Back to the prime of life

Chapter 209 Response
Lu Changge now acts like a businessman, with his company booking all his flights and hotels. However, since it's the startup phase, first-class travel is no longer an option.

As a 'celebrity,' he was also worried about being recognized, in fact...

They were indeed recognized.

Especially for younger people who love surfing the internet, they don't miss any online events, so how could they not recognize his face? Plus, he's quite handsome, so he naturally becomes the center of attention when he stands in a crowd.

Of course, it wasn't as exaggerated as fans chasing celebrities. It was just two rather shy girls who were secretly talking about him from behind while queuing to board the plane. Later, they didn't expect to be sitting in the same row, so they mustered up the courage to greet him.

Group photos must have been popular at that time, right?
He was being presumptuous and thinking this, but the other person hadn't actually made that request. They just said, "You don't mind being photographed, do you?" and then started frantically taking pictures of him with their phone.

She can be considered one of the first generation of internet celebrities.

Lu Changge came to Beijing this time to record a program.

Because his business and the way he started his business were very positive, he was quite popular with official TV stations. After Lu Mang successfully raised funds, he became a boss, and now he is somewhat of a celebrity on the internet. Considering the ratings, TV stations are more likely to contact him.

However, he was not among the established entrepreneurs. For example, in this entrepreneurship guidance program, other big names like Jack Ma were the entrepreneurship mentors, while Lu Changge was just an audience member sitting in the first row.

When the program requires it, he is allowed to participate in some topic discussions and answer a few questions, that's all.

And so, he had to make a special trip. He had no choice; it was to promote his company, especially since the other party was CCTV.

Another reason is that these business people love to come here because they can 'socialize' and get up close and personal with successful entrepreneurs.

This reason should be ranked first, except for Lu Changge.

It's not that he's arrogant, but these big shots simply won't bother with you until you become valuable. Even if you leave your phone number, so what? Different circles, don't force it.

It's probably only Jack Ma who would go through the motions with him, since Lumang is the kind of 'small and micro enterprise' that people say needs to be supported as much as possible.

The show itself wasn't anything special; Lu Changge's main purpose in coming here was to respond to his opponent's dirty tricks.

This is also part of business competition and company management. The host asked these business leaders, "In the process of growth, in addition to overcoming a series of problems such as insufficient resources and talent, small businesses are also easily suppressed by larger competitors. In this regard, do you two executives have anything to share with us?"

The two bigwigs, one surnamed Ma and the other surnamed Liu, both spoke with an air of nonchalance, saying casually, "This is perfectly normal. Competition is inevitable, and there will be no shortage of cutthroat competition. It would be abnormal if there were no competition. Moreover, the absence of competition and the lack of anyone tripping you up isn't necessarily a good thing; it means you haven't experienced any major upheavals. I think it's better to experience these things early on. If you wait until your company has 10,000 or 30,000 employees to experience them, things will fall apart, and you'll be in even more chaos."

Sitting below the stage, Lu Changge thought to himself, "This guy's eloquence and bragging skills are exactly the same as what I knew in my previous life."

"This question was asked to me by our General Manager Lu. So, General Manager Lu, are you satisfied with this answer?"

Lu Changge stood up, took the microphone, and said, "Satisfied, that coincides with what I was thinking. Our company also felt during internal discussions that experiencing some cutthroat competition and enduring malicious slander from competitors are all necessary steps on the path to growth. Difficulties and setbacks will always remind us why we started in the first place."

Since Mr. Ma is here today, let me make a statement: we will always remember that Lumang was just a small Taobao shop on its very first day. My classmate and I served six customers that day. At that time, we agreed that since we were opening a shop and doing business, we should do it well. We said eight words back then: "Don't cheat people, provide good service."

"Hahaha."

Everyone on and off the stage burst into laughter.

As everyone knows, Lu Changge was not just answering this question, but responding to the recent online comment that he was 'running a small Taobao shop'.

To be honest, this comment was somewhat offensive to Mr. Ma. The people who opened small Taobao shops were his users, and even corporate users who paid him money. But because of what that Mr. Chen said, it was as if they had become something that couldn't be discussed in public.

So, besides giving his signature ugly smile, he also spoke on Lu Changge's behalf, holding the microphone, "I just talked to Changge, and I told him I envy you. He was surprised and asked why. I said that when a company is small, there are fewer things to worry about, so you can focus on how to serve your users. Those times are actually very happy. But when a company grows big..."

He rolled his eyes as he said this, "There's a ton of messy stuff going on, one minute it's this, the next it's that, and you can't even connect with your users. If you live like this for too long, your mind will go haywire. I've been there, because sometimes I'd be busy for a whole month and still not know what I was doing. If you don't start thinking at that point, you're doomed. I've seen so many people, not just one or two, whose minds go haywire before they even achieve real success!" Lu Changge thought to himself, impressed; this guy could even insult without using a single swear word.

It seems like she's talking about herself, but she's actually helping Lu Changge to scold the other person for being "out of their mind".

But then again, Chen Nian's mind was definitely in disarray.

Once the show airs, with its explicit and implicit criticisms, coupled with Lu Changge's initiative to accept the title of "small Taobao shop owner," it becomes immediately clear who is magnanimous and who speaks maliciously.

After finishing there, Lu Changge got back to her car and called Li Ming, saying, "My work is all done. Now it's your turn."

He then described the situation in detail.

"Perfect, that's almost flawless. Leave the rest to me. I'll make sure he doesn't get caught in a media storm this time. Oh, by the way, who took your picture at the airport?"

Lu Changge asked curiously, "How did you know? Were you following me?"

"That's bullshit, I don't have that kind of hobby. It's your photo that got posted online, and someone commented, 'You're supposed to be a billionaire boss, yet you travel in economy class.'"

Most netizens can't distinguish between having a paper net worth of over 100 million and having over 100 million in cash. Anyway, the word "over 100 million" is the most eye-catching, and the other details are ignored.

Li Ming said, "This is also proof that you haven't forgotten your identity as a small Taobao shop owner."

He finished speaking and gave a meaningful smile.

Lu Changge shook his head. "Alright, Li Ming has now become his personal image manager."

Let him go.

Marketing oneself was part of the plan, although it's not a healthy model because a company's brand image largely depends on whether its individual makes a mistake, and that's unpredictable.

No one is perfect on a moral level.

But there's no way around it. Someone has already paved the way for Luman's model, and Pulsego has an even more arduous task ahead. Without this unconventional approach, the chances of success are slim, not to mention the turmoil that would follow.

Moreover, this problem is not unsolvable. He can gradually fade out of the public eye. Internet companies are winner-takes-all, so he won't need to do marketing and can still develop rapidly.

After leaving Beijing, Lu Changge didn't take a plane back because he wanted to go back to Huai River.

Two things, one big and one small.

The minor thing is that at the beginning of the year, he persuaded his aunt to go back home to set up a swimming pool, which was almost done. It wasn't something that would earn him much money in a year, but his family insisted that he go back.

The important thing is that Xu Qiuxue has also gone home for the summer vacation, and Lu Changge has something to talk to her about.

That's what Lu Changge was thinking, but when he answered his aunt's call, he still said, "Don't worry, I will never forget your important matter!"

"That would be best! I was quite startled when I saw you in Beijing. I thought you had abandoned me because of something so important."

"How could that be?"

(End of this chapter)