In the Zhejiang business community, the names of Zhong Sui and Zong Qinghou are like thunder. However, apart from their respective business successes, the story of an untold feud between them is rarely mentioned.
Zhong Sui, who was a member of Wahaha, worked with Zong Qinghou. Both of them were born in Zhejiang, and this friendship made Zong Qinghou choose to let Zhong Sui become the first merchant of Wahaha Oral Liquid in Hainan and Guangxi in 1991. At that time, Wahaha oral liquid was in the limelight in the market, and Zhong Sui also made huge profits.
However, success brings not only wealth, but also inflated ambition. Zhong Sui discovered the purchase price advantage of Hainan, and began to buy oral liquid at a low price, and then resold it to buyers in Guangdong to make huge profits. This behavior not only encroached on Wahaha's market share, but also caused damage to Wahaha's brand image.
When Zong Qinghou learned of this, he was furious. He believed that Zhong had betrayed their trust, so he took decisive action, disqualified Zhong from **, and filed a lawsuit for damages. This incident became the starting point of the grudge between the two.
After leaving Wahaha, Zhong did not give up the beverage industry, but decided to create his own brand, Nongfu Spring. With his own resources and connections, he quickly opened up the market and formed a competitive situation with Wahaha for more than 20 years.
Now, Zong Qinghou has passed away, but Zhong Sui has chosen to remain silent. He did not make any memorial speeches or participate in any memorial activities. We have no way of knowing what he is thinking at the moment, whether he is reminiscing about the past friendship or struggling with the grievances between the two. Perhaps, for him, silence is the best choice, both to show respect for the deceased and to leave enough space for himself to think.
This grievance entanglement is not only a personal story between the two, but also a legend in the history of the development of China's beverage industry. And the grievances between Zhong and Zong Qinghou will always be remembered in this history.