noveldepot Chapter 90 Attracting Zhu Xiaohu in the Reverse
Chapter 90 Attracting Zhu Xiaohu in the Reverse
Chapter 90 Attracting Zhu Xiaohu in the Reverse (3k)
Zhu Xiaohu laughed at Mu Yan, that old fox who was usually so cunning, yet he was completely fooled by the straightforward student team.
Of course he knew that when Li Haipeng said he was negotiating with Jinshajiang Venture Capital, he was just using Li's name to inflate his own value.
But what he wasn't sure about was whether the so-called "Hong Kong Arctic Capital" was just another fabrication by Geng Zhi.
He casually searched for "Arctic Capital" website and news on his computer.
Information is scarce, only indicating that it is a newly established institution focusing on early-stage internet investments, with its background remaining a mystery.
The capital itself should exist, but he couldn't determine whether the straightforward team had actually discussed financing with Arctic Capital.
Next, he searched for all recent news reports and trending posts about the "Jiaotong University Matchmaker" and "If You Are the One" events.
The more he looked, the deeper his smile became, and he would nod thoughtfully from time to time.
After reading these news reports and combining them with the details Mu Yan had just revealed, Zhu Xiaohu was shocked to discover that Geng Zhi had actually done quite a few things in the past month or so.
The deep offline operations in the university market, as well as the pixel-perfect imitation of "Fudan Matchmaker" by Century Family Network, have proven the feasibility and attractiveness of the "Jiaotong University Matchmaker" offline model.
The fact that they were able to connect with the Jiangsu TV program "If You Are the One" online and obtain the qualification to send guests to the show proves their channel value and negotiation ability.
If Mu Yan's words are true, and there really is a capital firm in deep talks with Geng Zhi, even offering a valuation in the tens of millions, then it means that Geng Zhi's "new model" probably has a lot of substance.
No wonder even Mu Yan, who once looked down on the Gengzhi project, is now restless and eager to get a share of the pie.
Hmph, what happened to the promise that "capital's money is dirty"? What happened to the promise that "we won't take capital's money"?
Now that you've grown strong enough and need to expand your business, you realize that money from investors is sweet?
Zhu Xiaohu silently scorned Geng Zhi in his heart, then his expression turned serious.
I've been with Jinshajiang Venture Capital for over two years and haven't invested in any unicorns yet. If Gengzhi's project is truly a gold mine, then I'll find a way to get involved no matter what.
Another project that he was increasingly optimistic about was Zhang Xuhao's "food delivery" service at Jiaotong University.
The demand for campus food delivery is strong enough, and the logic behind the data growth makes sense on paper.
If this model can be successfully implemented at exemplary campuses like Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Fudan University, demonstrating a high repurchase rate, its potential should not be underestimated if it can be replicated at other universities in the future. It is worthwhile to make a small investment to test the waters.
What bothered him was that Zhang Xuhao had recently stopped reporting the latest operational data to him regularly, citing business adjustments as the reason.
This sudden estrangement, in the eyes of a perceptive investor, often signifies uncertainty, making Zhu Xiaohu feel somewhat uneasy.
"Looks like it's time to go to Shanghai again." Zhu Xiaohu closed the webpage and leaned back in his chair.
He decided to make another trip to Jiaotong University soon to meet with the two college students, Geng Zhi and Zhang Xuhao.
Firstly, to investigate the truth and substance of Geng Zhi's new model in person.
Secondly, we need to see what Zhang Xuhao's team is up to. Is the "Fan Jisong" project encountering a bottleneck, or have they come up with other ideas?
Meanwhile, in dormitory 526 of Building 46 in the West Campus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the atmosphere was tense in a different way.
Kang Jia and Wang Yuan sat on either side of Zhang Xuhao, like two great protectors, waiting for Arctic Capital to make a phone call.
On Zhang Xuhao's desk, three laptops are placed side by side, their screens lit up.
One computer was his own, while the other two belonged to Konka and Wang Yuan, and were used as teleprompters for Zhang Xuhao.
The computer screen contained open PowerPoint, Word, and EceI documents, along with various prepared scripts and data, which the three individuals had prepared to cheat when answering questions.
"Brother Hao, didn't you say that the investors you met before only cared about order volume, gross profit, and how much money they could burn, and that they'd finish their questions in ten minutes and leave?" Wang Yuan asked nervously. "This Eric appointment took a whole hour—"
How many details should he ask?
"Sigh, I don't know either—" Zhang Xuhao licked his slightly dry lips, equally uncertain. "Let's just take it one step at a time. Anyway, you two keep a close eye on things. Whatever data or case I need, you two find it for me as quickly as possible!"
"Don't worry, Brother Hao, we'll be your eyes and hands, we promise we won't let you down!" Kang Jia clenched his fist, encouraging himself and everyone else.
"Brother Hao, Brother Jia, I—I'm still a little nervous, my palms are all sweaty." Wang Yuan took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly.
"Wang Yuan! Shut up!" Kang Jia glared at him, annoyed. "You shouldn't have said anything; now you're making me panic!"
"Check everything, are your phones on silent? There's one minute left." Zhang Xuhao tried to keep his voice steady. "Akang, go double-check that the dorm door is locked from the inside. Don't let anyone come in and disturb us."
"good!"
Ring ring ring—!
The sharp ringing of the telephone suddenly broke the almost stagnant atmosphere in the dormitory.
"Here it comes!"
Zhang Xuhao's heart skipped a beat, but his hand steadily pressed the answer button and opened the recording software at the same time.
[Eric]: "Hello Mr. Zhang! This is Eric from Arctic Capital. Hello to all team members. Thank you for taking this valuable time to call me."
[Zhang Xuhao]: "Hello Eric! I'm Zhang Xuhao. Co-founders Kang Jia and Wang Yuan are next to me." He tried to make his voice sound confident.
[Eric]: "Okay, let's get started. Today, I mainly want to step outside of BP and hear your firsthand stories about 'food delivery,' and also exchange some of our views on the campus market. I'll ask a few questions first, so please relax and feel free to add anything you think of."
[Eric]: "My first question is, what was your initial motivation for deciding on 'cooking delivery'? Besides order data, what was the most exciting or happiest moment for your team?"
This question clearly startled the three people who were on high alert.
Instead of cold, hard numbers or sharp questions about profitability, it asks about the "original intention of starting a business" and "moments of happiness".
A warm current mixed with surprise instantly dispelled the tension in Zhang Xuhao and the other two's hearts.
This opening is very pleasant.
[Zhang Xuhao]: "Actually, my initial thought was very simple. One night, I was playing cards in the dorm and got hungry. The cafeteria was closed, and the shops outside were far away—I thought, 'If only someone could run an errand for me.' Later, I found out that many classmates were just as lazy and hungry as me—"
Zhang Xuhao's voice gradually relaxed, carrying a smile of reminiscence.
[Eric]: "Great and very relatable! Starting with solving your own pain points often reveals the real needs. So, when you were delivering the goods yourself to the organization's members, what was the first non-technical bottleneck you encountered? How did you overcome it?"
[Kang Jia]: "I feel this issue very deeply! At the very beginning, the restaurant didn't trust us at all, thinking..."
Eric's questions gradually shifted from the origin story of his startup to operational details, the initial form of his business model, and the logic behind user growth.
[Eric]: "Your current order volume is around 500. What do you see as the next growth bottleneck—your future plans—?"
[Zhang Xuhao]: "Our online system—in marketing—is being replicated in other universities in Shanghai—"
"Rebranded as Ele.me"
When discussing specific methods for user growth and marketing, Zhang Xuhao cleverly incorporated the "hype-experience-fermentation" three-step strategy that Geng Zhi had previously shared, and added his own understanding and refinement.
Eric praised this argument repeatedly on the other end of the phone.
After discussing growth, Eric's tone became more challenging, pointing directly to the potential weaknesses of Ele.me's existing model and steering the discussion toward a more distant strategic future.
[Eric]: "You connect merchants and students, acting as a transaction platform. If competitors choose to build their own delivery teams to ensure a better experience in the future, how will you respond? How will you ensure that Ele.me's experience is better than its competitors?"
[Konka]: "From our current actual operations—"
Eric's questions are slowly guiding Zhang Xuhao and the other two to think about the ultimate form of products and the future trends of the industry as the market grows and giants enter the fray.
These questions are somewhat distant, or even beyond their capabilities, for those who are currently struggling to complete hundreds of orders a day.
However, these questions opened the door for them to think about higher-dimensional competitive landscapes, which was very enlightening.
[Eric]: "When the number of restaurants exceeds 10,000 in the future, how will the platform ensure food safety? How will it balance the interests of small street vendors, consumer health, and Ele.me's own platform?"
[Zhang Xuhao]: "This is what we believe—"
Eric: "Great! We at Arctic Capital have an investment principle called 'Tech for Good.' We don't just pursue financial returns; we value whether a technology or business model can create broad and positive social connections."
Eric: "We expect that Ele.me will connect not only students and food delivery services in the future—but also family-run businesses with stable orders—and delivery riders with flexible employment opportunities—this is the fundamental reason why we are excited about the Ele.me project."
After hearing Eric's exciting words, the dormitory fell into a brief silence.
Even though the three were still university students, they knew that the vision of "technology for good" was usually only spoken by entrepreneurs. Why was it being uttered by profit-driven capital today?
A warm current seemed to instantly flow through Zhang Xuhao, Kang Jia, and Wang Yuan; a sense of mission and a shock of being understood and recognized.
They had never experienced this feeling with any of the potential investors they had contacted before.
The school motto, "When drinking water, remember its source; love your country and honor your school," instantly came to mind.
[Zhang Xuhao]: "Eric, we completely agree with your point of view. Truly great technology companies must have good intentions at their core!"
Eric: "Thank you for your candor. It's more valuable than any perfect business plan. Your perception of pain points, your thinking on pathways, and your understanding of 'technology for good' are all very genuine and clear."
[Eric]: "If all goes well, Ele.me has the potential to be the first project invested in by Arctic Capital after its establishment. We are very sincere and hope to work with you to create a benchmark example."
Geng Zhi's design for this phone conversation was extremely well-paced in terms of questioning rhythm:
The story first evokes emotional resonance before delving into cold, hard operational data. It starts by discussing the present, then the future, and finally touches on social responsibility, directly striking a chord with the three idealistic college students.
Finally, he gave sincere praise to the "Ele.me" project.
The atmosphere has been built to its peak, and the emotional value has been maximized.
Zhang Xuhao and his two companions felt their blood rushing and their hearts racing; they seemed to see an incredibly bright and smooth road ahead.
[Zhang Xuhao]: "Thank you so much, Mr. Eric and Arctic Capital, for your recognition! I am truly grateful!"
Only then did Geng Zhi slowly begin today's main event: valuation negotiations.