Chapter 115 Acquired Tencent and took over the R&D and operation rights of QQ

At this time, Lin Lang and his lover Gu Keqing were still in the private room of Guangdong Hotel, enjoying Cantonese cuisine while flirting with each other. He was eager to return to Keqing's private villa for an in-depth exchange of love.

at the same time.

The lobby on the first floor of Guangdong Hotel.

Ma Qiang, the manager of Binjiang Haoge Sales Office, was sitting at table No. 18 near the hotel cashier counter. While pouring beer for his cousin Ma Huateng, he asked, "Cousin, how is your visit to Haihai to attract investment for OICQ going?"

At the time, Ma Huateng was only 29 years old and was at the lowest point in his life. He encountered the Internet bubble in the millennium, his entrepreneurship was blocked, and he was depressed and frustrated.

Ma Huateng drank the beer in his glass and sighed, "Alas, a few days ago I went to Kyoto to solicit investment for QQ. I visited Sohu, Sina, Lenovo and other companies, but no Internet company or investment institution was willing to invest in our Penguin Company's QQ product."

"This time when I came to invest in Hella, I encountered many setbacks. It's really hard to describe!"

"Cousin, isn't the social software you're developing at Penguin called OICQ? Why did you change the name to QQ?"

Ma Huateng pushed up his glasses and replied with a troubled look on his face: "Qiangzi, I'm ashamed to say this!"

"The first product of our Penguin company was a wireless network paging system. Later, the pager market was sluggish, so I began to imitate the Israeli instant messaging software ICQ and came up with the social software OICQ."

"As a result, ICQ's parent company, Meiguo Online, sued us for infringement a while ago and asked us to change the name of OICQ. I was forced to change OICQ to QQ."

"So that's how it is." Ma Qiang continued to pour wine for his cousin Ma Huateng.

"Cousin, I heard recently that this year's Internet economic bubble has caused many Internet companies to go bankrupt. Your Penguin company is also facing financial difficulties. Can you hold on?"

Ma Huateng frowned and replied: "Because the number of QQ users has increased dramatically, we need to keep purchasing servers, and the price of servers is damn expensive. The QQ social software project is very expensive to operate."

"Although QQ's user base has grown significantly, it has not found a profit point and has been losing money. Therefore, no one is willing to invest in this money-burning project. Our Penguin company is about to go bankrupt."

"Qiangzi, you are the sales manager now. Do you have enough money? Lend me some money from your cousin. I will pay the overdue salaries to the programmers and company employees first."

Ma Qiang replied in embarrassment: "Cousin, I have some money, but I am currently decorating my wedding room and preparing to marry my girlfriend. I'm sorry, cousin, I can't help you!"

Ma Huateng sighed after hearing this and said, "Alas, it seems that the QQ project is going to die in the womb. The company has to pay the rent for the next year at the end of this month. I am so worried now."

"Cousin, since the QQ project is not profitable and is even continuously burning money and losing money, you might as well just sell QQ. At least you can make some money back and fill the big hole of borrowing money for your business, so you don't lose everything!"

"Qiangzi, do you think I don't want to sell QQ now?"

"The key problem is that there is no one willing to take over QQ, a project that continues to burn money. I visited many Internet companies and wanted to sell QQ, but they all rejected me."

"Before coming to Hella Ventures, I went to Sohu's headquarters in Kyoto to try to sell QQ. Their CEO Zhang Chaoyang said that he could create a social software similar to QQ in a few months. Our Penguin QQ project has no value at all."

Ma Qiang said, "Cousin, you have borrowed money from all your relatives and friends to start your business. You have also mortgaged your parents' house and owe so much to the bank. If your Penguin company really goes bankrupt, it will be very difficult for you to recover after the failure of this business venture."

Ma Huateng drank the beer in his glass again and said sadly: "Starting a business is really a life-and-death struggle!"

"If I can't get the first venture capital for QQ during this trip to Shanghai, our Penguin company's funding chain will be completely broken and we will have to close down."

Ma Qiang suddenly slapped his thigh and said, "Cousin, I have an idea of ​​a very powerful angel investor who may be able to invest in the QQ project."

Ma Huateng's eyes lit up after hearing this, and he asked hurriedly: "Qiangzi, tell me quickly, what kind of God of Wealth is this person?"

Ma Qiang hurriedly took out Lin Lang's business card from his pocket and handed it to his cousin Ma Huateng.

After looking at Lin Lang's business card, Ma Huateng asked, "I have never heard of this angel investor named Lin Lang. Is he very capable?"

Ma Qiang replied with an exaggerated expression: "This Mr. Lin is very generous. A few days ago, he bought three buildings at our Binjiang Haoge Sales Office, spending 57 million Chinese Yuan to invest in real estate, and paid the full amount in one go without blinking an eye."

Ma Huateng exclaimed after hearing this: "These days, investing more than 50 million to buy three buildings is like buying vegetables in the market. An angel investor who can make such a bold move must be a powerful business tycoon!"

Ma Qiang replied, "Of course!"

"Mr. Lin is planning to set up a financial investment company recently and has asked me to select an office building in Jing'an Financial Street. I will buy it and use it as the company's office building."

"I have promised Mr. Lin that I will move to his new company and take up the position of a senior executive."

After hearing this, Ma Huateng said, "You have a sponsor who will help you get rich. Qiangzi, you are going to be awesome this time!"

Ma Qiang said with a smile: "If Mr. Lin is willing to invest in QQ social software, your current financial crisis will be easily solved!"

Ma Huateng patted his thigh and said, "Qiangzi, please introduce me to Mr. Lin. If he is interested in the QQ project and is willing to acquire the QQ social software, you will be doing a great favor to your cousin!"

"Then cousin, I'll call Mr. Lin right now and try my luck and ask him?" Ma Qiang took out his cell phone.

Ma Huateng opened a bottle of wine with his teeth and poured wine for his cousin Ma Qiang while replying, "Fight, fight, fight. Now we can only treat the dead horse as a living one."

After hearing this, Ma Qiang adjusted his breathing, cleared his throat, and then dialed Lin Lang's cell phone number.

Ma Huateng pushed his glasses and looked at his cousin Ma Qiang holding up the mobile phone with a somewhat nervous expression, his face full of anticipation.

at the same time.

Lin Lang was holding Gu Keqing's soft waist as he slowly walked out of the private room of Guangdong Hotel and passed through the lobby on the first floor of the hotel. He did not notice that Ma Qiang and his cousin Ma Huateng were eating at table No. 18. When he went to the cashier to pay the bill, his cell phone rang rapidly.

Gu Keqing said, "Alang, you answer the phone. I'll go pay the bill."

"Sister, you are having dinner with me, so how can I let you pay the bill?" As Lin Lang spoke, he took out a limited edition Armani crocodile leather wallet from his pocket.

Gu Keqing smiled gently and said, "Alang, don't play the male chauvinism game with your sister. Just be a good gigolo and your sister will support you for the rest of your life."

"Uh... okay!" Lin Lang shrugged and smiled.

Gu Keqing took out her bank black card at the hotel front desk and swiped it to pay the bill.

Lin Lang took out his cell phone and looked at the caller ID. It was Ma Qiang, the sales manager of Binjiang Haoge Building. He answered the call and said, "Hello, it's Manager Ma!"

"Hello, Mr. Lin! I'm Ma Qiang."

Lin Lang asked during the call: "Have you chosen an office building for your company in Jing'an Financial Street?"

"Or have I entrusted you to get the bank mortgage loan for my three buildings in Binjiang Haoge approved?"

Ma Qiang replied during the call: "The bank is currently conducting a risk assessment and review. I have used some of my connections and it is estimated that within three working days, the bank will be able to lend more than 35 million Chinese yuan."

After hearing this, Lin Lang replied, "Very good. Then I'll have to trouble Manager Ma."

Ma Qiang, who was sitting at table No. 18 and talking on the phone, accidentally caught a glimpse of Lin Lang, who was wearing a black suit and standing at the front desk of the hotel not far away, talking to him. He quickly stood up and waved, "Mr. Lin, I'm here!"

Lin Lang glanced over and saw Ma Qiang sitting at table number 18 not far away. He smiled and waved at him, then walked over and said, "Oh~ What a coincidence!"

"Manager Ma, you and your friends should also come to Guangdong Restaurant for dinner!"

Ma Huateng, who was sitting on the dining chair with his back to Lin Lang, hurriedly stood up and looked back. For the first time, he saw the noble and handsome Lin Lang.

When Lin Lang saw the 29-year-old Ma Huateng wearing silver-rimmed glasses, he couldn't help but exclaim inwardly, "Fuck! Isn't this the Ma Huateng before he succeeded in starting his own business?!"

Before Lin Lang could think about it, Ma Qiang introduced him, "Cousin, let me introduce you to this handsome and wealthy Mr. Lin Lang, the angel investor I just mentioned to you."

Ma Huateng took the initiative to shake hands with Lin Lang and greeted him respectfully, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Lin!"

Ma Qiang continued to introduce: "This man is my cousin Ma Huateng, the boss of Shenzhen Penguin Internet Company. This time he came to Haikou to solicit venture capital for the company's social software product QQ."

Lin Lang shook hands politely and said, "Hello, Brother Xiao Ma!"

Ma Huateng is seven years older than Lin Lang, so there is nothing wrong with Lin Lang calling Ma Huateng "Little Brother Ma".

Ma Huateng flattered him and said, "Mr. Lin is young and promising, and he looks very handsome. You can tell at first glance that he is a capable angel investor!"

Lin Lang replied politely: "No way!"

Ma Qiang quickly took the opportunity to say: "It's really fate today!"

"My cousin Ma Huateng has come all the way to Haihai to solicit venture capital. Mr. Lin happens to be an angel investor with a unique vision. Why don't you show Mr. Lin the information about your company's QQ social software project? If Mr. Lin is interested in the QQ venture capital project, maybe we can just happen to be able to promote cooperation!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Ma Huateng echoed.

Then, Ma Huateng hurriedly took out detailed information about the QQ social software from his briefcase, opened his laptop computer, and placed it on the dining table. While operating the first version of QQ to demonstrate to Lin Lang, he began to introduce the selling points and functions of QQ and described the future development prospects of the QQ social software.

Lin Lang was secretly shocked after hearing this, thinking, "According to the timeline of the millennium, the QQ social software had just been launched, and Ma Huateng was facing financial difficulties. He was trying to raise money everywhere, but he kept hitting a wall. This was the most difficult period at the beginning of his business."

As a time traveler, Lin Lang knows the development history of Penguin Company very well.

In 2000, Ma Huateng was unable to attract venture capital in China and was forced to look for foreign venture capital. After difficult negotiations, he obtained the first venture capital from IDG and Yingke Digital for a total of US$440 million, selling a total of 40% of his shares.

Millennium's $440 million venture capital was equivalent to only about 3650 million Chinese yuan based on the exchange rate of that year.

Then in 2001, an American approached Ma Huateng, representing the South African newspaper group Naspers, and took a fancy to Penguin and gave a good valuation. Eventually, he acquired IDG, Yingke Digital, and part of the shares of Penguin's founding team for US$3200 million, holding 46% of the shares and becoming Penguin's largest shareholder.

Naspers, the largest shareholder of Penguin at that time, invested only 3200 million US dollars. According to the current market value, the return is as high as %, and the net profit is 1.6 trillion Chinese yuan. It is considered to be the most successful venture capital in human history.

When he thought of this, a barely noticeable smile flashed across Lin Lang's face.

That’s right, Brother Lang wants to intercept Naspers in advance, acquire Penguin, and make venture capital in the national social software QQ.