AOL Time Warner intends to sell ICQ.

As soon as this news came, it immediately attracted the attention of many financial and economic reporters.

What is ICQ?

That was the ancestor of instant messaging, the world's first instant messaging software, and he used to be all the rage.

And now, with the impact of MSN and ICQ's own death, ICQ has become more and more depressed when the instant messaging industry is getting bigger and bigger, but it is despondent to watch others dominate and occupy the world stage.

But now, AOL Time Warner is finally selling ICQ.

When Li Lin held a book signing in Cannes, the American financial circles began to report on the ICQ incident.

"The instant messaging market is crowded, but ICQ, the ancestor of instant messaging, has bleakly withdrawn from the competition, and AOL, which once bought ICQ, intends to sell ICQ."

"Ten years ago, ICQ was popular all over the Internet with 'I'm looking for you,' and there were countless software that relied on imitating ICQ."

"Today, ten years later, the instant messaging software that imitates the ancestor of ICQ has gradually grown, and MSN in the United States and YY in China have all become the hegemon of one country, while ICQ, as the ancestor, is struggling to survive."

"At that time, it was said that it was a mistake for ICQ to be sold to capital, because capital will not pity ICQ, they will only squeeze ICQ."

"And today, it seems to have verified the prophecy at that time, and the ICQ, the former ancestor and the memory of many netizens today, has been ruthlessly abandoned by capital."

"It is reported that Microsoft has a strong interest in ICQ. Bill. Mr. Gates said that MSN's acquisition of ICQ was not an interesting exercise? ”

In addition to this, DST (editor's note: DST is a Russian instant messaging software) has also expressed interest in ICQ. They made a $290 million offer to AOL Time Warner in the hope of acquiring ICQ. ”

"$290 million?" Li Lin's eyes swept over the newspaper and muttered a few words, "DST's offer is so high?" ”

In the previous life, DST was far from quoting such a high price.

"Is it because I brought the butterfly effect?" Li Lin was pondering, and he felt that it was very possible.

Because of his connections, ICQ was sold early. At this time, ICQ is far from being the ICQ of the previous 10 years, when ICQ was already defeated, and now ICQ still has 10 million users. He also has the power to fight back.

It seems to be a normal thing for DST to burst out more than the price of the previous life, although according to inflation, the 290 million at this time is far more than the 290 million in 10 years.

"Wait. Wrong. ”

Li Lin woke up suddenly.

"DST can't be that high." Li Lin remembered something. In the previous life, DST bid $120 million, and it was Tencent that took a stake in DST and provided funds for DST, which made DST raise the offer to 240 million, and then it was raised to the point after negotiations.

DST itself doesn't have that much funding.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have sold their shares.

And now, with DST quoting more than $290 million, it's clear that it's a game, a game against him.

If he can't hold back and make an offer. Then in the subsequent negotiations, he fell into the disadvantage, and in the end. He would need to spend at least $320 million to take ICQ under his belt.

Even though he made a lot of money from this robbery, the extra expenditure of $20 million was unbearable.

"Steve. Case, do you think that by calling DST over for a quote, I can raise my own offer? If you dream, I'd like to see what DST uses to buy ICQ. Li Lin sneered.

There is no Tencent funding for DST in this space.

Playing the trick of swallowing a small fish and swallowing a big fish will more often kill yourself.

Putting down the newspaper, Li Lin glanced at the phone and found that the phone in the hotel was about to be crowded with message notes, he flipped through the records, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, because he saw many acquaintances.

Zhang Huimei, Fan Binbin, Zhou Xun, Zhao Wei, Huang Xiaoming and other artists from the same company all came.

"What is the holiday today? Why are so many people coming? Is it the Cannes Film Festival? But no, isn't the Cannes Film Festival going to start in May? It's only January. ”

Continuing to scroll down, Li Lin saw some famous people who had never met much, the two Wang brothers, Wu Kebo and Wang Jinghua and other bigwigs in the film and television industry all sent messages.

"How can it be so lively?"

Li Lin muttered, turned on the phone and dialed Zhang Huimei, and after the phone was connected, he went straight to the point, "Sister, what is the festival today, why did you all come to Cannes?" ”

"Guess."

Zhang Huimei smiled playfully, but before Li Lin guessed that she said it herself, "Today is your birthday, don't you remember it?" ”

"My birthday?"

Li Lin was stunned, and said in his heart, how could it be my birthday today? But wait a minute, he will react, isn't it his birthday today?

It's the birthday of his body.

"We learned that you came to Cannes to do publicity, so we flew over to celebrate your birthday, and by the way, I showed my face at your birthday party."

Li Lin smiled awkwardly when he heard this, "How can there be a birthday party." ”

He himself doesn't remember that today is his birthday, because he remembers the date of his birthday in his previous life.

"I know there's no birthday party, so I'm going to get together with you." Zhang Huimei said playfully: "The people of the company have come, the people who have no job have come, and those who have a job have come to put down their work, who called you an international superstar is not only an international superstar, but also the CEO of the company, we always have to stammer with you, don't we?" ”

"I wish I'd give you little shoes to wear." Li Lin pouted, "You celebrities are my cash cow, it's too late for me to love you, how can I give you small shoes to wear." ”

Li Lin paused for a moment, and then said: "You find a place, let's get together tonight, and do you know what has happened in Huaxia recently?" ”

It was impossible for the boss to come uninvited on his birthday, and there were some people in it who had a little bit of a holiday with him, and he didn't believe that those people would be so magnanimous and disregarding his birthday when he didn't invite him.

"What's the matter?"

Zhang Huimei pondered for a moment, she knew that Li Lin asked like this, it would definitely not be to ask what gossip had happened in Huaxia recently, he should be asking about a big event.

But after thinking about it for a while, she still shook her head, "It shouldn't be, although there have been a lot of scandals in the entertainment industry in China recently, it is not clear whether it is true or false, and this is not a big deal." ”

Hearing this, Li Lin's brows furrowed slightly, with Zhang Huimei's status in the entertainment industry, she still can't find out the news, it seems that this time the news should only be circulated in the circle of a few people.

And when they come to themselves, they must have something to do with themselves.

"I'll go meet a few people first." Li Lin said: "See you in the evening, bye." ”

After hanging up the phone, Li Lin did not immediately dial the phone number that left the message, but turned on the hotel computer to browse the news of Huaxia, and he browsed not entertainment news but political news.

Since even Zhang Huimei can't get the news, it is even more impossible for entertainment reporters to get the news, and the only ones who can get some news are political news and financial news.

After a cursory glance, Li Lin's eyes immediately widened.

The political news reads: The film and television department and the record association are about to be merged into radio and television, and the most dominant institution in the entertainment industry was born.

"The radio and television of this time and space was born."

Li Lin was surprised.

In fact, his words are inaccurate, radio and television have long been born, but the previous radio and television has been ignored, there is a record association in charge of records, and there is a film and television department in charge of film and television, as for radio and television, its rights are only limited to the publication of books and video products, but after being merged into the film and television department and the record association, radio and television will become a behemoth spanning film and television songs, novels, hosts, etc., but everything that is related to entertainment is under its control.

A real institution that dominates the fate of this circle has been reborn.

"Could it be that those companies came to me and had something to do with the birth of radio and television?" Li Lin frowned slightly, the new life of radio and television, the situation in the entertainment industry is weird, the upper level decides the lower level, and now it is unclear what they mean when they come to find themselves.

Are you trying to drag me into the water?

Li Lin's brows furrowed even more, he had the intention to avoid these people, but after thinking about it, their intentions were still uncertain, it was always bad to avoid them like this, and they couldn't hide from the fifteenth day of the first year, these people came to the door together, they must have ventilated with each other, and it was not so easy to get out.

It's better to ask what you mean first.

Li Lin dialed Wang Jinghua's phone, and after connecting, he didn't even owe greetings, and asked directly, "Sister Wang, you have nothing to do but go to the Three Treasures Palace, you guys come to see me in a group, shouldn't you celebrate my birthday?" ”

Wang Jinghua was stunned for a moment, and then chuckled, "Mr. Li said and laughed, of course it is to celebrate your birthday, but in addition to celebrating your birthday, there are some other things that Mr. Li needs to meet with us." ”

"Tell me something."

Li Lin went straight in.

"It's inconvenient on the phone." Wang Jinghua shook her head, "In the lobby below the hotel, we held a cocktail party for you, one is to celebrate your birthday, and the other is to discuss some things with you, some major events about the fate of the entertainment industry." ”

"Radio and television!"

Li Lin said lightly, "If it's a matter of radio and television, then there is no need to say it, the above things have nothing to do with us people, no matter what, we can't decide the wishes of the above." ”

"Of course it's not what you think." Wang Jinghua said: "It has something to do with radio and television, but it is definitely different from what you imagined." ”

"No one is a fool, and they will not try to interfere with the intentions of the above with their own strength, let alone those of us, even the people of the entire entertainment industry combined can't interfere with the intentions of the above."

"We know we can't do it, and we won't really do it." (To be continued......)