Returning to his senior year of high school, he went all in and made billions by buying at the botto

After finishing the matter of Deep Exploration, Chen Mo did not leave Suzhou and Hangzhou immediately.

That evening, he made a phone call to Gu Shaoting.

"Professor Gu, could you please help me contact a Tsinghua alumnus?"

"Who?"

"Liu Sheng".

There was silence for a few seconds on the other end of the phone.

"Liu Sheng from Suzhou Accelink?"

"right."

"You've got your eye on optical modules again?"

Although Gu Shaoting was puzzled, optical modules were indeed an indispensable part of everything from storage and chip stacking to silicon photonic interconnects.

"Qingjia will need optoelectronic interconnection in the future," Chen Mo said. "Computing power will also be indispensable in the future."

"I can help you get in touch."

Gu Shaoting reminded him.

"However, Accelink submitted a listing application to Nasdaq this year. Google Capital and Lightspeed are both shareholders. This company does not lack ordinary investors."

"I know."

What are you going to use to win him over?

"money."

Gu Shaoting was taken aback by this answer.

"There is still a future."

Chen Mo added.

"OK."

Gu Shaoting did not press the matter further.

"Liu Sheng is an alumnus of the Department of Automation at Tsinghua University, class of '89."

"I'll have someone from the alumni association pass on your message."

Whether he wants to see him or not is up to him.

……

The next morning.

Chen Mo received a call from Liu Sheng.

The two chatted for less than five minutes before agreeing to meet in Suzhou Industrial Park that afternoon.

When the convoy arrived at Xuchuang, the factory was still in normal production.

Liu Sheng, along with the finance manager and a vice president, waited in the conference room.

He is 43 years old, wears narrow-rimmed glasses, is slender, and has his shirt sleeves simply rolled up to his elbows.

Gu Shaoting told him over the phone that a very insightful junior from Tsinghua University wanted to talk about the optical communication industry.

Liu Shengyuan had expected to meet a young teacher or a PhD who had just returned from overseas.

Chen Mo, standing before me, looks like a freshman no matter how you look at it.

"Senior Brother Liu."

Chen Mo took the initiative to extend his hand.

"I apologize for disturbing you."

Liu Sheng shook hands with him.

"I'm sure I'd like to meet someone who was personally introduced by Academician Gu, but I didn't expect you to be so young."

"Ambition knows no age."

I agree with that statement.

Liu Sheng invited him to sit down.

"What aspects of Accelink would Mr. Chen like to know?"

"all."

Chen Mo placed a prepared document on the table.

Accelink Technologies was founded in 2008.

While most domestic companies were still producing 2.5G and 10G optical modules in the early days, Liu Sheng focused his research and development efforts on higher-speed data center products.

In 2011, a 40G product was launched.

Starting in 2014, we began to push 100G products from R&D to mass production.

Google is both one of Accelink's most important customers and an indirect shareholder.

Last September, Google Capital and Lightspeed China jointly invested $38 million in Accelink.

In June of this year, Accelink Cayman filed an F-1 document with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, applying to list on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol INLT.

The funds to be raised will be mainly used to expand 100G production capacity, purchase equipment, increase R&D personnel, produce samples, and supplement working capital.

However, after submitting the application, the listing process has not made any substantial progress.

The valuation environment for Chinese concept stocks has cooled.

There are uncertainties regarding regulation, red-chip structure, and issuance window.

However, Accelink's business did not stop while waiting for the capital market.

Continued investment is needed in 100G products.

Equipment, factory buildings, raw materials, and customer payment terms continuously tie up cash.

The fact that the company can maintain its operations on paper does not mean that it can expand at the speed Liu Sheng desires.

The more pressing issue comes from the shareholders.

Several rounds of early-stage capital have accompanied Accelink for many years.

Google Capital and Lightspeed hold board seats and corresponding shareholder rights.

They support the company continuing to invest in research and development, but also need a clear exit strategy.

Since the Nasdaq listings came to a standstill, everyone's time costs have increased.

"Mr. Chen has made many preparations."

After reviewing the materials, Liu Sheng did not rush to express his opinion.

However, Accelink has not yet launched a new round of financing.

Chen Mo responded, "You're waiting for the IPO."

"Going public can solve several problems at once."

Liu Sheng did not deny it.

"The company has secured long-term funding, existing shareholders have an exit strategy, and employee stock options finally have a publicly disclosed price."

"Another round of financing will only postpone these issues further."

Chen Mo continued, "The premise is that Nasdaq can proceed smoothly."

"We haven't given up yet."

"But you're already considering other options."

Liu Sheng looked at him.

Chen Mo picked up the tea in front of him.

In its previous life, Accelink ultimately gave up on listing in the United States.

In 2016, Zhongji Equipment launched a major asset restructuring.

The following year, Suzhou Xuchuang was acquired by an A-share listed company for a total price of 2.8 billion yuan.

Later, Zhongji Equipment was renamed Zhongji Xuchuang.

With the explosive growth in demand for artificial intelligence computing power, 400G, 800G and even higher speed optical modules have become one of the most scarce pieces of equipment in data centers.

This company has grown from an optical module manufacturer in Suzhou Industrial Park into a global giant.

Its market capitalization eventually surpassed one trillion yuan.

Liu Sheng, standing before him, was unaware of all this.

All he knew was that the iteration of 100G products could not stop.

If a technological window is missed, the advantages built up over the past few years could quickly disappear.

Why did Mr. Chen choose Xuchuang?

Liu Sheng finally asked the most important question.

"Because of artificial intelligence."

"Artificial intelligence?"

"I was involved in the founding of OpenAI in the United States."

"In the future, artificial intelligence models will consume far more computing power than we can imagine now."

Chen Mo pulled out a piece of white paper and simply drew several sets of server racks.

"As the computing power of a single server increases, data must flow between more chips, servers, and racks."

"Electrical connections can solve the problem of short distances."

"As distances increase and bandwidth improves, light will gradually take over data transmission."

"After 40G comes 100G."

"Later on, we'll see 200G, 400G, and 800G."

"The demand for optical modules in data centers does not come solely from ordinary cloud computing."

"Artificial intelligence will expand this market again."

Liu Sheng's expression gradually became serious. Some of the products that Chen Mo mentioned did not even have a clear market yet.

There are no problems with the technical direction.

Bandwidth, power consumption, and transmission distance have always been limitations that data centers must face.

"Even if artificial intelligence requires more optical modules, why must it be Accelink?"

"Because you have already entered the supply chain of top clients."

Chen Mo answered.

"When its domestic counterparts were still catching up with 10G, Accelink started working on 40G."

"Now we are pushing for 100G mass production."

"Technology, customer certification, and manufacturing experience all take time to accumulate."

Liu Sheng remained silent for a while.

"How much money do you want to invest?"

"It's not just me personally."

"Star Technology Investment".

Chen Mo presented him with the preliminary plan he had prepared.

"The existing equity of Accelink is valued at RMB 4 billion."

"Star Technology invested 1.5 billion yuan."

"One billion yuan of the capital will be injected into the company for 100G capacity, next-generation product research and development, and working capital."

"Another 500 million yuan will be used to acquire existing shares at the same valuation."

"After the transaction is completed, Xingchen Technology will hold 30% of the shares of Xuchuang."

Several people in the conference room looked up at the same time.

The pre-investment valuation was 4 billion yuan.

This is significantly higher than the previous round of financing for Accelink.

For a company whose IPO process in the US has stalled, this price seems excessively generous.

More importantly, one billion of the 1.5 billion yuan will go directly to Xuchuang.

The company does not need to cut its R&D budget, nor does it need to use short-term bank loans to support rapid production expansion.

The remaining 500 million yuan will provide early shareholders with a partial exit opportunity.

"Thirty percent might be a bit difficult." Liu Sheng was not swayed by the valuation. "XuChuang has already gone through several rounds of financing, and its equity structure is relatively dispersed."

"Any new shareholder that holds this percentage of shares will alter the balance of the board of directors."

"The stars do not seek control."

Chen Mo said.

"StarCraft only requires two board seats, normal financial oversight, and protection in major asset sales and related-party transactions."

Liu Sheng flipped to the end of the plan.

Chen Mo continued, "I personally promise to help Accelink list on the A-share market within two years."

"A direct IPO, issuing shares to acquire assets, or finding a suitable listing platform are all open for discussion."

Liu Sheng frowned.

"Mr. Chen, a two-year listing is not a typical investment term. This commitment requires the personal confirmation of the actual decision-maker at Xingchen Technology."

Even now, he still thought Chen Mo was just the investment manager of Xingchen Technology introduced by Gu Shaoting.

Chen Mo realized his misunderstanding.

He took out a business card and pushed it across the table in front of Liu Sheng.

The business card did not list any complicated job titles.

It only contains the name, contact information, and two lines of brief introduction.

The actual controller of Xingchen Technology.

"Mr. Liu may have misunderstood."

Chen Mo looked at him.

"I am not here today to lobby Accelink on behalf of anyone."

"I control Star Technology, and I made the decision to make this investment."

"The promise to help Accelink list on the A-share market within two years is also something I personally made to you."

Liu Sheng looked down at the business card, then slowly raised his head again.

The excessively young face before us has finally been linked to the Star Group, which has recently been stirring up the entire capital market.