The entertainment tycoon of the Republic of China

Shopkeeper Liu accepted Xie Yan's invitation, and didn't want to stay in Yunlai Tea House for a moment, and wanted to leave with Xie Yan after straightening up his clothes.

"Uncle Liu, don't you wait for the Li family to come over?"

"What are you waiting for, waiting to be angry?" Shopkeeper Liu sighed, "The two brothers of the Li family don't want to see me at all. I just came early today to take a last look at the place where I have been staying for so many years."

It turned out that according to the old rules of the Hankou business circle, if an old shopkeeper like shopkeeper Liu has been working hard for more than ten years, even if he has to dismiss him for some reason, he should give him a red envelope to thank him for his hard work over the years. However, the Li family Not only did the brother not give shopkeeper Liu a red seal, he didn't even plan to pay him this month's wages, so shopkeeper Liu gritted his teeth in anger.

"They are completely shameless for the sake of money. If Li Tianwei can be regarded as a villain with some scheming, his brother is a stupid coward."

Shopkeeper Liu has a way out, relaxed, and has no scruples about the Li family.

What the Li family brothers did was really unkind, Xie Yan waited for him to vent before saying, "Then Uncle Liu, let's go together, by the way, do you know where Mr. Shun has gone? I heard that he hasn't been telling stories in the teahouse recently." .”

"Mr. Shun is still talking about books in Hankou, but because the teahouse has not been able to pay his wages recently, so he has not been invited, and Xiao Wenliu has not come these days." Shopkeeper Liu thought of something, "Mr. Xiaoxie, what do you mean——"

"I'll contact Xiao Wenliu myself. Uncle Liu, if it's convenient for you, find Mr. Shun. I'd like to ask him to have a talk later."

At present, the theaters in Hankou are all pure theaters. Generally, after the show starts at [-]:[-] every night, the singing stops until midnight, and there is nothing to do during the day. Xie Yan feels that this model wastes space on the one hand, and on the other hand, it is not conducive to the audience’s stickiness to the theater. , so I plan to make a reform.

In his plan, after the opening of the present theater, the prime time in the evening is naturally Bai Luoqiu's Wang Zha's performance time, and in the afternoon, drama club performances will be arranged, using new ideas to attract audiences and cultivate their entertainment during this time period Habit.

However, the Dechun troupe and the drama club alone still can’t fill the entire theater’s time. In Xie Yan’s mind, the present theater will be the number one comprehensive theater in Hankou, whether it’s Peking opera, storytelling and singing, or even magic shadow puppets. , as long as the audience likes it, it can be seen in the present theater.

In addition, theater-centric food and beverage derivatives and other commodity derivatives should also be developed. The first thing people think of when they think of entertainment in Hankou is the modern theater. Only in this way can they compete with the large-scale racecourse.

The idea is very good, but the reality still needs to be worked hard step by step.

After Xie Yan and Shopkeeper Liu left Yunlai Tea House, they went directly to the former site of Tiansheng Theater, where there were already people busy.

"I heard that Boss Bai had come to Tiansheng Theater before and was assassinated by foreigners. I didn't believe it at the time. I didn't expect you to really buy Tiansheng Theater." Shopkeeper Liu marveled, "After the new theater opens, the local That's right, everyone is afraid that Boss Bai was assassinated in Tiansheng Theater."

"If it's fake, it can't be true, if it's real, it can't be fake." Xie Yan smiled, noncommittal.

He opened the door with shopkeeper Liu and went in. An Yujing was leading a few people to remodel the decoration in the theater.Yesterday Xie Yan arranged for a few people from the Dechun class to pick up the ordered tables and chairs with Mr. Wen, and all the tables and chairs have been set up this morning.

"I've been to Tiansheng Theater to listen to a play before, and I remember it wasn't like this at the time." Shopkeeper Liu walked up to the stage on the first floor to take a look, and was amazed.

The first floor of the original Tiansheng Theater had rows of soft seats in a Western style, which was the most popular decoration in Hankou Grand Theaters in this era, but Xie Yan replaced those soft seats and changed them into Chinese-style armchairs , a small table between the two chairs, more like a traditional old theater.

Many Western-style decorations in the lobby on the first floor have also been replaced, waiting to hang the calligraphy and paintings that Xie Yan invited at the patrol birthday banquet.

"Mr. Xie, this kind of pretense is not very popular in Hankou." Shopkeeper Liu said tactfully.

Those theater owners were all afraid that their theaters were not "foreign" enough. How could Xie Yan decorate them in a Chinese style?

"It doesn't matter, anyway, with my master here, there will be a lot of people coming to see even if there is a mat on the grass in the first one or two months. After seeing too much, you will get used to it." Xie Yan smiled, "What's the point of blindly pursuing like a foreigner? Combining Chinese and Western It’s our style to be different from others.”

The core idea of ​​the presenter's book Hankou Romance is that foreigners are ordinary people and are not nobler than Chinese people. As a result, the theater named after him pursues a pure foreign style, and still plays the drama version of Hankou Romance in it. Isn't this self-defeating?

It is true that no matter which style you like is a personal matter, but if most people in a society blindly follow the trend to chase foreign fashions and belittle local styles, then sober people must start to reflect on whether there is something wrong.

Xie Yan hopes that Hankou and even Huaxia will become an inclusive, open and colorful society, but he does not want it to be a place that worships foreigners and loses its roots.

Without cultural self-confidence, there will be no national self-confidence, and this country will never be able to stand up.

Xie Yan took Shopkeeper Liu to see the first floor, then walked upstairs again.

The private room on the second floor, Xie Yan, did not make any major changes, but had some small shelves custom-made. After the opening of the business, some promotional leaflets of repertoire and peripheral products can be placed on it. Those who can afford private rooms are rich people. It is also the main consumer group of these things.

The biggest change in the entire theater is the third floor. The original third floor was a resting place for distinguished guests and famous actors, and most of it was empty for a long time. Xie Yan felt that this was a waste of space, so he simply turned it into a restaurant with a wave of his hand. ——When you are resting, why don’t you have something to eat and drink?

The overall space division of the third floor has not changed, but the lounge has been changed into dining room tables and chairs, and the kitchen is located in the backyard of the theater. After the dishes are ready, they can be brought up along the simple stairs behind the building.

Although there is no fire safety standard in this era, Xie Yan still tried his best to use arson materials and plan safe passages to ensure the safety of the restaurant.

In addition to these, Xie Yan also plans to build a "water bar" in the place where the theater just entered, like the movie theaters of later generations, selling popcorn, potato chips and drinks. In short, if you can make money, you must make money.

At the beginning, shopkeeper Liu followed Xie Yan up and down the tour with a normal expression. After watching everything, the excitement in his eyes could no longer be hidden. Later, when he heard Xie Yan mention the word "package ticket", what is it? I don't know, so I start to think about how much profit it can bring.

"Mr. Xie, what package ticket are you talking about?"

"It's all-in-one ticket." Xie Yan explained to Shopkeeper Liu one by one, "In addition to ordinary tickets, I plan to launch several sets of tickets. Currently, there are tentative one-day tickets and monthly tickets. Among them, one-day tickets can be purchased on the same day. You can enter the theater at any time to watch programs at will, and monthly tickets can watch [-] performances in the theater at any time. The fares of these two kinds of tickets are cheaper than normal tickets, and the one-day pass will also give you a drink from the water bar In addition to snacks and snacks, the monthly pass will also give you a set meal in the restaurant."

"This is too... so good at making money!" Shopkeeper Liu sighed, although selling things in sets is a common method for businessmen, but like Xie Yan, it is used in the management of entertainment venues, a bunch of things, all of which are made by oneself This is the first time I have heard of the self-sufficient Shopkeeper Liu.

"More than that, I have a plan." Xie Yan smiled and dropped a bombshell, "People who buy monthly tickets can participate in the monthly lottery, and ten lucky audience members will be drawn from it to have the chance to meet the designated actors of the theater."

"..." Shopkeeper Liu swallowed his mouth, and asked the first question that popped up in his mind, "Including Boss Bai?"

Xie Yan nodded, "Including."

Shopkeeper Liu murmured, "...I think Hankou is going crazy."

Xie Yan smiled and said nothing. He personally confirmed this rule with Bai Luoqiu. If they want to win the racetrack, they must use strong medicine. Although Bai Luoqiu usually doesn't like to contact people, he will not shirk in front of righteousness .

Of course, this meeting is just an ordinary meeting, Xie Yan will control it well so as not to cause trouble to Bai Luoqiu.

The foreigners at the racetrack have dominated the entertainment industry in Hankou for so long, only the arrival of Bai Luoqiu made them feel the crisis, and now they are adding Xie Yan, who came from the modern era and brought various mature entertainment industry operations. I wonder if they would have thought that, In the future, can this independent presenter theater have the power to leverage the entertainment empire of the racecourse?

Shopkeeper Liu has completely convinced Xie Yan. If he only thought that this theater could gain a firm foothold in Hankou with Bai Luoqiu's blessing, now he is confident that this theater will become the most prosperous entertainment venue in Hankou in the future!

"Mr. Xie, didn't you just say that the chef of the restaurant has not been decided yet? I have known many famous chefs in the teahouse over the years. I will make a list and invite them later. You can taste their craftsmanship and decide which one to use. Several; as well as the several packages you just mentioned, you also need to keep separate accounts in several books, otherwise it will be messed up all at once..."

Shopkeeper Liu calmed down and began to take the initiative to find places where he could help. Xie Yan invited him for his ability, so he was naturally happy to see the results, so he let him do it.

There are still five days left before the theater will be officially opened, and no minute or second should be wasted. Xie Yan, Shopkeeper Liu, An Yujing and the helpers have been busy until the afternoon, just about to find something to eat, when someone suddenly visited the theater.

Xie Yanchong looked outside the door, and saw a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl who looked somewhat similar to Er Ya, but was more handsome, standing at the door with her head lowered, as if she was very embarrassed.

"Is it Erya's sister, Daya?" Xie Yan understood, and walked over, "Welcome to the present theater, please come in first."

"Hello, Mr. Xie." Aya Miao knew that this young man should be the omnipotent Mr. Xie that her sister said, so she hurriedly said hello.

She walked into the theater following Xie Yan's instructions, not daring to look around, and stood motionless behind the door with her head down.

"Erya told you, right? Our new theater is recruiting staff. Ordinary staff are five yuan a month, and there are bonuses for good work." Xie Yan had no choice but to talk to her about the business first.

"I know." Miao Daya nodded quickly, "I often work at home, if you don't mind, I can do anything."

"What can I dislike you?" Xie Yan shook his head with a smile, "But I do have something to ask you, the salary I just said is the standard of ordinary theater employees, if you have other things you are good at, you can challenge other position, and get a higher salary.”

"Others..." Aunt Miao was stunned for a moment, then whispered, "I'll just do ordinary chores."

"Da Ya, I remember your younger sister Er Ya's character of trying everything. You are her own sister, why are you so different?"

Perhaps the elder sister had heard too much about how she was not as good as her younger sister. Seeing what Xie Yan said, she was not at all displeased. Instead, she nodded, "Erya has always been very assertive. Thank you, Mr. Xie, for praising her."

"..." Xie Yan was silent for a few seconds before sighing.

He shouldn't expect to change Miao Daya's character for so many years with just a few words.

Xie Yan simply said directly, "Big girl, I heard from the person who introduced you to me that you are very skillful with your hands and can make a lot of snacks. Our theater plans to open a place selling snacks and drinks at the entrance. What do you think? Can you do it?"

"Ah?" Aunt Miao didn't expect Xie Yan to know that she could cook food, "But all I cook are small home-cooked things, how can I sell them in such a big theater..."

"It's okay, what we want is your craftsmanship." Xie Yan encouraged her, "As for the specific things to make, I will show you how to do it, but I only know the general idea, and I may trouble you to try a few more times to make it. Come up with the best recipe."

Xie Yan remembered that in various shopping mall theaters in later generations, besides popcorn, fried potato chips were also very popular snacks. The raw materials of these two things were not expensive, and after the recipe was determined, they could be sold in large quantities in theaters.

Miao Daya has never been a character who strives for herself. She will try her best to complete things only when others leave things in her hands.Although she was still a little afraid to follow what Xie Yan said, but thinking of the relationship between her sister and Xie Yan, and fearing that she would make her sister look down upon, Miao Daya finally accepted the errand given by Xie Yan.

After returning home today, she will live in the kitchen and study the formula according to what Mr. Xie said, and she must research the best recipe!

"Then we have agreed that you will work in the theater in the future and be responsible for the snacks in the water bar on the first floor. After the formula is researched, I will buy out each independent formula with you for 20 yuan. What do you think of a salary of ten oceans?"

How many...how many oceans?Miao Daya's eyes went blank, and she suspected that she had heard wrong.

"Big girl?" Xie Yan reminded her when she saw that she hadn't spoken for a long time.

"I, I... Mr. Xie, I..." Miao Daya spoke incoherently.

"Don't doubt, this is the value you deserve, don't underestimate yourself." Xie Yanwen said, "Many times, people do more than she imagines, and you are much more valuable than those people see."

"..." No one else in the theater understood the hint in Xie Yan's words, but how could Miao Daya, as the person involved, not understand?

All the grievances of being annulled these days and being humiliated by a prostitute flooded her heart, making her tremble involuntarily.Is what Mr. Xie said true?Is she really...better than she thought?

"Don't cry." Seeing Miao Daya's teary eyes, Xie Yan was a little helpless, he really didn't have much experience in comforting crying girls.

"That—" Xie Yan raised his hand and tried to pat Miao Daya on the shoulder, but just as his hand touched Miao Daya, the theater door was suddenly pushed open.

"..."

Xie Yan looked at the people outside the door and wondered if he was dazzled.

Wen Heng, whom I hadn't seen this morning, was not doing research in the laboratory, but unexpectedly appeared outside the gate of the presenter's theater, with a young man in his 20s wearing rimless glasses beside him.

The strange young man looked at Xie Yan and the tearful Miao Daya, looked surprised, and turned to Wen Heng, "Wen Heng, are these younger siblings?"

"Shut up, don't talk nonsense." Wen Heng frowned and glared at him. Fortunately, the young man's voice was not loud, and no one heard what he said specifically except the few of them.

"..."

Xie Yan didn't know who the young man was, but judging from his knowledge of his relationship with Wen Heng, the other party should have a good relationship with Wen Heng.

However, these are not Xie Yan's top priority now.

He glanced at his hand on Miao Daya's shoulder, then at the frowning Wen Heng and the strange young man next to him who looked like he was watching a show, and suddenly felt that his brain was not enough.

——The boyfriend who just got together saw him talking to a crying girl, with his hand still on the girl's shoulder, how can I explain it to get rid of the embarrassment perfectly? !