Rebirth 08: Can a mobile game company also build a tech empire?

At the end of 2008.

The cold of winter did not seem to dampen people's enthusiasm.

An unprecedented buying frenzy swept across the country.

And at the heart of this craze,

It's an MP4 player called "Zhengtu Z1".

It was six o'clock in the morning, and the sky was still not fully light.

Long queues have already formed outside the digital malls in major cities in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Shanghai's Buynow Plaza, Nanjing's Zhujiang Road, Hangzhou's Wensan Road, and so on.

These are renowned hubs for Chinese electronic products.

On this ordinary weekend morning, a spectacle unseen for many years unfolded.

The team was mostly made up of young faces.

The young people, wrapped in down jackets, rubbed their hands together, exhaling white breath, but their eyes were fixed on what was in front of them.

"I heard that two hundred units arrived today, and we're number fifty-something in line, so we should have a chance," a boy whispered to his companion.

"My roommate queued for three hours yesterday, and when it was his turn, there wasn't a single hair left," his companion said, tightening his scarf.

Similar conversations murmured in each queue.

They were talking about the photo of the Journey Z1 that Cheng Lin posted on her QQ space.

They were discussing how fun the built-in games were.

They were talking about "Down the Mountain," a song that had already topped various music charts.

In the eyes of these young people,

The Z1 has transcended the scope of an ordinary MP4 player.

Instead, it became a popular symbol.

If anyone has a Conqueror Z1,

That's the most handsome guy in the crowd.

The same thing happened online.

In 2008, most people did not trust online shopping platforms.

However, it's simply not available in physical stores.

They had no choice but to move online to compete for the prizes.

It was exactly 10:00 AM.

The "Zhengtu Technology Official Flagship Store" on Taobao still has 500 units in stock.

In the instant of the rush to buy.

The number immediately becomes "0".

And every time there's such a buying frenzy.

The scalpers who rushed over upon hearing the news were like sharks smelling blood.

"Who managed to snag the pink 16GB? I'll add 200 to buy it!"

"Local resident of Nanjing, looking to buy a Z1 Journey Online game for an extra 500 RMB. DM me if interested!"

"Student looking for one, buying at retail price, may good fortune be with you always..."

The reason why the Z1 is so popular is...

Of course, this wouldn't have been possible without Lu Chen's divine intervention.

He achieved this with minimal publicity costs.

This directly created an overwhelming publicity campaign.

If any young person doesn't know about the Z1, they're considered outdated.

Cheng Lin played a key role in this.

This original internet celebrity is becoming increasingly associated with the Journey Z1.

She didn't just post a penguin status and then ignore it.

Instead, it's in everyday life photos.

For example, watching videos in the dormitory, playing games on the bus, listening to music in the library, and so on.

Intentionally or unintentionally, the user revealed that they were using the Conquer Online Z1.

Cheng Lin's posts showcase the Penguin Space dynamics used by the Journey Z1 in different life scenarios.

These can generate hundreds of thousands of reposts and discussions.

The song "Down the Mountain" became a hit both online and offline.

It became a popular song in shopping malls, radio stations, and even campus radio stations.

Word-of-mouth among users has also created a tremendous force.

They shared screenshots of their game completion on social media platforms.

Showcase the machine's exquisite appearance in the classroom.

I played high-definition movies on my Z1 TV in the dorm.

This is the user experience of real users.

More convincing than any other GG.

……

2009 1 Month 1 Day.

Headquarters of Hangzhou ZhengTu Technology Co., Ltd.

Although Hangzhou is located in the south, it is still cold in winter.

Today is New Year's Day, but the company is even busier than on weekdays.

The telephone rang incessantly, and the sound of keyboards clicking filled the air.

Inside the office, Lu Chen was listening to reports from several team leaders.

"Mr. Lu, as of today, all offline stores across the country are running out of inventory."

Zheng Yong held a notebook in his hand and reported the data to Lu Chen one by one.

"Our stores in the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta regions, including Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, are all sold out."

Some of them even sold their display units.

Meanwhile, stores in Luzhou, Hongcheng, and Guancheng have a combined remaining inventory of less than one hundred vehicles.

"hiss……"

A low gasp filled the office.

"This...this is way too exaggerated!"

Zhao Yongqiang found it hard to believe.

Lu Chen sat in the boss's chair, his fingers lightly tapping the table.

"What about online channels?"

Lu Chen asked.

Zheng Yong continued speaking without pausing:

"Major online shopping platforms such as Taobao, JD.com, Dangdang, and Amazon,"

We restock almost every day.

At least 8000 units were deployed in total.

They are all sold out!

"How much inventory is left?"

Lu Chen continued to ask.

"Out of stock!"

Zheng Yong closed the notebook.

We prepared 20,000 units in stock before the sale started.

I originally thought it would take a long time to sell them.

And it's only been less than a week...

They're all sold out!

As he was speaking, Zheng Yong's phone rang again.

After glancing at it, he turned off his phone and said:

"Look, the delivery guy is calling again to chase up the order."

From the day the Conquer Online Z1 went on sale

I receive almost endless phone calls every day.

Some merchants call at least three times a day to urge delivery.

After saying that, Zheng Yong gave a wry smile.

Fortunately, this is a happy kind of trouble.

But if not handled properly, it can turn into a real disaster.

"How's the production line going?"

Lu Chen asked.

Since the inventory is completely depleted,

Of course, we need to expedite production.

"The production line is running at full speed!"

A voice came from the phone.

It was Wu Zhixuan who had been steadfastly working beside the production line.

"Our original three production lines produced 1,500 units per day."

I requested two more production lines.

A total of five production lines operate in three shifts per day.

Under the extreme conditions of ensuring quality,

We can produce a maximum of three thousand units per day!

"Not enough, not nearly enough."

Lu Chen considered it in his mind.

"At the current sales rate, at least four thousand units need to be produced every day."

Moreover, based on this sales trend...

Perhaps at least ten thousand units need to be produced every day!

"Ten thousand units?!"

Wu Zhixuan exclaimed in surprise from the other end of the phone.

"Boss Lu!"

That's impossible!

Our production simply can't keep up!

Lu Chen shook his head and said directly:

"Then we'll find another contract manufacturer."

There are countless contract manufacturers across the country.

It doesn't necessarily have to be all done by one company.

"But,

We produced too much.

What if we can't sell them?

"Believe me,

Our Z1 can definitely handle that much production capacity!

"All right!"

Wu Zhixuan chose to follow Lu Chen's instructions.

"Engineer Zhao,"

Since neither of them has time,

You just help with the supply chain.

The supply of all component manufacturers must not be interrupted!

"What if they ask for more money?"

Zhao Yongqiang hesitated.

"Now is not the time to worry about costs."

Lu Chen waved his hand.

"Market opportunities are fleeting."

The Z1 is popular now because we seized the window of opportunity.

By the time the counterfeit factories reacted...

Or wait until major manufacturers like Meizu, Ramos, and Lenovo join this race.

Our advantage will quickly disappear.

Therefore, the only strategy now is to capture the largest market as quickly as possible.

Lu Chen slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and said firmly.