Chapter 116 Ma Huateng lights a cigarette for Brother Lang

After paying the bill with a credit card at the hotel front desk, Gu Keqing walked towards her lover Lin Lang and saw Ma Huateng talking incessantly, explaining the selling points of QQ instant messaging software to Lin Lang.

"Alang, they are your friends?"

Ma Qiang was surprised to see another top beauty appear beside Lin Lang, and couldn't help thinking, "Mr. Lin is surrounded by so many beauties!"

"Last time at the sales office, he was accompanied by the motorcycle goddess Zhou Mengyao, and this time another stunning beauty appeared. Mr. Lin is really lucky!"

Ma Qiang couldn't help but think too much.

Then Lin Lang replied, "I'm here to discuss some business, which may take some time. Sister Keqing, please go to the car and wait for me."

"it is good."

Gu Keqing smiled slightly, then left obediently.

In the noisy hotel lobby.

Ma Huateng continued to promote the QQ instant messaging software, but was interrupted by Lin Lang. Since it was an acquisition negotiation, it required sophistication and skills.

"Uh……"

Ma Huateng smiled awkwardly and asked tentatively: "Mr. Lin, you don't want to listen to my talk about the future development prospects of QQ. Are you not interested in QQ, an instant messaging software product?"

Lin Lang deliberately showed no interest and replied: "Brother Xiao Ma, please forgive me for being blunt, but your Penguin company's QQ instant messaging software is free to download and use online, and it doesn't seem to have any good profit points!"

Ma Huateng explained: "It is like this, Mr. Lin. Although the positioning of QQ instant messaging software is to use it permanently for free, after the subsequent registered user activity is large enough, it can launch paid additional services and make profits."

"Although we at Penguin have not yet thought of launching any additional paid services as a profit point for QQ, the number of registered users of QQ has increased exponentially in just over a year since its launch, reaching more than 3000 million."

"I believe that by this time next year, QQ's registered users will exceed 100 million, and may even exceed 200 million or 300 million in the future, making it the PC application software with the most users in Xiaguo's social field."

Lin Lang said, "It is precisely because the number of QQ users grew too fast and the huge cost of the servers increased that you, Brother Ma, could not bear the burden and kept adding investment until the capital chain broke and you could not get venture capital. That is why you wanted to sell QQ reluctantly, right?"

"Uh……"

Ma Huateng frowned and said, "I didn't expect that Mr. Lin, despite his young age, is an experienced venture capitalist. After a brief understanding, he was able to see the difficulties faced by our Penguin company and discovered the crux of QQ's failure to continue R&D and operation due to continuous additional investment and loss of money."

"It is undeniable that QQ is currently in the stage of burning money to expand into the social software market and gain users."

"However, the free download of QQ will accelerate the process of occupying users and the market. As a new thing, instant messaging software does not have a mature profit model for the time being. The continuous losses and burning of money have given QQ the opportunity to quickly increase its user base."

After listening to this, Lin Lang shrugged and said, "What you said, Brother Xiao Ma, are all market expectations and prospects. No venture capitalist will pay for your ideal career."

“Return the benefits.”

"What we angel investors need to see is the expected return. Your company's QQ instant messaging software has a very vague positioning in terms of profit model and does not have a clear profit point."

Ma Huateng's forehead was sweating after hearing this, mistakenly thinking that he had hit a wall with Lin Lang as well.

Ma Qiang, who was standing aside, was speechless and hurriedly handed over the napkin. Ma Huateng took the napkin and wiped the sweat off his face.

Mr. Lin, once we have completed our monopoly on customer channels and our layout in the social software market, it should be easy to make a profit and recover our initial investment, whether through advertising revenue or QQ membership fee."

After hearing this, Lin Lang laughed and said, "Brother Xiao Ma, you make it sound easy. To complete the huge layout of QQ's user base, you should have an idea of ​​how much additional venture capital is needed and how much huge funds will be burned continuously, right?"

"Uh……"

Ma Huateng felt a little embarrassed, and tactically took out a cigarette and lit it for Lin Lang attentively, smiling and saying, "Mr. Lin, please smoke. Let's sit down and talk slowly."

Lin Lang took a puff of the cigarette and gently tapped his fingers holding the cigarette against Ma Huateng's hands, which were then used to light the cigarette. This was the etiquette of lighting a cigarette.

Ma Qiang, who was standing aside, hurriedly pulled a chair and said respectfully: "Mr. Lin, please sit down. As for business, you and my cousin can talk slowly. Don't rush to make a decision. Let's talk more!"

After Lin Lang sat down, he said politely, "Xiao Ma, you sit down too."

"Good good!"

After sitting down, Ma Huateng wiped his sweat and said with an awkward smile: "Your city of Haihai seems to be hotter than our city of Shenzhen."

Lin Lang knew very well that Ma Huateng was anxious to attract venture capital for QQ and was sweating from anxiety.

So, Lin Lang deliberately put pressure on him and said, "Brother Xiao Ma, even if the deal fails, there is still friendship. Even if our cooperation on this project fails, we can still make a fortune together if we have the chance in the future."

Ma Huateng felt even more uncertain after hearing this, and said weakly: "Mr. Lin, I still hope that you can carefully consider investing in our Penguin company. QQ instant messaging software has a huge market prospect."

Lin Lang asked with smoke blowing out of his mouth: "Brother Xiao Ma, let's put it this way. Let me hear it first. If I spend venture capital to acquire your Penguin Internet Company, what is the estimated selling price of your company?"

Ma Huateng gritted his teeth and replied: "The valuation of our Penguin Internet company is 9200 million Chinese Yuan."

Lin Lang frowned after hearing this and asked, "Brother Xiao Ma, your Penguin company is not well-known, and its QQ instant messaging software is still losing money and is still in the process of R&D, iteration, promotion and use. How can it be estimated to be close to 100 million?"

Ma Huateng replied: "Our QQ R&D team has worked hard to develop and promote QQ for nearly two years. We now have more than 30 million registered users. We invested a lot in purchasing servers and other equipment in the early stage. With the addition of QQ instant messaging software, there will be huge business prospects in the future."

Lin Lang continued to ask: "Brother Xiao Ma, what percentage of your company's shares do you plan to sell?"

Ma Huateng pushed up his glasses and replied: "I don't want to lose the controlling stake in Penguin Internet. I only plan to sell less than 40% of the shares."

"QQ instant messaging software is like my child. We, the main R&D team, are reluctant to give up the R&D rights of QQ. We hope to develop and promote this product until it is ultimately successful."

Lin Lang took two puffs of his cigarette and replied, "Brother Xiao Ma, I understand your feelings. QQ is like a child you raised. Now you are reluctant to sell QQ and lose your absolute controlling stake in your company."

"But unfortunately, given your company's current difficult situation, if you want to sell only 40% of your shares to survive in exchange for 3680 million Chinese Yuan of venture capital, there will be almost no venture capital institution or Internet company that will invest in your QQ instant messaging software."

Ma Huateng's heart tightened after hearing this, and he asked tentatively: "Mr. Lin seems to be interested in investing in our Penguin Company. What percentage of the company's shares do you want to acquire?"

Lin Lang knew very well that if he wanted to acquire 100% of Penguin, Ma Huateng would never sell it. That would only force Ma Huateng to turn around and look for other companies to attract venture capital.

Moreover, the shares of Penguin Technology are not held by Ma Huateng alone, but also by other members of the Penguin founding team.

Lin Lang did not leave a certain percentage of shares to the QQ founding R&D team. Even if he acquired Penguin Company in full, it would undoubtedly be difficult and time-consuming for Lin Lang, a finance major who did not understand software development at all, to rebuild the team and continue developing QQ.

The most important thing is that he was so greedy that he wanted to buy all the shares of Penguin, but they refused to sell.

Brother Lang’s precious time is used to enjoy life. How can he have the time to develop and promote QQ himself?

Besides, there are too many high-return companies that can be ventured into in the future, such as Taobao, Pinxixi, and JD.com...

If he acquires all the shares of each company and manages, operates and develops it himself, wouldn't that make Brother Lang exhausted? !

Therefore, Brother Lang’s bottom line is that for every company acquired by venture capital, it is enough to have absolute controlling stake and absolute control over the company.

So, Lin Lang lied, "Brother Xiao Ma, I'm actually not that interested in investing in your Penguin company. I just admire your personal talent."

After hearing this, Ma Huateng smiled and said, "Thank you, Mr. Lin, for your appreciation!"

Lin Lang continued, "Lin is interested in being your mentor, but if you want me to invest in your Penguin company and help you start your business, there are two conditions."

Ma Huateng's eyes lit up after hearing this, and he asked hurriedly, "Mr. Lin, please speak frankly. I am all ears."

Lin Lang took a puff of his cigarette and replied, "The first condition is that Penguin's headquarters must be moved from Shenzhen City to Longhai City."

Ma Huateng replied: "This condition is easy to meet. It just so happens that the office building lease of Penguin's headquarters in Shenzhen will expire next month. It is also possible to set up the company's headquarters in Longhai City."

"Mr. Lin, please continue with the second condition."

Lin Lang replied: "The second condition is that if you want me to invest in your Penguin company, the proportion of shares I acquire must be more than 60%. If the company needs to make additional investments for subsequent development, I can increase the capital and make additional investments year-on-year, but my equity ratio cannot be diluted."

"To put it bluntly, I want to have absolute control over Penguin Company."

(As Penguin grows and develops, there will be rounds of financing. Lin Lang can make additional investments and further increase his stake. Just like cutting sausages, he can gradually hold more shares in Penguin.)

Ma Huateng wiped the sweat off his forehead and said weakly, "Mr. Lin, do you want to be the chairman and CEO of the company, and personally manage and develop and promote the QQ instant messaging software?"

Lin Lang replied: "No."

"I will serve as the chairman of Penguin, but you will still be the CEO. You will still be in charge of the company's management, as well as the R&D and promotion of its products."

"Of course, I will grasp the general direction of the company's development and give some reasonable suggestions, such as enriching QQ's functional research and development, developing QQ's industrial chain through all channels, making QQ profitable quickly, expanding QQ derivative products, and even financing and listing, etc."

Ma Huateng was shocked after hearing this and said in amazement: "Mr. Lin, you are really talented!"

"To complete the layout of the QQ-related industries you just mentioned, we need to invest at least several hundred million Chinese Yuan, and even need to continue to invest more than 1 billion Chinese Yuan at a risk."

"Mr. Lin, are you really willing to invest so heavily in our Penguin company and continue to burn money without reservation to support the layout, operation and development of the QQ instant messaging software?"

Lin Lang extinguished the cigarette between his fingers and said self-deprecatingly, "There shouldn't be any angel investors in China who are as stupid and rich as me and willing to burn money for venture capital for Penguin QQ, right?"

Ma Huateng pushed up his glasses and replied happily: "Mr. Lin, you are right. It is hard to find an angel investor as arrogant as you."

Ma Qiang, who was sitting next to him, hurriedly reminded him: "Cousin, Mr. Lin's venture capital acquisition of 60% of your company's shares is 5520 million Chinese yuan!"

"Your QQ founding R&D team owns 40% of the shares, which is not a small amount. With this venture capital of 5520 million Chinese Yuan, your Penguin Internet Company will have a new lease of life."

Ma Huateng quickly took out his cell phone and said, "Mr. Lin, I'm going to make a phone call outside to discuss with the company team members and then reply whether you agree to sell 60% of our company's equity."

Lin Lang replied calmly, "Please do as you wish."