PCJ – Chapter 721 Queuing

Over the years, Biyu Immortal Drink Group had built an extremely well-developed distribution network. Since money was never an issue, Biyu Immortal Drink had established sales outlets in nearly every city above the prefecture level, even purchasing land, constructing buildings, and setting up warehouses, many of which sat idle. Especially in provincial capitals, the group’s operations could be described as lavish and extravagant.

Because the group had abundant cash flow, wherever Biyu Immortal Drink expanded its sales, Zhang Youping and Liu Qiaoye’s first move was always to buy land and build properties. Their foresight proved accurate—along with economic growth, all of those investments appreciated in value.

Zhang Jiaohua himself was unaware of just how much wealth his parents had prepared for him; in fact, many properties were registered under his name. Now that the new energy vehicle project required resources, Liu Qiaoye naturally planned to free up these buildings for use.

Biyu Immortal Drink’s sales team was full of talent. Since it wasn’t the tea harvest season, and because their tea—no matter how ordinary—never had trouble selling (it always sold out quickly after hitting the market), Liu Qiaoye arranged for part of the sales department to assist Meishan Group in selling its new energy vehicles.

With the help of Biyu Immortal Drink’s sales division, various procedures were completed swiftly, and all the preliminary preparations proceeded in an orderly fashion.

The old automotive giants had been waiting to see Meishan Group make a fool of itself, believing that since they controlled the sales networks, Meishan would struggle to move forward.

“Meishan Group needs to understand—selling their cancer wonder drug and selling cars are two completely different things. No matter how good your car is, customers won’t travel all the way to Bijiang to buy it. Without a complete sales and after-sales network, no matter how good your cars are, you won’t win consumer trust. Our Volkswagen brand has taken decades to build its unmatched reputation in the hearts of Chinese consumers. Our 4S shops are the secret weapon that makes us unbeatable.” Volkswagen Asia-Pacific Executive Officer Heizmann said proudly.

Many others shared his opinion. Several China-region executives from leading joint-venture automakers even hosted a party specifically to discuss countering Meishan’s new energy vehicles. They were confident about suppressing Meishan’s growth.

“As long as we can succeed in restraining Meishan’s momentum this time, after they suffer heavy economic losses, I think it will be easy for us to acquire their technology,” Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa said with a sneer.

Time passed quickly, and the launch day of Meishan’s new energy vehicles finally arrived. At midnight, Meishan’s official website announced the first batch of sales outlets—which astonishingly included Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and other of the country’s most developed cities. In such a short time, Meishan had already completed the establishment of so many outlets. A preliminary sales network framework had already been set up.

The Bijiang sales center had the earliest start, taken on by Meishan Group’s own construction company. In an extremely short time, they had completed the building and even finished the interior decoration. The sales center’s design was by no means simple, yet it was done quickly.

Now, the center was already filled with various Meishan models. Inside the showroom, the cars constantly shifted colors. Once connected online, all of Meishan’s vehicles could change their colors simultaneously, giving the entire showroom a strong sci-fi atmosphere.

Worried about not being able to get cars immediately, many out-of-towners had arrived in Bijiang early, lining up outside the sales center since the night before.

“What are so many people lining up here for? Is this some kind of clearance sale?” An old lady passing by the center wondered aloud, thinking it was just another seasonal clearance event. This kind of midnight sale wasn’t unusual in China—many malls would start big discounts at zero hour, drawing crowds to stay up all night waiting at the doors.

Her child quickly explained with a laugh: “Mom, don’t say that. This is Meishan’s new energy vehicle sales center. They’re launching cars here tomorrow. Lots of people are afraid they won’t get one, so they came to line up early.”

“New energy vehicles? I know those! Best cars out there. And if it’s from Meishan Group, how could there be defective ones?” the old lady said, giving a thumbs-up as she spoke.

For the people of Bijiang, Meishan Group was the best company in the world—even elderly locals knew it.

Tao Donggui, a Beijing native, hadn’t come to Bijiang specifically to buy a car; he was actually traveling in Daihua County. Upon hearing that Meishan’s new energy cars were launching, he decided to stop by and buy one. The near-zero running cost of new energy vehicles was especially appealing to him. His business kept him on the road in Beijing every day. During rush hours, he would often be stuck in traffic for one or two hours. A full tank of fuel wouldn’t even last a day, forcing him to refuel constantly. At gas stations, lines could take over half an hour. Monthly expenses were becoming unbearable. So, once he heard about the launch, he rushed to Bijiang’s sales center. Unfortunately, he was a bit late and didn’t manage to get a spot near the front of the line.

“Ah, I can’t believe it. Even arriving this early, I couldn’t get a good position,” he said. Behind him, a young man with a strong Shanghai accent smiled and introduced himself: “I’m Zhao Jiming, from Shanghai.”

Tao Donggui smiled and nodded. “I could tell. I’m Tao Donggui, from Beijing.”

“No way? I thought I was the only outsider coming all the way to Bijiang to buy a car,” Zhao laughed.

“Well, I didn’t come just for the car. I’ve been traveling in Daihua County the past few days. Figured I’d buy a car on the way back and drive it home—save a lot on transportation costs,” Tao replied with a laugh.

Zhao nodded. “That’s my plan too. Lots of people came today. I just wonder if they’ll have enough cars ready for delivery tomorrow. I’m worried Meishan might not have much stock.”

“That’s unlikely. I heard Meishan’s daily output is thousands of vehicles. On the first day, they’ll want to make a strong impression. I doubt they’ll limit sales,” Tao said.

“As long as they don’t limit it, I’m definitely buying. If this car is really as good as advertised, even the most basic model will be better than those so-called luxury cars,” Zhao said firmly.

When Sales Center Director Zhang Yuanbao arrived, he was stunned by the perfectly orderly line stretching out in front of the doors. A quick headcount showed that hundreds of people were still waiting outside.