Eleven o’clock at night.
Inside TAXX, the lights flickered, and the smell of alcohol filled the air, reaching the peak of the nightlife atmosphere.
However, Gu Bai and a few others weren’t in the mood to blend in and instead sat together to chat.
Zhao Weiwei’s actions lived up to his indulgent nature, his hands wandering over the body of a girl named Xia Xiaoping, making her moan continuously.
After seemingly having enough, he picked up a glass already filled with liquor and casually said to Li Zhun, "Old Li, it’s been almost a year since your dad gave you that startup fund, right? Still haven’t figured out what to do?"
Li Zhun showed a bit of helplessness on his face.
"There are plenty of profitable businesses out there, but I really haven’t decided yet."
"Come on, I think you’re just afraid of losing money. No need to hold back with us."
Li Zhun smiled but didn’t argue.
"It’s not really about fear of loss. The old man only gave me a few million in total. How much could I lose?
But this is the first time my family is supporting my entrepreneurial efforts. They might not expect me to make a lot, but at the very least, I need to get on the right track. Losing money is one thing, but if I really blow it, he might never trust me again, and I’ll have to go back to the company and work. Enjoying this kind of freedom would be difficult."
After hearing Li Zhun’s words, Zhao Weiwei didn’t say anything more.
This situation wasn’t unique to Li Zhun; it could be said that most of them in this small circle were in similar situations. If you think about it, Zhao Weiwei was the most unfortunate.
His family also gave him a lot of money to venture into entrepreneurship. For reasons unknown, he started the Xingnai Model Company, pouring in tens of millions over time without seeing any returns, and losing millions every year.
But that’s not the most important thing; the most important thing is that under such circumstances, he’s left with a reputation for not doing serious business.
Originally sitting beside Luo Yaqian and playing dice, Gu Bai stopped his actions upon hearing their conversation and asked Li Zhun, "Brother Zhun, do you have any plans for what area you want to develop in?"
Li Zhun looked at Gu Bai with confusion.
Today, Gu Bai truly stepped into a new level.
Reaching such a level, he started thinking about more things.
While he surpassed even the wealth of Li Zhun, his wealth was somewhat illusory and couldn’t withstand scrutiny.
With a small amount of money in hand, no one would notice him now. But when his system upgrades in the future and his cash flow grows, how would he explain these sources of funds?
The system is, after all, just an inanimate thing.
Perhaps the system could help him hide his sources of funds, but how would he explain it to those around him? Tell them it was provided by a foundation for free?
So a legitimate source of income was very important, not only to cover up his income sources but also to enhance his social status, achieving two goals with one move.
Gu Bai gently pushed away Luo Yaqian, who was leaning on him, and instead of answering Li Zhun’s curiosity, he asked without context, "What do you think makes money the fastest these days?"
Despite his confusion, Li Zhun honestly shared his opinion.
"It should be the internet."
Li Zhun’s father, Li Nanshan, was the president of Nanshan Real Estate in Shanghai. The real estate industry, after so many years of development, could certainly become a leading industry in the physical world, but even such a lucrative real estate market sometimes couldn’t compare to the profits of the internet industry.
Gu Bai nodded in agreement with Li Zhun.
He continued to ask, "Then Brother Zhun, how do you view the internet industry?"
Li Zhun’s confusion deepened. He sat directly next to Gu Bai, impatiently saying, "Alright, Old Gu, just say what you want to say, don’t leave us hanging."
Gu Bai gave a faint smile. As someone who had returned from four years into the future, he had some understanding of industries that would explode in popularity in the coming years.
"My point is, if you’re considering entrepreneurship, I have a suggestion: start with the internet. It’s typically low entry and small investment."
Li Zhun gave a helpless smile, "Sounds easy to say. While traditional businesses are tough now, internet businesses aren’t much better. The market is almost saturated, with e-commerce giants like Pinduoduo, Taobao, and Jingxi. Don’t even mention the countless small platforms. Competing in gaming or social networks with Tencent and NetEase is equally difficult.
As for shared services, it’s all just burning money to get financing and then cashing out. That doesn’t really work anymore either.
I’ve considered these options a long time ago, but after realizing the actual difficulties in implementation, I’ve just put them aside."
Gu Bai didn’t explain further but instead took out his phone and pointed to an app on it.
Are you suggesting I launch a short-video platform?"
Gu Bai shifted to a more comfortable sitting position and replied mysteriously, "Yes and no."
Li Zhun shook his head.
"I’ve thought about it, but with Kuaishou, Douyin, and Duanzi having already captured most users, Kuaishou’s valuation has surpassed ten billion USD. What can we, a small operation, use to compete with them?"
"So I said yes, and no." For more chapters visıt 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲·𝗻𝗲𝘁
"Don’t be coy, just say it directly."
Gu Bai smiled and decided to stop hiding his thoughts.
"Actually, when it comes to doing business, each of you is better than me, Brother Zhun. But precisely because you set your sights too high and have a grand vision, you tend to overlook a lot."
"Business, after all, boils down to two words: making money."
"Whether making big money or small money, as long as you’re making money, the business is considered a success."
"What I mean is, since we’ve already missed the chance to stand on equal footing with those three companies in competing for users, why not change our mindset and think about how to maximize profits under the current conditions."
Li Zhun listened to Gu Bai’s words, which made sense, and signaled him to continue.
"Although Douyin and Kuaishou are highly valued now, neither company has figured out its own profit direction. They merely place some ads on their platforms, which doesn’t match their high valuations in terms of profitability.
However, there’s no denying they have a huge user base. Simply put, they have an enormous traffic flow.
In the future, the profit direction of these two companies will only revolve around ’traffic,’ and can only be around those two words."
Gu Bai completely overlooked one of the three short video giants, Duanzi. If nothing unexpected happens, this app will be permanently banned next April for its misguided direction and vulgarity.
After a slight pause, Gu Bai continued, "So, Brother Zhun, how do you think these two companies get their traffic?"
"Because of those video creators?"
"Exactly, those video creators attract fans using the platform, gaining exposure for themselves, while the platform absorbs these people as its traffic."
Li Zhun seemed to understand Gu Bai’s meaning a bit.
"You mean to start with these video creators?"
"In the past, when mentioning fans, most people immediately thought of celebrities. Now? When mentioning fans, what else comes to mind?"
Luo Yaqian, who was listening with keen interest, couldn’t help but interject, "Online celebrities?"
Gu Bai turned back and gently touched her delicate face.
"That’s right, online celebrities."
Luo Yaqian’s face turned a little red as she gently rubbed against the back of Gu Bai’s hand.
"How do online celebrities make money? Celebrities can still take on ad endorsements or commercial performances, while online celebrities can probably only earn tips from livestreams."
Gu Bai wasn’t surprised by Li Zhun’s thoughts. In 2017, the term "fan economy" hadn’t really taken off yet. After next year, when Douyin goes viral and the era of national online celebrities breaks out, there will be a true interpretation of what it means to have traffic as king.
The income of those top online celebrities might not even be lower than that of big stars.
"Brother Zhun, have you heard of the term traffic monetization? Once you have a large group of fans, you can generate income using your massive fan base. You must know PAPA Sauce on Weibo, right? Her company’s valuation was already 120 million in 2015, and last year’s signing fee for her variety show debut was 20 million. Do you still think online celebrities can’t make money now?
Society has changed. I can’t see too far ahead, but I dare to predict that in the coming years, online celebrities will not only make money but also make a lot of money!"
As a reborn person, Gu Bai is a complete insider. He knows clearly that the first battle of fan economy traffic monetization will be this November.
By this year’s Double 11, online celebrities will start livestreaming to promote products, marking the beginning of the true fan economy being known to the public.
Li Zhun’s family is in the physical industry, so he is more familiar with and inclined towards physical sectors. This was the first time he’d heard of these things, and it immediately piqued his interest.
Seeing his expression, Gu Bai knew Li Zhun was somewhat tempted, so he continued, "Brother Zhun, if you have thoughts about this, we can give it a try."
"Are you planning to start a business too? Aren’t you still in school?"
"Does studying affect making money?"
"Then tell me in detail."
Gu Bai gave Luo Yaqian a look, signaling her to fill up his glass.
Luo Yaqian quickly poured the wine and handed it to Gu Bai.
Moistening his throat, Gu Bai continued, "Actually, according to my plan, I want to bring Brother Zhao in as well."
Zhao Weiwei, who had been quietly listening on the side, was surprised at hearing his name and quickly asked, "Me?"
"I’ll be straightforward. If you still treat your model company as just a pastime, Brother Zhao, then forget I mentioned it. But if you want to expand it and genuinely make money, perhaps you should listen to my opinion."
Hearing this, Zhao Weiwei’s gaze flickered.
Whether he made money or not was irrelevant to him; he was more eager to shake off the label of being ’unprofessional.’