Chapter 598: Starting with a Gift of 2000

“Are the riders under our platform still wearing Group-Buy Delivery uniforms?”

“No, we’ve already forced the riders to switch uniforms. At first, some were reluctant, but we eventually paid to recover the Group-Buy uniforms…”

“Then why are there still so many riders in Group-Buy uniforms on the streets?”

“Because those are actually Group-Buy Delivery riders.”

“?”

After connecting through Daily Specials’ portal to Group-Buy Delivery, Group-Buy’s market share expanded again with order volumes surging like wildfire.

Riders in yellow robes brought Group-Buy Delivery into thousands of households.

At this point, the Group-Buy series rooted deeper into the life services sector.

When you go out to spend, it’s with Group-Buy in-store.

When you order takeout, it’s with Group-Buy Delivery.

When you want to buy groceries online for cooking, it’s through Daily Specials.

When you buy groceries offline, the fresh produce is from the Group-Buy Supply Chain.

At this stage, nearly all of Group-Buy’s business bits were interconnected.

Centered around group-buying, the industrial chain penetrated every level, firmly grasping the O2O market without missing a bit.

Initially, the grand ambition he declared—to not let a single penny go homeless—was gradually becoming a reality.

With the campaign going to earn 600 a week, Jiang Qin’s ambitions slowly began to surface.

As expected, delivering 2000 in bonuses motivated riders, enhancing the delivery quality of Group-Buy Delivery.

Those working less frequently or with unstable performance, failing to secure later rewards, drifted to other platforms.

This outcome, even more shocking than a surge in Group-Buy riders, left competitors speechless.

With Daily Specials’ industry upgrade completed, Group-Buy’s market share increased, reigniting market enthusiasm—to a winning stupor.

And you’re telling me you’re not planning on rehiring these high-quality riders?

“Lately, rumors say Group-Buy plans to buy insurance, offer full attendance and a base salary for riders making it to the last round—it shocked me, so I investigated and it’s not a rumor…”

“?????”

In the boardroom, Praise Delivery’s Guo Ming, Luo Ping, and Robin sat in disarray, twitching at the corners of their mouths.

Old Manager Sun coughed: “Last month, the top ten riders in order volume at Praise had signed their labor contracts.”

“Didn’t the others sign?”

Guo Ming still held a shred of hope, thinking ten riders wouldn’t make a big difference.

Manager Sun pursed his lips: “I didn’t even ask about the rest. Their expressions partly guilty, partly simple smiles, gave it away.”

Luo Ping rubbed his temples: “Is Group-Buy Delivery going to follow Fast Order’s path?”

“Isn’t Fast Order practically dead now?”

“I heard Baidu Delivery wants to buy it.”

Fast Order, born in the Kyoto market, was the first meal ordering platform to receive investment.

Because its owner, Xi Zhongwen, made his wealth through telephone orders, they stuck to that traditional business strategy—base salaries, contracts, insurance.

Initially, Fast Order grew rapidly, but this method of recruiting riders soon showed its flaws.

In a rapidly expanding takeout market, when everyone else just downloads an app to freelance, how can you compete?

But Group-Buy’s approach is different; it’s frightening. Signing contracts with only the top-tier riders.

“From what we see now, Group-Buy wants to split the riders into two groups: those directly contracted with the company to ensure delivery service and timeliness, and the freelancers to handle later expansion and surge in orders.”

Manager Sun shared his speculation.

“Does that mean the campaign was just a stunt, and his original goal was fourfold?”

Guo Ming felt a bit queasy.

Manager Sun nodded: “You could say that.”

“What do the two Manager Luos think?”

Luo Ping sipped at his lip: “Jiang Qin has a theory—he says there are two ways to do internet business: pushing a rock uphill, which is hard and time-consuming, and the smart way, climbing up first and rolling the rock down.”

Guo Ming was silent for a long time before speaking: “How many orders does Group-Buy have now?”

“It’s even with Hungry Now.”

“And how much money have they burned since they started?”

Manager Sun thought: “Thirty million, could be more or less, there’s no exact figure yet.”

Guo Ming was incredulous: “And they still have plastic bags?”

“They made money selling plastic bags.”

“?????”

Meanwhile, at Hungry Now’s Shanghai headquarters, Chen Jiaxin, after summing up Jiang Qin’s four wins, sat alone with a coffee cup for over an hour.

How did she feel before? Oh right, she thought Zhang Xuhao was very much like a younger Jiang Qin, even though Jiang is still younger than Zhang…

But mimicking the gourd’s shape couldn’t be too bad, right?

In fact, before Group-Buy Delivery was out of the game, she even felt Zhang Xuhao’s business mindset was more advanced, more upright, and more professional than Jiang Qin’s.

Focus on the lever, pull up the water level, align the granularity, penetrate the underlying logic, achieve disruptive innovation, and form a closed-loop matrix.

But with Jiang Qin actually entering the fray, she was fiercely reminded by reality that Jiang Qin is Jiang Qin and can only be Jiang Qin.

Then she realized, though Jiang rarely spoke truth, eventually aligning granularity, penetrating underlying logic, achieving disruptive innovation, and forming a closed-loop matrix were still Group-Buy’s strengths.

Chen Jiaxin turned her head to gaze at Zhang Xuhao, whom she had once admired as the next Jiang Qin, now furious, ranting over a three-letter mistake in the planning department’s summary, losing all semblance of a “worthy opponent.”

Human nature is just like that.

You see someone less capable but with potential; you might say they’re okay, pretending, but really, you’re just using them to elevate yourself.

But as they actually catch up to you eye to eye, your ugliness shows.

Simply put, he got flustered.

We advanced two years earlier, be it technology or funding, everything’s in place—how could a new platform catch up?

But it’s not as simple as catching up.

Hungry Now spent heavily, continuously tapping into the college student market, relying on this growth driver to lead the industry.

Yet, the college student market is a natural stronghold for Group-Buy.

Jiang Qin didn’t touch this segment because monopolizing it could dampen market vitality, but in reality, Group-Buy Delivery was already far ahead.

On a weekend afternoon, under splendid sunshine with mild weather, a good-looking guy named Yang Xueyu sat on a bench at the company’s entrance and lit a cigarette.

Hungry Now had reached a bottleneck, its business growth slowing.

In contrast, Group-Buy Delivery’s momentum was increasingly fierce, ruthlessly dominating.

The more Zhang Tao, who had bet everything on Hungry Now, thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, so he planned to send Yang Xueyu to support Hungry Now with some experiential advice.

After hearing this, Yang Xueyu was stunned—you’re not going because you’re afraid of brain congestion, so you want me to go?

But I don’t want to go either; I really want to run away.

But then, thinking about his own career—getting beaten up at his entry in Lashou, then beaten at Public Review, his former boss Chen Jiaxin got beaten at Public Review and then again at Hungry Now.

Now, with Jiang Qin dominating the entire market, where could he possibly run?

Yang Xueyu sighed, giving his old friend a call, only for the other side to burst into laughter upon hearing the news, seemingly saying, are you coming to get beaten up too?

Hahaha, although not a complete sentence, Yang Xueyu seemed to hear him say, you coming to get beaten up too?

Of course, it’s not just the competitors in the takeout market who are worried, but also bosses in related industries.

Such as those in supply chains, logistics, and local delivery, facing Group-Buy’s layout and development direction, couldn’t help feeling a bit alarmed.

Additionally, a few uncles in the neighboring e-commerce track also fell into contemplation.

“Group buying, takeout, supply logistics…”

“Now, Group-Buy has only left e-commerce untouched.”

“But how could he possibly not touch it?”

Online trading, offline trading, online-to-offline trading, and offline-to-online trading.

Group-Buy’s industry approach is like assembling a Gundam, forming quickly, but there’s a clear trend in e-commerce that it never tackled.

Previously, many might think Jiang Qin avoided e-commerce due to wariness of Alibaba.

But from the group-buying wars to the takeout wars, this notion has since shifted.

Jiang Qin truly dares to bite anyone.

In fact, Group-Buy already had an e-commerce prototype project, built during the group-buying war period—Group-Buy Selected.

They utilized this project—low-cost service, subsidizing genuine products—to associate Group-Buy Selected with genuine product images, enhancing Group-Buy’s reputation and credibility.

Later, when Group-Buy Selected fulfilled its mission, it halted development at the end of the group-buying war, becoming a Group-Buy-owned reserve.

But who can guarantee that Group-Buy won’t start up this Selected Mall again, especially since it already has logistics and users?

Can a doghouse keep leftover bread?

Many media were also very interested in this question, eager to know Group-Buy’s layout after entering the takeout market and whether its future development direction will involve the e-commerce field.

“It won’t. Group-Buy won’t enter the e-commerce field.”

“Why is that?”

“I was too young, missed the e-commerce trend. Now, trying to do this is actually very difficult. Taobao and JD.com are both very formidable and mature businesses. I don’t think I can outcompete Mr. Ma and Liu Qiangdong unless…”

“Unless what?”

“Nothing, just a habit of saying unless. It’s just a slip of the tongue, please cut this part out, thank you.”