2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 421 "Damn, he really did give it away!"

With the increasing number of home computers and the significant reduction in internet fees, the number of internet users has surged.

Although the current internet penetration rate is only 12%, the number of over 1.5 million internet users is still a staggering figure, and the speed at which information spreads is equally astonishing.

The holiday, coupled with Flash's offline advertising and the proactive reporting by various media outlets eager to capitalize on the buzz, resulted in an effect that covered almost the entire country.

Electric vehicles are an important means of transportation in daily life, but consumers rarely talk about them in detail, except when discussing their performance and price.

Because it's just too ordinary.

But this time is different. The level of discussion surrounding electric vehicles, especially the Flash Motors brand, is unprecedented. This electric vehicle company from Beicang, Ningbo, has done things that have exceeded the public's expectations.

The sheer scale of 6000 million yuan is astounding. You'd have to win the lottery 12 times to even begin, and he just gave it all away like that. This isn't running a business; this is philanthropy.

"Flash and Orange Technology share the same mindset. Whether it's Flash Auto's brands, Jinpeng Industry's clothing brand GXG, or Orange Technology's Happy Farm, our goal is to serve users and consumers."

"Does it hurt to give away 6000 million? No, it doesn't. Without the support of these 3.8 users, there would be no Flashcar today. It's our second anniversary, so let's have a big user appreciation event."

"Will it affect the company's profits? Of course it will, but we're not a listed company, so it's fine if it does. We shareholders will just earn a little less."

"Why make such a big event? There's no particular reason. I just wanted to give away an electric car to the consumers who supported my business from the very beginning. If I make other products in the future, I might do the same again."

"Lack of money? No, we don't lack money. This is a real investment of 6000 million yuan. How could our company lack money? So there is no problem with the cash flow at all. The experts don't need to worry about it."

"Why did we come to the aquarium? It's obvious, we come to the aquarium to see the animals; oh, my sister wanted to see them, so we came."

"We are doing very well, running our business honestly and practically, and our employees are doing very well too. In addition, we just want to run our business properly and hope to reduce some distracting noise. We appreciate the experts' good intentions, and we will consult professionals if problems arise in the company."

Reporters are incredibly resourceful; they couldn't catch Tan Jincheng at the Shanghai Auto Show, but they managed to spot him and his family at the aquarium.

Goodness, I wonder where they got this information from.

Mr. Tan is already a celebrity, but this is the first time he's been chased by reporters like a star. That 6000 million yuan was definitely well spent; no wonder...

Thus, the interview above took place, in which Boss Tan spoke very frankly and arrogantly.

The shrewd Mr. Tan, having been caught by reporters, took the opportunity to promote all of his product brands, much to the reporters' disgust. You still have to help him with this free advertising.

He bluntly stated that he was not short of money and also responded arrogantly to the cash flow problem from last month. This was actually the first time Tan Jincheng had given a direct response. In previous interviews, he had been more tactful or even ignored the issue.

All responses were expressed from the company's perspective, and the subsequent counterattacks also came from the company's perspective; he himself was actually quite restrained.

Let's give him free advertising, it's already worth it with such an arrogant statement. He's made headlines, and this is the first time Boss Tan has made such an arrogant statement.

Mr. Tan, who always presents a humble image, occasionally reveals his arrogant side, but it doesn't feel offensive. Instead, it's somewhat endearing, like a bullied child fighting back.

That still somewhat youthful face was rather deceptive.

Reporters are good at stirring up trouble, and Boss Tan is good at it too. What are the essential elements of news? One of them is that it needs to be topical. News without topicality is somewhat dull.

The location of the interview was also interesting. It was outside the aquarium. A billionaire with a net worth of billions traveled to three cities during the May Day holiday, punching and kicking all his peers and experts.

While making arrogant remarks, the backdrop was actually an aquarium mainly for children's entertainment, and this contrast was quite shocking to the audience.

It is precisely this contrast that makes the audience realize that this billionaire who just spent a huge sum of 6000 million yuan is still a 22-year-old young man. According to the encyclopedia, this young man has not yet reached the legal marriage age.

Yes, although he is no longer a child at this age, he is still a child in his parents' eyes. How could the experts have the nerve to bully such an excellent and generous child?

Tan Jincheng generously gave away money, had no scandals, and was quite young. When the audience realized that he seemed to be bullied, it was easy to arouse their protective instincts.

Ordinary people don't really have a high level of understanding about wealth. They know you're rich and that billionaires are amazing, but the actual extent of their wealth is beyond their comprehension. It's like the saying on the internet: you can't imagine how happy rich people are.

They only saw a young man at the aquarium, accompanying his sister to see the animals. The usually mild-mannered man made an arrogant statement for the first time before facing the camera, referring to the incident that happened last month.

As a result, those who were beaten up last month were brought out again.

This was truly unexpected for Tan Jincheng. He had actually forgotten about what happened last month, and there was no need to keep remembering this trivial matter. He certainly wouldn't bring it up unless the reporter asked him about it.

In Mr. Tan's view, the more important purpose of the 6000 million yuan spending plan is to promote lithium battery-powered electric vehicles. All new things are difficult to be accepted by people when they are first launched.

Only a minority of people are willing to try new things, especially since this is a mode of transportation and it's not cheap. No matter how much you brag, it's better to do something practical.

Do you want one for 700 yuan? That price is even more outrageous than electric bikes from small workshops; it's practically a steal.

Using such large subsidies is the most effective way to promote new products. Once you buy one and experience it, you'll know the benefits of lithium battery-powered electric vehicles: they are lightweight, agile, have longer range, and are more stylish.

As for battery safety, everyone tends to take chances until something goes wrong. So far, there haven't been any reports of batteries catching fire, so even though FlashCare emphasizes this safety issue, consumers don't really care much.

700 yuan, what more could I ask for? I'd even accept a fire!
It's not that other electric cars are unaffordable, but that the Flash is more cost-effective. This is a popular phrase on the internet these days, and it goes without saying that it's Boss Tan who started this trend.

When it comes to setting the tone, the entertainment industry really needs to learn from Flash's marketing department. Just this one line of marketing can make other manufacturers suffer.

The event was announced on the evening of the 5th, and the official redemption began on the 9th. After five days of promotion, most of the stores in each city that offered the redemption were already well-known. The first batch of FlashDrive consumers were mainly concentrated in Anhui and Henan provinces.

Northern Anhui and central and southern Henan are the main areas where the first batch of core users are concentrated. In the past few days, consumers have been coming to the store from time to time to inquire about the details and ask if it is really possible to get a full discount.

There's no way around it; there are just too many businesses these days that don't keep their word, and quite a few that say one thing and do another.

The result was that the full amount could indeed be deducted. All you needed to do was bring your original purchase invoice, pay the difference in price for the vehicle you chose, and you could pick it up on the spot without any other formalities. However, before receiving the car, there was always some trepidation. The boss's words were probably true, but who knew if the subordinates might try anything underhanded?

Wednesday, September 5th.

On the second working day after Labor Day, Zhao Chuanbing opened the door at 8 o'clock sharp, just like always.

His store has been getting a lot of customers these past few days. The May Day holiday combined with Flashbuy's big cash giveaway has caused his expanded store to be packed with people all the time, which is quite exaggerated.

No shop owner dislikes a large flow of customers; even if they don't buy anything, just browsing in the store is a pleasure.

Zhao Chuanbing's store is among the designated stores for this exchange program. Although his Flashpoint store is not the largest, it is certainly the earliest, and its sales have always been good with an extremely high reputation score.

Therefore, in Flashpoint's store rating system, it is defined as a first-level terminal store, enjoying the right to priority pickup and the first to launch new products and promotions.

Flashpoint also has its own rating system for retail outlets, which scores stores based on a combination of factors such as store size, sales volume, and payment speed.

Suppliers that rank at the bottom for two consecutive quarters will have their supply reduced.

If you can't sell your cars, stop trying. If you're not suited for business, switch careers as soon as possible.

This way, those who run small businesses can at least reduce their losses.

Even if there is a lot of foot traffic during the day, it is relatively quiet when the store opens in the early morning, and the foot traffic is not very high in the morning. But today is different. As soon as he opened the roller shutter, Zhao Chuanbing saw several customers waiting outside.

"Good morning, everyone. You're here as soon as the store opens?" Zhao Chuanbing greeted them with a smile.

He actually knew all of these people; they were the ones who bought Flash Electric bikes from his shop two years ago. Zhao Chuanbing was usually responsible for repairing any minor problems they had, and they had become quite familiar with each other over time.

In the past two days, these people have also come to inquire about the trade-in program.

"Yeah, I'm a little worried. Giving away a 2000 yuan red envelope for free seems a bit unrealistic," one customer responded candidly.

"Haha, Lao Liu, you're just being petty. Don't worry about it. I don't know about other bosses, but Boss Tan is definitely a man of his word. I've met him; he's a very easy-going young man, very kind, and treats us ordinary people very well."

"Alright, alright, stop bragging. I know you've had dinner and toasted with a billionaire, and he even gave you hundreds of thousands, but you've been bragging about it for half a year now."

"That's right, if you can replace it, please do so quickly. We won't believe it until we have the car in our hands."

Zhao Chuanbing smiled helplessly: "Damn it, you guys are always the most anxious when it comes to repairing cars. I haven't even had breakfast yet and you're already here. Okay, okay, give me the invoice. Let me make this clear first: if you bought the 1999 yuan version, then you'll have to pay an extra 1000 yuan."

“We know, we know. We’ve read the rules carefully. 1000 it is. I should have bought the 2299 version back then.”

"Really? What did you say back then? I was trying to rip you off for 300 yuan with something that looks exactly the same. Now you regret it, don't you?"

After receiving the invoice and confirming that it was correct, Zhao Chuanbing accepted the 1000 yuan in cash that the other party had prepared. He then directed a young man in the store to push over the car that had been prepared in advance.

As his business grew, Zhao Chuanbing became more willing to hire people. This young man was his cousin from the same village, who worked as a car repair apprentice here to earn some living expenses on the side.

Even after graduating from junior high school, it's hard to find a good job. Repairing cars is tough, but at least you have a skill to support yourself, and you might even be able to open your own shop in the future.

"Uncle, why don't you try out your car? If you don't like the color, you can change it. This car is really much better than the old model. You definitely won't regret it."

Zhao Chuanbing was willing to teach, and the young people were also willing to learn. They were quick-witted, and after a little over a month of adaptation, they quickly learned Zhao Chuanbing's smiling and welcoming demeanor.

The middle-aged man whom Zhao Chuanbing called Lao Liu was taken aback.

"That's it? You really can just take it away for 1000 yuan?"

"Of course it's true. We've known each other for two years. When have I ever cheated you? Just try it and if there are no problems, just return it."

"Hey, you swindler, you've cheated me out of a lot of money, I'll have to give you a try."

The others who came after them were also taken aback by how easy it was and how simple the handover procedures were.

That's how ordinary people are; they're cautious when faced with benefits, but when they actually receive them, they're often incredulous.

"No, this is a real gift! This boss is really something!"

"Old Zhao, you didn't change the configuration, did you? We know a thing or two about this."

"Bullshit! I don't care if you call me a swindler, but you can't joke like that. This is a top-tier store of Flash, how could I possibly do such a thing?"

"Okay, okay, just kidding. Xiao Zhao, hurry up and push the car over here. I need a pink one for my daughter, along with the invoice and 700 yuan. Lao Zhao, take a look."

After taking on apprentices, Zhao Chuanbing, who was not very old, was promoted from "Little Zhao" to "Old Zhao". These first few people who came were actually vendors from the surrounding area. Even if they did not have business dealings, they were quite familiar with each other.

"Old Li is thrilled. He only spent 700 yuan but got a 2300 yuan bargain. Tsk tsk tsk."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it. This old guy's business is better than ours, and he has the money to buy the premium version."

"Bullshit! I didn't earn any money from that. It was for my daughter. I wanted to buy her something nice."

"Alright, alright, I know you're a doting father. Now take your stroller and get out of here. It's my turn."

(End of this chapter)