Stronger by Paying Salaries and I Have 1 Billion Employees

Liu Zhiping glanced around the room, taking in everyone’s expressions, then studied Ma Wenteng’s face for a moment before speaking.

”I...” Zhang Xiaolong opened his mouth, just as he was about to say something.

”WeChat’s user base has already reached 260 million, with a penetration rate of 72.2%. If we only rely on advertising for profit, it’s a complete waste of resources. Martin, I agree with your view.”

Ma Wenteng adjusted his glasses, directly cutting off Zhang Xiaolong’s words as he spoke slowly and deliberately.

Interactive operations like merchant payments, credit card repayments, and transfers could all bring a huge amount of deposited user funds to Penguin.

Even if Zhang Xiaolong disagreed, it wouldn’t change Ma Wenteng’s decision.

”I believe we can restart the previously shelved WeChat Pay plan!” Liu Zhiping announced solemnly.

”Jim, you coordinate with Xiaolong and draw up a product development plan first.”

Ma Wenteng said, looking past Zhang Xiaolong to address Lai Zhiming, the general manager of the Finance Division.

”OK,” Lai Zhiming agreed readily. He saw the situation more clearly than Zhang Xiaolong.

It was a joint decision by Ma Wenteng, Liu Zhiping, and numerous directors. What could he do even if he disagreed?

”Alright, Pony, I understand.” Zhang Xiaolong took a deep breath, forced a smile, and reluctantly agreed.

In his vision, an instant messaging app shouldn’t be loaded with too many commercialized modules. The product needed to maintain a sufficient level of purity and focus on its core functions to become a truly national-level social media app.

But Ma Wenteng didn’t see it that way!

But he also understood in his heart that Penguin was a publicly traded internet company with a complex and dispersed shareholding structure. Pony was under pressure to turn a profit.

The kind of product he wanted to create couldn’t find fertile ground to survive at Penguin, or even in the entirety of Hua Country.

Because most internet company bosses, the moment they corralled a user base, would immediately start to profit from it through ads, service fees, micro-loans, or financial derivatives.

”Pinbei, Kuai Pao, and Fast Taxi are occupying three top-tier traffic portals on WeChat and QQ. If you ask me, Senlian Capital should be paying Penguin an advertising fee. Even if we only charged one percent, that’s over three billion in annual revenue,” a director interjected.

”Charge them? Are you going to go ask Chen Yansen for the money?” Ma Wenteng’s eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing within them as he retorted with a sardonic expression.

”I...” The director gave a dry laugh and stammered.

’Idiot!’ Liu Zhiping cursed inwardly upon seeing this.

Compared to three billion in annual revenue, the profits from Penguin’s investments in Pinbei, Kuai Pao, and Fast Taxi were the real prize.

If not for him and Ma Wenteng going against the majority opinion to trade traffic resources for an investment spot, how would Penguin have ever gotten a piece of Pinbei’s Series B funding round?

Did Goldman Sachs, Huake, and Huaxin Capital not have money?

Ma Wenteng snorted coldly and said calmly, ”Meeting adjourned!”

His shareholding in Penguin wasn’t the largest, but through the VIE stock structure, he still held firm control.

On the board of directors, although there were people who occasionally caused trouble, he had suppressed most of them.

「On the other side.」

Hang City Ali Headquarters, Taohua Island office.

The corners of Ma Liyun’s mouth turned down as he read through the investigation report on Orange Pay. He had never imagined that Wealth Treasure’s QR code payment tool would be taken offline by a competitor.

”Enabling a merchant payment feature... that’s a good idea! Wealth Treasure can follow suit.”

After a long moment, Ma Liyun put down the document in his hand and said to Lu Zhaoxi.

”There are regulatory risks. If we don’t clear it with the higher-ups, payment QR codes will essentially be helping merchants hide their revenue,” Lu Zhaoxi reminded him softly.

”Do it first. Get the model up and running, and corral the users first! By the time the regulations come down, the opportunity will be long gone,” Ma Liyun said dismissively.

’The worst that can happen is we get shut down and forced to reorganize!’

”And what about Chen Yansen?” Lu Zhaoxi asked.

”He copied my Cainiao logistics and QR code payment feature. I’ll copy his offline promotion strategy. We can call it even.”