Chapter 46 It's Not Necessarily About Buying Goods in Guangzhou (Bug Fix): Creating a Trend

Xiang Dong assured Wang Xiao, "You can wire the money first, and I'll pay you back when I get back to the provincial capital."

Wang Xiao was baffled: "What do you mean? This is the store's expense. Did you call the police? If you did, bring the police report to the bookkeeping, otherwise the accounts won't balance. Wire transfer, right? Okay, I'll go to the post office right away."

Tang Yicheng, who was listening nearby, was dumbfounded: "He called for a robbery?"

Well, getting robbed isn't unusual these days. The only thing truly blessed is to go out on business without ever being robbed.

The problem is that he was robbed far too much. A lump sum of 500,000 for goods, plus another 500,000 wired over, that's a whopping 1 million!

what does that mean?

This means that if Xiang Dong never returns to the provincial capital, the 1 million will also disappear along with him.

Tang Yicheng didn't distrust Xiang Dong; rather, money could move people's hearts, and people would die for wealth, just as birds would die for food.

Go out and shout out a reward of 1 million, and see how many people would kill or commit arson for that 1 million. The number would definitely not be less than 1 million!

Self-employed individuals are notorious for having only money on their minds.

Wang Xiao, on the other hand, had full confidence in Xiang Dong.

She didn't trust Xiang Dong's character; after all, she herself was a person with little integrity when it came to money. What she trusted was Xiang Dong's intellect.

Someone who has already amassed a legitimate fortune of over a million through their own efforts, knowing that the next million is not far off, has no reason to ruin their long-term earning channels for a mere million.

A budget of 10 million would be more likely.

Well, judging from Xiang Dong's lifestyle and habits, he doesn't seem like someone with a drug addiction or gambling addiction.

Otherwise, it's hard to say.

Tang Yicheng was stunned. He could only blink twice and say, "I'll go to the post office with you."

Haha, they just lost 500,000 yuan for nothing! Weren't they reacting a little too calmly? Shouldn't they be heartbroken?

It seems there really isn't one.

Tang Yicheng knew that once the batch of clothes was shipped, he would have earned about 500,000 yuan.

It's like making a wasted trip and wasting time.

Wang Xiao only felt heartbroken when she arrived at the post office.

Ugh, another transaction fee. Wire transfers are fast, but the fees are really too much to handle.

This money could have been avoided entirely; it's all the banks' fault for not keeping up with economic development.

After she finished making the remittance, she called Xiang Dong again and instructed him: "Buy the videotapes of the latest popular Hong Kong TV dramas in Guangzhou. If you don't have any on hand, just record a copy and send it over. Don't you have friends over there? Ask them to help send you the videotapes whenever a new movie is released that's doing well. Oh, and also fashion gossip magazines, every issue, I need the latest ones."

Due to its proximity to Hong Kong and the shared Cantonese language, there are currently a huge number of viewers in Guangdong watching Hong Kong dramas simultaneously. Local television stations are struggling to keep up, and are trying every means to produce high-quality local dramas to try and attract viewers back.

Therefore, this is not difficult.

But Xiang Dong didn't understand: "What do you need all this for?"

Chasing trends to kill time? That's impossible.

Despite her cadre status (university graduates are cadres, as are vocational school graduates), Wang Xiao works even harder than the average self-employed individual.

After making money, the self-employed woman can simply relax, eat, drink, boast, and play cards. Even when she eats, drinks, and chats with others, she is gathering information and preparing for the next business deal.

Don't think he doesn't know; she's the kind of person who takes notes even while watching TV.

Wang Xiao didn't hide anything and gave a direct explanation: "Since there are too many risks involved in transporting goods to Guangzhou, I thought it would be better for us to handle it ourselves."

Why do almost all clothing businesses across mainland China go to Guangzhou to launch their new products?

Is it because of its developed garment industry?

NO NO NO, this is not the core factor.

As a typical labor-intensive industry, garment factories are now found in most parts of the country.

Is it because its craftsmanship is exceptionally high, unmatched elsewhere?

No, no. Just look at how Zhouzhen's garment factories can export to Japan and earn foreign exchange, and you'll know that even if there are differences in craftsmanship, they're not that far apart.

What truly determines Guangzhou's leading position in the garment industry in this era is its geographical advantage.

Because it's close to Hong Kong, whatever's popular in Hong Kong can reach Guangzhou very quickly.

Many of the clothes sold there were even brought directly from Hong Kong.

In this era, the influence of Hong Kong popular culture was immense. Just think about the opening scene of the Korean drama "Reply 1988," where the main characters are watching "A Better Tomorrow."

In mainland China, Hong Kong dramas were a winning formula for television stations in the 1990s.

This advantage only gradually disappeared after the rise of the Korean Wave.

Coincidentally, television was the most important medium for the dissemination of popular culture in the 1990s. Fashion magazines and the like didn't gain a significant presence until the mid-to-late 1990s.

What does this mean?

This means Wang Xiao can cheat openly and honestly.

Why bother going to the streets of Guangzhou's West Lake? Just look at what celebrities wear on Hong Kong TV and in gossip magazines, and copy their outfits.

She can't grasp trends, and she can't create them either.

It saves you time and effort.

If she doesn't seize upon the unique ways of cheating and profiting from this era, she will absolutely go crazy.

She even had a garment factory in mind. She would find one in Zhouzhen and use the excuse of needing goods for export to avoid them thinking that domestic sales would allow for more lenient standards.

For a moment, both the man on the phone and the man on the other end were dumbfounded.

It took Xiang Dong a while to find his tongue: "Didn't you say you were selling clothes? Why are you making them yourself?"

Wang Xiao said matter-of-factly, "We'll do whatever is most convenient with the supply chain. It's not expensive to produce clothes locally."

Conversely, given that the raw material prices are roughly the same, and considering the difference in salary levels between Zhouzhen and Yangcheng, as well as various expenses such as travel costs, the clothes produced by the OEM factory she found in Zhouzhen would only be cheaper.

Wang Xiao then emphasized the benefits of doing this to Xiang Dong: "You're lucky this time; they only robbed you of your money and didn't kill you. Otherwise, what if they had chopped off your arm with a watermelon knife or even stabbed you?"

For a time, the real hand-chopping gangs on the streets of Guangzhou were quite famous.

"Furthermore, now that the stores are large and the turnover is fast, how much time do you have to travel to Guangzhou repeatedly? Who can be responsible for the daily management of the clothing supermarket?"

After his initial shock subsided, Xiang Dong calmed down and made his request directly: "Then I need to take a look; I need to see the style of the clothes."

To put it bluntly, although Wang Xiao is a young woman, he really doesn't believe in her ability to grasp trends.

The rooster-motif hairstyle is so fashionable! It's blown up high, so stylish! All the beautiful female celebrities in Hong Kong dress like that. Fashionable young women in the provincial capital lined up to get this hairstyle on New Year's Eve, but she found it utterly awful.

What kind of taste is that!

Wang Xiao felt like she was being bombarded by the popular tastes of the 90s once again.

It was already an eyesore, but what she couldn't stand the most was the rooster-comb hairstyle with its hair sticking up high and covered in mousse, so shiny and stiff that even a fly could do a split on it; and the stirrup pants.

Good heavens, what deep-seated hatred do designers have for their customers to create such anti-human fashion items that have absolutely no decorative effect?

She still suspects that it might be because everyone's clothes were loose and baggy before, so they couldn't see any curves, that they're now compensating by wanting to fully show off every curve of their lower body.

Otherwise, she simply couldn't understand why this kind of clothing would be so popular.

Xiang Dong said matter-of-factly, "That's why I have to take the lead. I wouldn't trust you to do it yourself."

Wang Xiao felt aggrieved, but she still reluctantly agreed.

After all, you should never go against your own money, even if it means going against yourself.

After hanging up the phone, Tang Yicheng hesitated for a moment and asked her, "Should we ask Mr. Luo to help us bring the Singaporean TV series?"

Mr. Luo is a Chinese businessman from Singapore and is staying at the Jinning Hotel.

If we're talking about foreign films and TV shows that appeared on mainland Chinese screens in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Singaporean dramas definitely deserve a mention.

For example, works like "The Lotus Battle", "The Hero Beyond the Great Wall", "Three Faces of Eve", and "Ten Thousand Threads of Love" are all very famous.

Oh, it seems none of these have aired yet, but "Dance of the South Seas" and "On the Road" have. The clothes in "On the Road" are quite in line with Wang Xiao's aesthetic.

only--

Wang Xiao shook her head again: "Forget it, it's inconvenient for them."

Investing in China means that investors spend most of their time in China, unlike middlemen who can continuously move between the two countries.

You can't use personal favors like that.

Tang Yicheng was already figuring out how to get videotapes from Japan and bring them back to China. Well, Japanese dramas are very popular now. A few years ago, there were dramas like "Blood Suspicion" and "Oshin," whose influence could be described as drawing huge crowds.

The only problem is that Jinning Hotel doesn't have any Japanese clients right now. Should we ask the clients of Zhouzhen Garment Factory for help? Didn't they do export business with Japan before?

Now that Wang Xiao has rejected Singaporean dramas, there's no point in even talking about Japanese dramas. He immediately felt it was a real shame, as he had missed out on a good way to make money.

Wang Xiao comforted him and himself: "Let's just follow the Hong Kong style. Trying to do too much at once will only lead to a bad outcome, and the Hong Kong style will have the biggest impact. Besides, I think Singaporean dramas are quite similar to Hong Kong dramas, and actually, they are also a bit like Taiwanese dramas."

Forget it, forget it, don't think too much about it.

The key point to focus on right now is that even if garment factory workers can clearly see the clothes worn by celebrities on TV, it doesn't mean they can make them themselves.

First, you need a design draft, then you need to make a prototype, and then you can put it on the production line.

What can Wang Xiao do during this process? Go and expose the content?

Sigh, you're giving her too much credit.

Although she had run an online store selling sexy lingerie, the problem is that outerwear and lingerie are two different concepts.

She absolutely cannot.

Therefore, you need to seek help from professionals.

This time, Dr. Chen Yanqiu once again used his extensive network of connections to find an old tailor for Wang Xiao.

What's amazing about her is that she can look at any clothes in magazines or on TV, and then make the same thing for you right away.

Such a big shot should, in theory, be able to use his expertise to open his own clothing store without any problem.

However, she was not good at speaking and relied heavily on technical skills, completely clueless about how to attract customers. Furthermore, because self-employed individuals have low social status these days, her family wasn't very supportive, and she had incredibly bad luck—she was swindled out of everything shortly after opening her shop. All these factors combined left Ms. Cao disheartened, preferring to work for someone else.

After chatting with her for half an hour, Wang Xiao realized that not everyone is suited for business. This one should stick to a technical approach; even though she knew the other person meant no harm, she could still manage to leave him speechless after just three sentences.

If this were a customer, arguing would be the least of your worries; it could easily escalate into a physical fight.

Wang Xiao certainly couldn't just listen to the assurances that Doctor Chen made on behalf of others.

Even professional fashion designers have their own preferred styles. Asking someone who specializes in making suits to try their hand at Hanfu is asking too much of them.

Whether Master Cao can truly capture the essence of Hong Kong-style clothing remains to be seen by Wang Xiao.

Fortunately, there were plenty of movie tapes from Hong Kong available at the moment. Wang Xiao randomly picked one called "An Autumn's Tale" and had Master Cao make clothes based on Cherie Chung's outfit.

While waiting, she was very nervous, worried that Master Cao might not adapt well to the local environment. But he really was amazing; the finished product was truly outstanding.

Wang Xiao then made the decision to hire the person, paying them a salary of 200 yuan, with bonuses to be calculated separately.

This perfectly demonstrates what it means to monetize technology.

Looking at the freshly made clothing samples, Tang Yicheng began to wonder, "Why didn't anyone directly hire a factory to make clothes before?"

Of course, clothing factories can't ignore trends. When the TV series "Blood Suspicion" was popular in the 1980s, he had heard that some clothing factories were making Sachiko shirts. But this was a spontaneous action by the clothing factories, not an order placed by a client.

Wang Xiao didn't take it seriously: "That's normal. Individual business owners generally operate on a limited scale, and they order small quantities of each style of clothing, so it's difficult for garment factories to set up production lines specifically for them. Besides, it's faster and more convenient for individual business owners to buy clothes directly from Guangzhou to sell, and it saves them the trouble of dealing with factories in all aspects. Since they can already make a lot of money, why would they bother to place orders with factories separately?"

To put it simply, although all roads lead to Rome, if you're already on a good road, why would you jump onto another one?

They're just asking for trouble.

Of course, what she didn't say was that self-employed individuals don't have a high social status these days. It's better in Guangzhou; the commercial atmosphere is strong, and people are more money-oriented. In inland areas, self-employed individuals might not even be able to get a meal at the table.

They're not on the same wavelength, so it's not surprising that they don't approach her.

When Xiang Dong returned to the provincial capital with his men and goods, Tang Yicheng saw that the scabs on his arm hadn't healed yet, and couldn't help but sigh while watching the videotape: "If I had known this would happen, we would have just made our own clothes in Jiangdong."

Xiang Dong waved his hand repeatedly, then turned to look at Wang Xiao: "I think we still have to go to Guangzhou. Firstly, there are so many kinds of clothes, and if we find a factory to make them, one factory probably won't be able to handle it all. I visited several factories for the goods I bought this time. Secondly, the clothes that are popular in Hong Kong now are probably a step behind what we are doing here. Making clothes based on videotapes is really risky."

Tang Yicheng nodded in agreement.

That's right, he didn't understand the first point, but the second point was true: imported TV series would definitely be broadcast later than those of other countries.

Back when he watched "Blood Ties" on TV, he and his brother almost got into a fight over Sachiko. It wasn't until later, when they happened to read a TV magazine, that the brothers learned that Momoe Yamaguchi had already married and retired when "Blood Ties" aired in mainland China.

Several whole years passed in between!

If the Sachiko shirt and Yves shirt were released according to the broadcast schedule of "Blood Ties" in Japan, probably no one would buy them.

The same goes for "Shanghai Bund," there's a huge time difference, a full five years apart.

Wang Xiao laughed: "So it depends on your taste. The key is that you choose what you think is good."

Xiang Dong shook his head with a wry smile: "I also need to see how other people are shipping their goods to make a judgment."

After much discussion, they finally decided to adopt a two-pronged approach, ensuring both sides are equally strong and complementary.

Wang Xiao comforted him again: "Don't panic. I have acquaintances at the provincial TV station. I'll try to get their TV drama broadcast schedule first, and then I'll precisely target potential hit shows to the TV dramas that are being broadcast."

Where did she get this acquaintance? Well, she's a provincial-level model of bravery and righteousness, and she gave quite a few interviews last year.

Someone like her, who goes to great lengths to build a network of connections, definitely needs to establish long-term relationships with the journalists she's dealt with before.

For example, it's only natural to call and greet them during holidays, or to send samples of local specialties from food factories to the reporters they meet.

Over time, they became familiar with each other.

She didn't necessarily need to get any secrets, she just wanted to know in advance which shows would be airing.

What? You're saying that a mere provincial TV station can't determine the screen choices of viewers in the provincial capital?

That's right. But satellite television doesn't exist in mainland China at all right now.

Even the most beautiful color TVs can only receive CCTV, provincial TV, and municipal TV channels. This is the case in most parts of the country (except Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Guangdong).

This means that Wang Xiao will need to collect far less information.

Xiang Dong still felt uncertain: "But what if the TV station doesn't broadcast Hong Kong films?"

Nowadays, TV stations produce quite a few dramas themselves. If they digest them on their own, then TV stations have no way of judging the trend of Hong Kong style that will be popular in the provincial capital based on television.

Wang Xiao cleared his throat and gave a meaningful smile: "Is it because the TV stations don't want to broadcast it? It's because they don't have the content."

Comrade, how can you overestimate the integrity of television stations? Releasing content directly from available sources is standard practice nowadays. The copyright awareness of artists is practically nonexistent these days.

Those songs that were directly rewritten and re-sung, even if the cassette tapes sold over a million copies, didn't see anyone give the copyright holders a single penny.

Furthermore, television stations often have large gaps in their airtime due to staff and budget shortages. If free Hong Kong films were offered to them during these times, do you think they would be tempted?

Tang Yicheng shook his head: "They have to re-dub the audio, otherwise we won't understand Cantonese."

Sigh, thinking about it this way, Singaporean dramas and Taiwanese films are still more suitable, since they are easier to understand.

Wang Xiao was very open-minded: "Why not ask? How will we know if we don't ask? Maybe they'd be willing. Everyone has their own expertise, and voice acting might not be difficult for them at all."

Television is currently the most prominent medium of communication, and the 1990s were the golden age of television stations.

Wang Xiao didn't believe that TV stations didn't want to produce hit shows. Whether it was self-produced programs (which were rare due to limited resources), TV dramas, or movies, only good viewership and a large audience could attract more advertising revenue.

Even though viewers can only receive a limited number of channels now, they still have to choose the best one from the three available.

Xiang Dong was busy arranging the newly arrived clothes, while Wang Xiao went to the TV station herself.

Tang Yicheng hesitated for half a second between the two, then decided to accompany Wang Xiao on the errand.

He swears he wasn't complaining about the effort of packing and labeling clothes; he simply wanted to follow Wang Xiao and learn how she dealt with people at the TV station.

However, Wang Xiao made the most of him, directly assigning him to take on a major role: "Perfect timing, go to all the video arcades around here, bring some cigarettes, and find out which DVDs are popular recently, especially those that women like. If you can borrow them, do so; if not, see if you can make a copy and give it to Xiang Dong to review first, and then take it to Master Cao for proofreading."

Video rental stores are all the rage now; young men and women around here love watching videos. Compared to movie theaters and television stations, they have more choices at video rental stores, and can even order movies on demand. The popularity of videotapes directly reflects their aesthetic preferences.

Since he's using a major factory as his base, Wang Xiao definitely needs to secure his existing foothold here first.

As for customers from other districts and counties in the city, well, she still needs to find ways to attract them.

Wang Xiao took the films that had just been released in Hong Kong last year, including "The Greed of Man," "The Edge of Righteousness," "Burning Years," "Looking Back at Today," and several other films she had never heard of before, and went straight to the city television station.

The reason she didn't approach the provincial TV station was because she knew that the lower the level of the TV station, the looser the control and the more likely they were to accept this kind of "self-importation" behavior, while the provincial station would have to be more careful about the impact.

Wang Xiao used the name of the steel factory's affiliated store to talk to the leaders of the municipal TV station. The store could sponsor the TV station to complete the Mandarin dubbing of Hong Kong dramas for free, with only one request: to add "Women's Street" commercial breaks to the dramas.

Why insert a clip? Can't we just put it at the beginning of the credits?

Well, Wang Xiao is always one to make the most of everything. Since she's spent money, she definitely wants to achieve the greatest effect.

The commercials run alongside the TV series. Whether it's broadcast on a local station or another station, the commercials will follow along, and the reach will naturally extend to the broadcasting location.

Although her Women's Street self-service clothing supermarket is located in Dachang, the provincial capital, it doesn't mean that the store's customers are limited to the provincial capital.

Audiences from all over the province and even the whole country can be her gods.

Otherwise, why would Zhengzhou Asia Shopping Mall have advertised on CCTV, turning itself into a Zhengzhou landmark? It's worth noting that advertising on CCTV is far more expensive than on local Henan TV stations.

In this era of limited individual purchasing power, only a sufficient number of customers can guarantee stable sales. And the collective of individual customers who come specifically for the product or service represents a consumer group not to be underestimated.

Well, her requirements aren't high. She just wants every tourist who comes to the provincial capital to visit the Women's Street Clothing Supermarket in Dachang, just like they would visit the Jinning Grand Hotel's service center to buy a big meat bun as a souvenir.

The leaders of the city television station were hesitant about which of the several programs to choose.

Wang Xiao bluntly offered a suggestion: "Both 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' are very popular in Guangdong and have received a very good response."

The key is that these two modern dramas are full of handsome men and beautiful women. Especially Deric Wan and Leon Lai in their younger days, wow, cough cough, Amitabha, I'm trying my best to hold back my drool.

A large number of handsome men, and good-looking men at that, means attracting more female viewers. And these women are precisely the target customer group of the "Women's Street" self-service clothing supermarket.

The city TV station leader recognized Deric Wan in "Looking Back in Anger". He thought "Looking Back in Anger" was doing quite well when it aired in the provincial capital before the Lunar New Year, so he thought "Looking Back in Anger" was also pretty good.

Wang Xiao quickly promoted "The Edge of Life" as well: "Let's do it together, this film is very popular. Besides, the store is about to open and we have this budget now, but it's hard to say what will happen later. Even if I want to try to get funding later, the leaders may not approve it."

The leader thought it made sense and said, "Let's do it together."

Wang Xiao urged again: "Our store opens on March 28th, and the TV series needs to air before then, otherwise we won't be able to keep up. So, I'll have to trouble you again, boss."

As she spoke, she handed over the envelope.

Overtime pay is fine, but the deadline has to be met.

Surprisingly, the TV station leaders weren't worried at all: "What's there to be afraid of? Don't worry, we'll record and broadcast simultaneously, it definitely won't take up much time."

Wang Xiao was dumbfounded. Seriously, are they all this reckless these days? Shouldn't they conduct a thorough review, at least have the higher-level authorities read the entire script before deciding whether the show can be broadcast?

But it's really wild now.

Because self-produced documentaries by TV stations are expensive, many are filmed and broadcast simultaneously in order to quickly recoup funds. If funding runs out and filming can't continue, or if the response is too negative and complaints are filed, then it's over; if everything goes smoothly, then it continues to be broadcast.

Wang Xiao thought about it and seemed to understand.

The infamous "Two Constables of Suzhou" is nothing short of a trap, forever left unfinished.

With the TV station's broadcast schedule finalized, Wang Xiao, adhering to the principle of making the most of resources, asked the station's leaders for a discussion: "After our TV broadcast ends, can the tapes be given to the radio station for broadcast?"

How will it be broadcast? Will it be made into a radio drama?

Hey, it doesn't need to be so complicated. Just play it directly so the audience can hear the sound.

Don't find it unbelievable; quite a few people secretly listened to the TV by pressing their ear against the door when they were kids.

Wang Xiao set her sights on the radio station because she wanted to tap into the potential customer base of female college students.

In 1991, university tuition was free, and the government also provided living allowances. University students had no worries about food and clothing and were not concerned about finding jobs after graduation. Therefore, they enjoyed a leisurely and comfortable lifestyle.

Female college students living on campus may not be able to watch TV, but that doesn't stop them from listening to the radio.

With the decline in radio's influence and the resulting financial difficulties, the ability to produce original programs has also decreased. Often, programming time slots are filled with popular songs.

Whether a song is good or not is one thing, but among a bunch of songs, radio, and television, especially popular Hong Kong dramas, Wang Xiao believes he can attract quite a few listeners.

After all, no matter how delicious a dessert is, it can't compare to the appeal of a bowl of rice soup.

While Wang Xiao was calculating in his mind, the TV station leader frowned.

It's not that their station or he personally has any irreconcilable conflict with the radio station, it's just that television and radio haven't merged into one yet, so why would he bother to learn from Lei Feng, do good deeds and help the poor? It wouldn't benefit their TV station.

It's better to avoid trouble.

Wang Xiao's eyes widened immediately, his face filled with astonishment: "Oh dear, boss, how could there be no benefit? I was thinking of broadcasting the videotape precisely because I was looking out for our TV station."

Think about it, just because people don't usually watch TV doesn't mean they don't have one at home. For example, boarding students or factory workers on duty—if they hear our station dubbing Hong Kong dramas on the radio, wouldn't they be interested? Once they're curious, they'll definitely turn on the TV to watch our dramas when they get home on weekends or after work. This is essentially free advertising for our station.”

The station's leader was both amused and exasperated: "Does that mean I still have to pay the radio station for advertising?"

He hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. "Alright."

Anyway, radio can't compete with television now, and Wang Xiao's words really hit a nerve.

He was in middle school during the golden age of radio. He was so engrossed in listening to "Rickshaw Boy" on the radio that he saved up his breakfast money for three whole months to buy a physical copy of the book.

It's clear that people who hear about it really want to see it.

Why stop something that's beneficial?

Both parties reached an agreement and discussed the shooting method for the interstitial advertisement.

Wang Xiao didn't arrange anything too complicated. It was just a simple fashion show where the sales assistants, dressed in the latest clothes, walked around in the middle of the supermarket full of clothes, then displayed the clothing store's logo and address, and said: "Fashion journey, Women's Street!"

Well, actually she wanted to arrange for the young lady to step out of the helicopter like a queen and enter the supermarket, which would have a better effect of showing off; unfortunately, due to limited resources, she could only use a substitution technique and borrow someone else's helicopter footage.

Okay, she admits that she's never been very ethical when it comes to making money.

After finishing her talk with the municipal TV station, Wang Xiao didn't rest. Because the provincial TV station was nearby, she went there to ask for their TV drama broadcast schedule.

Tsk, thank goodness she had a Plan B, otherwise the provincial TV station really wouldn't have any Hong Kong dramas planned for broadcast this year, mostly just rural dramas and period dramas.

It's quite good-looking; films from this era have a certain charm.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the dish she wanted.

Wang Xiao smiled and thanked the reporters and editors she knew from the TV station, then offered them local specialties.

Then, under her intentional or unintentional guidance, the TV station staff who didn't have urgent matters gathered together to chat, and gradually the conversation drifted to the topic of how boring it seemed that there weren't any major events in the provincial capital this year.

Sigh, things have been so sluggish these past two years, getting worse and worse.

The higher-ups said that stability is the top priority.

But this lifeless atmosphere is also a cause for concern.

Wang Xiao then offered a variety of snacks, such as crispy candies and dried bean curd, before casually adding, "I heard there's a food festival in Guangzhou, where all sorts of local specialties are on the streets, attracting many citizens and tourists to sample them. It's quite lively. My friend tried a lot of local specialties there, things that even Guangzhou locals rarely see."

The reporters and editors who were snacking around became interested: "Hey, this is interesting. People in the Pearl River Delta really know how to do things and dare to do them."

Everyone has a mouth and a tongue, but not everyone is eloquent, yet almost every mouth loves to eat.

Otherwise, how could individual food vendors make money like this?

Oh, that's a lucrative business. There's an older woman on the street outside the TV station who sells breakfast in the morning and stir-fries at noon and in the evening. She earns a month's salary in a day, which is more than the TV station employees make.

Don't be fooled by their seemingly respectable appearance. In reality, they're dirt poor, and it's shameful to even mention it.

Seeing that everyone was about to go off-topic again, Wang Xiao quickly steered the conversation back on track: "Then we could also hold a Jiangdong specialty food exhibition. I see that we have a lot of local specialties from all over the province, and they taste pretty good too."

Some people around agreed, while others shook their heads: "Who would take the lead in doing this? It's too much trouble."

As a result, Wang Xiao, acting like a child in a frenzy, said excitedly, "It's not troublesome at all. Just pick a nice day, set up a sunshade, and separate the stalls. I can find the venue, and the exhibitors are easy to find; I happen to have the contact information for food factories..."

Everyone was snacking on the side while she talked on and on about how she had planned out the entire food festival.

Someone joked, "Great! If this food festival goes on, we'll definitely be there to support it!"

Wang Xiao readily agreed: "No problem, I'll definitely save the best food for you. But I have a request: our station has to go and report on it, so I can go to the factory to ask for sponsorship."

Everyone burst into laughter.

You, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, a model of bravery and righteousness, have come all the way to the provincial TV station to fleece people.

Wang Xiao pressed his advantage: "If the TV station doesn't report on it or promote it, we Jiangdong people won't even know there's such a food festival. If we put out a ton of food, but there are hardly any customers, wouldn't that be a waste?"

The head of the news department nodded repeatedly as she kept an eye on things: "Okay, okay, let us know when you're ready, and we'll go over and do a news report."

Hey! It's done.

Where is the food festival being held?

It's a big event, held on the street between the movie theater and the supermarket.

This way, all the ordinary people who come to join the food festival can see the bright and shiny signboard of Women's Street as soon as they look up.

Hmm, that's how you attract traffic, isn't it?

Seriously, based on her experience as a foodie for two lifetimes, whether the economy is booming or declining, the busiest place in a large shopping mall is always the food court.

As for the issue of not having enough staff at the exhibition booths, where to find help?

Cough cough.

Wang Xiao left the provincial TV station and went straight to a public phone booth. She started calling people one by one from her phone book: "Manager Lü, this is Xiao Wang. I've been thinking about what you said last year about fewer guests staying at our hotel after the New Year, and how our local specialties weren't selling well. Luckily, I heard on the provincial TV station today that our province is holding a provincial food festival in the provincial capital this month. I think our hotel shouldn't miss this opportunity. We can send people from the hotel so tourists know that even after the festival, they can still buy local delicacies from other places at our hotel… Manager, you're right, our customers aren't just hotel guests; ordinary citizens are also a stable source of customers…"

I made about ten phone calls in a row.

OK, we have the manpower, and the commissions from the sales of local specialties by each hotel after the food festival are secure.

Even if it's just a little bit, every little bit of money is still money.

Wang Xiao returned to the Jinning Grand Hotel with a delighted smile. She was such a clever girl; she had to treat herself to a piece of Basque cake.

Honestly, the restaurant really listened to advice; she asked for taro Basque, and the chef actually made it.

Oh my, that's so delicious!

It was so delicious that she temporarily gave up on managing her figure and decided to let loose and be herself.

Wang Xiao was enjoying her meal when Chef Fang, who happened to be free, came out to chat with her: "Hey, what good thing happened to you, girl? You're laughing so happily."

"It's nothing," Wang Xiao replied casually, swallowing the cake in his mouth. "It's just that we were talking on TV about how our province has so many specialties, but we've never had a proper exhibition or sale. Since there aren't many events this year, why not hold a food festival to showcase the delicious food and specialties of Jiangdong to the general public and enrich everyone's choices of non-staple foods?"

Chef Fang had only asked casually, but upon hearing this, he became interested: "A food festival, huh? So which restaurants did you choose?"

ah?

Wang Xiao shook his head and emphasized, "It's a local specialty, sold at a special stall. It's made in a factory, so there's no need for a restaurant."

She enthusiastically extended an invitation, "There are over a hundred kinds of local specialties, Uncle Fang. You should visit sometime; I guarantee it will be worth the trip."

Chef Fang looked at him with a "I don't understand" expression and bluntly said, "If restaurants aren't participating, what kind of food festival is this? No way, you're just messing around."

Wang Xiao argued forcefully: "Why aren't local specialties considered delicacies? When people come to our province for tourism, they bring home local delicacies, which are all local specialties."

Even the steamed buns from the Jinning Grand Hotel can only be served on trains in the dead of winter. Try it when it's hot and the journey is long; they'll spoil before you even get off the train.

Chef Fang shook his head vigorously: "When people talk about delicious food, the first thing that comes to mind is steaming hot food that's just come out of the pot. How can it be like what you've poured out of a bag? No, no, this is ruining the reputation of Jiangdong cuisine! How can you do something like this?"

Wang Xiao didn't dare to argue with people in the catering industry; she respected all those with a strong sense of professional honor. She could only emphasize the objective facts: "But I've already secured the venue and contacted the exhibitors. Adding restaurants now would be an extra expense, but the key issue is where am I supposed to find so many restaurants in such a short time? I can't just rely on our Jinning Grand Hotel."

Master Fang, who had been sitting and chatting with Wang Xiao, stood up confidently and said, "Don't worry, this is no big deal. Just wait, there are so many decent restaurants in our provincial capital that you can't count them on your fingers. I'll report to my superiors and get the people over here."

Oh my, this is a wonderful surprise!

Wang Xiao isn't stupid; how could she not understand that freshly made food is always more tempting than local specialties packaged in plastic bags?

Ah ha, when the pot lid is lifted, the aroma will fill the whole street. How could we not attract customers? Haha, it will definitely be a sensation throughout the city!

Once the crowds arrive, and everyone has their fill of eating and drinking, why wouldn't they want to shop around?

As for girls, do you really think they can just go shopping like that? No way!

As a fellow woman, she knows all too well how everyone's wallets get emptied.

As for whether the packaging of local specialties will overshadow the product itself?

Well, firstly, the commission she received from selling local specialties was limited, so she didn't really care about it; secondly, when people are full, they are actually quite willing to take some more food home.

For example, when she has dinner with her girlfriends, she always carries a bag of fruit on her way out and back. Carrying away a cup of milk tea is her last act of defiance in order to appear on camera.

Wang Xiaomei happily stood by and did nothing. If she didn't make good use of the labor that was delivered to her door, wouldn't she be wasting their enthusiasm?

She is so kind.