On the night when all the lock-up documents were signed, Zhao Chen sat alone in front of Suite's Floor-to-Ceiling Window.
The night of New York spreads out from the other side of the Hudson River,
The lights of Manhattan pulled out slender beams of light on the river, which were blown apart and gathered together by the evening wind.
In his hand, he held the Pu'er that Su Watang had brewed for him for the last time before leaving. The tea was already cold, but he did not get up to change it.
On the coffee table is the final draft of Schedule 13D Amendment Filing sent by Chen Xi this afternoon. The page that is opened says--
"Era Vanguard has decided to allocate the above positions to Permanent Core Assets for long-term allocation.
If there are no major changes in management or systemic risks in the industry, the Fund has no intention to reduce its holdings."
The wording was carefully considered by Lin Shicheng, leaving enough legal flexibility.
Another clear signal was sent:
Era Vanguard is not here to be a band, but to be a shareholder.
He closed the document, picked up his phone, and sent a text message to Elon Musk.
"Schedule 13D Amendment Filing was submitted today.
Era Vanguard's position on Tesla is converted to permanent Strategic Allocation--
No increase in holdings, no reduction in holdings, no swings.
Unless you leave Tesla, or New Energy is proven false, one share of these stocks will not be sold."
After sending this message, he put his phone on the coffee table, picked up the cool Pu'er and took a sip.
A night-sailing tugboat on the Hudson River outside the window pulled out a long white trail, slowly disappearing into the depths of the lights of Manhattan.
There is no need for a lengthy explanation between him and Elon Musk.
From Launch Site of Boca Chica to Huaiyang Restaurant of Shanghai Zhangjiang,
From the pledge crisis of Tesla to the resolution of Supply Chain of Green Energy Technology,
Every communication between them is extremely brief, but every word can stand the test of time.
Just as he put down the tea cup, the screen of the mobile phone on the coffee table suddenly lit up.
It's not a text message - it's a direct call from Elon Musk.
Zhao Chen looked at the time on the caller ID. Fremont said it should be afternoon.
He picked up the phone and before he spoke, the voice of Elon Musk came over the other end of the phone.
He spoke faster than usual, with a sense of restraint and seriousness after a long-term hidden danger suddenly came to light.
"Are you serious?" Elon Musk asked.
"13D declaration has been submitted."
Zhao Chen Change the phone to the other ear,
"The wording was changed word for word by Lawyer Lin."
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment.
Then Elon Musk's voice sounded again, this time speaking much slower than before, as if every word was weighed on a scale before being released:
"You know why I never retain more than five points of outside shareholders?
It's not that they are afraid of being seized of power – no one can change Tesla's super voting power structure.
It's because everyone with more than five points ends up knocking on my office door with their 'suggestions'.
Suggest me to do this, suggest me not to do that. You don't know how much this bothers me."
When he said this, there was still some kind of stress reaction in his voice after being touched for a long time.
"I know."
Zhao Chen's tone was no longer as concise as before, and became more calm.
"So Era Vanguard never gives you advice.
We only do one thing - put the ammunition in your hands when you need it most, and then step back without saying anything."
"You did it."
Elon Musk's speaking speed began to speed up again, but this time the speed up was not because of restraint, but because the excitement was ignited.
"From last year to now, you have never asked me, 'How much will Tesla's delivery volume be in the next quarter?'
You only asked me how to send Starworm to a height of twenty meters,
At which cycle does the inflection point of Energy Storage Materials's Degradation Curve appear? How many degrees of freedom does Optimus' hand need?
Do you know how many people in this world I could discuss Moravec's Paradox with on the phone?
I can count them on one hand. You are one of them."
He seemed to have spoken out in one breath what he had wanted to say for a long time but was unwilling to say before the crisis was over.
After he finished speaking, the only sound left on the other end of the phone was his very short breathing.
Zhao Chen was silent for a few seconds.
Then he said two words, his voice was not high, but every syllable was firmly nailed between the one end of the overseas phone call and the other end - "Of course."
Elon Musk was probably struck by this uncompromising tone.
He suddenly let out a short laugh on the phone that was somewhere between satisfaction and relief.
Then he stopped laughing and said what he had wanted to tell Zhao Chen since the Boca Chica launch pad:
"I'm not complimenting you. I'm telling you - you are the least annoying shareholder I have ever met.
It is also the most stress-free thing for me. Keep it up."
"You continue to build cars, and I will continue to hold shares.
The best division of labor between us is that no one crosses anyone's boundaries."
There was the sound of something being placed on the workbench on the other end of the phone--
Probably Elon Musk put aside a certain part that he was debugging.
"I never keep more than five points for outside shareholders. You are the only exception.
It's not because you have a lot of money - it's because you do everything you promise.
Do not interfere in operations, do not seek control, and do not use Board of Directors Seat to pressure me.
Now you have locked up 26 million shares - it is not the shares that are locked, it is the trust between us.
For things within the boundaries, I don't need a commitment letter, I only recognize people."
He paused, as if deciding whether to say the next words, and then he threw it out.
"After Schedule 13D Amendment Filing submitted it, Bloomberg sent me an interview request,
When asked how I would comment on Era Vanguard stopping its holdings, I originally wanted to reply with 'no comment'.
But I thought about it and decided to change my words.
That sentence was sent out today--
'Era Vanguard's lock-up convinced me more than any Short Selling institution that Tesla is worth holding for a long time.'"
Zhao Chen held the phone and said nothing.
It was very quiet in Living Room, and the lights of the Hudson River flickered on and off on the glass.
He knows the weight of Elon Musk's words--
These are not nice words to say to the market in public,
It was after the two people had withstood the most difficult moments in their respective companies,
A promise made face to face.
He was silent for a moment, and then there was a hint of warmth in his tone that would only be revealed next to the Boca Chica launch pad.
"Do you remember what we said in Boca Chica? You said failure must be cheap enough. I said the stakes must be heavy enough."
"I remember."
"Okay. This bet, Era Vanguard will bet it with you to the end."