Seeing Jiang Cheng actually feeding them one bite at a time, Zhao Linger's brows knitted again.
No way… had she really over-thought it?
Right now, compared with Chen Xueer, Zhao Linger—whose mind was a tangle of doubts—felt completely ill at ease.
While Jiang Cheng was busy feeding Chen Xueer, she took the chance to break the silence first.
"President Jiang! Before the meeting I was still sweating bullets, but that line of yours just now—'the traffic gateway will be signed under a separate agreement'—was absolutely ruthless! You asked for both equity and revenue share; President Huang's face turned green!"
Recalling it, Chen Xueer couldn't keep the corners of her mouth from lifting; the way she looked at Jiang Cheng once again carried a trace of admiration.
Picking up from Zhao Linger, she asked, "How were you sure they'd accept 17 %? My calculation put the balance point at 16.5 %. When Sequoia and Penguin teamed up to lead the round they wanted 17 %, and Huang Zheng kept hesitating."
"Because they're desperate for cash to upgrade their supply chain. Penguin already owns 18.5 % of Pinduoduo; they daren't let Tencent inject more. Although both we and Penguin hold Class-A shares—one vote per share—versus Huang Zheng's Class-B shares with ten votes each, it's hard to strip him of control. But Pinduoduo will definitely raise more rounds; Penguin won't miss the chance. Sequoia can't provide traffic, so we're the optimal choice."
After Chen Xueer nodded, Jiang Cheng went on: "From what I know, right after this round Huang Zheng is already gearing up for the next one—and it won't be open to the public. It's highly likely he's already promised the next opportunity to other parties while accepting our money."
Chen Xueer replied, "That's true. Pinduoduo is growing fast, but it's burning cash just as quickly. Are you interested in their following round as well?"
Jiang Cheng nodded without hesitation: "For the next round, our Star Capital will go all-out to win a stake."
Hearing this, the two women couldn't help exchanging glances.
Three billion U.S. dollars was already a massive investment.
After pouring in twenty billion chinese yuan, they'd assumed Jiang Cheng would need time to recover, yet here he was, eyeing yet another round.
And this wasn't paper money—it was cold, hard cash flow.
Unlike the Star Hotel under construction, this couldn't be solved with loans or mortgages.
Once the contract was signed, they'd have to wire every cent into Pinduoduo's account.
Surprised, Chen Xueer simply nodded, voicing no objection to Jiang Cheng's plan.
"Understood. I'll draw up the plan at once."
The moment he finished, the notification tone of the wechat on the table chimed.
Jiang Cheng glanced over; the pop-up was actually from Si Nian.
Si Nian: "Boss, got a minute?"
The phone lay in the middle of the table.
The instant the banner popped up, the two women clearly saw it too.
At least it wasn't Yu Xiaoxiao or Qiao Yinyin sending anything flirty.
Still, the atmosphere turned subtly awkward.
The cozy feeling of being fed from left and right suddenly flipped into embarrassment.
Mainly, Jiang Cheng now faced a dilemma: pick up the phone or not?
The pop-up had been loud; both women had looked over in the same heartbeat.
Pretending he hadn't seen it would look guilty.
But if he did pick it up, his chat history would probably be glimpsed.
The sweet feeding ambiance would collapse on the spot.
Though he figured they wouldn't stare openly.
Still, according to system data he'd received, both women had 5.0 vision.
From what he knew of women, they'd likely sneak a peek.
Jiang Cheng quietly monitored his Danger Perception Skill.
Seeing no warning, he reached out to grab the phone and reply.
Before he could, Si Qing's wechat arrived.
Si Qing: "Boss, are you taking Si Nian out for dinner tonight??"
Though Si Nian and Si Qing differ by only one character, the two women instantly sensed the distinction.
As expected…
Seeing the successive messages, even with one woman pretending to nibble her sausage and the other burying herself in papers…
…they still couldn't resist teasing.
"Oh my, President Jiang, you're quite the busy man."
"Their names sound so alike—they must be sisters," Zhao Linger chimed in.
Feeling the stares from left and right, Jiang Cheng kept an eye on his Danger Perception Skill.
Fortunately, the skill stayed silent.
So, no big deal.
Relaxing, he maintained his usual roguish air and answered honestly: "Nothing I can do—who told me to be this handsome? Being popular is only natural."
At that, the two women rolled their eyes in perfect sync.
"So, who exactly are you dining with tonight??"
Jiang Cheng gave a light cough. "Ahem, I'm so busy—how could I possibly have time to eat in shifts? Naturally, I'll have them both together."