2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 249: Using mini-games to advertise FlashCar?
There were still many opportunities in the internet industry in 2006, such as Dangdang.com and other emerging platforms like Chengke.com and Jumei.com.

If they do it well, they can go public, raise a lot of money, and run away, even if it's on the US stock market.

However, if we're talking about a breakthrough point, then mini-games are still the most suitable. After all, doing e-commerce also requires money, and it's hard to get past the mental hurdle of doing e-commerce with your own money without any investment.

How can you run an internet business with your own money? Of course you have to use investors' money!

First, leverage the earning potential of mini-games to build the company's reputation and accumulate connections within the investment community. Then, launch other projects and use investors' money to develop larger projects.

Internet companies and traditional companies have different mindsets. Traditional companies generally value equity, and founders usually hold a large percentage of shares. Their investments are mainly their own capital and bank loans.

Internet companies, on the other hand, will provide funding—what is known as venture capital—as long as you have some fame, or even if you have no fame but have a good idea and plan, to help you realize your dreams.

The two have different business philosophies, resulting in different investment styles. Compared to the internet, traditional industries have a longer cycle, and few venture capital firms are willing to invest in industries with long cycles, while the internet tends to show results faster.

Compared to traditional manufacturing, the internet relies more on technology and data, such as advertising, platform services, and information exchange, which can build a platform in a very short time and quickly go public and cash out.

Going public means creating wealth; investments of hundreds of thousands or millions can yield returns of hundreds or thousands of times. It is precisely because of this that investment institutions tend to favor internet companies.

Honestly, if he had been reborn a few days earlier, before Tan Jincheng boarded the ship, he would have chosen to go to school and use that time to work in the internet industry instead of choosing a traditional industry.

A university is more than just a university; it's a platform. If you want to start a business, your classmates and mentors can become your resources and connections. Compared to society, where only profit matters, university is relatively simpler.

Secondly, every university provides some support for student entrepreneurship. You only need to submit a business plan, and you may be able to get some start-up funding. If you succeed, it is also an honor for the school.

Furthermore, your student status is a natural barrier. Legitimate business competition is fine, but if it's illegitimate or involves underhanded tactics, you might have a chance of getting away with it when dealing with competitors in the real world, but using it against students is like lighting a light in a toilet.

The best structure for Orange Technology would be for Gu Qingqing to serve as the legal representative, with Tan Jincheng remaining behind the scenes. He would use the Superstar Engine to invest in and control Orange Technology, using Gu Qingqing's status as a college student as a cover, while also gaining access to some resources from Ningbo University.

At least in terms of recruitment, Ningbo University will make things much easier for students.

"Are you interested in joining Orange Technology?" Tan Jincheng asked with a smile to Gu Qingqing, who was deep in thought.

Qingqing is interested in the internet and doing business. She also studied computer science at Ningbo University for a period of time. She will be a junior in the fall, and her coursework will not be so heavy. It is still possible for her to do something now.

I know absolutely nothing about the operation and technology of Orange Technology. All I can do is use my past life's foresight to provide ideas so that Orange Technology doesn't take too many detours. The actual development still depends on the programmers.

In terms of actual management, there is not much difference between having her and not having her. It is better to let her learn something useful and demonstrate her abilities.

"Me? Can I?" Gu Qingqing was a little surprised. This was the first time Tan Jincheng had invited her to officially join the company.

While the company didn't hide some of its business strategies from me, it never mentioned joining the company, including things like Taobao, which were just peripheral assets.

"Yes, you're interested in the internet, right? You'll be a junior in the fall and won't be too busy. You can come to the company for an internship then, and I'll hand the company over to you to manage. You can also invest if you're willing."

Internet companies like to implement equity incentives, and employees who make significant contributions will definitely be allocated a certain amount of equity in the future. Tan Jincheng will not be stingy in this regard. With a certain percentage of equity, employees will not be so easily poached.

Therefore, Tan Jincheng is open to investing in Orange Technology; of course, he cannot give away too many shares in the early stages, so as not to run out in the future.

"I don't have the money to invest, but I can get a job, though I don't have that much time this semester," Gu Qingqing said with a happy smile.

"You can either borrow from your dad or just join the company directly. Think it over carefully. But business is business, and I can only give you a maximum of 10% equity."

"Uh, are you serious?"

"Of course, I never joke about work-related matters." Giving up 10% of the equity is feasible. On the one hand, it reduces some of my financial pressure. On the other hand, having equity makes a difference in the sense of participation in the company. Those with equity will unconsciously take on the role of the boss.

Furthermore, as her career grows, Gu Qingqing, who is still on campus, doesn't feel much pressure. But things will be different after she enters the workforce. Having her own career is very important for boosting her self-confidence.

In ancient times, marriage emphasized matching social status, which naturally made some sense. Tan Jincheng and Gu Qingqing met before Tan Jincheng became wealthy. Gu Qingqing's family was well-off, but in reality, although Tan's family wasn't rich, a family with two state-owned enterprise employees wasn't considered poor in those days.

Both parents have retirement pensions, which is an advantage in any era when it comes to marriage. So, from the perspective of their original families, the two can be considered a good match. But the problem is that Tan Jin's wealth grew too quickly.

So fast that everyone who knew him, including Tan Jincheng himself, hadn't fully realized it. Nowadays, Tan Jincheng only travels in an Audi A6 and rarely brings a driver. He usually solves problems on his own.

At this time, he was not yet able to make those around him feel the pressure brought by wealth, but it should be known that this situation would not last long. Even if Tan Jincheng was unwilling to change, he would not be allowed to do so after a period of time.

As the company grows and its assets increase, the team that needs his help to manage will naturally expand. Even if he doesn't deliberately go to great lengths to travel, it's inevitable that the number of people accompanying him will increase. If Gu Qingqing still doesn't feel involved as she does now, she will feel all sorts of pressure at that time.

Even she and her family become insecure; this is the pressure that comes with wealth.

Involving Gu Qingqing and her family to some extent in a suitable way and at the right time would be a good option to reduce potential problems in their lives in the future.

Right now, Orange Technology is the best opportunity. I can't speak for others, but if we develop Happy Farm, it will definitely make money. It's a small game that is perfectly suited to the current internet environment.

Small investment, big returns; participating will bring you the sense of accomplishment that comes with entrepreneurship.

"If you're serious, then I really need to think about it carefully." Seeing Tan Jincheng's confident words, Gu Qingqing also became serious.

"Well, you should think it over carefully. You can discuss it with Uncle Gu and the others, but don't rush. I'll have time to deal with Orange Technology's affairs after I've finished dealing with the car qualification issue."

"What about recruitment and company office buildings?"

“My assistant will handle these things, but I need to contact your cousin first and ask if she's interested in coming. Also, could you keep an eye out for outstanding senior students at school and get in touch with them?”

Simple web games aren't actually that difficult. A skilled programmer can even build the basic framework by themselves, handling front-end development, back-end development, and graphic design. I've played Happy Farm and QQ Vegetable Stealing.

Planting vegetables, fertilizing, pest control, and system items—Tan Jincheng knows all of these. Its main attribute is based on social interaction, emphasizing an interactive feature. Later, it also spawned mini-games such as Happy Ranch, Parking Wars, and Friend Trading.

Tan Jincheng's idea for Happy Farm is to operate it himself for a period of time, and then sell it to QQ. Through cooperation with QQ, he plans to use QQ's ecosystem to develop some derivative mini-games, especially parking space games.

Parking games are a great way to advertise; you can put the Flash logo on cars and motorcycles. These kinds of games are very popular these days. They don't require much time, and you can have a great gaming experience just by interacting with friends.

During the long process of vying for parking spaces, cars and roadside advertisements can be displayed with the images of the brand, such as Flash, and its spokesperson, which is a great way for companies to promote themselves.

"Okay, I understand. I'll contact my cousin later."

"Well, if possible, you can also contact Ningbo University or your counselor to see if you can apply for a student entrepreneurship incentive. If so, the company's legal representative can be registered in your name. The school's resources are quite good; maybe we can even solve our venue problem."

Ningbo University is quite wealthy. If they really managed to secure preferential treatment and provide some venues and equipment, it would be very reasonable, wouldn't it?
"Huh? There's such a thing? Where did you hear this from?" Gu Qingqing really didn't know any of this.

“Universities usually offer entrepreneurship support programs. Although I am the investor, if you are both the legal representative and shareholder, it can definitely be considered a university student entrepreneurship project. I am just an investor you brought in, just trying to get some benefits.”

"I've discovered you're really cunning. You try to squeeze every little bit out of people. You only gave me 200 yuan at the beginning, wasn't that also to squeeze out some money out of people?"

"Hehe, when it comes to doing business, you should save money wherever you can."

(End of this chapter)