Chapter 2270: Who Is Tricking Whom?

"Zhao, do you know Uber?"

While eating, James asked Zhao Fusheng a question.

Uber?

Zhao Fusheng was startled, thought carefully, and suddenly laughed: "As a matter of fact, I do know it."

"Oh?"

James was also somewhat surprised, looking at Zhao Fusheng with astonishment: "You actually know it."

Zhao Fusheng nodded: "Because someone had proposed it to me before, hoping I could invest, but I later refused, as I was preparing for other things at the time."

Actually, he was completely making it up; he had originally considered investing, but someone else beat him to it.

Uber is a technology company from Silicon Valley, founded last year, headquartered in San Francisco, California. It develops a mobile application to connect passengers and drivers, providing ride-hailing and real-time carpooling sharing economy services, and became famous for its namesake ride-hailing app.

What impressed Zhao Fusheng most about this company was that later apps like Didi were actually imitations of Uber.

However, Uber did not suit China's national conditions and reportedly later withdrew from the Chinese market.

Of course, it might also be because Uber's boss didn't have a good father, after all, Didi's president's surname was Liu.

But why was James bringing this up with him now?

Did he want to invest in Uber?

Looking at James suspiciously, Zhao Fusheng did not hide his guess and directly asked him: "Mr. James, you're not going to tell me you're optimistic about this company, are you?"

Clearly, that was exactly what James meant.

Hearing Zhao Fusheng's question, James nodded: "Yes, dear friend, that's why I came to see you today."

Holy shit!

Zhao Fusheng cursed inwardly.

He really hadn't expected to be right.

In fact, what impressed Zhao Fusheng most about Uber was that it was a company that would go public ten years after its founding, and it once screwed Sun Zhengyi.

He didn't remember the specifics clearly, but it seemed that when Uber went public, its valuation was as high as over a hundred billion dollars, but on the first day of listing, it fell below the issue price, and within half a year, it was almost halved.

And James wanted him to invest in such a company?

"Mr. James, I think I should first learn more about this company's situation, don't you agree?"

Zhao Fusheng looked at James and said slowly.

Hearing this, James let out a long breath: "Zhao, believe me, this company will definitely develop; its potential is really huge."

Zhao Fusheng nodded but said nothing more.

Clearly, he was unwilling to discuss the matter further.

...

...

James didn't stay long; it seemed he planned to meet other people.

Zhao Fusheng found this perfectly normal.

These investors never speak the truth; the only thing they care about is profit.

Don't be fooled by how pitiful James seemed when talking to him, as if he had lost power at Sequoia Capital and was desperately seeking new investors.

But in fact, Zhao Fusheng didn't believe that a senior partner at Sequoia Capital would really be at such a dead end.

Some people, or rather some guys, always like to use such methods to show their weakness, lulling you into a false sense of security, and then, when you're not paying attention, bite you hard!

The next morning, just as Zhao Fusheng got up, Dong Chenxi arrived.

"What's the deal with Uber?"

Zhao Fusheng went downstairs with Dong Chenxi for breakfast and asked somewhat surprised: "How did James find me?"

"Not just you."

Dong Chenxi explained with a smile: "He approached many people."

"Oh?"

Zhao Fusheng was a bit surprised.

He really hadn't expected that James would be so persistent.

But after Dong Chenxi finished explaining, Zhao Fusheng understood what was going on.

Uber was founded last year, and its recent development trend was quite good. James was optimistic about the company's growth and wanted to invest, hoping Sequoia Capital would follow suit.

However, after evaluating the company, Sequoia Capital believed it had no investment value.

"As far as I know, Sequoia Capital's opinion is that if this company wants to go public, it will take at least ten years."

Dong Chenxi explained with a smile: "The investment cycle is too long; it's completely unnecessary."

Zhao Fusheng agreed wholeheartedly. Indeed, there were experts at Sequoia; at least their prediction was accurate.

And historical development had also proven it to be true.

Uber was really a big pitfall.

Wait!

Big pitfall?

A thought suddenly flashed through Zhao Fusheng's mind.

He laughed.

"How much investment is James planning to raise?"

Zhao Fusheng asked Dong Chenxi.

"It's not about how much investment."

Dong Chenxi shrugged: "Because of this matter, he had a serious conflict with Sequoia Capital and plans to start his own venture."

So that's it!

Zhao Fusheng finally understood James's intention.

After all this, the guy wanted to pull him into investing and raise funds from him!

"What, are you interested in James's proposal?"

Dong Chenxi asked, puzzled by Zhao Fusheng's expression.

Zhao Fusheng smiled: "Arrange a golf game with him."

"Ah, okay."

Dong Chenxi, though a bit curious, nodded.

...

...

Discussing matters on the golf course had its advantages. High-end courses generally belong to members-only country clubs and similar institutions; getting in requires more than just money, and it can keep out journalists and people with ulterior motives.

Meeting here didn't have the obvious purpose of a restaurant; others wouldn't necessarily connect who was meeting whom. It was an outdoor space, spacious with a wide view, partially preventing surveillance or eavesdropping.

It was also very convenient for private talks. If you wanted to chat with someone, you could walk and talk together; if you didn't want to talk, you could hit the ball far and excuse yourself, largely avoiding the awkwardness of a direct refusal.

Moreover, the walking distance was long, the air was fresh, the scenery was nice, and it had a touch of an aristocratic sport. No wonder some successful people risked being pointed at by the crowd to play often.

Of course, golf was already very popular in the United States, and many working-class families enjoyed playing it.

But the place where Zhao Fusheng and James met was not accessible to ordinary people. If James hadn't been a senior partner at Sequoia Capital, it would have been very difficult to get in.

"Mr. James, can I trust you?"

Looking at James, Zhao Fusheng said slowly.