Return to 88: Starting from Marrying My Sister-in-law

The luxury cruise ship sailed back to Pengcheng Wharf. The setting sun cast a long golden glow on the sea. The sea breeze on the deck still carried a salty smell, but it could not dispel the doubts in the hearts of Mu Qizhong and Xiao Jun.

Watching Xiao Ma's simple little boat, carrying the excited yet apprehensive young man, gradually disappear among the busy ships in the harbor, Mu Qizhong finally couldn't contain himself and approached Lu Yang, who was leisurely reeling in his fishing rod, his brows furrowed: "Brother Lu."

His rough voice was full of confusion, "Tell me the truth, what exactly is this...instant messaging thing that Xiao Ma is tinkering with? Is it even more lucrative than portal websites?"

He clicked his tongue. "It sounds so far-fetched to me. It's just sending a message on a computer! Is it really worth spending $3 million to buy 40% of his shares? And without even blinking an eye?"

Xiao Jun immediately came over, his face beaming with smiles, but his eyes were filled with deep confusion: "Yes, brother-in-law!"

He habitually used a more intimate form of address again, "Even if it's for my sake, there's no need to be so arrogant! Little Ma himself only dared to ask for 200 million US dollars, and you, you've gone and raised it to 300 million US dollars! Isn't this... isn't this making us look a bit..."

He scratched his head, too embarrassed to say "foolish and rich" directly, but that was the meaning behind his words.

He muttered his analysis: "Although the internet is hot and money burns fast, I took a peek at his company. They rented a small, run-down office building in Huaqiangbei, Shenzhen, with only five young guys and a few lousy, broken server computers. At most, it's worth a few hundred thousand RMB! This makeshift operation dares to ask for a valuation of 500 million USD? What's even stranger is that you not only didn't try to negotiate, but you even raised the price! What kind of nonsense is this?"

As he spoke, Xiao Jun's voice lowered, because he saw Lu Yang slowly turn around, and the gaze behind his sunglasses seemed to fall on his face.

The invisible pressure made Xiao Jun's next words get stuck in his throat.

"What?" Lu Yang's voice was not loud but carried a hint of coldness. "Your brother Xiao personally brought him to me. I only gave him this 'generosity' that far exceeded my expectations because of you, and your brother Xiao himself is not satisfied?"

"Oh dear! No, no! Absolutely not!" Xiao Jun jumped up, quickly waving his hands, his face instantly plastered with a fawning smile, even subconsciously rubbing his hands together. "Brother-in-law, I'm so grateful for what you're saying! It's just... I just don't quite understand!"

His eyes darted around, recalling Mu Qizhong's earlier words, and he immediately adopted a shrewd expression. "But Brother Mu is right. You've always had a sharp eye, the kind of guy who doesn't act until he sees the benefit. There's definitely some hidden secret here that we two haven't figured out yet, that..."

He licked his lips, his tone a mix of probing and flattery: "Look, this 40% of our precious shares, isn't it a bit too much for you to take all by yourself? How about... you share some with your buddies? Let me, your older brother, get a piece of the action and broaden my horizons too?"

He had a bright idea: since Lu Yang was so optimistic about it, it must be a sure-fire, profitable deal. If he got on board now, he might be able to get a huge share of the profits later.

Looking at him like this, Lu Yang curled up a half-smile, his tone as indifferent as if asking about the weather: "Want some? Sure."

Xiao Jun's eyes lit up!
Lu Yang continued, "Pay up the money. How many US dollars do you put up? I'll transfer the shares to you proportionally. I bought 40% for 300 million US dollars. If you want 10%, then prepare 75 US dollars in cash. Once the contract is signed, the shares will be transferred to your name immediately."

Xiao Jun's smile froze on his face instantly, as if he had been choked.

“Seven…seven hundred and fifty thousand US dollars?!” he exclaimed, his face changing rapidly.

Just now, I thought Lu Yang was a fool with too much money, but now he's being asked to take out the equivalent of more than six million RMB in real money to invest in Tencent, which he sees as no different from a shell company.
This hurts even more than cutting off his own flesh!

The key issue is that he doesn't have any money right now; he's invested it all in Sina, the internet portal website.

"No, no, no!" Xiao Jun shook his head like a rattle drum. "I'm not that stupid! What you said earlier was right, even with that mess, I think you could just buy another one for 500,000 RMB! Spend over 6 million RMB to buy a 10% stake? What couldn't I do with that money? Wouldn't it be better to hoard a few houses? I'm not going to be a sucker!"

Mu Qizhong had been observing Lu Yang's reaction with a frown, but seeing Lu Yang agree so readily, even with a hint of provocation, his doubts deepened.

Could there really be a treasure I haven't figured out yet?

But Xiao Jun's rhetoric about "a mess," "50 copies," and "being ripped off" instantly struck at the mindset of this traditional industrialist.

Yup!

The internet is virtual, but servers and computers are visible. With such limited assets, why are they worth millions of dollars?

He is a cautious old fox who believes in tangible, real businesses.

Although the internet wave is surging, in his eyes, nine out of ten who rush in will drown!
The risk is too great!
In comparison, Zhang Chaoyang's Sohu portal website already has a clear profit model and considerable advertising revenue. Although it is currently losing money, it has a large user base, receives daily media praise, and has clearly stated its ambitious plan to list in the United States!
This is the real, visible "blade"!
"Hmm..." Mu Qizhong pondered for a moment, then finally said, "Forget it, the bold get rich, the timid starve. This old man of mine should play it safe. Comrade Zhang has reserved a spot for me in Sohu's second round of financing. I missed out on the Series A round last time, and he only offered me a tiny bit of shares. This time, I have to squeeze in and get a piece of the pie. Good steel should be used where it counts!"

He looked at Lu Yang, his eyes clearly saying: I think your investment is risky, too risky. I'd rather bet on a portal website that I think is more reliable.

Lu Yang's gaze slowly swept across Mu Qizhong and Xiao Jun's faces, his sunglasses concealing the true emotions in his eyes.

He shook his head, then nodded slightly, his tone carrying an indescribable meaning: "Since you two are so unanimous... not optimistic, then fine. It seems I'll have to be the one to take the fall."

He sighed silently in his heart, the classic line echoing in his mind:
[Brothers, I gave you a chance, but you were useless! You even turned down the chance to become shareholders in a trillion-dollar corporation... Don't blame me for not giving you a hand later when you regret it.]

Let's leave aside how Mou and Xiao will regret it in the future.

On the other side, Ma Huateng, filled with a dreamlike ecstasy and immense pressure, practically rushed back to his crowded and noisy office in Huaqiangbei.

He couldn't wait to share this explosive news—the astronomical investment intention from Lu Yang, the founder of Century Group and a top billionaire—with the core members of his team, the other four members of the future "Penguin Five Tigers".

However, the expected cheers and jubilation did not materialize.

After a brief moment of shock, an unusual silence fell over the office.

Doubt and worry were written all over everyone's face.

“Three million US dollars? 40% of the shares?” Zhang Zhi pushed up his glasses, his brows furrowed. “This…this offer is indeed astonishing! But, Brother Ma, this is too risky!”

He pointed to the equity structure diagram on the wall, "Our team's combined shareholding is barely over 50%. In the first round, a single investor took 40%. What will happen in the B and C rounds? If several more investors come in, how diluted will our equity be? Who will be in charge of the company then? The business we've worked so hard to build might end up being someone else's job!"

“Yes, Xiao Ma,” Zeng Qing chimed in, also looking worried. “Although Mr. Xiong from IDG is aggressive in pushing for a lower price, he’s only willing to take 20%-25%. At least control is still in the hands of our core team. And then there’s Little Superman from Hong Kong. PCCW is a powerful company with a deep understanding of the internet. Their offer isn’t as high, but it’s more diversified, and it might be helpful for future international capital operations… Maybe we should contact them again? Pass Mr. Lu’s offer through; perhaps they can accept this new valuation? Or maybe we can compromise?”

“Yes! Should I try to find out what Li Chao’s son thinks? Although we didn’t reach an agreement last time, he’s clearly interested!” Chen Dan chimed in.

Looking at his partners' worried eyes, Ma Huateng felt a mix of emotions.

Lu Yang's extremely tempting additional condition, "ten-year voting rights entrustment," lingered in his mind like a spell.

Once this condition is presented, it will be an absolute bombshell that no one can refuse!
It can instantly resolve the team's biggest concern about control!
But... Ma Huateng opened his mouth, but ultimately swallowed those words back down his throat.

I can't tell!
Once it's announced, the funding will undoubtedly be finalized immediately.

However, given the partners' extreme sensitivity to controlling stake at this moment, they will definitely demand that the voting rights of this 40% stake be collectively entrusted to the entire founding team, rather than to Ma Huateng personally!

And this is precisely the solution that Ma Huateng is most wary of and least willing to accept deep down! He craves the power that Lu Yang promised, the power that would allow him to unleash his full potential!

Collective decision-making?

In the early stages of entrepreneurship, especially in a rapidly changing field like the internet, delays often mean missing opportunities!
He took a deep breath, suppressed his turbulent thoughts, and made a difficult decision.

“Okay.” Ma Huateng’s voice was a little hoarse, and he tried his best to keep calm. “What you said makes sense. Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll give you three days. Within three days, do your best to contact Mr. Xiong from IDG and Mr. Li from PCCW in Hong Kong. If either of them can accept an investment of no less than US$150 million in exchange for no more than 20% of the shares, we will give them priority to sign an agreement!”

He paused, then added, "Remember, the bottom line is 20% each! No more! If there's no result in three days, or the conditions are lower than this bottom line..." He didn't finish his sentence, but his eyes clearly indicated that he would have no choice but to choose Lu Yang.

Three days felt exceptionally long during the anxious wait.

When IDG's CEO Xiong received the new offer from the Ma Huateng team, the laughter on the other end of the phone was utterly absurd: "A valuation of $775 million? Xiao Ma, has your team been blown away by the sea breeze? Or do you think IDG's money is so easy to swindle? A software that's only been online for a few months and imitates ICQ, how many users does it have? Where's the profit model? You dare to ask for this price? Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Our previous offer was already based on the highest risk tolerance!"

The call was abruptly ended.

Ma Huateng took a deep breath and dialed the Hong Kong number again.

This time, the person who answered the phone was Li Zekai, also known as Little Superman.

"Hello? Mr. Ma? Oh, OICQ..." The voice on the other end of the phone carried a hint of laziness and indifference. "I heard you recently met a 'benefactor'? Mr. Lu is so wealthy and powerful, throwing three million US dollars at you without batting an eye? Heh..."

Li Zekai chuckled, his tone suddenly turning sharp and sarcastic: "However, Mr. Ma, that's not how business is done. Your OICQ, to put it bluntly, is just a copy of ICQ, isn't it? You've only been around for half a year, and you dare to ask me, Li, for three million US dollars? Do you think you're the only one in mainland China doing instant messaging? There are plenty of copycats! I want to see what kind of mess you can make with that Lu guy's money!"

He paused, his voice filled with provocation and displeasure at being "snatched" by Lu Yang: "Fine! Since Lu Yang thinks so highly of your little team, let's have a competition! Let's see whose 'OICQ' will have the last laugh! Investment? Forget it! With that little bit of money, I, Li, can start from scratch, build a platform, and directly copy something—that's better than investing in you!"

"You—!" Ma Huateng was so angry that his blood boiled. The other party's arrogant attitude and contempt for their hard work completely enraged him.

He abruptly hung up the phone, his chest heaving violently.

The last glimmer of hope was extinguished completely.

The three-day deadline has passed.

When Ma Huateng announced to his colleagues, whose expressions varied, that IDG and Yingke had successively rejected him, and when he spoke with insulting words, the entire team fell into a deathly silence.

Frustration, anger, and resentment ultimately turned into helplessness in the face of reality.

There was no better option.

What Lu Yang offered was their only lifeline at the moment, and also their biggest financial backer.

A few days later, in the spacious, bright, and modern top-floor office of Century Group's headquarters in Pengcheng.

Two thick investment agreements were laid out on an expensive mahogany desk.

The air was filled with a faint smell of cigars and the distinctive scent of paper.

Lu Yang sat in the spacious chair, relaxed.

Ma Huateng sat somewhat reservedly opposite him, looking at the string of numbers on the agreement representing 300 million US dollars and 40% equity, as well as the very clear "Equity Entrustment Agreement" in the supplementary clauses, which explicitly stated that within the next ten years, all voting rights of the 40% equity held by Lu Yang would be exercised by Ma Huateng personally.

Ma Huateng took a deep breath, picked up the pen, and solemnly signed his name in the position of the representative of Party B—Ma Huateng.

When the pen left the paper, leaving behind that still somewhat immature signature, Ma Huateng felt his palms were sweaty, as if he had just completed a life-or-death feat.

Now it was Lu Yang's turn to sign.

He picked up the heavy Montblanc pen, hovering the nib over the client's signature area.

Sunlight streamed in through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, casting bright spots of light on the agreement paper.

Lu Yang's gaze fell on the words "Penguin Computer Systems Co., Ltd." and then on the spot where he was about to write "Lu Yang".

For a fleeting moment, Lu Yang's expression showed an extremely subtle hint of disorientation.

$300 million!
40% equity stake!

Does this mean I've bought the core ticket to that future trillion-dollar social media empire?

This feels...unreal!

The young man in front of me, Ma Huateng, is still the same shy young man who tries to straighten his back but still looks immature and naive.

He was wearing an ill-fitting suit, and his eyes were filled with a thirst for funds and anxiety about the future. There was no trace of the future uncrowned king who would lead a trillion-dollar business empire.
Who could have predicted that this young man, who even rents an office in the noisy Huaqiangbei area, would one day create a massive social network that 14 billion Chinese people cannot live without in their daily lives?
He made a killing on that deal!
This is an incredible steal!

Not sell to Lu Yang? Sell to IDG or Yingke? Absolutely not! They wouldn't offer such a high valuation, and they certainly wouldn't attach such a voting rights delegation clause that benefits the founding team, or rather, Ma Huateng personally!

As for the so-called "help" that IDG or PCCW, with their international capital background, will provide for Tencent's future listing in the US?
In Lu Yang's view, this was utter nonsense!

He clearly remembered that in his previous life, both IDG and PCCW significantly reduced their holdings or even cashed out completely on the eve of or shortly after Tencent's IPO, missing out on the truly explosive growth dividends that followed.

Instead, Tencent, with its absolute monopoly in the domestic social networking field, ultimately chose to list in Hong Kong, becoming a behemoth on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

With Lu Yang in the position of major shareholder, leveraging Century Group's profound influence in both the political and business circles in China, coupled with this voting rights delegation agreement that locks in control, Tencent's process of clearing obstacles, rapidly expanding, and establishing its dominance in instant messaging in the domestic market will only be faster and smoother than in its previous life!
Lu Yang's lips finally curved into a deep and satisfied smile.

With a stroke of the pen, he smoothly signed the two powerful characters "Lu Yang" on the client's side.

The dust has settled.

The future is different. (End of Chapter)