Starting with a fully invested A-share portfolio to become a capital...

Chapter 158 Business Social Networking, Alibaba Investment
"Mr. Ma, you've finally arrived! I was just telling Mr. Cao that Metersbonwe's market value could break 10 billion. You're a great benefactor to me."

With his slicked-back hair parted in the middle and his eyes crinkling into slits with laughter, Zhou Chengjian, the CEO of Metersbonwe, approached Ma Yun with two wine glasses in hand and said with a smile, "Please do me the honor, Ms. Ma, to have a toast with your downstream clients."

The phrase "downstream customer" already reveals Ma Yun's status in Zhou Chengjian's heart. At the same time, the admiration revealed in the latter's tone made Ma Yun feel flattered. He didn't have time to think about whether this was a trap, but instead accepted the wine glass and showed his high emotional intelligence.

"This glass of wine is for me to toast President Zhou."

He glanced at the entrepreneurs around him and continued, "I vaguely remember that in 2001, Mr. Zhou invited Guo Fucheng to be the brand ambassador and signed Jay Chou to do advertising, which made the Metersbonwe brand popular all over the country."

"At that time, I was thinking, how can I make Alibaba as successful as Metersbonwe and become a national enterprise?"

"Finally, I carefully studied Metersbonwe's business model and learned from General Manager Zhou's experience in managing the company."

At this point, Ma Yun raised her glass and looked at Zhou Chengjian, saying, "Mr. Zhou is not only my senior, but Metersbonwe is also a very important part of Alibaba's online shopping ecosystem. Whether as an individual or a company, you are my upstream partner."

As she spoke, Ma Yun lowered her glass and gently touched Zhou Chengjian's wine glass.

"clang--"

Then, he finished his glass of red wine, which he had only taken a sip of. Zhou Chengjian also finished his glass of red wine and said with a smile, "Although I started my business earlier than Mr. Ma, as the saying goes, it's not about being the first to flow, but about being able to flow continuously. Mr. Ma perfectly exemplifies what it means for small streams to become a great river, haha."

"It takes time for small streams to become a great river. As I just said, we need to keep learning from the successful experiences of our predecessors in order to seize opportunities when they arise."

Ma Yun is like a slippery eel that knows how to swim; no matter how much Zhou Chengjian tries to flatter him, he can always slip away gracefully.

Having reached Ma Yun's level, he knew very well that he couldn't be put on a pedestal in public, because once he was, he would easily fall into a trap.

"Clap--"

A few scattered claps of applause came from the surrounding area, as if praising Ma Yun's wit.

"Alibaba's success is not due to luck or chance, but to great wisdom." Cao Wang, without much ambiguity, raised his glass and said, "I'd like to toast Mr. Ma."

"Teacher Ma's words just now are more valuable than our ten-year plan. I must toast you."

"I'd also like to raise a glass to Teacher Ma!"

"It's an honor for us younger generation to be in the same banquet hall as Teacher Ma!"

Amidst the cacophony of voices, everyone's gaze was fixed on Ma Yun, like sunflowers chasing the sun.

Having caught the wave of the internet boom, Ma Yun, with her enormous potential for development, wanted to keep a low profile, but her strength simply wouldn't allow her to.

At the 1 o'clock position directly in front of Ma Yun, Liu Hua, who was more than 20 meters away, glanced at Zhang Yang and said, "Academician Xu has also arrived."

Only after these words were spoken did Zhang Yang shift his gaze from Ma Yun and notice the middle-aged man next to her.

The man was dressed in a crisp dark gray suit, his tie was tied meticulously, his leather shoes were polished to a shine, and his eyes and brows held a sharp, capable air. He was none other than Xu Yan'an, whom he had not seen for many days.

Did Xu Yan'an know Ma Yun?
This surprised Zhang Yang.

It's worth noting that Xu Yan'an recently visited the Caiyan.com office to investigate, and he boasted about reaching a strategic cooperation with Ma Yun. Now, it's unclear whether his claims have been exposed.

"The circle is so small."

Zhang Yang muttered to himself.

He wasn't afraid of his lies being exposed, but rather he was thinking about the relationship between Xu Yan'an and Ma Yun.

Just as Zhang Yang had thought, the upper circles in a region are very small, and political and business elites basically have each other's contact information. As an academician of the medical school, Xu Yan'an is a network of contacts that political and business elites all need.

A businessman is a human being.

Celebrities are people.

Politicians are human too.

As people age, their bodies develop various ailments, which makes it necessary to build connections with doctors and safeguard one's health.

Why do older generations insist on jobs with high social recognition, such as civil servants, doctors, teachers, police officers, and lawyers?

Simply for the sake of appearances?

Not!
The connections you make in these positions can be very helpful in critical moments.

For example, with doctors, if you have connections, you don't need to wait for appointments with specialists; you can simply ask them to add you to the schedule so you can see a doctor and receive treatment promptly.

Xu Yan'an and Ma Yun are both from Hangzhou, but because the former works in Beijing for many years, the two only met once.

It's quite a coincidence that Xu Yan'an hadn't originally planned to attend the Zhejiang businessmen's dinner.

A few days ago, after attending his daughter's graduation ceremony, he was preparing to return to Yanjing the next day when he suddenly received an invitation from his junior colleague, Qi Zhiqiang, the vice president of Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, to give two lectures at the hospital.

It’s hard to refuse such hospitality.

no way.

He squeezed in another day.

It was during a clinical lecture that Ma Yun heard that Xu Yan'an had returned to Hangzhou from Yanjing. She deliberately pretended to be sick and used some connections to meet this academician, a leading figure in the medical field.

During their casual conversation while receiving treatment, Ma Yun brought up the Zhejiang businessmen's dinner party and invited Xu Yan'an to attend in her personal capacity.

His goal was simple: everyone needs medical resources, and he wanted to use Xu Yan'an to build up some connections for himself.

As for Xu Yan'an, the reason he accepted the invitation was not because he wanted to go into business, but because he felt that his two daughters were getting old and he needed to find suitable young talents to marry. The Zhejiang businessmen's dinner party just met his needs.

Xu Yan'an originally wanted to bring Xu Zhiruo and Xu Zhirou to the dinner party, but when the two heard that it was a business dinner, they immediately understood their father's intention. One declined on the grounds of being unwell, and the other declined on the grounds of being busy with business. Neither of them wanted to participate in this kind of social event.

Since his two daughters weren't coming, Xu Yan'an had no choice but to come in person, also hoping to find a suitable young man who could become his son-in-law.

……

Yao Naxin noticed Liu Hua's gaze. As a shrewd businessman, he immediately realized that Zhang Yang might be related to Xu Yan'an.

"Academician Xu, he is a leading figure in the medical field. I didn't expect him to come as well."

Yao Naxin seemed to bring it up casually, but his eyes remained fixed on Zhang Yang, as he wanted to know the meaning behind Liu Hua's gaze.

Although this dinner was a business dinner, it was not without celebrities from all walks of life.

Based on past experience, this dinner party is not yet the official start; it is currently just a social phase, somewhat similar to "finding a partner." Once mutually valuable targets are found, the corresponding groups will move to a private room to discuss business matters.

Zhang Yang was also aware that Yao Naxin and Liu Hua were probing into his relationship with Xu Yan'an, seeking a balance of values ​​in their hearts.

Business networking is like playing the stock market; there are support levels similar to the 5-day, 10-day, and 30-day moving averages. If you have corresponding value, the other party will respect you, which is equivalent to standing on a certain moving average. But if you lose value, the network of relationships will break down instantly.

Since the other party wanted to know the answer, Zhang Yang went along with it and pretended to sigh, "I really didn't expect Academician Xu to come too. I'll have to find him for a drink later."

A casual remark forced Liu Hua and Yao Naxin to re-evaluate Zhang Yang.

Especially Liu Hua, who knew that Zhang Yang and Xu Yan'an's eldest daughter had an ambiguous relationship. Who knew if the young man in front of him would become Xu Yan'an's son-in-law?

Yao Naxin, who was standing nearby, was quick-witted and immediately chimed in, "As people get older, they also have many health problems. We should take advantage of Brother Zhang's influence and learn a lot from Academician Xu later."

“My leg gets uncomfortable whenever it rains. I’ve been to several hospitals but they haven’t been able to find anything wrong. My cousin, you’d better recommend a doctor.”

Liu Hua echoed.

Because Liu Hua lied that Zhang Yang was her aunt's son and that the two were now cousins, the act had to continue.

"no problem."

Zhang Yang agreed.

In business networking, value is exchanged; his young age does not mean he lacks experience.

Just then, a woman wearing a green patterned cheongsam, sporting classic Jiangzhehu-style curly hair, and speaking with a Zhejiang accent approached: "Hey! President Yao, President Liu, oh my, I'm so glad to see you today, what a lucky day!"

"Mr. He."

"Mr. He."

Liu Hua and Yao Naxin spoke in unison.

The person who approached her was He Qiaonv, the founder of Oriental Landscape. She is currently a highly sought-after female entrepreneur in Zhejiang. It is rumored that Oriental Landscape is planning to go public, and if the IPO is successful, her net worth will instantly increase more than tenfold.

"Who is this handsome young man?"

He Qiaonv looked at Zhang Yang.

"This is my cousin Zhang Yang, the founder of Wealth Research Network," Liu Hua introduced Zhang Yang.

"Hello, Mr. He."

Zhang Yang extended his hand in greeting.

As He Qiaonv shook hands, she praised, "So young, yet already a boss. You have a bright future ahead of you. Xiao Zhang, let's exchange contact information later."

The girl called "Xiao Zhang" has a pure and innocent appearance with a standard oval face. Her white and expensive evening gown further accentuates her cuteness and charm.

When Zhang Yang saw the girl's face clearly, he was stunned. Wasn't this "Milk Tea Sister" Zhang Zetian?
"Okay, Auntie."

Zhang Zetian glanced at Zhang Yang discreetly, then took out his phone.

Aunties from the Yangtze River Delta region (Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai) all have one thing in common: they are particularly assertive.

Attending this dinner with Zhejiang businessmen was arranged by Zhang Zetian's father, who is the president of Jinling Huistone Group. He used his connections to get his daughter here.

After Zhang Yang and Zhang Zetian exchanged contact information, He Qiaonv started chatting with Liu Hua and Yao Naxin, while Zhang Yang kept an eye on Ma Yun, looking for an opportunity to go and talk to her.

After staring at Zhang Yang for a long time, Zhang Zetian, who had been left standing aside, finally confirmed his identity and asked in a low voice, "Are you Zhang Yang from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics?"

Nowadays, young people are all on the internet, especially Baidu Tieba and QQ Space. Zhang Yang's reputation has already spread among campuses in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Hearing the other person speak, Zhang Yang withdrew his gaze from Ma Yun and looked at Zhang Zetian, saying, "It's me. You shouldn't be in college yet, right?"

Zhang Zetian: Not yet, I'm in my first year of high school, and I'll be a second-year student this September.

"First year of high school, I have a younger sister who is the same age as you. What do you plan to study in the future?" Zhang Yang continued their conversation, his gaze still occasionally glancing towards Ma Yun.

"I want to study literature. What about your sister?"

Zhang Zetian countered with a question.

"Finance." Zhang Yang sighed as he thought of his younger sister, Zhang Anxin. "But given her playful personality, she might not be able to get into a university in the Yangtze River Delta region."

"Even with your tutoring, it's not enough?"

Zhang Zetian smiled and looked at Zhang Yang with his bright eyes.

After confirming the other party's identity, she learned that the young man in front of her was a finance whiz and a student representative at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics graduation ceremony.

"That's hard to say."

Zhang Yang shook his head.

……

Over time, large and small groups spontaneously formed in the banquet hall, along with "free agents" who remained outside of these groups.

As the center of attention, Ma Yun was constantly being toasted by people.

Xu Yan'an, as a "resource," was also introduced to other Zhejiang businessmen by Ma Yun.

Ma Yun wanted to introduce Xu Yan'an to gain favor with other business leaders, while Xu Yan'an wanted to build relationships with other Zhejiang business leaders. The other business leaders also wanted Xu Yan'an's medical connections, creating a win-win situation for all three parties.

"If Mr. Zheng has back pain, you can take some time to go to Peking Union Medical College Hospital. I'll have the head of orthopedics examine you thoroughly to find out what the problem is."

Xu Yan'an smiled as he looked at Zheng Yonggang, the CEO of Shanshan Holdings, in front of him.

"Okay, I'll make time to go later. Thank you, Academician Xu." Zheng Yonggang was extremely grateful; some people are just different.

"I'm going to have a chat with General Manager Feng. General Manager Ma and Academician Xu, see you later."

"See you later."

"Well, see you later."

When Zheng Yonggang left, Zhang Yang saw that Li Shufu of Geely Group, Zhou Chengjian of Metersbonwe, Zheng Yonggang of Shanshan Holdings, and other business tycoons were also chatting around. The number of business bigwigs next to Ma Yun suddenly decreased, and he realized that his opportunity had come.

"What stocks are you optimistic about?" Zhang Zetian was still chatting with Zhang Yang, she really wasn't comfortable in this kind of social situation.

Zhang Yang withdrew his gaze and said, "The real estate market will experience explosive growth. As for stocks, you can take a look at related ones."

As soon as he finished speaking, he looked at Liu Hua, Yao Naxin, and He Qiaonv, who were all smiles and laughing, and said, "Cousin, I'm going to talk to Academician Xu."

"Academician Xu?"

He Qiaonv was somewhat surprised.

Liu Hua glanced at the crowd next to Ma Yun. Zhou Chengjian, Li Shufu, Zong Qinghou and other Zhejiang business tycoons had already left.

He turned his gaze back to He Qiaonv and said, "My cousin is no ordinary person. He has a certain relationship with Academician Xu. Let's go over together and have a chat with Academician Xu and President Ma."

"Then it's better to be respectful than to obey."

As He Qiaonv responded, she couldn't help but look at Zhang Yang with newfound respect.

She had assumed Zhang Yang was a young man who had grown up under Liu Hua's wing, but it seemed he had a different background.

"Let's go."

Yao Naxin is already looking forward to it.

The five of them set off together, passing through two or three small groups. Zhang Yang came to within three meters of Xu Yan'an and greeted him, "Uncle Xu, what a coincidence."

Xu Yan'an, Ma Yun, and other company executives all turned their attention to this young man who was only in his early twenties.

"Yo!"

Xu Yan'an was taken aback at first, then exclaimed in surprise, "Zhang Yang, you're here too!"

It was this statement that led Liu Hua, Yao Naxin, and He Qiaonv to recalculate Zhang Yang's potential value.

So-called business networking is nothing more than you using me and me using you. Xu Yan'an's changing expression confirmed to Zhang Yang that his lie hadn't been exposed, so there was no need to find excuses to cover it up.

"Mr. Ma, you are..."

Just as Xu Yan'an was about to say something, Zhang Yang suddenly interrupted him, saying, "Uncle Xu, this is Liu Hua, the CEO of Hongyue Group, Yao Naxin, the CEO of Juguang Technology, and He Qiaonv, the CEO of Oriental Landscape. They all want to get to know you."

"I have long admired Academician Xu and have wanted to visit him many times, but I have never had the opportunity."

"Hello Academician Xu, I never thought I would have the chance to speak with you one day. This is my business card, please accept it."

"I have long admired Academician Xu."

Liu Hua, Yao Naxin, and He Qiaonv all seized the opportunity of introduction to strike up a conversation with Xu Yan'an.

"Hello, hello."

Xu Yan'an shook hands with each of them in response.

Zhang Yang then looked at Ma Yun and said with a smile, "Ms. Ma, it's been a long time. May I speak with you privately for a moment? I'd like to discuss our cooperation further."

He deliberately used the words "long time no see" and "again" to prevent Xu Yan'an from realizing that this was his first meeting with Ma Yun.

Hearing Zhang Yang say this, Ma Yun thought she had met Zhang Yang before. While carefully examining him, she repeatedly searched her memory for information about him.

however……

I have no recollection of it!

"Could he be some young master from a wealthy family?" Ma Yun wondered, as he truly had no recollection of him.

However, considering the relationship between Zhang Yang and Xu Yan'an, even though she had no impression of Zhang Yang, Ma Yun still followed him.

After Ma Yun and Zhang Yang left, Xu Yan'an chatted with Liu Hua, Yao Naxin and others.

Having no leverage of his own, Zhang Zetian was like a rootless duckweed at this top-tier gala, unable to find his place and could only follow He Qiaonv.

……

Reaching a corner, Ma Yun couldn't help but ask, "Young man, have we met before?"

"No," Zhang Yang answered truthfully, adding, "I've met you before, but Mr. Ma, you haven't met me."

Upon hearing this, Ma Yun jokingly expressed her dissatisfaction, saying, "Your 'long time no see' and 'let's talk about cooperation again' almost made my head explode. Turns out I'm not getting dementia."

"Mr. Ma, you're joking. You're so young, how could you have dementia? It's because I'm young and inexperienced that I became incoherent and flustered after meeting you." Zhang Yang took the blame upon himself, which was tantamount to admitting his mistake.

Ma Yun wasn't petty. After Zhang Yang admitted his mistake, he didn't dwell on the topic. Mainly, he didn't know Zhang Yang's background, so he asked, "So, who were you looking for...?"

"Let's discuss cooperation and offer suggestions."

Zhang Yang admitted frankly.

"What do you think."

Ma Yun became interested.

He enjoys being around young people because their imagination and creativity are limitless. A company that wants to continue to grow must regularly bring in fresh blood.

Zhang Yang: "Let me make a suggestion first."

"can."

Ma Yun responded quickly.

"Mr. Ma, you're in the e-commerce business, so you should know that shopping has peak and off-peak seasons. The peak season is from March to May, when the weather warms up and people switch from winter clothes to summer clothes. Summer clothes such as T-shirts, skirts, and shorts will see a trend of being replaced."

"By June, the weather will get warmer, but because consumers have already bought summer clothes in advance, it will be a clear off-season for shopping."

"After November, the weather will gradually cool down, and people will switch from summer clothes to winter clothes, and a new peak season will begin."

In 2009, online shopping platforms were just starting out, and consumers mainly used Taobao and JD.com to buy clothing or daily necessities, with clothing accounting for more than half. This was also the reason why JD.com lagged far behind Taobao in the early days.

Zhang Yang started the conversation by mentioning the off-season and peak season for shopping, and even brought up the e-commerce platform field that Ma Yun was good at. The latter immediately became interested and guessed, "Do you have a way to solve the problem of off-season sales?"

"Yes."

Zhang Yang nodded in agreement and offered his advice: "I know that both Taobao and JD.com want to improve their off-season sales. JD.com launched the 618 shopping festival, while Taobao held its year-end promotion."

At this point, he changed the subject, saying, "But you all made a big mistake."

"What is wrong?"

Ma Yun pressed for an answer, her brows furrowing slightly.

Zhang Yang was the first person to say that he had made a mistake, and a big one at that, and he was just a young man in his early twenties.

"Take JD.com's 618 shopping festival as an example. The dismal sales in June were because users bought summer clothes in advance, which was just icing on the cake and did not stimulate users' desire to buy."

"Mr. Ma, your Taobao is the same. You only launch promotions at the end of December. You can't expect consumers to freeze until the end of December to buy clothes, can you?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Yun's eyes lit up instantly; he seemed to understand what Zhang Yang meant.

He didn't interrupt, but let the young man continue.

Zhang Yang didn't mince words and directly pointed out the mistakes of Taobao and JD.com: "I play the A-share market. There's a saying in the A-share market: 'Lure in and then kill.' If you want to improve sales during the off-season, Mr. Ma, you can't hold promotions during the off-season. Instead, you should hold a big promotion before the peak season to cultivate users' consumption habits."

"Lure them in and then kill them..."

Ma Yun seemed to be deep in thought.

He hadn't really thought of that, because the team's solution was to improve off-season sales, not to cultivate users' consumption habits.

“That’s right!” Zhang Yang pressed on, “It’s all about luring users in and then selling them off. The weather will turn cooler in four months. If we can hold an e-commerce festival at that turning point in the temperature, the sales might exceed your expectations.”

"..."

Ma Yun fell into thought.

He was considering the feasibility of Zhang Yang's proposal.

Four months later, in November, users need to buy winter clothes. If Taobao launches a promotional campaign, it will undoubtedly be a timely help. Putting aside consumption habits and other factors, sales will definitely increase.

“Your suggestion is excellent. I will go back and study it carefully with my team.”

Ma Yun gave an affirmative answer, her tone filled with praise.

"correct."

Then, as if remembering something, he asked, "What kind of cooperation are you talking about?"

The previous suggestions had already proven Zhang Yang's own value, and Ma Yun's sudden inquiry showed that his interest had been piqued.

Zhang Yang then got straight to the point: "I want to collaborate with Alibaba on a financial website."

"A financial website?"

Ma Yun thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "Alibaba doesn't have a finance department, and I've never thought about getting involved in finance."

He was absolutely not lying to Zhang Yang about this. Currently, Alibaba's main focus is on e-commerce and cloud technology; it has not ventured into finance.

Upon hearing the answer, Zhang Yang smiled and said, "I know that Alibaba currently has no plans to enter the financial field, but Mr. Ma, have you ever thought about how to expand your business empire once you become the leader in e-commerce platforms?"

"game?"

"The game companies include Tencent, NetEase, Perfect World, Giant Interactive, and others."

"Cybersecurity?"

Qihoo almost monopolized the market.

"Cloud technology?"

"If I remember correctly, Baidu is also working on cloud technology."

"After the saturation of e-commerce, I would like to know which area you would like to expand into, Mr. Ma. Of course, it is fine if you do not want to say, as it involves trade secrets."

Zhang Yang gave Ma Yun ample space and then led him into his trap.

By 2009, Alibaba had already established itself as the leading player in the e-commerce sector, but it also faced numerous challengers.

Besides JD.com, owned by Liu Dongzi, there are also competitors such as Dangdang, Vipshop, Amazon China, and Vancl!

NetEase, Baidu, and Tencent all want a piece of the lucrative e-commerce platform market. Tencent, in particular, has publicly stated its intention to enter the e-commerce platform market more than once and has even launched an official membership store.

With abundant capital and formidable competitors, Ma Yun did not consider expanding into other fields. Instead, she focused on establishing a foothold in e-commerce before venturing into other areas.

Alibaba's main business is e-commerce, followed by cloud technology and enterprise software. It has not ventured into other internet sub-sectors.

This is not because Ma Yun lacks strategic vision, but because he felt that Alibaba had not yet gained a firm foothold, and that e-commerce and cloud technology were enough to allow Alibaba to make steady progress.

"After e-commerce reaches saturation..."

After thinking for a moment, Ma Yun replied, "I will continue to invest in cloud technology. There will definitely be a huge market in the cloud in the future."

“Sure.” Zhang Yang nodded, then asked, “Suppose Baidu’s cloud technology loses to Alibaba, and Alibaba has two cash cows—e-commerce and cloud technology—which internet sub-sector would you choose to develop, Mr. Ma?”

"I haven't really thought about that much."

Ma Yun gave an awkward smile.

That's too far in the future, so far that he's not even sure if it can be achieved.

Zhang Yang's lips curled into a faint smile as he pressed on, saying, "Capital can't stop expanding. If Mr. Ma wants to move from the internet to real industry, he'll only face more competitors."

"Currently, internet sub-sectors such as gaming, cybersecurity, enterprise software services, and search engines are already saturated, but internet finance is just getting started."

Before Ma Yun could speak, he continued, "Tencent, NetEase, and Sina have all entered the market, but the response has been lukewarm. On the contrary, Eastmoney and Tonghuashun have captured 70% of the user share."

"If Alibaba and I cooperate, I am confident that I can snatch food from the tiger's mouth!"

The phrase "snatching food from a tiger's mouth" left Ma Yun stunned. He could clearly sense the ambition displayed by the young man in front of him, and at the same time, he was wondering if he should make a move into the financial sector in advance.

The financial sector deals with money, and there are all sorts of ways to make money. If Alibaba becomes a leader in e-commerce and cloud technology, there aren't many areas it can really focus on.

Online games, right?
Alibaba really can't beat Tencent.

Tencent owns Penguin QQ, with hundreds of millions of users. How can Alibaba compete with Tencent for market share in online games?

Cybersecurity, right?
Qihoo truly has a monopoly, and the key is that it's free to use. Alibaba wouldn't spend a lot of money to make free software for users; that's not in line with capital behavior.

After much thought, Ma Yun realized that only internet finance was still in its infancy, so she asked Zhang Yang, "How can we cooperate?"

"We will open a wealth management channel on the Taobao homepage, with content provided by our financial research website. Once mobile smart terminals enter the Chinese market, we will develop Alipay into an electronic pass, while still keeping the wealth management channel on the homepage."

Zhang Yang shared his thoughts.

The mobile smart terminal devices and electronic passes he specifically mentioned made Ma Yun's eyes narrow slightly, her heart churning with emotion.

He had only mentioned the idea of ​​turning Alipay into an "electronic pass" to a few senior executives. How did Zhang Yang find out about it?
Moreover, very few entrepreneurs can truly grasp the potential of mobile smart terminals.

What is a mobile smart terminal?

to be honest.

It's a smartphone.

Smart devices like the iPhone 3G, HTC Magic, and Nokia X6 all support 3G networks, and Ma Yun has already made in-depth plans around 3G networks. However, he did not expect that the young man in front of him would have the same idea.

Smart devices weren't popular before because internet speeds couldn't keep up.

With 2G network speeds, loading a single image could take half a day, so few manufacturers paid attention to development in the mobile device field.

But Ma Yun is different. His biggest advantage over other entrepreneurs is his fluency in English. He can independently browse news from all over the world and know what is happening outside.

Currently, overseas, smart terminals have already replaced feature phones, and 3G networks are similarly replacing 2G networks. Meanwhile, China's 3G network base stations have entered the trial operation phase.

Ma Yun is basically certain that in the future, everyone will shop with their mobile phones, and mobile phones will become a necessity for travel. This is also the reason why he wants to create an "electronic pass".

"Mr. Ma, what do you think?"

Zhang Yang pressed for an answer.

“Very good.” Ma Yun gave Zhang Yang a deep look, as if trying to memorize the young man’s appearance, and then asked, “Since it’s a collaboration, what benefits will Alibaba receive?”

"I will give you 5% of the shares of Caiyan.com, Mr. Ma, but Alibaba needs to invest 5000 million yuan in my company."

"5000?"

As soon as Zhang Yang finished speaking, Ma Yun thought he had gone mad. Asking for 5000 million for 5% of the shares? He might as well start his own financial website, which would cost no more than 1000 million.

If it were anyone else, he probably would have turned around and left, but Zhang Yang not only knew Xu Yan'an, but his insights just now had hit the nail on the head, so Ma Yun rarely backed down and said: "How about this, I'll give you 5000 million, but I want 20% of your company's shares."

"I can only give 5%."

Zhang Yang maintained a tough stance.

Seeing Zhang Yang's tough stance, Ma Yun asked, "Building a financial website costs less than ten million, yet you want 5000 million for just 5% equity. This isn't just asking for the moon; it's like a whale asking for money. With that kind of money, why don't I just build my own website?"

“NetEase, Tencent, and Sina have all invested, but without exception, they are all located in the central region. It’s not that I look down on Alibaba, but that everyone has their own expertise.”

Zhang Yang responded with neither arrogance nor servility.

The two locked eyes, neither willing to yield.

Negotiations cannot be conducted with weakness; when it's necessary to be firm, one must be firm.

Looking into that resolute gaze, Ma Yun admitted he was intimidated by Zhang Yang's arrogance. After carefully considering his options, he once again chose to back down, saying:

"Okay, but I have one condition: you have to sign a performance-based agreement with me. Within a year, Caiyan.com's net profit must exceed 100 million."

(End of this chapter)