Chapter 161 The 161st Day of Not Running Away The first day of not running away...

Chapter 161 The 161st Day of Not Running Away The first day of not running away...

Some things you won't know until you investigate, and once you do, they send chills down your spine.

Liang Wenxuan has many friends and quickly found out that there are many people buying and selling houses this year. Apparently, some people are planning to go abroad and are thinking of selling their houses, since Beijing's housing prices have been relatively good in the last two years.

Meanwhile, the information Hua Lingfeng gathered was alarming. It was said that Beijing planned to sell a lot of land this year for all sorts of purposes. Some were specifically intended for Hong Kong businessmen and overseas Chinese to attract them back to invest, while others were intended for individuals to develop real estate.

As for Wang Jianquan, he also brought back bad news.

Wang Jianquan held the cup in his hand, unsure of how to speak for a long time.

Chen Bozheng said, "Brother Wang, just say what you want to say. There are no outsiders here."

Wang Jianquan coughed, his face full of embarrassment: "I called and asked, and seven or eight experienced workers said they won't be coming this year."

Hua Lingfeng asked in surprise, leaning forward: "Why? Our place has the best conditions. Putting aside everything else, do you think other construction sites are willing to provide meals?!"

“That’s right,” Liang Wenxuan said. “Just ask around in Beijing, and the conditions here are among the best. Even state-owned construction companies might not have the same conditions as us.”

Wang Jianquan found it difficult to say: "But they pay me a higher salary."

Chen Bo frowned. "How much?"

They pay 20 yuan a day, which adds up to about 600 yuan a month.

That's quite a lot of money. You know, even a college graduate might not earn that much in a month.

"They pay 40 a day."

Wang Jianquan wiped his face, feeling somewhat embarrassed and ashamed.

Previously, the work at this construction site was provided by Chen Bozheng, and the conditions he and others offered were excellent. But now, these people have actually run away.

"People die for money, birds die for food, it's nothing." Chen Bozheng said, "We still have about twenty skilled workers. This year, let them train more newbies, and pay them the same as the other side, as a way to make up for it."

"That won't do!"

Liang Wenxuan was the first to object.

He glanced at Wang Jianquan and said, "Brother Wang, I don't mean to target your people, but Zheng, 40 yuan a day is too much. What kind of work is this that deserves so much money? There are plenty of people in Beijing who want to work. You could go out and earn 20 yuan a day and there would be plenty of people fighting over you!"

Wang Jianquan also knew that Liang Wenxuan's words, though crude, were not without merit.

He crossed his arms and said to Chen Bozheng, "Azheng, you don't have to force yourself. My brothers all know how good we are, and they won't leave."

This time, Chen Bozheng was very firm. He looked at Wang Jianquan and said calmly, "I believe what you said, but Brother Wang, think about it. Our construction site will probably take at least half a year to finish this year. During this half year, experienced workers are more useful than newcomers. Moreover, let's put ourselves in their shoes. If our fellow workers earn 40 yuan a day elsewhere, would we be happy to continue earning only 20 yuan a day if we were also workers?"

The crowd looked at each other.

Many things don't need to be said outright; old sayings have already made it clear: "It's not scarcity that's worrisome, but inequality."

Chen Bozheng said, "Instead of passively following the price increases in the future, we might as well raise the price now. That way, you can also give an explanation to your workers."

"Ah Zheng, look at this, this whole thing has caused quite a stir."

Wang Jianquan breathed a sigh of relief and nodded gratefully to Chen Bozheng.

After the New Year, Chen Bo and Wen Chan both got busy.

Zhao Dan and Boss Ye had agreed that the couple would first practice in Beijing, and find two suitable shops, one in Wangfujing and the other on Erlong Road.

Wen Chan visited the store that the couple had chosen, and she had to admit that the couple had a good business sense; the locations they chose were all in high-traffic areas with great future development potential.

Putting everything else aside, the area around Erlong Road will be renamed Financial Street in ten years, and the shops alone will be enough to recoup the investment.

"How was it?" Zhao Dan asked Wen Chan with a smile.

Wen Chan glanced at Sun Peng and the others, "What do you guys think?"

Sun Peng said, "Wangfujing is great. There are many foreigners and tourists here, so it's easier to sell anything here than in other places."

Helan said, "I see that the people coming and going in this place are all dressed very smartly and are definitely willing to spend money on their clothes. The store's location here is definitely the right choice."

Zhao Dan and his wife were overjoyed.

Wen Chan said, "These are just the basics. Boss Ye, Sister Zhao, now that you've decided on the location, you need to pay attention to the decoration. Do you have any new ideas for the clothing design?"

Zhao Dan and Boss Ye exchanged a glance.

Mr. Ye said, "That's right, we're planning to create a buzz."

"What's the gimmick?"

Wen Chan became somewhat interested.

Boss Ye said, "A fashion competition and a talent show!"

Liu Yan was able to hear Mr. and Mrs. Ye's thoughts during dinner.

They didn't go anywhere else to eat; they bought groceries outside and ate at Chen Bozheng's house.

A large round table is placed in the living room.

There were quite a few dishes, including four cold dishes and four hot dishes. The cold dishes included salt and pepper dried anchovies, boiled peanuts, and mixed southern-style dishes; the hot dishes included braised pork knuckle, steamed fish, taro with pork belly, and crispy duck.

These dishes were all packed from outside by Fatty. I don't know where Fatty got such a talent, that he was able to find such a good restaurant so soon after returning to Beijing, and that they were even willing to deliver.

"We came up with this idea by learning from the Miss Hong Kong pageant in Hong Kong. You don't know how sensational the Miss Hong Kong pageant is. There's a news story every day, it's in the newspapers every day, and the competition is all over the TV. The gossip about the Miss Hong Kong contestants, the clothes they wear, the bags they carry, all of which can cause housewives and schoolgirls to talk about non-stop."

As Zhao Dan talked about these things, spittle flew everywhere, and her nail polished fingers kept gesturing in the air. When she got excited, she wished she could turn on the TV to show them.

"But your competition isn't about selecting beautiful women, is it?"

The fat man, unmoved by reason, continued gnawing on his pork knuckle.

Mr. Ye chuckled, “We’re not choosing beauties, but child models! Think about it, how many children, how many people in Beijing, no, in all of China, want their children to be famous? We plan to split the competition into two parts: a design competition and a child model competition. With this two-pronged approach, we refuse to believe our brand won’t become famous!”

Boss Ye looked at Chen Bozheng: "Boss Chen, what do you think?"

Chen Bozheng said, "I think this is a good idea. After all, there are no such competitions in China right now, so we can give it a try. But you also need to be mentally prepared because there is no precedent, and we will have to figure things out as we go."

"What's the big deal? Things will work themselves out!"

"I'm very easygoing," said Mr. Ye.

Wen Chan directly suggested that Mr. Ye and his wife re-establish their brand in Beijing, which would bring them more favorable policies from the local investment promotion bureau.

After thinking about it, Mr. and Mrs. Ye also felt that it made sense.

Changing brands isn't a big deal; they've changed their brand names quite a few times since they started selling clothing, though none of them have become well-known.

Zhao Dan said, "Wen Chan is a benefactor to my husband and me. I have a favor to ask. Please do us a favor and help us choose a name."

Mr. Ye clapped his hands and said, "That's a good idea. My wife and I are not well-educated, and the names we came up with are not good either."

Wen Chan smiled and said, "I don't dare to accept such a title, but speaking of names, I do have an idea. How about keeping it simple and calling me Tong Meng?"

"Tongmeng?"

Zhao Dan pondered the name; it was good, easy to remember.

Two competitions are no easy feat; just finding judges is a hassle. But fortunately, money can pave the way for everything. Moreover, Wen Chan is staying at the Beijing Hotel, which their company has rented for a year. They can ask the hotel manager to make connections for them.

Wen Qunshu asked curiously, "This restaurant manager can have such connections?"

Wen Chan, holding a handbag, casually handed it to him, saying, "Ordinary people may not have as many connections as the hotel manager. Think about it, the Beijing Hotel is now one of the top hotels in the country. What kind of people stay here? Even if he doesn't have these connections, he can always find someone to help him by asking around."

For a design competition to be fair, it must invite professors from university art departments to serve as judges. In addition, it is reasonable to spend money to hire one or two actors for the sake of hype.

Tongmeng Company's planning has only just begun.

But Chen Bozheng received some bad news.

Wang Xun's Xingheng Real Estate project has started construction and even launched sales. It covers more than 20,000 square meters and is expected to build seven buildings with at least 20 floors each. He has also spent a lot of money to hire a well-known Hong Kong designer to plan the project.

On the opening day, Xingheng Real Estate advertised on TV, newspapers and radio, promoting the price of 1,580 yuan per square meter. The first fifty buyers would enjoy a 10% discount, and the first one hundred would receive free basic interior decoration.

Flyers were everywhere, even the toilets were plastered with advertisements.

When Hua Lingfeng rushed into the sales office with the brochure, he saw Chen Bozheng and the others discussing something, with newspapers and brochures prominently displayed on the table.

Hua Lingfeng strode over and asked, "You saw it too?"

“As long as you’re not blind, you can see it.” Liang Wenxuan frowned and patted the newspaper in front of him. “What’s the meaning of this guy’s advertisement? 1580 per square meter. I heard that the land price is 900 per square meter. How does he make money? Is he a conscientious boss?”

"They even offer a discount for the first fifty customers," Hua Lingfeng said, suppressing his anger. "Isn't this just starting a price war with us?"

1580, plus a 10% discount, this price is incredibly attractive.

Liang Wenxuan looked at Chen Bozheng and said, "If this matter is not addressed, they might try to wipe out everyone who is interested in buying a house."

There are only so many people in Beijing who can afford and are willing to buy commercial housing. With this move by the other party, how can business in Jingyang Community possibly be good?

Wang Jianquan asked, "If they offer this price, could they, like Hu Cheng, be selling inferior goods?"

Chen Bozheng shook his head and said, "That Wang Xun is obviously a shrewd man. He wouldn't make such a basic mistake. If you ask me, he probably plans to sell them in batches first to increase his cash flow. The subsequent houses might not be sold at this price."

This is indeed not impossible.

If Chen Bozheng's development hadn't been so small, this move would have been even more cost-effective.