Chapter 275 Let's Change it to Shanghai (Bug Fix): Don't Underestimate the Fan Economy
Wang Xiao wasn't interested in the treasure trove of sending skilled workers abroad, but she wouldn't stop her subordinates from doing their jobs either.
But let me make this clear from the start: this has to be done legally. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, the boss won't have the face to cover it up.
Wang Xiao focused more of his attention on the LCD screen factory in Jinning.
She even had the patience to read the research plan written by Tao Yafen.
Then Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao were once again amazed; they realized that there were so many issues to consider when conducting a survey.
Even who conducts the research can have a significant impact on the results.
For example, when conducting surveys with college students, they tend to consider issues more comprehensively. However, they may also look down on one of the main consumer groups for taxis—the nouveau riche—leading to doubts about the accuracy of the survey.
For example, those being investigated might deliberately lie and conceal their true preferences in order to maintain a positive personal image.
Wang Xiao handed the proposal back to Tao Yafen: "Think it over carefully. The biggest significance for you in doing this is to build good relationships with the taxi company and quickly familiarize yourself with the various relationships in Jinning. I'll most likely be away from Jinning when the factory is built, so you'll have to keep an eye on it yourself."
Even though she's in Jinning, she doesn't have time to be a teacher and teach students all the time; she has other things to do.
At the very least, her international shopping center, which she had been building for almost two years, had opened, so she should at least attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
To my shame, although construction has been ongoing since 1992, the difficulty of building the 60-story landmark of Jinning far exceeded my expectations.
To this day, only floors 1-5 of the building are open to the public; the rest are just empty shells.
Office buildings and hotels can wait; they can't be seen right now.
So, as dawn broke, six gleaming Lada cars lined up in a neat row outside the shopping center; a 20-meter-long red carpet stretched from the roadside across the plaza; and the scene of flower baskets stacked upon flower baskets in front of the building unfolded before Wang Xiao—
She really thought of that saying: "Pearls set on the shoe surface make the feet heavy and the head light."
Fortunately, the locals of Jinning who came early in the morning to join in the fun didn't mind.
Adults and children alike were busy receiving creamy plum candies from the waiters dressed in Tang suits—these were special supplies from the Jinning Hotel and could not be found elsewhere.
Well, the only detail that Wang Xiao personally changed was that they were supposed to wear Tang suits; originally, they were supposed to wear cheongsams.
But Mr. Wang felt that wearing a cheongsam on the fifth day of the first lunar month, given the chilly winter temperatures in Jinning City, was really a bit crazy.
She knew that if people were frozen until their faces turned ashen, their lips turned purple, and their arms and legs were covered in goosebumps, she wouldn't see any beauty in them at all.
So she wrote a few words and made sure the hostesses were dressed warmly.
After all, she herself was wearing a traditional Chinese jacket and had a cashmere blanket draped over her shoulders.
Just as the onlookers were putting the creamy plum candies into their mouths and savoring the taste, a cheerful drumbeat began to sound. Robotic mannequins in padded-shoulder suits walked out of the mall entrance, mechanically waving colorful ribbons to the music, eliciting gasps of amazement from the crowd.
Goodness, don't underestimate this smart home thing. The commercial city has been working on it for almost a year, and they're already overwhelmed with orders.
Those were things only wealthy women could afford, things only business owners could afford; ordinary people could never even see them.
Wow, look how steadily that robot twirls the red ribbon! What amazing skill!
Wang Xiao stared intently, true to his capitalist nature: "When you can really twirl those water sleeves, that'll be truly awesome."
Sister Miao sighed, "This is where robots should be."
Despite having worked on bionic sex dolls for two years, she still feels that it's not the right path.
Wang Xiao laughed heartily: "Aren't they the same thing? Robots dance to please humans. Sex dolls are the same. Besides, without dolls, where would the money come from to support them?"
Sister Miao really didn't know how to respond to her, so she simply turned to educate the Kazakhstani child she had brought: "This is the technology of your old family. Now that you have separated, you must inherit the good things and carry them forward."
Wang Xiao felt that this might be asking too much of someone.
Because in the field of robot manufacturing, the Soviet Union's research and development centers probably had little to do with Kazakhstan.
Sister Miao sighed again: "I did take them to several more places using the method you suggested."
She was even surprised to find that in this era, right in Jiangdong, there were still people gambling on cards during the New Year, even losing their wives to others to pay off debts.
So it turns out a wife can really be considered property!
Later, she called the police, which caused a huge mess, and the result was still not satisfactory. Sigh, she doesn't even want to talk about it.
Now, all she wants to ask Wang Xiao is, "The problem is, even people who want to work hard and make money can't find jobs."
Kazakhstan is currently experiencing an economic recession, with a large number of people unemployed and nowhere to find work.
Wang Xiao didn't take it seriously at all: "How many unemployed people are there in Kazakhstan? 300,000 or 400,000? We could easily reach that number in any city (including rural areas). If you don't want to be idle and want to make money, then go out and find a job."
"If you can't find a job in China, then go abroad and try to find one."
Sister Miao was shocked: "Overseas emigration?"
This is a Chinese slang term for working abroad. It's easy to see that deep down, most people don't actually think working overseas is a wonderful thing.
Wang Xiao nodded: "Yes, if the economy is in recession, a country either exports energy and raw materials or exports labor. Look at the Philippines, its economy is closely related to Filipino domestic workers."
That's a relatively mild assessment. Rwanda, known as the "Little Paris of East Africa" (well, there are always countless Parises), still exports mercenaries as its workforce.
As expected of someone with a technical background, Sister Miao immediately showed genuine concern for her international friends: "Where can they go to work?"
In contrast, Wang Xiao clearly had no sympathy to speak of, and simply replied casually, "I don't know, I don't know if the policy allows it, otherwise if they want, they can go to Xinjiang to pick cotton."
Cotton harvesters are not yet widely available, and Xinjiang needs a large number of cotton harvesters every harvest season.
However, compared to working as cotton pickers in Xinjiang, people from other populous provinces tend to work in factories in coastal areas.
Sister Miao was stunned: "Is that okay?"
Wang Xiao shook his head again: "I don't know. I'm not clear about the national policies on this matter."
In fact, most countries are reluctant to let outsiders enter the so-called low-threshold jobs.
Why? Because it should be reserved for the country's lowest-paid workers.
If the government does not protect the employment opportunities of this group of people, it is easy for trouble to break out.
Sister Miao seemed to be deep in thought.
Wang Xiao's smile vanished, and she waved enthusiastically towards the road.
As soon as Secretary Fang got out of the FAW-Audi, he waved his hand and strode forward to personally help Wang Xiao's wheelchair: "No need, no need. Our Jiangdong Provincial Government never needs entrepreneurs to come and greet us. On the contrary, our provincial government is always willing to support enterprises and move forward together."
She wasn't just saying nice things; she was taking real action.
To ensure the shopping center's completion during a period of stagnation in the national real estate industry, the government made significant efforts, even allowing for phased acceptance inspections. This enabled the department store to open first, followed by the tower's completion. Furthermore, the early leasing of certain floors was a result of special approval from the provincial government.
So now that Wuzhou International Shopping Center has finally made it to the day of its ribbon-cutting ceremony, Wang Xiao doesn't know whether the relief he feels is greater than the pressure the government has been relieved of.
Amidst the barrage of reporters' cameras, Secretary Fang personally pushed Wang Xiao's wheelchair to the mall entrance, asking, "How is it? Is there anything else the government needs to coordinate?"
Wang Xiao readily agreed: "Since you've already asked, could you help coordinate mortgage financing? We'd like to mortgage the office building upstairs to get a loan to continue the final stages of construction."
Initially, Wang Xiao never intended to rely on bank loans to build the building because she had plenty of cash flow and had no interest in paying high interest rates to banks.
But times have changed. When she started building this shopping center, making LCD screens was just a concept. She never imagined that she would be making both LCD panels and chips in the same year.
It can only be said that in business, plans can never keep up with changes.
But this would definitely put her in a tight spot financially. If she can use other people's money to do things, she will naturally prioritize using other people's money.
Secretary Fang frowned slightly, looking somewhat troubled: "This is a tough issue; the central government is repeatedly emphasizing it, so we really can't let our guard down. How about this—"
She compromised by saying, "Issue bonds, let the shopping mall issue bonds, let's finish building the building first."
Wang Xiao immediately beamed with joy: "Thank you for your support, leader."
The top official of the provincial government is here, so he has to speak.
Secretary Fang's speech echoed through the static of the Kenwood speakers: "The Jiangdong commercial front must fight a brilliant battle!" Her finger traced the golden tassels on the red silk, "Let ordinary people go shopping as gracefully as they would in Ginza, Tokyo!"
A ray of winter sunlight shone through the glass dome behind her, making the Party emblem on her chest shine brightly.
Wang Xiao quickly led the applause, fully expressing his support for the leader's speech.
After a round of enthusiastic applause, the ribbon-cutting ceremony began.
Everyone craned their necks to watch, wishing they could take out the dark Zhang Xiaoquan scissors from the velvet-lined mahogany lacquer box for the leader and cut the red silk in one swift motion.
It wasn't that they coveted the glory of cutting the ribbon; the people of Jinning City didn't really think there was anything to be proud of in this act. They were just eager to get into the shopping center to see the peculiar spectacle.
With great difficulty, three quick snips of the scissors broke the red silk into four pieces.
The crowd, savoring the taste of creamy plum candy, hurried towards the shopping mall.
No wonder everyone was curious; throughout the entire Spring Festival, television and newspapers were all talking about this international modern shopping mall.
It just so happens that it's the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, and there aren't many shops that are actually open for business yet, so everyone just came over to see how International Modern welcomes the God of Wealth.
As soon as everyone stepped inside, they couldn't help but gasp in surprise.
Oh my god, this shopping mall is really sophisticated. The lighting in the lobby is so different from the stark white fluorescent lights in the People's Department Store.
Looking up, I was amazed to see natural light streaming through the glass dome, which instantly opened up a vast and expansive view.
Where there is down, there is up. The escalator in the middle of the hall carries the crowd upwards, as if soaring straight into the clouds.
However, only a portion of the people were eager to ride the escalator.
Many of the remaining customers were so engrossed in the ground floor that they couldn't move.
Young women, in particular, all stood on tiptoe to peer into the cosmetics counter.
The rotating lipstick display stand is secondary; the most important thing is the exquisitely dressed beauty consultant, just like a TV star, explaining the "skincare steps" in soft Taiwanese-accented Mandarin.
In fact, most of the onlookers didn't know the differences between these department store counters, such as Estée Lauder, Lancôme, and Shiseido.
However, the rotating lipstick display case and the soft-spoken beauty advisors opened a new world for everyone, showing them a refined and elegant new world.
Even Secretary Fang couldn't help but stop and look.
You may not like this lifestyle, but you should know that people can also enjoy life this way.
Upon seeing this, the mall's general manager, who was accompanying them, quickly explained: "The brands that have entered our shopping center are basically all big names. Initially, we focused on attracting first- and second-tier international brands, such as Gi and Shiseido, which account for more than 30%. Not accepting miscellaneous brands is our center's positioning."
Secretary Fang chuckled to himself.
Sure enough, once a person reaches a certain position, they become symbolic.
If other women glanced at the cosmetics counter, they would understand it as—everyone has a love for beauty.
If it were her, everyone's first reaction would be that she's considering the mall's business operations.
Secretary Fang did not correct others' misunderstandings, but such misunderstandings may not be a bad thing for her.
She nodded and added with concern, "You must have put in a lot of effort to get these big brands in, right?"
The general manager, a man of social graces, immediately flattered, "It's all thanks to the leadership's excellent management. People heard that it's a major department store in Jiangdong, and they were impressed by the strength of our consumers, so they were willing to come in."
Secretary Fang laughed: "You've been hiding it, haven't you? You don't want to reveal your secrets. Come on, Mr. Wang, you tell us."
Wang Xiao looked completely innocent: "I didn't know. I was just responsible for signing, and they didn't tell me anything."
Secretary Fang laughed heartily: "Look, look, this is what happens when a boss gets big—he knows nothing when asked. He doesn't even know how to run such a big shopping mall."
The general manager quickly explained, "It's a high-end joint venture + self-operation model, clearly defining the mall's positioning, filling the gap in the mid-to-high-end consumer market, and creating a fashion landmark. We cooperate with the brands that enter the mall using a 'unified mall management + brand joint venture commission' model. We offer a guaranteed sales commitment to reduce the brands' operating risks and increase their willingness to enter the mall."
Secretary Fang immediately realized what was going on and turned to Wang Xiao, asking, "Isn't this a kind of bet? The way you do business in this new era is really different now. I've never heard of anything like it before."
Wang Xiao laughed: "There's nothing we can do, we're all feeling our way across the river. We don't really know how much consumption potential the people of Jiangdong have."
No sooner had she finished speaking than customers got off the elevator, and someone next to her exclaimed in astonishment: "An 898 yuan suit, you just bought it like that!"
The enthusiastic customers didn't care at all: "Just look at their display and service, they even alter the size for free. Hey, where can I get a VIP card? You can get a card if you spend over 500 yuan, and you can redeem points and get a personal shopping assistant. Why not get one?"
VIP cards are not uncommon in Jinning. They were introduced as early as 1991 when Wang Xiao ran a self-service clothing supermarket.
To date, the self-service supermarket has over 300,000 VIP users.
What truly amazed customers today was the runway show in the atrium.
Accompanied by upbeat music, models dressed in silk shirts and high-waisted trousers walked up the wooden steps to the glass curtain wall, embodying the theme of "urban elites".
These models aren't the amateur model teams that are now popular in various companies; they're the kind that look very expensive.
Even their clothes looked more expensive.
Whether they were ordinary citizens who brought their own cameras to watch the spectacle or reporters who came specifically to interview, they all quickly raised their lenses and started snapping photos of the models.
Secretary Fang exclaimed in admiration, "You've really put a lot of thought into this."
Wang Xiao watched with great interest and a relaxed demeanor: "We have our own modeling agency, which is convenient."
“A large and well-established business.” Secretary Fang concluded, and taking advantage of the break in the model show, while Wang Xiao’s wheelchair was going up the escalator, he brought the topic back to the chip factory, “So? Are you really not going to reconsider? We in Jinning have unique advantages in doing this.”
Wang Xiao shook his head: "It really won't work. When we talked to the Russian Academy of Sciences, we repeatedly assured them that it would definitely not be used for military industry. Jinning has troops and many military industrial enterprises, and there are many Russian scientists in Jiangzhimen. They all know this. If things go wrong, it will be hard to explain."
Secretary Fang could only regretfully give up for the time being and went to look at the upper floors.
The women's, men's, and children's clothing sections were all packed with people, with long queues forming in front of the mirrors for trying on clothes. Little kids were wandering around with cartoon backpacks on their backs.
Once you reach the top floor, it's a completely different scene; the imported food supermarket is packed with people.
But what surprised Secretary Fang was the restaurant next door: "Why did you open a restaurant inside a shopping mall?"
She had never seen a place where the dining area and the shopping area were put together before.
Wang Xiao chuckled inwardly. It wouldn't be surprising anymore. In the future, many shops in malls would be deserted, while only food courts would have long queues of foodies.
She said in a serious tone, "Many foreign countries do this. For example, Panda Express in the United States is located in shopping malls. There is a lot of foot traffic, and people can eat and rest when they are tired from shopping."
The mall's general manager also introduced, "The supermarket and restaurants on this floor are operated by our mall itself."
Honestly, before opening, everyone was apprehensive. They thought that if it really didn't work out, and nobody was willing to buy a bottle of face wash that cost several hundred dollars, or a suit that cost several hundred dollars, then they would try making money by selling fried chicken.
They had originally planned to bring KFC in, but KFC had only recently opened its first store in Jinning, and they were still debating the location of their second store.
The shopping center couldn't wait for them to do it, so they decided to do it themselves and even introduced Maxim's Fast Food from Hong Kong.
Looking at the long line of people waiting to enter the self-service supermarket for imported food, Secretary Fang remembered something: "You said you wanted to build a supermarket in the workers' community, how's that going?"
Wang Xiao blinked: "The workers' residential area hasn't even broken ground yet."
In fact, she was being too subtle.
The truth is, the idea of major state-owned and collective enterprises in Jinning joining forces to acquire land in the suburbs and build a large workers' community was brought up at the same dinner as the project of township enterprises in Jiangdong and Jiangbei provinces to build collective housing for their employees.
Now, the model houses in Jiangbei, which are being designed and built by the commercial city itself, have been completed.
The plan for the farmers' housing project in Jiangdong, spearheaded by Jinning Steel Plant, has also been finalized, and construction can begin when spring arrives.
The only project involving joint ventures is still unresolved, and nobody knows when it will be completed.
Secretary Fang shook his head and sighed, "Too many people, too many opinions, low efficiency, there's really no way to deal with it."
Wang Xiao smiled without saying a word.
In terms of numbers, the number of farmers who want to build houses is definitely greater than the number of employees in government agencies in Jinning.
Sometimes, efficiency has nothing to do with the number of people involved; it depends on the organizer's vision and the executor's execution ability.
However, the booming success of the self-service supermarket today gave her confidence. She was no longer interested in waiting for the large workers' residential area to be built; she felt she could find a place to open a large supermarket first.
It's quite remarkable that Secretary Fang, with his busy schedule, could walk from the first floor to the fifth floor.
After inspecting the shopping mall's retail area and inquiring about the safety of the office buildings and hotels still under construction, she waved goodbye, got back into her Audi, and drove away.
With the leader taking his leave, Wang Xiao finally had some free time to ask Xiang Dong how far the Michael Jackson concert had progressed.
Xiang Dong personally led the models to perform at the mall today. They finally had a chance to catch their breath, but the boss caught them.
He quickly took a sip of the pear water that came with his thermos to moisten his throat before speaking: "It's stuck in the approval process. I still have to keep dealing with the Ministry of Culture. A bunch of old fogies think it's going to have a bad influence."
Wang Xiao made a quick decision: "If Beijing doesn't work, try Shanghai. Pudong is undergoing development and is eager to attract foreign investment. Let the Pudong government step up its efforts and leverage Michael Jackson's fame to enhance Pudong's attractiveness. If Michael's side isn't satisfied, you should emphasize the significance of the Oriental Pearl Tower and Shanghai."
Xiang Dong nodded: "That should work. Once I negotiate the TV broadcasting rights for the concert, it should be about right."
Why broadcast it on television? Of course, it's to make more money.
Currently, both Beijing and Shanghai have limited venue capacity. For concerts that mobilize 50,000 or 100,000 people, the available facilities simply cannot meet the demand.
With limited venues, the number of tickets available is naturally limited. Michael and his team incur considerable expenses.
If they want to make money from this concert, they naturally have to think of other ways.
Wang Xiao still has no interest in sticking to it: "If television doesn't work, we'll make movies, produce concert films, and distribute them globally."
"Huh?" Xiang Dong was stunned. "A concert movie?"
Wang Xiao nodded: "Yes, it's a documentary about the concert."
As the de facto head of the group's arts and culture work, Xiang Dong immediately shook his head: "No, no, who goes to the movies these days? Everyone's watching TV at home, and cinemas are almost out of business."
Wang Xiao laughed: "That's different. Movie theaters are a paradise for fans to gather. Michael has so many fans, but very few can actually go to the concert in person. But if you watch it on TV at home, with such a small screen and no other fans around, you can't feel the atmosphere of the concert at all."
"But watching a movie is different. You're surrounded by fans just like you. Everyone comes with the same passion, and the atmosphere just gets really exciting."
She couldn't help but joke, "Actually, if you can't buy tickets for the inner field, you can only watch the screen in the outer field. The effect is not much different from watching a concert documentary in a movie theater. Movie tickets are so cheap."
"Once the movie is released, you can negotiate with the cinema to increase the revenue share. Because you've brought the audience to the cinema, you've revitalized it. As long as there are people in the theater, the cinema can increase its revenue by selling snacks."
"Michael's concert movie was a success, which set a successful example."
"Later, when Hong Kong and Taiwan singers, like the Four Heavenly Kings, hold concerts, they can all do it this way. The production costs are low, and there's no need to worry about the minimum profit. It's such a worthwhile business."
“When a project is initiated, its purpose can be elevated. Save cinemas and protect jobs. If cinemas don’t die, more audiences will be willing to go to the theaters, and other types of films will also have the opportunity to be seen by the audience. In this way, the film market can be revived, and film companies and studios can also survive.”
Comrade, broaden your horizons. There are countless miracles that the fan economy can create.
Dig deep, and you'll discover a new world.
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