Zhang Yiming's fingers tightened around his phone.
What Jiang Cheng said was, "I can help you negotiate."
Instead of "I'll try."
Nor was it "I'll find someone to ask," but rather, "I can."
He remembered that the first person he had asked during the meeting earlier was Mr. Zhou.
From Series A investors to Series B and Series C.
He had thought of everyone, but the only one he hadn't considered helping him in the end was Jiang Cheng.
It wasn't because he had forgotten Jiang Cheng.
It was because in his heart, Jiang Cheng had always been that "rich but hands-off" shareholder.
He invested money, attended board meetings, spoke a few words occasionally, and then disappeared.
No different from those Wall Street funds.
But now he realized he was wrong.
Completely wrong.
"President Jiang." His voice was very soft, as if testing the waters, "You... you have connections in Indonesia?"
Jiang Cheng smiled and didn't answer.
"Or rather, do you have business in Indonesia?"
Jiang Cheng didn't answer the question but asked back, "President Zhang. You asked around just now, and everyone said 'wait until the situation is clear.' Do you know why they're waiting?"
Zhang Yiming smiled, "Because the risk is too great..."
"No," Jiang Cheng interrupted him, "If it were me, others could probably solve this with a bit of effort, but they are waiting. They're waiting for someone to take the lead. Whoever stands up first will have to go against Wall Street and the local power players in Indonesia. No one wants to be the first bird to stick its head out."
Zhang Yiming fell silent; it was indeed the case.
"But I am willing," Jiang Cheng said.
Jiang Cheng leaned back on the sofa, his fingers tapping on the armrest. "I don't need to wait for the situation to become clear. I can make the situation clear."
Those words "But I am willing" made Zhang Yiming's eyes turn slightly red.
"President Jiang, it is my honor to have a partner like you."
He had checked Jiang Cheng's background.
The boss of Xingchen Entertainment, who invested 10 billion in ByteDance in 2017 and took a 10% stake.
Besides that, there were some other investments,
But there was no family background, no educational history, and no past resume.
Completely clean, like a blank sheet of paper.
At the time, he thought Jiang Cheng was just being low-key and had hidden all the information.
Now he suddenly realized a problem.
For a person to be able to hide information so cleanly was a background in itself.
Jiang Cheng still didn't answer.
Zhang Yiming suddenly felt a bit flustered.
Not the kind of panic from fear, but the kind when you suddenly realize.
There is someone beside you, yet you actually know nothing about him.
"What do you plan to do next?" Zhang Yiming asked.
"I can't tell you that. You only need to know one thing: I can solve this for you."
Hearing this, the nerves that had been strained for the past few days finally relaxed a bit.
A hint of a smile appeared on Zhang Yiming's lips. "Alright. I'll wait for you."
Seeing that the emotional atmosphere was about sufficient.
Jiang Cheng spoke with a grin, "Wait a moment. I haven't mentioned my conditions yet."
Zhang Yiming's smile froze instantly.
"Did you think I was running a charity?" Jiang Cheng's tone was leisurely. "If I help you, I want something in return."
These blunt words made him smile freely. "Go ahead."
"First, I want Veto Power over strategic decisions for overseas business. In markets like Indonesia, India, and North America, you cannot make decisions alone without my nod."
Zhang Yiming fell silent at this.
Not because he was unwilling, but because.
This wasn't something he could decide alone.
"President Jiang," his voice was very soft, "Veto Power isn't something I can decide by myself. It has to go to the board."
Jiang Cheng spoke, "Just tell me, can you get it done?"
"I will fight for it. Give me three days. Within three days, I will convince the board. If it doesn't work—"
He paused, as if making a major decision.
"If it doesn't work, I'll call a Special Shareholders' Meeting. We'll vote again."
Jiang Cheng's eyebrows shot up.
Calling a Special Shareholders' Meeting meant bringing the struggle for company control out into the open.
For a founder, this was the step they least wanted to take.
That Zhang Yiming was willing to take this step showed he was truly going all out.
In reality, he wasn't going all out just for Jiang Cheng; it was because he was so deeply disappointed.
At this stage, only Jiang Cheng was willing to stand up and shoulder the burden with him.
Therefore, the Veto Power Jiang Cheng mentioned had already been approved in his mind.
"You said 'first,' so there should be a'second,' right?" Zhang Yiming asked.
Jiang Cheng laughed loudly. "President Zhang is indeed smart. Second, I currently hold 10% in Preferred Shares, which have limited voting rights. For this additional investment, I don't want Preferred Shares; I want to convert that 10% into Common Shares. For the new investment, calculated at the Pre-IPO valuation, I want another 5% in Common Shares."
"15%? How much are you planning to invest?"
"3.75 billion."
He fell silent for a long time again, seemingly weighing something.
This price was calculated based on a 75-billion valuation; it wasn't expensive, nor was it cheap—it was a fair price.
But Jiang Cheng wanted Common Shares, not Preferred Shares.
This meant Jiang Cheng was giving up liquidation preference and chose to be in the same boat as the founding team.
"Are you sure? Common Shares have no liquidation preference. If the company goes under, you might not get a single cent of your money back."
Jiang Cheng smiled. "President Zhang, do you think I'd let the company go under?"
Clearly, these words resonated with him.
However, in the end, he started to give a bitter smile.
"You know, regarding this issue, I also have to convince the board members from Sequoia, SoftBank, and the like. What they hold are all Preferred Shares. They won't easily agree to let an 'outsider' come in with Common Shares. Common Shares mean you and I are in the same boat. They don't like this kind of 'binding'."
Jiang Cheng nodded. "Whether they like it or not, I believe President Zhang should be able to convince them."
"Since President Jiang thinks so highly of me, I can only try my best. I'll tell them you're willing to invest 3.75 billion at a 75-billion valuation, which is a fair price, and you're giving up liquidation preference. This means if the company fails, you'll lose money before they do. Someone willing to lose money alongside the founder is worth trusting."
He paused. "If they don't agree, I'll call a Special Shareholders' Meeting. I'll have all the shareholders vote again. Haha."
Jiang Cheng also laughed along.
"President Zhang, aren't you afraid of offending them?"
He shook his head. "President Jiang, do you think I have anything left to fear in my current state? They are already abandoning me. What else do I have to lose?"
It was evident: once a man is abandoned by everyone.
If someone is willing to stand by him at this time, he will give his all for that person.
Jiang Cheng nodded. "Alright. As long as you can handle them. I'll give you an answer in three days."
"Good. In three days, no matter the outcome, I will also give you an answer," Zhang Yiming replied.
"Alright, get some rest early," Jiang Cheng said. "In your current state, how are you going to convince the board tomorrow?"