Actor: Thank you.

The celebrations culminated in a night of revelry.

That night, the earth shook violently.

The next day, they were woken up by their assistant outside the door.

"Brother Zhang Yuan, we have a guest."

"Huh?" He finally looked up with his messy hair.

"Who...the two brothers with chopsticks from yesterday?" he asked, bewildered.

"No, someone came from the courtyard. I didn't know. My aunt called to tell me."

"Alright, alright, I'll get up right away." He scratched his head, got up, turned over his fair body, put on his shoes, stood up, and yawned deeply.

"Oh dear, I still have to go to the theater for rehearsal!"

This commotion woke up my older sister, who glanced at her phone and complained.

Then he pulled back the covers and let out another strange cry.

"oops!"

"What's wrong with you?!"

Soon after, I finished dressing and washing up, and hurriedly ate something.

Cheng Hao also swallowed a pill with water.

After swallowing it, he patted his back hard.

"Taking medicine is bad for your health, you know that!"

"I know, I know, it's because we ran out of equipment."

"You didn't refuse either... Ouch!"

"You can't just say the truth," Cheng Hao immediately blushed and grabbed his ear.

"What if you cause someone's death by playing around like this?"

"Hey." He tried to brush it off, but Cheng Hao wouldn't let it go.

"Look me in the eyes and answer."

"Just do what needs to be done."

"Human life is a serious matter; once it happens, we have to take responsibility," Zhang Yuan replied reluctantly.

"Tch..." The older sister was clearly not satisfied with his perfunctory attitude.

She quickly finished eating and went to the theater for rehearsal, while Zhang Yuan checked his phone and found a bunch of missed calls.

Many of these calls came from Mr. Yuan.

"You still remember me?"

He called, and the old man laughed sarcastically.

"I remember, I remember. I may forget to eat, but I will never forget you."

"Hmph, I know you young people are busy, but it's not good that you don't answer the phone."

"I put the phone on silent mode last night. What's up?"

“These past two days, a short, dark-skinned man with a southern accent came to me.”

“Short, dark-skinned guy…” Zhang Yuan imagined for a moment: “Are you sure the person who came to the door wasn’t Guo Degang?”

“We’re in the storytelling business, so don’t try to give me any more comedic punchlines,” Mr. Yuan replied irritably.

Such a promising talent, quick-witted and articulate, if he studies diligently, he will surely be able to carry on the art of storytelling.

It's a pity, but we can't blame him. He's not well-fed or well-clothed in this line of work. It's a real shame.

The old man sighed inwardly, and this feeling of melancholy often showed in his words.

The decline of an industry cannot be changed by human effort.

In fact, the appearance of Mr. Guo can be considered as forcibly prolonging the life of the crosstalk industry. Peking Opera and storytelling have never had such a powerful figure.

"Anyway, judging from their accent, they seem to be from the Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan region."

"I was looking for you because we acted together before."

"Judging from their appearance, they seem to be doing so-so."

“I told him the house was yours, but you don’t live here, and then he left.”

"You don't answer my calls."

"Okay, I'll go find out. We'll have dinner together tonight."

After calming the old man down, I plan to cook him some noodles with soybean paste and make sauerkraut dumplings for dinner.

He then got up and went out.

He still can't remember who it was.

But my aunt called and said that the person had been to Fuyuan Hutong.

"Auntie, I'm back."

"Help me prepare some pickled cabbage, pork, high-gluten and low-gluten flour, yellow soybean paste..." Arrange the ingredients first.

Then they asked who it was.

The answer I got was similar to the one from the old man's side: a short, dark-skinned man with a southern accent.

If you arrive, look for him; if you can't find him, leave.

Judging from their clothes, they seem to be living a modest life.

He had little ambition, walked with his head down, and spoke in a low voice.

They didn't leave their names either.

Zhang Yuan pondered for a moment, then realized he wasn't very confident in his rough sketch of the person.

We can only put it aside for now and wait for them to come to us again.

The mysterious person didn't show up, but the Chopsticks Brothers did.

Both of them had dark circles under their eyes, and their fingers were yellow.

He clearly hadn't slept all night and probably smoked half a pack of cigarettes before he figured it out.

"It's so nice to see you all."

It's good that you're here; your arrival means you agree to join us.

"First, I would like to reiterate."

"Although I drank yesterday, what I said was not drunken talk; it was all from the bottom of my heart."

"If you are willing to cooperate in the long term, I will do my best to support your dreams."

The two smiled shyly, deciding to board Zhang Yuan's speedboat for their dreams.

"However, we have one more small request," Wang Taili said.

"You can talk about anything?"

"Funding, connections, or equipment?" Zhang Yuan responded enthusiastically.

"Neither... You said last time that we could see Jackson's stage costumes anytime. We were too excited last time to take pictures, so we wanted to take a group photo."

I thought something serious had happened.

Zhang Yuan readily agreed and led them back to the courtyard, where the clothes had been moved to the insurance display room.

The two brothers almost cried again, hugging the clothes and touching them together.

Zhang Yuan let them do whatever they wanted, as long as they didn't break anything. He also reminded them not to leak the information, lest bad people get the idea to steal from them.

The auction market price of this costume has now doubled, a truly astonishing increase.

They quickly signed management contracts with the two, and they will collaborate with Zhang Yuan as the Chopstick Brothers duo.

Zhang Yuan knew that Xiao Yang was no ordinary creature; he would transform into a dragon once the east wind blew.

But there's no rush. Let's establish a cooperative relationship first, and then discuss things slowly.

A strong emotional foundation is important; having a head start is enough.

These two brothers are loyal and righteous, unlike Stephen Chow who only cares about money when it comes to doing things.

I had a very pleasant chat with the two of them, but I had to go to the old man's place for dinner, so I didn't invite them to stay for a celebratory meal. We'll talk again another day.

After arriving at the old man's house, I personally kneaded the dough and chopped the filling.

He's really got all these attributes; being able to cook for loved ones is a real pleasure in life.

"Look how busy you are."

Mr. Yuan watched him busily working with amusement.

He had to answer the phone while kneading the dough.

Fan Bingbing called him and said that the cosmetics factory was ready and Lefeng.com had also released a plan for online brand promotion. Everything was ready to go.

"You can leave it like this for now, and have the factory design a completely new set of packaging."

"Our first batch of products will be lip gloss."

"But it's not your average lip gloss; it's the same lip gloss you wore in Cannes."

There's a professional term called the "lipstick effect," which refers to the phenomenon that during economic downturns, sales of luxury goods decline, but sales of inexpensive fashion items like lipsticks increase significantly.

In short, the unit price is low, so everyone can afford it, which can expand the consumer base.

Sisi doesn't usually wear makeup and is always seen without any.

Actually, she used to be vain. When she first returned to China and started acting, and was in her adolescence, she learned to do her own makeup.

Her makeup techniques are similar to those of the top male calligrapher in Japan, highlighting a shared passion.

Having little knowledge of lipsticks, I collected a bunch of them to use as a hobby, and even let them expire.

It's clear that young girls love this.

I might not use foundation, but I'll always use lip gloss or lip tint.

"The packaging should be designed to match your dragon robe look, and the product should be limited edition."

"Not for making money, but for creating momentum!"

Running a small business is different from running a large business.

To build a brand, you have to "lose money" in the early stages!
You can't make money; making money is a loss.

The key is to create momentum, seize the market, and make consumers aware of the brand.

In later years, Mr. Lei planned to enter the television market.

After the department head took the lead, the company made a profit of over 100 million yuan in one year.

He excitedly sought out Jun'er to boast about his achievement.

But to his surprise, Jun'er reprimanded him with great dissatisfaction.

"What do I need to do with making money?"

"I want the market!"

By subsidizing prices with all profits, companies can capture more market share and customers in the same product category.

If there's a market, and once customers recognize your brand, there will be plenty of opportunities to make money. You can make 1000 yuan per unit and sell 10 units.

Make 100 on one unit, sell 100 million units.

The final reported profits are the same, but the brand market size is completely different!
Therefore, the amount of capital that can be leveraged is also incomparable to what it was before.

When making strategic decisions, you must be ruthless with yourself.

When a finance officer becomes a leader, he or she can easily fall into a "profit trap" and gradually lose his or her market position.

So he told Fan Bingbing to capitalize on the popularity of her Cannes look and quickly ride on his coattails to release a limited-edition lip gloss.

The packaging features a dragon robe design, and the promotional copy reads "Fan Bingbing's Cannes-style outfit."

This will not only increase brand awareness but also boost her own reputation.

This is not over yet.

"Limited production should be truly limited; don't increase production just because it sells well."

Ferrari, the famous Italian "state-owned enterprise," did this before.

The flagship supercar of that year, the F40, was limited to 300 units to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the factory's founding.

This car was the last vehicle designed with the personal involvement of founder Enzo Ferrari, so it sold out as soon as it hit the market.

The Italians were shocked and thought, "This is crazy!"
Then we should earn more.

Italians have no sense of credibility. They advertised a limited production run of 300 units, but then secretly increased production.

Later, at a Ferrari enthusiasts' gathering in Japan, the Japanese discovered that there were over 300 F40s from their country alone...

Finally, an international lawsuit was filed, and the investigation found that more than 1300 units had been produced.

Ferrari is like a dead pig that isn't afraid of boiling water; I'm just like this, I'll do whatever I want.

For any ordinary company, this would be a devastating blow.

Therefore, it is essential to keep your word.

"We'll only make 1000, and give half of them away to your core fans for free."

"Ah, only 1000?" Fan Bingbing felt that after all the trouble we went through, producing just this little bit wasn't a complete waste of time.

"It's not a wasted effort!" Zhang Yuan slammed the dough down in his hand.

"Just 1000, no more."

"Even if no one buys it after the sale starts, we should make it look like it's sold out."

"Of course, I believe that with your reputation and the cooperation of Lefeng.com, it will definitely be a reality to sweep them all up."

"But this is just the first step."

"Next, you need to have the factory secretly find people to recall the products on the market."

Fan Bingbing was completely dumbfounded; not only did she buy less, but she also bought more.

"what are you up to?"

"Hehe, not only will we buy it back, but we'll buy it back at a high price."

"Buy it back at five times, or even ten times, the price."

"But they buy back the goods under the name of the factory, not under the name of scalpers, speculators, or secondhand buyers."

"Drive the price of your limited edition lip gloss sky-high!"

This is similar to how some borderline female internet celebrities inflate product prices.

How much it's worth depends on how much the last person to bid.

"In this way, the brand can reach a wider audience, and what starts as fashion news in the cosmetics industry can directly become social news."

"Next, everyone knows that your limited edition products can fetch astronomical prices on the secondhand market."

"If you release another limited edition in the future, consumers will definitely rush to buy it based on past experience."

"Your regular products will also sell well as a result."

"do you understand?"

Fan Bingbing was stunned. Could this really be done?

Isn't this just playing with people's feelings?
You know what, hype is all about playing people.

Doing this gives a simple lipstick a value far exceeding its intrinsic worth.

It can be said to have acquired a financial attribute.

Moreover, the number is small, so it is not easy to attract divine retribution from above.

It's a niche market, and the higher-ups don't care about you.

"If you follow my instructions, I guarantee that our cosmetics brand will be known nationwide within three months."

"Okay!" Fan Bingbing was quick-witted and roughly understood what he meant.

"Is it right to hype up streetwear brands like that?"

"almost."

"But we must be clear that this is ultimately a consumer product."

"Therefore, we cannot rely solely on hype to sell products."

"You can do this in the early stages, but you can't do it once sales pick up."

This is a stimulant; you can't take it every day, or you'll become an addict.

"Anyway, as artists, we need to use our expertise, which is to create hype."

“I’m an honest actor, okay?” Fan Bingbing retorted.

"me too!"

"Hehehe..." The two laughed in unison, filling the phone call with a cheerful atmosphere.

If they only acted and didn't engage in any hype, how could they have achieved their current level of fame?

Hearing Fan Bingbing's laughter, Zhang Yuan's mind began to wander.

The way he kneaded the dough in his hands became ambiguous.

"I heard you and Huayi are at odds again?" Fan Bingbing suddenly said.

Why did you add the word "again"?

"I won't gossip with you, but my sources say that Hua Yi will be making a move soon."

"I understand. Is it an overt action or a covert one?"

"They say it's a big move, but I reckon it'll be done openly. Be careful," Fan Bingbing said, a hint of worry in her voice.

She'll be handling the cosmetics company matters; I estimate it'll take several days just for meetings and discussions.

As the decision-maker, Zhang Yuan only needs to grasp the general direction; the specific implementation is still up to him, which would be exhausting.

Mr. Yuan was surprised to learn that the old man could cook. He had a good meal with the old man.

"If I had known, I should have called the little lion over today too."

"What's the point of me eating? I'm too old to eat much anyway."

Zhang Yuan looked up and thought to himself, "The little lion is here. It's not time to eat dumplings, it's time to eat her."

"She's become very popular recently and has been filming and working non-stop. It seems like she's been staying in Hengdian for a long time."

"Yes, you're all busy. It's good that you're busy."

No matter how glorious a person is in their youth, they will always be lonely in their old age.

Looking at Mr. Yuan, Zhang Yuan also thought of himself.

What will I be like when I reach his age?

After finishing his meal, he cleaned the kitchen, chatted with the old man for a while, and then walked home.

We're almost at the middle courtyard house... because the one Mr. Yuan lives in is the small courtyard house.

As I approached home, I vaguely saw someone wandering under a streetlamp.

He was short and dark-skinned from a distance.

Zhang Yuan suddenly realized, "Is this the visitor they were talking about?"
He pulled his hat down, covered his mask tightly, and pretended to be just passing by casually.

What if it's a paparazzi or a bad guy?

Look straight ahead, walk along the corner of the wall, and observe quietly with your peripheral vision as you pass by.

Then he stopped walking.

"you are?"

"you are?"

He looked at the other person, and the other person looked at him.

Zhang Yuan looked at the short, disheveled man in front of him and took off his hat and mask.

"it's me."

"Ah." The other person opened their mouth.

"Were you the one who came to see me these past few days?"

The man nodded slightly.

"Come on, come home with me first, sit down and talk."

When I got home, I asked the housekeeper to make me some tea.

Looking at the awkward man in front of him, Zhang Yuan held his teacup and thought for a moment.

"Did you have meal?"

"No."

"You should have said so earlier."

Zhang Yuanrang cooked the dumplings he had left over from making and bringing home.

"Try my cooking later, let's chat first."

How have you been lately?

"It's...it's alright," the person stammered in response.

"Okay, that's fine." Zhang Yuan knew what to expect.

His hair was oily, his face was shiny with oil, he hadn't eaten yet so late, and his clothes looked like they hadn't been washed for days; he even smelled.

Can this be considered a good life?

They care about saving face.

He didn't expose it.

Everyone has self-respect, so why expose it?

Moreover, I have a relationship with him.

The somewhat down-on-his-luck-looking man in front of me was Zhang Yu, whom I had met several years ago on the set of the TV series "Qinghong"... (End of Chapter)