Saying this, Fang Wanqing immediately sent the electronic version of the plan to Su Yi via email.
Su Yi opened the project plan Fang Wanqing sent him, took a sip of coffee, and began to read it carefully.
The project investment plan prominently featured a company named 'Gusu Diezhi Network Technology.'
This company was a relatively new startup game development company with several games in its 'Nuan Nuan series.'
Among them, 'Miracle Nuan Nuan,' the company's flagship product, had been online for less than 5 months, and its top-up revenue and various operational data were all showing a relatively good upward trend.
"How is it?"
When Su Yi finished reading the project plan and put down his phone, Fang Wanqing eagerly asked.
Su Yi smiled faintly, not answering directly, but asked in return,
"Have you submitted this project investment plan to your company's project investment department for review?"
Fang Wanqing nodded and said,
"It has been submitted for review, but it was rejected by the project investment department."
"Hmm."
Su Yi nodded slightly and continued,
"Then how do your leaders view this investment project? Why did your company refuse to invest in it?"
Fang Wanqing said,
"The company believes that the domestic mobile game market has passed its nascent growth period, meaning it has entered a red ocean competition phase.
Typically, at this market stage, smaller companies are weeded out, and leading industry players expand their market share. It's difficult for small startup companies to survive in this market phase.
Furthermore, after game companies develop a game, its market reception is highly uncertain. This means that the company's business development would be overly reliant on blockbuster games, but the creation of blockbuster games is not replicable.
This indicates that the company's business development lacks clear forward-looking expectations and is difficult to quantify with current specific operating data.
As such, it's impossible to evaluate the company's future prospects, nor can we determine what profit margins this project could bring to investors in the future."
"The gaming industry is indeed not an industry with a good business model,"
Su Yi said.
"The factors your company considered are all reasonable. During a period of red ocean competition in the industry, it's undoubtedly hellishly difficult for small startups to break through. It's perfectly logical for this project to be rejected."
"So… you're not optimistic about this investment project then?"
Fang Wanqing asked.
Su Yi replied with a smile,
"Not exactly."
Hearing Su Yi's words, Fang Wanqing was slightly taken aback, not quite understanding.
Su Yi glanced at her bewildered expression and continued,
"Since this investment project has already been rejected by your company, logically… you should give up tracking it. Why do you seem to care so much about it? Do you want to invest in it yourself?"
"Where would I get that much money?"
Fang Wanqing said.
"It's just that this is a project led by my friend, and whether it can successfully secure funding is very important for their company's future development.
So… I wanted you to take a look and see what the chances are for their company to break through the siege? If there's even a two or three-tenths chance, I thought I could try to persuade my second uncle to lend me some money so I could invest in it myself."
Of course, what she didn't say was her other reason for seeking out Su Yi.
It was because her second uncle believed Su Yi was a talent with great future potential, possessing broad vision and strong capabilities.
If she used some of Su Yi's viewpoints to persuade her second uncle, it would be more effective than her own.
"Understood!"
Su Yi nodded slightly and said,
"From the perspective of industry development, its business model, operational scale, current operating status, talent reserves… and various other aspects, this project is indeed not a good investment project.
However, when investing, besides analyzing these things, the most fundamental thing is to understand whether its core product has prospects for core competitiveness in the market. Only then can we truly judge whether this company is worth investing in, and whether it can break out in a red ocean market and secure its own place.
As long as its core product has relatively strong prospects for core competitiveness in the market, or if the company possesses a unique competitive advantage under a series of ordinary operating conditions, then in my opinion, it is worth investing in.
When we select projects and invest in companies, what we should look at is not the flaws and shortcomings of this project or company.
Every company and every investment project has its risks and shortcomings. What we truly need to look at and pay attention to is the unique strength that this project or company possesses, that is, something that makes it superior to its competitors.
As long as this unique strength is long enough to form a unique competitive advantage, then even if the industry business model isn't good, it's entirely possible to make a 'flower in the desert' bloom."
Fang Wanqing asked,
"Then, in your opinion… does this company possess the 'unique strength' you mentioned?"
"Yes, it does,"
Su Yi replied with a smile.
"In its project financing plan, this company described the current state of the female gaming market and the consumption potential of its players. In my opinion, this means that within a red ocean market, by segmenting the field, they have found an area for regional expansion that is still a blue ocean.
Differentiated competition within a red ocean is very important. The core game projects developed by this company are mostly oriented towards the female player market,
and they have targeted the 'dress-up and development games' genre in the current mobile game market, a genre that has not formed a monopolistic pattern and lacks leading games.
This is excellent differentiated competition, avoiding direct confrontation with leading industry players, thereby reducing the current brutal intensity of market competition.
Based on their description of the female gaming market and the consumption potential of its players… as long as this company can capture this market, establish unique competitiveness in this niche gameplay genre, and create a blockbuster game, it will be enough for this company to survive and thrive.
Judging from this project financing plan… the specific operators of this company have very clear minds and are farsighted in their strategic positioning for company development and core product development."
"Really?"
Hearing this, Fang Wanqing smiled.
"According to your point of view, does that mean this project still has a lot of investment potential?"
Su Yi nodded and said,
"That's what I think. Moreover, look at the current flagship game of your friend's company; its operational data trend since launch has already started to show some explosive potential. In other words, if this game is operated well and this data trend can be maintained, it feels like it has the potential to become a blockbuster game."
"I haven't paid particular attention to the specific changes in this game's operational data,"
Fang Wanqing said.
"I'll research it when I get back."
"Okay."
Su Yi nodded.
His thoughts shifted, and he added,
"But I can't help you for free today."
Fang Wanqing noticed the change in Su Yi's expression, pondered for a moment, and smiled,
"You wouldn't have taken a liking to this project, would you?"
"You're absolutely right,"
Su Yi said.
"How about we each take half of the 15 million yuan financing share your friend's company is seeking?"
According to Su Yi's memories from before his rebirth,
he was certain of the company's enormous future development potential and knew that the game 'Miracle Nuan Nuan,' produced by this company, would later become a famous 'money-making machine' in the mobile game market, bringing huge profits to the company and rapidly expanding its market valuation.
In other words…
if he could participate in this investment at this time,
an investment of a few million would yield him at least several hundred million in returns in the future.
"You really are…" Fang Wanqing wanted to say that Su Yi 'won't get up early without profit,' but then she had a change of heart. This project had already been rejected by the company.
If Su Yi was willing to invest his own money, it would be helping her and her friend, and it would save her the trouble of borrowing money from her second uncle. So, she paused, then said with a smile, "Alright, then let's each take half of this project."
"Oh, by the way, do you know my aunt's husband too?"
After discussing the investment project, Fang Wanqing recalled encountering Su Yi at the banquet and couldn't help but ask again.
Su Yi nodded and said,
"Of course I do."
"I really didn't expect you to be appreciated by so many people."
Fang Wanqing couldn't help but scrutinize Su Yi again.
"Among so many young people in Modu, you are quite remarkable."
She hadn't expected Su Yi not only knew her second uncle but was also acquainted with her aunt's husband.
Of course, she was even more surprised that Su Yi, at such a young age, could casually converse and build such extensive connections with many billionaire business owners in Modu.
"Knowing a few friends and gaining appreciation from some industry seniors is nothing,"
Su Yi said with a smile.
"For someone with my family background, to establish roots and build a career in a city like Modu, what I have now… is still far from enough."
"You… you're very much like my second uncle,"
Fang Wanqing said.
"I'm very much like Mr. Fang?"
Su Yi was surprised.
"In what way?"
Fang Wanqing said,
"You haven't seen my second uncle when he was young. Back then, he was quite a go-getter in his career. Hmm… it seems he also said things similar to what you just said, it's just that now his temperament and personality have mellowed a lot; you rarely see the sharp edge he used to have."
Su Yi believed what Fang Wanqing said.
After all, to start from scratch and build such a vast business empire in the past two decades,
one couldn't be a simple character.
Su Yi smiled and said,
"Mr. Fang and I cannot be compared at present."
How deep 'Yuanhang Group's' roots were in Modu, and how wide its global business reach, he simply couldn't fully comprehend through public information.
Moreover, the entire asset composition of 'Yuanhang Group' was a mystery in his eyes.
Compared to such a business giant, he was indeed a long way off.
"But my second uncle does seem to think highly of you,"
Fang Wanqing said.
"Your insights into the primary and secondary markets, as well as your judgment on macroeconomics and policy trends, are very profound and unique. Given that, why don't you start your own investment company?
It feels like under the macroeconomic policy trend of 'mass innovation and mass entrepreneurship', investment in the primary market should become increasingly popular.
And as our country's economy continues high-quality development, with industrial upgrading across various sectors and consumer upgrading, a large number of emerging powerful companies will also grow.
It should be said that now is the brightest spring for angel and VC investment institutions."
"Investing in the primary market isn't just about having good vision,"
Su Yi said clearly.
"Most importantly, you also need strong connections; otherwise, you won't even get access to high-quality investment projects, as they'll be absorbed by 'insiders'."
Fang Wanqing pondered for a moment and said,
"That's true. Many high-quality investment projects are usually first approached by large institutions with deep connections and strong financial backing.
Only those projects that these major institutions or internal 'insiders' aren't interested in, or the ones they've picked through, which people deem to have average investment potential, will flow to second and third-tier investment institutions and individual outside investors."
Su Yi said,
"Yes, truly good investment projects, those whose potential can be seen at a glance, never lack funding. And usually, for such projects, without connections paving the way, even if you bring money to them and offer generous premium investment conditions, they won't pay attention to you."
"But there are so many startups in the market; if you pick and choose carefully, you can still find gold,"
Fang Wanqing said.
"And as long as a few projects are successful, the company's reputation will naturally grow, and there will be more opportunities to access larger, better projects later on. In this world… doesn't every company grow from a small one to a large one?"
"What Miss Fang says about finding gold among startups is like trying to distinguish gold dust in a vast stretch of sand. In the market, about 99% of startups die within five years. Only about 1% might survive and gradually grow over the long term. So, simply doing angel or VC investment is quite difficult,"
Su Yi said.
"Of course, Miss Fang's suggestion… I will still consider it. However, if I were to start my own business, I might prioritize investing in the secondary market, first choosing businesses with higher certainty to earn money, and then investing funds into the primary market, where certainty is lower."
"Alright!"
Fang Wanqing said.
"Then I look forward to your future development."
The two continued chatting idly like this…
After the conversation ended, Fang Wanqing came back to her senses and realized it was already around 4 PM.
"Wow… I didn't realize it was so late already?"
Fang Wanqing glanced at the time, remembering she had promised to accompany her aunt for a SPA.
She had forgotten all about it while chatting, and couldn't help but quickly stand up to leave.
"Su… Su Yi, let's chat again next time. We can discuss the 'Diezhi Network' investment project on WeChat. I have some other things to do, so I have to go now."
"Alright."
Su Yi nodded in response.
Seeing that it was getting late, he also stood up and left the cafe with Fang Wanqing, chatting and laughing.
As the two left together, appearing quite familiar with each other,
not far away, unnoticed by them, a young man about Su Yi's age, upon seeing their demeanor, involuntarily darkened his expression and asked a companion next to him,
"Haitang, do you know who that guy with Wanqing just now was?"
(End of Chapter)