Chapter 465 Entrusted with an Important Task

In the office, Jiang Yuwei finished his work report, closed the door quietly and left.

Song Ci finally had a moment of leisure. He just picked up the teacup and took a sip. Before the warm tea went down his throat and the cup was not yet put down steadily, the sound of a door being pushed open was heard outside.

"Mr. Song, are you looking for me?"

"Huang Sheng, sit down." Song Ci raised his hand and pointed at the chair in front of the desk, and asked calmly, "How is your work going at Toutiao?"

The visitor was Huang Sheng, the former president of Tengda Group's TD Gaming Platform. Since the group implemented a rotation system for senior executives, he had swapped positions with Yang Junfeng, the former head of Toutiao.com.

Huang Sheng sat up straight in his chair, his posture correct. "Thank you, Mr. Song, for your concern. After arriving at Toutiao, everything went smoothly."

"As long as it goes smoothly," Song Ci nodded slightly, then paused for a moment before letting out a sigh. "Come to think of it, ever since our Weibo platform took off, Toutiao, as a traditional portal, has been having a harder time."

He actually had a lot of emotions in his heart.

Toutiao.com is the foundation of Tengda Group. In the early years, it not only supported the company's basic foundation, but also incubated flagship products such as Toutiao.

Now it has successfully completed its historical mission. Perhaps in a few years, this sector will have to be completely eliminated.

Huang Sheng also has a deep understanding of this.

He had mentioned this in a casual chat with Yang Junfeng before. Weibo has long replaced the four major portals of that time and has become the first entry point for users to obtain news.

The way people greet each other has changed from "Have you read the news today" to "Have you checked the trending searches today?"

Weibo's "short, flat and fast" content consumption model is indeed more suitable for mobile scenarios. Users spend more and more time on it every day, which naturally squeezes the time for in-depth reading.

For a moment, both of them sighed. Back when Tenda Technology was first established, it only had two businesses: Toutiao and gaming.

Today, the group's industries are flourishing everywhere, except for Toutiao, the original website, which is gradually failing to keep up with the times.

Seeing the melancholy on Huang Sheng's face, Song Ci smiled and changed the subject: "But then again, the decline of Toutiao and the rise of Weibo are essentially a victory of 'user empowerment' over traditional 'editing rights'.

Once the power to speak on content is transferred, the decline of traditional portals is inevitable. Okay, enough about that. I called you here today because I have something to tell you."

Huang Sheng perked up immediately after hearing this: "Director Song, please give your instructions."

Song Ci said bluntly, "Although Toutiao.com's momentum has weakened, the Toutiao app is doing quite well. I have a task for you: develop a fast version of this app."

"Extreme version?" Huang Sheng was stunned for a moment, with confusion on his face. He didn't react to what the chairman meant for a while.

Song Ci explained: "The current official version of Toutiao is 16MB in size, which is still too bulky for some low-end devices and mobile phones with small storage capacity.

What you need to do is develop a streamlined version, keep the installation package size under 3M, and solve the problem of lag on phones with insufficient configurations."

"I understand." Huang Sheng finally understood the meaning of "Extreme Edition".

Song Ci further added: "Developing this express version is not just about reducing functions. In essence, it is to compete for the sinking market and implement user stratification operations."

Huang Sheng suddenly understood: "Mr. Song, what you mean is that through more refined operations, we can break the current traffic bottleneck and further expand our business ecosystem?"

"That's right!" Song Ci replied with a smile, "This express version will be targeted at a specific user group, mainly users in third-tier and lower cities, as well as middle-aged and elderly people and teenagers.

We will boldly reduce functionality, retaining only the core information flow. Modules like video and Q&A will be removed from the express version first."

Huang Sheng immediately understood his thoughts, but after pondering for a moment, he asked, "Mr. Song, if we streamline the functional modules, the fun of the app will definitely be compromised. How can we ensure user growth and retention?"

Song Ci pointed out: "This requires the help of new task modules. For example, design a mechanism for exchanging gold coins for cash, allowing users to convert their daily behaviors into 'income' through tasks such as signing in, walking, sleeping, and growing vegetables, etc.

In terms of rules, rewards for consecutive sign-ins should increase gradually, such as giving extra gold coins after signing in for 30 days, using this loss aversion to strengthen user retention.”

"Great!" Huang Sheng's eyes suddenly lit up, and he instantly felt a sense of clarity as if the clouds had cleared and the sun was shining.

Only at this moment did he fully understand the essence of the express version - this was clearly an ecological strategy of user stratification, scenario segmentation and deep traffic mining.

Song Ci reminded him, "These are just the directions I'm giving you. Your department needs to carefully strike the right balance between user experience and commercialization. Don't let the Express Edition become a mere tool for profiteering."

Huang Sheng quickly assured: "Don't worry, Mr. Song, we will do enough market research and data testing to get this right."

Song Ci nodded, his eyes fixed on the face of this first employee of the group. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke: "Huang Sheng, ever since you and Yang Junfeng swapped positions, I have been paying attention to your performance."

As soon as these words came out, Huang Sheng's heart suddenly tightened. He subconsciously reviewed the work during this period in his mind quickly, fearing that there might be any omissions.

"You did a great job, I'm very satisfied."

Song Ci's words set the tone, and Huang Sheng's heart finally settled down. He quickly said, "Mr. Song, it's only right that you do your job well."

Song Ci continued, "The gaming department is the core profit generator for the group. It's rare that you were able to adjust your mindset and actively cooperate so quickly after being transferred from the TD gaming platform."

Huang Sheng couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. In fact, he did have some complaints when he was first transferred to this position.

Given the importance of the gaming department, if not to swap places with the president of WeChat, he should at least be in charge of Weibo. However, he ended up going to Toutiao, whose momentum was waning. I was really disappointed at the time.

Fortunately, he has always had a good attitude and is content with what he has. He adjusted himself quickly and did not let negative emotions affect his work.

Song Ci clasped his hands together, his tone gentle yet weighty, "You're a company veteran, your abilities are unquestionable. You've diligently managed the gaming department for so many years, and you've contributed at least a third to Tengda's current size."

Huang Sheng quickly waved his hand and said modestly, "Mr. Song, you're too kind to me. I'm incredibly lucky to be able to start a business with you, Mr. Zhang, Lao Yang, and others, and to watch Tengda grow step by step to where it is today."

"This transfer was a test for you, and you didn't disappoint me." Song Ci changed the subject, "Next year, the group will incubate a new product based on Toutiao. It will be Tenda's next core strategy after WeChat."

A sharp gleam flashed in his eyes. "Tengda Group will devote all its resources to nurturing it. When it blossoms and bears fruit, Tenda will be able to completely crush all competitors in the mobile internet era."

Huang Sheng was stunned, a look of disbelief on his face. WeChat was Tenda's anchor, the core hub that "connected everything." What product could hold such weight, comparable to WeChat?

Instantly, his eyes lit up with blazing anticipation, and his heart was filled with excitement. The chairman's words clearly meant that he was to be in charge of this blockbuster product. This was a huge responsibility! Fortunately, he had withstood the test.

He stood up quickly, his tone extremely serious: "Mr. Song, don't worry, I will never let you down!"

"Sit down and talk." Song Ci waved his hand. "There's a product on the market called 'Kuaishou'. Go back and study it carefully. Understand its operating logic, advantages and disadvantages."

"Kuaishou!" Huang Sheng silently repeated the name in his mind, vaguely guessing that this might be the opponent he would face in the future.

As soon as Huang Sheng left, his secretary Jian Ning led people into the office: "Director Song, Mr. Chen from Suda Taxi is here."

After Chen Shuo sat down on the chair, Song Ci asked, "I'm too busy lately, so I won't talk about official business for now.

I just got married at the beginning of the month, and I haven't had time to ask you about it. I asked you to come here today mainly because I want to know how Suda is doing recently. "

Chen Shuo immediately straightened his expression and hurriedly reported: "Mr. Song, when Suda was first established, the driver installation rate was very low.

It was all thanks to the hard work of the sales team and the 5 yuan traffic subsidy per week that we were able to slowly accumulate a small number of users. It was not an easy process.

Fortunately, with the heavy snow at the end of last year, the number of orders suddenly exceeded 1,000, which was a preliminary breakthrough.”

As he spoke, he took out a document from his briefcase and handed it to the boss with both hands.

Song Ci took the materials and flipped through them quickly, then casually said, "I see that half of the funds in the account have been burned."

"It's mainly used for driver subsidies."

“Are there any competitors in the market?”

"Yes. There's a new company called Didi Dache in the north, and there's another one called Kuaidi in the south. They're both growing very fast."

“Are there any signs of loosening regulatory policies recently?”

"We have been actively communicating with the transportation and transport administration departments. If all goes well, the Guidance on Taxi Mobile Phone Reservation may be issued in the near future.

But the content may require that taxi apps be prohibited from increasing prices after connecting to the official platform, so it is half good and half bad. "

As the two exchanged questions, Song Ci closed the document and spoke in a more relaxed tone, "Loosening regulatory policies is always a good thing. I saw at the end of the document that a financing institution has already contacted Suda?"

Chen Shuo nodded and said, "Yes, Mr. Song. In addition to some venture capital institutions, Baidu and Alibaba have also sent people to contact us. I am currently holding off and awaiting your instructions."

Song Ci became interested: "What is the valuation of Suda by each company?"

Chen Shuo replied: "Most venture capital firms give valuations of around 50 million, Baidu's is slightly higher, at 70 million.

Alibaba was the most forthcoming, offering us an 80 million valuation and being the most proactive in connecting us. They also promised us regular subsidies as long as we used Alipay for online payments.

Song Ci knew very well that Alibaba was targeting the application scenarios of mobile payments and valued the strategic value of Speeda.

"With the emergence of Didi and Kuaidi, the ride-hailing market is bound to be fiercely competitive. Competition means burning money!" He then changed the subject, "Venture capital, Baidu, and Alibaba have all turned them down, so it's time to show our cards.

I will have the group's investment department invest 20 million yuan in Suda, based on a 100 million yuan valuation. With this money, you must accelerate market expansion."

Chen Shuo quickly responded, "Understood, Director Song!"

Chen Shuo came in a hurry and left quickly.

After that, two more department presidents came to report on their work, and it was almost noon.

Song Ci finally had some free time. Just as he was about to pick up the teacup to drink some tea and take a breath, the knock on the door came again.

"Come in."

The door was gently pushed open, and a pretty figure stood at the office door.

Song Ci raised his eyes and saw who was coming, and a smile immediately spread across his face: "Shishi, why are you here?"

Liu Shishi smiled brightly and walked to her husband's side with light steps: "I have an appointment with Yuanyuan in the cafe across the street this afternoon, so I came to see you on the way."

Song Ci took Liu Shishi's slightly cold hand, let her sit on his lap, and asked casually, "Who did you meet?"

Liu Shishi hooked her arm around his neck and said affectionately, "Director Ning Hao. My studio wants to invest in a movie and ask him to direct it. He said he wanted to meet me, and since I happened to be free, we met across the street."

"What movie?"

"Xu Zhengli's project is called 'Lost in Thailand'. He initially wanted to direct and star in it himself, but the price was too high. I talked to Mr. Lai from Huaying, and he recommended Ning Hao."

"After the huge success of Lost in Thailand, Xu Zheng's value has skyrocketed, and he still has some box office appeal. Movies starring him are worth investing in."

Song Ci nodded, and suddenly remembered something, "Is Ning Hao now a contracted director of Xiaoma Pentium Pictures?"

Liu Shishi was stunned for a moment, a little puzzled - her husband never cared about things in the entertainment industry, why did he suddenly ask this?

She thought about it for a moment and nodded slowly. "Yes, his Bad Monkey Studio is affiliated with Pony Express."

"Is Galloping Pony going to go public?"

"That should be it. I heard that Xiao Ma's boss, Mr. Li, just signed a bet agreement with Jianyin Culture, stipulating that if the company doesn't go public before the end of this year, he will have to buy back the investor's shares.

From this perspective, they definitely have to rush to go public, otherwise they will fail to fulfill the bet and suffer huge losses."

After saying that, Liu Shishi asked curiously, "What's wrong, husband? Why are you suddenly concerned about Little Pony Galloping?"

Song Ci naturally couldn't go into detail - Boss Li was involved in a major incident and was distracted, and eventually died suddenly. Xiaoma Pentium failed to complete the bet and its valuation plummeted.

"Nothing. I heard a senior executive from China Construction Bank mention it last time. He thinks Pony.com might fail in its IPO, and its valuation will drop significantly. If that's the case, you can invest some money and work with Cai Yinong to acquire it."

"A snake swallowing an elephant?" Liu Shishi was very surprised.

On the surface, it seems a bit far-fetched to think that Tangren Film and Television could acquire Pony. However, capital operations are always unexpected. Since my husband said so, it seems possible.

"I'll tell Sister K to keep an eye out for the galloping pony." Liu Shishi agreed.

Then she changed the subject, "Honey, Tengda Culture is holding a celebration party tonight for the billion-dollar box office success of Lost in Thailand. Do you want to come with me?"

“No!”

(End of this chapter)