Reborn in 2000, starting from the university website

The core executives in the conference room looked at each other in bewilderment, and the CFO was sweating profusely with anxiety.

"Mr. Zhang, since you know everything, we can't be the ones to take the fall!" The CFO's voice rose eight octaves. "Twenty million US dollars! That money could buy cars that circle Zhongguancun twice. Giving it to Chen Yizhou is just throwing money down the drain!"

Zhang Chaoyang pushed the documents on the table forward and glanced at the executives on both sides of the long table.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Zhang Chaoyang leaned back in his chair. "Knowing that ChinaRen has been riddled with holes by Bai Yuhang, you'd still spend money to fill the gap?"

Wu Tao curled his lip: "Mr. Zhang, I'm being blunt. Chen Yizhou has been completely exposed by Qihang. If we take over now, won't Wall Street laugh at us for picking up trash?"

"Picking up junk?" Zhang Chaoyang scoffed. "Did I buy his pile of nearly obsolete servers? Bai Yuhang offered three million to buy them as scrap metal; he's disgusting. I bought Chen Yizhou's team and concept—Sohu's only ticket to quickly enter this arena!"

The meeting room fell silent.

Zhang Chaoyang stood up, walked to the whiteboard behind him, picked up a pen and tapped it.

"You've all followed me through thick and thin, struggling in the basement of the China World Trade Center. Gentlemen, what was the early internet like?" He drew a large circle on the whiteboard. "It was basically a giant bulletin board. Sohu, Sina, and NetEase were all doing this. We posted news there, and netizens would read it. That's called one-way output, or portal websites."

He drew countless small dots next to the large circle and connected them with a net-like pattern.

"But what's the next stage? In my view, it's definitely about interaction between people, it's definitely about social networks. Why can Qihang Technology earn a million a day? Because they've brought people together." Zhang Chaoyang threw his pen on the table. "We don't even have a fence to encircle people right now!"

Wu Tao frowned: "We could just build our own fence, wouldn't that solve the problem? Why spend twenty million on something that's drafty on all sides?"

"There's no time to lose." Zhang Chaoyang stared at Wu Tao. "The bell for Sohu's Nasdaq listing is about to ring. If you go and recruit people, write code, and do testing now, by the time the product is released, it'll be too late. What do Wall Street investors want to see? A story, a compelling business, and Sohu's existing presence in the social networking field."

The CFO swallowed hard: "But the price is too high."

"You know, spending a fortune to buy a horse's bones, right?" Zhang Chaoyang said, his hands resting on the table. "I want to clearly tell the market that Sohu is desperately seeking talent for social networking. Although Chen Yizhou was humiliated by Bai Yuhang, he has still created what is claimed to be the world's largest Chinese community. With his team, plus Sohu's traffic and resources to invest in, I don't believe we can't cultivate a monster that can rival Qihang."

Zhang Chaoyang turned to look out the window, his tone revealing an undeniable resolve.

"Only in this way can the company's valuation remain stable, and only then can we give an explanation to the investors who have invested real money and trusted us. Not a penny of this money can be shortchanged. After signing the contract tomorrow, the money will be transferred on time, and we will take ChinaRen into our hands."

Wu Tao sighed and muttered, "President Zhang, this isn't worth it. We spent 20 million to pay Chen Yizhou compensation for emotional distress, and we still have to keep getting beaten up."

Several people in the meeting room twitched at the corners of their mouths, wanting to laugh but not daring to.

Zhang Chaoyang turned around and looked at the group of executives.

"Even if we get beaten up, we have to step up. I hope everyone can reach a consensus that the current market principle is that whoever is stronger has the final say. At this critical juncture, we should at least stand up and compete. It's better than standing on the sidelines and watching others overturn the table."

The top-floor office of Sohu Network Building.

The internal executives had just finished their meeting, and before the door was even fully closed, two figures walked in with practiced ease.

IDG Capital partner Wang Jingbo walked in front, followed closely by Morningside Capital partner Liu Xin.

Neither of them stood on ceremony and went straight to sit down on the leather sofa in the reception area.

Zhang Chaoyang turned around and looked at the two major financial backers of Sohu, knowing that they had come to confront him after sensing something amiss.

"Old Zhang, you've done a really good job keeping this a secret. If it hadn't spread throughout Zhongguancun, I wouldn't have known you were planning to spend 20 million US dollars on junk collecting." Wang Jingbo got straight to the point, his tone laced with hostility.

Liu Xin sat down beside him, adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses, and said, "Mr. Zhang, Morningside Venture Capital and IDG are Sohu's largest investors. With the IPO imminent, if this gets back to Nasdaq, will our shares still be issued?"

Zhang Chaoyang didn't rush to refute, but went to the tea table and boiled water.

"Don't rush, gentlemen. I invited you here to discuss this." Zhang Chaoyang sat down on the single sofa opposite the two men. "You don't think I, Zhang Chaoyang, am a sucker, do you?" He waved his hand at them. "I bought Chen Yizhou's team. Wall Street wants to hear a new story. The portal website story has been told to death. Sina has already taken its place. What are we going to say as second? What do we have to compete on valuation?"

Liu Xin frowned. "Social networks?"

"That's right." Zhang Chaoyang nodded. "Qihang Technology's HaiNei.com, launched just three days ago, is generating a million yuan in revenue a day from a simple farming game. What does that show? It shows that social networking is a gold mine! Sohu simply doesn't have the time to build a team and write code. Acquiring ChinaRen is like directly telling Wall Street that Sohu has an existing team and strategy in the social networking field. That's the determination to spend a fortune to acquire a horse's bones."

After listening, Wang Jingbo's expression softened slightly, but she still couldn't help but sigh.

"Old Zhang, I understand your logic, but this money was spent in a really frustrating way." Wang Jingbo leaned back on the sofa, rubbing his temples. "Take Bai Yuhang for example, he's a complete freak. Do you know, back in Shenzhen, OICQ was practically dead, embroiled in a transoceanic lawsuit, and the founder was begging and pleading everywhere to sell it. IDG and Li Er Gongzi didn't even give it a second glance. And what happened?"

Wang Jingbo grew increasingly angry as she spoke, slapping her thigh. "And then this piece of junk got to Beijing by that kid Bai Yuhang, he changed its name, the lawsuit was off, and he connected it with his company's HaiNei.com, and it's been revitalized! Now it's a money-printing machine! If I'd known this thing was so useful, I should have let Sohu spend a little money to buy it back then, and we wouldn't be getting beaten up by a few students today!"

Liu Xin smiled wryly beside him, "President Wang, what's the use of saying all this now? Back then, they had a young lady surnamed Su who was running all over Beijing with Qihang's business plan, but we didn't even let her in the door because she was a college student starting a business. Now look what's happened, she's making a million a day, and we still have to spend twenty million US dollars to clean up the mess they left behind."

Zhang Chaoyang felt quite uncomfortable listening to the complaints of his two financial backers.

"Alright, let's not dwell on the past." Zhang Chaoyang tapped the coffee table. "The most urgent task now is to make the IPO a success. The acquisition of ChinaRen must proceed as planned. Once Chen Yizhou's team is in place, Sohu will allocate all its resources to it. No matter what it takes, we must first build up our social data and secure the roadshow on Wall Street."

Wang Jingbo and Liu Xin exchanged a glance and finally nodded helplessly, thus reaching a consensus.

"Alright, we'll do it your way." Wang Jingbo stood up. "But Lao Zhang, you have to keep a close eye on Chen Yizhou. Don't let him take our money and then fall into Bai Yuhang's trap. That Qihang kid is ruthless; he even said he'd buy scrap for three million."

"Don't worry." Zhang Chaoyang saw the two out. "In the face of capital, a few college students' unorthodox methods can't cause much trouble."

Despite saying that, Zhang Chaoyang still felt inexplicably uneasy as he watched the two figures walk into the elevator.