Huayu: We're asking you to act, and you're playing a superhuman?

Huayu: We're casting you in an acting role, and you're playing a superhuman? Chapter 126

Didi Chuxing in Beijing.

The once lush and green money tree in Cheng Wei's office has now turned into a withered state with yellowing leaves.

However, Cheng Wei, who is already overwhelmed by the company's current situation, really has no time to take care of the plants.

Looking at the haggard face on his phone screen, Cheng Wei forced a smile, trying to make himself look more alive.

He took a deep breath and was just about to make a call when the screen lit up the next second.

"?"

Cheng Wei was taken aback. Looking at the incoming call information on the screen, he quickly answered the phone.

"Hey Martin, I was just about to call you—"

"You saw the news too?"

What news?

Liu Chiping seemed to be trying to trick me into talking with a fake smile again.

Could this be another news story about Didi paying for online trolls?

Cheng Wei wasn't clear on the specifics of the news, but he could pretend: "I've seen it, Martin. You have to believe me, we really didn't hire any online trolls to steal subsidies."

"—That's not the news I was referring to."

"What is that?"

"Go check it out on Weibo later! I called you today mainly to discuss Didi's Series C funding."

o

Liu Chiping's voice carried a clear hint of impatience, as if he didn't want to say anything more to Cheng Wei.

This attitude is extremely rare for him, especially since Tencent is a strategic investor in Didi.

Cheng Wei also noticed something was off, but his attention was still drawn to the Series C funding round.

Will Tencent continue to invest in this Series C funding round?

"Yes, we will still take the majority, but we request an additional board seat."

"continue?"

Cheng Wei's mind went blank, and he immediately realized Liu Chiping's intention in doing so.

"Heh, Martin, didn't we agree from the beginning that you wouldn't interfere with the company's daily operations?"

"We don't interfere with day-to-day operations, but we need to manage the risks of our investments —"

"It's not time for that yet."

"Go check the news. We'll talk about the financing later. Also, we need to lower the overall valuation of Didi's Series C round a bit."

After saying that, Liu Chiping hung up the phone.

Cheng Wei froze on the spot. Even if he was slow to react, he could still sense something was amiss from Liu Chiping's words.

The answer must be in the news!

Could it be that something has happened in the internet community these past few days that I'm unaware of?

With this question in mind, Cheng Wei opened Weibo and quickly clicked on the relevant news on the Internet.

Actually, he didn't need to go to such lengths, because the top trending topic was #Li Yanhong and Wang Weili reached a consensus, announcing that Baidu will participate in the next round of financing for Kuaidi#.

Finished!

Cheng Wei felt as if all his strength had been drained away, and he slumped into the chair.

He had already prepared for the worst, believing that the news Liu Chiping mentioned was just another piece of negative commentary on Didi.

Or criticism.

Unexpectedly, Wang Weili, who had been inactive for three months, suddenly pulled a fast one!

The current internet landscape is dominated by the three giants, BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent), followed by a host of smaller companies and rising stars.

Kuaidi and Didi are the two most prominent upstarts, and they have received bets from Ali and Penguin respectively.

At this point, although there are differences in strengths and weaknesses between the two sides, they are still opponents on the same level overall.

However, with the addition of Baidu, Kuaidi, which has received support from both Baidu and Alibaba, has already surpassed Didi in terms of energy and resources.

Not to mention, Tencent is currently quite dissatisfied with Didi's performance.

The thought that with Baidu's investment in Kuaidi, those who originally sided with Didi will begin to reassess their positions is puzzling.

Cheng Wei felt that his originally bright future had suddenly turned gloomy.

"!!"

Meanwhile, at the Baidu press conference, Wang Weili and Li Yanhong were being interviewed by financial reporters.

"Mr. Li, what prompted you to choose to invest in Kuaidi?"

"How should I put this?"

Li Yanhong picked up the microphone and answered while thinking.

"First of all, we need to be clear that Kuaidi is an excellent company, and then Mr. Wang's strategic development plan for Kuaidi in the future is also very impressive to me."

"I think if Baidu were to choose a ride-hailing content company to invest in now, there would be no better choice than Kuaidi."

"I made this round of investment based on these ideas, and it's still ongoing."

Watching Li Yanhong carefully choose her words and pause slightly in her reply, Wang Weili unconsciously pursed his lips.

He was certain that the other party had come up with the answer on the spot, and the pause was to make the logic flow smoothly.

Because the pre-prepared clichés were impressive but vague, they lacked substance.

The reporters were fairly satisfied with Li Yanhong's answers, and out of respect for the billionaire, they dared not be too offensive with their questions.

However, this respect noticeably diminished when facing Wang Weili.

"Mr. Wang, I'd like to ask, is your current focus in the internet industry or the film and television industry?"

The reporter who asked the question immediately raised a highly controversial issue concerning Wang Weili.

The others were talking amongst themselves, and Li Yanhong also turned to look at Wang Weili to express her doubts.

After talking with him for a while, he didn't really understand why someone like Wang Weili, who has top-notch vision and strategic analysis skills, would get involved in the entertainment industry.

Was it to pick up girls? With his wealth and looks alone, he's more than capable. Why did he have to get involved himself?

Under the influence of this shared doubt, a brief silence fell over the interview site.

In front of everyone, Wang Weili picked up the microphone and said softly, "My focus has always been on value investing and self-satisfaction."

"Huh?!" *N

The entire audience was stunned.

Li Yanhong was stunned for a moment, and after realizing what he meant, she also thought Wang Weili's answer was amazing!

The reporter who asked the question earlier followed up, "But doesn't the distraction from acting affect your daily work at Kuaidi?"

"I don't have a regular job at Kuaidi."

"and you?"

"The Chief Strategy Officer is responsible for the company's strategic planning and development, but does not participate in day-to-day operations, financing negotiations, or my personal interests."

Wang Weili's explanation left the reporter speechless.

If he were the CEO of Kuaidi and then went off to act, no company would be willing to believe in Kuaidi.

Even if he were to hold a management title such as president or COO, investors would still have concerns and dissatisfaction about his performance.

However, the position of Chief Strategy Officer is irrelevant, as this role is usually held by the CEO and is not frequently created.

Strictly speaking, it's just a nice-sounding title, and the job content involves planning and envisioning the company's future. However, for the proposal to be truly approved, it still needs the approval of the CEO and the board of directors.

This position is arguably the best one to associate Wang Weili with Didi.

Seeing that Wang Weili was about to explain to the reporters, Li Yanhong stepped in to support him, saying, "Mr. Wang's professionalism is beyond question. I can say very frankly that it was his vision for Kuaidi's future that made me decide to invest in Kuaidi!"

"I understand, I understand."

The moment the bigwig opened his mouth, the reporters below the stage instantly trembled like ants.

Wang Weili turned to look at Li Yanhong, nodded to him, and expressed his gratitude.

Li Yanhong smiled slightly and raised her chin, indicating that they would have dinner together later.

Wang Weili reluctantly pursed his lips, but ultimately agreed.

The interview continued, but the reporters treated Wang Weili with more respect.

They suddenly realized that what the young man in front of them said might be true, and acting might really be his personal hobby.

Because people at Li Yanhong's level only engage in these seemingly inexplicable actions when dealing with people of similar skill levels.

Ah Li, in the office on Peach Blossom Island.

Ma Yun is a person who appreciates elegance.

This is evident from the fact that he had each of the company's senior executives adopt a martial arts-themed nickname, and that he used names like Peach Blossom Island and Bright Summit in the office space.

Every year when the Longjing tea picking season arrives before the rains, Ma Yun is always on the list of the first to receive the tea.

Today, he brewed a pot of pre-rain Longjing tea with a greenish hue and a delicate aroma, and held a cloth-bound copy of the original text of the Records of the Grand Historian, sitting in a shady spot to savor it.

"The Biographies of the Disciples of Confucius—Found!"

Ma Yun chuckled and quickly flipped through the pages, then her finger suddenly stopped on a passage of classical Chinese text.

He quickly skimmed through the original text and read aloud: "Therefore, when Zigong went out, he saved Lu, disrupted Qi, defeated Wu, strengthened Jin, and made Yue the hegemon."

Zigong's single mission led to a breakdown in the balance of power among the five states, and within ten years, each of the five states underwent significant changes.

Ma Yun closed the book, strolled to the floor-to-ceiling window, and looked out over the entire Ali park.

"Wang Weili, you, Zigong, have truly given me a wonderful surprise!"

The price war in the ride-hailing industry is ostensibly a market battle between Kuaidi and Didi, but at a deeper level it is a struggle between Ali and Tencent for the mobile payment market.

Now, after burning through cash for more than four months, users' awareness of mobile payment has been instilled, and both sides are willing to cease hostilities.

But at this crucial moment, news broke that Didi's daily active users were inflated, and then Baidu decided to invest in Kuaidi.

These two moves, one after the other, are perfectly matched.

The balance that Didi had been able to maintain by burning money was instantly broken.

From now on, Kuaidi and Didi will no longer be competitors on the same level, and their future cooperation will be more like a merger or acquisition of a smaller company by a larger one.

Ma Yun has inside information about Didi's online trolling tactics.

However, he did not expect that Wang Weili would be able to persuade Baidu to take action.

Now that the top two have successfully joined forces, how should Tencent, the third-largest player, respond?

Ma Yun was eager to know the answer to this question, but what he wanted to do more now was to recruit Wang Weili, a top talent!

In the 21st century, talent is the most valuable asset, especially young talent, not to mention he also has nourishing tonics at home.

Thinking of this, Ma Yun quickly used it as an excuse to send a message to Wang Weili.

"Willie, did you find out about the tonic I asked you to inquire about last time? When are you coming back to Shanghai? I can bring the doctor to discuss it with you."

A few minutes later, Wang Weili's reply arrived smoothly.

"What kind of tonic?"

"Um?!

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