Chapter 89: Old Men
In a gathering aimed at seeking capital support, there must be capital parties entering the field to push the collective enthusiasm to a climax. The guest invited by the organizers of todayâs venture capital session was none other than the venture capital mogul sitting next to Shou JiaxunâXiao Zhiheng from “Qiheng Capital.”
During the opening, the host projected Xiao Zhihengâs business card onto the white screen in front, warmly calling on the founders present to seek support from the once-in-a-lifetime Mr. Xiao via email. Whether it was entrepreneurial guidance or venture capital, it could be the turning point for their businesses to take off. The reason they had to interact with Mr. Xiao via email was that the card shown only had one line for an email address.
Shou Jiaxun silently lowered his head to confirm the small card he had received. Besides the email, there was actually a phone numberânot just the companyâs landline, but also numbers for two mobile phones.
Shou Jiaxun had known for a long time that someone wanted to invest in “Guoran.” But the entry of capital is a double-edged sword: use it well and even your chickens and dogs will ascend to heaven; one misstep and you’re bankrupted. And Uncle Guo and President Shou just happened to be conservative businesspeople who believed in getting rich through hard work. Of course, a large part of the reason was that things had been smooth for them all along, so there was no need to catch a gust of wind only to have their lives controlled by outside forces.
Therefore, officially, President Shou had no desire to seriously befriend Xiao Zhiheng; privately, he even less wanted to have any interaction with the romantic brain’s dad. So, Shou Jiaxun just wanted to silently finish listening to today’s lecture and then consider whether to continue coming to try his luck next week. There were many paths to acquiring a subsidiary; once his mind was made up, President Shou would definitely take multiple approaches. Coming today was at most a way to broaden his horizons and gather some ideas.
However, after Xiao Zhiheng went on stage to greet the founder-bosses present and gave general praise to the talent in the room, he suddenly singled out Shou Jiaxun for high praise. He said that for “Guoran Loves You” to be able to rise rapidly in the Imperial Capital, its founder must be a commercial genius with a unique business eye and exceptional execution. Since President Shou had come to the gathering, there was no reason not to invite him to say a few words at the front. He then held the microphone out toward Shou Jiaxun with a smile.
Now, President Shou was an “orator” with twenty years of professional experience. No matter how he slouched or drooped below the stage, once he was made to walk onto the speaker’s platform, his whole body and spirit would be propped up by his muscle memory.
Xiao Zhiheng saw that just a second ago, Shou Jiaxun had been in a state of “low battery, delayed startup.” After being named, he stood up slowly, looking very flustered. But by the time he had walked ten or twenty steps to him, he looked like a different personâradiant and dignified.
Shou Jiaxun took the microphone and first thanked Xiao Zhiheng, then spoke a few humble words. He said that “Guoran Loves You” could grow to its current scale because he had learned knowledge and received much help from many partners. He then looked to the future, saying that “Guoranâs” business philosophy had always been about “cross-border” integration. Coming here today was, of course, to find more partners with matching philosophies to venture into the digital era together.
Translated, it still meant acquiring a subsidiary, but one couldn’t be too direct on such an occasion; a businessperson’s reputation is worth real money, and one must be thorough in public.
Throughout, Boss Xiao looked at his excellent junior with an appreciative and admiring gaze.
And at this moment, Shou Jiaxun was also quietly reviewing and stealing a lesson in his head. The tone and manner of Xiao Zhihengâs speech just now were not only confident but also relaxed. That kind of loose pace seemed easier to drive the audience’s emotions. Public speaking, in the end, is a form of performance. Only by stirring up the audience’s emotions can the content the speaker presents be believed and sought after. This was very important for persuading clients and leading employees.
Xiao Zhiheng took back the microphone and said a few more polite words. Just as the two intended to take their bow and return to their seats, the host suddenly reached out to stop them slightly. “Wait, you two…”
Shou Jiaxun had his hands behind his back, turning halfway to look at the host with a pleasant smile along with Xiao Zhiheng.
“Forgive me for asking, did you two know each other before?”
Shou Jiaxun shook his head.
Xiao Zhiheng had the microphone and answered even more directly: “Met for the first time today.”
The host laughed and raised his eyebrows playfully. “Oh, oh, so itâs not a ‘couple’s outfit.’ I thought you two had planned it.”
Shou Jiaxun smiled along and shook his head clearly.
Xiao Zhiheng immediately clarified into the microphone: “Thank you for not saying weâre wearing a ‘parent-child outfit.’ President Shou clearly looks about the same age as my son. Oh, right, I remember youâve seen my son! Then today’s joke has gone too far; hurry and apologize to President Shou.”
His words were soft but firm, not only stating that there was absolutely nothing unseemly between him and Shou Jiaxun but also demanding the other party admit their mistake to his face. The host laughed repeatedly and was quite tactful; when he said “I’m sorry,” he bowed sincerely to Shou Jiaxun.
Shou Jiaxun waved his hand with a smile, indicating he didn’t mind the joke. Then, as he returned to his seat, he made a polite gesture to let Xiao Zhiheng walk in front of him, which was an acknowledgment of the other’s attitude of wanting to create a generation gap with him.
Even after they walked off the platform, they still sat side-by-side, and the atmosphere between them seemed even more harmonious. Previously, Shou Jiaxun only wanted to stay far away from Xiao Yuâs dad. Now, he felt it was rare to meet such a good teacher and friend. The “romantic brain” was on Xiao Yuâs head, not his dadâs. There was no need for him to make a mountain out of a molehill and let two unrelated matters implicate each other.
So, putting aside his prejudice, for the next three hours, he frequently exchanged ideas with the venture capital mogul regarding the lecture content. He benefited so much it could be measured by the cartload, and he wished he could immediately become sworn brothers with the man.
Xiao Zhiheng was exceptionally warm toward President Shou, of course, not just because the other was young, beautiful, and had off-the-charts charm. To him, a “blue-chip stock” like “Guoran Trade” was a “rare commodity” that could be sought but not easily found. The fact that Shou Jiaxun had no financing needs at this stage didn’t mean there would never be space for cooperation. And a “friend” worth investing in like Shou Jiaxun was more attractive to an investor than any glamorous appearance.
When the lecture gathering ended, Shou Jiaxun took the sticky notes he had recorded and stuck them to the corresponding business cards he had received, smoothing them into a stack and putting them in his pocket.
Xiao Zhiheng praised from the side with raised eyebrows, “Your method is good; I should learn from it. I used to only look at emails to organize information. The efficiency is low, and it’s too passive.”
“But I’m a novice…” Shou Jiaxun shook his head and laughed. “I think your intuition is enough.”
Xiao Zhiheng was slightly surprised. “You don’t look like the kind of high-stakes gambler who believes in intuition.”
Shou Jiaxun asked back, “Why not?”
Xiao Zhiheng shook his head. “My ‘intuition’ is that youâre not. And after observing you all morning, I feel you are orderly and focus on logic. You should be someone who is cautious in everything and needs to gather enough evidence for any decision.”
Shou Jiaxun raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Then your ‘intuition’ this time isn’t accurate. I believe ‘intuition’ is a leapfrog method of thinking. Itâs not about giving up thinking, but thinking faster.”
Xiao Zhiheng smiled. “But your interpretation sounds more like a denial of the existence of ‘intuition’.”
Shou Jiaxun denied it immediately: “Of course not. Many things I decide based on ‘intuition’.”
“Haha…” Xiao Zhiheng was amused by his unreasonable manner. “Then use your ‘intuition’ nowâwill you accept my invitation to lunch?”
Shou Jiaxun raised his eyebrows and gave him a pleasant nod.
“See, my ‘intuition’ has already made the decision for me.”
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