novelnext Chapter 163 Digging a Big Trap for Penguins
Chapter 163 Digging a Big Trap for Penguins
Chapter 163 Digging a Big Trap for Penguins
Inside the office of Mingfan Technology.
"Okay, thank you, leader! We will prepare the application materials as soon as possible and submit them strictly in accordance with the specifications, without any carelessness!"
Only when the phone went dead did Lü Siyu finally breathe a sigh of relief and rub her aching temples.
As the company secretary, she has been incredibly busy lately.
After the Momo app became famous, various awards and conference organizers took the initiative to approach her—the task of coordinating work, preparing materials, and following up on processes all fell to her alone.
At this moment, in the CEO's office of Mingfan Technology, Mr. Geng, whose net worth is already estimated to be over 100 million yuan, is facing the computer screen, typing the first draft of his graduation project with a serious expression.
That level of focus was even more intense than when discussing multi-million dollar deals.
Someone had previously given Geng Zhi some advice, saying that with his current status, he could simply make a call to the school and pass the graduation project without any formalities.
But Boss Geng disagreed. He patted his chest and declared: "In life and in business, one must be honest and upright. Graduation is no exception!"
But despite that, the school's graduation ceremony is about to begin, and graduation certificates and degree certificates will soon be stamped and issued. Geng Zhi's graduation project has only just been slowly completed.
Even though the school has been giving me the green light, it's still quite awkward, really awkward.
No sooner had Geng Zhi submitted his draft than Lü Siyu came in to report.
"Boss, the relevant leaders from the city just called, urging us to prepare the application materials as soon as possible to apply for the [Outstanding Enterprise Award for New Business Forms and Models in the Information Service Industry of Shanghai]."
Geng Zhi looked up, frowned, and still had the mouse in his hand: "What kind of award is this this time?"
"This award is jointly organized by the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, the Development and Reform Commission, the Press and Publication Bureau, and the Culture, Radio, Film and Television Administration," Lu Siyu explained. "The organizers said that Momo is a pioneer in the field of mobile internet and LBS social networking, and they insisted that we participate."
"Hmm? Participate?" Geng Zhi raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his tone. "Does this mean we're just there to make up the numbers, or..."
""
"The organizers specifically emphasized that the awards would be given fairly, justly, and transparently," Lü Siyu chuckled. "But they still urged us to prepare the materials carefully, and said that city leaders would be presenting the awards. I reckon we'll win most of the time."
Geng Zhi understood.
He casually asked, "Which other organizations are participating in this selection process?"
"I've heard there's a well-known one called Kuaiqian that does finance, and another one in the entertainment field called Chinese Online Novel Platform, which I've heard is quite famous, but I don't usually read novels and don't know much about it."
Straightforward and clear-headed.
He was very familiar with the latter, and had often voted for his favorite works with numerous monthly tickets. As an excellent reader, he was never stingy with his monthly tickets.
"Boss, should we seriously and formally participate in this application?" Lu Siyu asked again.
Geng Zhi is very busy.
He has recently turned down several such events, conferences, and award ceremonies, either because of scheduling conflicts or because he felt they were a complete waste of time. He refuses to attend any events where he's just a background figure or someone who's there to make the organizers look good.
"We must participate." Geng Zhi nodded, his expression becoming serious. "We need to value this opportunity backed by the city. We'll need it for future financing, land acquisition, and policy support."
"Okay, boss, I'll go back and prepare." Lu Siyu said, turning to leave.
"Siyu," Geng Zhi called out to him, "I've confirmed the schedule of these kinds of meetings I'll be attending in the second half of this year. Please repeat it to me."
"Oh, that's quite a lot."
Lu Siyu stopped and took out her phone to open the notes app. "I've gone through it with the boss. Please confirm which parts need to be adjusted."
"On July 9th, at the Shanghai Innovative Enterprise Awards Ceremony, the boss will be accepting the award on behalf of Mingfan Technology. City leaders will be attending the award presentation."
"From September 17th to September 19th, at the National Internet Conference, you, boss, will be giving a keynote speech at a sub-forum and also participating in the [Mobile Internet New Talent Dialogue] session."
Upon hearing this, Geng Zhi quickly interrupted, "Who are the big names in the internet industry attending this conference?"
"It is said that top figures such as Li Robin from Baidu, Ma Jack from Alibaba, Ma Boni from Tencent, Ding Laoda from NetEase, Zhang Chaoyang from Sohu, and Zhou Hongyi from 360 will all be participating."
After a moment's thought, his eyes flickered slightly, and he asked again, "Who is the host of the [Mobile Internet Newcomer Dialogue]?"
"If nothing unexpected happens, it will be Zhou Hongyi, CEO of 360."
"Oh, it's Lao Zhou?" Geng Zhi's eyes lit up, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. "What a coincidence?"
"Boss, what do you mean by 'skillful'?" Lu Siyu asked, puzzled.
"Oh, I was just about to talk to him about a collaboration." Geng Zhi waved his hand, not going into details. "Let's not talk about this now, Siyu, you continue reading."
"Okay, sure." Lü Siyu continued looking at her phone: "September 26th, the National E-commerce Innovation and Development Forum, hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Economic and Information Commission. Boss, you said you wanted to go and make an appearance—"
"November 12th, Lenovo Mobile Internet Developer Conference, LBS Special Session, Lenovo CEO will also attend, suitable for discussing LePhone cooperation —"
"On December 16th, the Shanghai New Economy Forum, initiated by the Mobile Internet Intellectual Property Research Center, and guided by the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the National Copyright Administration ————"
"There are a few others that the boss asked Mr. Tang to attend, such as—"
After Lü Siyu finished reading everything aloud, she put away her phone and waited for her boss's next instructions.
Geng Zhi didn't speak immediately.
He took a good look at the female secretary in front of him, whom he had "exploited"—a girl who was wearing a business skirt and high heels before graduating from graduate school, and noticed the faint dark circles under her eyes.
She usually works overtime, and most weekends she voluntarily works overtime herself, without ever complaining.
Geng Zhi suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
"Siyu, you've been working hard lately." His voice was very sincere.
"Boss, I don't feel tired at all!"
Lu Siyu immediately straightened her back, jokingly clenched her fist, and said with a fighting spirit: "I want to grow, I want to improve!"
Learn as much as you can from your boss, and become independent as soon as possible!
Geng Zhi was amused by her, but after laughing, his expression turned serious.
"Siyu, you also have to balance your studies and the company is so busy. How about I hire another secretary to help you with some of the work?" Geng Zhi said sincerely.
"Huh?" Lü Siyu tensed up, her voice rising a half-octave. "Boss, are you saying I'm not doing a good enough job?"
"No, that's not it." Geng Zhi shook his head. "I just think you're working too hard and under too much pressure. Carrying so much on your shoulders won't be good for your health in the long run."
Lu Siyu breathed a sigh of relief and quickly explained, "No, no! Boss, I've already earned all my credits and finished my thesis. Vice Dean Liu is also very supportive of me learning from you, saying it's the best practical education."
He looked at her directly and remained silent for a few seconds.
He sighed softly, "Health is the foundation of everything. Here's what we'll do: I'll give you two recruitment slots. You'll lead the formation of a government-enterprise business team, specifically responsible for liaising with government affairs and public communication. This will free up your time, allowing you to focus your energy on more core matters."
"Ah, okay!" Lü Siyu nodded happily, her smile impossible to hide. "Thank you, boss!"
Just as she was about to turn and leave the office, she suddenly remembered something and quickly turned back, saying, "By the way, boss, I just saw a cover story in *Computerworld* titled 'The 'Ugly' Penguin,' criticizing penguins as public enemies of the internet. You can check it out when you have time; see if it's useful to us."
"Okay, it seems the wind is picking up." Geng Zhi nodded, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.
Meanwhile, in the restaurant on the executive floor of a hotel in Shanghai.
Liu Chiping put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a napkin. Sitting opposite him were his assistant, Chen Yanzhu, and investment manager, An Wenjing.
"Wenjing, any news from over there? Is Gengzhi at the company today?"
"Martin, the message from over there says that Geng Zhi is at the company today."
Liu Chiping nodded, stood up and straightened his suit: "Okay, let's get ready. We'll take a taxi to Shanghai Jiao Tong University Science and Technology Park in half an hour."
After a few seconds, An Wenjing cautiously spoke up, "Martin, we didn't make an appointment. Is it... inappropriate to just come here like this?"
"It's nothing." Liu Chiping shook her head with a smile. "That's how we catch him off guard and get the effect we want most."
"Yes, I understand!" An Wenjing nodded thoughtfully, without saying anything more.
Half an hour later, the three of them left the hotel, hailed a taxi, and headed towards the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Science and Technology Park.
Another half hour later, the taxi arrived at the science and technology park, and the three of them asked for directions as they walked toward Mingfan Technology Company.
At this moment, in the CEO's office, Geng Zhi was facing the computer, carefully studying the comprehensive research report on Dami Technology sent by Li Dongping.
According to his plan, Arctic Capital will begin initial negotiations with Lei Jun.
Just as he was getting to the crucial point, the company secretary, Lü Siyu, knocked on the door and came in, her expression somewhat subtle.
"Boss, Ms. Liu Chiping from Tencent wants to meet with you and wants to have a talk."
"Hmm? Liu Chiping?" Geng Zhi's index finger, which was about to click the mouse, suddenly paused, his brows furrowing, and he immediately asked, "..."
Did they say what they wanted to discuss?
"President Liu didn't say," Lü Siyu shook her head.
Several thoughts flashed through Geng Zhi's mind in an instant.
Did Tencent know that Mingfan Technology was developing a WeChat project and came to threaten them on purpose? That was his first reaction.
But as soon as the thought popped into his head, he dismissed it as impossible!
That shouldn't be the case! WeChat is still in the early stages of development. Even if someone knew, no one would think that WeChat's future would threaten QQ.
Even if she knew, it shouldn't have been Liu Chiping who personally discussed it; Mingfan Technology doesn't yet hold such a high position.
A small company valued at tens of millions of US dollars doesn't need Tencent's president and chief strategy officer to come to its door in person.
Could it be that Tencent heard about Momo's Series B funding round and wanted to get a piece of the pie by investing?
This should be the most reasonable reason —
With Tencent getting involved, Momo's Series B funding round is going to be quite a spectacle.
Thinking this through, Geng Zhi closed his eyes, lowered his head, and used his right index finger to gently tap his brow, carefully weighing the pros and cons.
About ten seconds later, he slowly raised his head, opened his eyes, and said, "Let's go to Beijing first to finish our financing talks with Sequoia Capital, and then talk to Tencent. Tell Mr. Liu to schedule a time after next Wednesday; I can fly to Shenzhen to talk to him in person."
"No, boss." Lu Siyu smiled awkwardly, "General Manager Liu and his two colleagues have already arrived at the company and are waiting for you in the conference room."
Geng Zhi: "What???"
"Did they make an appointment in advance?" Geng Zhi slapped his forehead, looking confused. "I don't remember. It's not on my schedule."
"We didn't make an appointment in advance. Mr. Liu said he was in Shanghai on a business trip and just stopped by to visit," Lu Siyu said awkwardly.
"What the hell? They're just dropping by for a surprise attack." Geng Zhi curled his lip, his expression complex. "That old fox, people from big companies are really cunning!"
Hearing Geng Zhi say this, Lü Siyu finally understood and spat out "old fox" as well.
Geng Zhi pondered for a moment, ran his fingers along his chin a couple of times, and then a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.
"Since they've come so enthusiastically, we can't let them leave empty-handed. We should give them a generous gift in return to show our respect."
.
Lu Siyu looked at her boss with a puzzled expression. Although she understood that "big gift" was a derogatory term, she obviously did not understand what kind of "big gift" she should give back to Liu Chiping and the others.
"Boss, what do you mean by 'big gift'?"
Instead of answering directly, Geng Zhi asked, "Which conference room did you arrange for them to wait?"
Lü Siyu: "In the [Google] meeting room."
"Okay, just tell them I'm still on a conference call and ask them to wait in the conference room for a bit," Geng Zhi said.
"clear!"
Geng Zhi glanced at the time; it was already 9:50. He then added, "At 9:55, tell them that the [Google] meeting room is booked and someone needs to use it for a meeting. Then invite them to the [Apple] meeting room on the other side."
Lu Siyu was puzzled as to why her boss wanted Liu Chiping and the other two to change meeting rooms, but she didn't ask any further questions.
He simply replied, "Understood!" and then turned and left the CEO's office to inform Liu Chiping.
"Mr. Liu, I'm so sorry." Lu Siyu pushed open the door to the [Google] conference room, her face showing a professional apology. "Our General Manager Geng is on a conference call with an important partner in Beijing. You'll have to wait a little while."
"Your Momo also has branch offices?" Liu Chiping seized the opportunity and casually probed.
Having followed Geng Zhi for so long, Lü Siyu had also learned some skills in reading people's expressions and instantly sensed Liu Chiping's probing.
She then deliberately stammered, "Oh, no. It's—with—friends from the capital."
Upon hearing this, Liu Chiping guessed that it was most likely someone from Sequoia Capital.
He nodded, a gentle smile on his face: "Okay, thank you for your hard work, Secretary Lü! We'll wait here, you can go ahead and get back to work."
Lu Siyu nodded slightly, left the meeting room, and gently closed the door behind her.
"Mr. Liu, I think the atmosphere in their company is quite good, and there are quite a lot of people in the development area in the middle. They must value research and development very much," An Wenjing commented.
Liu Chiping nodded: "Indeed, Zhidong commented that Momo's R&D capabilities are very strong, and it seems that his judgment was not unfounded."
"What I'm curious about is their naming culture for meeting rooms," assistant Chen Yanzhu chimed in. "They use names like 'Google' and 'Apple' all the time, it's quite interesting."
"Yes, there seems to be a conference room over there called [Penguin]," An Wenjing added.
"It seems that we giant companies are the objects of admiration in Geng Zhi's eyes. They have quite a lot of ambition," Chen Yanzhu judged.
The three exchanged a smile and continued to wait.
Meanwhile, Geng Zhi had already slipped into the [Apple] conference room and started drawing a sketch of the English version of the Momo APP on the whiteboard. After filling it with writing and drawing, he turned around and slipped back to his office.
10 points.
After leading Liu Chiping and the other two to the [Apple] conference room, Lü Siyu got up and left again.
Liu Chiping's gaze was quickly drawn to the whiteboard in the conference room, and An Wenjing and Chen Yanzhu followed suit, focusing their attention on the whiteboard as well.
"Martin, their draft is in English! And the product name is [MoMo]. Does this mean the Momo app is going overseas?" An Wenjing asked in surprise.
"It looks like it." Liu Chiping carefully looked at some keywords on the whiteboard, trying to piece together the strategy for [MoMo].
Eight minutes later, Geng Zhi finally called Lü Siyu and they leisurely arrived at [Apple].
Upon reaching the conference room door, Geng Zhi immediately quickened his pace, adopting a very apologetic expression: "Oh dear, I'm so sorry, I've kept the bosses waiting!"
He was apologetic, but there was no sign of tension or excitement in his straightforward manner.
Capable, composed, and with a sparkle in his eyes—Liu Chiping quickly looked the young man up and down and gave him this assessment in his mind.
While apologizing, Geng Zhi shook hands with Liu Chiping and the other two as introduced by An Wenjing.
"It's alright, Mr. Geng. We didn't give you any prior notice, so we hope you won't mind." Liu Chiping looked at Geng Zhi with a kind smile. "Truly, a hero emerges from among the young!"
"Mr. Liu, you flatter me. Mr. Liu and Mr. Ma—and Mr. Ma are the people I admire most. I'm so honored to finally meet you in person today!"
Geng Zhi exchanged pleasantries with the others.
"Mr. Geng, the name of your meeting room is quite unique! It looks like it has both 'Google' and 'Apple' in it."
"Yes, yes, these companies are our role models. We always remember them and hope that one day we can reach their level." Geng Zhi said seriously, "Oh, by the way, your Tencent is also our role model. The meeting room is over there."
"Oh, Mr. Geng has high aspirations!"
"Vision, vision," Geng Zhi said humbly, clasping his hands together. "I hope that President Liu can guide us more in the future, so that we can avoid some detours."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Liu Chiping got straight to the point.
"Mr. Geng, Tencent has always been paying close attention to the development of mobile internet. Momo is a leading player in the strangers market, and it's remarkable that it has achieved such a large user base in just three months. We highly recognize your and your team's capabilities, and we also recognize the value of Momo."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "So, we want to acquire Momo."
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