Manhattan Reborn 1978

new York.

Wall Street, Stanley [-]th Floor.

David's words about chicken soup with added spices put smiles on the faces of everyone present.

He waved to Lawrence, Cohen and others sitting beside the bed, and said after the curtains reopened and the conference room became bright.

"What I just said are all temporary plans for the Halloween parade tomorrow night."

"And this blind box company will not just rely on one event a year to ensure its daily operations."

"So... Polly, I want Da Company to use some of its resources and funds to invest in this company, and include some of the qualified products produced by your small businesses and factories into our daily blind box content catalog. among."

“Our angel fund companies should also explore new blind box content ideas and new products!”

“Whether it’s the blind boxes for cosmetics and perfumes that girls prefer, or the blind boxes for children’s toys, stationery, etc.”

"We have to investigate their purchase tendencies and repeat purchase purposes, quickly adjust the blind box content list, and initially outline the business scope of this new company."

"So, Mr. Parker, what do you think of this new business?"

Otis Parker was stunned for a moment, and when he saw David standing there looking at him seriously, he nodded.

"No problem~"

David looked directly into Mr. Parker's eyes, nodded slightly and said with a smile: "This blind box company will cooperate with your company in its market research business~"

"I hope we can have a happy cooperation in the future!"

"..must!"

"Ok!"

David looked at lawyer George and asked: "George, in terms of law, will we encounter any difficulties in our contracts with sponsors?"

George frowned, thought for a while and shook his head: "I'm not sure yet~ I will come up with a complete contract before tonight."

"Good~"

David pursed his lips and asked lawyer George: "Last time, we talked about opening a law firm for you."

"Do you have any personal thoughts on the advertising for this event?"

"I can arrange a few advertising spaces for you for free to help you promote the law firm."

George felt as if happiness came a little too fast and too violently, and he didn't react for a while.

Ludy, who was sitting next to him, touched him with his elbow and said with a smile: "Don't be in a daze, boy!"

George's face quickly turned red, he suppressed the fluctuating emotions in his heart, and said simply: "Thank you!"

"Haha~ You're welcome!"

"Oh~ George, don't forget to inform me, Pitman Olina Accountant, I promised to help her last time."

"But... I can provide you and her advertising space for free."

"But you have to pay your own money and find an advertising company to make billboards!"

"Page, Norris, give them a preferential price~"

"Hehe~"

Norris nodded friendly to Lawyer George, and Page said slightly teasingly: "Of course! You are welcome to cooperate with us for a long time!"

"However, when you give us legal consultation, you must also give us a discount~ Otherwise we can't afford a lawyer like you!"

"Hahaha~"

"No problem..Absolutely~"

Lawyer George's face turned even redder amid the laughter of everyone.

David turned to find his secretary with a smile, called her to his side, and whispered: "Maggie, after the meeting is over, remind me to write a check to Attorney George as the start-up capital for his new law firm. .”

"Then, please give him another sentence for me: Bring interest. Pay it off in three years!"

Maggie nodded calmly and returned to her seat, with inexplicable emotions welling up in her heart.

She is not a vase sitting in front of David's office every day.

Maggie had heard more or less about everyone in the conference room.

Some time ago, lawyer Qiao Zhi came to the company to help, and when he was chatting with Sam and others, he once talked about his personal experience a few months ago.

. . .

After this little episode from Lawyer George, David waved his hands to everyone and continued.

"Let me continue, the third question~"

"How to sell and how to ensure that there will be no trouble."

"As I mentioned just now, the walking route of the Halloween Parade has basically been fixed."

"If the shops along the route are willing to participate in our activities, they will become our fixed billboards on the route."

"Then our sales location can be at an intersection controlled by the police, or directly next to a police car."

"This is to ensure that no accidents occur during this event."

"Ludi, when you go to Commissioner Hardman to discuss this matter, mention the issue of cooperation with the police in setting up sales points."

"We are willing to send the security company, auxiliary police and other personnel to assist the police for free to maintain the security order of the parade."

"Okay~" Ludy glanced at Lawrence from the DA Security Company, then turned to look at Giles and Pine, and nodded in response.

David raised his wrist, looked at his watch and said, "This is the basic plan for this event~"

"If everyone has no questions, it's 9 minutes to 12 o'clock!"

"Before tomorrow morning, this office will be the transfer station for everyone to communicate with each other."

"Yuri, Leon, Maggie, and my new assistant, Agger MacFarlane, please work hard and work overtime these two days. I will transfer the information to everyone."

"Maggie will pull in a few more phone lines later and tell everyone the number."

"Okay, boss~"

"Polly, Ludy, please help find a temporary location near the parade route. We will put all the blind box products there tomorrow in case of emergency."

"Well... there is a small theater not far from Sixth Avenue, which is suitable for us to rent temporarily."

"Once you get in touch, we will move there to work there tomorrow morning."

"ok~"

"So...everyone, do you have any questions?"

"Have!"

Bloomer raised his hand and asked David: "You never mentioned the issue of the blind box winning return rate, right?"

"Oh~ yes, good question!"

"Sorry, I forgot to say it just now~"

David picked up the notebook at hand, read it over and said, "To put it simply, the blind boxes we sell are completely different from lottery tickets and gambling!"

“The biggest difference is that the winning rate of blind boxes is 100%, and we don’t sell short boxes~!”

"Lottery and gambling are not~"

“That’s why it can become a good business that can last for a long time~!”

"About the return rate of winnings..."

"This is our first attempt. The number of blind boxes released and sold will not be too many~"

"The return rate is slightly higher, which can help us better open up the market and mobilize people's enthusiasm for purchasing."

David picked up the pen, wrote a line in the notebook, thought for a while and said: "Initially, let's allocate the winning rate according to the ratio of four: six~"

"For boxes with a lower price, there is about a 40% chance that you can get goods worth more than the price."

"For boxes with a higher price, there is about a 60% chance that you can get goods worth more than the price."

"For a more specific distribution plan, it depends on how many sponsors you can recruit to provide us with products~"

"Of course, we have to prepare for the worst."

"If we fail to find more sponsors, we will have to spend our own money to buy products and put them in the blind box."

"We... might as well reduce the number of blind boxes for sale, and use this as a gimmick to promote limited sales, and limit each person to only purchase one blind box, which increases the chance of winning the jackpot."

David looked at Blumer and said with a smile: "Are you satisfied with this business that will continue smoothly in the future?"

"It's okay~"

"Cut~"

"So...do you have any questions?"

"Have!"

"What about the manpower? Do they all use people from Da Company?"

"This time, yes~"

"In the future, we need to train our own sales team and develop specific marketing strategies based on the market research data given by Mr. Parker."

David suddenly remembered a person and said to Giovanni who was sitting in the corner: "Go find Neil Walker. If he is willing, you can let him come to this new blind box company as a sales director!"

"Oh~" Giovanni responded in a daze.

"ok~"

"It's 12 o'clock everyone, let's go have lunch first~"

"If you have any questions, I will be here to answer them in the afternoon. You are welcome to call at any time~"

"The meeting is over~!"

"Hahaha~"

Everyone laughed a few times and began to pack their belongings and prepare to leave.

David waved to Pine, Giles, Bloomer, Lilith, Polly, Ludy, and Odis Parker, telling them not to leave yet.

After the door to the conference room was closed again, David sat down and spoke to several people.

"Do you still remember... among the venture capital projects I mentioned before, there was an idea about investing in a warehouse-type wholesale supermarket?"

Several people began to recall what David had said in this conference room.

David gave a few people some time, and then said: "Warehouse-style wholesale supermarkets have gradually developed in various places in recent years, and they are closely related to the management of purchase cost control."

"We all know that the difference between the ex-factory price and the retail price of a product is where the profit lies in the entire industry-related chain."

"In the past few years, the profits that manufacturers of goods could earn were sometimes lower than those that retailers could earn."

“So, this market state of uneven distribution of benefits has allowed Kmart, Wal-Mart, and warehouse wholesale supermarkets to gradually take over street stores and large department stores by emerging open, low-price, and discount hypermarket stores. Part of the market share has given itself room for development.”

"So, can we simply divide them into types, conduct more in-depth research on their business models, and summarize a new business model that suits us!?"

"For example: We compare traditional large department stores to the New York Stock Exchange. They have a good reputation, popularity, and are deeply recognized and welcomed by people."

"But their business model will screen out many small and medium-sized brand merchants, making it impossible for them to put their products on the shelves and sell them."

"Kmart, Wal-Mart, and warehouse supermarkets can be compared to the Rice Exchange, giving the second-tier brand products produced by these small and medium-sized enterprises the opportunity to expand sales channels."

"The blind box business I proposed today should be like the current Nasdaq!"

“It gives more small and micro enterprises that can produce new categories of qualified goods and opens up a new sales channel!”

"The consumer groups of large department stores are mostly high-income, middle-class and above people."

“Large supermarkets such as Kmart and Wal-Mart are mostly visited and consumed by people with middle income or below.”

“And what about the most common and largest group of low- and middle-income people?”

"They can only occasionally take time to go to supermarkets such as Kmart and Wal-Mart for one-stop shopping to buy their daily needs for a week or two weeks."

"Usually, they buy daily consumables at street stores at slightly higher prices than in large supermarkets."

"Then we can definitely do something about this."

"Find a sales channel that is suitable for ordinary people, who account for the largest proportion of the population, and can purchase high-quality and low-price goods~"

David paused briefly, looked at Pine, and said, "Is Grace back from California?"

"The internal integration of HBO TV station is basically completed, right?"

Pine looked at David with slightly complicated eyes, was silent for a few seconds, nodded and said.

"Do you want to use the blind box sales model to bring some products produced by small and micro enterprises to the market and conduct a consumer market acceptance test?"

"Then, first open warehouse-type supermarkets in various places in China, build a complete logistics and transportation system, and then use television as a communication media to sell goods?"

"Yeah~ you guessed it?"

There was a big question mark clearly hanging on Pine's forehead: "You've said so much..."

"Is my IQ that low?"

"Ha~ okay, you're right!"

"I call this new sales channel TV shopping!"

David picked up a pen and wrote down the entire plan in a nutshell, saying: "The blind box business can help us develop a mature product selection and marketing team for our future TV shopping plans."

"While we are expanding the number of warehouse supermarket stores and establishing complete logistics and transportation lines, we can slowly build up TV shopping product sales channels."

"In a few years, we will have a complete self-owned TV platform covering the whole country, and a complete product selection, marketing, transportation, distribution and other teams."

"After the plan for this new sales channel and industrial chain is realized."

"By then, this channel will be independent of traditional department stores, large supermarkets and other sales channels, allowing more ordinary people to buy the high-quality products they want while watching TV at home."

"What about us? We will also have a big business with an annual revenue of more than one billion U.S. dollars!"

"A billion dollars...?"

Ludy whispered it in his mouth. .

Polly seemed to have expected David's pie, and wrote a few lines in her notebook with a smile.

Lilith put one hand on her chin and stared blankly in the direction of the door, wondering what she was thinking. .

Pine, who had the deepest understanding of David's plan, frowned deeper and asked, "How much money do you need to invest in this plan of yours?"

Regarding this question, David could only spread his hands and smile: "After detailed business investigation, Mr. Parker may be able to give us an answer."

"However, the core competitiveness of TV shopping lies in its price!"

"Like traditional department stores and large supermarkets, they will have their own cooperative transportation companies and large warehouses."

"Every time the goods are moved, the profit margin of the goods will continue to shrink~"

"The more times it is moved and the longer the storage time is, the lower the sales value of the goods will be until there is no profit at all."

"And we can call the hotline to get a list of the products people want to buy most."

"Then, we contact manufacturers to wholesale commodities and help consumers in front of the TV get the most ideal purchase price."

"Through the full-chain sales system we have established, we can reduce the marketing time and handling quantity of goods, reduce labor, transportation, and warehousing costs, and the profit margin will also increase."

“The most expensive upfront investment for us is in the mature time cost of building warehouse supermarkets and logistics networks.”

“The earlier we start, the higher the investment for those who enter the industry later and want to follow our footsteps, until it reaches astronomical amounts that they cannot afford.”

“The cost of time and huge capital is the biggest moat we have set up for ourselves.”

"TV shopping only improves the utilization efficiency of the entire industry chain and adds more extra income and added value to this sales channel that holds the code of wealth."

Pine put his hands on the conference table, stared at David and asked, "So...what?"

"You want your fund company to become..."

"Correct!"

"In the future, it will be an equity investment fund!"

David leaned back and explained: "From raw material companies - factories that produce goods - companies with complete sales channels, to waste recycling and reuse of goods, etc."

"I will always try to find the right companies and invest in them for the long term."

"...I understand~"

Pine stared at David for a few seconds, shook his head slightly and said with a smile: "Your nickname needs to be changed~ Haha~"

David shrugged to a few people, spread his hands and smiled: "I think... Lucky boy, it's pretty good!"

"Hahahaha~"

(The above ideas for building new sales channels and logistics systems were learned from a TV interview ten years ago.)

(The interviewee is the gray-haired Dong Ge, the founder of xdong, one of the domestic Internet e-commerce giants.)

(With its own distribution system, xdong Mall no longer has to look at the faces of logistics giants~ Therefore, the strategic development vision of Brother Dong and his team is still very long-term and sharp.)

----

Manhattan.

40th Street, in the apartment building where David once lived.

Black Mike put down his duffel bag and said to Denzel Washington.

"This used to be my room, now it's yours~"

Denzel walked slowly around the apartment and nodded with great satisfaction.

"Did you just move away?"

"Yes ~ David and I just moved out yesterday."

"David...does he live here too?"

Black Mike sat on the sofa where he once hid his submachine gun, lit a cigarette, and smiled.

"David has been living here since he came to New York."

"You kid... If you have time, go to the Wildfire Bar on 42nd Street a few more times, and you can see David more often."

Denzel walked to the single sofa and sat down, hesitated, and asked Black Mike frankly.

"I'm just an ordinary black boy... I don't know what David sees in me..."

"Can you tell me?"

Black Mike tilted his head and looked at Denzel for a while, then laughed.

"You...have been worried about this?"

"Hahahaha~"

"Don't worry~"

"He prefers to invest in people who seem to have potential~"

"You're not the only one, and you won't be the last."

"A little investment in you now will help him earn more money in the future when you become famous and become a big star."

"do you understand?"

Of course Denzel understands~

But he still asked with some uncertainty: "It's just... like this?"

"Hahaha~ What else?"

"Because you are tall and handsome?"

"Or are your teeth whiter than mine?"

"fxxx!"

"The beautiful women around him can't even take care of him..."

"cough~"

"that.."

"You have such time for random thoughts, why not think more about how you can make Zina look at you favorably and help you find more opportunities~"

"Xina..." Denzel showed some relief on his face, exhaled and muttered softly.

"Yes~"

"She also often appears at the Wildfire Bar~"

"If she doesn't take the initiative to contact you today, you can go to the Wildfire Bar to find her tonight~"

"ok~I will!"

----

Wall Street.

Stanley fourth floor.

Pine, Giles, and Bloomer took Lilith, who was still a little distracted, and left the conference room first.

David looked at Mr. Odis Parker, Polly, and Ludy who stayed behind, and asked curiously.

"You... still have questions?"

Mr. Parker raised his hand to make an invitation gesture and said with a smile: "You guys talk first, I will wait for you in your office."

"..good!"

Mr. Parker is gone.

Ludy glanced at Polly and said first: "Tomorrow night, do you think we need to propose another meeting of the Bonini Restaurant gang bosses?"

David scratched his forehead, took a breath, and looked at Polly: "What do you think?"

Polly narrowed her eyes and smiled: "It's all up to you!"

"..."

David was stunned for a moment, then reached out and hugged Polly, whispering in her ear: "So good! Hahaha~"

Ludy rolled his eyes wildly on the side. .

He simply turned his head and did not let Polly notice his little movements. .

Polly kissed David gently on the face, let him go, kicked Ludy with her foot, and said.

"I'll call dad to discuss it later~"

"Many people now agree with the words you once said at Bonini's Restaurant."

"I think... they will understand the importance of this event and will not show up to cause trouble~"

"Um.."

"You just have to figure it out~"

"Then...I'm leaving first~ You have to take care of yourself!"

David pinched Polly's nose twice with his hand and smiled at her: "Remember to eat on time!"

"Good~"

There seemed to be something flowing in Polly's eyes when she looked at David. .

She reached back and grabbed Lu Di's sleeve, and the two walked out of the conference room.

David followed them and watched them enter the elevator door, then stretched himself and walked to his office.

. . .

Stanley, in Pine's office.

Bloomer tilted his head and looked at his friend Giles, and asked curiously: "You...what's wrong today? Why are you so quiet?"

Giles pursed his lips, looked at Pine, and asked in a low voice: "David's plan... do you think it's feasible?"

Pine seemed to have guessed what Giles was thinking. He pondered for a few seconds and nodded: "Wal-Mart and Kmart can be successful because we have analyzed them many times~"

“All business models cannot escape the business logic of buying low and selling high.”

"David's TV shopping plan has increased the frequency of ordinary people's exposure to products, allowing them to switch from actively choosing products to passively purchasing the products we recommend on TV, attracted by lower prices."

"Coupled with the establishment of a complete self-owned sales and transportation channel, the cost of intermediate links has been reduced and the profit margin has been increased."

"He's right. This is a good business that can be sustained over time."

"But~"

Pine paused for a moment, glanced at Bloomer, and smiled.

"But he deliberately made us miss an important point!"

"Didn't anyone in large supermarkets like Wal-Mart and Kmart think of David's plan to establish their own logistics system and reduce expenses?"

"there must be!"

"But none of them do it~!"

"why?"

Blumer rubbed his hands together gently and answered first: "Because...the investment return cycle is too long? Investing too much?"

"There are some reasons for this, what else?"

Pine looked at Giles.

Giles frowned, and after thinking for a while, he said: "Trade unions? Taxes? Local governments in various states!?"

"Um.."

"Almost~!"

When Pine saw that both of them had finished answering, he stopped trying to make excuses and explained.

"The National Teamsters Union, it's a huge problem."

"The second is taxation and various local governments, regarding the relevant management policies and tax collection details of this business."

"In the end, it's about trust in David."

"This plan of his is great!"

"But, right now, almost no one believes in him, except for us who have complete faith in him."

"Walmart and Kmart did not establish their own logistics systems. They gave up after a complete evaluation and trial."

"If we want to invest in the plan David mentioned, we must follow their old path and start over again~"

“Only by solving all the problems can we slowly recover the investment cost and gain benefits.”

"This is a very long process~"

"It could be five years, it could be ten years!"

"So... I think it's better to put this plan aside for now and ask old Mr. Morgan what he thinks before we make a decision."

"..Okay~"

Giles and Bloomer looked at each other and nodded.