Chapter 673

The sky wasn't yet dark, and on this uniquely scenic path, bright streetlamps had already turned on.

The road was also clean, with no snow accumulation.

Liu Tianxian was in a good mood; her recitation voice rose slightly, driven by sudden inspiration—and this recitation drew people over.

Several well-dressed successful figures appeared in the light, and upon closer look, they were mostly familiar.

Ren Quan, Lei Bus, the Red Robe Jiaozhu, and Cheng Wei—the founder of Didi—exuded an air of scholarly refinement.

There was also a handsome young man they didn't recognize.

"Miss Liu, your recitation is excellent! 'Ten years, life and death, both vast and dim'—it feels like so many years have passed, everything remains, yet people have changed." Ren Quan spoke with easy familiarity.

He was also a candidate for the Ten Economic Figures, one of the founders of Starvc—a venture capital firm, in plain terms—that had invested in over fifty enterprises, including some in film and media.

He even dragged Li Bailian and Huang Jiaozhu into playing with him; that's why Huang Jiaozhu is half a capital figure, with Ren Quan right behind him.

Of course, he didn't own just one company—he had many, spanning food and beverage as well as film and cultural industries.

His investment interests overlapped heavily with Lei Bus's, so they all knew each other.

As for Cheng Wei, no explanation is needed: Didi has another founder named Liu Qing, whose father is Liu Chuanzhi, and Liu Chuanzhi and Lei Bus share a mentor-friend relationship.

As for the Red Robe Jiaozhu, he only knows Lei Bus—they can have meals together. Their companies once competed in mobile phones, then later in automobiles.

This group of five must have run into each other.

"You're too kind—I just couldn't think of a better poem, so I recited something casual." Liu Tianxian looked slightly embarrassed, her tone humble.

It felt like a private mishap had been exposed—she'd only recited it for her man, never intending anyone else to hear.

"It's very good. Few people today can still remember ancient poems like this and recite them aloud." Ren Quan praised.

Liu Tianxian smiled shyly but didn't reply, feeling his praise was excessive.

"Principal, let me introduce you: you should know Ren Quan and the Red Robe Jiaozhu; this is Cheng Wei, founder of Didi; this is Zhou Shouzi, Chief Financial Officer of Xiaomi." Lei Bus introduced them, one on each side.

"Hello, hello!"

Fang Hong shook hands with them, establishing acquaintance, but he paid special attention to Zhou Shouzi.

In his past life, this man was Chief Executive Officer of TikTok's overseas version—a very capable person who handled affairs with Western governments and businesses; few others could manage it.

Because one must be familiar with the Western political and business environment.

"Principal, you gave us quite a lesson recently—crushing Huayi and blocking Alibaba." The Red Robe Jiaozhu sighed.

He spoke slowly and deliberately, always with a pretentious air, yet looked short, unimpressive, bald, and dressed in red.

No one knew why he so loved wearing red clothes.

"Just lucky," Fang Hong replied casually.

"That's not something luck can achieve—it's wisdom and strength. Principal, did you prepare for this long?" Zhou Shouzi asked curiously.

"I didn't prepare long—just happened to be in the right place and gave a push. Plans can never keep up with change; perfect preparation is impossible—you never know what will happen in between, what surprises will arise. You can only adjust your strategy in real time based on your opponent's situation." Fang Hong didn't hide anything.

The others listened and nodded silently.

"That's true," Zhou Shouzi nodded.

"Haha, you've made Alibaba stumble several times now. Let me tell you a secret—Jack Ma is right ahead." The Red Robe Jiaozhu leaned in close, whispering at the end, mysteriously, and gave him a wink.

Fang Hong looked at him, feigning confusion: "Why are you acting like a thief—sneaky eyes, furtive demeanor? Do I have anything to be ashamed of in meeting him?"

This made Liu Tianxian, Lei Bus, and others laugh.

Indeed, did the Principal fear Jack Ma? He'd never feared him—he'd clashed with him multiple times.

The Red Robe Jiaozhu saw the Principal as equal to himself and Tony Ma—someone who cowered upon seeing Tony Ma.

The Red Robe Jiaozhu smiled awkwardly.

"Let's walk and chat as we go!" Lei Bus, sensing the time was right, gestured for them to head toward the event building.

They walked toward Building 17, where more and more people gathered; occasionally, they spotted familiar or unfamiliar entrepreneurs.

There was Zhang Xuhao from Ele. me; Dong Dajie from Gree; Fang Hongbo from Midea; Cao Telei from Fuyao Glass—these were known; the unknown were many.

Many from state-owned and private enterprises came: State Grid, Vanke, AVIC, Siasun Robot, and others.

Many brought companions—some were children, some family members, some secretaries or assistants.

Jack Ma brought his successor, Jiang Fan—truly, if this man didn't have personal moral issues, he would be Jack Ma's successor, not Zhang Yong.

Lao Wang Zong brought his son, Xiao Wang.

He wanted Xiao Wang to see the world and prepare to take over—this was a plan Lao Wang had laid out years ago; in 2011, he even took him to the Davos Forum, and he appeared on the News Broadcast.

But Xiao Wang was reluctant to accept this arrangement—he wanted to carve out his own path.

Young people, after all, tend to be rebellious.

If this opportunity were offered to any ordinary young worker in society—told his father was a billionaire and he must return home to inherit the business—

That worker would probably crawl, thrilled beyond words.

This society works this way: what you want, you fight your whole life to get; what you don't want, you get effortlessly.

The event hall was carpeted with a long red carpet; on both sides stood reporters, and every time an entrepreneur passed, cameras flashed incessantly.

These were mainstream media reporters—those with professional credentials; ordinary media weren't allowed in, let alone self-media.

Of course, the red carpet here had none of the entertainment industry's rigid rules—just walk up.

The moment the Principal, Lei Bus, and their group stepped onto the red carpet, reporters rushed to photograph and film them—lights flashed instantly.

Entrepreneurs who hadn't yet left turned curiously to watch them, whispering among themselves—mostly about the Principal, who was the true legend in their eyes.

He rose from nothing, no connections, punched down Huayi, kicked BoNa, stood toe-to-toe with Alibaba and Wanda.

"I did this to promote the development of China's esports industry. I hope esports becomes standardized, enters mainstream media and public view as a legitimate industry—like sports—instead of being seen as just playing games, something bad." Xiao Wang faced reporters in the hall.

Other entrepreneurs came and went—some being interviewed, others sitting on single sofas chatting; from a glance, the crowd was substantial.

After Xiao Wang finished his interview, he saw Fang Hong and the others stepping onto the red carpet, signing autographs, and sneered slightly: "Hmph, still the same—always dragging that female star everywhere."

"Have you met him?" Lao Wang Zong asked beside him.

"I've met him—during the first Hero Glory Global Grand Finals, I saw him backstage once; back then he was with his wife, and I never expected he'd bring his wife everywhere." Xiao Wang recalled.

That was when he first entered the esports industry and brought his team to the Grand Finals.

Back then, Fang Hong brought Liu Tianxian to visit, and we met once; four years have passed, and he's still the same.

"That's devotion. Any successful person who can't learn to control their desires and resist outside temptations won't accomplish anything big. You're exactly like that—you can't resist external temptations." Lao Wang Zong was referring to his son's habit of chasing women like changing clothes.

"I've already restrained myself." Xiao Wang rebutted.

Lao Wang Zong sighed helplessly; he could never get through to him.

"Lao Wang Zong, Xiao Wang, having a discussion?" Dong Dajie walked over with a smiling face.

"We're not discussing anything—just teaching my son a lesson: control your desires." Lao Wang Zong was surprisingly frank.

"Young people naturally let loose a bit—it's normal. If you don't let loose when you're young, when you're old you won't even have the desire to. It's better to do more while you still can, enjoy while you can." Dong Dajie said.

"Exactly—now you don't play, when you're old you won't be able to." Xiao Wang agreed.

"What's it got to do with you? Dong Dajie was talking about how, when you get older, you don't feel like moving around anymore—your interests fade." Lao Wang Zong said.

"Hehehe, yes, yes."

Dong Dajie squinted, her face wrinkled with smiles, and added: "But Xiao Wang's livestreaming venture is ahead of its time—it's a trend too, good vision."

"He just likes trying new things young people do; I don't stop him." Lao Wang Zong spoke of this with pride.

Because his son's Panda Live did well, rising rapidly thanks to celebrity appeal, its valuation has already climbed to over a billion.

Without relying on their parents, very few second-generation rich have achieved such success.

"Manager Wang, new energy vehicles are hot right now—we've recently partnered with Zhuhai Yinlong and plan to enter the new energy vehicle market. Would you consider investing? Not much—just five hundred million." Dong Dajie gestured for them to walk and talk as they headed toward the venue.

So after all that, she just came to ask for investment.

Fang Hong's group entered the hall and signed their names beneath the artistic lettering of "China's New Economic Power" backdrop.

After signing, they briefly underwent a short press interview—by CCTV reporters.

Liu Tianxian didn't need to be interviewed; only entrepreneurs like Fang Hong and Lei Bus were interviewed.

Liu Tianxian only needed to stand quietly to the side; she looked around at the suited, successful celebrities and felt somewhat awkward.

Some glanced at her longer, even with a hint of disdain—how could a celebrity appear here?

In their eyes, celebrities were all low-class.

Of course, they knew she was brought by the Principal, so many didn't understand why the Principal liked celebrities so much and kept showing her off—it wasn't exactly respectable.

It's normal; many entrepreneurs are still traditional, believing actors are inferior.

A female reporter interviewed Fang Hong: "We see you've been nominated for the Ten Economic Figures, and your company is thriving. If you win the award, do you feel a great sense of accomplishment?"

"No, I feel even more pressure. Before, I just wanted to survive; now that I'm alive, I think about how to fulfill responsibility—how to help more people become wealthy through Yutu, through Chang'e. That's what I've been thinking about, and what I'll keep doing." Fang Hong said to the camera.

This statement was flawless—ideologically and politically correct, it aligned perfectly with mainstream values.

"I see you're still very young—you're already a successful entrepreneur. What advice do you have for young people starting businesses?" the female reporter asked.

"Can I speak honestly?" Fang Hong asked.

"Hahaha, go ahead." The reporter laughed.

These entrepreneurs spoke directly, no beating around the bush—this wasn't livestreaming.

Liu Tianxian watched from behind, no longer glancing around—she simply stared fixedly at her husband.

"Honestly, I don't support young people starting businesses right after graduation. Without experience, failure will be devastating—you'll go into debt, jump off buildings, lose everything. Don't go that far. Our country has never had a single example of someone succeeding in entrepreneurship without experience—never, never."

Entrepreneurship has always been the privilege of those with resources, connections, and money—they can fail countless times, needing only one success.

If you absolutely must start a business and want to reverse your fate through it, don't hesitate—just do it. Don't listen to others' advice; try it, experience it.

But adjust your mindset—change your mindset—because entrepreneurship is extremely painful, excruciatingly painful. You can't have hobbies; you're constantly anxious and lost.

You can't change your environment; the only thing you can change is your own mindset—face it with a positive attitude!"

Fang Hong said, and his words weren't bad.

"So you started your business with experience?" the reporter asked curiously.

"I did—I've never been self-made from nothing; I've always had experience. But I can't pass this experience on to others, or share it." Fang Hong spoke sincerely.

Whether these words helped young people or not, at least they might change some of their thinking.

Don't impulsively rush into entrepreneurship—you'll only end up bloodied and bruised. Of course, second-generation rich are another story.

These words left the reporter confused—the Principal was young, looked young, and his resume clearly showed no background, self-made.

But she didn't dwell on it; the interview ended.

Fang Hong parted ways with Lei Bus and wandered casually with Liu Tianxian, standing in a corner.

The conference hadn't started yet; everyone was waiting. But he had no acquaintances here, so he didn't join the crowd.

"You started your business with experience?" Liu Tianxian asked curiously.

"Yes—in here." Fang Hong tapped his temple—inside his mind.

"Look at you, so full of yourself." Liu Tianxian patted his shoulder.

The two were playfully teasing each other when two people suddenly appeared behind them and called out.

"Principal!"

Fang Hong turned, his face showing slight confusion.

"I'm Li Bin, founder of NIO." Li Bin introduced himself.

Beside him was his wife, Wang Yizhi, a host for China Central Television—elegant, with a gentle smile, nodding politely at Liu Tianxian.

Liu Tianxian nodded back lightly.

"Oh!" Fang Hong understood.

"Principal, hello. Tianxian, hello." Li Bin courteously shook hands with both.

Liu Tianxian gave a light handshake.

"If you have something to say, say it. The event is about to start." Fang Hong urged.

"Here's the thing — our NIO Auto is going to build a high-end intelligent-driving car. Whatever Tesla has, we have it; whatever Tesla doesn't have, we have it too." Li Bin talked on and on, recounting the brilliance of his NIO.

To be fair, his eloquence wasn't bad — one boast after another, neatly packaged.

"Well, I just want to invite the Principal to invest in our NIO. Our NIO will absolutely not let you lose money." Li Bin finally wrapped up his pitch.

"Did you understand? What he said earlier." Fang Hong asked Liu Tianxian.

Liu Tianxian shook her head — what did she know about cars?

"The future is the era of intelligent driving. Traditional cars will be eliminated." Li Bin wanted to keep going.

"Honestly, we didn't understand a single word you said." Fang Hong said.

This left Li Bin and his wife extremely awkward. He had talked for so long, yet they hadn't understood a thing.

"This isn't that hard to understand, is it? Principal, you're a man of great vision too — you should know intelligent driving is the future."

"Tianxian, since the man has already spent so much saliva, just invest a little, casually." Fang Hong cut him off.

"Alright then!" Liu Tianxian figured the other side's reasoning sounded plausible enough, so she'd just toss in a small investment.

This was practically charity.

Li Bin and his wife didn't know what to say. After talking for so long, the other party's investment turned out to be because he'd spent so much saliva — not because of his company, not because of his forward-thinking ideas.

And it wasn't even the Principal investing — it was Liu Tianxian. Pretty deflating.

It was exactly six o'clock then. Someone over there announced they could enter the venue, and groups of three or five began walking in.

"We're heading in first. We'll talk about the rest later." Fang Hong ended the conversation.

Taking so long just to enter the venue was probably about arranging seats — the seating order of the bigwigs is always a delicate matter. If you put the impressive ones in the back and the lesser ones up front, you'd easily offend people and stir resentment.

For example, putting Jack Ma behind Fang Hong — he definitely wouldn't be willing.

And there were also some celebrities and government officials.

Just as Fang Hong was flowing with the crowd into the venue, he happened to see Jack Ma passing by with a group of people.

Yet Jack Ma fixed him with a sharp gaze.

This couldn't help but make Fang Hong's eyes sharpen too. The two locked eyes, as if sparks and lightning were flying between them.

The people around them all noticed; their gazes drifted back and forth between the two — truly a clash of titans.

The Red-Clothed Cult Master saw the two in that state from afar, his focus on the Principal. This guy really wasn't afraid of Jack Ma — earlier he had even wanted to use Jack Ma to intimidate the other side.

Only because this man was too confident, too dazzling — there was some jealousy.

But Jack Ma quickly walked past without saying anything. Only after he'd gone some distance did he say to Jiang Fan: "Too young!"

"Young is just right — a mere whippersnapper." Jiang Fan said.

"You don't understand. Being young proves he still has plenty of time and plenty of energy." Jack Ma said.

(End of chapter)