American Entertainment: Taylor Swift wrote a song for the beginning

Chapter 244 Project Landed, Invitation Issued

The group then entered the conference room, which used to be a real estate finance company. There was no additional decoration when it moved here, and all the furnishings in the conference room were retained.

In addition to Virgil, Ryan, Ivanka, and Jared were accompanied by several designers under Jared. They were all dressed in Ralph Lauren, looking like professional elites.

The leader was a bald man wearing round-frame glasses. He turned on the projector, and a series of concept design renderings appeared on the PPT screen. Various retro and gorgeous design elements appeared in the pictures, which were highly consistent with the theme architecture of Orlando Bad Room, including the Gothic gray castle theme, the tall columns of the Parthenon, the ancient Roman-style arched dome, and the architectural reliefs on the exterior walls. All the details were very well researched and looked very stylish. Even Ryan had to admit that the design team put a lot of effort into research.

Ivanka, who was sitting behind Ryan, couldn't help but nodded when she saw this. After the initial design draft was rejected by Ryan, she also contacted many design teams. In her opinion, the current design plan was obviously better than the previous ones. The most important thing was... the design outsourcing price promised by Jared was very low, almost the salary cost of the designer. Considering all factors, it was very competitive.

After about twenty minutes of presentation, the PPT came to an end. The last page was the design logo of the Spirit Club, which used skeuomorphic design with classical elements, like a relief printed on a stone slab. In recent years, skeuomorphic design has been very popular, and iPhones have made extensive use of skeuomorphic design.

The lights came back on, and Jared had a confident look on his face: "This is just a preliminary plan, and it will be further improved. Tomorrow Ryan can announce the official logo and start publicizing it."

"Jared, there's another designer." Ivanka reminded quietly. In her eyes, Jared's behavior was a little impolite.

"Do you need to see it? Never mind, just treat it as a formality." Jared shook his head and said without disguising anything.

Of course, Ryan heard every word of this, but he was not in a hurry at all, and he always had a smile on his face. He knew that it was Old Tang who was messing up behind the scenes, and this was a difficult problem. If he pretended that nothing had happened and just tolerated it, Jared would only get worse, and if he took the opportunity to have a conflict with Jared, then Old Tang would definitely intervene personally, which would further weaken his influence in the company.

In short, you will be affected anyway. Theoretically, this problem has no solution, but when it comes to implementation... there are still many loopholes.

Ryan looked at Virgil at this time. The latter knew that it was his turn to play. He opened his backpack, took out a laptop from it, and then walked to the table. When he turned on the computer, he could feel that he was a little nervous.

“The last time I did interior design was at school.” Virgil smiled sheepishly, revealing his white teeth.

Jared snorted coldly after hearing this and spread his hands towards Ivanka opposite him.

"And this time I was in a hurry and I only had time to draw some drafts, but I have already determined the basic design elements." Virgil didn't make any PPT, but directly opened some picture files.

As the file opened, a messy draft was revealed. At a glance, a smile appeared on Ryan's face.

He knew he had chosen the right person this time.

On the other side, the smile on Jared's face suddenly disappeared, realizing that this black man was not as unreliable as he seemed.

Ivanka, on the other hand, sat upright with a dazed expression, feeling that this was a design direction that no one had ever thought of before.

On the white-based draft, a three-dimensional building was drawn with messy strokes. The shape of the building itself was very special, with almost no curved lines, like a huge three-dimensional box buckled there, with very clear edges and corners. On the exterior wall of the building, there were oblique lines similar to construction warning lines evenly distributed on the exterior wall. Only by looking closely can you find that it is the logo of the "Spirit Club". The gate is also in a very typical square style.

The following pictures are interior design drafts, hollow steel floors, and even exposed scaffolding. The stairs are also the metal stairs commonly seen in factories. In addition, there are logo stickers everywhere.

"Is this a construction drawing? Why did you draw this?" Jared was puzzled.

"This is the final draft." Virgil shook his head.

Industrial style and street elements are the main themes of Virgil's designs. Ryan associated these designs with the printed T-shirts that Virgil had sold before. In a sense, they are in the same vein.

What Ryan didn't know was that the design draft in front of him was highly consistent with the brand "off-white" founded by Virgil in the future. This brand was later acquired by LV, and Virgil was naturally promoted to the design director of LV men's wear.

The lights were turned on again, and Ryan turned to look at the two men, then looked at some of the company's middle-level managers behind them.

"Ivanka, who do you think has a better design?" Ryan asked.

"In terms of visual expression, Kushner Group's design is obviously better, but from a cost perspective, Virgil's design is better, and this design is novel enough to be eye-catching." Ivanka nodded, still preferring Virgil's design.

"As for cost, Kushner Group is willing to give away all the design plans for free." Jared was a little anxious and blurted out.

"But what about the construction costs? These are things that the franchisees need to bear, and we have to consider them," Ivanka asked.

"Okay, let's vote by raising our hands. The minority shall obey the majority." Ryan raised his hand and asked the middle-level managers to join the vote.

"Raise your hands if you support Virgil," Ivanka followed.

Everyone in the conference room immediately raised their hands, and except for Jared himself, all the middle managers supported Virgil's plan.

The reason why Virgil got unanimous support was not only because Virgil's design was amazing, but also because the salaries of these people came from Ryan. They were not stupid and knew that Ryan and Jared were fighting over this matter. Under normal circumstances, as long as the gap was not too big, they would support Ryan.

"Ryan, you know that you pay their salaries. How can they not support you?" Jared immediately realized something.

"Then expand the voting scope to all employees. If you feel that this is not enough, you can even initiate an online vote." Ryan was not afraid at all.

Jared was completely silent this time. He was really unsure and looked directly at his subordinates: "Delete that PPT and discard the design draft."

"Why delete it? Maybe you can use it somewhere else?" Ryan continued with a smile on his face.

"It doesn't matter. Kushner Group has a lot of people engaged in design. Our principle is to strive for excellence, and every design is customized." Jared shook his head.

"Oh, since you're going to abandon it, why don't you give me the design? It just so happens that the broken room in Los Angeles can be used." Ryan nodded immediately.

He just set a trap for him, but he didn't expect Jared to really take the bait. Naturally, Ryan wouldn't be polite and asked for it shamelessly.

Jared sneered twice. He didn't expect Ryan to be waiting for him here. With Ivanka present, he couldn't get angry. He pretended to be generous and said, "Take it if you like it."

"Then I have to say thank you first." Ryan smiled even more. He got a bargain for no reason, but Jared couldn't say anything.

Ryan then looked at Virgil and announced in front of everyone that Virgil would become the design director of the "Spirit Club".

"Can you complete the rendering of the design within three days?" Ryan asked in front of everyone.

"That might be a little difficult." Virgil looked a little embarrassed.

"I believe you can do it." Ryan patted his shoulder.

"But……"

"This time it's interior design, next time it might be fashion design. You should know about the collaboration between Stray and Dior, right?" Ryan tempted.

Ryan could feel the potential in Virgil, and such talents were rare.

As a designer, Virgil naturally dreams of working with big brands. Ryan's words touched his heart and he nodded immediately, indicating that he could complete the task on time.

Then Ryan looked at the other middle managers and said, "Today is the first time I've met you all, and I haven't gotten to know you well yet."

The middle-level managers stood up one by one and gave their names and positions. The corporate structure of the Spirit Club is roughly divided into three parts: business, docking, and commercial real estate.

The business department is responsible for contacting franchisees, signing contracts, and completing site selection.

Responsible for all supply chains, including interior decoration, equipment, beverages, and business guidance.

The commercial real estate business is now managed by one of Jared's subordinates, who was assigned here and will be stationed here permanently. In addition, there are auxiliary departments such as personnel, administration, and finance that every company has.

Ryan was generally satisfied with this series of personnel arrangements.

"This week, the Spirit Club will be officially announced to the public!" Ryan said to everyone.

·
Three days later, "Spirit Club" began to promote itself on the Internet under the banner of a national chain and an ultimate audio experience. Ryan naturally went all out and forwarded several messages in a row. He also admitted without hesitation that he was the leader of the entire project and was determined to open Spirit Clubs in every city in the United States.

Doing so is actually the result of careful consideration. After all, Ryan also has to take risks. If it ends in a dismal ending, he will inevitably be accused of "squeezing leeks".

But Ryan never thought of running away after making a quick buck, or quitting midway.

In addition to Ryan, Taylor also did not forget to promote Ryan on the Internet on the eve of ACM, and all her friends also forwarded the relevant news.

On Ryan's side, actors and models who were close to him spoke out on the Internet as if they had agreed in advance, even though Ryan had not informed any of them in advance.

That afternoon, Ryan posted a related post on his fan forum.

[Limited time special offer, franchise fee halved...]

This is a benefit only available to fans of the brand, and the contact information of the operating company is included in the post.

"The results are not ideal. Only less than ten of your fans came to consult." Ivanka put down the phone and shook her head at Ryan.

At the same time, Jared, who was also in the office, could be heard talking on his phone: "Yes, that's right, I know, it's mainly because Ryan has been busy recently, and there will be a tour plan for the Spirit Club this year..."

"I didn't make any such promise." Ryan shook his head when he saw him hang up the phone.

"The most important thing now is to coax them over. As for what the situation will be like then, who knows?" Jared shook his head, seeming unconcerned.

"Don't deceive franchisees. This is a matter of principle." Ryan frowned. Making random promises would only bring trouble to himself.

"Principles? You are so principled, I guess you have already contacted a lot of franchisees?" Jared smiled slightly. He had "reaped a lot" today. Many friends and some clients associated with the Kushner Group showed interest in the Spirit Club.

"Did you assign your men to call one by one?" Ryan exposed his little trick. He would not be too proactive in looking for franchisees. This was a franchise project for the general public. Those who had needs would naturally contact the operating company. Only in this way could the franchisees selected be truly reliable.

Jared pretended not to hear and walked to Ivanka's desk. He put his hands on the table and looked at Ivanka's face.

"Ivanka, we got another one. This is the 25th today. He will come to visit this week. He is a friend of mine and hopes to open a spiritual club in Washington, D.C." Jared said excitedly. He finally got himself back on track.

"Thank you." Ivanka nodded.

"You're so polite. If you can't handle it, remember to call me. We're friends, so it's much easier for me to talk to you." Jared made his promise again.

"You can't stay here all the time, let me talk to you myself." Ivanka couldn't help laughing.

"I'm going to be overseeing the development of that commercial property in Florida, so I might have to stay here for a while." Jared seized the opportunity to show his affection, and with her father's secret help, he was determined to win Ivanka over.

"By the way, how did you find the funding for your commercial real estate project?" Ivanka asked.

Jared glanced at Ryan: "Union Bank."

Ryan was cautious and prepared to ask what was going on when the time came... He also had a good relationship with United Bank.

·
The company had just started operations in the past few days, and Ryan went there frequently. When he arrived at the company the next afternoon, he saw Ivanka receiving potential franchisees who came for consultation.

The other party was two men with similar faces, obviously a pair of brothers. When they saw Ryan, they immediately showed excitement.

Ryan did not refuse and introduced the relevant business with Ivanka. After talking with the two people for a while, he took the opportunity to leave.

After a while, Ivanka took the initiative to find Ryan and told him the result.

"The other party is still very hesitant, mainly because they have no confidence in the business model of the Spirit Club." Ivanka expressed helplessness.

Traditional nightclubs in the United States still make money from alcohol, but the Spirit Club, like the Bad Room, relies on ticket sales. Although the Bad Room has achieved commercial success, that is based on a gorgeous lineup of performances. However, the franchisees of the Spirit Club obviously cannot afford to hire well-known DJs, which is a huge expense for them.

"This is not an isolated case. In fact, I have encountered similar situations three times today." Ivanka smiled bitterly, obviously there was no good solution.

"Isn't that Jared's friend?" Ryan said.

"It doesn't matter. Besides, Jared can't do anything except say nice things to lure these people over here." Ivanka continued to shake her head. Now she understood that Ryan's idea was right. Jared's approach would only harm himself and the operating company.

Ryan immediately stood up. Since Ivanka couldn't handle it, it was his turn to step in. He and Ivanka went back to the reception meeting room. After thinking about it, he felt that the other party's concerns were understandable, as this was real money being invested.

"In that case, we can lower the ticket prices and increase the selling prices of drinks. In addition, the design department will make corresponding changes and add more booths. But you will need to recruit staff locally. We can develop a recruitment plan and conduct relevant personnel training. As for the DJ performances, I will set up a special performance agency later. In short, we will help as much as possible." Ryan thought of a compromise plan and his attitude was very sincere.

"Can't we ask the staff from the bad room to come over? We can afford it and pay them." The other party suggested.

Ryan shook his head: "Bad Room and Spirit Club are different in size and face different customers. It will not benefit anyone if they are linked together."

"To be honest, we are willing to join just because of the bad rooms." The other party also expressed his thoughts.

"The two are parallel and independent of each other. Sorry." Ryan shook his head: "Of course, the final choice is yours. Considering the risks, it is understandable that you refuse to join."

The two brothers whispered to each other for a while, then looked at Ryan and Ivanka.

"Risks and benefits coexist, Ryan, you have to give us, the first batch of franchisees, some preferential conditions."

"Of course, the franchise fee will be directly halved, only for the first batch of franchisees." Ryan nodded.

Ivanka on the side breathed a sigh of relief. She finally managed to deal with one. Fortunately, Ryan was here.

I couldn't help but compare Ryan and Jared in my mind. One would cause me trouble, while the other would always help me solve problems. The difference was clear.

Ryan asked his men and the brothers to explain some details in detail, while he and Ivanka walked out of the office.

"Haven't you worked out these past two days?" Ryan suddenly asked.

"I can't help it. There are a lot of things to deal with in running the company, and I don't have much time these days." Ivanka explained with a smile.

"It will get easier in the future. Don't you want to find a gym? I'm going there after get off work today. Would you like to come with me?" Ryan suggested.

"Okay, it's decided." Ivanka nodded immediately.

(End of this chapter)