As Li Xiaohui was leaving the office, she whispered to Liu Yutong, "Sister Yutong, you’ll help me, right?"
Liu Yutong nodded. "Don’t worry. First, go check the revenue figures for the internet café across the street."
"Got it, I’ll head there now." Li Xiaohui skipped away cheerfully.
Once Li Xiaohui was gone, Liu Yutong led the two investors, Ji Zhe and Chu Hai, to the lounge area and gestured for them to sit on the sofa.
Almost simultaneously, the office door was knocked again, and Yu Xin walked in alongside Xiao Bin, the former "big brother" of the tech college.
Xiao Bin had proven his capabilities by successfully assembling a temporary team to build and stabilize the Wanlong Group Buying website.
As a result, he was the first campus leader Liu Yutong had recruited under her wing.
When Ji Zhe and Chu Hai saw the two enter, they had an inkling of what was coming.
They had already met these two—one was the head of a chain restaurant business, and the other was the technical lead of the group-buying platform.
Before the investors could ask any questions, Liu Yutong cut straight to the point.
"Mr. Ji, Mr. Chu, I assume no further introductions are needed? Yu Xin oversees our chain restaurants and now also handles resource coordination for our group-buying operations. Xiao Bin is the technical lead for Wanlong Group Buying."
"No need, we’ve already spoken," Ji Zhe and Chu Hai said in unison.
Liu Yutong continued, "Then I’ll be direct. I’m sure you can guess why I’ve called them here."
"Exactly. I’d like to discuss financing for the Wanlong Group Buying project. I want you both to evaluate our project and team purely from an investor’s perspective. Raise any concerns or questions—don’t hold back. I want your investment to be wholehearted. If I can’t convince you, I won’t take a single cent."
Her words made her stance clear and sent a strong signal to Ji Zhe and Chu Hai: there was no pressure, just a straightforward evaluation.
The two investors exchanged glances and nodded in agreement, silently impressed once again by Liu Yutong’s vision.
This underworld princess had real foresight!
Liu Yutong went on, "Mr. Ji, Mr. Chu, you’ve already had a brief look at Wanlong Group Buying. Let me be blunt—we’re the first in China to pioneer this model, and even internationally, there’s no exact equivalent. Yet I firmly believe this model has tremendous potential."
Chu Hai, the investor primarily focused on internet ventures, was the first to respond.
"Ms. Liu, it’s true that your group-buying platform is a first in China. But frankly, conceptually, it doesn’t seem too different from existing e-commerce models. The idea itself isn’t groundbreaking."
"Domestic platforms like Taobao and JD are locked in fierce competition, having already carved up the market. Mr. Ji and I have even invested in a few promising e-commerce firms."
"So, what’s Wanlong Group Buying’s core innovation? Just the group-buying format? Major platforms could easily add that feature—how will you compete against their massive capital reserves?"
"What fundamentally sets it apart from traditional B2C or C2C e-commerce? And how will you tackle the core challenges of user trust and merchant onboarding?"
Chu Hai, a seasoned investor, asked sharp, incisive questions.
Instead of answering directly, Liu Yutong glanced at Yu Xin.
Deeply involved in the group-buying project, Yu Xin managed the first restaurant to join Wanlong’s platform.
Between hands-on experience and Liu Yutong’s guidance, she now understood the project’s vision.
Meeting Liu Yutong’s gaze, Yu Xin stood up confidently.
"Mr. Chu raises excellent points. Wanlong Group Buying’s innovation isn’t just about the group-buying gimmick. As you said, e-commerce giants could add that feature with minimal effort—just a discount and some coding."
"But our model is fundamentally different. Our core lies in seamlessly merging the convenience of e-commerce with the immediacy and experience of local lifestyle services—a revolutionary integration."
"Traditional B2C and C2C platforms focus on physical goods, with logistics as their backbone. But from order to delivery, there’s a long delay—shipping from the south takes days, and returns are a hassle."
"Another pain point is rampant counterfeit goods and fraud, issues that take time to resolve."
"In contrast, Wanlong Group Buying avoids direct competition by targeting hyper-local services—dining, entertainment, beauty, fitness, etc."
"These services are consumed immediately, same-day, and rely on geographic proximity. Traditional e-commerce can’t meet this demand."
"Our innovation? Time-limited, deep-discount group buys as a catalyst, paired with real-time reviews, to carve into this untapped local service market—a true blue ocean."
"...Mr. Ji, Mr. Chu, Wanlong Group Buying isn’t just mimicking or supplementing e-commerce. We’re pioneering a new frontier—digitizing and commercializing local lifestyle services."
Liu Yutong watched Yu Xin speak with pride.
Yu Xin was easily the most promising woman in Wanlong, with sky-high potential.
Her articulate, confident delivery showcased the makings of a formidable business leader.
Initially, Liu Yutong had considered poaching the founding team of a certain group-buying giant from her past life.
But Yu Xin’s rapid ascent changed her mind.
Not only was that team still tied up in a struggling Twitter-like project, but Liu Yutong also preferred to groom her own.
With a talent like Yu Xin and her foresight, steering the ship right, there was no reason they couldn’t outmaneuver even the most successful tycoons of her past life.
She had deliberately refrained from answering the investors herself—this was Yu Xin’s test.
If her performance met expectations, Liu Yutong would consider formally assigning her to lead or co-lead the group-buying division.
The restaurant was now running smoothly and no longer required Yu Xin's hands-on involvement. However, the expansion of Yuyuefang had its limitations—unlike hotpot chains, they couldn't prepare pre-made soup bases in advance, making the process of opening new branches quite cumbersome.
For now, the restaurant would gradually grow by collaborating with group-buying platforms.
