Stronger by Paying Salaries and I Have 1 Billion Employees

”Pardon my asking, but your company didn’t go through a headhunter, so how did you get my contact information?”

Yu Xianyang sensed something was off and asked directly.

”Your younger brother in Shidu told our boss,” the HR person replied truthfully.

’Yu Erbao?’

Yu Xianyang frowned, completely bewildered. ’How could his troublemaking younger brother possibly know the founder of Senlian Capital?’

Although Chen Yansen was a Hua Country entrepreneur, the dual combination of his age and wealth gave him a reputation in the North American Region that was in no way inferior to Zuckerberg’s.

Some media outlets even stated outright that Zuckerberg’s business achievements weren’t enough to be mentioned in the same breath as Chen Yansen’s.

Rather than calling Chen Yansen the Hua Country version of Zuckerberg, it would be more accurate to call Zuckerberg the Lighthouse Country version of Chen Yansen.

Zuckerberg almost laughed in anger when he saw the reports. He then took the initiative to accept the invitation to the ’IT Leaders Summit.’ He wanted to see for himself whether Chen Yansen truly had substance or was just a product of Hua Country’s ’myth-making.’

Of course, his more important goal in coming to Hua Country was to break through the restrictions and push Facebook into the Hua Country market.

After all, Hua Country’s population of over a billion people could give Facebook another exponential leap in growth.

He knew it would be difficult, but he still wanted to try.

To this end, Zuckerberg didn’t hesitate to signal his friendliness toward the East in front of the media.

While Yu Xianyang was communicating with the HR from Tiangong Technology, Chen Yansen was resting with his eyes closed, soaking in a lukewarm spring.

Tomorrow was Friday, and he had to fly to Shencheng City for the ’IT Leaders Summit.’ Ma Liyun, Ma Wenteng, and Li Yanhong would all be there.

As a member of ’BATS,’ if he didn’t go, it would not only be a snub to Shencheng City, but it could also easily give users the wrong impression, making them think Senlian Capital wasn’t important enough to be invited.

Some meetings, you just couldn’t skip.

Besides, he could also make a stop at the Orange Phone Factory on the way.

SPLASH!

Meng Jie, blushing, wore the swimsuit President Chen had meticulously prepared for her and slowly settled into the hot spring.

She glanced down and couldn’t help but curse inwardly: ’Such a pervert, always buying these strange clothes.’

”Why are you so far away from me?” Chen Yansen asked with his eyes still closed.

”I’m sitting right next to you,” Meng Jie giggled, trying to trick him.

”Come here!” Chen Yansen commanded.

’Never mind using Divine Sense; just by listening to the echo of her voice, he could pinpoint Meng Jie’s exact location.’

”You have ears like a dog, they’re so sharp,” Meng Jie muttered under her breath.

”...” Chen Yansen sighed softly, feigning ignorance.

Meng Jie stood up and shuffled through the water bit by bit, finally sitting down right next to President Chen.

Although she wasn’t tall, her figure was well-proportioned and her skin was fair. Her appeal lay in her delicate, exquisite frame, which was also satisfying to the touch.

In Chen Yansen’s eyes, this meant she was more... malleable.

Her personality was also different from Song Yuncheng’s and Ye Qiuping’s. When you’ve had your fill of rich, heavy meals, a light, refreshing side dish can be a welcome and delicious change of pace.

As they soaked, they eventually shifted their activities to the tatami mat on the side.

At first, when Meng Jie said she ”knew how to ride a motorcycle,” Chen Yansen didn’t believe her. But ten minutes later, he was starting to become a believer.

...

...

The next morning, Chen Yansen returned to the company and took Gao Weilin, Liang Bo, Chen Jie, and others with him to Shencheng City.

The moment they landed, a call came from Ma Wenteng. ”Six o’clock tonight, Cai Xin Mansion. I’ve arranged a welcome dinner for you.”

Cai Xin Mansion was a high-end restaurant in Shencheng City that specialized in Cantonese cuisine, supplemented by fusion dishes. Much like the city’s inhabitants, its offerings came from all over the country.

The average cost per person was over 5,000 Hua Yuan!

Don’t seek the best, just the most expensive!

It might not have been the best choice for hosting a guest, but choosing Cai Xin Mansion was at least a safe bet.

”No problem,” Chen Yansen readily agreed.

Although there was some friction between Senlian Capital and Penguin, on the whole, the two were still loyal partners to each other.

Penguin Investment had invested in Pinbei, Kuai Pao, Fast Taxi, and Ofo bikes, while Senlian Capital had invested in QQ Music and Penguin Video.

Leaving the airport, Xiaoli got into the driver’s seat of a Maybach and headed toward the hotel.

The car’s body and windows had been upgraded; they were bulletproof.

It was flanked by a Mercedes MPV in the front and another in the back.

This was all Cao Dahua’s doing!

Chen Yansen didn’t refuse. Although he didn’t need it, people like Old Gao, Liang Bo, and Chen Jie did.

’From his perspective, would someone really dare to ram him with a dump truck?’

The convoy sped along Airport South Road.

Before long, the magnificent Five Continents Hotel came into view. This was also the venue for the ’IT Leaders Summit.’

Staying here would save them the trouble of traveling back and forth.

Naturally, Chen Jie handled the check-in procedures.

Three minutes later, he took a room key and entered an executive guest room. Since he hadn’t brought Song Yuncheng this time, President Chen would have to suffer the grievance of sleeping alone.

He rested briefly in the room until a quarter past five, then left the hotel and was driven to Cai Xin Mansion, the place Little Ma had mentioned. Old Gao, Liang Bo, and Chen Jie accompanied him.

Outside the car window, dusk was settling in. The surrounding skyscrapers lit up one by one, casting a dazzling brilliance. The nascent neon lights illuminated this city that never sleeps.

It was much like Hu City—a city of laborers.

Countless people exhausted their youth and their lives here, yet could never find a place to call their own.

Batches of people came, and batches of people left.

Half an hour later, the car stopped in front of an exquisite courtyard, a style unique to the south.

It featured interconnected, sprawling buildings with exquisite carvings.

Ma Wenteng was there with Liu Zhiping, flanked by two young men who looked like either assistants or bodyguards.

When he saw Chen Yansen get out of the car, he was about to go and greet him, but in an instant, four security personnel poured out of a Mercedes MPV, surrounding Boss Chen on all sides.

Little Ma froze on the spot, thinking: ’How is this kid’s entourage getting bigger and bigger? The last time we met, he only had a driver.’

”Mr. Ma, my apologies for this display.”

Chen Yansen pushed aside the security guards, smiled awkwardly, and then quietly explained the reason for it.

”President Cao did the right thing. The waters here in Shencheng City are no shallower than in the north. Safety first, after all.”

Ma Wenteng chuckled and offered some gentle reassurance.

Shencheng City is close to Southeast Asia. It wasn’t out of the question that someone, driven to desperation, might pull a job and then flee.

Although the Inspection Institute would also be stepping up security over the next two days, an extra layer of insurance was always safer.

He certainly wouldn’t laugh at Chen Yansen, because if their roles were reversed, he would take the same security precautions.

”Martin.”

Chen Yansen raised a hand in greeting to Liu Zhiping.

”President Chen,” Liu Zhiping replied.

With Senlian Capital’s rapid expansion, he no longer had the confidence to have Chen Yansen call him ’Brother Martin.’

After all, in terms of net worth and industry influence, Chen Yansen and Ma Wenteng were now neck and neck.

In terms of personal wealth, he could even completely crush Ma Wenteng.

Aside from a slight deficiency in connections and high-level resources, Chen Yansen had already entered the top tier of Hua Country’s entrepreneurs.

This was evident from the promotional materials for the ’IT Leaders Summit.’ In the eyes of the Central Bureau, Chen Yansen was ranked just behind Ma Liyun, Ma Wenteng, and Li Yanhong.

After exchanging a few pleasantries and making gestures of deference, Chen Yansen and Ma Wenteng walked side by side into the private room.

Behind them followed a massive entourage.

In Shencheng City, Ma Wenteng was clearly a local powerhouse. Before they even reached the private room, a constant stream of local entrepreneurs came up to greet him.

”Zuckerberg is here too.”

Ma Wenteng mentioned this as soon as they entered the room.

”Oh? He’s probably looking to enter the domestic market,” Chen Yansen said with certainty.

”He thinks he can just waltz in? I won’t allow it,” Ma Wenteng said dominantly, his eyes narrowing.

WeChat’s total registered users had already surpassed 400 million. Both Renren Network and Weibo were being suppressed by Penguin.

’Facebook wants in? First, the higher-ups most likely won’t approve. Second, with WeChat and QQ, Penguin is already the undisputed hegemon of the social media space. Does Facebook really think it can come here and succeed?’

’Hua Country has its own rules. Whether due to information security concerns or the relative strength of the players, for an outsider like Facebook to try and snatch market share from Penguin in social software is nothing short of a pipe dream.’

”Well, since he’s come all this way to your doorstep, you should probably go out and meet him on his,” Chen Yansen said, fanning the flames.

”WeChat’s registered users in overseas markets broke 40 million in the middle of this month,” Little Ma bragged, the corner of his mouth curving up smugly.

After saying that, he changed the subject. ”Is Mimo Short Video a Senlian Capital product?”

”Yes,” Chen Yansen nodded, admitting it.

Although Mimo Short Video’s corporate entity was in the Cayman Islands, the ultimate controlling party was still Senlian Capital. Plus, the CEO was Mao Chaorong, so it was perfectly normal that Little Ma could find this out.

”You’re not thinking of copying my homework, are you?” Chen Yansen asked bluntly.

”...” Ma Wenteng gave a dry laugh, not knowing how to respond.

The main thing was, he really did want to copy it!

Mimo Short Video had only been online for four months, yet it had already swept up forty million users in the North American Region, with daily active users as high as fifteen million.

WeChat, on the other hand, had taken a full year and a half to reach that stage, and its daily active users were just over five million.

Clearly, in terms of localized operations, promotional efforts, and user retention, Penguin still had a lot to learn.

”President Chen, please don’t misunderstand. Mr. Ma doesn’t mean that. He just thinks that Mimo’s promotional strategy and content are worthy of study for WeChat,” Liu Zhiping jumped in to smooth things over.

”Mr. Ma, if you want to do it, I can’t stop you. But I’d advise you not to.”

Chen Yansen picked up his teacup from the table and took a sip.

He was being sincere, and his intentions were good. The domestic network conditions weren’t mature enough yet. Rushing in rashly would most likely be a dead end.

The idea of chasing the next big trend wasn’t wrong, but those in the first wave to charge in were often the ones who died the most miserable deaths.

Unfortunately, Xiaoma wasn’t one to take advice. In his eyes, Chen Yansen’s words were merely an excuse to stop him from entering the short video sector.

Chen Yansen glanced at Ma Wenteng and immediately understood. The guy hadn’t taken his warning seriously at all.

’Forget it. Good advice is wasted on a dead man walking,’ Chen Yansen thought to himself.

The two men, each with their own ulterior motives, finished the dinner with pleasant chatter and laughter.

Chen Yansen had brought Ma Wenteng some cigarettes and liquor; the man loved that stuff.

Three hours later, the drinking party finally broke up.

Chen Yansen got in his car and waved goodbye to a flushed-faced Ma Wenteng.

「At the same time.」

Jia Yaoting finally saw the engineering test version of the LeTV Super TV. LeTV was just one step away from entering the smart TV industry.