Dingsheng Building, the headquarters of New Century Digital.
Su Zelin leaned back in his large office chair and browsed the news.
He pays attention to all current affairs, big and small, at home and abroad every day.
Because something is likely to affect the economic and market situation.
And today, May 10, 2003, a major event that completely changed the market structure of Xiaguo quietly took place, that is, the establishment of Taojin.com.
After several rounds of financing, Ali's C2C trading website was finally launched.
But there was no long-awaited sensation, it just happened quietly. Many netizens who saw the news did not care, because people never thought that this thing would bring about such earth-shaking changes in their lifestyles in the future.
Many netizens even question the safety of this shopping method. What if you buy an expensive item and the other party refuses to deliver it, or sends you a brick instead? How will you get your money back then
Su Zelin was filled with emotion.
The era of e-commerce and online shopping is finally about to begin!
Even though Taojin.com is quiet now, its development seems to be booming. It was launched in 2003 and became the largest online shopping mall in Asia in 2006. This is extremely scary.
In his previous life, Su Zelin was one of the first people to try online shopping because he liked to experience new things. He started online shopping not long after Taojin.com was established. At that time, no one in the dormitory knew how to use it, so they would ask him to help buy the things they liked.
But around 2006, more and more people around us knew how to shop online. It was also from that time that the profits of many physical stores began to be drastically compressed, and the digital industry was one of the industries that was hit hard.
A mobile phone that originally sold for seven or eight hundred yuan online could be sold at double the price in a physical store. You can imagine how exaggerated the profit was. This also led to the proliferation of computer and mobile phone stores in every city. However, since 2006, many of these stores that made a fortune by relying on huge profits could no longer hold on and have closed down one after another, and the real economy has undergone a major reshuffle.
However, Taobao has just been launched, and its influence will take several years to gradually manifest itself, be accepted by more and more people and change the market landscape. Before that, New Century still has some time.
This is why Su Zelin is working so hard to expand his territory. He is racing against time to make New Century one of the most influential professional digital channels in the country before the big wave of the times comes. Just like the blue and green factories in later generations, he went against the tide and opened a large number of stores in every city, big and small, at home and abroad.
Once you have mastered such channels, you can negotiate with manufacturers. It doesn't matter if the profits of physical stores are squeezed, but you can try to get purchase price subsidies from the manufacturers.
In this way, the profit advantage of New Century's stores compared to other small wild chicken stores is reflected.
By then, the only ones that will go bankrupt will be the small stores that are weak and have no backing.
New Century can survive the test of time and remain standing no matter how the market changes or how it is impacted.
But unlike the blue and green giants’ strategy of opening a vast number of stores, New Century only operates large-scale stores, each of which presents itself as a flagship store.
The reputation of quality and service must be firmly grasped. If we recruit many famous stores like the blue and green factories do, it will lead to a mixed bag of stores with uneven quality, which will have a great impact on the image and reputation.
"Knock, knock..."
There was a knock on the office door, and then Song Yuwei walked in.
A knee-length black suit skirt paired with a white shirt is a typical commuting office lady outfit.
Song MM worked at the Normal University store for more than a year, and was then transferred to the headquarters by Su Zelin to serve as his assistant in the operations department.
In her previous life, she was his secretary, very capable and a strong woman. In this life, he recruited her to work under him. Su Zelin also had high expectations for her and intended to train her vigorously.
If she stays by my side and learns from me, Song Yuwei will undoubtedly grow faster.
When he proposed this, Song MM readily agreed.
As it stands, the salary and commission of a store manager may be higher than that of the assistant to the operations director, but Song Yuwei understands two things.
First of all, it was just a store of New Century, one of many directly-operated stores, and the status of the store manager could not be comparable to that of an important person at the headquarters.
Once again, and more importantly, it is definitely the right thing to do to stay close to the boss!
I am the boss's favorite bedmate, so he must be doing this for my own good.
Moreover, after becoming Su Zelin's assistant, she could see him almost every day. From a personal perspective, the huge attraction of this position made Song Yuwei unable to refuse.
In fact, Song Yuwei, who was transferred to the headquarters, is very happy every day. As an assistant, she can contact Su Zelin at any time, such as delivering documents, arranging itineraries, or helping to make tea.
Bringing a cup of tea to the desk, Song Yuwei moved next to the gangster.
There was no one else present at the moment, so she didn't really shy away from it.
MM Song is very brave. When she was having the most fun in her previous life, she would even crawl under the desk.
Su Zelin coughed dryly: "Yuwei, we are in the company."
Song Yuwei's eyes were full of charm, and she smiled with her hands covering her mouth: "Boss, what are you afraid of? There is no one else here. Besides, we didn't do anything."
Su Zelin thought to himself that he hadn't done anything now, but he was afraid that you would become too demanding in the future, so he had to discipline you as soon as possible.
In her previous life, Song Yuwei acted foolishly in the office and was somewhat spoiled. Another reason was that she did not refuse at the time and even enjoyed it.
Therefore, in this life, Hunzi felt that he must nip this dangerous idea of hers in the bud as soon as possible.
"You have to pay attention to your image, so as not to have a bad influence."
Su Zelin said sanctimoniously.
"Okay, next time for sure."
Song Yuwei didn't care much.
She could feel that Su Zelin had an indescribable special fondness for her, which made her feel fearless.
"Boss, are you also watching the news about the gold rush?"
Her eyes drifted to the computer screen.
Influenced by Su Zelin, Song Yuwei also has the habit of watching the news every day. Just now when she had some free time, she watched the news and saw this article.
“Can this kind of online shopping platform work?”
Like many netizens, Song Yuwei has the same doubts.
Su Zelin took a sip of tea.
Under his careful guidance, the female assistant's tea-making skills have improved a lot, and the quality of this cup of tea is quite good.
"Yuwei, what do you think?"
Putting down the teacup, Su Zelin asked leisurely.
The gangster is not only Song Yuwei's man and boss, but also her teacher.
Sometimes, when talking about a certain topic, he would also let the other party actively think and analyze, and express his own ideas, not just limited to business matters.
Song Yuwei thought for a moment and said, "I think there are many problems, such as financial security and how to win people's trust? What if the goods are damaged during transportation and cause disputes? Any individual user can register and open a store at will, and there will be uneven product quality and even fraud. It is not easy to control these."
After switching jobs and following Su Zelin, Song MM's vision and analytical ability have greatly improved. In her talk, many of her remarks hit the nail on the head.
Su Zelin nodded and said, "Yes, what you said are all issues that need to be considered. However, online shopping is an innovative business model that subverts tradition. Don't underestimate the power of innovation. This is how we at New Century did it!"
"Compared to physical stores, online shopping has too many advantages. For sellers, there is no need to decorate the store and pay rent. These two are unique advantages, which also allow online stores to compete with physical stores on price."
"For consumers, they can buy what they want without leaving home, which is very convenient and cheaper than in physical stores. If there are more sellers on the online shopping platform, it will be equivalent to a super-large online supermarket, which is more affordable and has more choices than offline stores. You can even buy things you never thought of in this supermarket. For consumers, it is very attractive!"
"Yuwei, just wait and see. This innovative shopping model is the torrent of the times. Although there are many problems, these problems are like obstacles encountered on the torrent's path. They can slightly slow down the torrent, but they cannot hinder its progress. One day, it will change our way of life!"
Song Yuwei was surprised.
She didn't expect Su Zelin to be so optimistic about online shopping.
"Boss, wasn't there eBay before the gold rush? It seems to have been established for many years, and it hasn't had a big impact on our lifestyle."
Taojin is not the first C2C e-commerce platform in China. There was eBay before it.
eBay is the originator of e-commerce in Xia country.
It was founded in 1999, but by 2003, it still failed to spark the online shopping craze.
Although many people have heard of this thing, few people around them use it.
Su Zelin nodded slightly.
He liked Song Yuwei's eager-to-learn attitude of actively asking questions and was happy to answer them for her.
"When eBay was founded, the number of Internet users in my country was still small, and it was not yet the best era."
"Moreover, eBay is obsessed with the concept of 'trading personal idle items' and is mainly based on auctions, but does not have a deep understanding of online shopping."
"The platform's charging model is also not friendly to merchants and buyers, which has led to a lack of expansion of new sellers."
"Too few sellers means that the number of products in this online supermarket is limited, which makes it less attractive to buyers. Therefore, its influence has not yet been reflected, but it has made considerable progress compared to when it was first established."
There are many reasons why eBay was defeated by Gold Rush. In addition to the ones mentioned by Su Zelin, there was also the bureaucratic style after the acquisition, the lack of rapid response capabilities that an Internet company should have, the withdrawal of founders Shao Yi Bo and Tan Haiyin, etc. In short, eBay's understanding of C2C was far inferior to that of Gold Rush. Internal and external reasons ultimately led to its defeat in the competition among e-commerce giants.
Song Yuwei frowned: "Boss, if you put it this way, the advantages of online shopping are so great. If this innovative model develops in the future, won't our New Century business be greatly affected?"
"Haha, not just New Century, all physical businesses may be impacted!"
Su Zelin smiled.
"What should we do then?"
Song Yuwei asked.
"The tide of the times is unstoppable. We must be prepared for danger in times of peace, but at the same time, we must have confidence and do our best!"
Su Zelin said lightly.
"Even if online shopping becomes popular in the future and greatly reduces the physical market, the physical market will still exist after all."
"You just said that the quality of goods and services vary greatly, and there are even scams. These are not easy to control, but physical stores can avoid such problems because consumers can see and touch the products before buying, which makes them feel at ease. In addition, the after-sales service of physical stores is more convenient, so some consumers are still accustomed to buying what they need in physical stores."
"So, we just need to grab this part of the market, compete with other physical stores and survive!"
"Compared to online stores, we don't have a price advantage, but compared to other physical stores, we do have a price advantage because we are a large chain digital store. As long as our scale is amazing enough, we can even negotiate with manufacturers for purchase subsidies. While ensuring store profits, we can sell cheaper than those small private retailers. At the same time, our after-sales service is more professional and convenient, so our competitiveness is completely on a different level!"
"After the rise of online shopping, many stores will be eliminated, but the pie will become smaller and fewer people will eat it, so the share that can be shared will be considerable!"
Su Zelin looked relaxed.
Other businesses are about to face huge changes in the market, but they are not mentally prepared. As a reborn person, Su Zelin has already seen the wave of the times and started to make plans.
Opportunities always come to those who are prepared.
“Every time a great wave washes away the sand, we in the new century will never be eliminated!”
Su Zelin's eyes sparkled as he spoke word by word.
Feeling the absolute confidence emanating from him, Song Yuwei's face was filled with admiration.
She liked Su Zelin's calmness and confidence when he talked about the market structure, which was a mature charm that those young boys did not have.
The speed of the new century's rise is so astonishing, advancing by leaps and bounds, but the boss has not become arrogant, but has always been prepared for danger and has a very long-term vision.
If people like this can't succeed, who else can
At this moment, Song MM suddenly had a strong premonition.
This man will one day become a prominent figure in Xia Country.
After get off work, Su Zelin did not return to the Finance College, but went to Song Yuwei's new apartment.
Due to her transfer to the headquarters, her life has undergone some changes.
The rental house near the Normal University store was given up and replaced with a commercial house near Dingsheng Building. We officially moved in today.
When you first move to a new environment, you may feel a little uncomfortable with it, so you need to spend more time with them.
What's more, there is nothing much to do after get off work.
It is very close to the company headquarters, less than ten minutes' walk away.
The environment of the community is good. After all, it is a new building and is much better than the old faculty and staff dormitories of the Normal University.
The area is not very big, just one living room and two bedrooms.
Located on a high floor, one can see the bustling city of Lin'an as soon as one walks out of the balcony. Song Yuwei likes the feeling of being high up and enjoying the scenery.
When looking at the house, Su Zelin also came, but now something was different.
Even though it was a rented house, Song Yuwei carefully decorated it to create a warm atmosphere, making it feel more and more like home.
However, no matter what, renting a house is still renting a house.
"Are you used to this place?"
Su Zelin asked casually.
"I think it's pretty good. The apartment is new, the surrounding area is convenient, and it's close to the company."
Song Yuwei was very satisfied.
Su Zelin nodded, and then said: "Within two years, you will own your own house in Lin'an!"
"My house?"
Song Yuwei was a little confused.
"Yes, your own house!"
Su Zelin said solemnly.
This girl has been willing to follow him in both her past and present lives, and does not ask for any status. The gangster also hopes to satisfy her as much as possible in terms of material life.
He is not satisfied now. He is in the process of building his own business empire and his money has to be spent wisely.
So Song Yuwei still needs to wait for a while, but she won’t have to wait for long.
Su Zelin thought that two years at most should be enough.
Moreover, he also planned to give Song Yuwei a big surprise.
He had given this surprise in his previous life, and it was the gift that made Song Yuwei the happiest.
Song Yuwei was surprised and happy.
The average price of commercial housing in Lin'an is only around five or six thousand yuan, but considering the income of that era, it is still quite far away for her. At least Song Yuwei did not dare to think about buying a house in a short period of time.
However, Su Zelin made her a promise.
"Really?"
Song Yuwei couldn't believe it.
"Haha, it's just a house, it's nothing."
Su Zelin smiled.
For many people, a house in a big city is a luxury.
But not in his eyes.
It is quite normal for people who have achieved financial freedom to own several houses or even big villas.
Even a luxury car can cost more than a house.
If you follow your woman, you will have bread, milk, a house and a luxury car. It is only a matter of time.
"Boss, thank you!"
When Song MM gets excited, she starts speaking foreign languages.
Although the promise has not been fulfilled, she firmly believes in Su Zelin's words.
Now that the boss has said this, it won't be a blank check.
After dinner, the two came to the community garden.
It’s not long since the beginning of summer and there’s already some summer vibe to the air, but it’s not very hot yet.
The community has an elegant environment, with a lot of grass and trees planted, and the evening breeze is quite cool.
This is also one of the reasons why Song Yuwei took a fancy to this apartment. The community of the property was carefully designed.
At this moment, she was holding Su Zelin's arm, and the two young people looked like a young couple.
Many residents also strolled around the garden after dinner, and some little naughty kids chased and played around.
A little boy who was running by didn't pay attention to his step, tripped and fell to the ground, bursting into tears.
Song Yuwei quickly walked over to help her up, stroked the little boy's head and comforted him softly: "It's okay, it doesn't hurt, you are a little man, you have to be strong!"
You know what, MM Song is quite good at coaxing people.
After a while, the little boy stopped crying and started playing with his friends again.
Looking at his receding figure, Song Yuwei's pretty face showed a knowing smile.
Su Zelin saw everything.
Song Yuwei really likes children, and it was already shown at this moment.
In her previous life, this girl even begged me to give her a child, saying that it was okay for her to raise the child alone.
She also hopes it's a boy, preferably one who is as handsome and smart as herself.
For Song Yuwei, she had almost everything at that time, except for her status.
So she was very eager to have a child as a psychological support.
But while I was still thinking about it, I was reborn.
Should I fulfill her wish in this life
…