Reinventing the Millennium

An ordinary ball game, an ordinary kiss cam shot.

That night the Rockets lost to the Knicks again, and both Fang Zhuo and Yu Hong felt a little regretful.

Compared with Fang Zhuo's purpose of building a public image through the team, Yu Hong's love for basketball is more pure. When she is in New York, she will go to watch Yao play live, and occasionally she will go to New Jersey, which is very close. Nets.

Because the Rockets had to rush back to Houston overnight to prepare for the next game, Fang Zhuo and Yao Ming did not have a supper date tonight. They planned to wait for the team to officially change the owner before making a dinner date.

It was still Yu Hong who drove Fang Zhuo back to the hotel, but the atmosphere between the two was quite strange.

This was not the first time that President Fang and Director Yu were alone. If they were in the car as usual, they would have been chatting with interest about the company's development, market competition, or commenting on the football game they were watching together.

But today...

One of them concentrated on driving, while the other turned to look at the night view of New York. The whole journey was relatively silent.

"I'm back, see you tomorrow."

Yu Hong didn't get out of the car after arriving at the hotel. She yawned and didn't look at Fang Zhuo, who was in the passenger seat.

Instead, Fang Zhuo stared at Director Yu's appearance and laughed: "See you tomorrow. Stringer and I have made an appointment for afternoon tea. He is British and will pick me up at two o'clock."

Yu Hong muttered: "You really think of me as your driver."

Fang Zhuo got out of the car and stood at the door of the hotel watching the car drive away.

Yu Hong sat in the driver's seat, stepped on the accelerator slowly, and looked at her boss behind the car through the rearview mirror.

Although she couldn't see his expression, she vaguely felt that he was smiling.

Director Yu curled his lips and returned home quickly.

The two of them are very familiar. They have worked side by side for several years. They listened to each other's speeches in the conference room, communicated about the company's plans in private, discussed the development of the market on the phone, and studied the progress of the business on the Internet.

When Guahao.com completed its third round of financing, Yu Hong cashed in her shares, and then she changed hands and invested in the newly established Yike without hesitation.

She didn't think there was anything wrong, she didn't think there should be any more calculations, she just trusted Fang Zhuo naturally.

This kind of naturalness was also Fang Zhuo's attitude many times. He naturally transferred young Director Yu from the domestic market she had pioneered to the American market, and he didn't think she would complain.

Too familiar, the two of them are too familiar.

But sometimes it's strange. If the familiarity between the two is like a quiet lake, a small thing is like throwing a pebble into the lake. There won't be any big waves, but there will always be endless small ripples. Ripple.

Fang Zhuo was thinking about it in his room at night while reading Sony information on his computer, and finally came to the conclusion that he didn't know what the problem was.

too busy.

Starting a business is something no one can do. Two years ago, it would have been impossible for me to go to the hospital while thinking about falling in love, looking at venture capital every day, and closing my eyes to the company.

In the past two years, a big stall has been opened up in and out of the company, with predators coming and going, talking and laughing about leaders, and not paying attention to solving personal problems.

If you want to say that Zhang Chaoyang has more fun in life after starting a company, he has to rely on the entertainment industry.

But...how did that guy get depressed later?

Fang Zhuo's mind jumped and he thought about the heads of domestic portal websites. He also thought about the development situation of Yike and Sina.

After thinking about it, he called Wang Yan, president of Sina, to inquire about the company's progress in introducing games.

At present, both Sohu and NetEase have obtained very good income from games, and Shanda is also very dazzling in this aspect. Only Sina has not made any achievements in the field of games. It took the initiative to take the initiative in the online value-added market a while ago, but faced the cold shoulder of the secondary market.

Although Sina internally knew that the company was considering introducing games from abroad, even CEO Wang Yan did not know whether this bet was right or not.

Fang Zhuo and Wang Yan chatted for a long time, ranging from games to blogs, and finally back to Sina's most outstanding portal content.

After such a night, my brain nerves are still excited before going to bed.

One moment in the dream, it was about the cooperation between Sony Music and Bertelsmann. Another moment, it was about the approval of the ice core purchase. The next moment, it was me passing the ball to Yao Ming to win the cup. Finally, I vaguely saw Xiao Yu discovering the big screen picture. A slightly panicked look.

The next day, it was lightly raining in New York, which was a perfect weather for having afternoon tea.

In the morning, Fang Zhuo had phone calls with league president Stern, Rockets owner Alexander, and league board of governors representative Lewis, and confirmed that he would fly to Houston to formally sign the document and contract to acquire the team in two days.

In other words, on April 13, the Rockets will change ownership and have an Eastern boss who knows football very well.

When he met Director Xiao Yu who came to pick him up in the afternoon, Fang Zhuo happily shared the news.

"Congratulations, congratulations, soon I will see our foresighted Mr. Fang kissing the donkey's butt. I will keep this scene as a photo display and put it on my office desk." Yu Hong teased said.

"If you want to show my photo, I can give you a more elegant one. Turn right, go straight at the second traffic light." Fang Zhuo commanded while smiling.

"Who cares about your photos? I just want to know how Mr. Xiong and Mr. Ni will react when they see the image of the big boss on the news." Yu Hong chatted from an angle that Fang Zhuo had not considered.

Fang Zhuozhen thought seriously for two seconds and replied: "Either I feel that the media is writing nonsense, or I feel that I am rich and play more frivolously, it doesn't matter. When the person from PH Company made such a proposal, I don’t think it’s reliable either.”

"What now?" Yu Hong paid attention to the traffic lights.

"Now I feel that ph company created me based on the image of a western cowboy. That kind of enthusiasm and recklessness can be regarded as a template. It is mainly the rendering of the media." Fang Zhuo pointed in another direction and said very Stop the car quickly.

Yu Hong watched the boss get out of the car in confusion, and after waiting for a while, she saw him sitting up again carrying two delicate paper boxes.

"What's this?"

"We all know the British habit of drinking afternoon tea with cookies and cakes. Of course we have to prepare homemade snacks." Fang Zhuo said with a smile, "This is what you should think of as a friend."

Yu Hong shook her head and said after a moment: "Even as a friend, your dignified CEO is a little better at his craftsmanship."

Fang Zhuo smiled and said nothing.

The two took a short drive around New York City, and then arrived at the tea restaurant next to Sony Corporation at 3:30.

Stringer made an appointment for afternoon tea at a place he often goes to. According to what he said on the phone, it was an old shop opened from London.

"Hi, Stringer."

Fang Zhuo first greeted the head of Sony America and placed two cardboard boxes on the table.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Howard." Yu Hong also greeted him. Different from the boss and this familiar name, she gave him a more respectful title based on distance.

Stringer was waiting alone in the tea restaurant like an ordinary old man. When he saw the two young people, he did not act like the chairman of Sony America, but was very calm.

Fang Zhuo opened the two cartons and said with a smile: "These are cookies and cakes made by our Ms. Yu herself. This is the first time for me to try her desserts. It seems that you are more proud of Stringer."

Stringer laughed and thanked Yu Hong.

Yu Hong exchanged pleasantries, and while Stringer reached out to taste the biscuit, she glared at the boss.

She contributed a wave of fame for her ingenuity and did not try to gain a sense of presence. She just listened quietly to the chat between the two and considered the appropriate entry point.

This afternoon tea was arranged by Fang Zhuo over the phone, but he had also received a call from Stringer in Tokyo before. Hearing the other party mention the further cooperation between Sony Music and Yi Ke, the two parties seemed to have a bit of affection for each other.

Fang Zhuo did not speak in the direction of the foreign director, but was talking about the market situation of Yike this year.

In the field of MP3 music players, 90% of the U.S. market is divided between Apple and Yike. This 90% is divided into 40% and 60%, with Yike gaining more share by virtue of its price advantage.

Because Apple and Yike are both listed companies, they will disclose information regularly, so interested people can have a general understanding of the development of emerging markets.

This year, in the US market alone, MP3 sales have tripled from last year.

Although this is due to the low sales volume last year, we can still see quite strong growth.

At the same time, it also represents an increasing challenge to physical records. The development of the Internet is the main reason, and mp3 players assume some of the effects of tools.

Stringer's mood didn't change when he heard about the product market. When he heard the young president talking about the usage of Apple's iTunes software, he couldn't help but ask: "What about your company's iMusic?"

Fang Zhuo was a little surprised and said: "Of course there are more users than iTunes. After all, our software has provided the Microsoft Windows version earlier. In fact, if we were not concerned about copyright and we did not close the one-way burning function, the number of users would definitely be higher. very many."

He smiled and said: "This is the Internet age after all."

Stringer is sixty-two years old. Although this age is common among many business leaders, he also has similar problems, and his ability to accept and judge new things is delayed.

The so-called three laws of technology:

Any technology that existed when I was born was commonplace.

Any technology that was born between the ages of 15 and 35 was a revolutionary product that would change the world.

Any technology born after I am 35 years old violates the laws of nature and will be punished by God.

In many cases, the slowness of large companies is certainly related to the large number of departments and businesses, but it is also inseparable from the senior management's misjudgment of technological development.

The older you get, the more rare it is to keep up with the times.

Along with Fang Zhuo's in-depth chat, Stringer also semi-actively talked about the cooperation between Sony Music and Bertelsmann in response to the impact of the Internet.

The night before yesterday, Fang Zhuoyou and Yu Hong talked about the cause and effect. They wanted to talk in detail last night, but they couldn't do it because of an incident during a scene.

At this time, he heard Stringer's chatty content and gave Yu Hong a look.

Yu Hong knew the elegant meaning after hearing the song and said with a smile: "Mr. Howard, in the great era of Internet development, not only record companies like Sony Music need to consider how to deal with it, but also emerging companies like us at Yike must be prepared."

She said: "The Internet is developing too fast, and it will get faster and faster. Emerging technology companies are faced with the test of being left behind accidentally. This is a situation we all face together."

Stringer thought that this beautiful lady was just a vase brought today. Oh, it was undeniable that the cookies and cakes she made were really good.

Unexpectedly, Ms. Yu had another insight.

Stringer politely asked to hear what the lady had to say.

"Whether it's Mr. Fang, Apple or other companies, they have made a very recognized judgment recently." Yu Hong was not afraid of the eyes of the head of Sony America and said, "This coincidence may be a relatively correct decision." The answer is software and hardware integration.”

"Software is a tool, and hardware products are also tools. They should be treated as a complete product, so that consumers can be provided with the best experience."

"But in my opinion, specifically in our field, there can also be deep cooperation prospects in the content area of ​​applied tools."

When Stringer heard this, he understood the meaning: "Is Yi Ke interested in our cooperation with Bertelsmann?"

He looked at Yu Hong and then at Fang Zhuo.

Fang Zhuo said slowly: "Actually, what President Yu is talking about is the future development trend."

Yu Hong nodded: "Yes, the development of the Internet will inevitably require closer cooperation between companies. Apple made the judgment that it needs to cooperate with the Windows platform, and quickly won the cooperation of many record companies. They will definitely further consolidate this alliance. .”

"But actually, what I want to say is that this kind of cooperation is not simply attributed to the company's cash, copyright, shares, etc., but can also look at cooperation based on more cutting-edge development of the Internet."

"This is a deeper solution for the Internet age."

Stringer felt the energy of the two people in front of him, which is one of the reasons why he likes to communicate with young people.

Fang Zhuo took over the words: "Whether it is Yike's iMusic or Apple's iTunes, it does not mean that everything will be fine if we propose such a song-by-song paid download model. The development of the Internet and technology will continue to create better ones. Way."

He smiled and said: “For example, click-and-listen music services based on faster Internet speeds do not require tapes or purchasing downloads. It is more convenient and faster, and will also have an impact on physical records.”

Stringer frowned. Today's Internet, today's iTunes and iMusic have already launched great challenges.

If there were still doubts about the impact of the Internet on records at the beginning, in the past two years, I have become more and more grateful that Sony Music has made a good deal to tie up Yike.

This is the right choice to maximize the benefits of the Sony Group when it is unable to launch an mp3 player.

“Emerging industries always contain more opportunities.” Stringer sighed and said, “Fang, your description touched me. I think the music business can have greater cooperation, but Bertelsmann may not think so. "

Fang Zhuo said calmly: "Stringer, you may have misunderstood me. Yi Ke is not in a hurry to participate in the cooperation between Sony Music and Bertelsmann."

Stringer was surprised.

Fang Zhuo changed the topic: "But you can also participate. The development of the Internet is still at its beginning. Just like Sony Music chose to cooperate with Yike, it can still provide a delicious little cake."

Sony Music originally exchanged music and cash for Yike's shares. After listing, it was reduced and is now close to 9%.

This metaphorical cake is nothing more than a small shareholding.

Stringer thought silently.

"This can be used as the key for everyone to face the new era. Whether Bertelsmann agrees or not, Yike can sign a concerted action agreement with Sony Music. We are not interested in the operation of the record company at all." Fang Zhuo said with a smile, " It’s also one of the reasons why I became the director of Sony Music.”

Stringer heard what he mentioned on the phone.

However, in this case, Fang does not need to serve as an external director, but can also become an internal director.

Stringer asked directly: "Fang, next month's Sony Music shareholders meeting will discuss cooperation with Bertelsmann. We plan to replace two directors. Are you interested in becoming one of them?"

Fang Zhuo said clearly: "Foreign directors can do it, but internal directors don't care. My mission is to bring better music player products to consumers, not to get involved in areas that I am not familiar with. What's more, your record company has enough talents to decide strategies.”

Stringer nodded slightly, making a judgment in his mind.

He looked at the two young people in front of him. The president was confident and the director had charming eyebrows. He smiled and said, "Fang, you and this lady must be ready to come here today."

"No, no, no, we watched a football match last night and didn't communicate with each other the whole night." Fang Zhuo shrugged.

Stringer asked curiously: "Why?"

"She was angry that I didn't meet the camera's expectations during the kiss cam session, and thought it was rude." Fang Zhuo joked.

Stringer laughed loudly. Seeing the lady's unhappy expression, he couldn't help but said: "I'm afraid it's another kind of rudeness. Fang, Yu, are you interested in visiting Sony?"

Fang Zhuo said with a smile: "It's a great honor."

Yu Hong also replied politely: "I am very interested in visiting our most important partner."

The two of them sang in harmony, became obsessed with each other, had a clear understanding of each other, and completed a lobbying afternoon tea with the head of Sony America.