That night's party was exceptionally lively, buzzing with excitement due to the presence of several glamorous models.
"Hi, handsome!" A statuesque blonde patted Henry on the shoulder, her enthusiasm apparent.
"Hi!" Henry greeted her back.
This stunning blonde had long legs adorned with flesh-colored stockings, looking utterly sexy. She asked, "What's your name?"
"Henry Williams." His answer was simple. With so many people sharing similar names in the U.S., it was hard to relate his name to anything specific, allowing him to speak openly without fear.
"I'm Alisha, Alisha Heidi!"
"Oh, hello Alisha Heidi! Huh? Are you looking for something from me?"
"Not at all! I noticed everyone else is dancing, and you aren't joining; I was curious, so I thought I'd come over and ask." Alisha took a sip of her cocktail and inadvertently moved closer to Henry, batting her eyelashes. "Are you also an employee at Prestige Capital?"
"Yep."
By this point, Alisha's body was pressed against Henry's. "Handsome, I have a project needing a little investment. Do you think we could work something out?"
"What project?" Henry felt her softness enveloping his arm, causing his heart to race. He pretended to take a sip of wine, subtly distancing himself from Alisha's advances. At parties, this type of flirtation was commonplace; people met, got flirty, and ended up in bed! Even though Henry was just fifteen or sixteen, he appeared a bit mature, making him surprisingly attractive!
A perfect mixture of Chinese and Western features, he had no lack of admirers!
It wasn't surprising that Alisha had approached Henry.
"Talking here isn't very convenient..." she leaned in closer, whispering seductively in his ear, "Is your bed big? It'd be best to discuss this in your home!"
Henry was taken aback. It was said that American women were direct, but this was too much!
He was about to decline when a familiar voice interrupted from behind him. "I'm afraid not; he belongs to me tonight."
That voice—who could it be?
Kailena!
Oh, Kailena, were you serious? Henry's heart fluttered!
He turned around and saw Kailena smiling radiantly, her long eyelashes framing her big, expressive eyes. She wore a flowing white dress, with her long hair cascading down and radiating an air of charm.
"Hmph!" Alisha glared at Kailena, jealousy shining through as she stomped her foot. How dare anyone outshine her? Seething, she shot a glare at Kailena before storming off.
"Kailena, you really came through for me!" Henry laughed.
"Ah, it's nothing; why would I not?" Kailena replied with a playful smile. "Mr. Williams, could I trouble you with cleaning up this place tonight? We have work in the morning; thank you!"
"Oh, you're putting me to work!" Henry grunted, sipping his drink. While American law forbids minors from drinking, often it was not strictly enforced—consequences could stand aside!
Kailena strutted past Henry, her confidence radiating. As she walked by, he caught a whiff of her enticing scent. It was a delightful fragrance that lingered.
The party continued late into the night, and Henry hired someone for cleanup, though he had little interest in tackling it himself.
Henry spent the subsequent week at Isearch. Bill Joyce and Luke Stowe were hard at work improving the algorithm, making commendable progress. However, AOL's search function had gained traction, addressing many bugs, and while it hadn't yet surpassed Isearch, it already carved out a niche in the competitive search industry.
Every year, new users flocked to the Internet, often unsure of which search engine to trust. Henry couldn't allow them all to shift to Isearch, thus providing AOL Search a doorway through which they could grab a share of the market!
At that time, Isearch held an 85% market share, with AOL Search claiming 8%, leaving just 7% to a smattering of other search engines.
In the early days of the Internet, it was crucial to enhance Isearch's engagement and foster user loyalty! Bad money drives out good; with only a bit more than two million users at the moment, the future could accommodate hundreds of millions! If AOL Search could advance past Isearch, could it really be that Isearch had to 'kneel and lick' in defeat? Until their market position was stable, there could be no complacency. As the CEO of Isearch, Henry held great responsibility!
Thus, Henry actively consulted with the Isearch team. He proposed the launch of Isearch Encyclopedia and Isearch Post Bar.
These two ideas propelled Isearch!
But perhaps the most groundbreaking innovation was Isearch-adsense!
Isearch-adsense was revolutionary. If successfully implemented, it could leave AOL Search trailing.
So, what exactly was Isearch-adsense? In short, it served as a monetization platform for participating websites. Once a website joined Isearch-adsense, keyword advertisements would be displayed on its pages. If users clicked on these ads, Isearch would provide compensation based on the number of clicks. Just think—what website wouldn't relish the potential for profit?
By joining Isearch-adsense, they could sit back and reap financial rewards without lifting a finger.
Running a successful website inherently promises monetary gain.
Henry's initiative might just create an opportunity for countless struggling websites on the Internet, while also pushing the web's growth!
It's essential to recognize that many sites could face ruin without advertisement prospects or other avenues for revenue. Ultimately, they would have no choice but to collapse!
Isearch was changing lives, providing something noble and meaningful, propelling itself beyond mere profit-seeking...
Once Isearch-adsense became operational, Isearch wouldn't need to shell out any cash; everything would operate from advertiser funds with compensation agreements in place! They could still net some revenue! For instance, if advertisers paid $10, Isearch would retain $6 while paying out $4 to the affiliate website. Afterward, Isearch would be making money faster than ever!
Moreover, when Isearch-adsense gained traction, Isearch would extend its influence throughout the internet landscape, further sidelining AOL Search and other search engines!
However, successful operation hinged on whether advertisers would embrace this advertising model!
These advertisers were not the type to invest without seeing results first. They wouldn't commit without tangible effects!
To begin with, they had to witness its efficacy firsthand!
Given the urgency, the focus now lay in rapidly developing various functions. Upon Isearch-adsense's completion, Henry planned for every company under his radar to opt in if they handled websites, before initiating a comprehensive promotion blitz across the internet, newspapers, and television. The goal was to ensure that everyone understood what Isearch-adsense represented. Then, he would engage with major advertisers to discuss the details. They wouldn't be keen on spending more, but Henry didn't mind allowing them a one-month trial at no charge. However, if they wished to continue using Isearch-adsense thereafter, he would need to collect last month's advertising fees before proceeding...