The location for the phase two factory has been finalized. Wang Xiaofeng temporarily stayed in Wuhan to verify cooperation details, while Lu Liang, along with Hu Weiwei and so mbers of the inspection team, took a flight back to Modu.
Just as the plane landed at Puxin Airport, Xu Jiawei was browsing online news and suddenly said, "Mr. Lu, there’s dia online exposing that regulators have entered Ant Group, forcibly halting its IPO."
"Where is the information from?"
Lu Liang frowned but did not seem too surprised because he knew that regulators stopping Ant Group’s IPO was only a matter of ti.
It’s just that Old Ma is stubborn or has no way back, only able to continue down the dark path to pursue that tiny possibility.
Xu Jiawei continued browsing related news, made several inquiries, and then said: "The news hasn’t been confird yet, but it was initially exposed by Hang City tropolitan Daily.
It’s now topping Weibo’s trending list, and in just twenty minutes, the topic’s read count surpassed one hundred million.
It doesn’t feel like hearsay."
Lu Liang appeared thoughtful, picked up his phone, and called Douyin’s Yang Zhenyuan: "Hey, Old Yang, I want to ask you sothing."
"Mm, got it, thanks." Ending the call with Yang Zhenyuan, Lu Liang sighed lightly, "Old Ma, this ti it’s tough."
When a company encounters a public opinion crisis, under normal circumstances, it would contact major platforms, opt for a cold treatnt if necessary, or divert attention.
Alibaba, being a major internet group, should be adept at handling such matters. If the news is false or without official docuntation, it should step forward to clarify at the earliest, not let public opinion fernt.
Yang Zhenyuan said no calls were received from Alibaba’s PR departnt, indicating the news is certainly true with no room for maneuver; denial and clarification are aningless acts.
Leaving Shanghai Airport, on a forty-minute drive to Su City, Lu Liang was constantly browsing online public opinion.
"Thieves of the State!"
"Intentions behind establishing Lake University!"
"Counting Ali Group’s seven sins!"
"996 blessings? The arrogance of the capitalists!"
"30 billion moves 3000 billion, then moves 30 trillion!"
"Ant Group’s path to IPO? Wrong, it’s a path to death!"
"One diagram to understand the relationship between Old Ma and the Squid Clan!"
Several months ago, Old Ma’s various insightful articles criticizing that financial regulation wasn’t open enough went unnoticed, but now they are all being unearthed.
Along with Lake University, Ali and Old Ma’s past remarks, various issues are also being dredged up to settle past scores, similar to the scenario when Lenovo was cleared online.
Netizens who once addressed him as Ma Ba Ba are now calling him an old thief, capitalist.
"Heroes are powerless when circumstances change."
Looking at the overwhelming, one-sided public opinion, Lu Liang’s eyes revealed complex emotions.
One wrong step, every step is wrong,
One mistake, half a lifeti of achievents completely negated.
Does Old Ma have faults?
Yes!
But undeniably, he has contributions too.
The booming developnt of the e-comrce industry has closed the gap between buyers and sellers, reducing the markup made by middlen.
Financial regulation lowering paynt permissions quickly transford the nation into a cashless society, decreasing many societal incidents.
He’s just different from Lu Liang; Lu Liang knows he is blessed, so he has always been learning, maintaining awe.
In contrast, Old Ma, although continuously portraying himself as a self-made, hard-working man once peddling goods with a yoke.
But so people at 12 don’t even know English exists and have never t a foreigner, while others are already proficient in English at 12, often having chances to communicate with foreigners.
Old Ma claiming to be self-made is as ridiculous as Little Ma saying he’s from an ordinary family.
His early life was too smooth, leading to gradually inflated ambitions, despite knowing it’s a red territory, still wanting to cross the red line.
...
In the following days, Ant Group was ordered to halt its IPO by regulators, Ma Yun fell from grace, becoming the most popular topic on the internet.
Facing public discussions, although Ant Group did not stand up to clarify and explain, it also did not deny, basically regarded as default.
Public opinion continued to fernt, and after a few more days, there were reports that Ant dissolved its IPO team, indefinitely shelving the listing plan, with related news confird by P8 executives.
For a mont, Hang City’s entire housing market average price dropped by three thousand yuan overnight, with properties close to Ali Park dropping as much as ten to twenty thousand yuan.
"Where did Ma Yun go?"
As the incident fernted near a week, the topic of Old Ma’s whereabouts quietly climbed Weibo’s hot search.
In the past, Old Ma, like Lu Liang, would frequently appear in the public eye, creating an existence buzz.
But ever since Ant Group’s IPO was stopped, Old Ma, as the person involved, vanished without a trace.
To the extent that there are rumors that he ran away.
anwhile, Su City Tianxing Park.
"Mr. Lu, I lost."
Old Ma sighed slightly, his hair graying, wrinkles at the corners of his eyes akin to ravines, the whole person seed void of vitality.
The once high-spirited Mr. Ma was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a small old man nearing fifty.
"Knowing the impossibility yet acting on it, hasn’t the outco been predetermined?" Lu Liang handed him a cup of hot tea.
Old Ma appeared lost, staring at the reflection in the teacup, a bitter smile: "I thought... forget it, not talking about it."
"You thought regulators would compromise like before, until Ant Group successfully listed, turning raw rice into cooked rice." Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on NoveI~Fire
Lu Liang smiled as he voiced the unsaid words for Old Ma.
Old Ma remained silent for a long ti: "Did you know about Ant Group’s fate long ago?"
Lu Liang lifted his teacup, blew the hot steam, sipped a bit, and responded: "Didn’t you know?"
"Knowing the impossibility yet acting on it."
The sa phrase from Old Ma’s mouth carried no hint of regret, only the calm acceptance of willing to bet and accept losses.
He lifted the lukewarm tea, drank it all, regained his mood: "When do you plan to take over Alipay’s business in East Asia?"
Unable to be listed, the Ant Group was already a failed project, no longer worth wasting ti on.
At first, he agreed with Lu Liang that if Ant Group’s listing attempt failed, Alipay’s overseas business would be spun off to bolster Tianxing Finance’s online developnt overseas, leaving himself a retreat.
Now that Ant’s listing failed, a fait accompli, he should fulfill the promise.
Lu Liang did not imdiately answer, instead asked: "What attitude did the regulatory departnt take towards Alipay?"
Ma Yun spoke softly: "Soone recomnded a CEO to , he’s quite good, with rich investnt banking experience, should be able to lead Ant Group out of the current predicant."
Ant Group, valued nearly at 200 billion US dollars, unable to list, needs soone to step up and take responsibility, also needs soone to clean up the ss.
Lu Liang pondered for a long ti, giving a definite tiline: "After National Day, the setup over in Xiangjiang is almost sorted out."
"By then, I’ll inform the newly appointed CEO to handle the follow-up handover with you." Ma Yun said.
"What about you?" Lu Liang asked.
Ma Yun smiled: "What I miss most is the ti when I was an English teacher. I should develop towards philanthropy in educational aid."
Lu Liang’s eye twitched slightly, yet kept smiling: "Wish you could have students all over the world in the future."
Ma Yun smiled and said: "I also wish you could achieve the dream that Ant had not accomplished."
The two shook hands, each showing a kind smile.
Ma Yun left, as Lu Liang watched his back, couldn’t help but laugh: "Old fox, still pretending here."
The taste of power makes soone crave for it, once possessed, they’ll spend a lifeti chasing fa and profit.
With Old Ma’s character, he might only calm down for a while, guessing it won’t be long before he re-erges.
"Can Guangsheng Bank finish its internal adjustnts by October 8th?" Lu Liang thought for a mont and called Wen Chao.
He has a premonition that this fire will eventually reach Tianxing Finance, they must act quickly.
Wen Chao sensed the command in Lu Liang’s tone, patted his chest, made a military promise: "Can."
"Then I’ll go over on the 8th."
After ending the conversation with Wen Chao, Lu Liang called Hilt, inquiring about the status of Harris and Delii.
"Sir, Harris and Delii aren’t doing well." Hilt felt helpless, sighed deeply.
Harris is akin to a sharp double-edged sword, able to hurt others and oneself.
As Delii filed lawsuits in the forty-nine states and Federal Court, IRS watched Delii in nearly all areas, just waiting for them to make mistakes.
That feeling is like running a KTV but police check the premises every few days; consurs dare not stay long in such places.
Previously developing savings, wealth managent, and other businesses have almost co to a halt, only the loan departnt remains operational.
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