After rebirth, I became a great master

Chapter 576 Business Strategies Are All Converging

If you want to get into the internet industry, you can't just be honest and straightforward; you have to take some unconventional approaches.

It's only 98 now.

Many unorthodox methods have not been developed.

Even those in the industry are unaware of this, let alone the financiers who are waving their cash into the market to invest.

Zhou Haoran needs to teach the Americans a lesson.

"The path of heretical cultivation..."

Dongfang Lang got excited; he liked this.

It felt more exciting than the main route.

Zhou Haoran didn't know much about these two alumni who were skilled in hacking, so he vaguely said, "There's an American website that needs some user data. The data, well, it's all fabricated."

"Data fabrication..."

Kang Zhixue opened his eyes wide and blurted out.

However, Dongfang Lang immediately interrupted him, displeased, "What kind of talk is this? It's all real, how is it fake? The real number is 100 daily active users, but changing it to 1 daily active users is what's fake. The backend data is a real 1 daily active users, and it's also reported as 1 daily active users, how is that fake?"

"But……"

Kang Zhixue, being a college student, lacked awareness.

Dongfang Lang immediately thought of a reason and explained, "Well... you could call it 'watered-down data,' not 'fake data.' It's like buying an Apple computer. If you buy a US version of the computer that has been smuggled into China, that's called a grey market import, not a fake. The computer is real; it's just that it's from abroad."

"is this okay?"

Kang Zhixue was somewhat worried; this was really too wild.

Dongfang Lang laughed and said, "What are you afraid of? Aren't you a hacker? Besides, we're sending you to mess with American websites, not domestic ones. Even if you cause trouble, it'll be Americans."

"Ha ha!"

Upon hearing this, Kang Zhixue burst into carefree laughter.

Dongfang Lang said, "Let alone the fact that this kind of thing can't be discovered, even if it were, you're in the country, and the Americans don't have the ability to come here to investigate. As long as you don't say anything, no outsiders will know."

Ding Shuyu, another usually taciturn man, spoke up at this moment: "There is a difference between parallel imports and genuine products. They may look the same, but you can still tell the difference. Real data and fake data are also similar. Real user data and simulated fake data can be distinguished through statistical models."

Zhou Haoran said calmly, "Many things are the same; if you investigate, there will be problems; if you don't investigate, there will be no problems."

"Yes, as long as they don't investigate, everything will be fine."

Dongfang Lang was quite relaxed about this.

Just like with grey market and officially imported computers, these days even many professionals can't tell the difference. Because they're so similar and the differences are minimal, many people ask friends to buy computers from abroad and bring them back to China.

"What if they investigate?"

Ding Shuyu pressed for an answer.

"No one will investigate!"

Zhou Haoran wasn't worried at all.

Such things, not to mention now, even ten or twenty years from now, the industry and even the whole society will turn a blind eye to them. Many of these behaviors are even suspected of being fraud. In the internet industry, they are commonplace.

For example, 100 clicks can generate $1 in advertising revenue.

Making money will then be easy.

Generating clicks will bring in a steady stream of advertising revenue.

This is the simplest revenue generation model.

Anyone involved in the internet industry can't avoid it.

In traditional industries, they would have been arrested for fraud long ago.

Zhou Haoran frankly said, "I have a friend who started a website in the United States. It's just started and doesn't have much data yet. Let's think of a way to increase his active users in the United States."

This kind of thing is technically easy to solve.

Just change the IP address.

The United States does not require real-name authentication.

The problem lies in the scale; it requires simulating tens of thousands of US IPs on a single computer. This will require careful testing, as it's the first time this has happened in the industry and necessitates technical testing and innovative business models.

Ding Shuyu asked, "How much do you want?"

Zhou Haoran laughed and said, "We can take it slowly. In the first few days, the daily active users can be in the tens or hundreds, then in half a month, they can be in the thousands, and in two months, the daily active users can exceed 10,000."

What website is it?

"The Trademark Website just launched."

……

The two geeks left.

Dongfang Lang stayed behind and immediately asked, "Is this trademark website you mentioned the internet version of the project that won the UN Gold Medal for Antarctic?"

"almost."

Zhou Haoran nodded.

Dongfang Lang said excitedly, "I knew it! This is interesting. I have to be involved in the whole process. I'll be in charge of things on the domestic side!"

Zhou Haoran chuckled and said, "You understand the internet?"

"What don't you understand?" Dongfang Lang said dismissively. "It's just like a traditional business, cloaked in the guise of the internet. It's like a new store opening. What do you do if there are no customers? Then you hire shills. You hire a bunch of shills to line up, and the buzz starts, attracting real customers."

Zhou Haoran said, "The kind of store you're talking about is still the traditional model."

"So what is the new model?"

Although Dongfang Lang was full of clever ideas, he knew that compared to Zhou Haoran, he was a rather honest man. Zhou Haoran smiled and said, "It's right to invite people over for the opening of a new store. Inviting people over will create a lively atmosphere and attract real customers. That's true. But how much money can you make? A store is lucky to make a few thousand yuan a day, and that's still a small business."

"What about a big deal?"

"To make capital."

"what?"

Dongfang Lang was stunned for a moment.

Zhou Haoran said, "To open a new store, we need to get people involved. The goal is not to attract real customers, but to open franchise stores and attract people who want to open stores but don't have the connections, and then collect franchise fees from them. If the franchise fee for one store is 500, then opening 100 franchise stores would generate 5 million in revenue. If we can go public, that would be hundreds of millions."

"Play it like this?"

Dongfang Lang's eyes widened as he truly witnessed what real unorthodox methods were.

Zhou Haoran remained calm and slowly said, "If Trademark.com wants to make money in the short term, it can't be from ordinary users' money, nor from merchants' advertising fees, and certainly not from those partner companies. It must make money from the capital market."

"Experts are deceiving laymen..."

Dongfang Lang hit the nail on the head.

Zhou Haoran retorted angrily, "This isn't fraud, it's investment! Investment involves risk, otherwise why would it be called venture capital?"

"Then..." Dongfang Lang thought for a moment, then asked with a puzzled look, "Trademark.com, which companies should we partner with?"

Zhou Haoran said, "Of course, it's the Fortune 500 companies, like Microsoft, ExxonMobil, General Motors, Toyota, PetroChina, and so on."

"Huh?" Dongfang Lang couldn't help but chuckle. "Really? Is there any basis for cooperation? Would they even be interested in you?"

Zhou Haoran glanced at him, "Go back and think about it!"

exactly.

The next day, students from the student group went to the Red Mansion Teahouse to ask the Master for advice on business.

This man's name is Shao Lei.

Together with a few friends, he contracted a poorly managed state-owned department store and decided to develop it commercially.

The business of department stores is based on rent collection.

Merchants are invited to join the platform, and rent is collected from them.

So the question is, what qualifications do merchants have to join the platform?
Shao Lei tried many methods but could not solve the problem, so he had no choice but to ask the master for advice.

Who did you contact?

Zhou Haoran invited him to his private tea room, where they chatted over tea.

Shao Lei said bitterly, "We've approached many businesses, including Nike, Pierre Cardin, Nanji Ren, Montagut, Baleno, ESPRIT... but none of them are willing to come. Those who are willing are mostly small businesses, many of which don't even have a proper brand, and they can only offer limited rent."

Zhou Haoran laughed and said, "Taking over a state-owned department store isn't that easy, is it?"

"If I had known it would turn out like this, I would never have done it in the first place."

Shao Lei also realized that he had acted on impulse. He was originally the deputy general manager of another department store, but after reading Mr. Da's letter, he was inspired and went into business.

Zhou Haoran said casually, "It's easy to solve."

"There is a way?"

Shao Lei's face immediately turned rosy.

Zhou Haoran said, "If you want to cooperate with well-known manufacturers, you still need to show some sincerity."

“I have shown great sincerity. I even…” Shao Lei lowered his voice, as if he were talking about a trade secret, “I even waived their property management fees.”

"not enough."

Zhou Haoran shook his head.

"What's going to happen?"

Shao Lei asked eagerly.

Zhou Haoran said, "It's completely free."

"what?"

Shao Lei was stunned for a moment.

Zhou Haoran suggested, "For top international brands, not only should you waive property management fees, but you should also waive rent."

"Rent-free?" Shao Lei's eyes widened in disbelief. "How are we supposed to make money then?"

Zhou Haoran shook his head slightly. "Rent-free may not be enough. If it's a luxury brand like LV, Hermes, Bulgari, or Cartier, it would be best to help them with the renovation so they can move in with just their bags, and arrange staff to provide services in real time."

"This……"

Shao Lei was completely confused and felt he couldn't keep up with the master's train of thought.

Zhou Haoran laughed and said, "Mr. Shao, this kind of department store business is ultimately a real estate business, it's commercial real estate. The soul of the real estate business is just one thing, and that is land speculation."

"Land speculation..."

Shao Lei, who had been the deputy general manager of a department store, seemed to have some realization after hearing what he said.

Zhou Haoran said calmly, "If an area has international big brands like Chanel and LV set up shop there, then that area becomes a high-end district. Then brands like Nike and Baleno will want to move in even if they have to pay a premium."

"Offer free services to big brands, speculate on land! Then exploit herd mentality to charge small brands exorbitant rents!"

Shao Lei suddenly felt enlightened.

Zhou Haoran said, "When top-tier brands are around, first-tier brands all want to pay a premium to get closer to them. When first-tier brands are around, second-tier brands all want to be next to them at a high price, so as to show that they are on the same level as them."

"So that's how it is! I understand now! Sir, I understand everything now that you've explained it." Shao Lei was very excited, his eyebrows dancing with excitement. "Just like that Young Master Zhou, he always likes to get close to you. It's as if by getting close to you, Young Master Zhou is now on the same level as you, Sir."

Zhou Haoran laughed and said, "Business tactics are all pretty much the same."

(End of this chapter)