Chapter 170: Opening a Blind Box

In America, the names Bill Gates and Microsoft were quite complex symbols for software companies, internet companies, and programmers.

Bill Gates' reputation didn't turn bad from the beginning, and no one would be regarded as a demon king or a big villain by countless people from the start.

Once upon a time, he was even regarded as a hero by countless technical practitioners. He established Microsoft, allowing software companies and programmers to enter the hall. Regardless of whether he used the power of his parents and family when establishing Microsoft, the self-made label he touted indeed gave hope to countless people from ordinary families, setting off an era where technology changed destiny, making countless people regard him as an idol!

Microsoft took the lead in rebelling against IBM, ending IBM's monopoly on the American and even global technology industry. Later, Microsoft went public, and he became the richest man for the first time, all of which allowed him to gain huge prestige and followers globally in a very short time.

If it weren't for later events—repeatedly falling into plagiarism scandals, using bundled systems to suppress peers, and not giving emerging software companies a way to live, just like dealing with Kingsoft PS, dealing with various opponents—Bill Gates' reputation probably wouldn't have turned so bad.

Now, in America, Bill Gates' reputation was completely rotten. All over the world, a host of companies like Kingsoft in the mainland were gnashing their teeth at Microsoft.

But outside the technology industry, Microsoft was still one of the world's top-tier, shiny, and bright technology giant companies. Bill Gates was still a technology leader, and the charitable foundation he established had a great reputation worldwide. Cough, these were all images outside of America...

As for now, Bill Gates and Microsoft's image was just a bit rotten, scolded by peers. It would take a few more years for Bill Gates' image to completely collapse. Even if he did charity, he would be subjected to various conspiracy theories by Americans.

And in the American technology industry, it didn't matter if two people weren't familiar with each other, but as long as they scolded Bill Gates and Microsoft together, they would soon become "good brothers."

Hearing Lü Wenhua bring out Li Dongling, Jerry Yang's attitude toward Lü Wenhua changed a bit. This wasn't because of how much influence Li Dongling and Dongling Gao Ke had in America, but because Li Dongling had made Microsoft suffer a loss before. For people in the American technology industry like Jerry Yang, that was enough!

"Very good investment conditions, but..." Jerry Yang said helplessly to Lü Wenhua, preparing to reject this venture capital from across the ocean.

There was another point: Netscape relied on selling paid browsers to make money. Every time a browser was sold, it could earn dozens of dollars. But Yahoo played by providing free internet services. Before internet advertising appeared, Yahoo had always been worried about profitability.

People who could add trouble to Microsoft were "friends" to Jerry Yang and others. In his past life, it was also Jerry Yang who vetoed Microsoft's acquisition of Yahoo, so one could know what Jerry Yang's attitude toward Microsoft and Bill Gates was.

However, Lü Wenhua didn't stop because of the rejection revealed by Jerry Yang. He continued, "In addition, the Zhixing Foundation hopes to obtain Yahoo's brand agency and operation rights in Asia and promote Yahoo to all parts of Asia."

As for what to do if Yahoo didn't meet expectations and wasn't that popular, and the agency rights in Asian countries were sold, what else could they do? Anyway, the Zhixing Foundation didn't have the money to pay Yahoo any Asian brand general agency authorization fees...

Lü Wenhua said to Jerry Yang. Hearing this investment amount, Jerry Yang nodded. For an internet startup,

"The Zhixing Foundation is prepared to invest 300,000 USD in Yahoo this time!"

When saying this, Lü Wenhua's tone carried a bit of unnaturalness. What annual authorization fee of 500,000 USD to Yahoo, promoting Yahoo to the mainland, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, etc. —it was all nonsense. The Zhixing Foundation didn't have that money to promote Yahoo in Asian countries.

At that time, they wouldn't need Dongling Gao Ke and the Zhixing Foundation's money. Instead, other companies in Asian countries would beg to act as agents for Yahoo's operation rights in their localities. One positive and one negative, it was simply harvesting two crops of leeks.

"For this, we are willing to pay Yahoo an annual authorization fee of 500,000 USD. 60% of Yahoo's revenue in Asia belongs to the Zhixing Foundation, and 40% belongs to Yahoo America!"

Li Dongling's preparation was that by next year, Yahoo would already be famous in America and crazily sought after by the media and Huaerjie. By then, the Zhixing Foundation wouldn't need to work hard to promote Yahoo in Asia; companies would come to the door, begging to cooperate with the Zhixing Foundation to act as agents for Yahoo!

Jerry Yang was moved upon hearing Lü Wenhua's words. It wasn't because of the 300,000 USD investment, but because Yahoo's brand agency in Asia was more important to Yahoo than money!

Now the Silicon Valley internet had only just started. Including the current boss of the Silicon Valley internet, Netscape, they were all on their own one-acre-three-centimeters of land in America. If Yahoo could promote its business overseas, it would definitely ignite the entire Silicon Valley!

If they could sell Yahoo's brand operation rights in Asia now and earn a sum of dollars every year, Yahoo could stand a bit taller when promoting itself to the outside world. At the very least, it wouldn't be a case of not earning a single cent.

Various thoughts flashed through Jerry Yang's mind. Yahoo was currently in difficult negotiations with Sequoia Capital. Sequoia Capital's appetite was very large; it opened its mouth and wanted to take away 40% of Yahoo's equity. If they could bring in the Zhixing Foundation, this would become one of Yahoo's bargaining chips.

"I need to discuss this with Dai Wei!"

Jerry Yang looked up and said to Lü Wenhua. The Dai Wei he mentioned was Yahoo's other founder, Dai Wei Filo. Lü Wenhua nodded. Jerry Yang didn't refuse, so he felt that this matter had a chance.

After going out for more than ten minutes, Jerry Yang returned and said to Lü Wenhua, "1 million USD. The Zhixing Foundation can take away Yahoo's brand agency and operation rights in Asia, but it needs to pay Yahoo an annual authorization fee of 1 million USD!"

An authorization fee of 1 million USD, Jerry Yang felt, was already not low. Yahoo currently had no way to make money. Being able to have 1 million USD in revenue on paper was already not low. As for earning tens of millions or hundreds of millions of USD every year in the future, let alone Jerry Yang, no one in Silicon Valley had thought of it now.

"I need to ask President Li for instructions!" Lü Wenhua also said.

Li Dongling in Pingyang received Lü Wenhua's call. Without much thought, he said directly, "Agree to it!"

"But the requirement is that the Zhixing Foundation must get 10% of Yahoo's equity!"

Regardless of whether it was 1 million USD or several million USD in authorization fees, Li Dongling wasn't prepared to give Yahoo a single cent anyway. He was just waiting for Yahoo's fame to rise, and then he would sell Yahoo's operation rights in Asian countries.

300,000 USD in exchange for 10% of Yahoo's equity. Next, Yahoo would have to go through several rounds of investment. By then, this share would have to shrink by a large margin.

But there was no other way. Li Dongling could certainly take out more dollars to invest in Yahoo, but if Li Dongling became a major shareholder of Yahoo, it was hard to say whether Sequoia Capital and Huaerjie would be willing to vigorously support Yahoo to become the leader of Silicon Valley like in his past life.

Even SoftBank, which became a major shareholder of Yahoo in his past life, was frustrated everywhere. As a major shareholder, it had no management rights over Yahoo. Yahoo was completely managed by Huaerjie institutions. Wasn't Jerry Yang, the founder, kicked out just like that?

Regarding the 10% equity of Yahoo requested by Lü Wenhua, Jerry Yang agreed directly. Selling 10% of equity for 300,000—with Yahoo having fewer than ten employees and only such a small office, the valuation instantly exceeded 3 million USD!

Lü Wenhua borrowed legal personnel from Dongling Gao Ke's American branch through Zhou Hualiang, formulated a contract, signed it with Jerry Yang, and then rushed to the next one.

Letting professional legal personnel formulate the contract was also Li Dongling's requirement. Many domestic companies entering the overseas market suffered losses on contracts, had grievances they couldn't speak of, and were cheated out of their family fortunes—there were not a few of them.

Especially when facing those old foxes in Silicon Valley and those vultures on Huaerjie who ate people without spitting out bones, one had to be careful and cautious, otherwise, there was no telling how much loss one would suffer!

Lü Wenhua came out of Yahoo and went to several internet companies one after another. However, these companies made Lü Wenhua feel bad.

These companies either started with long-winded speeches, blowing their own horns, and then opened their mouths like lions, wanting to take a large sum of venture capital from Lü Wenhua, or they were completely like a makeshift team, ready to close down at any time. Lü Wenhua felt that if the money was really invested, the company could close down and run away immediately.

The Silicon Valley of now gave Lü Wenhua the feeling that there were ambitious people full of vigor like Netscape and Yahoo, and there were also stinky fish and rotten shrimp fishing in troubled waters. Investing in these internet companies, besides relying on vision, was also like opening a blind box; no one knew what would be opened in the box after a sum of money was invested...

Until he came to the Infoseek company, this was the company Li Dongling gave him on the list of companies that needed investment, second only to Yahoo.

As soon as he entered Infoseek, Lü Wenhua immediately felt the difference here from other Silicon Valley companies, because there were quite a few Asians here, and Lü Wenhua could even feel that they were ethnic Chinese or even mainlanders.

Until he saw a man in his twenties or thirties with a scholarly air come over, Lü Wenhua looked at the person a few times. "Are you a mainlander?!"

Hearing the familiar Mandarin, Robin Li, who had been in America for several years, was stunned for a moment, then reacted. "From Shancheng, Hedong. Are you from the mainland?" ===== CHAPTER 171 =====