[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-get-stronger-every-payday-with-one-billion-emp":3,"chapter-i-get-stronger-every-payday-with-one-billion-emp-i-get-stronger-every-payday-with-one-billion-emp-chapter-318":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I Get Stronger Every Payday—With One Billion Employees!",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2264531,4419,"Chapter 318: Daniel: A Backcountry Tycoon Has Arrived from Asia! Spotify","i-get-stronger-every-payday-with-one-billion-emp-chapter-318",318,"\u003Cp>Three days later, in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, No. 19 Kungsgatan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fully black Volvo XC90 turned off the main road and entered the Spotify headquarters building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a twelve-story office building, designed primarily in Nordic minimalist style with modern architectural concepts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked somewhat shabby, seemingly inconsistent with Spotify’s market position in the Western music app industry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel Ek wore a tailored blue suit, a white shirt underneath, and a sapphire blue tie, impeccably dressed in formal attire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In October, Stockholm’s daytime temperature was only eight degrees Celsius; he had considered adding a wool overcoat but, to maintain dignity, he gritted his teeth and waited downstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boss, the other party is just a Chinese man. Even though the Alexa smart speaker brought us three million paying users, I don’t think he deserves such treatment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are all developing similar smart speaker products. We should focus our efforts on communication and collaboration with other terminal products.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Martin, Spotify’s co-founder, sneered, baffled by Daniel’s behavior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his view, Alexa’s success was merely due to being first-mover; once Microsoft, Google, and Amazon fully mobilized, Orenzi Technology’s R&D strength would hold no advantage against these Western tech giants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Martin, I want you to immediately drop your contempt for Orenzi Technology. Chen Yansen’s business talent is no less than Facebook’s CEO Zuckerberg. Had he been in a different environment, Chen Yansen’s achievements would have surpassed Zuckerberg long ago.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Daniel’s expression turned grave, and he warned solemnly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know Orenzi Technology’s valuation exceeds twenty billion U.S. dollars, but that’s just a valuation. Facebook is already public, and Zuckerberg’s stake is worth thirty billion U.S. dollars.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Martin shook his head, disagreeing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re woefully uninformed! Chen Yansen also owns a courier company handling over ten million parcels daily and an e-commerce company with annual sales exceeding two hundred billion. In overall strength, Zuckerberg is nowhere near Chen Yansen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel shrugged and chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over ten million parcels daily?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Martin froze slightly—he had only researched Orenzi Technology and overlooked Orenzi Capital’s other subsidiary companies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sweden’s total population is less than ten million!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His courier company serves over ten million people daily. Though he didn’t understand logistics valuation methods, simply based on over three billion parcels annually, its valuation couldn’t be lower than twenty billion U.S. dollars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, he had to admit he had seriously underestimated the man’s wealth and influence in the East.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a Volvo XC90 entered their view and pulled to a stop in front of the building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Click.*\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The car door swung open!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen stepped out, wearing a light gray suit that clung tightly to his frame; at 186 centimeters tall, he still appeared slightly taller than Daniel Ek and the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Yuncheng followed closely behind, dressed in a lined business suit, attending the meeting as an assistant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Chen, welcome!” Before Chen Yansen could approach, Daniel stepped forward with Spotify’s senior executives to greet him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In terms of wealth and status, he had no comparison with Chen Yansen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eight months ago, Spotify accepted a forty-million-dollar investment from JPMorgan, pushing its post-money valuation to 1.5 billion U.S. dollars, easily entering unicorn status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Orenzi Technology had already secured a 1.35-billion-dollar investment from DST Capital a year earlier, with a valuation of nine billion U.S. dollars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, a year later, Orenzi Technology had become China’s top smartphone manufacturer, with its valuation likely exceeding twenty billion U.S. dollars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Orenzi Technology was merely one of many subsidiaries under his control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel considered himself a genius in business, but compared to Chen Yansen, the pride of founding Spotify vanished instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, he adopted a very humble posture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Daniel, pleasure to meet you. Thank you for building the application ecosystem for the Alexa smart speaker.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen extended his hand and replied with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his eyes, Spotify at this moment was no different from Kuwo, Tiantian, or Kugou Music in China, with a valuation of at most 2.5 to 3 billion U.S. dollars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the Spotify that would later ring the bell on the New York Stock Exchange with a market cap exceeding 26 billion U.S. dollars six years from now deserved his second glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel quickly grasped Chen Yansen’s right hand, smiling warmly: “Mr. Chen, you’re too kind. Orenzi Technology is also an important partner of Spotify.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After exchanging a few pleasantries outdoors, Daniel led Chen Yansen and Song Yuncheng into Spotify’s headquarters building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group took the elevator to the rooftop terrace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From here, they could overlook the entire city and coastline of Stockholm. “Mr. Chen, please sit!” Daniel warmly invited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In 2012, Spotify was in a phase of rapid growth, primarily operating in Germany, Australia, Ireland, and other Western countries, and had tentatively partnered with Penguin Music to explore the Chinese and broader Asian markets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last year’s revenue was 240 million U.S. dollars; from Q1 to Q3 this year, revenue reached 690 million U.S. dollars, showing clear growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what troubled Daniel was that to secure licensing rights for fifteen million songs from Universal, Sony, Warner, and other record labels, Spotify had to pay a massive annual royalty fee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It even accounted for 50% of revenue!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more users, the greater the losses!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Chen Yansen owned no publicly listed company, his Orenzi Capital possessed equally formidable financial strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, Daniel hoped to find a financing opportunity with this Asian businessman and secure substantial development funds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the past three months, he had contacted Goldman Sachs, but they offered only a humiliating 2.4 billion U.S. dollars; Daniel naturally refused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with only three months left in 2012, if he failed to secure financing now, he wouldn’t even be able to pay the royalty fees, let alone invest in advertising or acquire new users.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard Apple is negotiating with record labels to expand iTunes’ music library.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen said casually after sitting down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel’s heart tightened—Apple’s smartphone shipments in the West ranked second only to Shanxing; with its terminal advantage, iTunes posed a serious threat to Spotify.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was precisely why he valued Orenzi Technology so highly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alexa smart speaker was just one part; Orenzi Technology’s move into Eastern Europe’s smartphone market gave him a glimmer of opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Spotify could form a strategic partnership with Orenzi phones and pre-install its software, it would achieve low-cost user acquisition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Facebook’s advertising costs were too high, and with royalty pressure, he was truly overwhelmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“iTunes’ music library is far smaller than Spotify’s. To enhance user experience, I’ve signed licensing agreements with Universal, Sony, Warner, and other labels—our library exceeds twenty million songs. Mr. Chen, Spotify is Orenzi Technology’s best choice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel quickly explained, fearing Chen Yansen would abandon Spotify and switch Alexa’s music service to iTunes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that so?” Chen Yansen replied noncommittally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Chen, what do you think of Spotify as a product?” Daniel chuckled awkwardly, rubbing his nose and changing the subject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Chen, what do you think of the Spotify product?” Daniel let out a dry laugh, rubbed his nose, and changed the subject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen narrowed his eyes, analyzing the man’s intent. Daniel’s face was earnest, his smile ingratiating—was he treating me like a fool, trying to raise funds?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a few breaths, his mind raced through over a dozen possibilities, with fundraising being the most likely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Daniel, do you want me to speak frankly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen replied with a light smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course.” Daniel sat up straight, eager to hear this business genius’s opinion on Spotify’s business model.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“High royalty costs, unclear profit model, slow user growth, low paid conversion rate…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen spoke without restraint, listing Spotify’s problems one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel’s smile faded, his facial muscles stiffened, and embarrassment crept onto his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew all these problems well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Goldman Sachs’ investors had used nearly identical reasons to force Spotify’s valuation down to 2.4 billion U.S. dollars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But because they were truths, they cut deep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel hadn’t expected Chen Yansen’s honesty to be so unvarnished—it was too blunt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the man’s expression darken further, Chen Yansen slightly softened his tone and ended the critique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Chen, I’m already working on solutions to these issues. I want to know—does Spotify have investment potential in your view?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel took a deep breath and asked directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1386,"2026-06-19T19:17:19.606Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3c27c0e89ee80a6811294daa696a1d1fc4cb38bf394e378fa25f43130b7d228a","i-get-stronger-every-payday-with-one-billion-emp-chapter-319","i-get-stronger-every-payday-with-one-billion-emp-chapter-317",387,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-get-stronger-every-payday-with-one-billion-emp-cover.jpg"]