What's wrong with me being a rich man?

Chapter 434 A New Beginning

Believe in the turning point.

The turning point is important, but the belief that precedes it is also important.

In the second week of December, Alibaba's WeChat updated its features, allowing users to upload 15-second short videos to their Moments.

This is probably the least surprising new feature WeChat has ever introduced; WeChat has chosen to integrate the feature into its platform rather than developing a separate market for short videos.

Similarly, an unsurprising question once again confronted Tencent's WeChat: to join or not to join?

The day after WeChat updated, WeChat followed suit without hesitation, seemingly ready to implement this feature.

With the continued competition between the two giants, Tencent's changes in the short video market are more noteworthy. It has made a minor adjustment within the group, transferring the original Weishi team to Weiliao, while still operating the "Weishi" brand independently, but also providing product support for Weiliao.

WeChat is a key product within Tencent and has the most resources, while Weishi, although having fewer resources, was previously on the same level. However, this adjustment brings Weishi under the control of WeChat.

According to Tencent, this is to better integrate the resources of the two software programs. However, the general interpretation in the industry is that Tencent's strategic bias is quite obvious.

After all, one is a real instant messaging service that can bring real success, while the other is a vague and still exploratory short video market.

As an observer who cares most about its competitors, Yu Xing believes that this means Tencent has completed its strategic decision.

Under the system of large companies, Weishi, unable to obtain more resources, will only become less and less noticeable, and the decision-making of the person in charge will also be greatly interfered with. Moreover, there is also competition from the outside world in various forms.

Yu Xing had to bring up his concerns about Xing Hongyu's fate, because Tencent simply didn't believe that Weishi could bring about a turning point in the company's development.

Soon, he found that he didn't need to worry anymore.

Yu Xing hadn't heard the rumors, but he saw Xing Hongyu's latest video on Weishi, with a simple caption: "A new beginning."

He really didn't think the merger of Weishi into Wechat was a new beginning, and boldly commented under the video: "Quitted?"

Xing Hongyu did not reply.

During a break from eating, Yu Xing added another comment: "Do you have a non-compete clause?"

Soon, he discovered that his comment had been deleted, unsure whether it was automatically deleted by the software or by Xing Hongyu himself.

Yu Xing thought about it and didn't care. Life will make the best arrangements. Judging from the current situation, the best arrangement for President Xing is definitely not at Tencent.

That evening, he wasn't too surprised to receive a long string of messages from Xing Hongyu on WeChat, the theme of which was still the bright future of short videos represented by Weishi.

Yu Xing patiently read through the contents, finding the words interspersed among them: "voluntary resignation," "big company mentality," "helplessness," "hesitation," etc.

He thought for a moment and replied with a few words: "What are you hesitating about?"

Xing Hongyu quickly sent another long string of text messages.

As an executive who has almost certainly lost three times in a row, his current situation is awkward. He no longer has control over the Weishi product, and his previous strategy of lowering the creative threshold by introducing internal resources such as QQ Music and Tencent Video has been temporarily shelved.

Because of this situation, Xing Hongyu talked and argued with the company several times, but in the end, he resigned in despair, feeling that he could no longer shine in the exciting project of Weishi.

The last time he saw President Liu Chiping, he issued a warning with regret: "Carbon Silicon Data will definitely enter the short video market! Yu Xing is provoking WeChat in this way to eliminate the threat from Tencent in this direction! You will definitely regret it!"

However, even if you resign, you still have many options.

Xing Hongyu was offered a place to stay, but after expressing his intention to leave, he was also offered many more ecological pit positions where he could better utilize his abilities.

For example, 58.com, which received investment from Tencent, quickly offered the position of senior vice president, who could be in charge of the technology engineering platform department.

Even Yao Jinbo, the CEO of 58.com, made a special trip to have a face-to-face talk with him, showing great sincerity. He not only concretized the power of the senior vice president, but also mentioned the future development of 58.com. He said that they are currently considering acquiring Anjuke. If the deal goes through, Xing Hongyu can also be responsible for the technology integration and strategic implementation of Anjuke in the future.

The path from Penguin to Penguin+ is a common practice for Penguin executives to move within the internal ecosystem, and it also mitigates the potential risks of non-compete agreements to some extent.

Xing Hongyu's resignation was not an impulsive decision. Although he was annoyed, he carefully considered the current situation. Weishi had been surpassed by Weichat, and there was no point in him staying there. He might as well find another way out.

The invitation from 58.com is a direction worth considering.

It's just...

Don't even mention it, Mr. Yu just asked, could Lingang be a possible option for re-employment?
Upon realizing this, Xing Hongyu suddenly felt a pang of regret. He hadn't conducted a thorough investigation or rigorous analysis; he had simply relied on his subjective feelings to issue the premonition and warning to Liu Chiping…

The prediction is a bit too early.

That's a pretty harsh warning.

After much deliberation, Xing Hongyu sent a message of reflection to President Yu via WeChat, and then expressed his hesitation about taking on a senior management position at 58.com.

After he finished sending the long message, he held his breath and waited anxiously for the response from the other side.

Yu Xing replied, "58 is not bad either."

He then offered his personal assessment of the changes at Weishi and Xing Hongyu's resignation: "Weishi's defeat was not due to any fault in its strategy."

As Xing Hongyu looked at the words "not a fault of war," he momentarily put aside his own future and felt a surge of extremely complex emotions.

He was actually quite frustrated. He had noticed the emergence and development of short video apps abroad at the beginning of the year, and then considered the domestic market potential and Tencent's situation. He then successfully took on the role of the person in charge to start a new project, and the market quickly verified the feasibility of this direction.

The project was validated, the general office supported it, and resources were promised. It was a time when everyone was in high spirits... but suddenly the situation took a sharp turn for the worse!

Xing Hongyu felt a sense of bewilderment, as if he didn't know what had happened and that it had just vanished without him even realizing it.

At this very moment, the direct cause of this situation lies on the other end of the phone.

However... he didn't make the decision to adjust the company, and the external competitive threats weren't... oh no, he did have some responsibility for the external competitive threats, but overall, it seems there's no need to resent the other party.

After careful consideration of the other party's evaluation, Xing Hongyu said, "A defeat is a defeat, but the short video sector still has potential."

He originally wanted to add, "The resources in Tencent's hands still give it a fighting chance in the future," but then he deleted it, deciding not to mention Tencent and only to talk about the market.

Then he waited and waited, and suddenly the other end stopped replying...

Xing Hongyu waited until bedtime without receiving a reply. He woke up suddenly in the middle of the night, and his first instinct was to grab his phone, but still no reply. He felt quite disappointed. Compared to 58.com, if Carbon Silicon Data could offer a suitable position, it seemed like a better choice. The latter is a company focused on mobile internet, with rich R&D and operational experience, and has already developed excellent apps.

Although Carbon Silicon Data is now facing ecosystem competition from Tencent, and all three software programs have similar projects colliding, it is still more promising than 58.com. More importantly, Mr. Yu is known for his excellent treatment of employees.

Xing Hongyu had discussed many considerations regarding short videos with Yu Xing and was convinced that the latter had the idea of ​​entering the short video market. Just like his angry warning to Liu Chiping, carbon silicon data had the potential to get started.

It wasn't until noon the next day that Xing Hongyu received a new message on WeChat.

“I was busy with something yesterday, Mr. Xing. Do you have a non-compete agreement?” Yu Xing asked a question that Xing Hongyu did not answer directly.

This time, Xing Hongyu didn't give a long explanation and answered directly: "It's signed, for a term of two years."

Yu Xing was not surprised by this answer. Tencent and Alibaba are about the same in this regard, while Baidu is the most lenient.

After a brief moment of thought, he asked the other party, "Mr. Xing, although Weishi failed, I think your idea is still good. You can try coming to Silicon Carbon."

Upon receiving the invitation, Xing Hongyu's emotions suddenly calmed down.

He was silent for a moment, then asked, "This non-compete agreement..."

"When you have time, come to Lingang to relax." Yu Xing said, and then pushed his secretary's WeChat contact card over. "Add my secretary, you can ask him directly if you need anything, I have to go to a meeting."

Xing Hongyu added Zhang Yangxu on WeChat and replied with four words: "Thank you, President Yu."

In any case, the competition at Tencent is at the company level, and there's no need to tie one's future career to their former employer. The only problem lies in the non-compete agreement... But since Mr. Yu still says so, it means he's willing to bear the costs in this regard.

Xing Hongyu was filled with thoughts, but he still had some concerns. If he went to court in this matter, in addition to the breach of contract fees, it seemed that he could also continue to demand the ownership of the work within the specified period. In that case, he would have to pay money but would not be able to work at Carbon Silicon Data, so it would all be for nothing.

As for whether the company takes it seriously or not...

Hard to say.

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Xing Hongyu continued to fulfill his work handover duties at Tencent, while temporarily shelving the invitation from 58.com, saying that he "wanted to take a break."

Penguins hand over their jobs very quickly; there are more vacancies than openings, and many people are eyeing the good positions.

Xing Hongyu, being quite sensible, stopped expressing his anger.

Ironically, just as he was about to leave Tencent, he received another call from President Liu Chiping.

"Hongyu, do you really have to leave?" Liu Chiping politely tried to persuade him to stay.

If they really wanted to retain them, they wouldn't have waited until the last day to make the call.

Xing Hongyu was also very polite: "Mr. Liu, I really want to take a rest."

Liu Chiping continued to try to persuade him to stay, and seeing Xing Hongyu's resolute attitude, he asked, "Hongyu, have you decided where you're going next? What direction are you interested in? I'll keep an eye out for you. Some friends also hope that someone with talent like you will go there and shine."

Xing Hongyu has an impressive professional resume. He graduated from Tsinghua University with a degree in Electronic Engineering and then joined IBM's China Research and Development Center. He later joined Tencent in 05 and worked in three business areas: search, microblog, and short video.

Although the penguin suffered three defeats in three battles, it can also be said that it fought on despite repeated setbacks, demonstrating its tenacious will and rich experience.

“These past few years have been too tiring. I’ll go back and get a good night’s sleep first, and then I’ll think about what I can do next,” Xing Hongyu said. “Thank you, Mr. Liu. I’m not in a hurry to get back to work. Maybe I’ll take a walk and see the sea.”

Liu Chiping expressed some regret, and after a moment of contemplation, he explained once again the decision to adjust Weishi that had been passed at the Tencent headquarters.

This is a decision made from the perspective of the overall situation and has been recognized by the majority.

Xing Hongyu expressed his understanding, saying that this was indeed the overall decision made by Tencent after weighing the pros and cons.

He ended the call, thanked his colleague, left Penguin, and went home to sleep.

The next day, Xing Hongyu took the earliest flight to Lingang and saw the sea.

Compared to the South China Sea near Shenzhen, the East China Sea here is quite nice too.

When Xing Hongyu arrived at the Silicon Carbon Group, he didn't see President Yu. The other party had just gone out to discuss cooperation with suppliers. However, President Yu's secretary was very enthusiastic. After a brief introduction, he pulled him along to see the prototype car of the Silicon Carbon Group.

To be honest, Xing Hongyu was also very curious about silicon carbide electric vehicles. He was quite impressed when he saw the prototype that was already running.

He personally test-drove it and asked a question that was similar to that of his visitors: "Mr. Zhang, this is a six-seater, it's quite a niche product, isn't it?"

"Yes, the company has done market research and is confident in this area," Zhang Yangxu replied earnestly, adding, "Now we still need to test and optimize, including ensuring that the production equipment is in place. As for the system architecture, we are currently developing our own in-vehicle infotainment system."

Xing Hongyu listened very attentively.

Previously, I mostly communicated with Mr. Yu remotely, and our roles were different. Now, I may be developing my career here. It is a good way to observe and understand Mr. Yu's style by looking at the people around him.

So far, the biggest impression Zhang Yangxu has left is his "seriousness." He even gave a serious and comprehensive introduction to the tram project to a visitor like himself, which speaks volumes about his dedication.

During dinner in the cafeteria that evening, Xing Hongyu still brought up the biggest obstacle to his arrival in Lingang: the non-compete agreement with Tencent.

"No problem, Mr. Xing, don't worry." Zhang Yangxu assured him, "It's none of our business."

Xing Hongyu was somewhat surprised, but also a little worried: "I just left that company. If I come to Lingang, I might still stand out. What if a lawsuit breaks out? What about the resources here..."

He believed that President Yu must have connections in Lingang, but Tencent's connections there had already been tested, and this kind of thing was not easy to handle.

Zhang Yangxu laughed and said, "Why should they sue? Our Carbon Silicon Group manufactures cars; it's none of their business!"

Xing Hongyu was about to nod when he suddenly froze: "Wait, Mr. Zhang, wait, building cars? No, I mean, I mean... uh, is this the silicon-carbon you were talking about, Mr. Yu?"

Zhang Yangxu was a little surprised: "Yes, President Yu said he was coming to the Silicon Carbon Group, but there was no non-compete agreement at all."

Xing Hongyu swallowed hard: "Does that mean we're affiliated with the Silicon Carbon Group?"

Seeing this, Zhang Yangxu hesitated a bit: "President Yu said that the vehicle system is also short of people. Uh, there shouldn't be any mistake, right?"

Xing Hongyu pulled out his WeChat and saw Mr. Yu's message, "Try silicon carbide," and was momentarily at a loss. Maybe I should just go to 58.com...

(End of this chapter)