From Taobao intern to the father of Pinduoduo

Chapter 185 The Changes Pinduoduo Has Made to the Lives of People with Disabilities

As the New Year passes, we bid farewell to the old and welcome the new.

Spring came exceptionally early in 2012; in March, the magnolias along the roads in Shanghai were already in bloom.

Lin Mu flew back from Guangxi and received a phone call as soon as he got off the plane.

It was a call from a leader in Guangxi.

"Mr. Lin, thank you so much for your help with the fruit farmers' matter." The voice on the other end of the phone was very polite. "We won't have to worry about selling our Shatang pomelos this year."

Lin Mu smiled and said, "Boss, this is a win-win situation. The quality of your Guangxi fruits is also good. You don't need to thank me. If you should thank someone, you should thank the hardworking farmers of Guangxi."

"President Lin, you guys really know how to talk." The leader smiled, then suddenly changed the subject: "President Lin, I heard that Pinduoduo recently started a program called 'One Against All'?"

Lin Mu thought for a moment, realizing that the leader must have something to ask of him.

He asked, "Yes, it was just a little program we recorded for fun."

"President Lin, your little program is quite something!" the leader said with a smile. "Recently, my kids have been talking about it and have already started deciding which contestant to support."

The leader paused for two seconds, then said, "Mr. Lin, could you offer some assistance to our Guangxi contestants?"

"It's really tough in Guangxi; the children there are having a really hard time."

"Mr. Lin, you've been in Guangxi recently, so you should have seen it all."

9

Lin Mu understood; they wanted him to use connections.

It is not impossible.

He originally wanted to create some buzz around the contestants.

He knew that the back door this leader was trying to use wasn't to pre-determine the Guangxi player's victory, but rather to use the player to give Guangxi more screen time.

"Boss, since you've spoken, there's definitely no problem." He paused, "Perfect timing, I want to promote some of the contestants, so I'll arrange more scripts for the Guangxi contestants."

The leader was overjoyed: "Then I'll leave it to General Manager Lin!"

Then, the leader paused on the phone and said in a low voice, "President Lin, the country will not let down companies that contribute to society."

Oh wow, the leader's words have a hidden meaning.

However, this is exactly what Lin Mu wants.

It's convenient for both public and private purposes.

Since the goal is to create hype and support star athletes anyway, he wouldn't mind doing so if it could bring more attention to Guangxi.

Guangxi's economy is already poor, so it needs even more help.

Moreover, he could use this incident to forge deep personal friendships with some leaders in Guangxi.

Just like the leader said, as a company, if you can shoulder more social responsibility, even if you go bankrupt, the country will find a way to save you.

For example, if Pang Donglai were to go bankrupt in later years, do you think the government would bail it out?

Back at the company, Lin Mu had just sat down when a new email popped up in his inbox.

It was sent by Zheng Xiaolong.

[Mr. Lin, the preliminary list of candidates from each province has been compiled. The table is attached. Please review it.]

Lin Mu clicked on the attachment, and a long EceI form popped up on the screen.

There are 24 provinces, with 3 official players from each province, plus 3 substitutes.

144 people in total.

Lin Mu slid the mouse, turning the pages one by one.

After he finished reading, he leaned back in his chair.

It's too plain.

This list is too bland.

If the show just starts off in such an ordinary way, who will the audience remember?

He picked up the phone and dialed Zheng Xiaolong's number.

"Director Zheng, I've seen the list."

Zheng Xiaolong asked on the other end of the phone, "President Lin, is there a problem?"

Lin Mu said, "There's no problem, but I feel... it's too peaceful."

"flat?"

"Yes." Lin Mu stood up and walked to the window. "We need to recruit some star-level players, players who will generate buzz."

"I see a contestant here named Shen Mo. He is a top student from Peking University who has never ranked second. He comes from a wealthy family and is dressed entirely in designer brands."

"My idea is to arrange a rival for him who has studied hard for many years."

"I see there's a Tsinghua University student in Guangxi named Wei Yiming," he said, pointing to the screen. "Where is he from?"

Zheng Xiaolong flipped through the information: "Hechi, Guangxi, a small county called Du'an. Family situation... parents are farmers, and there is a younger sister in high school."

Lin Mu nodded: "Alright, he's the one."

"The rich kid with natural talent vs. the hard-working academic genius – this is sure to generate a lot of buzz."

"Oh, right, let's make music videos for them too, one for each team captain."

"Wei Yiming's poverty and hard work are highlighted, while Shen Mo's talent and carefree attitude are highlighted."

"I also saw a Chinese language teacher from Beijing who has published some books. She's a woman, and she's pretty. There are a lot of people from Beijing, so let's create a good persona for her too."

"Oh, and let's get a few more artsy girls, not just a bunch of guys."

"It would be best to provide special training programs for contestants with unique strengths, such as 'practice makes perfect,' to prevent them from being eliminated too early."

Zheng Xiaolong's eyes lit up as he said, "President Lin, the idea of ​​a music video is great."

Lin Mu laughed as well: "Variety shows require creating a persona."

He paused, then added, "This is just the first wave. We'll adjust it based on the audience's reaction after the show airs."

"clear."

One month later, at a film and television base in the suburbs of Shanghai.

The stage for "Who's Still Standing?" is under construction.

Lin Mu stood in the huge photography studio, watching the workers busily at work.

The stage was larger than he had imagined. The main stage was a circular platform, about 20 meters in diameter. Surrounding it were seating areas that could accommodate 500 people.

The lighting technician is adjusting the equipment, and beams of light of various colors are flashing and intertwining inside the studio.

Zheng Xiaolong walked over: "President Lin, what do you think?"

Lin Mu nodded: "Not bad, it's more shocking than I imagined."

He walked around the stage once, then suddenly stopped.

"Director Zheng, could you open up the space beneath this stage?"

-

Zheng Xiaolong was taken aback: "Open it?"

"That's right." Lin Mu pointed to the center of the stage. "For example, if a contestant answers incorrectly, the stage suddenly opens up a gap, causing the contestant to fall off, which can increase the tension."

Zheng Xiaolong's eyes lit up.

"Mr. Lin, your idea is great!" He immediately called over the stage designer, and the group gathered together to discuss it.

Lin Mu stood aside, not disturbing them.

He took out his phone and glanced at Weibo.

On the trending topics list, #OneStopGuests# has already climbed into the top three.

The trending Weibo post was a poll posted by a marketing account:

[The show "Who's Still Standing?" is about to premiere. Who would you like to see as a guest?]

Options:

A. Yi Zhongtian B. Gao Xiaosong C. Yu Dan D. Han Han The comment section is already in an uproar.

"It has to be Yi Zhongtian! Who understands the true value of his interpretations of the Three Kingdoms!"

"Gao Xiaosong, I guess. He has a wide range of knowledge and can talk about anything."

"Yu Dan? The one who lectures on the Analects? Forget about her..."

""

"Han Han! Let him criticize people!"

"Can't I have them all?"

Lin Mu was quite satisfied with these comments.

Let them hype it up; the more hyped it is, the more popular the show will become.

A few more days passed.

Pinduoduo's official Weibo account posted a message:

.

[The TV series "Who's Still Standing - Fighting for My Hometown" is scheduled to premiere on April 8th, Saturday at 8 PM, simultaneously on Hunan TV and Tencent Video!]

The accompanying image is a poster with silhouettes of teams from 24 provinces lined up in a row, with the four prominent characters "Stand to the End" in the middle.

The comments section exploded again.

The search term quickly rose to number one on the trending topics list.

A county town in HC City, Guangxi.

Li Xing rode home in a small electric tricycle, all smiles.

He's been living a really good life lately.

His monthly income stabilized at 3,000 yuan. He would visit several scenic spots every day, and following Pang Yonghui's advice, he would sell pretty bracelets that girls liked near schools. They were one yuan each on Pinduoduo, but he would sell them to girls for five yuan each. By visiting several schools, he could sell several bracelets.

Now, the small electric tricycle he rides was bought with his own money. With the tricycle, even if he can no longer do this business, he can still haul goods for others and have a guaranteed source of food and clothing.

In addition, he bought a washing machine for his mother.

Heaven has mercy! Ever since he lost his hand, his mother sold the washing machine to raise money for his medical expenses, and now she washes clothes by hand.

Every time he looked at the empty space where the washing machine should be, just like his empty arms, he felt a pang of sadness.

Now, he has bought a washing machine, and the new one is bigger and better than the old one.

The day I bought it, my mother was very happy and even covered it with a piece of floral cloth.

only----

Li Xing sat in his own courtyard, watching his mother busy at the laundry sink.

He said speechlessly, "Mom, isn't there a washing machine? Why are you still washing by hand?"

Without looking up, the mother said, "Your hands are clean."

Li Xing squatted down and looked at his mother's rough hands.

Those hands were white from being soaked in water, and their joints were covered in calluses.

"Mom," his voice was a little hoarse, "our family is rich now, you don't need to be so frugal."

His mother looked up at him, her gaze not even daring to meet his mutilated arm.

"Son," she lowered her head and continued washing the clothes, "Mom isn't trying to save money, she's just afraid."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm worried you won't be able to earn that much in the future," her mother said softly. "Your business is good now, earning several thousand a month. But what if business doesn't go well one day?"

"You'll need money to get married, have children, raise them, pay for their education, and even pay for their bride price."

"Mom is old and no longer useful."

"That's all I can do for you."

With a bang, Li Xing was instantly pierced through, his entire body and mind feeling as if they had been hit by an armor-piercing bullet.

He pursed his lips and went back inside.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.

Smoke swirled before my eyes.

Then, all the endless emotions turned into a sigh.

They're all in the smoke.

Li Xing remained silent for a long time.

When the cigarette burned out, he stubbed it out, took out his phone, and wanted to look at something cheerful to escape reality and ease his mood.

This is his new smartphone, a Huawei, which cost him over 1000 yuan. He couldn't bear to buy one before, but he needed a smartphone to use Pinduoduo, so he reluctantly spent the money to buy a second-hand one.

He opened Weibo and casually browsed through it.

On the trending topics list, one term caught his attention.

#Who's Still Standing? Release Date Announced#

Li Xing paused for a moment, then clicked on it.

The trending Weibo post is Pinduoduo's official announcement of the release date.

[The final episode of "Who's Still Standing – Fight for Your Hometown" premieres on April 8th. Fight for your hometown, are you ready to take the battle?]

Below is another poster with the names of 24 provinces lined up in a row.

Because he makes a living through Pinduoduo, he did some research on Pinduoduo.

I know that the owner of Pinduoduo is named Lin Mu, and I also know that he sponsored the variety show "Running Man".

They also know that the "Who's Still Standing" competition is considered a charity event, and the champion's hometown will receive a 10 million yuan charity prize.

Although Pinduoduo's business is more successful, it won't give him a single penny of benefit.

Although this charity award is for impoverished students, not for him.

But even though he is disabled, he hopes the world can become a better place. He has experienced hardship and was once a poor student.

In this land of China, studying can truly change one's destiny.

Furthermore, he possesses a simple sentiment: because he made money through Pinduoduo, he hoped that Pinduoduo's situation could also improve, so he liked and shared this Weibo post.

At the same time, he was looking forward to the start of the show, hoping that the Guangxi team would win and bring in some charity prize money for his hometown.

>