Reborn in 08, Public Enemy of Competitors

As the Olympics are in full swing, YiTaoGO's prediction contest is also attracting new users.

Of course, the effect was far less than that of a name-choosing poll.

By the day of the event, a total of 12.6 users had participated, and the prize pool had been increased to 32. The one with the most votes was "YiTaoGO", with a total of 8.82 votes.

In other words, 8.82 people will share this 32 yuan, ranging from 2.88 yuan to 888 yuan.

Although, due to Shen Mo's deliberate arrangement, 99% of users only received 2.88 yuan, among the 1%, several hundred people still won 88 yuan red envelopes, and even received 888 yuan red envelopes.

One by one, they proudly posted screenshots of their 888 yuan withdrawals on QQ Space, QQ groups, Renren, Tieba, and other platforms, making YiTaoGO's reputation even more prominent.

The only drawback is that, as the hype gradually faded, the growth rate of real-time registered users dropped sharply.

Although the "Ultimate Suspense" and "Daily Gold Medal Guessing" activities maintain daily active users, it is difficult to continue the explosive growth that occurred when the product was first launched.

Seeing that everyone was somewhat dejected, Shen Mo clapped his hands to boost morale.

"Everything will be fine once our free shipping special sale channel and special event page go live."

"Wenbin, how's the coordination with Yiwu going?"

"Brother Mo, everything's been contacted."

Lu Wenbin said with a grin, "When I heard that we were helping them clear out their inventory, the prices they offered were so low that I felt embarrassed. I've already made a list, and I'll send it to you in a bit."

"Okay, I've already finalized the arrangements with the courier."

Shen Mo nodded and said, "Let's meet again in the next couple of days and try to go online right after the closing ceremony to take over the Olympic prediction activity."

"good!"

The crowd rallied and echoed the sentiment.

Relieved, Shen Mo sat back down in his seat, only to see a new message pop up in his chat box with Du Manqing.

"I've already decided on the pricing for my new product."

"The branded chiffon dress is priced at 79 yuan. As for the leggings and A-line skirt, we'll use them as lead-generation items, just like you said..."

"The price tiers are very well-structured."

Shen Mo tapped on the keyboard, "It just so happens that YiTao GO is about to launch a 'Women's Fashion Collection' section. You can put these items of yours directly in there. By the way, it would be best if the store could add a 'free shipping on orders over 59 yuan' offer."

Is shipping free within the Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai area?

Du Manqing sent a shocked emoji, ∑(°口°๑).

"No, it's free shipping nationwide."

"Huh??? Won't we lose money like this?"

"Doing it this way will not only prevent you from losing money, but will also increase your sales volume and average order value."

Shen Mo said confidently, "Think about it, think about it carefully. Originally, the buyer was interested in your store's 20-yuan leggings or 29-yuan A-line skirt, but then they see 'free shipping on orders over 59 yuan.' Won't they want to buy an extra T-shirt or floral dress to reach the minimum order amount?"

"It seems... it really works!"

Du Manqing paused for a moment, then picked up her calculator and started calculating several times.

"That's not all."

Shen Mo suggested, "Your online store is already selling nearly 50 items a day. You can easily switch to a suitable one from the three major express delivery companies (STO Express, YTO Express, ZTO Express, and Yunda Express) and sign an exclusive agreement. Getting the shipping cost down to seven or eight yuan won't be a problem at all."

"How do you know everything?!"

Du Manqing's eyes gleamed.

Shen Mo smiled and said, "My knowledge is all over the place. I'll talk to you about postpartum care for sows next time I have time."

"You're the sow!"

Du Manqing stared at the computer screen, spat, but then broke into a wide smile.

"You admitted it yourself, I didn't say anything!"

"Are you trying to die?! I'll bite you!"

"Alright, enough joking around. Keep up the good work, little rich girl."

Shen Mo said, "Once your 'Qingman' is established, our business development team can use your data to negotiate with other businesses."

Du Manqing said, "Are you treating me like a showroom?"

"A showroom doesn't sound right; it should be called a benchmark case."

Shen Mo replied, "Don't worry, I won't charge you a fee."

Du Manqing chuckled, prompting Ye Xiao to look up: "Who are you chatting with now? You're all smiles."

"Nobody!"

"No one else has come yet, but your expression has already given you away."

Ye Xiao rolled her eyes at him, annoyed. Did he think I was blind?

Just then, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor, followed by a loud shout: "Express delivery!"

………………

"Brother Mo, who sent it?"

Yuan Hua, Lu Wenbin, and others immediately surrounded them.

Shen Mo opened the package, and inside lay a lawyer's letter stamped with an official seal.

Good news: They caught Alibaba's eye; bad news: They really did catch Alibaba's eye.

The lawyer's letter was extremely strongly worded, and its content was roughly as follows: "Woshou.com must immediately cease all infringing activities and close the business section involved within 15 working days from the date of receipt of this letter. If it refuses to cooperate, Ali will formally file a civil lawsuit with the court, demanding huge compensation, and will also file a real-name report with the Administration for Industry and Commerce."

"Brother Mo, what do we do?"

Is Woshou.com going to shut down?

Qin Feng and Lu Wenbin are both college students who have not yet entered the workforce, and this is the first time they have received a lawyer's letter.

In their panic, everyone turned their attention to Shen Mo, their pillar of support.

"What's the panic! It's just a lawyer's letter; the sky isn't going to fall."

Shen Mo tossed the letter onto the table, curled his lip, and said, "Jack Ma is so petty, sending a lawyer's letter for something like this?"

"But……"

Yuan Hua swallowed hard.

"Don't worry, I'm not stupid enough to try and break a rock with an egg."

Shen Mo said, "Besides, I never intended for the online gambling site to keep operating indefinitely."

Although he spoke casually, he couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

After all, Woshou.com is currently its most stable source of cash flow, continuously supplying ammunition to YiTaoGO.

Otherwise, how could YiTaoGO support the launch of activities such as "voting for names" and "Olympic predictions"?

Given the persistently high customer acquisition costs in 08, unless angel investment is secured, the growth rate of YiTaoGO will inevitably slow down.

Currently, YiTaoGO has fewer than 15 registered users and barely maintains a daily active user count of over 1, making it difficult to attract investors' attention.

Moreover, the subprime crisis is about to erupt.

Just as Shen Mo was inwardly cursing Jack Ma, Qin Feng asked with a bitter face, "So, you're really going to shut it down?"

"It definitely needs to be shut down."

Lu Wenbin sighed, "YiTaoGO is already showing promise, there's no need to offend Ali over a Woshou.com."

Yuan Hua gritted his teeth and said, "Yes, what if Ali follows the trail and finds out the connection between Woshou.com and YiTao GO? In a fit of anger, he might cut off all of YiTao GO's API interfaces, and then we'd be completely finished."

"tide!"

Qin Feng said resentfully, "Damn Ahri! My double job and double pay are gone just like that?"

Shen Mo patted his shoulder. "It will be shut down, but not immediately."

Lu Wenbin, Yuan Hua, and the others exchanged bewildered glances. "Brother Mo, is it really necessary to go head-to-head with Ahri...?"

"Who said we were going to fight? Receiving a lawyer's letter from Ahri doesn't mean we're going to surrender right away."

"In short, delay. Every extra day that Woshou.com can operate will generate more revenue for YiTaoGO."

A murderous glint flashed in Shen Mo's eyes as he secretly made a mental note of this.

Damn it, Jack Ma! You dare to kill my horse!

If I ever start my own Pinduoduo, I'll definitely get my revenge!

As for now, if we take a step back, we'll feel more and more cheated; if we endure it for a while, we'll feel angrier and angrier!

Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck me: a direct confrontation was definitely out of the question, but I could feign weakness and outmaneuver Jack Ma.

Without saying a word, he found Lin Qingyan's QQ number and said, "Sister Qingyan, I have a few questions to ask you."

"Beep beep beep!"

Lin Qingyan stared blankly at the continuously declining stock market. After the opening ceremony of the Olympics, the stock market had fallen from 2600 points to 2400 points.

Who's really winning this game?

Ah! Who's actually making money in this A-share market?!

The incessant beeping notification sound quickly pulled my thoughts back.

Seeing that it was Shen Mo, I felt a mix of emotions. I was so stupid, so very stupid. I regretted not listening to him and leaving the market.

"What would you like to consult about?"

"If I receive a lawyer's letter, how long do I have to respond or comply?"

"Generally, a response period of 7 to 30 days is given. If the other party specifies a deadline, you must at least provide a written response within that period, expressing your willingness to negotiate. This can help avoid being deemed 'refusal to communicate' or 'malicious infringement' in litigation..."

Lin Qingyan switched to professional mode in an instant, "What, you received a lawyer's letter?"

"There is one."

Shen Mo narrowed his eyes.

"Do you need me to draft a reply letter for you?"

Lin Qingyan immediately perked up; she was determined to make up for the losses she had incurred in the stock market through her work.

"The lawyer's letter isn't urgent, but there's another matter that I might need your firm's assistance with."

Shen Mo asked, "I need to register some trademarks. Can Zehou handle that?"

Lin Qingyan replied matter-of-factly, "Yes, our law firm is qualified to represent trademarks!"

"How long will it take?"

"The whole process takes about 12 to 14 months, depending on what trademark you are registering."

"I want to register a trademark related to 'Double Eleven'."

"Singles' Day? Why did you register for this?"

Lin Qingyan was completely confused. The Shen Mo she remembered was not the kind of man who would stay single.

Shen Mo pursed his lips. "This is a trade secret and I can't disclose it."

In their previous lives, Jack Ma and Ali registered the "Double Eleven" trademark first, and then used the so-called "exclusive rights" to start a trademark war in the e-commerce industry that lasted for several years, forcing competitors such as Jingdong to spend money to create their own "618".

"Okay, so you're only registering for this 'Double Eleven' event?"

Lin Qingyan suppressed her curiosity and stopped asking.

"No, there's also the 'Double Eleven Shopping Festival,' the 'Double 11 Online Shopping Festival,' 'Double Twelve'..."

Shen Mo typed away on the keyboard, registering trademarks for all the potential e-commerce shopping festivals.

"Wait, wait, I have to remind you of something."

Lin Qingyan said, "If it is not actually used within three years of registration, according to the Trademark Law, others can apply for its cancellation."

"Don't worry, I might be able to use it soon."

Shen Mo's mind raced. "Jack Ma, if you're going to jeopardize my business, I'll steal your trademarks."

You just wait, you'll get your comeuppance sooner or later!

………………

Ali Baba, in the conference room.

Jack Ma was passionately explaining the "Greater Taobao Strategy" when he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine and involuntarily sneezed.

Cai Chongxin frowned and instructed his secretary, "Turn the air conditioning up a bit."

Jack Ma looked around and said, "Our goal is to build an e-commerce ecosystem that provides basic services like water, electricity, and gas to all participants in e-commerce... So I decided to separate Taobao Mall from Taobao."

"Let's build our own Alibaba B2C platform and go head-to-head with Dangdang, Jingdong, and Amazon China!"

Amidst the applause, Jack Ma felt a vague unease, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was—a strange chill ran through him.

"Ahem, turn the air conditioning up a bit more!"