money player

“I don’t make a living based on my looks.” Zheng Huixian subconsciously touched her cheek. “Boss, how much will the company’s expenses increase after your performance just now? Americans are not Chinese. They don’t understand subtlety. They really know how to ask for money.”

Sin Yiu-man smiled faintly and said, "Perfect, I really know how to give it to you."

"How do we explain the increased expenses to the shareholders?"

“You don’t need to worry about that. I will personally explain it to the shareholders.” Xian Yaowen sat down opposite Zheng Huixian. “Let me ask you a question. If I pay myself an annual salary of 15, how much do I actually take home?”

"Let me calculate." Zheng Huixian took a pen from the pen holder and began to calculate on the paper.

"Let's calculate it: 10."

"Ah."

After a long five minutes, Zheng Huixian finally looked up and said, "150,000 down to 55,644, 100,000 down to 48,244."

Xian Yaowen chuckled and said, "It seems you're not ready to be a rich man yet. Have the company's accountant design a plan. I can accept receiving the money a year later, but I cannot accept receiving less than 11.5."

Zheng Huixian asked in surprise, "Is there a way to save so much?"

Sin Yiu-man pointed at Cheng Wai-han, "You, sitting in this position, should have knowledge of legal tax avoidance. Unfortunately, you did not pass my first test and have lost your eligibility to compete for the 47% federal income tax. Starting this week, your weekly salary will be adjusted to $288.58."

Priscilla Chan laughed and said, "How come there are whole numbers and fractions?"

"I'll wish you good luck." Sin Yiu-man then pointed at Priscilla Cheng, "Your annual salary has already entered the high-income group in the United States, and even more so in Hong Kong. 95% of factory owners don't earn as much as you."

Of course, this is what you deserve. You, a woman, followed me across the ocean to build our empire when the future was uncertain. As for me, I was practically a hands-off manager, and you bore most of the pressure. You've worked hard, and HK$85,500 a year is a reward for your hard work.

However, this is the maximum I can offer. Even if you work yourself to death in this position, I'll have a clear conscience. To put it bluntly, your hard work is only worth this much at most, and I'll be generous and pay you the full amount upfront.

"You think it's not enough?"

Priscilla Chan shook her head. "That's already a lot."

“No, you should think it’s too little. If you don’t think it’s too little, I’ll kick you out one day.” Sin Yiu-man raised his hand and pointed around the office. “A $15,000 annual salary is enough for you. What are they supposed to do?”
If someone asks me to raise their weekly wage to $300, and I think the request is reasonable, what should I do?
I'll give you a raise first, then give him one. It's unreasonable for a low-paid leader to have a high-paid one. I must uphold your authority in the company, and you must give me a sufficient reason to raise your salary.

Your hard work has been used up; the only justification left is merit. Salary increases and stock options will all require merit in return.

After a pause to allow Zheng Huixian time to process the information, Xian Yaowen continued, "By the middle of next year, I need a reason to raise your overall compensation to US$5. If you can't provide one, go back to Hong Kong and become the deputy editor-in-chief of another magazine."

"I'll give you HK$500 a month. You can act like a highly educated woman in Hong Kong, and maybe a boss who earns HK$5 a year will take your eye on and make you his eighth concubine. Then you'll live a life of luxury."

"Pfft~" Zheng Huixian couldn't help but laugh. "Boss, I'm not desperate to get married, and I won't demean myself."

Sin Yiu-man nodded. "You've already checked the office?"

"Looked."

Which side do you prefer?

“Rockefeller Center and the Greybar Building at 420 Madison Avenue.”

"Compare these two."

"Rockefeller Center costs $7 to $9 per square foot. The advantage is that it is surrounded by large companies, making it convenient to contact advertising clients. The disadvantage is that the building management does not pay much attention to us."

The rent in the Grabar Building is $6-9 per square foot. Its advantages include a large number of advertising companies in the surrounding area, facilitating business connections, and the building management is very welcoming of us moving in. They're willing to offer a 10% discount on the rent if we sign a five-year or longer lease.

Sin Yiu-man smiled faintly and said, "It seems you've already decided to go for the Greybar Building. Let's discuss it in detail then. The rent increase rate, the sharing of additional costs, and the rent-free period for renovations or tenant improvement subsidies all need to be clearly discussed and put into the contract."

The ceiling, floor, walls, lights and electrical circuits, bathroom and water supply and drainage systems should all be thoroughly inspected. Minor problems should be addressed by the property management promptly, and problems should not be left unresolved until the renovation is completed.

Ask the Black person who operates the elevator about the number of people using the elevator during rush hour and how often the elevator is repaired.

Another issue to note is that, if I remember correctly, the Greybar Building doesn't have its own parking. The nearest parking lot is the Grand Central Station parking garage, a 3-minute walk away, and parking there is quite expensive—30 cents an hour?

Zheng Huixian nodded.

"It's very unfriendly for customers to come to the building on a rainy day. The street parking spaces around the building are cheaper, but you have to fight for them, and customers may not be able to find a parking spot. This problem needs to be solved, and we need to secure two or three long-term parking spaces."

"How?"

Xian Yaowen rubbed his temples and said softly, "This matter can be simple or difficult. The simple way is to get the person collecting parking fees to help you get a parking space. However, street parking spaces are public resources, and countless eyes are watching. If you don't handle things skillfully, you can easily get into trouble."

Playboy is an outlier among magazines, and its rapid growth inevitably attracts jealousy. As a publisher that prides itself on being a respectable magazine, they would be happy to kick us while we're down if they had the chance to find fault with us. So, we need to be careful in our actions, and we need to solve the parking problem in a difficult way.

As for how to solve the specific problems, you can use your own brain. The flower company is just a small part of my business empire. For now and in the coming year, I can guide you. You just need to execute the strategies I set out for you.

A year later, I won't be able to devote much energy to the Flower Society anymore. The Flower Society needs a leader with strategic vision, resource integration capabilities, and overall control—a true strategist.

Sin Yiu-man went to the dry bar behind Priscilla Cheng, poured himself a Jack Daniel's, took a sip, and put the glass on the table.

He sat back down, pointed to his glass, and said, "Blue-collar workers drink bourbon, the rich drink Scotch, country music singers and truck drivers love Tennessee whiskey, and what do young people like to drink?"
Those born in the 1930s were fortunate enough to escape the world war. The best among them went to university, while the precocious ones had already worked for several years, perhaps even married with children, and entered the dreary middle age prematurely.

Those who are stuck in the middle, neither here nor there, are unwilling to follow in their fathers' footsteps and take the same boring path. They yearn for the outside world, a different world. They move from the countryside to the city, from small towns to big cities like New York.

They thought New York had a place for them, but in reality, only a very few made a difference. Most people could only rent dirty apartments, eat cheap White Castle burgers, and the glitz and glamour of the metropolis had nothing to do with them. The only way to fit in was to become a waiter.

The American economy is developing rapidly, and it seems that every American's life is getting better. But they are forgotten on the platform by the train moving forward. They are surrounded by prosperity, yet accompanied by depression. Why?
Ignoring the most crucial personal factors, they look for reasons in the national system and social environment.

Is America good?

No, the systems of the United States, or rather all countries, are flawed. Beneath the surface of prosperity, there's always something to hide, and the United States has quite a bit of that stuff in its pants.

Racial segregation, racial discrimination, the prevalence of McCarthyism, and anti-communist panic leading to censorship made it seem as if people had lost the freedom to express their opinions.

Unable to satisfy their material needs and feeling spiritually empty, they want to curse, accuse, and vent through music and stand-up comedy. They want to wallow in despair, using drugs and engaging in promiscuous sex, hoping that one day their bodies will lie in a garbage dump, leaving this world they never wanted to be in.

Among them are not few who possess heroism or opportunism. Solving problems is difficult, but exposing them is very easy. In the coming years, many American Lu Xuns will likely emerge from here, exposing, criticizing, shouting, and appealing, hoping that those who wake up first will wake up those who are still asleep. But what will they do after waking them up?
Lu Xun said that Zhou Shuren (Lu Xun's courtesy name) didn't know this, but he knew that authors were entitled to a writing fee for their work. He added, "If you dare refuse to pay, you're probably a dog, and a Japanese dog at that."

Priscilla Cheng burst into laughter.

After she calmed down, Sin Yiu-man continued, "The United States is in turmoil, and young people's thoughts and ways of entertainment are about to enter a period of great diversity. What this period will be like is closely related to Playboy, because the core of Playboy is the reflection and expression of sexual culture."

Sexual culture will not be interrupted, but its manifestations will differ in different periods. If we cannot grasp the manifestations of the next stage, it will be directly reflected in sales. Moreover, Playboy needs to be a leader in sexual culture.

That's one point. Secondly, Playboy is just the first step for Playboy Entertainment. My vision for Playboy Entertainment is a pan-entertainment group. Magazines and newspapers are just the first step. Moving forward, we will also vigorously develop television and film businesses.

The leader of a flower company needs to possess keen insight, a thorough understanding of what is happening now, and accurate predictions of what will happen in the future.

Sin Yiu-man raised his glass. "There are many whiskey factories in the United States, most of which are in a state of limbo. Playboy is a magazine, but it can also be a culture, a lifestyle."

What do young people like to drink?
Playboy Whisky.

At this point, he changed the subject and said, "Alright, that's all for today. Take your time to digest this and think it over. Come to my place for dinner tomorrow, and we'll continue our conversation. It won't disturb your work. I'll go sit in the break room. Come find me if you need anything."

Zheng Huixian nodded mechanically, her mind replaying Xian Yaowen's words.

She has always been conflicted. She feels that she deserves great credit for the Flower Society's development to this day, even though most of the time she is just a puppet, doing whatever Xian Yaowen tells her to do. But sometimes she feels that Xian Yaowen is thousands of miles away and may not understand the situation, so some of her ideas are just assumptions.

But Xian Yaowen's words just now made her realize that she was simple-minded and had underestimated Xian Yaowen. (End of Chapter)