Who would still start a business seriously after being reborn?

Chapter 181 Boss Cheng, please don’t be impulsive!
Following the address provided by Qi Yong, Cheng Yi quickly arrived at the office of the Jingzhou Internet Cafe Alliance.

The office is about 200 square meters and is divided into a reception room and a conference room.

Walking into the conference room, Cheng Yi looked around at the more than 40 people in front of him and felt that the atmosphere in the conference room was a bit depressing.

Seeing Cheng Yi walk in, everyone stood up consciously.

"Boss Cheng."

"Boss Cheng." Everyone smiled at Cheng Yi in a friendly manner.

Cheng Yi, who angrily confronted Chen Zhi at the Handong Hotel and sent Zhou Rongjun to prison, has now become the spiritual leader of these people.

The scene of such a large group of people in their thirties and forties regarding an eighteen-year-old youth as their spiritual leader does seem a bit unprofessional.

"Boss Cheng, you're finally here." Qi Yong said, "Have a seat, let's discuss a strategy as soon as possible."

Cheng Yi's position is second in the conference room, second only to Qi Yong, the chairman.

"Tell me the whole story first. I still don't understand what's going on." Cheng Yi said with a smile.

Qi Yong glanced at Yue Lei and said, "Boss Yue, tell me, your area is the hardest hit area this time."

"Okay." Yue Lei nodded and said in a deep voice, "Just this morning, all the shops next to my eleven internet cafes were rented out, and two of them are doing very well."

"I sent someone over to inquire and found out that the company leasing the shops is the Tianqin Group." Yue Lei said, "Those shops are around 600 square meters each, and the rent alone costs over 100,000 yuan a year."

"A 300-square-meter shop can hold at least 300 computers. With these computers sitting next to me in an internet cafe, how can I continue my business? The Tianqin Group is definitely going to start a price war with me." Yue Lei gritted his teeth and said, "I immediately reported the situation to the alliance and found out that there were over internet cafes in our alliance that had the same experience as me."

"The Tianqin Group has always used this method. They use price wars to completely crush their competitors, achieve a monopoly, and then raise prices to make up for the losses." Yue Lei said, "Their main target this time should be me. I am currently using the Tianyu Internet Cafe brand. The Tianqin Group has always intended to destroy the Tianyu Internet Cafe Group in Yanjing."

Cheng Yi suddenly realized, "It will probably take quite a while for them to rent a shop and open it for business, right?"

"Internet cafes don't require any technical skills. As long as we have the computers, we can open in a few days at most." Yue Lei said, "Boss Cheng, you have to help me think of a solution. I heard that when the Tianqin Group was trying to gain market share in other provinces, they charged 50 cents an hour and wiped out every internet cafe in that city in two months. After forcing their competitors to death, they have now raised their prices to 3.5 yuan an hour."

"This is normal. This is the simplest and most efficient way." Cheng Yi nodded.

In the past, industries like carpooling, shared bicycles, group buying, and food delivery all adopted this simple and crude method, directly crushing you with financial resources, leaving you with no power to fight back.

You set the price at one dollar? Then I'll set it at eighty cents.

You set the price at 80 cents? Then I'll set it at 50 cents.

Drag you completely into a money-burning war, and whoever runs out of money first will be the winner.

Once all their competitors are dead, they will quickly raise the price and make back the money they lost.

Qi Yong said, "Boss Cheng, please give us some advice on this matter. We are all rough and tumble guys. We are good at fighting, but when it comes to using our brains, we are no match for you."

"Yes, Boss Cheng, our alliance's smartest man, Zhou Rongjun, couldn't even withstand a single move from you. Please help us think of a solution, and we'll listen to you."

"You are our hope." The other Internet cafe owners all looked at Cheng Yi with pleading expressions.

Cheng Yi said: "If Chen Zhi really starts a price war, none of us can compete with him. If he throws in hundreds of millions right away, we will definitely go bankrupt."

Cheng Yi's words left everyone present silent.

Yes, if Chen Zhi really started a price war regardless of the consequences, then they would have no choice but to close down.

Strictly speaking, Internet cafes are like the catering industry.

A computer rarely breaks down if it is turned on and run every day, but if it is not turned on for a month, it will definitely not start up.

Add to that all sorts of expenses, and the total loss for a month would be at least tens of thousands. Although everyone here can afford tens of thousands of dollars, no one knows what the future outcome will be.

They lose tens of thousands of dollars every month, and within three months, they will run away.

No one's money comes from the wind, and no one is willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to gamble on the future. What if Tianqin Internet Cafe is going to lose money for a year in a row? Who can withstand it?

"But I think a mature group company like Tianqin Group wouldn't be that stupid." Cheng Yi smiled and said, "Let me do the math for you."

"If he wants to make our internet cafe completely customer-free, he'll have to build a cafe next door with 300-400 computers. We have nearly 100 internet cafes with 47 computers, and bosses like Boss Qi and Boss Yue have over 2000 computers. If you add all those up and average them out, we have at least 70 cafes with 200 computers."

"If Chen Zhi wants to take down these internet cafes, he'll need more than 20,000 computers." Cheng Yi laughed and said, "What do you mean by more than 20,000 computers?"

Cheng Yi stood up, stretched out a finger, and said, "At least 100 million is needed."

Hearing this number, everyone present took a deep breath.

Their Internet cafe industry simply doesn't match this number.

To put it bluntly, their Internet cafe industry is not worthy at all!
"Tianqin Group does have the ability to come up with 100 million." Cheng Yi said with a smile: "But I think Chen Zhi shouldn't be able to mobilize such a huge amount, right?"

One hundred million in cash is absolutely an astronomical figure. Nowadays, even the richest man in a county doesn't have that much money.

"Boss Qi, do you have a map of our Jingzhou City?" Cheng Yi asked with a smile.

"Yes." Qi Yong immediately shouted, "Director Sun, push our map over here."

Soon, the office director of the Internet Cafe Alliance pushed over a map stand with pulleys.

The map is two meters wide and two meters high, showing all the districts and counties of Jingzhou City.

Cheng Yi walked up to the map and said, "Tianqin Group is a group company with professional managers. These professional managers always like to get the maximum benefit at the lowest cost. In simple terms, they use a combination of force and coaxing."

Amidst everyone's puzzled gazes, Cheng Yi said, "Jingzhou City is shaped like a shoe, running north to south. To the south of Jingzhou City is farmland stretching for dozens of miles, and to the north is the economic center of Handong Province. As professional managers tend to do, they'll start north and then south. Starting from this center line, they'll spend 50 million to eliminate all the internet cafes in the northern counties or drive them south."

"After that, they will have a second negotiation with us, and the conditions they offer will definitely be very harsh, but by that time we will have already been frightened and basically surrendered." "Boss Cheng, how should we respond?" shouted an impatient Internet cafe owner.

"The Tianqin Internet cafes that have appeared next door now should all be from the northern counties and districts, right?" Cheng Yi asked.

"Yes." Many people nodded.

"My suggestion is to play like a sticky candy." Cheng Yi said with a smile: "Now is the time to test our unity."

"First of all, any internet cafe targeted by the Tianqin Group must choose to confront them head-on. First, we must show our strength and lower our prices along with them. Internet cafes in the southern counties must also lower their prices simultaneously to disrupt their plans."

"A simultaneous price reduction? They start at 50 cents right away. How can we lower it?" Some internet cafe owners said excitedly, "50 cents? We'll literally lose everything. Many departments are constantly asking us for donations. We donate tens of thousands of yuan a month just to various departmental activities, and then there's..."

A group of Internet cafe owners immediately started complaining.

Everyone knows that they make money quickly, so there are many departments trying to fleece them. In addition, Internet cafes are now an industry jointly managed by four departments. Just serving these four departments and the small departments under the four departments is enough to make them overwhelmed.

"If you keep dragging it out with Tianqin Group, can you afford it?" Cheng Yi asked with a smile.

"I definitely can't afford to delay." Yue Lei said, "They're fine. They only have two or three internet cafes, but I have eleven. I lose over three hundred thousand yuan a month."

"So, we must first lower the price of Tianqin Internet Cafe as quickly as possible." Cheng Yi said: "Although you say that you will lose money if the internet cafe charges 50 cents, in fact, if the internet cafe charges 50 cents, there will still be some profit, right?"

"Yeah." Many people nodded.

The cost of an Internet cafe, including electricity, rent, depreciation, broadband fees, management fees, etc., is about 40 cents. Moreover, the income of an Internet cafe is not only from Internet access fees, but also from beverage fees, etc., so some profit can be made.

"Boss Cheng, let's also set the price at 50 cents to compete with them?" said an Internet cafe owner.

Cheng Yi shook his head and said with a smile: "Of course not. In this kind of tug-of-war, we are the first ones who can't stand it."

Cheng Yi held up another finger and said with a smile: "As long as Tianqin Internet Cafe charges 50 cents, we will immediately set the price at 30 cents."

"Sanmao?" Everyone present was in an uproar.

"If you trust me, just set the price at three cents. I have a way to get Tianqin Internet Cafe out of Jingzhou City within two months." Cheng Yi said with a confident smile, "But I can't tell you my plan right now. If someone leaks the news, all our efforts will be wasted. After all, Tianqin Internet Cafe has put so much pressure on us, there's no guarantee that someone won't give in and become a scumbag."

The last four words in Cheng Yi's words were stretched out one by one.

Many Internet cafe owners looked at each other in confusion, completely confused about what Cheng Yi wanted to do.

"Everyone, relax. Since Tianqin Internet Cafe wants to play with us, then we'll play with them hard. Their money didn't come from the wind, so it's not much better than ours." Cheng Yi shouted loudly, "This time, we must let Tianqin Internet Cafe know how to write the word pain. Let them know that our Jingzhou Internet Cafe industry is not something that anyone can get their hands on! Whoever dares to put their hands in, we will chop off their hands!"

"Our Jingzhou Internet Cafe Alliance will not allow such an awesome internet cafe to exist!"

Cheng Yi's words infected many internet cafe owners. These people were hot-blooded middle-aged men who loved to shout for war and kill. After hearing such demagoguery, coupled with the confidence given by Cheng Yi, they all shouted: "Yes, kill them! Damn it, Tianqin Group is a piece of shit. If they piss me off, I'll just smash their internet cafe."

"That's right, if they don't let us have an easy life, then they won't have an easy life either!"

Cheng Yi pressed his hands, signaling everyone to be quiet, and everyone immediately fell silent.

Cheng Yi smiled and said, "We must not do anything illegal. It's the 21st century now, and we must all be civilized and polite businessmen. Now all we have to do is go back and prepare the money."

"In this price war, you'll lose money for a maximum of one month. In the second month, I'll make you earn it back." Cheng Yi said with a smile, "Also, hurry up and prepare the money to apply for an internet cafe license as soon as possible. If my plan succeeds, Tianqin Group's second step will be to start from this aspect. By then, internet cafes without operating licenses will be in danger."

"Okay, let's go back and prepare right away."

"Boss Cheng, if you can really help our alliance withstand the run from Tianqin Internet Cafe this time, we will listen to you in everything from now on." At this time, Qi Yong spoke.

Qi Yong's words were echoed by everyone present.

Qi Yong's promise, coupled with the passionate faces in front of him, although a little older, made Cheng Yi gradually change his previous plan.

He originally wanted to sacrifice these people, let them fight with Tianqin Internet Cafe to a draw, and then he would reap the benefits.

But now, he suddenly felt that it was a good idea to keep these people.

Jingzhou City is the headquarters of Momo Internet Cafe, and he now also needs an identity.

The chairman of the Jingzhou Internet Cafe Alliance is an identity with great value. If Qi Yong and his team were to be eliminated by Tianqin Internet Cafe, he, a commander without any troops, would not only become the leader of the Jingzhou Internet Cafe industry, but would also lose a very useful identity.

This identity will allow Momo Internet Cafe to achieve twice the result with half the effort when setting up Internet cafes in Handong Province.

However, it is indeed a very tricky task to resist Tianqin Internet Cafe. A group of Internet cafes with a scale of hundreds of thousands of people trying to compete with an entertainment group with a scale of billions is like trying to stop a chariot with a mantis arm, which is not an exaggeration at all.

"Everyone, go back and prepare. I'll discuss the details with Boss Qi and Boss Yue separately." Cheng Yi said with a smile, "When the time comes, just follow our instructions and proceed step by step. Even a powerful dragon can defeat a local snake. This time, we'll teach the Tianqin Group how to run an internet cafe."

With Cheng Yi's series of brainwashing encouragement, these Internet cafe owners became full of confidence.

It seems that in their eyes, Tianqin Group is really nothing.

After everyone left, Qi Yong and Yue Lei immediately invited Cheng Yi into the reception room.

Qi Yong opened the door and said excitedly, "Boss Cheng, how are you going to deal with this? What you just said made my blood boil."

"Yes, tell me quickly." Yue Lei looked at Cheng Yi with some excitement.

He and Qi Yong were both worried that Cheng Yi was simply boosting morale. After all, even they themselves had little confidence in being able to compete with the Tianqin Group.

Cheng Yi asked, "Boss Qi, Boss Yue, if I ask each internet cafe owner to gather dozens of young people, can they do it?"

"Gather a few dozen young men?" Qi Yong was stunned and said in surprise: "Brother, you are not planning to use force, are you? You must not be impulsive!"

(End of this chapter)