Internet moguls are being held hostage by the entertainment system!

Chapter 386 Wang Sicong's Plea for Help
"Ring ring! Ring ring!"

Chen Xiu, who was lying on the sofa, was awakened by a cell phone ringing.

Chen Xiu reached for his phone on the coffee table. When he saw the nickname "Wang Sicong" on the screen, a glint of light flashed in his hazy eyes, followed by a puzzled frown.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Brother Xiu, have you returned to China?"

"just came back."

Where are you? I'm coming to find you.

Chen Xiu glanced at the clock on the wall and realized it was 15 PM.

"Slept for 2 hours..."

"what?"

"It's nothing, why did you call me?"

"Um... I need your help."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiu's face showed even greater confusion.

"What's wrong that your dad can't handle, and you have to come to me for help?"

"He doesn't understand the internet and can't help me. Um, where are you now? Is it convenient for me to come over?"

Hearing Wang Sicong's repeated emphasis, and considering the information about the internet, Chen Xiu roughly judged that his visit was probably about business.

"I'm at Datang Pictures, about to get off work and go home. If you want to come over, you'd better hurry."

"Okay! Give me half an hour."

……

15:30 PM, in Chen Xiu's office.

Wang Sicong sat casually on the sofa, spread his hands, and said, "Brother Xiu, how about it? I'm on time, right?"

"Just get to the point."

Chen Xiu interrupted his boasting, skipping even the usual polite greetings.

Wang Sicong smacked his lips. Facing Chen Xiu, he really didn't have much of a temper: "I founded a company called Panda TV, did you know that?"

"The one that specializes in game live streaming?"

"Correct!"

"Didn't you do a lot of promotion on it? You even played in a professional esports match with a 100% win rate. You did a great job. Is there a problem?"

When Wang Sicong mentioned his e-sports career, a hint of awkwardness flashed across his face.

"I only started streaming esports to create buzz. And you know what? Panda TV's traffic has actually improved recently. My IG team might even win the global esports championship this year!"

"Congratulations."

"However, Panda TV is having some cash flow problems. Since the end of its Series B funding round last year, the company hasn't been able to raise any new funds. Are you interested in investing?"

"..."

Chen Xiu glanced at Wang Sicong speechlessly, thinking: "Haven't seen him in so long, and he made a special trip just to beg for alms from me..."

"Ever since Tencent invested in Huya and Douyu, and then sent Huya to IPO, the live streaming sector has no longer been the focus of attention for investors."

"I know that too..."

"You knew I was coming? Are you trying to trick me?"

"No, no, that's not what I meant."

Wang Sicong quickly shook his head in denial, then craned his neck to look at the tightly closed door before carefully approaching Chen Xiu, indicating that he was about to get to the point.

"Brother Xiu, let me tell you something. Actually, earlier this year, I wanted to sell Panda TV to Huya. The two sides have talked several times. We offered 30 small goals, but they were only willing to offer 20."

“Panda TV’s user base has consistently ranked among the top three or four in the live streaming industry. Its value is definitely worth 30 times that of other platforms. Huya is taking advantage of our inability to raise new funds.”

"What I mean is, you invest 2 million yuan in Panda TV, raise its valuation a bit, and then we'll talk to Huya and ask them to raise the acquisition price. That way, everyone benefits!"

Looking at Wang Sicong, who was beaming with excitement, Chen Xiu pursed her lips and summarized his long speech in one sentence.

"You want me to be a scapegoat for Panda TV?"

"The main problem is that Huya's offer is too low. If you're willing to invest, they'd probably accept 30 small goals."

You overestimate me!

"No, you're a beacon in the investment world right now. Everyone rushes into the sectors you're optimistic about."

Upon hearing this statement for the first time, Chen Xiu's face showed the expected confusion and bewilderment.

What does it mean that I am a guiding light in the investment world?

"Which of the projects you chose to invest in didn't make a fortune? Isn't that a guiding light?"

When did this saying first appear?

"...Well, it started circulating in a small circle within the investment community, and by the end of last month when Pinduoduo went public, the same rumors were circulating online. That's normal, isn't it? After all, you've made a killing on every investment you make, even more impressive than Tencent!"

Chen Xiu pursed her lips, thinking to herself: Luckily, I went abroad to invest.

"I was just lucky."

"I don't believe it." Wang Sicong shook his head honestly, stared at Chen Xiu, and said earnestly, "You must have a good eye and have a good grasp of the future. If you ever see a promising project in the future, remember to tell me quietly so I can get a small share, just like I did with the investment in Mobike."

"Didn't you sell your Mobike shares?"

"I didn't sell. A few months ago, Meituan made a full acquisition offer for Mobike! I was a B-round investor, and my investment was in the 35% share swap plus 65% cash payment range. The cash I received has already made me a small profit. With Meituan's IPO next month, I should be able to make another profit."

Wang Sicong said with piercing eyes.

He was initially very puzzled by his father's repeated praise of Chen Xiu.

It wasn't until he personally experienced the benefits from Chen Xiu that he realized the saying "old ginger is spicier" was absolutely true!
Upon hearing about Wang Sicong's gains on Mobike, Chen Xiu was initially taken aback, but then simply said, "As long as you didn't lose money, that's good. How many Meituan shares do you own?"

"Just a little bit. However, I will also be going to the port city next month to attend their bell-ringing ceremony."

Wang Sicong stared at Chen Xiu with great interest: "Then, the two of us can get together again."

"That's not necessary."

"Hmm~, back to the main topic, could you invest in Panda TV? That way, you can make a profit after the company is sold. If the deal goes through this year, the return on investment will be no less than 50%."

Chen Xiu pondered silently, not considering whether to invest in Panda TV, but rather whether to remind Wang Sicong.

Compared to the vague acquisition price of 30 million, Huya should sell now if they are willing to offer 20 million, lest they have nothing left by next year.

Looking at his "nephew" who came over to show off his cleverness, Chen Xiu sighed and decided to give him a warning, leaving it to him to decide whether to listen or not.

"First of all, the first thing I want to tell you is that it's not my investment choices that determine a company's value, but rather that my choices just happened to be the right ones."

"Huya has its own analysis team. The offer of 20 small targets is probably because they believe that Panda TV can still make a profit after deducting this part of the cost. If it were higher, they might not be able to accept it."

"Then, you've already made money on Mobike, don't you know how quickly a sector abandoned by capital can decline? Even if you're blinded by your own involvement, you can still see that Ofo and Mobike have completely opposite outcomes, right?"

Chen Xiu spoke calmly and steadily as she stated her refusal, while also giving the correct answer.

Wang Sicong paused for a moment, his eyes darting around as his mind raced, analyzing Chen Xiu's words.

For a moment, the only sounds in the office were Chen Xiu drinking water and the soft ticking of the clock.

After a long pause, Wang Sicong said in a slightly dejected tone, "You mean, accept Huya's offer of 20 small goals?"

"If you just go to them like this, you'll probably get a discount."

"What should I do?"

"It's not like Huya is the only one. Even if Douyu isn't listed, Inke is. Since your Panda TV is working with the IG team, why not make the team's live stream exclusive, and then use that to negotiate? Maybe you can sell a few more small goals worth of content."

Chen Xiu's suggestion to see things through to the end can be seen as treating Wang Sicong as one of his own to persuade him.

However, it seems that Young Master Wang has never really experienced any setbacks, so when he uses his brain, he inevitably makes assumptions, and he also has a bit of a chuunibyou (delusional) temperament.

"Brother Xiu, if I follow your suggestion and make the team's global esports tournament exclusively streamed on Panda TV, is it possible to rebuild the traffic, attract another round of financing, and strive for an IPO next year?"

"...When you go out later, just delete me! If we run into each other in the future, let's pretend we don't know each other."

"Can't we do it this way?"

"What can you do with the traffic you've attracted now? Can you monetize it? Live streaming is a niche market within the internet industry, and game streaming is an even bigger niche. Do you think there are more people watching pretty girls wiggle their waists or watching people play games?"

Chen Xiu looked at Wang Sicong speechlessly, thinking: The traffic-driving tactic is to raise its price. Huya and Douyu might be able to do something with this traffic, but your cash flow is about to dry up and your model is too rigid to change, so don't even think about surviving.

Upon hearing Chen Xiu's question, Wang Sicong, whose chuunibyou had subsided, quickly realized that the IG team's global esports tournament live stream was just a one-off event.

Once the vital energy dissipates, death ensues!
……

After chatting with Wang Sicong, Chen Xiu glanced at the time and estimated that Meng Ziyi would be home soon.

So the two of them left the office together and headed towards the door.

Just as they arrived at the company gate, preparing to take the elevator downstairs and go home.

The elevator doors opened, and the person walking out made Chen Xiu pause for a moment.

"Chen Xiu, it's been a long time!"

As Chen Duling stepped out of the elevator, she was the first to greet someone. Her stubbornly pursed lips seemed to be complaining that she hadn't seen someone for a long time.

Looking at Chen Duling, who still loves wearing white dresses, and her manager and assistant beside her.

Chen Xiu asked in confusion, "Why are you here at this time?"

"The director of 'Joy of Life' is here for a meeting. I'm the female lead, so of course I have to attend. Oh, right..."

Chen Duling suddenly stopped, took a step towards Chen Xiu, and said in a low voice, "Ziyi said she just arrived at the airport. Are you going home?"

"Ah."

"See you later."

After saying that, Chen Duling quickly stepped back and said in a normal voice, "Boss, I'm going to a meeting now."

"Bye-Bye."

Chen Xiu didn't seem to doubt Chen Duling's words. After all, she and Meng Ziyi were best friends, and it was perfectly normal for her to invite her over.

Just as he turned to leave, Wang Sicong, who had watched the whole thing, suddenly came over, both surprised and delighted.

"Brother Xiu, the one who just went in, that was yours too..."

"roll."

(End of this chapter)