After the Divorce, I Could Hear the Voice of the Future

Lu Liang had joined during the Series A funding when Mobike was valued at ten million US dollars, and he invested just three hundred thousand to acquire a 3% stake.

After numerous rounds of stock dilution, his 3% had dwindled to 2.168%, a decrease of 0.832%, yet the value had increased by 33.6 times.

"It seems like a considerable gain," Lu Liang muttered quietly, though Li Bing still heard him despite the volume. Suppressing the urge to roll his eyes, he remarked, "It's mainly because you have a good eye."

The returns on venture capital are high, often reaching multiples of ten or even a hundred, but failing is often the norm.

Lu Liang was an exception; whatever he aimed at usually hit the mark.

It was thought that ofo would make him stumble, but unexpectedly, the guy ran faster than a rabbit.

He had early on sensed issues with ofo's business strategy and discreetly cashed out during the Series B funding.

The profit wasn't substantial, but it was undoubtedly the best timing.

With a valuation of seventy-two million dollars, not too high but not too low, it was just the right price for quickly recirculating capital.

Lu Liang had a sharp eye, and because of his cash-out, ofo was on the verge of a breakdown, which was hardly unjust.

Out of so many bike-sharing companies, he had specifically chosen Long Yi and Long Er, and always managed to come out whole.

Netizens blindly trusted him, and from the perspective of a Monday morning quarterback, none could find fault in his choices.

"It's just a coincidence, and such opportunities will only decrease from here on," chuckled Lu Liang, seeing clearly that the days of low investment for high returns had passed.

Just this year, he barely invested in projects worth less than ten million, mainly focusing on those worth tens or even hundreds of millions.

As the scale of capital increased, minor investments could no longer contain him, forcing him onto a path of high investments for high returns.

Li Bing forced a bitter smile, not knowing how to continue the conversation.

He couldn't understand that feeling, although having assets worth eight billion, the capital he could mobilize was only a few billion.

Lu Liang controlled nearly one hundred to two hundred billion dollars in actual cash flow, how could he comprehend?

"Mr. Lu, NIO has finalized the mass-production model, named the ES8."

Li Bing instructed his assistant to secure the buyback agreement and talked about NIO's second car, a mid-to-large size all-electric SUV.

Ever since the EP9 set the record for the fastest lap at the Nordschleife during testing in Germany.

At the same time, the racing team they sponsored won the first annual championship for drivers in the International Electric Formula Championship.

"NIO" had gained a slight reputation in the European and American car circles.

It was almost time to develop their second model, and also the first that could go into mass production.

Both Li Bing and Li Xiang agreed on targeting the family car market, fitting it with refrigerators and big-screen TVs, and going directly for the high-end market.

Because once electric vehicles become common, the industry will expand and costs will plummet drastically, so they decide to start high and lower gradually.

It's easier to move from top to bottom than the other way around.

"All electric? No hybrid models?"

Lu Liang was puzzled; he favored BYD's development path.

Hybrid models, offensive when advancing, defensive when retreating.

Electric in the city, fuel out of town, undoubtedly the best choice when charging stations are not widely available.

Li Bing's face stiffened slightly: "We're not considering hybrids for now, we plan to collaborate with Ningde to launch a battery-swap model."

Lu Liang understood upon seeing the pricing, and said with a laugh, "This market is just developing, and indeed, everything must be tried."

NIO isn't avoiding hybrid models,

not that they don't want to, but because they can't.

The ES8 is expected to be priced at $448,000, similar to the BMW X3, Audi Q5L, and Mercedes GLC.

But the contract manufacturer is Jianghuai, primarily a maker of light trucks and large vans, with limited expertise in internal combustion engines.

A luxury car worth over four hundred-thousand with an engine worth only a few ten-thousands, or even less, would simply degrade its value; better not to have one.

In contrast, the BYD Qin's on-the-road price is just over a hundred-thousand and even if equipped with a three-cylinder engine, people would still praise it.

At this price, including the license, there's no need for bicycles.

Li Bing gave a forced smile and then added, "Mr. Lu, NIO plans to conduct Series A fundraising this Thursday."

The production base is currently undergoing its second phase of construction, and Jianghuai has constantly been asking him for money; the initial one hundred million US dollars is nearly spent.

If NIO gets off to a good start, as long as the ES8 is accepted by the market and goes into mass production, preparations for public offering can begin.

Investors can't wait for too long, but backers can; they can accompany NIO until it profits.

Just like JD, which even to this day incurs losses of ten to twenty billion annually, it didn't hinder its listing in the US, with a current market value of 38 billion US dollars.

"When the time comes, send me NIO's financing plan."

A valuation of two billion dollars was a price they had inflated together, so they would have to foot the bill as well.

When NIO's valuation was accepted by the market, that's when they could retire successfully.

Tianxing held 10% of NIO's shares, needing to contribute twenty million US dollars for this round of financing, totaling two hundred million dollars.

After seeing off Li Bing, Lu Liang encountered Chen Jinchun at the company's entrance, who had just returned from the Southwest Mountainous Region.

"Mr. Lu, I've returned," Chen Jinchun waved excitedly.

From a white steamed bun, she had turned into a wheat bun, her skin a shade darker, no longer possessing the glamor of a city beauty.

"Hard work pays off, come in and let's chat."

Lu Liang smiled, calling Chen Jinchun over to make her some tea, ready to listen to her experiences over these past days.

He had seen the project's proposal, which seemed to be located in Guizhou, but where exactly, he couldn't recall.

"Thank you, Mr. Lu," Chen Jinchun respectfully took the teacup with both hands and slowly began to recount her experiences.

Though it was the Southwest Mountainous Region, the country had never forgotten them, offering several policies and substantial aid.

Except for a few families, hardly anyone was so poor they couldn't afford food; it was more a feeling of helplessness.

There were too many children left behind; in several villages they visited, almost no young adults could be seen, with 90% being left-behind children.

"The help we can provide is really limited."

Chen Jinchun sighed, her biggest realization from this trip was understanding just how fortunate she was.

She had always thought that everything she had was a given, only to suddenly realize that her life was an unreachable dream for others.

If she hadn't been born in Six Dynasties Capital, if her parents weren't both wage earners, if she wasn't an only child, if her first job after graduation hadn't led her to meet Lu Liang...

Lu Liang couldn't help but smile, "This doesn't sound like a charity mission, rather more like taking part in a transformation plan."

"True indeed," Chen Jinchun said earnestly, then suddenly stood up and bowed deeply, "Mr. Lu, thank you very much."

Lu Liang, smirking modestly, replied, "Work hard, that's the best thank you to me."

Chen Jinchun nodded firmly.

She bid farewell to Lu Liang and returned to her workstation to edit videos.

"Hello everyone, I'm Xiao Chen from Tianxing, today we came to the Southwest Mountainous Region."

When she had initially taken on this new job, she spent a whole night discussing it with Tang Caide.

Tang Caide was her mentor and a sagacious advisor, who straightforwardly identified the role of this position.

Simply put, it was to be the corporate spokesperson, though she wasn't sure why private equity needed a spokesperson.

But Lu Liang had his reasons, and all they needed to do was to execute.

Thus, Chen Jinchun decided to create a 30-minute video, divided into three parts: national, familial, and corporate social responsibilities.

The first stage was to praise abundantly, even remote mountainous areas had access to water and electricity, with well-developed infrastructure.

Though it might hint at exploiting patriotism, she believed it was the reality, as these were her firsthand experiences.

The second stage revolved around the village's left-behind children, a social issue stemming from rapid economic growth, which led to the third stage about a company's sense of social responsibility.

"Our Mr. Lu has decided to establish a charity foundation, investing no less than thirty million annually, with dedicated funds, fully transparent financial details, and we welcome oversight from all sectors of society."

"That's right, I almost forgot, we don't accept any channel of donations, so be careful~beware of fraud."

"Bowed down!"

In just thirty minutes, the video let numerous netizens witness Chen Jinchun's transformation from a white steamed bun into a wheat bun.

The video was made with great care, especially the second part about the left-behind children, which greatly resonated with netizens.

They had also been through similar situations, and now followed in their parents' footsteps, moving south to work in factories.

Although many were aware that these corporations engaged in charity primarily for tax reduction purposes,

the difference between heartfelt effort and lack thereof was crystal clear.

After all, some enterprises, too lazy to even pretend, treated charity as if they were dismissing beggars.

In contrast, Lu Liang's Tianxing Investment felt like a breath of fresh air, and not to mention, Chen Jinchun was so adorable.

As a result, the video unsurprisingly exploded in popularity, and along with it, the registrations on Douyin also surged significantly.