The richest man started taking advantage of loopholes after joining Alibaba.

The top floor of the Weiguang Building.

The aroma of tea wafts through the air.

But even the most expensive Wuyishan Da Hong Pao tea can't mask the invisible smell of gunpowder in the air.

Liu Chiping sat on the sofa.

He did not drink tea.

Instead, he pushed a cell phone in front of Lin Che.

The screen is lit.

The screen displayed is the WeChat "Wallet" interface.

There is a famous "nine-square grid" there.

JD.com, Didi, Meituan, Dianping... Each of these companies occupying a space is a major player in the Tencent ecosystem, a unicorn valued at tens of billions.

That's the holy grail of internet traffic.

Once you're in, you gain access to WeChat's 8 million users.

"President Lin."

Liu Chiping's voice was gentle, yet carried an irresistible allure.

"There's an empty seat here."

He stretched out his long, slender finger and tapped the blank square.

"Tencent is willing to lead the Series C funding round for Weiguang Flash Delivery."

"10 million US dollars."

"In exchange for 20% of the shares."

"at the same time……"

Liu Chiping raised his head, his gaze behind his glasses sharp as a knife.

"Micro-light flash delivery, connect to this grid."

"To become the final piece of Tencent's O2O ecosystem puzzle."

10 billion US dollars.

Add the WeChat nine-square grid entry point.

This is an irresistible poison for any entrepreneur, but also a ladder to instant success.

Fatty Wang stood to the side, his breathing rapid.

He stared intently at the phone screen, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets.

If it can be included in the nine-square grid, Weiguang's user base could at least double!

This is an easy win!

Lin Che looked at the grid.

He did not reach for his phone.

He picked up his teacup and gently blew away the floating leaves.

"Martin."

Lin Che took a sip of tea.

"This tea is a little too hot."

He put down his teacup.

The porcelain base struck the tabletop with a soft sound.

"I want Tencent's money too."

"I want a nine-square grid too."

"but……"

Lin Che raised his head, his eyes clear yet revealing a chilling calmness.

"If I take it."

"Tomorrow, Jack Ma will cut off all of Microlight's payment interfaces."

"Alipay will see me as a mortal enemy."

Koubei.com will immediately cease its cooperation with me.

"40% of Weiguang Flash Delivery's orders will evaporate instantly."

This is the poisoned apple.

Tencent's offer is too sweet; it's so sweet it could poison you.

Weiguang is now an ally of Alibaba, receiving Alibaba's money while providing Koubei with its services.

If we side with Tencent now, we'll be considered traitors who have served three masters, and Alibaba will do everything in its power to crush us.

Liu Chiping smiled.

He adjusted his posture, leaning slightly forward.

"President Lin."

"When doing business, you always have to choose one side."

"Meituan chose Tencent, and Ele.me chose Alibaba."

"Do you think you can stay on the wall forever?"

"Those who waver in the wind often die the fastest."

Force the palace.

This is forcing Lin Che to take sides.

Either become Tencent's weapon to chop up Alibaba.

They either need to act as a shield for Alibaba, blocking Tencent.

There is no middle option.

The air in the room seemed to freeze.

Fatty Wang was so nervous that sweat beaded on his forehead, not only because the air conditioning wasn't cold enough, but also because of the tense atmosphere.

Lin Che stood up.

He walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, his back to Liu Chiping.

Looking out the window at the city divided up by giants.

"Martin."

"Who says I'm going to be a fence-sitter?"

Lin Che turned around.

Backlit, his silhouette appeared somewhat blurred, but his eyes shone with an astonishing brightness.

"I want to do..."

"Switzerland."

"Switzerland?" Liu Chiping was taken aback.

"Yes, Switzerland."

Lin Che walked back to the table and drew a line next to the phone with his finger.

"Switzerland is surrounded by powerful countries."

"Germany, France, Italy."

"But nobody hit it."

"Because it is a permanently neutral country, it helps everyone save money."

Lin Che leaned down, placed his hands on the table, and looked directly at Liu Chiping.

"Weiguang doesn't want to be Tencent's Weiguang."

"I don't want to be just a glimmer of light for Alibaba."

"I want to be a glimmer of light in the world."

He reached out and gently pushed the phone back.

The action was resolute.

"I don't want the nine-square grid."

"I'm not taking sides."

"but……"

Lin Che changed the subject.

"You can invest the money."

"Purely financial investment."

"Does not occupy a board seat, has no voting rights, and does not interfere with strategy."

"In return."

Lin Che held up one finger.

"WeChat Pay promises: We will never block WeChat Pay."

"We will treat WeChat Pay and Alipay the same way."

"Moreover, Weiguang Flash Delivery's delivery capacity will continue to provide Meituan with the best quality service."

Liu Chiping remained silent.

He looked at the young man in front of him, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Reject the nine-square grid?

Do you only want money, not resources?

Should we remain neutral?

That's downright arrogant.

But upon closer examination, it is an extremely shrewd calculation.

If Tencent doesn't invest, and Lin Che completely sides with Alibaba, Meituan's delivery capacity will be cut off, and WeChat Pay will lose an important entry point in the O2O scenario.

I voted. Although I can't control the faint light, at least I bought a "non-aggression pact".

I bought a "neutral" one.

"President Lin."

Liu Chiping picked up his phone and fiddled with it in his hand.

"You're walking a tightrope."

"Below is a bottomless abyss."

"On the left is Alibaba, and on the right is Tencent."

"A single misstep could result in utter destruction."

"I know."

Lin Che smiled.

He laughed unrestrainedly and arrogantly.

"But the view from the tightrope."

"I like it very much."

He stretched out his hand.

Suspended in mid-air.

We await the decision of the number two figure in the Penguin Empire.

It's a big gamble.

They're betting that Tencent won't dare to push Weiguang to Alibaba.

The rationality of betting on Ma Huateng.

a long time.

Liu Chiping sighed.

At this moment, a crack appeared in that capitalist's cold, hard mask.

He stretched out his hand.

He grasped Lin Che's hand.

"make a deal."

"10 million US dollars."

"Financial investment".

"Lin Che, I hope you can keep practicing your balancing skills forever."

……

Liu Chiping is gone.

They left with an agreement that wasn't the most satisfactory, but it was the safest.

The top floor of the Weiguang Building.

Lin Che slumped onto the sofa.

My back was completely soaked.

The past half hour had exhausted all his energy.

This is even more tiring than commanding a large-scale battle involving thousands of troops.

Because this is dancing in the cracks of people's hearts.

"elder brother……"

Fatty Wang handed over a bottle of water, his hand trembling slightly.

"Are we... trying to have our cake and eat it too?"

"Alibaba invested at a valuation of 40 billion, and Tencent invested at a valuation of 50 billion."

"We're holding money from both companies, and we're not listening to either of them?"

"This...this is way too lewd!"

Lin Che unscrewed the bottle cap.

He gulped down half a bottle of water in one go.

The cool liquid cooled his feverish brain a little.

"This isn't called being a hooligan."

"This is called the value of united front work."

Lin Che wiped the water stains from the corner of his mouth.

"Alibaba is afraid that I will side with Tencent, so they are desperately trying to give me money."

"Tencent is afraid that I will side with Alibaba, so they are also trying their best to give me money."

"As long as I don't get married."

"They will keep pursuing me."

Just then.

Shen Nan rushed in, phone in hand, his expression strange.

"Boss."

"Alibaba has responded."

"Joseph Tsai just sent a text message."

"What did you say?" Lin Che asked.

He said…

Shen Nan glanced at the screen, his tone complex.

"Congratulations on the funding round. As long as your heart is with Alibaba, you can spend anyone's money."

Lin Che smiled.

Laugh out loud.

He threw the empty water bottle into the trash can with a thud.

"look."

"That's human nature."

Ali breathed a sigh of relief.

Because Weiguang did not accept Tencent's nine-square grid, it did not completely take sides.

For Jack Ma, that's enough.

As long as Weiguang remains independent, and as long as Weiguang continues to deliver food based on word-of-mouth, that is a victory.

"Fatty."

Lin Che stood up and walked to the window.

Night falls.

The entire city of Hangzhou was brightly lit.

"The money has arrived."

"10 million US dollars."

"Adding to our previous assets."

"We are now the startup with the most cash reserves in all of China."

He looked at the dark area in the distance.

That's the edge of the city.

It is where millions of food delivery riders live.

"With money."

"Time to go give it to the brothers..."

"Let's fix up the house."

Lin Che's eyes softened, yet revealed an even greater ambition.

This battle solidified his status in the martial arts world.

The next battle.

He wants to build a real empire.

An empire belonging to riders.