The Art of Selling Pie in the Sky
A lake breeze, filtering through the carefully opened cracks in the glass sunroom, brought the coolness and moisture of the night, gently ruffling a corner of the linen tablecloth.
The melodious strains of classical guitar music lingered in the carefully arranged, concealed sound system, intertwining with the occasional crisp sounds of cutlery touching bone china plates, creating a tranquil and luxurious dinner scene.
However, the atmosphere at the dinner table, which Mike Anderson had deliberately cultivated as one of "heart-to-heart talks," was sliding toward a long-planned critical juncture.
After a few glasses of aged Burgundy red wine, a perfectly balanced, slightly tipsy blush rose on Mike's face, making his usually sharp blue eyes appear more "sincere" and less tense and calculating.
He unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, becoming more relaxed, and leaned slightly towards Lin Feng, shortening the already close social distance between them.
"Lin," he began, his voice lower than before, carrying a solemnity akin to sharing a secret, yet skillfully controlled to a volume that wouldn't be heard by the third table (the waiter, and K in the distance), "Some opportunities are like the brightest shooting star in the night sky, fleeting in an instant. Only a very few, those who always keep their heads up and know where to look, can seize them."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Lin Feng's calm face, seemingly assessing whether the other was in the zone. Lin Feng was slowly and methodically cutting a perfectly seared Kobe beef with a silver knife, his movements steady. He didn't immediately respond to Mike's words, but he didn't interrupt either, as if patiently waiting for what he would say next.
"As I just mentioned, our positioning at Anderson Global Capital has never been to compete in the public markets with retail investors fed standard data by fund managers, or with CEOs of listed companies driven mad by quarterly financial reports." Mike's tone carried a subtle hint of superiority. "We navigate deeper, more secretive waters. There, the rules are written by the top players, information is bought with gold and trust, and the rewards... are enough to make even the calmest heart tremble."
He picked up the glass, but didn't drink it. He simply swirled it gently, watching the deep red liquid form beautiful "tears" on the glass.
"For example, I recently... participated as a 'co-sponsor' in a very special structure." He lowered his voice, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of excitement and mystery. "A special purpose acquisition company jointly established by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Goldman Sachs Special Situations Group, specifically targeting... I can't say the name yet, but I can tell you it's a Zurich- based Europe biotech company poised to create a tsunami in the fields of gene editing and cell therapy. The technology this company possesses can extend average lifespan by ten years; it's something that truly changes the game for humanity."
He put down his glass, leaned forward, and said in an almost Whisper voice, "Traditional IPOs? They don't even bother with them. Valuation models are pale in comparison to disruptive technologies. So, they chose the SPAC route—a faster, more private route that better reflects true value. And the entrance to this route is only open to a very few selected 'partners'."
He picked up the tablet computer beside him, quickly swiped his fingers across the screen, and then turned to Lin Feng. The screen displayed the first pages of several extremely professional-looking documents, with watermarks, confidentiality numbers, and the logos of "Qatar Investment Authority" and "Goldman Sachs Special Situations Group" prominently displayed at the top.
The document content was deliberately obscured, but key clauses, figures, and project names were clearly visible: "Project Phoenix", "Target: Helixion Bio", "Minimum Commitment: $50M", "Projected IRR: 300%+", "Lock-up: 18 months".
"Look," Mike pointed to the numbers, his voice trembling slightly with excitement, "The expected internal rate of return exceeds 300%, with a lock-up period of only eighteen months. Moreover, with the implicit guarantee of Qatar's sovereign wealth and Goldman Sachs' top-notch structured design, downside risk is controlled to near zero. This is no longer an investment, Lin; this is a ticket to board a Noah's Ark that is about to speed into the future!"
He put his tablet away, a mixture of pride and "you know what I mean" on his face. "This kind of opportunity is something the top ten hedge funds on Wall Street would fight tooth and nail for. But I, because of some... past outstanding performance and reliable 'bridges,' have secured a rare 'co-sponsor' position. This position, besides myself, also allows me to invite up to two additional true partners whom I completely trust to join me."
He leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed intently on Lin Feng, his tone becoming incredibly "sincere":
"Lin, I've met all sorts of people. The rich, the powerful, the intelligent, the crazy. But I feel that you and I are the same kind of people at heart. Neither of us is content to search for new continents on old maps; we both dare to push our chips to the center stage when others hesitate. In this era, there may be many opportunities to make money, but to be able to seize such an opportunity—one that can change one's destiny and define one's social class—with the right people is too rare and too precious."
He stopped speaking and simply watched Lin Feng quietly, letting the alluring profits and the recognition from "insiders" permeate and ferment in the air like the finest wine. A confident smile graced his face, as if he could already see the flames of greed about to ignite in Lin Feng's eyes and hear the other's eager voice agreeing to join.
Lin Feng listened quietly from beginning to end. His knife and fork had long since stopped, and the Wagyu beef had been cut into evenly sized pieces, neatly arranged on the plate. He picked up his wine glass, took a sip of red wine, and his gaze fell on the dark lake outside the window, reflecting the lights of the villa, seemingly lost in thought.
His face showed none of the excitement, elation, or impatience Mike had expected. Only a deep, almost indifferent calm. Even when Mike showed him those "classified documents," his eyes merely swept across the screen indifferently, without lingering or probing.
Time ticked by. A barely perceptible crack began to appear on Mike's confident smile as Lin Feng remained silent for a long time.
In his pre-planned script, the other party should be breathing heavily, pressing for details, or at least showing strong interest. But Lin Feng wasn't. He just sat quietly, as if what he had just heard wasn't a "myth" that could multiply one's wealth several times over, but rather an insignificant weather forecast.
Deep down, the crack in Mike's heart was widening, turning into a sense of unease. Had he misjudged him? Was this Great East riche from Dongda University not as greedy as he had imagined? Or was he more cautious than he had anticipated?
Just as Mike was about to lose his temper and prepare to add fuel to the fire, or to continue his persuasion from a different angle—
Lin Feng made a move.