I'm in the county town, and you say I'm a big shot?

Chapter 791 Observing the Waves and Asking About the Wine Cup: We Are All Post-80s

Fang Qingye's "Wuzhen Coffee Gathering" was held in the living room on the first floor of his villa, "Sixiangxuan".

As night falls, the Jiangnan region is shrouded in mist. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the living room, one can see the bluestone path illuminated by lights and the occasional shadow of a covered boat gliding across the water. One can also hear laughter and cheerful voices coming from a restaurant.

It seems to be a dinner party hosted by Ding Lei.

There weren't too many people, just over ten, mostly young people around Fang Qingye's age. Although they weren't as famous as "the two Mas" (Jack Ma, Pony Ma, and Jack Ma) or Lei Jun, they were all well-known in their respective circles.

The "TopFang Group" brought two groups this time: Zhang Yimin and Liang Rubo from ByteDance, and Zhang Xuhao and Kang Jia from Ele.me. In addition, there is Cheng Wei from Didi Chuxing, Wang Xiaofeng, co-founder of ofo, and Huang Zheng from Pinduoduo. Fang Qingye's TopFang Technology also participated in Pinduoduo's Series B financing, investing 200 million RMB.

Another media professional was present – ​​Chen Ziqing from the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, an old acquaintance of Fang Qingye. She was one of the few Hong Kong and Macao journalists covering the Wuzhen Summit, and upon hearing that Fang Qingye had started his own "coffee gathering," she proactively contacted him and requested to attend.

Fang Qingye originally did not intend to invite the media, but Chen Ziqing called him directly.

After thinking about it, he agreed. They were friends. And what they discussed wasn't anything secret.

Fang Qingye sat in front of the tea tray, brewing the second round of green tea. "Today, I'm serving you Langshan tea from my hometown. It's not as famous as Zhangping Narcissus from Yimin's hometown or West Lake Longjing from Huangzheng's hometown. Please bear with it," he said as he poured tea for everyone.

Everyone laughed.

“Chairman Fang, actually I rarely drink tea, I usually drink coffee.” Zhang Yimin continued, “I drink coffee purely to stay awake, and to be honest, I can’t really taste the flavor.”

Everyone laughed again.

Still so young...

Fang Qingye sighed inwardly. At a certain age, whether it's tea or coffee, what you're savoring is no longer the flavor, but the vicissitudes of life.

Of course, he himself still looks young on the surface.

"Chairman Fang, I was deeply moved by what Professor Ma said about the 'Red Flag Act' at the opening ceremony today. We really can't keep using old rules to restrict new development!" Zhang Yimin continued.

Everyone nodded.

Fang Qingye smiled slightly: "We all understand the principle. But I'm thinking, the Red Flag Act restricted the development of automobiles, but if the speed is too fast, shouldn't we also be prepared to brake? I remember when the Red Flag Act was introduced, the braking device of automobiles was still a block of wood or cast iron, relying on friction to slow down by pressing against the surface of the tires, right?"

“That’s right, I’ve checked the records and it’s true.” Wang Xiaofeng interjected, “The first car invented by Karl Benz in 1886, the ‘Benz I,’ used this kind of brake. By today’s standards, it was practically suicidal.”

Fang Qingye nodded: "You need to help others untie their burdens, but you also need to keep improving yourself..."

He then turned to Zhang Yimin and said, "Yimin, your recommendation algorithm is very powerful, but have you ever thought that blindly pursuing traffic is like only pursuing the strength of tea soup while ignoring the essence of tea? What if the content pushed has a problem? Can we bear the responsibility? As the chairman, I sometimes really worry for you."

Zhang Yimin knew perfectly well that Fang Qingye almost never interfered with the company's operations. Except for when ByteDance was embroiled in a lawsuit early last year, he, as the CEO, usually made the decisions. His expression of concern in front of everyone today was definitely not just a casual remark.

He adjusted his glasses and said solemnly, "Chairman Fang, we are indeed considering this issue."

“Thinking alone is not enough.” Fang Qingye continued brewing the third cup of tea. “I enjoy drinking tea. There is a way of tea, and there are rules of business. I think we need to proactively set some bottom lines: First, technology cannot be used for evil, just as good tea must come from clean tea gardens; second, it cannot cause systemic risks, just as even if the teapot is very hot, it must be held steadily; third, don’t always think about dominating the market. Making good tea requires sharing, so that everyone can taste the benefits.”

Zhang Yimin held his teacup, lost in thought.

Huang Zheng chimed in, "Chairman Fang, but apart from Ele.me, our companies—Didi, ByteDance, ofo, and Pinduoduo—are basically still in the startup phase. Isn't what you're saying a bit premature?" Huang Zheng's question resonated with everyone, and they all looked at Fang Qingye.

“It’s not early at all.” Fang Qingye said seriously, looking at Huang Zheng. “The social e-commerce you’re doing now relies on a chain of trust. It’s like storing tea; it needs to withstand the test of time. Once the chain of trust breaks, it’s like the tea leaves getting damp—they can never be brewed properly again.”

“But Chairman Fang, we are all in fierce competition, and this is a crucial period for seizing market share. If we slow down, we may be eliminated,” Wang Xiaofeng said.

“It’s right to seize the market,” Fang Qingye said, gently swirling the teacup in his hand and watching the tea soup flow. “Actually, seizing the market is like brewing the first cup of tea; it’s all about quick in and out. But the real good tea is all about the aftertaste of the second and third infusions.”

He looked at Cheng Wei: "Mr. Cheng should understand this best. Didi has just gone through the most brutal battle. You know best what it feels like when the speed demanded by capital exceeds the limits that organizational management and public policy can bear. It's like tea that's too strong, it has no fragrance, only bitterness."

Cheng Wei picked up his teacup, took a light sniff of the tea aroma, and nodded thoughtfully.

Seeing everyone's silence, Fang Qingye smiled and said, "Alright, I'll say a few more words, and then we won't talk about this somewhat heavy topic anymore."

He put down his teacup with a serious expression: "I have a feeling that data privacy will become a major issue within a year or two. Those business models that only burn money without making a profit will probably be unsustainable. Only companies that integrate social responsibility into their business models can go far."

Data privacy!

Everyone was taken aback. Which internet company these days isn't desperately collecting user information?
The "Wuzhen Coffee Gathering" lasted for nearly two hours. The atmosphere was slightly serious at first, but gradually relaxed later.

Afterwards, Fang Qingye kept Zhang Yimin and Liang Rubo alone for a while to talk. The main topic was ByteDance's plan to acquire Flipagram, an American company that makes mobile short videos, in order to pave the way for the overseas version of Douyin to enter the United States.

After finishing their conversation and seeing the two off, Fang Qingye realized that Chen Ziqing hadn't left. She was standing in the courtyard, looking at the bamboo grove.

"What, is there something else?" Fang Qingye asked.

Chen Ziqing, wearing a coffee-colored trench coat, turned around and looked at him: "It's nothing, I just think your yard is nice."

Fang Qingye smiled but didn't reply.

Chen Ziqing brushed her hair, which had been ruffled by the night wind, and suddenly asked, "Chairman Fang, you're also a post-80s generation, right?"

"Yeah, what's wrong? Don't you look a bit old?" Fang Qingye joked.

“No, not at all,” Chen Ziqing laughed. “You’re very handsome. It’s just that your conversation tonight sounded like that of a fifty-year-old elder who knows his destiny. Hmm… your attitude should be switched with that of President Ma Yun.”

"Hahaha..." Fang Qingye laughed, her tone slightly mysterious, "Do you know why?"

"why?"

"Because I come from a finance background, the first lesson in finance is 'risk control'; while Mr. Ma started out in trade, and the core of trade is 'daring to take risks'."

Of course, there are even more important reasons.

I won't say.

(End of this chapter)