2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 337: Realm Improvement

Friday, September 9st.

The conference room lobby on the 24th floor of a building in the Financial Building.

Zhu Chengying signed his name with a complicated expression, while glancing at the calm-looking young man across the conference table.

The Beicang Financial Center building project is the largest project his company has acquired to date, but such a large project has also consumed all of the company's funds and energy.

The company's funding chain was on the verge of collapse, which forced it to sell the property rights of the financial building ahead of schedule.

We made a profit, but not a large one. If we could hold onto it for another two or three years, not to mention the building's rent, just considering the appreciation in property value, the company could achieve a significant improvement.

The real estate market is poised for a boom, and the thriving commercial real estate sector is a trend that every real estate developer is aware of.

Now, however, he is only grateful that someone took over in time and that the other party did not try to drive down the price too much.

From this perspective, Zhu Chengying should thank the other party. He must remember this favor and repay it when he has the chance.

It's outrageous! The other party clearly earns more than me, yet I have to remember their favor. But that's how business is, especially in real estate.

A broken cash flow is a very dangerous thing, especially since he is currently unable to borrow 2.4 million from the bank.

"Congratulations, Mr. Tan. The Financial Building will be renamed Flash Group from now on. Also, Mr. Tan, rest assured that the handover of the subsequent apartment buildings will definitely be completed before June next year, and we will also coordinate with Flash Group to ensure the relocation of the tenants."

"I should thank Mr. Zhu for his generosity, and I hope to have more opportunities to cooperate with him in the future."

The middle-aged man in front of him, Tan Jincheng, was a well-known real estate developer in Beicang District. He had been successful for more than ten years, but in the end, he became a person who had lost his credit.

At this moment, Tan Jincheng looked at him as if he were looking in a mirror.

At the same time, Tan Jincheng secretly warned himself that he should try to avoid real estate as much as possible. Acquiring or developing some properties for his own use would be enough; he should not do business in this area.

The financial center project was probably his starting point. I don't know how he solved the financial pressure he faced in his previous life, but in this life, he benefited from it.

Buying the tallest building in Jeonbuk Warehouse for 6500 square meters, even without considering factors like increased property value, carries a different symbolic meaning.

From now on, whenever you enter the Beicang area, the four golden characters of Shanchi Group will be hanging at the highest point, which will be a living advertisement.

FlashChe may not be the most powerful private enterprise in Beicang, but it is certainly the most famous. This is how Tan Jincheng positions FlashChe: a city icon!
Having achieved the status of a city brand, as long as you manage your business well and develop steadily, Tan Jincheng can be assured of a worry-free life. Even if Shanchi encounters difficulties in the future, Beicang District will lend a helping hand.

"Not at all, Mr. Tan is young and promising. We trust Mr. Tan to help us this time, and we will definitely be troubling you more in the future."

Business is a circle. The fact that Flash bought the Financial Building was facilitated by the second boss is no secret in the high-end business circle of Beicang. Otherwise, how could the two sides have negotiated so smoothly?
The value of such a tall building is undeniable, yet apart from Flash Motors, there isn't a single company in the entire Beicang District offering a quote. Isn't that obvious enough?
I've heard that the district really admires this young man, so it's definitely a good idea to get on his good side.

However, it must be said that FlashChe really deserves the district's special attention. Over the past year, while promoting its own company, it has also been helping the district gain recognition. In addition, Zhu Chengying appreciates the young man's straightforwardness.

Although he managed to slash the initial offer of 2.5 million to 2.4 million, he paid promptly. The first 1.4 million contract was signed and the full amount arrived within a month. The remaining 1 million was to be paid in two installments: the first installment would arrive three months later, and the second installment would arrive after the apartment buildings were delivered and inspected.

The payment method alone made it impossible for him to refuse; the initial 1.4 million was too important for his company's current financial situation.

Tan Jincheng was very excited to have the headquarters building completed in less than a month. This was a different feeling from when he bought the 100 houses.

When I bought 100 houses, I had a bit of a loser mentality. I thought that even if the company lost money or went out of business, I would still have some money to fall back on and be able to live a decent life.

Having a headquarters building proved Flash's strength and marked a stable start.

From now on, Tan Jincheng will no longer have to worry about safety issues; this is a significant improvement in his perspective.

For the employees of Flash Group, this is also a very meaningful event. The company owning its own headquarters building represents a certain level of strength. Admittedly, Flash Group offers very good benefits, but it lacks a solid foundation.

For most employees, besides the most important factor of compensation, the strength of a company is also a factor in their evaluation of it.

No matter how good the benefits are in a small factory, it can't retain employees. They usually work with the mindset of "keeping their job while looking for a better one," and will quit without hesitation as soon as a better opportunity comes along.

The reason why so many employees were poached from the marketing department before was essentially due to this.

To put it bluntly, you're just a stepping stone for them. Before the Beicang factory officially went into production, FlashChe was scattered and didn't form an integrated industry. Although their marketing and revenue were very good, it was still not enough.

With the headquarters building, the tallest building in Beicang, and the gleaming gold signboard of Shanchi, the feeling is completely different.

Before Flash Motors officially moves into the financial center, in addition to the relocation of tenants, some simple renovations are still needed. Zhu Chengying owns both a real estate company and a decoration company, and Tan Jincheng wants to entrust this part to him as well.

Therefore, after the contract was officially signed, Tan Jincheng did not rush to leave, but stayed to chat with Zhu Chengying and inquire about related matters.

Zhu Chengying had always wanted to be on good terms with them, and this was a business opportunity that had come to him without hesitation, so why wouldn't he be happy to accept it?

The slight disappointment I had felt earlier vanished. He led Tan Jincheng through the interior of the financial building, explaining everything in detail without getting tired of it. It must be said, entrepreneurs like Zhu Chengying, who built their businesses step by step, may lack formal education, but you can't say they lack ability. He truly understands real estate construction and interior design.

The same applies to Tan Jincheng. When it comes to the knowledge of his own business, Tan Jincheng is no less capable than those with higher education. His abilities are all accumulated and honed through practical experience.

Without some ability, you really can't run a company well; being a boss isn't something just anyone can do.

"When do you have time, Mr. Tan? I'll have our designer come over to discuss the renovation plan with you."

Tan Jincheng stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and then said, "How about next Monday then? What do you think?"

Next week I don't have many classes, so Tan can take care of some routine work at the company and finish up some of the big and small tasks that have accumulated recently. It's a good opportunity to chat about this.

"I'd heard that President Tan was decisive and efficient, and today I've witnessed it firsthand," Zhu Chengying exclaimed.

There has always been a saying in Beicang that the small boss of FlashChe is particularly efficient. He will never put off until tomorrow what can be done today. You can get a glimpse of this by looking at the speed of FlashChe's development.

Today, Zhu Chengying experienced it firsthand.

"In that case, shall I change the sign on the rooftop for you, Mr. Tan, in the next few days?"

Tan Jincheng didn't refuse, and replied with a smile, "That's fine, we'll have to change it sooner or later anyway, so thank you, President Zhu."

The sooner you change it, the sooner you can show off, definitely.
-
Speaking of showing off, Boss Tan is unaware that he has another thing to show off, and it's even more surprising.

It's quite a coincidence that two singers who are brand ambassadors under FlashChi released new albums on the same day. This is Chris Lee's first album in over a year since her debut, and with so many fans, it naturally attracts attention.

Another rising star is even more popular; his new album has been officially released, and news about him is all over the internet.

Boss Tan has become Student Tan. Regardless of all that, Flash's marketing department is working like crazy. With two popular celebrity spokespeople releasing new albums, how could Flash not ride this wave of popularity and cooperate with the promotion?

The term "riding the coattails" was taught to Zhou Ao by Tan Jincheng. As the marketing director, Zhou Ao has gained a deep understanding of the definition of this term ever since he closely followed Green Plains' competitive strategy.

Pay close attention to online and media news, and require employees to search for keywords every day. Any news related to electric vehicle giants or even other small companies should be collected and used to see if it can be utilized.

For example, a few days ago, Bidewen officially announced Andy Lau as their spokesperson, which also sparked heated discussions. Zhou Ao immediately arranged for the marketing team to write a soft article listing the advantages and disadvantages of various spokespeople.

When talking about brand ambassadors, how can we forget Flash, the pioneer of brand ambassadors in the electric vehicle industry?

The article lavishly praised FlashCar and was widely reposted on various platforms such as Kaixin.com, blogs, Baidu Tieba, Tianya, and Mop.com, creating a buzz even greater than the official announcement from BED.

It is said that after learning this news, the owner of Bidevin was so angry that he exclaimed that he was disgusted!

Flash Marketing Department received two packages today, one from Chris Lee and the other from Jay Chou's team. Both contained new albums. The marketing department doesn't have the same influence as Tan Jincheng, so we can't just get them for free.

These are autographed copies they bought to coincide with the album's release and subsequent promotional activities. The reason both teams chose to have the marketing department receive them only today is to prevent the album's contents from being leaked in advance and to facilitate sales.

"Tsk tsk tsk, it's the real deal. The workmanship and quality are just different. I've never seen a genuine album before," Zhou Ao said with a smile.

Before they joined Flash, they were all ordinary employees who had never even considered buying genuine albums. They thought that 5 yuan or 10 yuan for a copy was the same.

"I've never seen them either, Brother Zhou, should we send a few to the boss?"

The speaker was Xiao Wu, a subordinate in the marketing department. This guy was quick-witted, had a broad perspective, and was also hardworking. Recently, he had been working overtime with Zhou Ao frequently.

Zhou Ao understood what the young man was thinking and did not refuse: "The boss should be discussing business at the Financial Building right now. If you don't mind the distance, you can make the trip and deliver it to Orange Technology in the Financial Building. The boss's wife is there too."

"It's not far, but it would be even better if you could lend me your car, Brother Zhou," Xiao Wu said with a grin.

“That’s not my car, it’s the company’s. But this is business for you, so go ahead,” Zhou Ao said, handing over the keys.

"okay!"

After Xiao Wu left, Zhou Ao took out an album from each of the two packages and compared them.

"The Queen and the Dream?" Is that a really cool name?
"Still Fantasy?" What a weird name.

To be honest, neither of these two spokespeople fits Zhou Ao's personal aesthetic. Zhou Ao prefers someone like Liu Yifei, but he can't let personal emotions get into his work.

For the sake of his work, Zhou Ao decided to seriously study the two albums to see if he could find any promotional points that would allow Flash to capitalize on them.

This research actually led him to a discovery.

(End of this chapter)