yournovel Chapter 137 2000 million US dollars? 3000 million US dollars?
Chapter 137 2000 million US dollars? 3000 million US dollars?
Chapter 137 2000 million US dollars? 3000 million US dollars? (8k)
Shen Nanpeng's actions completely disrupted Geng Zhi's original script.
He sat there, outwardly calm, but inwardly he was in turmoil. He had thought this meeting was just a preliminary discussion, a chance for both sides to get to know each other, but he never expected Shen Nanpeng to immediately decide to sign TS.
Sequoia Capital truly lives up to its reputation as an international fund; they really dare to make bets!
But now the problem has been thrown at me.
They agreed, and the $200 million arrived immediately. Moreover, Sequoia's endorsement is more important than the $200 million itself—with the Sequoia name, everything becomes a plus when it comes to the next round of financing, hiring, and negotiating partnerships.
But after March 15th, Momo's valuation will most likely be more than $20 million. Is signing a term sheet now a case of selling too cheaply?
If I had known Old Shen was so easy to talk to, I should have quoted a valuation of 4000 million US dollars earlier! Geng Zhi was filled with regret and wanted to slap himself.
But the words have already been spoken. He had just confidently stated a valuation of $2000 million and a financing of $200 million; what kind of logic would it be to go back on his word now?
If you lose your credibility in the future, how will you survive in this industry? Doing business is a one-off deal, but being a person is not.
"I have to catch a flight in five minutes," Shen Nanpeng said while tidying up the documents on the table, without looking at him, his tone indifferent. "If you agree, have our lawyer come over now so that Mr. Yang can sign the TS with you on the spot."
Lu Sifeng, Sun Xiaowen, and Lu Siyu all turned their gazes to Geng Zhi, their eyes all conveying the same message: Agree to him! Agree to him now!
Geng Zhi glanced at the three of them, his gaze finally settling on Gu Wan Ning's face, his expression somewhat complicated.
Gu Wanning had just snapped out of her reverie when she looked up and met his gaze.
She understood the conflict on Geng Zhi's face—a complex expression of being hit by a windfall but feeling that the windfall wasn't big enough. At that moment, Shen Nanpeng raised his head and looked at Geng Zhi.
"Xiao Geng, you can sign TS first." He paused, "If Momo's daily active users exceed one million within a month of its launch, I can give you an extra two hundred thousand US dollars as a bonus."
After saying that, he raised his hand to look at his watch: "You have three minutes left."
Upon hearing this, Geng Zhi pondered for a moment.
He gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and was about to speak, making a gesture as if to agree.
Gu Wanning spoke first: "Teacher Shen, I apologize for interrupting."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it drew everyone's attention to her.
"Regarding the [bonus] you just mentioned, I have a professional suggestion, I wonder if I may offer it?"
Shen Nanpeng was slightly surprised. He glanced at her, nodded, and smiled, saying, "Please go ahead."
Gu Wanning calmly said, "We appreciate your willingness to add a bonus after the data is good. However, from the perspective of investment terms, the [bonus] format may not be the optimal solution for either party."
She looked at Shen Nanpeng and said in a steady and clear manner, "For Sequoia Capital, it's difficult to handle this money financially if we consider it a [bonus]. Should we classify it as an investment cost or an expense? If we classify it as an expense, it will affect the fund's internal rate of return."
Shen Nanpeng and Yang Dong exchanged a glance, but neither of them spoke; they simply listened quietly as she continued.
"For Momo, if this money is considered a [bonus], it may be subject to personal income tax, resulting in a lower take-home pay," Gu Wanning continued. "Moreover, it doesn't increase President Geng's shares, nor does it raise the company's valuation."
Shen Nanpeng's eyes lit up slightly: "Then what do you suggest we do?"
"I suggest that this money be designed as part of a [valuation adjustment mechanism]."
Gu Wanning paused for a moment, then continued, "For example, we can agree on a milestone goal: if Momo reaches one million daily active users within a month of its launch, Sequoia Capital will invest an additional one million US dollars, but this money will be converted into shares at a higher valuation, such as a valuation of forty million US dollars."
"In this way, we only invest when the data is good, Sequoia's risk is controlled, Momo's valuation is revised, and Gengzhi's share dilution is less. It's fair to both parties."
She added humbly and politely at the end, "Of course, this is just my professional advice as a lawyer. The final decision rests with Professor Shen."
After she finished speaking, she looked at Geng Zhi.
Geng Zhi met her gaze, nodded slightly, his eyes full of approval.
After a moment's thought, Shen Nanpeng smiled and nodded: "Attorney Gu, I've adopted your suggestion. Let's do it your way and add a performance-based clause."
"If Momo's daily active users exceed 100 million within a month of its launch, Sequoia Capital will add 100 million US dollars to its valuation, but the stock conversion will only be based on a valuation of 3000 million US dollars."
He looked at Geng Zhi: "Xiao Geng, what do you think?"
Geng Zhi pondered for a long time, then gritted his teeth.
At that moment, countless thoughts flashed through his mind—a valuation of $3000 million meant 50% more than it was now. Gu Wanning's open question directly secured him an additional $1000 million.
"Senior Shen, thank you for your trust. I agree to this plan."
"Alright." Shen Nanpeng then picked up the landline phone, pressed the internal line to call his assistant, "Xiao Li, come in for a moment."
Assistant Xiao Li quickly pushed the door open and entered.
"Xiao Li, take President Geng and the others to the next conference room to sit and wait for a while," Shen Nanpeng instructed. "Call the investment managers and legal counsel to a meeting to prepare for signing the term sheet."
"Okay, boss!" Xiao Li turned to Geng Zhi and said, "Mr. Geng, everyone, please."
The five men, all straightforward and honest, got up and followed Xiao Li outside.
The door closed.
With only Shen Nanpeng and Yang Dong left in the office, Yang Dong finally spoke up, asking, "Neil, are we really going to sign? Why don't we wait until the data from Momo comes out after it launches before signing?"
While tidying up the documents on the table, Shen Nanpeng replied, "Once the data comes out, the valuation will likely be different."
"Do you really believe he can reach 700,000 to 800,000 users in a month?" Yang Dong still didn't quite understand.
"His vision and understanding are outstanding." Shen Nanpeng paused in his hand movements. "They have surpassed most excellent entrepreneurs."
"I admit that," Yang Dong nodded. "You can tell he has a unique perspective. But that doesn't mean he can actually build a product from scratch. An idea is an idea, and implementation is implementation."
"But he's very confident." Shen Nanpeng looked up. "His company is called Mingfan Technology, and he also mentioned [a surge in user numbers]."
"There are many confident people, and his confidence may be faked, and his [surge] may be fabricated." Yang Dong still insists on questioning.
Shen Nanpeng looked at Yang Dong, who had only recently switched careers to become an investor, with a hint of patience in his eyes.
"Mr. Yang, early-stage investment is about investing in people," he said slowly. "When it comes to judging people, you must learn to read between the lines."
Upon hearing this, Yang Dong was slightly taken aback, and quickly replied humbly, "Please enlighten me."
"When Geng Zhi first walked in, he was a little nervous," Shen Nanpeng recalled the scene. "Although he gradually relaxed later, he still seemed a bit reserved. But when he mentioned [waiting for an opportunity] to refute public opinion, and when he mentioned [the surge in user numbers], he was very confident."
"That kind of confidence can't be faked," Shen Nanpeng added.
After Shen Nanpeng's prompting, Yang Dong carefully recalled Geng Zhi's expression at the time.
He suddenly realized that Shen Nanpeng was right.
"Moreover," Shen Nanpeng continued, "he poached Tang Yan. What is Tang Yan's biggest asset? His media channels."
Yang Dong instantly understood: "So, Neil, you mean Geng Zhi is waiting for a major reversal of public opinion?"
"That's right." Shen Nanpeng nodded. "I don't know exactly how he will turn public opinion around, but he's definitely already prepared. He'll most likely take advantage of the shift in public opinion to launch Momo."
He paused, then added, "Think about that marriage and relationship white paper release conference he held before the new year. The title '[an industry insider]' carries so much weight. This guy always has a backup plan for every step he takes."
Yang Dong suddenly realized.
"No wonder—he was so hesitant when you said you wanted to invest in him." He said thoughtfully, "I thought he didn't want to sign on the spot because he had other investors scheduled with him. Turns out he felt he was losing out big time."
"That's right." Shen Nanpeng picked up his briefcase. "Moreover, since Vice Dean Gou helped him make the connections, given his network, he must have connected more than just Sequoia Capital."
"If we don't act now, what if another company snatches it up in the future? Then we'll have another powerful competitor."
"Neil, I've learned something." Yang Dong nodded solemnly.
Shen Nanpeng shut down his computer, walked to the door, and then stopped.
Yang Dong caught up and continued, "Neil, since you knew he had a high probability of reaching the goal of one million daily active users, why did you still bet against him?"
"Encourage him," Shen Nanpeng said. "After all, Momo's good grades are ultimately the most beneficial for Sequoia Capital."
"I understand," Yang Dong said.
Shen Nanpeng glanced at his watch again, picked up his laptop bag, and said, "I really have to catch my flight. TS, you go and sign with them first. Tell Geng Zhi that after I finish dealing with things in Hong Kong, I'll discuss Momo's development strategy and plan with him in detail."
"Okay, Neil, I'll go sign the contract with them now," Yang Dong said.
The meeting room next door.
There were only five people in the room; Sequoia's investment manager and financial manager had not yet arrived.
After discussing some details with Gu Wanning, Geng Zhi suddenly remembered something.
He turned sharply to Sun Xiaowen, who was typing furiously on her phone, and instructed her, "Sister-in-law, don't tell the people in Shanghai about our successful fundraising yet. Keep it a secret for now."
Sun Xiaowen's typing suddenly stopped, her mouth wide open, her expression instantly freezing.
Geng Zhi's heart tightened: "Sister-in-law, you haven't already told them, have you?"
"Boss, I thought it was better to share the joy than to keep it to myself, so I just shared this good news with Yang Mingxia." Sun Xiaowen said awkwardly, covering her mouth, her face clearly saying "I've messed up."
"Huh? What did you tell Mingxia?" Geng Zhi asked hurriedly. "Did you ask her to keep it a secret?"
"I—I told her not to spread it outside—" Sun Xiaowen's voice grew softer and softer.
"Xiaowen, quickly tell Mingxia to keep this a secret!" Lü Sifeng added immediately. "That girl has a big mouth; the whole company might know soon enough!"
Sun Xiaowen hurriedly picked up her phone and typed rapidly.
In the new office of Mingfan Technology in the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Science and Technology Park.
As dusk fell, the office remained brightly lit.
Some people were coding, some were optimizing new solutions, and some were communicating with third parties in other locations. Jia Zhenbiao and Guan Peidong, who were only on their second day of internship, were preparing to have dinner at the school cafeteria.
"Comrades, I have some inside information to share!"
Yang Mingxia suddenly stood up from her seat and shouted excitedly towards the office, her voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.
"Our boss secured funding in Beijing!"
Most people in the office were still busy with their own things, some discussing, some writing code, and the reaction wasn't very strong.
-
After a four or five-second pause, Niu Baoguo, who was discussing the issue with Shu Beibei, finally spoke up: "Ah? Really? How much money did you get?"
Yang Mingxia raised her chin, took a deep breath, and shouted, "We've brought in over ten million yuan!"
boom--!
The office fell silent instantly, the air seeming to freeze for a few seconds. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Yang Mingxia.
"Is the valuation over ten million, or did you raise over ten million in financing?" Lu Zhijie asked first to confirm.
"Of course we raised over ten million!" Yang Mingxia said proudly. "To be precise, we raised two million US dollars, valuing the company at 2000."
Ten thousand US dollars!
"Holy crap! Twenty million US dollars, that's almost 140 million!!" Zou Lu was the first to widen his eyes.
"Is our app really worth that much money?" Chu Jiatong asked incredulously. "My worldview has been turned upside down."
"I suddenly realized that what the boss said the other day, that when I'm worth tens of millions or hundreds of millions, might not be a joke anymore, hahaha," Zou Lu laughed, his eyes narrowing into slits.
"Boss Geng is really awesome!" someone exclaimed.
"Xiaowen's inside information also said that if our Momo user base grows significantly after its launch, investors will increase their investment! And the valuation will be even higher!" Yang Mingxia continued to encourage them.
"Our boss is the kind of boss who loves to give out money, so let's all keep up the good work!" Yang Mingxia added.
Upon hearing this, Jia Zhenbiao and Guan Peidong, who had just reached the office door, both stopped in their tracks.
"Peidong, I don't want to eat in the cafeteria." Jia Zhenbiao spoke first, his voice carrying a strange sense of urgency. "I still have an interface to implement, so I'll continue coding. You go eat by yourself."
After saying that, he started walking quickly towards his workstation.
"I'm not going either. I'll just order Ele.me. I need to continue familiarizing myself with the new code." Guan Peidong followed suit and returned.
The two returned to their workstations, turned on their computers, and began their nightly work.
The two new employees have just arrived and are still familiarizing themselves with the business code. They still have a long way to go before they can actually do online development.
"I'll order dinner for everyone for the next few days!"
Du Yujiao's voice rang out: "I've put together a menu for everyone, and I'll post it in the group chat later. Everyone can give feedback in the group! Order as much as you want, and I'll ask the boss to reimburse us later!"
"One serving of shredded pork with garlic sauce rice, plus an egg!"
"I'll just have one serving of shrimp and wonton soup!"
"I'd like a Mala Xiang Guo (spicy stir-fry), with extra meat!"
"I'll have one—"
The office instantly became lively, filled with the sounds of typing, ordering food, and laughter.
The lighting in Sequoia Capital's conference room was soft.
"Boss, I just asked Mingxia—" Sun Xiaowen held her phone, looking at Geng Zhi with apologetic eyes, her voice trailing off, "She said—everyone in the office knows we've raised funds—"
Upon hearing this, Geng Zhi paused for a moment, then laughed.
"It's alright." He waved his hand, his tone relaxed. "It's better not to keep it a secret. It'll boost the team's morale. These guys are working overtime every day, they deserve some good news to motivate them."
Sun Xiaowen felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders, but still couldn't help asking, "You really don't blame me?"
"Sister-in-law, you're doing this for the company's good, why blame yourself?" Geng Zhi laughed. "Besides, with Yang Mingxia's mouth, asking her to keep a secret is harder than asking a cat not to eat fish."
Sun Xiaowen chuckled, and the atmosphere immediately relaxed.
As they were talking, Yang Dong walked in with Sequoia's investment manager, finance, and legal representatives. The group moved quickly, each carrying a folder, clearly having come prepared.
"Mr. Geng, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting," Yang Dong greeted with a smile. "This is our TS protocol template. Please take a look. If you have any questions, we can discuss them here."
Sequoia's legal team distributed the agreement to the five straightforward individuals.
Gu Wanning took the agreement and immediately got to work.
She flipped through the pages quickly, but her eyes remained focused on the key clauses, occasionally making notes on the paper with her pen.
"The exclusivity period in Clause 3.2 has been changed from 60 days to 30 days." Gu Wanning looked up and said calmly, "President Geng's project is progressing very quickly, and 30 days is enough to complete the due diligence. 60 days is too long and will affect his ability to contact other investors."
Sequoia's legal representative paused slightly and looked at Yang Dong.
Yang Dong smiled and nodded: "Okay, 30 days it is."
Sequoia's TS agreement is indeed standardized, with clear terms and almost none of the common pitfalls.
After several rounds of back and forth, the two sides only confirmed a few minor details and did not spend too much time arguing.
The agreement was signed in less than an hour.
Yang Dong was the first to stand up and extend his hand to Geng Zhi: "Congratulations, Mr. Geng! From now on, Momo is a member of the Sequoia family!"
"Thank you, Mr. Yang, thank you, Senior Shen, thank you, Sequoia." Geng Zhi grasped his hand and said solemnly, "We will definitely live up to your expectations."
Yang Dong patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, "President Geng's team is young, promising, and full of energy. They will surely achieve great success in the future."
However, getting the money is just the beginning; the hardest part is yet to come.
"Understood." Geng Zhi nodded. "We will proceed with extreme caution and perseverance."
"Okay." Yang Dong nodded in satisfaction.
Yang Dong withdrew his hand and gestured for everyone to sit down.
Now that the TS agreement has been signed, we've essentially stepped into the same door, so we can speak more freely.
He looked at Geng Zhi, his gaze probing: "Are you planning to use Tang Yan's resources to find a suitable time to completely reverse public opinion?"
Geng Zhi no longer intended to hide anything and nodded without hesitation, saying, "President Yang's judgment is correct."
He still didn't mention CCTV.
"And then, at the same time as public opinion reverses, officially announce the Momo APP?" Yang Dong asked again.
"Hmm." Geng Zhi simply nodded, answering with a single word.
Yang Dong smiled, revealing an expression of "I knew it": "Neil guessed right, you were indeed waiting for a turning point."
He paused, his expression turning serious: "This is a great publicity strategy, leveraging existing momentum for maximum effect. But we must be wary of our opponents. You can use public opinion, and so can they. Be careful not to let things turn around again."
"Mr. Yang is right, we will pay more attention," Geng Zhi said modestly.
In the following period, Yang Dong provided Geng Zhi with a lot of advice on promotion strategies, product refinement, marketing direction, and potential future competitors.
As a partner at Sequoia Capital, his perspective was indeed insightful, and many of his suggestions hit the nail on the head. After his words, Geng Zhi also gained a lot.
At the end of the meeting, Yang Dong shook hands with Geng Zhi again: "President Geng, it's been a pleasure cooperating with you!"
"It's a pleasure working with you, Mr. Yang."
Geng Zhi grasped his hand and suddenly said meaningfully, "I look forward to the future, when Yang Zong and I will have the opportunity to collaborate more deeply on our own."
"There will be opportunities." Yang Dong replied habitually, but he didn't quite understand the meaning behind Geng Zhi's words—a deep collaboration on his own? Isn't this collaboration already?
Without giving it much thought, he smiled and saw them out the door.
As the five men, known for their straightforwardness, emerged from the China World Trade Center building, it was already getting dark.
The lights of the CBD came on one by one, and the traffic flowed smoothly, with the evening breeze carrying the coolness of early spring.
Lu Sifeng, Sun Xiaowen, and Lu Siyu, however, felt no cold at all—the three of them had excited, flushed faces.
"Unbelievable, unbelievable, truly unbelievable!" Lu Sifeng shook his head as he walked, muttering to himself, "In just one day, Momo's valuation doubled! No, it went from zero to twenty million US dollars! Incredible!"
"Yes, yes!" Lü Siyu chimed in, "At this rate of development, maybe in less than two years, I, the nominal board secretary, will truly become a board secretary in name only! Then my business card will say '[Board Secretary of Mingfan Technology],' tsk tsk—"
As she spoke, she burst out laughing.
"I feel no pressure at all! From now on, our company should be called Mingfan Technology Group!" Lu Sifeng, the nominal part-time CT0, has already started to refer to "[our company]" very naturally.
The two got more and more excited as they talked, and began to imagine the bright future of the company—going public, achieving financial freedom, and making it onto the Forbes list. They imagined it all.
After exchanging a few words, Lü Sifeng suddenly turned his head and looked at Geng Zhi seriously.
"Junior brother, I've made up my mind." His tone was so solemn, as if he were making a vow. "After I graduate with my doctorate, I will officially join your company. Of course, that is, on the condition that you don't mind my situation."
Geng Zhi glanced at him, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips.
"Senior, I think it's a bit of a waste for someone as talented as you to work at Momo."
Lu Sifeng's expression froze instantly, a burning sensation spreading from his cheeks to his ears.
Junior brother, is this... looking down on me? Is this a subtle way of rejecting me? Could it be because you've raised a lot of money and your standards have become too high?
His mind was in turmoil, and his embarrassment was almost palpable.
Geng Zhi noticed his embarrassment and quickly added, "Senior, don't misunderstand. What I mean is, you can totally start your own high-tech company and be your own boss in the future."
Lu Sifeng smiled awkwardly: "Junior brother is joking. I'm fine working for others, but asking me to find my own direction and start my own business is definitely like forcing a duck onto a shelf."
"I think it's fine for you to just stick to your old profession, senior brother," Geng Zhi suddenly said.
"Your old profession?" Lü Sifeng asked, puzzled. "Junior brother, what do you mean?"
"It's actually our boss's current business." Geng Zhi slowed down his speech, "but you can turn the government-side map navigation business into a combination of government-side and consumer-side businesses, and make it completely market-driven."
"Uh—" Lu Sifeng frowned, thought for a few seconds, and then shook his head. "Junior brother is joking. If even the boss can't do it, I certainly can't."
"The boss is stuck in a fixed mindset, and he's limited by national projects and his personal status," Geng Zhi said earnestly. "But you're different, senior."
You don't have these constraints; you can operate according to market principles.
After hearing Geng Zhi's straightforward words, and combined with the advanced ideas he had heard from him and the venture capital gurus over the past few days, Lü Sifeng was really itching to try it himself.
But after thinking about it, he shook his head: "Junior brother, this might be a good idea, but I have absolutely no direction or ability."
"Junior brother, I can help you!" Geng Zhi laughed heartily. "I can also invest in you, give you direction, provide resources, and help you grow your business!"
Lu Sifeng's eyes lit up, and he instantly became curious: "Junior brother, can you give me a hint? What specific direction could I work on?"
Seeing that Lü Sifeng was still confused, Geng Zhi enlightened him, saying, "Based on LBS and map navigation, many things can be done in the future. Clothing, food, housing, transportation, and local life will all be inseparable from it. This will be a new infrastructure."
After saying that, he didn't say anything more and walked on by himself.
Food, clothing, housing, and transportation? Local life? Map navigation?
Lu Sifeng frowned and fell into deep thought.
He first thought of Gaode Maps, but Gaode Maps is only related to [travel], and not much to clothing, food, housing, or local life.
Lü Sifeng's thinking seemed to have been opened up a little by Geng Zhi's straightforwardness, but only a little.
He began to walk and think, his brow furrowing more and more, his pace slowing down.
Boom-!
"Ouch!" A muffled thud was followed by a scream.
Lu Sifeng was so engrossed in thinking that he accidentally bumped into a utility pole on the side of the road.
"Sifeng!" Sun Xiaowen exclaimed in surprise, rushing over to help him up. "Are you alright?"
"Lu Bo, are you alright?" Lu Siyu quickly turned around and asked.
Lu Sifeng covered his forehead, grimacing as he waved his hand, "It's nothing, it's nothing. I was just a little too excited and didn't watch where I was going—"
Sun Xiaowen breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that he was really alright, then turned to ask the question that had been bothering her: "Boss, I noticed that your expression was a bit unnatural from the moment President Shen mentioned signing the contract. Did you think our valuation was too low?"
Geng Zhi didn't say anything, but just pursed his lips and nodded.
"No, boss, this valuation is still low??" Lu Siyu stared wide-eyed, looking incredulous.
Geng Zhi could only manage a wry smile.
Looking at his expression, Lü Siyu suddenly felt a complex mix of emotions.
She started to imagine things wildly—
As the secretary, I don't seem to understand many of my boss's ideas and strategies. My presence isn't very noticeable either.
Is it because the company is still in a chaotic state and hasn't gotten back on track yet?
Or is it because I haven't graduated yet, and my boss doesn't fully trust me?
She bit her lip, mustered her courage, and said, "Boss, I want to improve too! Please give me some guidance!"
Geng Zhi glanced at her with satisfaction and said slowly, "Our valuation could have been even higher."
"Why didn't the boss just reject Sequoia Capital back then?" Sun Xiaowen asked, puzzled.
"Because Shen Nanpeng is a person worth befriending, he's worth the price difference," Geng Zhi continued to explain. "Moreover, with Sequoia's backing, we can say [Sequoia led the investment] in the next round of financing, and others will be eager to follow."
"Oh—" Sun Xiaowen said thoughtfully.
"So you feel regret now, but you don't regret it?" Gu Wanning suddenly asked.
Geng Zhi laughed: "That's right. Regret comes from feeling like you sold it too cheaply, but no regret comes from selling it to the right person."
Just then, Gu Wanning's phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID, walked aside, and answered it.
Two minutes later.
"You big liar, Geng." Gu Wanning walked back. "A client of mine has an emergency and needs me to go back to Shanghai immediately. I can't go with you tonight for your meeting with President Tang."
Geng Zhi nodded: "Okay, you should go back and get busy. You've worked hard." He turned to look at Lü Sifeng and Sun Xiaowen, "Senior Brother Lü, Sister-in-law, you should also hurry to the airport. See you in Shanghai."
"Alright, junior brother, take care!"
The three hailed a car and hurriedly drove away.
Geng Zhi and Lü Siyu grabbed a quick meal at a fast food restaurant and headed straight to the teahouse where they had arranged to meet Tang Yan.
At 8 p.m., in a quiet teahouse on the East Third Ring Road in Beijing.
While Geng Zhi and Lü Siyu were chatting, a young man of about thirty years old pushed open the door and walked in.
The two quickly got up.
Lu Siyu looked closely at the person in the photo and quickly introduced him, "Hello, Mr. Tang, I am Lu Siyu. This is Mr. Geng, the boss of Shanghai Mingfan Technology."
"Hello Mr. Tang, I'm Geng Zhi. It's a pleasure to have you here."
Upon hearing the name Geng Zhi, Tang Yan was taken aback.
He comes from Shanghai, his company is called [Mingfan Technology], and his name is Gengzhi (meaning upright and honest).
He realized it instantly!
As he got closer, he realized that the young man in front of him was indeed the [industry insider] who had been trending on social media multiple times before the Lunar New Year!
Tang Yan knew the whole story of Geng Zhi from beginning to end, and knew it perfectly well.
He had previously approached two online dating websites to submit articles and placements, but some of them were rejected by him.
He had a strong overall impression of being straightforward and appreciated his sense of justice.
"Hello, it's President Geng!" Tang Yan greeted him with a smile.
"If it weren't for Teacher Xu's matchmaking, I would have almost missed this meeting," Tang Yan thought to himself.
"Mr. Tang, I've long admired your name, and it's an honor to finally meet you today. Please forgive us for disturbing you the previous two times," Geng Zhi said sincerely as he shook hands.
"It's okay, it's okay. I was just really too busy the past few days. I'm sorry."
Tang Yan thought to himself: If you had said it was a straightforward agreement earlier, I might have had time!
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the tea master prepared the tea and withdrew, and then the three began to discuss their business.
Tang Yan cut straight to the point: "Teacher Xu said you want to invest in GG? What kind of product requires such a big fuss?"
Geng Zhi didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "Mr. Tang, our company has developed a social app called Momo. It's about to launch, and we'd like to invest heavily in it on NetEase News."
"Oh? If you want to apply for a GG spot, just go to the GG department. My prices aren't that low either—" Tang Yan thought Geng Zhi wanted a discount, so he spoke very directly.
"Mr. Tang, I don't want a regular spot; I want the front page."
Tang Yan frowned: "Front page? That's a news page, not a gossip page. No matter how much money you offer, you can't buy a front page."
"That's why we came to you. I'm not here to buy the front page; I'm here to apply for it," Geng Zhi said earnestly.
Tang Yan became interested and asked curiously, "Apply? What does that mean?"
Instead of answering directly, Geng Zhi took out a printed document from his bag and pushed it in front of Tang Yan: "Mr. Tang, this is what I really want you to see tonight."
Tang Yan took the book and glanced at the title: "Why I'm Attacking the Dating Industry—A Confession of an Entrepreneur—A 10,000-Word Article?"
P.S.: I adjusted the pace today, and the word count didn't even reach 10,000, I'm so sorry! Please forgive me.