Reborn in 08, Public Enemy of Competitors

Chapter 92 A Thought Arises for Shen Yi, and the World Feels Vast (Seeking First Subscription!)

"That's exactly what you think."

Shen Mo cast a meaningful glance at him.

Although H1N1 influenza has a lower mortality rate than SARS and later COVID-19, its transmission speed and coverage are just as rapid.

Upon hearing "Sass," the expressions of everyone present who had experienced it changed drastically.

"So, Mr. Shen, what's your purpose in selling garlic and ginger—"

Huang Zheng had thought of it but dared not say it out loud.

"Next, I'm going to say something behind closed doors."

Shen Mo looked around.

Zhong Xue, Wu Mei, Lin Qingyan, and the others immediately understood, put down their pens, and stopped taking notes.

Shen Mo said, "Everyone here has experienced SARS, so you probably know how sought-after Banlangen (Isatis root), white vinegar, and garlic were back then."

Huang Zheng said, "Yes, even if you know it's not very useful, it can still provide some psychological security."

"It does have some effect. Ginger and garlic have certain antibacterial and antiviral properties and can enhance immune function."

Shen Mo said, "The most crucial point is that last year, the supply of ginger and garlic exceeded demand, causing prices to plummet. This led to a decrease in farmers' willingness to plant and a reduction in the planting area. Do you know what this means?"

"This year's ginger and garlic harvest will be significantly reduced!"

Lu Wenbin blurted out his name almost without thinking.

Huang Zheng's heart skipped a beat: production cuts, H1N1 flu, soaring demand, skyrocketing prices —

See the big picture in the small details!

Horror!

Unexpectedly, Shen Mo had already begun making plans at this time!

Lin Qingyan, Wu Mei, Lu Wenbin and others suddenly understood why Shen Mo was buying up ginger and garlic on such a large scale.

"Actually, I don't want the worst-case scenario I'm imagining to happen, but it's always better to be prepared, isn't it?"

Shen Mo stared at Huang Zheng with a blank expression.

"Mr. Shen, I admire you!"

"I never expected this!"

Huang Zheng said it from the bottom of his heart.

If Shen Mo's prediction is correct, the demand and price of ginger and garlic will inevitably surge. Pinduoduo can use this opportunity to both stabilize prices, gain a good reputation, and earn a considerable income, perhaps even more than its Series A funding round.

More than the Series B funding round.

"I was just thinking one more thing. If they really come, we'll have the goods on hand so we won't panic."

Shen Mo shrugged.

Wu Mei hesitated for a moment: "President Shen, what if, I mean, what if it doesn't happen? All that ginger and garlic we stockpiled—"

"So we made two preparations."

Lu Wenbin continued, "Besides grains, oils, rice, noodles, ginger, and garlic, President Shen has already sent Qin Feng with people to Shandong to discuss the purchase of seasonal fruits and vegetables, such as Fuji apples. These fruits have a long shelf life and stable market demand."

Shen Mo nodded: "Our top priority now is to build the transit warehouse before Pinduoduo goes live."

Huang Zheng pressed further: "About the transit warehouse—"

"Because our first pilot project was in Hangzhou, I rented an unused factory building with its own cold storage in Hangzhou."

.

Lu Wenbin reported: "It doesn't take much time to renovate or modify the facilities. Once the ginger and garlic are transported from Shandong to Hangzhou, they will be immediately sorted, separated, packaged, and boxed from the moment they enter the warehouse, and then shipped out. The whole process will not take more than a few hours."

Huang Zheng suddenly realized that Pinduoduo's transit warehouses were more like sorting and processing factories than warehouses.

By directly bypassing the middlemen who add layers of markups—first-tier wholesalers, second-tier wholesalers, and market vendors—the profit margin saved is enough to cover costs related to logistics, labor, and warehousing.

"What about the equipment and personnel?" Wu Mei asked again.

"We have currently purchased one second-hand sorting line and two second-hand packaging lines, which should be more than enough to handle the initial order volume."

Lu Wenbin said, "If that's not enough, we already have orders for new equipment. Once the new equipment arrives, our production capacity can double."

Hearing the detailed arrangements and plans, Huang Zheng was overjoyed.

We made the right choice in our industry this time! Especially our partners—they couldn't have been better!

In the afternoon, Ali Baba.

Wu Yongming had just finished reporting on YiTao's situation to Jack Ma and carefully left the office.

"Mr. Cai, it seems to me that Mr. Ma isn't entirely satisfied with YiTao's performance lately?"

"I wouldn't say I'm dissatisfied, but I wouldn't say I'm particularly satisfied either."

Cai Chongxin shook his head.

"But YiTao now has over 3 million registered users, reaching one-tenth of YiTao's GO, and the growth rate is still accelerating —"

--------------

Wu Yongming frowned slightly. Was he still not satisfied?

"Indeed, it is one-tenth."

Cai Chongxin interrupted, "But what about YiTao's other metrics? Daily active users, daily sales, monthly sales—these metrics are less than one-tenth of YiTao G0's. Don't forget, YiTao has the traffic support of the entire Ali system."

"If any other team had these resources, their first report card should not have yielded this result."

"Mr. Cai, this was completely an accident."

Wu Yongming said helplessly, "Who could have predicted that YiTao GO would come up with such a crooked trick as 'cut a discount'?"

So what if it's "one slash for every one person"?

"Your budget is nearly ten times that of YiTao G0, your commission rebates are higher, you have more traffic sources, and the brand and merchant resources you can access are far beyond theirs. You're telling me you can't catch up with them just because one cuts the price?"

Cai Chongxin's face turned ashen, and he glared at him.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Cai, I misspoke!"

Wu Yongming quickly apologized, saying, "But don't worry, once the hype surrounding the 'cut a cut' event has died down, YiTao will definitely be able to catch up quickly."

These words seemed to be both a way of persuading Cai Chongxin and a way of persuading himself.

"Remember the pledge you made to Jack."

Cai Chongxin said calmly, "One year. You only have one year."

"yes!"

Wu Yongming felt a heavy weight in his heart and walked heavily back to the office floor of YiTao.

As soon as he entered the general manager's office, the vice president stood up abruptly, his face full of panic, and said, "Something terrible has happened!"

"What's wrong?"

"Just received news that Tencent is going to set up a fixed entry point for YiTaoGO on QQ Space."

"What did you say?!"

Wu Yongming's heart tightened suddenly; what he feared most had come to pass!

Damn, YiTao G0's social sharing has grown so fast, it's all thanks to Tencent's social networking and traffic!

"Also, Shen Mo has launched a new product called Pinduoduo."

The vice president lowered his voice and said, "We're currently doing a joint campaign with 'Everyday Farm,' and the momentum is very strong."

"Pinduoduo? What's Shen Mo up to now?"

Wu Yongming's brows furrowed.

"A website similar to group buying and pre-sales, starting at 8:30 in the morning and ending at 5:30 in the evening."

The vice president gave a brief explanation of Pinduoduo's operating logic and business model.

Wu Yongming pressed further, "What are they competing in?"

The vice president said, "In addition to grains, oils, rice, and noodles, we also have fruits and vegetables."

Wu Yongming's eyes lit up immediately. "Fruits and vegetables? Are you sure you have fruits and vegetables?"

The vice president said, "Yes, it's fruits and vegetables, but for now we only have ginger and garlic."

"Haha! Hahahaha!"

Wu Yongming immediately burst out laughing, and the pressure on his shoulders suddenly eased a bit.

The vice president asked, puzzled, "What are you laughing at?"

"I laughed at Shen Mo for overestimating himself; he's finally about to meet his Waterloo!"

Wu Yongming laughed so hard he almost fell over. "Fresh fruits and vegetables—even we at Ali don't dare to touch that market easily because our cold chain technology and logistics conditions aren't mature enough. For YiTaoGO, a company that only does shopping guides, to go into this field is practically suicide!"

The vice president nodded in agreement, saying, "Under the current conditions, anyone who touches fresh fruits and vegetables is doomed!"

"Let's go! It's my treat tonight, let's have a good drink!"

Wu Yongming's tense nerves relaxed.

Indeed, in high-level business warfare, all you need to do is wait for your opponent to make a mistake!

Just like OPP0, my mom has two husbands. It's outrageous that my mom opens the door for someone so outrageous! It's ridiculous beyond belief!