The richest person in Chinese entertainment

Chapter 87 Finally short of money?
[Sir, are you there?] Zhang Chen's first online friend carefully sent a message to Zhang Chen.

[Yes, what's up?] Zhang Chen was not in a hurry and had to wait for the other party to bring it up.

[It’s like this. Last time you said you wanted to invest in our company. Do you still have this idea? ]

[If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten. Are you short of funds?] Zhang Chen had to break the window paper first.

[Well, we do have some financial difficulties, but our software is definitely worth your investment. ]

[I do have this idea, but I need to investigate. Is it convenient for me to go to your company?] Zhang Chen knew that the current environment of their company was not good, but this was actually a good thing for Zhang Chen who wanted to invest.

The more embarrassed the other party is, the less bargaining chips they have.

[Of course, you are welcome to visit us at any time. ]

"Xiao Ma is so polite, it seems that you have really reached the end of your rope."

The two agreed to meet in Shenzhen at the end of this month, and the specific investment details will have to be decided after the two have a face-to-face interview.

In November, the temperature in Shenzhen is still mild.

At the door of a small office in SEG Technology Park, Zhang Chen knocked on the door of Penguin.

Because it was a glass door, Xiao Ma, who hurried out, saw Zhang Chen and others standing outside the door at a glance.

His face was originally filled with deep fatigue and haggardness, but when he saw Zhang Chen, his eyes lit up again.

"I really didn't expect that you are really Zhang Chen?" Xiao Ma Ge was very surprised that his online friend was actually the big star Zhang Chen.

"Hello, Mr. Ma. Sorry to have kept you waiting." Zhang Chen smiled and shook hands with Brother Ma.

Zhang Chen also followed Pony Ma's guidance to a small conference room, where he met the other three founders.

"Mr. Zhang, please take a look at our business plan." Xiao Ma Ge took the business plan from another partner and handed it to Zhang Chen.

The address also changed from Zhang Chen to Mr. Zhang, which seemed more formal.

In fact, the other three partners still haven’t figured out how come the person who came to invest is such a big star as Zhang Chen?

Even if they don't pay much attention to news in the entertainment industry, they know how famous Zhang Chen has been in the domestic and even global entertainment industry in the past two years.

How could such a famous star be interested in their little-known company? And he even came to investigate in person.

But the reality does not allow them to have any other choice, or they have no choice at all.

OICQ has now initially achieved its expected goals, with the number of users exceeding the target and reaching more than 100 million.

But what followed was a sharp increase in operating costs.

You have to know that supporting so many users chatting online requires a huge server as support.

Penguin currently does not have its own servers, but rents servers from operators.

But even if the rental price is cheaper than purchasing the server, Penguin, which has no profit model, has fallen into a desperate situation where its cash flow is about to be cut off.

Zhang Chen's arrival undoubtedly lit a beacon of hope for the four of them in their despair.

Everyone knows that Zhang Chen is not short of money, so they are now looking forward to Zhang Chen agreeing to the investment after reading the business plan. Going further, what are the benefits of celebrity investment?
The first and most obvious thing is that they can take advantage of Zhang Chen's reputation and push the company's products to the market. Riding on Zhang Chen's path is the best way to promote the company.

Other companies spend money to find big stars to endorse their products to increase the exposure of their company's products.

What about them? The stars give money to their companies in return, so if this isn’t making a lot of money, then what is it?

Another issue is company management. Can a big star compete with them for the management of a company? The two are not in the same profession at all.

In this way, the founding team can also maintain its voice in the company.

Perhaps the only downside is that they are afraid that Zhang Chen, an outsider, will come to direct their work, but considering Zhang Chen's current age, that is impossible. Given Zhang Chen's fame and status, will he be like them, shrinking in such a small office and working hard to start a business?

Zhang Chen flipped through the dozen-page business plan in his hand.

The content inside is also very simple.

First, the origin of OICQ was introduced. It originated from a bidding project in a certain region. Although the bid was not successful, the team could not bear to give up the software that they had worked so hard to develop.

So these people started this company together.

At the same time, the company's current operating status was also introduced, mainly highlighting the data that it has more than 100 million users.

They know that this is the most important factor in attracting investment.

Even if you haven't found a profit point yet, with a huge customer base, you will find a way to make money one day.

Finally, they also elaborated on the future development direction of the company.

To sum up: our birth is hard, our present is beautiful, and our future is bright.

If all the words are condensed into two words, it would be: send money!
"Mr. Ma, according to my investigation, it seems that ICQ sent you a lawyer's letter some time ago?" Zhang Chen pointed out another dilemma that Penguin is facing now.

The original author sues for infringement, what should I do?
"ICQ is about to be acquired, but we just need to change the name, and other problems will not be a big deal." Xiao Ma Ge had discussed this in the previous meeting.

ICQ sued them mainly because Penguin's current instant messaging software has obvious duplication of names. So after the name was changed, the source code was different, so there was naturally no way to file an infringement case.

"Mr. Ma, I don't seem to see any way for your company to make profits in the future?" Zhang Chen closed the business plan and clapped his hands.

After hearing what Zhang Chen said, Xiao Ma Ge became a little anxious. They finally found an investor who satisfied them in all aspects. How could they let Zhang Chen down?

In fact, they didn't expect that Zhang Chen, at his age, was not easy to fool.

It may also have something to do with their personalities. Born as IT guys, they are not the kind of people who are good at speaking.

"Look, I actually like your app because it allows me to chat with my friends online in real time, which is much more convenient than email."

"But business is business, and I don't see a future in terms of future profit prospects."

Zhang Chen paused, letting the four people in front of him digest the information, and then continued, "But in order for me and my friends to continue chatting online, I can invest, but it also depends on your sincerity."

Zhang Chen’s meaning was very clear, that is, I can pay for my convenience, but it also depends on the price.

After finishing speaking, Zhang Chen left the meeting room, giving the partners time to discuss.

(End of this chapter)