Reborn in 08, Public Enemy of Competitors

Although Double Twelve is only one month apart from Double Eleven, the consumption potential it generates is just as strong.

Thanks to more ample funding, more favorable discounts, and more brands, the total sales volume for Double Twelve reached 4138 million yuan.

Shen Mo smiled with satisfaction. If the Series A funding came through, YiTaoGO's sales would easily exceed 5000 million.

Zhong Xue reported truthfully: "Boss, Sequoia called to say that the three of them have reached an agreement."

"What percentage does each of the three companies account for?"

"Sequoia Capital led the investment with a 6% stake, while Tencent and Today Capital each invested 2%, for a total of $2250 million."

When will the contract be signed?

Shen Mo raised his head.

"The signing ceremony will be held on February 1st, right after the New Year, at the Yanjing Hotel. Media from all over the country will be invited."

Zhong Xue's tone was tinged with excitement.

"Perfect!"

With his arms crossed, Shen Mo said, "The Meizu M8 will be launched in mid-February. This is the first battle for YiTao GO after its financing."

Lu Wenbin suggested, "Brother Mo, to further promote the Meizu M8, could we launch a promotion where customers who purchase Meizu MP3 or MP4 players receive a free Meizu M8 coupon worth 100 yuan?"

Qin Feng nodded in agreement: "In this way, we can boost sales of Meizu MP3 and MP4 players, as well as Meizu M8."

"Okay, let's do it this way."

Shen Mo snapped his fingers.

"Boss, there's one more thing."

Zhong Xue said, "The people who hijacked our PID during Singles' Day have been arrested by the police and will be prosecuted soon."

"Have Lin Qingyan and Zehou keep a close eye on this matter. These scoundrels must be severely punished!"

Shen Mo said with a serious expression, "Only by making an example of them can we deter others from messing with us, YiTaoGO."

Just as Zhong Xue agreed, Yuan Hua noticed Shen Mo's gaze fixed on his head.

Shen Mo asked, "How is the development plan and overseas expansion strategy for the overseas version of 'FarmDay' progressing?"

"Brother Mo, we've done a preliminary investigation."

Yuan Hua replied, "Because the first stop was the United States, in order to adapt to the traditional culture of plantation farmers, we need to launch 'Everyday Ranch' and 'Everyday Farm' simultaneously on platforms such as Facebook..."

Shen Mo pressed further, "How long will it take?"

Yuan Hua said seriously, "Integrating APIs from platforms like Facebook, adjusting server architecture, connecting to the payment system, localizing content, plus subsequent testing, will take a total of two to three months."

"good!"

Shen Mo narrowed his eyes. "Everyday Farm" is going overseas, and Zhang Lehui will set up a branch in Hong Kong.

According to Lin Qingyan, the profits tax rate in Hong Kong is only 16.5%. If the users and revenue of the overseas versions of "Everyday Farm" and "Everyday Ranch" are all in the United States, the profits can also apply for "offshore exemption", and the actual tax burden is close to zero.

More importantly, the minimum registered capital is HKD 1, and the company can be set up in as little as two weeks, without the need for a physical office.

After the overseas versions of "Everyday Farm" and "Everyday Ranch" are successfully developed, an office will be set up in Silicon Valley, USA, and staff will be stationed there to work directly with Facebook, so that American "rednecks" can also experience the charm of "stealing vegetables".

………………

After a meeting lasting more than two hours, the plans and deployments for YiTaoGO before and after the Lunar New Year have been finalized.

"Alright, the duty roster needs to be arranged."

"During the Spring Festival, compensatory leave is not allowed; all employees will be paid three times their normal wage."

Shen Mo looked left and right. "Also, inform all company staff, whether part-time or full-time, that everyone must attend the annual meeting. Otherwise, there will be no chance for red envelopes or lucky draws."

Everyone was extremely excited.

Shen Mo nodded in satisfaction, then secretly contacted Du Manqing.

Du Manqing asked a thought-provoking question, "Can I also attend your annual meeting?"

Shen Mo said, "Of course, after all, you are one of the first strategic partner brands of YiTaoGO."

"good!"

Du Manqing readily agreed.

Thanks to the traffic generated by YiTaoGO, both Qingman and Qingzhou have achieved monthly sales exceeding one million yuan, making them top-ranked Taobao stores on Alibaba and one of Alibaba's top ten online merchants in 2008.

All of this is thanks to Shen Mo!

People are in high spirits when they have good news. As the year draws to a close, the annual meeting of Lingyun Technology was bustling with activity and excitement.

In the center of the makeshift stage stood a table piled high with stacks of banknotes.

One by one, employees of Lingyun Technology went up on stage to receive their year-end bonuses and red envelopes from Shen Mo.

The red envelopes are all the same thickness, without any distinction based on contribution level or any fancy tricks; they are distributed to each person individually.

"Have you bought your ticket? When are you leaving?"

"the day after tomorrow."

Liang Wenfeng was stunned when he received the red envelope.

To their utter surprise, their Lingfeng Quantitative team, which had only been established for less than six months, was also paid money in the same way as everyone else.

"Artificial intelligence and quantitative trading are not things that can be mastered overnight. Keep up the good work after the New Year, I believe in you!"

Shen Mo patted him on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Mr. Shen."

Liang Wenfeng was genuinely happy.

Yuan Hua walked onto the stage with a grin, "Hey, Brother Mo, where's mine?"

"Everyone gets a share."

Shen Mo said, "You must have received a lot of blessings on New Year's Eve, hehe, so I'm wishing you a Happy New Year in advance."

"Thank you, Mr. Shen. Happy New Year!"

Everyone was overjoyed and their laughter grew even more festive.

Each table was set with cold and hot dishes, and various kinds of alcohol were placed on the side, including white wine, beer, yellow wine, and red wine.

The year 2000 was the peak of wine culture, and business negotiations were inseparable from alcohol, so this meal was no exception.

"Cheers!"

Shen Mo raised his glass, and everyone in the room drank.

"Hey, boss, just say a few words, just a few words."

Zhong Xueqi started clapping, and everyone else joined in.

A wave of applause erupted.

Shen Mo was not intimidated at all. He filled the glass with wine, immediately got into the mood, and started his verbal sparring.

"While I'm speaking, please eat and drink as you please, don't be shy. Today, I'm filled with gratitude for everyone here. Thank you all."

"When YiTaoGO was first established, I set a small goal."

"By the end of the year, we must achieve a total user base of 1000 million! 100 million daily active users! 1000 million monthly sales!"

"Now we have not only achieved our small goal, but we have exceeded it. The number of users of YiTao GO has exceeded 2500 million."

"It accounts for almost a quarter of Taobao's total user base, one-fifth of all online shoppers nationwide, and is the number one shopping guide platform in the country!"

"Clap clap clap!"

The entire venue erupted in cheers and applause.

Sitting in the audience, Lin Qingyan stared wide-eyed in shock. She knew Shen Mo was powerful, but she never imagined he could be this powerful.

In less than a year, he has accomplished such a great feat. Is he even human?

"The impact of the US subprime mortgage crisis will intensify over the next year or two."

"With shrinking external demand and hindered export trade, more and more companies have to turn to domestic sales in order to survive."

"This applies to the state-owned economy, as well as the private economy and small and medium-sized enterprises."

"However, under this environment of expanding domestic demand, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are certainly at a significant disadvantage in the competition. They lack brands, brand recognition, marketing, and distribution channels. Our YiTaoGO is specifically targeting SMEs..."

Watching Shen Mo talk on and on, Du Manqing's eyes shone with a "bulingbuling" light.

Du Zhou shook his head and sighed inwardly. Daughter, Shen Mo is a very complicated person. Can you handle him?

"2009 will be a pivotal year for YiTao GO's rapid development! It will also be a pivotal year for Lingyun Technology's leap forward!"

"Don't let the subprime crisis or the investment winter stop us from developing."

"On the contrary, being able to survive the harsh winter, while others have died, is itself a form of development. Moreover, we will not only not starve, but we will actually grow stronger, because after the New Year, Lingyun Technology will have a project that is comparable to YiTao GO."

When the speech ended, thunderous applause erupted, and Huang Zheng couldn't help but applaud as well.

Shen Mo had Zhong Xue and Yuan Hua host the lucky draw, while he himself, holding a glass of wine, smiled and toasted the partner brands.

"Mr. Shen, your words are more valuable than ten years of study."

Huang Zheng couldn't help but ask Shen Mo for advice.

After its Series B funding, Jingdong successfully revived its momentum by leveraging YiTaoGO's Double Twelve promotion, achieving sales seven to eight times that of OuKu.com.

In the 3C digital e-commerce sector, Ouku.com seems to have no hope of surpassing Jingdong, and may forever remain the runner-up.

The topic eventually circled back to the showdown between Ouku.com and Jingdong.

"Mr. Huang, is it possible for Ouku.com to get involved in logistics in the short term?"

Shen Mo's tone carried a hint of amusement and calculation.

Huang Zheng sighed: "No, whether it's the size or the funds, Ouku.com cannot get into logistics in the short term."

"Then there's nothing we can do. Don't forget, a portion of the government's 4 trillion yuan stimulus package will go to the logistics sector."

"The express delivery industry will experience a major boom in the next two years."

"If Ouku.com doesn't seize this opportunity now, it will have even less chance of catching up with Jingdong's logistics later!"

The silence was not unfounded, because the infrastructure problems that restrict the development of e-commerce will be gradually resolved after 08.

The China Expressway Network will expand rapidly at a rate of nearly 6000 kilometers per year, giving private logistics companies such as STO Express and SF Express an opportunity to grow and thrive.

Meanwhile, China's backbone network construction has made great strides, and the village connectivity project has significantly increased the rural network penetration rate.

So, while Jack Ma's Ali and Ma Huateng's Tencent have achieved success due to individual achievements, it still comes down to this—

Heroes are made by the times; even a pig can fly if it's in the right place at the right time!

Shen Mo, of course, would not miss this super opportunity. The sky is not his limit; his limit is the stars and the sea!