Lu Ci, the youngest partner of Vision Capital, is known for his sharp cash acquisitions and merciless negotiation style. She believes in an iron rule: business is business, without any emotion.
Lin Shen, the core figure at the helm of mergers and acquisitions at Deep Blue Capital, has a US-funded background, a calm playing style, precise calculations, and a habit of striking after the fact. His principle is: always leave a way for the opponent to retreat, but that way must lead to the end he has set.
The first time they met three years ago, Lu Ci won. Three years later, the founder of the social e-commerce platform "Xingtu" died suddenly, leaving a vacuum of controlling rights. The two once again stood at opposite ends of the same negotiation table.
This is not a game of who has more money. This is a battle for the trust of the founder's widow, a tug-of-war on the management's hearts, and a fight to the last three decimal places of every clause. From the Star Map bidding to the forced alliance of Mingyuan Industrial, from being maliciously attacked by external funds to the rifts in their respective internal camps, they became the only opponents who could understand each other in the wars without gunpowder.
There is no charity from the overbearing president, no salvation from the sky. There were only late-night arguments in the data room, passing silence at the airport, and a promise that was never kept.
When the end comes - the two capital giants are considering acquiring each other - they must answer the same question: What if winning you and losing you are the same thing?
This is a story about gaming, restraint and extreme pushing. In the adult world, feelings are never a bargaining chip. But sometimes, the most rational choice is precisely the most irrational answer.
