[{"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-83":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},2264296,4419,"Chapter 83: Hyping Up Venture Capital, Shanghai Trip (Request Subscription!)","i-get-stronger-every-payday-with-one-billion-emp-chapter-83",83,"\u003Cp>At 10:30 a.m., while heading toward the startup park, Zhang Jiancheng called again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhang Zong, I won’t hide it—Fox Tao  doesn’t need money right now.” Chen Yansen cut him off before he could speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chen Zong, I know that after Super Return went live, you hold merchant and B2C marketplace deposits, plus daily gross profits over a million—your cash flow is ample.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But Thinking Capital entered e-commerce back in 2004 and has rich B2C and supply chain resources that can accelerate Fox Tao ’s growth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jiancheng calmly explained after listening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fox Tao  currently has 1.5 million daily active users and stable daily sales of 20 million. How much is Thinking Capital willing to value it at?” Chen Yansen stretched his lips and inflated the figures by over 50%.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chen Zong, based on this year’s average P\u002FE ratio in the e-commerce industry, Thinking Capital can offer a 400-million valuation. Considering Fox Tao  leads the guide-commerce segment, I can add another 100 million.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jiancheng said slowly after thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry, I’m not satisfied with that number.” Chen Yansen refused bluntly, then brought up Penguin: “Penguin is Fox Tao ’s angel investor with preemptive rights—I must notify them before launching Series A.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chen Zong, let’s meet in person—we can negotiate the valuation. As long as the algorithm is reasonable, Thinking Capital is willing to accept it.” Zhang Jiancheng frowned but didn’t give up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Chen Yansen didn’t want to raise funds too early; he gave vague replies and hung up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Repeatedly rejected, Zhang Jiancheng looked stunned. He hadn’t expected an 18-year-old freshman to be so hard to deal with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d planned to take advantage of other VCs waiting on the sidelines and “daze” Chen Yansen with a 500-million valuation to get him to sign the funding agreement—yet the other side refused outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen walked into Room 206, waved to Wang Zihao, and when he approached, ordered: “Find a few top e-commerce influencers and leak a rumor—say Thinking Capital wants to invest in Fox Tao  at a 500-million valuation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Real or fake?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Zihao froze slightly and instinctively asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Real—but I turned it down. 500 million is too low.” Chen Yansen answered honestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though leaking investor intentions was unethical and might anger Thinking Capital, Chen Yansen had no sense of morality and didn’t care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking Capital wanted cheap equity; Chen Yansen wanted a high price. No right or wrong—just profit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Holy shit! You’re awesome!” Wang Zihao gave a thumbs-up, stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back at his desk, he immediately contacted intermediaries to reach two top influencers—RabbitSaysEcommerce and 21st Century E-commerce Circle—with 4.6 million and 3.2 million followers respectively; the total cost was under 8,000 yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, influencers’ ability to monetize traffic paled compared to what it would be a decade later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That afternoon at 3 p.m., RabbitSaysEcommerce posted about Thinking Capital’s contact with Fox Tao .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“500-million valuation” plus “18-year-old business genius” unsurprisingly trended nationwide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some thought Fox Tao ’s 500-million valuation absurd—it had been operating less than four months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But commenters quickly explained: using P\u002FE ratios or PEG valuation combining growth rates with Fox Tao ’s DAU, orders, and sales data, its value could reach 800 million to 1 billion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some netizens suspected it was Fox Tao ’s PR stunt to inflate its worth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour later, 21st Century E-commerce Circle reposted RabbitSaysEcommerce’s Weibo, further validating the rumor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jiancheng was reporting progress to his boss when he heard the news; he sneered. He hadn’t expected Chen Yansen to be so slick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing media inquiries, Zhang Jiancheng couldn’t deny it outright, only vaguely said: “Guide-commerce, as a niche segment of e-commerce, has been given a brand-new profit model by Fox Tao .”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said nothing about whether the 500-million valuation was real or whether Thinking Capital had contacted Fox Tao .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before quitting time, Chen Yansen received another call—from Qiming Capital—offering 600 million for 20% equity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen gave the same vague reply, planning to let the hype build a few more days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, Lin Chenfeng from Penguin’s investment division called specifically to ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After learning the situation, he smiled and reminded him: “This project was personally flagged by Ma Zong—the investment division will definitely follow up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen smiled faintly and replied: “Welcome to visit Fox Tao  on-site—you’ll gain a clearer sense of its current value.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the funding rumors spread, more and more VC firms noticed Fox Tao —the rapidly rising guide-commerce platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On December 17, the first VC firm to enter the startup park was Today Capital—a team of seven, including the lead investment manager, industry analysts, legal, finance, and tech staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen spent the whole day with them on the second floor of the park; Song Yuncheng handled reception and presented the optimized data.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, photos of Today Capital visiting Xucheng College were posted online—not by Chen Yansen’s doing, but by several college students trying to gain followers by riding the trend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>VCs who had been watching now grew restless and started calling to request on-site visits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout mid-December, Chen Yansen focused only on Super Return’s daily operations; the rest of his time went to dealing with VCs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The results were excellent—valuation offers kept rising. Competition created pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking Capital, which initially offered only 500 million, eventually raised its bid to 750 million!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sen-ge, what do you think? DCM’s offer is the highest—we could raise 140 million by selling just 10% equity, letting us scale our investment tenfold.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Zihao pulled over a chair and sat in front of Chen Yansen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still too low! These damn VCs keep citing Super Return’s short launch time, volatile policies, and unstable gross margins. At a net daily gross of one million, I’d be justified asking for 3 billion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen glanced at Wang Zihao dismissively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>VCs thought Fox Tao ’s daily gross was unstable? Fine—he’d wait. He wasn’t in a hurry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“3 billion?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Zihao swallowed hard, looked around—the project had fewer than 80 people. Could it really be worth 3 billion?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d been attending Liu Muyan’s finance classes lately; though he hadn’t studied company valuation, he knew 3 billion was astronomical—VCs would never accept it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine—if we grow slower than I expect, no one’s offer matters.” Chen Yansen chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Zihao stayed silent. He didn’t ask for Chen Yansen’s bottom price—he sensed even if he asked, Chen wouldn’t tell the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since his best friend finished his college applications, he’d changed—deep, calculating, utterly unreadable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve emailed you this week’s ad plan and weekly report. Oh, our cumulative registered users just surpassed 20 million.” Wang Zihao changed the subject with a grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll be away for the next few days. Keep an eye on things—call me if anything comes up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen checked his watch and gave serious instructions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Got it, Fangxin ! If any VCs show up, I’ll hand them off to Song Yuncheng and Zhuang Rui—they’ve got experience.” Wang Zihao shrugged, envy in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen was taking Meng Jie to Shanghai for a concert; he was stuck working like a dog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d finally liked a girl—but she was a teacher, already had a fiancé.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That guy looked decent enough, but his hair was greasy like a dog had licked it—clearly unreliable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m Hao-ge’s the perfect match for Liu Muyan!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wang Zihao only dared mutter this in his head—not a word aloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen smiled, picked up his coat, and walked out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the bottom of the faculty apartment building, Chen Yansen saw Meng Jie pushing two suitcases, tiptoeing and looking around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First take a taxi to the high-speed rail station—we’ll arrive around 10 p.m.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen took one suitcase, ruffled Meng Jie’s hair, and said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Jie grinned, linked arms with Chen Yansen, and walked confidently toward the school gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Xucheng College to Xucheng East Station took half an hour; the high-speed train took three hours; by the time they reached the hotel, it was already 10:30 p.m.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shanghai’s night glowed with neon; skyscrapers lined both banks of the Huangpu River, bathed in cool moonlight, streets bustling, wildly noisy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You booked only one room?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing at the door, Meng Jie blinked, her expression odd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That dog Chen Yansen’s intentions were too obvious—Meng Jie understood instantly, her cheeks burning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d imagined this scenario countless times in her mind—but never expected it to come so suddenly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry—I won’t do anything to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen pushed open the door, inserted the keycard into the power slot, and spoke seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ll definitely say the AC isn’t warm, want to share a bed, then say you’ll just hug me, nothing more, and finally whisper ‘I’ll just rub against you,’ right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Jie’s eyes shimmered, lips slightly curled, listing the scoundrel’s Taolu  one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know so much—you must’ve been a scoundrel in your last life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen paused, chuckled awkwardly, and struck first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t forget—who was the boss of Class 3-8?” Meng Jie snorted, pushing her suitcase inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she hadn’t expected the bedroom had only one bed—Chen Yansen had skipped even the first step of his scoundrel routine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Jie turned to look at him, eyes questioning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before leaving, Chen Yansen had sworn he’d booked a double room—two separate beds, as far apart as mountains and seas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh… maybe the front desk messed up the info?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen lied shamelessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really? How careless! Luckily, the living room has a sofa—no big deal.” Meng Jie’s face flickered with a sly smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sleep on the sofa?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen stared in shock—what joke was this? Chen Zong never slept on sofas!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was late; after washing up, one lay on the bed, the other curled up on the sofa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chen Yansen, you bastard!” Meng Jie scowled, angry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The bed’s huge and comfy—want to try it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen grinned, patted the soft mattress, making a “puff-puff” sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’d rather sleep on the sofa!” Meng Jie rolled over on the sofa, refusing to fall for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew his Taolu  too well—he’d next say, “I’ll just hold you, nothing else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pfft!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They bickered back and forth; when tired, they chatted about high school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Meng Jie fell asleep first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen whispered her name twice; seeing no response, he quietly got out of bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1700,"2026-06-19T19:17:18.227Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7cc9f284c171cf70dccffa69b96c773f5ea89fc57e14bb49eb93b6794c1f83e2","i-get-stronger-every-payday-with-one-billion-emp-chapter-84","i-get-stronger-every-payday-with-one-billion-emp-chapter-82",387,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-get-stronger-every-payday-with-one-billion-emp-cover.jpg"]