Rebirth 03: Starting a Business After Giving Up a Secure Job

Chapter 147 New Year's Start

On the eighth day of the first lunar month, before the festive atmosphere had completely dissipated, the streets of Shenzhen had already returned to their usual bustling scene.

On the first working day after the Spring Festival holiday, the office building in the science park where the Shenzhen branch is located became lively again.

At 8:30 a.m., employees entered the office one after another, exchanging New Year's greetings. Some enthusiastic employees gave their colleagues local specialties brought from their hometowns, creating a fresh atmosphere for the new year.

Lin Feng arrived early and had already been dealing with emails in his office for a while.

At nine o'clock sharp, he picked up a thick stack of red envelopes that had been prepared in advance from the table and walked out of the office.

When the employees in the office area saw their boss coming over with red envelopes, they were all very excited and rushed to wish him a Happy New Year.

"Happy New Year, everyone!" Lin Feng stood in the center of the office area.

"The New Year is over, and a new journey begins!" He held up the stack of red envelopes in his hand. "As usual, everyone gets a red envelope for good luck. This year, I hope the company and everyone can reach new heights."

As soon as he finished speaking, enthusiastic cheers and applause erupted in the office area.

The boss is generous; you get a red envelope as soon as you start work. Although the amount isn't much, the joy is real.

"Thank you, boss!"

"May the boss make a fortune in the New Year!"

"The company's performance continues to be excellent!"

Words of thanks rose and fell. Lin Feng began to distribute them personally, giving one to each of his earliest core members and the new employees recruited before the new year.

Every employee who received a red envelope beamed with smiles, and the post-holiday fatigue seemed to be largely dispelled by this "lucky charm."

"Do a good job." Lin Feng would say this briefly or pat everyone on the shoulder when sending the message.

Lin Feng arrived at Lin Xiaowen's workstation.

Seeing Lin Feng approach, she subconsciously stood up, her cheeks slightly flushed. Surrounded by colleagues, though they were unaware of their deeper relationship, she still felt a strange nervousness.

Lin Feng remained calm, handed her the red envelope, and said the same thing he did to others: "New Year, new beginnings, keep it up!"

"Thank you, Brother Feng!" Lin Xiaowen accepted the red envelope with a bright smile on her face.

After the red envelopes were distributed, the atmosphere in the office became noticeably more lively. The sounds of keyboards clicking, phones ringing, and discussions gradually increased, and everyone quickly got into work mode.

Lin Feng returned to his office, and Wu Wenjie and Lin Xiaoqiang followed him in.

"Once the boss gives out red envelopes, everyone's enthusiasm immediately goes up," Wu Wenjie said with a smile.

"Just for good luck." Lin Feng sat down. "How are the preparations going in Huicheng?"

Wu Wenjie put aside his jokes and began to give a serious work report: "The office space has finally been decided on in the Entrepreneurship Park in Huicheng JB District. The rent is cost-effective, the surrounding transportation is relatively convenient, and it's not too far from several large industrial parks. The simple renovations were completed before the Spring Festival, and the desks, chairs, and basic equipment are in place, and the network is also connected. It can be used at any time."

Lin Feng nodded.

Huicheng was one of the first key cities in their nationwide expansion, and they were given high resources and had high expectations for it. However, Huicheng is very close to Shenzhen, and it is impossible for them to assemble a full team in a short period of time like they could in Shenzhen.

"Where are the personnel?" he asked.

"According to our previous strategy, I will concurrently serve as the initial station manager of Huicheng Station. The heads of the four core sections—housing rental and sales, recruitment and job seeking, second-hand goods, and housekeeping services—will also temporarily be concurrently held by key personnel from Shenzhen."

Xiaoqiang is in charge of housing rentals and sales, Xie Xiaodong is in charge of recruitment, Wang Rui is in charge of second-hand goods, and Li Li is in charge of the housekeeping sector.

The specific ground promotion, customer service, and operations staff were recruited before the Spring Festival through local channels and online, totaling about twenty people. Their basic qualities are acceptable, but they need training.

We've already sent out recruitment notices after the Spring Festival, and interviews are being arranged over the next couple of days. We expect to be able to hire another fifteen to twenty people.

"Okay, let's set up the architecture first. The key is to get the business running smoothly. We can continue to add and optimize personnel." Lin Feng expressed his approval.

This approach of having core members take on multiple roles and rapidly replicating existing methods was the tone he set for the initial expansion, ensuring that execution remained true to plan and controlling risks to the greatest extent possible.

"Xiaoqiang, while you're handling things in Huicheng, you can't slack off in Shenzhen either. You need to train your deputy well and delegate tasks to them."

"Don't worry, boss, I know what I'm doing!" Lin Xiaoqiang puffed out his chest and assured him, "I'm familiar with several areas in Shenzhen, so I can make arrangements. In Huicheng, the demand for rental housing is definitely high. I've done my research; there are many factories there, and a large number of workers are concentrated there, so there's no shortage of rental housing. The key is to get the information flowing smoothly."

"That's the idea." Lin Feng gave Lin Xiaoqiang an approving look. Since following Lin Feng, Lin Xiaoqiang has become quick-witted, diligent, and has grown rapidly.

"The situation in Huicheng is a bit different from that in Shenzhen. Brother Jie, could you elaborate on your thoughts?"

Wu Wenjie was well-prepared: "When I went to Huicheng the year before last, in addition to finalizing the venue and personnel, I focused on researching Huicheng's industrial and population structure. Unlike Chengdu, which has many universities, and Shenzhen, which is a mix of white-collar workers and migrants, Huicheng's biggest feature is its dense manufacturing industry."

Especially in the industrial zones north and south of the Yangtze River, there are tens of thousands of factories producing home appliances, electronics, clothing, and hardware. These industrial workers constitute the largest group in the city and are also our most significant potential customers.

He continued speaking at length: "Most of these workers come from other places or other towns in the province, and their ages are concentrated between 18 and 35."

At this age, with a moderate income, the willingness and demand for consumption are actually very strong, but the channels for obtaining information are very traditional and inefficient.

Their biggest pain points, or rather, their essential needs, are concentrated in the following aspects:

First, there's the issue of employment. Factory workers have high turnover rates, with many looking for jobs, switching factories, or learning new skills. Meanwhile, factories are hiring in large numbers, but job postings are scattered among shady employment agencies and young men near the factory gates, making it difficult to distinguish between legitimate and fraudulent listings.

Secondly, accommodation. Factory dormitories are generally in poor condition, and many people want to rent a place, but they are unfamiliar with the area, find it difficult to find a place, are easily scammed, and cannot find suitable roommates.

Third, lifestyle. After get off work, eating, shopping, and entertainment are basically limited to a few streets around the factory, with limited choices and inconsistent quality.

Fourth, the circulation of secondhand goods. The workforce is highly mobile, often having unused items to dispose of or wanting to buy cheap secondhand goods. However, currently, this relies mainly on word-of-mouth among fellow villagers or small, spontaneously formed markets in corners of the factory area, which is inefficient and unsafe.

Lin Feng listened attentively. Wu Wenjie's research was thorough and had identified the key pain points.

"Alright! Let's go to Huicheng now and put your ideas into practice." Lin Feng stood up.

"Alright! I've got the car ready, and the gas tank is full!" Lin Xiaoqiang excitedly grabbed the car keys.

The black Santana drove out of Shenzhen and onto the highway leading to Huicheng. Lin Xiaoqiang drove steadily, while Lin Feng sat in the back, watching the scenery rushing past the window, pondering Wu Wenjie's earlier plan and the tough battle that was about to unfold in Huicheng.

The Santana exited the highway and entered Huicheng city.

The streets weren't as wide and bustling as those in downtown Shenzhen, but the flow of vehicles and pedestrians was still dense, with factories and shops displaying various signs on both sides of the road. The car turned into a startup park in the JB district and stopped in front of a five-story building.

"This is it, the third floor." Lin Xiaoqiang parked the car and pointed upstairs.

The newly rented office is on the third floor, taking up the entire floor. It was just renovated, and there's still a faint smell of paint and glue in the air. But the windows are open, so there's good ventilation.

The walls were painted snow-white, and the floor was covered with gray composite flooring. The office area was divided into several sections by light gray partitions, and brand-new computer desks and swivel chairs were neatly arranged, with unopened boxes of office supplies piled up in the corner.

At the very back are two separate offices: the station manager's office and the meeting room.

There were already about ten people in the office area. Some were wiping down the desks and chairs, some were assembling simple filing cabinets, and others were setting up computers and the network.

Upon seeing Lin Feng and his two companions enter, everyone's eyes immediately turned to them.

Wu Wenjie clapped his hands, his voice echoing in the somewhat empty office: "Everyone, stop what you're doing for a moment and come over here. President Lin is here to see you all."

The crowd quickly gathered around. These were the first batch of employees recruited around the Spring Festival, both men and women, all quite young, with the naivety of someone just entering the workforce still evident on their faces.

"This is Mr. Lin, the founder and chairman of our local life website," Wu Wenjie introduced. "Boss, these are our first batch of colleagues at Huicheng Station. Most of them are locals, but some have come from surrounding cities. They are all quite familiar with the situation in Huicheng."

Lin Feng nodded, his gaze sweeping calmly over each face, and said briefly, "Welcome to the company! Tongcheng Life Network Huicheng Station is our first step outward this year, and it's also a crucial one."

The situation here is different from Shenzhen. Station Master Wu should have already explained this to everyone initially: what we need to do is not simply replicate the website, but rather establish ourselves locally and serve the citizens of this area well.

The young people's eyes focused, and Lin Feng continued, "This job isn't easy. You have to run around the factory area, deal with all sorts of people, and be patient and hardworking. But if you do it well, it's valuable. You can help others and also achieve something for yourself."

I have one requirement for everyone: be genuine. Be genuine to your fellow workers, genuine to your businesses, genuine to your work. Make the phrase "Workers' Home" truly meaningful.

Without grand, impassioned slogans, the simple language was more palatable. The tension on the faces of several employees eased slightly, and some nodded gently.

Then Lin Feng distributed start-of-work red envelopes to the employees at Huicheng Station. Everyone's face was filled with surprise!

"Station Chief Wu will guide you through the specific tactics. I want results." Lin Feng said, looking at Wu Wenjie.

Wu Wenjie took over the conversation and began to assign specific tasks: who would be responsible for continuing to improve the local information entry on the website, who would be responsible for contacting the human resources departments of key factories in the surrounding area to negotiate cooperation, who would be responsible for collecting and verifying housing resources, and who would prepare on-the-ground promotion materials. Starting tomorrow, they would go down to the industrial area to "sweep the streets".

Lin Feng walked around the office, looked at the initial setup, and then went to the window to look at the street scene outside.

Across from the startup park is an old residential area, and further away you can see rows of factories and towering chimneys. The atmosphere here is indeed quite different from the science parks in Shenzhen and the university towns in Chengdu.

Just then, footsteps sounded at the office door.

Several young people, both men and women, around twenty years old, walked in wearing brand-new bright yellow "Tongcheng Life Network - Workers' Home" T-shirts, their faces showing the excitement of starting their first job. They were carrying stacks of printed materials, folding tables, display racks, and other supplies.

The young man at the head of the group, who had dark skin and looked very energetic, immediately greeted Wu Wenjie upon seeing him: "Station Chief Wu! All the materials have been retrieved from the warehouse and counted; everything is complete! Manager Xie told us to move them over first."

Wu Wenjie nodded and introduced them to Lin Feng: "These are the first batch of field promotion specialists we recruited for Huicheng Station. This is Wang Hai, a local, familiar with the Jiangbei Industrial Zone. These are Li Xiao, Zhang Tao, and Liu Fang—"

He called out each name one by one, and then said to the young men, "This is the company boss, General Manager Lin."

"Hello, Mr. Lin!" Several young men greeted him in unison, looking a little reserved, and secretly sized up Lin Feng with curiosity.

Lin Feng was younger than they had imagined, and he also had a calmer aura.

"Everyone, put your stuff over there first." Wu Wenjie pointed to a corner, then clapped his hands, gathering all the ground promotion staff together.

"Everyone's here, let's get started. Lin Xiaoqiang, Xie Xiaodong, Wang Rui, and Li Li, you four section leaders, each take your people out and explain today's tasks, methods, and precautions to your new colleagues. After the training, assign people to specific areas and routes."

"clear!"

"Okay!"

Lin Xiaoqiang, Xie Xiaodong, and others responded in unison, and the team quickly split into four small circles.

Lin Xiaoqiang called the five or six people in his "House Rental and Sales" group to an area near the window. He dragged over a whiteboard and began training them immediately.

"Our team has only one goal: to find real housing listings around the factory area, put them online, and help coworkers who want to rent or share a place to find a home efficiently."

Lin Xiaoqiang spoke with confidence. He started from the front lines of sales in Shenzhen, and his experience came from hands-on experience.

"How do you find them?" He glanced at the new recruits. "I'm not telling you to copy phone numbers from telephone poles! That's useless; nine times out of ten, it's fake or outdated information."

He picked up a pen and drew a simple map on the whiteboard: "With the three major factories, 'Huihuang Electronics,' 'Jiarun Plastics,' and 'Xinmei Toys,' as the center, the urban villages and old residential areas within a two-kilometer radius are our focus."

"This afternoon, in pairs, measure me with your feet!"

He assigned Wang Hai and another young man named Li Yong: "You two form a team, familiarize yourselves with the terrain, and go to the area around 'Huihuang,' focusing on Baishitang Village and Shangsha Village. What will you do once you're inside?"

Go check! See which buildings have "For Rent" signs posted. Observe the buildings' condition and the surrounding environment.

Go ask! Chat with the shopkeeper, the security guard, or the auntie sunbathing downstairs, offer her a cigarette, be polite, and ask what the rental market is like around here.

How much do one-bedroom, single rooms, and shared beds cost approximately? Are there any direct rentals from landlords? Are there many subletters? How are utilities calculated? What's the safety situation like? Write all this down in a notebook, organize it when you get back, and then register it on a local life website.

He then looked at the other two: "You two go to Jiarun's place, using the same method. Remember to not only ask about prices, but also pay attention to the surrounding environment—the distance from the village to the factory gate, whether there are roadside stalls or small markets, and how convenient the living conditions are. These are things the workers care about."

Lin Xiaoqiang emphasized, "Remember! Don't make any promises to the landlord on your own. Your task is to find out the situation, make an initial impression, and ideally get the contact information of one or two reliable landlords, security guards, or small shop owners to become familiar with them."

If someone proactively asks if you're a real estate agent, confidently say you're from "Tongcheng Life Network - Workers' Home," providing free rental information and currently collecting listings. Leave them a flyer. Got it?

"Understood, Brother Qiang!" The young men nodded.