12: Chapter 12 Taxi War

Dragon Country's 4G technology had been in development early on, seeing small-scale use as far back as 2011. However, the official licenses wouldn't be issued until the end of next year.

Chen Mo understood the situation perfectly. Without 4G, there could be no live streaming. Back in the day, Douyu Live was founded not long after the licenses were issued, though it struggled for over half a year initially, only taking off once 4G coverage expanded.

But for Chen Mo, live streaming was just a side venture. What he was really focused on was mobile gaming.

That was the truly lucrative business.

Live streaming was lucky just to break even. If it weren't for promoting games, he wouldn't have bothered with it at all.

Right now, the core of Tianxing Technology was still Fetion, and its QR code payment feature. That was the foundation. Once payment services spread nationwide, V Chat would be completely finished, and Dragon Country wouldn't tolerate a third unofficial payment method.

One day, Chen Mo made his rounds at the company, and Zhang Kai followed him into the office.

"Boss Chen! A mobile ride-hailing app has popped up on all the major platforms. Both Tencent and Alibaba are preparing to invest. Should we jump in too?"

"Mobile ride-hailing?"

Chen Mo raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself. In his past life, Didi and Fast Ride did emerge around 2012. Back then, V Chat was gaining momentum, and Alibaba was busy fighting V Chat, so it didn't have the bandwidth to focus on this. In this life, Fetion had crushed V Chat, and Alibaba, intimidated, couldn't muster hundreds of billions to compete with him. Naturally, they were seeking new avenues.

Seeing him silent, Zhang Kai added:

"Boss Chen, if we want to do it, we could just add a ride-hailing feature directly to Fetion. We'd surpass their user numbers in no time. That traffic is too good to pass up!"

Chen Mo waved his hand dismissively and smiled.

"We won't do it. There's no money in that industry."

He knew all too well. In his past life, the industry burned through hundreds of billions, losing money for years. It only managed to scrape by a little profit by squeezing drivers and misleading customers. It never achieved a monopoly. Making money on the internet relied on monopoly. This industry couldn't arbitrarily raise prices or lower service quality. Where was the profit?

"So we just watch Tencent and Alibaba fight it out?"

Zhang Kai was a bit confused.

"Not just watch. We'll also reap some benefits."

Chen Mo tapped his finger on the desk.

"Put the word out: Tianxing Technology won't get involved in the ride-hailing war. However, we can open up Fetion's API for them. Users can directly use their ride-hailing apps within Fetion, but the service fee will be on the higher side."

Zhang Kai's eyes lit up.

"Understood! We'll profit from their conflict without lifting a finger. Brilliant!"

Within days, Alibaba made the first official announcement, investing $4 million in Fast Ride. The next day, Tencent followed suit, throwing $3 million at Didi. The two companies immediately started offering red packet subsidies. This novel concept of mobile ride-hailing suddenly appeared before the eyes of Dragon Country's people.

At first, the subsidies were only two or three yuan, but people in big cities loved it. During rush hour, hailing a taxi was a fierce battle. Using a mobile app meant a driver could come directly to you—no fighting needed. Even if it cost a bit more, people were willing. Both companies saw their user bases skyrocket.

As they were locked in fierce competition, Zhang Kai's message went out. Both Alibaba and Tencent breathed a sigh of relief.

With Tianxing Technology staying out of it, their biggest potential opponent was gone. Yet, they coveted Fetion's API. With over 600 million Fetion users, who wouldn't want a piece of that pie?

However, Tencent's grudge with Tianxing Technology ran too deep. V Chat had been crushed, and the rice bowls of CF and DNF were snatched by League of Heroes. They couldn't swallow their pride to discuss cooperation. Alibaba had no such reservations and was the first to reach out.

The visitors were Lou Jun, the person in charge of Alibaba's Fast Ride project, and Chen Wei, the founder of Fast Ride. Chen Wei came in person, his face respectful. He didn't dare be presumptuous. Tianxing Technology's current standing was on par with Alibaba's, and the boss, Chen Mo, was both mysterious and formidable. Just getting a meeting was an achievement.

Chen Mo's office was on the top floor. The floor-to-ceiling windows offered a view of the bustling Shanghai skyline. Sunlight streamed onto the desk. Leaning back in his chair, he watched the two men enter, his expression calm.

Chen Wei stepped forward first, offering his business card with both hands, his posture slightly deferential.

"Boss Chen, hello! I'm Chen Wei from Fast Ride. I've long admired your reputation. It's truly an honor to meet you today!"

Lou Jun also stepped forward. His attitude was neither subservient nor arrogant, calmer than Chen Wei's, but a hint of surprise flickered in his eyes. He had known Chen Mo was young, but he hadn't expected him to be barely in his twenties. To build something as massive as Tianxing Technology at such a young age, casually throwing around hundreds of billions like it was nothing—it was truly astonishing.

"Boss Chen, I'm Lou Jun from Alibaba's Fast Ride project."

Lou Jun gave a slight nod.

"We're here today to discuss cooperation regarding the Fetion API. We hope for your generous consideration."

Chen Mo took the business card and placed it casually on the desk, gesturing toward the sofa opposite.

"Have a seat. Some tea?"

He looked at the two men, inwardly amused. In his past life, he'd heard Alibaba people were arrogant, looking down their noses at others. Today's encounter suggested the rumors were unfounded. Although Lou Jun carried himself with some pride, he was still quite polite toward him. It seemed strength truly commanded respect.

Once seated, Chen Wei immediately spoke up.

"Boss Chen, we at Fast Ride wish to cooperate with Tianxing Technology to use the Fetion API. You name the service fee; we can negotiate anything. As long as you agree to cooperate, Fast Ride will certainly not disappoint you!"

Lou Jun chimed in agreement.

"Boss Chen, Alibaba shares the same sentiment. Fetion's users and traffic are what we all desire. A win-win cooperation benefits everyone."

Chen Mo picked up his teacup, took a sip, and looked up at the two men.

"Cooperation is possible. I'll open the API for you, but we play by my rules."

He set down the teacup, his tone calm yet carrying undeniable authority.

"First, the service fee is two yuan per order, not a cent less. Second, user data from the Fetion API belongs to Tianxing Technology. Third, your subsidy campaigns cannot involve false advertising within Fetion. If problems arise, I'll shut down the API directly."

Hearing this, Chen Wei and Lou Jun exchanged a glance, each weighing the terms. Two yuan per order was a significant fee, but Fetion's traffic was undeniable. If they could access it, their user numbers would surely skyrocket. What was a little service fee compared to that? As for the data and advertising conditions, they were reasonable demands.

Chen Wei immediately nodded.

"No problem, Boss Chen! We agree to all your conditions!"

Lou Jun also stated his position.

"Alibaba has no objections either. Since you're being straightforward, Boss Chen, we won't beat around the bush. We've brought the contract. Please take a look. If everything is in order, we can sign it today!"

Chen Mo glanced over the contract. Finding no issues, he handed it to Zhang Kai.

"You handle the follow-up with them. Get the contract signed."

Zhang Kai stepped forward to take the contract. Smiles appeared on both Chen Wei and Lou Jun's faces. Securing the Fetion API gave them a significant advantage in their competition with Didi.

After the two men left, Zhang Kai said with a smile,

"Boss Chen, this is a huge win. We didn't lift a finger, just lying back collecting service fees. If Tencent comes around, we can make another bundle!"

Chen Mo smiled, looking out the window.

"Tencent will come eventually. They might have too much pride, but Didi can't resist the lure of Fetion's traffic."

The ride-hailing war was just beginning. Alibaba and Tencent had a long fight ahead. All he needed to do was sit back, watch them burn money, steadily collect his benefits, and wait for the 4G licenses to be issued. The opportunities in live streaming and mobile gaming—those were what he was truly after!