Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 403 Singularity: Business Spin-off
It will be launched in ten days.

The Weibo team on the other side immediately launched into a heated discussion, which escalated into a noisy argument.

This project may have come into existence simply because of an order from the higher-ups, but in the eyes of these few dozen people, it represents six months of hard work. They have discussed the numerous benefits of Weibo and the countless difficulties they face, and many problems remain unresolved to this day.

A hasty launch would mean allowing these difficulties to arise unchecked until they destroy the system, which most people cannot accept.

Yang Dequan stood in front of the curtain for a long time before finally being the first to voice his opposition: "Chairman, we have discussed the timing of launching Weibo, and it is absolutely not appropriate right now."

The meeting room at Singularity fell silent after those words were spoken.

Chen Xuebing raised his head: "Tell me."

Yang Dequan glanced at Lin Bin, the head of Qidian Software, swallowed hard, and said:

"In our software lineup, Starlink is currently the one that has generated the most buzz and discussion in the market."

"It is launching an attack on QQ Communication, and I think it has a chance to succeed because it has high barriers to entry. It has Kirin and Kunlun. People buy mobile phones for communication, and Starlink has a unique way of using communication, which makes it irreplaceable. Moreover, it comes with the decisive power of the Kunlun mobile phone camp pre-installed when it goes online."

"However, Weibo does not have this barrier."

"Weibo's social interaction is unique, and we all believe it is no less valuable than Starlink. However, as mentioned earlier, the data usage of Weibo on mobile phones is too high, and users cannot afford it. We need to break through the social environment of PC networks."

"In the realm of ordinary users, QQ and QQ Zone have an absolute user advantage and stickiness on the PC side. We are now launching an attack on Tencent from both the communication and social directions. If we provoke Tencent, and Star Alliance can't break through, they will definitely concentrate their superior firepower on attacking our Weibo. If Weibo can't show its advantages on the mobile side, it will face much greater pressure than Star Alliance."

“In the elite user sector, Sina Blog and Sohu Blog have a strong voice, and users tend to prefer long-form writing. If we withdraw from Weibo now, we will have to bear the cost of market education, explaining to users what Weibo is and why they should use it. This requires market-oriented discussion and preparation. Even if we solve the problems and get users to accept it, it will cost zero for others to copy us.”

"You have only given us time to tackle the technical challenges, but not time to tackle the market challenges. If we rush into these giants without a network user base, we are very likely to fail."

"We all felt that we should let Starlink, which has an absolute advantage, compete with QQ. After gaining some user experience, we can then promote Weibo under the banner of being a disruptive new force in the internet industry."

"Otherwise, the biggest problem we will face is being copied and buried."

Billy's impassioned speech drew nods from many.

Chen Xuebing showed some satisfaction, but not much praise, because he raised a question but did not provide a solution.

"Yes, I also think the biggest battle on the internet will be on Weibo. Does anyone have anything to add?"

It's great if someone asks questions, because they have a lot of knowledge but need someone to guide them to remember it.

The other side remained silent.

"President Lin?" Chen Xuebing called out a name out of habit.

Lin Bin almost rolled his eyes.

"Uh, I mainly deal with technical issues here. We have seven software and network project teams developing, as well as Kunlun system update issues and overseas developer forums. Supply chain matters are also coming to me. I really don't have time to care about network market operations."

Chen Xuebing treated him like a beast of burden.

Chairman Chen chuckled dryly upon hearing this, realizing that he had indeed been a bit cruel.

"Hehe, it's a startup. The project hasn't generated any value yet, so I can't rashly expand the team. However, the value of the internet project will be revealed very soon."

"Alright, Billy, let me answer a few of your questions first."

Chen Xuebing deliberately called the other party by his English name, hoping to break down Qi Dian's "state-owned enterprise system barrier".

"First, competition is always present. Starlink's monopoly on the full-screen smartphone market won't last forever. In fact, besides Tencent, China Mobile is also eyeing the communications and internet market, having developed 'Fetion.' I can't prevent QQ and Fetion from entering the Kunlun ecosystem; that would be a monopoly. Our Kunlun system developer SDK will soon be released to the market, allowing all developers to enter the Kunlun ecosystem."

"And Weibo's social networking approach isn't unique. Don't forget its American counterpart, Twitter. China's PC internet model was copied from the US. If we launch now, we can at least grab the top spot domestically. Twitter's development is slow right now; no one is replicating public social networking in China. Once they become popular, things might change. Billy just mentioned 'internet disruptors,' and being number one is very important to us."

The establishment of Fanfou by Wang Xing should not be too far off.

He didn't want people to say he copied Fanfou (a Chinese food review website).

"Tencent is a giant, and Sina and Sohu are veterans, but they are not the only strong ones. You should learn more about the strength of their parent companies, their financing capabilities in the financial market, and their industry cohesion. They cannot be called Gu'an's rivals. If they want to fight or copy, we will fight back. If they want to burn money, no one can burn as much as us!"

Chen Xuebing tapped the table with his last words, his voice rising, which jolted the Weibo team awake.

Yes, the person speaking on the other end is the group's chairman!
In the chairman's eyes, are those companies top-tier corporations? Not necessarily.

"Secondly, we are not without users. We have been laying the groundwork for Weibo's interactive features on the Qidian launch website for a full six months. We have already gained some users through the use of some functions, such as @ and likes. Qidian is about to officially go on sale, and new hot topics are coming. We can open the Weibo entry in the comments section, and a group of 'basic old users' can be brought in from there."

"Third, users don't all know how to use Weibo, so we need to teach them."

"But it's not about publishing a manual and giving it to users, or forcing them to learn."

"Let me point you in the right direction. Do you see that status input box?"

Chen Xuebing pointed to the curtain opposite him.

Add a prompt: What are you thinking about right now?

"A thought, a feeling, just a few words, let users know that this is a platform to announce their immediate feelings to the world and find strangers who can resonate with them by replying or liking. This is something that QQ Space cannot do. And have you ever thought about it? Few people want to see the feelings of ordinary people, but what about the feelings of certain groups of people that ordinary people want to know but cannot know?"

There was immediate response from the other end.

"star!"

"Public figure!"

Isn't that what made blogs popular?

As Chen Xuebing smiled, a sudden voice came from the other side.

"Government leaders!"

Laugh out loud.

Chen Xuebing stared intently at the person speaking across from him, his face twitching slightly: "Gou Hongyi, who sent you to this meeting?" "Boss! I've been in Shandong for three months and just got back to Shenzhen! I heard you were having a video conference, and I missed you, so I came to see you! I'm the deputy director of the company's field sales department and a regional manager, so it's not a problem for me to come to a meeting, right?"

Gou Hongyi was also dismissed from his position as vice president of Qidian, but he was in charge of recruitment and training in the field in the early days and still had two or three hundred people under his command. Chen Xuebing did not give him a sinecure, but kept him in the field promotion department to be in charge of the establishment of 3G Magic Cube stores. However, he was specially sent to the north for training, specifically to be in charge of Shenyang and Qinhuangdao. The next step is to open a store in Dalian.

"Alright, alright, government leaders, right?" Chen Xuebing smirked. "Then the task of getting government departments onto the platform is yours. Go to Qinhuangdao, Liaoning, and Dalian and find at least five government departments at the section chief level or above within six months. If you can't, you'll be fired as deputy director. You'll just stay in Northeast China and work as a manager."

Gou Hongyi froze, his face turning sorrowful.

"Seriously, boss?! This is just a social networking site, how am I supposed to involve government departments?!"

The others were laughing, but some were actually envious; only these company veterans could get the chairman to joke like that.

Chen Xuebing, however, became serious: "Social networking sites are also media, new media. Their public nature allows them to assume some of the functions of real-time communication by government departments, respond to and explain some sudden public events, and create a space for local governments to speak out to the whole country. This is something that QQ Space cannot do."

This statement shocked the Weibo team.

Some people suddenly realized that blogs can also generate news.

"Yes, there was the XCMG Group acquisition last year. The chairman of Sany Heavy Industry stirred things up through his blog, which attracted the attention of higher authorities and led to the halt of the foreign acquisition! Our Weibo account can be considered a media outlet now, right?" someone said.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuebing paused, as if he had thought of something.

"But...our platform is more entertainment-oriented, which clashes with the seriousness of the media, right?" someone else asked.

Chen Xuebing waved his hand: "The internet doesn't have fixed attributes. Its only attribute is its ability to spread information. But all of that is still a long way off. I'm saying this to raise your awareness and let you know what preparations you should make for the future. Go down and think creatively."

After he finished speaking, he concluded: "The team needs to plan the Weibo launch event well. I will also create opportunities for you in other places. Gu'an Construction will be holding a star-studded concert in Chengdu. I will arrange Weibo promotion activities for it. The group has also invested in a well-known film and television star company. We have a lot of star resources. I will connect you with the relevant channels."

Huayi Brothers' investment hasn't been transferred yet. The only payment due soon is 3000 million for Jiang Nanchun. Ren Ying has a backup plan: they should first bring in the resources from Wong Kar-wai to discuss a merger and go public together.

Wong Kar-wai's team, Huayi Brothers, has already made contact. Although they are a bit arrogant, they are not very resistant to the huge temptation of being promoted to a listed company by a big shot, and they are still willing to come closer.

However, after making inquiries, the two brothers felt that Wong Kar-wai's "no-script shooting + indefinite polishing" model was in fundamental conflict with the quarterly financial reporting requirements of listed companies. They wanted to use the 25% equity issuance condition to make Wong Kar-wai's Jet Tone Films an independent subsidiary. Wong Kar-wai, as the director and legal representative of the company, would have to sign a performance-based agreement. Although there was no requirement for investment returns, he would be responsible for promoting Huayi Brothers' contracted artists and delivering two films within five years, with a budget cap of 150 million yuan per film.

This has seriously affected Wong Kar-wai's career, and they still haven't reached an agreement.

However, since Mr. Ma was willing to step in and facilitate the matter, Chen Xuebing did not want to get involved.

Whether the two sides reach an agreement or not, Mr. Chen still needs to be given face. It's necessary to have the artists from both sides attend, take photos, and send blessings.

As for posting updates and writing short essays regularly on the account, that can be left to the agent.

Chen Xuebing could resolve this matter by distributing millions of yuan in red envelopes.

His words immediately excited the Weibo team.

What's there to be afraid of?
With celebrities and the ability to raise funds for advertising, Tencent will do the same!
Lu Weibing frowned slightly and asked, "Chairman, is the financing channel you mentioned for the entire Qidian project, or for project-specific financing?"

Chen Xuebing then said, "The leadership and marketing department of Qidian Group, please stay. The rest of you, please leave."

After the group of young people excitedly went out, the leadership's conversation began.

"Singularity's valuation is currently relatively low."

"In short, our foundation is too shallow, and the market doesn't trust us."

Only after these words were spoken did the management team become excited.

That doesn't sound negative at all. A valuation of 66 billion is considered low?

But what he said next left everyone speechless.

"I think we should postpone the financing. I'm thinking we should learn from Alibaba and spin off our mature businesses for financing. We can raise funds one by one as they mature. We can keep the businesses that others think are worthless for now. For example, the Huaqiangbei branch. Since Spreadtrum's business commission is only worth 20 billion, why should we raise funds from it? This is actually Singularity's main source of revenue, right? It has generated hundreds of millions in revenue in just six months, and the outlook for the next two years is even better. We are well aware of this, and external financial models don't recognize it. Why do we need to raise funds? We should separate our various business units into four major sectors: mobile phones, operating systems, Huaqiangbei, and networks, and raise funds for each of them separately."

Recently, Chen Xuebing had several phone conversations with Jack Ma, and Ma's thinking gave him considerable inspiration.

Jack Ma has ambitious plans to spin off his B2B, C2C, acquisitions, and Alipay businesses for independent IPOs in the future.

Does Chen Xuebing have a small mind?

"However, there are related transactions between various businesses, and they also rely on the overall ecosystem. As long as there are different shareholders and different conflicts of interest in the sub-businesses, the listing process of Qidian will be delayed for a long time. Alibaba has taken nine years to get to where it is now."

Lin Bin had already smelled the horse's odor and immediately reminded him.

Chen Xuebing stroked his chin and said slowly, "I think different businesses need to develop independently in order to attract more market funds. For example, Xinglian and Weibo are currently non-profit and non-value-added projects under Qidian Group. If they are raised together, the potential of the projects will be severely diminished. So let's separate them first, raise funds for each, and see how much value they really have."

Lin Bin gasped – the internet company's project was going to be split up again?!
Lu Weibing couldn't help but ask.

"Chairman, you're not saying you don't want to raise funds anymore, are you? The stock market is booming; it's the perfect time to raise capital!"

Chen Xuebing clicked his tongue: "It's not that we don't want to integrate, it's that we integrate in a better way, slowly, and rhythmically. We integrate only after we make money. The head office has its own considerations. The current atmosphere in the head office is not good. Everyone is focused on the profits of Changzheng. The value of Qidian and Construction Group is looked down upon, not to mention outsiders, even within the head office. Don't you feel that your status is inferior to that of President Kan?"

These words were loaded with meaning, and the two people next to Chen Xuebing looked somewhat awkward.

During this period of stock market rise, Cai Zhijian was always concerned about the profits of Changzheng, and even Wu Jiesi was affected, paying more attention to the development and planning of Changzheng.

Even Lu Weibing sounded somewhat deflated when he mentioned the Long March.

"The Long March provided us with the initial capital, but our true value lies in..."

"Bang!" Chen Xuebing slammed his hand on the table. "Well said! That's ambitious! Changzheng earns billions a year, Qidian must make a name for itself this year. I will personally guide Qidian and the Construction Group's business! We'll make them more profitable than Changzheng! President Lu, don't worry, I'll help you find a way to secure funding from the banks for the park's construction!"

Lu Weibing was stunned.

If you don't want to sell your shares, then you don't want to sell your shares. What did I say?
I didn't say anything!

(End of this chapter)