Tech startup: I really do make mobile phones!

Chapter 244 Mai Xietong (MT)

When Chen Mo's understated black Mercedes-Benz S600 slowly pulled up in front of the familiar two-story restaurant at the west gate of Shenzhen University, he immediately spotted the conspicuous champagne-colored Volvo S80L with the license plate "[Month B-99999]".

His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately understood.

The reason Teacher Lin invited me over today is definitely not just a simple teacher-student gathering; it must be because Brother Ma wants to see me.

Why did Brother Ma take the initiative to make the appointment?
Chen Mo's brain worked at lightning speed, and almost instantly locked onto the most likely answer—MaiTalk.

Orange's move into the instant messaging field has clearly touched a nerve with Tencent.

He took a deep breath and led Xiao Zheng up to the second floor.

Arriving at the familiar private room, he gestured for Xiao Zheng to wait outside, composed himself, and then pushed open the door to enter.

Inside the private room, things were exactly as he had expected.

Little Ma was having a pleasant conversation with Principal Zhang, while Teacher Lin accompanied him with a smile, and the atmosphere seemed relaxed and harmonious.

"Hey junior, you're here! Come on in, have a seat!"

When Xiao Ma saw Chen Mo, he immediately put on a familiar smile and warmly invited him to sit down, speaking in a friendly tone as if it were just an ordinary alumni gathering.

Chen Mo remained outwardly calm, first politely greeting Principal Zhang and Teacher Lin, exchanging pleasantries.

After sitting down, he quickly exchanged a glance with Teacher Lin while Little Ma and Principal Zhang were talking.

Teacher Lin nodded almost imperceptibly, her eyes conveying the message that "the atmosphere is acceptable and there is no questioning," which reassured Chen Mo.

After three rounds of tea and five courses of food, the tea was served.

Principal Zhang, being quite tactful, smiled and said to Teacher Lin, "Old Lin, with two old folks like us here, young people won't feel comfortable speaking freely."

Come on, let's go for a walk and see how the campus has changed.

Teacher Lin understood and stood up to agree.

The two then made an excuse and left the private room.

For a moment, only Brother Ma and Chen Mo remained in the private room.

The air seemed to have become subtle.

Ma's smile faded slightly, and his expression became somewhat complicated. It was an appreciation for outstanding juniors, but also a subtle scrutiny and apprehension towards potential business rivals.

You should know that Chen Mo will soon be a district representative, and Little Ma can't pull the same tricks he used on Zhou Hongyi with him!
He did not directly address the topic of business conflict, seemingly unwilling to make the meeting too confrontational and damage their private relationship.

Instead, Brother Ma chatted casually about his hobby—astronomy.

"Junior, you've recently become quite fascinated with stargazing. That vast universe can make you forget many worldly troubles!" He said in a calm tone, "I'll give you a professional telescope sometime; stargazing is really interesting!"

Chen Mo smiled and took over the conversation, not understanding what Little Ma was trying to keep in suspense, as he was keeping a very humble attitude.

"That's great, senior!"
However, I know absolutely nothing about this, and I'll inevitably have to come and bother you when the time comes. I'd appreciate any guidance from you, the expert!

"You're welcome anytime!" Little Ma smiled and said, "Come visit me whenever you have time, I'll teach you how to recognize constellations and observe nebulae!"

Chen Mo also took the opportunity to talk about his hobby—extreme hiking—and shared some insights from hiking in the wild.

Little Ma expressed his understanding of the joy of challenging oneself, and said, "If I have the chance, I'll also try out the hiking activities you organize, to relax in a different way!"

This exchange about shared interests served as a tacit prelude, easing the tension and maintaining the bond between alumni.

Feeling the time was right, Little Ma finally steered the conversation back on track.

He picked up his teacup and casually probed, "Junior, I heard that Mailiao has become independent from Lei's side? Does Orange intend to get involved in this field?"

Chen Mo thought to himself: They've come after all.

He didn't show it on his face, but raised an eyebrow and, after a moment's thought, decided to reveal part of the plan.

Chen Mo carefully considered his words and said, "Senior, to be honest, we have some new thoughts about the future positioning of MaiTalk."

It will no longer compete head-on with Weixin on the main track of personal social networking.

We plan to transform it, focusing on enterprise-grade instant messaging and online financial solutions.

This is different from Weixin's current positioning of serving individual users; they represent two different tracks.

Chen Mo paused for a moment, observed Little Ma's reaction, and seeing that the other party was just listening quietly, he continued:

"I took the lead in contacting Mr. Shen from Bubu Ointment and Mr. Cheng from Green Factory, planning to get several terminal manufacturers to invest together and jointly promote this transformation."

Going forward, MaiChat's features for individual users will gradually become marginalized, with its core focus shifting to providing collaborative office solutions and financial process integration for businesses.

After listening, Brother Ma frowned slightly, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the table.

"Junior student, your idea of ​​an enterprise-level instant messaging integrated financial system is somewhat unexpected!"

After a moment's thought, Pony Ma made a suggestion that surprised Chen Mo: "Since we have different market positioning, could we at Tencent also take a stake?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo couldn't help but smile wryly and respond with a half-joking tone.

"Senior, you must be aware of Tencent's status and scale in the domestic instant messaging field."

Wheat and other end-product manufacturers will likely find it difficult to accept the entry of such a "giant" as you.

Once you're involved, the direction and development of this new project will likely no longer be in our hands as initially envisioned.

Little Ma leaned back in his chair, a glint of shrewdness flashing behind his gold-rimmed glasses. He pretended to compromise, settling for second best.

"In that case, I'll make another suggestion."

I heard that Chengbao Internet is also preparing for its Series A funding round, isn't it?

Junior, how about reserving one co-investment spot for Tencent?
This can be considered a form of cooperation and mutual benefit.

Chen Mo fell into deep thought.

He promoted the transformation of MaiTalk, referencing later works like DingTalk (founded by Ali) and Lark (founded by Zijie).

It also integrates an online financial system, enabling online document collaboration and aiming to streamline internal expense reimbursement, procurement, and even some supply chain finance processes within the company, with enormous potential.

He has already had preliminary discussions with Lei Jun and Shen Yiwei about this idea, and everyone thinks it has a promising future.

After careful consideration, Chen Mo realized that using a co-investment spot from Orange Treasure's Series A round in exchange for Tencent's non-interference, or even tacit approval, of "MaiTalk's" transformation was a worthwhile deal.

This can provide the new "MaiTalk" with a valuable window of opportunity for growth.

“Okay!” Chen Mo finally raised his head and looked at Little Ma with a firm gaze: “Senior, since you’ve asked, I have to give you face. I will reserve a follow-on investment seat for Tencent in Orange Treasure’s Series A round.”

A smile appeared on Little Ma's face as he extended his hand.
"It's a pleasure working with you, junior!"

Chen Mo shook hands with him solemnly: "It's a pleasure working with you, senior!"

At this moment, Chen Mo recalled what Pony Ma had said: when He Jian led Wang Teng and other core members of the Appbao team south to Shenzhen, they had actually made two preparations—either to join Tencent or to join Orange.

He first went to Tencent Penguin, then found Orange as a backup, but because Orange offered too much, He Jian stayed with Orange.

Now, through this method, Little Ma has gone around in circles and finally gotten involved, which can be considered a kind of "returning things to their rightful owner" in a way.

Leaving the West Gate Restaurant, watching Little Ma's champagne-colored Volvo S80L merge into the traffic and disappear into the distance, Chen Mo felt a mix of emotions.

He instructed Xiao Zheng, "Leave the car here, I'm going for a walk!"

The evening breeze was gentle and slightly cool.

Chen Mo strolled along the familiar streets, trying to clear his jumbled thoughts.

As I walked, a somewhat familiar yet slightly different figure came into view—it was Xiaoyu, wearing her signature "Ah La Lei" angel wing hat.

However, she looked a little listless today, unlike her usual bouncy self. Even the little white wings on her hat drooped listlessly, and her steps were much more steady. Chen Mo smiled and took the initiative to greet her: "Xiaoyu, I haven't seen you much lately. I thought you moved!"

When Xiaoyu saw Chen Mo, her eyes lit up for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing across them, but it quickly dimmed again. She muttered, "Uncle, I'm living at school this semester! If it weren't Saturday today, you wouldn't have seen me."

After speaking, she lowered her head again, appearing somewhat silent.

Chen Mo raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, and remembered that the other person was a senior high school student who would be taking the college entrance examination next month.

He joked, "What's wrong? Is our little landlady worried about not doing well on the exam and feeling stressed?"

"No way!" Xiaoyu immediately looked up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her face full of indignation. Then, she habitually became sarcastic: "I was thinking that someone like you, Uncle, wandering around the streets so late at night, you must be a single dog that no one wants!"

Chen Mo was amused by her and shook his head: "Then you're wrong this time."

Xiaoyu then noticed that Chen Mo's outfit today was "completely new".

Although it looks casual, the fabric and cut are extraordinary. She even spotted a "VC" logo, which seems to be a luxury brand.

For a moment, she forgot to continue her sarcastic remarks, exaggeratedly walked around Chen Mo, carefully examined him, and then widened her eyes in surprise.

"Wow! Uncle! You've gotten a promotion and a raise at Orange Technology, reached the pinnacle of your life, and are you ready to marry a beautiful and wealthy woman?"

"Haha!" Chen Mo was amused by her exaggerated expression: "It's not as exaggerated as you say! It's just that the company is developing rapidly, and an old employee like me with mediocre abilities has been pushed into a new role and has a heavier burden."

Seeing that she was still in low spirits, he comforted her, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. It's okay if you don't do well on the test."

"Considering you're the landlady of one of Orange's two branch offices in North China, I'll pull some strings for you and get you an internship at our company."

Xiaoyu hummed softly, with a hint of pride in her voice.

"I'm not afraid of doing badly on the test! I just..."

The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them back, her eyes dimming again, as if she had something difficult to say.

Chen Mo looked at the girl in front of him who had suddenly changed from a lively young woman to a quiet and reserved one.

Although he didn't know exactly what difficulties she had encountered, Chen Mo still gently comforted her, "No matter what happens, remember that many difficulties will pass with time."

Don't overthink it. Focus on the present and do what needs to be done right now.

Xiaoyu sighed, her tone filled with a helplessness beyond her years: "Uncle, everyone understands the道理 (principles/reasoning), but 'understanding' is one thing, 'doing' it is another!"

Chen Mo nodded, indicating his understanding.

"Indeed! It's hard to truly empathize with someone without experiencing their situation firsthand."

Xiaoyu nodded as if she understood, forcing a smile: "But thank you for your encouragement and comfort, Uncle!"

Chen Mo smiled and waved at her.

"Let's go back quickly, it's getting dark."

He watched Xiaoyu turn around and walk into that familiar alleyway until the hat with little wings and the girl's figure disappeared from sight, then he turned around and slowly strolled back to his apartment.

A few days later, Lei Jun arrived in Shenzhen as promised.

Chen Mo contacted Shen Yiwei of Bubu Gao and Cheng Yonghao of Green Factory to discuss cooperation matters related to MaiTalk.

Cheng Yonghao offered a quiet teahouse in the suburbs as the meeting place.

The aroma of tea wafted through the tea room.

The four first enjoyed tea and small talk, creating a relaxed atmosphere.

But as the conversation turned to serious matters, the atmosphere gradually became serious and focused.

The four parties engaged in several rounds of frank and intense discussions on core issues such as MaiChat's valuation, equity distribution, resource investment, and future development direction.

As the founder, Lei Jun emphasized the value of technology and the team;
Chen Mo, as the proposer and intermediary of the transformation concept, elaborated on the enormous potential of the enterprise-level market.

Shen Yiwei and Cheng Yonghao, from the perspective of hardware manufacturers, proposed specific solutions for channel support and market collaboration.

Ultimately, after much negotiation and compromise, the four parties reached an agreement:
The new company will no longer use the name "MaiLiao" and is valued at 12.5 billion yuan.

Wheat Technology, as the founder and technology provider, holds a 60% stake.

Orange Technology holds a 20% stake, acting as a key intermediary, the architect of its transformation and positioning, and an ecosystem collaborator.

Bubu Ointment Group (including the Blue Factory business) holds a 10% stake.

Green Factory Technology holds a 10% stake.

Wheat will contribute its core technologies and team for transformation and development, while the other three parties will inject corresponding funds based on their respective equity stakes and valuations, serving as development funds for the independent operation of the new company.

Due to fundamental changes in shareholder structure and market positioning, the project name has been officially changed to "Mai Xietong," meaning "collaborative office," abbreviated as MT.

During his visit to Shenzhen, Lei Jun not only finalized the cooperation with Maxieton, but also specifically wanted to visit Dajiang Technology, which has gained fame for its "Qingling Generation 1" drone gimbal.

He asked Xu Dalai, who was in the next position, to contact Wang Tao through someone, but Wang Tao did not respond.

Lei Jun knew that Yuancheng, Chengke and Dajiang had in-depth cooperation in battery systems and flight control and positioning systems, so he wanted Chen Mo to act as a go-between.

Chen Mo was naturally aware of Wang Tao's personality and his obsession with technology and control of the company.

They've already fallen out with the general manager of their North American branch, why would they care about a mere supplier?

Besides, Chen Mo doesn't need to incur a favor for Lei Jun for no reason.

Therefore, he politely declined Lei Jun's request, saying that he and Mr. Wang only had a business relationship and were not close friends, so he could not help him.
Lei Jun understood that this was just an excuse. Since Chen Mo was unwilling to come forward, he could only give up and flew back to Beijing with some regret.

On the other side, the Tencent Building.

Little Ma summoned Zhang Xiaolong and Ren Yuxin, conveyed Chen Mo's concept of an "enterprise-level instant messaging integrated financial system" to them, and asked for their opinions.

Zhang Xiaolong was as direct as ever. He pushed up his glasses and spoke in a calm but firm tone.

"Mr. Ma, Weixin is currently at a critical stage in seizing the individual user market, and resources must be highly concentrated."

To now focus on developing an enterprise-level market that seems to have an uncertain future and whose business model still needs to be validated is tantamount to putting the cart before the horse.

MaiTalk only dared to gamble on transformation because there was no hope left!
I believe we should continue to fully commit to Weixin.

Although Ren Yuxin agreed with Zhang Xiaolong's judgment, he was more tactful and knew he couldn't directly deny the project his boss was interested in.

He said carefully, "Mr. Ma, Xiaolong makes a good point."

However, the enterprise market is indeed a huge pie.

We might not need to invest core resources, but we could adopt a 'horse race' mechanism internally, forming one or two small project teams to try it out first and see how the market responds.

If it truly has potential, then it's not too late to increase investment.

After listening to their opinions, Brother Ma frowned slightly and pondered for a moment.

Weixin is crucial to Tencent's strategic transformation of its mobile business this year, and its importance cannot be compromised, but Tencent is also unwilling to completely abandon any potential new growth points.

“Yuxin’s suggestion is more prudent!” Little Ma finally made a decision: “Let’s do as you say, and first conduct a small-scale internal pilot test to see the effect.”

“However,” he emphasized, “remember, the company’s strategic focus and core resources on mobile this year must, and inevitably will, be invested in Weixin. This is not to be shaken!”

Ren Yuxin nodded quickly: "Understood, Mr. Ma, I will be careful."

An undercurrent concerning the future landscape of instant messaging has temporarily reached a delicate balance through the interplay and compromise among several forces.

The real drama in the mobile internet world has only just begun, with news of Orange Treasure's Series A funding spreading through the financial market.

(End of this chapter)