Chen Pingjiang scoffed at Shu Mang's argument.
The essence of entrepreneurship is burning money; the essence of doing business is making money.
The two seem similar, but in reality, they are miles apart.
Business pursues wealth, while entrepreneurship creates a career; business focuses on marketing, while entrepreneurship focuses on products; business does addition, while entrepreneurship does multiplication.
Who among those making cars, phones, and internet products didn't start by burning money?
"Long hair, short insight."
Although Chen Pingjiang complained verbally, he actually cared a lot about Shu Mang's feedback.
What he wanted to do was expand his territory, and having a scrooge like Shu Mang in charge of the rear gave him great peace of mind.
"Money, money."
Next, it was time to find money.
With Renren.com and Renren Takeout reaching their current scale, relying solely on the meager earnings from the BBQ restaurant was indeed insufficient for large-scale use.
The BBQ restaurant itself also postponed its new store plans due to the approaching winter and student holidays, intending to expand in March-April next year.
Chen Pingjiang didn't reject capital; it was an essential path for entrepreneurship, but now was simply not a good time.
Knowing the market trends so clearly, he didn't need more funds for trial and error; at most, he'd bring it back to pay salaries.
Renren Takeout, limited by mobile networks and smartphones, couldn't expand beyond the campus.
Forcing it out would only waste a lot of time and money, ultimately leading to sunk costs that were too high, forcing them to push forward despite the difficulties.
What he did was lay a good foundation, waiting for the advent of the mobile internet era.
And what about Renren.com?
It could already be self-sufficient, and its killer features "Steal the Car" and "Steal Vegetables" were both under development.
When they could conquer new ground relying on these two web games, the premium space would be even greater.
Chen Pingjiang muttered to himself, then heard his phone ring.
He picked it up and saw it was He Zhiyu.
"Haha, speak of the devil."
After pressing the answer button, he heard He Zhiyu's hearty laughter from the receiver:
"Xiao Chen, long time no see."
"Indeed, long time no see. What advice does CEO He have for me?"
"I wouldn't dare give advice. You are now the reform consultant for our Yuanfang Supermarket. If you're free this afternoon, could you come over? I'll give you the letter of appointment."
"Oh, oh, I'm free, I'm free. See you this afternoon then."
He Zhiyu, after hanging up, stared at his phone, gradually lost in thought.
During their last meeting, Chen Pingjiang's remarks on online channels and service reform piqued He Zhiyu's interest.
After initial skepticism, many of Chen Pingjiang's views convinced him, and he immediately invited Chen Pingjiang to be a consultant for the company.
But even so, He Zhiyu still had doubts and uncertainties.
However, observing Chen Pingjiang's actions over the past two days, that set of promotional and marketing tactics left He Zhiyu awestruck, and Renren Takeout unsurprisingly achieved good results.
Isn't strength the best proof?
No one would believe you with empty words.
When Renren Takeout achieved success, He Zhiyu believed that the decision to hire Chen Pingjiang as a consultant was wise.
A freshman, with a first project showing potential and a second project becoming an instant hit within the university town, this itself was extraordinary.
At least, He Zhiyu admitted he didn't have such capability.
He Zhiyu wasn't foolish either.
Chen Pingjiang constantly instilled in him the importance of online sales, which at best could only be considered an idea and a future direction.
For now, he clearly knew that it was merely Chen Pingjiang wanting to pull him in as a supplementary supply channel and guarantor for Renren Takeout, and it wouldn't actually help Yuanfang Supermarket much at present.
Facts proved this to be true; from yesterday to noon today, online orders were only a meager dozen or so, with sales amounting to a few hundred yuan.
This was in stark contrast to Yuanfang Supermarket's massive daily offline customer traffic.
Compared to Renren Takeout, he valued more the new concepts and marketing strategies Chen Pingjiang could bring him.
As long as he could extract some useful work from Chen Pingjiang, the hundreds of thousands in annual salary wouldn't be for nothing.
In short, he cared more about Chen Pingjiang as a person, valuing his potential and infinite possibilities.
...
When Chen Pingjiang drove to Yuanfang Supermarket's Dayuan Store, it was already two in the afternoon.
Instead of going directly to He Zhiyu's office, Chen Pingjiang first wandered around the supermarket for about half an hour.
It must be said that He Zhiyu was quite capable.
It was not easy to develop a local supermarket to such an extent, and to survive amidst the fierce competition from major brand supermarkets was even more commendable.
Yuanfang Supermarket's environment was clean, tidy, spacious, and bright, which was a bonus.
Shelves were arranged neatly and orderly, with clear labels and classifications.
Goods that ran low could be quickly restocked, service was decent, and prices had a slight advantage compared to other supermarkets.
There were also shortcomings, such as a customer base skewed towards lower-income and elderly demographics, and only two checkout lanes open to save labor costs.
After wandering for a while, Chen Pingjiang then headed towards He Zhiyu's office.
"CEO He, where's my letter of appointment?"
As soon as he saw He Zhiyu, Chen Pingjiang said with a smile.
He Zhiyu pointed to the gold-edged letter of appointment on the corner of the desk and said,
"It's ready for you, take a look."
"This is to appoint Comrade Chen Pingjiang as the reform consultant for Yuanfang Supermarket Group. The term of appointment is from December 2, 2006, to December 1, 2007. During the appointment, Comrade Chen Pingjiang will enjoy the full salary benefits of a Group Vice President."
Chen Pingjiang nodded with satisfaction.
Old He's sincerity was evident; the full salary, including base salary, bonuses, and various allowances, showed he was truly investing.
"May I boldly ask, what is the annual salary of a Yuanfang Vice President?"
He Zhiyu made a gesture:
"About eight hundred thousand a year, not including stock options. After all, we're a local small business, and..."
"I understand, CEO He, please forgive me, I'm quite direct."
"Hehe, that's normal. In business, it's business. I also like to be straightforward."
"Then I'll be even more direct,"
Chen Pingjiang scratched his head shyly,
"I'd like to advance one year's salary."
"Uh."
Even He Zhiyu, who had weathered many storms, was taken aback by Chen Pingjiang's request.
You are too direct.
You just received the letter of appointment and immediately want an advance on one year's salary.
"Lately, I've really been tightening my belt to get by. Soon I won't even have money for food."
After a few seconds of stunned silence, He Zhiyu finally nodded:
"No problem. I can probably understand your current situation. Give me an account number, and I'll have the finance department transfer it to you later."
The letter of appointment had already been issued.
To make Chen Pingjiang willingly reveal all his knowledge, He Zhiyu was also going all out.
Chen Pingjiang beamed with joy; he had money in his pocket again.
"CEO He is very generous."
"I just spent half an hour walking around downstairs and already have a basic understanding of our supermarket. In three days, I will bring a detailed plan."
Watching Chen Pingjiang's receding back, He Zhiyu chuckled to himself:
"This kid is truly a natural at business, able to be so thick-skinned at crucial moments."
He just came for a visit, and eight hundred thousand was already in his hands.
The work hadn't even started, but the money was already collected.
Being thick-skinned was considered a virtue by He Zhiyu, and also one of the characteristics of a successful entrepreneur.
Such people have no psychological pressure or moral constraints when it comes to making money.
They dare to make grand promises and convince others, and when faced with difficult or awkward situations, they are better at enlivening a dull atmosphere.
(End of Chapter)
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