Rebirth 08: Can a mobile game company also build a tech empire?

Chapter 122 Ignites the Market

Online discussions about Conquer Online 1 have completely exploded.

"I went to three different stores, and they were all out of stock!"

"The staff said they restocked every morning, but it sold out within ten minutes of opening!"

"The mobile website's reservation page crashed as soon as it opened!"

"Can anyone tell me where I can still buy it?"

"Scalpers have already raised the price to 3200, that's outrageous!"

"A phone that costs 1999, and they're adding 1200 to the price? Are these people crazy?"

"Scalpers are truly despicable; they're even stealing goods from the retail stores!"

"Those who prefer to wait aren't in a hurry; they'll buy when production capacity increases. I refuse to believe we won't be able to buy them in a month!"

"The 'wait-and-see' approach? By then it'll be too late!"

On Z-Dimension, a content creator posted a video.

"Zhengtu 1 is in extremely high demand and short supply; an unprecedented phenomenon for domestic mobile phones!"

In the video, he visited several business halls and digital malls in Hangzhou.

The scene of the rush to buy was recorded.

In the video, the long queue winds its way through the crowd.

The line stretched from the entrance of the digital mall all the way to the street corner, and it continued even after turning the corner.

Those who bought it were all smiles.

Holding the white packaging box was like holding some rare treasure.

Some people immediately took it apart and played with it.

This drew envious glances from those around them.

Those who didn't manage to buy one looked utterly disappointed.

Some people were still pestering the shop assistants to ask when the next batch would arrive.

Some people left with sighs.

He kept muttering that he wanted to come earlier tomorrow.

Finally, the content creator stood on the street and expressed his feelings to the camera.

"I've been doing digital product reviews for three years, from Nokia to Motorola, from Samsung to HTC, and I've seen no fewer than a hundred mobile phone launches."

"But I've never seen anything like this before. A domestically produced mobile phone, priced at 1999 yuan, can attract so many people to line up and buy it, and even with scalpers adding 1,000 yuan to the price, it's still in short supply."

What does this mean?

This shows that as long as we put our heart into making products, consumers will vote with their feet. The success of Journey 1 wasn't based on gimmicks or hype, but on solid product strength!

"Every detail of this phone, from the screen to the system, from the craftsmanship to the feel, reflects meticulous attention to detail. I hope the success of the Journey 1 will serve as a model for all domestic brands to learn from. The market will not let down those who are serious about making products!"

The barrage of comments scrolled by densely.

"Well said!"

"Made in China must strive for excellence!"

"Go for it, Conqueror! I'll buy another one next time!"

"I've already bought it, it's really good!"

"Keep going on your journey!"

A few days later, news came from the mobile company.

The first batch of 30,000 units will be delivered.

Twenty-seven thousand have already been sold.

The remaining few thousand units probably won't last until tomorrow.

Zhou Zhengqing's voice on the phone was filled with laughter.

"Mr. Lu, 100,000 units is too conservative!"

The company is already discussing placing additional orders!

Provincial leaders personally inquired about this matter, saying that this was our most successful customized handset collaboration this year. They asked if our production capacity could keep up.

We want another 100,000 units!

Amidst a buying frenzy.

Time quietly passed to March 10th.

It has been a month since the official launch of Journey 1.

That afternoon, Susie walked into the conference room with a freshly completed report in her hand.

Lu Chen, Lin Bing, Hong Feng, Zheng Yong, Jiang Chang and other core members have all arrived.

Everyone's eyes were filled with anticipation.

Susie stood in front of the projection screen and cleared her throat.

-

His tone was tinged with excitement.

But the smile on his lips was already impossible to hide.

"As of midnight today, the cumulative activation volume of Journey 1 in its first month on the market is..."

She paused deliberately.

Look around.

Then pronounce the number clearly.

"453,728 units!!!"

There was a two-second silence in the conference room.

Everyone is still processing this number.

Then a burst of enthusiastic applause erupted.

Zheng Yong stood up abruptly and clapped his hands vigorously.

Hong Feng smiled so hard his eyes narrowed into slits.

Lin Bing nodded vigorously, her eyes shining.

"Of these, all 100,000 mobile units have been activated, approximately 150,000 are online, and approximately 200,000 are offline."

Susie continued her report.

His voice was filled with pride.

"Based on a selling price of 1999 yuan, the revenue for the first month is approximately 900 million yuan."

Lin Bing adjusted her glasses and added.

"After deducting hardware costs, channel revenue sharing, and marketing expenses, the net profit is about 50 million. Although the profit margin is not high, this sales volume has allowed us to gain a foothold in the smartphone market."

Jiang Chang sighed.

"The key issue is that production capacity still can't keep up. If there were enough goods, it's possible to reach 500,000 or even 600,000 in the first month."

Zheng Yong slammed his hand on the table and said.

"Don't even mention it. I get dozens of calls from distributors every day, all urging me to deliver the goods. Some of them are almost getting angry."

"The production capacity issue has already been resolved."

Lin Bing took over the conversation.

"The OEM factory in Kunshan has officially started production, increasing daily capacity by 3,000 units. We are also in negotiations with two other factories. It is expected that next month, our monthly production capacity will be able to increase to more than 500,000 units. By August, the supply pressure should be greatly relieved."

Hong Feng added.

"User feedback on the ZUI system has been very positive. There are already more than 3,000 posts on the forum, most of which are positive reviews. We have collected the first batch of optimization suggestions and will push out a small version update next week."

Lu Chen looked at the report in his hand.

A complex mix of emotions welled up inside me.

450,000 units.

This number may not seem like much ten years from now.

But in 2009, for a domestically produced smartphone...

This is already a remarkable achievement.

The Meizu M8 has been on the market for more than half a year.

The cumulative sales volume is only over 500,000 units.

Conquer Online 1, on the other hand, basically caught up in just one month.

More importantly, there's the story behind these 45 units.

It represents 45 users and 45 entry points to the ZUI system.

They will share their experience using Conquer Online 1.

I will go to the app store to download software.

They will be among the first players of the Conquer Online game.

At the same time, it will attract more people to join this ecosystem.

"Everyone has worked hard during this time."

Lu Chen stood up.

Look around the core team in the conference room.

These people have been here over the past few months.

I have almost never had a good night's sleep.

Everyone is working incredibly hard!

"Tonight, it's my treat. Everyone, relax and have a good time."

"Long live President Lu!"

Zheng Yong was the first to shout it out.

"I want a seafood feast!"

Susie rarely showed such girlish excitement.

"Barbecue! Beer!"

Hong Feng also joined in the commotion.

"Mr. Lu, I'll remember your words. Tonight, we're drinking until we drop!"

The atmosphere in the meeting room was relaxed and warm.

Everyone was immersed in the joy of victory.

The celebration was held at a newly opened buffet restaurant in Hangzhou.

They booked the entire second floor.

The employees of ZhengTu Technology rarely get a break from work.

Drinking, chatting, playing games, and singing.

Zheng Yong pulled a few people together to play a drinking game.

The loser drinks, and their laughter almost shatters the ceiling.

Susie and several female colleagues were sitting together eating dessert and whispering to each other.

Hong Feng picked up his guitar and started singing old songs.

Although they were off-key, the atmosphere was lively.