22: Chapter 22 TikTok's Next Step: Live Streaming!

The air in the office froze.

Zhou Rui's expression stiffened for half a second, but he quickly returned to normal, though a layer of coldness deepened in his eyes.

The secretary behind him parted his lips slightly, clearly not having expected this answer.

"President Qin, won't you reconsider? One billion is not a matter of ten or twenty million; this price is enough for you..."

"I said, I'm not selling. Show them out."

Qin Mo stood up; the action itself was an order to leave.

Zhao Lei and Lin Xiao exchanged a glance, both taking a deep breath at the same time.

They had originally thought Qin Mo would at least ask a few more questions about the terms; after all, even if they split this money, it would be enough for everyone to never worry about money again for the rest of their lives.

But Qin Mo's answer didn't even take five seconds.

Putting aside whether this decision was good or bad.

At the very least, Qin Mo's boldness at this moment shocked both of them.

That was one billion.

He refused without even blinking?

If it were them, they would probably hesitate for a long time before giving in.

Meanwhile, inside the office.

Zhou Rui stood up from the sofa, the polite smile on his face fading bit by bit.

He stopped pretending.

"When Tencent gave me one billion to negotiate the acquisition, I told them that the price was too high."

"How could it be worth one billion? Isn't it just a Short Video shell with an algorithm inside?"

He took two steps forward, his voice lowering, carrying a sharpness that was hard to tell if it was mockery or resentment.

"Do you think that having a Big Data algorithm means you can sit back and relax, and challenge Tencent for a lifetime?"

Zhou Rui sneered.

Before coming to discuss the acquisition, he already knew that Tencent was pushing for Big Data algorithms internally.

"Let me tell you, Weikan is already forming a special team to develop its own Recommendation Algorithm. Tencent has the personnel and the resources."

"In a few months, your algorithm will no longer be unique."

He paused, looking into Qin Mo's eyes.

"And you probably don't know that Weikan has already sponsored this year's 'Singer' program. That is one of the top-rated variety shows in the country, and it becomes a massive hit every year."

"Before the new version of the algorithm comes out, relying on the popularity of the sponsored program will be enough to stabilize Weikan's daily active users."

"Once Weikan's Recommendation Algorithm is implemented, combined with Tencent's traffic entry points and the national popularity from the program sponsorship, what chance of survival will your Douyin have then?"

Zhou Rui turned around, his leather shoes making a dull thudding sound on the floor.

He pushed open the door, paused at the doorway, and turned his head to give Qin Mo one last look.

"Today, I am offering you one billion."

"By the time that day comes, if you want this price again, it probably won't even be worth one percent of it."

"Once Weikan launches Big Data, Douyin will be finished!"

The sound of the door slamming echoed in the office.

Zhao Lei and Lin Xiao stood where they were, looking at Qin Mo.

The expression on Qin Mo's face was exactly the same as it had been three years ago on the day the company was founded—so calm that it seemed as if the thing he had just rejected was just an ordinary business partnership.

"As expected."

Lin Xiao pushed up his glasses.

"Weikan is also working on their Big Data."

"They didn't discover our recommendation mechanism before; it wasn't until a week after launch, when the data slapped them in the face, that they realized where the gap was."

"Now they want to spend time catching up, and they also want to use an acquisition to save time—tackling it from both ends."

After speaking, Lin Xiao looked at Qin Mo.

"Boss, Weikan's Big Data algorithm..."

Qin Mo didn't speak, just sat back down in his chair, picked up his cold soy milk, and took a sip.

Then he said one sentence.

"There are gaps even among algorithms."

Zhao Lei walked over from the door, his face still carrying some unprocessed emotions.

One billion and the rejection of one billion—these two things happened in the same morning; he needed a moment to calm down.

"Boss, Zhou Rui just said that Weikan sponsored 'Singer'. I watch that show every year, and the ratings are indeed not low."

"If they really manage to stir up hype with the sponsorship and rely on the celebrity effect to hold out until their algorithm is implemented, we can't just sit here and wait."

Qin Mo also nodded.

"Now that a large number of vendors are returning, Douyin also has a new batch of funds."

"And this time, we should also go all out, carry out large-scale publicity, and let more people know about Douyin."

After saying this.

Qin Mo put down the soy milk, tapped a few times on the keyboard, and a program information page popped up on the screen.

It was a new variety show that not many people were optimistic about yet, named 'The Rap of China'.

"We will also invest in advertising."

Zhao Lei leaned over to take a look at the program introduction on the screen, and his brows furrowed.

"The Rap of China? What kind of show is this? Rap? Boss, not many people here listen to rap, right? How can it compare to a top-tier, all-ages variety show like 'Singer'?"

Lin Xiao also pushed up his glasses, his tone relatively cautious but equally puzzled.

"The production team for this show probably doesn't have a big budget, and the previous investment solicitation didn't seem to go very smoothly either."

"The sponsorship fee is much lower than 'Singer', but the problem is that the target audience is too narrow."

"There has never been this kind of variety show in the country before."

Qin Mo leaned back in his chair, his voice unhurried.

"It is precisely because no one is optimistic about it right now that the sponsorship price is low."

"Our budget isn't enough to sponsor a show at the level of 'Singer', but it is more than enough to sponsor 'The Rap of China'."

He paused, and in his mind flashed that summer from his previous life.

That summer, the entire internet was completely ignited by a rap show. The same song was playing in every street and alley, the same meme flooded Moments, and even the aunties at the vegetable market could hum, "Do you have freestyle?"

The popularity of this show in that year was something ten 'Singer' programs couldn't compare to.

Of course, no one else knew this information.

So Qin Mo looked at the two of them.

"I think this show has great potential, and we can give it a try. Who knows, maybe the popularity could rival 'Singer'?"

"Believe me, this show will also become a huge hit."

Zhao Lei and Lin Xiao exchanged a glance.

They didn't know why Qin Mo was so certain.

In fact, from the moment this show was approved until now, it had barely attracted any attention; online discussion was almost zero, and even the promotional posters weren't being reposted by anyone.

But the last time Qin Mo said "Believe me," they had witnessed what happened afterwards with their own eyes.

From Douyin's instant success after launch, to suing Weikan for taking advantage of the trend for publicity, to settling incentive payments early to reverse public opinion—every single event proved that Qin Mo's judgment had never been wrong.

"Alright."

Zhao Lei slapped his thigh.

"If you say we invest, we'll go and contact them."

Qin Mo nodded, closed the page for 'The Rap of China', and opened another window. The cursor blinked in the title bar.

He typed a line of text on the keyboard.

That was the next step in Douyin's development.

"Douyin Livestreaming Function — Internal Beta Plan."