What's wrong with me being a rich man?

Chapter 266 Lowering Expectations
It is already the middle of October, and the 3Q war that happened not long ago seems like it happened a long time ago. All the actions of both Penguin and 360 have been quickly drowned in the ocean of information on the Internet.

Of course, as a battle that has been recorded in the history of the industry, the words "made a very difficult decision" that highly condensed the war have penetrated into the hearts of many users and become a classic they quote in their daily jokes.

Apart from that, people don’t pay much attention to 360 and Penguin, not to mention the smaller players like Rising, Kenniu, Maxthon, etc. that had previously taken sides.

Under such circumstances, WeChat has successfully left behind impressive labels - struggle, resistance, and grassroots.

These are exactly the concepts that 360's Zhou Hongyi wanted to instill in everyone through public opinion, and they were successfully accepted by WeChat and Yu Xing.

In particular, the young entrepreneur Yu Xing is different, which makes him more popular and supported.

Is it more struggle, more resistance, more grassroots?
Perhaps there are some such factors, but judging from the increasingly popular Weibo platform, the main reason why people are willing to spread WeChat and help Yu Xing is that he is more interesting.

"If You Are the One" broadcast on the 14th is a strong proof of this.

"WeChat hat" and "protective shirt" are the on-site pictures that were exposed when Yu Xing was recording the show before, which made this episode of the show particularly anticipated, so it naturally broke the highest ratings record since the program was recorded.

The static photos provided expectations, and the dynamic show effects met or even exceeded expectations.

——Li Song, a guest at the same event, asked: “I just want to know, what was Mr. Yu’s mood when he first created the instant messaging product?”

——The program was edited to show Yu Xing being harassed by the guests and only smilingly answering: "If a company like Penguin can do it, why can't I?"

——Li Song commented on the “arrogance”, and then seemed to be conquered and “applauded the arrogance”.

Young audiences love watching this.

If this isn't a hero, then what is a hero?!

I don't like the old stuff very much.

Especially Zhou Hongyi, who paid a lot for this competition.

It was difficult for him to erase his anger, fear and disgust in a short period of time, so he kept paying attention to the WeChat account that was carrying out the struggle.

Well, WeChat should be good, but...

Is this young man’s WeChat a little too good?

400 million users, 600 million users, and... 700 million users announced within just two days!
The popularity of this mobile Internet IM tool forced 360 to hold an internal analysis meeting to discuss whether to follow up on the development of similar projects.

The reason is the same. Any small company that is cobbled together can make it happen, and 360 is even more qualified to do so.

Besides, how could it be as satisfying to let WeChat take revenge on 360 as to take revenge successfully yourself?
Zhou Hongyi attended the seminar and listened to various analyses and judgments.

In addition to being surprised at the rapid progress of WeChat, he was also a little depressed and couldn't help but ask about it after the meeting.

"Why is Yu Xing so well-publicized? Is it so interesting that he wears a hat?"

Then, he received an answer similar to his own.

"It's meaningless."

"It may be a troll army. The number of WeChat users is also questionable."

"Variety shows are recorded over and over again, and the audience is required to laugh as required."

Zhou Hongyi was slightly satisfied. It wasn’t that she was rigid, but that everyone thought so.

Then he returned to the office to review the documents, but found that there was a problem with the advertising fees between the company and WeChat. The two sides had a big disagreement on funds and payment terms.

This matter ultimately comes down to Zhou Hongyi himself. His anger after coming back online really needs a channel that can be seen by everyone.

Zhou Hongyi looked at the report on the file, frowned and thought for a while, then reached out for his cell phone and called Yu Xing.

He got straight to the point: "Mr. Yu, you need to settle the advertising fees with 360. Is 1000 million a month a lot for this kind of promotion?"

360 really gave a very favorable price this time. The full-channel promotion includes but is not limited to pop-up ads, software key recommendation positions, security guard interface banners, browser navigation page ads and other positions.

According to the normal value of these advertisements, even for long-term customers, the cost is at least 2000 million per month.

Yu Xing received a call from the head of 360. Hearing this question, he said very politely: "Mr. Zhou, not much, not much. I really appreciate 360's help to us. If it weren't for Mr. Zhou's spirit of resisting monopoly, WeChat would really not dare to stand up this time."

"Mr. Zhou, don't worry. The advertising fee must be paid, but I haven't raised enough funds yet. As soon as I have enough funds, I will immediately connect with 360."

"Mr. Zhou, to be honest, I'm under a lot of pressure right now. I pushed WeChat to the forefront because of pressure from institutional shareholders. They asked me not to do this several times, believing that WeChat would be better off hidden. But..."

At this point, Yu Xing said emotionally: "Those who carry firewood for the public should not be allowed to freeze to death in the wind and snow!"

Zhou Hongyi opened her mouth, and suddenly hesitated about what to say at this moment.

He thought for two seconds and said, "Resisting monopoly is beneficial to the development of the entire industry. WeChat is a good company."

Yu Xing thanked the 360 ​​boss for his recognition and promised again: "Mr. Zhou, don't worry, WeChat will never default on its debt! Our company's financing will be signed soon!"

Seeing this, Zhou Hongyi thought that since the financing would soon be in place, there was no need to waste more time.

He didn’t hang up the phone immediately, and said something trivial: “Yu Xing, you said on Weibo that if you catch me, I can’t catch you, what does that mean?”

"Mr. Zhou, I felt at the time that since we had lost contact, we had to expand public opinion to help solve the problem." Yu Xing said seriously, "Please forgive me if I have offended you."

Zhou Hongyi felt somewhat offended, and it happened more than once.

He then asked, "Then why is there that phrase printed on the back of the shirt you wore on the show?"

Yu Xing sighed, "The production team acted on their own that day. I didn't want to disrupt the recording, but I regretted it later. Sigh, Mr. Zhou, I am sometimes a bit dogmatic."

Zhou Hongyi's questions and dissatisfaction received phased responses.

The call ended and the office returned to silence.

About half an hour later, the secretary came to get the documents and noticed that the boss had written the word "suspended" on the advertising fee documents between 360 and WeChat. He then asked, "Mr. Zhou, why is this payment suspended? WeChat hasn't even paid the first installment yet."

"I called Yu Xing, and he's still raising funds, so it'll be done soon," Zhou Hongyi replied.

The secretary asked curiously, "Mr. Zhou, did he say how many people are on WeChat now?"

Zhou Hongyi shook her head and said, "No."

Then he added: "He is quite polite, unlike the legend."

The secretary thought for a while and asked about another matter today: "Then is the IM tool we developed..."

360 Company has decided to develop mobile communication software, but now there are two directions: one is to do it by itself, and the other is to follow others. The decision that extends from this is that the omni-channel promotion of WeChat will not be renewed.

Zhou Hongyi said without hesitation: "Just copy it from WeChat."

The secretary nodded, and the matter was settled.

He finally checked for deficiencies and said, "I'm afraid Yu Xing will be very dissatisfied by then."

Zhou Hongyi showed no emotion: "He can't do anything to us."

The secretary took the order and left.

The 3Q war is over, and the accusation against Penguin's monopoly has also come to an end. Now it is time to return to 360's own monopoly position in the security software market. ...

Yu Xing accepted the suggestion from Liu Jiankai.

The number of WeChat users will be announced promptly every time it increases by one million, in the hope of bringing further growth momentum.

Users are sometimes very herd-like, and they may become curious when they see so many people using a product.

As long as new people try it, WeChat software is actually a product that really meets the aesthetic tastes of many people.

It is free, not fancy, and has simple functions, which is an improvement in today's product stage. After all, we cannot talk about specifics without considering the times.

Of course, there are also many users who think this is "crude".

At noon on October 10, Yu Xing met with the visiting Liu Jiankai.

"Mr. Yu, how is WeChat?"

"Everything is normal, except that the ally may have some problems, everything else is fine."

When Liu Jiankai heard Mr. Yu's casual remark, his heart skipped a beat.

Yu Xing pointed to the whiteboard and said, "Our promotional post on Renren was deleted. I heard that Renren also has plans to develop instant messaging products, which may constitute potential competition."

Liu Jiankai shook his head slightly: "You have already collected the taxes from college students."

Yu Xing smiled: "It's not that exaggerated."

He then introduced the company's use and planning of funds to Liu Jiankai, who represented Today Capital. This is related to the expectations of institutional shareholders and is also closely related to the development of WeChat itself.

A large portion of WeChat's early funds was used to ensure technology investment, so the average cost per user was nearly US$6. However, with the equalization of technology investment and the realization of scale fission, the recent user cost has dropped to US$3.

Now, WeChat needs to further reduce costs and hopes to achieve US$2-2.5.

It is also because of such research and judgment that the financing agreement between WeChat and IDG, Capital Today, and Qiming Venture Partners has been basically finalized. The target customers of this round of US$3000 million are around 2000 million users.

Although Yu Xing has some plans for the future of WeChat, he is absolutely committed to the development of the company, so he was very excited to talk about it.

In contrast, he quickly noticed that Liu Jiankai was absent-minded.

"Mr. Liu, what's wrong? Is there any problem?" Yu Xing stopped and asked.

"No problem, Mr. Yu, you are amazing. The current situation is beyond my imagination." Liu Jiankai said this, and then hesitated for a moment, "It's okay, it's just my personal matter. I'm too tired recently."

Yu Xing joked, "Are you too tired at Today Capital? Come to my side. I think I will win our bet. You should admit defeat in advance."

The two had previously made a bet on Vancl's growth, and although it is still growing, it is below expectations.

Liu Jiankai sneered, "The one who made the bet with you is Liu Jiankai from Capital Today. What does that have to do with Liu Jiankai who left Capital Today?"

Yu Xing ignored his trickery and asked in surprise, "You want to leave Capital Today? Have you fallen out of favor?"

Liu Jiankai: “…”

He shook his head slightly: "It's just that the pressure is great. Sometimes I also feel that this industry is boring. There is an opportunity in the enterprise outside. Hey, I have been deeply involved in several projects such as Zhen Gongfu and Ganji.com that have encountered problems recently. It's a headache."

"You followed them all?" Yu Xing raised his eyebrows, "Then I have to consider whether I can accept you."

Liu Jiankai spread his hands helplessly. It was impossible to anticipate a divorce like the one involving Ganji.com and Zhen Gongfu.

He shook his head, not wanting to talk about this, and then looked at the words "Renren" on the whiteboard, and tactfully reminded him: "Mr. Yu, WeChat is developing very fast, but I think it may still need to find a backer, such as..."

Yu Xing looked at Liu Jiankai.

Liu Jiankai expressed his thoughts: "For example, Baidu also has strong traffic."

Yu Xing said thoughtfully: "Boss Liu, sometimes you really need to reflect on your own vision."

"Look at the companies that can compete with Penguin in China now. Alibaba is excluded first. Its focus is on e-commerce. Everything is built around e-commerce. Renren actually has good traffic, but it wants to do it on its own." Liu Jiankai said his thoughts, "Other companies such as Sina, NetEase, and Sohu are all out of date. Sina Weibo is limited by Sina behind it, and it also needs to improve its own revenue first. There are not many choices on the market."

Yu Xing asked seriously: "Are you proposing this to me on behalf of Capital Today?"

Liu Jiankai was silent for a moment: "I am representing myself."

Yu Xing threw a cigarette over and lit one for himself: "Does Mr. Xu have any other considerations for WeChat within Capital Today?"

Liu Jiankai smiled and said, "What other considerations could there be?"

Yu Xing pointed at the face of the person in front of him and said, "This is the first time you've smiled since you came into my office. You didn't smile before, but why did you smile when I mentioned this?"

Liu Jiankai stopped smiling: "Boss Yu, don't be so arbitrary!"

"Whether it's arbitrary or not, the three institutions maintain the same position and are unwilling to give voting rights. The funds have not yet been put in place." Yu Xing smoked a cigarette, "If you have something to say, just say it. It's not like I really treat her as my sister just because I call her Sister Xin."

Liu Jiankai remained silent for a moment and then said, "Penguin is said to have set up a three-person team consisting of Pony, Zhang Zhidong and Lu Shan to discuss the competition with WeChat. So, I do think WeChat needs more help."

President Xu actually didn't allow himself to tell this news, so as not to affect morale, but seeing Yu Xing's indifferent expression, it didn't seem like a big deal.

Yu Xing nodded: "It seems that a single move by the head of such a giant can make investors hesitate. The giant is indeed a giant."

Liu Jiankai discovered that Mr. Yu was not only good at piecing together a team, but also good at piecing together information. He almost figured out the essence of the matter in just a few words.

He couldn't admit it directly, so he said, "Mr. Yu, I've met many entrepreneurs in the past, and they actually have a very pure temperament, but you are different."

Yu Xing smiled and said, "Really? Is it because I took your money, signed your signature, and don't completely trust you?"

Liu Jiankai commented: "Mr. Yu, I have met many entrepreneurs in the past, but you are definitely the most unpleasant one."

"I always think that making things clear is the most effective way to communicate. I won't get angry. I lower my expectations and don't expect everyone to work together." Yu Xing said leisurely, "Right, you can have your own thoughts. We are all human beings. Who can say who is good or bad?"

Liu Jiankai sighed: "Boss Yu, you really have a broad mind."

"I'm not petty. Let's go downstairs to eat." Yu Xing stood up and put out the cigarette.

Liu Jiankai stood up and suddenly noticed the number "41" on the whiteboard. He asked, "What does the 41 next to Renren mean?"

Yu Xing casually replied: "Nothing, Renren deleted 41 of our promotional posts."

Liu Jiankai nodded and followed him to the Shaxian Hotel downstairs, but he always felt that something seemed wrong.

Soon, just three days later, he received a call from Mr. Yu and heard a small request from the other party.

"Boss Liu, the vice president of Penguin's public relations department has been attacking us these days. I think he will come to Shanghai to participate in an event the day after tomorrow. Can you get me in as well?"

Hearing this, Liu Jiankai said with some concern: "Boss Yu, what do you want to do? Get in? Do you also want to lose contact to create public opinion?"

"I got to his event!" Yu Xing didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I want to talk to him in person. I don't understand technology, and I can't find more funds now. I can't go to the front line, so I can only do publicity work."

Liu Jiankai pondered for a moment and agreed to the request.

Indeed, Mr. Yu does not understand technology and cannot go to the front line. It is also unrealistic to seek more funds now. We can only let him give full play to his sharpness.

(End of this chapter)