In just one month, Renren Group Buy rapidly expanded into major business districts in Dongjiang city, with new merchants continuously applying to join.
This O2O platform, which changes lifestyles and connects users and merchants, was widely praised.
Compared to Renren.com, Renren Group Buy brought tangible changes to daily life.
While users saved more money, merchants' businesses also improved.
From another perspective, the rating and ranking functions serve as a basis for consumer decisions, while for businesses they are an operational reference and market pressure, directly prompting restaurants to continuously operate and improve, because once you slack off or stop seeking progress, you might be excluded from consumers' choices.
Merchants with poor service, hygiene, or products will inevitably see their business decline.
This forces merchants to constantly improve their service levels, hygiene conditions, and product quality, ultimately forming positive feedback.
Renren Group Buy made information completely transparent for consumers regarding dining, drinking, and entertainment.
Compared to relying on word-of-mouth among friends before, the internet has brought an exponential increase in the efficiency of word-of-mouth dissemination.
No matter how obscure a restaurant might be, as long as it has unique features, it can be equally discovered by residents city-wide through group buy reviews.
However, the drawback is that group buy currently cannot integrate with map services.
After the basic promotion in the Dongjiang market was completed, Renren Iron Army immediately moved to surrounding cities to launch new campaigns.
......
Since the launch of the "stealing vegetables" feature in mid-November last year, Renren.com has made a fortune.
Now, after four months of operation, Renren Farm's daily active users have already exceeded 100 million, becoming an unrivaled phenomenon-level game enjoyed by everyone from seventy-year-olds to elementary school students.
However, by mid-March, Xiaonei.com, Kaixin001.com, and QQ Zone had successively launched their own competing products.
Xiaonei.com launched "Daily Fish Farm," while Kaixin001.com and QQ Zone launched the same game, "Happy Ranch."
After openly plagiarizing Renren Parking Mania and being sued last time, this time the competitors learned their lesson.
Although the names were different, the core gameplay was the same as "stealing vegetables."
Even Chen Pingjiang couldn't sue them for plagiarism.
The launch of these two games still had some impact on Renren.com to a certain extent, but it remained within a controllable range.
"Cheng Binghao of Kaixin001.com isn't even pretending anymore; he's sold his soul to Tencent,"
Chen Pingjiang remarked, looking thoughtfully at the report in front of him.
Whether it was "Happy Ranch" launched by Kaixin001.com or "QQ Ranch" launched by Tencent, they were essentially the same game, just with a different name.
Li Xi's expression remained relaxed:
"Our internal assessment is that it won't have a big impact on us, as stealing vegetables has become a trend. However, Renren.com's next plan also needs to be clear. I estimate that the popularity of Renren Farm will slowly fade in at most another half a year."
"At that time, user social activity will also decline. Many people visited Renren.com to steal vegetables and browse the website, but if they no longer want to steal vegetables, users might lack the motivation to frequently open Renren.com to check friend updates.
Factors that exacerbate this situation include: the initial joy of seeing old friends online has passed, friends who don't work or live together lack lasting topics, and the presence of colleagues and superiors creates an invisible restriction."
Miao Bingwei also agreed:
"The lifecycle of stealing vegetables and parking mania is obvious. Acquaintance social networking itself is not a rigid demand and cannot become the biggest pillar of a product. After all, national conditions are different; we are not the same as Facebook."
Chen Pingjiang smiled and nodded:
"I'm very pleased that you can see this. I've considered this issue, and I've roughly thought out the next steps for our plan."
"In the US, a new software called Twitter recently emerged, allowing users to update information with no more than 140 characters. It can be understood as a blog.
But unlike a blog, being limited to 140 characters is undoubtedly more convenient, more capable of streamlining information, allowing users to browse more people's information in the same amount of time, forcibly increasing social interaction frequency, emphasizing brevity, frequency, and speed."
"We can also develop a similar software, internally named 'Weibo.' To some extent, it might be the ultimate form of social media. Although Renren.com also has social media attributes, its intrinsic gene is acquaintance social networking. Weibo's positioning is purely an information dissemination platform, which aligns more with the positioning of social media."
After a pause, Chen Pingjiang continued:
"Since we're positioning ourselves for social networking, we must take social networking to the extreme. Therefore, the second plan is interest-based social networking."
"I call it 'Zhihu.' The goal is to build a platform that allows people to better share knowledge, experience, and insights, find their answers, and form a knowledge-sharing community and an original content platform where creators gather."
The executives present nodded frequently.
In their view, both projects had excellent ideas.
Of course, it was mainly due to their trust in Chen Pingjiang's vision.
Wasn't it widely rumored?
CEO Chen had never met a single defeat since his debut.
Miao Bingwei scribbled in his notebook:
"I'll organize a team for R&D after the meeting."
Unexpectedly, Chen Pingjiang raised a hand:
"I'm not finished yet."
"Ah, there's more?"
The group looked at Chen Pingjiang speechlessly, wondering what was inside his head.
What good person would throw out project ideas as if they were free?
"Last May, Facebook launched its Open Platform API. Our Parking Mania and stealing vegetables are so popular in China, foreigners must also love playing them. We can also try some reverse cultural output.
Li Xi will be responsible for this, setting up a new subsidiary specifically to handle related matters. Then, we will personally fly to the United States to discuss integration issues."
"Finally..."
As soon as these two words came out, everyone couldn't sit still.
There's more?
Chen Pingjiang coughed:
"In major first and second-tier cities, we'll contact local reputable companies to move Renren Farm from online to offline. The general idea is that users who reach a certain level in Renren Farm can join the 'Adopt an Acre' program. The adoption fee for an acre is 20,000 yuan. After purchasing, a sign will be placed on the exclusive plot, and the player becomes a landlord."
"The land will be managed by local farmers, with full-service care from spring planting to autumn harvest, including watering, fertilizing, and various other steps. After harvest, yields will be sent to the landlords in batches monthly.
As long as it complies with local agricultural conditions, they can plant whatever they wish. During the management period, landlords can participate in farming experiences and parent-child activities.
Furthermore, we can cooperate with local processing plants to offer deep processing services. For example, if a customer wants to plant rice paddies, after harvest, we can produce natural and pollution-free rice wine, rice cakes, and other special agricultural products."
Li Xi's eyes lit up, and he looked at his boss admiringly:
"This idea is excellent! It not only sustains the lifecycle of Renren Farm but also opens up offline value-added services. Most importantly, the project's positioning is very good. It can totally be developed into a farm estate model, adding homestays and entertainment facilities. We just need to drive traffic to these offline companies."
Weibo, Zhihu, overseas game expansion, and the integration of online and offline farm industries.
This was Chen Pingjiang's next plan for Renren.com.
Multi-pronged approach!
With Renren.com's current human and financial resources, all can be carried out simultaneously.
Li Xi, Miao Bingwei, and others could barely keep up with Chen Pingjiang's brainstorming, let alone the newly promoted or recruited middle and senior management.
It would terrify half the industry if word got out.
Other companies repeatedly discuss, conduct market research, and create feasibility plans for a project.
But at Renren.com, it was as simple as drinking water or eating a meal.
Yet, all four of these projects, no matter which one, sounded quite reliable and were almost entirely market whitespaces.
After receiving the four new proposals.
Renren.com immediately sprung into action.
Miao Bingwei directly arranged two project teams to simultaneously develop Weibo and Zhihu, while also overseeing the development of mobile versions.
The Business Department was responsible for contacting powerful offline companies in various regions, while Li Xi prepared for the overseas game expansion business.
Although it was said to be four projects, there were actually more.
A massive machine in operation cannot rely solely on Chen Pingjiang to issue instructions.
Shortly after "Renren Farm" was launched, the development of "Mole's World" followed closely.
The recent hot topic in the gaming circle was The9's renewal of the World of Warcraft contract.
Chen Pingjiang did have ideas for "World of Warcraft," but thinking about Blizzard's behavior, he held his nose and endured.
Blizzard, like a green tea b*tch who divorces but doesn't leave home, Renren.com didn't want to get stabbed for NetEase.
Moreover, World of Warcraft wasn't that profitable in China, with revenue far less than "Honor of Kings," "Genshin Impact," and others.
......
Chinese people's memories of the year 2008 far surpass those of other years.
The snow disaster at the beginning of the year was already shocking enough.
400,000 people were trapped at train stations for 11 days, and it was precisely because of this event that China decided to become an infrastructure superpower.
Besides the snow disaster, stock market crash, and subprime mortgage crisis, there was also the major earthquake in May, the Olympic Games in August, and the melamine scandal and Shenzhou 7 launch in September.
In this year, people across the country cried and laughed.
In early April, those who had more contact with Chen Pingjiang unexpectedly found that he had changed somewhat.
He became more taciturn and occasionally frowned.
Chen Pingjiang really wanted to give a warning to relevant authorities but was afraid of being taken away for research.
In the end, he could only instruct Zhizhen Catering to prepare more food, tents, and drinking water.
Ge Mengshi was still puzzled by this.
After that night, the two returned to their usual state of interaction.
Even if Chen Pingjiang showed some affection, Ge Mengshi ignored it.
However, faced with Ge Mengshi's confusion, Chen Pingjiang still brushed it off with vague words, saying directly that it was preparations for the out-of-town promotion of the Renren Group Buy project.
By mid-April, Chen Pingjiang's mood had improved.
Because he received a call from the relevant department, inviting him to participate in the Olympic torch relay held in Dongjiang on May 27th.
Chen Pingjiang didn't really care much about receiving an empty title like "Advanced Individual," but if he got to participate in the torch relay, that was absolutely fine.
The short distance of two hundred meters filled Chen Pingjiang with an intense sense of honor.
"My home's door is always open, waiting for you with open arms..."
Chen Pingjiang was so happy he couldn't help but hum.
"Before, you wouldn't run even when called, but I didn't expect you to become so diligent after being chosen as a torchbearer."
On the large sports ground of the Sports Institute, Chen Pingjiang and Yan Yan were running energetically in their sportswear.
"Of course, even though I'm not fat, I still need to practice. My father-in-law couldn't even get such an honor. I can't be out of breath on camera that day, that would be too embarrassing."
Not only could he not be out of breath, but his posture also had to be elegant!
Yan Yan felt very happy that Chen Pingjiang could run with her.
Strictly speaking, the two didn't spend much time together.
Firstly, Chen Pingjiang was quite busy, and secondly, they weren't married and lived separately.
Quite a few people were running at the Sports Institute in the morning.
Students passing by continuously directed their gaze at Chen Pingjiang and Yan Yan.
At the Sports Institute, Yan Yan was the sole designated campus beauty; other women, no matter how beautiful or impressive, had to stand aside.
More and more people knew who Yan Yan's boyfriend was.
Before, some people dared to pursue Yan Yan, but now no one had the courage anymore.
"Look, Senior Yan Yan."
"I saw her long ago, no need to tell me, I noticed her on the last lap. She truly lives up to being our Sports Institute's campus beauty, tsk tsk. In comparison, the girls in our class are pure roughnecks."
"Yeah, if I could find a girlfriend like Senior Yan Yan, I'd be willing to live in a big house and drive a luxury car."
"Tch, wake up. Didn't you see who's next to her?"
"Who?"
"No way, don't you know that Senior Yan Yan's boss is Chen Pingjiang from the neighboring Finance University? The owner of Renren.com and Renren Takeaway Group Buy that we usually use, worth 20 billion yuan."
"Damn, even though he's awesome, I still don't agree with this marriage."
"Buddy, wake up. Look, there's a guy constantly following them. His pace hasn't changed since they started running. I bet that's a bodyguard. You'll have to beat Chen Pingjiang's bodyguard first."
"..."
Yan Yan was truly beautiful, her face bathed in a captivating glow under the morning sun.
Her high ponytail swayed with the rhythm of her running, captivating the souls of many students.
As they jogged together, anyone who saw them couldn't help but say, "A perfect match."
After five laps, Chen Pingjiang waved his hand, and the two walked to the long side to rest.
Yan Yan, with loving eyes, slowly wiped Chen Pingjiang's sweat with a towel she carried, while Chen Pingjiang gulped down water.
This scene made many students grimace.
Well, no need to eat today, they've had enough dog food.
Li Fu, the driver and bodyguard, had truly strong physical fitness.
He could run five laps without getting red-faced or out of breath, still standing guard not far away.
It must be said that Li Fu was quite competent at his job.
According to Wan Yuqian, after work, he would also self-study or consult relevant people about bodyguard knowledge.
After all, while both special forces soldiers and bodyguards involve some form of force, one specializes in offense, the other in defense.
After the morning run, Chen Pingjiang took Yan Yan back to her dorm, then went back for a shower before returning to the company.
Guan Yifeng was already waiting there with his laptop.
Upon seeing Chen Pingjiang, he immediately said respectfully,
"Chairman Chen, Bu Housheng will call back at 10 AM."
Chen Pingjiang nodded.
This Bu Housheng was the professional manager Chen Pingjiang had prepared for his Tianyuan Capital.
Starting this year, he planned to make some venture capital investments.
(End of Chapter)