Chapter 1164: The Money-Bringer

Ambition, in Dong Chenxi's view, was not a bad thing. Especially for men—if a man lacked the ambition to conquer the world, he would be far too dull.

Looking back on her time with Wang Zhen, Dong Chenxi had to admit that the main reason they broke up was largely because Wang Zhen lacked drive.

Being content with small gains might feel stable to some, but in Dong Chenxi's eyes, such a man was not fit for a lifelong commitment.

What she liked was a man with ambition.

Of course, Zhao Fusheng didn't count.

He moved too fast; she could never catch up. In other words, always looking up at someone's back wasn't a pleasant feeling. If that person was her boss, maybe it was acceptable, but if he were her boyfriend, she couldn't accept it.

In fact, many people were like that. Women who liked domineering CEOs didn't necessarily want to marry one.

Not that they were hypocritical, but because often, things that looked beautiful weren't necessarily suitable for them.

"For the investment company, there's only one principle," Zhao Fusheng said slowly, not noticing Dong Chenxi's distraction. "You must be steady. I don't require you to make a profit on every investment, but the purpose of each investment must be clear."

He was now making demands as her boss.

Dong Chenxi snapped back to attention at Zhao Fusheng's words and said apologetically, "Um, what did you say?"

Zhao Fusheng raised an eyebrow, surprised. Dong Chenxi wasn't the type to easily lose focus.

But given their friendship, even if Dong Chenxi was distracted, Zhao Fusheng wouldn't say much. He patiently repeated his requirements and concluded, "In any case, don't take risks. That's my only request."

Dong Chenxi laughed. "I didn't expect you to be so cautious."

She had been following Zhao Fusheng's investment history closely. Upon careful study, she found that sometimes Zhao Fusheng liked to take risks—whether investing in NetEase stocks or other companies, he often entered when they were at a low point. In other words, Zhao Fusheng liked to gamble.

Now that Zhao Fusheng was telling her to be steady, Dong Chenxi felt a strange sensation.

"What are you thinking?" Zhao Fusheng frowned, noticing her odd expression.

"Nothing. I just didn't expect you to ask me to be steady," Dong Chenxi said frankly.

Hearing this, Zhao Fusheng laughed and waved his hand. "What do you mean? Why can't I ask you to be steady? When I invested in those projects before, I didn't have much money and had to take risks. Now that we have a certain scale, taking risks is unnecessary."

Dong Chenxi nodded thoughtfully, agreeing with Zhao Fusheng.

She hadn't been very familiar with the investment industry before. Her previous work in advertising was more aligned with her expertise. After joining Future Investment, she had been studying hard to adapt quickly.

But the more she learned, the more she realized how high the risks in the investment industry were.

Even with angel investments, the money you put in might not be recovered.

It wasn't that entrepreneurs wanted to default or squander funds, but some projects simply weren't suitable for that time, or after market testing, they couldn't continue.

To be honest, it was a helpless situation.

Dong Chenxi had experienced such an outcome: she invested five hundred thousand, and three months later, the company went bankrupt. The entrepreneur, looking miserable, came to her hoping she would support his next project.

It was a tragic story, but it happened all the time in the investment circle.

"Don't overthink it. Be steady, but when it's time to act, you must act," Zhao Fusheng said with a smile when he saw Dong Chenxi silent. "Many things aren't about whether we can do them, but whether we dare to think of them."

Dong Chenxi nodded, understanding his meaning.

Since venture capital had the word 'venture,' it naturally required a willingness to gamble.

Often, thinking was a crucial action. What people set their minds to, they could usually accomplish. Human thoughts or ambitions were indispensable in this world.

...

...

Zhao Fusheng left. He had assigned his tasks and said what needed to be said. The rest was up to Dong Chenxi. As for the executives, they were financial elites who didn't need him to micromanage; they were all clever.

The saying 'Life's troubles begin with literacy' was truly insightful. The more knowledgeable people were, the more they liked to use their brains—scheming, leveraging—they would meticulously plan to create the most favorable situation for themselves.

They had little concept of failure because they were used to success.

Zhao Fusheng didn't dislike these people. As a boss, having ambitious and thoughtful subordinates was a good thing. As long as they brought him profits, he let them do as they pleased.

Only now did Zhao Fusheng understand why emperors liked their ministers to squabble. The principle was the same.

If subordinates were united, what would the emperor do?

Only when ministers were at odds and vying for power could the emperor maintain balance.

It was like the current situation inside Future Investment. The executives had different ideas: some wanted to stir up the financial markets, buying and selling stocks and futures to profit the company and advance their own careers; others felt angel investments were more suitable for the company's development.

Both ideas were good. The choice depended on Zhao Fusheng and Dong Chenxi's considerations.

That was why Zhao Fusheng had talked so much with Dong Chenxi today.

"Ring, ring, ring!"

Just then, the phone by Zhao Fusheng's hand rang. Glancing at the number, he paused, then a smile crept onto his face.

"Mr. Tong, hello," Zhao Fusheng greeted Tong Zhenbang after pressing the answer button.

"Sorry to bother you so late, Chairman Zhao," Tong Zhenbang's voice sounded apologetic, but Zhao Fusheng knew he was just putting on an act.

After all, there was a time difference between the US and China. Zhao Fusheng didn't believe Tong Zhenbang was unaware of that.

Calling him at midnight US time showed he was really anxious.

"It's fine. Is there something you need, Mr. Tong?" Zhao Fusheng asked with a smile.

"Well, our boss is very interested in your operations in the financial market. He asked me to inquire how things are going recently," Tong Zhenbang got straight to the point.

A look of delight flashed across Zhao Fusheng's face. He knew the fish had taken the bait!

But at this moment, he had to stay calm and not reveal any weakness.

With that in mind, Zhao Fusheng responded nonchalantly, "Nothing much. I recently bought some NetEase stock, and it's gone up a bit. I'm considering whether to add to my position."

Little did he know, Tong Zhenbang was pumping his fist in excitement on the other end of the line.

He knew Zhao Fusheng would definitely trade NetEase stock!

Though he had suspected it before, now that Zhao Fusheng confirmed it, Tong Zhenbang finally felt relieved.

Zhao Fusheng couldn't be bothered to dwell on Tong Zhenbang's reaction and continued, "What, does your boss have a problem with my operations?"

"No, absolutely not," Tong Zhenbang quickly said, hearing Zhao Fusheng's less-than-friendly tone. "Our boss just wanted to confirm. Also, if you don't mind, Chairman Zhao, our boss would like to increase the investment. Is that acceptable?"

Zhao Fusheng breathed a sigh of relief. He knew the other party couldn't hold back any longer.

In other words, Mr. Li, faced with the temptation of huge profits, couldn't sit still and was eager to launder his money and go legitimate.

For Zhao Fusheng, this was excellent news.

But he knew he couldn't appear too eager, or he might scare away the fish that had finally taken the bait.

With that thought, Zhao Fusheng hesitated and didn't speak immediately.

His silence made Tong Zhenbang anxious on the other end.

Clearly, it wasn't Zhao Fusheng who needed them, but they who needed Zhao Fusheng. In other words, if Zhao Fusheng insisted on sticking to the original contract, there wasn't much they could do.

But Tong Zhenbang believed he was bringing money to Zhao Fusheng, so there was no reason for him to refuse.

Sure enough, after a moment of hesitation, Zhao Fusheng slowly spoke, "Mr. Tong, I hope you can tell your boss that even if you increase the investment, there will be no improvement in the profit-sharing terms."

Tong Zhenbang was taken aback, then realized that Zhao Fusheng had been silent for so long because he was thinking about profit sharing.

With that in mind, Tong Zhenbang said with a smile, "Please rest assured, Chairman Zhao, we will definitely abide by the contract."

Then he explained, "Our boss's idea is to increase our investment to one hundred million US dollars. Would you be willing to accept that, Chairman Zhao?"

One hundred million US dollars!

Zhao Fusheng was startled, then laughed. He hadn't expected Mr. Li to have such a big appetite and such boldness. It seemed the other party was confident that Zhao Fusheng would bring them substantial returns.

With that thought, a cold smile curled at the corner of Zhao Fusheng's mouth. Since someone wanted to court death, he wouldn't be polite.