Chapter 75: Galloping Forward

Wang Tianan was accustomed to domestic companies that would fight each other to the death over a tiny bit of profit. They were experts at internal strife, but as for external battles—well, he had never seen a single domestic company dare to go to war with a foreign brand; almost all of them retreated all the way.

If they couldn't even beat foreign brands at home, how could they possibly win abroad? Wang Tianan absolutely did not believe it, and he certainly didn't believe Dongling High-Tech would be the exception.

If Dongling High-Tech's situation this time was real, it would also impact Wang Tianan's trading company. Surely, many domestic companies, not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth, would start their own independent research and development, reducing their procurement of foreign products or components. When that time came, it would definitely affect his trading company's business.

Sharing the same sentiment as Wang Tianan was Qian Wanshan, who had criticized Li Dongling on television that day. His investment consulting firm relied on its reputation to make a living.

That day, on the CCTV Economic Channel, he had lambasted Li Dongling, criticizing everything from his character to his conduct, from his vision to his experience, tearing him down completely. He had stated with absolute certainty that Dongling High-Tech's rejection of the Stone Group's investment meant certain failure.

But if the electronic pet machine Dongling High-Tech launched this time really sold out overseas, with revenue exceeding 60 million USD in just two months, then the words he spoke on the CCTV Economic Channel that day would become a joke.

He could forget about appearing in the CCTV Finance Channel's studio ever again. Not only that, his investment consulting firm would be questioned, his investment vision would be doubted, and the company would be not far from closing its doors for good!

Within the Stone Group, Duan Yongji, Li Wenjun, and a host of other executives had also seen the report in the *Yanjing Business Daily*.

"Do you all believe this report is true?!" Duan Yongji asked, turning toward Li Wenjun and the others.

But at this moment, Li Wenjun, Chu Zhong, Li Yu, and the others remained silent. Anything said at this time would be wrong. Having experienced multiple rounds of office politics within the Stone Group, where a large number of veteran figures had been driven away, the remaining Stone Group executives were all shrewd operators.

If the news were fake, the Stone Group might still be praised by the media for having dodged a bullet, but Duan Yongji's reputation would likely suffer; the acquisition and investment in Dongling High-Tech had been his proposal, after all. Could they really let Li Wenjun and the others say his vision was poor?!

But if the report were true, it would be even more chaotic. It would prove that Duan Yongji's previous decision to have the Stone Group acquire Dongling High-Tech had been correct, but the two sides had already fallen out. If Dongling High-Tech really earned foreign exchange this time, the Stone Group would become the clown, and its stock price would likely plummet!

So, regardless of whether the news was right or wrong, no one within the Stone Group dared to comment casually. But everyone, including Duan Yongji, hoped in their hearts that the news was fake; otherwise, the Stone Group would be in a very passive position.

"President Duan, look at the TV!"

Just as Duan Yongji was still discussing things with Li Wenjun and the others, another executive ran in hurriedly.

"According to an announcement by Toys "R" Us, the electronic pet machines they distribute have sold over one million units in North America, becoming the most popular electronic product in America this year!

Wall Street Gao Sheng analysts claim that within the next six months, following promotion and marketing, the electronic pet machine will reach its annual sales peak. It is estimated that global sales of electronic pet machines this year are expected to exceed 20 million units, becoming the fastest electronic product in history to break this record. The direct revenue brought by electronic pet machines will exceed 300 million USD.

In the next three to five years, Gao Sheng analysts estimate that the shipment volume of electronic pet machines could reach over 80 million units, thereby giving birth to a brand-new electronic and gaming sector with a total output value exceeding 1 billion USD!

Of course, Gao Sheng analysts also pointed out risks: because electronic pet machines lack technical barriers, it may lead to a flood of knock-offs and imitations, affecting the revenue of companies promoting genuine electronic pet machines.

Additionally, because of the spread of electronic pet machines, some social issues have begun to arise. Whether electronic pet machines will affect academic performance, and the fact that their expensive price in some regions has led to public order and crime issues for some users trying to obtain them, are also realistic problems that must be considered. Education officials in New York State are already considering banning electronic pet machines from being brought into schools..."

What was playing on the television was a broadcast on CCTV-1 of a report from the American CNN network. It lasted two minutes and fifteen seconds, but after watching the first minute, the minds of the Stone Group crowd were no longer on it.

In their minds, there was only one sentence: 1 billion USD. The Stone Group had missed out on a 1 billion USD industry!

Although this 1 billion USD industry was only an estimate, only a possibility, and even if there were a 1 billion USD industry, the company manufacturing the electronic pet machines couldn't possibly take all of that 1 billion USD. After deducting production costs, advertising fees, channel fees, transportation costs, etc., Dongling High-Tech would be lucky to take 20% to 30% of the profit.

But... no matter how you put it, it was still an industry that could potentially exceed several hundred million USD. Yet, the Stone Group had let it slip through its fingers. Although it was true that Li Dongling had taken the initiative to reject the Stone Group's investment and acquisition, it was ultimately a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to touch a 1 billion USD industry that had been placed before the Stone Group, only for them to watch it slip away.

Don't look at the Stone Group claiming to be the number one domestic tech giant, with annual revenue reaching several billion. It earned domestic money. If it wanted to buy new equipment or technology, it still had to use foreign exchange. It could earn several billion domestically, but as for asking the Stone Group to pull out 100 million USD, there was simply no hope.

After the CCTV channel aired this report, there was no longer any doubt about the authenticity of today's *Yanjing Business Daily*.

Duan Yongji stood up and glanced at Li Wenjun, who was currently stunned like a wooden chicken. Even though he knew that the failure to acquire Dongling High-Tech couldn't be blamed on Li Wenjun, and even though he knew Li Wenjun was his confidant on the Stone Group's board of directors, he still couldn't help but feel a surge of annoyance in his heart.

If he had acquired Dongling High-Tech, or at the very least invested in it, then the Stone Group would have had a share in this television media news. His title as the "Godfather of Zhongguancun" would have been beyond dispute. But now, all of that had become a bubble.

After CCTV broadcast the American CNN report on electronic pet machines, no one doubted the *Yanjing Business Daily* report anymore. Domestic media began to frantically repost the reports from the *Yanjing Business Daily* and CCTV.

Even though electronic pet machines had not yet appeared in the country, their reputation had already spread to all major cities. Electronic and toy distributors and agents from all over the country began carrying sacks of money and running toward Hanxi. Coupled with the media and reporters swarming in to interview Dongling High-Tech, for a time, flight tickets from all over the country to the Hanxi provincial capital were sold out, and even train tickets began to become scarce.

As for the Stone Group and that Qian Wanshan, their days were not easy. Once the news broke, the Stone Group's stock price on the Hong Kong stock market immediately fell in response, even worse than the last drop.

Qian Wanshan's investment consulting firm closed its doors for good. Those who ran over to demand refunds for their courses and consulting fees only saw an office with the doors locked tight. Qian Wanshan had long since disappeared. From then on, the "Consultant Qian" and "Expert Qian," who were quite famous in Yanjing and pointed people toward wealth, never appeared in Yanjing again!

At home and abroad, there were more and more news reports about electronic pet machines. Besides praising the astonishing spread and sales volume of electronic pet machines, media outlets also began to report on the negative news surrounding them.

Media in Japan began to report, believing that electronic pet machines would make users addicted, delaying their studies, and demanded that electronic pet machines be banned during breaks or that they be banned from being brought into schools.

Within a short two weeks, electronic pet machines swept through several major cities in Australia. Facing the media, Australian MP Grieve eye-catchingly proposed banning the sale of electronic pet machines: "Electronic pet machines should be banned; they should not appear in Australia. I will launch a protest against the companies that produce and sell them. This is the devil's bait!"

It was not strange for opposition to appear. Never mind electronic pet machines; when new products like televisions, anime, game consoles, mobile phones, etc., appeared, which one didn't have a huge wave of opposition? The whole world was the same, calling for them to be beaten and killed.

But this could not stop the emergence of these new things and them becoming a trend. Time would solve these troubles. After a few months, once the novelty wore off, they naturally wouldn't be as fanatical as they were now.

Now, whether praising or disparaging electronic pet machines, nothing could stop their crazy spread in Japan, Korea, America, Europe, and other places!

The Ning Trading Company promoted electronic pet machines in Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, and other parts of Southeast Asia; Bandai focused on the Japanese market; Toys "R" Us promoted them in America; and the British Hamleys company brought electronic pet machines into the European market.

Under the promotion of these four agency companies, electronic pet machines entered over 30 mainstream countries globally, most of which were high-consumption countries like Japan, America, England, and France. The entire electronic pet machine market began to see a continuous explosion in sales!

In the first month, after selling 1.75 million electronic pet machines, including inventory and production capacity, the production capacity of the Dongling High-Tech Electronic Industrial Park began to increase continuously.

By the second month, the daily production capacity had increased to 50,000 units. By the end of the month, it had increased again to a daily production capacity of 70,000 units. At this time, the single-month shipment volume had already broken 2.1 million units. Relying solely on electronic pet machines, Dongling High-Tech's monthly revenue had nominally already exceeded 31.5 million USD!

And in the overseas market, the sales volume of electronic pet machines was still in short supply. It seemed that no matter how many machines were produced, they were never enough to sell!

This scene made countless domestic companies turn green with envy. Agents who wanted to sell electronic pet machines domestically were almost trampling down the threshold of Dongling High-Tech.

There were even impatient distributors who ran directly to Hong Kong to grab goods, forcibly turning electronic pet machines into "exports turned domestic sales," bringing them back to the country to sell at high prices!

"I want to see President Li. Our company is willing to pay 2 million to distribute electronic pet machines in Guangdong Province!"

"We'll pay 2.4 million!"

At No. 25 Changqing Road, in front of the Dongling High-Tech headquarters building, for the past few days, a large group of agents from various parts of the country had been gathering here. Not far away, there were also media and reporters squatting, wanting to conduct interviews. To enter the Dongling High-Tech office, one had to pass through heavy crowds.

There will be another update this afternoon!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 76 =====