Chapter 1188 Witnessing History

The winter of 2004 came early, and it was about to enter December. Outside the window was a thin layer of mist, lingering in the air without dissipating. There was no wind, and it just slowly drifted there.

On the streets, not a trace of green could be seen. People hurried along the roads with anxious expressions.

Zhao Fusheng sat in the car, opened his eyes, glanced at the scene outside the window, and smiled. "Tell me, will you be selected for the Economic Figure of the Month?"

Zheng Yao, sitting beside Zhao Fusheng, shot him a glare. "I've been selected for the Annual Economic Rising Star Award. Could you please take this seriously, boss?"

Hearing Zheng Yao's words, Zhao Fusheng blinked and decisively chose to back down.

Their destination today was the 2004 Annual Economic Figure Selection hosted by CCTV. To put it bluntly, this was an event initiated by CCTV, where participants had to pay sponsorship fees, and various experts would reap some benefits.

In short, events like this happen all over the world every day, and in recent years, they've also been popping up domestically. Everyone seems to enjoy making themselves more famous.

Zhao Fusheng didn't mind this approach, as it could enhance the company's visibility, but he himself certainly wouldn't attend such events.

The reason was simple: he didn't like it.

But this year, Zhao Fusheng definitely had to participate in this event.

Not because Zheng Yao was selected as the Annual Economic Rising Star, but because he planned to meet two Boss Mas.

That's right, Ma Xiaoyun and Ma Huateng.

These two big shots—one was already Zhao Fusheng's partner, and the other was about to become his partner. In his view, meeting now was the most opportune moment.

Of course, Zhao Fusheng wouldn't let anyone know about this little scheme.

For many people, this was the best of times and the worst of times. China's economy was taking off, and countless people, driven by dreams and hopes for the future, struggled desperately, hoping to strike it rich.

Some succeeded, some failed, and some vanished without a trace before they could even leave a mark.

Do you think being good-looking will make boys like you?

Do you think having money will make girls flock to you?

Do you think being a top student will easily land you a good job?

Heh, let me tell you—that's all true!

People today probably can't imagine what the future will be like.

But Zhao Fusheng thought it was normal, because in this world, the strong always devour the weak, and only the fittest survive.

All warmth and beauty must be built on absolute strength; otherwise, anything beautiful can be crushed at any time.

"By the way, are you really not going to attend the reception after the awards ceremony?" Zheng Yao asked Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng gave a noncommittal smile. "Let's see."

He didn't really care, after all, such receptions were essentially opportunities for the organizers to let participants network. Zheng Yao could handle that; whether he attended or not wasn't that important. Everyone knew that although Zhao Fusheng was the chairman of Future Group, he was always lazy, and the person who actually stepped up to solve problems was Zheng Yao, the president and CEO.

Zhao Fusheng had no objection to this; it was precisely the atmosphere he had cultivated all along.

Of course, this didn't mean Zhao Fusheng had lost control of the company. Not only was he the major shareholder, but the entire company structure was such that no one except Zhao Fusheng could control it.

After all, even Zheng Yao couldn't fully manage all the complex subsidiaries spanning various industries under Future Group.

The car slowly stopped in the parking lot. Zhao Fusheng and Zheng Yao got out and, guided by the staff, entered the auditorium.

Zhao Fusheng didn't follow Zheng Yao to the front row; instead, he found a seat in the back. He wasn't the type to seek the spotlight, and sitting here to watch the scene was just fine.

Soon, the awards ceremony officially began.

Zhao Fusheng sat below the stage, watching the big shots go up one by one to receive their awards, and he suddenly felt as if he were witnessing history.

"Next, we are presenting the Top Ten Economic Figures of 2004..." As the host's voice rang out, Zhao Fusheng was not surprised to hear Jack Ma's name.

Jack Ma had been very successful this year, whether it was the financing at the beginning of the year or the speed of the company's development; his winning this award was well-deserved. And Zhao Fusheng was even more looking forward to whether their cooperation would proceed.

At that moment, another big shot surnamed Ma seemed somewhat disappointed.

"What, you're optimistic about him?"

Just then, a person suddenly appeared beside Zhao Fusheng.

Turning his head to look, Zhao Fusheng was startled: "Why are you here?"

Appearing there was none other than Han Bin, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Come on, Aipu is one of the top mobile phone manufacturers in the country now. Is it strange that I'm here?" Han Bin rolled his eyes at Zhao Fusheng.

After not seeing him for a while, the guy was still as fat as ever. It seemed he had never considered losing weight.

"Are you very optimistic about Tencent Technology?" Han Bin didn't let Zhao Fusheng off and continued to press.

Today, Tencent Technology was far from its future glory; Pony Ma was still a young man, having just been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in May this year. So, as Zhao Fusheng knew, Ma Huateng had received the "Annual Economic Rising Star Award."

At that moment, the host was inviting Ma Huateng to the stage.

"I'm not optimistic about Tencent Technology; I'm optimistic about instant messaging software." Zhao Fusheng's gaze swept across the stage, then glanced at Zhang Ruimin, the boss of Brother Refrigerator, who had just presented the award to Jack Ma. He knew that a famous internet meme from later years was about to unfold before his eyes.

Sure enough, before Han Bin could speak, the host on stage had already begun introducing the main products of Tencent Technology.

At that time, QQ already had 350 million registered users, with the user age group mainly concentrated among teenagers, and 90% of users were under 30. The host conducted an on-site poll and found that most entrepreneurs had never used QQ. So the host invited Ma Huateng to pitch QQ to Zhang Ruimin and persuade him to use it.

"No way, this can happen?" Han Bin looked astonished, clearly not expecting such a move.

Zhao Fusheng smiled slightly: "Just watch; it's actually quite interesting."

After all, anyone sitting here today would leave a mark in the history of domestic economic development in the future. Being able to see such a scene was well worth the price of admission.

Ma Huateng did not decline either. He stood there generously and began recommending his product to Zhang Ruimin.

He stated that QQ was an instant messaging product, and instant messaging was a very convenient form of communication and connection for people in the internet environment. People could use the communication tool QQ for private communication between friends, or use it at work for internal communication among colleagues.

In fact, Ma Huateng was introducing the core of QQ's product. In Zhao Fusheng's view, the subsequent widespread application of QQ proved that it not only facilitated communication between family and friends but was also a godsend for internal communication and file transfer among colleagues at work.

But unfortunately, Ma Huateng's introduction did not impress Zhang Ruimin.

Zhang Ruimin took the microphone and said that although Ma Huateng's idea was good, his product still couldn't move him.

"What he said makes some sense. After all, the internet is a virtual industry; such products are still not reassuring." Han Bin whispered in Zhao Fusheng's ear.

Zhao Fusheng shrugged noncommittally.

The answers to some questions can only be verified by time. Today, no one knows what the future holds; everyone can only judge with their own固有的 thinking.

This, in fact, is precisely the charm of the future.

Zhao Fusheng was also very eager for the professional future. Whether as a participant or a witness, his feelings were the same.

Of course, besides himself, probably no one could share this feeling and joy now.

Come to think of it, it's quite interesting.