usenovelgroup Chapter 64: The Storm Is Coming
Chapter 64: The Storm Is Coming
Another week has passed.
Monday, October 10.
In late autumn, the chill in Hong Kong is even stronger.
Early in the morning, a long-brewing storm finally swept through the entire home appliance industry.
Early in the morning, when citizens opened the Oriental Daily News, Ming Pao and Sing Tao Daily, they were all drawn to the huge banner GG on almost the same page.
"Amazing price reduction! International brand washing machines, all 50% off!"
"Sanyo, Panasonic, Siemens... Quality guaranteed, prices close to cost!"
Washing machines across Hong Kong are being sold at reduced prices.
In an instant, a storm swept through Hong Kong.
These reports sparked a huge public outcry.
Meanwhile, the "50% off" deals on washing machines from major brands have really attracted the attention of many families who don't have a washing machine at home.
They don't care whether the washing machine technology is advanced or outdated; they only care about the price.
A washing machine that normally costs over a thousand Hong Kong dollars can now be bought for just a few hundred Hong Kong dollars, which is indeed tempting for families in need.
At the same time, several articles defaming "Legendary Brand Washing Machines" appeared out of nowhere.
The article was highly inflammatory, portraying the exorbitant price of the "Legend" washing machine as if it were a robbery. Many housewives who had originally planned to grit their teeth and buy a Legend washing machine started having second thoughts after seeing these claims.
"Sixth Aunt, let's go check out those big international brands. Wow, we can save a few hundred yuan, enough to buy so many kilograms of pork!"
"Yeah, it's a foreign brand after all. Even though it's semi-automatic, I always feel it's more reliable than that Legend brand, and it's so much cheaper."
"Yes, yes, let's go take a look first, and compare the two sides."
"What are we comparing? The legendary brand is out of stock right now and we have to wait two months, while the overseas brands are in stock and have huge discounts. With such a great opportunity, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Such things are happening in every street and alley of Hong Kong.
The "Legendary" brand washing machine, with its automatic washing function, certainly attracted the attention of housewives. However, even the best product can't compete with similar products in the same category, especially when the price suddenly drops.
The Legend brand washing machine costs HK$1999.
Now, major overseas brands start at just HK$500 per unit, and the most expensive is no more than HK$1,000. How can this not be attractive?
In no time, long queues formed again in front of major appliance stores that distribute overseas brands.
The once bustling Legendary Appliances store saw a visibly thinning of customers, with some even leaving continuously.
At this time, at the Legendary Electric Company.
Gao Fuhai looked at the newspapers from various newspapers this morning, his brows furrowed.
"Are they teaming up to wage a price war against us?" he muttered to himself, a deep worry on his face. "If they continue like this, it could seriously affect the sales of Legendary products. We need to find a solution."
"Secretary Chen, notify everyone to attend a meeting."
"Yes, General Manager."
at the same time.
Li Jiagang, who was enjoying breakfast at home, was also looking at today's newspaper, but unlike Gao Fuhai, he was not worried. Instead, his eyes revealed a strong fighting spirit.
"Meng Weimin, is it? You finally couldn't sit still anymore, but is that all the tricks you have?" Li Jiagang stared at the newspaper, muttering to himself.
In fact, he had already anticipated the possibility of conflict with other washing machine retailers in Hong Kong. After all, the Hong Kong market is only so big, and now that his product has been launched, he has almost monopolized the washing machine market, so they certainly wouldn't sit still.
Li Jiagang thought they would do their best to dismantle and break down their washing machine technology, then imitate and manufacture it for the market.
He is also prepared to file numerous lawsuits against them for infringement and other illegal activities, until they go bankrupt.
What Li Jiagang never expected was that these people would take the stupidest step and choose to engage in a price war with him.
"Brother Hong, they're going to boycott you," Chen Wenyu said with a worried expression. "You have to find a way to deal with it."
Li Jiagang remained unmoved upon hearing this.
"A price war, hah," he thought to himself, finding it amusing. "Offering a 50% discount means there's practically no profit left. Don't worry, they're just making a desperate last-ditch effort."
Li Jiagang really didn't believe they could keep selling at half price. He wanted to see how long these washing machine dealers could hold out.
Once they can't hold on any longer, the price will naturally recover; he doesn't need to worry at all.
Moreover, his company's pre-sales volume far exceeds its production capacity, and it simply cannot keep up with the demand. Therefore, this "price war" waged by other washing machine brands has no impact on him at all.
How can Lijiagang possibly deal with them?
I was just about to call Gao Fuhai to remind him not to pay attention to the other party's methods, but then I thought better of it and put the phone down.
He also wanted to see how Gao Fuhai would handle the situation, to know his emergency response capabilities, and whether he had the ability to resolve it.
It was 10 a.m., and the Legend Electric Company was still in a meeting.
Gao Fuhai's secretary rushed in, his forehead beaded with cold sweat, and said, "General Manager! Something terrible has happened! The Hong Kong Evening Post just published an article titled 'Legendary Washing Machines: Beautiful Foam or Safety Hazards?' It says our motors are substandard and will burn out after three months of use!"
"At the same time, the 10 o'clock 'Experts Discuss' program on Hong Kong Radio was also discrediting our washing machines, saying that our products have problems such as electric leakage, water leakage, and are prone to causing crises or even fire hazards."
"What?!" Gao Fuhai snatched the newspaper from his secretary's hand and looked at it anxiously.
"And another thing," the secretary said anxiously, "the Daily News also received an anonymous tip and just published an urgent report saying that our washing machines have a problem with leaking water and electricity, and that someone has already been electrocuted. A large number of reporters are now blocking the street downstairs wanting to cover the story."
"Ring ring..." The phone rang.
Gao Fuhai could only suppress his anxiety and reach for the phone, because the ringing of the conference room phone meant it was an emergency call.
"I am Gao Fuhai."
"General Manager, something bad has happened," came the tense voice over the phone. Gao Fuhai's brows were furrowed. "Several raw material suppliers and contract manufacturers have just sent faxes saying that raw materials are in short supply and that the materials they ordered cannot be provided to us in the short term."
"Wang's Electric also said that there were problems with the machinery and that they had temporarily stopped supplying us."
Gao Fuhai felt a sudden dizziness.
He understood that things couldn't possibly happen by such coincidence; someone must be pulling strings behind the scenes, and doing so to undermine his cause.
He originally wanted to solve the problem himself and not trouble the chairman.
But now, things are clearly beyond his control. Gao Fuhai sighed and picked up the phone without hesitation to contact Li Jiagang.
Actually, there's no need for him to contact you.
At this moment, Li Jiagang was just about to leave.
He had already heard the radio report at home and seen several newspapers suddenly rush to report on it.
He underestimated his opponent's tactics. He initially thought that his opponent only had the "price war" as a method, but now he realized that his opponent's tactics were one after another, and his real countermeasures really caught him off guard.
Ring ring ring!!
Just as Li Jiagang reached the door, the phone rang. He paused for a moment, then said to Uncle Fu, "Uncle Fu, answer it. If it's me, tell me you're on your way back to the company."
"Yes, young master."
About ten minutes...
Downstairs at the Lijiagang Laidian Electrical Appliances Company, a large group of reporters were found waiting.
"Young master, what should we do?"
"Let it go," Li Jiagang instructed. "What needs to be faced must be faced." He knew he couldn't escape these annoying reporters, but he wasn't afraid to face them.
"It's Mr. Li's car..."
"Mr. Li is here, hurry over."
"Come on, hurry up and keep up..."
Before Li Jiagang even got out of the car, reporters surrounded it completely, waiting for him to get out.
Li Jiagang composed himself, put on a faint smile, and got off the car.
"Mr. Li, there are rumors circulating that your Legend brand washing machine has problems with electrical leaks and water leakage. Is that true?"
"Mr. Li, could you explain the problem with your washing machine?"
"Mr. Li, with so many negative news reports suddenly appearing today, is there any suppression or targeting from business rivals?"
"Mr. Li, do you have any answers to the questions above?"
"Mr. Li, what are Legendary Electronics Company's plans for dealing with this crisis?"
Faced with a barrage of questions from reporters, Li Jiagang remained calm and smiled at them, showing no sign of panic.
"Dear reporters, please don't be anxious," Li Jiagang waved his hand at them. "I just learned about what happened today. As for the reason, I need to go back to the company to find out more, and then I will hold a press conference to give a unified response to everyone."
"At the same time, I can guarantee here," Li Jiagang said firmly, "that the Legend brand washing machine has absolutely undergone strict audits and meets Hong Kong's safety inspection standards. It is impossible for it to have the inferior motor and short lifespan mentioned in the reports, let alone any safety hazards such as leakage or water leakage."
"The company will investigate those who deliberately spread these rumors, slander, and target our products, and will seek justice through legal procedures."
Thank you all for your concern.
After Li Jiagang finished speaking, Li Junjie and the security guards from the electronics company immediately stepped forward to block the reporters, surrounded him, and protected him as he safely entered the company.