Chapter 68: How Many Users Does OO Really Have?

“A shoe seller, dabbling in the internet? Is this some sort of joke?” Chen Dan laughed with a sharp edge to her voice.

“What’s so strange about it? Coal miners can become movie stars. These nouveau riche types know nothing, yet they’re obsessed with so-called high-tech pursuits. They come here just to stir things up, utterly foolish!” Zeng Qing snorted.

“No, I don’t think it’s that simple. Everyone’s heard that vulgar ad—the one where the Jiangnan Leather Factory is supposedly bankrupt. But how is it that they can still invest in OO? I think this is a bright marketing ploy. Huang He deliberately claims his factory has gone under, creating a sense of cheap, good-quality goods, which drives sales!” Cai Xin spoke up.

“Exactly!” Pony Brother nodded in agreement, finding the explanation compelling. Yet Chen Dan, still sharp-tongued, cut in, “That’s not right. What boss would tarnish their own reputation for marketing?”

“It’s not just cursing his own business—he says he owes 350 million, even claims he ran off with his wife’s younger sister. That’s not just melodramatic; it’s throwing every kind of filth on his head. Is there really anyone bold enough to do such a thing?”

“That’s true!” Everyone nodded again. Self-deprecation can be a marketing strategy, but for someone like Huang He, worth hundreds of millions, it’s inconceivable he’d demean himself this way.

And running off with his wife’s sister—this strikes at the core of Chinese ethics. If such a scandal broke out, Huang He would lose all standing; surely no fool would smear his own name so recklessly.

“So what do you make of Huang He and OO? Is Huang He a fraud?” Zeng Qing asked.

“No, I believe Huang He is real, and the bankrupt Jiangnan Leather Factory is real too. The most logical explanation is that the factory did collapse, and Huang He did flee. But before escaping, he transferred all his assets—one key method being investment in Leng Zhimeng’s OO. This is a classic nouveau riche maneuver, nothing unusual!” Cai Xin explained.

“I see!” Everyone nodded; this theory seemed most plausible.

“But even if we know all this, what does it matter?” Zeng Qing sneered. “How does any of this help us defeat OO?”

“Of course it does. If needed in the future, we only have to expose that OO was built with the sweat and blood of those factory workers. With coordinated public opinion, I guarantee OO’s reputation will be ruined overnight. The authorities will launch an investigation, and OO won’t just collapse—they might even spend years in prison!” Chen Dan said with a smile. The group shuddered; the strategy was ruthless, but undeniably effective.

Chen Dan’s official title was administrative manager, but thanks to his social connections, he also handled PR and government relations. Unlike tech-focused pioneers like Pony Brother, Chen Dan knew countless underhanded tactics.

He truly understood how society worked.

“These methods are for later. For now, let’s resolve internet matters on the internet to avoid future trouble,” Pony Brother, usually quiet, finally spoke. “What concerns me most right now is the threat OO poses to us. How much of our market have they eaten into?”

“What’s the intel from the marketing department?”

“Well… Boss, there hasn’t been enough time for a thorough market survey, and it requires significant funding. So, we don’t have accurate figures or a clear assessment…” The marketing manager wiped sweat from his brow.

“I understand. But you must have some estimate, right?” Pony Brother pressed.

“We do. According to our estimates, OO has about one million registered users, with twenty to thirty thousand active users, and their growth rate is quite fast, posing a real threat,” the marketing manager replied.

“What, only one million?” The mood in the conference room shifted instantly—tension dissolved, replaced by an air of ease and cheer.

“Quiet, everyone! It’s not time to relax yet!” Pony Brother scanned the room. “Operations, what’s the change in our QQ backend data over the past three weeks, especially in active users?”

“Yes, in August, QQ gained 1.6 million registered users and about 120,000 active users!” the operations manager reported.

“So our numbers are still growing—OO isn’t so impressive after all!” Zeng Qing grinned, and many others smiled as well. Only Pony Brother’s expression remained grim.

“What about our July numbers?” Pony Brother continued.

“In July, QQ added 2.4 million registered users and around 180,000 active users,” the operations manager cautiously replied.

The smiles vanished from everyone’s faces.

“And June’s data?” Pony Brother pressed.

“In June, registered users increased by 2.82 million, and active users by 220,000.” The operations manager hung his head.

“Now do you see the threat OO poses?” Pony Brother looked around. “July was OO’s official launch, and August saw the release of OO Farm. On the surface, our numbers keep growing each month, but compared to June—before OO launched—we’ve lost a combined 1.22 million registered users and a staggering 160,000 active users over two months. Where have these users gone? Do you understand?”

His words left the room dead silent.

Yes, Pony Brother was Pony Brother—dominant as ever, projecting future growth as current numbers.

“But really, Old Ma, these numbers are better than we expected. According to marketing, their registered users are one million, active users thirty thousand. Their registration growth is impressive, but active users—a key metric—are below our expectations. Maybe OO isn’t as formidable as we feared,” Chen Dan said nonchalantly.

“That’s right!”

“Exactly!”

“This OO is nothing special—just a little effort on our part and OO will topple!” Many chimed in, echoing the sentiment. They boasted that QQ hadn’t yet taken action, but with a flick of the wrist, OO could easily be crushed by Tengda.

Of course, some remained silent—like Zhang Zhidong, Zeng Qing, and Cai Xin.

Chen Dan handled administration, understood society, but not the internet, product logic, or users. His knowledge of QQ was not comprehensive, so his comments were unsurprising.

But the three mentioned had nurtured QQ from the ground up; they knew all too well the terrifying crisis lurking beneath seemingly acceptable numbers.

Especially Zhang Zhidong. He took a deep breath, stood, and said, “Boss, I don’t know OO’s exact registration count, but I believe their daily active users have already reached at least two million!”

“What!” The atmosphere in the conference room froze.

Two million daily active users?

QQ currently had only about twenty million daily active users. Had they already reached ten percent of QQ’s scale?