Rebirth 04: Starting from Taking an Unconventional Approach

Han Fei and Zhang Ruiyi watched with wide eyes as Lu Hai walked into the publishing house, with Sun Yue following behind.

"You're back so late," Han Fei said. "And with so many copies of 'Story Collection'?"

"Don't even mention it, President," Lu Hai said listlessly, throwing the copy of "Story Club" on the ground and slumping into a chair.

"What's wrong?"

Lu Hai sighed and began to recount his experiences. Han Fei and Zhang Ruiyi burst into laughter.

"So you lost thirty-six yuan and even ran home to change your shoes?" Han Fei said.

Lu Hai gave a wry smile: "At the time, I was only thinking about how to get him to put our magazine in the very center, but I forgot that he only had fifty copies in that spot, and the profit would only be a few dozen yuan if all of them were sold."

"Thirty-six yuan for a prime booth, and I even cleared out my competitors' inventory. That's a pretty good deal," Han Fei said with a smile, glancing at his watch. "Alright, I'll reimburse you for 'Story Collection.' The second batch of goods will arrive soon; go and call them over."

The group arrived at the lobby on the first floor, where Han Fei recounted Lu Hai's story once again.

"Today, Lu Hai taught us a lesson through his own blood and tears: what truly breaks the deadlock is—planting our flag in the very center of the enemy's position with minimal cost. Even if it only hangs there for a day, thousands upon thousands will see it. When the magazine becomes a bestseller, we must award Lu Hai a Pioneer Award!"

Everyone burst into laughter and clapped their hands.

"However, more importantly, Lu Hai showed me today that every member of our team is willing to be at the forefront for Qingniao, even without considering their own personal gains. This spirit is more valuable than any prime exhibition booth."

Lu Hai smiled shyly. Cheng Xu and Zhou Tao stepped forward and patted Lu Hai on the back.

"Alright," Han Fei said, "we need to turn this energy into real sales. Mei-jie, tell us about the results this morning."

Zhang Meimei pulled out a list of distribution channels from her notebook: "This morning we distributed to fifteen outlets. The owner of the bookstore on Fuzhou Road went there personally, and two hundred copies have already been put into stock. Lu Hai and Sun Yue visited seven outlets, all near densely populated train stations, where demand is high, and distributed two thousand copies. Cheng Xu and Zhou Tao visited three supermarkets, one private bookstore, and three newsstands, where demand is lower, and distributed one thousand seven hundred copies. We still have one thousand one hundred copies left from the first batch, and twelve outlets we've already agreed to stock haven't received their copies yet."

Han Fei nodded: "This distribution speed is acceptable. How's the feedback from the sales outlets?"

"There are pros and cons," Zhang Meimei said. "Large stores like Fuzhou Road Bookstore have purchasing managers who appreciate our data and give us the best locations. But some newsstands, especially long-time owners like the one Lu Hai met, get less desirable locations."

"That's normal. Trust is built over time. We've only been here for one day; getting it in is a victory in itself. The key is the follow-up sales. As long as the magazine sells, we'll have a different level of confidence when we go back to negotiate next time."

"President," Lu Hai said, "the biggest worry for those established shop owners is unsold inventory stuck in their hands. Could we design a policy, such as allowing returns or exchanges for unsold first batches? That would greatly reduce their concerns about ordering more stock."

Han Fei pondered for a moment: "Hmm, Lu Hai's idea is correct, that is, we need to reduce their trial-and-error costs. However, returns and exchanges are too costly for us, and they can easily make distributors dependent on them. We can try a different approach. Next time Sister Mei goes to discuss new channels, she can bring a few magazines with her, put a few on display for them to sell, and settle the payment only if they sell them, otherwise it's on us. Once they see that it can definitely generate volume, they will naturally come to us to officially purchase goods."

"This is a good idea," Zhang Meimei said. "It's like letting them conduct trial sales at zero cost."

"It's basically about trying it before you buy," Zhang Ruiyi said.

"Well, now that you put it that way, it's much easier to understand," Han Fei said with a smile. "Anyway, we're confident in our content and aren't afraid to try it."

Then they heard the sound of a truck engine approaching and stopping in front of the publishing house.

The group went out to unload the goods.

Han Fei dialed Ma Yongxing's cell phone number, and the call was surprisingly answered very quickly: "Han Fei, guess what I'm doing?"

Han Fei could hear the buzzing of voices, the roar of machinery, and the clanging of metal in the background: "Your place hasn't already started construction, has it, Mr. Ma?"

"You're quick-witted! I'm tearing down walls here. I've smashed all those large private rooms in the KTV and turned them into the various suites you've been talking about. I had the manager buy thirty screens at Biyueyao, and they're taking measurements and rewiring the place today."

"Wow, that's fast."

"In business, if you're too slow, you'll miss out on the hot profits."

"Now that you've started construction, what about the magazine...?"

"Your magazine is out already?"

"Yes, the first batch came out yesterday."

"Great! It won't affect my normal business operations. I'll have someone come and pick it up right away. Do you need any extra help?"

"Well......"

Twenty-five minutes later, a convoy of seven small trucks drove straight from the intersection of Cultural Street and stopped in front of the publishing house. A dozen burly men, led by an elephant, jumped out of the trucks, swaying their shoulders, and stepped into the publishing house. Neighbors on both sides peeked out in astonishment, and one stationery shop slammed down its gray metal roller shutter.

"President Han, you can rest now," Elephant said, waving to the people behind him. "Move!"

A dozen burly men immediately sprang into action, their movements swift and efficient. Moving magazines, stacking them, packing them, and securing them with rope—all in one smooth motion. Zhang Meimei stood by, giving instructions with the distribution slip in hand, while the others stood by, watching in disbelief. In less than twenty minutes, five thousand magazines had been repackaged and neatly stacked on seven trucks.

Han Fei checked his watch. It was 3:47. The second batch of goods was originally scheduled to be delivered to the outlets tomorrow, but it seemed it could be completed today. He instructed each editor to go to the outlets in a separate truck, while he and Zhang Ruiyi drove the seventh truck out of Cultural Street.

A few minutes later, Zhang Qiming called to say that the technical team from headquarters would arrive the next afternoon.

"So fast? I thought the process would take at least a week," Han Fei said.

"This was personally approved by General Manager Liu; it's a special case. You have more influence than I do. Let me tell you a few things; take note."

"Okay, Uncle Zhang, please go ahead."

"Zhou Ming, who leads the team, has a technical background. He doesn't talk much, but he's reliable. He's not going there to steal your system; he's going to help you patch up the problems. You're the hosts, and Zhou Ming is the guest. The guest helps, and the hosts entertain. If you get this attitude right, the work will be much easier."

"I see."

"Also, Zhou Ming will bring access authorization for a user profiling system. This interface permission is usually only given to provincial branches by headquarters, and you are the first pilot unit to receive it. But Han Fei, you must remember that this interface can only be used for content push optimization, not for anything else. Zhou Ming will set the rules for how user data is stored and used. This is a red line; if you cross it, you'll lose everything."

"Don't worry, Uncle Zhang."