novelraw Chapter 529: Investor's Night 1
Chapter 529: Investor's Night 1
Inside the black Bentley.
Wang Yubo put down his phone, his expression dark and grim.
"Chairman Wang..." Ren Mingyuan noticed something was off and cautiously asked, "Did Yuyan turn you down again?" ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by novᴇlfire.net
Wang Yubo let out a cold laugh, "She hung up on me. Blocked me on WeChat too. Looks like she’s dead set on charging ahead no matter what."
Ren Mingyuan frowned, a trace of confusion in his voice. "That doesn’t make sense. I already laid everything out clearly—she should understand what the right choice is."
As Shen Yuyan’s senior, and a successful entrepreneur who had built his company from scratch and now completed Series C financing, he knew her personality and abilities well.
She was an exceptionally smart woman—high EQ, sharp IQ, quick to read the room, and adept at using her strengths to get what she wanted.
She wasn’t someone content with mediocrity; she longed for higher ground, chasing success and maximizing her personal value.
She had a strong ambition to climb, admired power, and was full of ambition.
Women like that don’t usually make impulsive decisions.Even if, at first, her pride and self-respect made her resist Wang Yubo’s "offer,"
after a day of calm reflection, she should’ve seen reason and used the event as an opportunity to lower her head and admit fault.
Even if it was just for show, she should’ve placated them first to ensure Youjie Housekeeping’s financing went smoothly.
But the reality was—she actually rejected them.
Wang Yubo lit a cigarette, slowly exhaled a puff of smoke. "I was going to give her a chance. But now, heh. If she can’t recognize a golden opportunity, then I’ll make her understand her insignificance the harshest way possible."
Ren Mingyuan hesitated, then cautiously suggested, "Chairman Wang, this approach could get expensive. How about I try talking to Yuyan again? After all, we had a smooth partnership before. Maybe she’s just acting on impulse."
Wang Yubo glanced at him, voice ice-cold. "What, you feeling sorry for your junior?"
"That’s not what I meant," Ren Mingyuan quickly explained, "I just think, Youjie Housekeeping is a small company, not worth pouring so many resources into. We could easily find other options. No need to..."
Wang Yubo cut him off, his tone brooking no argument. "Do it my way."
"Okay... got it, Chairman Wang. Understood." Ren Mingyuan nodded helplessly, then changed the subject and began reporting on Gongying Technology’s next round of financing and IPO plans.
In truth, Gongying Technology wasn’t a truly large-scale enterprise.
Though it had a Series C valuation of around 460 million, its cash flow was tight.
To boost company growth and pave the way for a listing on the New Third Board, they’d set up a Strategic Investment Division—by investing in smaller companies with potential for business synergy, they hoped to gain traffic channels, value-added services, and expand market presence.
For that reason, they were talking to four small housekeeping firms similar to Youjie.
The idea was to use vague but targeted investment terms to gradually convert these companies into Gongying’s satellite tools.
By comparison, Youjie Housekeeping’s terms were already the gentlest.
After all, Shen Yuyan was Ren Mingyuan’s schoolmate, and a highlight case matched through the startup incubator.
For example, the betting agreement with two payment installments—under irregular business performance, problems were almost guaranteed.
Even if performance fell slightly short, the most they’d have to do was give up partial control (like small fund expenditure approval), and they’d still get the final installment.
As for the buyback clause, it was nearly impossible to trigger.
According to the contract, only major financial issues, departure of core team members, sharp performance declines, or illegal activity could activate the buyback mechanism.
That’s why Shen Yuyan and her team agreed to sign in the first place.
From their perspective, those conditions were nearly impossible to all occur at once.
And they were far more reasonable than the performance targets and IPO plans demanded by other investors.
Even Gongying Technology didn’t really want them to repurchase shares—compared to listing profits, that money was nothing.
They genuinely wanted Youjie to grow, to act as a traffic funnel for Gongying, not to acquire a failure.
Originally, Wang Yubo’s plan was to push Shen Yuyan out of core management through capital maneuvering, let Gongying take over operations, then lure her back in with a high salary or title.
That way, he could keep control while avoiding direct conflict.
But Shen Yuyan not only turned him down—she publicly showed her disgust and resistance.
That completely infuriated Wang Yubo.
To him, it was an insult—one that needed payback.
As Youjie Housekeeping’s biggest shareholder, holding 44.4%, Gongying Technology had significant control, veto power over major decisions, and more importantly, a “joint account.”
Through these tools, they could directly affect Youjie’s business and create financial trouble.
As for violations? Those were easy to find.
In a housekeeping company with high employee turnover and tight cost control under Shen Yuyan, there were plenty of issues to dig into—like social security contributions and labor disputes.
Once a professional legal team got involved, none of that would be a problem.
As for losing core team members?
Ren Mingyuan wasn’t worried at all. Like his junior Wang Ning, also from the computer science department—he’d had many private conversations with him.
Wang Ning greatly admired Gongying as a soon-to-be-listed tech company, and he’d already had big issues with Hou Shaoyuan and Zhang Tianqi.
As long as they offered an olive branch and made some promises, he’d definitely agree.
The only issue was—it would take time and cost, and probably drag into a long lawsuit mess, maybe not even see results until next year. A total money sink.
But what could they do? Wang Yubo was pissed. As Gongying’s largest shareholder and lead of the Series C round from Mingjian Capital, his words reflected the company’s will.
On both sides of the Huangpu River, the neon lights gradually flickered on.
Ren Mingyuan stared out the car window at the distant river, his eyes flashing with something complex and deep.
Climbing the ladder of class was always brutal—especially under the crush of capital, grassroots entrepreneurs often seemed insignificant, even powerless.
Wasn’t he the same?
He’d clawed his way forward through thorns, compromising with capital, even cutting ties with former comrades and partners, kicking them out just to barely hold onto his position.
And Shen Yuyan... she could’ve achieved her goals the easy way, but insisted on taking the thorn-covered road.
Outside Haian Tianke Garden.
Sun Jiayue and Zhang Nuo walked out of the community side by side and stood quietly by the roadside to the right of the gate.
After a while.
"Almost here?" Zhang Nuo asked anxiously, glancing at her watch and then toward the distant intersection.
Sun Jiayue brushed back the windblown hair from her temples and reassured her, "Almost, just wait a little longer."
Zhang Nuo sighed, muttering, "These rich folks really are something else. We agreed on a meeting time, and now they’ve left us here in the wind. I told my boss I’d be at the check-in point by 4:40, you know."
Unlike Sun Jiayue, she worked at a large financial services firm—Kai Feng Wealth—as an investment analyst.
For this event, she came along as an assistant to her supervisor, mainly to help with client coordination.
Naturally, she wanted to arrive early to avoid messing up the schedule.
In fact, the news about the “Investor’s Night” event was passed to Sun Jiayue by Zhang Nuo the moment it came out.
After that, Sun Jiayue used her company’s connections to successfully secure an invitation.
"Don’t worry, we definitely won’t be late." Sun Jiayue softly reassured her.
Zhang Nuo curled her lips, sounding a little regretful. "What a shame, I was hoping to chat more with Tang Song during the banquet—"
Sun Jiayue’s expression froze slightly, then she forced a smile. "Can’t help it, things suddenly changed. Besides... the more I thought about it, letting him pretend to be some 'tech elite' was kind of risky. He doesn’t know much about the scene—it’d just be awkward."
Zhang Nuo rolled her eyes and muttered, "What’s so awkward about it? Didn’t you notice? People like Tang Song, no matter where they are, they just naturally fit in—it’s like he has an aura around him."
As she said this, a hint of girlish shyness surfaced on her face. "Honestly, I think he’s super charming—not just good-looking, but also mature and well-spoken. Totally not what you described, like some average programmer."
Sun Jiayue gently patted her on the shoulder, half-joking, "Alright, Nuonuo, stop daydreaming. Tang Song and Liu Qingning are really close—they’ll end up together sooner or later."
Before meeting him, Sun Jiayue used to think Tang Song wasn’t good enough for Liu Qingning. But after getting to know him, her opinion began to shift.
The two were actually quite compatible, and Tang Song turned out to be far more impressive than she had imagined.
Top-tier looks were already rare, and with his current poise and eloquence, his future looked bright.
"Aiya, what nonsense are you talking about!" Zhang Nuo feigned annoyance and gave her a push. "I just admire him, okay? Hmph, if Tang Song really chased after you, could you stay unmoved?"
"I’m not as shallow as you." Sun Jiayue said that with her mouth, but in her mind, an image of Tang Song standing by the riverbank flashed—tall, composed, as if born for the spotlight.
If a guy like that really pursued her... she’d find it hard to resist.
Just then, the phone ringing broke the brief silence.
Sun Jiayue pulled out her phone and glanced at it before quickly answering, "Hello, Pengyuan."
"Okay, Nuonuo and I are by the gate."
As soon as she hung up, a black Mercedes-Maybach came into view.
The car gleamed with understated luxury in the setting sun, its smooth lines exuding a solemn sense of prestige.
The vehicle came to a steady stop in front of them.
The driver’s window slowly rolled down, revealing Xu Pengyuan’s smiling face.
"Today I’m playing chauffeur. Jiayue, you sit in front. Nuonuo and Brother Liu, in the back."
Right after, the back window rolled down too, revealing Liu Jing’s calm and collected face.
"Good evening, Brother Liu. This is my friend, Zhang Nuo." Sun Jiayue introduced politely.
"Brother Liu." Zhang Nuo nodded sweetly.
Liu Jing gave a slight nod to both. "Hop in."
The two responded and carefully got in.
The car’s interior was spacious, the leather seats soft to the touch, and a faint woody fragrance filled the air, making it feel extra comfortable.
The car pulled away slowly from the roadside.
Xu Pengyuan smiled and teased, "This ride belongs to Brother Liu. It’s my first time driving it, so I was extra cautious. With the traffic too, I kept you waiting—my bad."
Sun Jiayue quickly waved her hand, "It’s fine. We’ve still got time, and we’d just be waiting there anyway."
Zhang Nuo nodded, though her eyes couldn’t help sneaking glances at the “big shot” Liu Jing beside her.
Rumor had it he was a representative of a family business from Ningbo that had transitioned into investment, currently on the hunt for high-quality opportunities.
As someone in finance, there was always a natural sense of curiosity and fascination toward the wealthy.
This feeling wasn’t about personal motives—it was driven by professional instinct.
Sensing the air inside the car was a bit stiff, Xu Pengyuan spoke up at the right time: "Everyone, relax. Brother Liu may be the real deal, but he’s actually very—billionaire-level—approachable."
He deliberately emphasized the words “billionaire-level” and paused slightly.
Everyone caught the joke and chuckled, the tension in the air easing significantly.
Sun Jiayue and Zhang Nuo quickly picked up on the vibe and started chatting. The conversation flowed from Modu’s weather to the latest hot investment topics, all revolving around Liu Jing.
Liu Jing kept a faint smile throughout, seeming quite content with the interaction.
Dusk gradually deepened.
The Maybach cruised north along Pudong South Road, drawing closer to the entrance of the underground parking at the Modu International Conference Center.
Liu Jing casually lowered the window, letting the evening breeze brush past his face.
Just as they were about to arrive—
a low and powerful engine roar ripped through the air, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.
Sun Jiayue and Zhang Nuo instinctively turned to look outside. The signature taillights streaked through the night in a dazzling trail.
The Lamborghini didn’t roar off—it came to a smooth stop right at the parking entrance of the conference center, parked neatly in front of the Maybach.
Zhang Nuo couldn’t help whispering in awe, "Looks like that owner’s here for the event too."
Liu Jing smiled slightly. "That’s an Aventador SVJ—probably a modded imitation of the limited 63 edition. I used to want one too."
Xu Pengyuan shook his head and said with a hint of teasing, "Heh, pulling up to the conference center in that? A little over the top. Brother Liu’s style—taking a Maybach—is much more fitting."
He ran a family office and dealt with plenty of second-generation elites—many of whom were flashy, high-profile types.
Sun Jiayue’s gaze swept across the luxury cars nearby, a flicker of resolve in her eyes.
She softly said, "Still, it shows tonight’s event is high-tier. Since Brother Liu’s here, there’s bound to be gains."
To her, this event carried huge weight.
If she could secure even two or three LPs (Limited Partners), she could finish this year’s fundraising goal smoothly.
The car entered the underground parking garage.
Eventually, the Lamborghini slid into a space, reversing in with fluid precision.
Xu Pengyuan parked the Maybach in an open spot nearby.
Zhang Nuo’s gaze was still fixed on the Lamborghini across the way.
But the next second, her expression froze, and she blurted out, "Tang Song?"
"Hmm?" Sun Jiayue was startled. "What’s wrong, Nuonuo?"
Zhang Nuo tapped her and pointed in a direction.
Sun Jiayue followed her line of sight—and her pupils suddenly contracted.
Beside the sharp-edged Lamborghini stood a familiar figure.
He’d changed into a perfectly tailored dark suit with a white shirt underneath, clean-cut and poised, radiating confidence.
And next to him, stood a stunning woman in a professional outfit, holding a Chanel bag.
Every move she made was full of elegance, smiling as she spoke to him.
The handsome man and beautiful woman combo seemed to shine with their own spotlight, standing in the dim underground parking lot, exuding a dazzling aura.