The time for his first appointment was fast approaching. Wu Yun sat in the wide, comfortable boss’s chair, looking over the candidates the headhunter had recommended for the General Manager position at Pinduoduo.

He did feel a bit sorry for Qi Fei, who was standing at the company entrance, acting as both his secretary and receptionist.

’Zhou Shen, 39 years old. Master of Business Administration from an Ivy League university. Formerly a Regional Vice President at Amazon’s Asian Region.’

On paper, it was a stellar resume.

At the entrance, Qi Fei had already greeted Zhou Shen.

Zhou Shen sized up Qi Fei. Her looks, demeanor, and attire didn’t seem to fit a secretary or receptionist. He didn’t let his curiosity get the better of him, however, and simply followed her into the office.

Zhou Shen looked at the vast, empty office and couldn’t help but shake his head. ’Another startup!’ he thought. ’But this one is clearly well-funded. Or rather, its investors must be powerful. Daring to rent an entire floor in Modu’s central business district during the initial startup phase is no small feat.’

The interview was a two-way street. When the headhunter had described the opportunity, Zhou Shen decided to check it out. After all, he had pretty much hit the ceiling at his position with Amazon.

Qi Fei led Zhou Shen to the chairman’s office at the far end of the floor. She gestured for him to enter, and once he was inside, she pulled the door shut and went to play on her phone in the lounge area near the reception desk.

Wu Yun was already sizing up Zhou Shen as he entered. The man was about five-foot-seven, wearing a solid-colored polo shirt with a logo of a rider on a horse wielding a mallet. Wu Yun didn’t recognize the brand.

He wore casual jeans and a pair of leather loafers, looking like a friendly, approachable man in his forties—the uncle-next-door type. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

While Wu Yun sized up Zhou Shen, Zhou Shen was observing him in return. He was first struck by Wu Yun’s youth. ’Looks like the young master of a wealthy family,’ he thought. ’That’s good. At least I won’t have to worry about the initial funding.’

Zhou Shen stepped forward and greeted him, "Hello, President Wu. I’m Zhou Shen."

Wu Yun stood up and gestured to the chair in front of his desk. "President Zhou, please have a seat."

Detection Glasses Prompt

Name: Zhou Shen

...

Skills: Master of Management

Master of E-commerce

Master of English

...

Affinity: 30

Once Zhou Shen was seated, Wu Yun leaned forward, propped his elbows on the desk, and looked him straight in the eye, getting right to the point. "President Zhou, I’d like to hear your thoughts on Huaxia’s e-commerce market and its future."

Zhou Shen sat up straight, his gaze firm as he met Wu Yun’s eyes. "Currently, the major integrated e-commerce platforms in the country are basically just Ali and Jingdong. Those two have captured the majority of the national market share, leaving the smaller platforms to survive in the gaps."

"However, generally speaking, the domestic e-commerce market is nowhere near its ceiling. There’s still a huge amount of untapped potential. With advancements in technology and the proliferation of smartphones, everyone from ten-year-olds to sixty-year-olds will eventually participate. The market won’t be dominated by young people forever."

Seeing Wu Yun nod in agreement, Zhou Shen continued.

"Add to that the development of the logistics industry. In the future, deliveries will certainly be made directly to every household, unlike now, where they can only reach hubs in more developed areas. When that happens, third- and fourth-tier cities and rural areas will become untapped virgin territory!"

Wu Yun’s eyes grew brighter and brighter. Zhou Shen’s philosophy was a perfect fit for Pinduoduo’s development strategy!

Zhou Shen’s tone was resolute as he declared:

"In my opinion, the future belongs to e-commerce! The brick-and-mortar economy will suffer a massive blow. If you enter this arena now, President Wu, with sufficient funding, I believe we can carve a bloody path forward and become the third pillar of Huaxia’s e-commerce industry!"

The moment he finished, Wu Yun stood up and applauded. "President Zhou, that’s a very incisive analysis! I couldn’t agree more with your perspective. Your development philosophy is also a perfect fit for our plans for Pinduoduo."

Wu Yun’s tone then shifted as he asked, "President Zhou, what are your salary expectations?"

Zhou Shen was taken aback for a moment, realizing the ball was now in his court. He didn’t mince words. "President Wu, you know I was at Amazon. But it was impossible for me to climb any higher there."

"That’s why I’m more interested in joining as a partner. As for salary, the industry standard is fine. Also, President Wu, I’d first like to know what the company’s initial investment is."

Wu Yun nodded and replied without hesitation, "The registered capital is 100 million, with follow-up investments planned."

"As for your salary, President Zhou, we can offer an annual salary of one million after taxes. Regarding equity—and this is how I’ve structured my previous companies—I will set aside 5% of the shares for an incentive pool. The General Manager will receive 2%, and the remaining 3% will be used to reward the CTO and other key employees."

"You’ll be eligible for profit-sharing from the incentive pool after the first year, and the equity itself will be granted after three years. Moreover, I must have the right of first refusal on those shares. If you don’t co-invest when future capital is injected, your equity will be diluted. I assume you’re aware of this." (Author’s Note: Based on many reader suggestions, the terms for all companies mentioned previously have been standardized to this model!)

Zhou Shen was very satisfied with Wu Yun’s offer. The equity clauses were all standard. Without hesitating, he leaned forward, extended his right hand, and said, "President Wu, I look forward to working with you."

Wu Yun also leaned forward slightly, and their hands clasped across the wide desk.

"President Zhou, as you can see, the company is just starting out. I’ll need you to put a lot of effort into recruitment. I’ll be in Modu for the next few days to help you establish the initial company structure."

After exchanging contact information, Wu Yun sent a compressed file containing the company’s initial business plan to Zhou Shen. "President Zhou, I’ve sent over the preliminary plan," he said. "Take a look at it over the next few days, and we can discuss it further."

Then, Wu Yun gave a spare key to the office to Zhou Shen. After all, he would be starting work the next day to begin the hiring process.

Wu Yun glanced at his watch and said, "President Zhou, don’t rush off just yet. I’d like you to sit in on the next interview with me for the head of technology position."

The words had barely left his mouth when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!"

Qi Fei pushed the door open, walked up to the desk, and said with a smile, "President Wu, your nine-thirty interviewee has arrived. They’re waiting in the lounge."

Wu Yun smiled, walked over to Qi Fei, and took her hand. He introduced her to Zhou Shen, "President Zhou, this is my girlfriend, Qi Fei. She’s just moonlighting as my secretary and receptionist for the day."

A look of understanding dawned on Zhou Shen’s face. "I was wondering how the company had an employee with the presence of a movie star. So she’s your girlfriend, President Wu! That explains it."

Qi Fei maintained her smile, not feeling the least bit bashful at Zhou Shen’s compliment.

"You’re right, President Zhou," Wu Yun said with great confidence. "Qi Fei is going to be a star. She’s currently studying in the acting department at the Modu Drama Academy. I’m certain she’ll become a nationally renowned, award-winning actress one day!"

Zhou Shen nodded in complete agreement. Once a person’s wealth reached a certain level, making a minor celebrity famous was a piece of cake.