An hour later, at five past three.
A few people t downstairs and set off towards 200 West Street in the southern part of Manhattan.
Goldman Sachs was only three hundred ters in a straight line from Wall Street, adjacent to the Hudson River, covering an area of 11,000 square ters, and stood 44 stories tall.
Today being Wednesday, a workday, the building was bustling with people coming and going, and Wilson sat in the lobby’s rest area, fiddling with a lighter.
Suddenly, the assistant’s phone rang. Wilson turned his head back and upon seeing a familiar face, his expression imdiately brightened into a broad smile.
He hurried forward, opened his arms wide, and gave Lu Liang a heavy hug: “Lu Liang, I’ve missed you so much.”
"Kamon, is that the only sentence you know?” Lu Liang, trying hard to endure his discomfort, quickly let go after the embrace.
Old white n have a strong body odor; countering the sting to the eyes with perfu is one thing, but he also suspected this guy might be bisexual. Several tis his gazes seed a little too expressive.
"Was it not standard?” Wilson smiled, barely able to resist pinching Lu Liang’s arm again.
"It was too standard, it reminded of one of our codians back ho.”
Lu Liang dodged smoothly and changed the subject by introducing Liu Qing and Gao Jinhua: “These two are
Wilson interrupted with a smile: “Jean, and John, right? I know them.”
"Mr. Wilson, the last ti we t was at the BRICS Summit in South Africa, wasn’t it?”
Gao Jinhua responded with a smile, feeling like he was regaining so footing. He had a bit of a reputation in the international finance community.
"It’s been over three years in the blink of an eye.” Wilson turned to Liu Qing and asked with a smile, “Jean, do you rember?”
Liu Qing responded with a polite smile: “About seven years ago, I visited you at JPMorgan Chase with Lao Te.”
"We’re all friends here, let’s go to the reception room upstairs, David should have finished his eting by now.”
Wilson turned his attention back to Lu Liang, asking as they walked: “The Bitcoin funds, have you no plans to withdraw them yet?”
During this period of investigation, they found out that Lu Liang had two teams, one in Tokyo and one in Modu.
The Tokyo team’s funds had already been laid out early on, with a very low cost base, likely aiming to hold Bitcoin for the long term.
The Modu team was responsible for igniting the market this ti around and probably planned to make a quick profit and run, which was what they were most concerned about.
Making a small profit was fine, but don’t crash the market,
A nascent market couldn’t withstand any blows.
Lu Liang laughed: “The market is so hot right now, if I were to withdraw at this point, I’m afraid even God wouldn’t forgive .”
"Do you guys really want to leave that badly?”
A smile on his face, his tone suddenly more aningful.
It was as if he was suggesting negotiations were possible.
Wilson squinted his eyes and raised an eyebrow, “Aren’t we negotiating right now?”
Through the elevator’s reflective walls, Lu Liang caught sight of Liu Qing’s reflection and laughed: “Right, we’re negotiating.”
Liu Qing’s face suddenly appeared troubled, not understanding the riddle they were playing at, but feeling an uneasy premonition.
Once on the 43rd floor in the reception room, a man around fifty years old arrived belatedly. First, he greeted Liu Qing, then gave Gao Jinhua a hug, calling him ‘teacher’.
Finally turning his gaze towards Lu Liang: “Mr. Lu, it’s a pleasure to et you, and I’ve been apprised of your intentions.”
"To push DiDi onto the New York Stock Exchange and complete the investnt expectations is a unanimous goal for all shareholders, including Goldman Sachs.”
David Solomon wore a smiling face as he set the tone for the conversation; DiDi’s listing was inevitable and a common goal for everyone.
Liu Qing’s expression grew even worse, Gao Jinhua’s brows furrowed tightly, and he said hastily: “David, DiDi is indeed ready to go public, but the company’s success has much to do with Jean.”
David waved his hand, smiling: “Jean worked at Goldman Sachs for a long ti, her capabilities are excellent, and I’m sure Mr. Lu has no doubts about that.”
"Mr. Liu has always been a goal for to aspire to.”
Lu Liang smiled and didn’t speak ill of Liu Qing at this juncture, waiting patiently for Dawei’s ‘but’.
"Mr. Lu, your business empire doesn’t seem deeply connected to DiDi. We could actually sit down and have a really good talk.”
David wanted to know Lu Liang’s motives and what Cheng Wei had promised. If Liu Qing could offer it, certainly she had the capability.
It didn’t matter that Cheng Wei wasn’t present and was inconsequential; if he could facilitate reconciliation between Lu Liang and Liu Qing, any sacrifice would be worth it.
He looked at Liu Qing with a smile: “Jean, why don’t you make a statent first, to show Mr. Lu your sincerity?”
Liu Qing clenched her teeth tightly and after a long pause spoke in a low voice: “If this is Goldman Sachs’ idea, then I have no objections.”
She knew this might be the best solution, but Lu Liang was still around which ant she had lost, just not everything.
David looked towards Lu Liang with a smile, Liu Qing had made her stance clear, and now it was Lu Liang’s turn.
Wilson also chid in with a chuckle: “Lu, there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests.”
Having reviewed DiDi’s share structure, swallowing up Cheng Wei’s portion of the cake could allow Lu Liang and Liu Qing to coexist.
Lu Liang smiled wryly, and slowly said: “Mr. Solomon, if Goldman Sachs maintains that attitude, then we have no need to talk.”
After all this effort on the project and just when he finally had the upper hand, why should he settle for coexistence?
"Just kick Liu Qing out, and DiDi will be his to mold however he wants.”
Lu Liang was very clear that he was an outsider and could only control DiDi by controlling Cheng Wei. Cheng Wei listened well to him, whereas accommodating Liu Qing now was like nurturing a potential threat.
"Do not act on impulse, Mr. Lu,” Gao Jinhua said, his face growing colder, “Liu Qing has already made significant concessions.” Lu Liang was being shaless by being unwilling to compromise.
Lu Liang sneered, not even deigning to look at him directly, “Do you even have a say here?”
In public, he might respect the professor title, but in private, who was he to command any respect?
Gao Jinhua was so furious his vision blurred with stars, but David gestured with his hand, cutting him off, his smile unwavering, “Mr. Lu, what do you think would be an appropriate arrangent then?”
Lu Liang skirted the question, countering, “Mr. Solomon, as shareholders and directors, isn’t our common goal to assist DiDi in completing the audit for going public?”
Since Goldman Sachs was siding with Liu Qing, his plan remained unchanged: let DiDi complete the audit, then boot out Liu Qing afterward.
"That is indeed our common goal.”
David squinted his eyes, pondering for a mont, then signaled his assistant, “George, these next few days, you’ll follow Mr. Lu’s team and help DiDi submit the audit docunts.”
George nodded, stepping up to Lu Liang, extending his hand, “Mr. Lu, hello. If there’s anything you’re unsure of, feel free to ask .”
Lu Liang nodded slightly, gesturing to Xu Jiawei, “Exchange contact information. Communicate frequently to ensure the audit is completed promptly.”
Mr. Wilson sighed, a smile on his face, “Gentlen, it’s getting late. Shall we find sowhere to dine?”
"Kamon, you make the arrangents,” Lu Liang said with a small smile.
In diplomatic speak, this ant they had exchanged views, talked, but hadn’t reached an agreent.
However, it was still early. The audit would take at least seven working days at the fastest, and during this ti, they could continue exchanging views.
As the sun set in the west, the group headed to a neighboring Wall Street, to a very famous Italian restaurant.
They split into two tables, David, Liu Qing, and Gao Jinhua at one, and Lu Liang with Mr. Wilson at the other.
"Mr. Lu, what plans do you have next? Staying in New York until it’s done?” Mr. Wilson inquired.
He subtly implied that the negotiations with Goldman Sachs hadn’t gone well, and that the journey with DiDi’s audit was destined to be choppy.
Originally, when DiDi’s Ministry of Comrce audit failed, they turned to Lu Liang for assistance.
Now, it seed they might have to reverse that decision.
Lu Liang laughed, “Kamon, I’ll be depending on you. Have you negotiated a result?”
Mr. Wilson couldn’t help but laugh and cry, “Let’s find another ti, and I’ll et David again separately.”
Liu Qing was, after all, the spokesperson for Goldman Sachs. If she was kicked out by Lu Liang, it ant Goldman Sachs’ influence would decrease.
If he could help Goldman Sachs regain its influence, it wasn’t entirely impossible to reach an agreent.
"Which kind of influence?” Lu Liang asked, unflappably.
If it was about who had more East Country secret intel as a asure of influence, then he might have to result to threats and temptations.
Mr. Wilson took a long ti before he replied, “You could think of it as a form of market influence.”
"It’s like why I helped you et David, because you already have that influence.”
Lu Liang realized then, and couldn’t help but chuckle, “I can’t believe you’d place such emphasis on this market.”
"Don’t you value it too?”
Mr. Wilson looked disdainful. Lu Liang had invested so much money into this market, clearly optimistic about Bitcoin’s future, yet he still played coy with him.
"I value it too.”
Lu Liang laughed nervously, feeling guilty. He knew only that short-term, twenty thousand US Dollars was the limit; long-term, he was unsure.
But Mr. Wilson’s attitude just made him more determined to hold Bitcoin long-term. After all, the money from Tokyo hadn’t cost him a penny; it had all been accrued through compound interest.
He wouldn’t feel the loss even if it all went down the drain,
But if he made a profit, he would invest it in the United States.
anwhile, at another table in the sa restaurant, David was also conversing with Liu Qing and Gao Jinhua.
"Jean, prepare yourself ntally. Lu Liang has a trump card I can’t refuse,” David said calmly.
Liu Qing’s heart sank, rembering Lu Liang’s conversation with Su Shimin, and asked, “Is it Bitcoin?”
David nodded, “As long as he’s willing to pay the price, we’ll abandon you.”
Liu Qing gave a bitter laugh, and Gao Jinhua couldn’t help but ask, “Is there really no other way?”
Liu Qing felt having him along would be useful, he also thought he could be significantly useful, but each ti things turned out contrary to his wishes.
He felt like a bronze player who had wandered into a high-level ga, scolded by Lu Liang like a child, which left him feeling very frustrated.
"Teacher, it’s not that I don’t respect you, but in the future, it’s better to stay out of these kinds of matters.”
David smiled, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes. When East Country first integrated into the world, they needed scholars to help them shout from the rooftops.
But he found that Gao Jinhua attributed the benefits of the era to his own abilities.
This was not a good sign.
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