Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The group's revenue grew by 4.5% year over year to RMB 6.4 billion, near the high end of previous guidance [15] - Adjusted EBITDA rose by 11.3% year over year to RMB 2.3 billion, while adjusted net income increased by 7.6% year over year to RMB 1.3 billion [17] - The Managers and Franchise business revenue reported a robust 22.8% year over year growth to RMB 2.9 billion, with gross operating profit rising by 23.2% year over year to RMB 1.9 billion [18] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The hotel group's GMV grew by 15% year over year, with a member base increase of 17.5% year over year to nearly 290 million [7] - Room nights booked by members exceeded 60 million nights, representing a 28.8% year over year growth [7] - The lease and own business revenue and gross operating profit decreased by 7.6% and 13.4% year over year, respectively [19] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The domestic number of travelers continues to grow steadily, but the hotel industry faces challenges due to rapid hotel supply increase and macroeconomic factors affecting business travel and consumer spending [6] - The company achieved an 18.3% year over year increase in the number of rooms in operation [6] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company remains focused on high-quality growth, securing prime locations in major cities, and deepening presence in lower-tier cities [6] - The launch of Hanqing 4.0 represents a significant supply chain reform aimed at achieving lower costs and higher quality [10] - The company aims to reach a strategic target of 20,000 hotels in 2,000 cities in the mid-term [11] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expects RevPAR for the third quarter to have a slight year-over-year decline, with full-year RevPAR performance anticipated to be slightly below previous guidance due to macro uncertainties and increased supply [24] - The company is actively seeking upgrades for existing hotels and rationalizing new hotel openings to mitigate potential cannibalization effects [27] Other Important Information - The company declared a USD 250 million interim cash dividend, representing 74% of the first half net profit, along with a share buyback of approximately USD 62 million [20] - The company is committed to enhancing membership benefits and expanding loyalty points usage scenarios to boost direct sales capability [13] Q&A Session Summary Question: Expectations for RevPAR in 3Q and 2025, and potential impact from new hotel openings - Management expects a slight year-over-year decline in RevPAR for 3Q, with full-year RevPAR anticipated to be slightly below previous guidance due to macro uncertainties and increased supply [24][25][26] Question: Strategic focus between asset-heavy and asset-light business segments - The company has been actively transforming towards an asset-light model, with the franchise and managed business contributing 64% of total gross operating profit [30][32] Question: Store expansion sentiment and margin optimization - Management will be stricter on new signings to ensure profitability for franchisees, while also focusing on cost optimization and stable margin performance [38][39] Question: Supply chain strengthening and future operating costs - The company has achieved a 10-20% cost decline in certain materials and reduced construction periods through supply chain enhancements [51][52] Question: Future shift towards asset-light model for DH - The company is carefully negotiating lease contracts and screening profitability of lease hotels, aiming for a gradual shift towards an asset-light model [53][54][55]