As Liu Yutong listened to Zhang Dalong’s report, she rapidly calculated the timeline in her head.
According to her memories, Big Goose’s WeChat would not officially launch until early 2011. In other words, she was a full year ahead of Pony Ma.
In the world of internet products, a one-year lead was incredibly valuable—more than enough time for WeChat to grow from zero to hundreds of millions of users.
Once its user base took shape and social connections became deeply embedded, even if Big Goose realized what was happening and tried to catch up, it would not be easy.
That was because the moat of a social app had never been the technology itself, but the network of relationships between its users.
When all your family and friends were on WeChat, you could hardly abandon it alone for another app that nobody used.
That was the logic of winner-take-all.
“What about the promotion plan?” Liu Yutong asked.
Zhang Dalong had clearly come prepared. He laid out his proposal in a clear and orderly manner.
“We plan to proceed in four stages.”
“First, we’ll use the more than one hundred thousand employees within the Wanlonghui Group to get the app off the ground. Every employee will be required to install WeChat and invite at least five relatives or friends to register and use it. Those who complete the invitation task will receive phone-credit subsidies. We estimate that this step alone will bring in at least one million initial users within a month.”
“Second, I’ve already discussed this in depth with Mr. Yu. When Longyao unveils its first-generation phone, WeChat will be presented as a core preinstalled application. We’ll use the phone’s rapidly growing sales to drive user growth. In addition to Longyao phones, Mr. Lei of Xiaomi has also indicated that he’ll showcase WeChat alongside Xiaomi’s first phone, which is scheduled to launch next year. He was full of praise for the voice-messaging feature we developed, and we’ve already signed a preinstallation agreement.”
“Third, we’ll promote it by leveraging the continuing popularity of The Voice of Longguo. Preparations for the second season are already underway. We plan to incorporate interactive WeChat features into the program—for example, allowing viewers to vote for contestants through WeChat, scanning a QR code displayed on the television screen to download the app, and so on.”
“Fourth, we’ll fully integrate with Weibo and Wanhui Youxuan. Weibo will direct traffic straight to us, and Weibo accounts can also be used as WeChat accounts. On the Wanhui Youxuan side, couriers and merchants will be required to use WeChat for certain types of communication. We’ll provide corresponding subsidies to couriers, merchants, and users. After placing an order, users will also receive message notifications through WeChat. This single use case will cover more than ten million users.”
“At the same time, we plan to launch a PC version of WeChat by the end of the year, enabling seamless synchronization between phones and computers and further expanding its range of applications.”
“……”
Zhang Dalong’s proposal was clear and well organized. Every step had a specific timeline and target, down to the estimated conversion rates for each channel.
After listening, Liu Yutong praised him. “Very good. Proceed according to this plan. Remember, within the next year, I want WeChat’s user base to exceed one hundred million.”
“Yes, Chairwoman!”
Zhang Dalong had just sat down when Su Mansu took over. “Chairwoman, regarding the payment license for Longfutong, our discussions with the central bank have made substantial progress.”
“There are dozens of institutions currently waiting to apply for licenses, but our documentation and qualifications are among the most complete. In addition, the disaster-relief donations and charitable contributions we made in BS Province earned us an excellent social reputation. We expect to receive the official license early next year.”
“Once we obtain the license, Longfutong will be fully integrated into every consumer scenario under the Wanlonghui Group, including Wanlong Plaza, Wanlong Supermarkets, Yuyuefang, Huangquan Internet Cafés, Qingyin Tea Drinks, Wanhui Youxuan, and more. Our goal is to cover one million offline merchants within a year.”
Liu Yutong nodded.
Payment was the infrastructure of the digital economy. Its importance could never be overstated.
She knew very well that in her previous life, Alibaba and Big Goose had burned hundreds of billions fighting for the mobile-payment market, engaging in a subsidy war that lasted for years. What she had to do now was enter the battlefield before the two companies completely took control of it and teach them a good lesson.
She would show them that a latecomer could still crush them in an instant.
“Lin Muyang, is there anything that needs to be coordinated with the entertainment and media division?” Liu Yutong turned her gaze to the other side of the room.
Lin Muyang stood and reported, “The first season finale of The Voice of Longguo achieved a ratings share of over four percent, setting a historic record for domestic variety shows. Preparations for the second season are already underway, and it is expected to air during next year’s summer vacation.”
“Also, Chu Junlin’s The Most Musical of Longguo has essentially stopped airing. Xingyao Media’s stock price has fallen from over seven yuan before we shorted it to just 3.2 yuan now. There hasn’t been any meaningful rebound along the way, and investor confidence is extremely difficult to restore. It probably won’t recover anytime soon.”
“What about Chu Junlin?”
“Young Master Chu has become much more subdued. He has discreetly expressed several times that he wants to join the Chairwoman’s Yunshan Club. I estimate that he’s growing anxious because he can’t get the stock price back up.”
Liu Yutong said, “Ignore him for now. Wait until he comes to me personally.”
“Understood!”
After nearly two hours, the meeting was drawing to a close.
Liu Yutong rose to her feet and placed both hands on the edge of the conference table. Her gaze slowly swept across every face in the room.
“Everyone, in addition to reviewing the progress of each division today, I have one more announcement to make.”
“Next year—in other words, 2010—will be the year the Wanlonghui Group launches its full-scale offensive.”
“Longyao’s phones must fight a beautiful sniper campaign. We’re not only going to seize the domestic market; we’re also going to break into overseas markets and let those international giants know that Longguo can build world-class phones too.”
“WeChat must grow from zero to one hundred million users within a year, securing our ticket to the mobile-social era ahead of everyone else.”
“Longfutong must connect every online and offline payment scenario and completely establish the infrastructure for mobile payments.”
“Longxin must continue tackling advanced process technology, striving to complete the preliminary research for the 45-nanometer process by the end of next year.”
“At the same time, Wanlong Aerospace will also be making a major move.”
As Liu Yutong said this, she deliberately looked toward Yun Cheng.
Yun Cheng understood at once. He opened his laptop and projected the display onto the large screen.
“Wanlong Aerospace Technology’s first medium-lift launch vehicle, the Wanlong-1, has completed its preliminary design review and officially entered the engineering-development phase. Professor Zhou Yingpei’s liquid-oxygen kerosene staged-combustion-cycle engine has successfully completed its first full-system simulated firing. Its thrust reached 105 percent of the design target, with every parameter meeting requirements. This marks a substantial breakthrough for us in the core field of rocket engines.”
“According to the current schedule, the Wanlong-1 is expected to make its maiden launch around 2012. Its first payload has tentatively been designated as Wanlong Aerospace’s first experimental communications satellite, which will also serve as the first verification satellite for the Longchain Initiative.”
A collective gasp swept through the conference room.
Although everyone knew that Liu Yutong was serious about aerospace, it still felt unbelievable when they actually heard the news that the rocket engine had ignited successfully and that the rocket had entered the engineering development stage.
They were really building a rocket.
And judging by the way things were progressing, this was no small-time project. They were clearly aiming to send actual payloads into space.
“Where will the first launch of the Wanlong-1 take place?”
“We’ve already signed a cooperation agreement with BS Province. The launch site will be built at an abandoned military testing range there, which is currently being renovated.”
“That area is at a relatively low latitude, giving it certain advantages for launching satellites into low-Earth orbit. However, if we want to launch high-orbit satellites or deep-space probes, we’ll still need to rely on a large coastal launch facility.”
“The launch site in BS Province is only the first step. Once Wanlong Aerospace obtains more licenses and resources, we’ll consider building a new commercial launch site along the coast. It won’t be used exclusively by Wanlong Aerospace. We’ll also open it to other domestic commercial aerospace companies and turn space launches into an open platform.”
Her words once again showed everyone the breadth of Liu Yutong’s vision.
She wasn’t trying to turn Wanlong Aerospace into a closed-off personal toy. She wanted to build an open ecosystem.
Just like SX overseas, she intended to use commercial thinking to drive the advancement of aerospace technology and ultimately realize humanity’s dream of reaching the stars and exploring the sea of space.
Of course, dreams of the stars and the sea required money—an astronomical amount of money.
Fortunately, Liu Yutong no longer lacked the ability to make money.
Not to mention the profits of more than thirty billion yuan she had made this year by short-selling Xingyao Media, the steady cash flow from her other businesses alone had left the Wanlonghui Group with more than ten billion yuan in cash on hand. The funds in the accounts of the major investment companies under her control were even more substantial, totaling over one hundred billion yuan—and that didn’t include the money that had already been invested.
Over the next five years, Liu Yutong planned to transform all that money into technology, products, and market share, ultimately building a super-empire spanning semiconductors, smartphones, social media, payment services, aerospace, and numerous other fields.
“Everyone.”
Liu Yutong rose to her feet.
Everyone else in the conference room immediately stood as well.
“Next year, we’re going to be extremely busy.”
“In fact, we’ll be busy throughout the next five years.”
“We have no way back, and we don’t need one.”
“Since we’ve chosen this path, we’ll give it everything we have.”
“I’ll say only one thing: when Wanlonghui takes on a project, we either don’t do it at all, or we do it better than anyone else!”
The moment those words were spoken, a fire ignited in everyone’s chest.
Not because the words themselves were particularly rousing, but because every single person present had personally witnessed how this twenty-year-old girl had built the group from nothing into the terrifying giant it was today.
From selling lobsters to creating a hundred-billion-yuan business empire; from mass-producing 90-nanometer chips to successfully completing rocket-engine ignition tests; from a small local enterprise to a supergroup spanning multiple industries.
Not one of the things she had ever said was empty talk.
Not one of the things she had set out to accomplish had failed.
This was the Young Lady of Wanlonghui.
This was the person they were willing to follow to the death!
