Chapter 543: Still a Foreshadowing?

The public debate over the group buying war has wound down, and rumors about the group buying market’s imminent cash crunch have gradually subsided.

Xie Tingfeng and Zhang Baizhi divorced. Yao Chen and Ling Xiaoshu divorced. Xie Na and Zhang Jie got married. Li Shuangjiang’s son was fighting in the streets…

The entertainment industry quickly shifted netizens’ focus, cooling the heated discussions about the group buying websites.

Who really spends all day looking at shopping platforms anyway?

In the eyes of netizens, even life-saving new drugs and revolutionary technologies developed by scientists can’t compare to the interest in celebrities’ private lives!

Especially the police officer role played by Sister Zhi was really smooth.

Surprisingly, despite separating from the group purchasing market, the popularity didn’t decrease because celebrity endorsements became a trend.

“I endorse myself” became a common theme in many online creations.

Even rich heirs like Cao Ge couldn’t help but show off occasionally.

“You see my Patek Philippe but not my Lamborghini.”

“I’m a rich second generation, I endorse myself.”

The original ad slogan was motivational, contrasting perfume with sweat to highlight the effort behind a glamorous appearance, but it became purely flashy with him.

Look, I’ve got a Patek Philippe, and damn, I’ve got a Lamborghini too!

However, some on the forums didn’t buy it, breaking Cao young master’s facade with a comment: “Are you endorsing yourself or your dad?”

After reading this comment, Cao Guangyu was so angry he cursed loudly in his dorm, “Old Jiang, look at this, isn’t this just hate for the wealthy?”

“Is it? I can’t tell.”

Jiang Qin leaned back on his bed, “After all, I’m a first-generation rich.”

“Damn…”

As the endorsement trend was recreated, those out of the loop began to get influenced too, often asking what the joke was, then being directed to the website.

This is the power of advertising and the charm of internet communication.

Jiang Qin also saw many such recreated posts online and found them quite amusing, like the daily snippets from the campus chat group.

You only see her pale skin but not her reddened knees.

You have your hobbies, she has her codes…

The journey of art surely has its mosaics, but what of it?

Even if battered, one must cry out loud…

They represent small-day art like Hatano and Mikami.

Many were moved by this dedication, spending ten bucks on the collected seeds.

But it’s like opening a blind box; you never know what you’ll get. Sometimes you accidentally open a Gourd Brothers, leaving no place to put your pants back on.

Still, there are some stubborn brothers, their desire uncontainable, even for a snake spirit with an internet-famous sharp face!

Due to the continuing use of the joke, the unheard-of group buying site started to get known by consumers not sensitive to changes.

These consumers don’t usually embrace new things nor would an ad prompt them to use the service, some even haven’t switched to smartphones yet.

But someday, when they think of group buying, they will remember the name Pintuan.

Meanwhile, Jiang Qin’s newly opened Weibo exceeded ten thousand followers, each post earning loads of likes.

Even bold beauties sent him plenty of cool photos privately, some calling him “hubby,” shocking Jiang Qin.

It turns out the internet seen by the wealthy differs vastly from that seen by ordinary people.

Like modern beauty streamers, they show the average viewer the screen on the table, but the top patron sees what’s under it.

However, there seems to be a barrier between internet and TV. One is advanced, the other is somewhat outdated, leading Yuan Youqin and Jiang Zhenghong to be shocked much later when they saw the ad on the news.

Television still has great credibility in this era.

To see their son on TV, being messy with shoes and socks often flying solo, was quite a surprise, prompting them to call immediately.

“Do we need an ad for my website? I had planned to hire Daniel Wu, but he wasn’t available, so the director suggested I do it myself since I’m handsome, and I did.”

“Is the director that discerning?”

“？”

Jiang Qin couldn’t provide a detailed professional explanation they’d understand, but he never expected to hear a critique from his own mother.

Don’t people usually think their child always looks beautiful? How come acting in an ad seems discerning to her?

But Yuan Youqin, tough on the outside but soft inside, was very proud, hid the remote control, and invited friends over for tea, waiting for the news replay.

Third Aunt, Sixth Aunt……no full-time housewives escaped.

“Yuan Youqin, it’s getting dark, I need to rush home to see my child.”

“Don’t rush off, Third Sister, stay for a bit more.”

“Watch what? It’s just ads and news…”

“Yuan Youqin, I have to go, too. I still haven’t finished making dumplings at home.”

“No rush, Sister Lan, I’ll come help you wrap them soon…”

The local sisters couldn’t sit still anymore, and when the news replay reached Jiang Qin’s segment, their eyes were glued to the screen.

Yuan Youqin seemed surprised on the surface, but deep down she was quite thrilled.

Her own son was really making it big.

However, the only one Yuan Youqin wasn’t pleased with was the lady across the door because her grandson already calls his grandmother very slickly…

Jiang Zhenghong was much more composed than Yuan Youqin. After seeing the news, he kept things low-key, feigning ignorance when asked.

Only because Jiang Qin’s fame was growing did he start getting invited to more drinking parties.

Once a company leader even came to pick him up, citing his good drinking capacity as the reason, only for Jiang to realize later that he was the main guest and some city leaders were also there…

They praised him for raising a good son while asking when Jiang Qin would return home.

That evening, after some thought, Jiang Zhenghong made a heartfelt call to his son.

“Son, you’re doing well in business, but stay grounded. Don’t get carried away.”

“Dad, I’m not. I even went back to look for fifty cents I dropped yesterday for half an hour.”

“Really? But why do I feel like I’m the one floating?”

“？”

During this time, websites like Lashou, Nuomi, Dianping, and Wowo started refunding expired coupons to consumers for the sake of their brand image.

This issue couldn’t be ignored anymore.

When a consumer opens a group buying website and sees some of their money hasn’t been refunded, it is hard to continue using that site. It’s like having a fishbone stuck in your throat; you can’t ignore it.

After issuing refunds, indeed some of the customer traffic did recover.

Unexpectedly, shortly after these refunds, Pintuan introduced a new policy stating all unused vouchers would be automatically refunded without application within seven days.

This announcement led to numerous group buying site owners cursing publicly.

“What’s he planning now?”

“Websites are meant to make money, what’s up with this doggone refunds?”

“He’s taking all the good reputation…”

“What do we do? Do we follow suit?”

“If we don’t, all consumers will go to him.”

Reluctantly, the other sites followed suit and introduced a seven-day refund policy.

But it was a trend of decline. Even following Pintuan’s steps, their market share continued to shrink steadily.

What made them even more despondent was the rumor that capital was considering pulling out.

The group buying war had been going on for two years, with over ten billion burned. Everyone initially wanted to quickly expand this market and share the profits, but in the end, only Pintuan was left standing.

Especially the exposure of Linchuan Business Group, which shattered everyone’s dream.

With its brand incubation and group buying model, Pintuan was unbeatable in this arena, and its community group buying was fiercely expanding. The entire industry chain was near completion.

Under these circumstances, the capital could no longer see hope in other sites.

Thus, some sites began contemplating transformations, while others planned to force an IPO by the end of the year to make some quick money.

Meanwhile, Jiang Qin started setting up ground push teams for market expansion.

Pintuan had tackled the second and third-tier market in its early stages, but that was just to bait the financing-lured group buying sites into depleting their funds in these lower tiers while leaving tier-one cities open for theft.

By the mid and later stages of the group buying war, Pintuan played all its cards, leaving no competition, forcing others to continue descending to the third, fourth, or even lower tiers.

Now, there’s no suspense left in the first-tier city market; even capital has given up, while Pintuan’s harvest festival is just beginning.

The consumers in the lower-tier markets have been nurtured by these sites and have gotten used to group buying, so here comes Pintuan.

Yongcheng, Xingcheng, Xijing, Spring City, Hezhou… Jiang Qin personally established a formidable ground push force that swept through undefended cities.

Especially in the southern market, after three months of concerted effort by Lashou and Nuomi, there were truly many users; Pintuan was making a fortune.

Many only realized now that until this moment, all of Pintuan’s strategies were a foreshadowing. He purposely didn’t develop the second and third tiers but attacked tier-one city competitors because that was his plan all along.

Relatives came to my house, it’s too messy, I’m sorry for the slow writing and late update. Also, I recommend a friend’s book.