dognovel Chapter 189 The Chance to Eat the First Bite of Cake
Chapter 189 The Chance to Eat the First Bite of Cake
The fat boss's voice wasn't loud, and he was speaking Mandarin, but it still attracted the attention of some people.
Many people looked over, and when they saw it was Wang Xiucheng, many people first whispered in surprise, and then some people started to applaud.
At first, there were only a few people, but after a dozen seconds, almost everyone in the restaurant joined in.
It seems that quite a few people have just returned here after watching the game at the Barek Center.
This made Wang Xiucheng a little embarrassed.
Some women of certain status, seeing that Wang Xiucheng seemed to be alone, unconsciously licked their lips, wanting to have a deeper conversation with him that evening.
Wang Xiucheng quickly followed the fat boss to his seat, nodding and waving all the way.
"My name is Li Jiahua, and I am the owner of a technology company."
The chubby boss extended his hand to introduce himself.
In fact, he introduced Wang Xiucheng to him when Wang Xiucheng hitched a ride on his plane.
"Hello Mr. Li, I am Wang Xiucheng." Wang Xiucheng could only formally extend his hand and shake hands with the other party.
"This is Zhang Jiani. Her father-in-law is a friend of mine. She's a... minor actress," Mr. Li introduced the woman opposite him.
Wang Xiucheng could only shake hands with Zhang Jiani again.
The moment they made contact, Zhang Jiani quickly withdrew her hand.
She felt as if she had been electrocuted, and her whole body felt strange.
Wang Xiucheng ordered some food for himself, Ma Wei, and the other two, then dismissed the waiter and looked at the fat boss.
"What brings Mr. Li to New York this time?"
Since they were just making conversation anyway, Wang Xiucheng asked again, even though he knew what kind of meeting the other party was there for.
"I'm here for a meeting about the future of the smart terminal industry, and also to see if there are any opportunities for financing."
Li Jiahua didn't know if Wang Xiucheng drank alcohol, so he simply handed Wang Xiucheng an unopened bottle of mineral water.
"Smart terminal?" Wang Xiucheng didn't quite understand.
“Yes, simply put, it’s artificial intelligence,” Mr. Li added.
Wang Xiucheng paused slightly at this moment, and a name suddenly appeared in his mind.
Wang Xiucheng immediately said, "OpenAI?"
Li Jiahua was visibly taken aback, seemingly not expecting Wang Xiucheng to mention that name.
"Mr. Wang actually knows about OpenAI? That's quite unexpected."
Wang Xiucheng unscrewed the bottle of mineral water and gulped down most of it in one go.
So, ChatGPT should be going public soon, right?
Wang Xiucheng knew all too well the changes ChatGPT had brought to the world since its inception.
The business opportunities here are enormous.
However, OpenAI is not a field that ordinary people can enter; only people like Musk and Microsoft can participate.
Following ChatGPT's success, the related industries in China also developed rapidly in a short period of time, with the market value of many companies increasing several times or even dozens of times.
"Mr. Li, what's this about financing?" Wang Xiucheng was genuinely interested this time.
If there's enough time, I think I can get to eat the first bite of cake myself.
“We’re working on a program that, ideally, can connect to computers, mobile phones, and cars. It can execute any human command and even help humans write code. But this thing is too expensive, and there’s not much progress so far. I was thinking of taking advantage of this meeting to see if any American companies are willing to invest.”
“I tried to find angel investors in China, but they only offered a maximum of 10 million yuan, and they wanted more than half of the shares. How could I possibly agree to that?”
"We haven't asked Mr. Li what his company is called yet?" Wang Xiucheng asked again.
"Honghua Technology".
Li Jiahua was a little embarrassed, as the name was a combination of his and his wife's names.
Wang Xiucheng suddenly leaned back in his chair, and then asked, "How much money does Mr. Li want to raise?"
Li Jiahua was slightly taken aback. Was Wang Xiucheng going to invest in him?
He's a football fan and knows how much Wang Xiucheng earns. Even with all his endorsements, it's unlikely he'd invest in his uncertain future business.
However, he still said, "Initially, it will require 10 million Chinese yuan, and later it may require more than 40 million yuan in investment. If we want it to reach the level of commercial use, it may require 100 million Chinese yuan."
Even Li Jiahua himself was shocked when he told Li about the amount of money.
But this is already the bare minimum budget.
“Mr. Li, I am very interested in this project,” Wang Xiucheng said.
"Is Mr. Wang telling the truth?" Li Jiahua was very excited. If possible, who would want to seek foreign financing?
“Mr. Li, I can invest 100 million RMB, but I want 51% of the shares. But don’t worry, I won’t participate in any of the company’s operations. You know I don’t have the time.”
"51%?" Li Jiahua was somewhat conflicted.
While he was surprised by Wang Xiucheng's wealth, he also admired Wang Xiucheng's boldness.
But he did have some doubts about whether Wang Xiucheng was joking.
One hundred million, which is more than fifteen million, can Wang Xiucheng really come up with that amount?
Even if it were possible, this money would probably be all that Wang Xiucheng has.
Does he really dare to vote for himself entirely?
“Mr. Wang, I can only give you 49%. This company is my everything.”
Wang Xiucheng interrupted him, saying, "Mr. Li, 51% is my bottom line, and 100 million is the initial investment. If further investment is needed, I can continue to invest. You don't need to go around looking for money like this today."
"May I consider it?" Mr. Li was somewhat tempted, but decided to go back and discuss it with his company's senior management.
At the same time, Li Jiahua also wanted to wait until after the meeting to see if he would receive any larger investment.
“Of course, that’s your right,” Wang Xiucheng replied with a smile.
I certainly don't have 100 million right now.
But just because it's not available now doesn't mean it won't be available next month.
Just then, the dishes Wang Xiucheng had ordered were served one after another, so he stopped talking and began to eat heartily.
Zhang Jiani, who hadn't interrupted their conversation, looked at Wang Xiucheng with curiosity.
She never expected that Wang Xiucheng, who looked so young, would casually mention a hundred million.
Moreover, Wang Xiucheng was surprisingly rational when he was bargaining with Uncle Li just now.
Recalling how Wang Xiucheng calmly hugged her on the plane, Zhang Jiani's face unconsciously turned red.
What has Wang Xiucheng, who doesn't look very old, been through?
It took Wang Xiucheng and the others nearly an hour to finish their late-night snack.
In fact, Li Jiahua had wanted to leave for a long time. He wanted to tell his friends in person about Wang Xiucheng's investment.
But he knew it was impolite.
Seeing that Wang Xiucheng had finished eating, Li Jiahua immediately stood up: "Mr. Wang, please take Jia Ni back for me. I need to go see those old friends."
“Of course,” Wang Xiucheng said without refusing.
Zhang Jiani wanted to say that she could go back, but seeing that Wang Xiucheng had already agreed, she didn't say anything more.
"You guys go back first, I'll go back by myself in a bit."
Wang Xiucheng then spoke to Ma Wei and the others.
Wang Xiucheng rented a hotel room for the three of them separately for an extended period, and they did not live together with Wang Xiucheng.
Wang Xiucheng and Zhang Jiani pressed the button for the downward elevator and entered.
Neither of them said anything, and the atmosphere suddenly became a little awkward.
The restaurant is located between the hotel and the apartment, so if you want to take Zhang Jiani back to the hotel, you'll need to go downhill.
However, Wang Xiucheng didn't know which floor Zhang Jiani lived on, and Zhang Jiani, for reasons unknown, didn't press the floor number either.
Wang Xiucheng was a little confused. After waiting a few more seconds, he turned his head and asked.
"Which floor do you live on?"
Wang Xiucheng's sudden turn of his head seemed to startle Zhang Jiani.
She was stunned for a moment, then felt Wang Xiucheng's presence approaching her. She hurriedly reached out and pressed down, saying, "Oh, I live on the 8th floor."
Wang Xiucheng turned his head away and ignored the woman.
The elevator continued downwards, and when it reached the 26th floor, it suddenly dinged, then slowly slowed down and stopped on the 24th floor.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, before Wang Xiucheng could even see who was outside, a strong smell of alcohol rushed into the elevator.
Immediately, four or five black men staggered into the elevator, one of whom even let out a burp.
Zhang Jiani frowned and instinctively covered her nose.
This action seemed to have displeased the black men. One of them looked at Zhang Jiani and then began to lewdly sized her up.
Zhang Jiani was a little flustered. At this moment, Wang Xiucheng grabbed Zhang Jiani's hand and pulled her behind him.
"Don't look at my friend like that." Wang Xiucheng shielded Zhang Jiani in a corner, while also moving the camera away from her.
The black man at the front, who was originally facing the elevator door, turned around and saw his companion's lecherous look.
He seemed to recognize Wang Xiucheng, glanced at the camera, then slapped his companion on the head and said to Wang Xiucheng, "Sorry, he's been drinking. He's not usually like this. We apologize."
Wang Xiucheng didn't want to cause trouble either. These people didn't look like righteous people at all, and they might even be carrying guns.
Nodding and saying nothing more, Wang Xiucheng carefully shielded Zhang Jiani in the corner.
The elevator quickly reached the 8th floor. Several black men made way for her at the door. Zhang Jiani seemed to want to get out of the elevator, but Wang Xiucheng grabbed her hand and prevented her from moving.
Until the elevator doors closed again.
The elevator quickly reached the first floor, and several black men got out and walked out of the hotel.
Wang Xiucheng still held onto Zhang Jiani and didn't come out.
As the elevator doors closed again, Wang Xiucheng, who had been staring outside, saw a black man seemingly smiling and glancing back at him at the very last second.
With a sigh, Wang Xiucheng turned around and looked at Zhang Jiani, who didn't even dare to speak. "Go back and get your passport and other important things. Come with me first."
"Why?" Zhang Jiani asked, puzzled.
“I’m afraid they’ll come looking for you. After all, this is the United States, and a Chinese woman is very tempting to them.”
Wang Xiucheng immediately stopped talking and pressed 8 again.
Standing behind Wang Xiucheng, Zhang Jiani looked at the tall and strong man and suddenly felt a sense of security.
Standing behind this man, it seemed there was nothing to fear.
Wang Xiucheng took out his phone and dialed a number.
The call connected immediately, and Wang Xiucheng said directly, "Come pick me up on the eighth floor."
Zhang Jiani's hand was still being held by Wang Xiucheng, but she did not try to break free.
The elevator quickly reached the 8th floor, and Wang Xiucheng pulled Zhang Jiani out of the elevator.
Wang Xiucheng turned to look at Zhang Jiani and saw that she was looking down, seemingly lost in thought.
"Where's the access card?"
Zhang Jiani was taken aback, then quickly found her room key in her bag, ran to the floor, and opened a door.
"Hurry up and pack, the sooner the better," Wang Xiucheng said, then stood behind the door and looked down the hallway through the peephole.
Zhang Jiani didn't know if Wang Xiucheng was being too nervous, but she did as she was told.
At this moment, she preferred to believe Wang Xiucheng, her compatriot.
Less than two minutes later, Ma Wei and his two companions appeared in the corridor.
Seeing that Wu Di and Wu Jia had their hands on their waists, Wang Xiucheng felt relieved.
He didn't know if those people would come, but the New York mafia was still scary.
Soon, Ma Wei, carrying a suitcase, and the group took the elevator to the restaurant, then went up the restaurant's private elevator back to their apartment on the top floor.
Wang Xiucheng also left Ma Wei and the others there, and arranged rooms for them.
This penthouse has more than a dozen rooms, which is enough for everyone.
Half an hour later, Wang Xiucheng lay on the large platform in his pajamas, looking at the bustling night view of New York.
In late October, the temperature in New York City was less than 20 degrees Celsius at night. If Jenna were here, she would feel a bit chilly.
But for Wang Xiucheng, a northerner from China, this temperature was just right.
The glass door behind him creaked open, and Wang Xiucheng glanced inside to see Zhang Jiani with her hair still wet.
Wang Xiucheng was stunned. Zhang Jiani, who had just taken a shower, seemed to radiate an attractive glow.
"I haven't thanked you yet," Zhang Jiani said, her face slightly flushed, after seeing the look in Wang Xiucheng's eyes.
"No need, I'm bored by myself anyway, it's nice to have someone to chat with." Wang Xiucheng smiled.
The atmosphere suddenly froze, and neither of them seemed to know what to say.
"I...I want to go back to sleep," Zhang Jiani suddenly said.
She didn't know why she came here to see Wang Xiucheng; she could have just gone back to her room.
Is it all just for a "thank you"?
Unexpectedly, as soon as she turned around, Zhang Jiani felt her hand being grabbed.
This man always likes to hold her hand.
"Stay with me a little longer." Wang Xiucheng grabbed Zhang Jiani and pulled her to sit down on the sofa.
"I..." Zhang Jiani's face turned so red it felt like it was burning up, making her feel unwell.
She suddenly felt Wang Xiucheng's restless hand stirring with desire.
"No, I...I want to go back to sleep."
Immediately, Zhang Jiani stood up and hurriedly let go of Wang Xiucheng's hand.
At that moment, Zhang Jiani felt as if something was leaving her, as if she had lost something important.
She longed to hold Wang Xiucheng's hand again, but reason told her she couldn't.
"sorry."
For some reason, after apologizing, Zhang Jiani hurriedly opened the glass door and returned to her own room.
Wang Xiucheng glanced at Zhang Jiani and could only shake his head with a forced smile.
My charm just isn't enough.
……
10 month 22 day.
Toronto, Maple Leaf Bank Arena.
The Nets are about to challenge the Toronto Raptors here.
Meanwhile, in the Penguin Live broadcast room, the chat was filled with angry comments.