Chapter 115: Acquiring Penguin, Taking Over QQ's Research, Development, and Operation Rights
Ma Huateng frowned and replied, "Because QQ's user base is growing rapidly, we constantly need to buy servers, and the price of servers is damn expensive. The QQ social software project is very capital-intensive to operate."
"Although QQ's user base has grown significantly now, we haven't found a way to profit from it, so we've been losing money continuously. Therefore, no one is willing to venture capital for QQ, this money-burning project, and our Penguin Company is about to go bankrupt."
"Qiangzi, you're a sales manager now. Are you financially comfortable? Lend your cousin some money. I'll pay the programmers and company staff their overdue salaries first."
Ma Qiang replied with difficulty, "Cousin, I do have some money, but I recently bought a new house to upgrade my living situation, and two days ago, I just bought a new Volkswagen Jetta car. I'm afraid I can't help you much, cousin!"
Ma Huateng sighed after hearing this, "Alas~ It seems the QQ project is going to die in its infancy. By the end of this month, the company will have to pay the rent for the next year again. I'm damn overwhelmed right now."
"Cousin, since the QQ project isn't making money, and is even continuously burning and losing money, why don't you just sell QQ? At least you can recoup some losses, plug the big hole of borrowed money for your startup, and avoid losing everything!"
"Qiangzi, do you think I don't want to sell QQ right now?"
"The key issue is that there's no one willing to take over this continuously money-burning project called QQ. I've visited many Internet companies, and they all refused to buy QQ."
"Before coming to Shanghai to seek venture capital this time, I went to Sohu's headquarters in Kyoto to try and sell QQ. Their CEO, Zhang Chaoyang, said he could develop a social software similar to QQ in a few months, and that our Penguin Company's QQ project had no value at all."
Ma Qiang said after hearing this, "Cousin, you've borrowed money from all your relatives and friends for your startup, mortgaged your parents' house, and you still owe so much in bank loans. If your Penguin Company really goes bankrupt, it will be very difficult for you to recover after this failed startup."
Ma Huateng drained the beer in his glass again and said melancholically, "Starting a business is truly a damn struggle for survival!"
"If I can't secure the first round of venture capital for QQ during this trip to Shanghai, our Penguin Company's capital chain will completely break, and we'll have to close down."
Ma Qiang suddenly slapped his thigh and realized, "Cousin, I thought of a very powerful angel investor who might be able to acquire the QQ project."
Ma Huateng's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he eagerly asked, "Qiangzi, tell me quickly, who is this god of wealth?"
Ma Qiang quickly pulled out Lin Lang's business card from his person and handed it to his cousin Ma Huateng.
After Ma Huateng looked at Lin Lang's business card, he asked, "I've never heard of this angel investor named Lin Lang. Is he really that powerful?"
Ma Qiang replied with an exaggerated expression, "Mr. Lin is very generous. A few days ago, at our Binjiang Haoge sales office, he bought three buildings in one go, investing 57 million chinese yuan in real estate without even batting an eye, paying the full purchase price in one lump sum."
Ma Huateng exclaimed after hearing this, "To invest over 50 million in three buildings like buying vegetables at a market these days, an angel investor who can be so generous must definitely be a powerful business magnate!"
Ma Qiang replied, "Absolutely!"
"Mr. Lin is currently planning to establish a financial investment company and has entrusted me to select an office building on Jinan Financial Street to buy as the company's office."
"I have already agreed to Mr. Lin's offer to switch to his new company and serve as a founding executive."
Ma Huateng said after hearing this, "With a backer helping you get rich, Qiangzi, you're going to be awesome this time!"
Ma Qiang said with a smile, "If Mr. Lin is willing to venture capital for QQ social software, your current financial crisis, cousin, can be easily resolved!"
Ma Huateng slapped his thigh and said, "Qiangzi, quickly introduce me to Mr. Lin. If he's interested in the QQ project and willing to acquire QQ social software, you'll have helped your cousin a great deal!"
"Then, cousin, I'll call Mr. Lin now and try my luck?" Ma Qiang pulled out his phone.
Ma Huateng used his teeth to open a beer bottle, and while pouring beer for his cousin Ma Qiang, he replied, "Call, call, call. At this point, we can only try anything."
After hearing this, Ma Qiang adjusted his breathing, cleared his throat, and then dialed Lin Lang's mobile number.
Ma Huateng pushed up his glasses, looking somewhat nervously at his cousin Ma Qiang holding the phone, full of anticipation.
At the same time.
Lin Lang was slowly walking out of the private room of Guangdong Restaurant, his arm around Gu Keqing's soft waist. As they passed through the first-floor lobby of the restaurant, he didn't notice Ma Qiang and his cousin Ma Huateng eating at table 18. As he was heading to the cashier to pay the bill, his phone rang urgently.
Gu Keqing said, "A Lang, answer your phone. I'll go pay the bill."
"Sister, you're eating with me, how can I let you pay?" As Lin Lang spoke, he pulled out his crocodile leather Armani limited edition wallet.
Gu Keqing, however, smiled gently, "A Lang, don't play that male chauvinist card with your sister. Be a good kept man, and your sister will support you for life."
"Uh... alright!" Lin Lang shrugged and smiled.
Gu Keqing took out her black bank card at the restaurant's front desk and swiped it to pay the bill.
Lin Lang took out his phone and glanced at the caller ID. It was Binjiang Haoge's sales manager, Ma Qiang, so he answered and greeted, "Hello~ Mr. Ma!"
"Hello, Mr. Lin! It's me, Ma Qiang."
Lin Lang asked during the call, "Have you selected an office building on Jinan Financial Street?"
"Or have the bank mortgage loans for the three buildings I entrusted you with at Binjiang Haoge been approved?"
Ma Qiang replied during the call, "The bank is currently undergoing risk assessment and review. I've used some connections, and it's estimated that the bank will be able to disburse over 35 million chinese yuan in mortgage loans within three working days."
Lin Lang replied, "Very good, then I'll trouble Mr. Ma with that."
Ma Qiang, who was sitting at table 18 making the call, inadvertently caught sight of Lin Lang, dressed in a black suit, standing at the restaurant's front desk not far away, talking to him. He quickly stood up and waved, "Mr. Lin, I'm over here!"
Lin Lang turned his head at the sound and saw Ma Qiang smiling and waving at him from table 18, not far away. He walked over and greeted, "Oh my~ What a coincidence!"
"Mr. Ma, you're also here at Guangdong Restaurant with friends for a meal!"
Ma Huateng, who was sitting with his back to Lin Lang, quickly stood up and looked back, seeing Lin Lang for the first time, who exuded an air of nobility and was strikingly handsome.
When Lin Lang saw Ma Huateng, who was only 29 years old and wearing silver-rimmed glasses, he couldn't help but exclaim inwardly, "Holy crap! Isn't this Ma Huateng before he succeeded in his startup?!"
Before Lin Lang could think further, Ma Qiang introduced, "Cousin, let me introduce you. This handsome and wealthy Mr. Lin Lang is the angel investor I just mentioned to you."
Ma Huateng proactively shook Lin Lang's hand and respectfully greeted, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Lin!"
Ma Qiang continued to introduce, "This gentleman is my cousin, Ma Huateng, the boss of Shenzhen City's Penguin Internet Company. He came to Shanghai this time to seek venture capital for QQ, his company's social software product."
Lin Lang shook his hand politely and greeted, "Hello, Little Ma!"
Ma Huateng was seven years older than Lin Lang, so Lin Lang calling him Little Ma was perfectly fine.
Ma Huateng flattered him, saying, "Mr. Lin is young and accomplished, and he looks distinguished. One can tell he's a powerful angel investor!"
Lin Lang replied courteously, "Not at all!"
Ma Qiang quickly seized the opportunity to say, "What a destined encounter today!"
"My cousin, Ma Huateng, traveled thousands of miles to Shanghai to seek venture capital, and Mr. Lin happens to be an angel investor with unique vision. Why don't you, cousin, show Mr. Lin the project materials for your company's QQ social software? If Mr. Lin is interested in this QQ venture capital project, perhaps it could lead to a collaboration!"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Ma Huateng echoed repeatedly.
Immediately after, Ma Huateng quickly took out the detailed materials for QQ social software from his briefcase, opened his portable laptop, placed it on the table, and while demonstrating the early version of QQ to Lin Lang, he began to enthusiastically introduce QQ's selling points and features, and describe the future development prospects of QQ social software.
Lin Lang was secretly surprised after hearing this, thinking, "According to the millennium timeline, QQ social software has just been released at this time. Ma Huateng is facing financial difficulties, constantly raising money but repeatedly hitting dead ends, in the most difficult trough of his startup."
As a transmigrator, Lin Lang was very clear about the development history of Penguin Company.
In 2000, Ma Huateng, unable to secure venture capital domestically, was forced to seek foreign venture capital. After difficult negotiations, he sold a total of 40% of the shares for a total of 4.4 million US dollars, obtaining the first round of venture capital from IDG and Pacific Century CyberWorks.
The 4.4 million US dollars in venture capital in the millennium, according to the exchange rate at that time, was only about 36.5 million chinese yuan.
Then, in 2001, an American proactively approached Ma Huateng, representing the South African media group Naspers. They saw the good valuation given by Penguin Company and eventually acquired IDG, Pacific Century CyberWorks, and part of Penguin's founding team's shares for 32 million US dollars, holding 46% of the shares and becoming Penguin's largest shareholder.
Naspers, Penguin's largest shareholder at the time, only invested 32 million US dollars. Calculated by today's market value, the return is as high as 780,000%, earning a net profit of 1.6 trillion chinese yuan, which is considered the most successful venture capital investment in human history.
As soon as he thought of this, a subtle smile crossed Lin Lang's face.
That's right, Lang Ge is going to intercept Naspers in advance, acquire Penguin Company, and make a venture capital investment in the national social software QQ.