smile.

"Hey, with VCs getting involved, why don't any companies preparing for an IPO have the same boldness?" Mr. Xiong said, downing his drink in one gulp and frowning.

"Is it possible that they didn't even know about Chen Mo's dinner auction beforehand, so they didn't get it certified?" President Shen asked with a smile.

"It's really possible. What a pity, what a pity. Otherwise, I would like to see who has such courage and such a keen sense of smell. Such a person is worth investing in!" Boss Xiong was stunned for a moment, and then said with some regret.

Chen Mo had no idea that his charity auction had become a "testing ground" for these venture capital tycoons to secretly observe the entrepreneur's courage.

Those financial elites who usually wear suits and ties are now frantically taking screenshots on their tablets—whichever company's CEO dares to bid heavily will be immediately added to the list of potential "daring and risk-taking" stocks.

The media circle went into a frenzy, with one financial reporter typing and cursing in the live broadcast room: "Damn it! I just finished writing the headline '5000 Million Yuan Extravagant Dinner,' and the price has been broken again!"

His colleagues were experiencing the same bittersweet joy, their keyboards clattering with sparks—there was enough viral material tonight to feed the entire editorial department for half a year, but releasing so many headlines at once was like asking gourmets to devour a Manchu Han Imperial Feast all at once.

Of course, the final price of Chen Mo's dinner at tonight's auction will definitely be the most eye-catching headline news; it remains to be seen who will win it.

To the surprise of many, as the auction proceeded and various people intruded, those with keen eyes made an astonishing discovery.

The most outrageous thing is the change in the verified account.

The label, which originally showed "623 verified blue V accounts online," suddenly started fluctuating strangely when the price exceeded 4000 million. When a certain condom brand made the outrageous claim of "consulting on population development strategies," this number had already skyrocketed to "718 verified users."

The new additions are all big spenders with titles like "Chairman of XX" or "Founder," including many big names whose names are usually only seen on the covers of financial magazines.

Netizens quickly uncovered the backgrounds of these new faces:
"Look at that 'General Manager Zhang of Donghai Capital'! He just showed off at the Davos Forum last week, saying 'Beware of bubbles'!"

"Hilarious! Aunt Liu from the maternal and infant chain store is joining in the fun too? Doesn't your store specialize in baby and toddler products?"

"Holy crap! Even Mr. Wang, who runs a funeral service, is online! Is he asking Brother Mo to show movies to the deceased?"

The live stream room turned into a corporate carnival, with these successful people who usually have serious faces in business magazines now frantically raising signs like market vendors.

A well-known investor posted a complaint on his WeChat Moments: "At these auctions nowadays, you're embarrassed to call yourself a business if you don't have a hundred million or a hundred million in your pocket"—the accompanying picture showed a screen full of gold bidding comments.

Back to the live broadcast room.

The bidding has been refreshed again, reaching 6500 million – the bidder is "Aunt XX Milk Tea"!
"Here it comes! Here it comes! Milk tea is starting to enter the market, not bad, not bad. By the way, Lao Shen, I remember you invested in this one in a round, right?" This XX Auntie Milk Tea, which suddenly appeared, is one of the leading milk tea brands in China, and has already raised funds in several rounds.

"Yes, but this price is probably not the end. Let's keep watching!"

The young woman's offer for milk tea seemed to have stirred up a hornet's nest.

Then, a jaw-dropping scene unfolded—the bidding list was suddenly flooded with IDs for "XX Milk Tea" and "XX Coffee." These companies shared a common characteristic: they were all beneficiaries of last year's milk tea funding frenzy, and now they were all gearing up for IPOs.

"Holy crap, did we mess with the bubble tea company?"

"These bubble tea makers are fucking rich!"

"These people aren't stupid, okay? If someone wins the bid for this dinner, it's like taking a huge lead over their competitors!"

Knowledgeable netizens immediately provided explanations in the live chat:

"Last year, 200 billion yuan of capital was poured into the milk tea industry, and these brands now have so much cash in their accounts that it could drown them!"

"Look at the pedestrian street now! It used to be 'a mobile phone shop every three steps,' now it's all 'a milk tea shop every three steps.' These people are making a killing! Do you think this is a joke, this era of everyone drinking milk tea?"

Even more explosive is the insider information revealed by a financial blogger:
"Breaking news! Four of the 12 tea beverage brands participating in the auction are currently undergoing IPO preparation. Whoever wins Chen Mo's dinner deal will essentially secure the title of 'the first new-style tea beverage stock'!"

"Not only that, but there's also the endorsement of the stock market guru! This little bit of money is nothing!"

The viewers in the live stream then realized:
"Holy crap! So this isn't a charity auction, but a marketing war waged by a listed company?"

"More than that, this shows courage! Putting everything else aside, the advertising value alone is worth it. After all, having dinner with Chen Mo later will definitely be another hot news story!"

"That makes sense. The key is that many investors are watching right now. Whoever wins will clearly have a head start!"

"So Chen Mo is actually a human IPO accelerator?"

"I suggest the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) come and stake out the live broadcast; it's much more exciting than reading the prospectus!"

(End of this chapter)