Rebirth in Hong Kong: From Dessert Shop to Industrial Empire

Chapter 56: A Frenzied Rush (Completed in one day, please vote with monthly tickets and recommendations to continue reading!)
The franchise boom did not stop after the busy first day; on the contrary, it intensified.

On the second and third days, the phone continued to ring non-stop, and the number of applicants coming for in-person consultations increased rather than decreased.

The continued buzz from the newspaper advertisements, coupled with word-of-mouth from the first batch of applicants, caused the news of "Chen's Kee Open for Franchising" to spread like wildfire throughout Hong Kong and Kowloon.

Everyone knows that Chen's Dessert Shop's business is doing well or poorly.

Although it's a street business, earning only a few cents or dimes is hard-earned money.

Everyone understands the principle that small things accumulate into great things.

Chen's thriving business, the long lines of customers, and the phenomenon of bottled sugar water being snapped up all demonstrate its powerful money-making ability.

Previously, the company struggled with the technical barriers to entry for its sweet soups and the lack of brand recognition, making it difficult to replicate Chen Ji's success by going it alone.

Today, Chenji is opening up franchising, not only providing a "golden brand", but also including technical training, unified raw material distribution, and operational guidance. Even the most popular bottled sugar water is given priority to franchise stores!
This is tantamount to having a mature way to make money laid out right in front of you!

With lower barriers to entry, manageable risks, and promising returns, how can anyone resist?
Ling Peiyi made a decisive move, raising the screening criteria and clarifying regional protection policies, strictly controlling the number of franchise stores in core business districts.

Even with the increased requirements, applicants remain enthusiastic!

"Director Ling! Have you sent someone to check on my shop in Shau Kei Wan?"
Absolutely meets the requirements! I've already brought my deposit!

A well-dressed boss patted his chest and gave an enthusiastic look.

"Ms. Ling, my husband and I have discussed it and we have a shop in Mei Foo Sun Chuen with a high occupancy rate!"

Although we have no experience in the food service industry, we are determined to learn! Please give us a chance!

A young woman spoke earnestly, with high hopes in her eyes.

"Director Ling, I'm in the hardware business and have some spare cash. I'm optimistic about Chen's! I'd like to open one in Kwun Tong and one in Kowloon City!"
"Money is no problem!" one boss said generously.

In just one week, Ling Peiyi's team completed the review and signing of contracts for the first batch of ten franchise stores with their efficiency and professionalism!
六家位于次核心商圈，湾仔2家、北角1家、红磡1家、观塘2家，四家位于大型成熟社区太古城2家、美孚新邨1家、杏花邨1家。

The franchise fees and deposits from these ten stores alone brought Chen Kee a cash flow of HK$30!
This doesn't even include the unified decoration, unified raw material supply, and subsequent management fees and other miscellaneous income.

This money was like a timely rain, instantly relieving the financial pressure caused by purchasing reviews and providing ammunition for subsequent expansion!
With the franchisees officially signing the contracts, the unified decoration of these ten stores has also been launched in full swing.

The renovation teams designated by Chenji took the standardized design drawings and went to various stores to begin construction.

The red-and-gold "Chen's Dessert" signboard is beginning to light up more areas of Hong Kong Island.

The emergence of these new stores has rapidly expanded the reach of Chen Ji's brand.

Just as Chenji Foods was actively recruiting franchisees, an unexpected exposure opportunity, like icing on the cake, propelled the brand awareness of Chenji bottled sugar water to new heights.

Live broadcast of TVB's "Enjoy Yourself Tonight" program.

As TVB's flagship variety show since its inception in 1967, "Enjoy Yourself Tonight" has long been an indispensable entertainment feast for Hong Kong Island residents every night with its unique live broadcast format, relaxed and lively style and strong lineup of stars.

Its content is all-encompassing, ranging from song and dance performances, humorous dramas, interactive games, celebrity interviews to short dramas, and it always keeps up with the times and the preferences of the public, boasting unparalleled viewership and influence.

During prime time, from 9 pm to 10:30 pm, Monday to Friday, more than one million households on Hong Kong Island with televisions will be glued to their screens.

To generate buzz for the upcoming TVB drama "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber," this episode of "Enjoy Yourself Tonight" specially invited the cast and crew of the show.

Under the spotlight, Adam Cheng, who plays the male lead "Zhang Wuji", Liza Wang, who plays the female lead "Zhao Min", Angie Chiu, who plays "Zhou Zhiruo", and several other main actors were all present, making for a star-studded event that instantly ignited the atmosphere.

When the program moved to a relaxed chat segment, the host chatted with the lead actors about the hardships and fun stories of filming.

Especially with the recent hot weather, the heavy traditional costumes for period dramas present a challenge.

"Adam Cheng, Liza Wang, Angie Chiu, I heard you have a lot of action scenes in 'The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber'. The weather has been so hot lately, wearing such thick costumes, the set must have been like a sauna, right?"

The host, Lydia Shum, asked with concern.

Adam Cheng smiled and wiped away non-existent sweat: "Yes, the director has high standards. We shoot a single scene many times. It's common to be drenched in sweat."

Liza Wang nodded, expressing her deep sympathy: "Especially the fight scenes, the movements are so large that after one set, my undershirt is soaked with sweat, I'm exhausted and thirsty, and I feel like I'm about to collapse."

Her words were met with strong agreement from the other crew members, who nodded in agreement.

"So what do you drink to quench your thirst and stay alert on set? You can't just drink soda all the time, can you?" Host Lydia Shum naturally followed up with this question.

Liza Wang casually said, "Actually, I quite like drinking sweet soup, especially red bean soup with tangerine peel or mango pomelo sago. It's refreshing and cooling, and I feel much more comfortable than drinking soda. It's not as cloying."

Lydia Shum's eyes lit up, and she followed up on the conversation, asking, "Oh? Sweet soup? I like it too! But is it convenient to drink sweet soup on set? We can't have it delivered every day, can we? Or wait until we finish work?"

Liza Wang laughed and said, "It was indeed not very convenient before. We either had to go to the shop to eat after work or take it away. But the taste would be bad if it was left for a long time, or it would spill everywhere."

However, I recently discovered that bottled versions of the sweet soup are available now.

As she spoke, she gestured to the shape of the sugar water bottle, trying her best to share with everyone, "It comes in a glass bottle, it's ice-cold and really quenches your thirst. The key is that it's convenient!"
During breaks in filming, or after work, you can simply take it out of your bag, unscrew the cap, and drink it without waiting or worrying about spilling.

For people like us who are often on set or traveling, this is a real lifesaver.

"And the taste is almost identical to dining in," she added, a satisfied expression on her face.

As Lydia Shum listened to Liza Wang's description, she nodded seriously, indicating that she understood the importance of this convenience.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she clapped her hands and exclaimed in realization, "Ah! Sister Mingquan, is the bottled sugar water you're talking about the 'Chen Ji' bottled sugar water that's been all the rage lately?"

Liza Wang smiled and nodded in confirmation: "Yes, it's 'Chan's. You know it too?"

"Of course I know!" Lydia Shum raised her voice and laughed heartily, "The 'King of Dessert Soup' at Victoria Park's Lunar New Year Fair! Their desserts are really good!"

Now they even have bottled versions? And it's so convenient! Wow, that really solves a huge problem for your filming!

Zhao Yazhi, standing next to her, gently chimed in, "Yes, Sister Mingquan recommended it. I've also tried the bottled coconut sago pudding. It's really convenient, tastes great, and doesn't take up much space in my bag."

Adam Cheng joked with a smile, "Looks like I'll have to try it next time, so my assistant won't have to buy me herbal tea every day. This bottled version sounds even more convenient than my Kung Fu tea!" Lydia Shum's precise naming ensured that the name "Chen Ji," along with its core selling point of "convenient and ready to drink, consistent quality," was clearly imprinted on the television screens of over a million households!
"Chen's!"

Bottled sugar water!

"Convenient and delicious!"

"Feifei said it's good!"

These keywords, along with the personal experiences and relaxed conversations of three popular celebrities, instantly swept across Hong Kong Island!

The next morning, Chen Bingwen had just arrived at his office.

Then, with a loud bang, Gao Zhenhai burst into the office.

"Brother Wen, 'Enjoy Yourself Tonight'!"
Last night's "Enjoy Yourself Tonight"!
Liza Wang, Angie Chiu, and Lydia Shum all mentioned our bottled sugar water on the show!

"It's convenient and delicious! Feifei even specifically mentioned the name 'Chen Ji'!"

"Enjoy your evening?"

In his previous life, Chen Bingwen rarely watched television programs other than the CCTV News and financial news.

In this day and age, I have absolutely no expectations for television programs.

Although he knew that "Enjoy Yourself Tonight" was TVB's flagship variety show with extremely high ratings and huge influence.

But I've never seen it.

However, when the keywords "Liza Wang", "Angie Chiu", "Fei Fei", "Chen Ji" and "bottled sugar water" were put together, he immediately understood what they meant.

Although he had little interest in entertainment programs in his previous life, as an investment bank manager, he knew all too well what "top-tier traffic" meant!
In 1978, when information dissemination was far less advanced than in later years, television was almost the most powerful medium covering all households in Hong Kong!
As TVB's flagship variety show, "Enjoy Yourself Tonight" boasts prime-time ratings and influence, making it a propaganda platform of nuclear weapon level in this era!
These people, in this era, are equivalent to today's top internet celebrities!

Moreover, its influence is more concentrated and more deeply rooted in people's hearts!
They actually mentioned "Chen's Bottled Sweet Soup" on a top-tier platform like "Enjoy Yourself Tonight"!
what does this mean?
This means that overnight, the name "Chen's Bottled Sugar Water," along with its core selling points of "convenient and ready to drink" and "good taste," was directly instilled into more than one million households in Hong Kong in the most authentic and credible way!

This level of exposure and endorsement is a perfect boost to Chen Ji Dessert's brand image!
Although I don't know why "Chen's Bottled Sugar Water" became a topic of discussion on the "Enjoy Yourself Tonight" program.

But Chen Bingwen knew that Chenji Foods was about to experience a surge in traffic.

Sure enough, as soon as it was time to start work, the factory's phones went crazy, ringing non-stop!
"Hello, this is an inquiry about joining Chen Ji Foods franchise..."

"Yes, they're recruiting franchisees..."

"You mean the Chen's bottled sweet soup that Lydia Shum mentioned on 'Enjoy Yourself Tonight' last night? Yes, yes, that's our Chen's!"

"Franchise fee? The first batch of franchisees has been recruited; please wait for the next batch."

"."

Bottled sugar water? Of course we supply it! And we prioritize supplying franchise stores!

"."

The star power of the TV show "Enjoy Yourself Tonight" turned Chen's Bottled Sweet Soup, a product that was originally only known in specific regions and among specific groups of people, into a hot topic of conversation overnight.

"Mom, the Chen's sweet soup that Feifei mentioned last night looks so convenient, I want to drink it!"

"I heard that Zhao Yazhi likes to drink it too, it must taste good!"

"Yeah, and they said you can just twist the cap and drink it without having to wait in line, which is great! I'll buy a couple of bottles to try after get off work!"

Similar conversations are constantly taking place at bus stops, tea restaurants, and office building elevators.

"Director Ling,"

Chen Bingwen knocked on the slightly ajar door of Ling Peiyi's office and stepped inside. "Last night, TVB's 'Enjoy Yourself Tonight' program mentioned our Chen's Dessert, so you must have heard about it."

Ling Peiyi said, "Yes, Mr. Chen! The market response has been very strong, and franchisees are all requesting to stock up as soon as possible and open for business at the earliest."

“As expected.” Chen Bingwen nodded. “This is a godsend opportunity, but also a huge pressure.”

With Sacmi's hot filling production line not yet in place, such publicity has both positive and negative aspects.

We must capitalize on this wave of popularity, but we absolutely cannot ruin our reputation.

Director Ling, there are a few things that need to be addressed immediately and processed as quickly as possible.

“Mr. Chen, please speak!” Ling Peiyi immediately picked up her notebook.

"First, immediately release a brief statement to thank the 'Enjoy Yourself Tonight' program team and several celebrities for their love."

Chen Ji emphasized its commitment to providing citizens with a convenient and delicious dessert experience, and solemnly promised that bottled desserts would be launched on a large scale as soon as possible to meet demand.

The wording should be humble and sincere, while also conveying our confidence that we are making every effort to prepare.

“Okay, I’ll draft it myself and show it to you within half an hour.” Ling Peiyi nodded.

"Secondly, regarding the sudden increase in franchise inquiries and demand for bottled sugar water," Chen Bingwen said, quickening his pace, "we must do a good job of guiding and explaining."

We clearly informed all inquiries that the first batch of franchise slots is full, and the next batch will be opened after the production line is running stably and production capacity is released. Large-scale supply of bottled sugar water will also begin at the same time.

“Yes! I’ll have the marketing department follow up and explain the situation,” Ling Peiyi replied.

"Third, the promotion of new franchise stores." Chen Bingwen's gaze fell on the map spread out on the table. "The decoration of the first batch of ten stores must be accelerated! Send operation supervisors to oversee the decoration quality, and at the same time, start standardized training for franchisees and their recruited staff!"
From service scripts and checkout procedures to the display and sales techniques for bottled sugar water, everything must be strictly followed in accordance with our manual!
These stores will be the first wave of this promotional hype, and they must be a resounding success upon opening!

“Understood! I will personally follow up on this matter.” Ling Peiyi nodded solemnly in agreement.

　Thank you everyone for your support! Today's daily target of 10,000 words has been achieved.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)