Chapter 123 Jinjiang Exclusive Supermarket
The development by Lu Ting is divided into a residential area and a commercial area. The commercial area includes a shopping mall and a commercial street.
The complex consists of five floors above ground and one floor below ground. The five floors above ground comprise retail, dining, entertainment, and service areas, while half of the basement floor is designated for parking, and the other half is intended for large supermarkets.
After the first supermarket in China appeared last March, supermarkets sprang up all over the country like mushrooms after rain. Foreign distributors entered the country one after another, and some people in China also began to learn this business model. However, it has not yet appeared in Qing Province.
This area was suggested by Su Ruyi to be left empty. Although the concept of supermarkets did not exist in China at that time, Lu Ting, who frequently traveled abroad, already knew about it and agreed to leave such a large space.
Domestic development is very rapid. Just because it doesn't exist now doesn't mean it won't exist in the future. This will be a major trend.
Sure enough, it appeared in China last year and developed rapidly.
Su Ruyi once considered whether to seize the opportunity and enter the supermarket industry, but then she thought about all the trivial matters that would be involved and decided to give up.
Because we were among the first to participate, there was a great deal to learn and engage with; it wasn't enough to just have an idea and expect to succeed.
Behind the scenes, there's a whole host of things to consider, including product selection, storage, logistics, and management.
Su Ruyi is no longer interested in personally running projects. She already has a lot of money and prefers easier work. She hasn't forgotten her original ambition and is determined to be a landlady.
When she's bored, she can do some small business, but Su Ruyi doesn't want to bother with big projects like this.
Having witnessed the ups and downs of life in the previous generation, Su Ruyi didn't have a strong passion for entrepreneurship. For people like her, who were born into wealth after land expropriation, doing nothing was better than recklessly starting a business.
As long as she has enough to eat and wear, Su Ruyi has a rather Buddhist-like attitude.
Lu Ting was doing very well in the real estate business, and with limited energy, he didn't have time to take on any more business for himself.
No one else around me had the connections or financial resources for this, so we just recruited from outside, but nothing came of it.
Now, thanks to the show's immense popularity, they've finally found a capable collaborator, much to the delight of Lu Ting and Su Ruyi.
Once the supermarket is built, it will boost the commercial area and fulfill the promise made to the residents. Yayuan is a place that integrates living and entertainment, where all needs can be met just a few steps downstairs.
The supermarket's investor is Hong Jiangtao, a local businessman who made his fortune by traveling to the south and has considerable connections in the area.
Lu Ting had met Hong Jiangtao at some social events before, but they were not familiar with each other.
Hong Jiangtao is also very optimistic about the supermarket industry. He owns retail businesses and has his own procurement channels, so it is easier for him to enter the industry than for others.
However, Hong Jiangtao came for Su Ruyi; otherwise, he wouldn't be planning to open a supermarket in Qing Province right now. He would have to wait until next year to open up various channels. It's still a bit rushed now.
"I don't know him?" Su Ruyi asked in confusion, having no recollection of this person.
Su Ruyi rarely attends social events; she prefers to focus on her own work and doesn't want to go against her own wishes to deal with strangers or people she doesn't know.
She earns money to be comfortable, and now that she has plenty of money, she doesn't want to go through all that trouble.
Lu Ting laughed and said, "Even though you're not in the martial world, your legend lives on."
At first, Hong Jiangtao told Lu Ting that he came for Su Ruyi, and Lu Ting almost chased him away.
It's common knowledge that Lu Ting and Su Ruyi are a couple, but over the years, many people have tried to get involved.
Whether it's Lu Ting or Su Ruyi, they have no shortage of people like this.
Upon hearing this, Lu Ting assumed that Hong Jiangtao also had the same idea.
Hong Jiangtao quickly explained, "Brother, I've been having a really bad run of luck lately, losing money on everything I do. Boss Su is known for having 'everything going his way,' and I hope to share in his good fortune."
No business lasts forever. Even someone like Hong Jiangtao, who has the skills, background, and financial resources and is riding the wave of opportunity, is no exception. In this era, there are many opportunities, and many people rise to prominence while many others are swept away and left to die.
Most business people are very superstitious. Hong Jiangtao's repeated investment failures and even bloodshed made him even more suspicious.
Over the past few years, he has spent countless amounts of money consulting feng shui masters, and he has even made several trips to Hong Kong to seek their advice.
The master said that his luck was not good at the moment and he needed a benefactor to help him. After searching for a long time, Hong Jiangtao finally saw Su Ruyi.
Hong Jiangtao was a very capable person, and he did not rush to Su Ruyi for fear of offending her.
Su Ruyi is also difficult to meet; people in the business world know very well that she rarely socializes.
"No, I didn't do anything. I really can't explain it."
Su Ruyi used to just laugh it off when she heard these rumors, but now she feels like someone is trying to harm her!
Ironically, the show "Taste of China" has a very interesting design and the food in it is very tempting. However, its current success is not solely due to its content, but also because two newcomers in the show suddenly rose to fame.
Singer Fang Yusheng's song suddenly became a nationwide hit, and it was played everywhere.
Zhou Tongyi's movie was released and not only did it achieve great box office success, but it also won a prestigious international award. Although the lead actress, Zhou Tongyi, did not win Best Actress, being nominated was already a great honor.
These days, China places great importance on international awards, and many filmmakers aspire to make a name for themselves at international film festivals.
This film is rare in that it doesn't show the backwardness of China. Many award-winning films in the past have shown poor and backward rural areas, and the female protagonists are all portrayed as rustic.
The film is set in the city, and Zhou Tongyi's image in it is very beautiful and fashionable, which not only allows the public to feel her strength, but also makes her a memorable person.
Many actors in mainland China are outstanding in many ways, but they are only regarded as artists and cultural workers, rather than as dazzling stars like Hong Kong and Taiwan artists.
Celebrities are meant to be admired, unlike artists who are judged solely on their work. People pay close attention to celebrities themselves, which is why we have a phenomenon called "star-chasing."
The phenomenon of idol worship in this era is equally extreme; some people have even committed suicide because their favorite celebrities got married.
The appearance of two overnight sensations on the same show immediately attracted everyone's attention.
Celebrities are distant and mysterious, and everyone wants to learn more about them through the show.
Fang Yusheng and Zhou Tongyi were both unknown newcomers when they recorded the show, and it was their first time recording a program.
However, thanks to the program's format, the excellent guidance of the two hosts, and the care shown by the other guests to the younger generation, they quickly integrated into the group, despite being a little reserved at first.
The group played around and joked freely, providing plenty of interesting laughs.
The two are very different from how they appear on screen, but they are still very likable.
The TV station is now more experienced than before, especially Chen Ming-sheng, who knows very well how to make artists more vivid and beautiful on camera.
The costumes provided by Su Ruyi, along with the increasingly sophisticated makeup and styling team at the TV station, made these people shine on the show.
While the program content is crucial, Chen Mingsheng's experience over the years has taught him that the chemistry between the guests is also an important highlight of the show and should not be overlooked.
Unlike decades ago when programs would try to create conflict to generate public attention, today's programs prefer to showcase joy and harmony, and creating a positive image for celebrities makes it easier to attract viewers.
Therefore, the show "A Bite of China" was already of high quality and had very novel content; there are currently very few variety shows that focus on food. Coupled with the immense popularity of the two guests, the show's fame reached new heights by the sixth episode.
The production team of "A Bite of China" is now ready to strike while the iron is hot and start preparing to record the second season.
Compared to the first season, the budget is much stronger, and more guests can be invited.
However, Su Ruyi did not continue to participate in the second season because the sponsorship price for the second season was many times higher due to the first season.
Su Ruyi always leaves after her contracts expire and doesn't renew them, preferring to spend money on new programs. As a result, the TV station has gotten used to it.
Everyone thought Su Ruyi had a keen eye for talent, since both of the newcomers were recommended by her.
Su Ruyi was also extremely surprised; she really was just lucky.
Fang Yusheng is indeed very talented in singing and songwriting, but these days there are many outstanding talents, but it is very difficult to become famous.
Although the show gave Fang Yusheng the opportunity to perform solo and showcase his abilities, he hadn't even started soloing before he became a sensation.
Zhou Tongyi has nothing to do with Su Ruyi anymore. Although Zhou Tongyi is beautiful and fashionable, she is not the kind of top beauty in the entertainment industry. She is a T-shaped beauty with very good bone structure and is very pleasing to the eye.
She's not the type to be stunning at first glance, which allows her to try out a wider range of roles on the big screen.
Su Ruyi hadn't seen any of the movies Zhou Tongyi had filmed at the time, and she'd heard that the team wasn't very famous, so she didn't pay any attention to them.
Who would have thought that this movie would achieve both box office and awards success? This is extremely rare.
Films that win awards are usually art films, which often don't do well at the box office, while films that do well at the box office are mostly commercial films and have no chance of winning awards.
Unexpectedly, a film with low investment costs and extremely high returns was produced out of nowhere.
Su Ruyi couldn't recall if there were any films of this type in her previous life; even if there were, they were extremely rare.
Some people become famous very suddenly. Su Ruyi never expected that the naive girl would suddenly become a superstar. She was a little dazed.
She got a great deal: before Zhou Tongyi became famous, she made him her clothing brand ambassador for a very small price.
Ruyi Apparel is now famous not only in Qing Province, but also because of Zhou Tongyi, many distributors from other places have come to purchase goods, pushing sales to new highs.
Because of this, Hong Jiangtao felt that Su Ruyi was lucky, otherwise how could it be such a coincidence?
Whether it was because of Su Ruyi or because the Yayuan commercial district had been revitalized, Hong Jiangtao felt that he had to seize this opportunity to cooperate.
"Don't worry, I made it clear to him when we were discussing the cooperation that he shouldn't blame you if we don't make any money later. We're all business people, and we all understand this basic rule."
Su Ruyi nodded; she wasn't worried about such a thing.
Such things happen a lot in business. They'll fawn over you when you're doing well, and turn their backs on you the moment they see you're not doing so well.
"I'm not worried at all, but this means I'll have to maintain a certain image, and I'm afraid of ruining that persona," Su Ruyi joked.
To be honest, Su Ruyi really likes the "everything goes smoothly" persona.
"He contacted me for more than just this, didn't he?"
Lu Ting: "He hopes you can help take charge of all aspects of the supermarket's promotion."
This is not only the first supermarket in Qing Province, but also one of the largest in the country.
Hong Jiangtao's investment may seem frivolous, but it was actually meticulously planned. He even went abroad to learn new technologies, resulting in a very high level of investment.
His goal is to make it like those foreign chain supermarket brands, where this store is just the beginning, and there will be a second, a third... gradually expanding outwards from the provincial capital.
Hong Jiangtao not only wants to book the underground supermarket in Yayuan Commercial Building, but he also wants his supermarket to be located in all the properties that Lu Ting is developing next.
However, all of this is predicated on the supermarket being profitable in order to expand its territory.
Su Ruyi raised an eyebrow: "He wouldn't also want me to create a show with supermarkets as the theme, would he?"
"How can this be turned into a TV program?" Lu Ting was stunned, never expecting Su Ruyi to think of this.
Su Ruyi also came to her senses; she had indeed been overthinking things.
Although the supermarket has invested a lot, it doesn't need to use a TV program for promotion.
Although she did do this before, creating a program to promote the food street, the program didn't have much of a strong presence; the focus was on the food itself.
“It’s not impossible to do it, but the audience for this kind of program is definitely limited, mainly targeting ordinary people. Even if the TV station is willing to produce such a program, the time allotted for it won’t be very good.”
Su Ruyi immediately thought of a program. Things she had watched before were never wasted; they came in handy when needed.
Actually, she didn't really remember the format of the show. She only glanced at it a few times. But because she watched a lot of variety shows, many of which had similar formats, she automatically came up with a program format in her mind.
Lu Ting was full of admiration for Su Ruyi, saying, "How did you manage to think of that?"
"It wasn't my idea; I just copied what others had said."
After Su Ruyi started investing in television programs, she began to use various connections to find videotapes of various domestic and foreign variety shows to watch and learn from. Only by constantly absorbing information can one produce results.
“That just shows how quick your mind works,” Lu Ting affirmed. “There’s no need to create a special program just for this; normal publicity is enough. But Hong Jiangtao said he’d pay any price if we could do an episode on ‘Happy Club.’”
That being said, it's certainly not unlimited, but several hundred thousand isn't a big problem.
Su Ruyi shook her head: "Let's forget about 'Happy Club'. It's a flagship program of Hunan TV, and my contract has expired, so it's not appropriate for me to get involved anymore. We should use this kind of favor as soon as possible."
Getting sponsorship or placing an ad in the program is fine, but inserting a supermarket into the program is going too far.
Although Su Ruyi has a good relationship with the TV station, her excessive involvement can easily make her disliked.
"Do whatever you want." Lu Ting was just relaying the message; he didn't intend to interfere.
Su Ruyi: "Traditional publicity is easy to do, there are already fixed templates. Let me think about what new tricks I can come up with."
If a supermarket has a lot of customers, it will also drive the development of the shopping mall.
In the end, Su Ruyi took her brilliant idea for the program to the TV station.
When Liu Quan learned of Su Ruyi's purpose, he did not speak in a bureaucratic tone as before, but took it very seriously.
The three programs that Su Ruyi invested in before were all based on proposals provided by the production teams. Su Ruyi only invested after she was satisfied with the proposals and made some modifications accordingly.
Therefore, the entire program was produced by their TV station, but the "Taste of the World" program was entirely led by Su Ruyi, although it was only a framework, and their program team did more work afterward.
But Su Ruyi is the one in charge, and her vision and ideas are very important.
Therefore, Liu Quan is very interested in Su Ruyi's new program and wonders what kind of program she will bring this time.
Liu Quan opened it and saw the key words: "Supermarket? We're going to have a supermarket here?"
"Yes, it's on the basement floor of the mall. It's one of the largest malls in the country. You can buy anything there, and it's all self-service."
When supermarkets first came out, they used counter service, but now they have gradually evolved into self-service.
This puts the supermarket's anti-theft measures to a severe test. The first self-service supermarket suffered numerous thefts on its opening day, which even made the news.
Some newspapers and publications have criticized the current state of people's quality as lagging behind the times, claiming that such outrageous things happen because of this, and have criticized the quality of the nation.
This has become powerful evidence for some people to criticize Chinese people as being incompetent and far less civilized than foreigners.
Liu Quan gasped, "This boss is too audacious."
Su Ruyi smiled. Hong Jiangtao was no fool. Although losses were unavoidable, they were just a drop in the ocean compared to the profits he made.
Furthermore, Hong Jiangtao introduced an advanced alarm system; if the goods were taken out without payment, the alarm would sound loudly.
This technology will be common in stores in the future, but it is very advanced now.
This will also be shown in the program, which can be considered as a warning to some people not to try to take advantage of the situation.
The program planning was very simple. Su Ruyi only provided a general plan, and the specific implementation details had to be refined by the production team.
The show's guests are families who first win a prize and then rush to the supermarket for a big shopping spree within a set time.
The price of the product must be within the winning amount; if it exceeds the winning amount, the excess amount will be deducted from the winning amount.
If it's too little, the person involved will lose money.
If the final total amount matches up, you will receive double the reward.
The whole show is very simple; it's all about the thrill.
Su Ruyi didn't know if such programs were popular. She vaguely remembered watching one, but she had no recollection of how it was received. She wasn't the target audience for this type of program.
However, the investment for this program is not high, only half of the publicity fee given by Hong Jiangtao is needed, so it is still worth a try.
Liu Quan was also apprehensive after reading it, but he also felt that the format was very novel and could give the new team some practice.
"This program is very risky, but we've collaborated so many times, it's not a bad idea to give it a try. However, our station is now preparing to start producing its own dramas."
Su Ruyi had long anticipated that Liu Quan would have other conditions. Having cooperated with him several times, Su Ruyi was very familiar with his way of doing things.
However, what Su Ruyi didn't expect was that it would involve investing in a TV series.
"I need to take a look at the script and the production team first."
TV dramas require a much larger investment, involve many variables, and have a particularly long production cycle, so Su Ruyi wouldn't invest blindly.
"Of course, I'll show you the script in a bit. I'm not just bragging, but this script is really good, very solid. The production team is also reliable; they've filmed quite a few high-quality TV dramas that are popular with the public before."
Qing Province has a rich cultural heritage. Its film studio has produced many popular movies and cultivated a large number of talents.
Now that the market has become more market-oriented, many changes have occurred, and fewer and fewer films are being produced each year, leading to a serious brain drain.
The reason why Hunan TV began investing in TV drama production was due to a variety of considerations.
Su Ruyi did not make any statement until she saw the notebook.
She doesn't have a lot of money, and judging from Liu Quan's attitude, he wants her to pay the lion's share. If things go wrong, she will suffer a major blow.
The show "A Bite of China" is almost over, but the program that was tied to it hasn't made any progress yet, and the money is still going down the drain.
Fortunately, Su Ruyi didn't expect that show to make her money, so she wasn't in a hurry to urge it.
According to Liu Quan, they have actually put together several episodes, but the first episode is not yet available.
This kind of show needs to be a blockbuster from the very first episode to establish a good reputation for the entire program.
The show's name is sharp and aggressive: "The Sword".
Su Ruyi walked out of the TV station with several proposals in her hand, all of which were given to her by various producers at the station.
Competition is fierce at the TV station now. If you want to produce a program, you have to find investors yourself. Su Ruyi has a good reputation, so every time she goes to the TV station, she is surrounded by people who have heard about her.
Hopefully, Su Ruyi will like their idea, which will greatly increase the chances of their program being broadcast.
Not only the Economic and Social Channel, but also the Provincial Channel and other TV stations had program teams coming to seek investment. They went to Su Ruyi's office, but were all stopped.
Su Ruyi didn't go home; she went straight to the food street.
The food street is full of unique dishes, and many of the shops have excellent cooking skills. Su Ruyi often comes here to eat.
Because of deliberate control, there are very few duplicates among the hundreds of stalls, resulting in a wide variety of delicious foods.
Su Ruyi walked to Jiang Xiaotao's newsstand and was stopped by Jiang Xiaotao.
Jiang Xiaotao's newsstand has now become a landmark of the food street. When filming the program before, it was used as an anchor point.
Jiang Xiaotao also appeared on camera, distributing task cards to the guests.
Jiang Xiaotao is cute and well-behaved, and her appearance on the show is very pleasing. Many people remember her, and her business is doing very well now.
She had to ask someone else to watch the shop so she could chat with Su Ruyi; otherwise, she simply couldn't find the time.
"What happened?"
Jiang Xiaotao said, "My parents told me that I absolutely have to invite you to our house for dinner tonight. Without you, our family would be finished!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
