Chen Yansen dropped his luggage in the living room and headed straight downstairs to the startup park.
Currently, FoxTao's various channels were developing smoothly. His role in the company was to steer the overall direction; the actual execution had been delegated.
Passing the express delivery station, he spotted Song Yang sitting by the door, engrossed in a novel on his phone.
"Yangyang, what are you up to?" Chen Yansen nudged him with an elbow, smiling.
"President Chen's new book, 'Covering the Sky'! I've been hooked lately. Let me tell you, it's amazing. Just a few lines of that iconic bravado, and you can't put it down," Song Yang looked up, recognizing Chen Yansen, and launched into an enthusiastic explanation.
In his past life, Song Yang had also thrust his phone at Chen Yansen, insisting he experience the charm of the "Five Greats." Back then, Chen Yansen was too busy currying favor to bother with online novels and had refused.
It went without saying—no matter how thrilling the book, it couldn't compare to President Chen's daily dramas. Without that sense of identification, where was the satisfaction?
"Not for immortality, only to wait for your return in this red dust."
"I am the Heavenly Emperor, destined to suppress all enemies of this world!"
"My son, Wang Teng, possesses the majesty of a great emperor!"
Song Yang chuckled, reciting classic lines from the novel from memory.
Ah, youth. So foolish, yet so wonderfully naive.
Chen Yansen thought to himself, patted Song Yang on the shoulder, and without a word, turned to go upstairs.
Wait.
Chen Yansen suddenly remembered something. He turned back. "Say that last line again."
"'My son, Wang Teng, possesses the majesty of a great emperor!'" Song Yang grinned. "Isn't it just the coolest?"
"Yangzi, thanks."
Deep within Chen Yansen's memory, a detail finally surfaced: the future General Manager of Redmi, the head of Xiaomi's marketing department, was also named Wang Teng, and seemed quite capable.
Since he couldn't poach Li Wanqiang, he'd poach his successor.
He was about to head upstairs when he realized he only had a name. He knew nothing of Wang Teng's resume, whether he had already joined Xiaomi, or where he even worked.
"Forget it, leave it to a headhunter. With a name and the corresponding industry, they should be able to find him."
Having settled on that, Chen Yansen went up to the second floor. Passing Cao Dahua's office, he saw him still at his desk working on a report, so he knocked on the door.
"Come in! It's been a few days, getting all formal with me now?"
Cao Dahua remained seated, joking with a chuckle.
"I was afraid if I walked in, I'd catch you watching an 'educational film.' That would be awkward for both of us."
Chen Yansen pushed the door open, sat down, shook the teapot (which still had half a pot of tea), poured himself a cup, and took a slow sip.
"I heard from Zihao you went to Beijing to talk cooperation with Xiaomi?" Hearing this, Cao Dahua subtly minimized the media player, closed his laptop lid, and began chatting leisurely.
"Yeah, Lei Jun used investment as bait to lure me to Beijing, but I knew what I was getting into. The trip wasn't a total loss; I secured two B2C platforms for the online mall rebate program," Chen Yansen said calmly, setting down his teacup.
"He probably wants to make phones, right?" Cao Dahua picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup, took a sip, and asked with narrowed eyes.
"Definitely! These days, selling phones is like printing money. Make a profit on the hardware, then another on the software—killing two birds with one stone," Chen Yansen replied with a light laugh. For him, the massive employment opportunities offered by manufacturing were the real appeal.
"More than that! Once the brand is established, accessories like chargers, earphones, cases, screen protectors, even branded peripherals can become major profit centers," Cao Dahua added, waving a hand.
"You actually know about this stuff?" Chen Yansen was taken aback, his face full of surprise.
"Damn! What do you mean? I told you about my Shenzhen days, and you didn't believe a word?" Cao Dahua said in a low voice, his expression serious and slightly defensive.
Chen Yansen gave an awkward smile. Last time, he'd been so busy drinking he'd let Cao Dahua's stories go in one ear and out the other.
"I believe you! We're brothers, what's this? I just thought you were in the internet industry, didn't expect you to know so much about phones." Chen Yansen laughed it off.
"Hmph! I was starting businesses when you were still in elementary school." Cao Dahua snorted, muttering discontentedly, then asked, "From what you're saying, you don't want to make phones too, do you? Let me tell you, the real economy isn't like the internet. The water runs deep."
"Last time I asked what projects you'd done in your startups, you wouldn't say. Tell me now, maybe I can learn something from your failures," Chen Yansen asked casually, curious.
"Damn! When have I ever failed?" Cao Dahua turned his head, sticking his neck out. After a moment's hesitation, he lowered his voice, "Hey, don't spread this around! Have you heard of Hao123?"
"You're the founder of Hao123? I heard that seven years ago, Baidu acquired it for 12 million in cash plus 40,000 shares of Baidu stock." This time, it was Chen Yansen's turn to be shocked. He never expected this "Slacker Immortal" Cao Dahua had such a glorious past.
You have to understand, Baidu's stock price back then was over $100 per share. 40,000 shares were worth at least 28 million RMB. Plus the cash, Cao Dahua's net worth was no less than 40 million.
Yet Old Cao usually just drove a Haval H6. Very low-key.
Hearing Chen Yansen's flattery, Cao Dahua blushed slightly, coughed twice, and said, "I just asked if you'd heard of it, didn't say I was the boss of Hao123."
"Oh, Lao Cao, stop bragging. I was thinking of mooching a meal off you tonight. You wouldn't be stingy, would you?" Chen Yansen joked.
"The product I made back then was called 991 Navigation. Not as good as Hao123, but quite famous in the southeast. Later, I sold it to Google. Didn't make a fortune, but enough to live comfortably." Cao Dahua wore a smug, nostalgic expression.
991 Navigation?
Chen Yansen, upon hearing this, thought it was some shady navigation site. But judging by Cao Dahua's expression, it was probably a second or third-tier web directory, making a few million at most.
"Impressive! My apologies! I actually used that navigation site in junior high to look for... study materials," Chen Yansen said offhandedly.
"Really? That's all in the past, let's not talk about it. Let's talk about you. Do you really want to get into phones? Wouldn't it be better to make easy money as an e-commerce guide?" Cao Dahua felt a pang of guilt and quickly changed the subject, offering earnest advice.
Back in the day, he'd used all sorts of tricks on his website to attract traffic and increase user stickiness. Chen Yansen's words hit a nerve.
He thought to himself: No wonder this kid is clever but only got into a second-tier university. He's been looking for "study materials" since junior high.
"Making money too easily is meaningless. I just like to stir the pot," Chen Yansen grinned.
If he had to live a steady life, he might as well die early. His dictionary only contained two words: troublemaking and money!
A man can't be poor, and he can't not cause trouble!
"Aren't you afraid of getting a sack thrown over your head if you say that out loud? You're too hateable!" Cao Dahua laughed heartily, pointing at Chen Yansen and cursing.
"I'm leaving now, so you won't be tempted to beat me up after work." Chen Yansen stood up, patted his backside, and left.
"Young people, always like to stir the pot. Just like I was back in the day." Watching Chen Yansen leave, Cao Dahua shook his head and smiled, then turned his computer back on to continue the video he hadn't finished.
As soon as Chen Yansen entered Room 206, Wang Zihao came over with his laptop.
"We gained over 800,000 new users yesterday. DAU broke 1.75 million. The burn rate is terrifying; my heart can't take it," Wang Zihao said, gesturing for Chen Yansen to look at the campaign data.
Chen Yansen glanced briefly. The CPM and CPA were within controllable ranges. DAU exceeding 100,000 across various channels indicated the campaign team had put significant effort into their creatives and strategy.
"It seems we can hit the 2 million DAU target before June," Chen Yansen nodded, satisfied.
His initial plan was to boost FoxTao's DAU to 3 million and achieve annual sales exceeding 10 billion. That would allow him to negotiate a Series B with investors or find a buyer to package and sell FoxTao.
While others might not know, he was clear: once Alibaba and JD.com listed and their stock prices stabilized, FoxTao would likely be the first target.
Who would allow a third-party external channel to grow so large?
If he were in their position, Chen Yansen would make the same choice.
"The telecom company interface should be ready next week. The entry point is in the user center, with daily exposure over a million," Wang Zihao continued reporting.
"Just keep an eye on it. Notify me when it goes live. No need to report every detail," Chen Yansen said with a faint smile, instructing Wang Zihao.
"Okay, I'll head back. Last week's campaign analysis is in your email," Wang Zihao smiled, picked up his laptop, and returned to his seat.
Chen Yansen leaned back, put his feet on the desk, and took out his phone to play Temple Run. He'd played it before, but that was over a decade ago.
After about ten minutes, Chen Yansen put down his phone. With his current reaction speed and dexterity, playing this game felt like his senses were slowed down tenfold. He didn't feel the tension or excitement at all; instead, he found it utterly boring.
It seemed enhanced physical and mental abilities weren't all good.
Chen Yansen sighed inwardly.
He stayed at the startup park until 6 p.m., but 90% of the project team was still at their stations. After all, overtime paid 1.5 times the rate, so no one felt they were working for Chen Yansen for free.
In a company with booming performance and generous overtime pay, no one in the startup park felt miserable.
Chen Yansen called Meng Xibo and Zhu Xiaopeng, then stopped by the first floor to grab Song Yang and Wang Zhengqiang. The group headed off-campus—they had to get together at least once a month. Tang Zhenzhe had already ordered food at Shuangqing Restaurant and was waiting.
Along the way, the guys' conversation inevitably turned to girls. Zhu Xiaopeng mentioned that Brother Zhe (Tang Zhenzhe) had failed to confess to Su Meiling and had been pretty down lately.
Song Yang scratched his head and said a senior from the Art Department was pursuing him.
This immediately sparked everyone's interest. They bombarded him with questions about her looks, height, and, most importantly, how far things had progressed.
"Vulgar!" Chen Yansen pulled Song Yang over, pointed at the group, and scolded. As soon as he finished, he asked with a wicked grin, "So, what base have you reached?"
"Damn you!" The others collectively gave him the middle finger, laughing in disdain.
...
The next morning, Chen Yansen, unusually, took his textbooks and attended a major class.
The professor, seeing this unfamiliar face, assumed he was an auditor from another department and paid no special attention, completely unaware this was the never-seen-before Chen Yansen.
After lunch, Chen Yansen went to Room 206. Seeing him, Xu Dan stepped forward to report, "Brother Sen, the headhunter recommended several candidates named Wang Teng. I think this Wang Teng currently at OPPO best matches your requirements."
She handed over five or six resumes. The one on top, Wang Teng, was a graduate of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, who joined OPPO in 2008 as a product manager.
Chen Yansen flipped to the second resume. Another Wang Teng.
Damn, why are there so many people named Wang Teng?
And they're all in the mobile phone industry.
Chen Yansen frowned, momentarily unsure which one he was actually looking for.
"You conduct the initial interview. For the technical interview, ask Director Cao to recommend a professor in a relevant field. Whoever is most capable, we'll take," Chen Yansen decided.
[author]
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