Reinventing the Millennium

On March 24, the day before Tesco and Dangdang were interviewed by the publisher, even though the time had been set, both websites continued to promote promotions as if nothing had happened.

Some consumers even found out with regret that some books were even more cost-effective than they were a few days ago.

In the morning of this day, Fang Zhuo called Zheng Danrui and Brother Zheng.

This is the second time the two have contacted each other this year. The last New Year greeting was just the usual greetings.

Unlike Qiu Xiaoguan, Zheng Danrui's position is more or less sensitive.

Fang Zhuo talked about the matter and received slight criticism from the other party.

"Mr. Fang, just do whatever you want with this kind of thing. I don't think your e-commerce store is just for books." Zheng Danrui said.

"The main reason is that I am afraid that others will have me but I will not." Fang Zhuo said about the time interval between the two previous phone calls in the office. Therefore, it is best to have others have me.

Zheng Danrui watched Mr. Fang come all the way, and he did not look rusty because of the decrease in contact. He muttered: "Mr. Fang, I heard that your ice core work is quite good."

"It's okay, let's wait for mass production." Fang Zhuo saw the other party suddenly mention the ice core and briefly reported on the work.

Zheng Danrui sighed slightly: "It's a pity. It would be great if it was placed in Shanghai."

"There will be opportunities in the future." Fang Zhuo replied.

"The ice core is doing very well. Many leaders are indeed concerned about your project." Zheng Danrui changed the topic, "But, Mr. Fang, I have to say that some leaders are concerned about semiconductors. If they go there because of messy things It’s troublesome, but it’s actually not necessary.”

Fang Zhuo said innocently: "Brother Zheng, this is my first phone call to you."

"That's what I'm saying." Zheng Danrui said calmly, "The edition office was just upgraded a few years ago. It would be better for you to keep a low profile when you go to the capital."

Fang Zhuo didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Brother Zheng, I am the one being interviewed, and Tesco is also the weak party who is provoked into competition. Why do you make it look like I am going to cause trouble?"

"It's just a vaccination. Let me ask for you." Zheng Danrui still answered the matter.

In the evening, when he was about to fly to the capital, Fang Zhuo received a reply from Brother Zheng. He had a complicated relationship with the publishing house. However, his department was not responsible for this matter.

However, even if they belong to different departments, communication will be easier if they are under the same department.

Fang Zhuo felt confident and didn't look for anyone else for the time being. He stayed at the hotel closest to the edition office in the evening.

At nine o'clock the next morning, Fang Zhuo and his party arrived at the conference room of the Publishing Industry Development Department of the Publishing House. This interview was from this department.

As luck would have it, I bumped into Dangdang Li Guoqing and his party who were arriving at the same time.

Although the competition between Dangdang and Tesco has been criticized and smeared, you still have to greet them politely when they meet.

"Mr. Li, good morning."

Fang Zhuodang said hello first and gave him a smile.

Unexpectedly, Li Guoqing remembered the contents of this blogger and said angrily: "Call me Qingzi!"

Fang Zhuo was stunned for a moment, unable to laugh or cry: "Mr. Li, you..."

Li Guoqing interrupted: "Call me Qingzi! If you come to see Mr. Fang without business ethics, you don't deserve the title of 'President'."

Previously, Fang Zhuo claimed on his blog that "the greatest business ethics is success. I hope Qingzi can stand in front of me one day with his business ethics and dare to act boldly."

Fang Zhuo felt that Mr. Li had very strong personal emotions in the competition. If the transaction was not amicable, why bother?

He could only say calmly: "Qingzi, go in."

Li Guoqing became even more awkward, stopped saying anything, and walked into the conference room with others.

Fang Zhuo shrugged and led Renren Renren into the conference room.

The leaders had been sitting inside waiting for a long time, and they were discussing the situation while waiting.

However, with the entry of two companies...especially Tesco...

Director Li Gengping, who presided over the interview meeting, watched in astonishment as a group of people walked in: "This... this, Mr. Fang, why are so many people here at Tesco?"

Li Guoqing's attention was focused on Fang Zhuo just now, and there was a corner on the opposite side, so he was shocked. Those who knew it was a meeting, but those who didn't know thought it was a fight.

Fang Zhuo said seriously: "As an e-commerce website that has just been launched, we attach great importance to the interviews with leaders. In order to fully demonstrate the situation, there may be a lot of people coming."

Counting myself, there are 21 people coming this time, which is indeed a bit more than planned.

Li Gengping looked at the group of old and young men and said a little embarrassed: "There are so many of you, and the conference room can't even fit in."

"Director Li, it's okay. Just give him a few more benches. You can hear him anyway. You don't have to sit at the table. It's really not possible. We can just stand." Fang Zhuo resolved the literal meaning and did not reduce the size of the attendance.

Li Gengping's eyes turned around and did not persist.

As a result, the space in the conference room was quickly squeezed, with 5 people from Dangdang and 21 from Tesco, plus 6 staff from the publishing department, for a total of 32 people.

The conference room of the Publishing Industry Development Department has never held such a wealthy meeting.

"Mr. Fang, Mr. Li, both of you are important channels for online books. I don't think I need to say more about this matter." Li Gengping frowned slightly, "Competition is competition, but it must be benign. You This tens of millions, that tens of millions, one moment the publishing house speaks out, and the next the media reports, is the battle too big?"

Fang Zhuo thought about how to answer this.

Li Guoqing was the first to speak: "Li Si, there's a difference between tens of millions and tens of millions. Mr. Fang has a lot of money, and he can't even get his money back regardless of their Tesco promotional prices. Otherwise, the publishing house won't tolerate it." No."

Fang Zhuo retorted: "Whose publishing house can't bear it? Li Si, I don't really understand why there is such a trip. This is a subsidy. The affordable price is a benefit for consumers. The publishing house has our subsidy. Not only does it lose money If we can’t get a copy, we can also deal with the backlog, which makes our publishing channels happy.”

He spread his hands: "You can't deal with us just because of what the competitors said, right? Then can the competitors have nice things to say?"

Li Guoqing looked at Fang Zhuo and choked: "Aren't you just relying on your money? You keep saying that subsidies are for the benefit of consumers. When the subsidies are spent, won't the wool come out of the sheep?!"

Fang Zhuo looked at Li Gengping, turned over the materials in his hand, pulled out one and handed it over: "Li Si, we didn't start the subsidy war first. This was Dangdang's announcement of spending 10 million before we followed up."

Li Guoqing was startled, oh yes, Dangdang subsidized first, why do he always feel that the other party started to use money to pressure others.

Li Gengping glanced at the materials and corrected one of the young president's statements: "I don't want to deal with you, but I want to understand the situation more clearly. The Internet is an emerging industry, and online books have only been sold for a few years. You Tesco, Dangdang, and our edition We must jointly explore a sound development direction.”

"Can this be benign? Tesco poached key employees of our Dangdang. Director, tell me, how can this be benign?" Li Guoqing mentioned the thing that made him most angry.

"Don't confuse industrial development with company conditions." Fang Zhuo retorted disapprovingly, "Qingzi, why don't people want to work in your company? Aren't they being treated coldly? Why don't you recruit people from my company? That's it. What does it have to do with the competition between the two websites?”

Li Guoqing raised his voice: "Isn't the company part of this industry? Your vicious competition starts with poaching people!"

"Who started it? Who is eyeing our newly launched website and offering a 1:1 promotion?" Fang Zhuo said with a smile, "Qingzi, you are so brave."

The two men had a quarrel.

The leaders in the conference room listened silently to the two people arguing.

Li Gengping slowly flipped through the information, waited until both of them took a breath, and then slowly said: "Promotion, poaching, and arousing public outrage. You are both in the Internet industry and have received a lot of attention. You are such a mess. Let others evaluate it."

"Si Li, you are right. We have long been dissatisfied with Dangdang's behavior. Its actions have aroused public outrage." Fang Zhuo agreed.

Li Guoqing said coldly: "That's you. The ten publishing houses are accusing you, Fang Zhuo, and Tesco. Don't confuse the situation."

Fang Zhuo tilted his head: "Stand up from the publishing house and show it to the leader."

Crash.

About ten people stood up at once.

Some are from Shencheng, some are from Luzhou, and some are from Lin'an.

"Dangdang wants to promote that super strategic cooperation, but our publisher does not agree."

“By not allowing us to supply goods to Amazon, isn’t this manipulating the market?”

"This is disrupting the order of the industry."

A group of people gave mixed speeches, aiming directly at Dangdang's "choose one" behavior.

Li Guoqing frowned and looked at him. He himself was very well-connected in the book publishing industry, but this looked very embarrassing.

He shook his head and said: "We only suggest that publishers choose whom to cooperate with. It is by no means mandatory."

Fang Zhuo said lightly: "You are telling lies with your eyes open, and there are still victims."

He called to the left: "Come, show Qingzi the victim."

Shi Tao stood up.

"This is Shi Tao, the director of Amazon's book business. He knows very well whether there is any compulsion." Fang Zhuo introduced.

Li Guoqing immediately accused: "Today is an interview between Dangdang and Tesco. What is this Amazon guy doing?"

"Amazon was forced into desperation by you Dangdang, and Director Shi had no choice but to join us at Tesco." Fang Zhuo said, "This shows how outrageous your Dangdang's monopoly behavior is!"

Another deputy director looked at Mr. Fang's demeanor and asked with interest: "Mr. Fang, you might as well explain it clearly. There is a publishing house, there are victims, and who else are there?"

"There are also terminal consumers, they are victims on another level." Fang Zhuo turned and looked back, "We came in a hurry, there are only three consumer representatives here."

Li Guoqing was confused: "What does it have to do with consumers?"

"The three of them bought books from you Dangdang, why are their accounts blocked?" Fang Zhuo pointed.

Li Guoqing said angrily: "Don't slander people here. Since when have we blocked consumers' accounts?"

One of the three people named this time said: "I placed an order at that time, but because I placed more orders and the addresses were different, they were blocked."

Li Guoqing suddenly realized what was going on. He couldn't help but stand up and reprimanded: "You place orders from Dangdang and sell to Tesco customers. If not, who will ban you? You are all employees of Tesco!"

"Can't employees be consumers? Which company's theory is this?" Fang Zhuo said sonorously, "Do you already have to define what a consumer is? Didn't you get paid?"

Li Guoqing was so angry that he couldn't speak. He turned to look at Li Gengping: "Director, this Fang Zhuo is so messy and messy. Tesco seems to be pure and pure, but we must be guilty of the most serious crimes."

Li Gengping took a sip of tea, shook his head and said: "Both of you are domestic companies. As far as I know, Bertelsmann is recruiting troops. Also, Director Shi, Amazon has not given up on the domestic market, right?"

He continued to persuade: "Why are you making such a fuss? I see that you have been getting along in private, and it must have been good before. Mr. Fang is still talking about it now. One of you is a well-known rich man in the country, and the other is also the chairman of the company. Why are you bothering? "

Li Guoqing's face had a very strange color change.

Fang Zhuo glanced at Qingzi and said: "Li Si, from the beginning to the end, our Tesco has been passively defending. You can't think that we are at fault just because our passiveness is too strong, right? It's me personally, Qingzi and I It’s me and Qingzi, Tesco and Dangdang are Tesco and Dangdang.”

Li Gengping's face became a little stern: "Have you, Tesco, poached anyone else's people?"

"It's true." Fang Zhuo couldn't help but admit this.

"I don't care whether you are malicious or unintentional, don't turn this occasion into a farce." Li Gengping said seriously, "Also, Mr. Li, did you go too far with your bundled cooperation? You have to force others to do so. Are they all rebounding on you?"

He emphasized again: "You Tesco, please don't disrupt the order, don't make the book issue a problem in the city, this is not good, do you understand what I mean?"

Which one has higher priority: don’t disrupt order or don’t cause chaos in the city?

Fang Zhuo thought about this question briefly, and when Qingzi nodded, he nodded accordingly.

"Also, don't just make this statement or that statement. How was this joint statement from the publishing house organized?" Li Gengping looked at Li Guoqing.

Fang Zhuo flipped through the prepared materials and put his own statement below.

Li Guoqing did not answer the obvious question.

Li Gengping glanced at Fang Zhuo and the publishing house representative behind him again.

Fang Zhuo realized, oh, people are here, it’s even more obvious.

He also saw that the director did not want to interfere with Dangdang's super strategic actions. Regardless of whether it was legitimate or not, and whether it was appropriate or not, it was not within the scope.

"Mr. Fang, Mr. Li, can you understand what I mean?" Li Gengping tapped his pen on his notebook.

This time, Fang Zhuo nodded first and expressed his position: "To be honest, Director, our e-commerce company has just been launched less than a month ago. It is just an ordinary company and can be replaced at any time, unlike Dangdang, which has a say in the industry."

"We most want to develop quietly and steadily. It is not my intention to alarm the publisher. If Dangdang is willing to have healthy competition, then we welcome it."

Li Gengping looked at Li Guoqing.

"An ordinary company can burn 10 million US dollars in subsidies." Li Guoqing said to himself.

Fang Zhuoqi said: "Isn't it still the same money I invested in Dangdang?"

Li Guoqing raised his chin: "It's just because he refused to raise funds, so he holds a grudge, right?"

Seeing that the two men were about to start fighting again, Li Gengping was dissatisfied. This time he was dissatisfied with the head of Dangdang who had restarted the war. He said in a deep voice: "Qingzi, enough is enough."

For some reason, he felt that this title was useful now.

Li Guoqing was speechless.

After a moment, he took a breath and said: "Dangdang has always been willing to maintain industry order, and this will not change."