Chapter 177: Chapter 175: Bluffing is Also a Basic Skill
’This President Lin is quite the maverick.’
After all, these kinds of traditional crafts were inherently at odds with industrialization. Moreover, the power and prestige had always been held by various foreign family dynasties—be it handcrafted watches from Switzerland, handbags from Louis Vuitton, or even a Balenciaga plastic bag that could sell for thousands...
Culture, aesthetics, shared consensus, and historical heritage—that’s where the truly outrageous profits are.
"How... did you decide to get into this particular sector?"
she asked with a smile, her question a thoughtful probe.
Lin Chu casually made up a reason: "My investment philosophy is very simple. I’m bullish on two sectors: one, new technology, and two, luxury goods. New technology is currently hitting a bottleneck globally, so obviously I’d look to luxury. China doesn’t have its own LV Group yet."
’Fuck it. Whether I can actually pull it off or not, I’ve gotta talk the talk first.’
’These kinds of events are all about putting on a front.’
’Besides, I’m only "faking" an ambition, not a fact. It doesn’t really count as faking at all.’
When Gu Tong heard this, her interest was genuinely piqued, and it sparked a few ideas.
In her experience, only true titans of industry were qualified to speak of such profound simplicities. They had moved beyond tracking momentary profits, losses, and trends, focusing instead on the fundamental principles of business.
New technology, luxury goods.
’It seems these two points are Lin Chu’s core investment philosophy.’
In that moment, Gu Tong suddenly felt there was something truly special about this young man.
It wasn’t a matter of right or wrong. On a long enough timeline, Chinese luxury goods might just have a chance. The broader consensus was that the great nation’s rise was unstoppable. Who could say what things would look like in another thirty years?
Masters of investment mostly believe in "long-termism."
Gu Tong felt that President Lin had a great deal of conviction. And, of course, a great deal of money.
Lin Chu, of course, knew he was mostly full of shit.
But seeing her expression, he knew he’d successfully bluffed her. ’In reality, I’m just spouting "correct but useless" platitudes. It’s owning Taiyi Villa that’s doing all the heavy lifting.’
’When you’re rich, you can fart and people will study it, even though you just let one rip.’
Lin Chu was acutely aware of this.
’It’s just that bullshitting... is a goddamn fundamental skill.’
...
Originally, she just wanted to have a simple chat, but once they started, Gu Tong found she didn’t really want to leave.
She had already seen the guest list. Among the guests here today, only three were in the investment field. One of the others was a director from a small firm looking for capital, and she had already exchanged a few words with him.
Gu Tong naturally didn’t consider someone like that to be on her level, so she decided she might as well stay put.
「It was already three in the afternoon.」 The registered guests had pretty much all arrived.
In reality, there weren’t many people, only about thirty or so, sitting scattered around, each finding their own small circles and chatting with people they found interesting.
Zhu Yixian walked onto the stage at the front. With a broad smile, he offered a few brief words of welcome before getting straight to the point. "At our Mission Hills Golf Chartered Diamond Members’ Club’s monthly gathering, besides providing a chance for everyone to connect, we also feature special business presentations."
"Today’s presenter is the founder of a company formerly listed on the NASDAQ. Although his company was delisted two years later for various reasons, he still built it from the ground up and achieved remarkable success."
"Please join me in welcoming him with a round of applause."
Zhu Yixian had a solid presence and a lot of charisma. He led the applause, and in this sort of you-scratch-my-back-I’ll-scratch-yours environment, everyone else quickly joined in.
Lin Chu, who normally hated applauding at meetings, couldn’t help but clap a couple of times as well, his curiosity piqued.
’Started from scratch, went public on US stocks, then got delisted two years later?’
"I think I know who it is."
Gu Tong suddenly whispered in Lin Chu’s ear.
Hm?
Lin Chu turned his head to look at her, their gazes meeting in mid-air. "Who?"
"Ahem..."
Gu Tong looked slightly awkward for a moment, but her expression quickly turned serious. She first asked, "President Lin, are you straight?"
"I definitely am. A pure, ironclad straight man."
Lin Chu’s reply was firm and decisive. ’But what does that have to do with anything?’
"Ah, then it’s no wonder you don’t know. That must be the founder of Xiaolan. Xiaolan was the top gay social networking app in the country. They went public in 2020 and were delisted two years later. The founder was forced out by a coalition of investors and the CEO, and the stock price has been in the doldrums ever since."
Gu Tong said it nonchalantly, her eyes even holding a hint of teasing.
Lin Chu: ...
’What the fuck?’
’A legendary figure like that exists?’
"I’ve actually met him once. He’s married with children; he doesn’t have that inclination himself. Business is business, you know? Back when social apps were booming, he was simply the first to keenly identify this market gap. He’s incredibly capable and extremely skilled at navigating regulatory risks, which is how he built the company up. I just never expected he’d end up getting taken down by his own investors."
"I’m guessing he’s preparing for a second startup, so he’s started making the rounds and leveraging his reputation."
Gu Tong realized Lin Chu didn’t know the details, so she gave a thorough explanation, choosing her words with caution and objectivity. After all, Lin Chu was a 24-year-old ironclad straight man.
Once she was done, Lin Chu completely understood. He didn’t have any particular prejudice against that business sector. Peng City had its share of entrepreneurs who took the unorthodox path. Take the founder of Kuaibo, for instance—even after spending several years in prison, capital was still waiting for him when he got out.
’Because he had already proven his "track record".’
’People will risk their necks for a profit, but no one will willingly sign up for a loss.’
As they were talking.
「Onstage.」 A man who looked to be in his thirties, wearing a shirt, jeans, and a buzz cut in the style of a programmer, walked up, offering a slightly shy smile.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Geng Yue. I’m not exactly famous, at least not compared to all of you. The most successful experience of my life to date was actually a massive failure: listing on the US stock market and then getting delisted. It’s an honor to be here today. I work in the social networking sector..."
He launched into his story.
Lin Chu’s attention, however, was completely captured.
’Now this is a talented guy.’
’What kind of chemical reaction would happen if I put this guy on He Meng and Liu Junfeng’s team?’
Lin Chu had no doubt about his abilities. Anyone who could build a company from scratch and take it public, even if they’d ridden the wave of the times, was an absolute powerhouse.
’It’s just that his previous venture... that particular field is a real double-edged sword.’
Perhaps within that community, he was a spiritual icon to some.
’But in the wider world, it might actually be a liability. If it caused my guys, or even me, and anyone else who wanted to join our circle to be misunderstood... well, that would be a huge problem.’
「Onstage.」
Geng Yue spoke about his personal history, the experience of going public, his assessment of the market, and the main reasons for his failure. Then, he smoothly transitioned to his hidden agenda.
"Every generation has its own unique way of socializing. I’m going to double down on this sector, and I believe that Gen Z and Gen Alpha will reshape social interaction. When we’ve all stopped posting on WeChat Moments, stopped using QQ, and gotten tired of Momo, Tantan, and Soul, something new is bound to emerge. After all, the need to socialize is eternal."
"I currently have a few ideas for another startup in the social media space. If there are any like-minded people here, I’d welcome the chance to chat. Thank you for your time."
Presentations at these events were quick and to the point—all substance, no fluff. He was finished in about fifteen minutes.
Geng Yue bowed to the audience in thanks, then walked off the stage with a smile.
A good number of people politely applauded as he left.
At that moment, two images appeared in Lin Chu’s mind.
The first was:
’—"I’m Zhazha Hui! If you’re my brother, come fight me! Log in now for a 688 welcome bonus and take home an epic artifact!"’
’If I made a male-oriented, Legend-style online game and gave every user a welcome package with real cash value, would that count as a rebate?’
’The power of the internet is its ability to use a single coded model to reach the largest possible audience.’
The second was:
’What if I made a social app and gave every male user a sign-up bonus? Would that count as a rebate, too?’
HSSS...
’My horizons, my perspective, had just expanded once again.’
’And besides, gaming, social media, live streaming, intangible cultural heritage, offline meetups... regardless of the format or the medium, they’re all just different forms of entertainment.’
’If the world is a giant amusement park, then my role must be the leader of a "gaming guild".’
...
...
