The Hua Country Internet Conference, hosted by the Internet Association, predated the Wuzhen World Internet Conference. It had been held ten times since its inaugural session back in 2002.
Tomorrow was the eleventh Hua Country Internet Conference!
Qian Du, Penguin, Sina, Sohu, 360, NetEase, and numerous subsidiaries of Senlian Capital were all on the invitation list, which included over 100 leading enterprises.
For Chen Yansen, attending the conference was not the main event. What mattered was increasing his influence in the industry, reaching target customers, and discovering new business opportunities.
The elegant way to put it was "connecting business resources, discerning industry trends, and shaping the corporate image." The more colloquial expression was "building a personal brand, finding investors, and schmoozing."
Even bigwigs like Li Yanhong, Ma Liyun, and Ma Wenteng weren’t above it, so of course Chen Yansen wouldn’t refuse.
When it came to anything advantageous, he would take the initiative without needing to be asked.
September 10th, 2:00 PM.
On a Boeing flight to Yanjing, Chen Yansen leaned back in his business class seat, flipping through a copy of *Photonic Crystals: Molding the Flow of Light* to pass the time.
Zhou Shouzhi, Huang Zheng, Liang Bo, Gao Weilin, and Song Yuncheng were scattered in seats nearby.
Old Gao was on his iPad, reviewing Pinbei’s financial statements. Zhou Shouzhi was engrossed in a book titled *Case Studies in Business Law*, while Huang Zheng and Liang Bo were discussing Toutiao’s e-commerce advertising business.
Song Yuncheng turned to the side and stole a glance at Chen Yansen. After a moment, she pursed her lips and went back to nonchalantly flipping through the magazine in her hands.
Except for Zhang Yinjia of Orange Pay, who hadn’t come, Orange Technology, Pinbei Mall, and Today Technology had all sent representatives to the conference.
Also among the invitees were Kuai Pao, Fast Taxi, Gaode Map, Cloud Speed Express, and Byte.
This made it clear that while Senlian Capital didn’t have a single publicly listed company to its name, each of its subsidiaries was a heavyweight in its respective field.
After some time, Gao Weilin lowered his iPad and let out an unconscious yawn. He glanced at his watch; there was still an hour until they landed.
He discreetly studied Zhou Shouzhi, Huang Zheng, and Liang Bo, and couldn’t help but feel a surge of relief. ’Thank God I was sharp enough back then. I didn’t refuse to join just because of FoxTao’s shabby office environment.’
’Otherwise, with Senlian Capital’s current financial scale, if I had missed that golden opportunity, there’s no way I’d be the one serving as CFO today.’
"Old Gao, is the dinner meeting tonight all set?"
Chen Yansen’s sudden question broke Gao Weilin out of his reverie.
"Boss, I’ve invited President Yu from Huake, President Gao from Huaxin, Mr. Ma from Penguin, and President Cai from Goldman Sachs. I booked the banquet hall on the hotel’s top floor."
Gao Weilin replied promptly.
"Lao Huang, you’re with me tonight." Chen Yansen nodded slightly, giving the order to Huang Zheng.
"Yes, Boss," Huang Zheng replied.
He understood immediately. These four companies were the sole investors for Pinbei’s Series B financing round: Penguin would provide additional user traffic, Huake and Huaxin would act as official endorsements, and bringing Goldman Sachs on board was a strategic move for future overseas expansion.
Though there were few investment firms involved, every single one was a powerhouse.
Time flew, and at 4:50 PM, the plane touched down at Yanjing Airport. It taxied for ten minutes before finally coming to a complete stop.
Chen Yansen handed his suitcase to Song Yuncheng and strode toward the express channel. Zhou Shouzhi, Huang Zheng, Liang Bo, and Gao Weilin followed close behind, while Song Yuncheng silently trailed after them, pushing two suitcases.
As soon as they stepped out of the arrivals gate, they spotted a driver and security team arranged by Xiao Jun standing a short distance away, holding a pickup sign.
"Hello, Boss. I’m Liu Yi, President Xiao’s assistant. This way, please. The cars are parked in the B2 area of Terminal 2."
Liu Yi, a man of about thirty in a sharp business suit, hurried over to greet them as soon as he spotted Chen Yansen.
"Mm."
Chen Yansen acknowledged him with a quiet, indifferent sound.
The group walked to the B2 parking area, flanked by bodyguards. Liu Yi led them to a Maybach 62S and opened the left rear door for Chen Yansen.
Chen Yansen got right in. Song Yuncheng took the seat on the right in the back, and Old Gao, knowing his place, sat in the front passenger seat.
Zhou Shouzhi, Huang Zheng, and Liang Bo got into a Mercedes-AMG CLS 63, and the rest of the security team piled into a seven-seater van.
The convoy of three luxury cars departed from the airport, speeding down the Jingping Expressway.
The twilight view from the car window was like a tranquil oil painting—the slanting rays of the setting sun casting a gentle, dappled light.
As they passed the North Fifth Ring Road, Old Gao pointed to a building in the distance and said with a smile, "Boss, Meituan Headquarters is in that building over there."
"A worthy opponent."
Chen Yansen glanced over, his expression serene as he delivered his assessment.
Currently, Kuai Pao Delivery had already entered the South China Market and established branches in the provincial capitals of the Northeast Region. They were now busy with site selection for local hubs, while the field promotion, operations, and HR departments were methodically rolling out the local delivery business.
Kuai Pao had already established a firm foothold before Meituan Takeout’s teams even arrived on the scene.
Wang Xin wanted to replay the same tactics from the infamous Thousand-Groupon War, but Pei Yi would certainly not give him that chance.
Half an hour later, the car pulled up in front of the Yanjing Marco Polo Hotel. The hotel was adjacent to the International Conference Center, just a few minutes’ drive away.
The moment they walked into the ground-floor lobby, Cheng Weixing, Pei Yi, Liao Wei, Xiao Jun, and Zhang Yiming, who had been waiting in the lounge area, all rose to their feet in unison.
The five men strode forward, smiling as they greeted him, "Boss!"
Chen Yansen gave a slight nod, his gaze sweeping over them before landing on Liao Wei. "It’s rare for all of us to be together like this," he said. "Book a private room for tomorrow night. We can take our time and talk then."
"No problem, I’ll arrange it," Liao Wei said with a grin.