Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 292: Bringing JD.com's Liu to "debut"; Weibo's internal testing countdown begins.

In October, Yan Li returned to Beijing and signed an investment agreement with JD.com.

Yanye Capital invested $500 million in JD.com, acquiring an 8% stake. The amount of the investment and the number of shares were not disclosed to the public.

But Yan Li's becoming a shareholder of JD.com requires a lot of publicity.

The initial offer was 5% of the shares for $750 million, but the deal has now been negotiated down to $500 million, which is even better than the initial offer from Today Capital.

Besides Mr. Liu wanting to introduce new shareholders to balance things out with Today Capital, Yan Li also agreed to help make connections and lend his support.

In terms of capital, Yan Li is actually not among the top. He may have a considerable personal fortune, but his cash flow is far inferior to that of investment institutions, families, and private equity funds.

Therefore, compared to most investors, Yan Li's most valuable asset is not his money, but his resources, connections, and personal qualities.

As an entertainment tycoon, Yan Li possesses celebrity and media resources that many companies covet but cannot obtain.

At the same time, Yan Li, known for his shrewdness and excellent connections, possesses a vast network of relationships that is difficult for ordinary people to match.

Yan Li's various social engagements over the past few years haven't been for nothing.

With an aura of prestige, excellent interpersonal skills, and the assistance of an intelligence network, Yan Li is a born "broker."

He often refers to someone as a middleman, but in reality, he sometimes acts as a middleman himself, and he's a top-tier one at that.

Especially in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and Shandong Province, Yan Li is extremely well-connected. While he may not have friends all over the world, making connections and building bridges is no problem for him.

Then there's Yan Li's fame and public image.

Although his lifestyle is controversial, his ability to build a multi-figure fortune from scratch in just a few years has made him a representative of young entrepreneurs, and his business acumen and vision are widely recognized and praised.

These are crucial for JD.com, which is in the early stages of expansion.

JD.com is an e-commerce company, and first and foremost, it needs to be well-known; it can't function without attracting traffic.

Mr. Liu wanted to do it himself, but his business was too small, and nobody paid him any attention.

Yan Li promoting JD.com himself is much better than him struggling to create hype and attract traffic.

JD.com's self-built warehousing and logistics also requires connecting with various channels, at least knowing the relevant deities and being able to enter temples.

Previously, Mr. Liu's wife had some connections, but those connections are no longer useful. Even if they were, having Yanli's assistance would be better for JD.com's development.

In short, Mr. Liu could resist the temptation of money, but he couldn't resist the temptation of Yan Li's resources.

They even went so far as to lift the original 5% share limit, and the price was relatively "low". They also promised some convenience for subsequent financing, all in order to get Yan Li to contribute more.

This is also why Yan Li made a special trip back to Beijing to cooperate with JD.com in holding a press conference; he needed to help promote the product.

Tudou.com has developed rapidly in the past two years. As an investor and major shareholder, Yan Li has a significant influence in the internet and investment fields.

This latest investment in the internet sector was accompanied by a high-profile press conference, attracting many media reporters to attend.

Yan Li and Boss Liu, who had already signed the contract privately, fabricated a document and signed it again under the media's photographs.

This kind of press conference doesn't have as many frills as entertainment press conferences. After the signing ceremony, reporters go straight to asking questions.

"Mr. Yan, why did you invest in JD.com? Is it because you are optimistic about the e-commerce industry?"

"of course."

Yan Li nodded: "With the development of the Internet, it is becoming increasingly integrated into our daily lives, and the e-commerce industry is undoubtedly the future trend."

At present, the e-commerce industry has not yet experienced explosive growth, but anyone with a discerning eye can see its potential.

However, the internet is currently in a stage of rapid development, with opportunities everywhere. The e-commerce industry is also quite complex, requiring various resources and funds, which many people cannot afford to participate in. Therefore, not many people are actually taking action.

"So why did you choose JD.com? Taobao is doing quite well now. What do you think are JD.com's unique core advantages?"

Another reporter asked a question, and Yan Li smiled and said, "My choice of JD.com is simple: because of Mr. Liu."

"In my view, investment involves two things: investing in projects and investing in people, with the latter being more important."

"A good founder with ability and courage, coupled with a good business model, will be the foundation of a successful company."

"..."

Yan Li showered Boss Liu with compliments, not to flatter him, but because it was a prior agreement that he would mentor Boss Liu in his "debut."

Unlike Tudou.com, JD.com is not Yan Li's focus of development; he only regards it as a partner, and he doesn't hold a large stake in it. Therefore, he cannot devote too much energy to JD.com.

At the same time, JD.com's CEO Liu is more assertive and cautious than Tudou.com's Wang Wei.

He didn't want to become Yan Li's puppet!
Asking Yan Li to help with promotion and traffic generation is just leveraging his influence. JD.com does not intend to be too closely associated with Yan Li in the eyes of the outside world. Instead, it plans to imitate Yan Li, take the lead, and become the helmsman and spokesperson of the company.

Therefore, the two sides hit it off immediately, somewhat similar to how celebrities in the entertainment industry mentor newcomers, with Yan Li stepping in to make Boss Liu famous.

With Boss Liu becoming famous, Yan Li can save a lot of trouble, and Boss Liu no longer needs to worry about Yan Li using his influence to usurp power.

Of course, doing this makes people feel like Liu is Yan Li's little brother.

But Yan Li did this intentionally, creating this impression for the outside world that he had done a favor for JD.com, thus attaching a moral high ground to him, which would benefit both his personal shares and related cooperation.

Boss Liu didn't think much of it; compared to Yan Li, he was just a junior in terms of wealth and experience.

Yan Li spent money and effort to help him get into the circle, and he also praised him to outsiders. They weren't that far apart in age, so what's wrong with him being recognized as an older brother?

It's no exaggeration to say that most people wouldn't be able to recognize it even if they wanted to!
On this basis, Yan Li not only supported Liu, but also took the initiative to let Liu answer some questions about JD.com, so that he could get exposure.

Of course, Liu alone isn't enough to carry the weight of the matter, so Yan Li has to answer questions from time to time.

"JD.com's self-operated genuine products can significantly reduce the risk of counterfeit goods, while providing customers and consumers with higher quality services."

"Building its own logistics system is also a way to improve the user experience. Compared with other platforms that rely on third-party logistics, JD.com is faster and better in terms of logistics."

"JD.com is currently in its early stages of development, so comparing it with Taobao is meaningless. Each has its own model. The Chinese market is huge, and the competition among peers is not just a matter of life and death."

"..."

Mr. Liu originally intended to take advantage of Alibaba and criticize Jack Ma, which is the norm in the internet and highly competitive industries.

I'm the best, and the other companies are idiots!
But Yan Li meant that it was not the right time for JD.com to try and take advantage of Taobao; the gap between the two was too large, and it would be humiliating for JD.com.

Besides, JD.com already has him, so there's enough traffic in the early stages. It also helps Mr. Liu get more exposure and increase his fame.

Once Liu has gained enough fame and JD.com has achieved some success and demonstrated certain potential, then challenging Alibaba will have a greater impact and be more effective.

In addition, Yan Li was reluctant to get involved in the e-commerce dispute.

He has no grudge against Jack Ma, and there may even be opportunities for cooperation in the future.

Whether Liu is trying to gain attention or trying to discredit others, he himself led JD.com in launching an attack, while Yan Li neither got involved nor showed up.

Therefore, when Yan Li was close to JD.com in the early stages, he did not want Liu to clash with Jack Ma. He waited for Liu to take charge on his own and be firmly bound to JD.com in the eyes of the outside world. Yan Li did not care about Liu's fierce battle with Taobao.

...

After more than two hours, the press conference ended, and Mr. Liu, feeling that the event had gone well, was quite excited.

Having seen many big occasions, Yan Li remained calm and patted him on the shoulder: "You go ahead with your work. I'll organize a gathering tonight and introduce you to some people."

Yan Li is very busy. After finishing the press conference, he was preparing to introduce Boss Liu to the industry.

Among them were several know-it-alls and middlemen. Yan Li helped them make connections, so that even if Yan Li wasn't around, he could still use Yan Li's influence to help JD.com.

Mr. Liu understood; he wasn't a novice entrepreneur either, but his connections and network weren't as strong as Yan Li's.

What do I need to prepare?

"No need to prepare anything, I've arranged everything. By the way, how much can you drink?"

Yan Li hadn't met Boss Liu many times, and they had drunk together, but it was mostly business-oriented socializing where everyone drank in moderation. He wasn't really sure how much he could drink.

"Start with one jin of baijiu, but keep it to a minimum, one to two jin is about right."

Liu is from Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. Suzhou is known as the "Liquor Capital of China" and is skilled at brewing wine, so his alcohol tolerance is naturally quite high.

“Okay.” Yan Li nodded. In China, not being able to drink wouldn’t necessarily make things impossible, but it would certainly make it difficult to integrate and make a breakthrough in many situations.

The two parted ways. Yan Li went back to the company to take care of some things and then met up with Boss Liu again that evening.

Upon arrival, Yan Li introduced Boss Liu to the place, and the latter was convinced.

Everyone says Yan Li has a wide network of connections, and today I've seen it for myself.

There are people in the capital circle, including private equity funds and banks; suppliers, multiple brand owners and large distributors; several middlemen with complex backgrounds who can provide some local and logistical support; two internet bosses who can build traffic and partnerships; and several other bosses who are interested in the e-commerce industry.

Not only are they all helpful to JD.com, but they are also of a high level; some of them are things that even Mr. Liu himself might not be able to secure.

Even Mr. Liu himself felt that giving away 8% of the shares was too little; Mr. Yan really helped.

Yan Li was clear-headed; having more people doesn't necessarily help.

Today's event is not only to let Liu get to know people and see what cooperation opportunities there are, but also to appropriately flex his muscles.

At the same time, he also spreads the word that those interested in cooperation will contact him and then gradually get to know him privately.

Honestly, Yan Li sometimes regrets that he didn't become a professional broker; he might have become a guest of honor for major companies, organizations, or even countries.

But then again, the more you know, the faster you die. Being an ordinary, wealthy person might be a bit mundane and boring, but at least it's safe...

Because it was a major event, the social engagements lasted quite a while, and by the time they ended it was almost midnight.

As time went on, more and more people drank. Yan Li felt some pressure, not to mention Boss Liu, who was completely drunk. Yan Li had to call a car to take him home.

Liu is relieved, and Yan Li is left unattended.

With everyone else either in Hengdian or away from Beijing, Yan Li was left all alone again.

So what if he's single? Yan Li isn't someone who can't live without women.

Besides, these days, Shuangbing has been bickering with Qin, Dong, and others on the set of "Painted Skin," keeping him busy every single day. It wouldn't be bad for him to have a break.

I found a nearby place to stay, and the next morning I went out for a meal. Then I received a call from Mr. Liu apologizing and thanking me.

"We're all family, no need to be so polite. I'm heading back to Hengdian this afternoon, let's get together again when I get back."

After chatting for a while, Yan Li hung up the phone and went to Zhichun Road to check on the progress of the Weibo post.

After more than half a year of company and team building and development, Weibo is now largely complete and has entered the final stage of testing.

Weibo's internal plan is to begin internal testing in December of this year or early next year.

Yan Li tried out Weibo on his computer. In fact, he had tried it many times before, and because it was constantly being optimized and modified, it always felt fresh and new.

While he was playing around, several Weibo executives next to him introduced some of the features and advantages to him.

For example, Weibo limits text content to no more than 140 characters, lowering the threshold for content production and encouraging users to express themselves concisely.

By introducing a follower mechanism, users can freely follow others without needing to be friends, forming an open social network centered on interests, celebrities, and relationship chains.

Information is delivered in real time, allowing users to experience an immersive browsing experience where information comes to them proactively.

In addition to regular functions such as likes and comments, it emphasizes forwarding to achieve viral marketing, and uses @ and hashtags to break through closed social circles and build a public forum for discussion. It also has private dialogue functions such as private messaging.

A significant portion of these features are specifically designed for blogs.

It can be said that Weibo's first enemy was these blogs. Once they were defeated, other Weibo accounts that followed suit would be the next step.

Therefore, Weibo needs to directly target the structural pain points of blogs, and steal their users and traffic.

Low barrier to entry, viral spread, strong interactivity, efficient fragmentation of information, self-organizing forums, flattened celebrity relationships...

In short, if blogs are criticized for something or not done well enough, then Weibo should focus on those areas to optimize and improve.

Yan Li is also a veteran blogger. Even though he can't enjoy the full version of Weibo because it's a trial version, he has already felt the superiority of some of its features.

Yan Li, who has already reviewed the overall development of Weibo through the intelligence system, actually has quite a few good ideas.

But he didn't rush to say it. Good things are revealed little by little. What if someone copies them if everything is released at once?
The current features already provide a significant advantage for blogs, so let's focus on blogs for now, and then gradually introduce new features when other internet platforms follow suit and start using microblogs.

Yan Li held a meeting with several senior executives of Weibo, and he felt that Weibo's current functions were basically working fine.

It still lacks a core concept that could fundamentally revolutionize the existence of blogs.

As mentioned before, this means breaking the elite monopoly and allowing ordinary people and grassroots individuals to step into the spotlight.

This period was a special time when the general public seized the right to speak through the internet and social elites, which is why grassroots culture was extremely popular, because everyone was eager to express themselves and wanted to make their voices heard.

Weibo could easily promote this concept, aggressively criticizing elitist blogs while emphasizing Weibo as a social platform for everyone, thus winning over hearts and minds and gaining moral support.

"This is the concept that has helped us defeat blogs, and it is also the core value of our Weibo: everyone has a voice, everyone is social, and everyone has the right to be the center of attention. Even a small voice can be deafening."

Several executives nodded repeatedly, wondering if they could modify these words into slogans to increase public awareness of Weibo.

After the meeting ended and everyone else left, Yan Li kept Wang Gaofei, the person in charge of Weibo, and gave him a box.

"Is this an iPhone?"

Wang Gaofei took it apart and immediately recognized it. After all, he was an internet professional and had a great interest in this new technological product.

"Yes, a brand new smartphone with a touchscreen, just like a miniature computer."

Yan Li also took out an Apple phone from his hand, casually tapped and swiped a few times, and then looked at Wang Gaofei.

"You come from a wireless background, you must understand what this means, right?"

"Mr. Yan, do you also think that the mobile internet is coming?"

Since Apple began advertising its iPhones in January, similar claims have been made, and after the iPhones were officially released in June, they gained even more supporters.

Wang Gaofei is also a supporter, but he is somewhat conservative in his assessment of the timeline, since mobile internet is not something that can be accomplished with just a mobile phone; it involves too many aspects.

"It's not that we're almost there, it's that we've already arrived."

Yan Li smiled and said, "The three major telecommunications companies are already considering 3G networks, and many mobile phone manufacturers are also researching smartphones. Within one or two years, China will enter the 3G era, and smartphones will quickly become widespread. The era of mobile internet has already begun."

Having seen future intelligence, Yan Li already had a general sense and judgment of the pulse of the times.

Then, by triggering relevant information through the daily intelligence system and communicating with each other, many things become easier to observe.

Perhaps due to the previous backwardness in the internet industry, China attaches great importance to mobile internet as a key node.

Many people apply outdated ideas, assuming that foreign countries will release mobile internet first and then China will copy it. If they do, they're just waiting to die. China's mobile internet will emerge and develop rapidly at a speed that most people never expected.

Yan Li's mention of this point was also a reminder to Wang Gaofei that Weibo should consider a mobile-first strategy.

If this step is taken correctly, Weibo will have gained momentum, and what follows will be a war of encirclement and annihilation where the strong prey on the weak.

Conversely, if they fail to capture the position, or even if someone else gets there first, it could turn into a long-term tug-of-war.

A good outcome would be a lose-lose situation, with Weibo merging with one of the parties, allowing everyone to get some shares and leave with dignity. A bad outcome would be being slowly worn down and killed.

After the private meeting, Yan Li had lunch and prepared to leave, taking a list from Weibo before leaving.

This is a list of celebrities, socialites, and related companies that Weibo plans to invite, etc. Some of them can arrange things themselves, while others require Yan Li to make a request.

During the beta testing phase or the official launch phase of Weibo, we need to attract 100 celebrities, 100 famous people, and 100 enterprises to join, in order to attract users and traffic.

At the same time, we will organize some topics, activities and related publicity to increase the activity level of Weibo.

Related activities are already being planned, such as promotions for the Lunar New Year films, New Year's Eve celebrations, welcoming 2008, and the Olympic countdown, etc.

In addition, Yan Li himself is also researching what kind of explosive news he can use to make a breakthrough on Weibo.

If all else fails, he'll make an exception and use the system to pick a few scoundrels as a sacrifice…

　(2000/117000)

　　
　
(End of this chapter)