When Boss Pei had gone to talk to the employees of Zhongdian Chinese Network and Upwind Logistics, he had talked to them for a very long time; and he also looked rather eager.
Conversely, he didn’t seem to pay that much attention to relatively more successful businesses such as Fei Huang Workspace and Fish-Catching Internet Cafe, etc. He had only said a few words and left.
Huang Sibo smiled slightly, “Boss Pei has always been like this. He would pay more attention to those that are temporarily struggling and facing difficulties, to put those in charge at ease. For the businesses that he was surer of and had the potential to succeed, Boss Pei naturally didn’t need to spend too much time on them.
“This means that our current trajectory is the right one!
“Since Boss Pei had given his approval, what is there to worry about? As long as we gave it our all, we definitely can make a name for ourselves!”
Zhu Xiaoce took this in, nodded, and said, “I see! I understand now!”
Chapter 226 - Meeting Boss Li Again
Once the meal was over, everyone left Ming Yun Private Kitchen and said their goodbyes to one another. Bao Xu’s eyes were filled with worry. The thought of wandering around on his own outside for a month made him feel helpless.
After the meal, everyone else returned to their respective homes. They still had to return to work the next day and continue working hard. However, what frustrated Pei Qian was that whether their projects were incurring losses or making profits, the people in charge seemed to have become much more energetic after this meal.
Take Ma Yiqun, who was in charge of Zhongdian Chinese Network, for example. The website had been making a loss. However, after Boss Pei comforted him, his emotions seemed to have stabilized. It was understandable that he felt much more energetic now.
However, why did it seem like Huang Sibo had been greatly encouraged as well?
Pei Qian was quite frustrated indeed. I didn’t even talk to them! Could it be the power of delicacies?
Very quickly and one by one, everyone left. Pei Qian looked at his watch. It was 8 PM. He had controlled the duration of the gathering quite well.
The waiters in Ming Yun Private Kitchen were keeping the cutlery and cleaning the restaurant. They looked to be quite busy. However, this would only be temporary. For a long time in the future, there would be no more customers in Ming Yun Private Kitchen.
Ming Yun Private Kitchen was located in a secluded, hidden place. Ordinary people would find it difficult to find their way here. Even if they did find their way here, they would probably not be able to afford the food.
Of course, Pei Qian would not be able to hide this news for long. After all, Boss Pei had so many employees under him. They had eaten so much good food tonight; most of them would probably go back and show off to their friends and family.
However, no matter what they said, this place was deserted and expensive. Most people would not be able to afford it with their own money.
Even if news about this restaurant spread so that a few ballers were drawn to this restaurant, it would not matter. As long as he could keep the number of customers low, Ming Yun Private Kitchen would still incur losses. Of course, Pei Qian had not forgotten that Ming Yun Private Kitchen’s primary aims were to spend as much money as possible and satisfy the employees’ meals.
Thus, Pei Qian made reservations for future gatherings way in advance.
According to the System’s current rules, they were allowed one team-building gathering every two months or so. The frequency and quality of their gatherings seemed to depend on the company’s current size and financial situation.
Of course, Pei Qian also needed a legitimate reason to gather his employees for meals.
To Pei Qian, it was easy to find a legitimate reason now. They could celebrate the publishing of a game, commend a certain department’s performance, set up a new department, welcome new employees, and so on.
Thus, based on the quota of once every two months, Pei Qian reserved Ming Yun Private Kitchen for future gatherings.
He set the gathering date to be the 20th of every even-numbered month. It would be closer to the end of the month, which would give Pei Qian an additional opportunity to spend more money. Apart from this, Pei Qian booked the biggest private room in Ming Yun Private Kitchen for the first and third Sunday of every month. This would be in case he needed to entertain for business.
These reservations would be placed in the highest priority. What’s more, before Pei Qian decided to change them, they would be effective.
This was to avoid any double-booking. If ballers really tried to make reservations and managed to reserve Ming Yun Private Kitchen for two to three weeks in a row while Pei Qian -as the boss—failed to make even a single reservation, that would be awkward.
Although Pei Qian doubted that Ming Yun Private Kitchen would ever be that popular, one could not be too careful. He had to be prepared for these things.
On top of that, if he suddenly needed to entertain for work, he could make reservations whenever he wanted to. However, that was provided there was space in the restaurant. What’s more, the ingredients would have to be prepared two or three days in advance.
Lin Canrong walked to Pei Qian’s side. “What do you think, Boss Pei? Are you satisfied with the food today?”
Pei Qian nodded. “Very good, I’m very satisfied!”
Actually, he could not confirm whether the food they ate today was worth that much or not. After all, he had never eaten these things in other restaurants. It would be hard to make comparisons.
However, he did notice Lin Wan and Assistant Xin’s expressions. He guessed from there that the food was extraordinary.
Pei Qian had very simple requests for Lin Canrong. As long as he was a good chef and promised that he could always serve such good food when they gathered for meals, Pei Qian would be satisfied.
It would be best if Chef Lin was clueless about things like holding promotions, running publicity, and the like.
“This situation is good. Maintain it. Remember this: your primary aim is to provide good food and service to our customers. Do not worry about anything else. It’ll be just like when you were at Fish-Catching Internet Cafe.”
Pei Qian decided to drop a hint. After all, when Lin Canrong was a branch manager at Fish-Catching Internet Cafe, he achieved nothing. Pei Qian hoped that he would keep it up.
Lin Canrong did not catch the hidden meaning in Pei Qian’s words and thought that the latter was just giving advice like he normally did. Nodding excitedly, he said, “Alright, Boss Pei. I’ll do my job well. I promise that I will give our customers the best dining experience!”
Now that they had enough to eat and drink, Pei Qian and Ma Yang strolled out of Ming Yun Private Kitchen and towards Fish-Catching Internet Cafe nearby.
The surroundings were quiet, and the weather was not too cold. It was perfect for them to walk and digest their dinner.
As they walked, they passed by Upwind Courier stations and the nearby bar.
When they walked past the entrance of the bar, a couple of enthusiastic young men and women pulled them inside. They seemed to be overly enthusiastic.
Pei Qian and Ma Yang expended a lot of effort rejecting them and getting away.
They had just come out from Ming Yun Private Kitchen. Their stomachs were still full of good food and good wine. Why would they want to drink cheap alcohol at a place like this?
All Pei Qian wanted to do now was to take a seat at Fish-Catching Internet Cafe and then go home and have a good night’s sleep. He was not in the least bit interested in crowded, noisy places like that.
However, as he passed by, Pei Qian peeked inside. The situation inside did not look too optimistic. Although they had opening promotions, there were still no customers around.
The resident singer was trying hard to sing well in order to liven up the atmosphere, but he still did not look that into it.
It was no wonder that the waiters were all o
utside, trying to drag people into the bar.
For some reason, Pei Qian felt sorry for Boss Li.
Ever since he found out that the chain internet cafe had accepted investments from Fu Hui Investments, Pei Qian had a feeling that Boss Li was responsible for all the shops being opened nearby. Pei Qian was touched that Boss Li had lit himself on fire for others’ benefit, but if things continued in this manner, Boss Li would probably lose a lot of money.
Boss Li, of all people, why did you have to blindly mingle with me?
Pei Qian and Ma Yang arrived at the entrance of Fish-Catching Internet Cafe and pushed the door to enter. In the corner, they saw a familiar figure drinking. Pei Qian paused.
Isn’t that Boss Li? How coincidental! I was just talking about you in my head when we passed by your bar.
Li Shi saw Pei Qian and instinctively jumped as well. Pei Qian had not visited Fish-Catching Internet Cafe for quite a while. Li Shi had only come to drink some alcohol. He had not expected Pei Qian to be here as well. Since they bumped into each other coincidentally, things became slightly awkward.
However, Pei Qian did not seem to mind. Boss Li was one of his few close friends anyway!
Pei Qian sat down opposite Li Shi, smiled slightly, and said, “Boss Li, did you come all the way here to spy on your enemies?”
Pei Qian had said this jokingly, but Li Shi seemed to have understood his words very differently.
In his heart, he thought, ‘Indeed, Boss Pei knows that I’m responsible for the nearby Xing Le Internet Cafe and the other shops. Hmm, that’s to be expected. He is Boss Pei after all…’
From what happened with Fish-Catching Internet Cafe’s flagship store, Li Shi understood Pei Qian a bit better. Naturally, he did not dare to underestimate him anymore.
Now, Boss Pei was talking about these things in the open. Of course, Li Shi felt awkward. After all, Li Shi had invested in Xing Le Internet Cafe and the other shops in Ming Yun Villas. It was obvious that he was targeting Fish-Catching Internet Cafe.
Li Shi believed that Pei Qian did not have any proof and that the latter was just guessing. However, he recognized that they were both intelligent individuals. There was no point in denying it and acting dumb.
Li Shi smiled and answered, “Don’t mind me, Boss Pei. This is normal business behavior. What’s more, I did not do it to target your Fish-Catching Internet Cafe, Boss Pei. I purely appreciate your judgment and want to make some money for myself.”
Chapter 227 - Invite Zhang Zuting to Jingzhou
Chapter 227 Invite Zhang Zuting to Jingzhou
Hearing these words from Li Shi, a realization dawned on Pei Qian. Indeed, the person who had tried to bribe Fish-Catching Internet Cafe’s employees was Boss Li.
Pei Qian had hoodwinked Li Shi with the fake information that he released earlier on.
This time, Li Shi was not here to pressure Fish-Catching Internet Cafe and try to invest in it. Instead, Li Shi was betting on Pei Qian’s investments becoming popular. He was just trying to profit from it as well.
After Fish-Catching Internet Cafe’s flagship store became popular, more customers visited that street. Although the surrounding shops were not as popular as Fish-Catching Internet Cafe, they still profited from the entire episode.
After that, even Boss Li made some profit. However, he had not earned much.
Considering the fact that Boss Li could earn much more money by investing in other regions, that episode was a loss for him.
Although Boss Li had made some investments in the surrounding shops by helping them with their promotional events, he had not invested much to begin with. The promotions had not cost much. Since Boss Li had high expectations, he had obviously not been satisfied.
This situation was not much different.
There were too few customers near Ming Yun Villas. That was why nobody wanted to rent shops in the area. That meant Boss Li didn’t have to invest too much for capital.
If Ming Yun Villas really became popular as Boss Pei had said, these few shops would become like money trees. No matter whose hands they were in, they would be profitable. Even if Boss Li sold them immediately, he would be able to profit.
When that time came, would the profit Boss Li made still be called ‘small’?
However, all of this depended on whether the Ming Yun Villas region became popular or not.
Pei Qian could not help but feel emotional.
Boss Li, Boss Li… your logic is perfect, and your execution is flawless. However… you missed out on an important fact. Of course, I cannot blame you, Boss Li. Who would have thought that a system existed in this world, which allowed you to profit by incurring losses?
At that moment, Pei Qian felt a hint of compassion. If this were someone else, Boss Pei would not have shown mercy. However, this passionate Boss Li had already been cheated by Pei Qian once before.
He could not possibly seize a sheep and rough shear it. What if it went bald?
Thus, Pei Qian decided to drop a hint to Boss Li so he would not invest too much in the area.
Until now, Boss Li had already invested in a chain internet cafe, a bar, a cafe, and a board games cafe. He had already been a considerable help to Pei Qian.
What if Boss Li had more ideas and continued to invest more money?
In fact, Pei Qian was already getting worried. If he sheared Boss Li bald now, their relationship would not be able to develop anymore in the future.
If he could reduce the losses that Boss Li incurred, he would already be considered extremely benevolent.
At that thought, Pei Qian decided to give Boss Li a slight hint.
He took a sip of his cocktail and said as sincerely as he could, “Boss Li, I will tell you the truth.
“Luck was part of the reason why Fish-Catching Internet Cafe’s flagship store became famous earlier on. It would be almost impossible for this branch in Ming Yun Villas to emulate the flagship store’s success.
“The chances of this region becoming popular are not high. I’m just trying things out…”
Pei Qian was already hinting as much as he could.
Li Shi smiled, his expression seeming to say, ‘I understand’. “Boss Pei, you’re too humble.
“You always say that luck played a part in your success. This is normal. Yet, mediocre people would only wait for luck while true talents will create their own good fortune. To me, Boss Pei is undoubtedly a man who can create his own good fortune.
“Based on what I know, Boss Pei has invested significantly in this area.
“Apart from this internet cafe, Boss Pei has also opened an Upwind Courier station. What’s more-some time ago, Boss Ma seemed to have surveyed the surrounding business environment as well.
“If you really think this place has no potential, you would not persist until now.
“Boss Pei, I understand your good intentions. However, you might have underestimated me. There are risks to any investment. I’ve been in the investment industry for a long time; I still have a sense of awareness.”
Fine, I wasted my breath.
Pei Qian could not help but feel sorrowful. Alright, Boss Li, since you understand what you are doing, I will not waste my breath. I wish you good luck.
It was a good thing that Boss Li did not know Pei Qian bought a villa nearby to open a private kitchen. Otherwise, he might hold onto his beliefs more firmly.
Pei Qian raised his hand to get the attention of a nearby waiter. “When Boss Li visits in the future, serve him for free.”
Boss Li, Boss Li. You’ve helped me so much, and yet I cannot do anything in return. All I can do is treat you to a few more drinks.
Li Shi’s heart felt warm. Of course, Li Shi did not mind paying a bit more money for alcohol. However, the fact that Pei Qian was writing off Li Shi’s future bills proved his sincerity!
This friendship was priceless.
Li Shi secretly praised Pei Qian in his heart. Boss Pei was young, but he was bright in his work.
Li
Shi raised his glass and said, “Thank you, Boss Pei. I hope that we will both stand to gain in the future and earn a lot of money!”
Pei Qian touched Li Shi’s glass with his own, smiling as he received Li Shi’s curse, and keeping a ton of vulgarities buried in his heart.
August 11th…
At Shang Yang Games…
“Director Lin, so… we’re going to choose him?” Ye Zhizhou sounded very uncertain.
“Yes, let’s choose him.” Lin Wan answered hesitantly as well, but she had no other choice.
After receiving the advertising plan from Boss Pei a while ago, Shang Yang Games worked according to the latter’s suggestions. They contacted a few Hong Kong celebrities. Whether they were popular or outdated, Shang Yang Games contacted them all.
However, they found it hard to decide on a final price.
The more popular Hong Kong celebrities requested at least five million yuan a year. Even the cheaper ones insisted on two to three million yuan.
One had to understand that the cost of producing Bloody Battle Song: The Powerful Version was only about five million yuan.
Boss Pei’s budget for marketing was about three million yuan. At first, Ye Zhizhou and Wang Xiaobin had thought that they would never be able to spend all that money even if they were unrestricted. Ultimately, after asking a couple of Hong Kong celebrities to be their spokesperson, they realized they had been far too young and inexperienced.
They had marketed Bloody Battle Song before, too. However, they did not hire this type of celebrities. They spent a maximum of hundreds of thousands of yuan on advertising fees.
Putting these two amounts side by side, Ye Zhizhou felt like they were spending too much this time!
Lin Wan was also unhappy with the celebrities’ asking price.
Primarily, she felt that the quality-price ratio was low. Advertising a game correctly could do wonders for sales. However, during Lin Wan’s time at Tengda Games, she saw games become popular even without a single cent spent on marketing
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