Chapter 1370: A Rare Talent

To some extent, both Zheng Yao and Dong Chenxi harbored a certain fear of Zhao Fusheng deep down.

This was not because Zhao Fusheng was the chairman and major shareholder of Future Group, but because even as a friend, he always carried an aura that inspired fear.

After all, a man who never made mistakes, who remained strict with himself despite being worth billions, with no bad habits—no smoking, no drinking, no womanizing—was a rare gem in any era.

More importantly, he was their friend.

Everyone has such a person around them; even if he says nothing and sits quietly, he can elevate the caliber of your social circle.

This caliber is not measured by wealth, but by the person's inner qualities and temperament.

So when Zhao Fusheng spoke seriously, even if Dong Chenxi felt unconvinced, she would listen attentively.

Moreover, what Zhao Fusheng said now was not only about the issue of Facebook shares but also a warning about her recent actions.

"My words may be a bit harsh, but I hope you can convey my meaning to the entire Future Investment," Zhao Fusheng said to Dong Chenxi, word by word.

The path of Future Investment in recent years had been too smooth.

From its inception to its gradual growth, thanks to Zhao Fusheng's foresight, Future Investment had often avoided risks in advance, without worrying about major problems. Even when Zhao Fusheng was not involved and there were a few failed investments, those investments did not cause fundamental damage. Therefore, most Future Investment employees lacked vigilance and instead carried an air of arrogance.

Zhao Fusheng had not realized this problem before. Even after arriving in the United States, he had reflected but not thought too much about it. It was only when he met Dong Chenxi and saw her current state that he realized if he did not warn her, Future Investment might one day make a grave mistake.

If it came to that, things would be troublesome.

After all, Future Investment was no longer the small investment firm it once was, but a well-known investment enterprise in the country, with many eyes watching its every move. If not for Zhao Fusheng's strict order that Future Investment never dabble in the domestic financial market, someone might have already come knocking.

Dong Chenxi's expression was quite serious. Being criticized so directly by Zhao Fusheng in front of several subordinates did not embarrass her; what truly made her feel uncomfortable was that she had made such a mistake.

After a long silence, Dong Chenxi looked at Zhao Fusheng and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I was too complacent before."

She knew well that Zhao Fusheng was right. From herself down, a restless mood had indeed pervaded Future Investment in the past two years.

The biggest drawback of this mood was that the entire Future Investment believed their company was invincible!

What is an invincible investment company?

In the eyes of many within Future Investment, any project their company invested in was bound to make money. As long as a project was profitable, they should invest in it.

This mindset was terrifying.

It was like the idea of being the best under heaven, akin to a frog at the bottom of a well.

Confidence is fine, but arrogance is excessive hubris.

Future Investment now faced this problem. Even Dong Chenxi herself felt that the company's involvement in multiple projects was only natural.

"Don't think about Facebook anymore," Zhao Fusheng said to Dong Chenxi lightly. "By the end of this year, barring any surprises, Alibaba will be listed in Hong Kong, and our position as major shareholder will certainly be challenged. You know better than anyone—how much liquid capital can we still mobilize?"

Hearing this, Dong Chenxi remained silent.

Zhao Fusheng's words were like an alarm bell, instantly waking her up.

After joining with Sequoia Capital and SoftBank Asia, along with Yahoo, to acquire 40% of Alibaba's shares, Future Investment's available liquid capital was indeed limited.

Previously, Dong Chenxi's thinking was simple: whether it was Facebook, Alibaba, or Tencent Technology's stock, all had great potential for appreciation. If possible, she did not intend to sell shares in any company.

But now, this idea seemed too naive.

You cannot have both fish and bear's paw. Whether to eat fish or bear's paw is a question that requires a choice.

Now, Zhao Fusheng had made his choice: he chose the domestic market.

"Just giving up on Facebook like this?" Dong Chenxi gritted her teeth, still somewhat unwilling, because from the materials Wu Sijie had given her, Facebook's growth potential was enormous.

For an internet company, growth potential was undoubtedly a very important quality, meaning that if given the chance, the company could grow into a behemoth, and holding a bit more equity at that point could mean billions of dollars.

"Of course not." Zhao Fusheng smiled slightly and waved his hand, saying, "We're just selling a portion of the equity. Simply put, we'll ask Sequoia Capital to value Facebook, then see how much they're willing to pay to buy some of our shares."

In essence, what Zhao Fusheng wanted to do now was to lead Facebook's financing and, while ensuring Zuckerberg's control over Facebook, secure the maximum benefit for himself.

Although these words sounded a bit hard to understand, that was the reality.

"You mean we'll still keep shares in Facebook?" Dong Chenxi was somewhat surprised. She had originally thought Zhao Fusheng planned to completely abandon the US market, because as he said, the US side would never allow a Chinese person to become the largest shareholder of Facebook.

Zhao Fusheng smiled slightly: "Of course. My requirement is to keep at least five percent of the shares, even if it has to be disclosed after the IPO."

Zhao Fusheng had always wanted to keep a low profile, but on the matter of Facebook, he didn't intend to be too low-key.

Dong Chenxi smiled with satisfaction. Since Zhao Fusheng said that, she had no objections. She herself had felt it was a pity, given Facebook's huge development potential, and giving it up now would be somewhat reluctant. But seeing Zhao Fusheng's intention now, it was clear he had other plans for the future, so she was relieved.

"You all need to work a bit harder." Zhao Fusheng looked at several executives from Future Investment and said with a smile, "Put more effort into this matter. After it succeeds, I'll give everyone bonuses and a long vacation."

As he spoke, he winked and said, "Also, when you go back, make sure to instruct your subordinates that our company is in venture capital, and we pursue success rates. When selecting projects, be extremely cautious, and never treat the company's money as if it's not money."

A boss of his stature speaking so amiably made all the executives nod repeatedly. They understood that the boss wasn't joking; anyone who didn't take his words seriously might get fired.

"That's it for now." Zhao Fusheng finally concluded and said to everyone with a smile, "I'll leave the Facebook matter in your hands."

He was never the type to be domineering. Even as the boss, he often came across as approachable and kind.

Throughout the entire Future Group, Zheng Yao was even more feared than Zhao Fusheng. As the CEO, she was usually a stern figure in the company; legend had it that she once fired over two hundred people at once.

Of course, these were all legends; whether they were actually true, no one else knew.

Dong Chenxi left with her people, but Wu Sijie was kept behind by Zhao Fusheng, who said he had something to tell him.

As the chairman's assistant, Wu Sijie naturally had no choice but to stay obediently at the villa and follow Zhao Fusheng's instructions.

"Boss, what are your orders?"

After seeing off Dong Chenxi and the others, Wu Sijie came to Zhao Fusheng's side and asked respectfully.

Zhao Fusheng glanced at his new assistant and suddenly smiled.

For some reason, Wu Sijie felt a bit strange, as if he had been seen through by his boss.

Shaking his head, Zhao Fusheng smiled and said, "I didn't expect you to have such skills."

Wu Sijie was taken aback, a little at a loss; he really couldn't figure out what Zhao Fusheng meant by that.

"Don't overthink it." Seeing this, Zhao Fusheng knew he must have thought he was dissatisfied with him, and waved his hand with a smile: "I'm not dissatisfied with you. To be honest, your performance this time surprised me; I didn't expect you to be so capable."

This was his true feeling; the surprise Wu Sijie had given him this time was really beyond Zhao Fusheng's expectations.

"Thank you for the compliment. I just did what I had to do." Wu Sijie let out a long breath and said to Zhao Fusheng with a smile.

To be honest, he really hadn't expected that his unauthorized actions would actually satisfy Zhao Fusheng.

Originally, after hearing Zhao Fusheng's words of persuasion to Dong Chenxi, Wu Sijie's heart had already sunk halfway, because the information he had provided to Dong Chenxi showed that FaceBook's prospects were good, and Dong Chenxi had used that information to try to convince Zhao Fusheng to give up selling FaceBook shares. But in the end, Dong Chenxi was persuaded by the chairman instead. At that moment, Wu Sijie even thought he might lose his job.

But what he didn't expect was that instead of being criticized, he was actually praised.

Seeing Wu Sijie's reaction, Zhao Fusheng smiled, patted him on the shoulder, and said nothing more.

This was the art of managing subordinates: alternating kindness and severity, and never letting the other party guess your thoughts—that was the key.