Liu Qiangdong's career shift came after the SARS outbreak.
At the time, various lockdowns and controls dealt a heavy blow to brick-and-mortar businesses. That was what gave him the idea of e-commerce: abandoning his offline counter business and moving online, selling digital products backed by quality guarantees.
After that came gradual financing and expansion, along with regional distribution from warehouse centers and logistics that shortened delivery times, further driving JD.com's expansion and growth.
He always said everyone was brothers...
But in reality, he still had no intention of shifting his entire operation and fully committing to e-commerce. He was still thinking about expanding his existing counters while making some moves online.
No matter how grandly he talked, Liu Qiangdong had only one purpose in seeking out Wang Yan: he wanted Wang Yan to sell computers for him.
Looking at Liu Qiangdong's expectant face, Wang Yan shook his head. "Brother Dong, selling computers is a small matter. Even if I weren't allowed to give speeches, I'd have plenty of ways to sell them. And next, I plan to sell computers on campus—at every university in Jingcheng. No, not just computers. I'll sell other electronics too: portable music players, mobile phones, and so on. I want all of it.
"Now that I've said this much, do you know what I'm planning to do?"
Liu Qiangdong frowned. "You want to go online? Start with universities, then spread into society?"
"More or less. Brother Dong, you're quite wise." Wang Yan nodded with a smile. "That's why I said selling computers is a small matter. As long as the price you give is right, you don't lose money, I make money, and the students get a good deal, then it's a win-win-win. And not just computers—there'll be all kinds of other products too. Little by