chsdbacks Page 44
Page 44
His tone left no room for doubt.
Andy quickly jotted down the key points in his notebook.
In recent days, Hawke's interest in the emerging field of the Internet has clearly increased, and he has reviewed a large amount of information on related companies, especially those platforms that are in their early stages and have great potential.
This is quite unusual within the Oldmoney group.
Generally, those willing to invest in internet companies are emerging capital. Currently, most investors still value the financial industry more, followed by the real economy.
“I remember Face is seeking new funding?” Hawke tapped his fingers lightly on the table, turning to the next target.
“Yes, Mr. Hawke,” Andy nodded in confirmation, “but the conditions they’ve proposed so far are rather harsh, and the ratio of funding required to the shares they’re offering isn’t ideal.”
Hawke thought for a moment and then made a decisive decision: "That's alright. We'll get in first. As for the shareholding ratio, we can gradually increase it by continuously acquiring shares in the open market. If the founders really can't handle it, just tell me and I'll arrange the dump trucks."
Andy: “…”
Hawke knew all too well what a behemoth Face would become, and how invaluable its potential influence on public opinion would be.
I must get this ticket now.
Prices may continue to rise later.
What? The shareholders or founders disagree?
You probably don't know what it means to be shot eight times in the back and commit suicide!
Andy's pen scratched across the paper, faithfully recording every instruction and analysis Hawke made.
"And then there's Twitter, which you mentioned earlier. I looked it up, and it's a short-message-based social network. The company was founded in March 2006 and launched its public beta in July. I made initial contact and expressed my intention to acquire it, but they asked for too high a price... thirty million US dollars."
Hawke raised an eyebrow.
At this time, Twitter had just secured its first formal funding round the previous year.
At that time, the overall valuation was around $500 million.
To announce 30 million in such a short time is indeed absurd, especially in an era when the internet industry is not yet in a period of rapid development.
However, Hawke has a clear understanding and strong intentions regarding Twitter.
The image of a future White House owner governing through Twitter clearly emerged in his mind.
Controlling the internet's mouthpiece is crucial; from now on, anyone who can't control their mouth will have their account banned!
“The valuation is too high?” Hawke smiled and nodded. At this stage, it was indeed the case. “That’s alright. This is also a characteristic of excellent founders who have great confidence in their projects. Don’t be scared off by this initial offer. Start the formal negotiation process and show them the strength and vision of Lane Capital. Emphasize that we not only provide funding, but also bring a global resource network.”
“Understood.” Andy closed his notebook, his eyes gleaming with the sharp glint of someone executing a mission (Li’s Zhao). “I will immediately arrange for a team to come up with a detailed negotiation strategy and pricing proposal, while also delving into their pain points. I will also keep you informed of the progress on YouTube and Face.”
“The social media giants of the future are very likely to emerge from the projects we decide to invest in or acquire today, but the market is too big for anyone to monopolize. We need to find another way and compete through differentiation,” Hawke said. “I just happened to come up with a particularly good idea—disappearing messages.”
"The main function of the application is that all photos have a lifespan of 1 to 10 seconds. After a user takes a photo and sends it to a friend, the photo will be automatically destroyed according to the time preset by the user."
"To differentiate ourselves from existing social media platforms, we'll focus on a private social experience. I've even thought of a name: Snapchat."
80. Is there a magical girl named Sakura who can use Clow Cards?
In Hawke's previous life, Snapchat became a social media giant with a market value of $300 billion by relying on its private, self-destructing messaging feature.
For a qualified conglomerate, media is also a very important industry. Although the Ryan Group has investments in traditional newspapers and magazines, it is clearly insufficient without an independently controlled media mouthpiece.
Fortunately, at this point in time, Face has only been established for three or four years, and Twitter has just received its first round of funding.
This is the perfect time to make a move.
Andy rubbed his face vigorously, then opened it and looked at Hawke, utterly exhausted.
"Hawk, are you treating me like a donkey?"
"The Ryan Group already put a lot of pressure on me, and now the new Ryan Biotech is expanding like crazy. Now they even want to create a social media platform for me, possibly operating Twitter and getting involved in Face management..."
Andy sighed:
Do you think I can handle all that?
Hawke instantly understood Andy's meaning and quickly laughed, "Haha, how could I bear to treat you like a donkey? Tell me, who do you want to promote? Do you have any candidates in the company?"
Andy smiled, clearly having been prepared.
She took two resumes out of the drawer and handed them to Hawke.
Hawke looked at the photo first.
"Hiss 507—"
The first resume featured an Asian face with a gentle smile but eyes that revealed resilience and intelligence.
Name: Na Lan
Age: 24
Educational Background: Master of International Relations, University of Cambridge
Work Experience: Analyst at Morgan Stanley Technology Sector, primarily responsible for Silicon Valley technology companies.
Note: Has a keen sense of internet trends and strong technical understanding.
Hawke's heart skipped a beat: Oh wow!
Na Lan! The investment elite in "Entrepreneurial Age" has a sharp eye and strong execution.
I never expected to appear in this timeline. What other surprises await me in this world? I'll check out Little Days when I have time to see if there's a magical girl named Sakura who can use Clow Cards!
Na Lan has only been out of school for two years, which is the time when she is most malleable, and her performance in the TV series has indeed shown her future potential.
Hawke looked on with a mixture of surprise and amusement.
He looked up at Andy, who simply raised an eyebrow, indicating that he should continue watching.
Hawke flipped to the second resume.
He had met the person on the second resume before; she was his senior from high school.
The woman in the photo has a completely different temperament; her features are deep and three-dimensional, her eyes are sharp and confident, and she exudes a natural strength and sense of control.
Name: Stella
Age: 26
Educational Background: Dual Master's Degrees in Journalism and Business Administration from Columbia University
Work experience: Assistant to the President of Public Relations, News Corporation, New York.
Note: Excellent communication and negotiation skills, crisis management skills, and team leadership.
Hawke's gaze lingered on the photograph for a moment.
She is the PR queen in "Perfect Relationship," with strong skills and outstanding execution.
Four years after graduation, I've honed my skills through practical experience.
Andy's eye for talent is indeed sharp; she chooses women who will one day stir up a storm.
Entrusting Snapchat, or even the entire social media sector, to these two individuals—one who understands technological trends and products, and the other who excels in brand building and crisis management—is a perfect match.
Especially Stella, who was quite a prominent figure back then, and I even had contact with her during a homecoming speech.
She also later collaborated with News Corporation on a student entrepreneurship project, and Stella was the representative of News Corporation at that time.
Of course, there was nothing that went beyond friendship.
Senior! That's exciting!
"Hiss—" Hawke gasped as he thought of this.
"So?" Andy, observing the changing expressions on Hawke's face, was certain that Hawke had developed a strong interest in these two candidates, especially after that "hiss—"
(agei) But she didn't know that this "hiss" was not the same as that "hiss"...
“A very special choice.” Hawke put down the resume, tapped it with his finger, and quickly calculated in his mind how to turn this “unexpected joy” into combat power.
“Andy, you always manage to surprise me. Na Lan has a top investment banking background and focuses on technology; she understands technology and the internet. Stella comes from public relations and is well-versed in communication and understanding people. These are the skill sets we urgently need right now.”
Hawke was lavish in his praise.
"If there are no problems, I'll schedule a time for you to come for an interview. After all, this is a business that you value highly right now, and all senior management positions must be filled by you."
Hawke nodded and looked at Andy: "No problem. I have to go to Chili's birthday party later. As for the interview, tomorrow or the day after is fine."
After saying that, Hawke glanced at Andy again, coughed twice, and somewhat guiltily pulled up a resume on his phone: "I'm planning to poach this person to be your assistant. You can train him."
Andy took the photo with a puzzled look, and as soon as he saw it, he burst out laughing: "Isn't this the female reporter who did your exclusive interview last time? New York's Channel 6 News? The ratings were pretty good, and the last interview got a good response, so... you've got your eye on her?"
After more than a decade of getting to know each other, Andy could see right through Hawke. He was definitely still thinking about that sexy female reporter, but he was too proud to go see her. And now, just as they were about to start the media division, a political task came up.
"No, no, you're overthinking it!" Hawke shook his head three times in a row, then quickly pointed to the resume on his phone, "Look, a Master of Journalism from the University of Missouri. He worked for the school's affiliated TV station while he was in college and also spearheaded the creation of the campus social networking app BSK, but not many people used it, and it was shut down as soon as he graduated."
Andy looked at it carefully for a while, then nodded. That was much earlier than Face. Anyone who could come up with this idea and put it into practice at that time was definitely a talent.
As for failure, that's perfectly normal. Starting a business is like life; failure is the norm!
Hawke nodded, just then his phone rang.
He picked it up and looked at it, and found that it was a call from John Lane.
Hawke answered.
I found out that another director of the Lane Group had died, so the Lane Group held a new board meeting. At the strong request of the directors, they wanted to put Hokra on the board.
"alright."
Hawke didn't refuse, and using Andy's office, he entered the Ryan Group's board meeting.
81 You are all my dearest friends and family, my brothers and sisters!
"Distinguished board members, I swear to God, I did not do those things!"
Hawke said sincerely, “I have been working hard to hunt down the killer, and I have found out that the real killer is the Hand. Did you see the news in Brooklyn today? My men stormed a Hand base, killed more than a hundred assassins, and took down one of the five leaders of the Hand, avenging the two directors who died. You don’t need to thank me, it’s all what I should do! Anyone who dares to bully Ryan is bullying me! I will never allow it.”
The directors of the Lane Group were moved to tears.
We're so damn grateful!
Nima!