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Chapter 1171: Chapter 1029: Dreams Are Valid, But They Must Be Your Own (Please Subscribe!)
Seeing that Tang Qing wasn’t driving him away,
Li Zhengming perked up.
His chance had come!
The chance to reach the pinnacle of his life had arrived!
He quickly took out a proposal, but Tang Qing pushed it back.
"I prefer to listen."
"Okay, thank you, Director Tang. My project is about creating a live broadcast software that, through the internet, enables talented people to showcase themselves and attracts an audience with a diverse range of live broadcast content. The primary revenue sources are advertisements and a commission from reward gifts..."
For a full five minutes,
Li Zhengming detailed his project.
The more Tang Qing listened,
the more familiar it felt.
Because... wasn’t this just a copy of ERV’s live streaming software from abroad? Even domestically, due to the harsh reality of poor internet speeds, the forerunner of the domestic online streaming industry—YY—hadn’t even emerged yet.
However,
ERV had now completely replicated YY’s mature operating model.
He guessed in this life,
YY might be dead in the womb.
Since ERV had entered the online streaming industry, Tang Qing had no plans to start one in China, mainly because he found it uninteresting, not very profitable, and it could easily cause trouble. If someone broadcasted inappropriate content, they would have to self-reflect.
So forget it.
They’d rather not mess with that. Not that they were afraid, but it was just distasteful.
Additionally, ERV’s operations in the United States and Europe were much more relaxed.
And there were many more wealthy patrons there.
You see, the United States gathers the wealthy from all over the world. If they managed it well, its profitability could be dozens of times higher than all future live streaming software revenues in Huaxia combined.
The domestic market
had very few high-end users watching live broadcasts.
Most were just small local tyrants, mainly because there wasn’t enough high-end content provided—ERV’s next move. Tang Qing wanted to turn it into ERV’s second largest revenue-generating project after "Warfire."
Ultimately,
Li Zhengming didn’t shy away from his ’copycat’ status.
"Director Tang, we admit that this software borrows the mature model of the foreign ERV, and we’ve already developed a test version. In one month, we can officially launch it. We hope for your guidance."
In Li Zhengming’s opinion, this wasn’t ’copying.’
Which domestic Internet giants hadn’t copied from the United States? He didn’t feel the slightest bit ashamed.
After listening to the whole project, Tang Qing smiled and said, "There’s nothing much to guide. ERV is so profitable, its revenue model is definitely not the problem. You want my investment, right?"
Li Zhengming hurriedly said, "It would be our honor to have your investment."
In his eager gaze,
Tang Qing gently shook his head.
"Mr. Li, you’re eloquent and hardworking, but I have to say, first, I’m not very interested in this project, and second, even if I were, I couldn’t agree."
Li Zhengming became anxious: "May I know why?"
"I’ll address the second point first. If I agreed now, what’s to stop a second Li Zhengming, a third, a fourth, from waiting for me on my way to school, at the school gate, outside my classroom, or at my doorstep?" Tang Qing stared at Li Zhengming.
"..."
Li Zhengming was at a loss for words.
This was a big issue.
Tang Qing then comforted him, "Mr. Li, my lack of investment doesn’t mean your project is bad, just that I’m not interested in it personally. But even if I don’t invest, I believe there will be investors who are willing to get involved, just not now."
"Why?"
"It’s because ERV can play in the live broadcast game in the United States and other Western countries due to their fast internet speeds. Right now in Huaxia, not to mention the high costs of bandwidth and traffic fees, the standards aren’t even met. There isn’t enough user experience. Do you really think now is the right time?"
"Huawei’s 4G will solve this problem very soon," said Li Zhengming.
"Let me be clear, how many people in the country are learning from ERV’s mature model? How many are already on the same starting line as you? Entering this industry as an entrepreneur is like a race among wolves."
"When the prey appears, and the timing is right, a quiet grassland will suddenly swarm with the heads of wolves. Do you understand?"
"I understand,"
Li Zhengming was somewhat dispirited.
Tang Qing was just short of explicitly telling him that at this moment, there were already many people preparing to enter the Online Streaming Industry. However, the current restrictions on Internet speed in Huaxia were making them all practice their ’internal skills.’
Once the Internet speed picks up,
all kinds of demons and monsters will emerge.
It was predictable that everyone would be fighting in a melee, which was why he was in such a hurry to pull in Investment.
Li Zhengming sighed.
Entrepreneurship.
It’s really tough.
Just graduated, he had roped in his roommate to start a business, hoping to carve out their own piece of the world on the well-trodden path of their predecessors. However, only upon stepping into it did they realize the difficulties of entrepreneurship—the walls were everywhere.
"Director Tang, thank you, dreams are always so far from reality," Li Zhengming said with a wry smile.
Tang Qing nodded and said, "You’re right, but I want to tell you, dreams can be held, they can be grand or minute, they can be self-indulgent, and they can often change, but... they have to be your own."
Now,
we’re almost at the end of the era of Internet entrepreneurship, where the biggest pieces of the cake and opportunities have nearly all been divided up.
With the rise of Smartphones,
a new wave of entrepreneurship will surge, giving birth to another generation of trend-setters. Li Zhengming’s project still couldn’t escape the old route of copying United States Internet Companies, and Tang Qing naturally had no interest.
If Li Zhengming had come up with a new project or something truly unique, Tang Qing might have considered helping him because he was the first Entrepreneur to come seeking Angel investment.
These ’copycat’ projects,
let’s just forget about them.
Tang Qing in his previous life had heard of many dream projects that ended up stillborn, and he felt some regret when recalling them. Many projects couldn’t secure funding due to unclear profit prospects and eventually vanished with time.
Not making much money doesn’t mean they’re meaningless.
He is interested in these kinds of dream projects.
As for projects that make money, those that realize others’ dreams of making money, goodbye. He had money that could be used like firewood if he wanted. If he was going to do something, it should be different fireworks, even if in others’ eyes, he might be considered crazy.
But the world,
without idealists and emotionalists, would lose a lot of its color...
Li Zhengming stood there, rooted to the spot.
Muttering to himself, "My own dream... my own dream."
Once upon a time,
he too had forgotten what he wanted.
He only knew what made money and what could attract Investment; that’s what he would do. Now, his project, deemed by Tang Qing as a Volkswagen project, was bound to fail.
Li Zhengming suddenly bowed.
"Thank you."
"There’s nothing to thank me for; I didn’t invest in you anyway. Whatever path you choose for the future, just keep going as you have been, noble or not, as long as it doesn’t harm society," Tang Qing patted Li Zhengming’s shoulder.
"I understand, sorry for the intrusion."
Having said that,
Li Zhengming left with his partner.
This was his roommate and his die-hard friend.
Thinking about returning to the Basement
and scrambling around for investments, his friend urgently asked, "Zhengming, what do we do now? Just give up like this? Tang Qing really, with so much money, could easily support our kind of Company with a little handout."
"He already said, such a precedent can’t be set."
"But what about our project?"
"Tang Qing is right. We’re copying ERV, and we won’t be the only ones; there could be ten, maybe twenty, or even more. Once the Internet speed improves, a whole lot of wolves will appear, and we... will face a fierce battle."
"So, we’re just giving up?"
"Of course not. It’s just that this path may not be passable. I want to try a different one... Are you interested in joining me?"
"As long as there’s food to eat."
"Haha, in this life, the two of us are brothers. In the future, let’s break new ground together."
