novelno Chapter 492 Nebula Video Goes Public
Chapter 492 Nebula Video Goes Public
On the afternoon of October 2, Fu Yibai had a one-hour conference call with Zhao Qi in his study.
When he came downstairs after the meeting, Yang Rong was pacing around the living room with Zhao Ning in her arms. The little one was perched on her shoulder, looking around with her round eyes.
"Are you going to Hong Kong tomorrow?" Yang Rong asked.
"Yes, Nebula Video is ringing the bell for number three, I have to go."
Fu Yibai walked to her side and reached out to touch Zhao Ning's little face.
The little girl glanced at him, then continued to stare intently at the oil painting on the wall.
"How many days will you be gone?"
"There will be a celebration banquet after the bell ringing, and I'll be back on the 4th."
Yang Rong nodded without saying anything more.
At 6 p.m., Zhang Xinyu returned from the company with a schedule for the listing ceremony of Nebula Video.
At 9:15 a.m. on October 3, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange held its gong-striking ceremony.
In addition to Fu Yibai and Li Mingde, the participants included Tencent's Ma and several co-investors.
After the gong-striking ceremony, there was a half-hour media interview session. In the afternoon, there was a closed-door exchange meeting at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and a celebration banquet was held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Central at 7 p.m.
Has Tencent confirmed it?
Fu Yibai flipped through the itinerary and asked a question.
"It's confirmed, Mr. Ma is coming in person."
Zhang Xinyu sat down on the sofa, took the water glass that Liu Yan handed her, and took a sip.
"He arrived in Hong Kong yesterday and is staying at the Shangri-La Hotel on Hong Kong Island."
At 6:00 a.m. on October 3, Fu Yibai and Zhang Xinyu boarded a flight to Hong Kong.
At 8:00 a.m., the plane landed at Hong Kong International Airport.
The electronic display screen in front of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange is already scrolling with the message "Warm congratulations to Nebula Video on its listing on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange".
The lobby was packed with people. Photographers carried their equipment through the crowd, while staff members wearing headsets maintained order.
When Fu Yibai entered the lobby, Li Mingde, who had arrived a few days earlier, was the first to greet him.
"Mr. Fu, you've arrived."
Why are I getting dark circles under my eyes?
Didn't sleep well last night?
Fu Yibai glanced at him.
I'm a little nervous.
Li Mingde gave an awkward laugh.
I only slept for three hours last night.
"normal."
Fu Yibai patted him on the shoulder.
Tencent's Ma walked over from the side.
"Mr. Fu, congratulations!"
"Mr. Ma, you're too kind. I still want to thank you for your support."
At 9:10, the gong-striking ceremony officially began.
On the gong-striking platform of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, there is a bronze gong with a diameter of nearly one meter, with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange logo engraved on the gong surface, and a gong mallet tied with red silk next to it.
The host introduced the development history of Nebula Video in Cantonese and Mandarin alternately.
Since its launch in 2005, in just six years, Nebula Video has grown from an unknown video website into the largest long-form video platform in China, with over 20 million paying users and a market value exceeding HK$20 billion.
"Next, let us invite Mr. Fu Yibai, founder of Nebula Video and chairman of Chenxi Group, Mr. Ma Huateng, chairman of the board of Tencent Group, and Mr. Li Mingde, CEO of Nebula Video, to jointly strike the gong for the listing."
Fu Yibai stood in front of the gong, with Li Mingde on his left and Ma Huateng on his right.
Three hands simultaneously grasped the gong mallet, and the moment the gong was struck, a deep and resonant sound echoed throughout the hall, while flashbulbs exploded into a white sea.
After the gong-striking ceremony, there was a media interview session.
The reporters' questions focused on Nebula Video's future strategic plans. Li Mingde was responsible for answering questions about the business aspects, while Fu Yibai was only asked two questions before stepping aside.
The closed-door meeting in the afternoon went very smoothly, and senior executives from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange highly praised Nebula Video's revenue model and user growth data.
At 6:30 p.m., when Fu Yibai came out of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the sunset over Victoria Harbour had already turned the seawater bronze.
7 p.m., banquet hall on the fourth floor of the Four Seasons Hotel Central.
The celebration banquet for Nebula Video's IPO was held here.
The banquet hall was decorated in a dark blue and silver color scheme, consistent with the color scheme of Nebula Video's logo.
The stage backdrop featured large gold lettering that read "Nebula Video Hong Kong Stock Exchange Main Board Listing Celebration," alongside real-time stock price figures.
Li Mingde stood at the entrance of the banquet hall to greet the guests, his smile much more natural than in the morning.
Fu Yibai and Ma Huateng sat down at the main table, surrounded by core executives of Nebula Video and several small investors. Several big names in the Hong Kong capital circle were also invited to attend.
"Mr. Ma, the next few years will see video platforms enter a period of intense competition where they burn through cash."
Fu Yibai picked up his wine glass.
Ma Huateng clinked glasses with him.
"What does Mr. Fu think?"
"Copyright acquisition, self-produced content, and user growth all require money."
But burning money isn't the goal. Whoever can convert that money into user engagement and content barriers will survive in the end.
"agree."
Ma Huateng took a sip of red wine.
"Tencent will continue to increase its investment, and the content budget for Nebula Video can double next year."
But this is contingent on the quality of the self-produced content being up to par.
"Li Mingde is already doing this."
The achievements of Nebula Video over the past two years are evident to all.
Fu Yibai glanced at Li Mingde sitting at the next table, who was having a lively conversation with an investor.
"He's a good CEO. President Fu's judgment in choosing people back then was indeed accurate." Ma Huateng put down his wine glass.
As the celebration banquet drew to a close, the stock price on the screen had already risen by 12% compared to the opening price.
It was 9:30 p.m. when Fu Yibai came out of the banquet hall.
Zhang Xinyu had already parked her car in front of the Four Seasons Hotel; it was a silver Mercedes-Benz van.
"Mr. Fu, the hotel room has been arranged. The flight back to Beijing is at 10 a.m. tomorrow."
Zhang Xinyu handed over a bottle of water.
"Um."
Fu Yibai took the water bottle, took a sip, leaned back in his seat, and closed his eyes.
The car drove out of the Four Seasons Hotel's underground parking lot and merged into the night view of Central.
Fu Yibai opened his eyes, looked at the dazzling city night view outside the window and remained silent for a few seconds. Then he picked up his phone, found a number, and dialed it.
The receiver emitted a waiting tone, and after three rings, the call was answered.
"Feed?"
Xue Kaiqi's voice came through the receiver.
"at home?"
"Hmm... I'm here."
Why did you suddenly decide to call me?
"I'm in Hong Kong today, I just finished an event."
Fu Yibai looked at the neon lights flashing past the window.
"Is it convenient for me to come see you now?"
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.
"That's convenient. I'll send you the address."
"it is good."
Less than half a minute after the call ended, a text message popped up.
The address is a high-end apartment building in the Mid-Levels, less than a 20-minute drive from Central.
Fu Yibai told the driver the address and leaned back in his seat, watching the city lights flow by outside the window.
Zhang Xinyu sat in the passenger seat, not asking any questions, but quietly flipping through the tablet in her hand.
The car came to a stop in front of an apartment building in the hillside.
"You guys go back to the hotel first, and come pick me up tomorrow morning."
Fu Yibai opened the car door.
"Okay, Mr. Fu."
Zhang Xinyu nodded, signaling the driver to start the car.
Fu Yibai walked into the lobby, and the elevator went all the way to the sixteenth floor. When the doors opened, the corridor was quiet.
Xue Kaiqi's door was ajar, and a sliver of warm light shone through the crack.
Fu Yibai pushed open the door.
She stood in the entryway, wearing a light gray cotton dress, her hair loose over her shoulders, her face bare.
"Congratulations, Nebula Video has gone public."
Xue Kaiqi took his coat and hung it on the hanger.
"They're quite well-informed."
"The financial news is on."
Xue Kaiqi turned and walked towards the living room.
"What would you like to drink?"
"Water will do."
Xue Kaiqi poured a glass of warm water from the kitchen and handed it to her.
Fu Yibai sat down on the sofa.
"How have you been lately?"
Fu Yibai took a sip of water.
"Recording songs, practicing dance, and occasionally appearing on variety shows."
Xue Kaiqi curled her legs up on the sofa.
"Variety shows in mainland China are very interesting."
Are you used to it?
"Still getting used to it."
Xue Kaiqi smiled slightly.
"Mandarin is more difficult than I imagined, so I found a teacher and have three lessons a week."
"Yes, if you want to develop your career in mainland China, you definitely need to practice your Mandarin."
You've considered this very carefully.
Fu Yibai put down his water glass and put his arm around her shoulder.
Xue Kaiqi leaned her head on his shoulder.
…………
The sky was beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn, and the sea breeze blew in through the half-open window, causing the gauze curtains to sway gently.
Xue Kaiqi curled up in Fu Yibai's arms, her cheek pressed against his chest, her breathing steady and long.
Fu Yibai leaned against the headboard, his hand gently stroking her smooth back.
He picked up his phone and glanced at the time.
6:15.
"What time is it?" Xue Kaiqi asked groggily.
"It's past six, still early. You can continue sleeping."
Xue Kaiqi hummed in agreement and snuggled even closer into his arms.
At exactly eight o'clock, the black Mercedes-Benz van pulled up in front of the apartment building.
When Fu Yibai came out of the lobby, Zhang Xinyu had already opened the back door of the car.
She glanced at Fu Yibai, and only after confirming that everything was normal did she sit back in the passenger seat.
The car drove out of the mountainous area and headed towards the airport.
Fu Yibai leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes to rest, and was already going over the itinerary for the next few days in his mind.
It was noon when they returned to Beijing. There weren't many people at the domestic arrivals gate of the Capital International Airport. Zhang Xinyu had arranged a car in advance to go directly back to the villa in the capital.
As soon as I opened the door, a rich aroma of chicken soup wafted out of the kitchen.
Li Hui, wearing an apron, was busy at the stove. When she saw Fu Yibai enter, she put down her soup spoon and turned around.
"You're back? Perfect timing, the soup will be ready soon."
"Mom, why are you here again?"
"What, you're not welcome?"
Li Hui glared at him.
"I'm here to see my grandchildren, what's it to you?"
Yang Rong and Liu Yan sat on the sofa in the living room.
Fu Zhaoning lay on Yang Rong's lap, her little hands clutching the hem of her clothes. Hearing the noise, she turned her head, glanced at Fu Yibai, and then buried her face back in Yang Rong's lap.
Liu Yan held Fu Jingchen, who was drinking milk, in her arms. The little guy was very quiet today, his big black eyes staring at Fu Yibai, his mouth full of milk bottle, his cheeks puffing out.
"Jingchen didn't cause any trouble today?"
"You were very well-behaved today."
Fu Yibai changed into slippers and walked over, sitting down between the two.
He took his daughter and held her in his arms. The little girl looked up at him and reached out to touch his nose.
"You can't touch Daddy's nose."
Fu Yibai held her little hand. The little girl was stunned for a moment, then grinned.