Lin Fan

Biodata

Name	Lin Fan (林帆)
Alias(es)	Manager Ma; Boss Ma; “Little Lin”
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Taobao, 3C digital accessories team; Ma Le’s Taobao store (secret operator)
Occupation/Role	Marketplace employee; e-commerce operator and buyer
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Background / History

In his previous life, Lin Fan joined Taobao and spent two years performing menial work as a timid newcomer. He later moved to the seller side, where he helped grow a small shop into the leading brand in its category, only to be sidelined after the company went public. He died at forty while watching the brand he built ring the bell. 1

He awakens in late August 2009, during his second week on Taobao’s 3C digital accessories team. Retaining knowledge of future market developments and his former business experience, he immediately identifies that factory sellers clearing export inventory—not students’ summer spending—are driving down average accessory prices. 1

To avoid Taobao’s prohibition on employees operating stores, Lin Fan establishes a women’s apparel shop entirely under his roommate Ma Le’s identity. The business license, bank card, delivery information, and visible store identity all belong to Ma Le; Lin Fan conducts supplier negotiations as “Manager Ma.” 1 4 8

Personality

Lin Fan is calculating, patient, and highly risk-aware. Rather than confronting Zhou Bin’s attempts to suppress him, he absorbs public criticism and relies on results, Zheng Haifeng’s support, and careful timing to protect his position. 3 6

He is meticulous in both business and concealment. He anticipates scrutiny, separates his work identity from his seller identity, and uses the company’s investigation of his own store to learn what evidence could expose him. 9 12 13

Despite his pragmatism, he values reliable partners. He pays suppliers promptly when possible, rewards Ma Le for taking risks with him, honors delivery commitments during the post–Double Eleven logistics backlog, and refuses to resolve a counterfeit report through personal connections. 4 21 28 29

Abilities & Skills

Market Analysis and Trend Forecasting

Lin Fan uses experience from his previous life to recognize shifts in demand, supplier behavior, and seasonal purchasing patterns before they become obvious.

• Correctly attributes falling 3C accessory prices to factories selling export-overstock inventory directly online. 1
• Advocates admitting factory-type sellers through deposits and performance evaluations rather than focusing solely on major brands. 3
• Stocks thermal leggings ahead of a cold snap and gains search visibility and seasonal-promotion approval as demand rises. 6 7
• Anticipates the winter snow-boot trend and acts before competitors can secure stock. 14 15
• Identifies unmet demand for large-size boots and plans production in sizes 39–42. 31

Procurement and Negotiation

Lin Fan can assess merchandise, understand suppliers’ financial pressure, and negotiate directly with factories.

• Secures 1,000 pairs of leggings from He Guangfu at 2.9 yuan per pair through cash payment and a promise of future volume. 4
• Learns boot-quality evaluation from Boss Wu, then uses a sample boot as a benchmark while searching Wenzhou’s foreign-trade warehouses. 16
• Inspects randomly selected cartons at Ye’s Shoe Factory for sizing, fur resilience, weight, stitching, odor, and consistency before purchasing. 18
• Purchases 2,000 pairs of fur-cuffed boots for 10.5 yuan per pair, paid in full with 21,000 yuan in cash. 18
• Moves beyond reselling leftover inventory by investing in Ye’s dormant factory to produce boots to his specifications. 29 31 32

E-commerce Operations

Lin Fan manages inventory, pricing, listings, customer service, packaging, and logistics under Ma Le’s store identity.

• Builds the leggings store from 14 initial orders to over 1,100 daily orders during a seasonal campaign. 1 13
• Plans Double Eleven fulfillment in advance by hiring six students, reserving courier vehicles, and preparing 2,000 shipping labels and waterproof bags. 23
• Oversees a Double Eleven surge that reaches 5,381 orders within 24 hours, while rapidly arranging replenishment. 25
• Keeps deliveries within the promised timeframe when many online stores face delays of ten days or more. 28
• Tracks revenue, expenses, and available cash, reaching 132,000 yuan on the books and 33,000 yuan in hand after the boot campaign. 29

Concealment and Corporate Procedure

Lin Fan maintains a strict separation between his Taobao employment and his private store.

• Uses Ma Le’s name, bank card, business license, and delivery identity so that no visible store record connects to Lin Fan. 1 8
• Operates with separate phones: the duty Nokia identifies him as Taobao employee “Little Lin,” while his private number identifies him as Manager Ma. 4
• Signs Taobao’s “never opened a store” declaration because no store is registered under his or his parents’ names. 11
• Redirects the department’s investigation toward the theory that the store is run by an untraceable offline knitwear veteran. 12 13
• Produces a detailed report proving that the store’s suspension was resolved through normal processing rather than insider intervention. 36

Equipment / Items

• Duty Nokia — Taobao work phone kept active while he travels for private procurement. 3 4
• Private phone and number — Used for dealings as Manager Ma. 4
• Notebook — Used to record market data, prices, supplier information, and meeting minutes. 1 3 13
• Boot sample — Carried through Wenzhou as a standard for comparing fur-cuffed short boots. 16 18
• Cash funds — Frequently carries cash for factory negotiations, including 3,000 yuan for leggings and 21,000 yuan for boots. 3 16

Relationships

• Ma Le — Roommate, nominal store owner, and business partner. Ma Le provides the store identity and payment card, takes responsibility when inventory exposes their operation, and assists with packing, storage, and logistics. 1 5 8 19
• Zhou Bin — Lin Fan’s assigned mentor and workplace antagonist. Zhou repeatedly belittles and investigates him, unaware that Lin Fan operates the very store he seeks to discredit. 1 6 15 20
• Zheng Haifeng — Supervisor who recognizes Lin Fan’s analytical ability and supports his work. He later approves Lin Fan’s report on the alleged insider intervention without revisions. 1 3 36
• Su Qing — Colleague in the women’s clothing group and a capable investigator of Lin Fan’s store. Her data-driven case study correctly concludes that Ma Le is only the visible owner, though she cannot identify Lin Fan. 9 12 13
• He Guangfu / Old He — Yiwu knitting-factory owner and Lin Fan’s leggings supplier. He prioritizes Manager Ma’s orders after Lin Fan establishes himself as a reliable cash buyer. 4 8
• Factory Manager Ye — Manager of Ye’s Shoe Factory. Lin Fan buys Ye’s canceled export stock, later arranges custom production through the factory, and earns Ye’s trust through direct payment and serious business dealings. 18 30 32
• Boss Wu — Veteran Wenzhou boot manufacturer who teaches Lin Fan how to inspect boots, provides market information, and later protects his supply trail. 16 28
• Old Xu — Courier-station operator who supports Lin Fan’s large Double Eleven shipments and saves transport capacity during the logistics crunch. 23 25 29
• Lei Xiangdong — Rival boot trader who monopolizes Wenzhou’s standard production output and attempts to eliminate Lin Fan’s store through reports and fake orders. 15 22 26

Story Role / Major Arcs

Return to Taobao and Secret Store Launch

Lin Fan begins his second life as a new Taobao employee while secretly launching a leggings shop under Ma Le’s name. His early market analysis earns Zheng Haifeng’s attention, while his first Yiwu trip establishes a direct supply relationship with He Guangfu. 1 3 4

Thermal Leggings Growth

Using the approaching cold snap, Lin Fan turns a small leggings operation into a high-volume seasonal store. Its sudden rise attracts attention from colleagues, especially Su Qing, who begins investigating the “dark horse” seller. 6 7 9

Department Investigation

When Lin Fan’s store becomes the subject of a department case study, he controls the meeting preparation and subtly guides the discussion toward a false image of an experienced offline merchant operating behind Ma Le. Zhou Bin later takes charge of the official investigation and repeatedly predicts the store’s collapse. 12 13 15 20

Snow-Boot Procurement and Double Eleven

After Lei Xiangdong buys up standard snow-boot inventory, Lin Fan searches Wenzhou’s foreign-trade warehouses and obtains Ye’s canceled Japanese export order. He prepares for Double Eleven with hired packers, reserved courier capacity, and preprinted labels, then sells 5,381 pairs in one day. 16 18 23 25

Expansion into Manufacturing

After clearing his boot stock and accumulating capital, Lin Fan decides to commission his own production run at Ye’s previously shut-down factory. He identifies a fit problem caused by export-oriented boot patterns and orders Old Chen to modify the pattern for Chinese consumers, accepting a four-day delay for corrected samples. 29 30 31 35

Trivia

• Lin Fan treats the reputation of being “uncanny” at work as useful cover, believing it makes his unusual habits less suspicious. 3
• His store is deliberately unrelated to the 3C category he manages at Taobao, further reducing the apparent conflict of interest. 1
• He personally writes and signs purchase receipts as “Manager Ma,” often using thumbprints and cash transactions rather than records tied to his real name. 18 31