Actor: Thank you.

"Let's go."

"Don't go, don't go..."

Inside the CEO's office at Youku in the capital, a typical scene of Chinese men pulling and tugging at each other is currently unfolding.

Zhang Yuan pretended to leave, but Gu Yongqiang genuinely wanted to stop him.

Even knowing that the kid was being cunning and teasing him, Boss Gu had no choice but to stop him.

Because what he had just heard, every word of it, struck him like a hammer blow to the core of his heart.

I have a way to ensure Tudou.com can't go public...

Ouch... It hurts.

He ran away right after saying that.

It's definitely intentional!

This kid knows my problem all too well.

Boss Gu felt very uncomfortable because he had been seen through.

Not only were their methods of messing with potatoes exposed, but their intentions were also revealed.

The matter is actually quite obvious. If he didn't want to prevent the other party from going public, why would he resort to seemingly underhanded, but actually conventional, business warfare tactics to obstruct them?

Boss Gu is a respectable person, yet he resorted to such an unseemly tactic, which only shows that he was truly desperate.

It's good that you're angry!

Anxiety indicates that someone wants something.

As long as one fulfills the other party's demands, one can obtain what one desires in return.

Some things may seem complicated, but the underlying logic is actually quite simple.

Several months ago, Zhang Yuan had told the other party that he wanted to invest, but as he expected, they weren't interested.

Recently, it has suffered a series of setbacks.

Including being rejected by Jun'er at Duowan's annual meeting, this is the second time recently.

Zhang Yuan could clearly feel that a bottleneck called "class" was hindering his upward development.

And today's Youku is the key step for him to break through the bottleneck!
"Come, come, sit down, have some tea. We've been having a good chat, why are you leaving?" Boss Gu still had a smile on his face, but the meaning behind that smile was constantly changing.

His brain is practically boiling over; he's experiencing an unprecedented brainstorming session.

The complexity of their inner monologues is enough to make ten episodes of "Empresses in the Palace".

"Didn't you say you weren't interested in my investment?"

"I'll think about it some more," Zhang Yuan said, but he obediently sat back down.

Just kidding, would I really leave?
"What did you mean by what you just said?" Boss Gu called his secretary over and had a new batch of tea brought out.

Zhang Yuan smelled it, and it seemed to smell even better than before.

That old bastard was holding back a trick up his sleeve...

“My words mean exactly what they say,” Zhang Yuan replied succinctly.

"Are there problems with Tudou.com's IPO?"

"Hehehe." Zhang Yuan just chuckled and didn't answer the other person's question.

Is there a problem with the finances?

"Or personnel?"

"The market?"

The other party asked several questions in succession, which Zhang Yuan laughed off.

How could I possibly answer that?

This is my trump card. Does anyone ever turn their trump card upside down and lay it out on the table for their opponent to see?
After asking a series of questions, Gu Yongqiang realized he had been preoccupied with appearances, and then sat up straight with a simple smile.

"It seems that young talents are the future, and that's absolutely true."

"Among young people like you, there are indeed some exceptional individuals."

"Let's talk about the artwork first."

“I am very interested in all the works you just mentioned.”

"Let me be frank, Youku is willing to purchase at the highest market price, and I think that will give you a satisfactory result," Boss Gu said, patting his chest.

"That sounds great!" Zhang Yuan didn't immediately agree with excitement.

Are you trying to trick me into something I don't know?
He had previously offered his artwork as a condition, but the other party showed little interest.

Now that the other party wants to use his work as leverage, he has little interest.

The offensive and defensive strategies have shifted!
I have you under my thumb, and I'm not worried that these works won't find a good home?
No rush, let's play around with him.

The initiative is now in my hands.

"Let's talk about the IPO," Mr. Gu said impatiently. "Regarding Tudou.com, I'm getting the hint that you have some inside information?"

That's the only thing Boss Gu could think of.

Because Zhang Yuan was once a shareholder of Tudou.com.

However, he sold his shares before the IPO.

When Boss Gu heard that it was all for a woman, he initially laughed at his impulsiveness.

It shouldn't be.

Such a smart person usually falters at this crucial moment, giving up a promising future for a woman.

Now that I think about it, something feels off!

Hey!
Why! ! !
Why did he sell his shares in Tudou.com?

It's not because he found out something and is using a woman as an excuse.

Gu Yongqiang, being a seasoned veteran, guessed the general idea.

Zhang Yuan was also aware that he could guess these things.

He wanted the other person to think in that direction.

Once you plunge in, you can't get out.

The other party has a business background and will instinctively think in terms of business because it is the field he is most familiar with, which is a kind of path dependence in his way of thinking.

Zhang Yuan's trump card is simple: Yang Lei!

He had confirmed it repeatedly before; this woman was not happy... not just unhappy, she was filled with hatred.

Therefore, in this matter, Zhang Yuan should wait patiently and let things take their natural course.

Do nothing, let others do it!
All he had to do was keep quiet about it.

Zero cost, zero risk.

Before the Wang Wei and Yang Lei incident, no one in the entire Chinese internet industry imagined that a woman could cause such great damage.

This even led to the creation of the "Potato Ordinance".

After this incident, all investors require startup management to sign agreements stipulating that marital and emotional issues cannot affect the company's development or IPO, otherwise they will face huge compensation claims.

The good thing is that Yang Lei himself was planning something big and was waiting for the right opportunity.

Therefore, the other party did not make any move at this time, and no problem could be detected.

Zhang Yuan used her plan to his advantage, and used her opportunity to negotiate with Youku.

This is the only time; it won't happen any earlier or later.

His only chance will come when Gu Yongqiang runs out of tricks and his methods to prevent potatoes from hitting the market fail!
Even if you beat Mr. Gu to death, you would never have imagined that the problem of going public would be caused by Wang Wei's ex-wife.

Throughout history, many events have been completely altered by a single thought, a person of moderate importance, or a mistake.

Wang Wei's relationship problems, though not major, became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Zhang Yuan had also struggled with the matter of Yang Lei.

Why not expose the problem yourself, so that Wang Wei can be on guard early, and then just sit back and wait for the potatoes to come to market and reap the benefits?

Yes, but there are other issues.

First of all, he defied fate and got involved in a lot of karma, which made him a little panicked.

Secondly, his ability to invest in Tudou.com is inextricably linked to Yang Lei.

He put aside his own family ties for the greater good and took care of the matter.

But after the IPO is successful, will Wang Wei turn the tables and launch a counterattack, uniting with other shareholders to isolate him, or even drive him away? Zhang Yuan thinks it's very likely.

The root of the problem lies not with Yang Lei, but with Wang Wei.

Even if I help Tudou.com, I might not get a good outcome.

He didn't want a thankless task.

But it's different for Youku; they're providing timely help!
Another point is that when Tudou exposed Yang Lei, he did a good deed.

Helping Gu Yongqiang use Yang Lei to sell potatoes at Youku was doing "bad things".

One of the four ironclad bonds in life is "sharing the spoils together," meaning that the bond built through doing bad things is more solid.

Unlike Wang Wei, who always felt he had taken advantage of him.

He watched with a smile as Boss Gu tried his best to get information out of him.

I was so moved by what I saw... I almost wanted to say something.

He even felt that even if he told the other party, his plan would still work out.

Because Tudou and Youku have many common investors!
Wang Wei and Gu Yongqiang were both thinking about their own interests, and they could profit from any listed company as long as the investors were interested.

If Mr. Gu had known in advance that the potatoes would have such a big problem, what would the investors have thought?
Once a chain of suspicion forms, retaliation is inevitable.

So Zhang Yuan had already planned ahead; he had a "safety net" for this.

Yang Lei is like a time bomb, and the switch is in his hands.

Even if Gu Yongqiang racked his brains and went to great lengths to find out where the landmine was buried, he still wouldn't dare to move it!
For his own benefit, he couldn't tell the investors, otherwise the potatoes would survive.

If you don't tell him, Zhang Yuan will still know!

I'm just playing with the switch; I might press it at any time. Are you scared?

I exposed it, but Tudou still escaped unscathed; Youku is going to be in trouble.

So whether Boss Gu knew about it or not, it was a dead end.

If you don't know, you have to bribe yourself; if you do know, you still have to bribe yourself.

Gu Yongqiang kept talking and trying to get information out of him, constantly observing his changes in expression.

I wanted to get some clues from his eyes and brows.

But he forgot that Zhang Yuan is an actor, and acting is his profession.

He had said everything he wanted to say, talked himself hoarse, and drunk so much tea that his lungs felt like they were about to float away, yet he remained as unmoved as a mountain.

Boss Gu was itching to get his hands on it and was in a hurry!

They could see it, but couldn't have it; in the end, they fell silent.

"Mr. Gu, I have my own way."

"A brilliant plan should only be used at the crucial moment, otherwise it will not work."

"I think it's getting late, I should head back now."

"You should also think about and consider the investment I proposed."

“Contact me again once you’ve thought it through.” “Okay!” Gu Yongqiang stood up and shook hands with him.

I knew he was difficult to deal with, but today I've truly seen just how difficult he really is.

Zhang Yuan left the Youku office building with light steps.

He has done everything he could to make himself invincible.

Now, it's up to fate.

In contrast to his lighthearted demeanor, the atmosphere on Gu Yongqiang's side was quite heavy.

He canceled all subsequent meetings and sat alone in his office for a long time.

The next day, he contacted various people to inquire about Zhang Yuan's background, hoping to learn about his true intentions through his network of connections.

He didn't believe that a young man with an acting background could interfere in policy matters.

But I'm also afraid he might actually have a trump card up his sleeve.

While he was busy with his work, Zhang Yuan was at home eating hot pot, singing songs, and letting the bullets fly for a while.

At the same time, we contacted the bank to mortgage the Tomson house.

Therefore, Shu Chang made a special trip to visit him.

“Brother Yuan, you mortgaged that house again, and now you have to pay a lot of money every month.”

"It would cost several million."

"Will it work?"

"If you don't come out soon, the bank will take the house."

"Don't panic." Zhang Yuan put his arm around her and played with the ends of her hair at her temples.

"My leverage is a bit too high right now."

"But if we don't leverage when the market is good, are we going to wait until the market is bad before we do?"

"Put together the money from this mortgage and the money from selling Huayi shares before."

"It will be useful to me right away."

"All of them?" Shu Chang was so shocked that she raised her voice.

"There are over 3 million!"

"You didn't... gamble, did you?" Changchang was afraid he would squander all the family fortune he had worked so hard to accumulate.

There are too many people like this in the entertainment industry. They get arrogant after becoming famous, and the money comes easily and goes even more easily.

"Gambling is so boring," Zhang Yuan said dismissively. "What I do is much more exciting than gambling."

"Being a gambler is boring, be the house!"

The shareholders of listed companies are the market manipulators, the ordinary people who profit from stock speculation.

This is the difference between wolves and sheep.

Sheep work hard to eat grass and grow flesh, and wolves eat the flesh that sheep have worked so hard to grow.

“I know you’re worried about me.” He gently stroked Changchang’s round, delicate cheek. “But for people like us, it’s impossible to get ahead without taking a gamble.”

"Utmost means are our means."

Then, he prepared to use some "methods" on Shu Chang.

But before they could get to the main point, Zhang Yuan stopped the process at the stage of besieging the enemy's stronghold and attacking reinforcements.

Because something even more exciting happened.

After several days of careful consideration, Boss Gu finally called him!

Mental pleasure far surpasses physical pleasure!

The other party invited him to dinner alone, but when he glanced at the aunties who were busy preparing dinner, he felt a little sorry for them.

I need to meet with Boss Gu!

We arrived at a very private restaurant and even found a private room.

Only the two of them ate.

They said it was for a meal, but the real purpose was to talk.

Gu Yongqiang pondered for a long time and thought it over and over, and felt that this was a worthwhile thing to do!

He was considering what he could gain.

From Zhang Yuan's side, he can obtain the copyrights to a series of high-quality works, which is the lowest priority.

There is also a massive amount of capital available to companies aiming for IPOs.

But most importantly, there is hope!

As they ate and chatted, once all the cold dishes were served, Boss Gu stopped pretending to be refined and bluntly revealed the fangs beneath his usual smiling mask.

"I'm asking you this very seriously now."

"Are you joking or serious when you say you can stop Tudou.com from going public?"

“I would never joke about something this important,” Zhang Yuan replied, looking directly at the other person with unusual seriousness.

"Then tell me, what methods do you have?" Boss Gu was completely puzzled.

The investigation over the past few days has yielded a lot of information, but there are no fatal signs, which is completely inconsistent with his confident statements.

"No, I have my own way, and I can keep my word." Zhang Yuan still didn't reveal anything.

Even if he is very confident, he cannot tolerate even a 1% chance of failure.

“Mr. Gu, I think you should think about what you will lose, rather than what you will gain.” Zhang Yuan’s thinking was completely opposite to his.

"I can keep my word, but you may not believe it."

"But even if you think I can't do it, what do you lose?"

"Besides, why would I lie to you? If I invest in Youku, I won't be able to do everything I said, and my investment will just go down the drain."

Do you think I'm that stupid?

"I dare to tell you this because I want to align my interests with yours."

"Please trust me, I will give you a satisfactory answer."

Zhang Yuan used the most sincere tone he had ever used in his life.

Gu Yongqiang then downed a glass of baijiu and slammed it onto the table.

These actions were quite different from his usual image, as if he were making a decision.

"it is good!"

After shouting the word "big" from his throat, Boss Gu let out a long sigh of relief.

My overall state gradually calmed down, as if I had returned to normal.

"Okay, let me pay my respects to our Youku investors."

"Come on, let's drink!" Zhang Yuan immediately raised his glass upon hearing this.

The spicy liquor went down his throat, further stimulating his already excited nerves.

It's done!

After years of wandering, I have finally taken this step.

After finishing his drink, Boss Gu lowered his head, swallowed his emotions, and spoke again.

"I have another question for you."

"I won't tell."

“No, that’s not it.” Gu Yongqiang shook his head. “What I want to ask is, what is your purpose in investing in Youku?”

"Is it to help you advance your career in the film and television industry, a financial investment, or some other purpose?"

"Supporting film and television development and financial investment are roughly split 40/60, with financial investment accounting for 60%. I have always been very optimistic about the future of online video platforms."

"Unfortunately, I don't think highly of Wang Wei."

"Well, that's good." Boss Gu wasn't too surprised. He also carefully checked Zhang Yuan's background to confirm that the other party wasn't someone's front man.

The investment in Youku was for the purpose of "seizing control".

He was very determined to maintain control of the company.

"Since you're in it to make money, then I'm willing to invest, but I have conditions."

"First, we need to sign a concerted action agreement."

"Okay," Zhang Yuan replied after a moment's thought.

He simply wants his voting rights to ensure that his words carry weight.

To avoid causing trouble yourself.

Uku's current valuation is around 3 million US dollars.

The other party's financing target is $4000, which should theoretically require giving up at least 13% of the equity.

But in reality, it's impossible to do it proportionally; we have to negotiate.

The two sides engaged in a protracted negotiation regarding the number of shares.

We ordered another round of dishes and finished several bottles of wine.

Neither side was willing to back down, after all, their interests were intertwined.

“10% equity,” Boss Gu proposed, “but after the company goes public, I can personally repurchase your shares.”

"We need to sign another buyback agreement."

"How can I support the development of the film and television industry then? No way!"

"Repurchase is possible, but the price and term need to be discussed."

Ultimately, they settled on $4000 million in cash in exchange for 11% equity.

However, after Youku goes public, Gu Yongqiang will repurchase 6% of its shares.

The price is based on the highest share price within three months of listing.

Originally, he proposed using the average stock price, but Zhang Yuan absolutely refused to agree.

What if you deliberately manipulate the stock price to drive it down?
You bunch of bastards aren't incapable of doing such things.

In this way, even after the company goes public, Zhang Yuan can only hold a maximum of 5% of Youku's shares.

After Mr. Gu repurchases the shares, he will be able to hold approximately 45% of the shares.

Furthermore, with the agreement on concerted action, Zhang Yuan's 5% voting rights were consolidated, allowing him to maintain absolute control over the company.

In this way, a result was achieved that was relatively satisfactory to both parties.

I drank quite a bit during that meal.

After finishing the meal and saying goodbye, Zhang Yuan got into the car and told Brother Long not to drive yet, that he needed to rest a bit.

He felt a little nauseous.

He has a high alcohol tolerance; he wouldn't be so drastic as to die from this.

This feeling of nausea stems entirely from my overwhelming excitement!
Past, present, and future.

His past belonged to Tudou.com, his present belongs to Youku.com, and his future holds infinite possibilities.

Compared to the scale that Youku can achieve after its IPO, any of my previous investments seem like "child's play" in comparison.

Gambling is nowhere near as lucrative as riding the wave of a trending era… (End of Chapter)