Recently, he had spotted a new business opportunity. Many small businesses needed stable, simple systems but lacked the ability to develop them themselves. If they could launch small tools like that and keep the price at the right level, the market would be enormous. With small margins and high sales volume, the income would be considerable too.
After discussing it, several core members settled on inventory management, order management, customer management, and retail checkout. They developed a lightweight tool with a clean interface and simple controls, aimed at small merchants and factories. It charged an annual fee, so anyone could afford it, and they wouldn't have to worry about keeping customers long-term.
The entire development phase cost about 100,000 yuan, and the tool was priced at two tiers: 999 and 2,999 yuan. The 999-yuan membership offered a fairly complete set of features, while the 2,999-yuan tier suited somewhat larger businesses. Customers who wanted personalized customization could pay extra for it.
The tool proved more popular than expected, and word spread rapidly. At present, there wasn't much profit at that price, but in the long run, it offered enormous returns on a small investment. The annual fees would provide a steady stream of income year after year.
And so, with this tool, Hengtu earned its first real pot of gold. This product alone brought in 300,000 yuan a month.
Zhao Pingchuan had originally wanted Ji Ran to pay back the money he had borrowed from his colleagues first, but after giving it considerable thought, he came up with another idea.
When Ji Ran passed Zhao Pingchuan's proposal along, all four of them were stunned.
Their colleague Li Xuan grabbed Ji Ran by the shoulders, unable to believe it. "Equity? Your brother really said that?"
Lin Lin also found it a little surreal. "Our money didn't help all that much. How could we accept that?"
Yes, Zhao Pingchuan had promised they could convert their loans into equity and become founding shareholders. Fifty thousand yuan would translate to roughly a one-percent stake.
If they weren't willing, he would pay them a substantial amount of interest instead.
Given Hengtu's current prospects, getting a one-percent stake for 50,000 yuan was an incredible bargain for them.
Ji Ran smiled. "You can't look at it that way. You were willing to put up the money just because I asked. You can't measure what that meant in yuan."
The four discussed it and all decided to seize the opportunity.
A one-percent stake might not seem like much, but if Hengtu continued to grow, the market value of those shares would be astronomical.
Zhou Jianghua slapped the table. "Damn, even I want to go work for Brother Zhao now."
At Yusheng, they were workhorses, but at Hengtu, they'd be shareholders!
They'd be working for themselves! Just thinking about it was motivating.
Ji Ran didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Think it through. Hengtu can't compare to Yusheng right now."
Zhou Jianghua chuckled. "I'm only joking. But if I get the chance in the future, I really would be willing to go."
Hengtu certainly couldn't afford to match their current salaries, and Zhao Pingchuan wouldn't be willing to owe them another favor. After all, the things that came free were the most expensive.
Zhao Pingchuan was Hengtu's controlling shareholder, with an 80-percent stake. Chen Qi and the other two core members held a combined 10 percent.
He wanted to give Ji Ran some shares from his own portion, but Ji Ran refused. He had just finished showering and was drying his hair when Zhao Pingchuan brought it up. Ji Ran's hands paused, and he smiled helplessly. "Brother, what's the difference between yours and mine? Won't you let me spend the money you make?"
Zhao Pingchuan plugged in the hair dryer and naturally began drying his hair. "All my money is yours to spend."
Ji Ran hummed contentedly. "Then that settles it. Even if you gave them to me, I'd still leave you to manage them. Don't go to the trouble."
Since he had put it that way, Zhao Pingchuan thought it over. The company wasn't listed yet, so it was too early to talk about this. In any case, he wouldn't let Ji Ran lose out.
Everything was moving in the right direction. After the first tool proved successful, Zhao Pingchuan planned to focus on one small industry and go deeper. He would build on the existing product by adding customer management, employee attendance, and basic financial functions, turning it into a small, all-in-one system for a specific industry, priced at 3,000 to 10,000 yuan a year.
This time, their target customers were small processing plants.
After reading his proposal, Chen Qi tapped the paper with her pen. "Pingchuan, isn't this field a little too narrow?"
Zhao Pingchuan clasped his hands on the table, his gaze calm. "A steady, step-by-step approach is less likely to go wrong. There are plenty of processing plants like this in the country. If we can build a good reputation, we won't lack customers."
Chen Qi had always trusted his judgment, so she said no more. "Then we'll do it your way."
As it turned out, Zhao Pingchuan's judgment was spot-on. With an existing customer base and word of mouth, the new industry-specific management system sold extremely well. The 10,000-yuan tier even had the highest sales. Factory owners were willing to spend the money to lower their management costs.
By then, the company's earnings were on an entirely different level. As Ji Ran watched Hengtu grow step by step, he was filled with emotion. As expected of the villain boss, he had achieved this much in just one year.
At the end of the year, Li Xuan, Zhou Jianghua, and the others received their company dividends, and their eyes crinkled with smiles. "Oh my god, why bother going to work? Stick with Brother Chuan and we can live like kings."
They had gone from calling him "Brother Zhao" to "Brother Chuan."
Another colleague, Li Chang, deliberately sighed. "If I'd known, I would've invested every last penny I had with Brother Chuan."
He was only joking, and no one took it seriously. The shares Zhao Pingchuan had given them had nothing to do with how much money they had lent him; it was entirely a matter of loyalty and friendship. They were more than satisfied.
Everything was moving in the right direction, and Ji Ran had almost forgotten about the original novel's protagonist gong and shou. But fate always had a surprise for you when you least expected it.
Today was Ji Ran's birthday. Zhao Pingchuan, for once, didn't work overtime. He invited both their colleagues and friends out for a get-together and rented a small villa, with board games, pool, movies, snacks-everything young people liked.
Neither of them had a wide social circle. These few friends were people they knew well and were close to. The two groups got along too, and after meeting a few times, they had all become good friends.
Ji Ran had never had such a lively birthday before. Zhao Pingchuan was now a proper small business owner, and naturally, he had arranged the best he could afford for Ji Ran. Everyone in the villa was having a great time.
Partway through, the cake ordered for Ji Ran arrived. Zhao Pingchuan answered his phone, then said, "I'll go get the cake."
Ji Ran had just been rotated out of a card game, so he said, "I'll come with you."
The two walked to the entrance and accepted the cake. They were just about to turn back into the house when a figure at the café across the street suddenly caught Ji Ran's eye.
The spring sunlight was warm and gentle. Two young men sat facing each other at a small outdoor table, chatting about something. They seemed to be enjoying the conversation.
Zhao Pingchuan looked over and studied them for a moment. "Do you know him?"
Ji Ran kept his eyes fixed on one of them and nodded slightly. "The one in the light-colored trench coat is Jiang Jinyue."
Jiang Jinyue, the original novel's protagonist shou, was a white moonlight, a young master from a wealthy family who was showered with love and affection.
When Ji Ran had first arrived in this world, he had paid close attention to news about Gu Xingye and Jiang Jinyue. The two were well-known figures in Li City, and their photos often appeared online. Ji Ran had long since memorized their faces.
At this distance, he couldn't actually see the man's face clearly, but Ji Ran was certain that it was Jiang Jinyue.
Jiang Jinyue?
Zhao Pingchuan turned the name over in his mind, then asked uncertainly, "Is he Gu Xingye's boyfriend?"
He had only met Gu Xingye in person and didn't pay much attention to gossip, so he had merely heard of Jiang Jinyue.
Ji Ran said, "That's him."
Zhao Pingchuan was even more puzzled. "How do you know him?"
Ji Ran stiffened, then said casually, "I've seen the two of them in the news."
Zhao Pingchuan nodded, though he still didn't quite understand why Ji Ran was reacting so strongly.
But he said nothing, simply standing there quietly with Ji Ran.
Ji Ran didn't know why he was waiting there either, but he had a feeling that Jiang Jinyue appearing near them meant nothing good.
Sure enough, before long, another familiar figure stepped out of a black sports car nearby.
He slammed the car door, walked straight up to Jiang Jinyue, and said something to him.
They were too far away to hear what they were saying.
But that no longer mattered, because Gu Xingye soon pulled Jiang Jinyue up from his seat.
Jiang Jinyue struggled, but he was no match for Gu Xingye's strength.
The man sitting across from him tried to step in, but Gu Xingye shouted him back.
Ji Ran watched intently. When Zhao Pingchuan saw Gu Xingye, his expression immediately darkened.
In the end, Gu Xingye dragged Jiang Jinyue away, and the sports car carrying them quickly disappeared from sight.
Ji Ran lowered his eyes, his brows drawing together slightly. If he remembered correctly, this was a scene mentioned in the original novel.
Jiang Jinyue's childhood friend had returned from abroad, and the two had arranged to have afternoon tea. When Gu Xingye found out, he stormed straight to the café and forcibly dragged Jiang Jinyue away in front of his friend. On the way, he said coldly, "Stay away from him from now on. I don't like the way he looks at you."
Jiang Jinyue tried to explain, but Gu Xingye wouldn't listen at all. Angry and aggrieved, Jiang Jinyue smashed every gift Gu Xingye had given him after they got home and shouted through his tears, "Gu Xingye, you don't love me at all! You treat me like your property!"
But Gu Xingye merely watched him in silence. After a long while, he said, "I'm just afraid you'll leave."
This incident became the first unbridgeable rift between them.
At the thought, Ji Ran grew wary. Things were indeed still unfolding according to the original novel's plot. He had to keep a close eye on Zhao Pingchuan and make sure he didn't get involved with those two again.