Chapter 9/13 Tuesday

Zhang Lixian arrived at the uniquely-shaped building of City Dawn with the recordings from the financial channel.

Li Shi was already waiting for her on the 11th floor.

"Mr. Li, hello, hello!"

Zhang Lixian shook hands warmly with Li Shi, who then invited Zhang Lixian and the videographer inside.

Entering the empty living room, Zhang Lixian was stunned.

This... is this a newly moved-in house?

It was practically bare, as if it had just been robbed. How could anyone live here?

Zhang Lixian was very confused.

She had previously heard that Mr. Li had arranged the interview location in the City Dawn community, and she had assumed that this was Mr. Li's residence. After all, it was in a residential area, so it obviously couldn't be an office location.

But after arriving, Zhang Lixian was even more puzzled.

How could this be a residence?

There wasn't a trace of human warmth.

As far as she knew, Mr. Li had been married for a long time, and his son was already in junior high school, but there was no sign that his wife and son had ever lived here.

In other words, Li Shi didn't live here as a home, but just rented a Sloth Apartment?

Why?

Was there something special about this place?

Before Zhang Lixian even started the interview, she naturally had many questions.

Li Shi saw her confusion and smiled, "I know what you want to ask, don't worry, we'll talk slowly."

Near the balcony, there was a small tea table and two chairs for drinking tea, perfect for an interview. Originally, the sunlight coming through the floor-to-ceiling windows made the shot a bit backlit, but Li Shi solved the problem by adjusting the smart glass.

This wasn't a formal news interview, but more like an interview program. The program was longer, and the content they discussed was relatively casual.

While Zhang Lixian recalled the questions she wanted to ask, she couldn't help but cast her gaze at the square black box on the tea table.

What was this thing?

It was hard not to notice it. The room was so large and had basically no other furnishings, making the black box on the tea table particularly eye-catching.

Li Shi smiled, "I'll explain this thing later."

Zhang Lixian nodded, deciding to proceed with the interview according to the normal process. If she wasn't satisfied with the interview results, they could always reshoot.

After all the preliminary preparations were complete, the interview officially began.

Zhang Lixian had many questions, such as why Mr. Li arranged the interview location here, what was going on with the furnishings in the room, and what the black box was for. However, she still started by asking the questions she had prepared beforehand.

"Mr. Li, you can be said to be a senior figure in the venture capital industry in Jingzhou and even Handong, a witness to many wealth myths. The Fuhui Capital you founded has directly or indirectly helped many industries in Jingzhou."

"You have also recently responded to the call and invested a large amount of capital in the old industrial zone, which is near Horror Hotel."

"However, companies and investors in Jingzhou originally avoided this place like the plague. What made you decide to invest here?"

Li Shi fell into recollection, "Actually, I didn't think much of this place at first. But one day, CEO Pei asked me, 'Which project in Jingzhou is the one that investors are most unwilling to touch?'"

"I thought about it and said, 'It should be the old industrial zone over there.'"

"Because at that time, the old industrial zone was still a wasteland, with only some abandoned factories, and it was far in the suburbs, in a very remote location."

"I thought CEO Pei was just joking, but CEO Pei invested directly without saying a word!"

"So, I invested too."

Zhang Lixian was stunned.

So... rash?

CEO Pei invested, so you followed suit? What if CEO Pei's investment failed?

"Then... why do you trust CEO Pei so much?" Zhang Lixian asked.

Li Shi smiled, "If you investigate CEO Pei's Dream Chasing venture capital investments in detail, you will find that his investments are vastly different from those of others!"

"Other people's investments have only two outcomes: loss or profit."

"And CEO Pei's investments also have only two outcomes: profit now or profit later!"

"To say that the most successful investment of Dream Chasing venture capital was the purchase of shares in Finger Company, that was truly perfect timing in every step, and the returns directly increased by more than twenty times!"

"To be an investor, you need not only courage but also vision."

"An excellent investor must first be able to see opportunities, then know how to seize opportunities, and finally dare to seize opportunities!"

"And CEO Pei has obviously done his best in every aspect, which is why he has been able to invest in so many successful projects."

"Of course, before investing, CEO Pei also repeatedly reminded me that this project would have great risks. I thought about it, and if there are risks, there are risks. The transformation of the old industrial zone is imperative. If we really lose money, it will be equivalent to making a contribution to Jingzhou."

"As a native of Jingzhou, I am fortunate to have acquired some wealth, and it is only right to give back to society."

Zhang Lixian nodded, "Mr. Li's vision is truly admirable. I've noticed that you seem to trust CEO Pei very much? Does this trust come from CEO Pei's brilliant investment record, or does it also come from other sources?"

Li Shi was silent for a moment, then said, "Actually, at the beginning, it was just because of CEO Pei's brilliant investment record. At that time, I didn't have a very deep understanding of why CEO Pei and Dream Chasing venture capital were able to achieve so much success."

"But recently, I have become more and more clear about what the root cause of all this is. I think this experience can not only be shared with investors, but also with all young people who aspire to make a career."

"The fundamental reason why CEO Pei has been able to achieve such success lies in his way of thinking!"

Zhang Lixian's eyes lit up, "Please tell me more about it?"

Li Shi smiled slightly, "This is Sloth Apartment, the latest rental brand launched by Tengda. But many people don't know that CEO Pei also lives here, on the top floor of this building. All the furnishings in this room are exactly the same as those in CEO Pei's room!"

Zhang Lixian was stunned.

She really hadn't thought of that!

Everyone knows where Tengda's offices are, where CEO Pei's office is, but very few people know about CEO Pei's true face, or where CEO Pei lives.

"CEO Pei's residence is also the same as here? Isn't this too simple? How can anyone live here?" Zhang Lixian asked, puzzled.

Li Shi smiled, "That's what I thought at first too."

"After discovering that CEO Pei lived here, I was also very surprised, because the furnishings here are really too simple, so simple that it has a certain impact on normal life."

"People who live here can easily feel that this place is like a temple or monastery because there is no atmosphere of life at all."

"So, I also had doubts."

"With CEO Pei's net worth, it would be easy to buy a luxurious villa. Why would he live in a place like this?"

"So, with these questions in mind, I also lived here for more than half a month, and finally, I understood CEO Pei's deeper meaning."

Li Shi deliberately paused to build suspense, then said, "This place helps to concentrate the mind for thinking. And CEO Pei lives here precisely to concentrate all his attention on thinking for a long time!"

"This place is less of a residence for CEO Pei and more of a training room or meditation room!"

"CEO Pei's success is not accidental, but the result of diligent thinking day after day."

"He compresses his material enjoyment to an extremely low level, keeping only the bare minimum of necessities in the entire room, and has been living this minimalist life to prevent those messy things from interfering with his thinking!"

"Without these clutter, you can focus more on thinking. Living in such an environment for a long time can cultivate this focused, long-lasting way of thinking."

"There is no such thing as an investment genius in this world. CEO Pei is just making use of all his time to think efficiently!"

"So, I am now trying to learn this way of thinking of 'simplifying complexity'."

"I often come here to think quietly alone. I have found that many problems that I couldn't figure out before can be quickly figured out after coming here, because here, I can be single-minded and nothing will interfere with me."

A look of understanding appeared on Zhang Lixian's face.

So that was it!

She had also been very puzzled before. CEO Pei was the boss of Tengda Group, and he could earn 500 million from one investment. What kind of house couldn't he afford?

Although this house was not small, it still didn't match CEO Pei's net worth.

Moreover, CEO Pei had decorated his house so simply, with almost nothing superfluous, making people think of ascetics and seekers.

Was this reasonable?

Who doesn't like convenience, and who doesn't like enjoyment?

CEO Pei's Tengda Group was already a large and prosperous enterprise, and in theory, it would be normal to enjoy life.

But CEO Pei did not do that.

Obviously, CEO Pei had some very special purpose.

This mystery was solved by Mr. Li, who was also an investor.

Obviously, CEO Pei's success was not accidental, but the result of careful consideration.

And the reason why CEO Pei was able to think deeper and further than ordinary people was because he used this extremely strict attitude to create such a space for himself where he could abandon some distracting thoughts and concentrate on thinking!

While other people were at home with their wives and children, CEO Pei was still here seriously thinking about the future development direction of Tengda Group. Over time, wouldn't that make all the difference!

Zhang Lixian suddenly thought of a question and looked at the black box on the tea table, "Then, what does this black box do?"

Li Shi didn't speak, but demonstrated it to Zhang Lixian.

He quickly pressed a few small metal rods, and the machine in the box automatically restored them one by one.

Zhang Lixian was confused, "This..."

Li Shi explained, "It's a delicate work of art."

"However, it contains some philosophical meaning, which helps us to think better."

"CEO Pei also has the exact same one in his room. I went to great lengths to find the official website for this thing. Unexpectedly, it was also made by Dream Chasing venture capital!"

"In other words, this thing is mostly CEO Pei's special custom invention."

"Its name is the Fully Automatic Argument Machine."

Zhang Lixian was still puzzled, "Fully Automatic Argument Machine? Then how can it have philosophical meaning? How can it help us to think better?"

Li Shi turned the Fully Automatic Argument Machine to Zhang Lixian and asked her to press it herself.

Zhang Lixian pressed it for a minute and asked, puzzled, "This... what's the point? It's a complete waste of time?"

Li Shi smiled slightly, "It has no meaning."

"Having no meaning is its greatest meaning."

"It contains the traditional Taoist philosophical thought: the use of uselessness."

"Being able to realize that a certain behavior is meaningless is itself a kind of meaning."

"This thing is called a Fully Automatic Argument Machine, and it simulates the entire process of arguing with others online."

"There are more and more keyboard warriors online now, and more and more meaningless arguments, especially for public figures, who are really prone to falling into this kind of meaningless argument."

"We are always accustomed to arguing with people, but most of the time, many people are not arguing about right or wrong, but about who is superior."

"Everyone will not really want to understand what the other party's real meaning is, will not reflect on whether they are wrong, but will try every means to dig out loopholes in the other party's language, wanting to refute the other party."

"So, we will find that arguing with others online can never reach a consensus."

"Arguing with these people is like arguing with this Fully Automatic Argument Machine. No matter how hard you try, it will argue back, and you are just wasting your time."

"And as a thinker, it is even easier to fall into this meaningless argument. Because the more you think, the more angry you will be at the stupidity of some people; the more you think, the more likely you are to fall into the situation of being stupid without knowing it."

"Whether it is the former or the latter, it is very dangerous. Thinking brings us wisdom, but sometimes it also brings us prejudice and arrogance."

"And this machine is reminding you that this is meaningless, don't waste your time, and don't argue with keyboard warriors online."

"You just need to think carefully and do your own thing."

"So, whenever I'm in a bad mood, I press it. I watch it constantly argue with me, restoring all my efforts, and finally I realize that I'm wasting time, I'm doing useless work."

"So, my negative emotions are vented, and I can calm down and continue to think."

"Why did CEO Pei not leave any crafts or decorations in the room, but only left it?"

"Because it's not just a craft or a work of art, it's also a 'mind reset machine', which is matched with the overall layout of the room to allow us to better calm down and think."

"In my opinion, it is the soul of this 'thinking space'!"