What's wrong with me being a rich man?

Chapter 435 Unknown
After wandering around Lingang for three days, Xing Hongyu finally met with President Yu in person.

Although he already knew the true purpose of the invitation from Lingang from the phone call, he still brought up the question again: "President Yu, you want me to come to Silicon Carbon Group to build cars with you? Not to Silicon Carbon Data? What are you thinking?"

Yu Xing calmly replied, "Didn't you say you had a non-compete agreement?"

"Then..." Xing Hongyu hesitated, unable to finish his sentence.

Yu Xingneng understood what this person meant and said, "I am willing to pay, but given Tencent's temperament, even if I pay, I probably won't be able to retain people. But Silicon Carbon Group doesn't have this risk."

The legal department has already given its opinion, and there may have been new grudges recently. In any case, the suggestion that WeChat should add a short video function was indeed made publicly and in person by Yu Xing. Therefore, Tencent may well use it as a scapegoat.

Xing Hongyu sighed; his interest in staying in Lingang was steadily waning.

If that's the case, you might as well go to another internet company.

He paused for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Mr. Yu, I never imagined that my career would lead me to a car company."

“Our vehicle infotainment system is independently developed and is considered very advanced in China. Globally, it is also one of the most advanced projects related to automotive electrification,” Yu Xing explained. “Mr. Xing, you can give yourself a new option.”

He reached out, wanting someone to come and explain the more specific system development to General Manager Xing.

Xing Hongyu stopped him: "President Yu, President Zhang has already talked to me a lot, but I really..."

He really wasn't interested.

Yu Xing tossed him a cigarette, lit one himself, and took a puff: "This isn't urgent. As for compensation, I won't offer you anything low. Mr. Xing, you could consider a change of scenery. By the way, um, there's something I'm really wondering about."

"Mr. Xing, I'm not trying to mock you, but the recent adjustments at Tencent and your resignation have both happened quite quickly."

Xing Hongyu couldn't say anything about it, mainly because the latter was hard to say. Could he really say that he made the phone call in front of Liu Chiping, which made things complicated?

He simply shook his head: "Penguins have their own trade-offs."

At this point, Xing Hongyu asked the most crucial question: "Mr. Yu, does Silicon Carbon Data intend to enter the short video market? If so, I think there might still be room for me to contribute. If not, I won't come to Silicon Carbon Group, but I will definitely come to test drive your car."

He was initially attracted by silicon carbon data because it provided him with a foundation for making contributions.

Although Tencent has made adjustments and the future of Weishi has become uncertain, Xing Hongyu remains proud and firmly believes that his thinking in this regard is correct and that there is still an opportunity to continue moving in this direction.

If all else fails, you could even consider assembling your own team to do such a project.

Xing Hongyu has been thinking about the future repeatedly these days, and in any case, the silicon carbon group is not an option.

Yu Xing wanted to give a definite answer, but facing a senior executive from Tencent who hadn't yet decided to join the Lingang camp, he couldn't give a definite answer. He could only say, "Personally, I think short videos have potential, but whether Carbon Silicon Data will do this depends on observation and the market."

Xing Hongyu was quite disappointed with this ambiguous answer.

He shook his head, stood up, and gave his final answer: "Mr. Yu, in that case, we'll wait and see..."

“Wait, Mr. Xing, since we’re already here.” Yu Xing had already read the attitude in Xing Hongyu’s body language. After thinking for a moment, he interrupted, “You are the most knowledgeable person in China when it comes to short videos. Carbon Silicon Data happens to be interested in this area and has been discussing it. So, why don’t you give them some pointers and teach them a lesson?”

After a slight hesitation, Xing Hongyu nodded in agreement.

He had also gained something from President Yu before, so this kind of exchange was nothing special; it was just a matter of talking.

Xing Hongyu bid farewell to General Manager Yu and had already made a decision regarding his trip to Lingang.

At 3 p.m., he arrived at the conference room of Silicon Carbon Data under the guidance of Zhang Yangxu. Several executives who were interested in short videos were already waiting there.

Among them, it seems that Vice President Lü Haiying holds the highest position.

After they introduced themselves, Xing Hongyu came to a general conclusion.

He didn't have much of an impression of this person, only knowing that he seemed to be a veteran who had started the business with President Yu a long time ago, and probably had made contributions to the development of carbon silicon data.

Xing Hongyu didn't have much of a desire to confide in anyone, treating it as a class, but he didn't hold back either, talking about his considerations for reducing content creation requirements for Weishi.

He noticed that Lü Haiying was nodding frequently, which made him feel somewhat comforted, as the attitude of the carbon silicon data side was still very humble.

“Mr. Xing, I’ve been thinking about content products.” Lu Haiying spoke up when Xing Hongyu was drinking water. “If we’re going to do it specifically, I think the key to operating this kind of content product is to first seize the high ground and then promote its spread.”

Xing Hongyu remained noncommittal: "High ground? How exactly do you plan to seize it?"

“The main user group for these new mobile internet products is still young and middle-aged people. People often prefer to connect with those younger than themselves.” Lu Haiying gave a specific example: “Just like Facebook, it first became popular among Harvard students, then spread to teenagers, and then to a wider range of people.”

She continued, "To put it more simply, a large group of people prefer sexually attractive individuals, like handsome men and beautiful women. They are always more eye-catching, which is beneficial for the early operation of the software."

After thinking for a while, Xing Hongyu said, "Weibo's current efforts on Miaopai are leveraging the celebrity effect to drive sales, so I guess you could call it that."

“No, no, no, Weibo’s Miaopai is still Weibo. Products like Weishi are about creating a new Weishi.” Lü Haiying had a different opinion. “To create a content product, you can use the celebrity effect, but more relatable handsome men and beautiful women in everyday life seem to have more substantial reach. Celebrities, after all, only revolve around their fan base.”

Xing Hongyu couldn't help but nod slightly, "That's true."

“I think Weishi needs to focus more on its operational strategy when it’s being promoted,” Lü Haiying said. “For content products like this, you need to conquer the hubs first and then spread to other regions. Weishi should start from first- and second-tier cities. It’s like if a product wants to succeed overseas, it should first target the US and then take advantage of the situation to attack Europe. It’s the same principle.”

Xing Hongyu found the discussion more enjoyable and praised, "President Lü, your thinking is very clear."

Lü Haiying smiled slightly: "I just did a little research out of interest."

Xing Hongyu, considering the other party's identity and current location, smiled and said, "It seems that Carbon Silicon Data has some experience in keeping up with the latest trending topics. You are a content product company, so you have this kind of experience." "No, Carbon Silicon Data is not a content company," Lü Haiying denied this definition. "If Carbon Silicon Data really wants to make short videos, although the positioning of short video products is a content platform, the company supporting it should focus more on technology and algorithms."

Xing Hongyu remained silent, lost in thought.

“The mobile internet era is inherently fragmented, and content products like Weishi need to lower the barrier to creation.” Lü Haiying mentioned a stage that Xing Hongyu has not yet achieved: “If the barrier to creation is lowered, there will inevitably be a massive explosion of user content. With a lot of content flooding in, the key issues are how to promote the content to the right people and how to filter traffic for the content.”

"This ability is not easy. Mobile internet UGC platforms will face at least three challenges after lowering the barrier to creation."

Lü Haiying held up three fingers: "First, there needs to be an efficient recommendation algorithm for matching people with information; second, there needs to be efficiency in user growth and retention; and third, there needs to be efficient commercialization."

She then elaborated on the third point: "Without efficient commercialization, simply creating a money-burning platform will make it difficult to achieve a dazzling scale in this mobile internet era."

Xing Hongyu remained silent for a moment, then said, "You..."

He felt a bit of sweat on his back, and after pacing around a few times, he said, "President Lü's requirements are very high, and it's quite difficult for Tencent to implement them at the moment."

Well... to put it another way, the domestic market is still in the exploratory stage. Before, we were discussing whether it should be independent or built-in, whether it should be 15 seconds or 6 seconds, whether it should be minimalist or have filters... and suddenly we're discussing this more forward-looking stage of development...

Two words inexplicably popped into Xing Hongyu's mind—expert.

Very knowledgeable.

He unconsciously sat up straight and continued to discuss issues such as content products and company structure.

The exchange ended that afternoon, and Xing Hongyu was somewhat reluctant to leave, but his trip to Lingang had to come to an end, and he needed to go home to continue considering his personal future.

The following afternoon, Xing Hongyu took a flight back to Shenzhen.

Because the job issue involved his family, he discussed the overall situation of this job offer with his wife, Ma Peiwen.

Ma Peiwen felt this wasn't a question worth agonizing over: "Since we're not in the internet business, what's there to think about? Wasn't 58.com showing a lot of sincerity?"

“Carbon Silicon Data has a traffic base and operational experience,” Xing Hongyu said hesitantly. “Besides, I talked to that Lü Haiying yesterday afternoon, and she’s really capable, like…like she’s had practical experience and thought things through, sigh…”

He shook his head: "If even someone as relatively unknown as Lü Haiying is like this, what must the internal workings of Carbon Silicon Data Company be like? There must be a good reason why this company has been able to develop so rapidly in the past two years."

Ma Peiwen asked in surprise, "Is she that good? How does she compare to you?"

“Compared to me…” Xing Hongyu coughed. “Don’t compare like that. After all, I led the team that created Weishi. I just feel that Carbon Silicon Data is already brewing the desire to enter the short video market.”

Ma Peiwen looked at her husband and whispered, "Aren't you going to consider 58?"

Xing Hongyu was caught in a dilemma.

It must be said that the depth and breadth of thought shown by Ms. Lü Haiying was very impressive, including her strategic considerations. Weibo is a social product, so it should start from high and work its way down, while Weishi is about content and algorithms, so it should start from low and work its way up.

If I were still working at Tencent, I would probably have to hold a meeting to discuss whether this consideration is correct or not.

Who was giving whom the lesson yesterday?

Xing Hongyu unconsciously smoked half a pack of cigarettes, unable to make up his mind for a long time.

Seeing her husband so upset, Ma Peiwen asked, "Do you still want to continue making short videos? If you don't go to Carbon Silicon Data Company, are there no other companies in China that can satisfy your urge?"

She knows her husband's business has failed three times in a row, but he still keeps focusing on short videos, probably driven by a strong desire to prove himself.

With two large dark circles under his eyes, Xing Hongyu slowly said, "Since you asked me that, I think Carbon Silicon Data has a better foundation. Their latest hot topic is researching recommendation algorithms, and they've poached a lot of people from Baidu."

Ma Peiwen nodded and said seriously, "Then just do what you want. Our whole family supports you."

Xing Hongyu thought about the adjusted Weishi and the shelved strategic plans. After thinking for a long time, he took out his phone and solemnly sent a message to President Yu: "President Yu, I can go to Carbon Silicon Group. If Carbon Silicon Data wants to make short videos in the future, please give me priority consideration."

Soon, Yu Xing replied with a message: "Welcome Mr. Xing to Lingang. Carbon Silicon Data also greatly appreciates Mr. Xing's abilities. Our business will definitely have a brighter future (handshake)."

Xing Hongyu shared his thoughts and made a statement, saying that although his ultimate goal is Silicon Carbon Data, he will do his best to join Silicon Carbon Group.

Yu Xing glanced at the long message in his office, quickly scanned it, and put down his phone. He then asked Lü Haiying, who happened to be there to report on her work, "What do you think of Xing Hongyu from Penguin yesterday? I think your conversation went well. He just told me he's willing to come to Hong Kong."

"Really? Hmm, Xing Hongyu... not bad." Lü Haiying gave an evaluation, then added a few more words, "Just not bad."

“I think Xing Hongyu has done a good job of building Weishi under Tencent’s environment, so his evaluation should be adjusted in terms of weighting,” Yu Xing said with a smile. “I’ve talked to him several times. He’s not the kind of person who gets stuck on details. I plan to observe him for a while after he comes to Silicon Carbon Group. If it’s feasible, I’ll try to bring him to Singapore to help out. What do you think?”

He consulted with the head of MusVid.

As for the non-compete agreement, the specific terms from Tencent are currently unclear. However, since it involves an independent overseas company and does not constitute a direct competitive relationship, and the company provides similar technical consulting services under the name of Silicon Carbon Group, the risk is greatly reduced.

Lu Haiying laughed and said, "That works. Mus is indeed short of people. President Xing is experienced in leading teams. We can hone their skills and use them to launch a counterattack in the domestic market in the future."

Yu Xing was also considering this.

Seeing that her senior brother had nothing more to say, Lü Haiying brought up a task she had been working on recently: "Senior brother, the person in charge of sales for the Asia-Pacific region at Facebook is a Chinese person. I won't show my face. Let the Mus Singapore team contact him and see how to boost his sales performance."

Yu Xing asked, "What are the rules?"

Lu Haiying succinctly put it: "It's a frenzy of traffic and money."

(End of this chapter)