American History 1988
Chapter 59 - 55 Give Me Half a Year

Chapter 59: Chapter 55 Give Me Half a Year

Thud, thud, two white sugar cubes dropped into the coffee, dissolving instantly into the dark brown liquid.

"Miss, please add another cube for me," Dean’s deep blue eyes twinkled mischievously as he smiled and gave the waitress a playful wink.

"Certainly, sir," the petite Italian waitress added another sugar cube with her tongs.

Without Dean having to do anything, the waitress’s hand brushed against his palm as she picked up a coffee spoon and gently stirred.

"Sir, your coffee is ready to enjoy," the girl said, batting her eyelashes at Dean before swaying away from the table.

"It’s clear she likes you," Gary observed with a look of amusement, "If you go after her now, you’d easily get the contact info of a pretty girl."

"Compared to a girl’s heart, I’d prefer to discuss Price’s List with Mr. Gary at this moment," Dean remarked, satisfied as the sweetness of the coffee unfolded in his mouth and he set down his cup.

"Wow~" The smile on Gary’s face grew even wider, "May I take it that I am more charming than that girl just now?"

"No," Dean shook his head, "I think Benjamin is more charming."

"Dean, I like your straightforwardness!" Gary pointed at him and burst into laughter once more. Dean was unlike any other startup founder Gary and Dean had ever met.

He didn’t talk about dreams, he didn’t talk about emotions. His goal was always clear: profit.

This was a pure profit-seeker, Gary realized he had a more comprehensive view of Dean.

"So?" Gary spread his hands, asking, "Was I not wrong before? Price’s List is intended for profit?"

"Just like its name," Dean crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, "Price, the word is born entwined with commerce. Mr. Gary, since you are a user of Price’s List, you must be aware of its content."

"Indeed," Gary nodded, "A very special website. It is different from those hobby-based BBS, with a wide variety of communities, higher user engagement, and greater stickiness. But, in the end, the biggest difference lies in the word ’service.’"

Gary had a keen eye and had grasped the essence of Price’s List after only a few uses.

This was also his first encounter with a service-oriented website, something he hadn’t seen even in Silicon Valley.

"Mr. Gary, your insight is admirable. The original purpose of developing Price’s List was to create a classified services website. Based on the city as the point of origin, it penetrates every aspect of life, from food and clothing to housing, transportation, work, and entertainment," Dean stated.

Dean’s explanation gave Gary a more tangible understanding of Price’s List, "So, Cleveland is Price’s List’s first city, and in the future, it will appear in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco?"

"To be precise, Cleveland is the second city. In Youngstown, Price’s List has already become the hottest website locally," Dean said truthfully. Although Youngstown didn’t have a large population, the activity on various sections of the website was no less than in Cleveland.

In addition to housing, the user numbers for community services, socializing, and jobs were also growing and even started to set a trend.

"Of course, Price’s List will continue to advance into major cities in the future, and I am also actively looking for resources to accomplish this goal." Since Gary was from a venture capital firm, Dean didn’t mind giving him a bit of an enticement.

"So," Gary leaned forward slightly, "this is why I’ve come to see you, Dean. You need help! Think about your goal, to push Price’s List to every city in America; you can’t do it all by yourself.

And we," Gary gestured at himself, "Morgan Tailer Venture Capital, can provide you with a full range of support from management to funding and legal affairs."

"Wow~, that sounds very tempting," Dean offered his impression at the right moment.

"Of course," Gary emphasized, tapping his finger on the table, "what venture capital firms offer is not just funding, that’s only the most basic choice. When we see a startup with huge potential or offering amazing products, we create tailored support plans for them.

From professional managers to law firms, venture capital firms have their own channels for all intermediary resources. And you, Dean! Your Price’s List has made me interested enough to put these resources into action."

Faced with Gary’s flattering seduction, Dean didn’t let himself be swayed by complacency. As he stirred his coffee, he voiced his doubts.

"Mr. Gary, I am honored that Morgan Tailer acknowledges me. Although I have a strong belief in the bright future of Price’s List, it is not yet profitable. In fact, as we expand to more cities, expenses will continue to rise. This seems to contradict venture capital companies..."

Dean’s meaning was clear; with no profit in the short term, why would Gary come to him? Wasn’t it a bit premature?

Seeing Dean’s puzzled expression, Gary laughed. "Dean, the very first word in venture capital is ’risk’. No risk, no appealing returns.

During the crucial period when a startup’s prospects might not be clear, we are willing to act as the angel guiding its growth. Besides, with Price’s List, Dean, you can make it profitable any time, can’t you?"

"Wait, profitable at any moment?" Dean didn’t understand why Gary said so; in this era, he hadn’t seen any purely commercial websites appear.

"Of course," Gary looked at Dean with a puzzled face, "Price’s List has accumulated a certain user base, which has probably exceeded the scale of ten thousand people.

I believe there are many commercial companies that would be interested in the advertising services of Price’s List. If you accept some ads appropriately, the operational situation of Price’s List will see effective improvement."

"Advertising?" Dean was even more confused, "But the federal government doesn’t allow that, there would be significant legal risks."

"What?!" Gary stared at Dean, even forgetting the coffee in his hand. His expression changed from puzzled to shocked and finally, a slow smile crept across his face, followed by a loud laugh.

"Dean... hahaha... Dean, you’re a genius, but in some ways, you’re naively adorable." Gary laughed so hard he was gasping for air, even attracting the attention of others in the café.

"Mr. Gary, if you don’t want to be kicked out by that girl just now, I think we’d better... well... keep it down." Dean knew he might have done something stupid, but before the whole café could turn their gaze on them, he thought it necessary to remind the other to watch his behavior.

Why the loud laughter? Was what he said really that funny? Shameless Dean automatically filtered out the strange looks from others in the café.

"Alright, Mr. Gary." After the other party had calmed down, Dean sipped his coffee with an unfazed expression, "Maybe now you can tell me what this is all about."

"Dean, your knowledge in computing may surpass that of the vast majority, but when it comes to law, you might be even less informed than the average person," Gary said, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe his face, then smiling as he explained to Dean.

"The federal government indeed prohibits engaging in commercial activities on the internet, but that applies to the ARPANET or what is now called the NSFNET. After all, it was originally designed to ensure that in a state of war, America’s main regions would have a backup communication network.

For example, New York and Washington on the East Coast, and San Francisco and Los Angeles on the West Coast. Because of such a special mission, the federal government has always been strict in managing the ARPANET.

But Dean, did you notice? I said NSFNET, not some of the other private network service providers."

"Oh~Shit!" Dean realized he had been misunderstanding something all along, that the ban on commercial activity was targeted.

He had been carefully maintaining a balance between non-profit and commercial for Price’s List and even went through the trouble of setting up a company for some side hustles like "charging multiple rents" to share the operating costs of Price’s List.

If he had known earlier that the "ban on commerce" had nothing to do with him, then...

"See, Dean, no one is omnipotent." Gary regained his shrewd business demeanor, "You need a complete team to help you manage Price’s List, and all you need to do, Dean, is to fully leverage your technical expertise and your incredible sensitivity to the network.

Looking back at any giant company that has grown in history, without exception, they have relied on team spirit to get where they are today."

Gary knew many founders of start-ups are very resistant to the involvement of external teams; they see it as capital trying to seize control of the company. If they were sidelined, their once ideals and persistence would vanish, and the company would be assimilated as nutrients for capital.

So to persuade Dean, Gary felt that now was the best time. After all, the limitations of an individual were now blatant in Dean’s own experience.

Facing Gary’s earnest gaze, Dean smiled. "Mr. Gary, meeting with you today has indeed been very enlightening. But everything is still in time, isn’t it?"

"Of course," Gary’s face broke into a confident smile, "With Morgan Tailer’s help, Price’s List will soon be on the right track and realize profits."

"No," Dean shook his head, "I have just realized that I can do much more for Price’s List. As for making a profit, honestly, I have no doubts about it, whether or not I have help from others."

"Dean..." Gary became anxious, as the turn of events was completely opposite to what he had anticipated. "Believe me, with the assistance of Morgan Tailer, Price’s List will grow faster and avoid many troubles."

"Of course, Mr. Gary, I acknowledge that," Dean gestured for him to relax, "I’m not averse to venture capital, and Price’s List will give priority to Morgan Tailer’s investment in the future. But I would like to talk about this in six months, give me six months, and Price’s List will definitely surprise you."

"Don’t you want to hear my offer?" Gary still didn’t give up, as getting involved with a promising company earlier meant more gains. "$50,000 for a 16% stake. Morgan Tailer offers necessary support but will not participate in any operational decisions of Price’s List."

This offer could definitely be considered full of sincerity for a typical start-up.

Then, Dean rose coolly, "Mr. Gary, the operating costs of Price’s List are incredibly low, to the point of disbelief, and up to now, it doesn’t even have a single formal employee. So, let’s have a bit more patience for six months, shall we? My afternoon class is about to start, thank you for the coffee~!"

"Alright, Dean. I look forward to you coming to me in six months," Gary was somewhat regretful but did not linger.

Six months was nothing; he had the patience to observe the development of Price’s List.

The ultimate goal of venture capital firms is to pursue profit, and if Price’s List has more potential by then, he wouldn’t mind paying a higher price for a larger scale angel investment.

As long as the return on investment is high enough, the initial input is insignificant.

Dean nodded with a smile and left the café with a light heart, having received some unexpectedly good news today.

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