Hunger Marketing

The next morning.

A strange scene unfolded in cities across the country: crowds of people gathered in front of shops named Titan Environmental Tech.

Because Tang Shizhe had instructed employees everywhere to place the Purification Tree 10s right at the storefronts, every passerby during this period could feel the air suddenly turn crisp and fresh, as if their entire being had been purified.

However, the moment they stepped ten meters away from the shop, the air would feel abysmal again, almost impossible to breathe.

In this way, the Purification Tree 10s about to go on sale deeply impressed themselves upon the hearts of everyone who passed by.

Coupled with the fact that these locations were carefully selected—with over eighty percent of passersby being white-collar workers—the promotion through social media circles and blogs had already driven a significant number of people to come and experience it for themselves.

Because Tang Shizhe had announced that only 100,000 units would be sold worldwide, these people arrived early to queue.

Sitting in the main seat of the conference room, Tang Shizhe checked his watch.

"It's time. Open the stores!" Tang Shizhe nodded at Tang Yi.

Tang Yi picked up his phone and sent the message to open the doors in the group chats for employees at every branch across the country.

Instantly, the screens in the conference room, each displaying a feed from a different store, shifted as people surged through the opened doors.

The people waiting in line felt as if they had been transported to a fresh, grassy meadow the moment they rushed inside, with a faint floral scent drifting from the aromatherapy-enhanced Purification Tree 10s. The indoor air felt as if it had been washed clean, without a hint of turbidity.

Those suffering from pharyngitis felt an immediate soothing sensation in their throats, and their entire lungs felt clear.

"Boss, here is my pickup code." The first person rushed over and showed his phone to the clerk.

"Very well, sir. Here is your Purification Tree 10 aromatherapy edition!" The clerk nodded after verifying the code, and another employee handed him a potted, packaged Purification Tree.

The man hugged his Purification Tree and left the store, beaming.

Walking down the street, the once-filthy air seemed to have vanished! Originally, because it was an open environment, the effect of the Purification Tree would be greatly diminished, but because he was holding it, he could breathe the purest air immediately!

For a city dweller surrounded by smog and exhaust, every breath he took brought him a sense of relief.

(This is not an exaggeration; the author, who lives in a city frequently plagued by heavy pollution, feels this deeply.)

In fact, what Tang Shizhe did not announce to the public was that the Purification Tree could be addictive!

Of course, it didn't contain any addictive substances; it was just like walking out of an air-conditioned room on a forty-degree summer day. Once you leave the cool room, the sweltering air outside makes you feel like you are trapped in a steamer. Therefore, those who had used the Purification Tree would find the air that hadn't been purified by it to be unbearably filthy.

Furthermore, to stimulate sales, these Purification Trees had a lifespan of only three short years! After three years, they would have to be replaced!

And just like cars or other equipment, intense use—such as exposing it to heavily polluted environments—would significantly reduce its lifespan.

As a new generation of profiteer, Tang Shizhe certainly wouldn't make the Purification Tree as durable as a Nokia; otherwise, once everyone had bought one, who would he make money from?

As evening approached, those who had made online reservations had all brought their Purification Trees home.

That night, these early adopters posted their experiences on their social media feeds.

Instantly, the reputation of the Purification Tree exploded! Not a single person who had used the Purification Tree complained about its effectiveness; opening the door to their room was like stepping between two different worlds.

In an instant, major second-hand websites were flooded with listings for used air purifiers!

But by this time, no one cared about air purifiers anymore; everyone's eyes were fixed on the newly released Purification Tree.

The 300,000 units in stock were quickly snatched up, and those who were too slow could only regret not acting sooner.

100,000 units is neither a lot nor a little, but one must realize that because the Purification Tree was inexpensive, many families bought two or three—one for the living room and one for the bedroom!

Some companies also purchased large quantities of Purification Trees to place in offices, intending to improve the poor air quality caused by high occupancy.

Some scalpers who usually resold Fruit Phones and Grain Phones also turned their sights toward the Purification Tree.

But Tang Shizhe had anticipated this; one person could only purchase three units per year using their ID card, effectively preventing scalping. Of course, if those scalpers could get their hands on a large number of ID cards, he would just pretend he didn't see it—after all, the units were sold, and the money was in his pocket.

The internet was in an uproar, not because of dissatisfaction with the Purification Tree, but because of Titan Environmental's shipping speed. Titan Environmental was learning all the wrong things from Grain Company, engaging in "hunger marketing."

If Tang Shizhe knew this, he would surely cry; it really wasn't that he didn't want to sell to them, but that his production capacity was insufficient!

In Jingdu City, the chairmen of several domestic air purifier companies gathered in a private club.

"Gentlemen, we must find a way to stop this Titan Environmental Tech! They are literally forcing us onto a path to ruin!"

"Since the Purification Tree was released, our air purifier sales have dropped by ninety-nine percent! No one is willing to buy our air purifiers anymore!" One CEO slammed the table in anger. Unlike the other CEOs who had diversified industries, his company's products were singular, focusing only on air purifiers. Now, Tang Shizhe's Purification Tree had pushed him into a dead end!

"Indeed, our air purifier business has also seen a sharp decline. This year's financial report is going to look terrible! Our company's stock price will definitely be affected." Another CEO frowned. Although air purifiers were only one of many product lines under his company, they accounted for twenty percent of their profits. If the air purifier revenue looked bad, their final financial report would certainly look grim as well!

"If you ask me, we should just hire internet trolls to smear this Purification Tree online!" one CEO suggested sinisterly.

"Good idea. Although we have acquaintances in Jiaodong City, it's a joint venture, so it's inconvenient to act directly. We will defeat it through public opinion!" Another CEO nodded in agreement.

This group of people, who knew nothing about Tang Shizhe, were actually delusional enough to try and defeat the Splitters in the very field they excelled at. If Tang Shizhe knew, he would surely laugh his head off.