Ethan leaned forward slightly, with a commanding presence:
"Red Bean Capital, leading this round. $200 million."
"$200 million?!"
The sound of gasping filled the conference room. This number far exceeded expectations—it was like money falling from the sky!
The great surprise was followed by deeper wariness.
Because there's no free lunch in the world—the more money involved, the greater the price the other party might demand.
Alex steadied himself:
"Mr. Miller... With such generosity, what equity percentage is Red Bean Capital expecting?"
Ethan clearly enunciated a few words:
"Thirty percent."
Instant silence filled the conference room.
30%! This meant Red Bean Capital would become Musical.ly's undisputed largest external shareholder with extremely significant voting power!
This far exceeded the psychological expectations of Alex's team, their ideal was within 20% and the quote range from all previous investment institutions!
"Mr. Miller, this ratio is..."
Musical.ly's CTO couldn't help but speak, his tone carrying strong resistance.
This meant the founding team's equity would be significantly diluted, and control would be severely challenged.
Ethan raised his eyebrows, the corners of his mouth curling with a confident arc of future insight:
"High? Mr. Alex, I understand the founding team's attachment to control. But please think about it—what does $200 million mean at this exact moment?"
"It means you can completely outpace your competitors and invest in product R&D, user acquisition, and ecosystem building with crushing resources! It means your short-form video platform can hit the market regardless of cost and capture all users' attention before competitors react! It means you can build a super distribution empire of photos, short videos, live streams, and all future content forms! A hundred billion dollar valuation is just the starting point!"
His eyes were burning, as if penetrating time, and he continued:
"In the next three years, mobile internet content consumption will undergo earth-shattering changes. Photos, short videos, live streams... Content feeds will become the absolute mainstream for users to consume content. Whoever masters efficient distribution channels and content ecosystems will master the traffic gateway and the future! $200 million, in exchange for positioning yourself two years ahead, in exchange for a ticket to a hundred-billion-dollar empire and 30% cornerstone equity. Mr. Alex, do you think you're losing out, or am I, Ethan H. Miller, losing out?"
"Another crucial point—unless it's truly important, I won't interfere with your decision-making!"
Ethan's words hammered into Alex's heart like a sledgehammer.
The prospect he painted was the wildest blueprint in Alex's own heart! $200 million would be enough for Musical.ly to evolve from a fast horse into a dragon soaring through the heavens!
The price was 30% equity... Painful! But if it could be exchanged for crushing-level resources and a time window advantage... And Red Bean Capital wouldn't interfere too much... Worth it!
The conference room plunged into long silence and intense internal eye contact.
A long tug-of-war began.
The Musical.ly team fought for a lower percentage or higher valuation. Ethan remained steady as a rock, his bottom line unyielding.
His absolute certainty of Musical.ly's future value, accurate prediction of industry patterns, and the absolute power of $200 million cash formed an impeccable crushing advantage.
He accurately grasped their bottom line and didn't give an inch on equity, but showed flexibility and sincerity on key non-equity terms.
Diana timely handed over a prepared, extremely detailed draft investment term sheet, with clear provisions—except for the equity percentage, other conditions (such as board seats and voting rights arrangements) were relatively mild, fully considering the founding team's interests.
"...Based on both parties' joint recognition of Musical.ly's future value and strong willingness for strategic collaboration..."
Alex finally picked up the pen and signed his name on the revised formal investment agreement, relief, excitement, and a hint of warrior's determination crossing his face:
"Red Bean Capital, $200 million, to subscribe to 30% of Musical.ly's equity after this capital increase round."
"Pleasure doing business, Mr. Alex!"
Ethan stood and shook hands with Alex again. This time, both felt the power and weight transmitted through each other's palms.
"Pleasure doing business, Mr. Miller! Musical.ly needs a partner like Red Bean Capital!"
Alex said sincerely, looking at Ethan with eyes full of appreciation and a hint of awe.
This young man had vicious vision, amazing courage, and unimaginable boldness.
....
That evening, an upscale Italian restaurant in San Francisco.
The rich aroma of braised duck, and the vibrant colors of the lobster ravioli...
Relieving the tension of negotiations, Alex warmly greeted:
"Come on, Mr. Miller, Ms. Diana, try this seafood chowder—it's incredibly fresh and comforting. Let's not talk business today, just relax!"
Ethan smiled:
"Mr. Alex, very thoughtful. This reminds me of meals back home."
The two chatted about coastal scenery and tech culture, the atmosphere growing increasingly warm.
Diana dined quietly beside them, occasionally joining the conversation, speaking elegantly and appropriately.
After a few glasses of wine, Alex looked at Ethan's overly young but calm face, and finally couldn't suppress a question that had been hovering in his mind:
"Mr. Miller, with all due respect, your vision and courage are truly... amazing. May I ask—did you represent some overseas forces? Or...?"
He guessed at Ethan's background. Wall Street elite? Heir to a prominent family?
Ethan set down his glass and smiled peacefully and magnanimously:
"Neither. Mr. Alex, to be honest," he paused, his eyes clearly meeting Alex's inquiring gaze, "I just finished my SATs this year."
"Pfft—cough, cough!"
Alex was sipping wine and choked violently when he heard this, nearly spitting it out.
He covered his mouth in embarrassment, coughing so hard his face turned red, and his assistant quickly handed him a napkin. He stared at Ethan in disbelief, as if hearing an Arabian Nights tale.
"SATs?!"
Alex's voice rose an octave with a strong crack, completely losing his usual composure:
"You mean... Just finished? Just... barely 20 days ago?!"
"Yes."
Ethan nodded.
The entire private room instantly went quiet.
Several people on the Musical.ly team, including the CTO who had been trying to stay calm, seemed frozen in place, mouths slightly open, eyes wide, staring at Ethan.
They had just signed a $200 million investment and sold 30% equity... to a student who had just finished his SATs?
This was more bizarre than science fiction!
Diana looked at the petrified expressions of the elites across from her, her red lips curling imperceptibly.
Under the table, the tips of her high heels gently rubbed Ethan's calf, her eyes holding a hint of pride, indulgence, and cunning—"Look, scared them to death."
Alex finally suppressed his coughing, his chest rising and falling violently. He wiped the corners of his mouth hard, his eyes extremely complicated: shocked, incredulous, and finally transforming into an almost vertiginous admiration.
He took several deep breaths before finding his voice, with a strong sense of disbelief:
"Student... Ethan Miller... No, Mr. Miller..."
He didn't know what to call him for a moment:
"I... I really don't know how to describe my feelings right now... This... This is too... shocking! It's just... a miracle in business history!"
There are 60 advance chapters ahead in my Patreon. If you are interested can check it out.
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