"East Island
The vehicles and people smoothly passed through security and entered the island via the cross-sea bridge that spanned just over three hundred ters.
A nearly forkless ocean road stretched for two kiloters, leading directly to the Asian Forum Hotel.
Past nine o’clock in the evening, the entrance of the hotel was bustling. Li Bing, Li Xiang, and He Xiaopeng also seed to have just arrived, and they were chatting happily.
"Tianxing’s Mr. Lu has arrived.”
Suddenly soone called out, and everyone imdiately turned their gaze toward the car that had just co to a stop.
Last night’s social event had catapulted Lu Liang into becoming a bridge for communication between Eastern and Western capital, but he was not a traditional ‘comprador’.
Lu Liang had the strength to directly engage with Western capital and even faintly held an advantage, which was why they would bother traveling all the way to Modu.
"Mr. He, long ti no see.”
Lu Liang flashed a smile as he greeted He Xiaopeng; Li Bing and Li Xiang could wait since they were almost like insiders.
"Miss Wang, you seem to be everywhere.” Suddenly, he turned to look at the dia gathered at the entrance to take photos, and Wang Chuting was conspicuous among them.
"Mr. Lu, I’m a special dia invitee for this conference.” Wang Chuting replied with a beaming smile, flaunting her access badge on her chest.
In recent years, as the self-dia industry rapidly developed, both dostic and international propaganda agencies had recognized the importance of self-dia.
This conference had invited not only official dia from various countries but also many dostic self-dia practitioners.
Wang Chuting had nearly ten million followers on Douyin and several hundred thousand followers on TK.
Her work in the ninth business Hall of Fa distinguished her from other self-dia practitioners, making her an unofficial yet official dia person, naturally riting an invitation from the conference organizers.
The two exchanged brief pleasantries, without saying much, giving onlookers the impression they were rely ordinary friends.
"Mr. Lu, how about we have dinner together later?”
Li Bing was all smiles and very enthusiastic.
As one of the new energy enterprises invested in by Lu Liang, the dia would inevitably compare them, and they would be keen to compete behind the scenes.
The cumulative sales of the NIO ES8 reached three thousand, which seed respectable, but it was premature to compare it to the Li Xiang ONE, which had sales figures over ten thousand.
He was under a lot of pressure, especially since he was short of money lately. NIO’s battery swapping stations were like gold-sucking monsters that never seed to have enough funding.
"Just a mont, Mr. Lei from Xiaomi and Mr. Wang from BYD are just behind and almost here.”
Lu Liang asked Xu Jiawei to first take care of check-in procedures and then sat down with the three from Weiliao to chat casually in so spot.
When it ca to the the of the conference, new era, new transformation, new industries – it could all be sumd up in one sentence: accelerating industry developnt.
As the permanent venue for the conference, Hai Island aid to be at the forefront by banning the sale of fuel cars by 2030 in order to transform into a free trade port focused on environntal technology.
"Congratulations, Mr. He,” Lu Liang said to He Xiaopeng.
Last year, during a company retreat, he had visited Hai Island, which at the ti had been invited by provincial authorities hoping for Tianxing to cooperate with Haima.
But Lu Liang didn’t want to deal with a state enterprise that was beyond redemption, nor did he want to support the useless, so he proposed an acquisition instead.
The conversation ended there,
And shortly after, news spread that Haima had entered into cooperation with Xiao Peng.
Hai Island planned to completely ban the sale of fuel cars by 2030 and create a brand-new free trade port.
As a ‘son-in-law’ who had married into the family, Xiao Peng was expected to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of this new energy vehicle conference.
Li Bing and Li Xiang wore strange expressions while He Xiaopeng could only offer a wry smile, “Mr. Lu, Xiao Peng’s production base isn’t on Hai Island.”
The business environnt on Hai Island was diocre at best, and after his assessnt, he decided, together with Haima, to build the plant in Zhengzhou.
The ‘son-in-law’ who had run off with the only daughter – whether he could now reap the whirlwind of extre wealth was still a matter of debate.
"Uh… Mr. Lei and Mr. Wang seem to have arrived.”
Lu Liang was montarily lost for words; although he hadn’t personally made an assessnt, it was obvious that Xiao Peng had managed to drag Haima away.
One could guess that describing the environnt as “average” was an understatent – “appalling” would probably be more accurate.
"Mr. Lei, you’ve also co?”
"Talk is talk, but there’s no intention of car manufacturing.”
"But if Xiaomi has no intention of making cars, why would they cooperate with Jihu to develop their vehicle infotainnt system?”
Mr. Lei’s appearance was no less impactful than Lu Liang’s. Back in the day, the launch of the Red Rice at 799 set off the era of thousand-yuan smartphones.
In recent years, as the mobile phone business has beco increasingly saturated, Xiaomi has beco addicted to cross-industry expansion, stirring up the industry with its Internet of Things plan that connects everything in one network, living out the dreams once dreamt by LeEco.
Since Mr. Lei is here tonight, it’s clear he doesn’t want to hide anymore. He is openly admitting that Xiaomi is indeed interested in entering the new energy sector.
Now that Xiaomi is on the field, it makes one wonder whether other smartphone manufacturers like OV, Huawei, and Apple might be entertaining the sa idea.
The leaders of the joint-venture car companies suddenly felt overwheld, with the relentless national promotion and the constant influx of new and old players from various industries.
The ti left for them seed short, and it looked like they couldn’t count their money while lying on their rit certificates anymore.
"Mr. Lei’s entrance is indeed extraordinary,” Lu Liang quipped sarcastically. Mr. Lei chuckled, not having a chance to respond, when a hearty laugh suddenly erupted, “Tonight is really lively.”
The golden Hers shone brightly as Old Xu approached with a beaming smile, “How can I, Old Xu, miss out on such a lively scene?”
Hengtai, which claid a 20-billion RMB investnt in Hengchi cars, had already set up a factory in Jinn. If all went well, the first car model would be launched next year.
As the newly crowned First Rich of the Chinese, Old Xu’s appearance prompted a never-ending stream of people greeting and fawning over him.
After all, unlike his predecessor, Old Wang, Old Xu was known for his generous splurging and easy spending.
One day it might be a billion-level small project, the next day a ten-billion-level major project—and he could actually afford it.
Even Li Bing was eager to interact with Old Xu, their company NIO needed such a dupable deep pocket to join in.
"Mr. Lu, long ti no see.”
With a smile, Old Xu made his way through the crowd and ca straight up to Lu Liang, “I heard that Modu was even more exciting last night. Alas, I was in France at the ti and couldn’t join—the regret of a lifeti.”
He talked about being busy in the past couple of months, leading a 20-person team through five countries and eight cities, covering a total flight distance of over 50,000 kiloters.
He had only just returned to the embrace of the motherland.
"I’ve heard,” Lu Liang said with a nonchalant smile, catching Old Xu’s show-offy tone. The news had covered his extravagant spending journey.
Initially claiming to invest 20 billion in car manufacturing, the factory was not even completed before he had already splashed out 18 billion RMB acquiring various technologies, likely intending to revive the glory of Wan Guozao with Hengchi.
"But it’s still no match for you, Mr. Lu, with fifty billion US Dollars—when you say you’ll invest, you do,” Old Xu sighed.
At the start of the year when he made this plan, he had hoped that it would make Hengchi and his na known worldwide.
But just as he began implenting the plan, Lu Liang had gone to New York and was treated with exceptional respect.
Not only was he invited to converse with Old Te in the White House, but he also invested 5 billion in Detroit.
That’s over 33 billion RMB.
Compared to Lu Liang, the whole Hengchi seed to fade into insignificance.
"Enough with the mutual flattery,” Wang Chuanfu said with a grim face. “Let’s find a place to get sothing to eat.” Each person present had at one ti poached people from BYD.
He considered his treatnt of employees generous, yet why were his people so easily lured away?
"Mr. Wang has a point, gentlen, please co this way,” the executives from Weiliao smiled and assented, playing the part of mood makers.
Outside, they were hailed as new industry giants, but in front of these few, they could only bow and scrape, seeing themselves as errand boys.
No need to ntion Lu Liang, the only born-and-bred Chinese in so many years to make it internationally and get recognized by Wall Street institutions as a financial titan.
Old Xu, the Chinese First Rich, head of Hengtai, with a personal wealth of over 280 billion. Old Wang, the head of BYD, the old industry stalwart, and a leading figure in the new energy industry.
Even Mr. Lei, who was known as the “Cash King of Beijing” before Xiaomi was even founded, not to ntion now with an estimated valuation of 45 billion US Dollars about to take Xiaomi Group public.
As the several people departed, they left behind a throng of dia pondering deeply, “Such is the life of a great man.”
Though not explicitly said, they knew he was talking about Lu Liang, born in ’85, just 32 years old, conspicuously young among those in their 50s, 60s, and 70s.
Crucially, at his age, he should have been standing like a lackey like Li Bing and Li Xiang, but instead, he was one of the most central figures.
"Miss Wang, it seems unlikely that anyone else will co now. May I have the honor of joining you for dinner?”
A journalist refocused his intentions—instead of envying the unreachable, it was better to focus on the present.
"I’m sorry, but I have to edit a piece later.”
Wang Chuting gently declined, her glance unconsciously following Lu Liang’s retreating figure, her affections overflowing like spring water, barely concealable.
She dreaded encountering Lu Liang at these events, because whenever he appeared, he would inevitably beco the center of attention.
She would feel excited and agitated, and had to clench her thighs tightly to hide her overwhelming emotions.
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