Internet moguls are being held hostage by the entertainment system!

Chapter 436 Penguin Bows Down to Douyin Again (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

The night was not yet over, and the banquet was not yet finished.

Although most people had left, Pony Ma stayed in the private room and started talking about serious business with Chen Xiu.

He looked at Chen Xiu through the white wine glass with a deep gaze, pondered for a moment, then picked up the glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Pony Ma put down his wine glass and said, "What do you mean by saying that the only strategic partner in China hasn't been confirmed yet?"

"I misspoke."

"Oh, then the correct way to say it?"

"If there are no suitable strategic partners in China, then we can turn our attention abroad and find another one."

Chen Xiu nodded slightly and calmly stated the correct expression.

Pony Ma paused for a moment, realizing that his earlier guess had come true.

His gaze was like an abyss, dark and deep, with a dark cloud seemingly gathering on his forehead.

Chen Xiu's eyes were like a lake, clear and calm, and her expression was sunny and composed.

The two stared at each other in silence until Pony Ma, needing something from him, broke the silence first.

"Just state your demands! You called me here specifically, don't say it's to inquire about whether to cash out shares early, Tencent doesn't need that little bit of cash flow."

"Mr. Ma, calm down..."

Chen Xiu rose leisurely from her seat, holding a wine glass, and slowly walked to stand beside Pony's horse.

With a "ding," Chen Xiu's wine glass clinked with Pony Ma's wine glass.

Chen Xiu poured himself a drink, took a small sip, and said with a slightly tipsy look in his eyes, "Didn't you teach me this? When making a request, even if you're in the right, you still have to be gentle with your words and not be too harsh."

"Hehe, I said that back in 14. You didn't remember it when you last negotiated with me."

"Wasn't our last meeting in Hong Kong?"

"That was the time before last, when you, me, and Wang Xin were together."

Chen Xiu said helplessly, "I was drunk at the time, so it's normal to speak faster and louder! Hey, if that helps the negotiations, why don't we switch our communication mode?"

"There's no need for that..."

Pony reluctantly put down his glass, thinking that he had to go back later and it wasn't convenient to drink too much.

He glanced at Chen Xiu, pondered for a moment, and asked, "So what are the specific requirements?"

"Mr. Ma, after Tencent adjusted the strategic development of Weishi to a defensive nature, it has started preparing for WeChat Video Channel to enter the short video market, right?"

Chen Xiu held a wine glass in one hand and gripped the back of the chair with the other, the smile on her face unreadable.

Pony Ma frowned slightly: "You want Tencent to stop preparing for the video account?"

"May I?"

"Of course not! We've already used up a lot of resources to ensure the smooth launch of our video channel. How can we just stop it because of your word?"

"Yeah, I think so too."

Chen Xiu smiled and agreed.

Pony Ma's expression relaxed, and she stared at him in astonishment, saying, "Did you do that on purpose?"

"No, no, please don't misunderstand!"

Chen Xiu waved her hand to clarify: "I only mentioned the preparation of the video account, I didn't say that you should stop doing it. It's just that you made that guess, so I just confirmed it."

Seeing that Pony Ma's expression softened slightly, Chen Xiu immediately lowered her waving hands, and the smile on her face vanished without a trace.

"The short video sector has officially taken off this year. Not only Tencent, but other internet companies also plan to add short video features to their products."

"Even if I ask you to stop developing the video account, I cannot prevent the emergence of other similar software, nor can I interfere with other companies. Stopping it is meaningless."

"Our requirements are much simpler than this."

Pony Ma pursed his lips slightly, staring at Chen Xiu with a solemn expression: "I'll ask again, what are your specific requirements?"

Chen Xiu leaned forward, closing the distance between herself and Pony Ma, her eyes meeting his intently.

"Mr. Ma, is it possible for Douyin to collaborate with WeChat to jointly promote the Douyin red envelope distribution event on Lunar New Year's Eve next February?"

"..."

Pony's eyes widened suddenly, his pupils dilating violently, as if he were astonished by Chen Xiu's enormous appetite.

After a long pause, he asked curiously, "What are you thinking? How is that possible!"

"Why isn't it possible?"

"That's WeChat. In all these years, when have you ever seen it collaborate with any company other than Tencent?"

"Pengcheng Metro..."

"This doesn't count."

"Pinduoduo mini-program?"

Chen Xiu asked the question with clear and serious eyes, while Pony Ma slowly went from being shocked and teasing to feeling embarrassed and helpless.

He clicked his tongue, looking slightly helpless, and said, "Okay! WeChat does have experience cooperating with other companies, but this is definitely the first time we've done something like sending out red envelopes!"

"Wasn't the red envelope feature launched in January 2014 to coincide with Didi's ride-hailing war?"

Chen Xiu looked at Pony Ma with increasing suspicion, and began to wonder if he had drunk too much.

"When Didi integrated with WeChat, red envelopes could be directly used to offset taxi fares and provide subsidies to users. How could that not be considered a collaboration?"

"Uh……"

Pony Ma's elbows were slightly bent, and he was trying to use drinking as a tactic to avoid the problem.

However, he had already finished that small glass of wine in two gulps. Without anything to drink, no matter how much he raised his glass and tilted his head back, drinking air from the empty glass, it only made the situation more awkward.

Watching Pony's actions, Chen Xiu blinked, put her glass of wine on the table, turned around and went to the corner of the table to pick up the bottle of wine that still had a lot left.

"Mr. Ma."

"Thank you."

Pony placed the empty wine glass on the table, and Chen Xiu poured wine for him with one hand holding the wine bottle.

The atmosphere quickly eased as the wine bottle jingled as it was placed back on the table.

Pony Ma moistened his throat with wine, coughed lightly twice, and said, "Okay, even if WeChat has cooperated with other companies before, we will launch the video account function soon."

"If WeChat were to collaborate with Douyin now, especially during a time like Chinese New Year, would we even be able to continue with our video accounts? This is a drastic measure!"

"It's not that serious."

Chen Xiu responded with a smile, arguing, "The cooperation I mentioned is limited to New Year's Eve and the first day of the Lunar New Year. It doesn't mean that the two companies should cooperate indefinitely."

"Then, regarding the video account plan that Mr. Ma mentioned, to put it bluntly, apart from our internal staff, who among ordinary WeChat users knows what a video account is?"

Ignoring Pony Ma's widened eyes again, Chen Xiu said:
"They only know Douyin and Kuaishou..."

"Hey, that's not right!"

"Let me finish what I have to say, don't interrupt me!"

"..."

Pony Ma drank his wine, thinking he would wait until Chen Xiu finished speaking before refuting her.

Chen Xiu continued, "There are many WeChat users who may not even know what short videos are, but as long as they have used Douyin, they will have a concept of this kind of thing."

"At that time, promoting the video account will actually be easier! This collaboration may seem like WeChat is helping Douyin drive traffic, but from another perspective, isn't Douyin also helping the video account promote itself?"

"To be honest, users may not use Douyin, but they will definitely use WeChat. The significance of strategic cooperation lies in the fact that it is a win-win result for both of us."

Oh no, he's convinced me again.

Pony put down his wine glass, pushed up his glasses, and tried to make his hesitation seem more genuine.

However, to "professionals," his acting was still too obviously staged.

After deliberately taking a long time to consider the matter, Pony glanced at Chen Xiu and said, "I need to go back and study this cooperation you mentioned."

"can!"

"Yes, we'll hold an internal meeting to discuss it. Allen is in charge of WeChat, and it's inconvenient for him to come all the way from Guangzhou for the meeting, so it'll probably take a couple of days..."

"If there is no response before the end of this week, Zhou Shouzi will have to look for new investors."

Chen Xiu smiled and gave a deadline, indicating that there was no unlimited cooperation with Pony Ma.

It's Monday the 17th, at 9 PM.

Pony Ma is going back to Shenzhen. The earliest meeting he can hold is tomorrow, which is Tuesday. There is still plenty of time.

Thinking of this, Pony Ma squinted and nodded: "Penguins aren't that inefficient!"

"Then I'll wait patiently for Mr. Ma's good news."

Chen Xiu reached out her hand to Pony, a relaxed smile on her face.

He knew that the so-called meeting and discussion was just a formality. As long as Pony Ma approved the cooperation, everything else would be fine.

This is also why, when he initially called to invite Liu Chiping, he insisted that Pony Ma come instead.

After staring at Chen Xiu's hand for two seconds, Pony Ma's gaze moved upwards and settled on his smiling face.

With their hands clasped together, Pony Ma narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "You, as a shareholder of several companies, can help Meituan and Pinduoduo with their plans, so why don't you offer more suggestions for Tencent's development?"

"Haha! Because penguins don't need it!"

"Ok?"

"As long as Tencent continues to develop normally, it will always be the pinnacle of the internet. There will be no surprises. Why would I need to offer any advice?"

Pony Ma was taken aback, and then a genuine joy welled up from between his furrowed brows.

He had to admit that Chen Xiu was quite good at providing emotional value.

"I still need to get to the airport, so let's call it a day."

Goodbye, Mr. Ma.

Chen Xiu escorted Pony out of the private room and went to the next room, where she watched him leave in single file with a group of assistants and bodyguards.

This trip is quite a big commotion.

Fortunately, the Bulgari Hotel is not a place where paparazzi can get in.

After watching the group leave, Chen Xiu took the phone that his assistant Luo Shikan had just entrusted to him for safekeeping.

"No calls have come in, have they?"

"Only information."

Chen Xiu nodded slightly and unlocked the device to view the various information.

Skipping over a bunch of messages that didn't really have any substance, he first replied in the Douyin management group about the results of his negotiations with Pony Ma, and then discussed the idea of ​​giving out red envelopes for the Spring Festival.

The specific plan still needs further research and discussion.

Just as he finished processing his work information and was about to leave, another message pushed a chat window that had been ignored earlier, which had been filled with many messages, to the top.

The new message reads: "I'm at the Bulgari Hotel now. Are you done with your work?"

(End of this chapter)