Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 1217 The advertisement didn't appear on TV, but the first customer came.
Li Long first went to Beiting TV Station.

Beiting TV station has an advertising department. Li Long drove his Volga over, and after entering the TV station's courtyard, he inquired about the advertising department and was warmly received.

These days, if someone can drive a sedan here, regardless of their status, they at least have a certain level of power and influence.

The person in charge of liaising with Li Long in the advertising department was a middle-aged woman who introduced herself as Song Lihua. She had short hair and looked very capable.

"We offer two types of advertising here. One is graphic advertising, which directly displays the specific content of the advertisement. This type of advertising is relatively cheaper," Manager Song explained without any formalities after learning Li Long's purpose.

"Another option is professional advertising with video production, which is more expensive, but the effect is also more intuitive."

Then comes the advertising period.

Li Long chose the first option with a "let's give it a try" attitude, which was a one-week period.

The specific time slot is after the CCTV News Broadcast and then the Tingzhou News Broadcast, which is considered prime time. So even for text and image ads, the advertising fee is three thousand yuan a week.

It is quite expensive, but considering that this is for the entire Beiting Autonomous Prefecture, even if some areas are not covered, at least hundreds of thousands of people can see it.

Li Long felt it was worth it.

Because Li Long carried the materials with him, the advertising department quickly drafted the advertising text and images for Li Long to review.

Li Long took a look and found that there was nothing wrong with the content; these people were quite professional.

They also showed Li Long a live advertisement with blue background and white text on a television.

"Our announcers will read the advertisements aloud during the broadcast, making it easier for those who can't read to understand," Manager Song said. "What does Manager Li think?"

“Very good,” Li Long said with a smile. “I think it’s great. Now let’s see how it goes. If it works well, I’ll continue to run ads here.”

He originally planned to check the effect of TV commercials first, and then compare it with newspaper ads, but he felt that it was difficult to compare them, since some ads might have a long-term effect. Since he had already come all this way, he might as well just get it done together.

Newspaper ads are relatively simpler. They are placed in the last small section of the fourth page of the Beiting Daily. This section is divided into several smaller sections, with each ad containing only one or two hundred words. Then, a contact person and phone number are left.

Of course, the price is also cheap; the entire month-long advertisement only costs one thousand yuan.

At that time, advertising was still a relatively new thing, especially in northern Xinjiang. The media was also exploring it, and there were relatively few places to advertise, so Li Long was essentially taking the plunge.

After paying and receiving the invoice, Li Long saw that it was almost time, ate a meal outside, and then hurriedly rushed back.

Now we'll see how it goes.

Although we have a TV at home, we can't receive Beiting TV – the distance is too far and the signal isn't strong enough.

Li Long was thinking about whether he should take some time to get some good antennas or something, but he didn't know if those dish antennas were still around.

Currently, the 101 antenna can only receive three channels: Channel 2 is CCTV-1, Channel 9 is Shicheng TV, and Channel 5 is Maxian TV. However, Maxian TV is currently only in trial broadcast mode, broadcasting intermittently, and does not yet have news or similar programs; it only shows recorded movies and the like.

Occasionally, I can receive the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps TV station at night or on clear days when the signal is good, but it's not very clear and there's a lot of static.

Li Long thought that perhaps setting up an antenna would be better?
Back in the county, Li Long first went to the purchasing station to tell his father, Sun Jiaqiang, and Liang Shuangcheng about the matter. He told them that he had placed an advertisement and left the purchasing station's phone number. He said that they might receive calls in the next few days looking to buy a car, and that they should be polite and enthusiastic when they answered.

"Are we going to sell enough cars? If we advertise in the prefecture, won't the whole prefecture know about it?" Li Qingxia said.

Li Long didn't think so. He explained, "Beiting TV only covers Beiting City, Huxian County, Miquan, and Fukang, right? Oh, and some areas of Wucheng should also be able to receive it. The three eastern counties and our area can't receive it."

Regardless, covering such a large area, consuming a dozen or so vehicles is quite easy. Li Long's advertisements not only sell cars, but also claim they buy cotton shoes, cotton coats, and leather coats.

Back then, the advertising slogans for selling things were "Limited quantity, buy now while supplies last," and for buying things, it was "Large quantities at preferential prices, we sincerely welcome you."

The group was chatting when the phone rang.

"It's not about buying a car, is it?" Li Qingxia asked.

"That shouldn't be possible, right?" Li Long said. "The advertisement was just finalized today. It won't air until tonight, and it might not have any effect until tomorrow, right?"

Li Long answered the phone, and the other party said, "Hello!"

They were quite polite.

"Hello, this is Tengjiao Trading Company. Who are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for Manager Li, I want to buy a car," the other person said in a thick Mandarin, or rather, a Xinjiang-accented Mandarin from the Beiting area. "I'm General Manager Liu from Beiting Fuqiang Co., Ltd. I heard from the TV station today that you sell cars there? Used cars, right? Do you have Volga and Lada models?"

"Yes, yes, yes, all of them." Li Long didn't expect that the news had already leaked before the TV commercial even aired. But no matter what, at least the effect was there. As long as one deal was closed, the advertising fee would be recouped and there would be a profit.

"I didn't see the specific details. Could you tell me the prices of the cars? Also, how is the condition of the cars? If the price is right, I'll buy one."

"Okay. I have Ladas, Volgas, and GAZ-69s here. You know Ladas and Volgas, right? They're two types of cars from the Soviet Union. The Volga has a luxury version, it looks very beautiful, just like the foreign luxury cars in movies, much more beautiful than the Santana."

Although they are used cars, they are in excellent condition. They were inspected before being brought in, and each car was manufactured no more than three years ago.

"Just tell me the price. By the way, is that GAZ truck a 'sa-trailer'?" The other person seemed reluctant to listen to the introduction.

"A GAZ vehicle is a Jeep..."

"Why didn't you just say 212? Why the GAZ train..."

"The GAZ-69 is different from the GAZ-212. The GAZ-69 has a long carriage at the back, which is longer than the GAZ-212, so it can carry more things or people. The GAZ-212 has five seats, while the GAZ-69 has eight seats."

"Oh...I see." The other person wasn't upset about making a mistake; they were rather modest and straightforward.

"The Volga costs 100,000 yuan a unit. Since you're the first person to see the ad and call, I'll give you a 10,000 yuan discount if you buy it. The Lada costs 60,000 yuan, and I'll give you a 5,000 yuan discount if you buy it..."

"What about that GAZ truck you mentioned?"

"That vehicle came from the border guard forces of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, you know, a military vehicle, right? It has all the paperwork, but it's military green... This vehicle costs 35,000 yuan, but if you want it, I'll give you 30,000. I'm giving you this discount because you're the first person to call; otherwise, we don't negotiate..."

"Okay, I'll go take a look tomorrow?" Manager Liu was intrigued. "By the way, what else do you have? I heard in the advertisement that you also sell things."

"Yes. We also have trucks here, and high-powered tractors will be coming in soon. What we need are cotton-padded leather shoes, cotton-padded rubber shoes, and cotton-padded overcoats."

"I don't have these things here, but I have a friend who works in this line of work. I'll bring him over tomorrow to talk to you."

"Okay, thank you."

"If you've reached an agreement, shouldn't you thank me?" This Mr. Liu seemed very shrewd.

“Absolutely,” Li Long readily agreed. “If we close the deal, how about I give you a 5% commission? Five percent, and if you buy a car, it’ll be included in the car fare.”

"Alright, alright, Mr. Li is very generous. I'll be your friend!"

After hanging up the phone, Li Long smiled and thought, "Not bad."

Well, he's a shrewd businessman, a shrewd person of this era.

"Come over tomorrow?" Li Qingxia asked. "What should we prepare?"

“No need to prepare anything. Lao Sun and Shuangcheng keep the car spotless every day, so there’s nothing to prepare,” Li Long said. “Just do it as usual. When they arrive, pour them some tea, then let them look at the car. If they like it, great; if not, it’s fine too.”

Li Long felt that this matter should be left to fate. After all, it's impossible to reach a deal with everyone who comes to look at and buy a car, but at least the chances are greater.

"Then you can stay here this afternoon, maybe you'll get a phone call."

“Probably not,” Li Long said. “The reason Mr. Liu knows about this call is probably because the advertising department or the TV station leaked the information. Those with connections who want to buy a car will naturally be interested, but for most people, it’s nothing.” Sure enough, no one called to buy a car until the purchasing station closed down.

Back in the courtyard, after dinner, it was already dark. Li Long told Gu Xiaoxia about his trips to Wucheng and Beiting yesterday and today. When she learned that someone had called that afternoon to inquire about a car, Gu Xiaoxia smiled and said:

"It seems this advertisement is quite effective."

"People who can afford a TV are probably quite well-off. Those who can afford a car likely already own one, so the TV commercials on this channel are probably better than the ones in the newspapers."

"Let's wait and see. Anyway, there are more than a dozen trucks in the warehouse. Liu Gaolou will bring another batch of trucks in less than half a month, so it will definitely be enough to supply them."

Beiting hasn't reached a period of rapid development yet, so not many people can afford cars, and some even prefer new ones. Models like Daihatsu and Santana are within their sights.

Some people like used cars because they are cheap, while others think they are unlucky.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

The next day, after breakfast, Li Long went to the purchasing station, where he drank tea and listened to the middlemen gossiping while waiting for Boss Liu.

It was past noon—still morning in northern Xinjiang—when the two men, each carrying a briefcase, walked into the purchasing station.

Seeing that they weren't carrying anything but handbags, we could be sure they were there to buy something.

Upon receiving the news, Li Long went to the front and welcomed the two people into the reception room.

The two men, one wearing a leather jacket with a fur collar and the other a leather overcoat, were both in their thirties or forties. In modern terms, they were somewhat nouveau riche with a touch of greasiness.

"Hello, you must be Mr. Li, right? I'm Manager Liu, the one who called you yesterday." The man in the leather jacket greeted Li Long first. "Is your purchasing station doing very well? Are those cars outside yours?"

"Yes, those are the cars."

"Don't I see many cars?"

"Haha, don't worry, Mr. Liu, as long as you're willing to buy, I can get you as many cars as you want." Li Long sensed something was off about Mr. Liu's words, so he half-jokingly added, "I've already sold dozens of cars. The place is only so big; it's impossible to bring all the cars over, right?"

“Yes, yes, yes.” The other person sensed Li Long’s displeasure and hurriedly said, “A dozen cars isn’t enough? Old Liu, are you used to bragging? We don’t even have a single car.”

"Haha, I was just joking." Boss Liu belatedly realized, "Manager Li's family is so wealthy... Shall we look at the cars first?"

"Okay, I was thinking of having some tea to warm up first. If you two aren't cold, then let's look at the car first."

Before they arrived in the morning, Li Long and Sun Jiaqiang had thoroughly checked the car, adding all the necessary parts to ensure it would start immediately if needed for a test drive.

"Look, these are Volga cars, all luxury models, imported through official channels. If they were new, they'd easily cost two or three hundred thousand. Don't they look better than Santanas?"

"That's really true. These are probably the luxury cars in movies and TV shows." Boss Liu was very straightforward and didn't hold back at all. Boss Wang didn't say anything.

“This is the regular Volga, which is cheaper. As you can see, it looks similar to the Santana. It only lasts a year or two, but it’s much cheaper than the Santana. You can buy it for 80,000 yuan,” Li Long said, pointing to the two regular Volga cars. “And this is a Lada, and this is a GAZ.”

After looking around, Mr. Liu took a liking to the GAZ truck, the military green kind, while Mr. Wang preferred the luxury version of the Volga.

That one does look pretty.

"I want this one. This car... hey! I wanted to join the army back then, but I didn't make it! This kind of car... hey! It's awesome!" Boss Liu was very excited.

"Want to take it for a test drive?" Li Long asked. "Where's Boss Wang? By the way, do you two have driver's licenses?"

"Yes, yes, we both have one. To be honest, if we hadn't seen your ad, we were planning to buy a Santana, but they're too expensive. We were thinking of buying a used one, but there aren't any good condition used Santanas in this area of ​​northern Xinjiang right now."

Mr. Wang speaks Mandarin, so the two of them chatting doesn't sound out of place at all.

“I’d also like to give it a try, but as for the transaction method, I’d like to discuss it in detail with Mr. Li.”

"Okay." Li Long roughly guessed what Boss Wang wanted to discuss.

Boss Liu went to test drive the car, while Li Long and the boss who called himself Wang Jun went into the meeting room.

"I heard from Lao Liu that you need a lot of cotton shoes and cotton-padded coats? I saw the advertisement last night too. I happen to be in this line of work. Do you think I can trade the goods for your car?"

"Of course, but only if your goods meet my requirements and the price is fair," Li Long said. "To tell you the truth, I've imported two batches of cotton-padded leather shoes from the border and old-fashioned leather coats from the leather factories in our corps."

"I mainly advertise in large quantities now, but if the price is too high, then forget it."

"Don't worry, my prices are definitely fair—I'll give you the wholesale price." Mr. Wang was very confident in his pricing. "I see you also sell trucks. How much is a truck?"

“The truck was also secondhand, costing 60,000 yuan,” Li Long said. “That’s very cheap.”

Mr. Wang nodded without saying anything.

Soon, Mr. Liu returned to the meeting room and said to Li Long:
"Mr. Li, you said you'd give me a discount on GAZ trucks, right?"

“Yes, here’s 30,000 yuan. You’re the first customer I advertised for, so this car is cheap. You won’t get this kind of discount later,” Li Long said with a smile. “No bargaining after this.”

"Hey, I'll take this car," Mr. Liu said smugly. "All the paperwork's in order, right?"

"It's all there, it's stamped with the customs seal, all the proper procedures."

"You said that if your deal goes through, you'll give me 5% back. Old Wang wants to buy Volga, 110,000, right? 5% is 5,500, right?"

"That depends on the deal being finalized." Li Long waved his hand. "Right now it's just an intention. Old Wang didn't bring anything, so we can't confirm the price. But don't worry, if it's finalized, I promise I won't renege on my word."

"Don't worry, Mr. Wang is a big boss. He has tons of cotton-padded leather shoes, leather coats, and stuff in his warehouse. A lot of workwear stores get their supplies from him. I'm sure I'll make money from this..."

"Then will you come over when Boss Wang brings the stuff?" Li Long said with a smile. "We'll settle things then?"

Mr. Liu hesitated for a moment and didn't make a decision.

Li Long first looked at the contract with Boss Liu. The contract was written simply, and the agreements were all things that could be understood, unlike the detailed contracts written in later generations that made people dizzy.

So after Mr. Liu finished reading it, he signed it, paid, and got an invoice.

"Mr. Liu, the car is yours now. Take good care of it and get it registered as soon as possible," Li Long said after putting the money away. "If I manage to finalize things with Mr. Wang later, we'll talk about your five percent then."

Mr. Wang also test drove the cars and chose a black Volga, which looked understated yet sophisticated.

"Let's just let Boss Wang drive it away now," Boss Liu said with a smile. "That big boss has a lot of money and resources, he definitely can't cheat you out of this little bit of money."

Li Long waved his hand. He could see that this Boss Liu was just relying on his seemingly carefree nature, but in reality, he was testing his bottom line step by step.

If the conversation goes well, you'll benefit; if not, just treat it as a joke.

He didn't respond, and Mr. Liu, finding it pointless, drove Mr. Wang away.

Li Long smiled. Doing business is really fun; you get to meet all sorts of people.

PS: I've discovered another group that has obtained authorization to read the book online on Douyin, then created a group and charges for access to the latest chapters.

I'm exhausted. There's no end to the reporting; besides, the reporting process is incredibly complicated—you need concrete evidence…

Okay, let's get back to writing.

Then I'm asking for some monthly votes.

(End of this chapter)