A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1378 Investing in Tencent (Please Subscribe!)
Monday morning, the sky was overcast and gloomy, with a heavy, oppressive dampness.

As usual, Hua Shier pushed his bicycle to the familiar spot at the entrance of the community, put one foot on the ground, and waited for Fang Hui's arrival.

Time ticked by, but the slender figure who always arrived early and stood quietly was nowhere to be seen today.

At first, Hua Shier thought Fang Hui had overslept, but as the time for school approached, people came and went at the entrance of the community, but the person he was waiting for was nowhere to be seen.

Hua Shier frowned slightly, already having guessed seven or eight parts of the truth.

He still vividly remembers the look in Fang Hui's parents' eyes when they looked at him at the police station that day—a look that was a mixture of shock, fear, rejection, and resolute determination.

Hua Shier hadn't expected the other side's reaction to be so intense and their actions so swift and decisive.

Hua Shier shook her head and rode her bike to school. Sure enough, Fang Hui was not in the classroom; she hadn't come to school today.

That afternoon, Zhao Ye learned that Fang Hui's parents had granted her a long leave of absence.

A few days later, new news came: Fang Hui had transferred schools.

Chen Xun and Qiao Ran were disappointed by Fang Hui's transfer, while Lin Jiamo kept stealing glances at Hua Shier's expression.

But Hua Twelve remained the same as always.

A week later, during a break between classes, Lin Jiamo walked up to Hua Shier's desk with a letter in her hand and handed it to him with a somewhat complicated expression:
"There's a letter for you in the mailroom. I brought it over for you. It was sent by Fang Hui."

Hua Shier took the envelope and glanced at the address on it. The address was in a small town in Jiangnan.

He tore open the seal and pulled out the thin letter inside. Fang Hui's handwriting was delicate and clear, but there was a slight, imperceptible tremor between the strokes.

The contents of the letter confirmed his suspicions.

After returning from the police station that day, Fang Hui's parents could not accept that their daughter had any connection with a "promising young man" who had made headlines in the social section.

In order to completely sever the connection between the two and prevent Fang Hui from seeing Hua Shier, Fang Hui's parents made a quick decision with an unquestionable and firm attitude: to send their daughter to her maternal grandparents' home in a small southern town and to re-enroll her in school there.

In the days leading up to their departure, Fang Hui's parents took turns taking leave from work to stay by their daughter's side, preventing her from having any contact with the outside world, especially with Hua Shier.

It wasn't until Fang Hui settled down in that humid and sweltering small town in the south and entered a new school, under relatively relaxed supervision, that she found the opportunity to secretly write this letter to reassure Hua Shier.

In her letter, she didn't elaborate on her grievances and helplessness, but simply repeatedly emphasized:
"Twelve, wait for me. I'll definitely get into university in Beijing! When I'm an adult, I'll make my own decisions, and we'll definitely meet again!"

Between the lines, there is a stubbornness and commitment that is inconsistent with her timid personality.

Hua Shier carefully folded the letter, put it back into the envelope, and casually put it into his schoolbag, his face revealing no emotion.

In fact, with his abilities, he had already deduced Fang Hui's approximate whereabouts and whether she was safe and sound through Qimen Dunjia on the very day she disappeared.

But he did nothing, because no matter what he did, it wouldn't be appropriate.

Fang Hui is not even eighteen years old yet. What right does he have to forcibly interfere with his parents' decision?

They couldn't possibly elope with Fang Hui. Doing so might satisfy their momentary impulses, but for Fang Hui, who was already sensitive and vulnerable, it would undoubtedly cause her even deeper harm, creating conflict or even estrangement with her biological parents. That wouldn't be completing the system's mission to save the tragedy, but rather creating one.

Instead of doing that, Hua Shier felt it was better to let things take their course for now.

One day, when he is powerful enough, when his name appears on the legal channel—yes, on the Forbes list—Fang Hui's parents will definitely not be an obstacle between them, but rather an asset. He firmly believes this.

Hua Shier picked up his pen and wrote a reply to Fang Hui, mailing it to the address on the letter.

Unexpectedly, the letter disappeared without a trace, and Fang Hui never sent another letter after that.

Without Fang Hui in his life, Hua Shier's life seemed to return to its original track. He was still as lazy and carefree as ever, daydreaming in class, hanging out with Zhao Ye in internet cafes after school, and occasionally checking if there were any new services on the "Anything is Fine" company's QQ account.

He looked no different than before Fang Hui appeared, as if that brief interlude had not left much of a ripple in his heart.

However, one person thought differently: Lin Jiamo.

This girl stubbornly believed that her deskmate had changed, and must have been heartbroken by Fang Hui's sudden departure and going far away.

Lin Jiamo also believes that Hua Shier's calm demeanor is merely a forced smile, a sign that he has deeply buried his pain.

This kind of imagination filled her with sympathy and pity for Hua Twelve. The goodwill she had for Hua Twelve, which had been hidden because of Fang Hui, began to grow uncontrollably like wild grass that had encountered spring rain.

Lin Jiamo couldn't help but think that now that Fang Hui had left, wouldn't she be able to openly pursue the person she liked?

She decided to use her enthusiasm and care to warm and heal her deskmate's wounded heart.

In the days that followed, Lin Jiamo began to put her thoughts into action. Knowing that Hua Shier didn't have the habit of eating breakfast, she brought him different breakfasts every day. Sometimes it was a hot jianbing (Chinese crepe), sometimes it was steamed buns and soy milk, and she would always pretend not to care and say:
“My mom insists I eat it, but I can’t finish it, so please don’t waste it.”

When Hua Shier was playing, Lin Jiamo would always be there on the sidelines as a cheerleader, always holding an unopened bottle of mineral water or a drink, which she would hand to him as soon as he came off the court to rest.

On the other hand, Zhao Ye, who played ball with Hua Shier, was drenched in sweat and so thirsty that his throat was parched, so he had to go to the convenience store to take care of himself.

During a break in a game, Zhao Ye watched Lin Jiamo diligently handing water to Hua Shier and couldn't help but grumble as he leaned over:
"Lin Jiamo, you're so unfair! Why did you only give water to Twelve and not me? I'm dying of thirst!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Jiamo rolled her eyes at Zhao Ye, took out five yuan from her pocket, and stuffed it into his hand, her tone blunt:

"Here, go buy it yourself, and while you're at it, bring back a few popsicles for me, the creamy kind!"

Zhao Ye, holding five yuan, was speechless and exasperated. He watched as Lin Jiamo turned around and went to talk to Hua Shier with a bright smile. He looked up at the sky and sighed in exasperation.
"Since twelve were born, why was fire born?"

He likes Lin Jiamo, but looking at the current situation, the person he likes has his heart set on his good older brother. It's like his life is a tea table, full of tragedies!

In these ordinary days, yet with subtle ripples, Hua Shier received a message from Xiao Ma Ge, inviting him to meet at a quiet and elegant coffee shop in Beijing.

On the day of their meeting, Hua Shier first bought a SIM card for this world and inserted it into the 3310 he had taken out of his storage space. Then he happily went to the agreed-upon place to keep the appointment.

When Little Ma saw that the person sitting opposite him was just a boy in a school uniform with a youthful face, he couldn't hide his surprise and a hint of disappointment.

He originally thought that someone who could offer such insights must at least be an industry insider with many years of experience, but he didn't expect him to be so young. Sure enough, the internet is full of lies. He pretended to be a girl to chat with him, while the kid on the other end pretended to be an investor to trick him out of coffee.

Ma, with a complicated expression, said to Hua Twelve:

"Don't tell me you're a student!"

Hua Shier shrugged and asked with a smile, "Don't I look like a high school student?"

Little Ma smiled wryly to himself, realizing that his previous expectations might have been too unrealistic, and could only say:
"I'm also quite interested in the future of the internet. We didn't discuss it thoroughly enough online last time, so I came to Beijing on a business trip specifically to hear your insights, young man!"

He spoke politely, but Little Ma had already given up hope and was thinking that he might as well try to persuade Lao Zhang again.

However, Hua Shier was not intimidated at all; he remained calm and composed, speaking eloquently.

Instead of directly revealing the specific and alarming profit models for Tencent's future, he analyzed the inevitable trends of internet development from a more macro perspective, the huge potential of social software in building user stickiness and future traffic entry points, and even vaguely pointed out the core contradiction that QQ is currently facing in terms of user growth and monetization difficulties.

His confidence, clear logic, and accurate grasp of certain key points in the industry made him seem nothing like a high school student. Instead, he gradually put away his contempt and became more focused.

Little Ma is a smart man. He could tell that Hua Shier was intentionally leaving things unsaid at crucial points. He would stop talking about important things or talk about other things, making Hua Shier feel uncomfortable, like scratching an itch through a boot.

After a moment's hesitation, Little Ma revealed his true identity:
"Young man, I won't hide it from you anymore, I'm actually one of the founders of Tencent, Pony Ma!"

Hua Shier chuckled: "I guessed it. I was wondering how long you were going to keep up the act!"

Little Ma chuckled awkwardly and continued:

"Last time I heard you talk so much about the future of the internet, I was deeply impressed. I've come here this time specifically to learn from you, and to show my sincerity," he said, handing over a card.

"We learned from your ad that you like five-digit QQ numbers, so this is a small gift from our company to you!"

The card contains ten carefully prepared five-digit QQ numbers, including rare and desirable numbers such as "66666", "88888", and "98168".

"Young man, your insights are very unique. May I have the honor of hearing your specific ideas that are 'worth a fortune'? If there is a fee, we can discuss it."

Ma's attitude was sincere; he even suggested buying ideas, which seemed a bit like grasping at straws in desperation.

Hua Shier accepted the ten premium phone numbers without hesitation. These numbers would be very valuable in the future and would also be a symbol of status.

Just like in 2025, you might not think much of someone driving a BMW, but if you actually see someone logging into a QQ account with five eights, you'll definitely instinctively say "Holy crap!"
And they were certain that the other party was a true big shot!
Hua Shier put away the card, met Little Ma's expectant gaze, and smiled as he revealed his true intentions:

"Mr. Ma, I really like the gift, it's very thoughtful. However, I'm not very interested in selling ideas, I'd like to invest in Tencent."

Little Ma was stunned for a moment, looking at the high school student in front of him, feeling both amused and exasperated.

He hesitated for a moment, then gave a number that he believed the other party would never be able to produce, with a hint of testing:
"Investing in the company? Sure, the company needs funds right now. If you can invest 20 million, we can discuss a suitable ratio."

The doubt in his words was obvious: where would a student get the money to invest in an internet company?

Upon hearing this, Hua Twelve couldn't help but chuckle, directly pointing out the other party's predicament:

"Mr. Ma, let's be honest. I heard that you talked to Mr. Zhang from Sohu before, asking for three million, but he only offered six hundred thousand. Am I right?"

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Little Ma's face; he hadn't expected the other party to even know that.

He took a deep breath, realizing the young man opposite him was no ordinary person, so he stopped beating around the bush and laid his cards on the table with a wry smile:

"It seems you've done your homework, young man. Let's talk then. Tell me, how much money can you put up, and how do you plan to invest?"

"Five million, verification of funds is possible!"

Hua Shier extended five fingers:
“I will invest five million, taking 40% of Penguin’s shares. I don’t want management or decision-making power in the company. This can be written into the contract. My only requirement is that you must be in charge of the company!”

"In exchange, I will provide a complete and executable plan to help QQ achieve profitability in the short term and get out of its current predicament."

Actually, Little Ma had just suffered a blow from Old Zhang of Sohu, and the investment conditions could have been lowered even further. But since the Little Ma in the parallel world called him "brother," there was a bit of a bond between them, so Hua Shier just thought of it as helping a brother out.

Little Ma remained silent, though only on the surface; he was still somewhat excited inside.

In their current dire situation, five million is undoubtedly a timely help.

While 40 percent of the shares is a significant amount, the other party promised not to interfere in management, thus preserving control of the team.

More importantly, he was filled with curiosity and anticipation for the 'profit plan' that Hua Shier mentioned.

For some reason, even though it was their first meeting, he felt a strange sense of trust in the boy before him.

Even Little Ma felt a sense of familiarity and reassurance about Hua Shier.

Little Ma told Hua Twelve about this strange feeling.

Hua Shier knew perfectly well that this was a subtle connection between characters from parallel universes, but he simply smiled and said casually:

"Perhaps this is fate."

Little Ma nodded in agreement, then indicated that no verification of funds was required, and that he had agreed to Hua12's conditions.

However, he needs to go back and communicate with the other founders, and Hua12 said there was no problem.

The two agreed to meet at a well-known law firm three days later to formally sign the investment agreement. Hua Shier gave Xiao Ma his phone number and then said goodbye.

The next day, Xiao Ma called Hua12 and said that the other founders had agreed to Hua12's investment.

The two agreed on a time and place over the phone, and Hua Shier arrived at the law firm on time.

The signing process went smoothly. After signing, Hua Shier used the universal credit card that the system rewarded him with to successfully transfer five million RMB to Tencent's account via bank transfer.

Looking at the bank's receipt, Little Ma finally felt relieved, and a long-lost, genuine smile appeared on his face. He extended his hand to Hua Twelve:
"I should call you President Hua now. It's a pleasure doing business with you!"

Hua Shier chuckled: "You're too kind, just call me brother!"

pony:.
With everything settled, Little Ma treated Hua Twelve to dinner.

During the meal, he could no longer contain his curiosity and asked with a smile:

"Brother, now that we're on the same side, you can finally pull out those brilliant strategies you've been talking about, right?"

Hua Shier stopped keeping everyone in suspense and clearly explained the effective profit models that Penguin had in its early days, combining them with the current era. These included value-added services from mobile QQ and telecom operators, Penguin members, premium phone numbers, Penguin coins, and so on. He explained them one by one with clear logic and specific steps, as if he had already prepared everything in advance.

He also emphasized the importance of online payment and suggested creating an online payment platform called 'Alipay'!
Well, Alipay won't be launched in Malaysia until 2005, so Hua Shier thinks it's good to strike first.

The more Little Ma listened, the brighter his eyes became, and he didn't even realize when he stopped eating with his chopsticks.

Some of these ideas were vaguely conceived within their team, but none were as systematic and comprehensive as those articulated by Hua Shier.

Some of them were new directions he had never considered.

At this moment, it seemed as if Pony Ma saw golden roads unfolding before his eyes, and the profit problem that had troubled him for so long seemed to have found the key to a solution in an instant!

Excitement, anticipation, and a vision for the future filled his gaze toward Hua Shier with awe and admiration.

Little Ma wrote down everything Hua Shier said, and then, filled with excitement and anticipation, he excitedly returned to Pengcheng to continue his pioneering work.

Hua Shier took half a day off to come and sign the contract. In the afternoon, he returned to school, found Zhao Ye, who was sweating on the basketball court, and pulled him aside.

"Huohua, remember that 27,000 yuan dividend you owed us last time we came to collect it? Do you still remember it?"

Zhao Ye wiped his sweat with a towel and nodded: "I remember, I told you there's too much and you can't take it. If you want to use it, then use it!"

Hua Shier tapped him: "I don't need your little bit of money!"

He said directly, "I have an investment opportunity now. If you invest 25,000, I will give you 0.2% of the shares. This is a one-time opportunity, so think it over carefully. I won't force you."

He was doing this out of gratitude to Zhao Ye for following him for so long, and he was helping him make some money.

But friendship is friendship, and the choice is up to the other party.

If Zhao Ye is unwilling to part with the money and doesn't trust him, it only means that the other party doesn't have the financial luck.

Zhao Ye was taken aback, looking at Hua Shier's serious expression, which didn't seem like he was joking.

Although he didn't understand investment, he had a blind trust in Hua Twelve, feeling that following the "big brother" was the right thing to do.

He scratched his wet hair and grinned:
"Brother, if you say so, then go ahead and invest! I'll do whatever you say! Anyway, you're the one who helped me earn that money!"

He readily agreed, completely unaware that this seemingly casual decision would, years later, cause his 0.2% stake to appreciate dramatically, transforming him from a boy who once couldn't even find five dollars in his pocket into a multi-millionaire.

Years later, when Zhao Ye recalled what happened that afternoon, he marveled at how wise he had been to trust his twelfth brother!
Thank you to 08a and Little Tiger of the Demon Realm for the donations, and thank you to all the brothers who voted with monthly tickets and recommendation tickets. Thank you so much!