Chapter 169: Opening a Gap in the African Market

The Chengzi F1 is a smartphone model from the Chengzi phone factory, designed specifically for the African market.

It supports four SIM cards on standby, a 3.7-inch screen, 512MB + 8GB memory configuration, a 2320mAh large battery, and runs the AuroraOS 1.1 system.

In terms of specs, it absolutely crushes the Shanxing S5300 and the Huawei Ascend Y100.

But Zhou Jinling and the others spent two months barely selling off the first batch of 50,000 units in stock, which left Chen Yansen somewhat dissatisfied.

After all, right from the design stage, he had the R&D team optimize the battery capacity, the back cover material, and the camera algorithm, and even swapped in a large-aperture lens — all to meet the actual usage needs of local users.

"Zhou Jinling says Abyssinia isn't as backward as we imagined. He suggests upgrading and improving the Chengzi C1, then launching it on the African market to sell alongside the Chengzi F1."

Cao Dahua relayed it faithfully.

"Fine, I got it. Tell the factory to produce another 100,000 units." Chen Yansen thought for a moment, then instructed Cao Dahua.

Thinking about it, it made sense — even the poorest place on earth has its rich people. It seemed he had underestimated the spending power for electronic products in Abyssinia.

From the work report Zhou Jinling submitted, Chengzi phones had already opened up sales channels in the local market.

"Got it, I'll arrange it." Cao Dahua replied with a smile.

Once cumulative Chengzi phone sales surpassed 8 million units, Cao Dahua resigned from his teaching job at the Xu Yuan.

To focus on working for Chen Yansen!

His wife complained a few times, only to be shut down by Cao Dahua's retort: "Are you trying to tell me what to do?"

As long as he followed Chen Yansen and worked hard, given Chengzi Tech's investment in its self-operated factory, he was destined to become a big shot in the phone industry.

Back in the day he had left Shencheng in dejection; this time, no matter what, he had to seize the opportunity and realize his dream of soaring to success.

A man can lose a hundred times, but he must win once.

Chen Yansen also asked about the production plan. Based on the current combined monthly sales across the Chengzi Mall, Taobao flagship store, and Pinxie Mall, by mid-December at the latest, every major platform would have to switch to in-stock links.

The current sales pace was clearly not keeping up with the production pace.

"I've talked it over with the production manager. After December 20th, we'll cut down on overtime and control capacity."

Cao Dahua said.

Chen Yansen understood: either open up new channels, or launch a new model — only then could the situation be eased.

African market sales falling short of expectations had actually dragged down the expansion progress of the Chengzi factory.

"How about reaching out to Old Lei and taking over Xiaomi's OEM orders?"

After hanging up the phone, Chen Yansen mulled it over to himself.

It wasn't until the employees of Pinxie and Chengzi Tech gradually got off work to go eat dinner that Chen Yansen snapped back to reality. He checked the time — it was already 5 p. m.

Forget it — Xiaomi's measly order volume wouldn't even be enough to fill the Chengzi factory's tooth gaps.

Chen Yansen took the elevator down to the third floor, gave Zhang Cong and Zhou Ze a few brief instructions, then headed to the first floor.

After getting in the car and waiting a few minutes, he saw Meng Jie hurrying over with her laptop bag, taking three steps as two, and laughing as she climbed into the passenger seat.

"Last time Zhao Maolin treated me to a meal — that restaurant's ambiance and food were pretty good. Let me take you to check it out."

Chen Yansen said with a smile, looking at Meng Jie.

The restaurant he spoke of was, naturally, Ming Li. He wanted to see what Meng Jie would look like in a Tang-style dress.

"Then let's go early and come back early. I have a Tax Law class tomorrow morning, and that teacher is super strict — people gave him the nickname 'Roll Call Assassin.'"

Meng Jie said with a grin.

"No problem." Chen Yansen replied casually. He'd already booked the hotel — he had no intention of letting Meng Jie go back to school.

With that, he floored it toward the city center.

After his Spirit broke through 11, in just half a month, the Car Driving skill on his panel had shot up to Three-Star Professional (17/100).

This proved his earlier strategy of not wasting Spark values on useless skills was the right call.

After his Physique and Spirit broke through their peaks, Chen Yansen picked up new things effortlessly, making progress at a thousand miles a day.

Even with the Eight Divisions Vajra Art, he only practiced it casually a few times, and the experience value shot up to One-Star Entry (91/100).

But Chen Yansen felt that, with his 10 points of Physique, this art wasn't of much use, so he didn't pay it much mind.

Meanwhile.

At a bustling street corner in Abyssinia, East Africa, inside a Chengzi phone store that was open for business, the place was packed.

Zhou Jinling was communicating with customers in clumsy English.

His English level was passable, but his accent was heavy — words popping out one at a time, much like Liu Qiangdong's style.

"Zhou Ge, there are only 20 left in the warehouse. I doubt we'll last till tomorrow."

A salesperson said helplessly, holding an empty box.

"Damn! Shipments from headquarters will take at least another half month. Tomorrow we keep on painting walls — can't be sitting idle."

Zhou Jinling cursed, a cigarette butt dangling from his lips as he took money.

Sweat stains soaked through his white shirt, sticking clammily to his skin, but his mood at that moment was excited.

During his month in Addis Ababa, he first got a feel for the market, then opened a flagship store at a market street corner, and afterward went around pitching the Chengzi F1 phone to nearby merchants.

The collaboration method was simple and crude: Zhou Jinling gave the reseller bosses a wholesale price of 89 USD, they sold at a markup, and any unsold stock he'd buy back.

But ever since the domestic phone "four consecutive explosions" incident, Chengzi phone sales had plummeted.

Originally they could sell twenty or thirty units a day; now they could only sell three or four a day.

Just as Zhou Jinling and his two companions were fretting, Cao Dahua called and got straight to the point: "If sales don't pick up, the big boss is going to swap you out."

"Swapping out" was just a polite way of putting it — to put it bluntly, it meant firing.

Zhou Jinling had no way back. If he returned to Shencheng he'd have nothing and be laughed at; if he fought on, there might still be a chance.

He was used to a life of luxury — spending a lifetime tightening screws was something he couldn't stand.

So he pulled the other two along, found a local advertising company, and went to "paint walls" in the surrounding cities.

To put it plainly, it was the wall advertising commonly seen in domestic towns and villages. Zhou Jinling had transplanted the playbook of China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom to Africa.

A wall advertisement three meters tall and eight meters wide didn't cost much—labor included, it was only about 30 USD.

Zhou Jinling paid for over a hundred walls in one go, painting the exterior of the Sister Chengzi F1 on them, with specs and price labeled in English, and a special emphasis that buying the phone came with an extra battery.

To his surprise, the method worked remarkably well.

The stock in the warehouse sold out fast, so they had another 500 units transferred from specialty stores in other cities.

In just three days, everything was sold clean.

After learning of Zhou Jinling's method, more than a dozen other market teams also started putting up wall ads locally.

For a time, eye-catching slogans for Sister Chengzi phones could be seen everywhere in Addis Ababa's commercial district.

99 USD!

3.7-inch big screen, quad-SIM quad-standby, two batteries, 8GB super-large memory smartphone!

The Sister Chengzi phone's transliterated brand name 'Orange' instantly became a hot commodity.

"No no no! Sold out! Sold out!"

After selling the last Sister Chengzi F1, Zhou Jinling shouted at the customers.

"Shit!" A few people who hadn't managed to buy a phone glared unhappily, still crowding around the counter and cursing.

Zhou Jinling couldn't care less—he waved his hand, shook his head, and kept repeating that it was sold out, telling them to come back in two weeks.

After the customers left, Zhou Jinling ran back to the warehouse to double-check the inventory count; now he only trusted himself.

"Liang Ge, I heard Old Zhou used to be a big boss in Huaqiangbei—surely he's not just bragging, right?"

A salesman named Jin Xu asked Qi Liang across from him.

Jin Xu had just gone to Shencheng to make his way when he was recruited into Sister Chengzi Tech, and was then dispatched to Abyssinia.

Qi Liang was different—he used to be a marketing department employee at Ouhan Mobile, and had worked under Zhou Jinling for a few years.

"Bragging? What do you know! A year ago, Zhou Ge in Huaqiangbei rode in a Mercedes S-Class whenever he went out, ordered hostesses at commercial KTVs, tipped no less than 1,000 yuan, and ate abalone and sea cucumber like everyday meals."

Qi Liang curled his lip and retorted dismissively.

Indeed, the old Zhou Jinling had been riding high, going with the wind and the water.

"Damn! That badass?" Jin Xu listened, dumbfounded.

What did Zhou Jinling look like now?

Wearing a shirt that cost a few dozen yuan, smoking the same ten-yuan cigarettes as everyone else, half his hair turned white—he looked just like a fifty-year-old little old man, with not a trace of a big boss's bearing left.

"You've only seen Zhou Ge at his down-and-out moment, but he also had a glory period earning over a hundred million a year. Don't look down on people. Calling him Old Zhou all the time—who knows, one day he might make a comeback, and when that time comes, even if you want to call him Zhou Ge, he might not bother with you."

Qi Liang said earnestly.

At that moment, Zhou Jinling, who had just walked to the door, paused; the light in his eyes dimmed for a moment, then brightened again.

"I must stand back up." Zhou Jinling swore silently in his heart.

"Alright, I'll be more polite to him from now on, then." Jin Xu said casually.

"President Cao and President Zuo are both old friends of Zhou Ge. I heard the reason Zhou Ge got into Sister Chengzi Tech was because President Zuo introduced him." Qi Liang glanced at Jin Xu and continued.

"What the hell! Why didn't you say so earlier!" Jin Xu was stunned—he had no idea Zhou Jinling had this kind of connection.

Had he known earlier, how could he have called the man Old Zhou every day.

"Ahem!" Zhou Jinling deliberately coughed twice, then walked out.

"Zhou Ge, I was ignorant before. Tonight let me treat you to a foot bath, as an apology."

Jin Xu sidled up with a cheeky grin, wearing a flattering expression.

"Forget the foot bath—you guys are all so dark and grimy, I couldn't stomach it. Anyway, the stock is sold out, let's all go drinking tonight."

Zhou Jinling threw an arm around Jin Xu's neck and said carelessly.

He understood in his heart that Jin Xu's change in attitude was because of Cao Dahua and Zuo Hongyu, but he didn't mind.

This three-person team was his reliance for making a comeback at Sister Chengzi Tech; he had to win over every single one of them to have a chance at rising again.

Otherwise, a hot-headed kid like Jin Xu might not be able to offer much help, but if he dragged his feet or caused trouble, Zhou Jinling definitely couldn't guard against it.

"Zhou Ge, I heard the locals say there are lighter-skinned ones too. Let's drink first, then go for the foot bath after."

Jin Xu grinned wide and let out a sheepish chuckle.

"White on top or white on the bottom?" Qi Liang pressed.

"You two take it easy, don't end up giving yourselves a whole disease." Zhou Jinling shook his head and refused.

If old acquaintances from the past saw this scene, they'd surely be greatly surprised.

You have to know, Zhou Jinling used to be a seasoned player of the pleasure quarters—no trick was too daring for him.

Clearly, after the heavy blows, Zhou Jinling's mindset had long since changed.

On the other side.

Chen Yansen and Meng Jie left Mingli Restaurant and drove toward the Sky Garden.

"This doesn't seem like the road back to school?" Meng Jie noticed something was off and asked curiously.

"It's too late, don't go back to school, let's just stay one night downtown."

Chen Yansen said casually.

Meng Jie glanced at the time—it was only 8:30, how was that late?

But she didn't speak up to argue; some heart-racing images flashed through her mind, and she silently lowered her head.

Thinking to herself: no wonder Chen Yansen insisted on buying me that Tang-style hezi skirt—he never had good intentions.

Meng Jie gazed at Chen Yansen, her eyes watery.

(End of chapter)