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

Chapter 269 A Defeated Struggle? Sequoia's Global Blacklist!

2019 October.

Beijing Capital International Airport.

"Boss, over here."

Driver Lao Zhang was already waiting.

The group discreetly walked towards the parking lot.

Lin Che didn't wear sunglasses the whole way.

But he was wearing a black mask.

Only his eyes were visible, calmly scanning his surroundings.

The airport terminal's giant LED screen is displaying the midday news.

The font size is very large.

It was blindingly red.

[Trade frictions escalate: The US adds more domestic technology companies to its "Entity List"]

[Huawei Faces Its Darkest Hour: Can Domestic Operating Systems Break Through?]

The scene changes.

It's a photo of Lin Che taken without his knowledge in Silicon Valley.

In the photo, his back is desolate as he walks into a Chevrolet Suburban, with the Microlight North American R&D Center being emptied in the background.

The title was even more shocking:

"Founder of Microlight Technology Hastily Returns to China; Silicon Valley Chip-Making Dream Shattered?"

The scroll bar at the bottom of the screen continues to deliver further blows: It is rumored that Microlight Technology has suffered losses of over 10 billion in the US and has been completely liquidated by Sequoia Capital.

"Oh."

Lin Che stopped in his tracks.

Looking at my own panicked self on the screen.

That photo was taken three days ago.

At that time, he had just dumped a bunch of bad debts on Mark, with $21 billion in cash he had plundered from the corpses of Wall Street.

In a panic?

If it means "carrying sacks full of money until their hands were sore, so they ran a little slower," then it certainly sounds quite rushed.

"Boss, stop looking."

Xie Yu stood in front of Lin Che, his face grim. "These media outlets just believe whatever they hear; they're writing complete nonsense."

"It's well written."

Lin Che withdrew his gaze, a smile playing on his lips. "The writing is good; the tragic tone is rendered very effectively."

Xie Yu was stunned.

He simply couldn't understand his boss's thought process.

He's been called a "spendthrift," a "liar," and a "disgrace to science and technology," yet people still praise his writing skills?

"Let's go."

Lin Che opened the car door and climbed into the black Audi A8, which looked somewhat dilapidated at the moment.

"The real show has only just begun."

……

inside the car.

The air conditioning was on full blast.

It isolates you from the noise outside.

Lin Che leaned back in the back seat and took out his phone.

As soon as I turned on the computer, countless messages flooded in like a torrent.

99+ missed calls.

999+ WeChat messages.

They were all there to gather information, or rather, to confirm why Weiguang hadn't gone bankrupt yet.

He ignored it.

I swiped my finger and tapped a black icon.

Swiss Bank Corporate Edition.

Iris verification passed.

The interface took two seconds to load.

A string of numbers popped up.

$ 2,150,000,000.00

This string of zeros looks crowded on the narrow phone screen.

The visual impact was more stunning than any work of art.

This is his source of confidence.

It was also a "gift" he prepared for those bigwigs in China.

"Boss..."

In the passenger seat, Li Zixuan, the company's CFO who had just gotten into the car, turned his head.

This middle-aged man, usually known for his composure, was now covered in sweat, and the tablet in his hand was shaking.

"The situation is... worse than we anticipated."

"explain."

Lin Che closed the bank app, the screen went black, revealing his expressionless eyes.

"Sequoia Capital has made its move."

Li Zixuan swallowed hard, his voice dry. "Although Mark Stevens lost a lot of money in the US, his connections are still there. Half an hour ago, all of the top 20 venture capital firms in China received a 'private message' from Sequoia Capital's headquarters."

"content?"

"A ban."

Li Zixuan took a deep breath. "Mark has declared that Weiguang Technology is suspected of major financial fraud and technical fraud. Anyone who dares to invest in Weiguang at this time is openly making an enemy of Sequoia Capital. They can forget about getting a single penny from Sequoia or letting Sequoia take over their business."

The carriage was deathly silent.

The only sound was the whooshing of the air conditioner vents.

Sequoia Capital.

The "godfather" of the global venture capital industry.

Its ban is a "death sentence" in the venture capital world.

Even giants like Alibaba and Tencent have to think twice when facing Sequoia's global influence.

"besides……"

Li Zixuan's voice trailed off, "China Merchants Bank just called and said that due to public opinion risks, they are suspending the 5 million yuan credit line we requested, and they also hope that we can repay part of the previous loans ahead of schedule."

The wall fell and everyone pushed.

A broken drum is beaten by ten thousand people.

This is the reality of the capital market.

When you bleed, sharks won't bandage you; they'll just rush up and tear you apart.

Xie Yu was trembling with rage, slamming his fist into his thigh: "These bastards! Last month they were begging us for a loan, and now they've turned on us faster than flipping a book!"

"Mark's move was good."

Lin Che's voice remained steady.

There was not a trace of anger in his voice.

I even admire it a little.

"They cut off my supplies, ruined my reputation, and tried to trap me in the country, turning my technology into worthless paper."

He twirled the non-existent ring on his thumb.

"pity."

"He didn't know that I didn't need any food supplies at all."

Lin Che looked out the window.

He currently has $215 billion in his hands.

Converted to RMB, that's 1500 billion.

This amount of money would be an astronomical figure even in 2024.

In 2019, it was enough to buy half of Taobao or create another JD Logistics.

Has Sequoia blocked all external financing channels?

Great.

Lin Che's lips curled up slightly.

He was just wondering how to launder this money legitimately and take all the shares for himself.

As long as everyone thinks that Microlight is about to die, then Microlight's valuation will plummet to rock bottom.

At that time.

He could then use that overseas capital, through the offshore company "Ark Infrastructure," to act as a "white knight" and repurchase all the scattered minority shareholders' equity in Microlight at a low price.

Complete the acquisition of absolute control.

He turned the glimmer of light into his own private kingdom.

"Mark Stevens."

Lin Che silently repeated the name in his heart.

"Thank you for your help."

……

Headquarters of Microlight Technology.

An office building located in Haidian District.

Before he even reached the entrance, Old Zhang slammed on the brakes.

"Boss, this..."

Through the windshield, you can see that the company's main entrance is completely blocked.

Financial reporters with their long lenses and microphones.

Suppliers holding banners demanding payment.

There were also a few "rights-defending investors" who appeared out of nowhere.

The security guards joined hands to form a human wall, barely maintaining order, but the defense line looked shaky.

"Weiguang, pay back the money!"

"Lin Che, come out!"

"Explain the billions in losses!"

The noise came through the car window, like a swarm of flies buzzing in my ear.

"Let's go through the back door."

Li Zixuan wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I've arranged for someone to go directly to the elevator in the basement."

This is indeed a rational choice.

The current glimmer of light is like a critically ill patient, unable to withstand this kind of torment.

Avoiding their sharp edge and hiding in the ICU to eke out a living seems to be the only way out.

"No."

Lin Che spoke up.

The sound wasn't loud.

But it possesses an undeniable firmness.

"Drive over there."

Li Zixuan was stunned: "Boss, this is too dangerous, those people will..."

"I said, drive over there."

Lin Che straightened his collar.

His gaze sharpened like a knife.

"I came back to do business, not to steal."

"Use the main entrance."

Old Zhang gripped the steering wheel tighter.

I glanced at Lin Che in the rearview mirror.

That was a look he knew well.

That was the look in Lin Che's eyes before he was about to do something big.

"Hold on tight."

Old Zhang stepped on the gas.

The black A8 let out a deep roar, like an enraged black panther, and slowly glided towards the crowd.

The crowd stirred.

"It's Lin Che's car!"

"A8! That's his official car!"

"Don't let him get away!"

The reporters swarmed around them instantly, like sharks smelling blood.

The flashes of light were frantic, turning the gloomy sky a stark white.

The car came to a complete stop.

The car door opened.

A black leather shoe stepped on the ground.

That instant.

The noisy crowd paused for a second.

Lin Che got down.

Not wearing a mask.

There was no cover-up.

He stood there by the car, dressed in a well-tailored black suit, his posture upright like a pine tree.

There was not a trace of dejection on his face after his defeat.

Instead, it carried a kind of unsettling composure.

He even had the leisure to button up a single button on his suit jacket.

"Mr. Lin! Is the rumor true? That Weiguang lost 100 billion in the United States?"

"Mr. Lin, Sequoia Capital has sent a letter to block Weiguang. Has the company's funding chain been broken?"

"Mr. Lin, did you return to China this time to sell off your assets and flee?"

The microphone came at me like a spear.

I wish I could shove it into his mouth.

Every question was barbed, malicious, and carried the thrill of trampling this former entrepreneurial star into the mud.

Li Zixuan and Xie Yu desperately stood in front, trying to push the reporters away.

But Lin Che gently patted them on the shoulder.

He gestured for them to step back.

He took a step forward.

Facing those dozens of dark, gaping lenses.

His gaze swept over every excited and contorted face.

Finally, the camera focuses on the face of a female reporter holding a microphone that reads "XX Finance".

The female reporter felt uneasy under his gaze and instinctively took a half step back.

"deficit?"

Lin Che spoke up.

The sound was clearly transmitted throughout the venue through countless microphones.

It even drowned out the sound of car horns in the distance.

He smiled.

He smiled calmly and nonchalantly.

They laughed as if they were listening to an extremely low-brow joke.

"If throwing away trash is considered a loss."

"That's true."

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

The reporters looked at each other, completely unprepared for Lin Che's reaction.

The female reporter mustered her courage and pressed on: "Garbage? You mean Microlight's hugely expensive R&D center in the US? That cost investors billions of dollars to build!"

"Billions?"

Lin Che shook his head.

A hint of pity flashed in his eyes.

"Let me correct that."

"Those so-called 'assets' are nothing more than a bunch of outdated structures and bloated teams."

"I left them to people who like to collect junk."

"As for the faint light..."

Lin Che raised his head.

Looking behind me at the office building standing in the haze.

Although the four large characters "Weiguang Technology" on it are covered in dust, they are still sharp.

"The real core has never been in those steel and concrete structures."

He pointed to his temple.

"Here."

Done.

He ignored the stunned reporters.

Turn around.

Take a step.

His silhouette was like a sword.

"Get out of the way."

Two simple words.

Yet it seemed to weigh a ton.

The crowd gathered at the entrance instinctively parted to make way, just like Moses parting the sea.

They watched the young man's retreating figure.

He was clearly a "defeated general".

They were clearly penniless.

Why...

Why does he walk with an even more arrogant swagger than those billionaires?

……

Inside the lobby.

The elevator doors slowly closed.

It blocked out the flashes from outside.

Li Zixuan was completely exhausted and leaned against the wall of the sedan chair, panting heavily.

"Boss... what you just said... was really offensive."

"Mark will go crazy if he sees this."

Lin Che stared at the numbers constantly changing on the elevator display screen.

15 floors.

16 floors.

17 floors.

"Going crazy is good."

Lin Che said softly.

"The crazier he is, the safer we are."

Only when Mark is convinced that he is being stubborn and that Microwave has reached its dead end will Sequoia stop investigating where the funds went.

Arrogance is the best cover.

The elevator was stopped at the top floor.

The door opened.

Lin Che stepped out of the elevator.

Looking at this familiar office area in front of me.

Although the employees were all pretending to work, he could sense an atmosphere of unease permeating the air.

Someone is secretly submitting their resume.

People were whispering.

To everyone else, the ship was about to sink.

"Notify all executives at the VP level and above."

Lin Che did not return to his office.

Head straight to the conference room.