Back to 1997, I became the originator of online literature

Chapter 483 Investing in Ahri, Can It Predict the Future?

"me?"

Cao Sheng smiled as he thought of the male protagonist in "Ode to Gallantry". "My favorite is 'Dog Bastard'. Has Mr. Ma read 'Ode to Gallantry'?"

Upon hearing this, Jack Ma was taken aback at first, then his eyes lit up. “‘Bastard’ Shi Potian? I’ve read it! That Shi Potian who’s so infuriating when he talks, yet no one can beat him! If you hadn’t mentioned it, I almost wouldn’t have remembered that this book was also written by Master Jin.”

Cao Sheng was a little surprised.

This book is not as popular as Jin Yong's other works, such as The Legend of the Condor Heroes, The Return of the Condor Heroes, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, and The Deer and the Cauldron.

Many people in China don't actually have the habit of reading novels. Most people learn about Jin Yong's works through film and television adaptations of his works.

However, "The Knight Errant" has been adapted into film and television dramas very rarely.

It seems that at the end of last year, a TV series called "Xia Ke Xing" was broadcast. Cao Sheng was not sure if Jack Ma learned about "Xia Ke Xing" from this TV series.

However, Cao Sheng was quite pleased that Jack Ma was able to pick up on the topic.

"Yes! Although the name 'Dog Bastard' is bizarre, his strength is truly formidable. I think he has the highest martial arts skills in all of Jin Yong's works. What do you think, Mr. Ma?"

Cao Sheng continued the conversation along this line.

Jack Ma listened with a broad smile, "Yes! Yes! In terms of martial arts, he should be the most powerful. Actually, I feel that what he practices isn't martial arts, but rather like the protagonists in your books like 'I Want to Become an Immortal' and 'Tomb of the Gods.' 'Bastard' Shi Potian is actually cultivating immortality. While others practice martial arts, he cultivates immortality. Who can beat him? Right? Haha..."

Cao Sheng and Jack Ma had a very pleasant chat.

Their entourage was completely bewildered, and they all stared at them sideways.

Including Wang Jing.

What are they talking about?
Some people have heard of the novel "Ode to Gallantry," and some have heard of Li Bai's ancient poem of the same name. But these accompanying people were hearing for the first time that the male protagonist of "Ode to Gallantry" was named "Dog Bastard." Was this the protagonist's name? Or was he a protagonist written by Jin Yong?

How can this be?

As they spoke, the group arrived at the parking lot. Cao Sheng got into Jack Ma's car—a Mercedes-Benz—while Wang Jing and the others got into several other cars.

in the car.

Jack Ma finally stopped talking to Cao Sheng about novels and changed the subject, talking to Cao Sheng about Hangzhou.

"Mr. Cao, is this your first time visiting Hangzhou?"

Cao Sheng smiled and nodded, but a memory flashed back of a woman he had dated before his rebirth.

In the original timeline, among the women he dated, one was someone he met through a blind date during the Chinese New Year. After the New Year, she returned to work in Hangzhou.

The two usually communicate via mobile phone.

After chatting for a while, she invited him to visit Hangzhou over the phone.

He went.

She led him to West Lake, where they saw the restored Broken Bridge and the Lou Wai Lou, the famous building in the poem "Beyond the mountains, green hills rise; beyond the buildings, more buildings stand"...

Therefore, he has been to Hangzhou.

But after being reborn, he never came back.

So when Jack Ma asked him if it was his first time in Hangzhou, Cao Sheng smiled and nodded, pretending it was his first time in the city.

His biggest impression of the city was not the beautiful scenery of West Lake, but the local natives' arrogance. Almost every household built a five- or six-story building, and not only were the buildings tall, but they also occupied a larger and larger area.

When she introduced these houses to Cao Sheng, she said, "These are all privately built. The extra rooms are rented out, so the locals don't need to work at all. They can make a fortune just by living off the rent."

That was the second time he had experienced the vast gap between the rich and poor in China.

The first time was when I was working in Shenzhen in the early 2000s. I heard that the housing price in Shenzhen was more than 10,000 yuan per square meter.

At that time, his monthly salary was only a little over a thousand yuan. After deducting food and drink expenses, he had very little money left. After hearing about the local housing prices, he estimated in his mind that the money he had saved after working hard in Shenzhen for a year was probably not enough to buy even one square meter of housing.

So he left Shenzhen very soon.

A city where he saw no hope of settling down, a city where he felt no sense of belonging and did not believe there would be any bright future there.

Hangzhou was the second time he truly felt the vast gap between the rich and poor.

I also felt the unfairness of this world.

Because of their different birthplaces, each person is destined for a completely different fate from birth.

For those born in big cities, the same house can become worth millions, or even tens or hundreds of millions, over time.

And what about those born in rural areas?

The vast majority of people, no matter how hard they try throughout their lives, can never catch up with the conditions that some people are born with.

He therefore strongly agrees with the saying: "Some things, if you don't have them when you're born, you'll most likely never have them in this lifetime."

And now?
He sat in Jack Ma's car, listening to Jack Ma's description of the scenery along the way. Cao Sheng listened with a smile, nodding slightly from time to time, no longer feeling that any random native in this city was more arrogant than him.

I just felt that what I was seeing and hearing was somewhat unreal.

I'm such a loser, but one day I actually got to sit next to Jack Ma and listen to him introduce Hangzhou to me like a tour guide.

And himself... is about to become a shareholder in Jackmai's Alibaba.

Compared to Ma Huateng, Jack Ma is many times more hospitable.

He first took Cao Sheng and others to visit Alibaba, then took Cao Sheng to a hotel by West Lake for a meal, and afterwards, he took Cao Sheng on a boat tour of West Lake.

on board.

While pouring tea for Cao Sheng, Jack Ma discussed serious matters with him.

He finally got down to business.

"Mr. Cao, I heard that when you invested in Tencent, you not only paid more than 5000 million yuan, but also agreed to two other conditions from Tencent. Is that true?"

Cao Sheng was a little surprised, but not entirely.

Although Jack Ma is not yet known to the general public in China, and Ali's performance is not outstanding, Jack Ma is still a man who can become the richest man. Even if he has not yet become a big shot, he must have something special. It is not surprising that he was able to find out the conditions under which Cao Sheng invested in Tencent.

Cao Sheng: "My investment in your company is not just about contributing capital; I also agreed to be your company's spokesperson for ten years, didn't I?"

Jack Ma chuckled and shook his head repeatedly, "NO! NO! You only agreed to this one additional condition, but you agreed to two additional conditions from Tencent. Although our valuation can't compare to Tencent's right now, we are still an internet company, and we are a leader in e-commerce. Besides, I'm a fan of your books! You can't be so unfair to me, can you? What do you say, Mr. Cao?"

Cao Sheng smiled.

He picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Mr. Ma! Please don't make things difficult for me! I really can't write three books at the same time. After all, I only have two hands, not an octopus, right?"

Jack Ma was amused. "Although you're not an octopus, you're the most outstanding writer in the Central Plains! When it comes to writing online novels, if you're second, who dares to be first? If you write a novel for Tencent, it will definitely make Tencent's image deeply rooted in the hearts of many book fans. So, if you don't write one for our Ali, I'll feel really bad. Can you understand this psychological gap? Hehe."

Cao Sheng smiled wryly. If Jack Ma had made this request before they met, he probably would have easily refused.

But now that Jack Ma has made this condition to his face and just poured him tea himself, how could he possibly refuse?
Moreover, he knew very well that according to the original timeline, Jack Ma would become the richest man in the country in about ten years.

Cao Sheng naturally hoped to maintain a good relationship with Jack Ma.

He hopes his shares will not be diluted before Ali goes public.

As long as one's shares are not diluted, the future returns will be extremely impressive.

only……

He really didn't want to write another book promoting Ali.

So, Cao Sheng thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Ma! I understand your thinking. Actually, you don't need me to write another new book. First, I really can't write three books at the same time. Even if I forced myself to, the quality of all three books would definitely drop significantly. Second, I can achieve the effect you want without writing another new book."

Jack Ma's curiosity was piqued, and he leaned forward slightly. "Oh? Really? How did you achieve the effect I wanted?"

Cao Sheng smiled, “It’s very simple! In the new book I’m preparing for Tencent, the main characters will use QQ as their primary communication tool. At the same time, I can also make sure that the main characters’ primary shopping method is your company’s e-commerce platform. What do you think?”

Jack Ma's eyes lit up slightly. After thinking for a moment, he smiled and said, "Great! Excellent! I think your idea is fantastic. I can't wait to see your new book. How far along is it in your preparation? Is the beginning finished? Can I get a sneak peek?"

Cao Sheng: "We are currently in the stage of preparing the outline. We haven't started writing the main text yet. It should be published in about half a month. I will let you know when that happens."

Jack Ma clapped his hands. "Alright! I'll be watching!"

……

The next morning.

Accompanied by Wang Jing and others, Cao Sheng once again visited the headquarters of Ali.

In the presence of some media outlets, he signed an investment agreement with Jack Ma.

For 500 million RMB, Cao Sheng acquired 8% of Ali's shares. When he signed the contract, he was all smiles, finally feeling like he had gotten a bargain.

When he invested in Tencent in Shenzhen, he paid more than 5000 million yuan. Although he was happy to get 10% of Tencent's shares, he always felt that he had acted too late and did not get a bargain.

It could be said that there was more joy than excitement.

"Mr. Cao! Welcome to the Ali family! It'll be a pleasure working with you!"

After signing the shareholding agreement, Jack Ma turned to face Cao Sheng, extending his right hand with a broad smile.

He also felt that he had gained something.

Cao Sheng didn't feel excited about the 500 million yuan investment, after all, he had received a 2500 million US dollar investment two years ago.

However, he values ​​Cao Sheng's influence among netizens and believes that with Cao Sheng endorsing Ali, Ali's e-commerce should be able to quickly gain popularity and credibility among netizens.

Ali's user growth is slow.

What is the reason?

Jack Ma believes the biggest reason is the issue of credibility. Even though netizens know about Ali and e-commerce, they generally dare not spend real money on Ali because they lack trust in it.

However, if Zhongyuan Yidianhui becomes the spokesperson, it means that Zhongyuan Yidianhui has provided a guarantee for Ahri's credibility.

Therefore, he is very much looking forward to the effect of Cao Sheng's endorsement.

This was also the biggest reason why he changed his mind and agreed to Cao Sheng's investment in Ali.

Otherwise, two years ago, Ali sold over 20% of its shares for $25 million, but now it's only selling 8% for $5 million.
How could Jack Ma possibly be interested in this kind of business?

How could someone who has used ropes to tie up hairy crabs be willing to use them to tie up vegetables?
Moreover, Cao Sheng promised yesterday to include Ali in the novel he was writing for Tencent.

This is another very effective form of advertising.

……

That afternoon, Cao Sheng boarded a passenger plane to return to Huizhou.

The same afternoon.

Sun Zhengyi, chairman of SoftBank who invested in Ali two years ago, heard the news that Zhongyuan Yidianhui had invested in Ali today in Beijing, and made a phone call to Jack Ma's cell phone.

"Xiao Ma! I heard that Zhongyuan Yidianhui, the novelist, invested in your company today?"

Jack Ma: "Yes, that's right! Mr. Sun, I was just about to tell you this good news!"

Sun Zhengyi: "???"

After a moment of silence, Sun Zhengyi asked, "You think this is good news? Are you sure?"

Jack Ma: "Of course! Ofkauss! Don't you think this is great news, Mr. Sun?"

Sun Zhengyi: "I also heard that he acquired 8% of your company's shares for 500 million RMB? Do you really think that's good news?"

Jack Ma: "NO! NO! No! Chairman Sun, I believe the real value of this matter is not the price of the shares, but the enormous opportunities that Zhongyuan Yidianhui's investment in our Ali will bring us! I hope you can see that."

Sun Zhengyi: "..."

After another moment of silence, Sun Zhengyi said, "Hehe, Xiao Ma! I know you're very eloquent, now you can show off your eloquence! I'd like to hear what you mean by a huge opportunity."

Jack Ma: "Zhongyuan Yidianhui agreed to be our spokesperson for free for ten years, and he also promised..."

Sun Zhengyi interrupted him, "Endorsement? If you want an endorsement, why not hire a celebrity? Would a celebrity's endorsement be less effective than a novelist's? Or is your company short of money to hire a celebrity?"

Jack Ma: "Haha, of course! Celebrity endorsements are definitely not as effective as his! I know many products use celebrity endorsements, but our company is different from ordinary products. Celebrity endorsements only earn us an endorsement fee, but what about Zhongyuan Yidianhui? He's a novelist with readers all over the domestic internet. His fans are all potential users for our e-commerce platform. If he endorses our company, it's like he's using his reputation to guarantee our company. This is an effect that ordinary celebrity endorsements can't achieve. So, selling him 8% of the shares for 500 million is, in my opinion, very worthwhile! Absolutely worthwhile!"

Sun Zhengyi: "..."

After another period of silence.

Sun Zhengyi: "What you said seems to make some sense. I'll wait and see how effective his endorsement is. I hope it won't disappoint me."

Jack Ma: "OK! Let's look forward to it together!"

……

On a passenger plane bound for Huizhou.

Cao Sheng sat by the porthole, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds outside, but his mind was wandering as he thought about his new book, "Cultivation Chat Group," wondering if he should add some more content.
In return for investing in Ali, he promised to include Ali in this new book.

This sparked a thought in his mind: Could something be added to this new book? Could it be presented to future readers as a book of prophecy? A book that foretells many things about the future world?

For example, you could write about food delivery apps, courier companies, touchscreen phones, voice-controlled smart home appliances, and so on in the book.

(End of this chapter)