amaotonovel Chapter 1533 3 years
Chapter 1533 3 years
Chapter 1533 Three Years
The taxi was parked at the entrance of the alley.
Qin Hao opened the car door and turned to look at Liang Danning. The streetlights cast a dim, yellowish glow on her face.
"You should go back first," Liang Danning said reluctantly. "It's the weekend, and the shop is a bit busy. I need to go back and help my mom."
Qin Hao nodded and waved his phone.
"Okay, let's keep in touch via WeChat."
"Ah."
Liang Danning waved and watched the taxi start, merge into the traffic, and disappear around the street corner.
She stood there, stunned for a few seconds, a smile still playing on her lips.
Suddenly someone patted my shoulder.
"Ouch--"
She was startled and turned around abruptly.
Zhao Mei stood behind her, her face full of mockery.
"What are you doing!" Liang Danning patted her chest. "You scared me!"
Zhao Mei stepped forward, took her arm, and whispered in her ear, "How did it go? Did you get it sorted out?"
"What do you mean, 'all done'? I don't understand what you're saying." Liang Danning's cheeks flushed instantly again. She quickly turned around and walked towards the shop, her steps a little flustered, trying to hide her shyness.
Zhao Mei quickly stepped forward, took Liang Danning's arm, and followed her, teasingly saying, "Still pretending, still pretending! I saw it all. Just now on the side of the road, someone was kissing someone passionately. It was quite a scene, I even recorded it."
"Huh?" Liang Danning stopped abruptly, looking at Zhao Mei with a panicked expression, and reached out to grab her phone: "Why are you recording this? Delete it now! It'll be so embarrassing if someone sees it!"
Zhao Mei chuckled, gently dodging her hand and waving it away: "I was just kidding. I'm not a paparazzi. These kinds of private things are fine to look at and enjoy, but I would never record them. Besides, I wouldn't betray my best friend."
Liang Danning then realized she had been tricked again. The panic on her face instantly turned into anger and embarrassment. She reached out and tickled Zhao Mei, scolding, "You little rascal, Zhao Mei, you tricked me again! I'll teach you a lesson!"
"Hahaha, stop tickling me, I'm sorry, okay!" Zhao Mei dodged while laughing and begging for mercy. The two of them wrestled in the narrow alley, their clear laughter echoing throughout the alley.
After playing around for a while, both of them were panting and leaned against the wall to rest. Zhao Mei patted Liang Danning's shoulder, the teasing on her face gradually fading, and her tone became exceptionally sincere: "Danning, to be honest, I'm really happy to see you find happiness."
Liang Danning looked at Zhao Mei, a hint of tenderness flashing in her eyes. She reached out and took Zhao Mei's arm, saying softly, "Zhao Mei, you are smarter and prettier than me. You will definitely find your own happiness. Maybe you will meet your Prince Charming tomorrow."
Zhao Mei chuckled self-deprecatingly, shook her head, and said with a hint of helplessness, "Prince Charming? Forget it. In my work environment, where would I find a Prince Charming? There are plenty of perverts, though."
She paused, her eyes suddenly hardening, and her tone becoming much more serious: "However, compared to men and love, I value my career more. So, my current goal is very clear: to flatter our boss, Xu Yuntian, and ride his coattails to get promoted to supervisor next year, become a sales manager within three years, and strive to become the deputy director of the sales department within five years!"
Liang Danning looked at Zhao Mei with some surprise, her eyes widening slightly, her face full of astonishment. She and Zhao Mei spent every day together, working, eating, and complaining together, but she never knew that her best friend had such great ambitions, and she couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration for her.
"What's wrong?" Zhao Mei saw Liang Danning staring blankly at her without saying a word, raised her eyebrows, and asked with a smile, "Don't you believe I can do it? Do you think I'm delusional?"
“No, no.” Liang Danning quickly shook her head and said firmly, “I believe in you. As long as it’s something you want to do, you can definitely do it. You’re so smart and hardworking, you’ll definitely achieve your goals.”
Zhao Mei patted Liang Danning's shoulder with a smile and put her arm around her neck: "That's more like it. Don't worry, when I get promoted, you'll definitely get your share of the benefits. By the way, if Qin Hao tells you any sales tips in the future, remember to share them with me. If we were to figure out and summarize what he talked about today on our own, it would take us at least three to five years."
"I know, I won't forget you." Liang Danning nodded with a smile, her tone full of affection: "After all, you're my best friend."
"That's more like it." Zhao Mei smiled with satisfaction, took Liang Danning's arm, and walked together toward the shop. The sunlight shone on the two of them, warm and dazzling.
……
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it's the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, which is also the first day of work for Xingyao Media. The festive atmosphere hasn't completely dissipated yet, and the company is filled with red lanterns and the character "福" (good fortune), creating a joyful ambiance everywhere.
Qin Hao, dressed in a smart suit, strolled into the company. As soon as he entered, he saw Liu Mengyao standing by the front desk, handing out red envelopes to the arriving employees. She had a faint smile on her face, still looking as capable and charming as ever.
"President Qin, you're so late on your first day at work." Liu Mengyao raised an eyebrow when she saw Qin Hao, her tone teasing and questioning: "You're not deliberately hiding, are you? Don't want to give everyone a welcome-back bonus, are you?"
Faced with Liu Mengyao's doubts, Qin Hao simply went all out and said, "Oh, you guessed right."
As soon as he finished speaking, he was met with a chorus of boos from the employees, and the office area instantly became lively.
"President Qin, you're being too stingy!" Wang Rong exclaimed first, a playful smile on her face. "President Liu already gave out red envelopes, how can you not?"
"That's right, President Qin, how can you do that! A red envelope for starting work is a good omen for the New Year, it can't be missing!"
"President Qin, hurry up and send out the red envelopes! We're all waiting!"
Faced with the employees' complaints and jeers, Qin Hao smiled helplessly and had no choice but to surrender: "Okay, okay, I give up. President Liu has already given everyone the start-of-work bonus. How about this, I'll treat everyone to dinner tonight, and all the food and drinks are on me."
"That's more like it! Thank you, Mr. Qin!"
"President Qin is so magnanimous! Long live President Qin!"
The employees cheered instantly. Liu Mengyao looked at Qin Hao, shook her head helplessly, but the corners of her mouth unconsciously curled up slightly, and a smile flashed in her eyes.
Soon, all the employees had received their start-of-work bonuses and, as Qin Hao had instructed, gathered in the conference room.
Qin Hao took a USB drive and plugged it into the projector. When he opened the file and revealed the planning map for the next three years, the conference room fell silent instantly. Everyone, including Liu Mengyao, was stunned, their faces filled with disbelief.
"No way? Mr. Qin, you're not kidding, are you?" An operations department employee spoke first, his tone full of doubt: "This year's sales are going to break 3 billion? Did you add an extra zero? Last year, our total sales for the whole year were less than 800 million!"
"That's right, President Qin!" another streamer chimed in. "Three years from now, annual sales will exceed 10 billion, and with at least 30% growth every year, that's almost the annual sales of a medium-sized e-commerce platform, right? That's too exaggerated, it's simply impossible to achieve!"
The meeting room erupted in chaos as employees began to discuss the issue, their voices filled with doubt and confusion. Some even complained bitterly, all feeling that Qin Hao's goal was far too outrageous.
Liu Mengyao also looked at Qin Hao, her eyes filled with doubt and worry. She felt that Qin Hao was being too impatient. The goal of 3 billion was indeed too aggressive. Given Xingyao Media's current scale, it would be extremely difficult to achieve this goal.
Qin Hao stood quietly at the front, not saying a word, just looking at the employees below the stage. When the murmurs gradually subsided and the conference room returned to calm, he spoke unhurriedly, his tone calm but with a hint of firmness: "I know what you're thinking. Last year, our total sales from live streaming were less than 800 million. This year, we suddenly set a target of 3 billion. You think it's impossible to achieve, that I'm just daydreaming, right?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than an employee complained, "That's right, President Qin! Sales are going to increase by 300%! Even if we broadcast day and night without rest, we still need that many customers to make purchases! Our current broadcasting team only has a few people, which is simply not enough to support such a large sales volume."
"Yes, President Qin, this performance target is really too difficult to achieve."
"It's not just too difficult, it's simply impossible!" one employee exclaimed.
Seeing everyone's excited expressions, Qin Hao didn't refute them. Instead, he slowly picked up the whiteboard marker, wrote a series of data on the whiteboard, and then said in an impassioned tone, "If this were a traditional industry, a 300% growth rate would indeed be difficult, even impossible. But don't forget, what industry are we in? The internet industry!"
"The internet industry has never lacked miracles. In 2003, Taobao's annual revenue was only 1.4 million yuan, but by 2004 it had reached 3.6 million yuan, a growth rate of over 150%. By last year, in 2015, how much did Taobao's annual revenue reach? A whopping 994 billion yuan! In just twelve years, its revenue has increased more than seven hundred times!"
As Qin Hao wrote Taobao's revenue data on the whiteboard, he continued, "The nature of the internet dictates that this is an industry of explosive growth and winner-takes-all. If we can't seize the current opportunity and become one of the top performers, we might be eliminated by this industry in less than three years. No one will remember that there was once a company called Xingyao Media that got the first bite of the live-streaming e-commerce pie; people will only remember the one who ultimately got the biggest slice of the pie."
"The internet industry is like rowing against the current; if you don't move forward, you fall behind. We have no way back; we can only move forward head-on and do our best to achieve the best. Here, I can assure you that before the company's first round of financing, everyone here will receive stock options. You will share in the profits from the company's development. As long as we work together to complete this three-year plan, everyone can achieve financial freedom!"
Upon hearing about stock option rewards, the meeting room instantly fell silent. The eyes of all the employees brightened, their previous doubts and complaints replaced by excitement and anticipation. Everyone knew that if Qin Hao's three-year plan could be achieved, Xingyao Media's annual profit would be at least several hundred million. Even with only 0.01% stock options, the final dividends would be a substantial sum, enough to ensure their livelihood.
"President Qin, we believe in you!"
"We will do everything in our power to achieve our goal!"
"Following General Manager Qin, you're sure to make a fortune!"
The employees expressed their commitment with enthusiasm and determination, instantly creating a lively atmosphere in the meeting room.
After the meeting adjourned and all the employees had left the conference room, only Qin Hao and Liu Mengyao remained. Liu Mengyao glared at Qin Hao first, her tone carrying a hint of reproach and confusion: "How come I, as the major shareholder, didn't know about the stock options?"
Qin Hao said half-jokingly, "Haven't we built up the atmosphere to this point? How can we get them to work hard if we don't offer some tangible benefits? If you don't agree, I'll go tell them right now that the stock options are canceled, and pretend I never said anything."
As he spoke, he pretended to turn around and reach for the conference room door. Liu Mengyao quickly stepped forward, grabbed his arm, and said helplessly, "Get lost! If we tell them now that the stock options are gone, who will be in the mood to work? Who will achieve the 3 billion target? You're clearly doing this on purpose."
"Alright, I'm not kidding anymore. Tell me honestly, what do you think are the chances of achieving the targets in this three-year plan?"
Qin Hao smiled and said firmly, "As long as no black swan event occurs, the chance of success is over 80%. You think 3 billion is an exaggerated figure now because the concept of live-streaming e-commerce is still in its infancy, and the market potential has not yet been fully realized. Believe it or not, this year, as other e-commerce platforms increase their investment in live-streaming e-commerce, the entire industry will experience explosive growth. At that time, 300% growth will actually not be anything special."
Liu Mengyao gazed at Qin Hao, her eyes slightly unfocused. She had always trusted Qin Hao's judgment and abilities. From the very beginning of Xingyao Media's establishment, Qin Hao had consistently made the right decisions, leading the company step by step to where it is today. She nodded gently and said softly, "I believe you, of course I believe you."
After what seemed like an eternity, Liu Mengyao suddenly realized what was happening. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly looked away. She took a red envelope out of her bag, handed it to Qin Hao, and said somewhat awkwardly, "This is your start-of-work red envelope. Happy New Year."
Qin Hao accepted the red envelope, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Liu Mengyao, saying with a smile, "Thank you, boss. I wish you a prosperous New Year."
Liu Mengyao chuckled and slapped him on the shoulder: "Alright, stop being so cheeky. I'm leaving now. I have a ton of things to take care of at the Liu Group. I'll leave the company to you."
"Okay, don't worry." Qin Hao nodded and said with a smile, "Do you need me to see you out?"
"Tch, hypocrite!" Liu Mengyao rolled her eyes, her tone tinged with reproach. "I can walk by myself, it's not like I don't know the way. I don't need you to take me."
……
For the next three years, motivated by the "carrot" of stock options, Xingyao Media's employees worked with all their might, giving their all and working overtime to achieve the goals set by Qin Hao. And as Qin Hao predicted, starting in 2016, the entire live-streaming e-commerce industry experienced explosive growth.
Major e-commerce platforms have increased their investment in live-streaming e-commerce, cultivating their own teams of live-streamers and introducing various support policies. Live-streaming e-commerce has gradually become the mainstream sales model in the e-commerce industry. Xingyao Media, leveraging its first-mover advantage, coupled with Qin Hao's precise strategic planning and the concerted efforts of its employees, has experienced rapid growth.
By the end of 2016, Xingyao Media's annual sales exceeded 36 billion yuan, far surpassing the 30 billion yuan target set by Qin Hao at the beginning of the year, thus exceeding the target.
To celebrate this historic moment, Qin Hao and Liu Mengyao held a grand annual meeting. The meeting featured not only fantastic performances but also a generous lucky draw, costing a full million yuan. This ensured that every employee left with a prize, further strengthening their sense of belonging to the company.
In 2017, Qin Hao and Liu Mengyao decided to expand their livestreaming team, vigorously cultivate new livestreamers, and at the same time expand their product categories, no longer limited to alcohol and snacks, but covering multiple categories such as beauty, home furnishings, and clothing, to further expand their market share. That year, Xingyao Media successfully cultivated more than a dozen livestreamers, bringing the total number of livestreamers under its umbrella to twenty.
Among them, Wang Rong remained the top performer. With her professional explanations, approachable personality, and massive fan base, her personal livestream sales exceeded 1 billion yuan in a year, making her a well-known top streamer in the industry. That same year, Xingyao Media's annual sales also successfully surpassed 73 billion yuan, bringing it one step closer to its 10 billion yuan target.
In 2018, Xingyao Media continued its efforts, strengthening cooperation with major brands and optimizing its supply chain. That year, Xingyao Media's annual sales successfully exceeded 126 billion yuan, surpassing Qin Hao's target of 10 billion yuan.
At this point, no one questioned the feasibility of Qin Hao's three-year plan anymore; everyone was amazed by Qin Hao's accurate grasp of the industry situation.
Of course, Xingyao Media's remarkable achievements are also due to Mogujie's investment and support in the live-streaming e-commerce field.
Over the past three years, Mogujie has also taken advantage of the live-streaming e-commerce boom to develop rapidly. It has not only expanded its market share, but also successfully merged with its arch-rival Meilishuo, becoming a unicorn company in the live-streaming e-commerce field. Its development momentum is strong, and it is about to go public in the United States.
Chen Qi, the founder of Mogujie, also highly values the development potential of Xingyao Media. To this end, he specifically discussed a cross-shareholding plan with Qin Hao, hoping to deepen the cooperation between the two parties and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results through cross-shareholding.
However, Qin Hao rejected this seemingly win-win solution outright.
Liu Mengyao was initially quite interested in the cross-shareholding plan. In her view, with Mogujie's upcoming IPO in the US, cross-shareholding would allow Xingyao Media to leverage Mogujie's platform to further expand its influence and gain more resources and support, which would greatly benefit the company's development.
However, seeing that Qin Hao refused so decisively, she didn't say anything more, but just silently accompanied Qin Hao and saw Chen Qi off.
After Chen Qi left, Liu Mengyao couldn't help but ask Qin Hao in confusion, "Why did you refuse cross-shareholding? This is clearly a good thing for us. It can deepen our cooperation with Mogujie and allow us to leverage their strength to further develop ourselves. Isn't that great?"
Qin Hao sat behind his desk, lit a cigarette, took a slow drag, and his tone became serious: "Because Mogujie has a fatal flaw, which will sooner or later limit its development and may even lead it to decline."
"What fatal flaw?" Liu Mengyao asked hurriedly, her eyes full of doubt. She had always thought that Mogujie was developing very well, so how could it have a fatal flaw?
"It doesn't have its own traffic entry point!" Qin Hao exhaled a smoke ring and slowly said, "Think about it carefully. In the past three years, although Mogujie has achieved good results through live-streaming e-commerce, its investment in other areas has been decreasing. The community section is half-dead and can't attract new users at all; the social section is stagnant and can't retain or convert users. As a result, if Mogujie wants to acquire new users, it can only keep buying traffic from companies like Tencent and ByteDance for conversion, which is a very passive thing."
He paused, then added, "Even with Taobao's size, it needs to buy a large number of websites as its traffic entry points. Why do many industry unicorns that originally fought their way out of the fierce competition fail after being acquired by Alibaba? It's because they are constantly being drained by Alibaba and eventually eliminated by the market."
Qin Hao stubbed out his cigarette and said firmly, "In my opinion, the only way for Mogujie to break through the encirclement is to be acquired by Tencent or ByteDance, leveraging their traffic advantage to continue its development. However, Chen Qi is fantasizing about expanding through an IPO to compete with Taobao and JD.com for market share. This is undoubtedly courting disaster and will inevitably lead to a major setback. If we cross-share with them, we will only be dragged down by them, affecting our own development."
Liu Mengyao suddenly realized, and she looked at Qin Hao with admiration in her eyes: "I see, you are so thoughtful."
Qin Hao said casually, "I've already reached an agreement with Douyin. Starting next year, we'll shift our development focus to Douyin. Douyin's current growth momentum is extremely rapid, with daily active users and user time spent growing explosively. Moreover, it has its own traffic entry point and doesn't need to rely on others. This is the kind of platform we need."
Liu Mengyao said hesitantly, "But if we do that, the financing we discussed with Tencent will probably fall through. Tencent has always hoped that we could cooperate with their Weishi platform. If we shift our focus to Douyin, Tencent will definitely be unhappy..."
Qin Hao shook his head, his tone tinged with disdain: "Weishi has spent so much money and invested so many resources, yet it still hasn't taken off. The retention rate is pitifully low, and it can't compare to Douyin at all. As long as we develop well on Douyin and achieve results, why would we be afraid of not finding investors? At that time, even if Tencent doesn't raise funds, other investment banks will come knocking on our door."
Liu Mengyao: "Okay, you have full authority to decide on the company's operations and management. I won't interfere."
Qin Hao nodded in satisfaction. From a certain perspective, Liu Mengyao was a very good partner, unlike some bosses who think that just because they have invested money, they should have the final say, making a mess of a great situation and refusing to admit their mistakes.