Mixed in 1980

Chapter 536 Benefits
Wolfsbane Flower, a finance blogger.

He is very sensitive to numbers. After watching each video, he roughly calculated the cost and even made a video to point out the unreasonable aspects.

The expense was significant, but that was a secondary concern.

In the video, she proposed that the Liyuan Charity Foundation should be registered under a corporate name, with each charitable expenditure having a corresponding tax deduction.

In addition, the advertising effect obtained by linking charity with enterprises is also a form of indirect benefit.

"They wouldn't stoop to doing that!"

Fans immediately retorted in the comments section: "Professor Xu's charitable foundation invests far more and has never used these to promote businesses."

"They don't advertise, but you can still buy them."

"Since I'm going to buy skincare products anyway, I like to buy Roselle products. This money might help some people."

"I like brands like Liyuan, Qiuli, and Fanli; they're better than foreign brands."

……

As the media buzzed, Ye Ling reviewed the latest month's financial statements and then went to Zhou Jingshu to ask, "How are your sales going?"

Zhou Jingshu, her belly protruding, carefully sat down: "I was planning to endure a few years of hardship, but unexpectedly, things have gone up against the trend. It's quite peculiar. Has your belly gotten bigger too?"

"It's gone up!" Ye Ling smiled.

The luxury goods industry has been struggling since the beginning of this year, with almost all sectors experiencing a decline. Both sales and profits are not as good as in previous years.

The root cause is the unfavorable overall environment.

Compared to previous years, the middle class's spending on luxury goods has dropped by about 15%, and starting this year, many people are turning to buy more affordable brands.

In the past, people would casually buy bags costing a few dollars or clothes costing thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, thinking that luxury goods were a status symbol. Now, they are reluctant to spend money casually.

Luxury goods are optional.

Consumption is becoming more rational.

A fashion blogger online complained that he used to make money easily and loved luxury goods, especially Gucci, which he considered to be the leader in the fashion world.

Their eyes light up whenever it's mentioned.

Retro floral patterns, animal elements, and unisex designs—which one isn't a street style must-have? Carrying a Gucci monogram bag makes you feel like a fashion icon!

Money is hard to earn these days. When I go to the department store to take a look, I always feel that the brand is old-fashioned, like the aesthetics of my mother's generation, with no innovation whatsoever.

Walking around is like visiting an antique exhibition.

In the luxury goods industry, this has become the norm; everyone is struggling. The same applies to the skincare industry.

Luoshen has always been synonymous with high-end, but its sales figures this year are not good either.

Everyone is prepared for tough times.

Unexpectedly, the Liyuan Partnership Program led to a reversal in domestic sales, which was a pleasant surprise.

"I'm afraid there will only be one wave of market activity."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jingshu rolled her eyes: "Be content. It's good that there's a boom. The overall environment is so bad, and all the major brands are downsizing."

Ye Ling nodded slightly: "That makes sense. Since the end of last year, I have been gradually closing some of my counters to reduce operating costs."

"it's the same."

Zhou Jingshu touched her belly and slightly raised the corners of her mouth: "After a few years of hard work, our traditional Chinese style brand will definitely take off."

"So confident?" Ye Ling smiled.

"Absolutely. Dad said it before: luxury goods are a direct result of the impact of a strong economy on a weak economy."

At this point, Zhou Jingshu couldn't help but laugh: "As the US declines, our voice in the international arena is growing stronger, and we will gradually develop a powerful economy."

"In a few years, the overall environment will improve."

"Brands with a Chinese style can leverage the influence of a major power to go global and dominate the international market."

Ye Ling was absolutely convinced of this.

Having worked in the luxury goods industry for so many years, what is there that I can't see? Whether it's culture or products, the ability to go global depends on a country's influence.

The reason why luxury goods in Europe and America can thrive is because of their developed economies. If the same brand puts its products in Africa, who would still buy them?

Not only will they not pay, they will also look down on them.

After chatting for a while, the two sisters-in-law returned to the topic of the child. Ye Ling placed her hand on Zhou Jingshu's belly and said, "After the baby is born, we should go back to our hometown for the New Year this year."

Go back to pay respects to our ancestors and add them to the family genealogy.

“I haven’t been back for several years. I’ll stay a few more days this year. Would you like to go back to Minxia for a while?” Zhou Jingshu asked.

"Go back and visit relatives," Ye Ling nodded.

At the beginning of the year, my parents went back home and stayed for more than half a month. My sister and I haven't been back since the start of the biological warfare.

I have quite a few relatives back in my hometown.

“Xiao Wu and I are going too, to stay at Xiamen University for a few days. The house there is still there.” Zhou Jingshu was lost in memories. Back then, Xiao Wu was still a mischievous little monkey.

I spent four years studying there, so I developed an attachment to the place.

However, as time has passed, the relationship between many classmates has changed, and it is no longer possible to get along like when they were in school. Many have lost contact.

This is reality.

Most of the time, relationships between people depend on fate. If there isn't enough fate, they can only be passersby in each other's lives, passing by in a hurry.

There are many such passersby in a lifetime.

Perhaps because of her pregnancy, Zhou Jingshu couldn't help but feel sad when she thought about these things, but she quickly recovered and kept looking forward to life.

The past cannot be retrieved; it only adds to our troubles.

I occasionally glance at the financial statements, and spend the rest of my time at home resting during my pregnancy, reading books, and watching videos. Life is going very smoothly.

More than half a month later, the video of the Liyuan Charity Foundation changed again.

This time it's a mobile stall.

The appearance of siblings Chen Laoda and Chen Xiaowu on screen surprised many people, who were puzzled as to what they were up to.

Immediately afterwards, the Chinatown supermarket issued a notice.

The mobile street vendor project has been officially launched.

At the same time, an official account called "Chinatown - Mobile Stalls" was launched, updating videos daily, demonstrating the company's commitment to providing convenience to the public.

As expected, once the promotional phase began, the image of Chinatown Supermarket was elevated to a new level, proving far more effective than hiring celebrities or placing advertisements.

For this, Chen Yanche even appeared on a CCTV interview.

When asked why he chose to undertake this project, which was destined to bring financial burdens, Chen Yanche's answer was quite interesting: "My older sister suggested it."

Host: "It's that simple?"

Chen Yanche: "It's that simple. In our family, if the eldest sister says one, then it's one; if the eldest sister says two, then it's two. No one can object."

Host: "Your sister has a very high reputation."

Chen Yanche: "It was won through fighting."

Host: "Having seen your second brother get beaten, were you also beaten when you were a child?"

Chen Yanche: "The thing I remember most and the most being beaten was my older sister chasing me all over the yard with a feather duster."

Host: "Well, it's a pity I don't have a younger brother, otherwise I would like to give it a try."

Then, changing the subject, he asked, "After the project started, was there a lot of financial pressure?"

Chen Yanche: "The project will definitely lose money, but it's not a big deal for Chinatown Supermarket. The scale is there, and it can make things convenient and beneficial for the people. Our family is very willing to do it."

Host: "That's undeniable. Your other company, Chen Xiaowu Green Food Company, is also a people-benefiting enterprise that has created a large number of jobs." "How many cooperative villages are there currently?"

Chen Yanche: "This year, we have reached 1.5 villages, which is close to our limit. If we expand further, the distribution channels will not be able to consume the production."

Host: "Have you thought about increasing the number of channels?"

Chen Yanche: "We have already started to expand into new channels. The company has developed a Chen Xiaowu APP to sell green ingredients, and will use the four first-tier cities as pilot cities."

Host: "There's a saying circulating online that Chen Xiaowu Green Food Company is a case of capital eyeing the vegetable market. What's your opinion on this?"

The idea that capital is eyeing the farmers' market has been around for a long time.

There are many similar online stores on the market that offer a variety of fresh produce at very low prices, which is undoubtedly taking away business from traditional farmers' markets.

To put it bluntly, they are eyeing the meager profits from the vegetable market, which is detrimental to employment.

Capitalists, however, consider things differently. They keep a clear eye on the numbers: how much money can you make from fresh produce? Even Chen Xiaowu Green Food Company doesn't have high profit margins.

The investment was actually enormous.

Capital wants traffic. Use fresh produce to attract traffic, and vigorously promote your own brand products and high-margin daily necessities. This is the real profit pool.

Chen Yanche pondered for a moment: "Regarding whether to seize the business of the vegetable market, in my personal opinion, we need to weigh the employment opportunities and the distribution of wealth."

"Take Chen Xiaowu Green Food as an example."

"It has indeed taken away business from the farmers' market and squeezed the profits of some wholesalers and vegetable vendors, but how many jobs have been created as a result?"

“1.5 villages, transportation, storage, and sales—each link represents a large number of jobs, far exceeding the original number of jobs.”

"Another issue is wealth distribution."

"In the original model, how many farmers were needed to support one wholesaler or one vegetable vendor? But how much did the farmers actually receive?"

"The purpose of Chen Xiaowu Green Food Company is to distribute more wealth to more people."

"Another significance is to meet market demand."

……

Going on talk shows is just a way to advertise.

Originally, the plan was to promote the project on Lao Si's account, but because the charity project was featured on CCTV, it gained a better platform for promotion.

The effect will naturally be better.

After Chen Yanyin and Zhou Jingshu gave birth to a son, Chen Xiaowu APP had already occupied four major first-tier cities.

Chen Yanche began to set his sights on 15 new first-tier cities.

Next are second-tier cities. Chen Yanche plans to complete the occupation by 2025, and expects to expand the number of cooperative villages to 3.

"Xiao Wu did a good job."

Chen Fan rarely praised his youngest son: "To be able to achieve this scale, you can be considered a giant enterprise. You've brought a lot of pride to our family."

Zeng Ali couldn't help but feel happy.

The youngest son is the most mischievous and the most troublesome. I never dared to imagine that he would amount to anything.

For a long time, Zeng Ali didn't have high hopes for her youngest son. She only had one thought in mind: that her son could take over a business and live a stable life.

As long as there's no trouble, it's fine.

I'm afraid he'll end up like many rich kids, recklessly squandering his family's wealth.

Looking back now, it's truly an unexpected surprise. Who would have thought that the most mischievous child in the family would achieve such great things?

To build a giant enterprise.

The key is that this company controls a large number of jobs, which will cover 30,000 villages in the future, as well as a large number of transportation, sales and delivery personnel.

These kinds of companies are like a protective shield.

To put it bluntly, as long as Xiao Wu doesn't do anything reckless, no one can touch him. In China, making money isn't enough; the most valuable thing is creating a large number of jobs.

Especially this year.

With a poor economic climate, numerous small and medium-sized enterprises going bankrupt, and unemployment remaining high, Xiao Wu's identity stands out as particularly unusual.

The merger of Chinatown Supermarket and Chen Xiaowu Green Food Company could create millions of jobs in the future. Who would dare to take on this opportunity?

Xiao Wu's future is very secure.

The same goes for the third company. Feixing Mobile is a leading high-tech enterprise in China, creating a large number of high-paying jobs. As long as they don't do anything reckless, no one dares to touch them.

As for the second child, the family never worries about him.

That's a scam.

It's good that he doesn't cheat others; if you try to mess with him, you're more likely to get played to death.

He has ruined quite a few people over the years.

Business competition often involves cutthroat competition, and Chen Lao Er is no pushover. Since 2011, he has crushed countless rivals in the competition.

"How much gold futures are left?" Chen Lao Er has already arrived in Hong Kong.

Zhou Wenya handed over a thick report: "Based on the current price, there are still over five billion US dollars left. Are you sure you want to sell it all?"

"Not a single penny will be left," Chen Lao Er replied.

"Alright then!" Zhou Wenya said with some regret.

Russia and Ukraine are still fighting, and it's not going to stop anytime soon. The camels in the desert are also restless lately, and they're sure to start fighting again.

Gold prices will continue to rise.

Selling long positions now seems like a losing proposition: "After selling, are you planning to short?"

"No short selling!" Chen Lao Er shook his head.

Zhou Wenya asked in surprise, "Aren't you bearish?"

"I'm bearish, but I can't predict exactly when it will drop or how much it will drop. Since that's the case, I'll just stay out of it." Chen Lao Er shook his head slightly.

He doesn't get involved in things he's unsure about.

Chen Lao Er is not a gambler.

He's active in and out of the financial markets, but he never gambles. If he's confident, he'll take a chance; if he's not, he won't even glance at someone else making money.

It's simply that it doesn't make money.

In the coming years, all strategies in the financial sector will tend to be conservative, for a simple reason: they don't understand the situation and lack confidence.

"After cashing out this money, will you just leave it there?" Zhou Wenya asked again.

Chen Lao Er shook his head slightly: "Let's hold on for now. We'll buy more when the price of gold drops. It will definitely rise again in the next two years."

"By the way, polish the seed stock."

"Aren't you afraid that the fourth brother will come after you?" Zhou Wenya joked. Xinghuo Investment holds a large number of seed jade stocks, and once they are sold, the price will inevitably drop.

It took Chen Laosi a lot of effort to boost the market value.

"She's already cashed out and left. That brat, she ran fast enough," Chen Lao Er said, scoffing.

Zhou Wenya exclaimed in surprise, "No wonder."

Chen Lao Er laughed and said, "She's waiting for the price to drop so she can buy in. We'll do the same. We'll wait for the price to drop before buying in large quantities. Safe-haven assets will definitely rise again."

“Okay!” Zhou Wenya nodded.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Lao Er said, "Take half of the funds from the gold futures sales and wait for the price to drop before buying gold and shipping it back to Hong Kong."

"Still want to buy?" Zhou Wenya was stunned.

(End of this chapter)