Chapter 340: 50 Million for 200 Billion, No Matter How You Calculate It, It's Not a Loss

At Zhuxianzhuang Technology Park, twilight hung heavy and autumn waned.

Mao Chaorong sat in the lounge of Chengzi Technology's headquarters building, gazing at Chen Yansen across from him, a trace of barely perceptible anxiety and irritation flashing in his eyes.

After returning to the country, he leveraged Penguin's Summer Startup Camp to climb onto the connections of Zhang Xiaolong, the father of WeChat, and through the other party's network, successfully met Ma Wenteng, one of the three giants of BAT.

But Little Ma Brother had no interest in his Little Red Dress project.

What left him most desperate was that Chen Yansen, this business genius, held an attitude identical to Ma Wenteng's.

He only wanted Mao to work for him, with not the slightest intention of investing in Little Red Dress.

"Mr. Chen, please give me a chance; I guarantee that within three years, I will increase the valuation of Little Red Dress tenfold."

Mao Chaorong pondered for over ten seconds, then spoke with weight and conviction.

"What is your valuation expectation for Little Red Dress after three years?" Chen Yansen shrugged, asking casually.

"One billion US dollars." Mao Chaorong gritted his teeth and bluffed through it.

"Do you understand WeChat version 4.0? The photo-sharing feature of Moments is identical to Instagram's, and it is paired with a more efficient and immediate interactive communication model; how can Little Red Dress survive? Will Penguin allow this software to grow large?"

Chen Yansen fired three questions in a row, each one piercing straight into Mao Chaorong's heart.

One billion US dollars?

Just hot air!

You must know that when Facebook acquired Instagram earlier this year, the asking price was merely one billion US dollars, but he learned from the Spotify boss that the actual transaction price was only 710 million US dollars.

And Little Red Dress currently has only a business plan; with nothing but empty words, it wants to leap into a unicorn enterprise in three years?

That is simply dreaming!

Mao Chaorong's words were probably repeated to Ma Wenteng as well; no wonder Little Ma Brother rejected him, most likely thinking he was too impetuous.

"Mr. Chen, the development speed of domestic e-commerce is rapid; emerging brands are springing up like bamboo shoots after rain. They need a content seeding platform, and Little Red Dress's target group will focus on young women; regarding commercial monetization, I already have very mature ideas..."

Mao Chaorong, rendered speechless by the questioning, thought for a moment, reorganized his words, and explained with a sincere tone.

"So, you want to give up the authority to command an aircraft carrier to row your own little wooden boat?" Chen Yansen waved his hand, interrupting Mao Chaorong.

He paused for a moment, then continued: "Do you think Zhang Xiaolong could build WeChat if he didn't join Penguin? My value expectation for Mimo will not be lower than that of Chengzi Technology and Pinya Shangcheng; whether to be the head of the phoenix or the tail of the chicken, you decide for yourself."

Having finished speaking, Chen Yansen slowly stood up, casting a final remark at Mao Chaorong: "Back then, when Ma Liyun invited Zhang Yong to join Mama Ali, he gave him only thirty minutes to consider."

Excellent talent is everywhere; does someone who fails to realize their talent still count as talent?

Smart people are often good at seizing opportunities!

If Mao Chaorong cannot even figure this out, it shows the other party is not suitable to serve as the head of Mimo's North American operations.

Seeing this, Mao Chaorong felt a sudden panic in his heart, quickly stood up, and chased after him, saying: "Mr. Chen, I want to try."

"If I can grow Mimo's user scale to ten million, will you be willing to invest in Little Red Dress?"

Hearing this, Chen Yansen stopped, looked Mao Chaorong up and down, and did not expect the other party to actually play a betting agreement game with him.

But he knew clearly in his heart that once Mimo's user count grew to tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions, Mao Chaorong would not bother thinking about Little Red Dress at all.

Just like Liao Wei; although his shareholding ratio in Yunsu was not high, it was worth over two billion Chinese yuan.

"I give you half a year; if your performance satisfies me, then when you want to start a business, I will fully support you." Chen Yansen said in a deep voice.

The implication was that Mao Chaorong was not irreplaceable; if his abilities did not meet the standard, he wouldn't even be able to hold the position of Mimo head steadily.

Mao Chaorong understood the subtext in Chen Yansen's words, couldn't help but let out a dry laugh, and immediately nodded in agreement: "No problem."

Compared to Ma Wenteng, Chen Yansen at least gave hope.

"There is a social engagement tonight; accompany me."

Chen Yansen said lightly.

Mao Chaorong's mindset shifted extremely fast; hesitating for only two or three seconds, he quickly caught up, opened the rear car door for Chen Yansen, and then consciously sat in the front passenger seat.

"Xiao Li, go to the Sky Garden."

Chen Yansen gave the order, a faint smile appearing on his face.

Although Mao Chaorong's resume and project experience were not a perfect match for the Mimo project head position, he was at least the tallest among the short ones; let's use him for now.

At worst, we can replace him later!

A panda-colored Rolls-Royce Ghost drove out of the technology park, speeding towards the city center.

After accepting Chen Yansen's invitation, Mao Chaorong instantly felt the burden on his shoulders lighten significantly.

Being seen by Chen Yansen was equivalent to another form of 'successful startup'; within just a few minutes, he had figured it out.

First, latch onto the thigh of Senlian Capital; if he can satisfy Chen Yansen, whether it is promotion and salary increase or leaving to start a business in the future, obtaining financing will be much easier then.

The bigger the platform, the more resources and opportunities!

Halfway there, Mao Chaorong struggled for quite a while, looking as if he wanted to speak but didn't know how to start.

"If you have something to say, just say it; no need to hold it in."

Chen Yansen glanced at him and said softly.

"Chen Zong, the Little Red Dress project has another partner; she is my friend. For this startup plan, she quit her job and returned to the country with me. Can you help introduce the heads of several investment institutions?"

Mao Chaorong asked cautiously.

Actually, Qu Fang was the main force behind Little Red Dress.

Although he and the other party had some unpleasantness over matters of the heart, he still felt grateful for Qu Fang's support.

Half a year later, perhaps an Instagram clone would have already bloomed everywhere in the country; rather than letting others have the benefit, it is better to give the opportunity to Qu Fang, just as a supplement.

"Sure." Chen Yansen agreed readily.

Does Little Red Dress have commercial value?

Of course it does!

After all, its prototype software 'Instagram', with only 40 million users, sold for a price of 700 million US dollars.

In his view, as long as sufficient funds and traffic are provided, Little Red Dress might well join the ranks of internet companies worth a trillion three to five years ahead of schedule.

Half an hour later, the car stopped at the entrance of the Sky Garden.

Chen Yansen led Mao Chaorong, took the elevator, and went to the top-floor private room.

Not until 10:30 at night did this drinking session end; Mao Chaorong put Chen Yansen into the car, then turned back to the hotel.

Slightly tipsy, he lay on his side by the bedside, then immediately took out his phone and called Qu Fang.

"Ding... ding... ding..."

Just as Mao Chaorong thought the other party would not answer, a "click" sound suddenly came from the receiver.

"What is it?" Qu Fang asked directly.

"I accepted Today Technology's offer and plan to go to Los Angeles in three days," Mao Chaorong said.

"You're not starting a business anymore?" Qu Fang asked in surprise.

"For people like us with no background, raising capital is too difficult; I've given up. By the way, I mentioned it to Chen Yansen, and the other party is willing to invest in Little Red Dress. You do it; consider it fulfilling our shared wish."

Mao Chaorong looked at the brilliant neon lights outside the window, took a deep breath, and spoke with emotion.

Compared to ordinary people, he and Qu Fang could be considered outstanding; one was a top student from Beijing Foreign Studies University, the other a small-town test-taker from Shanghai Jiao Tong University; both had foreign enterprise work experience and study abroad backgrounds.

But in the eyes of Chen Yansen and Ma Wenteng, they were still insignificant.

"You used joining the company as a condition to exchange for a financing opportunity?"

After a moment of silence, Qu Fang couldn't help but ask further.

"Although Today Technology cannot compare to Sister Chengzi Technology and Pinba Shangcheng, it is backed by Senlian Capital; besides, the job title and benefits are very good." Mao Chaorong did not answer directly. "Thank you." Qu Fang hesitated slightly, then nodded and agreed.

First, she had poured a great deal of effort into the business plan for Little Red Dress;

second, she urgently needed a job to support her daily living expenses.

"Alright, let's leave it at that for now; next time, don't use 'damn it' to curse at me; it doesn't suit your temperament."

Mao Chaorong joked with a smile.

Qu Fang smiled understandingly and hung up the phone.

The next morning, November 27.

Sister Chengzi Pad 1 and MagicBook debuted at the Sister Chengzi Smart Life Hall for the first time, adding offline sales channels, and sales rose accordingly.

On that same day, Mao Chaorong came to Zhuxianzhuang Technology Park for the second time, signed the labor contract and equity incentive agreement; his position was General Manager of Mimo's North America Division, reporting to Chen Yansen.

"Old Liang, let me introduce you; this is Mao Chaorong."

Chen Yansen called Liang Bo over and pointed at Mao Chaorong while speaking.

"General Manager Mao, hello." Liang Bo smiled and extended his hand to greet him.

Regarding Chen Yansen's decision, he actually had a premonition long ago.

"General Manager Liang, nice to meet you; the development work in the North American region still relies on your support; please." Mao Chaorong responded immediately.

"You two talk slowly; by early December, I want to see Mimo on the real-time download charts of the iOS and Android app stores."

Chen Yansen interjected.

The short-video industry in North America was currently in a blue ocean; Vine's six-second short-video design, while saving users data traffic and providing convenience for market expansion, was too short, severely crippling the user experience.

Mimo's video duration limit was fifteen seconds, with algorithmic recommendation at its core, providing users with personalized video content.

In terms of recommendation engine technology, Today Technology and Byte Technology had accumulated extensive project experience and technical foundation through products like Today Headlines, Lingxi Browser, and Lingxi Search; they were not inferior to Amazon and Netflix, and even far superior.

Liang Bo took Mao Chaorong, turned, and walked outside, planning to tour Today Technology's office area.

Chen Yansen turned on the computer and launched his work email.

Liao Wei sent an email; besides SF, Guotong, Tian Tian, and Best Express, some third-tier courier companies like Yafeng, Jiaji, Longbang, Rufengda, and Xingchen had also joined the Cloud Speed Express Alliance.

Nowadays, Cloud Speed Express service stations were spread throughout the entire East China region, numbering as many as 1,200; the remaining towns and townships, either having too few people or being vast and sparsely populated, were temporarily shelved by Liao Wei due to cost considerations.

After two months of trial and integration, the Cloud Speed Express service stations had found their business and profit direction.

Therefore, Liao Wei requested whether to accelerate the expansion speed and replicate this model to the North China, Northeast China, South China, and Central China regions.

"Step by step, in stages; divide the population, consumption potential, and coverage area of towns and townships into three tiers, and start with the first tier."

Chen Yansen replied in the email.

After defeating the "Three Connections and One Delivery," Cloud Speed had become the leading figure in the private courier industry.

The daily pickup volume reached 12 million orders, carrying fifty to sixty percent of the national business volume; combined with electronic waybill technology and the layout of Cloud Speed Express lockers, it further solidified Cloud Speed's status as the industry leader.

Although SF was strong in the time-sensitive express delivery field, its daily business volume was only 2.6 million shipments, with a market share accounting for only one-fifth of Cloud Speed's.

The more members the Cloud Speed Express Alliance had, the stronger the dependency of these courier companies on Cloud Speed service stations and Cloud Speed Express lockers.

Chen Yansen knew clearly that the authorities above would never allow Cloud Speed Express to form a monopoly position, because this was a livelihood industry.

This was also the main reason why Cloud Speed fell silent after absorbing the "Three Connections and One Delivery."

With a cake, just grab the biggest piece; eating alone easily leads to choking.

At 3:00 PM, the front desk called.

"Bring her to my office," Chen Yansen said.

After hearing the other party's name, he became even more certain that Mao Chaorong and Qu Fang were the founders of Little Red Book.

As for why it was now called Little Red Dress, that was actually easy to understand.

A product name is influenced by external environments such as development stage, financing, and acquisitions; changing the name is normal.

For example, iQiyi's predecessor was called "Qiyi," Qian Du Music's predecessor was called "Qianqian Jingting," Renren Network's predecessor was called "Xiaonei Wang," and Tmall Shangcheng's predecessor was called "Taobao Shangcheng"; such cases are countless.

Three minutes later, a "knock, knock, knock" sound came from outside the door.

"Come in!"

Chen Yansen replied.

Guided by the front desk girl, Qu Fang pushed the door open and walked in.

"Hello, Mr. Chen; my name is Qu Fang; this is my personal resume, as well as the business direction planning for Little Red Dress."

Qu Fang first introduced herself, then handed over a thick stack of documents.

"The name 'Little Red Dress' won't work; it sounds like it targets female users, and 'Red Dress' gives the false impression of a vertical shopping app. Change it to 'Little Red Book,' RedNote. It's concise, easy to understand, and good for market promotion."

Chen Yansen leaned back. After Qu Fang took her seat, he spoke slowly and deliberately.

"'Little Red Book'? Indeed, it rolls off the tongue better than 'Little Red Dress.' Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Chen." Qu Fang thanked him with grace and composure.

Chen Yansen's gaze swept over Qu Fang. She wasn't particularly beautiful, but she made up for it with a steady temperament and a sharp look in her eyes.

Her posture was upright, her spine straight, her hands naturally folded on her lap. Every gesture and movement exuded the competence of a seasoned professional.

Qu Fang's first impression on him was actually slightly better than Mao Chaorong's.

"I give you two choices: 20% equity for 2 million, or 95% equity for 50 million, with the remaining 5% distributed over three years." Chen Yansen stated it concisely.

"I choose the 50 million." Qu Fang smiled confidently and chose the latter without hesitation.

The more money taken, the more matching traffic and resources behind it.

Besides, rather than having one's equity diluted round after round by others, it was better to grab onto the thickest thigh.

"You are smarter and more decisive than Mao Chaorong." Chen Yansen smiled slightly, his look filled with appreciation.

"Mr. Chen is too kind. I just want to become one of Senlian Capital's own people." Qu Fang nodded in response.

"Then welcome, Ms. Qu, to Senlian Capital." Chen Yansen extended his right hand and said with a smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Chen." Qu Fang immediately stood up, grasped Chen Yansen's hand, and replied respectfully.

Little Red Book holds multiple strategic values for Senlian Capital. First, it can realize a closed loop of content seeding and consumption conversion. Second, it enhances the overall brand image of Chengzi Technology and aids brand upgrading. Third, it provides precise traffic for products under the group.

Most importantly, Qu Fang's business plan for Little Red Book was barely sketched out; entering the game at this point was no different from picking up free money.

According to his understanding, Little Red Book's market value would eventually exceed 200 billion, higher than MiHao You.

Exchanging 50 million for 200 billion; no matter how you calculate it, there's no loss!

After chatting with Qu Fang for a few moments, Chen Yansen picked up his phone and dialed Gao Weilin's number: "Old Gao, come over."

"Okay, boss." Gao Weilin understood; the big boss had assigned another task.

Meanwhile.

ofo bicycles deployed a second batch of shared bikes in Hangcheng. The total number exceeded 10,000, and daily revenue reached 30,000 Billion Huayuan.

Cheng Wei's expansion pace was not slow either. After installing smart locks on the second-generation and first-generation Didi bicycles, he increased the deployment quantity to 15,000 units.

In fact, the two batches deployed a total of 15,600 units, of which over 600 were missing.

(End of this chapter)