Actor: Thank you.

After the press conference, Zhang Yuan and Teacher Luo had dinner together.

The other party treated us to Yanbian barbecue.

Because Lao Luo is from Yanbian.

Because of its proximity to the border, many villages and towns in this area relied on smuggling for a living in the last century.

Lao Luo did the same thing.

He also sold kebabs and worked as a factory worker in South Korea.

I have a wealth of life experience, so I know how to deal with all kinds of people.

After several encounters, he became acquainted with Zhang Yuan and was quite warm at the dinner table.

"Thank you to our big star for coming to support us today."

"Your arrival has given us a lot more exposure." Old Luo raised his glass in a special gesture.

"No, everyone came to see you," Zhang Yuan replied.

He might increase traffic elsewhere, but when it comes to Teacher Luo, he's not being modest.

Lao Luo's status in the hearts of fans is much higher than his.

His defining characteristic is his extremely solid fan base; his die-hard fans truly treat him like a demigod.

Furthermore, his personality combined with his methods of doing things has made him an internet celebrity whose destructive power outweighs his creative power.

He wasn't particularly successful in running a business, but he was daring.

But when it comes to laning, this guy has never lost!
Besides using the past two years to promote its image as a craftsman and facilitate the launch of smartphone products.

Two years ago, this person did something that broke out of its niche.

Smash the refrigerator!
Overnight, Siemens' sales network in China, built up over many years, was completely destroyed.

Ultimately, Siemens' sales representatives in China were forced to personally hold press conferences in major cities to issue an apology.

This incident even became known throughout Europe and America, causing Siemens' headquarters stock to drop slightly.

That's the destructive power of Lao Luo.

Later, when facing Wang Ziru, he was completely crushed.

He is extremely adept at magnifying a small matter to arouse the audience's emotions and create a sense of shared indignation.

Even if people don't empathize with him, the masses will still side with him if they just want to have some fun.

Because he always plans to portray himself as a "victim" before each match.

Siemens was like that, Wang Ziru was like that, and later Xibei was like that too.

Old Jia was blinded by greed; even though the opponent had a 5-0 record, he still insisted on going in for a reckless attack.

This incident with Siemens has greatly enhanced Luo Yonghao's image as someone who "speaks out for the people" and is "intolerant of any flaws" when it comes to products.

This all aligns with his publicity strategy.

So don't be fooled by his loud and boisterous demeanor; he always has a plan behind him.

Zhang Yuan was drawn to his "destructive power".

I don't need you to help me out against others; your own "strength" in running a business is already enough to cause damage.

All I need to do is act close to you and appear to be interested in investing.

He personally grilled the meat for Teacher Luo and even poured him some wine.

They were even more polite in their words.

"I tried Professor Luo's system, and it runs very smoothly."

"After hearing what you said today, I realized that there are so many ingenious details."

In its early years, Apple's ecosystem and smoothness far surpassed Android. Especially after a year or two of use, Apple remained smooth, while Android's performance was in jeopardy.

Furthermore, the proliferation of counterfeit phones at the time further lowered domestic consumers' opinion of Android phones.

Actually, Zhang Yuan didn't think it was that smooth; it still couldn't compare to Apple's system of the same period.

However, once Smartisan OS is released, many investors will surely see Luo Yonghao's value.

As an English lecturer, people don't believe you when you say you want to make mobile phones.

But once you pull out your own system, everyone believes you.

Having something and not having something are two completely different things.

With a systematic approach in place, Luo Yonghao's personal influence as an internet celebrity will further amplify his appeal!
Many investors are drawn to him because of his reputation, believing that Luo Yonghao can simply hold a press conference and his phones will sell like hotcakes, so there's no need to worry about sales.

There's a lot of buzz online, and the market research data looks very promising.

At this time, most investors do not understand a term called "lower-tier market".

Weibo is a well-known gathering place for the lower-tier market. It can make a lot of noise and has a lot of momentum, but once you want to spend money, people disappear.

The same goes for Smartisan phones. A bunch of people were making a big fuss about them, and everyone at the launch event said they were a must-buy. But once they were actually released, it became a case of "you buy it, I recommend it," but "I buy it, I don't buy it."

There are also some people who make counterfeit phones and have made a lot of money over the years.

They want to use Luo Yonghao's system, along with his fame and press conferences, to promote their own garbage products, treating him like a salesperson.

Anyway, there are all sorts of people with different mindsets, so there's no shortage of investors.

After all, no one can predict the outcome a few years from now.

Zhang Yuan predicted that Luo would receive a bunch of calls from investors and companies tomorrow.

With this attention, Smartisan will truly become a hot emerging company in the eyes of investors.

The highest level of lying is when every word spoken is true, but when put together, it becomes a lie.

I am interested in investing in the Smartisan mobile phone industry, really.

Zhang Yuan's investments in most of the companies he favors have been successful; it's true.

Smartisan has made its own product, really.

This company is highly regarded by many investors, truly.

The smartphone market is growing at an astonishing rate, really.

However, putting all this information together can lead to a wrong conclusion.

"Professor Luo, now that you've reached the stage of producing the actual machine, how much funding do you expect to need?"

He asked bluntly.

“If we calculate it…” Lao Luo wiped the oil off his hands, glanced at the two company founders on his left and right, and then pushed up his glasses.

"At least 7 to 8000 million in R&D costs are needed to get to the phone launch event."

"Further production and expansion will require more."

When Lao Luo heard him mention money, he was both excited and a little worried, afraid that it might scare him.

"In other words, with 8000 million in Series A funding, we still need Series B to expand production."

"And Series B funding is at least double that of Series A funding."

"In other words, if you launch your first mobile phone and achieve satisfactory sales, you will still need more than 2 million yuan in funding."

"It might even cost 3 million," Zhang Yuan calculated.

I could hear the sound of someone swallowing on the other end of the line; I was nervous.

But he quickly gave the other party a reassuring reply.

"You guys are quite frugal," he replied with a smile.

Jun'er started working on Xiaomi, investing nearly 10 million yuan before the first phone was even released.

Assembling counterfeit phones is easy; just gather a bunch of spare parts in Huaqiangbei, find a group of distributors across the country, and you're good to go.

Creating a genuine branded mobile phone is so expensive that it's beyond the reach of most people.

"3 million..." Zhang Yuan kept mentioning this number.

They completely ignored the fact that the other party's initial goal for Series A funding was to raise 7 to 8000.

Combine the funds from both rounds into one round of calculation.

He did this to raise Lao Luo's psychological threshold.

This potential investor is talking about hundreds of millions, but someone else is offering tens of millions. Would he even be interested in that?
Luo Yonghao has always been a very ambitious person.

Listening to him mutter like that, I felt a little elated, even a bit like I was dreaming.

But he quickly attributed it all to his own abilities and his dedication to refining the system.

Zhang Yuan glanced at the man's reaction out of the corner of his eye.

If you're going to dig a hole, you have to dig it big.

"This is no small amount of money."

"I need to think about it and raise some funds."

"Oh, you've already given me a lot of face by trusting me with my work. We can talk about the investment later." Seeing that he was very interested, Lao Luo started to flatter him after getting a good deal.

They dispersed after finishing their meal.

The next day, Zhang Yuan was pondering how to find out if the person he wanted to attract attention had noticed his recent actions.

Unexpectedly, an "intelligence agent" came to our door.

Xiao Ming called him.

"Mr. Zhang, I've been seeing you online a lot lately."

Huang Xiaoming remained as polite as ever, exchanging a few pleasantries before getting down to business.

“You said before that you would include me in any good investments.”

"I saw you attended Smartisan's product launch event. Does this company have a future?"

Zhang Yuan chuckled to himself.

Whether something has a future depends on how you interpret it.

Zhang Yuan is a kind-hearted person.

I can't bear to see my friends suffer losses.

If Brother Xiaoming really invested, wouldn't he suffer a huge loss?
"I'm still observing, I'm not sure."

"You went to the press conference, so what happened?" Xiaoming asked.

"That's fine."

"What kind of person is the company owner, Teacher Luo?"

How are they making progress?

"It's alright."

No matter what questions the other party asked, he only gave vague answers.

I didn't ask you to vote!
"So, do you have any investment plans right now?" Xiao Ming was itching to ask.

“Having a plan won’t help. I don’t have much money lately, no liquid funds.” He avoided answering directly again. “Really?” Brother Xiaoming has matured over the years.

He said he had no money.

But it didn't say whether they would vote.

You'll be broke?

Really? I don't believe it!
"Anyway, I'm in the process of making contact, so don't worry."

"I'll let you know if I have any ideas."

"okay!"

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Yuan lazily rolled over in the recliner.

My conversation with the other party just now had many flaws.

Especially the issue of not having money.

It was because he, along with the other shareholders, sold some of the company's shares to Kaiyun, which was common knowledge within the industry.

The other party is a large and wealthy family, so they paid in cash directly.

He has over ten million US dollars in liquid assets on hand.

Especially in situations like this, it's crucial to remain calm.

Just like fishing, the hardest part is that little bit before the fish bites the hook.

We spent so long preparing the bait, all for this one moment.

If you move around randomly and startle the enemy, you'll have wasted your time capturing their territory.

Because of the large loophole, everyone knows that he is now rich.

But he said he had no money.

That's where the vague statements made by Xiaoming earlier become meaningful.

I saw you bought a bunch of lubricant, Durex, and then you told me you're planning to abstain from sex recently.

They're clearly throwing a party and ignoring me!
He knew that Xiaoming was a loyal friend, and he also learned from his "female investigator" that Xiaoming had recently had dinner with people from Huayi.

Therefore, even if he doesn't want to, he will be required to disclose his whereabouts.

Ultimately, he was someone else's protégé, and he still holds shares in Huayi.

"There's one more step." He rolled over again and called Teacher Luo.

Invite the other party to visit your company and chat.

They're using the guise of finding a spokesperson for Smartisan Technology in the future.

He knew that there were spies planted by his rivals in his company.

It's unclear whether he was a professional spy before taking the job or was bribed afterward.

It's not easy to find out.

But I know you've planted a spy among my people, though you don't know I know that.

That's something we can take advantage of.

A day later, he took Teacher Luo from the bottom to the top of his own company, making sure that all employees saw the two of them having a warm conversation.

Unsure of the spy's identity, they had no choice but to broaden their search.

He gave Xiaoming a vague answer, but then immediately invited him over, and they became very close.

Anyone with normal intelligence would feel there's something wrong with it.

This is not over yet.

He specifically asked Shu Chang to prepare a standard investment plan template.

It bears the Smartisan logo and contains very detailed information, including the amount, expected equity, voting rights, and repurchase agreement.

After Lao Luo left, he asked his assistant to go to the printer in the company's public office area and make copies when there were many people around.

At the same time, they actually discussed the contents with the other party.

To perform a full-length opera, one must go through the entire performance.

He proposed an investment plan of 2.2 million yuan for a 47% stake.

His enormous appetite startled Lao Luo.

I'll just give you the whole company as a package deal.

Naturally, they were unwilling to give up so many shares, so they had to "take it slow" and negotiate.

At the same time, he also asked Jia Shikai to help the other party buy traffic to expand the influence of Smartisan OS on the Internet.

They aimed to create a system that could change the world, and to portray Luo Yonghao as the savior of Android.

Zhang Yuan was a little scared; if he helped with the operation, what if he let him actually succeed...?

There shouldn't be any risk of recovery; that's just his personality.

The fact that he offered such an ambitious investment plan and actively helped the other party with publicity was undoubtedly sending a signal to them.

I have high hopes for this company!

This spread extremely quickly within the small circle of China Internet Investment Bank.

Because Luo Yonghao's angel investor was Tang Yan, the former editor-in-chief of NetEase's website department.

After leaving his job, he founded the famous dating app, Momo.

There's also Wu Yongming, Alibaba's vice president, special assistant to the chairman of the board, and one of the famous "Eighteen Arhats".

This person was one of Alibaba's original 18 founders and also the company's first programmer.

He holds an incredibly high position among the company's tech-savvy staff.

With these big names in the internet industry involved, the news spread rapidly, and Luo Yonghao's accusations against Zhang Yuan for being too greedy also quickly spread.

So much so that Jun'er called him.

"Are you planning to invest money in Teacher Luo?"

"I'm considering it," he replied vaguely.

"Oh..." the other person hesitated, "There are quite a few new smartphone manufacturers now, and the market is quite large."

"But I predict that in the next 5 years, more than 90% of small mobile phone manufacturers will be submerged in the tide of history."

Zhang Yuan nodded. "Yes!"
Most of them were still submerged by you.

Redmi alone wiped out 9% of counterfeit manufacturers.

The other party didn't say it explicitly, but it was clear that they were implying he should be cautious about investing.

Especially such a large sum of money.

That's not bad.

They could choose not to say anything, because if they were wrong and didn't invest, but the other company successfully went public, they would ultimately be the one to suffer the injustice.

After indicating that he would carefully consider the matter, Zhang Yuan thanked the other party.

Next, it's time to wait.

Casting a long line to catch a big fish requires the most patience.

While he was waiting, Big Dog, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, came to have dinner with him.

They said they wanted to discuss investment matters related to artworks.

This person is under a lot of pressure lately because they are also preparing for an IPO.

At the same time, they began a massive spending spree to expand the company's assets.

With the money he raised, he not only partnered with China Resources Group to develop Little Pony Happy Cinemas in second- and third-tier cities, but also invested in cinema chains.

They also acquired Digital Domain, nicknamed "Explosive Bay," which is the special effects studio of the famous director Michael Bay.

Digital Domain was responsible for some of the special effects for films such as Pirates of the Caribbean 3, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012, and Titanic.

This company is particularly good at creating large-scale scenes; in "2012," the city collapses and is swallowed by a tsunami.

The frozen continent in "The Day After Tomorrow".

Scenes of the collision and sinking of the Titanic.

This company is particularly good at creating all sorts of disaster scenes.

With a wave of his hand, Big Dog spent over 3000 million US dollars to buy more than 7% of the shares, becoming the actual controller.

That's quite a big move; money raised through financing is certainly easy to spend.

After sitting down at his home, Zhang Yuan treated him like a friend.

That is, Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), Qian Ge's cold side dishes with peanuts and garlic.

"Hey Dog Bro, you're doing pretty well lately." He noticed the new Vacheron Constantin on the other man's wrist.

It should be more than just a few dozen, it must be over a hundred.

"Hey, just bringing it along for fun."

"I'm more extravagant than you."

“Anyway, I can’t afford such an expensive watch.” Zhang Yuan shook his head.

"Alright, stop complaining to me about being poor."

This person is peeling garlic by themselves.

After all, eating meat without garlic is the same as not eating garlic at all.

The two old men weren't worried about bothering anyone with the smell.

That's the only advantage when there are no women around.

"Speaking of which, I do have some funds on hand recently."

"Hey!" Big Dog suddenly smiled and looked at him.

"I heard you're planning to invest in a mobile phone company recently?"

"You knew about this?" Zhang Yuan was in a good mood upon hearing this.

If Dog Brother has heard about it, Hua Yi must have heard about it too.

"You have good taste, so I have to pay attention to you."

After patting the garlic peels off his hands, he continued.

"I'm not just paying attention."

"I'm even planning to invest!"

Zhang Yuan: ...

No, buddy! (End of Chapter)