aircannonsinc Chapter 448 The First Cracks Appear
Chapter 448 The First Cracks Appear
The restaurant was located in an alley east of Lu Ran's residential area. It had a small storefront and the signboard was old and faded.
There are only seven or eight tables in the restaurant. The owner is a man in his fifties who cooks himself. He makes Shanghainese cuisine, which is on the sweeter side, but it is good because the ingredients are fresh and the cooking time is just right.
When Lu Ran arrived, Chen Mo was already sitting in a seat near the back.
A cup of tea sat before me, but the tea inside had gone cold; it looked like I'd been waiting for a while.
He saw Lu Ran push the door open and waved to him.
"This place you chose is really hard to find," Chen Mo complained. "I circled the alleyway twice before I spotted this shabby sign."
Lu Ran sat down opposite him, draping her coat over the back of the chair: "You usually go to fancy restaurants, of course you wouldn't find this kind of hole-in-the-wall."
Chen Mo smiled, didn't refute, picked up the menu, flipped through it, quickly ordered two dishes, and then pushed the menu to Lu Ran.
Lu Ran added two more dishes and a soup, then returned the menu to the owner.
The boss took the order, turned around and went into the kitchen, refilling their pot of hot tea before leaving.
Chen Mo took a sip of tea, put down the cup, and his expression was much more serious than when he was on the phone earlier.
"I've reviewed the proposal; it's well-written and the data is sufficient." He tapped his index finger lightly on the table twice. "I mentioned it at the internal meeting. The response wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly enthusiastic either—it was the kind of 'we can try it, but it's not a must' attitude."
Lu Ran picked up a peanut, popped it into his mouth, chewed it slowly, and swallowed it. "As expected. That's how big companies are with uncertainties—they don't oppose or support them, they wait for others to figure it out before they follow suit."
Chen Mo stared at him for two seconds: "You don't seem to be in a hurry."
"There's no use rushing it." Lu Ran picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Events aren't something that can be accomplished in a day or two. Just start running, and when the data comes out, they'll naturally follow."
Chen Mo nodded and remained silent for a moment. Then he put down his teacup, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice by half an octave: "President Lu, I asked you out today not just to discuss the competition. There's something else... I wanted to tell you beforehand."
Lu Ran put down his chopsticks and looked at Chen Mo's face.
Chen Mo's expression was one of rare hesitation, as if he was considering how to say it in a way that would neither hurt feelings nor fail to convey his meaning.
He spoke more slowly than usual: "After Sakura Games and EA left, Tencent's internal strategic direction has been adjusted. Previously, they thought the Chinese game market was a growth market; everyone just needed to work together to make the pie bigger, and who got a bigger slice and who got a smaller slice didn't matter much. Now… with the two foreign companies gone, the market landscape has changed. It's gone from growth to a fixed market; the pie is only so big. If you take a bigger slice, someone else takes a smaller slice."
He paused, then looked directly at Lu Ran: "This 'others' includes you as well."
Lu Ran did not respond immediately.
He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and his mind raced.
The reasoning Chen Mo gave was not complicated—in fact, it was too simple.
The market is only so big. The share vacated after Sakura Games and EA withdrew will naturally be divided among the remaining players.
Tutu Technology has taken a large share of this business recently. Although Tencent has not lost its core market in East China, its growth rate has indeed slowed down.
We used to be allies because we had a common external enemy to deal with.
Now that the enemy is gone, the priority of allies naturally needs to be lowered.
That's always been the way of the business world. There are no permanent allies, only permanent interests.
But despite the logic, hearing those words from Chen Mo still gave Lu Ran a strange feeling.
However, his expression remained unchanged. He put down his teacup and said calmly, "As expected."
Chen Mo's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, scrutinizing him as if to confirm whether he was truly unsurprised.
Lu Ran continued, "I would find it strange if Tencent didn't make this adjustment. You are the largest game company in China; you can't just stand by and watch a small, new company take away your market share."
Chen Mo nodded slowly: "Good that you know. However, we haven't reached the point of direct competition yet; the agreement is still in effect, and we won't break ties in the short term. But in the long run… Tencent will definitely develop its own products in the categories where you're doing well."
"Okay." Lu Ran replied with only one word.
Chen Mo glanced at him, hesitated, then finally picked up her teacup, took a sip, and shook her head: "President Lu, I'm increasingly unable to understand you. You're not in a hurry about things that shouldn't be urgent, and you're not in a hurry about things that aren't urgent either. It's as if you've planned everything in advance."
Lu Ran smiled and said, "I'm not that omniscient. I've just thought about these things before. As long as Sakura Games and EA stay, Tencent is our ally. If they leave, the alliance will naturally dissolve. This isn't some unexpected turn of events; it's an inevitable result of things developing to a certain stage. All I can do is prepare in advance so that I won't be caught off guard when the time comes."
Chen Mo fell silent after hearing this.
The kitchen was filled with the crisp sound of spatulas clattering and the sizzling of oil as the boss busily cooked the dishes.
Smoke drifted out from the doorway, carrying the aroma of soy sauce and the sweetness of caramel.
Chen Mo's teacup was empty, but he didn't refill it. He just sat there holding the empty cup.
After a long while, Chen Mo finally spoke.
The voice was lowered even more than before, so low that Lu Ran could only hear it by slightly tilting his ear.
"Mr. Lu, I'm telling you this not on behalf of Tencent, but as my own words." His thumb rubbed the rim of his glass. "It's my own opinion. I've been in this industry for over a decade, and I've always been in charge of Tencent's East China operations. But to be honest... in the past year, I feel like I'm increasingly becoming the head of a maintenance committee. Just trying to protect the existing territory and keep things from going wrong."
He paused, then looked up at Lu Ran: "And your stall is where the real work is done."
Lu Ran's heart skipped a beat.
He didn't respond immediately, waiting for Chen Mo to continue.
Chen Mo didn't say anything more, but simply put the empty glass back on the table and glanced at the dishes that had been served: "Let's eat first, the food's getting cold."
Lu Ran didn't press further. He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of braised pork, and chewed it: "Mmm, the meat here is really well-cooked, much better than what I make at home."
Chen Mo chuckled, picked up a piece, tasted it, and nodded.
The two ate in silence for a while.
After finishing most of the dishes on the table, Chen Mo put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and seemed to have finally made up his mind.
"Mr. Lu, I haven't figured out my next step yet." His voice wasn't loud, but every word was firm and serious. "But there's one thing I can tell you in advance—if one day I leave Tencent, I hope you can save me a place. I don't know much about the technical stuff, but I've had some experience in operations, channels, and resource integration for over ten years in East China."
Lu Ran put down her chopsticks and looked at Chen Mo intently.
Chen Mo's expression was very calm, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.
Lu Ran knew that this kind of person rarely said such things, but when they did, they meant it.
"Are you serious?"
Chen Mo met his gaze: "Seriously. I didn't say we absolutely had to go, but we need to figure out the path first."
This was a way of not making a definitive statement, leaving himself some room to maneuver. But at the same time, it also conveyed his stance to Lu Ran.
"You can come anytime." Lu Ran didn't hesitate. "I'll reserve a spot for you. We'll figure out what you'll do later—anyway, my business is getting bigger and bigger, and what I need is someone like you who can integrate all sorts of resources."
Chen Mo nodded and didn't continue the topic.
He picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup of tea, and took a sip. "You continue to push forward with the event. I'll still help out as much as I can. I won't turn my back on you just because of a strategic adjustment."
"Okay. I'm relieved to hear that."
Chen Mo smiled and shook his head: "Don't relax too soon. We still need to be cautious. I won't tell you everything I've seen inside Tencent; I've already told you what I can."
The two chatted for a while about their respective family matters.
Chen Mo mentioned that his son has recently become obsessed with "Minecraft" and spends all his time building houses at home.
He asked him how he did on his final exams, and the little brat replied, "What's more important than building a house than exams?"
Lu Ran chuckled: "Then your son can work for me in the future; I'm short of architects."
Chen Mo waved his hand: "Don't make empty promises to him, he's still young."
It was almost nine o'clock when we finished eating.
Lu Ran paid the bill, and the two walked out of the alley and said goodbye at the intersection.
Chen Mo said there was no need to see him off; the car was parked up ahead.
Lu Ran said okay, then drive slowly. Chen Mo waved his hand and turned to walk towards the parking lot.
Lu Ran stood at the entrance of the alley, watching his figure disappear into the end of the streetlights, and then turned and walked home.
The temperature in Shanghai on summer nights is much lower than during the day, and the wind blowing from the Huangpu River is cool.
Someone was walking their dog on the roadside. The dog darted ahead at high speed, and the owner was pulled along, running all the way.
A barbecue stall on the street corner was still open for business. Several young people sat around a plastic table with a few bottles of beer and a bunch of skewers on it. Laughter drifted over and then dispersed.
Lu Ran ignored all those voices, his mind preoccupied with Chen Mo's last words.
If Chen Mo really leaves Tencent, poaching him would indeed be an excellent addition.
The company has no shortage of products, technology, or creativity; what it lacks is someone who can handle resource integration and external relations at a higher level.
Zhou Mingzhe is excellent at internal management, but his personality is not well-suited for dealing with external affairs.
Chen Mo is different.
He had been a regional manager for over a decade, dealing with all sorts of people, and knew how to get things done without hurting feelings.
However, Lu Ran thought about it for a moment and decided there was no rush.
Chen Mo himself said he hadn't figured out the next step yet, so let him think about it first.
Trying to dig now might actually strain the relationship.
It's better to maintain the current cooperative relationship and let him figure it out slowly. He'll naturally come back to me when he's figured it out.
He walked to the entrance of the residential compound, took out his phone, and glanced at it. Shen Yuege had sent a message: "Finished eating? When are you coming back?"
He replied, "Just finished eating, I'm at the entrance of the residential area."
Shen Yuege replied instantly: "Okay."
Lu Ran put away his phone and quickened his pace toward home.
When I opened the door, the living room light was still on.
Shen Yuege leaned back on the sofa, holding a book in her hand. Her eyelids were already drooping with sleep, but she was still forcing herself to stay awake and wait for him.
Hearing the door open, she looked up, her voice sleepy: "You're back... There's soup in the pot, help yourself."
"good."
Lu Ran changed her shoes, went to the kitchen, ladled out some soup, and drank a bowl.
The chicken soup was light and not greasy, and the temperature was just right.
He sat down next to Shen Yuege with his bowl in his hand, leaned back on the sofa, and felt all the tension in his body suddenly relax.
The streetlights outside shone through the gaps in the curtains, casting a dim, yellowish light on the ceiling.
Shen Yuege was so sleepy that the book in her hand was tilted to one side, and her breathing became even and long.
Lu Ran gently took the book from her hand and placed it on the coffee table. Then, he carefully moved her head, which was resting on his shoulder, to a cushion. He got up, went to the bedroom, and got a thin blanket to cover her. He then turned off the living room light and tiptoed upstairs.
Halfway down the stairs, he glanced back at the figure curled up on the sofa, and a slight smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.
For the sake of this family, we still need to work hard.
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