If everyone is reborn, who will work for capital?

Chapter 73 Join me in purifying this industry

The two walked slowly along a quiet, green path in the science and technology park. Geng Zhi, with his hands in his coat pockets, broke the silence first:

"President Li, after these two months, how do you feel about our business development? Are you satisfied with the current progress?"

"Everything's going smoothly, I'm extremely satisfied!" Li Haipeng replied without hesitation, his tone brimming with genuine satisfaction. "To be honest, boss, the progress is much faster than I initially imagined, it's completely exceeded my expectations!"

"Oh? In what specific way did it exceed expectations?" Geng Zhi glanced at him sideways.

"In every aspect. Since our breakthrough, the reputation of 'Jiaotong University Matchmaker' has skyrocketed, and our events are always packed. Whether it's the size of our company team, the brand awareness of our business, or our revenue, everything is growing rapidly. And didn't the boss say that we're about to raise funds?"

But after he finished speaking, he noticed that Geng Zhi's face didn't show any excitement; instead, it looked rather serious.

Li Haipeng's heart skipped a beat, and he tentatively asked, "Boss... am I wrong? Don't you think it's fast enough?"

Instead of answering his question, Geng Zhi changed the subject: "President Li, why did you give up your job at New Oriental and agree to become a partner in the company?"

Li Haipeng was taken aback by the question, and his steps slowed down a beat.

He hesitated for a few seconds before deciding to tell the truth: "Because the boss told me at the time that the company would be worth at least 500 million in the future."

Geng Zhi nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips: "So, have you achieved it now?"

"What are you talking about, boss!" Li Haipeng chuckled, finding Geng Zhi a bit strange today. "We've only just begun, the first step of a long march."

"Based on the logic I gave you before, a valuation of 5 million would require annual revenue of 5000 million. Mr. Li, how long do you think it would take to achieve this goal, given our current scale and development trend?" Geng Zhi asked again.

Li Haipeng began to calculate quickly and quietly: "If each event generates 6000 yuan in revenue, then we need more than 8000 events. If each city has four events per week, then ten cities would require 200 weeks, which means..."

He did the mental calculations, his voice trailing off, "...almost four years."

"Four years." Geng Zhi repeated the number, his tone flat:

"President Li, your calculation is based on a series of ideal assumptions: assuming that we have already established ourselves in ten cities, assuming that every event is fully booked, assuming that all competitors have been asleep for the past four years, just waiting for us to dominate the market."

He paused, then posed a series of questions:

"But how long will it take us to expand into 10 major cities?"

"What if tomorrow, Fudan University suddenly has a 'Fudan Matchmaker,' Tongji University has a 'Tongji Matchmaker,' and Peking University, Jiangnan University, Nanjing University... all spring up everywhere?"

"What if Century Home Network, Baihe.com, and Zhenai.com realize this and follow suit with their offline events, using their capital and brand to crush us?

Li Haipeng was rendered speechless by the barrage of questions, and the excitement and enthusiasm he had felt in the meeting room vanished instantly.

For more than a month, he devoted himself entirely to the execution of specific business tasks. Every day, he was busy with venues, publicity, sponsorships, and the team.

He was proud of his and his team's "efficiency," but subconsciously avoided these bigger and more brutal questions.

Now, after a little thought, I realize the seriousness of the problem.

Yes, when will we be able to expand our business to 10 cities and achieve the same dominance as our business in Shanghai?

What to do if your competitor imitates you?

What if customers stop buying?

What to do when facing suppression from a powerful enemy?

The more he thought about it, the more he realized he had underestimated the situation.

"President Li, you are different from Mingxia and Beibei. You are the co-founder of the company. You need to keep your head down and walk carefully, but also keep your eyes on the sky."

Just as Li Haipeng's mood was about to plummet and he was even beginning to doubt his initial choice, a sudden inspiration flashed into his mind.

Suddenly remembering what Geng Zhi had said at the dinner table that night when he tried to recruit him, it was like grasping at a straw:

"Boss, that night we were drinking, didn't you say that we should leverage the reputation and trust we've built up offline in Shanghai to quickly transition online, create a high-quality community, and recreate a top-tier social circle for highly educated individuals?"

He spoke faster and faster, his eyes lighting up again: "Isn't it time now? You mentioned in the group chat that you wanted to make an app. Didn't the boss already have plans in mind?"

Li Haipeng tried hard to search every word in his memory, attempting to use past promises to fight against his current confusion and to encourage himself.

"Mr. Li, that night we were drinking, I said that we were aiming to solve the pain points of established dating websites, to create a different, reliable product, right?"

"Yes! That's what you said, boss!" Li Haipeng nodded vigorously.

"What do you think is our biggest advantage compared to Zhenai.com, Baihe.com, and Century Family Network?"

"Offline events! We have real and fun interactive scenarios, and the matching efficiency is significantly higher," Li Haipeng blurted out.

"That's right." Geng Zhi nodded in agreement. "So, can we bring this advantage online?"

"This..." Li Haipeng pondered for a few seconds, then suddenly fell silent.

"No matter how captivating the story or how successful the word-of-mouth transfer, once user behavior primarily occurs behind the screen, much of the offline magic will naturally dissipate."

Ultimately, the online version of "Jiaotong University Matchmaker" will likely fall into the same predicament as traditional dating websites—information asymmetry, difficulty in establishing trust, and complex user motivations…

"We may very well... eventually become another Baihe.com, Century Home Network, or Zhenai.com. This is not because we are not doing well enough, but because it is the fate of the online model in this industry."

Another silence lasting more than ten seconds.

"Then... what did the boss say that night... while drinking...?" Li Haipeng asked slowly, his voice somewhat hoarse.

"That was something I said while drunk."

boom--!

Li Haipeng's steps froze on the spot, his whole body trembled as if struck by an invisible lightning bolt, and a mix of complex emotions welled up in his heart.

We drank beer that night!

I drank most of it; the boss didn't seem to have drunk much!

Many phrases flashed through his mind instantly:

A company with a registered capital of 100,000 yuan, a slip of the tongue while drunk, 15% equity stake, another slip of the tongue while drunk, co-founder, yet another slip of the tongue while drunk, a net worth of 75 million yuan, yet another slip of the tongue while drunk, managing both career and love...

Thinking of this, he quickly began to comfort himself:

At least, his relationship with Mingxia is progressing smoothly, so he's got his heart in the romance. In his career, although his dream of immense wealth may have been shattered, his personal abilities have visibly grown, and the company is indeed profitable, not losing money…

Thinking about it this way, it doesn't seem like I've lost everything?

Although he always felt that Geng Zhi's "indiscretion after drinking" was a bit far-fetched, he did not blame Geng Zhi.

"Boss, I understand you."

"I have a bad temper when I'm drunk, and I made you lose your job at New Oriental. Are you still willing to work with me?" Geng Zhi looked at him seriously.

Li Haipeng nodded emphatically almost without hesitation: "I'm willing. Boss, I trust you."

Seeing that he answered seriously, Geng Zhi ended the test and smiled.

"President Li, I said I would purify the marriage and dating environment, and I will do it. I said I would give you the choice to redefine your career, and I will do that too."

"Huh??" Li Haipeng was bewildered by this latest twist and quickly asked, "Boss, what do you mean?"

"Remember when you questioned Ma Chunmei's value to the company? I said that our goals are much bigger than just running 'Jiaotong University Matchmaker' well, right?"

"Yes, the boss did mention it." Li Haipeng nodded hurriedly.

Geng Zhi laughed and said, "Actually, becoming a 'matchmaker for Jiaotong University' is not our goal, but just our first stepping stone."

He immediately stopped smiling, and his tone became serious: "But before I leave the diving board, I have something to do first."

Li Haipeng didn't interrupt Geng Zhi, but just listened quietly.

Geng Zhi took a deep breath and continued, "Some time ago, I had a very strange dream."

"I dreamt about a tech entrepreneur who registered on a dating website. A sweet girl on the website took the initiative to show interest in him. Two months later, the two got married in a flash."

"But just over a month after their marriage, the girl found an excuse to force the man to divorce her and pay millions in compensation. Later, she threatened him by claiming to know his secrets and demanded tens of millions in compensation for emotional distress... The man eventually gave in, but couldn't bear the pressure and jumped off a building."

"It was later revealed that the woman had been married four times in six years and received a huge amount of money in each divorce."

After Geng Zhi finished telling the story of his dream, a long silence fell between the two of them.

Finally, Geng Zhi broke the silence: "Before leaving 'Jiaotong University Matchmaker' as a stepping stone, I would like to invite President Li to join me in purifying this chaotic marriage and dating industry, even if it only illuminates a tiny corner."

"So that in reality, no one will repeat the mistakes of the young man in my dream."

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P.S.: Mid-month update, requesting a monthly vote, thank you fellow readers!