enjoyebooks Chapter 138 If you can't beat me, join me
Chapter 138 If you can't beat me, join me
Chapter 138 If you can't beat me, join me (7k)
"Yes, Teacher Tang, I'm sure you know very well what I do in the dating industry and how I'm perceived on the internet right now," Geng Zhi said calmly, picking up his teacup.
Tang Yan nodded, his gaze lingering on Geng Zhi's face for a moment: "Public opinion is polarized right now. There are many people who support you, but there are also quite a few who oppose you. I'm quite surprised that you haven't come forward to explain since the white paper was released."
Geng Zhi picked up the teacup, took a sip, and slowly put it down.
"My initial motivation for becoming a matchmaker at Jiaotong University was actually very simple." He raised his head, his gaze frank, "I just wanted to create a clean dating platform so that people who genuinely want to find a partner can have a place where they won't be deceived."
Tang Yan didn't speak, but listened quietly.
"Later, I criticized the industry, and was subjected to public relations attacks by some companies, cyberbullying, and being ousted by my partners and shareholders —"
Geng Zhi smiled, a smile tinged with bitterness and relief: "Looking back on this journey, I have never regretted it. Because I know that I did the right thing."
Tang Yan's heart stirred slightly.
He looked at the young man before him and spoke slowly and deliberately, but his eyes revealed a stubbornness. That stubbornness was not the impulsiveness of a naive youth, but a certainty born from weathering storms.
"So, you're now preparing to publish this article to explain to the entire internet?" he said, picking up the manuscript in his hand and beginning to read it.
"Yes." Geng Zhi nodded.
"In this article, I clearly explain everything from my original intention in establishing Jiaotong University Matchmaking, to building the company step by step, to criticizing the industry, being manipulated by the public relations of certain companies, being sidelined, and finally being kicked out of the game."
Geng Zhi briefly summarized the contents of the lengthy article of ten thousand words to Tang Yan.
Tang Yan flipped through the pages while listening to Geng Zhi's account.
His expression was complex; sometimes his brows furrowed slightly, sometimes the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, sometimes a hint of anger flashed in his eyes, and sometimes a hint of regret appeared.
After Geng Zhi finished speaking, the room was quiet for a few seconds.
Tang Yan looked up: "You want me to publish this on the front page of NetEase News?"
"Yes." Geng Zhi nodded earnestly, "I greatly admire the brand philosophy of 'NetEase News with Attitude' that you proposed, Mr. Tang. That's why I contacted NetEase first, instead of other portals."
Geng Zhi doesn't actually know how well NetEase News has implemented its brand philosophy.
But that doesn't stop him from praising NetEase and Tang Yan—from a business perspective, if you provide emotional value, Tang Yan will be more likely to help.
Moreover, he specifically emphasized that he would "prioritize" contacting NetEase News, the subtext of which was clear: if Tang Yan did not answer, he would talk to other news outlets.
When Tang Yan heard the words "have attitude" come out of Geng Zhi's mouth, his eyes did indeed flicker slightly.
He did not respond immediately, but picked up the manuscript and began to read it carefully.
The private room fell silent again, with only the occasional rustling of pages turning and the faint sounds of city noise coming from outside the window.
Tang Yan read quickly, but very attentively. Halfway through, his brow furrowed. At the end, he looked up, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes.
After reading the entire manuscript, Tang Yan pondered for a moment before slowly asking, "How did you feel when you were kicked out?"
Geng Zhi smiled and said, "To be honest, it's quite upsetting. But more than that, I feel resentful. I'm not resentful that those scammers continue to cheat people, and I'm not resentful that people looking for partners continue to be scammed."
Hearing this, Lü Siyu, who was standing next to him, was slightly taken aback.
She began frantically recalling—did her boss show any sadness when he was ousted?
She thought and thought, but couldn't remember anything at all.
On the contrary, the boss seemed quite happy at the time, didn't he?
Lu Siyu lowered her head silently, concealing the slight smile on her lips. It's a real shame the boss, with acting skills like that, isn't in the film and television industry.
Tang Yan nodded without speaking. He put down the manuscript, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then continued, "President Geng, do you know what it means if this 10,000-word article is published?"
Geng Zhi, not understanding what Tang Yan meant, honestly shook his head and said, "Please enlighten me, Teacher Tang."
Tang Yan took a sip of tea and said sincerely, "This means that you will nail Century Family Network, True Love Network, and Baihe Network to the pillar of shame."
"These companies have capital, resources, and connections behind them. You'll completely break ties with them and become an enemy of the industry. You might find it extremely difficult to move forward in this circle afterward. You—don't care?"
"I don't care," Geng said earnestly. "I just want to prevent those who are still desperately searching for their other half from being deceived. If this requires me to be a martyr, then I am willing."
Silence fell over the private room once again.
Looking at the young man before him, Tang Yan felt a long-lost sense of emotion. In this era where profit reigns supreme, is there still someone willing to gamble their future for a vestige of their original aspirations?
After a long pause, he spoke again: "Then why did you choose to explain to the entire internet only now? It's been a while since then."
"Because I need to find the right time and take advantage of the favorable conditions."
Tang Yan frowned slightly upon hearing this.
He carefully pondered the meaning of those words and suddenly remembered that Geng Zhi's original intention in coming to him was to promote his app through NetEase News—this kid's visit today wasn't just about publishing a clarification article.
A thought suddenly struck him, and he asked abruptly, "What was the name of that product you just mentioned?"
"MoMo." Geng Zhi answered, his eyes fixed on Tang Yan, observing his emotional changes.
When Tang Yan heard the name "[Momo]", his face remained expressionless, which proved that he had no intention of becoming "[Momo]" at the moment, or at least hadn't thought of the name "[Momo]"—Geng Zhi muttered to himself.
"Momo? Is it a social product? A social networking app for strangers?" Tang Yan guessed, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.
Geng Zhi was secretly delighted. He took out his phone from his pocket, opened the Momo app, and handed it to Tang Yan: "Yes, this social product is called [Momo]. This is the first version, and the functions are still very simple, only two: people nearby and chat."
Geng Zhi said this, and told Lü Siyu to open her Momo account as well.
Tang Yan took the phone and swiped the screen: "People nearby—oh, you can even see the distance? This is kind of interesting."
The screen displays a list of people nearby. The nearest stranger is nicknamed "[I Want to Improve, I Do What I Say]", and has a beautiful profile picture of a pure and charming female college student.
Tang Yan's heart skipped a beat when he saw the beautiful woman's profile picture.
This is a primal, instinctive reaction: human curiosity about unfamiliar members of the opposite sex, and the anticipation of a possible encounter "nearby".
He subconsciously clicked on the woman's profile picture and saw the chat window: "So I can chat with this strange girl directly, right?"
"Yes, you can try sending a message," Geng Zhi encouraged.
"Well—okay, I'll give it a try." Tang Yan hesitated for a moment, but then thought that since it was a straightforward phone, he decisively sent a "hi".
Lu Siyu's phone chimed, and she replied with a "hi" and a cute emoji.
"Oh!" Tang Yan exclaimed in realization, staring at Lü Siyu. "No wonder the distance was only within 20 meters; it was you!"
Lü Siyu responded with a smile.
Momo only has these two functions. Tang Yan operated it a few times and fully understood how to use it, so he handed the phone back to Geng Zhi.
"Mr. Geng, your product is quite—" Tang Yan carefully chose his words, "quite clean."
"Thank you for your recognition, Mr. Tang," Geng Zhi said with a smile. "Has Mr. Tang experienced any similar location-based products before?"
"This is my first time experiencing this product; I've never seen one like it before," Tang Yan said, shaking his head.
He said no, but in his mind he was quickly recalling the products he had recently looked at, those products from across the ocean.
Foursquare, Badoooo, ZZP, Grindr—it seems there are several location-based products, but they are all much more feature-rich and interesting than Momo.
Moreover, he was recently considering whether to imitate Foursquare and create a check-in + social product.
"If I were to make a similar app myself, it would definitely be much more interesting than Momo," Tang Yan muttered to himself.
"So, when Mr. Geng said he wanted to borrow the east wind, he meant to borrow the east wind for [Momo APP], such a clean product?"
"Tang Yan asked in confusion."
His keen industry sense allowed him to predict that once Geng Zhi's lengthy article of over 10,000 words was published, it would definitely become a hit, and a huge hit at that.
But after it became popular, promoting such a small product seems a bit like a waste of its potential.
Lu Siyu sensed that Tang Yan was somewhat dismissive of the Momo app, and quickly replied, "Mr. Tang, do you think the Momo app is too simple? Actually, we're just focusing on developing these two features right now, and there will definitely be many new features later."
"Oh? What other functions are there?" Tang Yan asked curiously.
"Like interest groups, offline activities, and various communities—" Lu Siyu rattled off a list of features that Momo would be making in the next few versions.
A hint of interest slowly crept into Tang Yan's eyes.
He took the phone from Geng Zhi's hand again, and while he was trying it out, his brain was working at lightning speed.
Tang Yan increasingly felt that the underlying logic of this Momo app was quite similar to that of products on the other side of the ocean, but the form was different.
He recalled the moment he first saw Lü Siyu's profile picture, and the curiosity and morbid curiosity he felt.
Today, with the rapid pace of urbanization, a large number of people are flocking to cities. They are surrounded by strangers in close proximity, yet they are filled with loneliness.
Tang Yan, with his keen understanding of human nature, astutely realized that social networking among strangers based on real-world location might be a huge...
Unmet needs.
People crave to get to know strangers who are right next to them right now. The sense of security, convenience, and excitement that comes from physical proximity is something that traditional online social networking cannot provide.
If we localize those American products and make them fit the cultural habits of Chinese people, they might become very popular in the future!
As he was thinking, a sudden inspiration struck him.
Tang Yan leaned forward slightly, his gaze returning to Geng Zhi's phone screen, and asked casually, "Mr. Geng, I'm curious, is your [People Nearby] feature simply sorted by distance?"
"Definitely not. Our recommendations are based on a combination of factors, including activity time, interest tags, and mutual friends," Geng Zhi replied straightforwardly.
"That [interest group] you just mentioned, is that okay—"
"That [offline event] is for the merchants—"
Tang Yan started out of pure curiosity, asking several questions about the product's features. But as the conversation deepened, he began to inquire about the product design philosophy, future product plans, and even the business model.
However, Tang Yan asked a very clever question.
As he asks questions, he connects them to the optimization of a 10,000-word essay, trying to make Gengzhi mistakenly believe that all his questions are to help him optimize the essay.
Geng Zhi knew that Tang Yan was trying to find out his thoughts, so he selectively started talking to him.
As Tang Yan asked the question, he kept thinking to himself: This product logic is too smooth. LBS + stranger social networking, it makes perfect sense. If I were to start a business now and make a similar product, would it be five or ten times better than this straightforward Momo?
Furthermore, I can assemble a team from NetEase and leverage my connections—
Perhaps this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Tang Yan's thoughts began to drift away. The desire he had for starting his own business after leaving his job some time ago stirred up again, and the more he thought about it, the more excited he became.
His speech slowed down, and he seemed a little absent-minded, as if he had forgotten that he was chatting with Geng Zhi and Geng Zhi, and that he had asked Geng Zhi to write a long article of 10,000 words.
Lu Siyu, who was standing next to him, gradually noticed that Tang Yan kept asking her boss about the secrets of the commercial roof tiles. Suddenly realizing that there was a risk of commercial leakage, she secretly exchanged glances with Geng Zhi.
She gave her three servants meaningful glances, but Geng Zhi, or perhaps too "engaged" in the conversation, ignored Lü Siyu.
Tang Yan had "figured out" Momo's product logic and future plans, and then asked about the size of Momo's team.
"Mr. Geng, it must have been really tough for you to make this product. How many people worked on it together? How long did it take?"
As the questions became increasingly in-depth and detailed, Lü Siyu grew anxious. Just as she was about to interrupt, Geng Zhi said, "President Tang, our team has 13 programmers who have been working on this version for over four months."
Lu Siyu was slightly taken aback upon hearing this: Has the boss lost his mind? There aren't that many people in the entire company, including all the other jobs!
But then she realized: the boss had already seen through Tang Yan's intentions and was deliberately misleading him!
Lu Siyu was relieved by the advice and couldn't help but give her boss a thumbs up.
Tang Yan was visibly surprised to hear about the large size of the team, and asked, "President Geng, does such a simple product really require so many people and take so long to develop?"
"President Tang, you and I had the same understanding back then! I'm a tech person myself, and I also thought it was a waste of money. It only takes three or four programmers and a month to complete the project." Geng Zhi shook his head.
"Yes! Then why does it actually take so long?" Tang Yan didn't understand the technology, but his intuition told him it shouldn't be this complicated.
"Because the actual implementation is really complicated. It's like you only want a 20th floor building, but for that 20th floor, the foundation and the first 19 floors all need to be built."
After stating his honest opinion, Shi Shi earnestly began to fabricate a story: "The Shi Shi mobile app is completely different from the PC version. It's an iOS system..."
Android system, Chengban system, each system has to overcome various —
Geng Zhi rambled on and on, making up all sorts of problems for Tang Yan, whether they were real or not.
Tang Yan was a little confused. "President Geng, is it possible that the programmers you hired are not up to standard?"
""
Before Geng Zhi could answer, Lü Siyu interjected, "President Tang! You're underestimating us! Our company has several senior programmers recruited from companies like Microsoft, Google, and Alibaba! Several of them are bald! And we even have a few computer science PhDs from Jiaotong University!"
Tang Yan fell silent for a moment.
If it were Geng Zhigang who was persuading him, he would be half-believing and half-doubting, but now that Lü Siyu, this honest girl, is saying the same thing, he is more inclined to believe it.
Suddenly, Geng Zhi slapped his forehead, as if something had changed. He stared intently at Tang Yan and demanded in a questioning tone, "Teacher Tang! I trust you. But after asking so many questions just now, are you changing your mind? Are you starting your own business and copying our Momo product?!"
"Huh?" Tang Yan suddenly jolted, his brows furrowing as he waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "No, no! I just wanted to add a description of your product at the end of your long article, so I needed to know more to avoid making a fool of myself! This has always been my attitude in journalism over the years. Absolutely no other meaning!"
After saying this, Tang Yan sighed and tactically picked up his teacup and took another small sip.
He had already put down his teacup, and seeing that Geng Zhi was still staring at him warily, he shook his head repeatedly and said, "I won't ask anymore, not a single question, sigh—"
"Teacher Tang, if you really want to start a business and replicate Momo, I bet you can't beat me!" Geng Zhi said seriously.
Tang Yan's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm, saying, "President Geng, you're really joking. I have absolutely no interest in your kind of startup. Wouldn't it be better to stay at NetEase News and be my deputy editor-in-chief? Besides, who knows, I might even be promoted to editor-in-chief!"
Before Geng could speak, he continued with a smile, "However, I'm very curious, why are you so confident that I can't beat you at all? Just curious!"
Tang Yan knew that Yi Yin was so straightforward and confident, and he truly understood her at this moment.
"It's not that I'm confident, it's just an objective analysis. After you hear what I have to say, you'll know whether I'm bragging or not."
After speaking frankly, he pointed to Lan with his first finger: "First, the technological barrier. As I just said, Momo's chat function seems simple, but the real-time communication technology behind it is something that more than a dozen of our programmers have been polishing for so long."
"Copying a product is easy, but copying a stable, low-latency IM system is anything but easy."
After he finished speaking, he stared at Tang Yan.
Tang Yan remained silent.
Geng Zhi held up his second finger: "Secondly, the time difference. You're still working at NetEase now, so it will be at least a month before you leave."
97
"At that time, you will have to start from scratch again, recruiting people, writing code, raising funds, and finding users. It will take at least six months before the product can be launched."
What will Momo's scale be in six months?
Tang Yan nodded slightly, seemingly as if everything he said was irrelevant to him, but his heart was pounding.
Geng Zhi then extended Lan's third finger: "Third, Teacher Tang wants Lan to start a business, and raising funds will take time, right? If Momo has already rapidly risen to the top of the industry, and more funds are coming in in the future, how willing will those investors be to invest in you?"
"Moreover, if the stranger social networking sector becomes popular, other companies will join the fray, and it will not be easy for Teacher Tang to become successful."
Geng Zhi paused deliberately, his expression serious, and said, "Even without other companies, Momo will nip your product in the bud!"
Damn it!
Tang Yan couldn't help but widen his eyes and look at Geng Zhi, only to be met with Geng Zhi's determined gaze.
This is what they mean by "the business world is like a battlefield"!
After a struggle, Geng Zhi finally spoke up: "To be honest, Professor Tang, we just received $200 million in funding from Sequoia Capital. We've already signed the agreement, and the money will be in our account soon."
boom-!
Tang Yan's expression clearly changed.
"Mr. Geng, are you saying that Momo has just secured $200 million in funding from Sequoia Capital?" Tang Yan asked, almost repeating himself in confirmation.
"Yes!" Geng Zhi said proudly, "We just finished talking with Senior Shen Nanpeng, and the term sheet has been signed. Senior Shen is very satisfied with our team, our product, and our business model."
Tang Yan's expression was very complicated, and he had almost lost control of his facial expressions.
The first two reasons given by Geng Zhi were the reasons that led him to abandon his independent entrepreneurship. But Momo's $200 million funding rekindled his hope for starting a business.
This means that Sequoia Capital is optimistic about the stranger social networking sector and has a great opportunity for itself.
Geng stared straight at Tang Yan, and could clearly see the complex changes in his expression on his face.
"President Tang, as expected, you really are a successful entrepreneur!" Geng Zhi said confidently, "Your expression betrays your true feelings."
Tang Yan neither denied nor spoke.
"Mr. Tang, let's give up," Geng Zhi said with a smile. "Why don't you change your approach? If my long article of ten thousand words goes viral, and I take the opportunity to promote Momo, wouldn't that be much more effective?"
"I still have a mature product, a mature team, and strong support from Sequoia Capital. Give up."
Tang Yan fell silent again.
He brought up the details in the article, the hidden truths, the facts covered up by public relations—if these are indeed proven, if public opinion really turns against them—Momo might take off.
If he didn't help Momo himself, Geng Zhi would have gone to Sohu and Xinlang instead.
He suddenly leaned back on the sofa and looked up at the ceiling.
He was a little sad that he had just given up on a brilliant idea.
Geng Zhi poured Tang Yan a cup of tea and slowly said, "How about—"
"President Tang," Geng Zhi hesitated for a moment, then continued, "Even if you can't beat Qian Zheng, why don't you join our Momo team? With your qualifications and abilities, how about joining our Momo team as CO00 or a co-founder?"
The small flame that Tang Yan had just extinguished seemed to reignite a little bit, but he didn't say anything.
"Moreover, your [warm] philosophy aligns perfectly with our Momo philosophy." As he spoke, Geng Zhi became excited. "If you join us, it will be a powerful alliance between us."
"Really, Teacher Tang, the more I think about it, the more I feel that you're perfect for Momo." Geng Zhi turned to Lü Siyu and asked, "Right, Siyu?"
Lu Siyu didn't understand this, but since her boss had said so, she had no choice but to nod in agreement.
"Even if you reach the top at NetEase now, which is editor-in-chief, it's still someone else's platform, someone else's world. No matter how big you get, you're still working for someone else."
"Come to Momo, and you'll be a co-founder. This is your own business. In the future, when people mention Momo, they'll say it's a product created by Tang Yan."
""
Tang Yan remained silent.
"President Geng, I am currently the deputy editor-in-chief, and I will soon be promoted to editor-in-chief, overseeing all news websites—" Tang Yan vowed.
Upon hearing this, Geng Zhi knew there was hope.
He tapped his fingers lightly on the screen, pretending to continue thinking. After a while, he spoke again: "President Tang, Sequoia Capital has already valued Momo at over 100 million. If Momo's daily active users reach 1 million within a certain timeframe after its launch, the valuation will be adjusted and will surge again—"
Before Geng Zhi could finish speaking, Tang Yan interrupted him, seeing Lu Lan's exaggeratedly shocked expression, "President Geng, are you serious?"
He Yi originally thought that with Sequoia Capital investing $200 million, the equity stake would most likely be 20% to 30%, and Momo's valuation would be at most $7000 million.
But it didn't change at all; it actually broke 100 million!
This proves that the straightforward team has gained significant recognition from Sequoia Capital.
Geng Zhi took the Lan TS protocol from his bag, showed Tang Yan only a few pages of non-sensitive information and the corresponding chapters, and then put it away.
"Mr. Tang, how about this?" Geng Zhi took a deep breath and continued, "I'll give you a condition, please listen and see if it suits you."
As he spoke, he extended four fingers, then retracted his index finger: "First, I'll give you 5% + 5% stock options, vesting over two years. That's worth tens of millions. If you help me publish it well on the front page of the news, then it's worth over 2000 million. As Momo grows in the future, this number will increase several times, even dozens of times."
Geng Zhi withdrew his middle finger and continued, "Secondly, regarding the cash portion, I swear I'll give you the same level as NetEase. Your quality of life won't decline."
He then withdrew his ring finger: "Third, performance stock options. We'll give you extra rewards for achieving user and revenue targets. We'll discuss the details later."
With his little finger retracted, Geng Zhi concluded, "You are the co-founder, the CEO, and the entire product and operations are led by you. I focus more on strategy and capital; I will fully support whatever you do."
"Mr. Tang, this is a fixed price, no bargaining. Please think about it."
After speaking frankly, he was the first to let out a long sigh of relief.
Finally, I don't have to worry about it anymore!
As Gu Wanning said, the cost of winning over Tang Yan is huge, especially given his high valuation.
But Geng Zhi understood that his advantage was only the information gap. Tang Yan had already proven his abilities in his previous life, and Geng Zhi did not possess many of Tang Yan's unique qualities and abilities.
A true leader is one who can recruit suitable advisors and use them for his own purposes.
Especially given his grander plans, sacrificing some equity is necessary. (Just kidding.jpg)
The private room was quiet, with only the faint sound of traffic outside the window.
Tang Yan's salary structure at NetEase mainly consists of three parts: annual cash salary, stock options/stocks, and welfare subsidies.
The annual cash salary is basically a monthly salary plus a year-end bonus, which is only about 700,000 to 800,000 yuan a year. Stock options and unexercised stock options, which translate to about 300,000 to 400,000 yuan a year, are also included. As for welfare benefits, they are negligible.
The promise made by Geng Zhi was tempting enough for him.
After a long silence, Tang Yan spoke in a low voice: "Geng Zhi, do you know what I hate most in this life is when people make empty promises to me?"
""
He didn't address him as "General Manager Geng," but rather as "Straightforward," which unconsciously brought them even closer.
Geng Zhi nodded: "I know. That's why I broke the bread into pieces and put it in front of you. You can see it and touch it."
Tang Yan looked at him and suddenly laughed: "Damn, your mouth is more suited to be the deputy editor-in-chief than mine."
Geng Zhi laughed along with him.
Lü Siyu: "??"
He stood up, walked to the window, his back to Geng Zhi, and looked at the night outside: "I'll help you publish the article. But the matter of joining—make me think about it again."
Geng Zhi's lips unconsciously curled up into a smile.
"Okay, Mr. Tang, I apologize for this article and I may need to revise it again." Geng Zhi said, taking back the manuscript of the 10,000-word article from Tang Yan. "I will send you an electronic version the day before it is published."
Seeing this, Tang Yan could only smile and shake his head.
"The article will probably be published around the middle of this month. I can give you three weeks to consider it. It will not be published after that time."
After speaking frankly, Geng Zhi stood up, shook hands with Tang Yan, and swore an oath of parting.
As they left the teahouse, Lü Siyu asked first, "Boss, will President Tang agree to join?"
"If Momo's performance takes off by then, he'll join. As for Qianzhi, it's hard to say," Geng Zhi said.
"oh."
"If Tang Yan were to be parachuted in as CO00, would you guys accept it?" Geng Zhi asked earnestly.
"Of course!" Lü Siyu replied without hesitation. "He's a senior executive at NetEase, a big company, managing hundreds of people. He has both status and ability, so of course we respect him!"
Geng Zhi nodded.
"Siyu, I went to such great lengths to find you a tutor. You two are in the same profession and are colleagues. If Tang Yan joins, you must learn from him thoroughly. There are more important things waiting for you in the future."
"Okay, boss! I mean what I say!"