Stronger by Paying Salaries and I Have 1 Billion Employees

On April 5th, WeChat version 4.0 went live, simultaneously launching the ”Moments” feature. Its English name was officially changed to WeChat.

Zhang Xiaolong paid homage to Instagram’s photo album feature, kicking off a trend among Hua Country’s netizens of sharing (or flexing) their lives.

The number of WeChat users skyrocketed toward the 200 million mark!

That afternoon, Lashou Network publicly announced the completion of its $110 million Series C financing round and the restart of its IPO roadshow. Clearly, it intended to raise more capital through a public listing to establish a dominant position in the Group Buy market.

On the same day, Gening, Green Health, and Fengyuan Pharmacy in Luzhou, as well as Yifeng, Fumei, and Good Pharmacist Pharmacy in Hu City, all made a high-profile launch on Kuai Pao Delivery.

From then on, people could buy everyday medicine or contraceptives from home, with delivery drivers bringing them right to their door.

Meanwhile, Kuai Pao established branch offices in Hang City and Jinling, respectively, laying the groundwork to enter the local delivery markets.

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「Zhuxianzhuang Science and Technology Park, Building 9」

Chen Yansen opened a product document sent by Cao Dahua. It detailed two new products.

10,000 mAh Orange Mobile Power Supply, Standard Edition. Price: 99 yuan.

10,000 mAh Orange Mobile Power Supply, Fast-Charging Edition. Price: 199 yuan.

It featured a steel-cased design and was composed of four 2,500 mAh 18650 lithium-ion cells, with core components supplied by Desai Battery.

The fast-charging edition used 18650 lithium-ion cells with a higher charge rate, featured an optimized circuit design, and included added charging protection functions.

Compared to power banks with similar specs from brands like Pisen and Aigo, the Orange Mobile Power Supply’s price was merely on par, and about 20% higher than generic brands.

Chen Yansen glanced at the material costs, pondered for a moment, and changed the prices to 69 yuan and 139 yuan.

Senlian Capital was one of Desai Battery’s core shareholders. Combined with the procurement orders from the Orange Phone Factory, this business accounted for almost forty percent of Desai’s operations.

Naturally, the supply price Desai gave them was the lowest in the entire industry.

Cao Dahua had factored in the cells, circuit boards, casing, packaging, cables, labor, and shipping, and the total cost came to just under 50 yuan.

Even at a selling price of only 69 yuan, they would still have a 40% gross margin.

Chen Yansen had never intended to profit from power banks, phone cases, or Bluetooth headsets. To him, these peripheral products were merely a means to keep the factory running and guarantee the workers’ income.

The morning passed in a flash, and soon it was noon.

Chen Yansen went downstairs and walked straight into the cafeteria. Just as he entered, he saw Liang Bo and Wang Teng sitting nearby, eating and talking.

”Toutiao’s download numbers are insane. It’s topped the charts for five days straight. I’m just letting you know, after today, you’ll have to start paying for placement on the Orange Application Mall.”

Wang Teng said with a smile.

The boss had only given Toutiao a five-day promotional period. Once the time was up, all the free ad placements would be immediately revoked.

”Heh, you think I can’t afford it?” Liang Bo retorted.

Toutiao’s launch could be called perfect. In just five days, it had broken 15 million downloads, with registered users exceeding 10 million.

The newsfeed was filled with native ads for Pinbei, Orange Technology, Kuai Pao, and Fast Taxi. Even though they were all subsidiaries of Senlian Capital, they still had to pay for advertising.

Toutiao wasn’t short on cash, so of course, Liang Bo was brimming with confidence.

Furthermore, Today Technology was also planning to form an ad sales department. As long as they could maintain their daily active users and retain them, raking in thirty to fifty million a month would be no problem at all.

Chen Yansen listened to their conversation and gave a faint smile.

After getting his food, he didn’t join their lively discussion. Instead, he walked over and sat down across from Meng Jie. Ye Qiuping was sitting next to her.

’When did this woman get so friendly with Meng Jie?’

Chen Yansen sneered to himself. ’Looks like the lesson I gave Ye Qiuping last time wasn’t memorable enough, letting her get other ideas.’

Meng Jie, who was engrossed in her meal, noticed a shadow fall over her. She instinctively looked up, and upon seeing Chen Yansen, the corners of her lips curved up as she smiled and asked, ”Want my chicken leg?”

Chen Yansen smiled, pushed his own tray forward, and took the chicken leg. He then looked at Ye Qiuping and said, ”Director Ye, you seem to be quite familiar with Meng Jie?”

For the past two days, he had often seen the two of them coming and going from the cafeteria together.

”Sister Qiuping is really nice. She’s taught me a lot,” Meng Jie said, putting down her chopsticks and linking her arm with Ye Qiuping’s.

”Is that so? Director Ye, come to my office this afternoon. There are some brand promotion plans I need to... discuss with you in depth.”

Chen Yansen looked at her with an unreadable smile, his voice slow and deliberate.

”Of course, Boss.”

Ye Qiuping’s expression remained unchanged, but her heart sank. She knew her actions had caused a misunderstanding.

Meng Jie, completely oblivious to all this, finished her lunch with Chen Yansen.

「Half an hour later.」

Chen Yansen returned to his office, poured a cup of tea, and leaned back in his chair to think. The No. 4 phone factory in Luzhou was scheduled to begin production next Monday.

Initially, it would focus on OEM orders for Huawei and Xiaomi Mobile Phones. If sales of the Orange Mobile Power Supply met expectations, then some of that production capacity could be shifted over.

The Shencheng Factory would be responsible only for the production of the Orange Mobile Phone, gradually transitioning into an integrated facility for both R&D and manufacturing.

After all, Shencheng City had comprehensive supporting infrastructure and a stronger ability to attract high-end talent. There was no need to cram everyone into Xucheng.

”KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!”

Just then, a knock came from outside the door.

Chen Yansen knew it was Ye Qiuping. ”Come in,” he answered coolly.

Ye Qiuping entered, gently closing the door behind her. She quickly explained, ”Boss, I mean Meng Jie no harm. I only wanted to get on her good side because she’s your girlfriend.”

”I don’t believe you.”

Chen Yansen stared directly at Ye Qiuping and said with a soft chuckle.

At twenty-eight, Ye Qiuping was like a classic book, growing more voluptuous and mature with time. She was radiant and lovely. Her white blouse, gray blazer, and linen wide-leg trousers perfectly complemented her killer figure.

”Then what must I do for you to believe me?” Ye Qiuping sighed in resignation. ’As a subordinate, isn’t it perfectly normal to get on the good side of the potential ’first lady’?’

That’s right. In her view, Meng Jie was likely just one of Chen Yansen’s many backup options.

Judging by Chen Yansen’s smooth moves, she refused to believe he only had one girlfriend.

”Draw the curtains,” Chen Yansen commanded airily, leaning back in his executive chair.

Ye Qiuping’s heart skipped a beat. She instantly understood his meaning, though she wished she hadn’t.

An hour later, Ye Qiuping bit her lip and finally couldn’t resist asking, ”Boss, are you almost... done?”

Chen Yansen glanced at his wristwatch and said with displeasure, ”Be good and stay down!”

...

...

「Three days later. Ten in the morning, April 8th.」

The Orange Mobile Power Supply launched simultaneously on six major channels: Orange Mall, Pinbei, Taobao, Sunning, Gome, and Kuai Pao Delivery.

10,000 mAh, for only 69 yuan!

For comparable power banks, generic brands sold for a little over 100 yuan, while major brands were priced at over 200.

Orange Technology’s total user base had already reached 20 million. Their demand for power banks was considerable, and a price of 69 yuan was certainly not expensive.

In the first hour of the launch, they sold 80,000 units!

Buyers in Hu City and Luzhou received their orders just half an hour later.

At this point, Taobao and Jingdong had yet to realize the threat posed by forward warehousing. They just thought Orange Technology’s strategy of pre-stocking products in Cloud Speed Express warehouses and at delivery stations seemed a bit foolish.

Delivery times were shorter, yes, but the warehousing and management costs were too high. It would be difficult to implement on a large scale.

Ma Liyun, upon hearing about it, didn’t give it much thought.

On the other hand, Liang Changlin, the boss of Hu City’s Yaya Network, was greatly inspired after ordering an Orange Mobile Power Supply on Kuai Pao.

He mulled it over and over. ’If I were to set up an online service station in the middle of a dense residential area to provide services like housekeeping referrals, property fee payments, package drop-offs, grocery shopping, and appliance repair, wouldn’t that be like creating an offline version of 58 Mall?’

The more Liang Changlin thought about it, the better the project’s prospects seemed. It would avoid direct online competition with 58 Mall, and it wouldn’t have to compete head-to-head with Kuai Pao.

Unlike the O2O model, he defined this business model as S2C (Service-to-Consumer): helping personnel in housekeeping, renovations, and appliance repair sell their skills and services directly to buyers.

There were two avenues for profit: first, taking a commission on sales, and second, selling the platform’s own products.

Liang Changlin was a military veteran and acted decisively. Within two days, he had registered the trademark ”Dingdong Xiaoqu” (Dingdong Neighborhood) and begun recruiting R&D staff and delivery riders in Pudong’s Zhangjiang Science Park.

「Elsewhere.」

Chen Yansen, along with Gao Weilin and Song Yuncheng, was heading to Luzhou by car.

Just as they got off the highway, a call came in from Xu Minggang.

”Junior Brother Chen, have you made it to Luzhou? I’ve booked a table at Luzhou Prefecture tonight for a welcome dinner for you.”

Xu Minggang’s laughter was hearty, his tone familiar and warm.

”I have a meeting scheduled with Secretary Tao. How about we all meet together?”

Chen Yansen suggested with a smile.

He didn’t have the time to entertain Xu Minggang, Tao Jingwen, and the others one by one. It wasn’t as if they’d never dined together before, anyway.

”Alright, don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll handle all the arrangements,” Xu Minggang said, readily taking charge.

Chen Yansen then hung up the phone.

His trip to Luzhou was twofold: first, to attend the unveiling ceremony of the Luzhou No. 4 ”Super Factory,” and second, to obtain a legitimate taxi company license from Meng Yuanzhi.

Within Huian Province, only Meng Yuanzhi would dare to grant him one.

Fast Taxi, after all, was completely different from a traditional taxi company. Its drivers joined the platform with their own cars; the company itself didn’t own a single vehicle in its fleet.

This alternative and rather peculiar operating license would likely not be recognized anywhere outside of Huian Province.

Furthermore, the number of part-time drivers (i.e., private car owners) on Fast Taxi was also ballooning.

In 2012, Fast Taxi was constantly walking a fine line between legal and illegal.