Rebirth: My dad is too obedient

Chapter 532 It turns out to be the headmaster

In the "Master Project Group" of Red Star Erguotou.

Meng Huiyang left a message in the group, expressing his gratitude to Gu Xinxin for promoting the project and to Dongchen Advertising for their professionalism, reliability, and diligence. He also left a message specifically for Xia Mengxiang:
[We need to communicate and confirm the spokesperson as soon as possible; this is the top priority right now!]

Xia Mengxiang: [Received, President Meng!]
I just had a conference call with Ms. Wu from Longxing Media, and she has already arranged for further communication.

Initial feedback indicates that Zhang Tielin currently has no other endorsement deals in the alcohol industry, so there is no risk of project exclusivity.

Now it depends on the celebrity's willingness to collaborate, and then there's the issue of fees...

Meng Huiyang: [Okay, I'll discuss it with Secretary Chen again. He said we can find leaders in the cultural sector.]

Using those connections to communicate indirectly with celebrities will make things easier to move forward.

……

Xu Chen was lying on the bed, about to take a nap, when his phone vibrated again.

It was a reply from Xie Bingran:
I can sneak out for a bit tomorrow morning at 6:20...

Xu Chen held his phone and laughed out loud, replying with a perfect smile.

ヾ()~
I quickly pulled out the map and took a look. It was still quite a distance to the "Training Bureau" of the General Administration of Sport, so I had to get up early.

We also had to avoid the morning rush hour in Beijing, so we had to set off before dawn!
Happy!
……

……

It was evening at a restaurant in Beijing.

It's not overly luxurious, but rather a refined and authentic Beijing cuisine.

Xu Chen only realized upon arrival that the meal was hosted by "Dr. Liu".

Xu Zhiquan naturally felt a little guilty, but Liu Qilin insisted, saying, "I've already eaten with President Xu so many times, this is my way of returning the favor."

The private room was small and private, and it was clear that Dr. Liu had specially chosen this place to eat.

Although this "scientist" appears to be straightforward rather than the shrewd and worldly type, he is still thoughtful and meticulous in his work.

When we met, Dr. Liu was dressed the same as he had that morning, wearing a light blue shirt with the top button fastened.

In the afternoon, Guo Liang accompanied Dr. Liu, and the two of them wandered off somewhere.

After greeting Dr. Liu, Xu Zhiquan and his son Xu Chen sat down to drink tea and chat.

With Lao Xu and Guo Liang around, the atmosphere is always lively and relaxed, regardless of the number of people.

As a junior, Xu Chen behaved well, taking the initiative to help serve tea and water.

While waiting for the dishes to be served, Liu Qilin looked at Xu Chen and took the initiative to start a conversation.

What he was talking about was the project proposal for "Red Star Erguotou" that he had made that morning.

Dr. Liu seemed quite interested in "advertising creativity," and asked questions in a "consulting" manner about the thought process behind the proposal and some questions regarding today's presentation.

Xu Chen answered all his questions, which could be considered as providing this scientist from the Chinese Academy of Sciences with some industry popular science on humanities communication and advertising creativity.

Dr. Liu, true to his reputation as a rational "scientist," repeatedly questioned Xu Chen's "reasoning process," wanting to thoroughly understand the logical operating system behind the entire advertising concept.

There are still some barriers to understanding within the industry, and Xu Chen tries to explain them in a simple and straightforward manner.

Dr. Liu listened attentively, seemed to have grasped the general idea, and couldn't help but sigh:
"I thought TV commercials were just something you came up with and filmed on a whim, but today I've really seen something new."

The knowledge behind it is far more complex than it appears on the surface.

Xu Chen: "It's not exactly difficult, but it can't compare to cutting-edge experimental science."

Humanities and social sciences studies ultimately cannot escape the underlying framework of logical thinking and artistic creativity.

Advertising, in essence, is creative work based on rigorous logic…

Mr. Xu went on to elaborate again, and once again deliberately "showed off" a little.

But Dr. Liu was clearly fooled by this, completely taken in by "Teacher Xu".

As expected, "a trade is like a mountain," and Xu Chen was given a chance to show off in front of real scientists.

Liu Qilin seemed to be deep in thought:
"So, creating advertising ideas is a combination of 'discovery' and 'invention'..."

Xu Chen was a little unsure how to respond, so he smiled, picked up the teapot, and poured tea for Dr. Liu.

Mr. Xu's "deliberate showing off" at this moment naturally has its own specific purpose.

Xu Zhiquan previously revealed that one of the reasons Dr. Liu hesitated to join Chenfeng Technology was his concern that Chenfeng was a family business run by a father and son, and he suspected that the young Xu was probably an unreliable "second-generation successor".

Xu Chen's project proposal in the morning and his professional "showing off" at this moment are also helping Dr. Liu build confidence and increase his understanding.

In fact, Xu Chen knew perfectly well that Dr. Liu's initiative in bringing up these advertising-related questions was probably not entirely out of curiosity or a desire to learn, but more likely a form of verification and testing.

Perhaps he still wanted to test "Little Xu's" abilities, to see if he was just all show and no substance.

After all, daytime proposals can be memorized, but impromptu responses reveal whether one has genuine knowledge or not.

Fortunately, Xu Chen doesn't need to prepare in advance for things within his professional field; he can basically speak fluently and effortlessly.

One advantage of coming from the advertising industry is excellent oratory skills; the ability to persuade and convince is ultimately up to par.

The key point is that Xu Chen is also thick-skinned enough, and he can talk freely in front of "scientists" without showing any fear.

……

While "Little Xu" was earnestly sharing his insights, Old Xu and Guo Liang sat quietly to the side, also appearing to be listening attentively.

Xu Zhiquan had a cigarette dangling from his mouth, but his face still showed the smugness and pride of an old father.

After Mr. Xu finished speaking, Dr. Liu pondered for a moment and said:

"The advertising proposal I received for 'Red Star' today was truly remarkable; it broadened my horizons."

He then looked at Xu Chen:

"With this 'Grandmaster' ad going live, it should be able to push 'Red Star Erguotou' up and suppress 'Niulanshan', right?"

Xu Chen smiled and said frankly:

“The effectiveness of a project cannot be achieved through a single advertising campaign; after all, it is a complex and comprehensive undertaking.”

Dongchen Advertising only solved the brand positioning, advertising strategy, and advertising materials for Hongxing.

To truly promote a brand and its products, a concerted effort from many parties is needed, including channel distribution, sales operations, media communication, and so on.

For example, the mid-to-low-end liquor market, where "Red Star Erguotou" is located, is actually very dependent on distribution channels and needs to cover very low-end county and town stores and small restaurants.

No matter how good your advertising is, it's all for nothing if customers can't buy your wine in small restaurants.

This puts distributors' and their sales and marketing capabilities to the test.

Xu Chen glanced at Guo Liang deliberately and said with a smile:

"In this regard, our company's General Manager Guo is a great expert!"

The rapid growth of 'Chenfeng Electric Vehicles' is largely due to Mr. Guo's exceptional channel development capabilities!

Guo Liang smiled modestly, but did not interrupt or take the initiative to speak.

"General Manager Guo" was a shrewd man, and he naturally knew that "Little General Manager Xu" was praising him at this moment in order to build Dr. Liu's confidence in "Chenfeng Technology".

Liu Qilin nodded thoughtfully.

Xu Chen continued:
"And then there's media promotion..."

No matter how well a "Red Star Erguotou" advertisement is filmed, it still needs to be distributed through media to be effective. This is a huge challenge for the company.

Whether you are willing to invest, and how much budget to invest, are all things that require boldness and careful consideration.

Investing too little is a pure waste of money and a complete waste of resources, achieving nothing.

Investing too much might lead to diminishing marginal returns and a decreasing cost-effectiveness…

He smiled and steered the conversation back to his own company:

"Currently, 'Chenfeng Electric Vehicle' has not yet launched a large-scale advertising campaign; it is still in the stage of establishing distribution channels."

Next year, when we start targeting the national market and take advantage of the Olympics, we will also need to make large-scale promotional investments.

Jack, our new VP of Marketing and Brand, previously worked at Cadillac and was a partner in my previous project.

He has extensive experience in market promotion and online-offline integration, so his efforts next year will definitely be substantial.

Liu Qilin nodded:
"I've heard of this Jack, but I haven't had the chance to meet him yet. I'm really looking forward to exchanging ideas and learning from him."

He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and looked carefully at "Young Master Xu" in front of him through the lenses.

Xu Chen still felt a little uncomfortable being stared at, so he picked up the teapot again to refill the tea.

Liu Qilin began to speak:

"Mr. Xu, are you really nineteen years old and a freshman in college?"

Xu Chen: "Yes, I'm currently at Tonghai University in Shanghai. I'll be a sophomore when I go back for the summer."

Liu Qilin picked up his teacup, took a sip, and a look of emotion appeared on his face.

A smile finally appeared on his previously expressionless face.
"I entered Tsinghua University's so-called 'gifted class' when I was fifteen..."

But compared to the current CEO Xu, I'm hardly a genius.

Xu Chen paused for a moment, then quickly smiled and said:

"Dr. Liu, you flatter me!"

Our superficial knowledge in the humanities and social sciences is simply no match for the truly cutting-edge natural sciences!

Xu Chen felt somewhat ashamed, thinking that his current "genius" was still due to the added benefits of his reborn mind and experience.

There's really no comparison between him and a scientist like Liu Qilin, who graduated from Tsinghua University's "gifted class" and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Chinese Academy of Sciences...

Xu Zhiquan and Guo Liang exchanged a glance, then laughed heartily twice and called the waiter to start serving the dishes.

Old Xu understood that Dr. Liu in front of him had been completely won over by his "genius son".

……

Beijing cuisine is known for its heavy, oily, and flavorful dishes, but Old Xu probably wanted to cater to Dr. Liu's preference for light and refreshing dishes, so he ordered a table full of light and delicate flavors.

Xu Zhiquan was in a good mood today, so he opened a bottle of Guojiao.

Dr. Liu was clearly not a strong drinker, but he still had a small glass of alcohol.

No dinner party would be dull with Guo Liang around. He and Xu Zhiquan would exchange a few warm words and toasts, creating a familiar atmosphere for the four of them.

After drinking two glasses of wine, Liu Qilin's face became flushed, and he smiled as he unbuttoned the top button of his shirt.

Xu Chen found it amusing, thinking that once Dr. Liu arrived in Tiancheng, he would probably be forced to drink by Fang Jun's sister.

Guo Liang chatted idly about this and that, and under the influence of alcohol, the atmosphere completely relaxed.

Old Xu, his face beaming, couldn't help but put his arm around his son's shoulder again, and said with a smile:

"Listening to 'Little Xu's' project proposal today, not only Dr. Liu, but I, Old Xu, also had my eyes opened and was greatly inspired!"

Xu Chen looked somewhat speechless, then raised his glass and clinked it against his father's.

Old Xu laughed heartily and tilted his head back to gulp down the entire glass of wine.

As the drinking progressed, Liu Qilin, perhaps under the influence of alcohol, revealed some of his relaxed and natural side.

He then looked at Xu Chen and said:
"Actually, my final decision to join 'Chenfeng Technology' was because of Mr. Xu."

"Oh?"

Xu Chen looked puzzled, naturally knowing that Dr. Liu was definitely not referring to the proposal this morning, nor Xu Chen's "showing off" just now.

Xu Zhiquan laughed heartily, seemingly already understanding what Dr. Liu meant.

Liu Qilin took a sip of warm tea and continued:

"I heard from Mr. Xu that when 'Chenfeng Technology' first started doing electric bicycle business, it was Mr. Xu who gave us the direction."

In addition, Mr. Xu also talked to me, and Mr. Xu himself is quite optimistic about the development trend of 'electric vehicles'.

Furthermore, 'Chenfeng Technology' plans to focus its efforts on this area in the future.

Xu Chen was stunned for a moment, then thought to himself, "So that's how it is."

At the same time, he couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. It seemed that Dr. Liu in front of him also had the same prediction about future trends.

Or perhaps his eventual decision to join "Chenfeng Technology" was solely for the sake of "electric vehicles".

Liu Qilin turned to look at Xu Chen and asked:
"So, is Mr. Xu going to Tonghai University related to this?"

Xu Chen was stunned, not quite understanding the situation.

Liu Qilin nodded:
"Looks like I was overthinking it, but it doesn't matter..."

Xu Chen glanced at Old Xu beside him, and Old Xu gave him a look that also seemed to indicate he was confused.

Liu Qilin continued speaking to himself:

"At the end of May this year, the Ministry of Science and Technology organized a very important meeting."

A number of academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering attended, including my former supervisor and mentor.

Xu Chen was still confused and did not respond, waiting for Dr. Liu to continue the conversation.

"This meeting was originally scheduled for May 20, but it was rescheduled to the following day, May 21, to accommodate the schedule of the ministry's top leader."

Xu Chen thought about it and finally understood:

"Oh, it's Principal Wan..."

Liu Qilin smiled:

"That's right, the leader is Principal Wan."

The "Principal Wan" they were referring to was Wan Gang, the previous president of Tonghai University.

Last year, when Xu Chen enrolled at Tonghai University, Wan Gang was the one giving the speech on the podium.

However, on the eve of the school's centennial celebration this year, President Wan Gang was transferred to the Ministry of Science and Technology to serve as the top leader.

However, on May 20, the centennial celebration, President Wan still returned to Tonghai University to participate in the activities.

Even when Xu Chen went to the auditorium to receive the "Undergraduate of the Year" award, President Wan was sitting in the guest section below the stage...

Xu Chen thought about Principal Wan's background and immediately understood.

Wan Gang is an expert in the automotive and energy fields, so it seems that his transfer to the Ministry of Science and Technology is related to this.

(End of this chapter)