Chapter 50: Not to be discussed, only to be done.

In Zheng Junni's bedroom at Shengyuelou, she was eating her postpartum meal.

After hearing about Ye Kaimin's company going public, Zheng Junni raised her eyebrows.

"The old man must think our Xianbao has good feet."

Ye Kaimin: "Of course. We were having a good chat, but then Ye Baoshun came up and he got angry again. Actually, deep down he still cares most about his eldest grandson."

Zheng Junni certainly knew this; as the saying goes, the eldest grandson and the youngest son are both the apple of one's eye.

The Ye Kais family has this advantage.

The eldest grandson of the youngest son's family is still doted on to the bone.

As Ye Kaimin watched the nanny feed the baby milk, he muttered, "Who does our Xianbao look like? He doesn't look like me, and he doesn't look like you either."

Zheng Junni's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately said, "Like me when I was little. I was this chubby when I was little too."

"Right? It's good to be a little chubby, being chubby means good fortune." Ye Kaimin said this casually, he never doubted that this son was not his.

Zheng Junni brought up the previous topic again, "Is Baoshun not performing well at the company?"

Ye Kaimin sneered: "A young master like him is fawned over at the company every day, he doesn't know anything, and no one dares to assign him any tasks. It would be a miracle if he performed well. I was like that when I went to the company before. No one dared to manage you, and no one genuinely taught you how to do things."

“I heard from Baoxin that he’s never home and is always out fooling around. I don’t know what kind of friends he makes.”

"Why do you care about him? He's not your son. Oh..."

The baby spit up milk, and the elderly couple stood up anxiously, no longer in the mood to gossip about others.

After the nanny took the child out to change clothes, Ye Kaimin also went downstairs and out the door. He had been busy with the listing recently and had many drinking parties.

Ye Baoxin, who had dinner with Ye Baolong, came in to see her mother and younger brother.

After finishing a bowl of chicken soup, Zheng Junni asked her daughter in a low voice, "How did your talk with Fang Shanxing go?"

"That's it. We went to see a movie together yesterday. We made plans for him to teach me golf next weekend," Ye Baoxin said, her tone indifferent.

It seems to be going well. Zheng Junni laughed and said, "Isn't that great? If your marriage goes through, but the sons-in-law that the old man carefully selected for Ye Baoling all fall through, I reckon he'll have a heart attack from anger."

Ye Qizu's favoritism and indifference were a thorn in Ye Baoxin's heart since childhood.

The old man favored sons over daughters, and looked down on other people's families, so Ye Baoxin was always at the bottom of the food chain.

She used to study hard, and now she works hard; she just wants to prove that she is better than Ye Baoling.

If she could successfully marry into the Fang family, which has a higher social status, and gain Ye Qizu's respect, she would finally be able to hold her head high.

She was holding her breath and couldn't say much to her mother.

But no one knows a child better than their mother, and Zheng Junni certainly knew what she was thinking.

"You have to seize the opportunity yourself."

Ye Baoxin had no desire to confide in her mother, only lazily saying, "He likes me, not the other way around."

Junnie smiled, saying that this was for the best.

*

Around 11 o'clock, Ye Huaizhang arrived as scheduled.

He brought over the pork jerky she wanted, along with a bathrobe.

This is like someone trying to gain entry and become the master of the house.

Ye Baoling pointed to his bathrobe: "There's nowhere to put it, Sister Ping will find out."

"These bathrobes come in both men's and women's styles. With such a big walk-in closet, how could you have spotted them?"

Ye Baoling said with a hint of smugness, "So you know my walk-in closet is bigger than yours?"

Ye Huaizhang retorted sarcastically, "This is intended for Ye Baoshun, not for you."

"Anyway, it's mine now."

It will be the same in the future.

Ye Huaizhang sat down on a high stool in the sitting room. From his spot, he could see the night view outside the window, which startled Ye Baoling so much that she quickly drew the curtains.

There was a small bar in the seating area, but there was no alcohol on the bar shelf. Opening the refrigerator inside, there was only jasmine tea that Ye Baoling had brought back from the company.

Because it was in a blank plastic bottle, he couldn't tell what it was, so he couldn't help but be curious and thought that she was afraid of being discovered by her family, so she secretly used a plastic bottle to store wine.

He unscrewed the bottle cap and smelled it. "What is this?"

"I took the lead in improving the jasmine herbal tea."

Ye Baoling took out a glass and poured some for him: "Try it."

Ye Huaizhang, as a minor shareholder of Ye Qingtang, knew about Ye Qingtang's movements and did not want to drink.

"Your jasmine herbal tea doesn't taste good."

"It's been improved. It's not poisonous, drink it quickly."

Ye Huaizhang took a small bite and thought it tasted quite good. "A newly improved version?"

"Is it delicious?"

"Not bad." He said, taking another big gulp.

Ye Baoling smiled and said, "That means you're still young. Our tea drink is specifically designed for young people."

"I never expected that Ye Qingtang, who seems so lifeless, could develop such a product." He was quite surprised.

Ye Baoling reiterated: "I was in charge."

"Excellent!" he praised sincerely, and poured himself another glass.

Ye Baoling sat opposite him eating pork jerky. She tore off a piece and held it to his mouth, saying, "Shanghai jerky is just the best."

Ye Huaizhang shook his head: "It's too sweet."

He won't eat.

"Just a touch of sweetness, paired with jasmine tea, might just be the perfect flavor."

He had no choice but to open his mouth and take it.

It tastes awful.

Their tastes are only slightly different in this respect.

"Is it delicious?"

Ye Huaizhang reluctantly gave a "hmm," then reminded him, "You're just a junior employee. Even though you spearheaded the improvement, once it's successful, your immediate supervisor, or even your supervisor's supervisor, will definitely rea the benefits..."

It's clear that he's also seen the "professional fraud" of seasoned veterans in the workplace.

He advised, "You should keep some evidence on hand so you can complain to your grandfather later. Don't end up crying and complaining with no evidence at all."

"What are you saying?" Ye Baoling rolled her eyes at him. "You don't need to worry about it."

He really got worried and said, "Even the best wine needs advertising. Since we've developed such a delicious product, we should spend some money to promote it. Besides, Ye Qingtang is about to go public. If sales increase and we can achieve some success, it will also boost the stock price."

Ye Baoling: "I've thought of everything you can think of, but it's not up to me now. Let's see what they choose later."

After finishing their meal, the two stood side by side in front of the mirror brushing their teeth. After brushing, she suddenly remembered what he had asked her to do on the phone.

Did you shave your leg hair?

Ye Baoling lifted his bathrobe; he hadn't shaved!

He resolutely refused to shave; that was his bottom line.

"I'm not a eunuch."

"..."

Pingjie just changed the sheets for her today. "Wrap yourself up properly, don't let any hairs show. If Pingjie finds out your leg hairs again and it causes me trouble, she'll hold you accountable."

It's a joke that his fearless wife is afraid of an old maid.

Ye Huaizhang picked her up in one go. Since the bed wasn't suitable, he decided to move her to another place and placed her on the solid wood cabinet in the dressing room.

After a drought of more than a week, the two were in high spirits, and the sound of their juicy, full bodies colliding instantly echoed in the dressing room.

This kind of relationship is good; we don't talk about it, we just do it.

Even if we break up in the future, we will only have beautiful memories left, and there will be no endless arguments.

*

After the latest issue of "Tumbleweed" was published, it was Bai Zhu's most leisurely time.

They booked a table at a restaurant near the newspaper office, and Ye Baoling, Chen Yulan, Liu Haonan, and Bai Zhu had dinner together.

Today they went to the law firm to sign the contract, and Ye Baoling paid the remaining amount to the other party.

When discussing the future of "Tumbleweed," Bai Zhu wanted to turn the newspaper into a magazine, but at the same time, the costs would be higher and more uncontrollable.

"I still want to accumulate more readers first. Everything is difficult at the beginning. Once we have established a reputation, we can turn the newspaper into a magazine, have more pages, and also take on some advertisements to increase revenue."

Ye Baoling put down her soup spoon and encouraged them, "Take it one step at a time, I'm rooting for you."

"No, we're on your side."

The group of people laughed and gently clinked their glasses.

As the dinner was drawing to a close, Bai Zhu noticed several former colleagues dining at the same restaurant not far ahead. She went over to greet them, chatted for a while, and then returned.

When she returned, she explained to them with a smile: "Of my former colleagues at the Citizen's Daily, some stayed with the newspaper, but most left to work for other media outlets."

Ye Baoling asked, "Are they all financial reporters like you?"

Bai Zhu: "I cover finance, entertainment, sports, and current affairs. If you ever need someone to publish your news, just contact me. I can help you find someone to publish any type of article in any newspaper."

Ye Baoling smiled and said, "Okay."

This is the resource she needs.

*

In Qu Zhengming's office, Ye Baoling finished reporting on her work and closed her notebook.

There's a promotional meeting for jasmine herbal tea coming up later. Qu Zhengming stood up and said, "Take half an hour to the marketing department. Come on, you can come with me."

Ye Baoling is quick-witted and has a sharp mind, so Qu Zhengming likes to take her with him wherever he goes.

The marketing department meetings are the most active and lively, with top salespeople who are either highly emotionally intelligent or have fiery tempers when necessary.

Manager Dai said, "The performance of traditional herbal tea in the third quarter was basically completed satisfactorily, and the performance in the following quarters can be considered as exceeding the target. According to past practice, we can postpone some orders to the next quarter to reduce the pressure in the next quarter."

Qu Zhengming: "We need to make a final push for the IPO this month. You guys handle it as you see fit. Sign up the contracts this month if you can, and save some for the next quarter."

Manager Dai and Manager Huang exchanged glances, feeling somewhat unwilling, but with a new leader taking office, they couldn't say much and had no choice but to agree.

Qu Zhengming could tell they were unhappy, but he didn't want to indulge them, so he changed the subject, "I checked, and the sales of the new herbal tea seem to have improved. What's going on?"

Manager Huang smiled and said, "After Baolin implemented the distribution system, it boosted the sales of the new herbal tea. However, most agents and distributors still chose to distribute Luo Han Guo herbal tea, and the sales of Jasmine herbal tea are still very low."

Manager Dai asked, "Isn't the product department working on improving the jasmine herbal tea? When will it be available?"

Qu Zhengming looked at Ye Baoling, who replied, "To facilitate the company's listing, we are speeding up the process, and it should be available as early as next week."

"Pauline, I heard the taste is quite good after this improvement."

Ye Baoling smiled and said, "The factory has just finished a batch of sample products. I'll have the security guards bring some up to you later. You can communicate with the agents and distributors first, and try to get orders as soon as the goods are ready so you can earn more commission."

Ye Baoling's last sentence, "Get more commission," was brilliant; it's exactly what market sales professionals love to hear.

After the meeting, some sales staff didn't want to wait for others to bring it up, so they followed Ye Baoling back to the product department on the sixth floor to get the new jasmine tea for themselves.

After drinking it, everyone praised it, "This really can be drunk like a beverage. Pauline, your technique is amazing!"

Ye Baoling laughed and said, "It's not my technology, it's someone else's technology. It tastes even better chilled."

"I heard that the R&D was also improved based on your market research, so you deserve the most credit."

As they were chatting, Rao Qiutong happened to pass by them, and she couldn't help but embellish her story and report it to Wan Xiwen.

Wan Xiwen was a rich heiress who was easily influenced and lacked experience. Rao Qiutong stirred up her anger, and she was furious.

At the start of the promotional event, she made a strong first impression.

"The achievements of our Jasmine Herbal Tea project team are the result of the joint efforts of all team members, especially the colleagues in the R&D team, who worked overtime to develop such an excellent formula. I heard that the developer of Formula No. 4 was also rewarded by the company and sent to the United States for further study. We have all witnessed your efforts, so please give them a round of applause."

Everyone applauded, but Ye Baoling didn't feel that it was directed at her; she clapped harder than anyone else.

Wan Xiwen realized that her punch had landed on cotton, so she couldn't help but remind some colleagues: "Please don't boast about your contributions before you've even achieved anything. It's not fair to other colleagues who are working just as hard."

right!

Ye Baoling clapped even more enthusiastically.

If she still didn't realize that Wan Xiwen was talking about her at this point, then she wouldn't be Ye Baoling.

She did it on purpose.

They deliberately don't understand human speech.

Wan Xiwen was so angry that she really wanted to call her out by name, but in the end she held back and quickly got to the main topic of the meeting.

"This promotional plan for jasmine herbal tea is very important. We'll have an internal pitch first. Who wants to come up with a plan first?"

Li Donghao, a planner in the brand department, said, "Let me start by throwing out an idea."

In those days, no one used PowerPoint to write proposals; instead, they would print out the proposals, make copies, and distribute them to everyone for review.

"From a brand perspective, I'm telling consumers about Ye Qing Tang's rich century-long history, and how jasmine herbal tea represents a significant flavor revolution within that history. Therefore, our promotional focus is on its unique taste. Jasmine herbal tea is refreshing and thirst-quenching, completely different from traditional herbal teas. We'll combine radio, television, newspaper and magazine ads, and outdoor billboards for comprehensive coverage, aiming to create an effective brand advertisement for the company's IPO..."

This is pretty good!

Ye Baoling clapped along with everyone else.

The brand department is quite capable.

Next up is Rao Qiutong's promotional plan from the product department.

After sending her proposal to her colleagues, she stood at the front with a smile and said modestly, "The colleagues from the brand department just gave us a great start. I've always done product planning proposals, and this is my first time doing a promotional proposal. Please forgive any shortcomings."

After saying those polite words, Rao Qiutong got down to business.

“My proposal is a little different from Li Donghao’s. My theme revolves around the sentiment surrounding jasmine. Our jasmine raw materials come from Madurai, India. Many people may not know that this is the origin of jasmine. We want to tell consumers that we are very authentic. Our raw materials are authentic, our herbal tea is authentic, and our sentiment is also authentic. When shooting the advertisement, we can add the song 'Jasmine Flower' as background music…”

feelings……

After hearing Rao Qiutong's words, Ye Baoling's mind flashed back to the scene of shooting an advertisement with lively Indian song and dance.

Making a short film for viral marketing is possible, but unfortunately, we don't have the technology or platform to support that right now.

As a main theme for promotion, it's clear that the path has been narrowed.

No one offered any comments; everyone simply applauded as usual.

Finally, it was Ye Baoling's turn. She smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries: "After listening to the proposals from my two colleagues, I suddenly understood. My proposal might be a bit more youthful, since we are targeting young consumers. The proposal from the brand department just mentioned a point, which is that we need to tell consumers that our new product is not a traditional herbal tea."

"First, I suggest changing the name. Let's change jasmine herbal tea to jasmine iced tea. It's only a one-word difference, but the implications are completely different. No matter how the name is changed, the former can't escape the stereotype of herbal tea in consumers' minds. What is herbal tea? Slightly bitter, cooling, and traditional. But iced tea is different. Just hearing the name evokes a sense of coolness, thirst quenching, and youthfulness, which can break the original image of jasmine tea in consumers' minds. It also fits the characteristic that our jasmine tea tastes better when chilled."

"Secondly, in addition to being refreshing and cooling, we highlight the heat-clearing and detoxifying effects of jasmine. Although we are not following the traditional route, we cannot lose the greatest advantage of traditional herbal tea."

"Finally, when shooting print and television commercials, you can combine them with sports, emphasizing dynamism..."

After Ye Baoling finished speaking, several people from the brand department applauded.

This solution is a real eye-opener, and it has a very strong real-time capability.

Wan Xiwen questioned, "It's August now, and September is just around the corner. Isn't it the wrong season to be cooling off and quenching our thirst?"

Ye Baoling: "The temperature in Hong Kong will still be above 20°C in December, while our main customers are in Southeast Asia, where the temperature is even higher. Moreover, young people don't care about the weather when they drink cold drinks, otherwise Pepsi wouldn't need to advertise in winter."

Wan Xiwen paused slightly after being rebuked, then said, "You've reminded me of Pepsi. You made your herbal tea ad so similar to the cola ad. You're basically telling consumers, why should I drink your herbal tea to cool down and quench my thirst? I'll just keep drinking carbonated beverages."

Ye Baoling: "The beverage market for young consumers is huge. Only by engaging with young people in ways they like can we reach more consumers..."

Wan Xiwen interrupted Ye Baoling: "Besides, if you turn a perfectly good herbal tea into iced tea, you'll definitely lose your existing customers. I think focusing on the theme of sentimentality, combined with the origin of the jasmine raw materials, and highlighting our authenticity is the most appropriate approach."

Rao Qiutong immediately tried to win over the brand department: "My proposal can actually be integrated with the brand department's main theme about Ye Qingtang's century-long history..."

Li Donghao from the brand department awkwardly laughed and said his thoughts: "Actually, Ms. Gu's proposal is quite suitable for young consumers."

Wan Xiwen reiterated, "We want to explore new consumer markets, but we can't completely abandon our existing customers."

The others dared not speak.

Ye Baoling didn't try to persuade her further; she just smiled and didn't offer any more opinions.

Finally, Wan Xiwen overruled all objections and decided to use Rao Qiutong's promotional plan.

"The next promotional plan will be completed by Rao Qiutong and her colleagues in the brand department."

After finalizing the plan, Qu Zhengming came in after finishing her other tasks. She asked, "Formula No. 4 has been delivered to the factory. What's the progress on your end?"

Wan Xiwen reported: "We have selected a promotion plan."

Qu Zhengming glanced at all three proposals and questioned, "Why isn't Gu Baolin's proposal used?"

Wan Xiwen laughed and said, "It's too much like a Coca-Cola commercial. It will cause us to lose our existing customers."

Qu Zhengming: "We still have so many traditional herbal teas, how could we possibly lose our original customers? This product is only being improved because it's not selling well."

Wan Xiwen suggested, "Why don't you take the proposal to the leaders and let them choose?"

Qu Zhengming glanced at Wan Xiwen and said, "Okay, I understand."

Qu Zhengming went upstairs to discuss with the brand director, who also agreed with Gu Baolin's plan. Since the goal was to attract more young consumers, the advertising should be done in a way that young people like.

Finally, the solution came to Shen Wanjie, whose ideas differed from theirs.

“Herbal tea is herbal tea. Herbal tea is the foundation of Ye Qingtang. It can’t be called iced tea! This promotional plan is unacceptable for this reason alone.” In the end, Shen Wanjie chose the plan that had Wan Xiwen’s name on it.

Qu Zhengming and the brand director looked at each other, wanting to argue their case, but in the end they were met with a soft rebuff and were brushed off by Shen Wanjie.

Shen Wanjie was probably worried that Wan Xiwen lacked experience, so he eventually handed over the promotion of the improved jasmine herbal tea to the brand department for follow-up and control, but Wan Xiwen was still the manager of this project.

Five days later, the first batch of improved jasmine herbal tea hit the market, and outdoor, newspaper, and radio advertisements were launched in droves to promote it.

Those who have tried the jasmine-infused herbal tea all say it's good.

But few people actually buy them.

After the agents and distributors received a batch of goods, they did not place any further orders.

Soon after, newspapers reported that Ye Qingtang's new jasmine herbal tea had received a lukewarm response, which might be detrimental to Ye Qingtang's stock listing.

After reading the news in the Hong Kong Ming Daily, Ye Qizu went to the company that same day and scolded Lin Zhong and Shen Wanjie.

"What's wrong with you guys? Everyone's praising the new jasmine herbal tea for its great taste, so how come sales are so bad?! Someone's deliberately pushing it into the Hong Kong Ming Pao newspaper!!!"

Shen Wanjie explained, "Chairman, as a new product, jasmine herbal tea isn't selling badly; it just needs time to ferment. In the past, new products have always needed time to ferment."

Ye Qizu wouldn't listen: "Ye Qingtang's listing doesn't have time to wait! I saw your current ads in the newspaper the other day, from some state in India, it's utterly incomprehensible. I thought this kind of thing was fashionable now, and I tolerated it that day, but look at these sales figures now, it's clear that consumers aren't buying it. You need to change tomorrow's ads right now!"

Shen Wanjie, who had never seen the chairman so angry, dared not utter a word.

Normally, Ye Qizu wouldn't interfere with these business matters, but now it involves a major event: the company's IPO.

Lin Zhong asked Shen Wanjie, "I heard Qu Zhengming say the other day that there is another plan that everyone likes. Go and call Qu Zhengming and Liu Xiang over, and in front of the chairman, let's finalize the promotion plan."

That way, no one has to take the blame.

Having no other choice, Shen Wanjie had to call Qu Zhengming and the brand director over.

Qu Zhengming brought Ye Baoling's promotional plan draft directly, and Ye Qizu put on his reading glasses to take a closer look.

The cover was signed "Gu Baolin," and Ye Qizu remembered, "Is she the female employee who came up with the distribution plan?"

"It's her. This time, she suggested renaming the jasmine herbal tea to jasmine iced tea, because the drink tastes better chilled, and the main promotional concept is cooling and thirst-quenching, and relieving heat after exercise..."

Yeh Chi-tsu, who was used to hearing the term "herbal tea," disliked the concept of "iced tea."

However, whether he likes it or not is not important; what matters most is that young people today like it.

He asked, "What do the younger employees think?"

Liu Xiang truthfully stated, "Our young employees in the brand department prefer the concept of iced tea."

"Jasmine Iced Tea," Ye Qizu muttered, frowning slightly. "Is it too late to change the name now?"

Qu Zhengming was well-prepared. She said, "Changing the outer packaging of plastic bottles is very simple. If you place an order now, it will be shipped out tonight, and we can replace them in batches tomorrow."

Shen Wanjie did not want to change the plan. He worried, "If we change the name now, the media reporters will definitely make a big deal out of it."

Qu Zhengming argued forcefully: "Making a big fuss isn't scary, as long as our product is excellent, it can even help with promotion. I saw in today's news that the reporter admitted our new product tastes great, but the promotional methods are inadequate. The main problem now is whether our advertising can quickly attract consumers' attention."

Liu Xiang was relatively diplomatic. He said, "President Shen's concerns are valid, but as long as the direction is right and our product tastes good, we are not afraid of the media making a big fuss about it."

Shen Wanjie could only laugh and say, "That's true. That makes sense."

After much deliberation, Ye Qizu finally made the decision: "Then it's settled. We'll promote it according to Gu Baolin's plan. This time, we must see results."

After leaving the chairman's office and returning to his office on the 10th floor, Chen Wanjie, still seething with anger, instructed his subordinates: "Go tell them that Gu Baolin has been changed to be in charge of promoting the jasmine herbal tea this time. Whether it succeeds or not, she will take full responsibility, and Qu Zhengming will bear joint responsibility."

"Gu Baolin is barely capable of planning, but she probably lacks the experience to be in charge of overall promotion."

Shen Wanjie ignored him, saying, "It was designated by the chairman."

To achieve results in a short time, a large budget is definitely needed. The finance department is managed by Ye Kaishen, and many budgets have been held up. He wants to see if Qu Zhengming can turn the tide!

It's highly unlikely that it will work.

Meanwhile, Ye Baoling was on the phone with Bai Zhu in Wang Simin's office.

"Thank you to my former colleagues at Ming Pao for helping to push the news forward. Today's news has been very effective."

Bai Zhu laughed and said, "They are only responsible for publishing your articles; it's a piece of cake."

Ye Baoling wouldn't treat her partners unfairly: "I've already had Yulan take the payment to you, please pass it on for me. There are other things I might need your help with next, I'll contact you later."

After hanging up the phone, Ye Baoling rolled up her sleeves and stood by the window. Outside, the wind was howling and it looked like a heavy rain was about to fall.

What she sets her mind to, she will definitely accomplish.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Ye Qizu: Was I set up?

Ye Huaizhang: My wife set me up.

Reader: When will the female lead's identity be revealed?

Author: Almost there, almost there! [Let me see]