Guan Yifeng quickly walked over:
"Boss, Kaixinwang just announced it has received a $3 million investment from Jinshajiang."
Chen Pingjiang nodded, not surprised at all.
Currently, Renrenwang, Xiaoneiwang, QQ Zone, and even Kaixinwang have actually entered a strategic stalemate.
Xiaoneiwang raised 2 billion yuan, making it very wealthy.
Tencent, an old empire, is not short on money, although they lag behind Renrenwang in the growth rate of registered users and market share.
However, a centipede doesn't stiffen even after death, not to mention the domestic market is indeed large.
"Just keep an eye on it."
In reality, Chen Pingjiang wasn't arrogant enough to think he could kill off Xiaoneiwang and Tencent.
Social networking sites survive on users' social relationships; a person might have different social relationships on different social apps.
This depends on the type of social networking site.
Even in later generations, people who use WeChat, QQ, and Weibo also use Momo and SOUL.
WeChat and QQ are mostly for work or strong relationships, Weibo is used for getting information, and the remaining Momo and SOUL are purely for making friends.
"Also, the meeting starts in five minutes."
Guan Yifeng checked his watch, timing it precisely.
On the 15th floor of Huijin Building, there's a particularly large conference room, shared by the two groups under Chen Pingjiang's name.
When Chen Pingjiang arrived, the "Iron Lady" legion of Zhizhen Catering and Miao Bingwei were chatting.
Seeing Chen Pingjiang, they all quieted down.
"Are you all wondering why I've called over the heads of the catering group and the Renren Waimai team today?"
Chen Pingjiang looked around and said with a smile.
Everyone nodded.
The attendees today looked peculiar; among Renrenwang's staff, only Miao Bingwei was present, no one else came.
After building up everyone's anticipation, Chen Pingjiang continued:
"Last year, we launched the Renren Waimai project. So far, the entire university student market in Dongjiang is ours. Later, we spun off the Renren Waimai project from Renrenwang, and not long after, the Renren Waimai project received 50 million RMB in venture capital."
"The reason I called everyone here today is for a follow-up project to Renren Waimai, which I call 'group buy'. Do you all know about group buying?"
Ge Mengshi looked at Chen Pingjiang with a mix of admiration and helplessness.
This young boss is truly energetic.
With so many projects under his belt, any one of them could be worth tens of billions in the future, yet he seems indefatigable, constantly launching new ventures.
As soon as he heard "group buy," Miao Bingwei immediately smiled:
"I'm familiar with that. The house I bought in the first half of the year had its renovation and building materials purchased through China Group Buy Online. It was much cheaper than finding a renovation company myself, with an average saving of 20% on decoration and building materials."
Speaking of group buying, people think of Lashou, Dazhong, and Meituan.
Little did they know that the earliest group buying project in China was Zhongtuan Online.
Of course, the products involved with Zhongtuan Online and Meituan-Dianping are quite different.
Since its establishment in 2006, Zhongtuan Buy began its operations with the slogan of expanding nationwide, starting in Guangzhou, Shanghai, and BJ.
It has now opened and operates over 100 city branches, becoming the largest group buy chain organization.
It specializes in providing group buy services for household consumption, with its main business covering decoration, building materials, furniture, home appliances, wedding services, automobiles, education, tea, digital products, etc.
Zhongtuan Online's model is online group formation and offline transactions, with partner merchants all being first-tier brands in their industries.
Chen Pingjiang nodded:
"Zhongtuanwang is a segmented group buy website primarily focused on building materials and home renovation. What we plan to do is a group buy website for food, drink, entertainment, and general life services. Although both fall under group buying, the fields are different."
"The life services group buy website I envision should include various types of consumption scenarios such as supermarkets, department stores, hotels, KTVs, fruit shops, restaurants, and bathhouses."
"For merchants, we are a promotional media and a sales channel, just like food delivery. For consumers, we provide assurance and a platform for saving money."
"The group buy model involves purchasing coupons or package deals online and consuming them at the store, with merchants verifying using a redemption code. The Waimai model is home delivery."
"If I want to eat at home, I order Waimai. If I want to go out for a meal, I use group buy to purchase coupons. Other places like KTVs and hotels can only use the group buy model."
Everyone present was very smart.
Upon hearing Chen Pingjiang's explanation, they immediately recognized the enormous market and business opportunities within it.
"General Manager Chen, this can be done! It feels terrifying just thinking about it. If done well, this could be a trillion-scale market. Just imagine, so many cities and counties across the country."
"Our Waimai department is currently mainly responsible for the Dongjiang market. We'd like to take on more. Both Waimai and group buying rely heavily on local merchants. Our ground promotion team can handle both tasks."
Ge Mengshi's eyes also lit up:
"This is the project you told me about before, isn't it? It's a very imaginative project, and once it takes shape, it will definitely empower the various brands under our Zhizhen Catering Group."
Merchants in later generations both loved and hated Meituan.
They loved that it could bring in previously unreachable consumer groups, significantly increasing sales, and served as a natural promotional channel.
What they hated was Meituan's extremely high commission.
Whether it was Zhu Yuanlan, the brand head of Xiao Chen Barbecue, Qin Suqin, the brand head of Miaochai, or Nan Xinzhi, who was in charge of the Taiyi Sauerkraut Fish project, all three were very excited.
Once the allied forces' promotional and sales channels were successfully deployed, how could their three catering brands not thrive?
Miao Bingwei mused:
"Technically, it's not difficult to implement. We just need to give merchants a separate operational backend where they can create online stores and list products, using the same framework as Renren Waimai.
After a customer places an order on the front end, a redemption code, a random combination of numbers and English letters, is automatically generated, and consumers use this code for consumption at the store."
"Other than that, there's no difference from Renren Waimai: the same rating system, scoring system, sales statistics, and backend system. It's too simple..."
Chen Pingjiang nodded:
"Technically simple, but similar to the problem faced by Renren Waimai, group buying is a platform that connects merchants and consumers. We need to persuade merchants to open stores on Renren Group Buy, and also persuade consumers to use Renren Group Buy to buy things."
"This requires a very strong ground promotion team, responsible for both promoting local merchants and promoting to consumers."
At this point, Chen Pingjiang looked at Gao Songbin, the current head of Renren Waimai.
The latter's heart pounded with excitement as he was watched.
What a huge piece of cake this is!
Gao Songbin felt that if he did this project well, it could completely earn him a seat on the board of directors.
"Chairman Chen, absolutely no problem. Although our ground promotion team dispersed when the Renren Waimai project was suspended, it only needs a month to reassemble. Then we'll establish main stations in first-tier cities, covering the four major first-tier cities in the first phase.
Furthermore, the Renren Waimai project will eventually expand nationwide, and with the group buy project's ground promotion team scouting ahead, future expansion will be much easier."
Chen Pingjiang smiled, looking at Gao Songbin, and asked,
"Do you have confidence?"
Gao Songbin pounded his chest vigorously:
"Absolutely! I dare to make a military pledge: within three months, I will assemble the Dongjiang team and cover all life service stores in the entire Dongjiang market."
This was a monumental task for Gao Songbin, and also what excited him the most.
Originally, he thought being transferred to the Renren Waimai project was like an exile.
Renren Waimai, having been spun off from Renrenwang, was truly unloved and struggled daily in the markets of various universities in Dongjiang.
Seeing the veterans who joined Renrenwang at the same time doing so well, Gao Songbin would be lying if he said he wasn't anxious.
Miao Bingwei is now part of the group's board of directors and the CTO.
Li Xi is a big shot in the marketing department, personally securing two or three small-target advertising investment projects.
Zhuo Ling and Zou Yu were also assigned by Chen Pingjiang to lead new projects.
Now it was finally Gao Songbin's turn.
If he could, he would really like to stand with hands on hips and laugh loudly.
Chen Pingjiang saw his confident look, nodded, and said:
"You'll liaise with Wan Yuqian to build the business promotion team according to your requirements, and quickly finalize talks with key merchants in the Dongjiang area. In the initial stage, don't go after every single one; focus on high-quality ones, and merchants will proactively join later. My only requirement for you is to establish a ground promotion team that is capable, daring, and can tackle tough challenges."
In the future "Hundred Group Buy War," there's no reason for Chen Pingjiang not to participate; this piece of cake is big enough.
Waimai is already established, wouldn't it be a shame not to do group buying?
Renren Group Buy can completely seize the opportunity, before Lashouwang and Meituan are even founded, to conquer the market first and become the champion, ready to face later challengers.
......
Back in the office, Guan Yifeng was already waiting, impeccably dressed in a suit, holding two suitcases.
"General Manager Chen, the plane departs in two hours, and the driver is already waiting downstairs."
"Neople Company has arranged for someone to pick us up at Incheon International Airport."
"The people from the accounting firm and law firm have already arrived at the airport ahead of us; we'll meet them there."
Chen Pingjiang nodded, wasted no more words, and turned to leave.
As he left, he happened to run into Ge Mengshi and others.
"Are you going on a business trip?"
Ge Mengshi asked curiously, looking at the two suitcases Guan Yifeng was pulling.
"Yes, going to Korea to negotiate agency for a game copyright."
Chen Pingjiang nodded.
Ge Mengshi couldn't help but click her tongue.
This young man's energy was unimaginable, but she also found a man focused on work to be truly handsome.
"Alright, be safe on your trip."
After watching Chen Pingjiang and his assistant enter the elevator, Qin Suqin and Nan Xinzhi, who had been standing behind Ge Mengshi, finally dared to speak.
"Oh my, he's so young, yet his aura is so powerful. I didn't even dare to speak when I was just facing Chairman Chen."
"Exactly, Chairman Chen usually seems so amiable, but once he's in work mode, his focus is truly intimidating."
"Hey, Shishi. I heard relationships with an older woman and younger man are very exciting, especially with such a rich bachelor."
Ge Mengshi seemed to think of something, her face flushing, a rare sight:
"Pfft, what nonsense are you talking about? I'm a whole cycle older than him."
"What's being a whole cycle older? You look like you're only in your twenties, in the prime of your life. Besides, it's nice to have a relationship. We don't have the chance."
(End of chapter)