For the next two companies, Zhou You didn't follow along because Zhang Yiming called again. He only needed to accompany the first one; the rest could rely on their own practice, with Wang Fangfang leading the way.
It had been a long time since he last visited the capital, so this was a good chance to go. He wondered how far they had progressed by now.
After getting off the plane, Zhang Yiming picked him up in his beat-up car. A future titan, yet now his company was barely staying afloat. Every giant's birth is fraught with hardships; those that go smoothly end up being acquired. Zhou You didn't stand on ceremony and took the passenger seat, noticing Zhang Yiming's haggard face. "Mr. Zhang, how have things been lately? You look worn out."
"Not bad, overall progress is smooth. That's why I invited you, Mr. Zhou, to come see our company and take a look around," Zhang Yiming said. He certainly wouldn't admit on the spot that his company was on the verge of bankruptcy—that would be too embarrassing.
Lately, Zhang Yiming had been hit hard. When he first secured Zhou You's investment, he thought his luck had turned and things would get easier. But after the money ran out and the product launched, he approached over thirty investors while seeking more funding, only to be turned down every time. In the end, he had no choice but to call Zhou You again.
From Zhang Yiming's perspective now, Zhou You was an ideal investor—he gave the money and then stayed out of the way, letting him run things freely. Unlike other investors who might be willing to invest but had too many demands, either wanting to steer the direction or demanding too large a stake. What was the point of that? Might as well sell the company to them and work as an employee.
Every entrepreneur has a pride; otherwise, they wouldn't take such risks. Especially Zhang Yiming, who had failed multiple times in his ventures but still refused to give up.
Throughout the drive, Zhang Yiming did most of the talking, while Zhou You occasionally nodded in agreement, since he genuinely didn't understand the details.
At the company, things were much better than before. They had rented an office building with decent conditions, and now had about forty to fifty employees—far more than before. Once inside, they headed straight to the conference room to listen to presentations from Zhang Yiming and several project leads.
Initially, no one had believed in them. Other investment firms saw Zhang Yiming's project as no different from the major portal sites, lacking editors and even content. How could it possibly succeed? But no one anticipated how quickly the internet would shift from PCs to mobile devices, toppling giants like Nokia. This gave ByteDance ample time to develop, or else it would have been acquired by those giants early on, never growing into one of them itself.
Zhou You listened intently to the project leads' explanations, finding them fascinating even if he didn't fully grasp everything. "One of the key elements in our algorithm is cold start. Cold start means that as soon as a user comes in, we can analyze their preferences and deliver targeted content, hooking them immediately. But this requires big data support, which we're still developing. As we grow, our advantage will become greater because big data is our backbone."
Zhou You couldn't help but applaud. No wonder psychology books sold so well—while ordinary people played, these guys studied how to make you play, mastering your mindset completely. At least in the early stages, it was a killer feature, like an addiction. You knew it was addictive, but you couldn't quit. To give a rough analogy, it was like the flawed matchmaking system in *Honor of Kings*—letting you win one game, lose a few, and even throwing in bots to toy with your emotions and control your win rate. Later, as more was exposed, many people lost interest and gradually quit.
"Mr. Zhang, you're developing rapidly. This theory is definitely cutting-edge, and I fully support it. Is there anything I can help with?" Zhou You didn't beat around the bush; he was here to increase his investment.
Zhang Yiming felt a bit embarrassed at this. He had been putting on a show, but Zhou You had already figured it out. "Our product is now live, with hundreds of thousands of active users. The future potential is limitless. We're still expanding our investment and servers, and we're indeed looking for more funding. But since you're our first investor, Mr. Zhou, we naturally prioritize your interest. Would you like to consider increasing your stake?"
"What conditions did the other investors offer to push you to this point, Mr. Zhang?" Zhou You asked with a smile. For now, the overall direction hadn't changed, but he didn't dare invest too much. Such enterprises needed a lot of behind-the-scenes support, and Zhou You didn't have many resources—only a little help at the startup stage. Unlike other giants who could share data and provide invisible benefits, these were hidden industry barriers. Without bringing them in, growth was tough. Relying solely on Zhou You's investment would limit funding and development, potentially leading to an early demise.
Zhang Yiming sat back in his chair, picked up his cup, and took a sip of water to ease the dryness from meeting dozens of investors over the past month. "They wanted control, which I absolutely can't accept," he said firmly. "I'd rather the company go under."
"So how much funding do you need this time, Mr. Zhang? Rest assured, I still stand by my words—I believe in you and in this venture, and I don't want to manage the company," Zhou You said, deeply moved by Zhang Yiming's resolute attitude. Without the courage to burn one's boats, one couldn't become a giant.
Hearing this, Zhang Yiming felt a warmth in his heart. He wasn't a pure businessman, and the fact that Zhou You had stepped in to help twice during his toughest times was something he would always remember. "Thank you for your trust, Mr. Zhou. I won't be formal with you—we're old acquaintances. This round of funding might be a bit large, at least 10 million, but the stake won't be as much as last time. I can offer you an additional 10% at most." Zhang Yiming was reluctant; having one person hold too large a share, even if they didn't interfere, still had a significant impact on him.
"Mr. Zhang, you're valuing the company at 100 million, huh? Alright, I'll take the gamble. Go ahead and draft the agreement as you said. I don't want too much equity—35% is already satisfying. But I'll say this again," Zhou You said without hesitation. There were many ways to handle the agreement details; what mattered was the bond. "I hope, Mr. Zhang, that as you continue to raise funds and grow the company, you won't forget my contribution today."
Zhang Yiming stood up, walked over to Zhou You, and gave him a tight hug, patting him firmly on the back twice. "Words are useless. Just watch my actions from now on. I'm a technical guy, not good with words, but I'll match sincerity with sincerity."