PNB Chapter 22 Reconnaissance Squad
Chapter 22 Reconnaissance Squad
"Is merging a waste?" Zhang Xiaolong repeated the word, his expression unreadable.
"Yes, merging is a waste!" Lin Shen nodded vigorously. "What's wasted isn't the code, the features, or even the Light product itself. What's wasted is a precious opportunity—an opportunity for everyone here, pushed forward by 'features,' 'efficiency,' and 'competition,' to stop and seriously consider whether the essence of connection might be different."
Lin Shen's tone carried an unusual earnestness and urgency: "Mr. Zhang, your understanding of the product is very profound. For example, WeChat represents 'known good.' We don't know if it will succeed, but at least it won't fail."
But Light represents 'unknown possibilities'. It may fail, it may appear clumsy, it may not be understood. But if we easily and completely annihilate this path of exploration simply because of fear of failure and uncertainty, and scatter and reorganize this group of people who have just begun to see problems from a different perspective, using them to perfect 'known good', then it is a waste, even a form of stagnation.
If, and I mean if, MiTalk had launched its public beta before us, how much would we have needed to make up for the lost time?
And if, and I mean if, because of the merger with Light, we temporarily lost the opportunity to discover the next true form of 'connection' that belongs to the mobile era, or even defines the next era, we might only realize later that Light had already taken the right path.
Isn't this the greatest waste? Wasting the precious window of opportunity that the times gave us—a window for conducting "thought experiments" on the eve of a major upheaval.
After Lin Shen finished speaking, the conference room fell silent.
Zhang Xiaolong stared at the young engineer in front of him for a long time, as if he wanted to reassess his value.
"madman!"
The thought flashed through his mind, but he shook his head, rejecting Zhou Botao and Chen Mo's assessment. He knew that the person before him was a frighteningly clear-headed young man who knew better than anyone else what he needed to do. This young man had just rejected not a position or a salary, but the fate of being "recruited" and "assimilated."
He was defending what he considered a more precious, fragile possibility with an almost naive persistence.
"So," Zhang Xiaolong finally spoke slowly, his voice devoid of emotion, "what's your suggestion?"
"Give me a chance, and give Light a chance too." Lin Shen's voice calmed down as he stated his true demands: "Don't let it merge, but rather, completely unleash Light's potential, let users, let time, and let you verify whether Light can go further down this path in the mobile internet era."
Zhang Xiaolong remained silent for longer than ever before, and was calmer than when he heard the word "waste" before. He leaned back completely in his chair, clasped his hands in front of him, but his gaze never left Lin Shen.
Lin Shen could sense that beneath the calm surface, a rapid process of weighing and deducing was underway.
"Release the energy of Light..." Zhang Xiaolong slowly repeated the sentence, his finger lightly tapping the back of his other hand. "You mean, instead of merging, let the already completed Light 1.0 be used as a basis for its official release? And create a parallel 'horse race' internally with the new product that will integrate the advantages of both sides as the main force, and even... perhaps create some degree of self-competition externally?"
His question went straight to the heart of the matter, pointing out the boldest and most dangerous part of the proposal.
"It's not an internal competition, much less a competition among ourselves," Lin Shen immediately corrected. He knew he had to clearly define the relationship between the two, which was key to Light's successful launch. He redefined the relationship: "It's strategic layering and functional decoupling."
Lin Shen's speech quickened, and his thoughts became exceptionally clear: "The flagship new product has a clear objective—to integrate advantages, quickly mature, and, with the most stable and comprehensive approach, directly confront MiTalk to compete for the mainstream market and core user base of mobile IM. It needs to be 'comprehensive,' it needs to be 'stable,' and it needs to meet the expectations of the broadest range of users."
"Light, on the other hand, has a completely different positioning." Lin Shen's eyes were piercing. "It doesn't seek 'comprehensiveness,' it doesn't seek 'stability,' and it doesn't even pursue short-term user scale. Its goal is to become an extremely sharp 'probe' and 'surprise weapon.' It only retains the most core communication experience and those 'dissent' functions, making it extremely lightweight and iterating extremely quickly."
Its mission is to explore and validate the 'possibilities' that the main products cannot easily attempt due to their massive scale and market expectations. It is to attract and serve early innovation users and geek groups who are dissatisfied with existing communication tools and crave a purer and easier connection. It is a stepping stone for the main products!
All of its features can be quickly replicated in the main product. In fact, once Light reaches a certain level, it can be completely integrated into the main product. In doing so, we gain time and users, and we can even say that we've proactively seized the initiative in defining the macro-level issue of chat tools in the mobile internet era.
Lin Shen further elaborated on the specific strategy: "Light can be released as a 'pioneer experimental version' or a 'Tencent Labs project.' By downplaying its direct association with the main Tencent brand and reducing market expectations of its 'all-encompassing' nature, it can better highlight its 'exploratory' and 'experimental' labels. We will use it to:
First, verify the "dissent": Can the concepts of no mandatory read receipts, emotional voice messages, and deeply hidden group chats truly create a differentiated appeal and gain a group of loyal followers?
Second, efficient trial and error: With the lightweight nature of Light, we can iterate at a pace of two weeks or even faster, trying more radical interactions and more cutting-edge technology integrations, such as exploring the compression of voice emotions. This is extremely low-cost and provides extremely fast feedback.
Third, it influences perception: If the "light connection" concept represented by Light can generate buzz and even establish a reputation within specific circles, it can carve out a unique cognitive battlefield outside the mainstream market, attracting users that MiTalk might overlook, while simultaneously providing the main product with genuine user feedback and inspiration for future directions from cutting-edge users.
Lin Shen paused for a moment, his voice carrying a desperate sincerity: "President Zhang, mergers are the safest path, the fastest way to produce a powerful weapon. But war is never just about one weapon."
Light can be a poisoned dagger hidden in our sleeve, or... a torch illuminating unknown territory. It doesn't require consuming the main force's supplies, or even consuming company resources to attract traffic; it only needs a little space and trust.
If it succeeds, we might unexpectedly gain a completely new product line and user ecosystem; if it fails, the cost will be minimal, but all the knowledge gained from the exploration will be seamlessly integrated into our core products.
Lin Shen concluded, "Therefore, my suggestion is not 'don't merge,' but rather 'while resolutely pushing forward the merger and building the main battleship, allow Light, this small sailboat, to set sail alone and explore uncharted waters.' This is not a waste of resources, but rather purchasing an 'option' to cope with an uncertain future with minimal marginal cost."
After listening, Zhang Xiaolong closed his eyes, stopped typing, and seemed to be immersed in a deep state of thought.
Time passed second by second, and Lin Shen could hear his own steady yet powerful heartbeat.
He knew he was gambling.
The bet is that the entire WeChat and Light project team, currently not valued by Tencent, will gain control of WeChat in the future.
Take a gamble: a niche product within a niche product has the chance to outperform Tencent's main products.
This opportunity will propel him to the top!
Finally, Zhang Xiaolong opened his eyes. His gaze held less scrutiny and more sharpness, as if he were about to make a decision.
"A torch... a dagger..." he muttered to himself, then looked at Lin Shen. "Zhou Botao said you're good at metaphors, and you are. But do you know? Fire can burn you, and a dagger can injure the wielder. Can you control the boundary between 'fire' and 'blade'? I need a clear, monitorable 'barrier'."
"Of course." Lin Shen knew that the most crucial moment had arrived. "First, the release of Light and all subsequent operations will be completely transparent and subject to your and President Zhou's direct supervision. I will regularly report on core data and directional adjustments."
Second, the core iteration direction of Light must complement or explore the overall strategy of the main products to avoid meaningless internal duplication or conflict.
Third, resources will be strictly limited. I can guarantee that for the first three months, without affecting the overall merger premise, only the minimum manpower will be used, and server resources will not be affected. Moreover, if the project cannot prove its unique value within the specified period, such as in terms of user volume, reputation, successful functional verification, or breakthroughs in technological exploration, the project can be terminated unconditionally at any time, and the team will be seamlessly integrated into the main product. I am at your disposal!
Zhang Xiaolong stared at Lin Shen, seemingly trying to gauge how much of his determination was driven by passion and how much by calculated ruthlessness.
"If," Zhang Xiaolong said slowly, "if I give you this opportunity, what name do you plan to give this independently released Light? It can no longer be called Light, that would be confusing."
Lin Shen hesitated almost without hesitation. A name had already been swirling in his mind. It was both a farewell to the past and an expectation for the future, and it also implied his determination to be reborn.
"WeChat," he said clearly.
"WeChat?" Zhang Xiaolong raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Short messages, heartfelt communication. Lighter, faster, and more focused on the 'trust' itself," Lin Shen explained, his heart surging with emotion. This name was finally about to be officially introduced to the world ahead of schedule by him.
Zhang Xiaolong pondered the name for a moment, then nodded slightly.
"Nice name." He stood up, walked to the window, his back to Lin Shen. "Lin Shen, remember what you said today, remember your promise of the 'guardrail.' I will persuade management to give 'WeChat' a chance. But this is not a reward for you personally; it is an extremely risky experiment."
You, and other Light core members who volunteer to join, will be separated from the main product line and form an independent "WeChat" project team. You will not need to report to Zhou Botao, but will be directly responsible to me.
You have only three months and extremely limited resources. After three months, I want to see if this 'dagger' is sharp enough, and if this 'fire' can illuminate even a small patch of the unknown.
He turned around, his gaze piercing: "If you succeed, the value of you and your team will be immeasurable. If you fail, you know the consequences. Now, you have one last chance to choose—will you accept the safe arrangement offered by the senior engineer, or will you walk this tightrope?"
Lin Shen stood up without hesitation, his eyes unwavering.
"Mr. Zhang, I choose WeChat."
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Zhang Xiaolong watched Lin Shen's retreating figure as he left the conference room without hesitation. The door closed gently, shutting out the intense and resolute aura emanating from the young man. He stood there for a long time before turning back to the table, picking up the data comparison report left by Li Ting, and then gently setting it down.
He walked to the window, where the old banyan tree in the TIT Creative Park cast a long shadow in the afternoon sun. He knew he had just made a seemingly impulsive decision, but one that had been carefully weighed, and that this decision needed another person's understanding, and even support.
He picked up the internal phone on the table and dialed a short number.
"Pony, it's me, Xiaolong. Is this a good time? There's a new development regarding mobile IM that I'd like to share with you and get your feedback."
Ma Huateng's voice came from the other end of the phone: "Go ahead."
Tencent headquarters in Shenzhen, Ma Huateng's office.
Compared to the casual atmosphere of TIT Creative Park, the furnishings here are more concise and modern. Ma Huateng sat behind a large desk, listening to Zhang Xiaolong give a clear and concise ten-minute summary of the comparison results between Light and Wechat, the background of the merger decision, the potential threat of Xiaomi MiTalk, and Lin Shen's proposal of "not merging and releasing the energy of Light," and the final "WeChat" independent experimental project plan.
Zhang Xiaolong's narrative is objective and calm, almost devoid of personal bias, simply stating facts, data, risks, and Lin Shen's promises.
Ma Huateng listened quietly, his fingers occasionally swiping across the tablet, seemingly checking relevant emails or data. Only after Zhang Xiaolong finished speaking did he look up, adjust his glasses, and reveal a gentle yet penetrating gaze.
"So," Ma Huateng began, speaking slowly, "you rejected the safe merger and optimization plan, and instead chose to start a separate, experimental 'WeChat' project outside the main force, led by this young man named Lin Shen, reporting directly to you, with independent resources, and a three-month timeframe."
"Yes." Zhang Xiaolong nodded. "Strictly speaking, it's not a rejection of the merger. The merger will proceed as planned to counter MiTalk. 'WeChat' is a parallel line, positioned as an explorer and vanguard."
Ma Huateng nodded slightly, leaned back in his chair, and clearly explained Zhang Xiaolong's decision: "Xiaolong, this matter is very risky! First, internal resources are dispersed. Even though you say the resource requirements are extremely low, the diversion of management attention and potential technical ideas are all costs."
Second, brand confusion. If this experimental version of WeChat makes any noise in the market, it may interfere with the positioning of the main product.
Third, there's the risk of human error. You've given this young man a lot of trust and space. If he makes a mistake in judgment, or the team gets out of control, the losses could extend beyond just project failure.
"I've considered everything," Zhang Xiaolong responded calmly. "Regarding resources, I've made him sign a pledge that he'll be practically self-sufficient for the first three months, utilizing Light's existing capabilities and a very small team for a cold start, without consuming any resources on the critical path of the main product. In terms of management, I'll personally oversee things, providing weekly updates and setting clear 'guardrails' and stop-loss lines."
Regarding the brand, we deliberately downplayed our association with Tencent, releasing it as a "laboratory product" or, as I suggest, anonymously with a slightly geeky feel, consciously differentiating our target user group from the mass market pursued by our main product.
If the experiment succeeds, its reputation will grow naturally; if it fails, its influence will be firmly limited to a specific circle. But inevitably, it will consume Tencent's resources, such as QQ push notifications. We can't let our own people have a cold start, that would dampen the enthusiasm of young people..." Zhang Xiaolong's tone carried an appreciation for young people.
"As for the human risk," Zhang Xiaolong paused, seemingly searching for the right words, "Pony, I've met many talented engineers and product managers. But this person, Lin Shen, is a bit different. He not only has technical intuition and a product sense, but more importantly, he has a kind of... strategic clarity and obsession."
He could see the potential opportunity cost hidden behind the seemingly correct decision of "merger," and he dared to insure that opportunity cost in a way that bordered on gambling. He rejected the senior engineering position and stable career path I offered him, not because he was arrogant, but because he clearly knew that that path would deprive him of the opportunity to ignite "another possibility."
Ma Huateng seemed thoughtful: "You admire his 'obsession'?"
"I am wary, but I also appreciate it," Zhang Xiaolong frankly stated. "Given Tencent's current size and processes, we are good at and can only do the 'right' things: optimize, integrate, and seek progress while maintaining stability. But sometimes, especially when facing a paradigm shift in the industry, being 'right' may mean missing out on a 'breakthrough'."
We need people who can think outside the box and are willing to take risks to validate those unconventional ideas. Lin Shen and his vision of "WeChat" can be seen as an internal "venture capital incubator," investing in a potentially hugely rewarding or potentially disastrous "non-consensus" future with minimal cost.
He added, "Moreover, the three-month time window and strict monitoring conditions are enough for us to see whether this 'experiment' is worth continuing. If WeChat can verify the appeal of its 'light connection' concept within these three months, even if only in a very small circle, or explore a technical point that will impress the main product, then this 'investment' will be worthwhile. If it makes no splash, we should decisively terminate it, and the cost will be controllable."
Ma Huateng remained silent for a moment.
"It sounds like you're not just giving him a chance, but also giving Tencent itself a chance," Ma Huateng said slowly. "An opportunity to prepare for battle and deal with the immediate threat while not forgetting to look ahead and even send people to scout out the side roads."
"That's one way to understand it." Zhang Xiaolong nodded. "MiTalk is a battle we have to fight. Since Lei Jun has challenged Tencent, it means he has his own unique vision and has seen a possibility, a possibility that he missed on the PC side. We must win this battle. When it comes to the critical moment, even new products can give way to QQ. But right now, 'WeChat' is just a reconnaissance team for us to try out a different approach."
"A reconnaissance team?" Ma Huateng smiled slightly, then immediately made a judgment. "Xiaolong, I've always trusted your product judgment. Since you think this risk is worth taking and the people are worth trying, then proceed with your plan. However, the 'guardrails' must be firmly in place, and send me a copy of the weekly reports. I'm also very curious about what kind of trouble this young man, whom you made an exception for, and his 'WeChat' can cause."
He paused, his tone becoming more profound: "If... if this 'WeChat' has truly found a sense of 'connection' that we haven't paid attention to, and even unexpectedly carved out a small, vibrant new territory despite Xiaomi's encroachment... then perhaps it will be more than just a scout."
Zhang Xiaolong understood Ma Huateng's unspoken meaning: an openness to future possibilities. He nodded solemnly, "I understand. I'll keep a close eye on it."