I can become stronger by paying salaries. I have one billion employees!

Chapter 406: 167.3 million pre-sale orders! Launching the Douyin Project! Brother Xiao, your dad's here!

More than a dozen apps, including Pinduoduo, Kuaidi Dache, Toutiao, Lingxi Browser, Gaode Map, and Xiaohongshu, offer free data usage for a monthly fee of 19 yuan. Data usage outside the plan is charged at 1 yuan per 500MB.

The first internet phone card attracted the attention of tens of millions of users upon its debut.

The package was then shared on Weibo, and unsurprisingly, it climbed into the top ten of the trending topics list within just one hour.

The people have suffered from excessive data charges for too long!

Many people have the habit of turning off their mobile data before going to bed, fearing that they will wake up the next day to find that they owe the mobile network a "house" (i.e., a debt owed to the operator).

When browsing the internet on my phone, I usually avoid videos like the plague.

Who would dare use mobile data to watch videos?

That's like having money to burn!
Although the telecom company would throttle the network speed to 2G after users exceeded 40GB of data per month, in 2013, most users only had 1GB of data per month, and they simply couldn't imagine how they would use up 40GB.

Pre-sale price: 9.9 yuan!
It mainly covers card production fees and postage.

Officially shipping on April 12th!
We will adopt an instant delivery method that combines food delivery with pre-positioned warehouses!
Within 12 hours of its launch, the pre-sale orders reached a staggering 13.7!

Chen Yansen originally wanted to test the market reaction first, but he did not expect that users' hunger for traffic was far beyond his imagination. So he simply opened up the pre-sale channels and inventory restrictions on April 3.

He wanted to see just how many orders he could sell before shipping them out!
Headquarters in Hangzhou.

Inside the Peach Blossom Island office, Ma Liyun's expression was solemn, and a hint of embarrassment flashed in his eyes.

It's not that we necessarily want to focus on Chen Yansen copying, but rather that internet-targeted data cards are extremely important for Ali's development.

"I had no choice but to do this!"

Ma Liyun found a plausible excuse for herself.

There are too many main images on e-commerce apps, and users wouldn't dare to open Taobao without a Wi-Fi connection.

The data allowance of only a few hundred MB in the package is hardly enough to cover the data consumption of loading images.
If Ali can partner with telecom operators, users of Tmall and Taobao will be able to browse products anytime, anywhere, which will not only significantly increase shopping time but also boost platform transaction volume.

copy!
We must copy it thoroughly!
"Who is suitable to be in charge of this business?" Ma Liyun asked.

Lu Zhaoxi had just taken over as CEO of Alibaba. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I suggest that Zhang Yu be given the position. She has worked in the group for many years, is familiar with Alibaba's business system, and has rich experience in operations."

“I agree with President Lu’s opinion.” Zhang Yong looked at Jiang Fan, intending to promote him, but compared to Zhang Yu, Jiang Fan’s qualifications were still too shallow.

“Okay, let her come then.” Ma Liyun made the decision immediately.

He is in a hurry!
Approaching fifty, Ma Yun (the founder of Alibaba) only wants to go public as soon as possible, enter the social software field as soon as possible, and increase Alibaba's valuation as soon as possible.

The age of fifty is a major hurdle for ordinary people, and it was the same for Ma Liyun.

You can't be buried up to your waist before you've reached the pinnacle of your life, can you?

Unlike Ma Wenteng, Li Yanhong, and Chen Yansen, who are in their prime or youth, he is already planning for retirement.

Now, he has handed over Ali Baba to Lu Zhaoxi and entrusted Yao Mao and Tao Bao to Zhang Yong, only offering advice on strategic direction.

the other side.

Ma Wenteng frowned deeply. If he weren't afraid of being targeted by the mobile network, he would definitely have cursed them online.

A few days ago, China Mobile specifically criticized WeChat for consuming network resources and proposed charging WeChat for its services.

Screw you!

The spirit of the internet is free!
If WeChat charges fees, would anyone be foolish enough to use it?

Isn't this just playing with penguins to the point of exhaustion?
Fortunately, he was no pushover in Shenzhen either, possessing an amazing network of connections. Through his relationship with Guangdong Telecom, he managed to deflect the criticism from China Mobile.

"Damn it! Orange Pay has also added a chat function, but they're targeting Tencent. Do they think I'm easy to bully?"

Ma Wenteng cursed under his breath.

Sitting to the side, listening to his boss's curses, Liu Zhiping advised, "Pony, charging social media apps is a step backward; the higher-ups won't agree to it."

“I know, but the higher-ups didn’t stop it, which means someone wants to put a strain on Tencent.” Ma Wenteng squinted, his tone displeased.

He's not afraid of being hit by an iron fist, but there has to be fairness and justice, right?
Chen Yansen's speech at the 'IT Leaders Summit' was much more arrogant than his own, and the three major telecom operators seemed to be blind.

"Tencent is too strong in the social field, whether on PC or mobile, which is why it is being suppressed."

Liu Zhiping changed his way of expressing it.

"We'll make internet-specific data plans too!" Ma Wenteng said firmly.

"Then the short videos?" Liu Zhiping asked cautiously.

“Of course we can’t let them go either,” Ma Wenteng replied confidently.

Liu Zhiping opened his mouth, but hesitated, thinking to himself: Aren't you afraid that Chen Yansen will turn against you?

“Mr. Chen and I are close friends. It’s better for me to copy it than for an outsider to do it.” Ma Wenteng seemed to have seen through Liu Zhiping’s thoughts and waved his hand as he spoke.

Liu Zhiping smiled wryly, but he had to admit that Pony's words weren't wrong.

Just as Ma Wenteng had predicted, in a three-bedroom apartment in Huaqing Jiayuan, Wudaokou, Yanjing, Chen Yixiao had just finished launching the GIF Kuaishou AFOS version and was now engrossed in watching Mimo short videos with several core members of his team.

Although Mao Chaorong has made rectifications, borderline videos are considered normal content in North America, and watching them makes several people feel physically aroused.

Chen Yixiao squeezed her legs together, critically studying Mimo's product logic.

"Brother Xiao, this thing has only been online for four months and it's already amassed 40 million users with 15 million daily active users?" Yang Yuanxi asked incredulously.

"The visual impact of short videos far surpasses that of GIFs. We've been doing this for two years, and we don't even have 100 million users. I've been wondering lately if we've taken the wrong approach?"

Chen Yixiao stroked his chin and shared his opinion.

Two years ago, after leaving Renren.com, he successfully persuaded Yang Yuanxi, a fellow client-side development engineer, and his college roommate to embark on the entrepreneurial journey together, thanks to his eloquence as a Northeasterner.

Two years later, however, they were still living in this cramped three-bedroom house. They could make money with GIFs and Kuaishou, but not much.

It's better than working, but not by much.

"Brother Xiao, do you mean we should copy this foreign software?" Yang Yuanxi pressed.

In the eyes of most Chinese people, Mimo is a genuine overseas application.

"This is called learning from others! What plagiarism? Besides, Mimo isn't a foreign app; its parent company is Senlian Capital," Chen Yixiao said, rolling his eyes.

"Senlian Capital?"

The others looked at each other in shock.

"We can't compete with Senlian Capital either, can we?" Yang Yuanxi shrank back, feeling that if the other party made a move, these little bastards would be dead.

"What's there to be afraid of! The market is huge. They get all the profits, and we'll just have the scraps. We can still make a fortune. I don't ask for much; I'll be satisfied with 1000 million a year."

Chen Yixiao said with great anticipation.

He paused, then asked, "Are you in or not?"

"Let's do it! Those who have nothing to lose are not afraid of those who have something to lose. What if it works?" Yang Yuanxi said with a grin without thinking too much.

"Knock knock knock—!" A knocking sound rang out.

"Brother Xiao, you just had lunch, and you've already ordered afternoon tea?" Yang Yuanxi thought he was a deliveryman.

"I didn't order anything!" Chen Yixiao said, stunned.

"I didn't order any!"

"Don't look at me, I haven't been paid this month yet!"

The remaining people all shook their heads.

Chen Yixiao touched his nose and said irritably, "What's the rush? Wait for the advertising fee to arrive."

This was the situation at Kuaishou in 2013. They often went hungry, couldn't even afford to rent an office, and seven people were crammed into Chen Yixiao's small house. "Knock knock knock—!"

"coming!"

Yang Yuanxi shouted and quickly ran out of the living room, turning the knob on the light yellow solid wood door.

Standing outside the door was a middle-aged man in his thirties, dressed in a suit and leather shoes that looked quite valuable.

He is nearly 1.8 meters tall, of medium build, and has a plump face.

"Excuse me, is this the headquarters of GIF Kuaishou?" the middle-aged man asked first.

Yang Yuanxi chuckled dryly, shamelessly admitting it, then asked in return, "Who are you?"

"Investors, we're here to give you money," the middle-aged man said with a smile, his accent a bit strange, like that of people from Hong Kong or Macau.

Oh, investors.

Fuck!
Big spender!

Yang Yuanxi's expression changed drastically. As he led the middle-aged man into the house, he shouted loudly, "Brother Xiao, Dad's here."

The middle-aged man chuckled to himself. He looked around and immediately understood why the other person was being so attentive.

"My dad?" Chen Yixiao walked out of the bedroom-cum-office, full of doubt.

……

……

One day later, in a spacious and brightly lit conference room at Zhuxianzhuang Science and Technology Park.

"Now that data SIM cards are about to be launched, it's time to put a domestic version of Mimo short video on the agenda."

Chen Yansen gave the order to Liang Bo.

Ma Wenteng is shameless; he might have already approved the project and is working overtime to develop a short video app.

Anyway, Douyin will be launched to the market sooner or later, so it doesn't matter if it's a year or two earlier. With another project, he can earn more humanitarian income.

“Okay, boss. We have experience in developing Mimo, so we estimate we can get it done in a month,” Liang Bo said confidently.

Douyin only needs to use Mimo's underlying framework, and the recommendation engine technology can also be shared.

"President Ye, remember to communicate with Zhao Maolin and include Douyin in the free data range." Chen Yansen turned to Ye Qiuping and whispered his instructions.

"OK, no problem." Ye Qiuping nodded slightly.

“Perhaps the revenue from the Star Card isn’t much, but it’s crucial to the development of the entire group. At least until the 4G licenses are issued and the 3G network speeds up and prices are reduced, it will allow Senlian Capital to maintain a leading advantage for two years in the mobile era,” Chen Yansen reminded.

“Boss, I understand,” Ye Qiuping nodded in response.

"Meeting adjourned," Chen Yansen said, standing up.

After saying that, he led the way out.

Just as he reached the elevator, he bumped into Zhang Yinjia, who then asked again, "Boss, don't forget the Cloud Creek private room in the Sky Garden at 7 p.m.

Chen Yansen rolled his eyes at Lao Zhang and hummed in agreement.

Zhang Yinjia chuckled and retreated tactically, preparing to have the marketing department review the process again.

The '100 billion yuan trial fund' event was just one step away from a perfect conclusion, so he was naturally extremely cautious.

Whether it will trend on search engines and become a hot topic tomorrow depends on tonight.

Chen Yansen returned to his office, tossed the documents onto the table, poured himself a glass of iced tea, and then leaned back on the sofa.

He was thinking about the progress of the data center preparation.

Xu Zhenhui took a gamble, risking everything to approve land and loans for Orange Technology. The location was chosen in the northeast corner of the virtual courtyard, covering an area of ​​60,000 square meters.

Only then did Xu Zhenhui realize that Chen Yansen's demand for a 10 billion yuan interest-free loan was not an attempt to exploit him, but rather because the construction of Orange Technology's data center did indeed require a high investment cost.

Servers, network equipment, storage devices, power supply systems, and air conditioning systems—which of these doesn't cost money?

The maintenance costs after completion are equally alarmingly high.

Another data center will be located on the border of Luzhou, next to Mihu Lake. The lake water will be used for cooling, with deep lake water flowing through the data center through completely sealed pipes to help cool the servers and save on operating costs.

However, further optimization is needed in server architecture, resource scheduling, storage system, and database design. Applying existing technical solutions results in high costs and low resource utilization.

To this end, Chen Yansen began to utilize his Planck Clock talent to drive the development process of the server operating system.

The people below are also capable, but General Manager Chen thinks they are too slow.

Meanwhile, after the Senlian Star Card was launched on channels such as Pinduoduo, Orange Mall, and Kuaipao, it received 80 million impressions in one day, and the number of pre-sale orders skyrocketed. In just 30 hours, 167.3 million phone cards were sold.

Kang Yiping and Zhao Maolin were completely stunned when they found out.

They had envisioned what would happen after the Senlian Star Card was launched, but they never expected that sales would approach 200 million in less than two days.

"I made the right bet!" Zhao Maolin exclaimed excitedly.

Looking at the excited Zhao Maolin, Kang Yiping couldn't help but sigh: "Little Zhao is truly a lucky general."

But then he thought again, this guy is all thanks to his connections.

Relying on the resources of Senlian Capital, they have gradually made their way to Luzhou, and there is no doubt that they may go even further in the future.

There's no guarantee that the spot under my butt will be left for Zhao Maolin.

Dragonscale Horse, its luck is just too good, you have to admire it.

Kang Yiping smiled and thought silently.

……

……

As dusk fell and the last rays of sunlight faded, a dark red sunset disappeared below the horizon.

A black and white Rolls-Royce slowly drove into the technology park and sped towards the virtual city area.

OrangePay's marketing staff had already arrived at the Sky Garden and set up their camera positions.

"Are you still taking photos and videos?" The girl, dressed in a black office lady outfit, made herself look more mature. She stared at the camera, her expression not very pleasant.

For this meal, she kept asking her parents for money. At first, she asked for 100,000 or 200,000 yuan, but when she found out that the first place winner had reached 10 million yuan, she changed the number to 5 million or 10 million yuan.

"Ms. Xu, our filming will only take ten minutes. The footage will be used for promotional purposes, so please rest assured. We will leave immediately when the time is up."

The marketing staff assured them with a smile.

A person who can come up with more than 90 million in working capital must be someone of great importance, and he was also afraid of offending the company's major clients.

"Oh, that's acceptable." The girl breathed a sigh of relief.

She returned to the private room, took out a Yao Cheng X1 phone, logged onto Toutiao (a Chinese news and information platform), and started browsing Chen Yansen's updates.

But she had no idea that all these accounts were managed by Ye Qiuping, and that the photos and captions were posted by Ye Qiuping, and had nothing to do with Chen Yansen.

At this moment, Chen Yansen had already arrived downstairs, while Xiao Li lagged half a step behind, closely following his boss.

With a "ding," the elevator doors opened.

Chen Yansen walked towards the private room.

Hearing the noise outside the door, the girl quickly went to greet them.

(End of this chapter)