Stronger by Paying Salaries and I Have 1 Billion Employees

’Once the QR code voucher verification feature goes live, they won’t even be able to hold onto their market share in the group-buy business. And they still want to compete with Kuai Pao for market share in food delivery? Absolutely delusional!’

Pei Yi put down Meituan’s market plan and muttered to himself.

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On September 6, Shunfeng announced it would officially launch its electronic waybill technology after September 15.

The next morning, thirteen express delivery companies, including Tiantian, Guotong, and Guofeng, joined the Cloud Speed Express Alliance one after another. They would share data interfaces with Cloud Speed, and in return, Cloud Speed would license its electronic waybill technology to each company for the price of one fen per waybill.

When Ma Liyun found out, he rushed to call the heads of Tiantian and Guotong, but their response was, ”We will definitely join Cainiao Logistics, but Mr. Ma, you can’t stop us from joining the Cloud Speed Express Alliance, either.”

’This bunch of fence-sitters, they’ll lean whichever way the wind blows!’

Although Ma Liyun was furious, there was nothing he could do. He had only signed letters of intent with companies like Tiantian, Guotong, and Guofeng, not exclusivity agreements. He had no right to restrict their actions.

The biggest problem was that Cloud Speed’s electronic waybill technology had already been patented. The patent, titled ”Electronic Ticket Information Processing Method, Apparatus, and Electronic Device,” had an application date of May 2012.

The technology itself wasn’t difficult; the hard part was promoting it.

It was just like with the Windows and Android systems. Was it really impossible for the billions of people on Earth to develop a completely new operating system?

Of course not!

Microsoft and Google had adopted a differentiated operational strategy—primarily free, supplemented by paid services—bringing most of the world’s countries and regions into their service range. This cultivated a massive market, a rich software ecosystem, and a large base of application developers.

Even if a mobile operating system superior to Android were to appear, promoting it would be an immense challenge.

This was also the key reason Chen Yansen was in such a hurry to create his own system.

The smartphone market in 2012 was not yet saturated; domestic smartphone penetration was only around 30%. Launching Aurora Future OS at a time like this would make it much easier to change the tide.

The Android system was powerful, but if even iOS could carve out a niche for itself, then Aurora Future OS naturally could too.

Ma Liyun pulled out his phone, tempted to call Chen Yansen and confront him, but he quickly abandoned the thought.

As a businessman, he knew some things were better left unsaid. Speaking them aloud would only complicate matters.

If the Cainiao Logistics project was to proceed smoothly, it was inseparable from electronic waybill technology.

In other words, he would have to go to Chen Yansen for it.

Unless they could get around Cloud Speed Express’s patent, Cainiao Logistics would be stuck using traditional paper waybills.

After a long moment of contemplation, Ma Liyun finally dialed Chen Yansen’s number. ”President Chen, on behalf of Best Express and the nascent Cainiao Logistics, I would like to purchase the patent license for the electronic waybill technology from Cloud Speed Express.”

E-commerce Ma’s tone was perfectly level, betraying no hint of his feelings.

”No problem,” Chen Yansen agreed readily. ”I’ll have someone from our intellectual property department reach out to Ah Li.”

’Even setting aside their personal relationship and looking at it purely from a business perspective, Ah Li and Ma Liyun had never deliberately targeted him.’

’A year ago, they had partnered with Augusta and Lotte Capital in an equity swap, spending 20 billion Hua Yuan to acquire FoxTao.’

’After that, they had invested in both Kuai Pao and Fast Taxi.’

’If it weren’t for Pinbei, his relationship with Ah Li would be just as good as his relationship with Penguin.’

’Besides, forcing Ma Liyun into opposition with Senlian Capital wouldn’t do him any good.’

’In any case, Pinbei had always kept a low profile in the e-commerce space. Its only high-profile move was participating in the 418 Home Appliance Festival. It wasn’t like Liu Qiangdong, who was always shouting slogans about ”surpassing Ah Li in five years.”’

In a way, Ah Li and Pinbei were peers and competitors, but not enemies.

Jingdong, which was constantly vowing to pull Ah Li from its throne as the industry’s number one, was Ali Baba’s true enemy.

Even though Pinbei seemed to be the bigger threat.

”You agreed?” Ma Liyun asked, almost instinctively.

He hadn’t expected Chen Yansen to agree so readily. He thought he would have to offer something in return to seal the deal.

”Ah Li is an important partner of Senlian Capital. It wouldn’t make sense for Shunfeng, Tiantian, and Guotong to get the patent license, only for us to refuse Ah Li, would it?”

Chen Yansen said with a light, teasing laugh from the sofa in his office.

After hearing this, much of Ma Liyun’s anger instantly subsided. A faint smile touched his lips. ”Kuai Pao has invested heavily in the group-buy and food delivery sectors. When are you starting the Series B funding round?”

The implication was clear: in the local lifestyle services sector, Ah Li was still a firm supporter of Senlian Capital.

”Let’s talk after the Internet Conference,” Chen Yansen said offhandedly, pushing the timeline back a bit.

Kuai Pao’s Series A funding round had raised a total of 180 million US dollars from several firms, including Ah Li, Penguin, Jinsha Venture Capital, and Gao Ling Capital.

Less than 10% of that had been spent competing with Eleme.

Expanding into the North China, East China, and Central China markets over the last three months hadn’t consumed much either. The remaining funds were more than enough to support Pei Yi in completing the expansion into the Southern China and Northeast markets.

Besides, Qian Du and Meituan Takeout had yet to expand beyond Yanjing, while Kuai Pao’s operations in other regions were already profitable, contributing around two million in net profit daily.

Therefore, Chen Yansen wasn’t the least bit worried about Kuai Pao’s finances.

”Sounds good. I’ll see you in Yanjing, then,” Ma Liyun said with a smile.

Chen Yansen exchanged a few more pleasantries, then asked with feigned concern about the progress of the Cainiao Logistics project.

Ma Liyun’s expression darkened, but he didn’t avoid the question. Instead, he answered vaguely that the funding, sites, and partners were all still under negotiation.

Chen Yansen thought to himself, ’You’re so slow, you’ll be eating my dust.’

’The Cloud Speed Express Alliance was founded first, and Cainiao Logistics will be founded later. People will just call Cainiao a copycat.’

Ten minutes later, Chen Yansen hung up the phone.

’Since Lao Ma hadn’t chosen to burn all his bridges, he certainly wasn’t going to be the one to flip the table.’

’Backing Ah Li into a corner would do him no good.’

’Kuai Pao and Fast Taxi might not be short on cash for now, but we need to continue fundraising. By the end of the year at the latest.’

Chen Yansen’s eyes narrowed slightly as he mulled it over.

’Whether it was Penguin, Ah Li, DST, or Huake, Huaxin, and Investment Attraction, he had to use equity to bind them closer.’

’Only when their sunk costs were high enough would investors like Penguin and Ah Li not dare to abandon Kuai Pao and Fast Taxi so easily.’

For the next few days, Chen Yansen spent all his time with Wang Teng and the team, methodically advancing the development of Aurora Future OS. The underlying architecture design was complete; the remaining work on the compatibility solution, graphics rendering engine, and security framework could be handed off to the R&D department.

On September 10, the Kuai Pao app updated to version 2.0, adding a scanning feature and a group-buy code function.

The way vouchers were redeemed in the group-buy industry was turned on its head in an instant.

After trying it out, merchants and users immediately discovered the convenience of the group-buy codes.

Driven by the group-buy codes, Kuai Pao’s group-buy business grew at an incredible rate, rapidly closing in on Lashou Network’s market share.