Who would still start a business seriously after being reborn?

Chapter 617 Let's get the wool!

Jingzhou City, headquarters of Momo Group.

Holding a freshly printed market briefing, Wang Yan strode into Cheng Yi's office, a look of disbelief on his face. "President Cheng," he said, "the ads on the portal website have been published as you requested. But I still don't quite understand why we're helping Huawei promote their EC300 internet cards. They're practically in cahoots with Lianxiang now, trying to poach our customers."

Cheng Yi turned around and smiled, "President Wang, we need to look at the essence of the problem. What does it mean if Huawei sells more network cards?"

"What does that mean? Does it mean more people are using their campus pioneer program for Wi-Fi?" Wang Yan pushed up his glasses and asked hesitantly.

“That’s right, but at a deeper level, they are helping us, educating the market, and cultivating user habits for the entire industry.” Cheng Yi walked to his desk and said, “The commercial use of 3G in China has been stuck and hasn’t been implemented yet. This 2.5G network is a feature of China. Although the network speed is not fast, it can still help us make money.”

"You could say they're paving the way for our future mobile internet. Once users get used to connecting anytime, anywhere, and once tariffs come down and the technology matures, who do you think will be the biggest beneficiary? Will it be them, who can only provide hardware and basic network infrastructure, or us, who have a whole online ecosystem including QQ, Renren, games, and virtual trading platforms?"

A flash of understanding crossed Wang Yan's eyes, and he said, "I understand now. They are helping us open up the future battlefield. They work hard to build the road, but in the end, it is our cars that run the fastest."

“That’s exactly the point,” Cheng Yi said with a smile. “So, we not only need to help them, but we need to help them a lot, so that they feel that this path has a bright future and invest more resources in building it. Our 200 yuan subsidy for purchasing the phone may seem like we are doing a favor for Huawei, but in reality, we are accelerating the market education process and, incidentally, sowing discord between them and Lianxiang, whose alliance was not strong to begin with.”

He paused, then smiled and said, "This is also the foundation for the rise of UT. While Microsoft MSN is making great strides, you might as well calm down and work with Mr. Ma to figure out the mobile versions of QQ and UT. If 2.5G network cards are really widely adopted, there will probably be a huge business opportunity in the mobile market."

"Okay." Wang Yan nodded.

Although he didn't really believe in the so-called mobile market, since Cheng Yi said so, he would just do as he was told.

At this time, the joint promotional news launched by major portal websites under the Momo Group also caused quite a stir in the IT industry and capital market.

Many financial weekly magazines have published a series of reports on this topic.

Honor extends an olive branch, offering subsidies to Huawei EC300 users who purchase a new phone! Is this a move to reconcile, or is there another motive?

[Is Momo Group taking a reverse strategy to help its competitor's product? Analysts suggest it may be an attempt to dismantle the anti-Momo alliance.]

The 2.5G wireless network card market may be poised for explosive growth, with Momo and Lianxiang vying for a foothold, but will Huawei emerge as the biggest winner?

At Huawei headquarters, Xu Hou frowned slightly as he looked at the news on the screen.

"Mr. Xu, the data shows that since Momo started promoting our EC300, sales have indeed seen a significant increase. Many distributors have reported that many users are coming in with Momo internet cafe advertisements to inquire about our products." Xu Hou's secretary placed a report in front of him.

"What tricks is Momo Group playing?" Xu Hou muttered to himself.

He didn't believe that Momo Group would be so kind as to help its competitor, but the tangible increase in sales was something he couldn't ignore.

This contradiction made him have a more subtle feeling about cooperating with Lianxiang.

Perhaps Huawei's interests are not entirely aligned with Lianxiang's.

The 2.5G wireless network card is an important step for Huawei in the field of communications. If they can take this step, they will also be able to get ahead in the 3G field.

Regardless of Momo Group's reasons for helping them promote 2.5G internet cards, they are grateful.

At Lianxiang Group, Yang Yuanqing was so angry that she almost smashed a cup.

"Shameless! Despicable!" he said in a deep voice to the marketing director. "Does Momo Group think it can shake our alliance with such petty favors? It's wishful thinking!"

The marketing director cautiously said, "Mr. Yang, their S1 laptops already have an extremely competitive price-performance ratio, and now with this subsidy, they're putting pressure on our Whisper series. Many students who originally intended to buy our products are now hesitant, and some are even inquiring about the Honor S1 with a Huawei network card instead. Our current pricing is quite awkward. The low-end version is 2999 yuan, and you can buy the Honor S1 for a few hundred yuan more. Moreover, if you buy the Huawei network card, you can get a 200 yuan subsidy, which brings the price down to the same as our low-end version."

Yang Yuanqing's expression immediately turned much uglier.

He realized that he had underestimated Cheng Yi's reaction speed and the ruthlessness of his attacks.

This tactic of using someone else's strength against them not only neutralized Lianxiang's offensive but also doubled the pressure back, while also planting a thorn in the side of the alliance.

“Tell our channels, and we’ll lower the price too! Isn’t it 3200? We’ll set our price at 3200 too!” Yang Yuanqing said through gritted teeth.

“If we price it at 3200, we’ll lose money. Our on-the-ground promotion is already costing us a lot of money, and now the S1 computer, after deducting subsidies, is equivalent to 3000,” the marketing director said in a trembling voice.

Yang Yuanqing thought for a moment, then slammed his hand on the table and said, "Then we'll go for 3000! Our brand value far exceeds theirs. In the PC field, we have nothing to fear!"

The marketing director sighed and said, "This will probably need to be reported to the board of directors for approval."

"I'll talk to the board of directors. You just need to carry it out. Speed ​​is of the essence! Do it right away." Yang Yuanqing glared at him.

"Yes!" The marketing director didn't dare to say anything more and left immediately.

Just as the battle on the PC side became even more intense due to the sudden emergence of the Honor S1 and the bizarre operation of Momo Group assisting Huawei, on another front, an even more absurd battle was quietly unfolding in a way that no one expected, and was quickly spiraling out of control.

Jingzhou City, a county under its jurisdiction.

In the county education department office, at three o'clock in the afternoon, the sunlight was lazy.

Section Chief Wang skillfully turned on the computer, but instead of opening Spider Solitaire or Connect Four as usual, she didn't.

She first brewed a cup of chrysanthemum tea, then took out a small notebook from the drawer, which was filled with several MSN accounts and passwords.

"Xiao Zhang, your account is logged in. You can collect your full amount of points in half an hour," Sister Wang said to the young clerk at the next table.

"Okay, thank you, Mr. Wang! I'll come early tomorrow morning to hang it up for you!" Xiao Zhang replied with a smile, still busy organizing documents, but his eyes kept glancing at the time in the lower right corner of the screen.

This scene is not an isolated case.

At almost the same time, similar scenes were playing out in the offices of various enterprises and public institutions throughout the county.

The MSN client allows users to log in to three accounts simultaneously, and some computers even use split-screen software to run multiple virtual machines to host even more accounts. All of this stems from the on-the-ground promotional activities conducted by Momo Group's virtual equipment trading centers, which are located throughout the country's counties and districts.

Under Cheng Yi's instructions, the managers of each trading center acted swiftly.

They hired local farm tricycles, decorated them with colorful ribbons, attached loudspeakers, and hung eye-catching red banners on both sides of the truck bed.
[Hey computer folks! Earn money just by leaving MSN running! Just 2 hours a day, earn 200+ a month! Easy and stress-free!]

[Huge Discount on the Honor S1 Laptop! Purchase a laptop and enjoy various great gifts. High-end configuration for only 3200 yuan! Earn money while your computer is running!]

One after another, these propaganda floats began to travel through the streets and alleys of the county town, near government offices, schools, and state-owned enterprise compounds.

The loudspeaker was playing enticing advertising slogans on a loop:
[Dear friends and colleagues! Microsoft's MSN software is offering a major promotion! Simply register for MSN and stay online for two hours daily to receive 9 RMB worth of points, which can be redeemed for cash at an 80% discount in our trading center! It's simple: just log in and turn on your computer—no further action required! This is a rare opportunity, so don't miss out!]

This kind of simple, direct, and money-making-oriented advertising has unparalleled power in third- and fourth-tier cities and county towns.

For many employees of enterprises and institutions, computers are readily available, internet fees are covered by the company, and there is plenty of time.

Leaving the computer running for two hours every day can earn you more than 200 yuan extra a month, which is almost equivalent to one-fifth of the monthly salary for many people in small towns!
This kind of temptation is simply irresistible.

Thus began a massive campaign to exploit loopholes and exploit loopholes.

Although Huaxia Shangding Technology has set up barriers such as mobile phone number verification and real-name authentication to prevent fraudulent activities, these obstacles are easily overcome by the powerful wisdom of the masses.

It's common for a person to have two or three mobile phone numbers, and real-name authentication can also be done using a family member's ID card.

Soon, various MSN AFK strategies, how to run multiple AFK sessions on one machine, off-peak AFK schedules, and mutual AFK services began circulating in various QQ groups.

In the county agricultural department office, Section Chief Li proudly imparted his experience to the new intern: "Little Zhao, look, this computer is great. I installed a virtual machine and can run four accounts simultaneously! This older one can run two accounts smoothly without affecting our normal work. Remember, 9 to 11 a.m. is peak time, and the server is prone to lag. It's best to avoid that time; running the computer in the afternoon is smoother..."

In the teachers' office of the county primary school, Teacher Wang and Teacher Li, who were not teaching, were handing over their shifts.

"Teacher Wang, your computer has been running for almost two hours, right? Let me log off and stay logged in for a bit. My account is still logged in."

"Okay, okay, it'll be done soon. You have such a good memory, it's even more accurate than the school bell."

There have even been some proxy listing services.

Some computer experts or people with free time specialize in helping those who don't have time or don't know how to operate the computer by leaving it running in the background, and they charge a service fee for it.

The computers in various units were no longer idle.

From morning till night, there are people working in shifts almost 24 hours a day.

During the day, employees work and leave their computers running in the background, while evenings and weekends become income-generating times for those who live nearby.

The computer fan hummed loudly, and the MSN icon on the screen lit up incessantly, creating a peculiar scene.

This trend quickly spread from districts and counties to some prefecture-level units, and even some departments with less stringent supervision participated.

MSN's registered users and daily active users began to surge at an almost absurd rate, with the curves becoming unusually steep, completely deviating from the normal growth trajectory of internet products.

Less than ten days later, the technical lead of Huaxia Shangding Technology discovered the problem. He immediately took out his phone and reported to the person in charge, Chen Yongzheng: "Mr. Chen, the user growth is too fast! And... and these users' behavior patterns are highly consistent. Almost all of them log off after 120 minutes, and check the redemption page very quickly after receiving the points. There is very little other social behavior. This is too abnormal!"

Chen Yongzheng was still basking in the joy of the surge in users, but after receiving this call, his smile faded.

Because the marketing department also submitted a report.
The stock of game cards available for redemption is being depleted at an alarming rate, with daily subsidies pouring out like a flood.

"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly! It must be Momo Group pulling the strings behind the scenes, hiring online trolls to inflate data." Chen Yongzheng was both shocked and furious, and ordered the technical department to strengthen risk control and ban abnormal accounts.

However, although the technical department banned some users who used the sandbox software to run multiple instances, it did not stop the trend.

This shows that most users are normal.

They just use their spare time to earn a little money.

Left with no other choice, Chen Yongzheng had to ask the technical department to find a way to eliminate some normal users.

Eliminate those users who are just online on MSN but don't interact at all.

But when they blocked Zhang San's account, Zhang San quickly called and complained to their customer service department.

Customer service hotlines were overwhelmed with calls, and inboxes were overflowing with complaint emails.

What's more troublesome is that some employees from affected units even used their connections to express their dissatisfaction. Although the matter was minor, it put Huaxia Shangding under immense pressure.

The users they're dealing with seem to be quite complex.

Meanwhile, at Momo Group, Cheng Yi couldn't help but laugh as he listened to Zhao Gang's report on the interesting stories he had collected from various news bureaus.

“Excellent! This is exactly the effect we wanted.” Cheng Yi laughed and said, “Right, we can move on to the next step. Let the World Vision’s People’s Livelihood Channel report on this emerging way of leisure and wealth creation appropriately, but we need to be careful about the angle. We need to be objective and neutral, even a little bit sarcastic. We must not lead the discussion. We want Microsoft to reap the benefits of this surge in users on its own.”

“Understood. We will only report on the phenomena. As for the advantages and disadvantages behind these phenomena, we will let the audience judge for themselves.” Zhao Gang immediately nodded in understanding.

As a result, a news story about getting rich through the new trend of hanging up computers in the office appeared on the "Get Rich" section of the Global Vision's People's Livelihood Channel.

This made things even more lively.

Even the sales of Lianxiang Whisper Notebook and Honor S1 Notebook have shown a straight upward trend.

(End of this chapter)