The day after returning from Jinling, good news came from Lao Ma—Ali successfully won the naming rights for this year's CTS Spring Festival Gala.
It may be that the smokescreen that Ma had previously released about spending 300 million yuan in the budget has intimidated all competitors including Midea, and no giant wants to fight it to the death.
It may be that Ali's advertising plan was more favored by CTS, or there may be other reasons. In any case, Ali successfully won the sponsorship of the 2006 Spring Festival Gala, eleven years earlier than in the previous life!
During the phone call, Lao Ma happily revealed some information about the sponsorship fee, which was only 230 million, which was a lot less than expected.
He originally thought that he would have to spend at least 250 million, and the worst-case scenario was to use a maximum budget of 300 million. This result was a pleasant surprise.
After winning the naming rights, Ali's fame soared quickly. The influence of Spring Festival Gala sponsorship is by no means limited to the few hours of the show. In fact, from the moment the bid is placed, the sponsor will enter the discussion of the media and the public and gain continuous exposure.
After returning triumphantly from Yanjing, Lao Ma immediately held a celebration banquet and invited Su Zelin to attend to share his joy with Hunzi.
At the dinner, Old Ma was in a good mood and for once did not ask his favorite drinker to drink for him. He drank a lot himself.
By the time the banquet was over, Ali, the helmsman, was no longer able to walk steadily. He held onto Hunzi's shoulder and was already about seven or eight percent drunk, but he was still full of confidence and talked a lot.
"Brother Su, last year your New Century band appeared on the Spring Festival Gala and it took off instantly!"
"This year it's Ali's turn. Our two brother companies in Lin'an should work together and make it a success!"
"One day, when Xia Nation stands among the giants at the top of the pyramid, Ali and New Century will have a place together!"
Su Zelin was still very sober. Seeing Lao Ma like this, he couldn't help but laugh to himself.
Even Jack Ma, who was famous all over the world in his previous life, had this side of him.
"Brother Ma, I'll take your advice!"
Old Ma thought of something and said in confusion, "Speaking of which, Brother Su, why have you been hiding your identity as the founder and major shareholder of New Century? It's not a shameful thing. You are young and successful, and you are full of energy. Everyone in the world will envy you. I don't think there is any need to hide it. Why don't you just announce it?"
Su Zelin said calmly: "Brother Ma, everyone pursues something different. I have no intention of pursuing fame, but only profit. A tall tree attracts the wind, which is sometimes a good thing. Too much fame will cause many inconveniences, and every move will be infinitely magnified."
"Brother Su, are you worried about women?"
Lao Ma subconsciously lowered his voice when he said this.
Even though he looks drunk, he's actually quite clear-headed.
Not only did Su Zelin learn about it at a young age, he was also very romantic.
There's no way. He's handsome, rich, and good at talking to girls. It would be strange if such a young man didn't have many girlfriends. Not to mention Ding Lina, the female boss and general manager of Lina Clothing, Lao Ma can be sure that she is Su Zelin's lover.
Su Zelin strongly supported her to start a company, investing and offering advice. It was impossible for them to be so attentive if they were just classmates.
What's more, he had eaten with the two of them several times, and he could tell a lot from the details of how Ding Lina and Su Zelin got along.
Old Ma is so shrewd that this kind of relationship cannot be hidden from his eyes.
If it is an ordinary rich kid or small boss, it is nothing to be young and romantic if they have the conditions. It is human nature and it is not uncommon.
Su Zelin is the founder of a large national chain digital enterprise with more than 10,000 stores. If this identity were to be revealed, it would surely become major news.
After all, it is incredible that a college student started his business in his freshman year and built a company with a market valuation of tens of billions a few years later.
If the attention increases dramatically, Su Zelin is likely to become a public figure, and he will then have to be extremely careful about the impact of his words and actions on the company's reputation.
Even if his relationships with several girlfriends are private, once exposed, they may turn into a scandal, which will not only ruin his reputation, but may even bring down the company.
So Lao Ma seemed to understand why Su Zelin chose to keep a low profile.
After all, his situation is different from mine. I am just a shrew at home and I am not afraid of being exposed.
"The one who knows me best is Brother Ma!"
Su Zelin smiled and did not deny it.
In fact, compared to the huge debt that would make his family uneasy, he was more worried about this.
Dong Ge’s scandal in the United States in his previous life is a typical example.
If Brother Dong was just an ordinary executive at a certain website, no media would care about such things and try desperately to dig up information to make headlines. The general public would not care either. However, as the helmsman of a certain website, Brother Dong would inevitably attract attention and become a public figure, which would bring him into trouble.
If a public figure has a lover, it will not end well if it is exposed. He or she will become notorious, and if he or she is a celebrity, he or she will be banned. That is why Su Zelin tries to keep a low profile.
"However, it's not a good idea for you to continue like this. Truth will come to light sooner or later. Moreover, New Century is already a large-scale national digital chain. If someone wants to check the shareholding structure, it won't be difficult to find out that you are the major shareholder!"
Old Ma was very concerned about this little brother and raised questions immediately.
"I know!"
The gangster nodded slightly.
In fact, his identity was not unknown, it just had not been exposed. The media reporter involved contacted him first, but Su Zelin spent money to suppress it.
If one day they can no longer hide it, they can at most admit that they are the major shareholder. As for the founder, they will refuse to admit it and just put the blame on Brother Yang. Anyway, he is now the legal representative and president, and the media's attention is almost all on him.
The reason why Su Zelin helped a partner to come forward was also based on this reason.
"Let's just put it off for now. It would be best if we can put it off for two years. Once New Century has established a good market at the town level and has completely conquered the entire country, I can retire. Naturally, by then, no one will care about my private affairs anymore, haha."
He had already decided that when the new century reached its peak, it would be time for him to retire and enjoy life.
"What, you're going to retire in two years?"
Old Ma was completely confused.
If nothing unexpected happened, the new century would be glorious at that time, and as long as this little brother was willing, he could enjoy unlimited glory. However, Su Zelin's thoughts were like those of an old guy who had been in the world for decades and had already seen through fame and fortune.
"If it's quick, maybe it won't take two years!"
Duan Yongping, the founder of BBK, is the role model that Su Zelin emulated.
Duan Yongping founded Subor and BBK successively, both of which were great successes. However, he chose to retire when BBK was at its peak, and passed the company's important businesses to his three disciples, Jin Zhijiang, Chen Mingyong and Shen Wei. The former later created the popular BBK reading machine and Xiaotiancai children's watch, and the latter two became the helmsmen of the blue and green factories.
In addition to these three people, Huang Zheng, the founder of Pinduoduo, is also Duan Yongping's last disciple. Duan Yongping, who has retired to the United States, once paid a high price to have dinner with the stock god Buffett, and the person he brought along was Huang Zheng. Later, Pinduoduo was born.
The companies founded by the four disciples have all become industry giants, so it is not an exaggeration to call Duan Yongping the legendary godfather of the business world. However, the reason why he retired at the peak of his career is also very interesting. He did so in order to pursue his junior sister, and the junior sister agreed on the condition that they had to go to the United States to live together. Duan Yongping actually agreed, which is a typical example of someone who loves the country more than the beauty.
The same is true for Su Zelin, except that when it comes to love, he is more fickle than Duan Yongping.
Compared to being a glamorous business leader, Hunzi would rather spend more time and energy on his girlfriend.
I already have several girlfriends, and if I'm busy all day, I'll have even less time to spend with them, so I have to pull myself away from the company's business.
"Brother Su, is this worth it? You have to think it over carefully and don't act impulsively!"
Old Ma frowned.
If he put himself in his shoes, and if he had achieved such a great career that he was proud of, but chose to retire at a young age for a woman, he would definitely not be willing to accept it.
"It's worth it. I've thought it through a long time ago. Brother Ma, I still say the same thing. Everyone has different pursuits, haha."
He had already enjoyed great success in his previous life and no longer cared much about fame. He founded New Century just to achieve financial freedom as soon as possible.
"Well, everyone has their own aspirations, and I won't advise you."
Having said that, Lao Ma's tone was not without regret.
Business geniuses like Su Zelin are extremely rare. His achievements would have been limitless, but unfortunately he loves beautiful women more than power.
After saying goodbye to Lao Ma, Hunzi was thinking secretly on the way home.
If New Century is to capture the rural markets across the country, it will not be a problem to have more than 30,000 stores; it is just a matter of time.
In comparison, how to make Qin Shiqing accept his other girlfriends and turn a blind eye to them is a more difficult task.
However, the childhood sweetheart's attitude towards the women around him has changed a lot compared to his previous life. She allowed herself to be Nanazi's partner, became best friends with Song Yuwei, and had a good relationship with her junior high school sister, even inviting her to dinner from time to time.
However, to break the last layer of obstacles, a suitable opportunity is needed.
…
Mid-November.
At nine o'clock in the morning, the New Century Center, which is the super headquarters building of New Century, was crowded with people.
Today the company welcomed an important event - the office building was put into use!
The ceremony was very grand, like a celebration. In addition to the employees of the New Century headquarters, almost all the regional managers of major provinces came back. In addition, some investors, media, leaders and business guests were also invited.
"After waiting for so long, the company's new headquarters building is finally open for use. We can work here from now on. How happy!"
"This place is much better than Dingsheng Building. The scale is not on the same level. The whole building is our office, and this is only a part of the new headquarters. I can't imagine what it will look like when it is fully built!"
"Of course not. The new headquarters covers an area of more than 200 acres. How can it be small? But I like the environment here more. The greenery here is no less than that of many high-end residential areas!"
"I heard from the boss that the leisure area has been upgraded a lot, and an independent fitness area has been opened. I can go to the gym whenever I have time, and I can even save the money for a gym membership. It's great!"
"No, no, no, these are not the most comfortable. We have our own cafeteria now, so we don't have to order fast food anymore. I heard through the grapevine that there are hundreds of dishes every day, and they are much cheaper than those in fast food restaurants outside. They are just cost prices, so you can eat whatever you want!"
"There will be a dedicated commercial area in the future, seniors. I really envy those of you who have already got staff apartments. You work and live here at the headquarters. Don't be too comfortable. It's a pity that I'm a newcomer who has just been working for less than a year. 5555..."
"Hey, rookie, keep going. As long as you stick with New Century, you will get an apartment sooner or later. Before that, the company will build a number of apartments for rent to temporarily solve your housing problem!"
"Yes, senior, I will definitely work hard!"
"… "
The happiest people are the employees of New Century.
For them, it is definitely a happy thing to be able to work in such a magnificent new headquarters with complete supporting facilities, and they are in a good mood every day.
After the drumming, lion dancing, speeches and ribbon-cutting ceremony, it was ten o'clock and the office building was officially opened.
Senior executives led by Yang Fen entered the New Century Center with guests and employees in a grand manner.
As you enter the door, you can see a cute doll that is taller than a human. This is the mascot Shin-chan created by Su Zelin when he opened the Zhejiang University store. It has now become the image doll of the new century.
The internal structure is oval in shape, with the first-floor lobby in the middle and the buildings on the left and right sides like giant ships. The irregular yet smooth lines create a strong sense of technology and are extremely creative.
Brand new, simple and avant-garde are the first impressions of the new headquarters office building.
A large amount of glass is used on its exterior walls and ceilings, so the large interior space is also very bright. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, one can have a panoramic view of the courtyard outside, providing a wide field of vision and minimizing the discomfort caused by enclosed space.
The New Century's headquarters building was completed at a rapid pace, but that does not mean it was sloppy; the design is absolutely outstanding in today's era.
Photographers from various media outlets carried cameras and started filming, including a reporter from CTS.
Because of the sponsorship of last year's Spring Festival Gala, CTS and New Century have a good relationship, and this super headquarters plan was hyped up quite a bit before, so CTS also sent people over to do an interview.
The microphone was pointed at Yang Fen again: "Mr. Yang, can you briefly introduce your company's new headquarters, and the purpose of New Century's huge investment in building this super headquarters."
Brother Yang, dressed in a suit, smiled and said, "Our New Century Center is a comprehensive building that integrates a variety of supporting service functions including office, conference, business, leisure, fitness, and catering. Without being modest, it is one of the largest and best headquarters in the country, so we call it a super headquarters. As for why we want to build this headquarters, we aim to create a green, environmentally friendly, convenient and stress-free working and living environment to ensure the physical and mental health of our employees as much as possible..."
While Brother Yang was answering reporters' questions, Su Zelin, who was not far away, was responsible for receiving distinguished guests from the business community, and Lao Ma was next to him at this time.
Today, New Century and Ali are almost like brother enterprises of Lin'an. As the two godsons of Zhejiang Province, the two sides have cooperated before and have a very good personal relationship. Whenever one of them has a grand event, the other will be invited.
Lao Ma gave a thumbs up and said, "Brother Su, your headquarters is amazing. Just based on its environment, your employees will be more energetic and vibrant at work!"
He felt that he already had a lot of ideas, but this young man was more decisive than himself and did things without hesitation.
It's a pity that such a genius may have to retire in two years. Whenever he thinks of this, Lao Ma feels very regretful.
Although we are not partners in the same company, it is really rare to have such a congenial and intimate business friend around.
"Brother Ma, thank you for the compliment."
Seeing Lao Ma's itchy look, Hunzi thought that maybe Ali's new headquarters would also be unveiled earlier. Because of him, Ali had already appeared on the Spring Festival Gala eleven years earlier than his predecessor, so it was not surprising that their new headquarters would be put on the agenda earlier.
After a casual tour of the headquarters building, the media reporters and guests were amazed by the employee offices, conference rooms, leisure areas and fitness areas.
Finally, they arrived at the staff cafeteria. It was almost time for lunch and everyone was amazed again.
The wide variety of dishes dazzles the food lovers, covering all the famous Chinese cuisines, in addition to Western food.
However, what is more attractive than the variety of dishes is the price.
A five-dollar meal ticket set includes four meat dishes and two vegetable dishes.
Even in 2005, this price was shockingly low in a big provincial capital like Lin'an. It was really the cost price and even cheaper than the university cafeteria.
If a female employee has a small appetite and cannot eat so much, she can spend three dollars to buy a set meal of two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes, or choose three meat dishes and two vegetable dishes for four dollars. In this way, the cost of living can be reduced invisibly.
New Century had no intention of making money through the employee cafeteria. This was purely a welfare benefit that could not even recover the cost of materials and labor.
After seeing off the media and guests, I received a call from Qin Shiqing.
"Where are you? We're going to have lunch. Do you want to join us?"
Just like other employees, Qin Shiqing was also very excited today, and it could be heard from her tone.
Working at the new headquarters is a pleasure and an absolute enjoyment. The scenery is pleasing to the eyes, which is incomparable to the previous Dingsheng Building.
"you?"
Su Zelin wondered.
"It's me, Yuwei, Qiuwen, and Panpan!"
Qin Shiqing said with a smile.
The old headquarters was too small, and everyone ate fast food and belonged to different departments, so there was no chance to eat together at noon. But now there is an employee cafeteria and we can make appointments.
She also casually called Yan Qiuwen, but unexpectedly the female consultant agreed. This was a bit unexpected because Yan Qiuwen was not a person who liked to be in the crowd. She was always used to being alone and quiet.
"Okay, I'm in the lobby. I just sent the media reporters and guests out. I'll be right there."
When it was time for dinner, Su Zelin was a little hungry.
"What do you want to eat? I'll prepare it for you first!"
Qin Shiqing asked again.
"Just the usual ones, any of them will do!"
My childhood sweetheart knows my preferences very well, so there is no need to say more.
"OK, see you later!"
After hanging up the phone, I went to the cafeteria again. There were already a lot of employees inside, and it was bustling with people. Everyone was rushing to experience the cafeteria of the new headquarters for the first time.
I found the station number based on the text message sent by Qin Shiqing.
The four women had already started eating and also ordered a portion for Su Zelin.
Pineapple chicken, steamed pork with rice flour, sweet and sour spareribs…
They are all Zhao Lixia’s specialties and Su Zelin’s favorite home-cooked dishes.
"Zerlin, there are so many dishes for the employees of our new headquarters. I was dazzled by them just now. I almost didn't know what to order!"
As soon as the gangster sat down, Qin Shiqing couldn't wait to speak.
"The key is that it's cheap. My portion is only four dollars, and it actually has three meat dishes and two vegetable dishes. It's much cheaper than the fast food outside!"
Song Yuwei added with a smile.
"It tastes good. I originally thought that it wouldn't be that good if it was so cheap, but I was wrong. The portion is so big. Senior Sister Shiqing, I can't eat that much. How about I give you this pig's trotter?"
My junior high school girl also made a comment. She just ordered a lot and unknowingly filled up the lunch boxes. She was very worried when looking at the pile of lunch boxes.
"Han, I'm trying to lose weight. Panpan, if you can't eat this pig's trotter, give it to Zelin. He works out all day long, so he won't gain weight easily!"
Qin Shiqing declined politely.
Huang Panpan couldn't help but be stunned.
She had done this kind of thing many times in private, but now she was doing it in front of so many people.
Moreover, it was Qin Shiqing who proposed it.
After hesitating for a while, she still gave the pig's trotter to Su Zelin.
Su Zelin was a little surprised.
Although her childhood sweetheart in her previous life was particularly tolerant of her junior sister, she would definitely not take the initiative to bring up such a thing.
Yan Qiuwen, who had been silent, shook her head.
This is boiling a frog in warm water!
It can even change a person's character and habits, allowing him or her to accept or even adapt to certain things that were previously unbearable.
But it seems to be the same for me. At first, I was tricked by Su Zelin into eating fried dough sticks, then drinking, and finally even eating skewers. I have never returned from the road of just having fun.
…