Vapes: RELX vs Whale Qingyan

A bit of water, can read when idle

The cover photo was taken on my desk, mung bean popsicle vs. watermelon

After three days of using the e-cigarette, I feel a bit nauseous.

The Whale Qingyan watermelon flavor and RELX mung bean popsicle flavor were both ordered on the morning of the 21st. They are disposable; RELX arrived that evening via SF Express, packaged in a large box with a small box inside and an instruction manual, while the Whale Qingyan arrived this morning in a small box wrapped in a Shentong document bag.

I am in Guangzhou; RELX shipped from Shenzhen, and Whale Qingyan shipped from Hangzhou.

The first puff of RELX had a hint of the taste of mung bean ice cream from my childhood, which was a pleasant surprise. However, subsequent puffs of the mung bean flavor were much milder; I’m not sure if it’s because I got used to the taste or if it’s because even the best tea should be discarded after a night. My experience of eating leftover food on the first day of the Lunar New Year leads me to lean towards the latter; continuous heating and atomization can alter the flavor. The first puff of Whale Qingyan had a faint watermelon taste along with a slight chemical flavor that’s hard to describe, similar to the faint chemical taste of Jiangxiaobai, which is a bit stimulating. Both have a very refreshing mouthfeel.

After three days of use, I personally feel that switching from cigarettes seems unrealistic; there’s no dull sensation in the throat like with real cigarettes, which might lead to the perception of lacking a tobacco flavor. However, it seems to be quite stimulating to the mouth; after using it, I feel somewhat uncomfortable in my mouth, possibly because I drew too hard, causing the vapor to enter too deeply. After using it, I always feel a bit nauseous, perhaps due to the absence of tar from tobacco, which doesn’t produce phlegm, nor does it leave the lingering smell of tobacco on hands, mouth, or clothes.

When not in use, the Whale Qingyan emits a pleasant watermelon scent, while the RELX has a slightly milder mung bean scent.

Alright, enough of the practical testing; I have been smoke-free for over a year, except for drinking occasions and when visiting clients' offices for tea. I bought the e-cigarette thinking about making money; I’ve inquired about the agency policies of both brands, and both operate on a wholesale basis. No one has contacted me for RELX yet, but the lady from Whale Qingyan has already reached out.

I feel that this trivial item has no technical content and even less value. However, a bunch of big players and capital are flocking into this market, and American e-cigarette companies have sold for a high price. The worst outcome is akin to shared bicycles, but the initial players in shared bicycles also had opportunities to cash out and leave. Let’s not talk about sentiment; I’ve reached an age where only money matters.

In the past two years, I’ve seen too many people around me turn their fortunes around in a year, all through the same method: entering a growing initial market.

Markets are created by money; wherever there’s money, there’s growth. In simple terms, wherever there’s investment, people will flock to that industry.

Let’s put aside the idea of changing the world for now; it’s too grand. Last year, I suddenly realized that I’m just an ordinary citizen. No one is without expectations of returns; after all, the most common breakup vow is that I fed my youth to the dogs. Who would care about the past youth without expectations?

In 2017, I was fortunate to attend a senior management expansion meeting at my company, where the big boss on the video shared an example: the cigarette market has been declining, but thin cigarettes have been growing rapidly. You need to find niche markets; there will always be growth in niche markets. At that time, I happened to switch to thin cigarettes, which I started smoking to quit, and I remembered this saying.

E-cigarettes might indeed be a growing market right now.

However, the slogan of replacing cigarettes is too vague; it should be specific to scenarios, such as in relatively enclosed spaces where no residual smoke smell is allowed—like in a car.

Alright, I won’t ramble on anymore; if I do, I’ll leak my business secrets. I’ll go test the waters first.

The explosive growth of OPPO/VIVO tells us that core technology can be leveled out, and channels can also make big money.

I personally have a favorable view of RELX

Bro, let’s go; saying RELX sounds smoother than saying Whale Qingyan, which is also more conducive to showing off. Saying Old Luo’s FLOW doesn’t sound smooth either; it’s better to drop the F...

Many people analyze that giants entering China don’t understand the local conditions, so they can’t win against local players. No one has ever said what local conditions are; I think local conditions refer to a lower level of education, and overly convoluted things are not conducive to people expressing their feelings about the beautiful scenery.