Age of Legends

Chapter 365 Each Strives for Their Own Path, Yet Shares the Same Wind Across a Thousand Miles (Part 2)
Zhao Tao did indeed imitate the behavior of the big bosses he saw on TV. In this era of economic boom, the image of wealthy people in Hong Kong and Taiwan movies and TV dramas is a concrete representation of people's pursuit of wealth.

But Zhao Tao's actions weren't an imitation or tribute to films like "God of Gamblers" or "The Greed of Man." Rather, Liu Qi's downfall awakened him, making him realize that in this era, fighting and killing are futile. Instead, it's about planning carefully and utilizing higher-level forces to solve problems.

What is a higher level of power?

Just like in terms of capital, he was no match for Liu Qi. Liu Qi used capital to pave the way, opening up an entire propaganda system from the television station, aiming to directly label him as a criminal organization, and he was almost successful. The entire system behind the television station, some influential newspapers, and law enforcement agencies that could coordinate with public opinion at any time, were like tentacles in the deep sea, trying to strangle him and Shengfeng's ship, making it impossible for them to move an inch.

It was only then that Zhao Tao understood what it meant to feel miserable—the misery of having strength but being unable to use it, of having power but being unable to fight.

Liu Qi, on the other hand, seemed to have been destroyed by another force.

What power? It's fate, the unseen force.

As the saying goes, when fortune smiles, heaven and earth lend their strength; when luck turns, even heroes are powerless.

Liu Qi was no different. When he acquired the land and was all-powerful in Rongcheng, he was a guest of honor of the city's top leaders, and everyone knew of Liu Qi's influence. But who could have known that the very moment the site was unearthed, Liu Qi would be crushed by the entire Rongcheng system and power upon which he had previously relied?

These world-changing events happening before his eyes, like the dramatic changes of this era, were presented to him in this way, forcing Zhao Tao to believe that he should be more composed and think more carefully about everything. He should start by drinking tea to nourish his spirit and energy.

What else?
He can't very well turn around and call Zhang Chen "brother," can he?

And whenever Zhang Chen spoke, he listened intently.

"E-commerce, e-commerce?" Zhao Tao, true to form, was always learning and keeping up with the times. "Selling things online? People are already doing that, right? eBay?"

Then Zhao Tao was met with a barrage of criticism from Zhang Chen.

"I don't know exactly where the e-commerce model originated, but the largest one right now is eBay in the United States. Since its birth in the United States in 95, eBay has been unstoppable and has expanded all over the world. It pioneered the peer-to-peer online buying and selling model, subverted the public's shopping concept, and I think it will become the most dominant website on the Internet in the future. So I think we need to be quick and create an e-commerce platform before they enter the domestic market."

"Since, as you say, the other party is an international giant, an American internet giant, developing at breakneck speed, when it enters China, won't it directly impact and crush all the domestic companies?" Zhao Tao didn't understand.

Zhang Chen glanced at him. "If it were you, and the other party was a famous person who claimed to sweep everything away once they entered your territory, would you surrender?"

This earned him an awkward sneer from Zhao Tao, followed by a nod.

“But that’s not right. You probably can’t even compete with eBay in the US right now. Don’t forget there’s one in China too, right?” Zhao Tao said.

"That's not the American eBay. Some people in China discovered its model and brought it here, only the website design is exactly the same as eBay's, and the name is similar too, like EachNet. Now our internet is basically just transplanting websites that have been proven successful in the birthplace of the internet in the US. So actually, EachNet's ultimate goal is to replicate this model, cash out, and leave. After all, even the website is exactly the same as the original, it's purely a meticulous imitation, created for Americans, with the aim of being acquired. And now, with its deep pockets, eBay only needs to acquire EachNet to complete its access to the Chinese market. Their entry into China may be faster than imagined."

Zhao Tao was stunned: "Then how can we fight?"

"There's still room for growth. The domestic internet is constantly progressing, and the number of netizens is increasing year by year. Even if they take the lead and have 500 million users, and there are 8000 million netizens in China, then we can just do business with the remaining 7500 million!" Hearing Zhang Chen say this, Zhao Tao still felt a little excited and smiled: "You're the one who understands me best! That's exactly right!"

The office was filled with revolutionary optimism.

Zhao Tao finally smiled, but it wasn't a bitter smile or a self-deprecating one; rather, it was a smile of relief: "So if you do this, I'll actually become a surprise weapon?"

Zhang Chen nodded: "I dare say that this sector will grow bigger and bigger with the development of the internet. When everyone shops online through e-commerce, what will connect these individual transactions? What will enable these goods to be transported out in all directions? Internet e-commerce will flourish, and your express delivery industry will flourish as well. And if I succeed in e-commerce, and you control the express delivery channels, what will happen if we merge? Have you thought about that future?"

Zhao Tao took a deep breath and exhaled heavily, "I understand. What do you want me to do?"

"Others use franchising, we use direct operation, one team per city, one warehouse per location. Even if it's slower, we'll proceed steadily. Don't be afraid of losses, Ze Liangnian is paving the way. As long as we do this, we'll have our lifeline."

Zhang Chen said. As a fan of street literature, he had read many success stories of big shots before. Among them, the SF Express direct-operation model, which could be learned from, was actually most suitable for the calm and steady Zhao Tao. However, SF Express was not without its detours. In fact, in order to relinquish the "military power" of the past and consolidate power, it paid a considerable price and took many detours.

Zhao Tao muttered to himself, "Direct operation...that costs money."

“Money is not a problem; we can adjust the model. Secondly, I can also find a way. You are responsible for training the soldiers and deploying them to each and every network point…”

The phone kept ringing, so Zhao Tao simply stopped answering and unplugged the phone. He and Zhang Chen then held a secret meeting in the office.

Zhang Chen offered three development suggestions.

The first phase of advice is to establish service outlets. We need to expand our network now, focusing on the west and then the east, even if it takes a little longer, we should concentrate on expanding our network.

Once the network reaches a certain scale, the second stage begins: launching warehousing, information, and settlement systems.

Zhang Chen referred to this as the "systematization" stage.

Shengfeng Express needs to have its own distribution center in each city to store and dispatch goods.

There's certainly no money to build a large system right now, but we can't rule out having a senior from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China help write a simplified version to build a "Shengfeng Internal Dispatch System." This system can connect the network points, allowing each point to check goods, dispatch orders, and reconcile accounts. It will be the "central nervous system" of future logistics.

"If the national express delivery industry is competing on manpower, we are competing on systems. With systems, we can connect to e-commerce. Once my e-commerce platform goes online, our own logistics can quickly respond to the flow of goods across the country."

"If major courier companies are in disarray while struggling to cope with the rise of e-commerce, and Shengfeng alone can provide a standardized, low-cost, and highly efficient nationwide delivery system, what do you think will happen in the future?"

(End of this chapter)