Zhao Junjie was indeed not dead, but with multiple fractures and severe brain trauma, he was highly likely to become a vegetable. Even if he miraculously regained consciousness, his intellect would regress to that of a young child, essentially rendering him completely incapacitated.
After learning this definitive news,
the retaliation Liu Yutong had anticipated did not materialize. Instead, the underworld of Bright Pearl City took on an atmosphere of unusual peace and calm.
Zhao Tianxing seemed to have vanished into thin air. He made no public statements, gathered no forces, and even all the establishments under the Donghai Alliance became more low-key.
Liu Yutong had a premonition that the old fox was likely gathering his strength, preparing for a major move, possibly targeting her as the primary objective, and was merely waiting for the right opportunity.
She was not idle either, immediately instructing Hua Muying to investigate all information regarding Zhao Tianxing and his gang.
Simultaneously, Yun Cheng reinforced the security detail around her.
In truth, she didn't have to remain so passive, merely waiting for the other side to strike before counterattacking.
This was because she already held substantial evidence of their criminal activities.
The reason she hadn't acted was that she still lacked a proper, legitimate opportunity to move against Zhao Tianxing and wipe out his entire operation in one fell swoop.
And she believed this opportunity would not be long in coming.
In any case, before the storm arrives, life goes on as usual.
Time passed bit by bit.
The businesses under the Wanlong Society, especially the Wanlong Group-Buy project managed by Yu Xin, were currently developing at a startlingly rapid pace.
Driven by this wave of enthusiasm, even Bright Pearl City, which was already relatively developed, could distinctly feel the buzz.
Bright Pearl City University District, outside a male student dormitory building.
"Hey, classmates! New user registration for Wanlong Group-Buy gets you three instant coupons for '20 off with a 10 minimum spend'! Drinks and daily necessities from Wanlong Supermarket are all eligible, plus fried chicken, fries, hand-shredded roast duck, and more—all covered! Order online, and it can be delivered right to your dorm building in as fast as half an hour. It's convenient and quick!"
Some Wanlong Society members, along with temporarily hired work-study students, were diligently handing out flyers to passing students.
The tempting food pictures, combined with the lure of delivery to the dorm, quickly captured the attention of many students.
"Is it for real? '20 off with a 10 minimum'? So, you could get a portion of fried chicken and a cup of milk tea for just 10 bucks?"
"Looking at the advertised prices on the flyer, a lot of the food ends up cheaper than the cafeteria after the discount. But is this platform reliable?"
"Give it a try! Our platform is part of the same group as Wanlong Supermarket, the most famous chain in Bright Pearl City. And the backing is from the most well-known... ahem, company in our university district, the Wanlong Society."
"What's the Wanlong Society's reputation in our university district? You all know, right?"
The students exchanged glances upon hearing this. What reputation did the Wanlong Society have in the university district?
Probably... they fight fiercely? Play a bit dirty, dress in black? And are ruthless?
Besides that, anything else?
However, they were ultimately won over by the incredibly good deals and the half-hour delivery promise.
Some students returned to their dorms and immediately opened their computers, downloading and registering via the website on the flyer.
Not far away, in the female dormitory area.
Several eloquent female members of the Wanlong Society were also enthusiastically promoting Wanlong Group-Buy to fellow students.
Though their pitch differed slightly from the one used for the male students.
"Wanlong Group-Buy new user benefits! Register now and get a free delivery voucher for desserts! That super-popular taro ball and herbal jelly place on the university district snack street, tiramisu—order now, and our delivery runners will bring it free to your dorm building, no queues!"
"And if you ever find yourself in an inconvenient situation, like forgetting to buy some essential daily items, you can also order. Just add a note, and we'll expedite the delivery, with the dorm auntie bringing it right to your room."
"Really? That tiramisu place is seriously delicious, but the lines are always insane. Let me see!"
"And that new healthy salad place is on here too, perfect for my diet..."
"What if I forget to buy sanitary pads during my period? Can you deliver at night too?"
"Of course! We'll even arrange a relay delivery within the school."
"Wow! That's so convenient!"
"I want to register! Show me how!"
"..."
Similar scenes played out repeatedly at major universities, outside office buildings, and at the entrances of residential communities throughout Bright Pearl City.
Likewise, they were happening simultaneously in over a dozen cities in A Province and major cities like Nan City in the neighboring province.
Thus, in just over ten days, Wanlong Group-Buy's registered user count broke through the 500,000 mark.
In an era where smartphones weren't even widely popular yet, this registration number was undoubtedly an inspiring achievement in the local life services sector at the time.
Perhaps due to inherent advantages—the founding team itself consisted of university students who understood their peers better—and because university students are young and quick to adopt new things, the student demographic accounted for the highest proportion of registered users, ranking first.
Next were urban white-collar workers, a group with busy schedules, spending power, and a willingness to try this new, highly convenient service, ranking second in proportion.
Other demographics accounted for relatively smaller shares.
The average daily order volume also began to grow rapidly alongside the expanding user base, reaching around 8,000 to 10,000 orders.
This order volume was actually still limited by current conditions; if smartphones were more widespread, this number could easily multiply several times over.
In terms of delivery rider scale, Bright Pearl City had the most, being the Wanlong Society's headquarters and the only city operating completely independently, with over 500 riders.
Other cities combined had only around 3,000 riders, mostly part-timers.
The delivery rider profession was still a novelty at this time, requiring time for public acceptance. Transitioning to full-time would take a while, and Wanlong Group-Buy also needed time to screen riders based on delivery frequency and reliability, eventually converting those willing to work long-term into full-time employees.
Full-time status would necessitate social security contributions, the standard five insurances and one housing fund.
This would be implemented immediately once conditions were ripe in the future, and it was temporarily not disclosed to investors. Liu Yutong knew their nature; if they found out about providing riders with social security and housing fund, they would undoubtedly object.
After all, the larger the rider workforce, the higher the labor costs. Not paying social security could save hundreds of millions per year, and potentially tens of billions in the future.
However, Liu Yutong had no intention of saving that money.
She had already informed Yu Xin in advance: once the business was stable and mature, implement it directly, giving the investors no chance to kick up a fuss.
If anyone had objections then, they could come to Bright Pearl City and voice them to her face. Otherwise, they should keep quiet.
With such results achieved by Wanlong Group-Buy in roughly half a month,
Yu Xin, following Liu Yutong's instructions, sent the relevant data to Ji Zhe of Qixing Capital and Chu Hai of AEG Capital.
They needed to proceed with their Series A funding round for a simple reason: the money was almost burned through.
Those two guys, who had originally sworn they'd rather die than come to Bright Pearl City, were thrilled when they saw the data. They immediately said they'd book return flights to China and fly back tomorrow.
After a brief period to settle their affairs, they would arrive in Bright Pearl City within three days at the latest.
Of course, they could actually arrive sooner. However, as the angel investment stakeholders, it was standard industry practice for them to typically lead in organizing other capital to participate in the Series A investment and subsequent funding rounds—sharing the profits and spreading the risk.
Besides, Ji Zhe and Chu Hai secretly wanted to see the reactions of their peers after being 'specially received' by that young lady from the Wanlong Society.
Such an embarrassing experience shouldn't be something only the two of them had gone through; everyone should get a taste of it.
A few days later, Ji Zhe and Chu Hai indeed got their wish. It was even ten times, maybe a hundred times, more intense than what they had experienced before!
