The Yahoo chief was a good man, truly a good man. Not long after He Zhengcheng and Chao Yang proposed to visit Yahoo, he agreed.
He Zhengcheng met Meg Whitman on the morning of the second day and Yang Zhiyuan in the afternoon. With eBay's IPO imminent, there wasn't much time to waste. So, He Zhengcheng produced a first draft that evening, which Chao Yang revised at the hotel the next morning. He Zhengcheng's English was sufficient for daily communication, but it fell short when it came to written text. Otherwise, he could have made money by copying English songs and novels. A successful best-selling author in Europe and America is also a wealthy person.
"Hello, Ms. Whitman, your smile is as charming as Shirley Temple's!" He Zhengcheng complimented Meg Whitman upon meeting her. This was one of the media's appraisals of her when she became the chairman of HP ten years later. Of course, at that time, she was a success story. As for Whitman at this moment, she was successful, but moving from a manager of a private enterprise to a start-up internet company with an inflated valuation, it was hard to say it was a promotion.
"Hello, Christopher! You are equally young, handsome, and charming!" Whitman replied.
He Zhengcheng's English name was Christopher Hall. It's passable, isn't it?
eBay's founder was not present; only Meg Whitman was there.
"Although eBay's IPO has encountered some difficulties, I am very optimistic about the future of this company," He Zhengcheng said.
"Of course, eBay's future is limitless!" Whitman responded.
"I said eBay has the potential to become a great enterprise, but I don't believe this outcome is inevitable. Ms. Whitman, do you truly understand the internet and what it is?" He Zhengcheng asked.
"If I didn't understand it, I wouldn't be the CEO of eBay," Whitman replied.
"I don't mean anything else. How many people in Silicon Valley truly understand the internet right now? This is an emerging field, and the whole world is still exploring it. However, Silicon Valley has more capital and opportunities. You are at the forefront of the world, not because you understand the industry, but because you are in America, in Silicon Valley, and thus have the opportunity to join this industry and participate in the development of the internet," He Zhengcheng explained.
"You are right, this is my opportunity!" Whitman acknowledged.
"So, in this process, no one can guarantee they won't make mistakes; making mistakes is almost certain. Wouldn't it be a good thing to understand the internet, e-commerce, and the impact of eBay on consumers worldwide from various perspectives and cultural backgrounds globally?" He Zhengcheng asked.
"What you said makes a lot of sense, but we already have a complete board of directors and management structure, so there is no need for changes at the moment," Whitman replied.
"If I only had that much value, you certainly wouldn't need me to join eBay's board of directors," He Zhengcheng stated.
"Then what other help can you offer us?" Whitman inquired.
"This afternoon, I'm going to visit Yahoo. A good personal relationship with the Yahoo chief, Yang Zhiyuan, is not very useful.
eBay's biggest business right now is auctions, but the auction model has its limits, and for consumers, it's a time-consuming, labor-intensive, and troublesome process. Perhaps because the internet is just starting, people don't care. But the internet is developing as fast as PC prices are dropping. When the world is full of ordinary internet users, how will we meet their needs?
Ms. Whitman, have you considered transforming eBay into a trading platform? If Amazon's direction is an online Walmart, then eBay's direction should be an online marketplace, one that is global and operates 24 hours a day.
Isn't a director who shares this understanding and is willing to support your development in this direction exactly what you need?" He Zhengcheng asked.
"How are you so sure this is my idea?" Whitman questioned.
"To be honest, I have no idea what your current thoughts are, but I know you have rich customer service experience and are an excellent manager. You know what is beneficial for the company. As long as it benefits eBay's development, I can accept the company's current state of not being profitable for a long time," He Zhengcheng explained.
"Why? Aren't profitable companies better?" Whitman asked.
"But it's a fact that internet companies are difficult to make profitable in the short term. internet companies are very different from traditional companies of the past. Every internet company in Silicon Valley is inherently an international company. Given this, if a traditional company needs three years to become profitable, an internet company might need 5 to 6 years. If it's for better development, what does it matter if it takes 10 years?" He Zhengcheng argued.
"Your perspective is unique. I don't know if it's right, but I like it very much," Whitman said.
"It is an objective law that young people are the first to understand the internet and know what it is. I'm not saying that experienced managers like Ms. Whitman are incapable; quite the opposite. Management skills and experience are precisely what young people lack; these all take time to learn, and they may not even excel at them. However, Ms. Whitman needs to understand the thinking and ideas of young people more," He Zhengcheng explained.
"Of course, I am very willing to listen to the ideas of young people," Whitman replied.
"But young people also need time to learn. Besides entrepreneurs, how else would valuable ideas reach you?" He Zhengcheng asked.
"So eBay needs someone like you?" Whitman inquired.
"Firstly, I can resolve the difficulties eBay faces in its issuance, at least allowing you to raise more capital. Secondly, I can help eBay expand into the Asia-Pacific market. Our Shanhai Capital's focus is on Asia-Pacific, and we maintain good cooperative relationships with top tycoons in the Hong Kong region. For example, world-class tycoons like Li Ban Cheng are our investors. We are major shareholders in Lenovo, the largest technology company in Daxia Country, and we have many collaborations and investments in Daxia Country. If eBay wants to become a global e-commerce company, we would be a good complement.
Finally, there's the individual capability of our team. We are a group of young entrepreneurs, free from the stubbornness of older financial professionals. We prioritize the long-term interests of an enterprise and don't overly pursue short-term gains.
Ms. Whitman should know how much long-term oriented capital can help a company's development," He Zhengcheng concluded.
"The key question is, even if I agree, can you acquire enough eBay shares?" Whitman asked.
"We don't have a lot of capital that can be moved to Silicon Valley at the moment. How many shares would be appropriate to purchase?" He Zhengcheng inquired.
"At least 5%, so we have sufficient justification," Whitman stated.
"To be honest, our team internally isn't very optimistic about the eBay project. 5% would be difficult for me unless I can ensure a seat on the board of directors. Only then would I have the confidence to persuade the team," He Zhengcheng admitted.
"You can try to persuade Pierre Omidyar!" Whitman suggested.
"Okay!" He Zhengcheng said firmly.