chsdbacks Chapter 312 Initial Cooperation with Tencent
Chapter 312 Initial Cooperation with Tencent
After listening to Lu Ran's words, Chen Mo was also pondering.
He recalled the scene when he first negotiated with Lu Ran.
At that time, Lu Ran also had the same attitude—neither humble nor arrogant, neither flattering nor compromising, clearly drawing his own bottom line.
At that time, he felt that Lu Ran was too rigid and didn't know how to be flexible.
But now he understands.
If an entrepreneur can't even uphold their own bottom line, what kind of business are they trying to start?
This is precisely what makes Lu Ran different from other company leaders who cooperate with Tencent.
"Mr. Lu," Chen Mo said, "I understand what you mean. The cooperation between Tencent and Tutu Technology can be on an equal footing. It's not up to Tencent to decide; it's a joint decision by both parties."
He paused, then added, "But I also need to clarify that there's not a unified attitude within Tencent regarding this cooperation. Some people think cooperating with Tutu Technology is a good thing, while others think it's unnecessary. The conditions I can negotiate right now are what's written in the letter of intent. As for reciprocal cooperation, I can discuss that further when I get back, but I can't guarantee it will definitely work out."
Lu Ran nodded: "I understand. Mr. Chen, I was already surprised that you came. I was even more surprised that you offered these terms. To be honest, I didn't expect Tencent to offer such a cooperation plan."
Chen Mo gave a wry smile: "President Lu, please don't be so polite. To be honest, I came today because I don't want to wait until League of Legends becomes popular before coming here. By then, you might not be willing to talk to me anymore."
Lu Ran did not deny it.
Chen Mo was telling the truth.
If League of Legends becomes a huge hit after its release, Tencent won't be so quick to agree to a collaboration.
It's not because of holding a grudge, but because the stakes are different now.
Talking now means both sides have needs. If we wait until League of Legends becomes popular before talking, then it will be a one-sided need for Tencent, and Tencent will no longer need Tencent.
"President Chen," Lu Ran said, "I can agree to the cooperation. But there's one condition—the initial level of cooperation can be lower, but a good start is very important."
He explained, "What I mean is, we can start with a small-scale collaboration. For example, Tencent can open up TUTU account login and traffic access, and Tutu Technology can prioritize recommending Tencent games on TUTU. The two sides can work together to see the effect of the collaboration. If the effect is good, we can gradually expand the scope of the collaboration. If the effect is not good, we can part ways amicably, and neither of us owes the other anything."
Chen Mo's eyes lit up after hearing this.
Lu Ran's suggestion was much more pragmatic than he had expected.
He originally thought Lu Ran would make exorbitant demands, asking for this and that, but to his surprise, Lu Ran took the initiative to suggest starting with small-scale cooperation.
This shows that Lu Ran didn't want to cooperate, but rather wanted to cooperate in a more secure way.
This suggestion actually demonstrates that Lu Ran was very mature and thoughtful in his approach to the collaboration.
"President Lu," Chen Mo said, "your suggestion is excellent. I will push this forward as soon as I get back. I'll try to finalize the initial cooperation framework before League of Legends is released."
"Okay." Lu Ran nodded. "Then I'll wait for your news."
Chen Mo stood up and extended his hand: "President Lu, I hope we can have a pleasant cooperation."
Lu Ran shook hands with him and said with a smile, "Mr. Chen, don't be so formal. Sit down and have a cup of tea before you leave. Yuege just brought me a box of new tea a couple of days ago, saying it was brought back from Wuyishan by a friend, and I haven't opened it yet."
Chen Mo paused for a moment, then smiled: "Then I won't stand on ceremony."
Lu Ran picked up the phone on the table and dialed a number: "Brother Zhou, could you please make me a pot of tea and bring it over? Yes, the one Yuege brought back."
After hanging up the phone, he looked at Chen Mo: "Mr. Chen, there's one more thing I'd like to ask you."
"Please speak."
How do you plan to handle the collaboration between Tencent and Weibo?
Chen Mo's expression changed slightly, but he quickly returned to normal.
He didn't expect Lu Ran to ask this question directly.
The cooperation between Tencent and Weibo, while not particularly deep, does exist.
The two companies have collaborated on multiple projects, including the containment of Tutu Technology—although this containment was largely led by Weibo, with Tencent merely playing a supporting role.
Now that he's come to discuss cooperation with Lu Ran, this is an issue he can't avoid.
"Mr. Lu," Chen Mo thought for a moment and said, "the cooperation between Tencent and Weibo is inherently a very loose framework. There's no exclusive agreement or binding clauses. To put it bluntly, it's a mutually beneficial arrangement that can be adjusted at any time."
He paused, then said, "If you mind, I can go back and discuss with the company to gradually terminate the cooperation with Weibo. At least the blockade against Tutu Technology will definitely stop."
Lu Ran looked at him without saying a word.
Chen Mo continued, "President Lu, I know you're aware of this. The previous collaboration between Tencent and Weibo did cause you some trouble. But that was business competition, not personal grudges. Put yourself in my shoes; if you were in my position, you would have done the same."
Lu Ran nodded: "President Chen, you're right. If I were in your shoes, I might have been even more ruthless than you."
Chen Mo gave a wry smile.
Lu Ran picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then said, "President Chen, let bygones be bygones. I won't hold it against you, and you shouldn't take it to heart either. Let's look forward."
Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief.
He knew that Lu Ran's words were not just polite talk; he genuinely didn't care anymore.
This young man has a broader vision than he thought.
"President Lu," Chen Mo said, "there's one more thing I'd like to share my thoughts with you."
"Please speak."
"As you can see from the current situation, EA is cooperating with Perfect World, and Sakura Games is expanding rapidly in the Chinese market. These foreign capitals are eyeing our market, our users, and our money. If we let them gain a foothold, it will be difficult to drive them out."
He looked at Lu Ran seriously: "So I think Tencent and Tutu Technology have a common goal now—to drive foreign capital out first. As for how to divide the domestic market, that's a matter for later."
After listening, Lu Ran nodded in agreement: "President Chen, what you said really resonated with me."
Lu Ran's idea was the same, but TuTu Technology didn't have that much energy and strength before.
The idea that "internal stability cannot be achieved without external resistance" is actually Lu Ran's consistent thought.
Lu Ran continued, "I've been keeping an eye on EA and Sakura Games. I've seen their strategies, their products, and their ambitions. To be honest, I'm not afraid to compete with them. But I also know that it's unrealistic for Tutu Technology alone to keep them all out."
"If Tencent can cooperate with Tutu Technology, the two companies will have a much better chance of winning."
Chen Mo nodded: "That's exactly what I mean."
The two looked at each other and smiled at the same time.
The sky outside the window had completely darkened, and the lights of Shanghai were lighting up one by one, illuminating the night sky as if it were daytime.
Lu Ran picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then said, "President Chen, the cooperation is settled. Please go back and push it forward as soon as possible. I'll wait for your news."
"Okay." Chen Mo stood up and extended his hand again. "President Lu, I wish us a pleasant cooperation."
Lu Ran shook hands with him and said with a smile, "President Chen, don't be so formal. Next time you come, you don't need to announce yourself, just come straight up."
Chen Mo laughed: "Then I won't stand on ceremony."
He turned and walked towards the door, but stopped after a couple of steps and joked, "Mr. Lu, take good care of your leg. On the day League of Legends launches, you have to be on stage. We can't let users see a founder in a wheelchair."
Lu Ran smiled: "President Chen, don't worry. I'll definitely be standing on that day."
Chen Mo nodded, pushed open the door, and walked out.
Lu Ran leaned back in his chair, his right leg resting on a footstool, and stared at the ceiling for a while.
Tencent.
He finally got Tencent to come to him.
He had waited a long time for this step.
From the day TUTU was launched, he knew that sooner or later, Tencent would come looking for him.
Whether he's friend or foe is uncertain, but I'll definitely go after him.
It's not because TUTU is so powerful, but because TUTU's user base is so large that Tencent can no longer ignore it.
With over 90 million daily active users, it will soon surpass 100 million.
Platforms of this size are extremely rare in the entire Chinese internet industry.
Tencent may choose not to cooperate with Tutu Technology, but it cannot ignore the existence of Tutu.
Now that Chen Mo has taken the initiative to visit and offered relatively good terms, it indicates that Tencent's attitude towards Tutu Technology is changing.
The shift from "being able to suppress" to "being able to cooperate" is not based on luck, but on strength.
Lu Ran picked up the folder on the table and flipped through it again.
The letter of intent for cooperation wasn't perfect, but it was a good start.
The initial level of cooperation can be low, but once this is started, things will be easier later.
He put down the folder, picked up his phone, and sent a message to Zhou Mingzhe:
[Brother Zhou, the Tencent matter is settled. Chen Mo has agreed to cooperate, starting on a small scale initially. I'll send you the specific terms; please have the legal department review them.]
Zhou Mingzhe replied instantly: 【So fast?】
Lu Ran replied: [Chen Mo came in person, which shows his sincerity. I didn't make things difficult for him; let's try cooperating first.]
Zhou Mingzhe sent a thumbs-up emoji and said: [Okay, I'll have the legal department check it. By the way, how's your leg?]
Lu Ran glanced down at her right leg, which was in a cast, and replied: "It's alright, the cast should be removed in another two weeks."
Zhou Mingzhe: [That's good. Don't sit for too long, move around more.]
Lu Ran replied with an "OK" emoji and put her phone aside.
The night outside the window was deep, but the office lights were warm.
Lu Ran leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and started thinking about League of Legends.
If the cooperation with Tencent proceeds smoothly, TUTU will gain access to Tencent's traffic portals and user data, which will greatly help the promotion of "League of Legends".
But he won't place all his hopes on Tencent.
Cooperation is fine, but dependence is not. If you depend on others, you'll eventually be strangled by them.
His own products, his own users, and his own platform are the foundation of his business.
He opened his eyes, picked up his phone, opened TUTU, and glanced at the data.
Daily active users: 97 million.
We are only three million away from reaching one hundred million.
He smiled, put his phone aside, and pushed his wheelchair out of the office.
The corridor was quiet, except for Zhou Mingzhe's office, where the light was still on.
Lu Ran pushed the wheelchair over and knocked on the door.
"Come in," Zhou Mingzhe's voice came from inside.
Lu Ran pushed open the door and saw Zhou Mingzhe sitting behind his desk, with a pile of documents spread out in front of him and a pen in his hand, writing something.
"Brother Zhou, aren't we leaving yet?" Lu Ran asked.
"Let's watch a little longer." Zhou Mingzhe looked up at him. "You haven't left either."
"Just saw Chen Mo off and am about to leave," Lu Ran said. "Brother Zhou, keep an eye on the Tencent matter. Get my feedback from the legal department as soon as possible after they've reviewed it."
"Understood." Zhou Mingzhe nodded. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on it."
Lu Ran responded and pushed his wheelchair out of the office, heading towards the elevator.
The elevator doors opened, and he pushed his wheelchair inside, pressing the button for the first floor.
As the elevator descended, he looked at himself against the brightly lit wall inside—wearing a suit and tie, his right leg in a cast and resting on a wheelchair, his expression serious.
He couldn't help but laugh.
A year ago, he was a cow or horse that had transmigrated from another world.
A year later, he was able to sit at the same table with Tencent to discuss cooperation.
Life is truly full of unexpected things.
...