Chapter 239: Secrecy

Chapter 239: Chapter 239: Secrecy

Irene was amused by his words, secretly feeling lucky: the "kind older sister" persona she had deliberately created hadn’t gone to waste. It not only lowered Mark’s guard but also made him trust her this much.

She stopped smiling and said sincerely, "Mark, you’re being too polite. An idea is just an idea. Being able to ground it and turn it into a product depends entirely on the technical strength and execution of you and your team. Without your day and night programming, THEBOOK would still just be a piece of paper."

She placed the investment letter of intent on the table and continued, "Starting a business isn’t a one-person job. It requires a combined effort from multiple parties. I provide the funds and resources, you provide the technology and product, and let Chen Shiyu handle operations and promotion. So the shares can’t be divided like that. We must account for everyone’s contribution."

Mark frowned, still somewhat disagreeing: "But your contribution is clearly the greatest..."

"Let me finish." Irene interrupted him, proposing a plan clearly, "On my side, I’ll invest 5 million dollars in the first stage. If financing is needed later, I’ll have the priority to follow up. Hollywood celebrity resources, promotion channels, and so on—I’ll be responsible for coordinating all of those to ensure the platform can quickly build brand awareness. I’ll take a 51% stake, how about that?"

Just as Mark was about to speak, Irene continued, "Chen Shiyu was previously the editor-in-chief of The Bridge Journal. He understands communication and the mindset of young people. He’ll be fully responsible for the subsequent platform operations, promotion strategies, and celebrity cooperation. He’ll take a 6% stake, which he deserves."

"On your side, you’ll be responsible for all the coding, later maintenance, and version updates to ensure the product’s technical stability and functional iteration. This is the foundation of the platform. You and your technical team will take a 40% stake. Core technology is always the most valuable."

She paused, looked at Mark, and added, "The remaining 3%, I won’t allocate for now. I’ll leave it in your care. Once the platform develops later, you can use these shares to reward outstanding employees, especially core technical personnel. Only by retaining talent can the platform go further."

As soon as this plan was proposed, not only was Mark stunned, but even Chen Shiyu on the side was a bit surprised. Then he showed an understanding look. Irene had accounted for everyone’s contributions while also reserving room for incentives for the team, considering everything very thoroughly. To be able to think of such a perfect plan in such a short time, she truly was Irene Coppola.

And he had become a shareholder in a high-potential internet company without having done anything yet. He really hadn’t misjudged Irene. All the waiting was worth it.

Mark was silent for a few seconds, his eyes full of emotion: "Irene, you... you’re already taking too much care of me. A 40% stake is much more than I imagined."

"It’s what you deserve," Irene said with a smile. "Technology is your core competitiveness. Without you, there would be no THEBOOK. We are partners, not superiors and subordinates. Only when everyone feels it’s fair can we work together to get things done."

Chen Shiyu also spoke up at the right time: "Mark, President Irene’s plan is very reasonable. I’ll be responsible for operations and promotion, and I’ll fully cooperate with your technical iterations to build the platform’s influence. Each of us three will perform our duties with a consistent goal, so we can push THEBOOK out as quickly as possible."

Mark looked at the two people in front of him, a warm current flowing through his heart. He knew Irene could have used her advantage in funds and resources to seize more shares, but she didn’t. Instead, she considered him and his team at every turn. He took a deep breath and nodded heavily:

"Okay! I agree to this distribution plan! Irene, Mr. Chen, thank you for your trust. I will definitely go all out to make THEBOOK a success and live up to your expectations!"

Seeing this, Irene had a satisfied smile on her face and gently closed the letter of intent: "Then it’s settled. I’ll have someone send over the formal contract with the adjusted shares later. Right now, there are two major things to finalize immediately."

Mark and Chen Shiyu immediately stopped smiling and listened intently.

"First, the name THEBOOK is too simple. Users are coming to share real lives and faces, so I suggest changing it directly to Facebook. It’s concise, easy to remember, and catchier for spreading. Second, I’m starving. Is there anything to eat around here? The airplane food was terrible."

As soon as she said this, the originally serious atmosphere instantly broke.

Mark and Chen Shiyu looked at each other and couldn’t help but laugh. Mark quickly stood up and waved enthusiastically: "Yes, yes, yes! Even though this is tucked away in the Brooklyn suburbs, there’s a 24-hour trendy little shop nearby with amazing food. I’ll take you there right now!"

The three of them packed up their things and walked out of the temporary studio filled with computers and the scent of code. Night had already shrouded New York, and the evening breeze carried a slight cool moisture, brushing away the fatigue of the journey.

Walking side by side on the stone road, Chen Shiyu looked at Irene, his tone carrying the unique sharpness of a media person:

"Boss, Facebook can completely become a pre-promotion front for our film projects. When Million Dollar Baby starts filming, we can have Hilary and De Niro update their daily boxing training and behind-the-scenes leaks on the platform, and then run a few exclusive topics. This can build a lot of goodwill with the public ahead of time."

An undisguised look of appreciation flashed in Irene’s eyes, and her lips curled up: "That’s exactly what I intended. With you controlling the pace of communication, Facebook and our film projects can form a perfect mutual empowerment."

"After I return to Los Angeles, I’ll leave things here to you. Three things:

first, register and establish a formal company immediately. Second, hurry up and build an operations team. Third, prioritize optimizing and launching the core functions we talked about today like tags, sharing, and celebrity verification. Once I’m ready on that end, Facebook will be officially pushed to the public."

Chen Shiyu listened intently, the curiosity in his heart unable to be suppressed. He couldn’t help but ask: "Boss, can I know in advance what method you’re going to use for the first explosive promotion?"

Irene turned to look at him, a hint of playful cunning flashing in her eyes as she winked gently: "It’s a secret. You’ll know when the time comes. But I can give you a little hint in advance: it’s related to me."

Chen Shiyu’s eyes lit up. Just as he was about to ask more, Mark pointed to a small shop ahead with warm yellow lights:

"We’re here! This is ’Brooklyn Night Bites.’ Their smoked beef burger is their signature. I often come here when I’m hungry from coding in the middle of the night."

Pushing the door open, there were indeed quite a few people sitting in the shop, mostly nearby office workers and students. The air was filled with the aroma of grilled meat and bread, lively and cozy. The three of them found a corner table and sat down, and the waiter soon handed them the menu.