Chapter 478: Direct Assault, Point-blank Ultimate Attack

The internet era post-millennium presents the biggest opportunity since the mobile network transformed everyone’s life and also reshaped the market ecology, rejuvenating all congested old tracks.

Mobile phones, communication, social networking, retail, services, transportation, trade, finance…

The term “Internet +” signifies the amazing reactions when the internet and any industry chain merge, creating a whole new blue ocean.

Last April, Wei Lanlan, representing Group-Buy, went to Kyoto. She was there to meet with the head of Gaode, essentially conveying the future as Jiang Qin had painted it.

With the widespread use of mobile smart devices, what chances do traditional car navigation systems stand?

Launching map services at the phase when internet user growth explodes puts us at the forefront, letting us set the rules for the industry thereafter.

Group buying, logistics, tourism, ride-hailing, food delivery…

Merchant information pushed and built by us at Group-Buy, collecting frontend data and feeding it into the database. The technological side is rapidly followed up by you all to develop a complete mapping application.

With our combined strengths, who can compete with us?

Ultraman, maybe?

That night, the person tasked with receiving the Group-Buy business team was Cheng Jun, one of the founders of Gaode. He spent a sleepless night, almost staring at the ceiling until dawn.

Honestly, at that time Group-Buy was still relatively unknown, even less famous than Zhihu. After all, a group-buying website from a second-tier city hardly compares to a leading player like Gaode.

Gaode could have chosen any better-known collaborator to step into the internet domain.

Alibaba, Tencent, any of them would do.

Yet the next morning, Cheng Jun still advocated strongly during the shareholder meeting to collaborate with Group-Buy.

Why?

If someone earlier claimed they could foresee the next twenty years, Cheng Jun would think they’re absolutely a fraud.

But Ms. Wei’s boss made him genuinely envision the shifting epochs over two decades, without any empty talk.

Simply put, the envisioned application of map software is magnificent, as if boasting explosively. Yet on closer examination, it seems each aspect could indeed be realized.

Casually speaking a boast that signifies an era, that is the most terrifying thing.

Currently, during the company’s transformation phase, direction is extremely crucial; a single misstep in decision-making can mean losing everything. Such a guide is truly once in a lifetime.

Plus, Gaode has always led in the mapping services industry without any real competition, so why not take a gamble?

As a result, Gaode opened its API and assembled a dedicated tech team. It took a whole year to forge an unmatched weapon for Group-Buy’s cause.

And Mr. Jiang did not disappoint; from a university town group-buy site to the forefront of the national market, Cheng Jun had never met Jiang Qin, yet he could see a persona armed with decisiveness and visionary capability spanning twenty years.

“Eh, Group-Buy updated? Now we can see the distance to shops!”

“Really?”

“Yes, look, it even offers route guidance. Damn, there are even five-star rated shops nearby!”

“Damn, I’ve wanted to suggest this before. Those websites always have some promotion but can they not figure out locations properly? Just asking for directions yesterday wore me out.”

“Hey, let’s try this nearby five-star place for lunch? It’s just up the slope behind us. We could get an extra half hour of nap after eating!”

“But I grabbed a coupon from Dianping yesterday that I haven’t used yet.”

“Those coupons only expire in a month and the place isn’t even close. A visit there means no nap time. Let’s test Group-Buy’s feature today at lunch!”

Starting at eleven a.m., Group-Buy’s sales began to skyrocket, as if riding a rocket.

Many people weren’t just chasing discounts but wanted to experience Group-Buy’s service, even those who brought their own lunches couldn’t resist joining the buzz.

Correspondingly, traffic to Dianping drastically decreased.

In the fifth-floor conference hall of Hilton, temporarily rented as the Dianping team’s office, everyone watching the display of Group-Buy’s homepage felt the chill of an approaching winter, icy and piercing.

Yang Xueyu was the first to regroup, out of habit.

He always had a grim premonition regarding Jiang Qin, so he wasn’t overwhelmed by circumstances.

Yet even so, his scalp went numb with tension.

He had experienced Group-Buy’s New Year’s promotions and Festival of Goods, witnessed many clever maneuvers, whether linking shopping districts via free shuttle services or disrupting competitors’ plans with financing news to force last-minute changes. Those strategies were impeccably clever.

But what was mentioned before did not exceed the constraints of the era. They could withstand, but just barely hang on.

This time, however, Group-Buy made a direct assault, blatantly challenging in face of all competitors, drawing an uncrossable chasm.

Reflecting over the past week, Dianping had a high-profile entry, signing, and business expansion. Now looking at today, they felt as if someone had thrust a knife straight through their hearts. He suddenly glimpsed Jiang Qin’s smirk.

“I could let you run thirty-nine meters ahead in Shanghai.”

Thus, Dianping charged ahead full force, while Jiang Qin coolly and calmly drew a forty-meter sword…

Taking a deep breath, Yang Xueyu turned to look at Chen Jiaxin, wondering how this proud, man-despising iron lady would react.

Unexpectedly, Chen Jiaxin wasn’t panicked or even had a stern expression.

Truly an iron lady, magnificent as any legendary hero…

Yang Xueyu admitted, he couldn’t maintain that composure; he was somewhat dazed, unable to find any solution to turn the situation around.

“Get the tech team here.”

“Right away, President Chen.”

Zhang Li briskly left the meeting room to fetch the tech team, while Chen Jiaxin silently sipped her tea, unflustered.

After a while, the tech team assembled and took their seats.

Chen Jiaxin passed the remote for the projector to Zhang Li. When the tech team finished viewing, their reactions matched everyone else’s, all mouths agape, completely baffled.

“Give you one month to create something identical, even better if it’s more convenient than theirs.”

“For the next month, let’s slow down, hold off on intense discounts and focus on developing key merchants to enrich our review rankings and increase their value.”

“A month from now, we’ll push both online and offline. Online events and offline physical ads, aiming to capture 50% of the market by Labor Day.”

After speaking, Chen Jiaxin glanced at the screen again: “Looks like they’ve started pushing back. Interesting.”

As her words fell, the room fell silent, especially the technicians, stunned speechless.

“Why no response?”

“President Chen… we can’t develop this.”

Chen Jiaxin’s expression shifted slightly: “Just a map with distance display and a few lines, you can’t make that?”

The head of the tech team stood up: “Firstly, we need a partner providing GIS services for the technical support to make it possible. Plus, collecting and applying merchant information is quite complicated, requiring a lot of field personnel.”

“?”

Yang Xueyu covered his face, thinking she seemed calm because she didn’t understand the complexity at all.

Chen Jiaxin frowned: “I don’t care about these details, just tell me, how long do we need to create their product?”

“If we secure a partner and have enough manpower, about a year.”

“What? A year? By then, the battle will be long decided. I’m giving you just three months.”

Chen’s leadership was strong, and her tactics fierce, yet she was not sensitive to technical issues. She couldn’t see the severity of the problem, feeling why can’t we do what others have done?

The tech team leader felt like dying, thinking, maybe I should just resign.

Before he could speak, Zhang Li rushed in with his phone, whispering to Chen Jiaxin.

“President Chen, the boss is leading a team here.”

“Nonsense, what’s the boss coming here for?”

“Group-Buy’s update has alerted the company’s upper echelons.”

“?”

By three p.m., Dianping’s boss arrived at the Hilton, not alone, but with all his executives, their expressions as grave as if facing a massive threat.

They began by randomly testing locations with Group-Buy’s service, with each test their expressions grew grimmer, as if doomsday was upon them.

Only then did Chen Jiaxin realize that Group-Buy hadn’t just updated a points system but unleashed a sword capable of slaying immortals.

“Get in touch with Gaode, spare no expense, we must secure a deal.”

“President Zhang, we’ve contacted them on our way here. Gaode replied that although they provide the technology, the database was built by Group-Buy, and they don’t have access.”

“Keep trying, no matter what. We must catch up or we’re doomed.”

The boss’s team didn’t stay the night in Shanghai, leaving immediately, only Chen Jiaxin and her team remained, enveloped in silence.

“Group-Buy’s update, is it that deadly?”

“President Chen, imagine the difference between a paper plane and a remote-controlled airplane.”

Yang Xueyu explained in a straightforward way, then opened Group-Buy’s website and after staring for a while, he couldn’t help but frown.

He could understand the map service, but what was this group functionality updated along with the map service for?

Could Jiang Qin’s sword…be eighty meters long?