Chapter 773 – Investing in dreams
The next morning, Feng Yu went out for a jog and brought his dog out for a walk. He had met a few people, who might be his neighbors, in the neighborhood. But all of them stayed away from Feng Yu because Feng Yu was jogging with two bodyguards!
Everyone in the neighborhood knew that a tyc.o.o.n, who was also Microsoft’s shareholder and director, had moved in recently. Even if you are rich, you also do not need to bring 2 bodyguards with you when you go for a run. If you are so rich, you should just move into a villa with a large plot of land. Why did you move here?
All the neighbors felt this tyc.o.o.n was mysterious. Furthermore, he was a very young Asian. Little did Feng Yu know; he was already targeted by several young girls living in the neighborhood.
These girls do not want much from Feng Yu. All they wanted was to be closer to Feng Yu and made use of his status and connections to be famous. How can a rumored girlfriend of a Microsoft Director be not famous?
When those girls saw Feng Yu running with his dog, they felt this was an excellent opportunity to get to know him.
…….
After breakfast, Ralph arrived. He told the driver an address and asked the driver to drive them there.
After alighting from the vehicle, Feng Yu shook his head. This was the world’s number two tech company, Amazon? This place was too old and torn down.
Feng Yu was very curious. The company’s offices can be small. But what able their warehouse? Amazon was an online bookstore, and it should need a warehouse to house their books. Customers can get to choose a wide variety of books on their website, then Amazon should have a warehouse that can store a few million books. Where were their books?
Ralph could sense what Feng Yu was thinking and explained softly. “Boss, there is a warehouse over there. Amazon had rented those warehouses, and their books are all stored there. They will send out their books twice daily.”
“Ok. Let’s go in.”
The one walking in front was Feng Yu’s bodyguard, dressed in a black suit. All of Amazon’s staff were surprised to see these people entering their company. Who are these people? What are they here for?
“How can I help you?” The receptionist at the counter asked.
“Go and inform your boss Jeff that the person he is waiting for is here.”
Before the receptionist could call Jeff, Jeff walked out quickly from the office: “Are you, Mr. Feng?”
Feng Yu slowly extended his hand for a handshake when Jeff was nearer. “Hi, I am Feng.”
“Mr. Feng, please come in. Katie, prepare coffee.”
When Jeff saw Feng Yu, he was shocked. But luckily, he was a distance away from Feng Yu, and Feng Yu did not notice it.
There were rumors that Microsoft had a new young Chinese director. But no one really thought much about the talks. But when Jeff met Feng Yu, he realized that the rumors were true!
The East is a mysterious place. How can someone so young have so many a.s.sets?
“Mr. Feng, I heard from your a.s.sistant that you are interested in my company?” Jeff asked.
Feng Yu smiled at Jeff. “It’s not entirely true. I am not only interested in your company, but I am also interested in you too. How did you come up with this idea of selling books online?”
“I love reading. I realized no matter how many books a bookstore has, it is still limited. Also, those staff at the bookstore will not be able to help their customers find the books they want. I want to set up a website to let customers find the books they wanted fast, and offer them a wider variety of books compared to a brick and mortar bookstore.”
Ralph looked at Jeff in surprise. He then turned to look at Feng Yu. What Jeff said was precisely the same as what Feng Yu said yesterday.
“Good. Your thinking is right. Then based on your estimation, how long do you need before Amazon starts to profit, and how much are the profits?”
“5 years is required to build up our customer base and reputation. The profits will come in after 5 years, and it will not be lesser than 10 million USD annually!” Jeff replied confidently.
Ralph showed some displeasure on his face. 5 years before there are profits? 5 years is too long, and the profit is only 10 million USD per year? Even an old man is able to get such returns when he invests in low-risk investments. Boss will surely be disappointed.
“Jeff, have you considered that your management style is too conservative? 5 years before, there are profits, and you claim it will be 10 million USD. This 10 million USD should be the peak, right? What if there are no profits after 5 years, or the profits are only a few million?” Feng Yu asked.
Jeff was not afraid of being questioned. He was worried Feng Yu did not ask him any questions. The more Feng Yu asked the more interested he is.
“I am confident that we will see the profits after 5 years. I can’t guarantee the profits. But when our customers matured, we can start selling other book-related products like bookmarks, pens, notebooks, stationaries, etc.”
“That means your ultimate goal is to set up an online department store? Do you know how much you have to invest? Have you considered the risk involved?” Feng Yu crossed his legs. This was the strategy used by Amazon in his previous life.
“No. We will only be focusing on book-related products. Of course, once we have enough customers, we can venture into other products.” Jeff replied.
Feng Yu raised his brows. Jeff Bezos does not want to set up an online department store? That means he still has not thought of this yet. Those e-commerce sites in Feng Yu’s previous life also did not start out with setting up an online department store.
“How much is your company worth? How many shareholders are there? Is there a board of directors?” Feng Yu asked.
“This company is registered with capital of 30 million, and there are 16 shareholders. We do have a board of directors, and there are 7 directors on board. I am the Chairman of the board.”
Only 30 million USD? This was not a high investment. Feng Yu had made up his mind to invest in Amazon. He knows he will not make any losses from this investment.
“I am very interested in your company and wish to invest. But don’t be too excited. I am not an venture capitalist. I want shares with voting rights. You can call for a board meeting to discuss with the rest of the directors to see if they accept my investment.”
“Mr. Feng, can I ask how much you are going to invest?” Jeff asked.
“30 to 50 million USD is not a problem for me. I had said that I am interested in your company, but I am more interested in you. I am here to invest in your dreams!” Feng Yu start his recruitment script.
Jeff was moved by Feng Yu’s words. His tears almost roll down his cheeks. Those greedy investors should learn from Mr. Feng. Not everything is about profits!
“Mr. Feng, I will convince the board and will give you a favorable reply. 3 days! I will get back to you within 3 days!”