Chapter 72: Astonishing Sales

A few days passed in the blink of an eye, and before long it was April 1. In the office of Tengfei Network Company on the seventeenth floor of Tengfei Tower, Liu Ze was listening to Liu Ming’s report.

With delight written all over his face, Liu Ming said, “President Liu, our software is finished. More than a dozen engineers completed development in just five days. After another day of testing, the entire system was completed last night. We’ve also added the serial-number function this time. Although its overall functionality is much the same as before, our graphics and interface are far superior to Universal Software’s.”

“Excellent! The dozen or so of you who developed the software have rendered outstanding service. Once the software is successfully launched, I’ll make sure you receive a substantial bonus.” Liu Ze was clearly delighted as well, his gloom from several days earlier completely swept away.

Liu Ming happily replied, “Thank you, President Liu. I’ve already arranged the promotional work. Our software is better than Universal’s, yet it costs only two thousand yuan. There’s no doubt it will sell well.”

Watching Universal’s Internet Cafe Management System expand at astonishing speed during this period of inactivity and seize vast numbers of internet cafes, Liu Ze and the others had been gnashing their teeth in hatred. Thus, once the new system was developed, they set its price at two thousand yuan in order to win sales directly—five hundred yuan less than Universal’s promotional price. They had also recruited many experienced salespeople and offered them generous commissions to raise their enthusiasm and improve their efficiency.

“Haha, then I’ll wait for the day we defeat Universal. When that day comes, I want to watch Universal Software go bankrupt.” Thinking of the trap Zhou Xuan had set for him, which had resulted in Liu Teng giving him a thorough dressing-down, Liu Ze wished he could cripple Zhou Xuan and show him exactly what he was capable of.

After Liu Ming left, Liu Ze picked up the telephone and dialed a number.

“Hello, Brother Ze. What do you need?” A deep voice came from the other end.

“Take two men with you to NC County in Rongzhou and break both legs of someone for me. I’ll have someone send you the details later,” Liu Ze ordered viciously.

“All right,” the man replied.

“Handle it properly. And be careful—don’t let anyone find out.” After all, Zhou Xuan had connections with Wang Ximing and Jiang Yun. Liu Ze naturally could not allow anyone to discover that he was behind the attack.

“Understood.”

After hanging up, Liu Ze gazed out the window, his heart filled with hatred for Zhou Xuan.

“Heh. It’s time to let people know how the Tengfei Group really made its fortune. Otherwise, every stray cat and mangy dog will think it can bully me.”

While Tengfei was releasing its new system and beginning another nationwide promotional campaign, Universal Software refused to be outdone and launched an updated version of its own.

On April 1, Universal’s Internet Cafe Management System released Version 2.0, adding several new functions.

The first was one-click installation of new games from the server. The other computers could then update the games in batches, while administrators could also control the bulk uninstallation of games and software.

The second was a powerful financial statistics function, allowing internet-cafe owners to view the operation of their businesses more directly and precisely. Daily statistics included such details as revenue and the amount of time customers spent online. Monthly and annual statistics had also been added as practical new features.

The third was a chat function that allowed customers to communicate directly with internet-cafe administrators. Customers no longer needed to leave their computers to contact an administrator, extend their usage time, or purchase snacks and drinks. After receiving a message, the administrator could go to the customer’s computer to collect payment and deliver the requested items, providing a more personalized service.

It could be said that Version 2.0 of Universal’s Internet Cafe Management System had added many practical functions, leaving internet-cafe owners pleasantly surprised. After nearly two months of expansion, Universal’s software had been introduced to more than eight thousand internet cafes. It had earned an excellent reputation among internet-cafe owners across the country. This update further increased their trust in and satisfaction with the system.

At the same time, Zhou Xuan’s Universal Software had established regional branches in eight areas across the country. In addition to hiring promotional staff, the company had recruited technical support personnel to provide quality after-sales service and solve the various problems faced by internet-cafe owners. To reduce expenses, the technicians also took on computer repairs, which greatly increased the company’s revenue.

With the release of Version 2.0, Universal Software’s reputation continued to rise. Under such circumstances, Tengfei’s newly developed internet-cafe management software sold only a pitiful few dozen copies a day. It could not possibly compete with Universal, whose daily sales had reached more than two hundred copies and continued to grow.

As the internet-cafe management system spread, the income in Zhou Xuan’s bank account steadily increased. By March 31, more than eight thousand systems had been sold. After deducting commissions for the promotional staff, each system generated between 1,500 and 2,450 yuan, bringing Zhou Xuan’s total wealth to more than seventeen million yuan.

As distribution continued, the future market would likely yield several tens of thousands more sales, bringing in tens of millions in additional revenue. Zhou Xuan decided that six months later, Universal’s Internet Cafe Management System would be uniformly priced at one thousand yuan. By the end of the year, he would announce that the system was completely free. With its excellent reputation, Universal’s Internet Cafe Management System would then be able to seize the entire market outright.

In the process, Zhou Xuan would surely take over the offline internet-cafe promotion market. Under those circumstances, hao123 would also be able to dominate the still-unclaimed market for web-navigation sites.

On April 2, Zhou Xuan heard Wei Lian’s report that Tengfei’s new system had sold only a few dozen copies on its first day. He immediately laughed with delight.

“Exactly as expected. They pirated our garbage system and still think they can achieve good sales? That’s nothing but wishful thinking!” Zhou Xuan said with a laugh.

He then urged Wei Lian to accelerate the company’s recruitment and reserve of talent in preparation for developing a cashier system and the company’s official website. As for the chain internet cafes, they could now begin operations as well.

Zhou Xuan decided that the first twenty Universal chain internet cafes would begin selecting locations, renting premises, purchasing equipment, and training staff. They would strive to have all twenty cafes open within two or three months and make a powerful first impression.

Just as Zhou Xuan and Wei Lian were discussing their next steps, three hired thugs walked out of Rongzhou Bus Station, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for NC County. The burly man leading them had a fierce expression; at a glance, he was clearly a ruthless character.

Recalling the information Liu Ze had given him, the big man was brimming with confidence about the assignment.

“It’s only a middle-school student. Any one of my men could handle it. Was it really necessary for me to come personally?”

He could not help looking down on Liu Ze, feeling that the man was making a mountain out of a molehill.

Zhou Xuan, meanwhile, had no idea that someone was traveling hundreds of miles to break both his legs. Even if he had known, he probably would have merely smiled. He was utterly confident in his own strength. He had been cultivating for more than half a year, yet he still had not had a proper fight with anyone.

After school that afternoon, Zhou Xuan rode his bicycle as usual, heading home along the Yangtze Avenue.