Zhou Mengdie didn't think too much of it. When she got home, she told her parents about her upcoming business trip to the United States.

After exchanging a glance, Zhou Mengdie's parents asked, "Why the sudden business trip to the US? Does your company have operations there?"

"Our boss plans to set up a branch office. We'll have many investment plans in the US in the future," Zhou Mengdie explained.

"How long will this business trip be? Besides you and your boss, is anyone else going?" Zhou Mengdie's mother inquired further.

"Of course! A whole team of us is going, at least a dozen people," Zhou Mengdie replied. "As for how long the trip will be, that's uncertain. I suppose we won't return until we've handled everything there. It could be as short as one or two months or as long as half a year."

"That long for a business trip? Why don't you just resign and not go?" Zhou Mengdie's father said uneasily.

"Dad! How could you say that? I fought so hard to get this opportunity to go to the US. How can you just tell me to quit?" Zhou Mengdie said unhappily.

"What's so great about the US? Nowhere is as safe as our own country, our own city of Shenzhen, our own home," her father argued.

"Mengdie, your father is just looking out for you," her mother added, trying to persuade her. "Our family doesn't need your salary. It was fine when you were working here in Shenzhen, at least you could come home to sleep every night."

"But now you're saying you have to go to the US for several months, maybe even half a year? How can we rest easy? It's chaotic over there. Many people own guns, so it isn't as safe as our country."

"Every year, countless people are desperate to go abroad to study or work, and the US is often their first choice. Now you're telling me how bad it is?" Zhou Mengdie retorted. "I don't think the US is that great either, but it can't be as horrific as you're making it out to be!"

"I'm just going there on a business trip with my colleagues to work for a while. It's not like I'm leaving and never coming back. Why are you reacting so strongly?"

"If you keep this up, I'll move out and never come home again! This is infuriating!" she burst out. "I'm your daughter, and I'm a grown woman. I'm not some pet you raised to keep by your side forever. Do you want to tie me up with a rope? So you can just pull me back whenever I stray a little too far?"

* * *

For days, Niu Qiangdong had been in Shenzhen, desperately searching for financing channels. Just today, he had met with over a dozen investors without a break, but he had achieved nothing. Despite repeatedly lowering his company's valuation, he couldn't generate any interest. Every investor claimed to have no funds and wasn't considering any new investment projects for the time being.

Last year, Niu Qiangdong had secured a $12 million Series A financing round, which boosted his company's valuation to $60 million. Afterward, he led the company in a phase of steady and robust development, following the example of QuietNet Supermarket by building its own logistics centers and rapidly expanding its territory. The company achieved significant growth and impressive results. However, due to the rapid expansion, the venture capital in the company's accounts was quickly depleted.

With no money left, they obviously needed to raise more funds. But many investors who had previously been optimistic about Qiangdong Company's development were now backing out. The global financial crisis had arrived, and everyone adopted a cash-is-king policy, becoming extremely cautious about investing.

Niu Qiangdong had initially been brimming with confidence, setting his company's target valuation at a staggering $200 million. Reality, however, quickly brought him down to earth. Many venture capitalists refused to even speak with him, believing he was out of touch with the market, asking for an outrageous sum, and treating them like fools. Facing one rejection after another, Niu Qiangdong had no choice but to continually lower his company's valuation. It dropped from a peak of $200 million to $180 million, then to $150 million, $120 million, $100 million, and finally to $80 million—still, no one was willing to invest.

This series of major setbacks left Niu Qiangdong questioning his life choices. When he complained to the major shareholder from his last funding round and asked for more capital, the shareholder told him they were also out of money. To keep Qiangdong Company afloat, the major shareholder had already personally lent him money twice. These were not corporate transactions but private loans that required Niu Qiangdong to pay high interest. However, each loan was only a little over one million RMB—a mere drop in the bucket. It was enough to cover staff salaries, but it couldn't solve the company's life-or-death crisis.

Niu Qiangdong was so anxious that blisters formed at the corners of his mouth. He suffered from insomnia, unable to sleep at night. He worried so much that white hairs appeared overnight. Without new funding, his company faced a dead end.

Just then, through a friend's introduction, a securities investment fund company from Harbor Island expressed interest in Qiangdong Company. When they asked Niu Qiangdong for his target valuation, he hesitated before timidly quoting $60 million. He was afraid that naming a higher price would scare them away completely.

After round after round of negotiations, the other party was still dissatisfied with the $60 million valuation. They haggled relentlessly, slashing the price down to $45 million. When Niu Qiangdong consulted his major shareholder, the shareholder, though unhappy, told him to accept the offer. The most important thing now was to secure the financing and keep the company alive.

Just as Niu Qiangdong was preparing to sign the official contract, a young and beautiful woman named Chen Xuejiao, who introduced herself as the Vice President of Hong Kong Hualong Investment Company, approached him directly, expressing her willingness to invest in his company.

"I'm terribly sorry, but you're too late. I've already found an investor, and I'm on my way to sign the contract now," Niu Qiangdong said, shaking his head. Although the other party had pushed the valuation to rock bottom and he was dissatisfied, he was a man of his word. Since he had already agreed to sign, he wouldn't back out now.

"I know, but you haven't officially signed yet, have you?" Chen Xuejiao said with a smile.

"We may not have signed, but we've already negotiated and agreed on all the terms. How could I break the agreement at the last minute?" Niu Qiangdong said with a wry smile.

"Aren't you even curious about our company's valuation for your company?" Chen Xuejiao asked confidently.

"I don't think that's necessary. Since I've already come to terms with another investment company, I won't go back on my word, even though we haven't signed a formal contract," Niu Qiangdong said, shaking his head again.

"Alright. It seems I really am too late, then. In that case, I can only wish you a smooth signing." Though she said this, her expression showed no trace of disappointment or regret.

"However, there's one thing I must tell you," Chen Xuejiao continued, not leaving immediately. "Our company's valuation for your company is much higher than theirs. Moreover, Mr. Niu, while you may be a man of great credibility and contractual integrity, the other party might not be. They will likely lower their valuation of your company again right before officially signing. Unless you are willing to accept their new valuation, I'm afraid your signing today will not go smoothly. I've already given you my business card. I hope to receive good news from you soon."

After speaking, Chen Xuejiao left decisively without pestering him further.

I've already lowered my expectations this much, from $200 million all the way down to $45 million. At such a low valuation, what more could they possibly object to? Besides, they were the ones who proposed this number! How could the signing not go smoothly under these circumstances? Niu Qiangdong thought Chen Xuejiao was just bluffing, or perhaps even trying to sow discord.

But when Niu Qiangdong and his business negotiation team from Qiangdong Company met with the team from the Harbor Island securities investment fund company, sitting in the conference room ready to sign the contract, the other party suddenly backtracked. They wanted to lower Qiangdong Company's valuation from $45 million to $30 million.

Niu Qiangdong was so furious he was ready to explode.

"I'm sorry, but I object!" he said, standing up and trying to contain his rage. "The $45 million valuation was your own offer. We had already agreed on all the terms. To suddenly slash it to $30 million right before signing is utterly faithless. You have no respect for the spirit of a contract. Therefore, I refuse to cooperate with your company, and I refuse your investment."

"Mr. Niu! I understand this is quite sudden," said the leader of the investment fund's negotiation team, "but in the current climate, we have no choice. We have to cut expenses. The fact that we're still willing to invest in your Qiangdong Company at all is quite rare. A valuation of $30 million isn't low. How can you say our company lacks credibility?"

"If we were truly faithless and had no sense of contractual integrity," he added, "we wouldn't be investing a single penny in your company."

"Doing this is a direct insult to Qiangdong Company! I would rather see the company go bankrupt than accept this humiliation." After saying his piece, Niu Qiangdong turned to his team. "We're leaving. We don't need this investment."

After they walked out of the investment firm's office, Niu Qiangdong vented his rage. But once the anger subsided, he had no choice but to face reality and start thinking about what to do next.

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