The heart of the FoxTao 2.0 strategy was a complete pivot—from a simple shopping guide tool to a full-service flash sale platform for brands. Search and mall rebates would become the foundation, not the main event.
Chen Yansen held three key advantages in pushing this vision forward:
Direct partnerships with brands, cutting out the middleman platforms.
A first-mover advantage with the model, staying ahead of copycats.
Diversified revenue streams and better profit margins.
Take the ongoing Metersbonwe promotion. Beyond the commission, he was pulling in significant advertising fees. And the security deposits from brands? With a few thousand merchants each putting down 100,000, that pool could grow to hundreds of millions—a hefty, interest-free float.
"Sen, the front and back-end are ready. Once the Metersbonwe event wraps, we can flip the switch to 2.0 and show users the new FoxTao," Zhuang Rui reported, standing up after receiving his instructions.
"Launch the new UI at midnight, December 3rd. That's less than five days. Hu Li, Xu Kun—the curated flash-sale items for the 'Super Rebate' launch need to be locked in. I want at least 100 products, no compromises." Chen Yansen nodded at Zhuang Rui before turning a stern gaze to the operations team.
"Got it, Sen. The issue is product diversity—we're heavy on apparel, department store goods, and small appliances. To hit the number, can we pull some items from the general pool?" Hu Li asked hesitantly.
"Absolutely not. 'Super Rebate' items must be vetted and sampled. Quality is everything. We're building user trust in FoxTao as a curator," Chen Yansen stated firmly, shutting down the idea.
"Understood." Hu Li nodded. The workload was immense. With Chen Xu and Zhang Yifeng still on business trips, the skeleton crew of four was swamped—selecting products, coordinating with merchants, negotiating brand deals.
"Don't stress. Xu Dan will post a job ad soon. New hires will handle initial product selection. Merchant liaison will shift to the biz-dev team. You and Xu Kun will focus on vetting store/brand qualifications and curating the final promotional lists," Chen Yansen reassured with a slight smile.
Xu Dan, the HR specialist hired recently—a Human Resources major with long wavy hair and a polished, professional style that had made her quite popular in the tech department—was proving a good keep.
Back at his desk, Chen Yansen opened the FoxTao homepage. The mall rebate section only featured Taobao, JD.com, and Paipai. In the eyes of e-commerce giants with billions in annual sales, FoxTao was still a minnow. The "partnership" offers they received were from niche vertical sites like Mengbasha, Maibaobao, and Lefeng—their annual turnover wasn't even close to FoxTao's, yet they had the gall to ask for a 1% commission.
Did they think he was a fool? Or a charity?
Chen Yansen ignored them outright. He'd rather make less, or even nothing, than earn money on his knees. (Well, unless he was lying down—that was a different story.)
Buzzzz—
His phone vibrated on the desk. An unknown number. He waited a few seconds before answering.
"Hello, is this Mr. Chen Yansen? This is Hollis from Amazon's Channel Partnerships. I'd like to discuss a rebate cooperation with your platform."
Amazon?
In 2010, Amazon China was no Taobao or JD.com titan, but it was still dozens of times larger than the likes of Mengbasha. Chen Yansen's interest was piqued.
"What's the commission rate?" he cut straight to the chase, his patience worn thin by the parade of low-ballers.
"Ah—Mr. Chen, the rate varies by category, but I can guarantee a floor of 3%," Hollis replied, slightly taken aback by the bluntness.
A smile touched Chen Yansen's lips. 3% was a starting point. On 100 million in sales, that was 3 million. Give half back to users as rebates, and he'd still net 1.5 million. Add in new-user incentives, and a 2% net profit was achievable.
Where there was profit, there was room for conversation. His tone softened.
They spoke for over ten minutes, setting a meeting time before hanging up. After the contract draft arrived, Chen Yansen had the legal team vet it. Once it was cleared, he tapped the desk and looked at Song Yuncheng across from him.
"Business trip to Beijing. Tonight."
"I'm a UI designer, not your executive assistant!" Song Yuncheng began to protest, but seeing Chen Yansen's mischievous grin and his whispered "salary deduction," she quickly changed her tune, pouting. "Fine... I'll go pack."
"Seems like you're not too thrilled. Maybe I should have Xu Dan recruit a proper assistant during this hiring cycle?" Chen Yansen raised an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on his lips.
"Boss, no need! I'm perfectly capable of wearing both hats! Saves company resources!" Song Yuncheng forced a dry laugh.
Originally heading both customer service and operations, her salary had been raised by Chen Yansen from 2,000 to 3,000, then to 3,500 at the start of the month. With overtime and bonuses, she was pulling in nearly 5,000 monthly. The threat of a deduction was a potent motivator.
Chen Yansen chuckled, asked Xu Xingxing to book the flights, gave his requirements, and headed downstairs to room 0418.
Xu Xingxing watched him leave, then glanced at Song Yuncheng. She couldn't shake the feeling that their relationship was… unusual. Why did he always take Song Yuncheng on business trips?
Of course, Chen Yansen's explanations were always logical:
The first Tencent trip required a product-savvy female assistant; Song Yuncheng was the only candidate (Xu Xingxing had just joined).
The second time, he cited her experience.
This time, he specifically requested her again.
Experience? Xu Xingxing thought, unconvinced. She'd only been on one trip.
An hour later, Chen Yansen wheeled his suitcase off campus, checking Metersbonwe's sales data on his phone.
From the 28th to 4 PM on the 29th—30 hours—the Metersbonwe brand group sales totaled 29.47 million. Growth had slowed compared to the first day. The final three-day tally would likely just break 30 million.
Yet, in the 2010 e-commerce landscape, this number was explosive, as evidenced by the relentless stream of partnership inquiries.
"Once FoxTao 2.0 launches and 'Super Rebate' proves stable, this level of negotiation can be handled by a dedicated channel manager," Chen Yansen mused.
Liang Youzhi from Paipai was capable. Despite the fallout with Zheng Chunbin, Chen Yansen had stayed in touch. In a casual chat, he'd learned Liang Youzhi, who looked late-twenties, was actually 33—a veteran of eBay and Amazon's business development and channel teams, a true first-generation e-commerce old-timer.
Chen Yansen had considered poaching him, but it was impractical. First, Tencent paid well, and for a man with family responsibilities, that came first. Second, FoxTao's model and scale at the time weren't enticing enough. The fantasy of a protagonist winning loyalty with just a grand vision didn't exist in reality—not in Chen Yansen's experience, anyway.
Human nature was universal. To attract real talent, a competitive salary was the bare minimum. The real draw was the project's potential and future profit share.
Arriving at the school gate, he hailed a cab, loaded his luggage, and slid into the back seat. "To Pengcheng Airport, please. We're waiting for one more person."
The driver, initially ready to agree, perked up at the destination—over 100 kilometers away. "No problem, I'll wait!"
Soon, Song Yuncheng appeared, a tan backpack slung over her shoulder, face slightly flushed.
"Can't you get a proper suitcase?" Chen Yansen asked.
"It's not broken. It works fine," she retorted.
"Get in." Chen Yansen sighed, then instructed the driver, "Make a stop at Huamao Mall first."
"Don't waste time. This is fine," Song Yuncheng waved her hand in refusal.
Chen Yansen ignored her, patting the driver's seat. "Huamao, please."
The driver, assuming they were a bickering couple, smiled and drove off.
At Huamao, Chen Yansen got out, told the driver to wait, and led Song Yuncheng into the first-floor lobby. In three minutes, he picked out a white suitcase. Then he headed to the telecom counter.
"Give me your phone," he said, turning to Song Yuncheng.
"What for?"
"Upgrade. You can't pull out that knock-off during tomorrow's negotiations when we're exchanging contacts. You'll embarrass me." He snatched her phone, placed it on the counter, and said to the staff, "Please cut this SIM card to nano size. Thanks."
He then placed his own idle iPhone 4 on the counter—its SIM slot required a smaller card than standard models.
The staff nodded, took out the tool, and had it trimmed in under 30 seconds.
Chen Yansen inserted the tiny SIM and handed the iPhone to Song Yuncheng.
"Thank you..." She was at a loss. His reason was semi-plausible, but it was still a 6,000-yuan phone.
"Don't thank me. This is company property. You return it when you leave." Chen Yansen raised an eyebrow with a smirk.
After leaving Huamao, they endured the long, bumpy ride to Pengcheng Airport, arriving just before 8 PM. After check-in, security, and a quick dinner at the terminal, they settled in the waiting area.
Chen Yansen stood by the glass facade, phone to his ear, calling Liang Youzhi. As an ex-Amazon channel guy, he should at least know the current department head. It never hurt to have intel before a negotiation.
After a brief exchange, Chen Yansen narrowed his eyes, staring at the distant taxiways. No wonder they reached out proactively. They want their cut.
Using their channel for Amazon store rebates meant FoxTao would have to give the channel manager a 5% commission. On 1 million, that's 50,000; on 10 million, 500,000.
Chen Yansen chuckled coldly, but didn't mind too much. A 5% "convenience fee" was industry standard. Paying to smooth the path was fine, as long as they delivered.