Chapter 799 Campus Network
Beijing, Haifeng Community.
In a three-bedroom apartment, there were a few desks casually placed and there was not even a sign at the door. Wang Xing, who had just turned 25, started his entrepreneurial journey here with his college roommate Wang Huiwen and high school buddy Lai Binqiang.
The project they are working on is called Duoduoyou.
As the name suggests, this is a typical social networking site. You have to register, publish some of your information or nickname, and then make new friends through the Internet.
Wang Xing, who studied abroad in the United States, firmly believes in the theory of six degrees of separation. He believes that although the world is large and there are many people, in fact any two people can be connected through the relationship of six friends.
Lai Binqiang rubbed his hair, which had become greasy after not washing it for several days, and complained to Wang Xing: "We don't have enough funds. If we don't find a way to come up with some profitable projects or trick investors into taking over, I'm afraid we won't be able to survive until next month."
Wang Huiwen also looked melancholy and pessimistic about the company's future: "After half a year of hard work, we have not made any money and have even spent all our capital. We can't continue like this."
Although the two complained, Wang Xing knew very well that they had not lost their entrepreneurial passion and still remained optimistic and had dreams for their projects.
The same is true for Wang Xing.
He encouraged the two and said, "The difficulties are only temporary. The 21st century is the century of information. I don't believe that we can't take off standing on the cusp of the Internet."
Despite the setbacks, Wang Xing still maintains his fighting spirit.
Before the age of 25, Wang Xing had a typical three-good student experience. He was admitted to Shuimu University from Longyan No. 1 Middle School. Like his sister, he became a top student. After graduation, he received a scholarship to study in the United States.
On Christmas Day of 2003, Wang Xing boarded a plane back to China with a clear entrepreneurial plan.
Seeing the success of the SNS website FriendStar in the United States and the lack of such a model in China, he founded several SNS websites as a test. Although he did not achieve anything successful, he did accumulate certain entrepreneurial experience. At least he became familiar with the process.
It was not until the beginning of this year that 25-year-old Wang Xing made up his mind to interrupt his doctoral studies in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Delaware in the United States and return to China to start a business. He also directly called on his roommate at Shuimu University, Wang Huiwen, and his high school friend Lai Binqiang.
Duoduoyou is his first entrepreneurial project.
When it comes to doing business, Wang Xing also has a family background in this field.
His father, Wang Miao, had an extraordinary business acumen. He used to work as a construction worker, moving bricks and carrying cement. After the reform and opening up, the domestic construction industry gradually prospered. Wang Miao also saw the potential in this industry and started to contract projects himself, becoming a contractor and earning his first pot of gold.
Following Deng Xiaoping’s speech during his southern tour in 1992, the domestic economic situation underwent new changes. Wang Miao and several friends seized the business opportunity and set up a cement factory with a capital of 3 million yuan. They eventually built a net worth of over 100 million yuan and became one of the first people to become rich after the reform and opening up.
So at this time, Wang Xing was actually a wealthy second-generation, but he did not live the luxurious life of a "rich second-generation". Just talking about learning, it is not something that can be bought with money, but an achievement he achieved with his own real ability.
When it comes to starting a business, he is extremely opinionated.
During his years in the United States, Wang Xing witnessed the prosperous development of the local Internet in the United States.
In particular, in 2003, the world's first SNS website Friendster was officially launched in the United States and became a huge hit. This coincided with Wang Xing's idea in college, which shocked him greatly.
This made Wang Xing, who was already very sensitive to business opportunities, see a huge business opportunity. Wang Xing believed that the Internet would inevitably be the new development direction of Xiaguo in the future and that it had an extremely huge market in China.
In order to start his own business, he even rejected the 8 million annual salary offered by Ma Jieke and Wan Da Lao Wang, because he had a burning passion for entrepreneurship in his heart.
After more than four months of "intensive construction", Wang Xing's first entrepreneurial product "Duoduoyou" was officially launched, targeting the community social sector. He is "obsessed" with the "Six Degrees of Separation Theory" and firmly believes that this product can "sell well" and will definitely "make a big splash".
However, reality gave him a wake-up call.
Although he was verbally encouraging and comforting his good friend, he actually knew in his heart that the project had failed again.
He muttered silently in his heart: "Is this the end? I really can't accept this."
There is no doubt that he has invested too much enthusiasm in this project, and it would be hard for him to accept it if it ended like this.
"Actually, we're just a little bit short, but we're out of money. Should I go ask Dad to borrow some money?"
At this moment, the ringing of the phone interrupted his thoughts. He picked up the phone and introduced himself, saying, "Hello, this is Duoduoyou. May I ask who you are..."
"I'm Lu Yiming."
A voice that sounded very familiar to Wang Xing came from the other end of the phone, which stunned him for a moment.
"Lu Yiming? Asia's richest man Lu Yiming?"
Wang Xing was stunned for a long time and almost thought he had encountered a scam call. After all, he really couldn't figure out when he was related to Mr. Lu, the richest man. It was like an ordinary person who woke up one day and received a text message from Qin Shihuang.
"You...are you really Mr. Lu?"
Wang Xing felt that his voice was shaking uncontrollably when he spoke.
Lu Yiming is his idol!
After all, he had already made his mark in his teens and became the richest man in Asia in his twenties. Such a talented young man is simply what everyone calls "the child of other people's family."
Wang Xing would never have dreamed that Lu Yiming would call him.
Yes, of course he had fantasized about Lu Yiming investing in him, but wasn’t that a fantasy?
Now, my fantasy has come true and the phone call really came!
Wang Xing couldn't help pinching his thigh.
It hurts a lot.
This is true!
This is not a dream!
Just as Wang Xing was dazed and thinking about what he should say, Lu Yiming on the other end of the phone said, "Yes, I am Lu Yiming, absolutely. I have a project that I would like to cooperate with you on. I wonder if you are interested? If so, you can come to the headquarters building of Future Capital in Baiyun City to discuss in detail. I can reimburse you for the airfare."
Wang Xing certainly had the money for the plane ticket, but he took this matter very seriously.
Isn’t it Mr. Lu himself? Just go and take a look and you’ll know.
"Okay, Mr. Lu, I will definitely be there!"
After hanging up the phone, Wang Xing almost jumped up with joy, clapping his hands and shouting, "Brothers, brothers, our luck is about to change."
Lai Binqiang raised his head and asked, "When did your luck turn? Did you win the lottery?"
Wang Huiwen asked, "Or is there any new project?"
Wang Xing was so happy today that he even teased the two of them: "Do you know who called me just now?"
Wang Huiwen curled his lips and said, "Didn't you just say it yourself? It's Asia's richest man, Lu Yiming?"
Wang Xing couldn't help scratching his head, chuckled, and said, "Ah, it seems so. Mr. Lu called me and said he wanted to cooperate with me."
Lai Binqiang yawned and said nonchalantly, "Mr. Lu wants to cooperate with you? What kind of cooperation? What do we have that Mr. Lu would like? Don't tell me you've met a liar."
Wang Xing said, "He's definitely not a scammer. Not only did Mr. Lu reimburse us for our airfare, he also asked us to go to Future Capital's headquarters for a detailed discussion. If he was a scammer, would he have let us go? Wouldn't we have been exposed if we went there?"
After hearing what Wang Xing said, Lai Binqiang and Wang Huiwen believed it, and both of them had an expression of "after being a daughter-in-law for many years, she finally became a mother-in-law" on their faces.
Lu Yiming's status in Xia Country's investment circle at this time is no different from that of a god. Being able to cooperate with the richest man is a good thing that many people hope for!
Isn’t it obvious that Duoduoyou is going to make a comeback?
Lai Binqiang urged, "Okay, don't think about those messy things, pack up and go to Baiyun City. The project that Mr. Lu wants to cooperate on is definitely invincible!"
"Yes, we must seize this opportunity."
Seeing how impatient Lao Binqi and Wang Huiwen were, Wang Xing hesitated and said, "Don't we have several projects on hand? The Wandering Son Picture is already halfway done, right? Are we just going to abandon it like this?"
In order to make money, in recent months, Wang Xing and his two companions have been doing whatever can make money. They no longer dare to hope to become rich and famous overnight, but are working hard to keep the company alive.
For example, they created an event invitation website called "DianYao" which was modeled after the American Invite website; they developed a software called "Wap Relay Station" that can transfer files between mobile phones and computers; they even developed a pinyin input method software called "JustInput", and basically they launch a new product every two months.
What I'm working on recently is a software called "Youzitu", which is a professional software designed to help students studying abroad print photos and send them to their parents, mainly for overseas users.
This is a very specialized service website. When Wang Xing was studying abroad, he found that digital technology was very developed abroad and his parents were not used to surfing the Internet. Youzitu allows overseas students to send digital photos to China and pay by credit card. Youzitu will print them out and send them to their parents.
Obviously, Youzitu's service target is very single, belonging to a niche within a niche. Don't expect to make much money from this. At most, it can keep the company alive - if it can be successfully launched.
At this time, the business of Duoduoyou was in a bleak state. It was as bad as it could be. Its lifespan was basically being counted in weeks. If it couldn't make any more money, Wang Xing could only go back and wait to inherit his father's cement factory and be a plain and boring rich second generation in his hometown.
But this is not the life he wants!
Wang Huiwen said, "Okay, don't think about those messy things. Go meet Mr. Lu first. We have been tossing around so much, but maybe Mr. Lu's words are not enough to make a difference. Besides, if we can get Mr. Lu's investment, isn't it better than messing around here?"
Lai Binqiang also said, "That's right. Mr. Lu is a well-known Midas Touch in the investment circle. Not only did he succeed in starting his own business at a young age, but he is also good at investing. The start-ups he has invested in are now booming. Aren't you very optimistic about Facebook recently? Its angel round was invested by Mr. Lu!"
After hearing the two's advice, Wang Xing immediately made up his mind: "Okay, let's put the company's business aside for now and go meet Mr. Lu together."
The three people flew to Baiyun City and soon found the Future Capital headquarters building.
There is no other way. The newly built Future Capital headquarters building is now a landmark building in the entire Baiyun City. If you tell any taxi driver that you want to go to the Future Capital headquarters, the driver will take you to the destination accurately.
It’s just like in Zhonghai, as long as you tell the driver to go to the Oriental Pearl Tower, you will definitely find it.
After getting off the taxi, the three people raised their heads and looked at the towering Future Capital headquarters building, with nothing but amazement in their eyes.
Wang Xing joked: "After watching this for half an hour, I think my cervical spondylosis will be cured."
Lai Binqiang looked up, his eyes fixed in a trance, and exclaimed, "This is the headquarters building of Future Capital. It cost 8 billion just to build it!"
Wang Huiwen took a deep breath, then exhaled heavily, and said with emotion: "We are all 25 years old, about the same age as Mr. Lu, but we don't even have 800,000 in our account. This is the gap between people."
Wang Xing said hopefully: "So we should work harder. Maybe in ten years, we can also build a headquarters building like this."
The three people stood at the door and watched enough. Wang Xing waved his hand and said, "Stop looking. You look so ignorant. If someone saw you, they would laugh at you."
"You are the same, aren't you? You are just as bad as me, and you're still blaming us."
The three of them were in a very good mood. After all, being able to get in touch with the richest man Lu was better than anything else and could make people happy.
Walking into the magnificent hall on the first floor, the three people were like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden, their eyes glancing around everywhere, looking dazzled.
“Isn’t that diving bull statue solid gold?”
"Definitely not. It should be copper plated with gold."
"That's pretty cool. And this crystal chandelier, I think it costs more than a house."
A few people looked around and then came to the front desk with excitement and trepidation.
The incredibly pretty receptionist said, "Welcome to Future Capital Headquarters. What business are you here for?"
The three of them were so nervous facing the pretty receptionist that they couldn't speak. In the end, Wang Xing spoke first: "Hello... Hello... We are here to meet Mr. Lu."
"You guys want to meet Mr. Lu? Do you have an appointment?"
The three of them looked at each other, and Wang Xing said uncertainly, "Yes...right?"
After all, it was Lu Yiming who called them.
"Okay, wait a moment, I'll ask."
The receptionist made a phone call, said a few words and hung up, walked around the front desk counter, and said to the three people: "Okay, follow me."
The receptionist took the three people directly to the door of Lu Yiming's office on the top floor by elevator, knocked on the door, and said, "Mr. Lu, Mr. Wang and others are here."
Soon, Lu Yiming's voice came from the loudspeaker next to the door: "I know, let them in."
"OK."
The three people entered Lu Yiming's office, took a look, and opened their mouths in surprise.
This entire floor is Lu Yiming's office, and there are no partitions. All four sides are transparent glass curtain walls. Through the glass curtain walls, you can directly see the scenery of the entire Baiyun City, which is simply magnificent and beautiful.
The entire office is covered with beige carpet, which is warm and elegant in color. Paired with a large white leather sofa, a sense of luxury immediately arises.
Lu Yiming had just finished playing a game of Spider Solitaire on his computer when he came to the sofa area and asked everyone to sit down: "Please take a seat, all three of you. What would you like to drink? Coffee, tea, or Coke? Or how about some red wine?"
Wang Xing quickly said, "Just drink tea, just drink tea."
Lu Yiming called out, "Sister Yu, bring me a pot of Longjing tea."
"OK."
Lu Yiming smiled and said to the three people, "Don't be nervous, I won't eat you. The main reason I asked you to come here today is that I am impressed by your abilities and want to cooperate with you on a project."
Wang Xing was the first to calm down. He sorted out his thoughts and asked Lu Yiming: "Mr. Lu, can you tell us what the project is?"
After all, everyone was still confused from the time they received the news until now. They had no idea why Lu Yiming approached them and what he liked about them.
Lu Yiming did not answer his question directly, but said: "I invested in a social networking site abroad called Facebook. Have you heard of it?"
Wang Xing said: "Of course, I have used it. This website is very popular in the United States. Almost every college student has an account. And many international students in China also like it very much."
Lu Yiming nodded slightly and said, "I've heard of it, so that's easy. I plan to invest in building a similar social networking site in China. In the early stage, I will rely on domestic universities for layout, and then cover high schools and junior high schools, and even open to the whole society for registration. The tentative name is Campus Network. What do you think?"
When Wang Xing heard Lu Yiming say this, he suddenly felt as if he was slapped hard on the top of his head. Then a ray of light shone in, directly illuminating his thoughts.
At the same time, he felt a little annoyed in his heart - Yeah, why didn't I think of it? Facebook is so popular on campus in the United States, so I can just copy this thing and enter the university campus in Xia Country. Isn't this a super entrepreneurial project?
It was just a pity that now that Lu Yiming had proposed this idea, he certainly didn’t dare to say that he also had this idea, so he exclaimed loudly afterwards: “I think it’s very good!”
