You call this entrepreneurship?

Chapter 384: Cheers to the Alliance

Although Qin Shaoyan said it very easily, Zhang Pingyi was still very worried.

After all, they are Internet companies from the United States. When large American companies such as eBay, Google, and Yahoo entered the Chinese market, they put tremendous pressure on domestic Internet companies in the same field.

Although these large American companies have miraculously been defeated by local Internet companies, no one dares to say that local companies can still win against the next American giant.

Whether in terms of size, technology or capital, the gap between the two sides is huge.

What's more, video websites are extremely dependent on funds. If you compete with the other party for funds alone, they can drain you to death.

Qvod and Yiku are now allies with a close cooperative relationship, but they are ultimately in the same industry and natural competitors.

The naked hatred is between colleagues.

Qvod.com still relies on YouTube to regularly deliver high-quality content, what if the other party cuts off the content supply?

Well, speaking of this.

It seems that Qvod and Yiku have just shared their film and television resource library. Is this a bundling strategy?
Qin Shaoyan smiled and patted the worried Zhang Pingyi, "Leave the video website to me, you take care of the game company."

"That's my trump card and foundation. It doesn't matter if the video website collapses overnight, as long as the game company is fine."

Zhang Pingyi immediately abandoned all other miscellaneous thoughts and promised solemnly: "I will do it right away and will definitely complete the task you assigned."

Game companies have to shoulder the responsibility of being cash cows and cannot afford to go wrong.

To Qin Shaoyan, even though he has several companies under his name, none of them can compare to the status of the game company.

It doesn’t matter if he loses other companies, he won’t feel sad. As long as the game company’s basic foundation is stabilized, he can make a comeback in a minute.

What's more, he still has the billion dollars he got from selling YouTube.

Zhang Pingyi was still thinking about what issues he wanted to discuss with Qin Shaoyan when he saw Qin Shaoyan pick up his cell phone and make a call.

"Mr. Zhang, do you have time these two days?" Qin Shaoyan said with a smile, "No, no, no, it's not about the online game. Didn't I tell you that we can talk about this after our game is released."

"It's like this, it's about the video website."

"You know there's a website called Yiku.com, which was acquired by YouTube for $300 million."

"Mr. Davis Hanson, the head of YouTube... He is an executive of Microsoft's investment department... He just came from the United States and wants to reorganize Yiku.com and prepare to enter the Chinese market."

"He and I are good friends. After we talked, he shared many of the same views as you, Mr. Zhang. I think we should talk about it together."

Zhang Chaoyang was immediately interested when he heard this. "Sure, I also want to meet Mr. Hansen. I'm free these days, anytime."

"Then wait for my news." Qin Shaoyan hung up the phone with a smile and said to Zhang Pingyi proudly, "Now the anti-piracy alliance's first bird... oh, it's the vanguard. Someone has finally been chosen."

Zhang Pingyi looked at Qin Shaoyan with disdain, "Do you think Zhang Chaoyang is stupid and is just your pawn?"

"He's not stupid at all, but he has no choice." Qin Shaoyan looked confident, "If he wants to deal with Sohu Video, he has no choice but to fight against piracy. Otherwise, forget about being a player."

"Qvod has content, copyright and funding, and Yiku has even more funding thanks to YouTube and Microsoft. Other video sites started early and have accumulated experience."

"What's on Sohu Video? Nothing."

"How can he squeeze in if he doesn't get rid of other competitors? The only way is to throw money at them and then follow them."

"If Zhang Chaoyang had more money and time, he wouldn't be so anxious. Although his Sohu has some money, the investment in Sohu Video is not as much as that of Qvod or Yiku.com. His business is too big."

"Anti-piracy is the most cost-effective, low-cost, and powerful, and it is his only choice."

"The video website industry is so cruel. If you don't like it, don't play it."

Zhang Pingyi shook his head. "Zhang Chaoyang is so miserable. You pushed him into the pit before the game even started."

"This is his own choice. What does it have to do with me?" Qin Shaoyan had an innocent expression on his face.

Even if Qin Shaoyan was not there, Zhang Chaoyang would have chosen the "Anti-Piracy Alliance" as his trump card, because he really didn't have many options.

The reason lies with Zhang Chaoyang himself. Sohu's strategy is to expand in all directions, but Sohu's funds are not sufficient and it is stretched everywhere.

There are not many resources that can be invested in Sohu Video, so they don’t have many cards.

History has also proven that piracy is indeed the Achilles' heel of other video websites.

So don’t the video websites themselves know this?

Of course, they are well aware that the piracy problem is the "Sword of Damocles" hanging over their heads, and they must get rid of it before the product goes on the market.

You ask why we don’t clean up piracy now?
Because the traffic brought by pirated resources is really attractive, they are reluctant to give up this poisonous traffic and think they can wait until they can grow bigger by relying on the traffic.

Startup Internet companies all say that there is only today but no tomorrow, and the best they can do is just survive. They have to consider survival first and have no time to think about anything else.

……

The next day, Davis came to visit again with a happy face.

As soon as he entered the office, Davis said happily: "John, Bill read my report, and then he called me personally last night to ask about the situation here."

"He thought my proposal was excellent and he promised to fully support my plan, especially providing financial and legal support."

"Bill asked me to make a detailed plan, or at least come up with a budget first."

"It's great. I've gotten special attention from my boss."

"Thank you so much, John. This is a brilliant plan."

Qin Shaoyan laughed, "You're welcome, we are friends."

"Yes, yes, we are friends." Davis gave Qin Shaoyan a big hug. "I will never forget the help my friends have given me. John, you will gain my friendship."

This friendship naturally refers to the return of friendship.

"I think Yiku.com and Qvod.com can further strengthen cooperation. We should communicate with each other in all aspects and multiple fields." Davis said happily, "Our two companies are inseparable and have many common points to explore."

"For example, for example... John, are there any other projects we can work together on?"

Where there is project cooperation, there will naturally be financial transactions.

Where there is money flowing, there is bound to be profit.

Davis looked at Qin Shaoyan with anticipation, hoping that he could come up with more cooperation plans.

It is far from enough to rely solely on the genuine authorization cooperation of a film and television resource library. It is only a small business worth 15 million US dollars.

Yiku.com is a subsidiary of Microsoft and has the support of Bill Gates. Now is an important period for it to expand into the Chinese market.

He would not be stingy with the funds, as this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Qin Shaoyan was surprised to see Davis's excitement. He estimated that Bill Gates had given Davis a lot of funding.

It was obvious that Davis wanted to put all the money into his own pocket.

Qin Shaoyan smiled and said, "Don't be anxious, my friend. Plan slowly. Rome was not built in a day."

"I know, I know." Davis was still very excited. He waved his hand and said, "I came to you today to discuss the cooperation intentions of both parties and determine the next plan."

“Should we first form an anti-piracy alliance?”

"Of course." Qin Shaoyan agreed, "We must unify our thoughts and steps. We cannot fight alone. We must value peace and not engage in infighting."

"Speaking of the Anti-Piracy Alliance, I happen to know someone in the industry who thinks the same way as us."

"Oh?" Davis showed a curious look, "Who is it?"

"He is the CEO of Sohu, Mr. Zhang Chaoyang." Qin Shaoyan introduced, "Sohu is a US-listed company, and the boss Zhang Chaoyang graduated from MIT."

"Very good." Davis nodded. "If he is willing, you can invite him to join the Anti-Piracy Alliance."

"I'll call him over right now. How about the three of us have a salon discussion?" Qin Shaoyan said as he took out his cell phone, "Xiao Chen, go get some coffee and snacks."

Then Qin Shaoyan called Zhang Chaoyang and said, "Come quickly, I have something important to discuss with you."

……

Jianwai SOHO, a Japanese food restaurant.

Gu Yongqiang raised the sake bottle with a smile on his face and gently clinked glasses with the guest opposite him, "Director Fan, please!"

Fan Wencheng, director of Yiku.com, held the bottle in one hand with a reserved look, supported the bottom of the bottle with the other, and drank the sake in one gulp, with an expression of endless aftertaste on his face.

"I didn't expect to be able to drink such authentic sake in the capital." Fan Wencheng praised with emotion, "Mr. Gu is very thoughtful."

"I just happened to hear about this Japanese restaurant. My friend said that the Japanese food here is very authentic. All the ingredients are airlifted from Japan that day, so they are guaranteed to be fresh." Gu Yongqiang said casually, and filled up Fan Wencheng's bottle again. "As long as Director Fan likes it."

"It's really hard to find some delicious food in this food desert." Fan Wencheng smiled, "Boss Gu invited me here today, not just to eat Japanese food, right?"

"Haha, to be honest with you Director Fan, I really came here to eat today." Gu Yongqiang laughed, "Today, I have delicious food and good wine, just to make friends with Director Fan."

Fan Wencheng said calmly: "You and I belong to different companies, and we are in the same industry. We are competitors. It is a bit hypocritical to say that we are friends."

"Director Fan misunderstood. I really want to make friends." Gu Yongqiang sighed, "Although we are in the same industry and have a competitive relationship, it does not mean that we are enemies. We can still make friends."

As he spoke, Gu Yongqiang raised his arm and waved.

Soon a person came over and sat next to Gu Yongqiang.

Gu Yongqiang said with a smile: "Let me introduce you, this is the CEO of Tudou.com, Mr. Wang Wei."

Fan Wencheng was a little surprised and looked back and forth between the two people several times.

Gu Yongqiang took a sip of wine and said with a smile: "Director Fan, are you surprised that the two of us are sitting together?"

Fan Wencheng said nothing and just looked at the other person silently.

"Competition in the video website industry is indeed very fierce, with hundreds of websites." Gu Yongqiang said slowly, "But this does not mean that we are enemies."

"Director Fan is also an insider in the industry, so there's no need for me to hide it anymore. I'll just say it directly."

"Director Fan is also aware of the current situation of the video website market. It is very lively to see hundreds of websites crowded together."

"In fact, the situation is not that hundreds of companies are competing with each other, but that Qvod is the only one that dominates the market, occupying half of the market, and hundreds of us are competing with Qvod together."

Fan Wencheng sneered, "What does President Gu mean by calling me here? To win over Yiku.com and fight against Qvod.com together?"

"It's easier to talk to smart people." Gu Yongqiang laughed.

"Mr. Gu, don't you know that Yiku.com and Qvod.com are actually very close?" Fan Wencheng said calmly, "The founder of Yiku.com is the former CEO of Qvod.com."

"E-Ku has now been acquired by YouTube, but YouTube and Qvod's owner Qin Shaoyan have a close relationship."

"And Qin Shaoyan has a close personal relationship with Microsoft executives."

"It's just a personal relationship. We are talking about business now." Gu Yongqiang said with a disdainful smile, "YouTube has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Microsoft and has nothing to do with Qin Shaoyan anymore."

"YouTube acquired Yiku.com just to expand into the Chinese mainland market."

"The current situation in the mainland market is that Qvod is the only dominant player and is the public enemy of all video websites. It alone accounts for more than half of the market share, leaving only a few hundred others."

"From the perspective of its own interests, Yiku.com is in an opposing competitive relationship with Qvod.com. If we don't defeat Qvod.com, there will be no market for us."

"From this point of view, we are actually allies in the same camp."

Fan Wencheng calmly took a sip of wine and said calmly: "Qvod.com is indeed a strong enemy and it is not easy to deal with it."

"Qvod.com looks big, but that's just a surface phenomenon. In fact, it's big but not strong." Gu Yongqiang said in a relaxed tone, "It does everything, but it has many things but none of them are refined."

"And Qvod has a fatal weakness that is in the hands of Yiku.com, which is that it is heavily dependent on YouTube's high-quality content."

"As long as YouTube stops providing content to Qvod, its advantages will be reduced by more than half, and users will naturally leave."

"Besides, YouTube has so much high-quality content, why should it be sold to an outsider? Besides, it's a competitor, can't Yiku use it itself?"

Fan Wencheng's eyes flickered, and he said slowly, "This is a strategic cooperation between the company's top management. It's not convenient for me to say anything."

"A new emperor appoints new ministers," Wang Wei chimed in, "Now that Microsoft has become the shareholder, and Director Fan is a direct descendant of Microsoft, it's natural that he should take the position."

"It's reasonable for a company executive to offer some advice, right?"

Gu Yongqiang continued, "Director Fan, cooperation between us will benefit both of us."

"If Yiku.com is willing to share those YouTube contents with us, we will be extra grateful."

Fan Wencheng said nothing, drank the sake on the table, and sighed, "I will report to Mr. Davis Hansen, and then we will talk."

Gu Yongqiang and Wang Wei looked at each other, smiled, and raised their glasses together.

"Let's toast to our cause together."

"No." Fan Wencheng corrected, "Cheers to the Anti-Qvod Alliance."

"Yes, yes, yes, cheers to the Anti-Qvod Alliance!"

Gu Yongqiang and Wang Wei both laughed heartily.

(End of this chapter)