Reborn in 08, Public Enemy of Competitors

Chapter 100 This is just the beginning

The sky was overcast, with dark clouds covering the ground.

The lights were all on in the conference room, and Shen Mo, Huang Zheng, Yuan Hua, Lu Wenbin, and Qin Feng sat around the table.

Yuan Hua said, "After the gutter oil scandal was exposed, Pinduoduo's edible oil orders have been increasing every day, averaging around 8 barrels per day."

"Now companies like COFCO and Luhua are willing to join Pinduoduo."

Huang Zheng continued, "And they all agreed to supply Pinduoduo with goods at a price 10% below cost for activities such as one-yuan flash sales."

"These terms are even more generous than what YiTao GO offered back then!"

Lu Wenbin said with a smile, "When we first approached them to move in, they all hesitated for several days."

Shen Mo said, "This is what we deserve."

"right!"

Huang Zheng nodded: "Our C2M model helps them bypass the various fees charged by traditional supermarkets, such as entry fees,..."

Display fees, shelf space fees, holiday expenses, sales rebates—all these add up to a considerable sum. Pinduoduo allows them to directly face consumers, cutting out all the intermediaries.

Shen Mo said, "So, if there are still brands and merchants who don't know what's good for them and are unwilling to join Pinduoduo, then I really have to doubt whether they know how to do business at all."

Lu Wenbin chimed in, "Don't worry, Brother Mo, most of the invited businesses have agreed."

Shen Mo turned his gaze to Qin Feng: "How are the prices of ginger and garlic now?"

"It went up, and it went up a lot."

Qin Feng said with a grin, "Ginger is now 1.5 to 1.6 yuan per jin, and in some places it has already reached 2 yuan. You know, at the beginning of the year, it was only 8 mao per jin, so it has almost doubled."

Yuan Hua's eyes widened: "Good heavens, it's only been a few months!"

"This is nothing."

Qin Feng smiled and said, "Garlic prices have risen even more outrageously. The retail price is now 1.3 to 1.5 yuan per jin (500 grams), and the wholesale price is around 0.7 yuan."

Huang Zheng's face was filled with shock: "I remember when we bought them—it was only 3 cents a pound, right?"

"The agency and wholesalers do charge around 3 cents, but the contract with the cooperative clearly states that it's only 1 cents."

Mao 2. "

When Qin Feng said this, everyone in the room gasped.

The garlic stocks I've been hoarding since the beginning of the year are now practically a gold mine.

Lu Wenbin was extremely excited. "Brother Mo, did you foresee that garlic prices would skyrocket, which is why you encouraged us to buy it in huge quantities?"

Seeing Shen Mo smile without saying a word, Huang Zheng didn't press the matter further. "When do we start shipping?"

"No rush," Shen Mo put down his teacup. "Let the bullets fly a little longer."

We are currently only on the eve of a surge in ginger and garlic prices.

The real frenzy was yet to come, especially from the second half of 2009 to 2010, when the price of a pound of ginger could reach 4.8 yuan.

yuan.

Garlic might even break through the 10 yuan mark and reach 12 yuan, resulting in exorbitant profits of dozens of times!

Not to mention the A-shares market, even in the US stock market, it's impossible to see such a meteoric rise in a year. Even Nvidia couldn't do it. As time passed, the WHO officially renamed "swine flu" to "H1N1 influenza A," and panic gradually spread.

For those who have experienced SARS, those days are unforgettable.

In just one day, the topic shifted from "Have you bought oil?" to "Have you bought face masks?" People in the office started asking—

People stocked up on hand sanitizer at their workstations, and some even dug out Banlangen (a traditional Chinese medicine) and face masks that they had kept at home.

Those who didn't have access to the pharmacy immediately took advantage of their free time over the weekend and lined up in long queues early in the morning.

They deliberately kept their distance from each other, stretching all the way to the end of the street.

The moment the pharmacy's roller shutter door opened, the crowd suddenly became disordered due to one person's scramble, and they all rushed inside.

"Line up! Line up! Don't push!"

The shop assistant had to shout several times before the situation was brought under control.

A middle-aged woman came out of the store, clutching two boxes of Banlangen granules in her hand.

This box of medicine usually costs only four or five yuan, but now it cost twice as much to buy it.

Although she didn't know how effective it would be, she felt at ease holding it in her hand, even though she had been on tenterhooks for days and nights.

People cast envious yet nervous glances, fearing they wouldn't get a turn, especially those holding motorcycles and bicycles.

"You absolutely have to have some. I've already been to seven or eight pharmacies. Those pharmacies are eager to sell out and close down. They don't limit the quantity. Some people buy more than 20 boxes at once and nobody cares."

"I'm so angry! We queued up for ages, and we still can't buy any."

A man pushing a bicycle was talking incessantly, which immediately resonated with those around him.

"Who says otherwise? Buying so much to make tea!"

As the conversation went on, it gradually veered off-topic, and the group showed no signs of moving forward, causing some people to become anxious.

"Why isn't this line moving!"

"Whoever steps forward to see what's going on, leave his place for him."

"Oh no, someone bought a whole bunch more!"

Ironically, his words came true.

Just then, a man with a large head and thick neck appeared carrying four white transparent plastic bags, which were filled with Banlangen (a traditional Chinese medicine) and face masks. Roughly speaking, there were at least 10 boxes.

The man holding the bicycle muttered, "Damn it, Lou, you didn't even leave us a little bit." "Damn it, I have money, so what if I buy more?"

The man's eyes widened. "I could have covered the whole thing just now, but I didn't; I've already been quite conscientious."

The man holding the bicycle said sternly, "Everyone's waiting in line, why are you buying so much? Does having money make you superior?"

"Sorry, money really can buy anything!"

The man raised his chin, took out a BMW keychain from his pocket, and twirled it on his finger.

"Blanch," he muttered quietly while holding the bicycle.

The people in the queue were filled with resentment, complaining more or less, and also blaming the pharmacy.

"Everyone, I'm so sorry!"

The shop assistant said, "If you can't wait, you can buy it on Taobao."

"Ugh."

The man holding the bicycle sighed.

Suddenly, my phone received a text message.

Not only him, but many people in the team received the exact same text message at almost the same time.

Pinduoduo launches online pharmacy, selling everyday medical supplies such as masks, Banlangen granules, and herbal tea starting today.

Upon seeing the price list, he exclaimed, "Holy crap, it's so cheap! What the hell is there to buy?! Everyone, stop queuing!"

'

"Pinduoduo is so damn generous!"

As they spoke, many people rushed home in a hurry to go on a shopping spree, even those who were already at the front of the line scattered like birds and beasts.

Guan Xiaofei was one of them. When she returned to the rented room, she saw Xiaoxue sitting on the sofa, playing on the computer.

"Didn't you go to buy Banlangen (a traditional Chinese medicine)? Why did you come back empty-handed?"

"Don't even mention it, there were too many people at the pharmacy, and they were sold out before it was my turn."

Guan Xiaofei said, "However, it seems you can pre-order on Pinduoduo on a first-come, first-served basis. I'm planning to order two boxes!"

"Really?"

Xiaoxue immediately opened the Pinduoduo page, which was very different from the style of the previous version. Not only were there many more product categories, but also new activity entrances such as "Duoduo Farm", "1 Yuan Flash Sale" and "Group Buying" were added.

"Huh, why are they selling ginger and garlic?"

"Garlic, it's a great commodity! I need to buy plenty to stock up!"

"Why are you buying garlic? Are you trying to kill vampires?"

"Didn't the experts say that garlic can fight H1N1?"

Guan Xiaofei said, "Anyway, it's not expensive, even cheaper than Banlangen (Isatis root), so it can't hurt to buy some to keep on hand."

Xiaoxue frowned: "Really?"

"Whether you believe it or not, I believe it anyway."

Guan Xiaofei said, "Something is better than nothing!"

"Okay, I'll buy some too."

While the two were talking, the number of orders on Pinduoduo's backend was jumping up at an almost out-of-control speed.

In less than 15 minutes, the first batch of ginger and garlic had already sold out, and the pre-order button had turned gray.

After all, the price of this batch of ginger and garlic is 2% cheaper than the market price.

Moreover, with more and more media reports on the wonders of garlic, and even citing the statement that "American experts have listed garlic as the top of the nine disinfecting vegetables," more and more people are rushing to stock up on garlic.

Within minutes, the search results for garlic jumped to the top of Pinduoduo's site, and the sales of other products such as Banlangen (Isatis root) and face masks also increased several times over.

People who originally came to buy epidemic prevention supplies ended up buying other affordable items as part of a group purchase.

A brand-name short-sleeved shirt for 19.9 yuan, a mini fan for 15.9 yuan, an electric kettle for 49 yuan, and a rice cooker for 99 yuan —

The technical security department is on high alert every day, fearing that high concurrency will lead to problems such as slower response times, reduced system throughput, or even server crashes.

"Brother Mo, Pinduoduo's user base has surpassed 147 million! Daily sales have exceeded 10 million yuan!"

Yuan Huaxing rushed into the office.

Shen Mo just smiled faintly. Pinduoduo's data can only be described as mediocre.

Excluding the traffic generated by YiTaoGO, and excluding ginger, garlic, fruits, vegetables, and cooking oil, the actual sales of the newly expanded categories were less than 15.

00 million.

It fell far short of my expectations!

However, Shen Mo was not in a hurry. Once the group-buying model was accepted by users, they would be addicted and unable to stop placing orders.

Just like YiTao G0, these low-priced, high-quality products are enough to attract users, making them invite friends and family to join in order to successfully complete a group purchase.

What's more, the killer features like the 0-yuan price cut and the cash lucky draw haven't even been launched yet!