Rebirth at the Start: This Fate is Too Explosive!

Chapter 69: Acquiring a 30% Stake in ByteDance for 20 Billion Yuan

He leaned slightly forward, exuding an air of commanding authority.

"Red Bean Capital led this round of investment, raising 20 billion RMB."

"20 billion?!"

A collective gasp filled the conference room. This number far exceeded expectations; it was like a godsend!

The great surprise was followed by a deeper sense of vigilance.

There's no such thing as a free lunch; the more money you have, the greater the price the other party might demand.

Zhang Yiming steadied himself:

"Mr. Ye... with such high regard, may I ask what percentage of shareholding Red Bean Capital would prefer?"

Ye Fan clearly uttered a few words:

30%.

The meeting room fell into a deathly silence.

30%! This means that Red Bean Capital will become ByteDance's undisputed largest external shareholder, wielding extremely significant influence!

This far exceeded Zhang Yiming's team's expectations (their ideal was within 20%) and the price range offered by all previous investment institutions!

"Mr. Ye, this ratio..."

Zhang Yiming's CTO couldn't help but speak up, his tone filled with strong resistance.

This means that the founding team's equity will be significantly diluted, and their control will be severely challenged.

Ye Fan raised an eyebrow, a confident smile curving his lips as if he understood the future:

"Too high? Mr. Zhang, I understand the founding team's desire for control. But please consider, what does 20 billion RMB mean at this point in time?"

"It means you can completely outpace your competitors and invest overwhelming resources in product development, user acquisition, and ecosystem building! It means your short video project can be launched into the market without regard to cost, capturing all users' minds before your competitors can even react! It means you can build a super distribution empire encompassing text, short videos, live streaming, and even all future content formats! Hundreds of billions of dollars are just the beginning!"

His gaze was intense, as if piercing through time, and he continued:

"In the next three years, the content consumption model of mobile internet will undergo a revolutionary change. Text, images, short videos, live streaming... information flow will become the absolute mainstream for users to obtain content. Whoever controls the efficient distribution channels and content ecosystem controls the traffic entrance and the future! 20 billion yuan, in exchange for your two years of advance planning, you get a ticket to a trillion-dollar empire and 30% cornerstone equity. Mr. Zhang, do you think you lost out, or did I, Ye Fan, lose out?"

"And another very important point: unless it's something truly important, I won't interfere with your decisions!"

Ye Fan's words struck Zhang Yiming's heart like a heavy hammer.

The vision he painted was Zhang Yiming's wildest blueprint! 20 billion was enough to transform ByteDance from a fast horse into a soaring dragon in an instant!

The price is 30% equity…ouch! But if it brings overwhelming resources and a window of opportunity…and Red Bean Capital won't interfere too much…it's worth it!

The meeting room fell into a long silence and intense eye contact.

A protracted tug-of-war began.

The ByteDance team is striving for a lower percentage or a higher valuation. Ye Fan remains steadfast, refusing to budge an inch on his bottom line.

His absolute certainty about ByteDance's future value (derived from his reborn memories), his accurate prediction of the industry landscape, coupled with the absolute power of 20 billion in cash, created an unassailable and overwhelming advantage.

He accurately grasped the other party's bottom line, never yielding an inch, yet he demonstrated flexibility and sincerity on crucial non-equity terms.

At the opportune moment, Liu Ruyan handed over a well-prepared and extremely detailed draft of the investment intention letter. The terms were clear, and apart from the shareholding ratio, the other conditions (such as board seats and voting rights arrangements) were relatively moderate, fully taking into account the interests of the founding team.

"...based on both parties' shared recognition of ByteDance's future value and their strong desire for strategic collaboration..."

Zhang Yiming finally picked up the pen and signed his name on the revised formal investment agreement, his face showing relief, excitement, and a hint of resolute determination.

"Red Bean Capital will invest RMB 20 billion to acquire a 30% stake in ByteDance after this round of capital increase."

"It's a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Zhang!"

Ye Fan stood up and shook hands with Zhang Yiming again. This time, both of them felt the strength and weight transmitted from each other's palms.

"It's a pleasure working with you, Mr. Ye! ByteDance needs a partner like Red Bean Capital!"

Zhang Yiming said sincerely, his eyes filled with admiration and a hint of awe as he looked at Ye Fan.

This young man has a keen eye, amazing courage, and his ambitions are beyond imagination.

..........

That evening, at a private Fujian cuisine restaurant in Beijing.

The rich aroma of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall fills the air, and the steamed red crab with vermicelli is incredibly tempting...

Having shed the tension of negotiations, Zhang Yiming greeted everyone warmly in slightly halting but authentic Hokkien:

"Come, Mr. Ye, Mr. Liu, try this chicken soup with sea clams. It's incredibly sweet and soothing. Let's not talk about business today, just catch up on our hometown memories and relax!"

Ye Fan smiled and responded in Hokkien:

"Mr. Zhang, you're so kind. This dish reminds me of the flavors from the alleyways back in my hometown."

The two chatted about the scenery of Daqinshan Mountain and the sound of waves on Gulangyu Island, speaking in their native dialects, and the atmosphere became increasingly harmonious.

Liu Ruyan ate quietly to the side, occasionally joining in the conversation. Her speech and behavior were elegant and graceful.

After a few cups of mellow Tieguanyin tea, Zhang Yiming looked at Ye Fan's unusually young yet composed face and finally couldn't suppress the question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time:

"Mr. Ye, if I may be so bold, your vision and decisiveness are truly astounding. May I ask, are you a returnee from overseas? Or...?"

He speculated about Ye Fan's background: a Wall Street elite? Or the heir to some prominent family?

Ye Fan put down his teacup, his smile calm and open:

"No, neither. Mr. Zhang, to be honest," he paused, his clear gaze meeting Zhang Yiming's probing eyes, "I just took the college entrance exam this year."

"Pfft—cough cough cough!"

Zhang Yiming was sipping his tea when he heard this and choked, almost spitting out the tea.

He awkwardly covered his mouth, coughing until his face turned red, and his assistant quickly handed him a tissue. He stared at Ye Fan in disbelief, as if he had heard something out of a fantasy.

"The...college entrance exam?!"

Zhang Yiming's voice rose eight octaves, cracking sharply, completely losing its usual composure:

"You mean...it just ended? Just...just 20 days ago?!"

"right."

Ye Fan nodded.

The entire private room instantly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The ByteDance team, including the CTO who had been trying to remain calm, were all frozen in place, their mouths slightly agape and their eyes wide open, staring intently at Ye Fan.

The person they just signed a 20 billion yuan investment agreement with, and who gave up 30% of their equity, turned out to be a student who had just finished the college entrance examination.

This is even more bizarre than science fiction!

Looking at the petrified expressions of the elites opposite her, Liu Ruyan's red lips curved into a subtle and captivating smile.

Under the table, the tip of her high heel lightly brushed against Ye Fan's calf, her eyes swirling with pride, doting affection, and a hint of slyness that seemed to say, "See? I scared you to death."

Zhang Yiming managed to suppress his cough, his chest heaving violently. He wiped his mouth hard, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions: shock, absurdity, disbelief, which eventually transformed into an almost dizzying sense of admiration.

He took several deep breaths before finding his voice, which was filled with disbelief:

"Student Ye Fan... no, Mr. Ye..."

He was momentarily at a loss for words:

"I...I really don't know how to describe how I feel right now...This...this is just too...too shocking! It's simply...a miracle in business history!"