I went back to the guesthouse to get Tie Nan's motorcycle and rode all the way to the ancient city. After parking the motorcycle, I went to the "Midnight Diner" that Ye Zhi had mentioned. I heard that this is a rather unique little shop in the ancient city. It only opens at 10 p.m., and the braised pork rice is especially delicious. However, customers are not allowed to drink alcohol in the shop, and the tables are very small, even smaller than those at roadside stalls. They also play some old Shanghai-style music.
Ye Zhi was sitting on the second floor. I climbed the wooden stairs, which were only two feet wide, and found that the friend Ye Zhi had arranged to have dinner with was actually Yang Sisi. No wonder she wanted me to meet up and talk; it must have been that rascal Yang Sisi's idea.
However, the three of us who came from Shanghai together haven't had a meal together in a long time.
The table was small and there were no chairs, only a few cushions. Ye Zhi and Yang Sisi were sitting cross-legged. There were some drinks and fried chicken on the table. The red lanterns hanging outside gave me a strange feeling: I was in Shanghai in the last century, in a lane, and two beautiful women in cheongsams were sitting opposite me, one aloof and the other lively...
After the initial daze subsided, we realized that Yang Sisi was wearing our inn's uniform, while Ye Zhi was wearing a white sweater, which looked particularly simple and clean.
I said to Ye Zhi, "So this is the friend you were talking about. I should have brought a set of magic tools to exorcise demons. It's the middle of the night, and I'm terrified of her!"
Yang Sisi picked up a chicken nugget, threw it at me, and then made a spitting gesture to scare me. Ye Zhi was used to it; she was already used to our playful bickering.
I ordered some food, and while waiting, I chatted with Ye Zhi. I said to her, "I came here to hear your opinion. If something like this happened to you, how would you handle it?"
"Big data and intelligence are very important in business."
Yang Sisi tapped an empty plate on my side with her spoon and said, "Do you know what big data is?... Compared to your way of dealing with problems by fighting, don't you feel ashamed at all?"
"Don't make things worse!" I said, then turned to Ye Zhi and said, "I've heard of big data, but what does it have to do with this?"
Ye Zhi didn't rush to answer, but instead asked me, "Do you know how many seaside inns there are in Dali?"
More than 3,000.
How many businesses have resumed operations?
31 companies.
Are you familiar with Dali's annual tourism data? For example, how much demand do tourists have for seaside guesthouses?
"Uh... I'm not too sure about that, but the demand must be huge, otherwise there wouldn't be more than 3,000 seaside inns along Erhai Lake."
"That's the problem. You need to process this meaningful data professionally, and then you might understand some things..." After a slight pause, Ye Zhi continued, "I can tell you with certainty that even though it's the off-season in Dali right now, given the overall market demand, if your inn raises the price of the most basic room to over a thousand yuan, it can still be fully booked. Have you carefully calculated what kind of profit potential that represents?"
"Mentioning a thousand?...That's an exaggeration!"
"Before the 'government' massively reopened seaside guesthouses, it's not an exaggeration at all... I'm someone who really believes in data, and I think your current pricing is too conservative... Also, let's make an assumption: if the working group with the decision-making power over whether seaside guesthouses can resume operations consists of ten people, do you know how vast a social network those ten people would form? But only 31 guesthouses and hotels have resumed operations, with fewer than ten being guesthouses. Compared to the total of over 3,000, this ratio is alarming; that means that even with connections, you can't get a spot to resume operations... This time, the 'government' is very determined to handle things officially!"
"You mean, the problem lies in the quota that our inn got?"
"The data doesn't lie... this spot is extremely valuable."
"So someone's jealous?"
Ye Zhi didn't answer directly, but said, "Now that we've covered the data, let's talk about the intelligence... I have some information coming in saying that Cao Jinbo, the owner of Zero Point Inn, invested 12 million yuan in Shuanglang in 2014 to build a very high-end seaside inn... But unfortunately, his seaside inn isn't on the list of inns reopening this time... Moreover, he's a very domineering person. There was a time when an outsider invested in a bar in the ancient city, which was very profitable, but he and the landlord used special means to forcibly seize it..."
"this……"
I was a little incredulous, and after a long pause, I said, "It's a rare occurrence for an unlicensed taxi to bring guests to our inn. Isn't it a bit far-fetched to conclude that he's jealous of our inn based on that?"
"There's an element of inevitability within chance... Of course, these are just results based on data and intelligence analysis. Whether they can be verified, and what kind of shady dealings are involved, depends on yourselves."
I broke out in a cold sweat, thankful I hadn't made a move today; at the same time, I realized just how unfathomable Ye Zhi was. Compared to her, our business acumen was utterly childish. Therefore, there's a reason why some people in this world are exceptionally successful.
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