Chapter 200 – Tender for advertising slots at CCTV Part 2
Since it was like this, Zhong Qingxian just ate the dinner heartily. As they still must sign the contract the next day, they only ordered some beers. Zhong Qingxian heaved a sigh of relief. He thought everybody from the Northeast region just drank Baijiu. He was still afraid that he would be drunk before this young man.
Zhong Qingxian felt that Feng Yu was a bit weird. At the dinner, he kept asking about Le Ha Ha matters. If it weren’t that Tai Hua Trading was not in the beverage industry, he would suspect that Feng Yu was purposely gathering information about his company.
“Mr. Zhong, I can see the potential in Le Ha Ha company. But isn’t your current company’s scale too small? The effects of CCTV advertisement are good, and you should not be worried about your sales. But your production should not be able to keep up. In the Northeast, it was difficult to find Le Ha Ha health drinks in the market.” Feng Yu was directing the conversation to where he wanted.
“We are already thinking of ways to get loans and increase our operations. But we still must spend on the advertisement, expand our factory and get raw materials. We really do not have enough.” Zhong Qingxian also knew that he had to expand his operations. The effects of advertising at CCTV had increased the popularity of his products and the demand outweighs supply. But he had no money!
Feng Yu finally reveal his fox’s tail. He moved closer to Zhong Qingxian and pointed to himself: “I have money!”
Zhong Qingxian placed his chopsticks on the table. He finally understood why Feng Yu was asking so many questions about his company. Feng Yu was interested in his Le Ha Ha company.
“Manager Feng, what do you mean?”
“Mr. Zhong, are you willing to accept investments? I can’t say I have a lot of money, but I have no problems forking out 8 million or 10 million to invest in Le Ha Ha Company. This way, you can expedite your expansion and become the leader in the health supplement drinks industry. The efforts of your advertisements would also be not wasted and still can ease the company's financial pressure. This way, from your employees to yourself, the boss, would not feel so pressurized.”
Zhong Qingxian pulled his sleeves to cover his old worn out sweater inside. To expand his company, he did not have any money. Needless to say his employees, who were working for him based on the beautiful picture he painted for them.
Painting a beautiful picture was only a temporary solution. It will not last long, and if the company encounter some sales problems this coming year, his company would have cashflow problems and became bankrupt!
This did not happen in history. Le Ha Ha’s sales broke through 100 million this year and became the leader in children’s health drinks industry. This also resulted in Zhong Qingxian became more confident, and the banks were willing to loan more money to the company.
But now, Zhong Qingxian had no choice but to consider Feng Yu’s proposal. This was for stability and risk avoidance. Furthermore, even if Feng Yu bought a stake in the company, he would still be the major shareholder. With the injected capital, Le Ha Ha would be able to expand its scale and capture more market share. His earnings would be more than before, and he would face lesser risks.
Zhong Qingxian took out his cigarettes. Feng Yu looked at the cigarette box. It was cheap cigarettes, 2 RMB a pack. Feng Yu did not expect that one of the wealthiest men in China in the future would be so down-and-out.
“Thanks, I don’t smoke.”
Zhong Qingxian kept the cigarette he offered to Feng Yu back into the pack and lit his cigarette. He took a deep puff.
Feng Yu kept quiet and took a sip of his beer. He was waiting for Zhong Qingxian to consider. In future, the beverage industry was a very profitable industry, especially the China market. There were many successful people in this industry.
Milk, yogurt, coffee, energy drinks, herbal tea, carbonated drinks, health drinks, etc. Which type of beverage does not make money?
But among all these companies, Le Ha Ha Company, under the leadership of Zhong Qingxian, became the leader of the industry in China for several years. Even the famous herbal tea which appears much later could not compete with Le Ha Ha!
If Feng Yu could become Le Ha Ha’s shareholder, then in future, Le Ha Ha would still be the leader in China’s market and had a chance to even become a world-renowned beverage industry.
Now, it all boils down to Zhong Qingxian’s decision. If he made the correct choice, then everybody would win. If he made the wrong choice, then they would be competitors. With Feng Yu’s knowledge of the future and financial strength, Le Ha Ha would not be as successful as his previous life!
“Manager Feng, can I consider about this? Le Ha Ha company does not belong to me alone. I still need to discuss with the others. I will give you a reply as soon as possible.”
After finishing the cigarette, Zhong Qingxian gave Feng Yu this answer. Feng Yu was slightly disappointed. But Zhong Qingxian did not reject Feng Yu on the spot, that means there were still possibilities.
“Of course. But I hope you can give me an answer as soon as possible. The pharmaceutical factory in Bing City is currently developing children’s health supplement drinks. The products of the pharmaceutical factory will be better received by the public. If you do not give me a reply, then I will invest in Bing City’s pharmaceutical factory.”
Feng Yu had made it very clear. If you want, we can cooperate and earn money together. If not, I will work with someone else against you. As for what sort of health supplement drinks Bing City’s pharmaceutical factory is developing, Zhong Qingxian had no idea.
Feng Yu also had no idea. It was all made up by him. In the history of his previous life, Bing City pharmaceutical factory did develop calcium gluconate, Zinc gluconate series of drinks. The market response to these drinks was also excellent, resulting in the factory making quite a significant sum. But that was many years later. Feng Yu said all these were to give Zhong Qingxian some pressure.
Both did not say much and finish the dinner quickly. Back at his hotel room, Feng Yu took out the temporary price list from his bag. This was the tabulation of CCTV’s advertisements prepared a day before. It did not include all the advertisement slots, but the slots which Feng Yu wanted was inside.
Feng Yu was planning. He would continue with the advertisement slots which he bought last year and if he had an excess budget, which other slots should he buy?
Zhong Qingxian called his company to ask about the company’s current financial situation and sales figures. He was considering if he should let Feng Yu invest in his company. If yes, how much shares should he give Feng Yu?
Although Le Ha Ha was set up by 3 people, Zhong Qingxian was the major shareholder, and his shares were more than 60% of the company. He had the final say in the company. When he told Feng Yu that he needs to talk to the other shareholders, he was trying to give himself time to think it over carefully.
The next morning, after washing up, Feng Yu looked at himself in the mirror. His facial hair was thicker, and his hair was longer. It was no longer the crew cut. He looked more matured, and Feng Yu was satisfied with his current appearance. He looked manlier than before.
When Feng Yu opened his room’s door, Zhong Qingxian, who was staying in the room diagonally across, also came out. Both of them had breakfast together and chatted on their way to CCTV conference room.
The conference room was already full of people. Everybody was sitting together chatting and trying to find out what slots did each of they bought last year, how much did they pay and how much was their budget this year. Feng Yu and Zhong Qingxian had no friends there, and they both sat together to wait for the conference to start.
“Everybody, please quiet down…… I declare that 1990 CCTV tender for advertising slots will officially start!”
Translator Notes: Successful men are successful because they had experience failures and hardships. The author had changed Wahaha Group to Le Ha Ha. You can read up Wahaha group on Wikipedia. It started with Children’s liquid nutrients and went into other beverages.
Does Feng Yu want to become the shareholder of all successful companies in China? How many businesses and products is he dealing with now? I had forgotten to count……