"I understand the chairman's intentions!" Liu Qiangdong nodded earnestly after listening to Liu Xiangjiang. If it were him, he would definitely follow Mr. Huang's instructions and build an Eastern Amazon platform with a formidable after-sales service.
"There's one more thing!" Liu Xiangjiang asked again, "The chairman asked me to inquire about your biggest current predicament, and if there's anything the head office can help you solve!"
"No, the head office has solved the most difficult coding issues for us. We will be fearless!" Liu Qiangdong immediately stated, expressing his determination and confidence.
"Alright, since you don't want to tell the truth, I'll ask you directly. After Eastern Amazon reopens, how do you plan to solve the problem of your express delivery lines not covering the entire United States!" Liu Xiangjiang asked directly.
"This problem is easy to solve. I don't plan to have Eastern Amazon use only Eastern Express. I will actively invite FedEx and UPS to join Eastern Amazon's official cooperative express delivery services. We can first leverage their strength to make Eastern Amazon cover the entire United States, just like Amazon did before!"
"I have already sent them invitations, and they immediately told me they are very willing to continue cooperation with Eastern Amazon. However, we will need to sign a new cooperation agreement after some time, as we have undergone a merger and restructuring. Signing a new agreement is more reliable," Liu Qiangdong said with a smile. It seemed he hadn't realized the huge crisis that was about to come.
"And then? When Eastern Amazon is about to reopen in a month, and you still can't sign cooperation agreements with FedEx and UPS, and Eastern Amazon still only has Eastern Express, what do you plan to do?" Liu Xiangjiang retorted.
"..." Liu Qiangdong was stunned for a moment. "That can't be right. I personally spoke with their senior management on the phone, and they were very enthusiastic!"
"That's just to confuse you. To tell you the truth, our people have just received confirmed news that FedEx and UPS have reached a private cooperation agreement, which is to completely refuse cooperation with your Eastern Amazon."
"Their current goodwill and enthusiasm are just to delay time, so that when we prepare to reopen, we discover we cannot cooperate with these two express companies. At that time, we will be completely flustered, and on the first day of the website's reopening, it will be a bloodbath and complete chaos!"
"Yes, it was my oversight to not consider these issues!" Liu Qiangdong said, filled with anger. He could already imagine that if such a situation occurred, he would promote nationwide delivery to all users, only for all express deliveries to become unusable shortly after. That would indeed be incredibly frustrating.
"So, have you thought of how to solve this problem?" Liu Xiangjiang asked again.
"We can let merchants ship without revealing their information!" Liu Qiangdong, though angry, had to reveal this clandestine plan.
The strategy was simple: the merchants would not claim to be from the Eastern Amazon platform, but simply ordinary individuals. Surely FedEx and UPS wouldn't refuse to ship for an ordinary person, right?
"This method is feasible, but it can only solve the immediate crisis. Over time, major express companies will be able to discover that these so-called individual users are actually merchants from online stores."
"Actually, I'm not afraid of these express companies refusing to ship. What I'm afraid of is that once these express companies discover that the packages are from our Eastern Amazon platform, they will immediately engage in destructive behavior, as if by accident, throwing them on the ground, or even smearing them with some disgusting substance."
"Do you think that after such an experience, users will still be willing to choose our Eastern Amazon platform to purchase goods? And will we have to bear these losses caused by the express companies for the after-sales service commitments we've made?" Liu Xiangjiang's rhetorical questions made Liu Qiangdong fall silent for a while.
"Then how about we shrink our business scope and only offer online shopping services within Eastern Express's coverage area? I will strive to establish Eastern Express outlets in all major cities across the United States within six months!" Liu Qiangdong said helplessly.
"Expanding to the entire United States in six months? I recall that it took your Eastern Express nearly a year to expand to five cities. Now, expanding to the entire United States in six months, do you really think you can achieve this?" Liu Xiangjiang continued to press.
"Yes, as long as the head office provides me with financial support, I will do whatever it takes, even at the cost of my life, to have Eastern Express complete its expansion within six months!" Liu Qiangdong said through gritted teeth. It seemed he was truly determined to fight.
"No, this company will not provide you with any additional financial support. Because Eastern Amazon is now a listed company, the head office will be subject to scrutiny for even a single extra dollar. Moreover, if the company provides you with separate financial resources, how will the accounts be settled? Will it be considered company financing or company debt?"
"If it's financing, will it dilute the shares of other shareholders?"
"If it's a loan, will it require the consent of other shareholders and undergo review by the relevant management committee to determine that it is not a loan for preferential treatment?" Liu Xiangjiang's words left Liu Qiangdong speechless again.
"And these are not the most critical issues. The most critical issue is that if you truly complete the expansion of Eastern Express in just six months, do you think such an Eastern Express can still fulfill the promises and quality service you have given to all users?" Liu Xiangjiang struck again with a critical blow. This time, Liu Qiangdong could only smile wryly and shake his head, "It's impossible, it's truly impossible. Express delivery is an industry that demands a huge amount of manpower. Expanding nationwide within six months would likely increase employee numbers by more than twenty times!"
"With such a massive workforce, it's impossible to provide comprehensive training to all employees in time. I can only send our current core elite employees to establish the respective networks across the country. However, this will inevitably lead to a catastrophic drop in the overall quality of employees. Various delays, damaged packages, and sabotage will occur continuously. I will need at least two years or more to rectify the company's culture and continuously improve employee quality to meet the previous standards!"
"But before that, the perfect reputation that Eastern Express has painstakingly built will collapse in an instant!" Liu Xiangjiang sighed, "Qiangdong, are you willing to make such a decision?"
"But what can I do if I don't make this decision?" Liu Qiangdong, pressured by Liu Xiangjiang's series of relentless questions, or rather, a series of insurmountable problems, finally shouted in frustration, "What else can I do? There are only two express delivery companies in the entire United States that can deliver nationwide. If I don't ruin my own Eastern Express, what else can I do?"
"Of course, I can expand more slowly, maintaining the pace of expanding to one city per month. But the chairman personally told me that the next three years will be a period of rapid advancement for the entire e-commerce industry, with express delivery orders for the e-commerce industry doubling at least every year. If we lose these three years, Eastern Amazon will never be able to defeat Wanxiange. Then what was the point of me selling my painstakingly built Eastern Express and becoming the president of Eastern Amazon? Is it to be second best?" Liu Qiangdong's outburst caught Liu Xiangjiang off guard, and he could only let out an awkward smile.
"Wait a minute!" Liu Qiangdong, after venting, also felt that something was amiss. He stared at Liu Xiangjiang and said, "No, the chairman wouldn't tell you to say these things for no reason, nor would he let you corner me with these words."
"I understand, the chairman must have a solution, right? He must already know how to help us solve this problem, right!" Liu Qiangdong suddenly stood up excitedly and asked.
"You are quite clever!" Liu Xiangjiang shrugged his shoulders and said, "Indeed, I have another mission to fulfill while I am in the United States, and this mission also requires your cooperation!"
"What cooperation?" Liu Qiangdong was stunned for a moment, then retorted.
"It's very simple, which is to find a partner for Eastern Amazon!" Liu Xiangjiang said calmly. "We cannot fight alone; we need our own partners in the United States!"
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In the northern part of Arkansas, United States, there is a small town called Bentonville. Its population is only 25,000, which is even less than the population of a residential community in the capital. However, as time goes by, its fame throughout the country grows increasingly larger.
"Have you been to Bentonville? Have you surveyed their business model?" More and more entrepreneurs ask each other this question. Because Walmart's headquarters is located here, it has become a must-visit destination for retailers, contractors, and salespeople.
In late August 2005, Fortune magazine released its list of the Fortune Global 500. Walmart continued to rank first, becoming the number one company globally.
And when Fortune magazine began selecting the Fortune Global 500 in 1955, Walmart did not even exist. Forty years ago, Walmart was just a husband-and-wife store in the small town of Bentonville.
Of course, this is not intended to tell the success story of Walmart, let alone the fact that Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart and Sam's Club, had already passed away from illness in 1992.
The current Chairman of Walmart, Helen Walton, Sam Walton's wife, is also gravely ill and no longer manages the family business.
The actual control of the entire Walmart group has fallen into the hands of their eldest son, Rob Walton. And at this moment, Rob Walton is on his second-floor balcony, engaged in a friendly conversation with two visiting guests from China.