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Chapter 1490: Chapter 1333: WeChat Release (Subscribe Please!)
Half an hour later.
After asking around.
Nobody seemed to know that Tang Qing was involved in this matter, not surprisingly, aside from peers, who would care? Eventually, unable to think of anyone else to ask, a figure suddenly popped into his mind.
"..."
Could it be?
He really had to ask that person?
After hesitating for a moment.
He dialed a number.
"Mr. Ma, is it convenient to talk now?"
On the other end.
Receiving a call from another Mr. Ma, his competitor, Ma Yun was a bit surprised. They were not exactly friends, merely acquaintances, and the number of times they spoke over the phone in a year could be counted on one hand.
"It’s convenient, go ahead." Ma Yun said.
Taking a deep breath on the other side.
"I wanted to ask about Hummingbird Logistics and Storage Group, are you aware of this company?"
Upon hearing this.
A smile crossed Ma Yun’s heart.
So it was about this.
It seems.
Jingdong already knows and has become restless, turning to the Major Shareholder, Penguin. "I know, it’s a wholly-owned company of Tang Qing, initially dedicated to logistics for his own companies, and it only became corporatized this month."
"What is Tang Qing trying to do?"
"Commerce storage and logistics."
Ma Yun replied succinctly.
"Isn’t that forming competition with you?"
"Competition? No, no, no, he has never considered Ali as a rival. This time, he’s only engaging in commerce storage and logistics, not online e-commerce, so there’s no conflict with Ali. However, there might be some overlap with Jingdong, in which you have invested."
Ma Yun didn’t feign ignorance.
Vision.
Defines one’s perspective.
Just like Jingdong, which may perceive Hummingbird as the greatest potential threat, but in Tang Qing’s eyes, Jingdong probably never existed, and all his actions are simply for the sake of doing them.
It’s the same way he views Penguin.
If Penguin were to die.
Would Ali thrive any better?
If Jingdong were to die.
Would Ali be worry-free?
Not necessarily.
"Not doing e-commerce?"
"Correct." Ma Yun said.
"Thank you for the clarification, I won’t bother you any longer." To have said so much was already giving much face to him. As long as Tang Qing is not doing e-commerce, Jingdong still has a slim chance of survival, though the path is not an easy one.
Or rather.
It is rugged.
The core competitiveness of Jingdong is compromised, the road ahead is tough.
"You’re welcome."
Ma Yun felt a bit of sympathy for the person on the other end.
Just a few years’ time.
Penguin, once seemingly invincible, is now being completely outperformed by every company under Tang Qing’s flag. While Ali’s stock price soars, Penguin’s stock price is gradually falling, seemingly ’unable to rise’ anymore.
If it were not for the fact that Ali and Tang Qing are currently allies.
They would probably be startled by this news as well.
Focusing on storage as the node.
Operating both Jingdong and Taobao models simultaneously.
By then.
Half the empire could be gone. It’s not alarmist, after seeing Tang Qing’s plan, he knew that if Tang Qing wanted, he would have the capability to reshuffle the entire Huaxia e-commerce scene.
Fortunately.
Ali is safe for now.
...
After listening to the explanation.
Liu Qiangdong took a deep breath.
A bit anxious.
Even if Tang Qing isn’t doing e-commerce, it’s still terrible news for Jingdong. Once other platforms’ logistics can compare to Jingdong’s, then what’s the difference between Jingdong and Taobao?
There’s no difference anymore.
Taobao will also have ’Jingdong Warehouse’.
Other e-commerce platforms will have ’Jingdong Warehouse’ too.
Jingdong.
Will completely become a generic e-commerce company. Generic goods, generic logistics, generic storage—in short, the moment Hummingbird Warehouse begins operating, Jingdong will be on the brink of life and death.
By then.
Jingdong.
What will its future hold?
"Don’t be too worried. In business, how can there be no competition? Jingdong was previously the only one in China with its model, which in itself isn’t quite reasonable. Now, with the emergence of Hummingbird, it’s an inevitability of the times."
Liu Qiangdong: "..."
Big Brother.
Is that supposed to be comforting?
"I understand."
"Don’t lose your fighting spirit; the market is fought for. Jingdong’s value shouldn’t just lie in fast delivery. The Hummingbird Warehouse is a public commercial storage and can’t provide after-sales service for all products. There are still many opportunities."
These words.
Somewhat improved Liu Qiangdong’s mood.
Indeed.
Jingdong.
Besides delivery speed, it has other advantages—Liu Qiangdong didn’t believe that he’d be driven to extinction by Tang Qing’s Hummingbird. "Thank you, President Ma. I know what to do now, and I will adjust Jingdong’s strategy as soon as possible."
"Hmm."
And with that, the call ended.
Liu Qiangdong convened another meeting immediately.
Unbeaten.
Mustn’t concede defeat just yet.
However.
To the person on the other end of the call, his confidence didn’t seem all that meaningful. He and Ma Yun had equally far-reaching vision; Jingdong was Liu Qiangdong’s to run, good or bad, and he had to continue no matter what.
But Penguin.
Is an investor.
From an investment perspective, Jingdong’s value has greatly diminished. A Jingdong that can’t compete with Taobao, and now with Hummingbird ready to expose Jingdong’s weak points at any time—further investment demands careful consideration.
For now.
Observe the changes quietly.
...
In the following days.
The existence of the Hummingbird Group spread throughout the Huaxia business community, stirring up the waters. The implications were too significant; if successful, it would have a major impact on the Huaxia economy.
This.
Is not just about building warehouses.
Once completed.
It will benefit countless enterprises and consumers. Whether it’s manufacturing companies, logistics firms, store merchants, or the end-users, undoubtedly, all would benefit from this system.
A win-win situation.
At this point.
Nobody is concerned about how Jingdong fares.
But rather, how to thrive in the upcoming wave. The external media are more focused on how the Hummingbird Group’s model will bring convenience to the efficiency of commodity circulation in society.
"Tang Qing creates a new business model! Speeding up Huaxia’s commodity logistics!"
"Tang Qing: Serves as ’Jingdong Warehouse’ for all enterprises!" 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝔠𝔬𝖒
"Efficiency upgrade! A new era of business is approaching!"
"The final mile will no longer be a stumbling block!"
"..."
The media went wild.
Netizens were even more enthusiastic.
Especially those running online stores; their biggest complaint was logistics, whether it’s quality or speed. Short-distance delivery could be reasonable, but not so much for longer distances.
"Worthy of the richest man, once again subverting my business understanding. But, weakly asking, are you ready with your one-hundred billion to serve as Jingdong Warehouse for all enterprises?"
"Please read the full article before commenting; they are only constructing commercial storage. Logistics and delivery can be outsourced. It doesn’t need that much money."
"Billions gone again, it hurts."
"Poverty makes me kneel and watch the news."
"Besides speed, quality should also be emphasized. It is strongly advisable that the warehouse doesn’t accept counterfeit goods. Tang Qing, don’t disappoint us, and please don’t earn that dirty money."
"Support the above!"
"Stamp out the fakes."
"What’s wrong with fakes? Want to buy genuine products for cheap? How is that different from robbing?"
"Caught a seller of fakes."
"Report them."
"..."
The internet was buzzing.
Tang Qing.
Once again dominated the headlines for several days.
And on the last day of the year 2007.
Just after midnight.
Inside Epoch Mall.
A software known as ’WeChat.’
Was quietly released.
