Wang Yi waved his hand, and Gaode Map was projected onto the large screen behind him:
"After passengers board, the driving route, real-time trajectory, estimated arrival time, and driver information will all be synchronously displayed on the passenger's Gaode Map, allowing users to see clearly and be completely at ease."
"Gaode Ride-hailing strictly prohibits drivers from taking detours. Once they deviate from the navigation route, a warning and a fine will be issued to the driver immediately! Unless encountering irresistible factors or obtaining user permission."
"Furthermore, regardless of how short the ride distance is, Gaode Ride-hailing drivers must accept the order and are not allowed to refuse passengers!"
"Gaode Ride-hailing puts users first, making ride-hailing more convenient!"
"Wow!"
Thunderous applause echoed throughout the Water Cube.
Everyone was excited.
Gaode Ride-hailing was simply a dimensionality reduction attack compared to taxis in 2012!
The bullet comments were lively:
"No more detours by drivers, Gaode Ride-hailing is great, I've been ripped off so many times!"
"Me too, as soon as they hear my foreign accent, they rip me off mercilessly!"
"Too many tears to tell, a 20 yuan ride, the dog driver detoured half the city and charged me 180, and I foolishly said thank you to him. I 'thank' his ancestors for eighteen generations!"
"Those who frequently take taxis have often been ripped off by drivers taking detours. Now it's great, with Gaode Ride-hailing, there's no need to worry about detours and being scammed anymore."
"Taxi refusal is also a scam! My people, who understands? Every time I get out of the high-speed rail station, as soon as they hear I live four kilometers away, a dozen taxis at the entrance refuse service."
"Refusal is one thing, but they also curse me, saying why take a taxi for such a short distance? Four kilometers, if I don't take a taxi, I walk for an hour? Damn it!"
"I feel the same way, I live five kilometers away, and I was kicked out of the taxi right after getting in!"
"I'm even worse off, also five kilometers. The driver cursed and complained about the short distance not being profitable, and then left me halfway."
"Taking detours when seeing outsiders, refusing service when hearing the distance is short, everyone has encountered this kind of thing, it's a common problem!"
"Yes, there are many good taxi drivers, and also many unscrupulous drivers. I've been scammed so much I'm questioning life."
"Now it's great, with Gaode Ride-hailing, I'm no longer afraid of detours or refusals."
"That's right, I'm downloading Gaode Map now, and I'll use Gaode Ride-hailing from now on!"
"Chairman Wang, my idol, saved my life again!"
"With Gaode Ride-hailing, who would still take a taxi? Complaining about short distances not making money, refusing service? And taking detours? Giving them too much face!"
"Speaking of which, Gaode Ride-hailing drivers are all part-time, will there be safety issues? What if they encounter thugs, especially female passengers..."
"This is possible, after all, it's a big world, and all sorts of people exist!"
...
Song Sining noticed these comments and immediately informed Wang Yi through her earpiece.
Wang Yi smiled slightly:
"Perhaps some people are concerned about whether Gaode Ride-hailing will have safety issues?"
"This is a very good question."
"No mode of transport is 100% safe, not even a taxi."
Everyone nodded, finding his words reasonable.
"All we can do is rack our brains and make every effort to comprehensively protect user safety!"
"To this end, we have introduced multiple measures."
"Before the trip, after the driver accepts an order, Gaode Map will quickly send all driver information, such as license plate number, vehicle owner information, and passenger ratings, to the passenger. Passengers can confirm the license plate and vehicle owner information are correct before getting in the car, to prevent scams."
"During the trip, we have also launched an encrypted recording function, recording the entire journey securely without leaking privacy, as well as a one-click alarm function."
"In case of an accident, passengers can use the one-click alarm in Gaode Ride-hailing. The Gaode backend will quickly contact the police and provide location and recording information to them in a timely manner."
"At the same time, Gaode also has an automatic monitoring system. If a driver deviates from the route or is overdue for delivery, the backend will intervene, ask the passenger if they allow a change of route, if they are safe, and penalize the driver for illegal behavior based on the specific circumstances."
"Additionally, users can share their ride-hailing information with Chatly friends with one click, and Chatly friends can also monitor the driving route in real-time, providing greater peace of mind."
"We have also introduced a rating system, allowing users to anonymously rate the driver after a ride."
"Drivers with a rating below four points will have their order acceptance reduced, and those below 3.5 points will be prohibited from accepting orders!"
"Safety is paramount. Gaode Ride-hailing ensures user safety throughout the journey, while also guaranteeing lower prices, no refusals, and no detours!"
"Wow!"
Thunderous applause echoed throughout the Water Cube.
This level of dedication, with trajectory sharing, one-click alarms, route deviation warnings and penalties... these measures are more reliable than taxis, greatly reassuring the public.
Wang Yi changed the topic:
"Users can download Gaode Map to experience Gaode Ride-hailing and enjoy convenient, safe, and efficient transportation."
"Car owners can also register to become Gaode Ride-hailing drivers, take orders and carry passengers in their spare time, earning an extra income. Whether it's for supporting a family or for barbecue and massage, it's no longer a problem."
"Of course, if your job is unsatisfactory, if you don't want to be exploited by your company, or if you don't want to fall for your boss's empty promises, you can also become a full-time ride-hailing driver, taking orders every day and earning a higher, better income."
"As for how much this income is?"
"We've invited a few drivers to speak from their personal experience. Please look at the big screen."
"These drivers all started driving during Gaode Ride-hailing's trial run last month, making them among the first to 'eat crab'."
[Hello everyone, I'm Yi Xi, a Gaode Ride-hailing driver. I was bored during the Chinese New Year, so I drove for a few days. This is my income statement. On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, I drove for five hours, and after deducting fuel and commission, I earned 130 yuan! On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, I drove for eight hours and earned 210 yuan! Much better than working a regular job, I plan to drive full-time for Gaode!]
[I'm a civil servant, I get off work early, and I drive for three hours in the evening, netting one hundred eighty yuan. Three hours a day, it's more than my salary!]
[Gaode subsidies are high at night. I drive from 8 PM to midnight, and earning 120 yuan in four hours is not a problem.]
[Gaode's commission is very low, and there are subsidies during morning and evening rush hours. I've been driving full-time for half a month and have earned over 3000 yuan. A monthly income of six thousand is not a dream!]
[I sincerely recommend that car owners with an income of two to three thousand drive for Gaode. You can easily earn five to six thousand a month! Work a bit harder, and even ten thousand a month is possible. Really, I'm not lying!]
...
Watching this scene, the car owners present were all stunned, and the bullet comments exploded even more:
"What? Driving for Gaode can easily earn five to six thousand a month? So profitable?"
"According to what they're saying, they net 25 yuan an hour during the day and 30 yuan an hour at night. Eight hours a day is over two hundred yuan, twenty days a month is over four thousand. Thirty days is six thousand!"
"That's normal, taxis also make this much money these days, but they rent their cars, and the taxi company takes one-third, fuel takes another third, so they don't get much. Gaode Ride-hailing only takes one-fifth, passengers spend less, and ride-hailing drivers actually earn more."
"So that's how it is, it seems Gaode Ride-hailing is really promising, I'm joining too."
"I'll drive too, three hours a night, three thousand yuan a month, it's awesome, higher than my salary."
"If I drive more on weekends, four thousand a month is possible."
"Yeah, thanks, Chairman Wang, for giving us a new way to make money."
"Thanks, Chairman Wang, grateful to Xingyi Technology, I'll be a fan for life!"
...
At once, many car owners were moved and began registering as Gaode Ride-hailing drivers.
In 2012, the average public salary was only two to three thousand, while taxi drivers' income was around three to four thousand.
Diligent ones could even earn five to six thousand, or even seven to eight thousand.
Especially in big cities, ten thousand was not an issue.
Of course, for those who "fish for three days and dry their nets for two," it's a different story.
This was still the income after the taxi companies took their high commissions.
Gaode Ride-hailing's commission was only one-fifth, so ride-hailing drivers naturally earned more.
It's foreseeable that after Gaode Ride-hailing's launch, both ride-hailing users and drivers would see an explosion!
One of Wang Yi's major goals in 2012 was to make Gaode Ride-hailing big, strong, and a sensation!
The food delivery business required pushing city by city, demanding a lot of human and material resources to open up the offline market, which was not so easy.
But ride-hailing was different; it was mainly online!
Just more marketing and promotion!
To capture the ride-hailing market before BAT entered the game.
As for ele.me, Wang Yi did not mention it at the press conference.
After all, ele.me was currently active in few cities, and a nationwide launch by Wang Yi at the press conference would not be very meaningful.
Once launched, cities without food delivery services would only be left waiting, which might cause resentment.
It was better to push accurately in cities where ele.me food delivery was already available.
Wang Yi continued:
"Users who want to experience Gaode Ride-hailing can, in addition to downloading Gaode Map, also quickly access Gaode Ride-hailing through the 'Discover - Ride-hailing' page in Chatly 2.0!"
"Furthermore, Meituan Group Buying has also been launched, and those who like group buying can also experience placing orders."
"At this point, the press conference has come to its final stage, with only the heavy-hitting high-end new product remaining!"
"Zhenyou Beauty!"
"Previously, we launched Meiyou Beauty, which gained widespread popularity among users due to its effects comparable to international luxury brands and higher cost-effectiveness."
"Since its launch, Meiyou Beauty's revenue has exceeded 2 billion yuan!"
"Thank you all for your support!"
Wow!
Applause erupted again.
No one expected Meiyou Beauty's revenue to reach such a staggering level.
But others didn't find it surprising, after all, how many Meiyou lipsticks alone had been sold?
Every single one of those new shades was breathtakingly beautiful.
Coupled with the original lightweight packaging, they completely sold out!
"And this time, we will be bringing a brand new high-end brand, Zhenyou Beauty!"
"Since it is a high-end brand, it must naturally be genuine and extraordinary."
"To this end, Meiyou Technology established an overseas R&D institution several months ago and invited the former R&D Director of Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair to join us!"
"That's right, most of Zhenyou Beauty's products are from the hands of the former R&D Director of Estee Lauder!"
"Ensuring higher quality and better results."
"Welcome Connett, Zhenyou International R&D Director!"
The lights came on, and Connett walked onto the stage.
Immediately, many female netizens became excited:
"Connett! The R&D Director of Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair! That's Estee Lauder's most successful product!"
"My idol is amazing, he even poached Connett, I'm crying!"
"I've been using the Advanced Night Repair all along, thank you, Connett. Now that Connett has joined Meiyou Technology, will there be an upgraded version of the Advanced Night Repair?"
"Definitely!"
...
"Hello everyone, I'm Connett, Zhenyou International R&D Director, and also the founder of Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair!"
"Wow!"
Applause rang out again.
The status of the Advanced Night Repair is beyond doubt.
Estee Lauder became legendary because of it.
"Since leaving Estee Lauder, I have never given up on R&D and founded a new brand called Xiya."
"Fans familiar with me should have heard of it. Xiya is a small but beautiful international brand. Although niche, its effects are excellent."
"However, because I am only good at R&D and not at marketing, coupled with the high investment in new product development, Xiya ran at a deficit, accumulated heavy debt, and was on the verge of bankruptcy."
"Fortunately, Chairman Wang appeared and not only acquired Xiya but also acquired me along with it."
"Hahaha!" Everyone laughed, finding this foreigner quite humorous.
"He even appointed me as Zhenyou Beauty R&D Director, investing hundreds of millions of funds to support my development of new products."
"Chairman Wang and I share a bond of appreciation; I will never forget his kindness!"
"Fortunately, my team and I never gave up these years, and with Chairman Wang's funding and support, we finally achieved significant results."
"Today, we proudly launch the newly upgraded Zhenyou Little Black Bottle Eye Cream, which improves fine lines, wrinkles, puffiness, and dark circles!"
"As for the effect? It's a Connett product; it won't disappoint users!"
"Priced at 540 for 15ml, with an initial promotional price of 499!"
"Wow!"
Thunderous applause.
This price is the same as Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair, but coming from a director, it's certainly an upgrade, and the public trusts it more.
After all, Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair was created by Connett.
"And there's the brand new Zhenyou Little White Bottle Essence, to brighten skin tone, lighten spots, reduce wrinkles, and delay aging..."
"Priced at 650 yuan for 30ml; 940 yuan for 50ml!"
"Initial promotional price: 599 yuan for 30ml; 899 yuan for 50ml!"
"Zhenyou Skin Rejuvenating Water, 100ML, 690 yuan. Initial promotional price, 649 yuan!"
"Zhenyou Emulsion, 100ML, 580 yuan, initial promotional price, 549 yuan!"
...
Connett introduced a series of Zhenyou products one by one, explaining everything clearly from ingredients to research and development to effects.
Professionals doing professional things; the men in the audience listened with partial understanding, while the women nodded repeatedly.
Even though the final prices announced were comparable to high-end cosmetics like Estee Lauder and Miracle Water, and could be considered very ungrounded, many users still found them cost-effective and worthwhile.
Of course, there were also some doubts:
"Sisters, Zhenyou eye cream is as expensive as Estee Lauder, I can't afford it!"
"Yeah, Zhenyou Skin Rejuvenating Water is the same price as SK-II Miracle Water, it's too out of reach."
"Chairman Wang is abandoning me, Meiyou Beauty was within my budget before, but now Zhenyou Beauty is unaffordable, completely unaffordable!"
"If you can't afford it, buy Meiyou. Zhenyou is positioned as high-end, it's not a new thing."
"Exactly, Meiyou is developed domestically, Zhenyou is developed by a top international R&D team, with the R&D director of Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair at the helm, so it's naturally expensive."
"Want Dabaoties' price for a Miracle Water product? Isn't that ridiculous?"
"To be honest, I'm a fan of Meiyou Technology, but I really didn't care for Meiyou products until Zhenyou launched. I was thrilled, and I definitely stock up every time new products come out!"
"Me too, only Zhenyou dresses, furs, and Zhenyou Beauty match my style. Meiyou is good, but not enough."
"Chairman Wang is very thoughtful, Meiyou is fine for ordinary people, but for those who are more refined, Zhenyou is the way to go. Do what you can afford."
"Right, if your wallet isn't fat enough, you should think about how to make money, don't complain about things being expensive."
"Zhenyou Beauty isn't expensive anyway, my boyfriend buys it for me!"
...
As soon as these comments came out, those who complained about the prices fell silent.
Although some remarks were harsh, they were indeed reasonable.
High-end is high-end, and it shouldn't be sold at low-end prices.
Asking an iPhone flagship phone to sell for 1999 is unrealistic.
Looking at the public opinion, Wang Yi smiled.
Zhenyou Beauty, with its overseas packaging and the endorsement of the former Estee Lauder R&D director, had successfully established itself as a high-end brand!
Without these, Zhenyou selling at Estee Lauder and Miracle Water prices would be unrealistic, completely unrealistic.
As for sales volume, Wang Yi was not too concerned.
Zhenyou Beauty's positioning was to pursue high profits and build a high-end brand; it would not lower prices or brand positioning for the sake of sales.
"Thank you, Mr. Connett. In the future, Meiyou Technology will invest hundreds of millions of yuan annually into the Meiyou R&D Center and Zhenyou International R&D Center for new product development, ensuring the latest and best products for our users!"
"All Zhenyou beauty products will be available on the Meiyou Mall, Meiyou International Mall, offline flagship stores, and exclusive stores. This press conference concludes successfully! Thank you all."
"Additionally, at 2 PM this afternoon, the Xingyi Phone Sanlitun flagship store will host a fan meet-and-greet with our brand ambassador, Xiao Li Zi, and fans of Xingyi Technology!"
"Thank you!"
Music played, and the press conference officially ended.
Cook, however, looked utterly livid:
"F***! Apple's fan meet-and-greet in Sanlitun this morning became a huge joke because of Xingyi Technology. This afternoon, Xingyi Technology is also holding a fan meet-and-greet, also at the Sanlitun store. Damn it, truly damn it!"
"This Wang Yi guy is coming straight for Apple, he's trying to climb to the top by stepping on Apple!"
Many executives looked extremely conflicted but helpless.
Such is business competition.
Originally, Cook wanted to leverage Xingyi Technology to boost Apple's influence, but he ended up trying to outsmart himself and losing out.
Now, Wang Yi's tit-for-tat retaliation against Apple is merely an eye for an eye.
It's perfectly reasonable.
A group of netizens were excited:
"Great, there's a Xingyi Phone fan meet-and-greet this afternoon, Xiao Li Zi will be there in person, I must go."
"I'm already on my way."
"Apple just made a fool of itself this morning, and Xingyi Technology is coming again this afternoon. Sanlitun is going to be a madhouse today."
"International superstar Xiao Li Zi, I have to go see him!"
"As expected of Chairman Wang, directly signing Xiao Li Zi as an endorser, Chairman Wang is mighty!"
...
After having Jian Ziyan arrange Xiao Li Zi's fan meet-and-greet for the afternoon, Wang Yi and Song Sining returned directly to the Xingyi Science and Technology Park.
On the way, Song Sining looked at her phone, in high spirits:
"Chairman, as soon as ambassador Xiao Li Zi was officially announced, the xphone 1 sold out again! 500,000 units sold in half a day today, breaking 1 million units for the full day won't be a problem!"
Wang Yi burst into laughter: "..."
He had expected the xphone 1 to sell well after Xiao Li Zi's endorsement, but he never thought it would sell to this extent.
After the hot sales of the previous two months, the xphone 1's daily sales in February were only around 100,000 units.
With a further drop, February's sales would be about two to three million, and BYD's OEM production capacity would be sufficient.
Wang Yi was even preparing to free up the production capacity of the Xingyi Phone factory to produce the xphone 1 PRO.
But looking at it now, it's far from enough!
Completely insufficient!
Because of Xiao Li Zi's endorsement, xphone 1 sales this month are likely to explode again!
Forget three million, even four million might not be enough!
One million units can be sold in a single day today.
Even if the subsequent hype cools down a bit, five million units this month is hopeful.
Even next month, it could sell 3 million+!
The power of an endorser is truly terrifying, especially Xiao Li Zi!
Plus, there's the "Happy Camp" variety show boost!
As a result, the annual sales forecast for xphone 1 will also need to be adjusted.
In his previous life, the iPhone 4S's pricing in the 5,000-yuan range deterred most domestic users, yet it still sold 25 million units domestically.
The xphone 1, with a starting price of only 3,000 yuan, is much cheaper than the iPhone 4S. Most people can afford it with some effort, so sales will be much higher!
For such a product, being two thousand yuan cheaper could double the sales!
Coupled with Xiao Li Zi's endorsement, xphone 1's annual sales breaking thirty million is not a problem!
Production capacity will have to be adjusted!
With this in mind, Wang Yi immediately called Li Wanwei, the head of the Xingyi Phone factory:
"Factory Director Li, postpone the production plan for the xphone 1 PRO this month, and continue to produce xphone 1 at full capacity. This month's sales are expected to hit five million again!"
"Understood, Chairman, I'll arrange it immediately!"
Li Wanwei was in high spirits; the xphone 1 had another hit, prompting increased orders and rush production.
Hanging up the phone, Wang Yi was in a great mood:
"Sining, with Xiao Li Zi's endorsement, xphone 1 can sell at least 5 million more units this year!"
Song Sining was startled:
"That many? Wouldn't that be dozens of times the return on investment?"
Wang Yi smiled slightly:
"Of course, inviting Xiao Li Zi for 50 million a year can generate at least tens of billions in revenue!"
"But last year, OPPO also spent 5 million US dollars to invite Xiao Li Zi to endorse and promote the OPPO Find (X903) phone, and it didn't sell well."
Song Sining said, then realized:
"I understand, it wasn't Xiao Li Zi's problem, but OPPO's product power was insufficient!"
Wang Yi nodded:
"Exactly, that OPPO Find phone was a full-metal keyboard phone. Metal is already heavy, and it came with a bulky keyboard! In 2011, the era of smartphones, it would be strange for such a keyboard phone to sell."
"Not to mention Xiao Li Zi couldn't carry it, even God couldn't carry it!"
In 2011, let alone the iPhone 4 and Meizu M9, even Nokia's new phones were touchscreen smartphones.
OPPO's release of a full-metal, bulky keyboard phone in June 2011 was purely self-defeating.
Such a product had fundamental hardware issues, so inviting anyone to endorse it would be useless.
But the xphone 1 was different.
The xphone 1 had no shortcomings, it was the phone of the year, already selling tens of millions of units.
Now with Xiao Li Zi's endorsement, it would only be like adding wings to a tiger, exploding even further!
As for whether the final sales would be thirty million or thirty-five million units, Wang Yi was not sure.
The iPhone 4S, priced at over 5,000 yuan, could sell 25 million units in China, so there's no reason why the xphone 1, priced at over 3,000 yuan, shouldn't exceed thirty million!
Just as Wang Yi was in a great mood, Song Sining's expression suddenly changed:
"Chairman, x buds have also sold out, 400,000 units have been sold today!"
Wang Yi: "..."
(End of Chapter)