Pei Qian took a car to the mall and walked quickly toward the store.
He felt extremely anxious.
It had been less than half an hour since he rushed from the launch venue, but Pei Qian had an ominous feeling that fans who had watched the launch online and happened to be near the mall might have already bought all the phones.
Please don’t let that happen!
Pei Qian was very worried now. The scenario he least wanted to see was, ironically, a store with few people in it.
Because that would mean all the phones in the store had already been sold out!
If there was a long line outside the store, that would actually indicate the situation was better—there were still phones left.
Finally, Pei Qian took the escalator to the floor where the store was located and immediately put on his mask to prevent being recognized right away.
Seeing a queue of about six or seven people at the store entrance, Pei Qian couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness!
The situation didn’t seem as bad as he had imagined. Since people were queuing, it meant the store probably hadn’t sold out of phones yet.
However, when Pei Qian saw two customers walking out of the store without phones in their hands, his heart suddenly sank to the bottom.
Something wasn’t right!
He walked a few more steps forward to the entrance and heard Tian Mo continuously apologizing: “Sorry everyone, all phones are completely sold out, including the standard version! If you want to order a phone, you can leave your ID information, and I’ll notify you as soon as the next batch arrives…”
Pei Qian’s vision instantly darkened, feeling like he’d been hit hard.
This was bad!
The launch had just finished a short while ago, and the phones in the store were already sold out? It was worth noting that this store only covered customers within a few kilometers of the area. The fact that these customers could buy out all the store’s inventory showed how highly everyone regarded this phone!
Pei Qian secretly peered inside and discovered something even more outrageous.
Several guys who had finished registering their information didn’t leave immediately but started playing with the demo units at the counter!
Their expressions were very focused, holding the phones horizontally with their thumbs on the screen, index fingers on the two shoulder buttons at the top, and other fingers supporting the phone from below—a very standard posture.
There’s a saying that good design lets users immediately understand its intent, and the G1 phone’s two shoulder buttons obviously achieved this effect.
As they played, they discussed:
“This phone is really awesome for gaming, even better than the E1! Especially with this wide field of view—when playing GOG mobile, you naturally get two extra strips of space compared to other phones. It feels so good!”
“These two shoulder buttons are super convenient for playing ‘Sea Fortress’ and ‘Lonely Desert Highway.’ The physical buttons feel really good, and combined with the phone’s vibration, you can easily do four-finger operations when shooting.”
“The front looks great too, with a perfect rectangular screen. Taking this phone out would definitely turn heads.”
“The more I play, the more I want to buy one… When will they have stock? So annoying—I came just a few minutes late and even the standard version is sold out!”
The “want to buy” expression was written all over their faces.
Pei Qian became even more upset after watching these people.
From their expressions, he could seemingly see other consumers’ attitudes toward the G1 phone online, and thus deduce the tragic fate that awaited him…
The queue for registration moved quickly, and those playing with the demo units soon grew bored. After a few minutes, the number of people in the store finally decreased somewhat.
A man wearing a leather jacket entered the store: “Oh, quite a crowd today? Is there some kind of promotion going on?”
Tian Mo looked up: “Hey, you’re back.”
He had a good memory and could generally remember people he’d met within the past few days. This leather jacket-wearing man had visited the store on its first day, asking about the E1 phone and the fully automated smart argument machine.
Tian Mo had thoroughly explained all the shortcomings of these two products, successfully discouraging the man from buying. The man had praised him for his integrity and said he’d come back when there were new products.
Unexpectedly, they had just launched the G1 phone today, and this man happened to be strolling by.
Tian Mo quickly said: “It’s not a promotion. We recently launched a new phone, the one displayed at the counter.”
The leather jacket man raised his eyebrows, pleasantly surprised: “New product? Great, let me see.”
The man went to the counter and picked up a G1 phone to try it out.
“Not bad, this screen is huge!”
“The price isn’t cheap though.”
“Alright, I’ll take one.”
The man was already reaching for his wallet.
Tian Mo was shocked and quickly stopped him: “Please wait! We currently don’t have this phone in stock. I can register you first, and we’ll notify you as soon as stock arrives.”
“Also, I need to tell you about this phone’s shortcomings first. After all, it’s a significant amount of money, so you should think carefully before buying…”
The man smiled slightly: “No need!”
“I could tell from before that you’re very conscientious about selling things, always telling customers the shortcomings before they buy, unlike those salespeople who just talk big.”
“The phones are already sold out with so many people pre-ordering—that shows how popular this phone is! Moreover, the demo unit looks good, and I happen to need a new phone. Sign me up for one!”
Tian Mo was momentarily speechless. Seeing the man’s firm attitude, he quietly registered him.
But customers as decisive as this man were ultimately a minority.
The queue at the store entrance also attracted many passersby who were browsing the mall. For these passersby, Tian Mo clearly needed to strictly implement Mr. Pei’s requirements by explaining the phone’s advantages and disadvantages.
Although the phones had just arrived and Tian Mo wasn’t fully familiar with all their pros and cons, he could still point out some obvious shortcomings.
With Tian Mo’s efforts, he successfully discouraged some curious passersby who had gathered around.
Pei Qian wandered outside the store the whole time, observing everything happening inside very clearly.
“Not bad, I’m very pleased!”
“Although many people bought without a second thought, Tian Mo indeed followed my instructions and discouraged quite a few people.”
“Looking on the bright side, even though the phones are sold out, customers are still continuously placing orders. Tian Mo is diligently fulfilling his duties, discouraging some customers who originally wanted to order phones, effectively completing the task I assigned him.”
“Hmm, very well done!”
“It seems this sales department was the right move!”
At any rate, this was a blessing in disguise.
The store was small now, so the impact wasn’t obvious, but what if the sales department expanded and many stores opened in the future?
For instance, discouraging thirty out of a hundred units might not seem significant, but what about discouraging 300,000 out of a million units?
That would mean saving Mr. Pei a substantial amount of losses!
Moreover, the more stores opened, the higher the costs for rent, utilities, employee salaries, and other expenses—any way you calculated it, it was still worthwhile.
Although the phone’s unexpected popularity made Pei Qian very frustrated, seeing the situation with Tian Mo’s sales department gave him a bit of comfort.
Since Tian Mo was consistently loyal to his duties and always remembered Mr. Pei’s teachings, Pei Qian could rest assured.
Pei Qian turned to leave. After walking a few steps, he suddenly remembered something.
“Right, there’s still the advertising and marketing department!”
Pei Qian immediately took out his phone and called Meng Chang.
…
At this moment, Meng Chang had already finished work.
He had just gotten off the bus and was walking toward his residence.
After disappearing for more than half a month last month, today was his first day back at work.
Before going to work, he had specially shaved his beard, gotten a haircut, and tidied up his appearance. After all, with the entire department watching, Meng Chang still cared about his image.
The others in the advertising and marketing department didn’t ask many questions, and Meng Chang acted as if nothing had happened.
On his first day back, Meng Chang had no interest in working.
Mr. Pei had told him to think carefully about promotional plans for the new phone and smart clothes rack this month, aiming to successfully earn a high commission.
But Meng Chang didn’t take it seriously, thinking he could research it in a few days—it wasn’t urgent.
After loafing around for an entire day, he returned home after work, turned on the lights in his rented apartment, and collapsed on the sofa.
Just then, his phone rang.
Looking at the caller ID, it was Mr. Pei calling.
“Hmm?”
Meng Chang was a bit surprised because Mr. Pei rarely called him, especially outside of work hours.
Answering the phone, he heard Mr. Pei anxiously asking: “Have you made the promotional plan for Outuo Technology’s new phone that I asked you to do earlier?”
Meng Chang was stunned for a moment, then a cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: “Oh, not yet. Mr. Pei, it’s only been one day, there’s simply not enough time.”
Meng Chang deduced from Mr. Pei’s urgent voice that Mr. Pei wanted to rush the work!
He had heard that Outuo Technology’s phone launch was scheduled for today, and obviously Mr. Pei hoped he could quickly produce a promotional plan to build up the phone’s popularity in conjunction with the launch.
But how could Meng Chang obediently follow orders?
The better the promotional effect, the less commission he would receive!
So Meng Chang immediately decided to remain unchanged in the face of change, firmly adhering to the tactic of “delay.” No matter how much Mr. Pei rushed him, he would just say there wasn’t enough time and the plan couldn’t be produced.
He would drag it out for ten days or half a month, and after the initial heat had passed, then slowly bring out the plan.
Although he might not be able to earn much more commission, it would still be nice to annoy Mr. Pei.
However, as soon as Meng Chang finished speaking, Mr. Pei’s delighted voice immediately came through the phone: “Really? That’s great!”
“It’s best if you haven’t started yet. I was afraid you had been working for nothing.”
“The phone’s promotional plan is canceled! We’re not promoting it!”
Meng Chang: “Huh?”
Mr. Pei repeated: “All promotional plans for the G1 phone are completely canceled. Don’t do any of them! Do you understand?”
Meng Chang: “I… I understand.”
Before he could react, Mr. Pei had already hung up.
Meng Chang stared at his now-dark phone screen, completely bewildered.
What was going on?