Chapter 48: Conquering the World

  At this time, Old Man Lin and Qi Qiu Shi entered one after another, and the production and sales sides formally met.

  Qiu Shi said with a smile: "Then we'll have to rely on Skinny Monkey from now on. Next time we go to Shanghai for business, we'll look for you."

  "No problem, I'll definitely roll out the red carpet and treat you warmly." The thin monkey smiled and said: "However, before that, you have to give me two installation workers."

  The skinny monkey looked at them and didn't understand, "You're not asking me to install it myself, are you? I'm not daring to touch this thing for now."

  "Oh! Don't worry when you leave, I'll definitely have someone take you to install it." Qi Qiu Shi said.

  Fang Mo Nan saw that Skinny Monkey could think of this point and was already satisfied. "Skinny Monkey just thinking of these is not enough."

  "Boss." Calling him by name seemed too disrespectful, the thin monkeys couldn't bring themselves to say it, Liangzi was the big brother, so Fang Mennai became their "boss". "Isn't this just selling things? They looked at our prices, sent the orders to various department stores, and solved the problem. They even came running to pick up the goods, afraid of being late."

  Fang Mo Nan shook his head and said, "Qiu Hou let you go to Shanghai, these years you've been traveling all over the place, your vision and experience are not ordinary, you're bold and meticulous. Think again, we want to do long-term business, not just sell and run away, that's what peddlers do."

  "What you mean is, how to put it, I'm a rough person, straightforwardly speaking, just like when we opened the store and had good relations with the public security, hoodlums, and other people around us, from our superiors above to the customers below," said Skinny Monkey.

  "Ah! That's roughly what I meant, but it didn't sound good. What I should have said is that I sent you to Shanghai and the sea to establish sales channels and provide good after-sales service."

  "I hope you can achieve is to establish a good personal relationship in the home appliance sales circle of Shanghai, and build a good corporate brand image for our company. As long as it's said that our company's products are qualified in quality and first-class in service. Also, we need to cultivate trust and loyalty from consumers in Shanghai towards Zhongteng Industrial Company. All these cannot be simply described by the three words 'selling things'." Fang Mengnan spoke eloquently, but they listened with confusion.

  "Nan said it well, for an enterprise to grow big and strong in the long run, it must have good credit, just like those world-renowned enterprises that have a history of several decades or even hundreds of years. We should strive towards that direction. Moreover, can this phenomenon of material shortage at home continue indefinitely? That's impossible! Since we've taken the lead, we should aim to make our fans so good that customers will give us a thumbs up even when there are many fan enterprises in the future. When the supply and demand relationship in the market reverses, it will be a competition of channels, which can be said to be about connections and brand." Old Master Lin said with emphasis.

  "What Shouhou said earlier about bringing the installation worker is very good. Our ceiling fans need to be delivered and installed personally," Fang Mengnan said.

  "This installation service is for us to do, if such a beautiful ceiling fan is broken due to installation errors, it's not worth it. Is there any other service?" Skinny Monkey felt puzzled.

  "Of course," Fang Mo Nan said: "First of all, what you need to do now is to provide good service to customers. No matter which customer sells our products, you must establish a good relationship with them and absolutely cannot be arrogant or disdainful. No matter how tight our goods are, you must welcome customers with a smile, remember their names, positions, contact numbers, and even their home addresses, social relationships if necessary. Our potential customers may be among them. During holidays and festivals, ask about their well-being and wish them peace, never offend anyone, who knows if there's a noble person inside!"

  "We also need to install customer service hotlines, and if someone's fan has a problem, we must go to their home to repair it. We also have dedicated customer service representatives who are available 24 hours a day, so that if there is a problem with the fan, we can rush over as quickly as possible." Fang Monan continued.

  "What if it's in the middle of the night!" Fatso said on purpose.

  "We must go! What we say must be done, and this is not a big deal, it's within our power." said Fang Mo Nan.

  "There's so much! There's a lot to do." Skinny Monkey thought that there were indeed many things.

  "Qiu Hou, Jin Xiu is also taking with you, just to help you," Fang Mo Nan said, Hou Jin Xiu, Qiu Hou's elder sister, was doing well in the store, and she was clever, responsible, and diligent. "Is there anything else?"

  "Yes! Can I drink Brother Liang's wedding wine before leaving?" Skinny Monkey said.

  "Huh? Liang Zi is getting married too? How come there was no news about it beforehand?" Fang Mo Nan stared at Liang Zi, looking until his face turned red.

  "We originally wanted to get it done, but who knew we'd run into a crackdown, so it was postponed." Liangzi said with embarrassment.

  "Whose daughter is it?" Old Man Lin also chimed in with gossip, everyone wants to get a share of the good luck from the happy event.

  "This is actually a bit of a heroic story." Fatso, who knew the details, exclaimed: "This year, my brother and I were on our way to Guangzhou to purchase goods. The train stopped for half an hour midway, and we felt bored, so we got off the train and strolled around the square in front of the station. Who would have thought that several young men on the square not only stole a girl's money but also had ulterior motives, dragging her into an alleyway? We two beat them unconscious." Fatso was speaking with great enthusiasm, and they remembered Fang Mengnan's words, so they acted quickly, striking with precision and not daring to delay. They pulled the girl away and ran, taking her to a safe place before swiftly leaving. To this day, Fatso still can't figure out how that girl found them.

  Liang Zi couldn't help but continue, "I thought it was just a chance encounter on the road, but she came to me a few days ago. My mother misunderstood and kept her, thinking that since they got along well, why not let them get married? As for whether they are compatible or not, that's up to them to figure out." What he didn't say was that although those people hadn't succeeded in their attempt, her clothes had been torn apart, and the worst part was that someone had recognized her. The conservative villagers thought she was promiscuous and would invite unwanted attention. Her family couldn't bear the gossip of the neighbors, who said she was a female hoodlum, and almost accused her of being a prostitute. So they kicked her out, thinking she had brought shame to their family. Who knew that she almost ran into those few little hoodlums again? Luckily, she was clever and managed to escape. She really couldn't stay in her hometown anymore, so after many twists and turns, she finally found him.

  "Oh! You're married and still look at me like that." Fang Mo Nan teased, "Is it because I'm too handsome?"

  "You also know that this period is unstable, so she didn't dare to come out." Liang Ziwu explained, he just hoped that his future partner could get her recognition.

  "Never mind, I won't tease you anymore. Since you trust my judgment so much, let me take a look." Fang Mo Nan said. "Don't blame my judgment for being too picky!"

  "Monkey, don't worry and go, we'll get married when you come back during the New Year. Don't delay important things." Liangzi said. "When will you also bring a daughter-in-law back, in our county you can't even find one that meets your standards."

  "Hmph! Those warped melons, when I was poor, they looked at me with eyes that seemed to pierce the sky. Now that I'm in power, I don't need those influential eyes." The thin monkey's words were light and airy, with a hint of disdain in his eyes.

  The skinny monkey brought his sister, four installers, and the county recruited four staff members, with food and accommodation provided, and a monthly salary of 30 yuan. For these four places, many people fought fiercely, knowing that it was going to work in Shanghai, which is simply an unimaginable place, a step into heaven.

  The thin monkey did not invite any of his relatives, which made many of them dissatisfied. They scolded and grumbled at the thin monkey's door, but he didn't care about these things. When he was poor, no one helped him, and his mother even went to the market to pick up rotten vegetable leaves, almost getting caught as a thief. At that time, he vowed not to bother with these relatives anymore.

  After arriving in Shanghai, he rented an office space on the side of Huaihai Road in a lilong, with a small storefront in front and a warehouse in the back, totaling around 500-600 square meters. The rent was only 450 yuan. Of course, for people at that time, 450 yuan was also an astronomical price, but Fang Mengnan still felt it was incredibly cheap, like he had gotten it for free.

  After learning about the rent, Fang Mo Nan asked Skinny Monkey to find out if there were any houses for sale in the nearby area. If she could spend a few hundred thousand yuan to buy them directly and hold onto them for ten years, these properties would be worth at least tens of millions. A few months later, he really found some, and Fang Mo Nan spent nearly one million yuan to buy two properties, each with an area of about 700-800 square meters. She was so happy that she could wake up laughing in the middle of the night.

  The thin monkey tidied up the office, hung up a sign, and installed a phone, so it was established. Because it's already October, the best sales season for electric fans has passed. The main reason is that production capacity is insufficient, and they must ensure export goods before they can take their turn, so their main sales force is in hotels and cafes, which also serves as an active advertisement. The thin monkey relied on his three-inch tongue to persuade these places with a small capital atmosphere, not to use air conditioning, but to turn on the lights, and in the dim light, it could also increase the interest and grade. It seems that if they don't sell their products, the grade won't keep up, and they will fall behind.

  The skinny monkeys didn't advertise, but economically conscious distributors were like cats smelling fish and naturally 'took the bait'.

  Orders are coming in like snowflakes, Qi Qiu is so happy! Oh dear, it seems we need to start another production line. Fortunately, it's winter now, the off-season, and we can quickly organize manpower. Fortunately, the county machinery factory has enough space for them to work. Assembly workers are also being recruited directly, these don't require too much technical content, after training they can go on duty.

  Autumn harvest is busy but enjoyable, the factory is on the right track, Lin old master taught apprentices and returned to a leisurely life. Fang Mo Nan and others are still the same, studying what they should study, practicing piano when they should practice piano. Leonard has more time to discuss profound national studies with the old master.

  Dad's road repair work is nearing its end, and before the temperature drops and freezes, he has finished repairing all the main roads in the village. He eats and lives on the construction site, grasping the quality of the project tightly, and Dad has also been praised for this. As a result, when a large number of cars rush in in the future, the road can withstand the test. When the road is opened to traffic, the county holds a grand opening ceremony, and the trucks that come and go in the village to transport agricultural products accelerate the flow, which is a fast way to get rich.

  The days slipped away quietly like flowing water, and before long it was deep winter again. On Christmas Eve, Cheng Shigui and Han Zhikui drove over once more. The house couldn't accommodate everyone this time, so Fang Mosheng went with them to the farm, where there was plenty of space. After renovation, it was even more convenient than home, but most importantly, there were fewer people here, which meant less trouble.

  "Is the road still safe?" Fang Mengnan asked, bandits and robbers were rampant everywhere, countless idle young people stayed in their hometowns to fight, steal chickens and dogs, and murder and loot, which was not uncommon.

  "It's okay, who else dares to go against the wind and make a case out of it." Han Zhiqian said, Matthew has been abroad all along, he doesn't understand, but he has a deep understanding.

  "The Japanese stock market is doing well and we need to add more investment," said Cheng Shih-kuo. In this entry into the Japanese stock market, Hong Kong's Cheng family took the lead.

  "Recoup the funds step by step before July next year," said Fang Mengnan.

  "Oh! The funds are being transferred to the United States." Cheng Shigui confirmed, after withdrawing from Italy, apart from taking a part of it to Austria, he took the funds to Japan for investment. After things went smoothly, he went to the United States for a series of observations.

  "Hmm!" Fang Mo Nan nodded silently.

  "Right, 'Nan Nan', we've found the materials you need for building the high-rise," said Cheng Shigui. "Where do you plan to build the hotel?"

  "How are you going to make it happen?" Fang Mo Nan said, she was just drawing for fun anyway.

  "Such a good building should be built, why not!" Han Zhijian said. "With the current open speed of the country, the hotel market prospects are good, I think it's just built in the special zone! That is the forefront of reform."

  "Wait, it's still a bit tight in terms of funding. Let's talk about it again after May when the funds are recovered." Fang Monan thought for a moment and said, "The specific design still needs to be found by an expert, what I have is just a rough sketch."

  "When I was in the US, I found the most famous architectural firm and they were very interested," said Cheng Shigui. "Who will manage this hotel? We are too busy to spare any time." He suggested: "Why don't you let Liang Zi stay here and make use of his skills?"

  "Hehe... I was just thinking of letting him go out and explore, and you've given him a destination." Fang Mo Nan said with a smile. "Speaking of which, Liang Zi is getting married before the Lunar New Year."

  "It's a pity we can't attend his wedding, but we've brought the gift." Han Zhiqian said with a smile, "I didn't expect him to be the first among us to get married."

  "Is the bride pretty?" Han Zhiqian asked curiously.

  "Not bad," Fang Mo Nan said briefly.

  "When are they coming back?" asked Cheng Shigui. Before he had even finished speaking, Liang Zihao and Pangzi walked in.

  They exchanged greetings and sat down on the kang, warming up and chatting about each other's affairs.

  "Congratulations, Liangzi. I couldn't attend your wedding, but the gift won't be less." Han Zhijian handed him the gift.

  Han Zhiqian's gift was quite frugal, two sets of clothes, a man's suit and a woman's festive woolen coat, leather shoes. Plus two jade interlocking buttons.

  "You're quite cunning." Fang Mo Nan glanced over and smiled, "An old pit glass seed, a top-grade jade."

  "Where did it come from?" Fang Mo Nan asked curiously.

  "Hehe... I won it by betting on the stone. Didn't expect my luck to be good, and I also won some fur when I bet on it, but it was a bit small, so I can only make it into a small trinket." Han Zhiqian said with a pleased smile.

  "Wow! You still have this skill." Fang Mo Nan said.

  "Go ahead and play around. However, 'Nan Nan' knows the ropes, and can spot a fake glass at a glance." Han Zhiqian said.

  Liáng zǐ bǎ tāmen pěng zài shǒu xīn, yóu rú pěng zhe yī wān lǜ, bō guāng liú dòng, shà shì hǎo kàn.

  Translation:

  Liangzi held them in the palm of his hand, as if holding a pool of green water, with sparkling waves flowing, which was really beautiful to look at.

  Cheng Shigui gave her a personalized couple watch.

  Liang Zi opened the watch box, the men's watch was dignified and luxurious, low-key and elegant, while the women's watch was delicate and exquisite, small and lovely. "This is too expensive." He wasn't the Wu Xia Ameng of old, so he naturally recognized this watch.

  "The wedding gift cannot be returned," said Cheng Shigui, "The back of the watch has your and the bride's initials, unique and one-of-a-kind, only this pair."

  "Jiang Shi Dan Ton." Fang Mo Nan swept a glance and said. "My home is almost becoming a famous watch exhibition hall."

  "Is it very famous?" Fatso asked in confusion, but this table is really nice-looking.

  "Vacheron Constantin was founded in 1755, and is the world's oldest watch manufacturer, as well as one of the most famous. It has inherited the traditional Swiss watchmaking essence without interruption, while also innovating many watchmaking technologies. It is the world's longest-standing and longest-lasting luxury watch brand, producing only over 20,000 pieces per year. The cross-shaped logo on its dial, like the Swiss national emblem, has become a symbol of taste, status and wealth, representing top-level watches." said Han Zhiqian.

  "Mom! How much does this cost?" The fatty shouted while pointing at the watch.

  "Over twenty thousand US dollars." Cheng Shigui said casually, having just learned from the phone that Liang Zi was getting married, and this happened to be a suitable gift.

  Liang Zi put the watch back in the box and carefully closed it.

  Cheng Shigui gave Fang Mosou a look, and after Fang Mosou nodded, "Liangzi will show you some things." He handed the hotel's layout diagram to the two of them.

  Liáng zǐ fān kàn le yī xià, tái qǐ tóu lái, chà yì de kàn zhe tā.

  English Translation:

  Liangzi looked up and stared at him in surprise.

  "The sky is high and the birds fly, the sea is wide and the fish jump. It's not suitable to nest here, do you have any thoughts of going out to make a name for yourself?" Cheng Shigui's slender fingers tapped on the kang table.

  Liang Zi looked at Fang Mo Nan and then back at him, but didn't say a word. However, the fatty couldn't hold it in anymore, "You're all leaving? What about me?"

  "Hmph..." Han Zhiqian patted Pangzi's chest, "Look at you! Who said we'd abandon you? The hotel business is too much for Liangzi to handle alone."

  "Hurray! That's great!" Fatso said with joy, Skinny Monkey went to Shanghai to make a fortune, making him envious for a long time, and was also "scolded" by Liangzi, don't be too shallow, no dignity. "Haha……" The boss indeed didn't forget about them.

  Liang Zidao said: "We've all left, what about the store? And who's going to run errands for you, Nannan?"

  Cheng Shigu nodded in satisfaction, glanced at Fang Mosou and signaled her to speak. "Let's go! Smuggling goods is not a long-term plan, the country will crack down on it. In the future, our store's main business will focus on clothing." She paused for a moment before continuing: "Hanshiqian will deliver the goods, I'll just receive them here, convenient and quick, no need for you to run around. Besides, those people at the county station are all old acquaintances, just say the word."

  "Yes! Normally I don't mind giving them a hand, treating them with small favors." said the fatty.

  "Still, Liangzi thinks managing a hotel is simple." Han Zhijian said with a sneer.

  "Not really, it's just that I'm reluctant to part with what I've learned here in Nanning. There's more to learn." Liang Ziqiang said, mustering up his spirit.

  "Alright, let's not be overly sentimental or nagging. What is written on paper is shallow, one must experience it personally." Fang Mo Nan continued: "A good man's ambition lies in the four directions, go out and make a name for yourself."

  "It's a big deal in hotel management!" Han Zhiqian said. "Some have learned it, but still don't have confidence in Liangzi."

  "Don't provoke me, I understand," said Liangzi, "Nan Nan, let me go, and I'll go."

  "I'll take care of you, and when I leave, I'll give you a small manual that will be helpful to you, so you won't be completely in the dark." Fang Mo Nan said: "Right, if you don't know something, you can ask your wife Autumn Leaf."

  "Hmm!" Liang Zi nodded.

  "Do you know? The secret to Jiang Ziya's success is actually two things: Jiang Ziya became the Premier and Commander-in-Chief of the three armies at the age of 81, and for the first 80 years of his life, he did only two things: study hard and exercise. Fang Mennan said that during this period, Old Master Lin opened a 'new lesson', which was about Jiang Ziya."

  "Haha……what you said is really funny." Cheng Shigui laughed and said, "But thinking carefully, it's true. Jiang Ziya was a nobody before the age of 80, just a poor fisherman who had no money, no house, no car, and couldn't even marry a wife. He was a complete failure, and at over 80 years old, with no long-term plans, he could have given up on life. A person like that, if placed in today's society, would have hanged himself or committed seppuku long ago. But, he encountered Zhou Wen Wang at the age of 80, and from being a poor fisherman, he became one of the most powerful men under heaven, a 'Chancellor'. He commanded the 'Wu Wang Fa Zhou' war and became a founding merit subject of the Western Zhou Dynasty, and was enfeoffed in the state of Qi. His descendants enjoyed wealth and glory for generations."

  "Jiang Ziya! Is that Jiang Taigong who was fishing and got hooked, from the Legend of Deification, right?" asked the fatty, scratching his head after hearing Cheng Shenggui's words.

  "Right," said Han Zhiqian.

  "Hehe, this is all thanks to Old Man Lin's stories every night." Fatso said with a silly grin.

  Cheng Shigui responded to Fang Mernan's words with two things, saying profoundly: "Opportunities are left for those who are prepared, and the body is the capital of revolution."

  "I understand, lifelong learning and striving. Live to old age, learn to old age." Liang Zipei said with a sense of enlightenment, "I will also supervise Pàngzi well."

  "I want to too!" Fatso said with a bitter face, he was most afraid of reading books.

  "Of course we share the difficulties and enjoy the blessings together." Liangzi said with a rare smile.

  "Fool, it's not asking you to memorize books. Since we are Chinese, why not dig up our own successful wisdom? The Chinese nation has always been a clever and resourceful people. All the wisdom in the world is stored in the minds of our countrymen. Our ancestors left us with too many treasures of wisdom, which we can draw upon and learn from. What do you think? The emperors and generals of ancient times were living textbooks on success studies. The knowledge and experience they gained can be said to be a product of their local environment, learned and applied immediately. And the best part is that it's free, no tuition required! Where else can you find such a bargain?" Fang Mennai chuckled and said: "Just consider yourself lucky, after all, it's better than reading those messy things."

  "Uh-huh!" Fatso nodded, he understood in his heart that this was also for his own good, to avoid being left behind by them, I'll do my best.

  Liang Ziguoguan gave him a handwritten booklet when he was about to leave after the Chinese New Year. The contents included: Hotel Management, Psychology, Tourism, Marketing, Front Desk and Room Service Management, Food and Beverage Service and Management, Menu and Beverage, Hotel English, Hotel Financial Management, Conference Services and Management, Recreation Services and Management, and Ten Key Elements of Hotel Management. Many were insights gained from Fang Mernan's later years staying in hotels, which he wrote down hoping they would be useful to him.