20demayo Chapter 137
Chapter 137
Chapter 137: “Come on, everyone…let’s raise a glass!”His words stunned all the relatives. A billionaire was Li Mo’s friend?
“I’ve heard of Mr. Ma! Didn’t he organize that West Zihu Sword Debate event? It caused quite a stir. And now he’s a billionaire? Xiao Mo, having a friend like that gives you serious status!”
His aunts and uncles were already preparing to brag about their nephew.
Their own sons…
Weren’t even in the same league.
Just then, a call came in. Li Mo glanced at the screen and answered.
Knowing Li Mo wasn’t ordinary, everyone fell silent.
They didn’t dare make a sound, afraid they’d interrupt something important.
“Hello?”
Mr. Ma’s voice came through quickly.
“Happy New Year, Mr. Mo! Haha, I have a lot to ask you. You’re my big boss now. Taobao’s facing some serious trouble…you have to guide me!”
At that moment, Mr. Ma was feeling uneasy in Hangzhou. He knew it wasn’t ideal to bother Li Mo during the New Year.
But ebaby had made a move against Taobao on New Year’s Day.
He was well aware that his own insight and ability couldn’t compare to Li Mo’s.
Now, he had no choice but to seek Li Mo’s advice.
At that moment, Mr. Ma harbored a mix of defiance and admiration toward Li Mo. Deep down, he believed he could carve out his own territory and build a vast internet empire. Yet he also deeply respected Li Mo’s capabilities.
Now that Taobao was facing serious challenges, Mr. Ma hesitated to make decisions alone, fearing missteps.
Li Mo held 80% of Taobao’s shares…he was undeniably the company’s largest shareholder. So it was only natural for Mr. Ma to seek his advice.
Listening to Mr. Ma’s voice on the phone, Guo Saile was completely speechless.
He used to tell his father that Mr. Ma appreciated him, but in truth, Mr. Ma had only complimented him once or twice. As a mid-level tech employee, Guo Saile wasn’t remotely on the same level as someone like Mr. Ma. They weren’t even in the same orbit.
But now… Mr. Ma was asking his cousin for guidance?
“Mr. Ma, you’re being modest. Surely you can handle Taobao’s issues yourself. I have complete faith in you,” Li Mo replied.
He knew Mr. Ma was fully capable of resolving Taobao’s problems. What surprised him was that Mr. Ma had come to him for help.
“I know you trust me, Mr. Mo. But as the major shareholder of both Ali and Taobao, you have to contribute. Without your input, the company could take many wrong turns.”
Li Mo sighed. Mr. Ma really did treat him like a strategic oracle.
The relatives around him picked up on the implications in Mr. Ma’s words.
Li Mo was a major shareholder in Ali?
A net worth of one hundred million suddenly seemed far too conservative. If Li Mo held shares in a company like Ali…and not just any shares, but major ones…his assets likely exceeded several billion.
“Alright, tell me what’s going on with Taobao.”
Mr. Ma quickly explained, “Mr. Mo, ebaby has issued a full blockade against Taobao.”
“They’re flush with cash and have pressured the three internet giants…Wangyi, Xinlang, and Souhu…to ban all Taobao ads.”
“So now, our promotional efforts are being blocked at every turn.”
“Any major portal or independent site with traffic is refusing to run our ads.”
“I’m really at a loss.”
Li Mo didn’t hesitate. “First, Taobao must stick to its free model.”
“Of course…”
In today’s internet landscape, everyone understood one thing: if a site wanted to grow, it had to be free. Just look at Jinshan…it was crushed by Zhou Hongwei’s 370. If not for Li Mo’s investment, Jinshan would’ve gone bankrupt.
Charging users was a death sentence…unless the service was irreplaceable.
“We’re committed to staying free. Honestly, I’m just worried ebaby might follow suit.”
Li Mo replied firmly, “ebaby won’t go free. Their paid model is their biggest revenue stream. No one would abandon that. So go ahead and stick to your strategy.”
“If they ever try to go free, it’ll already be too late.”
Mr. Ma was still anxious. Li Mo hadn’t yet offered a solution to the ad blockade.
“Then Mr. Mo, what do you think about promoting our ads on Penguin? It’s your platform, after all.”
“If we can do that, it’ll definitely work. Penguin controls half the internet’s traffic.”
“It’ll be just as effective…if not more…than the three major portals.”
Mr. Ma’s suggestion sent another shockwave through Li Mo’s relatives.
Penguin… belonged to Li Mo?
That was almost too unbelievable to process.
Everyone knew Penguin. Whether at work or school, parents and teachers used Penguin groups to communicate.
Penguin was a behemoth in the internet world…and it belonged to Li Mo?
“Advertising on Penguin won’t be very effective,” Li Mo replied.
“Most of Penguin’s users are elementary school kids.”
“But I’ll still help you promote. Your main focus should be on smaller websites.”
“ebaby may be powerful, but they can’t dominate everything.”
“The three giants may control half the internet’s portals, but the other half is still open. Advertising there won’t be any less effective.”
Instantly…
Mr. Ma perked up.
“Ah! I’m such a fool. Why didn’t I think of that? Mr. Mo is absolutely right.”
“Just half the internet.”
“Promoting across smaller sites, building up bit by bit…”
“We can still grow Taobao into something huge!”
“I’ll get to work now. Happy New Year, Mr. Mo!”
After wrapping up the call, Mr. Ma hung up in a hurry.
To him, the fate of the company was paramount.
Li Mo’s relatives were left speechless.
Guo Saile trembled slightly. “Cousin… you’re really that close with Mr. Ma? You’re actually our company’s major shareholder? But I heard that shareholder invested tens of billions!”
“And that person is you?”
Second Aunt couldn’t believe it. “Your cousin shops on Taobao all the time. She says it’s safe and reliable.”
“Who would’ve thought… Taobao is yours!”
“And Penguin too?”
Only now did everyone realize that Mengyang’s constant claims about Li Mo being a top-tier hacker weren’t just childish exaggerations.
His identity far surpassed that of any so-called hacker.
“Ever since Penguin came out, teachers have been using it to send group messages. I can’t believe our Xiao Mo created it! But wait…didn’t the internet say Penguin was run by that jerk Ma Tengyun?”
Li Mo chuckled. “Auntie, Ma Tengyun is my CEO. He’s Penguin’s top executive. That nickname… well, he’s the one who takes the heat.”
Su Qingyan nearly burst out laughing. She hadn’t expected that phrase to be so widespread.
At their school, “that jerk Ma Tengyun” was practically legendary.
Even when the dorm’s power went out, someone would curse his name.
“We really have a big shot in the family!”
“No doubt about it!”
Grandpa’s eyes welled up with tears.
“This is truly a moment of glory for our family.”
He wished Li Mo were his grandson…someone who carried the Shen surname. But clearly, their family hadn’t been blessed with that kind of luck.
Still, even as a maternal grandson, Li Mo had brought honor to the family.
Uncle sighed deeply. He had always considered his son his greatest pride.
But now, compared to Li Mo, his son didn’t even come close.
The gap was so vast, there was no point in comparing or feeling jealous.
“Come on, everyone…let’s raise a glass!”
The entire table was filled with joy. Li Mo’s relatives were already planning how they’d brag about their nephew to their friends once the banquet ended.