Chapter 292

In October, Seeing Yan Li returned to Jingcheng and signed an investment agreement with JD. com.

Yan Ye Capital invested five million U. S. dollars into JD. com, acquiring an 8% equity stake; the funding amount and equity percentage were not disclosed to the public.

But Seeing Yan Li's status as a shareholder of JD. com required extensive publicity.

The original terms had been 5% equity for seven and a half million U. S. dollars; now, after negotiations, it was reduced to five million U. S. dollars—better than the deal offered to Today Capital, the first investor.

Besides Liu Boss wanting to bring in a new shareholder to balance Today Capital, Seeing Yan Li also agreed to help broker connections and lend his support.

In terms of capital volume, Seeing Yan Li didn't rank highly—he might have substantial personal wealth, but his cash flow was far behind investment firms, family offices, and private equity funds.

Therefore, compared to most investors, what Seeing Yan Li had most valuable wasn't his money, but his resources, connections, and personal influence.

As an entertainment magnate, Seeing Yan Li possessed celebrity media resources that many companies could only dream of.

Meanwhile, Seeing Yan Li, known for his social finesse and access to insider information, had a network far beyond ordinary reach.

Seeing Yan Li's years of social engagements weren't wasted.

With a halo, social skill, and an intelligence network to back him, Seeing Yan Li was born to be a 【Broker】.

He often spoke of some intermediary, but sometimes he himself played the role of an intermediary—and one of the highest caliber.

Especially in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Shandong Province, Seeing Yan Li was exceptionally well-connected; he couldn't claim to have friends everywhere, but arranging introductions and bridging connections was no challenge for him.

Then there was Seeing Yan Li's fame and persona.

Although his personal lifestyle was controversial, his rise from nothing to a nine-figure net worth in just a few years made him a representative of young entrepreneurs, widely recognized and praised for his business acumen and vision.

And all of this was crucial for JD. com, then in its expansion and startup phase.

JD. com was an e-commerce business; first and foremost, it needed fame—without visibility, no traffic would come.

Liu Boss wanted to promote it himself, but his stature was too low; no one paid attention to him.

Seeing Yan Li publicly promoting JD. com was far more effective than Liu Boss's own desperate attempts at publicity.

Moreover, JD. com's self-built warehouse and logistics network needed to break through various channels—it needed to know the right people and gain access to their networks.

Previously, Liu Boss's wife's family had some background, but it was no longer useful; even if it were, Seeing Yan Li's assistance would benefit JD. com's development more.

In short, Liu Boss could resist financial temptation, but he couldn't resist Seeing Yan Li's resource appeal.

He was even willing to relax the original 5% equity cap, offer a relatively "low" price, and promise future financing conveniences—all to get Seeing Yan Li to exert more effort.

This was also why Seeing Yan Li made a special trip back to Jingcheng to help JD. com hold a launch event—he had to help promote it.

Over the past two years, Tudou. com had grown rapidly; as an investor and major shareholder, Seeing Yan Li wielded considerable influence in the internet and investment sectors.

This time, investing again in the internet sector and staging a high-profile launch event drew many media reporters to attend.

Seeing Yan Li and Liu Boss, who had already privately signed the agreement, went through the motions of signing documents again under media cameras.

This kind of launch event lacked the flashy theatrics of entertainment events; after the signing ceremony, it went straight to journalist Q&A.

"Mr. Yan, why did you invest in JD. com? Are you bullish on the e-commerce industry?"

"Of course."

Seeing Yan Li nodded: "With the development of the internet, it is increasingly intertwined with our daily lives; e-commerce is an indisputable future trend."

At this stage, e-commerce hasn't exploded yet, but anyone with a bit of vision can see its potential.

However, the internet is currently in a phase of flourishing diversity, with opportunities everywhere; e-commerce is also complex, requiring diverse resources and capital, so many can't afford to enter, and thus actual participants remain few.

"Then why did you choose JD. com? Taobao is doing well—what unique core advantages does JD. com have?"

Another journalist asked; Seeing Yan Li smiled: "I chose JD. com simply because of President Liu."

"In my view, investment is about two things: the project, and the person—the latter is even more important."

"A capable and bold founder, paired with a sound business model, forms the foundation of a successful enterprise."

"…"

Seeing Yan Li lavished praise on Liu Boss—not out of flattery, but because they had pre-arranged it: he was bringing Liu "out" into the spotlight.

JD. com wasn't Seeing Yan Li's priority, unlike Tudou. com; he viewed it merely as a partner, and his equity stake was small—he couldn't afford to devote excessive energy to JD. com.

Meanwhile, Liu Boss of JD. com was more assertive and cautious than Wang Wei of Tudou. com.

He didn't want to become Seeing Yan Li's puppet!

He only wanted to borrow Seeing Yan Li's momentum for promotion and publicity, not to be deeply tied to Seeing Yan Li in the public eye—he planned to emulate Seeing Yan Li, stepping forward himself as the company's helmsman and spokesperson.

Thus, both sides reached an agreement, similar to a celebrity in the entertainment industry introducing a newcomer: Seeing Yan Li stepped out to make Liu Boss famous.

When Liu Boss became famous, Seeing Yan Li saved himself a lot of work; and Liu Boss didn't have to worry about Seeing Yan Li using his influence to seize control.

Of course, this made it seem as if Liu were Seeing Yan Li's junior.

But Seeing Yan Li intended precisely that—to create this impression so he could claim moral credit toward JD. com; once the moral high ground was secured, it benefited both his personal equity and related collaborations.

Liu Boss didn't mind it at all; compared to Seeing Yan Li, his current wealth and experience truly made him the junior.

Seeing Yan Li provided money and effort, brought him into the circle, publicly praised him, and their ages were close—what was wrong with calling him elder brother?

To be honest, most people couldn't even get the chance to do so!

On this basis, Seeing Yan Li not only praised Liu Boss but also actively let Liu answer questions about JD. com, giving him more exposure.

Of course, Liu alone wasn't substantial enough, so Seeing Yan Li occasionally answered as well.

"JD. com's authentic self-operated model significantly reduces counterfeit risks and delivers higher-quality service to customers and consumers."

"Building its own logistics system also enhances user experience; compared to other platforms relying on third-party logistics, JD. com offers faster and better delivery."

"JD. com is still in its early development stage; comparing it to Taobao is meaningless—they each have their own models. The Chinese market is vast, and competitors aren't just locked in a fight to the death."

"…"

Liu Boss had originally planned to latch onto Alibaba and take a shot at Jack Ma—this was common in the internet and fiercely competitive industries.

I'm the best; my competitors are idiots!

But Seeing Yan Li's view was that JD. com wasn't ready to latch onto Taobao yet—the gap was too wide, and it would only invite humiliation.

Besides, JD. com already had him now; the early traffic was sufficient, and it also gave Liu Boss a chance to gain visibility and build his reputation.

When Liu's reputation grew, JD had achieved results and shown real potential, then bumping into Alibaba would carry greater influence and yield better results.

Beyond that, Seeing Yan Li simply didn't want to get dragged into the e-commerce rivalry.

He had no grudge against Jack Ma, and might even have opportunities to cooperate with him in the future.

Whether Liu bumped into Alibaba or dragged it down, as long as he himself led JD into the fray, Seeing Yan Li would not interfere or show his face.

So, during the early phase when Seeing Yan Li was close to JD, he hoped Liu and Jack Ma wouldn't clash; once Liu stood on his own and was firmly tied to JD in the public eye, even if he and Taobao fought to the death, Seeing Yan Li wouldn't ask.

…

After more than two hours, the launch ended; Liu, feeling the effect was good, grew energized.

Seeing Yan Li, who had seen big scenes, remained calm and patted his shoulder: "You go ahead, I'll host a gathering tonight to introduce you to some people."

Seeing Yan Li had many affairs and was busy; as soon as the launch ended, he prepared to take Liu into the circles.

Among them were a few well-connected intermediaries; Seeing Yan Li would connect them, so even if he wasn't present, they could still leverage his influence to help JD.

Liu understood—he wasn't some greenhorn just starting out, he simply lacked the connections and circles that Seeing Yan Li commanded.

"What do I need to prepare?"

"Nothing to prepare—I've arranged everything. By the way, how's your alcohol tolerance?"

Seeing Yan Li hadn't met Liu often, and they'd drunk together before, but only in business settings where everyone held back; he truly didn't know Liu's limits.

"Start at a jin of baijiu, hold back a bit—about one to two jin."

Liu was from Su Prefecture's Su City, known as China's Liquor Capital, skilled in brewing—his tolerance was naturally no small thing.

"Perfect."