OFR – Chapter 206 Going to lose.

Now, the surprised vice president of Liang Group stepped in front of the computer, focusing intently on the latest rebate announced in the video posted by the Zhenpin Tian online store.

The rebate was so clear and direct that he couldn’t help but furrow his brows.

Yes, in that instant, he suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed.

He had originally assumed that the owner of Zhenpin Tian was just causing a minor disturbance—at most, making things slightly uncomfortable for Liang Group and Meiwaitian.

But now he realized that this was not just “slightly uncomfortable”—this was unbearable to the extreme!

Zhenpin Tian was actually engaging in a full-blown price war, and they were doing so with an utterly fearless and aggressive stance!

A 20% cash rebate!

The rebate offered by Zhenpin Tian instantly outclassed the 10% rebate from Liang Group.

More importantly, Liang Group’s rebate came in the form of store credit. While this store credit could be used like cash within Liang Group’s businesses, the majority of Liang Group’s establishments were located in the northern regions. For a large portion of southern customers, Zhenpin Tian’s cash rebate was far more practical.

And it was a full 20% cash rebate.

As a result, Meiwaitian’s previously massive audience and customer engagement started to dwindle significantly!

Sitting in front of the computer, the vice president of Liang Group clenched his fists slightly, his expression growing tense. For the first time, a rare thought of retreat surfaced in his mind.

Yes, retreat!

He could hardly believe that such a thought had even crossed his mind.

Because he had never expected that the price war he had personally initiated would lead him to be the first to consider backing down!

“Ridiculous!”

Shaking his head, the vice president forcibly suppressed this thought.

Instead, he instructed his staff to revise Meiwaitian’s rebate strategy once again.

He did not believe that this price war on Taobao’s online marketplace would cost Liang Group much, nor did he think that Zhenpin Tian had the capacity for a serious fight.

Although every move made by Zhenpin Tian’s owner had been surprising so far, he still considered it nothing more than a publicity stunt—mere tricks to capture attention.

In the face of real strength, such tactics were just decorative illusions.

Soon, Meiwaitian updated its promotional banners with revised rebate amounts.

This officially marked the beginning of an all-out price war between two of the largest giants in Taobao’s agriculture and specialty foods sector!

12:00 PM:

• Zhenpin Tian: 25% cash rebate
• Meiwaitian: 20% store credit + 5% cash rebate

2:00 PM:

• Zhenpin Tian: 30% cash rebate
• Meiwaitian: 20% store credit + 10% cash rebate

5:00 PM:

• Zhenpin Tian: 35% cash rebate
• Meiwaitian: 20% store credit + 15% cash rebate

…

Insane!

Seeing this shocking battle unfold, countless industry insiders and customers could only conclude that these two titans of the sector were losing their grip on reality.

Because these rebates were completely crazy!

Most Taobao e-commerce businesses understood that a 35% rebate was incredibly rare.

This meant that for every 100 yuan spent, customers were getting 35 yuan back!

For most online stores, this was a surefire way to lose money.

Aside from a few monopoly-driven emerging industries, what e-commerce store could confidently claim a net profit margin of 35% on every product sold?

Probably none.

Yet both Meiwaitian and Zhenpin Tian had now reached this rebate threshold…

Which meant both sides were now throwing in everything they had!

In Shanghai’s financial district, inside Meiwaitian’s office, the vice president of Liang Group sat staring at the computer screen, a cold sweat forming on his forehead.

35%!

This rebate rate had exceeded all of his expectations.

For the first time, regret crept into his heart.

Yes, a vice president of Liang Group was actually regretting his decision.

From his initial dismissive attitude toward Zhenpin Tian’s owner, to being caught off guard, to feeling shocked, and now… regret!

Only he knew what he had gone through internally.

He had never imagined that such a small online store like Zhenpin Tian could turn this price war into a battle of mutual destruction!

Brutal.

Absolutely brutal.

Both companies now had auction listings totaling over 1.5 billion yuan, meaning that if all items sold, they would each be handing out over 500 million yuan in rebates alone!

After deducting costs, labor, and express shipping services, it was clear—they were hemorrhaging money!

Even for Liang Group, a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate, losses in the hundreds of millions were not insignificant.

The vice president had long wanted to end this price war.

But after hitting the 30% rebate mark, it was clear that Zhenpin Tian was practically forcing the fight to continue!

He had no choice but to keep going!

Both companies now had millions of active followers. If either side showed weakness and backed down, their store traffic would plummet.

Forget about industry dominance—just maintaining a competitive ranking above 80% would be a challenge!

Neither side could afford to surrender. Both were gritting their teeth and pushing forward!

However, after Zhenpin Tian’s owner made an aggressive move, Meiwaitian’s audience engagement started slipping, with many customers shifting their support back to Zhenpin Tian.

After all, online shoppers were sharp-eyed. With equal rebate rates, the store with better value naturally had the advantage.

Many Taobao customers who had initially been drawn to Meiwaitian now returned to Zhenpin Tian.

Before anyone realized it, time had flown by, and it was now 6:00 PM.

Within the agriculture and specialty foods sector, the ranking still placed Zhenpin Tian in first place, boasting 5.31 million followers and 3.03 million active users!

In contrast, Meiwaitian, which had over 5 million followers in the morning, had seen a steady decline, dropping to 4.77 million followers and only 1.63 million active users!

Both stores had now escalated their rebates to 40%!

At this moment, everyone who had been following this year’s biggest industry battle could see it clearly—

Meiwaitian, the disruptor that had shaken up the industry since yesterday with its aggressive strategy… was on the verge of losing!

“Damn it!”

The vice president of Liang Group clenched his jaw as he saw the latest follower statistics.

He had never expected that Liang Group would pour so much effort and financial resources into fighting such a small online store, only to still face the possibility of defeat!

Even his usually excellent self-restraint could no longer suppress the frustration and anger surging within him.

“Don’t worry, Vice President. Didn’t a lot of the company’s top-tier clients just show up? Maybe they’ll place high-value bids on our auction items to support us,” an employee cautiously reassured him.

But all he got in response was a cold snort.

The vice president knew full well—anyone capable of being a key client of Liang Group wasn’t a fool. Most of them were profit-driven businesspeople.

Why would they spend excessive amounts just to win favor with the company?

Still, despite his frustration, the vice president maintained his professional composure. He didn’t let his emotions cloud his judgment. Instead, he waved his hand, signaling the team to continue overseeing the auction.

Meanwhile, he turned and quietly left the office.

Yes, he needed to meet with the other vice presidents and figure out what to do next.