Chapter 48

Upon returning to Haizhou, Li Mu felt that he was not just busy, but extremely busy.

Eting had just started development, and the code for the forum he was preparing to set up had just been purchased, costing him 3,000 yuan. Although the code was quite poor, it still represented the average level at the moment.

Li Mu had a bunch of double-pinyin domain names, all registered casually at the time. He thought they didn't have much practical significance, so he decided to use "Douban" for the forum.

The Douban forum would be the base for the online water army. Whether it could be operated well largely depended on Zhao Kang's ability.

Thus, Zhao Kang gritted his teeth and spent over 10,000 yuan to buy a laptop.

When his father was surprised by such a large expense, Zhao Kang casually said that Li Mu had brought in another sum of money.

As a result, Zhao Kang's parents were thoroughly convinced.

If their son could make money faster than the wind, what more could they say?

After buying the code, Li Mu made some minor modifications and launched it online. He gave Zhao Kang super admin privileges and 50,000 yuan for expenses, instructing him to quickly form a reliable online water army. As for where to recruit people, salary standards, and operational plans, Li Mu left everything to Zhao Kang, with only one requirement: efficiency.

Immediately after, Li Mu threw himself into the development of Eting.

The day after his return, Li Mu's father received a call from their hometown, saying that Li Mu's great-uncle in the countryside was about to celebrate his birthday.

Li Dad originally wanted to take Li Mu along, making it a family trip, but Li Mu had only met his great-uncle a few times and didn't have much affection for him. Moreover, he had a lot of work to do, so he thought of refusing.

At this moment, Metersbonwe's official representative called, informing Li Mu that they had arranged an inspector who was currently in another prefecture-level city in Southern Jiangsu Province. The inspector could arrive in Haizhou by noon the next day. They also provided the inspector's name and contact information.

This made it impossible for Li Mu to leave, so he boldly told his father that he was too busy to go. His father didn't insist and decided to take a leave to go back with Li Mu's mother.

After getting permission to stay in Haizhou, Li Mu called the Metersbonwe inspector named Zhang Man. She had just finished her current work and, after contacting Li Mu, immediately bought a ticket to Haizhou, arriving at the bus station at 11:40 AM the next day.

Li Mu thought that after receiving the inspector and waiting for Metersbonwe's headquarters to approve, he would need to start preparing for the renovation. By then, he would be very busy. Moreover, Ye Tianming had called the day before, saying he had found a suitable office space, 70 square meters, with a monthly rent of over 2,000 yuan, and suggested Li Mu visit the provincial capital when he had time.

Li Mu, who had no time to go to the provincial capital, asked Ye Tianming to help him reserve it and asked his friends to post job ads at the labor market for website programmers, server technicians, and graphic designers, offering good salaries and hoping to get some resumes.

The few people he had planned to help in Jinling were very capable, and this small matter was quickly handled.

Li Mu then planned to visit the provincial capital again once the specialty store was settled.

...

The next morning, Li Mu first sent his parents to the bus station to take the bus to the countryside. He then waited for over an hour and picked up the Metersbonwe inspector, Zhang Man, at the bus station around noon. Zhang Man was a young woman, about 25 or 26 years old, with an average appearance but a very capable demeanor.

When they met, Zhang Man was not surprised by Li Mu's youth. In fact, she had already received the customer information from headquarters, and the 18-year-old customer had piqued her curiosity on the way. However, she managed to hide her curiosity well upon meeting him.

Li Mu chose the best hotel in Haizhou to treat Zhang Man to lunch. During the meal, Zhang Man began her inspection, not only examining the hardware but also understanding the customer's views on the clothing market and Metersbonwe.

Her first question to Li Mu was why he chose to join Metersbonwe.

Li Mu's answer was simple: "I believe that the consumption level of the Chinese people has started to rise, especially among the young urban population. The primary direction of young people's consumption is clothing. Metersbonwe, whether in brand building or product design, focuses on capturing the young market, which aligns very well with my own ideas."

Zhang Man nodded. The headquarters also placed great importance on the mindset of franchisees. She needed to know if the franchisee understood Metersbonwe's positioning and had the corresponding operational philosophy. Although Metersbonwe was expanding, it was a rational expansion. They did not want any market to be ruined by inexperienced agents.

She then asked, "What is your view on Metersbonwe's market operations? For example, do you have any understanding or suggestions about our operations over the past few years?"

Li Mu smiled and replied, "Focusing on design and brand while minimizing assets and costs is a strategy that aligns well with the future development of the clothing market. In terms of promotion, your previous spokesperson, the Flowers Band, although close to the theme of young people, did not have enough fame to support a well-known clothing brand. In fact, the brand itself might have been held back by them. Fortunately, you corrected this mistake by choosing Guo Tianwang as the spokesperson. Additionally, your company's forward-thinking in information system architecture, such as your collaboration with Cisco, is well-known to me."

Zhang Man couldn't help but look at Li Mu with new respect.

His analysis of the spokesperson was very accurate. In 2000, the Flowers Band's endorsement did not help the brand gain sufficient recognition. A month ago, when Guo Tianwang's endorsement began, Metersbonwe experienced explosive growth in both consumer and investor markets, which was considered the company's most important decision of the year.

However, the information about the spokesperson was something that a slightly careful person could discover. But Li Mu's knowledge of the Cisco collaboration was quite rare.

At the time, information systems had a negligible impact on the retail industry. Most retail companies and entrepreneurs were unfamiliar with the term and did not understand its importance. For an 18-year-old like Li Mu to have such a clear understanding of the company was indeed impressive.

Li Mu then said, "I believe that in a small city like Haizhou, it must be rare to find a partner willing to invest 160 to 170 square meters for a Metersbonwe franchise, right?"

"Indeed," Zhang Man agreed, feeling deeply. In small cities, investors rarely had stores larger than 100 square meters, mainly due to limited funds and lack of confidence in the future market.

Li Mu had already rented a 160 to 170 square meter store, which even met the requirements of first-tier cities, a significant investment.

During the meal, Zhang Man formed a very good impression of Li Mu, finding him insightful and articulate, truly remarkable.

Afterward, Li Mu went to the bank to obtain a cash asset certificate and then took Zhang Man to inspect the store he had already rented.

Bayan had already left, and the store was empty, but its location was undoubtedly the most prosperous area in Haizhou.

In their conversation, Zhang Man also felt Li Mu's insight into the clothing retail market. Moreover, this young man had excellent communication skills and a certain charisma, almost perfectly meeting the company's requirements for franchisees.

In the evening, Zhang Man concluded her inspection of Li Mu and said, "Mr. Li, the inspection is basically over. I will write the report at the hotel tonight and fax it to the company before I leave tomorrow. The company will issue the review results within seven to ten working days. Once approved, we will send someone to guide the renovation. Additionally, you should start recruiting an experienced store manager. You and the store manager will need to attend a 15-day training program at our company headquarters."

Li Mu asked in surprise, "Do I have to go? Can I not go?"

Zhang Man smiled and said, "You don't have to go, but the company stipulates that at least two to three people must receive training. So, you need to send at least two people."

"Alright," Li Mu nodded. Hiring a reliable store manager was a must, as he didn't want his parents to manage the store daily. However, the store manager's role was crucial, and he needed to find the right person.

He would need to carefully select someone.

Zhang Man booked a room at a local guesthouse. She said she would go to another city in the neighboring province the next morning, as her job required her to travel constantly.

Li Mu treated her to dinner again and then saw her off at the guesthouse. Before parting, he gave her a red envelope, saying, "I hope you can help with the review. The faster the better."

The review process would take seven to ten working days, which was a bit slow. Li Mu had only 40 days left at home. The college entrance exam results would be out in two days, and the admission notices would not take long. By the end of August, he would have to leave. He wanted the store to start operating before he left, so he had to ask Zhang Man to help as much as possible.

Zhang Man initially refused, but Li Mu slipped the red envelope into her bag and casually said, "It's just a small token of appreciation. Have a good rest, and I won't see you off tomorrow."

Li Mu turned and walked away, and Zhang Man, feeling a bit nervous, did not chase after him.

Back at the hotel, Zhang Man opened the red envelope and found 1,000 yuan inside, almost equal to her half-month salary. She stared at the money for a long time, then made a decision, took the money out of the envelope, and put it in her wallet. She then opened her laptop and wrote a report on her trip to Haizhou.

In the final rating, she wrote A+, which, according to company regulations, meant that the customer would be prioritized for review. An A+ rating would ensure a smooth process.

...