yournovel Chapter 134 Zhu Xiaohu misses another opportunity, and Ma Jieke sees him with his straightforwardnes
Chapter 134 Zhu Xiaohu misses another opportunity, and Ma Jieke sees him with his straightforwardnes
Chapter 134 Zhu Xiaohu misses another opportunity, straightforward Ma Jieke (10k)
"Senior brother, you're absolutely right!" His straightforward tone was full of sincerity.
Lu Sifeng, who was sitting upright, looked completely bewildered upon hearing this.
I didn't say anything, so why did my junior brother say I was right?
Zhu Xiaohu, who had just gotten up to get his cup, was equally bewildered. He had his back to Geng Zhi, and his hand had just touched the teacup when he heard this shout.
Lu Sifeng hadn't said anything until I finished speaking. Was that "[Senior Brother]" meant for me?
Just now you were calling me General Manager Zhu, why did you suddenly start calling me Senior Brother?
Zhu Xiaohu turned around with his cup in hand and found Geng Zhi's gaze fixed on him.
His lips twitched: "Little Geng, that way of addressing me—"
"Senior!" Geng Zhi said matter-of-factly, "I'll soon be a student at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and you graduated from Jiao Tong University too, so we're proper alumni. I heard you minored in computer science? Calling you 'senior' isn't wrong, is it? Like family!"
Gu Wanning silently sipped her tea, thinking to herself: "How can this even be considered a near-perfect match? Is this person's skin made of a city wall?"
Zhu Xiaohu's inner monologue: You were subtly criticizing me before, and now that we're about to talk about money, you're trying to get close to me again?
He rolled his eyes at Geng Zhi and didn't respond to the comment.
Geng Zhi felt no embarrassment whatsoever. Instead, he turned to Lü Sifeng and said, "Senior Brother Lü, come and get to know each other again. This is our Senior Brother Zhu Xiaohu!"
Lu Sifeng was a little confused by this, but he still nodded obediently: "Hello, Senior Brother Zhu."
He felt something was off—even if Zhu Xiaohu was an alumnus of Jiaotong University, he should call him "senior" rather than "senior brother." After all, they weren't under the same professor and weren't considered fellow students.
"Hello." Zhu Xiaohu was also a little uncomfortable with this sudden "family reunion," so he quickly signaled his assistant to turn on the screen projection and skip this part.
The assistant quickly and efficiently adjusted the equipment.
Geng went straight to the topic from earlier.
"My senior just mentioned Foursquare in the United States, but although both are LBS, Foursquare does check-in, while we do [people nearby]. Check-in records the past, while people nearby connect to the present."
"Oh?" Zhu Xiaohu raised an eyebrow, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes.
"Furthermore, senior, I actually don't really like the term '[stranger social networking]'," Geng Zhi continued. "I think '[real interest social networking + offline connection]' is more appropriate. It seems more authentic and safer, and it can reduce users' defensiveness."
Zhu Xiaohu nodded thoughtfully: "That makes sense. This way, we can continue the [Jiaotong University Matchmaker] gene and make use of your previous experience."
He then changed the subject: "But I still use '[stranger social networking]' in my external communications, since it's easier to understand."
Zhu Xiaohu: "————"
Then why did you talk so much nonsense just now?
As the two were talking, their assistant had already set up the screen projection, and Geng Zhi opened his BP (Browser Business Plan) to begin the formal roadshow presentation.
"Senior, let me briefly explain the market opportunities first."
As he spoke frankly, he turned to the second page and began to talk about macro trends.
He pointed to the data charts on the screen: "According to the latest data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the number of mobile internet users in my country has exceeded 2..."
"Billions, and the growth rate is astonishing."
"With the entry of iPhones into the Chinese market and the rise of Android phones, smartphone prices are about to fall below 1,000 yuan, and the demographic dividend of mobile internet is about to explode —"
"The social landscape of PC internet is already set; QQ, Renren, and Kaixin are unlikely to shake it. But the social landscape of mobile internet is far from being formed, which presents the biggest window of opportunity."
Zhu Xiaohu nodded slightly, without interrupting.
Geng will now discuss track selection.
"PC internet has solved the problem of connecting with acquaintances and consuming content, but it hasn't solved the problem of [breaking the ice with strangers]."
"There is a huge gap in real social needs: college students want to meet students from other schools, white-collar workers want to expand their local interest circles, and young people want to make new friends. These needs are clearly suppressed."
Zhu Xiaohu nodded again.
"Therefore, the maturity of location-based services (LBS) technology makes [people nearby] possible, which is something that PC internet cannot do."
Then, Geng Zhi continued to flip through the PPT slides and began to introduce the product.
"Our Momo product was extremely simple in its first version, with only two functions: [People Nearby] and [Chat]. Users could see who was nearby and how far away they were, and then directly start a chat."
Zhu Xiaohu stared intently at the design draft on the screen, his eyes lighting up slightly.
Seeing that Zhu Xiaohu had no questions, Geng Zhi was about to continue when Zhu Xiaohu interrupted him: "Your idea is interesting. But in stranger-based social networking, why should users trust you? How do you solve the trust issue?"
"Good question, senior!" Geng Zhi said with a smile. "This is what I'm going to talk about next: our future version will have three mechanisms."
Geng Zhi held up his first finger: "The first mechanism, interest groups and communities, is based on shared interests. It allows Momo users to get to know each other because of common hobbies, rather than simply because of proximity."
"Are they grouped by interest?" Zhu Xiaohu asked instinctively.
"That's right. Location-based connections are shallow, while interest-based connections have depth. Two people in Sanlitun might just be strangers; but if they both enjoy hiking or reading, they could become friends if they bump into each other at a bookstore in Sanlitun," Geng Zhi explained.
Zhu Xiaohu seemed to be deep in thought.
"Mr. Geng, what's the difference between [small group] and [group]?" Zhu Xiaohu's assistant, Kong Min, suddenly interjected.
"That's a good question, Assistant Kong." Geng Zhi turned to her, "Small groups are more like official organizations, while user-created groups are more like self-organized groups. One is platform-driven, and the other is user-initiated; that's the fundamental difference."
"I see, so it's the difference between PUGC and UGC?" Kong Min's eyes lit up.
"That's right! That's the logic."
Kong Min nodded and gestured for her to continue.
Seeing that Zhu Xiaohu had no problem with it, Geng Zhi then held up his second finger: "The second mechanism is offline activities. We will guide and organize various local events, such as weekend hikes, board game sessions, and even 8-minute dating, to allow users to meet in real life. This will form a closed loop between online and offline activities."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiaohu's brows furrowed instantly.
"Xiao Geng, what you're doing is going back to the [Jiaotong University matchmaker] model." He said seriously, "This will violate the non-compete agreement you signed."
"Senior, you've misunderstood," Geng Zhi calmly explained. "We only guide users to organize their own events, not the other way around. We operate purely online and don't participate in the execution of offline activities. Moreover, the purpose of organizing these events is for interest-based social networking, not for dating or matchmaking."
It's about interest again.
Zhu Xiaohu suddenly remembered that he seemed to have heard the term "[based on interest]" somewhere before, but he couldn't recall the specific source.
"Your model essentially completes a closed loop of [getting to know each other online + meeting in person], which is significantly different from QQ groups and Baidu Tieba," Zhu Xiaohu commented.
"Brother, you've got a brilliant idea!" Geng Zhi gave him a thumbs up.
"What about the third mechanism?" Zhu Xiaohu asked.
Geng Zhi then held up a third finger: "The third mechanism is that we have psychological counselors who specialize in designing conversational techniques and scenarios for breaking the ice in social situations."
"Huh?" Zhu Xiaohu blurted out, "Why do we need a psychologist?"
After he finished speaking, he subconsciously glanced at Sun Xiaowen sitting next to him, realizing that his response was a bit tactless, and felt slightly embarrassed.
Geng Zhi explained with a smile, "We believe that the essence of social networking with strangers is not technology, but human nature. Therefore, we need people who understand human nature."
"Right, Senior Xiaowen?" Geng Zhi looked at Sun Xiaowen.
"That's right, that's right, the boss is absolutely right. The essence of social interaction with strangers is indeed human nature." Sun Xiaowen nodded hurriedly in agreement.
For some reason, upon hearing the word "human nature" as the essence of social interaction with strangers, Zhu Xiaohu subconsciously blurted out four words—[
(Seven emotions and six desires).
He tactically picked up his glass and took a sip of water to cover up his subtle embarrassment.
Next, Geng Zhi explained the basic functions of Momo's products to Zhu Xiaohu again.
Zhu Xiaohu sometimes frowned, sometimes nodded, and finally expressed his approval of the product's functions.
"Senior, let's take another look at the business model." Geng Zhi turned to a new page, "Momo has three monetization paths, and the prospects and financial potential are very broad."
"The first monetization path is membership value-added services, which is also the fastest and most direct way to monetize."
"The essence of stranger social networking is an efficiency tool; users are willing to pay for meeting people more efficiently."
"Therefore, our product design philosophy is that basic functions are free, but advanced functions are paid, such as unlimited greetings for members, seeing who likes me, priority recommendations, and incognito browsing —"
Geng Zhi started doing the math right away: "If a monthly membership costs 9 yuan and Momo's paid conversion rate is 5%, then when the user base reaches 500 million, the monthly revenue will be 500 million."
10,000 * 5% * 9 RMB/month = 225 million. Annualized return is nearly 30 million RMB.
"What's the basis for setting your 5% paid conversion rate?" Zhu Xiaohu asked.
"This model can be compared to QQ members. QQ members have a conversion rate of over 10%, and we at Momo estimate 5% as a conservative estimate," he replied straightforwardly.
Zhu Xiaohu stroked the stubble on his chin with his fingers, pondered for a moment, nodded, and no longer questioned.
"What is your second monetization path?"
"The second layer is Google Play monetization, and LBS Google Play is the golden model for mobile internet." Geng Zhi continued, counting on his fingers: "Splash screen Google Play is best suited for brand exposure, such as for movie, FMCG, and car brands. Information feed Google Play can be pushed based on LBS, such as for restaurants, shopping mall events, etc., which are all very suitable."
Geng Zhi paused slightly, then emphasized, "Most importantly, it can make targeted recommendations based on user profiles, which is much more effective than PCGG."
"What specific dimensions does your user profile refer to?"
"The most basic tags are age, gender, interests, and location. In the future, there will definitely be more tags, dozens or even hundreds, making the profile more accurate," he answered honestly.
Zhu Xiaohu nodded repeatedly: "Real location, real interests, it makes logical sense that GG hosts are willing to pay a premium for [people nearby]."
Hearing venture capital guru Zhu Xiaohu's comments, Lü Sifeng, who was sitting next to him, was deeply impressed.
Prior to this, although he had been deeply involved in the development of the Momo app and even held the title of CTO, he himself had never been very optimistic about the Momo app—he always felt it was somewhat boring.
But only now did he realize that Momo could actually make money in this way, and make a lot of money at that.
It was only at this moment that he truly realized that his junior brother Geng had not only succeeded as a matchmaker at Jiaotong University through cleverness and luck, but that he was truly capable!
When will I be able to start my own business like Junior Brother Geng? — Lü Sifeng muttered to himself.
Geng Zhi cleared his throat and continued, "The third layer isn't written on my BP, so I'll just describe it verbally."
"If the first tier of membership value-added services is the fastest way to monetize, and the second tier of GG monetization is large-scale monetization, then the third tier of game joint operation is ecosystem-level monetization."
Zhu Xiaohu's eyebrows shot up, and he leaned forward slightly: "What kind of game?"
"Start with lightweight social games." This straightforward answer instantly brought a flood of products to Zhu Xiaohu's mind.
Kaixin.com's "stealing vegetables" and "parking space grabbing" games, and Facebook's Zynga—
「假设陌陌用户1000万时，游戏活跃用户30%，月ARPU（每个用户平均收入）5块，月收入=1000万×30%×5块=1500万块，年化近2亿。
He's straightforward and calculates directly in his head, producing numbers cleanly and crisply.
Zhu Xiaohu understood.
I understood it completely.
He pondered for a while before summarizing, "So, Momo isn't a product, but a platform."
"Yes, senior brother hit the nail on the head!" Geng Zhi followed up, "Members are the foundation, GG is the second floor, and games are the top floor. With these three layers stacked together, Momo's ARPU is expected to reach 20-30 yuan/month. This whole combination is targeting—"
"It's benchmarking against Tencent's social monetization capabilities!" Kong Min quickly interjected.
There was a silence in the office for seven or eight seconds.
Zhu Xiaohu spoke again, but his tone had become sharp: "Xiao Geng, others can follow these paths too. Where is your barrier?"
"Senior, barriers aren't built in a day. Facebook started as just Harvard's campus network. Momo's barriers are its user base and social network. As long as you run fast, others can't catch up."
"Run fast?" Zhu Xiaohu raised an eyebrow. "Is Tencent slower than you? They have QQ, they have a user base, it's a piece of cake for them if they want to."
"QQ focuses on connecting acquaintances, while Momo focuses on connecting strangers. Social networking among acquaintances and social networking among strangers are two different logics. Tencent may not necessarily do it, because it doesn't fit their style, and even if they did, they might not do it well."
Zhu Xiaohu didn't speak, but a hint of appreciation flashed in his eyes.
He suppressed the excitement in his heart and said, "Junior brother, please continue talking about the team. Why are the COO, CFO, and business advisor listed as confidential in the business plan?"
He hadn't even realized it when he said those words—that he had already called Geng Zhi "junior brother".
Upon hearing the words "junior brother," Gu Wanning, Lü Sifeng, Sun Xiaowen, and Kong Min were all slightly taken aback.
So he's already acknowledging a junior brother?
"Senior, you're quite familiar with my background." Geng Zhi said without changing his expression, "The CTO is your junior, Lü Sifeng, a PhD from the School of Computer Science at Jiaotong University, who is about to graduate. The PhD in Psychology is Dr. Sun Xiaowen. The CFO and C00 are also top talents; we've already recruited them and they're ready to join us."
17
Geng Zhi started making things up.
Zhu Xiaohu frowned and pressed further, "How important are the CFO and COO?"
"Take C00 for example. He comes from a listed internet giant, he's a vice president, and he manages hundreds of people." Geng Zhi said naturally, "They come to our company as partners, but they're still going through the process, so it's not convenient to reveal their names."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiaohu nodded slightly and did not ask any further questions.
For big shots of this caliber, hiding their identity before making an official announcement is a basic tactic in such situations.
Geng Zhi continued, "I'll keep the strategic advisory resources a secret, but it's actually Professor Gou Youqian. He can connect you with a lot of resources."
Gu Wanning's inner monologue: When did my uncle get involved in the project? This big liar—he actually makes it sound quite convincing.
"Professor Gou is also involved in this project?" Zhu Xiaohu was indeed surprised.
"Yes, Professor Gou certainly wasn't involved in the specific details, but he did provide me with some capital-related resources," Geng Zhi said.
He was telling the truth this time.
Shen Nanpeng and Liu Qin were both introduced by Gou Youqian—although he only made the introductions and did not participate in any further.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiaohu didn't ask any further questions.
Professor Gou's role in connecting Geng Zhi with investors may be genuine, or it could be Geng Zhi trying to inflate his own value and create the illusion that "many investors are willing to engage with him."
But whether it's true or false doesn't matter anymore.
He approves of Geng Zhi's straightforward product logic, his business model, and, more importantly, he approves of Geng Zhi as a person.
The business plan states that in this angel round, Gengzhi will give up 20% of its shares to raise $100 million. This is within his acceptable range; if he can negotiate a lower price, he can barely sign the deal.
"Junior brother, this time Momo has truly impressed me." Zhu Xiaohu nodded, his tone filled with sincere approval. "The product design is very well-developed, and the business model is clearly structured with a three-tiered progression of membership, GG (games), and games. To be honest, it exceeded my expectations."
"Thank you for your recognition, senior!" Geng Zhi expressed his excitement perfectly.
"Okay, could you explain your rationale for the $500 million valuation in the angel round again?" Zhu Xiaohu said, picking up his teacup to drink.
"Oh, sorry, senior." Geng Zhi said frankly, "Because our business is progressing smoothly, we decided to go straight for Series A funding before coming to the capital. We're raising $200 million USD in exchange for 10% equity."
Cough cough—!
Zhu Xiaohu almost choked on his tea.
"How much?" he asked while wiping his mouth with a tissue, his composure completely gone.
"Raise $200 million in financing, give up 10% equity, and value the company at $2000 million." Geng Zhi repeated honestly.
"Junior brother, are you crazy? You can't just raise the price like this because I approved of your model one minute!" Zhu Xiaohu was speechless. This was the first time in his life he had ever seen an entrepreneur like this.
"Senior, you've misunderstood. I'm not crazy, I'm serious. I invested in the angel round myself."
Zhu Xiaohu leaned back slightly on the sofa, looking at Geng Zhi with a half-smile: "Your product has no prototype, no data, no actual product, and you're asking for a $2000 million valuation based solely on a PPT? That's simply unrealistic!"
Geng Zhi remained unmoved: "Senior brother, precisely because it hasn't gone live yet, now is the best time to enter the market. Once it goes live and the data comes out, the valuation will be much higher."
Zhu Xiaohu chuckled softly, "Oh? So what do you think the valuation will be after it goes live?"
Geng looked directly at Zhu Xiaohu and said, "If the data performs well, the valuation will at least double in two months."
Zhu Xiaohu laughed in exasperation, shook his head, and said with a helpless tone, "Junior brother, I understand your confidence, but investment isn't calculated like that. Let's be practical—I approve of the Momo product, I approve of your team, and I also think there's potential in the stranger social networking sector."
"But right now you have no data. User feedback, retention rate, DAU—it's all unknown. A valuation of $2000 million is indeed too high."
Geng Zhi didn't say anything.
"Junior brother, let's see if it's worth the price after your product goes live and we get some data," Zhu Xiaohu said patiently. "Can your first version go live in two or three months? We need to do it as soon as possible."
Geng Zhi shook his head.
"Exactly," Zhu Xiaohu said with a smile. "It's really inappropriate to ask for a valuation of 2000 million US dollars when it won't even be online for two or three months."
"Senior brother, what I mean is, it doesn't need two or three months, just two or three days," Geng Zhi corrected.
! — !
Zhu Xiaohu was stunned again.
"Junior brother, you're not kidding, are you?" Zhu Xiaohu asked, frowning.
"Senior Brother Zhu, Junior Brother Geng is right." Lu Sifeng, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. "Our product's MVP..."
The version was developed a long time ago, and we're preparing to roll it out for testing on a small scale in Shanghai in the next couple of days.
Zhu Xiaohu paused for two seconds.
Lu Sifeng opened his phone, opened the Momo app, and handed it to Zhu Xiaohu: "Senior Brother Zhu, please take a look."
Zhu Xiaohu took the phone, and the screen clearly showed that three people were using Momo within 20 meters.
Their nicknames are: [Shallow Sorrow Remembers the Passing Years], [Peach Blossom Nouveau Riche], and [Folded Ear Root].
Geng Zhi, Sun Xiaowen, and Gu Wanning all took out their phones, opened the Momo app, and showed it to Zhu Xiaohu.
These three people are them.
Zhu Xiaohu sent a message to [Peach Blossom Nouveau Riche], and Geng Zhi's Momo chat window instantly lit up. He then sent a message to [Shallow Sorrow Remembers the Passing Years], and Sun Xiaowen's chat window lit up.
"Kong Min, take Geng Zhi and your phone downstairs. I need to check if the distance has changed," Zhu Xiaohu said to his assistant.
Kong Min sought Geng Zhi's opinion with her eyes.
"Okay, let's demonstrate for our senior." Geng Zhi readily picked up his phone and walked out of the office. Kong Min followed closely behind.
Zhu Xiaohu stared intently at Lü Sifeng's phone screen.
His distance from [the nouveau riche] was consistently within 20 meters, then within 50 meters, and finally within 100 meters.
"President Zhu, it's changed. The distance between you has changed," Gu Wanning reminded him.
Zhu Xiaohu was then convinced that this Momo was not a demo, but a real product.
"Junior Brother Lü, have you guys been incubating the Momo app for a long time?" Zhu Xiaohu looked up and asked Lü Sifeng.
Lu Sifeng hesitated for a moment, then said frankly, "Senior brother—it's been a while."
"Did the research and development begin long before [Jiaotong University Matchmaker] received funding?" Zhu Xiaohu asked again.
"division----"
Just as Lü Sifeng was about to answer, Gu Wanning spoke up first to defuse the situation: "I heard from Geng Zhi that he first made the [Jiaotong University Matchmaker] APP, but after raising funds, he was targeted by Ma Chunmei in every way, so he later changed it to Momo."
Zhu Xiaohu glanced at Gu Wanning but didn't say anything.
He understood everything.
Just as Zhu Xiaohu was deep in thought, Geng Zhi and Kong Min, panting heavily, walked into the office one after the other.
"Senior, how's the product experience?" Geng Zhi asked Zhu Xiaohu.
"The product experience is pretty good," Zhu Xiaohu said. "Junior brother, if Momo's data is good a month after its launch, I can invest 100 million US dollars in you for a 10% stake. That's my bottom line."
As soon as he finished speaking, Geng Zhi's expression remained unchanged, and Gu Wan Ning also showed no expression.
But Sun Xiaowen and Lü Sifeng's hearts suddenly raced.
Especially Lü Sifeng.
For him, the previous valuation of 1800 million yuan for [Jiaotong University Matchmaker] was already the ceiling.
Now, Junior Brother Geng is asking for a valuation of 2000 million US dollars, which is 1.4 million! He thinks this is just a pipe dream.
But now, Zhu Xiaohu has actually given a valuation of 1000 million US dollars! Even if that's half the price, it's still way too amazing!
An app developed by just a few interns and one social recruit can be worth $1000 million? He always felt that the world was crazy.
After a moment of silence, he said calmly and directly, "Senior brother, Foursquare was valued at $80 million last August, so Momo's valuation of $20 million is not high at all."
"But Foursquare has data, while Momo doesn't," Zhu Xiaohu retorted sharply. "Moreover, the American market is larger than the domestic market."
"Senior, I may not have the data, but I have the product, the team, and an understanding of the users. Once this market gets going, the window of opportunity is very short."
"In the future, stranger social networking will be a multi-billion dollar industry. There are currently no good comparable products on the market, and Momo has a great opportunity to become a leading player in the LBS social networking field. The $2000 million valuation is just the starting line."
After speaking frankly, he stared blankly at Zhu Xiaohu.
The office fell silent once again, and outside the window, the sky had darkened.
half an hour.
Zhu Xiaohu calmly spoke again: "Junior brother, I'll say it again. If Momo's data is good a month after its launch, I'm willing to invest."
Seeing that Geng Zhi remained silent, Zhu Xiaohu shook his head slightly and began to calculate the accounts for him.
"Junior, let me break this down for you. A $2000 million valuation and $200 million in funding—you need to reach 100 million users to validate your model. Xinlang Weibo took over two months to achieve that number. How long do you think it will take you?"
"Within a month and a half," Geng said calmly.
Zhu Xiaohu laughed, the kind of laugh that says, "Young man, you're too naive."
"Junior brother, even if you control customer acquisition costs perfectly, acquiring 100 million users will still cost several million. How long can you burn through the remaining money? If Tencent really enters the market and follows suit, what will you use to fight back?"
After a moment's thought, Geng Zhi said, "Senior brother, I can keep my customer acquisition cost below three yuan in the early stages. One million users will only cost three million. The remaining ten million is enough for us to fight a big battle and sustain us until the next round."
Zhu Xiaohu raised an eyebrow: "Under three yuan? How did you manage that?"
"I have special resources in the distribution channels, but I can't go into details. Trust me this once, I guarantee that Momo will have a hot start as soon as it launches, and within a month and a half, it will have over 100 million users."
Zhu Xiaohu stared at Geng Zhi for a few seconds: "Are you betting against me?"
"It's not a bet," Geng Zhi shook his head. "It's a promise."
Zhu Xiaohu leaned back and tapped his fingers lightly twice on the sofa armrest.
"Junior, this is a good project. I also have high hopes for you. But your valuation is too aggressive. No venture capital firm will give you that amount." He paused, "Why don't you reconsider?"
"I'm sorry, senior." His tone was sincere but unyielding. "I insist on this valuation. This is my bottom line."
.
Zhu Xiaohu sighed.
"I admire your boldness. But investing isn't gambling. GSR Ventures has its own rules, and in my position, I have to be worthy of my LPs' money." He stood up, extended his hand, and said, "We can't invest in your project."
Geng Zhi smiled and stood up: "I understand, thank you for your time, Senior Brother. We won't bother you any longer."
Gu Wanning, Sun Xiaowen, and Lü Sifeng also got up.
Zhu Xiaohu stood up with a smile, shook hands with each of the four people, and then added, "Junior brother, GSR Ventures can't invest this time, but I hope we can stay in touch. Once you've built up your user base, I'll definitely seriously consider the next round of financing."
"Okay, definitely." Geng Zhi nodded. "Thank you, senior brother."
1
"Xiao Kong, can you see him off?" Zhu Xiaohu said to Kong Min.
Geng Zhi had just reached the office door when he suddenly stopped and turned to look at Zhu Xiaohu.
Zhu Xiaohu was overjoyed, thinking that Geng Zhi had changed his mind, but then he heard Geng Zhi say, "Senior brother, if a venture capital firm were willing to invest in my project, who do you think it would be?"
Zhu Xiaohu's last bit of hope vanished instantly.
He thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "If I had to choose one, the most likely candidate would be Sequoia Capital, which is known for its deep pockets and gullible investors. You could try contacting Shen Nanpeng."
"Okay, thank you, senior!" Geng Zhi waved his hand. "Goodbye, senior. I'm going to try my luck at Sequoia Capital."
A few seconds later, Gengzhi came back again: "By the way, senior brother, I forgot to share a message with you."
Zhu Xiaohu was secretly pleased. He realized that Geng Zhi wanted his investment but was too embarrassed to refuse, which was why he kept coming back. He asked with a smile, "What news?"
"I was chatting with Zhang Xuhao yesterday, and I heard that Ele.me has already established a foothold at Fudan University and is preparing to expand to other universities such as Tongji University. They're already getting over 2000 orders a day." Geng Zhi said this and then walked away with a flourish.
Zhu Xiaohu's face darkened: "!!!"
When Kong Min returned after seeing the four people off, she saw Zhu Xiaohu sitting on the sofa with a rather unpleasant expression.
"Mr. Zhu, what did you mean by mentioning Ele.me just now?" she asked cautiously.
"He was teasing me." Zhu Xiaohu pursed his lips. "When I first invested in Ele.me, I hesitated for a few days, but in the end, Arctic Capital snatched it up."
"oh----"
"Xiao Kong, what do you think of their Momo project?" Zhu Xiaohu asked.
"The model looks good. The track, the team, and the model are all good, especially the straightforward person," Kong Min answered truthfully.
Do you think his asking valuation is too high?
"It is a bit high," Kong Min said thoughtfully, "but I think we can join other institutions to invest together, and we can co-invest in a portion to diversify the risk."
She paused, then added, "I'm worried that if Momo is really taken over by someone else, we'll suffer a huge loss."
Zhu Xiaohu pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "No one will offer such a high price. They'll be online soon anyway, and the data will be out in a few days. I'll ask Geng Zhi about the data then. No rush."
Kong Min wanted to say something, but swallowed the words back.
Zhu Xiaohu took another sip of tea and suddenly asked, "By the way, Xiao Kong. When Geng Zhi was talking about the phrase 'based on interest,' I felt like I'd heard it somewhere before. Did you mention it?"
Kong Min thought for a moment, then shook her head: "I didn't mention it."
She had just finished speaking when she suddenly remembered something and hurriedly said, "Oh right, Mr. Zhu, I remember now, it was Geng Zhi who mentioned it at the marriage and love white paper release conference before the New Year: interest-based social interaction."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiaohu sat up abruptly.
He remembered, it really was a press conference!
"Xiao Kong, could you help me find the video of his candid speech at that press conference?"
Two minutes later, Kong Min took out her laptop and played a video of Zhu Xiaohu's interview with a Sohu reporter after the press conference.
On the screen, Geng Zhi faces the camera and speaks candidly: "—This is also a question I've been thinking about. For example, we can advocate for lightweight social networking, scenario-based social networking, and interest-based social networking, the purely online kind—"
After turning off the video, Kong Min slowly said, "President Zhu, I think he was already working on Momo when he said that."
Zhu Xiaohu remained silent, lost in thought.
Suddenly, he stood up and paced back and forth in the room.
"I understand, I understand everything! This straightforwardness is so well hidden!" Zhu Xiaohu suddenly said.
"Boss, what do you mean?" Kong Min asked, puzzled.
"He's been planning this for about six months!" Zhu Xiaohu began to imagine. "Back when he was doing a roadshow at Shanghai Jiaotong University, he mentioned that he wanted to make mobile internet products. He must have had the idea back then."
"And creating [Jiaotong University Matchmaker] was just a stepping stone for him, a stepping stone for monetization! Many of the ideas behind [Jiaotong University Matchmaker] have now been integrated into Momo, that must be it!"
Kong Min was so excited and flustered when she first met her boss. But she didn't know the background of Zhu Xiaohu's words, so she just listened quietly without interrupting.
After a long silence, Zhu Xiaohu suddenly remarked, "Starting a business is like playing chess. Some people only look one or two moves ahead, while experts can see ten or even more moves ahead. It's immediately clear who wins and who loses."
He paused, his voice carrying a complex emotion: "Geng Zhi is a genius!"
Zhu Xiaohu turned to Kong Min: "Xiao Kong, Momo is about to launch its promotion. Go to Shanghai in the next day or two to observe the promotion data firsthand and report back to me immediately!"
"Okay, Mr. Zhu."
Just then, Kong Min's phone rang: "Later, I finally learned how to love, but you were already gone—"
As Lü Sifeng left Zhu Xiaohu's office, he was still immersed in excitement.
His trip to the capital city broadened his horizons by more than ten times compared to what he gained from participating in the dating show "If You Are the One".
"Junior brother," he leaned closer to Geng Zhi and lowered his voice, "I think a valuation of 1000 million US dollars is already very high."
Is it really possible for someone to give us 2000 million?
"Mr. Zhu is right. We don't have any data right now, so it's unlikely that anyone with too much money would be foolish enough to give us a valuation of 2000 million US dollars."
"He said with a straight smile."
"Huh?" Lu Sifeng and Sun Xiaowen were both surprised.
Gu Wanning also looked surprised: "Straightforward, then why did you deliberately ask for such a high valuation and meet with so many investors? What's your purpose?"
"We're not looking for funding; we're not short of money right now," Geng Zhi laughed. "We're just here to make our faces known."
"Huh? Junior brother, what does this mean?" Lu Sifeng hurriedly asked.
"You mean—" Gu Wanning said thoughtfully, "that once Momo becomes popular, it will be easier to connect with them and get a higher valuation?"
"Wan Ning understands me perfectly!" Geng Zhi gave a thumbs up.
"You're something else!" Gu Wanning rolled her eyes at him. "But it really is a good strategy."
The two continued talking to themselves, while Lü Sifeng and Sun Xiaowen exchanged a glance, their faces full of confusion.
"Xiaowen, what exactly does 'face recognition' mean?"
"I don't know. Anyway, the boss is awesome."
The following afternoon at 2 PM, Geng Zhi led Gu Wanning and others to visit angel investor Xu Xiaoping, this time with Lü Siyu also joining them.
Xu Xiaoping's office wasn't large, but it was very stylishly decorated. A calligraphy scroll hung on the wall: "Investing is investing in people."
He is an investor in Century Family Network. Xu Xiaoping noticed him as early as when Geng Zhi first started working as a matchmaker at Jiaotong University.
In particular, his straightforwardness left a very good impression on him during the CCTV interview and the white paper release conference.
This meeting was arranged by Zhou Haoran. Xu Xiaoping didn't even ask Geng Zhi for the business plan beforehand, and just let them come over.
"Xiao Geng! Come, come, sit down!" Xu Xiaoping greeted him warmly, as if he were her own nephew.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Xu Xiaoping got straight to the point: "Come on, show me your project."
Geng Zhi turned on his computer and began his presentation.
"Teacher Xu, our product is called Momo, it's a..."
Geng Zhi's presentation strategy for Xu Xiaoping was exactly the same as what he had given Zhu Xiaohu yesterday. The only difference was that he didn't mention the CFO or CEO this time.
After he finished explaining the entire BP and answering all of Xu Xiaoping's questions, he looked up at her.
"Xiao Geng, your project is quite good." Xu Xiaoping nodded, her smile kind. "It's also the type of investment I like."
He paused, then changed the subject: "However, a valuation of $2000 million is too high. I could invest if it were $1000 million."
"Thank you for your recognition, Professor Xu." Geng Zhi smiled politely, "But 2000 million US dollars is my bottom line."
"Hmm, Xiao Geng, you're very ambitious!" Xu Xiaoping nodded. "Then we can talk properly after your product has been online for a month, based on the online performance data."
"Okay, Ms. Xu!"
The conversation should have ended there. But Geng Zhi did not get up to leave.
He suddenly changed the subject: "Mr. Xu, we're planning to do some promotion on Momo and want to buy a lot of traffic on NetEase News. Could you perhaps introduce us to someone at NetEase News?"
Xu Xiaoping thought for a moment and said, "I don't really know the person in charge of this at NetEase. I can ask their editor-in-chief, Li Yong, for you."
"Wow! Isn't this a rather high-ranking official position?" Geng Zhi feigned surprise. "Could you help me get in touch with Tang Yan, the deputy editor-in-chief?"
Xu Xiaoping was slightly taken aback.
He glanced at Geng Zhi and instantly understood—this kid had gone through all this trouble just to contact Tang Yan.
He didn't point it out, but smiled slightly and said, "Okay, I'll ask around for you."
5 minute later.
"Tang Yan is free at 8 pm tomorrow. Why don't you book a teahouse? Send me the address later," Xu Xiaoping said with a smile.
"Siyu, give Teacher Xu the teahouse's business card." Geng Zhi looked at Lü Siyu.
Lu Siyu took out a business card she had prepared beforehand from her bag and handed it to Xu Xiaoping with both hands.
Xu Xiaoping took the business card, glanced at it, and nodded to herself: This child has done her homework quite well.
The project is good, and the person is clever, but the $2000 million valuation is too high. Let him run some data first. — He muttered to himself.
"Thank you very much for your guidance and help, Teacher Xu. We won't bother you any longer!" Geng Zhi stood up and led the four of them to take their leave.
"Okay, Xiao Geng, keep it up! Keep in touch!"
The five of them had just come out of Xu Xiaoping's office when they bumped into this scene.
Xu Xiaoping's secretary was leading a middle-aged man, who was wearing a red down jacket, was slightly thin but energetic, towards another office.
The secretary's voice drifted over: "Mr. Ma, please wait here for a moment. Mr. Xu should be done soon."
The middle-aged man smiled and nodded, speaking in a Zhejiang accent: "Okay, no rush, no rush."
Geng Zhi's eyes lit up.
He made his decision in almost 0.1 seconds, turned around, and quickly retreated back to Xu Xiaoping's office.
"Teacher Xu!"
Xu Xiaoping was tidying up the documents on the table when she looked up at him: "Hmm? Xiao Geng, what's wrong?"
Geng Zhi took a deep breath, his face displaying a perfectly timed "excuse me for disturbing you" expression.
"Teacher Xu, I'd like to ask you for another favor. Is that alright?"
"Oh? Go ahead." Xu Xiaoping remained kind.
"I just saw Jack Ma from Alibaba outside," Geng Zhi said. "Could you help me introduce my Momo project?"