If everyone is reborn, who will work for capital?

Chapter 16 Cursing a Bald Donkey in Front of a Monk

"Hello Professor Qi, hello Teacher Jin, hello General Manager Zhu!" After arriving at the three of them, Geng Zhi greeted them politely.

"Geng Zhi, your speech today was outstanding!" Zhu Xiaohu said first, his tone full of undisguised admiration.

"Thank you for your recognition, Mr. Zhu. I am truly unworthy of it," Geng Zhi replied humbly.

"The concept of 'Jiaotong University Matchmaker' does have many highlights. It accurately identifies pain points and offers innovative solutions." Zhu Xiaohu's tone carried the unique flavor of an investor. "If the team has strong execution capabilities and can be refined well in the future, perhaps we at Jinshajiang Venture Capital could really consider investing in it."

His words contained three parts serious consideration, while the remaining seven parts were merely encouraging politeness out of respect for Qi Chuqin.

"Thank you for your interest, Mr. Zhu," Geng Zhi said calmly as he looked at Zhu Xiaohu. "But this project is essentially a small but profitable business, and it's not worth Jinshajiang's investment at all."

Upon hearing the straightforward statement that "it's not worth investing in by Jinshajiang Venture Capital," not only was Zhu Xiaohu stunned, but Qi Chuqin and Jin Zhilong next to him also showed surprise, their expressions quite interesting.

This script is wrong.

Logically speaking, which startup entrepreneur, especially a campus project, isn't racking their brains and trying every possible way to get money from venture capitalists?

Who else is as straightforward as Geng Zhi, who immediately exposes his shortcomings and actively pushes away his benefactor?

Professor Qi Chuqin, in particular, looked at Geng Zhi with a face full of doubt, as if wondering, "Has my own child gone mad?"

He also knew that if "Jiaotong University Matchmaker" really wanted to grow, the road ahead would be long. But if they could secure funding, even a small amount, it would be a huge boost to team morale and early development.

This straightforwardness... isn't it a bit too honest? But then again, the person's name suits him perfectly, and this down-to-earth quality makes him like him even more.

"Oh?" Zhu Xiaohu crossed his arms with interest and laughed. "Tell me, why isn't 'Jiaotong University Matchmaker' worth investing in Jinsha River?"

"Jinshajiang Venture Capital is an investor in Baihe.com. I believe Mr. Zhu, you know better than anyone how deep the waters are in the dating industry," Geng said calmly. "Its essence is the matching of 'people to people,' which is much more complex and difficult than the matching of 'people to goods' in e-commerce or 'people to information' in search."

Zhu Xiaohu was slightly taken aback when he saw that Geng Zhi could see through the underlying logic of the dating industry in a single sentence, but he remained calm on the surface and simply nodded to signal him to continue.

"Just now, when you were commenting on the 'Food Delivery' project, Mr. Zhu, you asked three key questions." Geng Zhi held up three fingers. "Now, I'm going to apply those three questions exactly to 'Jiaotong University Matchmaker'."

"First, the marriage and dating market doesn't have a high enough ceiling; second, it lacks a real network effect; third, even if I get the money, I don't know where to invest it."

Qi Chuqin and Jin Zhilong: "..."

The two were speechless for a moment, never expecting that Geng Zhi would be so ruthless to himself.

Jin Zhilong couldn't help but interject, "Little Geng, didn't you just quote extensively during your presentation, saying the marriage and dating market is worth tens of billions? How come you're saying it's not that big now?"

Geng Zhi smiled and said, "Teacher Jin, the biggest lie in the startup world is 'Our market is huge.' This rhetoric is mainly used to fool investors."

Jin Zhilong and Qi Chuqin: "..."

The two of them turned their gazes to Zhu Xiaohu without prior arrangement.

Zhu Xiaohu raised an eyebrow, his expression turning somewhat amused: "Good lad, you're going to curse a bald monk in front of a monk, aren't you?"

Geng looked directly at Jin Zhilong and explained earnestly, "Starting a business requires being realistic. The actual size of the marriage and dating market is only a few billion yuan. Moreover, this market cannot be 'winner-takes-all'; it is destined to be divided among a few companies, and each company can only get a limited share."

"That's why those giants like BAT haven't personally gotten involved yet," Geng Zhi added.

Jin Zhilong clicked his tongue for a moment: "A scale of several billion... that's not small, is it?"

Geng Zhi smiled and looked at Zhu Xiaohu, whose expression was becoming increasingly amused: "It is quite large, but I'm afraid it won't meet the standards of President Zhu and Jinshajiang."

Jin Zhilong said thoughtfully, "That's true..."

Hearing this, Professor Qi, wanting to help his student one more time, couldn't help but interject: "Xiao Geng, aren't you planning to work on mobile internet in the future? Wouldn't that give you a chance to realize network effects?"

"Professor Qi is right," Geng Zhi replied politely. "But mobile internet can't solve the problem of a low market ceiling, and it will take another two years before it becomes widespread. I can't wait that long."

Qi Chuqin and Jin Zhilong: "..."

This made the situation quite interesting: on stage, Geng Zhi raved about the project; off stage, however, he criticized the same project mercilessly.

"This kid is too arrogant and cocky..." Jin Zhilong muttered to himself. "Could he be a rich second-generation heir who comes from a wealthy family and is just dabbling in this business? But looking at his outfit, he doesn't seem like it!"

Zhu Xiaohu then took a fresh look at the college student in front of him, whose thinking was as sophisticated as that of a veteran of the internet industry, and found him incredibly interesting.

He hadn't seen this kind of contrast in a long time.

After a long pause, Zhu Xiaohu slowly spoke: "Straightforward classmate, so what is your real purpose in participating in this roadshow competition so seriously? Is it merely to win an award, or is it to prepare for real entrepreneurship in the future?"

"For the postgraduate entrance exam." His statement was straightforward and concise.

Qi Chuqin, Jin Zhilong, and Zhu Xiaohu: "??"

Zhu Xiaohu was amused: "Your 'indirect approach' is a bit too indirect..."

Geng Zhi shifted his gaze from Zhu Xiaohu and solemnly turned to Qi Chuqin: "I want to apply to be Professor Qi's graduate student. I'm participating in this roadshow in the hope of getting your attention."

Upon hearing this, Qi Chuqin's face immediately lit up with a smile: "Little Geng, if you want to pursue your master's degree with me, just contact me directly! Why go through all this trouble!"

He continued enthusiastically, "I have three master's spots this year. One is already filled through the guaranteed admission program, and I've already contacted a student from Jiangcheng University about the other one. There's one spot left. Since you're from our Computer Science department, as long as you pass the preliminary exam, the interview should be no problem!"

"Thank you, Professor Qi." Geng Zhi paused for a moment. "I'm a computer science major from Lanzhou University. I'll try my best to pass."

Kim Ji-yong: "??!" His eyes widened in surprise.

Qi Chuqin: "??!" His smile instantly froze on his face.

Seeing that the topic had completely veered off course, turning from a business discussion into a postgraduate entrance exam consultation, and with the information becoming increasingly sensational, Zhu Xiaohu knew that he was no longer fit to stay there.

He suppressed a laugh, took out a business card, and handed it to Geng Zhi:

"Young Geng, you have a very keen eye for business. Here's my business card. If you ever come across a really good project, feel free to contact me anytime."

After he finished speaking, he nodded goodbye to Teachers Qi and Jin, and turned to leave.

Looking at Zhu Xiaohu's retreating figure, Geng Zhi thought the man's judgment and demeanor were acceptable, so he called out to him:

"Mr. Zhu, please wait a moment, let me give you a suggestion."

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PS: Three chapters today! Please read on, leave comments, vote, and give monthly tickets to help this seedling grow strong. Thank you so much!