I'm back in 1990

Chapter 1112: Seeking a Solution

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Jiang Bixing noticed that Huang Xiaochuan was lost in thought, which was really strange!

He had known Huang Xiaochuan for so long, and this was the first time he had encountered a situation like this.

"Xiao Chuan?" Jiang Bixing mustered his courage and called Huang Xiao Chuan by his old name.

Huang Xiaochuan then came to his senses. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Old Jiang, I've been thinking about a question lately. What impact do you think future technological developments will have on retail businesses like Times Commerce Group?"

Jiang Bixing was taken aback for a moment, but then he smiled and said, "You mean the last 100 meters, ordering online and having it delivered to the store?"

Huang Xiaochuan shook his head: "No, I'm talking about artificial intelligence. To be honest, I've invested in an artificial intelligence research project, and my niece is also doing research in this area. There's been some progress so far, which is why I made this connection."

Jiang Bixing thought for a moment: "Artificial intelligence? Does that mean robots?"

Huang Xiaochuan nodded.

Jiang Bixing's expression immediately became much more serious, and he spoke more cautiously: "I know that Yuho acquired Deepmind, and Amaga is working on some kind of warehouse robot, but to be honest, those things are still very far from us. We are doing online and offline physical retail, and most of our business still involves human interaction. When customers come to the store, someone greets them, someone guides them when they can't find the product, and someone provides smiling service when they check out. I don't think robots can do these things."

Huang Xiaochuan asked again, "What if we could do that one day?"

Jiang Bixing was speechless; he opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

Huang Xiaochuan glanced at Jiang Bixing's expression, stood up, and looked out the window at the Huangpu River.

"As the saying goes, 'He who does not plan for the future will have trouble in the present.' You and I are both people who have received modern education, and we know the principle that technology is a productive force. What should we do if one day, our original promise to enable an ordinary person to have a dignified job cannot be fulfilled due to technological advancements?"

Jiang Bixing frowned, thinking for a long time but still couldn't figure it out. He could only conclude that Huang Xiaochuan was being overly suspicious, so he advised, "Xiaochuan, I think you seem a bit tired. Why don't you rest for a few days?"

Huang Xiaochuan knew this guy would say that, but he still calmly asked Jiang Bixing a question: "Old Jiang, let me ask you another question. What do you think is the most important thing for Shidai Commercial Group? Is it assets or the number of stores?"

Jiang Bixing certainly knew the answer to this question: "It's people, it's the 200,000 employees of the company."

"Yes, but what if one day technology advances to a point where robots can replace humans, costing only one-tenth the cost of human labor, and can work 24 hours a day, with ten times or more the efficiency of humans? What will we do then?"

Jiang Bixing opened his mouth, but didn't know how to answer. However, one thing was certain: if that were the case, it would be a real problem.

Huang Xiaochuan stared at Jiang Bixing for a while and said, "As a business leader, necessary forward-thinking is required."

Jiang Bixing nodded; he agreed with this point—it's all about being prepared for the future!

"Here's what I'll do. When I get back, I'll include this issue in the group's strategic research scope and organize some people to study the application prospects of artificial intelligence in the retail industry and which positions are easily replaceable."

Also, I want to remind you beforehand that this research shouldn't be limited to the present or the next few years; you need to look further ahead, ten or twenty years. Don't be too optimistic when conducting the research.

Jiang Bixing repeated, "I know, but don't be too optimistic."

Huang Xiaochuan nodded: "Yes, don't be too optimistic. Let's think about whether there are any ways to offset the side effects of technological development."

"Okay!" Jiang Bixing accepted the task.

At the end of February, Huang Xiaochuan went to Hong Kong.

Although he rarely comes to Hong Kong, Charlie Cho still reserves a luxurious and spacious office for him. The Dadao Group moved to the International Trade Building a few years ago, and Huang Xiaochuan's office is located on the 78th floor of the building.

The office was designed in a simple, modern style according to Huang Xiaochuan's preferences, with large floor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic views of Victoria Harbour.

Mai Guangde had been accompanying his boss the whole time. Originally, he was supposed to go to Chang'an to inspect a project, but a phone call made him change his plans and rush to Hong Kong immediately.

Taking this opportunity, Mai Guangde reported to his boss on several major projects that were currently underway. Huang Xiaochuan listened, but simply nodded slightly and said nothing.

Mai Guangde has been the president of Guangda Real Estate for six years, having taken over from Nan Hui. He knows that to secure this position, he needs loyalty, not ability.

To be fair, whether it's Nan Hui or Mai Guangde, Guangda Real Estate has achieved its current scale by operating in accordance with Mr. Huang's requirements.

As everyone in the real estate industry knows, Guangda Real Estate never sells off-plan properties. This was an ironclad rule set by Mr. Huang. Moreover, its construction quality standards have always exceeded national regulations. While others only need to meet the minimum requirements, Guangda must achieve first-class quality. When others used ordinary glass, Guangda used double-glazed windows. When others also used double-glazed windows, Guangda had already switched to triple-glazed laminated windows.

While others consider 65% of their exterior wall insulation to be up to standard, Guangda has achieved 80%. While others consider 30% of their green space to be a livable community, Guangda's high-end, low-density communities have never had a green space ratio lower than 45%.

Their practices were once ridiculed by countless peers in the real estate industry, who said that Guangda Real Estate was just trying to attract attention and didn't understand capital operations. Some even predicted that Guangda Real Estate would be eliminated by the market sooner or later.

But time will tell.

When homebuyers are tormented by problems such as unfinished pre-sale properties, reduced quality, and discrepancies between the advertised and actual properties, the ready-built property sales model that Guangda Real Estate has always adhered to becomes a golden brand.

You can view the ready-built houses at your leisure, sign the contract only if you are satisfied, and get the certificate upon handover. The quality far exceeds expectations, so the reputation of this real estate company is getting better and better. Guangda Real Estate's houses never fail to meet standards, but before each new project even opens for sale, a large number of customers come to pay deposits with their money.

By the end of 2013, Guangda Real Estate Group had become the only one among the top ten real estate companies in China that insisted on selling all completed properties, and also the only leading real estate company that had never had any major quality complaints.

With its debt-to-asset ratio consistently kept below 15% and nearly 130 billion yuan in cash on hand, it's far more comfortable than other real estate companies.

Mai Guangde knew that all of this stemmed from Mr. Huang's seemingly counterintuitive strategic resolve, which made him a loyal subordinate and supporter of Mr. Huang.