"Yifeng, Chen Xu, listen up." Chen Yansen's voice cut through the hum of the Mercedes-Benz Viano speeding down the highway. "I did some digging on this channel conference. Top Taobao merchants will be there. Your mission: get familiar, get contacts, and casually drop FoxTao's daily active user numbers and average order value into conversation."
Leaning back in the plush seat, he laid out the plan. Once the merchant backend system went live, he wanted to land some brand partnerships—create a success story, make some noise.
"Got it, Brother Sen," Chen Xu and Zhang Yifeng nodded in unison.
After the briefing, Chen Yansen turned to Song Yuncheng in the adjacent seat. "You have a driver's license?"
"No," she answered, curious about the sudden question.
Having survived the Tencent trip, she was less apprehensive about this Hangzhou journey, especially with two colleagues along.
"Back at school, get with Teacher Liu for the reimbursement," he instructed bluntly.
The trip from Xucheng to Hangzhou was hundreds of kilometers, with no high-speed rail in sight. Renting a van with a driver was the only practical choice.
"Oh." Song Yuncheng didn't press further this time. She'd learned: ask too many questions, and the next words were usually 'Believe it or not, I'll deduct it from your pay.' Just follow orders.
Chen Xu and Zhang Yifeng exchanged a glance. As FoxTao's "Employee Zero," Song Yuncheng clearly enjoyed unique boss favor. They stayed quiet, focusing on their phones.
With the others present, Chen Yansen kept things professional, idly scrolling through news on his phone. The 3G network limped along, loading only pictures and text. He couldn't help but reminisce about the summer of 2018, short-video apps overflowing with a kaleidoscope of youthful energy. Now, with 4G licenses not even issued yet and Lei Jun's Mi Phone still a blueprint, 2010's digital entertainment felt starkly barren.
Weekday traffic was light. Chen Yansen dozed off, waking as the car glided into downtown Hangzhou—a forest of glass and steel, a city pulsing with the energy of finance, commerce, and its undisputed king: E-commerce. The presence of Alibaba was palpable.
The conference was at the Xinyao Holiday Hotel, near Alibaba's headquarters. The lobby buzzed. Chen Yansen's group headed straight for the registration desk marked with the Ali logo.
"Welcome, sir. Your company name, please?" a staff member asked politely.
"Senhai Technology. Our product is FoxTao."
The staffer, who had been looking down at a list, glanced up immediately upon hearing the name, her smile widening. "FoxTao! Welcome to Hangzhou!" She handed over their conference badges and eagerly outlined the next day's agenda.
No special orders were needed. FoxTao's 11.11 sales had just helped push the group past its billion-RMB target, securing year-end bonuses for many. To them, Chen Yansen wasn't just an attendee; he was a bonus bringer.
Back in the elevator, Chen Yansen said, "Still early. You two can go check out West Lake if you're bored. Just be back for the networking dinner tonight."
"Thanks, Brother Sen! We were just wondering if we should ask for time off!" Chen Xu grinned, elbowing Zhang Yifeng.
Chen Yansen gave a noncommittal hum.
In his room, Chen Yansen sat by the window, reviewing the FoxTao promotional PPT Song Yuncheng had prepared. It highlighted daily unique visitors, total registered users, monthly order volume—the metrics merchants cared about.
The title slide read: FoxTao – Your One-Stop CPS Performance Marketing Platform!
Not bad, but it's missing that killer case study. Hard to wow them with just this, he mused.
He began "optimizing" the data. Registered users: 4 million became "over 10 million." Daily active users: 600,000 became "1 million+." Daily orders: 70,000 became "150,000."
In the business world, inflating numbers tenfold was standard practice. Honesty was for suckers. The goal was to make a splash and secure that first wave of merchant partnerships.
He sent a message to Song Yuncheng: "Come to my room. PPT needs adjustments."
Seeing the text, Song Yuncheng instinctively grabbed her laptop. At the door, she paused, turned back, and picked up a palm-sized notebook—her personal shield—before venturing out.
A knock. Chen Yansen opened the door. As she entered, her eyes inadvertently swept across the bed, landing on a pair of casually discarded boxer briefs with a playful floral pattern. She stifled a laugh, her cheeks warming, and quickly looked away.
"What needs changing?" she asked, setting up her laptop at the desk, forcing herself to focus and push the mental image aside.
"Here, add a zero to this figure. Inflate the daily new user growth by 50,000. Bump the conversion rate by 10%..." Chen Yansen stood behind her, pointing at the screen.
"Isn't that... a bit much?" she ventured softly.
"Just do it," Chen Yansen retorted, rolling his eyes.
"Okay, okay, okay! Changing it now!" She shrunk back, acquiescing.
Chen Yansen sat on the edge of the bed, catching her faint scent. He studied her. Compared to Wang Ziyan's naturally captivating aura, Song Yuncheng's growth was slower, but among the FoxTao crew, her intelligence, emotional quotient, and composure were top-tier.
He wondered about her path in her previous life. In his estimation, landing at a mid-to-large design firm after graduation wouldn't be hard. With a bit of luck at a startup, she had a solid 70-80% chance of becoming a UED lead.
"Done," she said, turning. Finding his gaze fixed on her, her guard instantly went up.
"Good. Come, take a walk with me. Early dinner." His tone brooked no argument.
Song Yuncheng could only follow. He found a Cantonese restaurant, ordered a few dishes, and they ate by the window overlooking West Lake.
"Mr. Chen, why not try local Hangzhou cuisine?" she asked.
"It's not great," Chen Yansen stated flatly, chewing a piece of beef.
After eating, they strolled along the lake, then ducked into a dessert shop. Sitting by the window, watching the world go by over sweets and milk tea, they could easily be mistaken for a couple.
Chen Yansen did this deliberately. Song Yuncheng, inexperienced in romance, simply filed it under "normal boss-subordinate interaction."
It was nearly 5 PM when they returned to the hotel.
After a short break, Chen Yansen gathered Chen Xu and Zhang Yifeng, and they entered the grand banquet hall for the e-commerce exchange.
The thousand-square-meter hall was opulent and packed. The crowd was impeccably dressed—women in smart casual suits, men in monochrome (black, white, gray) with hair slicked back by what seemed like gallons of gel.
The quartet turned heads the moment they walked in. Despite their appropriate attire, their youth set them a generation apart from the room.
"Daniel, the FoxTao founder is here," an assistant whispered to Zhang Yong.
Following the subtle gesture, Zhang Yong's eyes found Chen Yansen. He was sharp—Chen Xu and Zhang Yifeng's attempted composure couldn't mask their underlying nerves to a veteran like him. Song Yuncheng was steadier but her deference to Chen Yansen was too obvious.
Only Chen Yansen moved with an easy confidence, a faint smile on his lips, his aura seamlessly blending with the room's energy.
Such poise in one so young is rare, Zhang Yong thought.
After a moment's consideration, he rose, accompanied by his assistant and Hu Zhilong, head of the Alimama Alliance, and made his way over.
Chen Yansen knew Zhang Yong—Ma Yun's chosen successor—though their paths had never crossed in his past life. When the other was at his peak, Chen was just starting; by the time Chen rose, the other was being challenged by new rivals.
"Mr. Zhang, as a senior in the industry, I should have paid my respects first," Chen Yansen said promptly, stepping forward before Zhang Yong could speak. He couldn't afford to slight Zhang Yong, even if he could afford to be less formal with Ma Huateng.
One did not underestimate Alibaba in 2010. Pre-IPO, it was a juggernaut dominating the e-commerce landscape.
"You must be Chen Yansen. Call me Daniel. You're even more impressive than I imagined," Zhang Yong said, shaking his hand, approval in his eyes. For a leader, recognizing talent was key, and Chen Yansen's demeanor spoke volumes.
"You flatter me. FoxTao's progress owes much to the platform Alibaba provides..." Chen Yansen replied with a practiced smile.
"Interested in joining Alibaba?" Zhang Yong cut to the chase. "I can spearhead an acquisition of your project, merge it into YiTao. You'd lead that business line."
Chen Xu and Zhang Yifeng's eyes widened. Their boss was truly something, drawing such direct interest from a giant like Zhang Yong.
Song Yuncheng remained calm. She'd heard similar from Zheng Chunbin at Tencent.
"Thank you for the offer, Mr. Zhang. But I'm too used to a unstructured pace. A 9-to-5 might not suit me," Chen Yansen declined lightly.
"I heard you secured tens of millions from Tencent. Your current valuation is around 200 million. I'll offer 400 million. Alibaba can integrate your project. For you, an M4 position. Deliver results, and I guarantee an M5 promotion within three years." Zhang Yong frowned slightly but pressed on.
M5 in the management track equated to a P10 research fellow—an annual package well over ten million RMB.
If Chen Yansen agreed, they'd all become Alibaba employees. No interview. A backdoor into the empire.
Chen Xu and Zhang Yifeng exchanged another look. It was tempting, even for them.
Chen Yansen shook his head, his resolve clear in his eyes. He'd vowed never to work for anyone else in this life.
"It seems Mr. Chen has grander ambitions. I won't insist." Zhang Yong was magnanimous. Despite the rejection, not a flicker of displeasure showed on his face; his warmth remained intact.
"You're too kind, Mr. Zhang. FoxTao's interests have always been aligned with Alibaba's." Chen Yansen offered the diplomatic platitude freely.
Just wait until I make my fortune, he thought, a smirk hidden in his heart. I'll pivot the model and come back to compete. Let's see how calm you are then.
"Zhilong, get to know young talents like Chen Yansen. You two chat. I must attend to other guests." Zhang Yong patted Hu Zhilong's shoulder and took his leave with a polite nod.
Hu Zhilong looked at Chen Yansen with a mix of curiosity and appraisal. After exchanging contact information, he too excused himself.
"Brother Sen! 400 million! You just... said no?!" Chen Xu hissed, a pained expression on his face.
"It's only 400 million. No need for the drama. Come on, let's go work the room." Chen Yansen dismissed it with a wave and led the way.
He didn't recognize the top merchant representatives, but he approached each group with the easy confidence of reuniting with old friends.
Chen Xu and Zhang Yifeng watched closely, trying to absorb his networking technique.
The brand merchants, initially unfamiliar with Chen Yansen and FoxTao, perked up instantly upon hearing "the guy who just turned down a 400 million acquisition from Zhang Yong." Business cards were exchanged freely.
By the end of the circuit, he held a thick stack of cards.
This was just step one. He didn't expect immediate partnerships from a few conversations. First, establish the connection. Opportunities would follow.