Top of the Great Era

Chapter 3008 Bermuda

In April, Liu Qiangdong led a team to the United States and began to warm up for JD.com's IPO in all aspects.

Once again, Zhou Buqi was invited to participate in JD.com’s roadshow.

Zhou Buqi is not available.

He still has a series of strategic arrangements to complete.

For example, online education, business social networking.

That morning, Zhou Buqi invited a guest, Louis von Ahn, the founder and CEO of an educational product called Duolingo.

This company is actually called Duolingo. The reason why it has a Chinese name like "Duolingo" is because this app has developed very well and its performance is amazing!

Just last year, it was selected as the best app of the year by the Apple Store.

With such a reputation and Apple's recommendation, it naturally set its sights on the market with the largest number of mobile users in the world - the domestic market.

It started out well.

Soon they ran into huge trouble.

This time, Louis von Ahn took the initiative to ask for a meeting with Zhou Buqi, wanting to learn more about the situation and how to make Internet products in China. It happened to be an educational product, and Zhou Buqi was also interested, so he agreed to meet with him.

Just as Zhou Buqi was waiting for him in the office, Sun Wanran walked over with a worried look on his face.

Zhou Buqi noticed that her expression was not right and asked, "What's wrong?"

Sun Wanran sighed softly, "Your little beauty is in trouble."

"Which little beauty?"

Zhou Buqi was a little bit confusing.

  He has many beauties, which one are you talking about?

Sun Wanran rolled her eyes at him and said, "The one you snatched from Mr. Liu!"

"Ah?" Zhou Buqi said seriously, "Wang Langli?"

Sun Wanran snorted and said sourly, "You remember the name so clearly."

Zhou Buqi said unhappily: "She's just a woman, what's the big deal?"

Sun Wanran didn't want to get too entangled, so she sighed, "She got into trouble and has been crying all afternoon... Ning Lu is with her. She said the results of the hospital's physical examination are out, and there are some very bad signs."

Zhou Buqi's heart moved.

Sure enough!

Sun Wanran continued, "It seems that her father has leukemia. Now Ning Lu is with her and has taken her parents to the Union Hospital for a follow-up visit. But it looks like she can't escape it. If it's really leukemia, I heard that the annual treatment fee is over a million. Her family is from a small town and can't afford it at all."

Zhou Buqi said: "Then let Ning Lu work hard. If necessary, you can ask He Yang to come forward and help if you can. As for the medical expenses, don't worry at all. I will take care of it! No matter how much it costs, I will use the best treatment plan!"

Sun Wanran curled her lips and said, "This is a good deal for you!"

"What's the word?"

"Ning Lu, Yan Qiqi, Zhang Zetian, and Han Yalan who stayed in China have all talked to Miss Wang several times. She has different ideas and is not willing to be a mistress or lover. Everyone has their own aspirations, and you shouldn't force them. Now, your chance has come."

"I'm doing this to cure illnesses and save lives!"

Zhou Buqi felt that his character was slandered.

Sun Wanran said: "Yes, you cured the disease and saved the patient, and you also got the beauty, killing two birds with one stone."

Zhou Buqi said angrily, "If I really want to do something, can she still resist? Can't I just call her to America and have a few private chats with her? Is it necessary to go through so much trouble? Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda, do you understand?"

"That's what she said." Sun Wanran is not an ordinary secretary, "But this method is undoubtedly the best. If it is really leukemia, whether it can be saved or not, can Wang Langli live without you for the rest of her life? With her traditional personality, she must be very moved. She has long regarded you as her savior and wants to marry you!" Zhou Buqi said speechlessly: "Have you watched too much official media and learned the routine of celebrating funerals? She has leukemia, which is obviously a disaster, but you act as if you have moved heaven and earth. Can you have a little sympathy and empathy?"

At this time, another secretary, Gu Zanli, ran over and said quickly, "The guest is here, Duolingo's CEO Louis von Ahn."

"Let him come here!"

Zhou Buqi finally got rid of Sun Wanran's entanglement.

He actually understood what was going on.

Because he had crossed the line a bit in the matter of Wang Langli. The other secretaries were all arranged by the secretariat, and they had all been examined at various levels. They were all equivalent to Sun Wanran's direct sisters, and they were all recruited by her, so of course they all followed her lead.

Wang Langli was different. She really became Zhou Buqi's personal secretary. Being favored was not a big deal, but she was afraid that she would disobey discipline.

Once there is no organizational principle, it is easy for one fish to spoil the whole barrel.

It will disrupt the current situation of stability, friendship and harmonious coexistence within the Zhou family.

This is also something that Aunt Xue and Ning Yaxian are very worried about.

Zhou Buqi did not have such worries. He knew Wang Langli too well. She had a gentle personality and the traditional concept of "marrying your husband and obeying him" was in her bones. There was no hidden danger.

Soon, Louis von Ahn arrived.

Was led to the reception room.

As can be seen from his name, Louis von Ahn is of German descent.

The company he founded focuses mainly on language learning.

Because it was founded only recently, less than two years ago, the business is very small and is currently limited to English learning.

The current performance is very good. With the recommendation of the Apple Store on iPhone and the free model, it has accumulated more than 4000 million users worldwide, and everyone is learning English through the product. With the development of business and expansion of the company, more language learning categories will be launched in the future.

Zhou Buqi was very interested in this direction.

Language learning is an inevitable hurdle for educational products. Many domestic educational institutions are also launching online education products, but most of them are exam-oriented, aimed at passing exams rather than real language communication.

If you really want to learn English well, you must be a British or American person.

Just like the best foreign chefs, there is something missing when cooking Chinese food.

After a brief chat with Louis von Ahn, I found that he didn't look like an American at all. He lacked the sense of ease and composure. He seemed a little nervous in front of Boss Zhou. He sat very properly and there was no aura of equality at all.

Then we talked about Duolingo's business development.

Zhou Buqi smiled and said, "The mainland market has 5.3 million mobile users, twice the size of the United States. Such data is indeed very deceptive and tempting. Many American technology companies want to develop in the mainland market. However, most companies do not understand that there are some fundamental operational differences here."

Louis agreed and leaned forward, saying, "That's true. When Duolingo was first launched there, it was on Apple's recommended list and had 100 million users in less than a week. But problems soon arose. It felt like I had entered Bermuda and all the users had disappeared."

Zhou Buqi knew the situation very well and got to the point right away, "Don't you have a Chinese team?"

Louis said: "No, we are just a small company and we don't have a studio there yet."

Zhou Buqi said: "You must have made a very basic mistake. If it is an initial surprise, the content should be in violation of the regulations."

"The content violates the law?" Louis frowned slightly. "How could that be? We are an English learning product. We don't have social or search functions. I have some basic understanding of the situation of Google and Facebook."

Zhou Buqi said directly: "For English learning, where are your learning materials? Have those audio reports from famous speeches and some famous TV programs been censored?"

"what?"

Louis von Ahn was stunned immediately.

Zhou Buqi said: "The complexity here is far from as simple as you think. My suggestion is to do a good job in the overseas market first, and don't rush to develop in China. When the company becomes stronger in the future, we must first form a strong content team and build a branch company first."