Chapter 624: Isn’t it enough to just buy it?
Speaking of this, Ji Qi sighed again and said quietly: "In the teacher's office, the dean looked at me earnestly, but I only glanced at his old and messy desk . I thought that if I stayed in school, this might be the next few decades of my life. I couldn't help but feel a deep fear in my heart, so I finally chose to refuse."
A stable life has never been what Ji Qi pursued.
The poor life tempered his will but did not smooth out his edges.
Lu Yiming smiled and said, "It seems that you are a natural adventurer."
Ji Qi readily accepted Lu Yiming's evaluation: "Yes, I do like taking risks and doing things I have never done before. Mr. Lu, do you know that in order to stay in Zhonghai, I even gave up the offer from P&G. In order to go abroad, I gave up my career in China, took $10,000, and went to the United States as a student companion. At that time, my lover was studying there."
There is a saying that goes, gold shines wherever it is.
Ji Qi is such a shining piece of real gold. After graduating from graduate school, he quickly found a job in a computer company in Zhonghai and immediately showed his amazing sales talent.
At that time, he rode a bicycle, traveling between the China Overseas Stock Exchange, the Bank of Communications Head Office, Oracle Corporation and other units, winning one big order after another. He soon became the sales champion and became the manager of the marketing and sales departments.
He and his assistant directly contributed more than 80 percent of the company's sales and profits.
What's even more amazing is that those who gave him business were not just business partners, but also became friends with him. This is something that people have to admire.
He worked like this for two years and his career was booming, but he still resolutely gave up the house allocated by the company and chose to go abroad.
This trip abroad also became the third key turning point in his life besides attending university and taking the postgraduate entrance examination.
Ji Qi said with a nostalgic tone: "On September 17, 1994, I encountered the second 'shocking moment' in my life. The first time was when I left Nantong and arrived at Zhonghai, and was deeply shocked by the prosperity of the big city. This time, it was the Internet that shocked me."
"I remember that day I went to Oracle in Silicon Valley to visit my classmates. That was the first time I saw the Internet. When I saw the information I wanted to search displayed on the computer, I couldn't help but marvel at the magic of the Internet. At that time, I realized that a new era had arrived, and I vaguely felt that my future life might be closely related to this thing."
Lin Yuzhen, who was standing by, was fascinated by this story and interrupted, "Boss Ji, if you hadn't been admitted to Jiaotong University and later studied for a master's degree, you probably wouldn't have had the opportunity to have a classmate who works at Oracle, and you wouldn't have had the opportunity to witness the birth of the Internet so early."
Lu Yiming tapped Lin Yuzhen's head and said, "So studying is still very important. Even though many people are advocating that studying is useless, in fact, I estimate that the average educational level of Xiaguo's future wealth rankings will be at least a bachelor's degree."
Lin Yuzhen covered her head and pouted, saying in dissatisfaction: "Just say it if you want to, why are you hitting me?"
Lu Yiming said: "I'm reminding you to study hard."
Ji Qi was surprised and said, "At least a bachelor's degree? I see that many wealthy bosses nowadays generally have low educational qualifications."
Lu Yiming smiled and said, "That's because of the opportunities given by the times, not because of their own abilities."
Lin Yuzhen covered her head, shrunk her neck, and asked, "What do you mean by the opportunity given by the times?"
Lu Yiming didn't knock her head this time, but said seriously: "In the past, the country had strict control over the private economy due to its policy line. After the reform and opening up, the control was gradually relaxed and the development of the private economy was allowed. But at that time, the debate about the line still existed, so the first people to get rich were not necessarily the smartest, but they were definitely the most daring. But the money earned by luck is unreliable. If you are not careful, you may lose it by your own ability."
Lin Yuzhen couldn't help but think of herself.
Her current income is several hundred thousand, which makes her barely a wealthy woman, but this money is earned from the opportunities Lu Yiming gave her, not her own real abilities.
So after hearing this, I immediately felt very uneasy.
She couldn't help but tug at Lu Yiming's sleeve and asked nervously, "Lu Yiming, which direction do you think I should go in the future?"
Lu Yiming looked at Lin Yuzhen and asked, "Why? Are you short of money?"
Lin Yuzhen said gloomily, "That's not the case. I just suddenly felt unsure, and you said that choice is more important than hard work, so I wanted you to help me with advice on which industry to choose for future development."
Lu Yiming said gloomily, "What do we say about ourselves? Aren't you studying broadcasting and hosting now? Of course you will be a host after graduation. You have outstanding looks and elegant conversation, so being a host is the best choice for you."
Facing Lu Yiming's compliments, Lin Yuzhen did not feel happy. Instead, she glared at Lu Yiming and said unhappily, "You are just saying that I am only fit to be a vase."
Lu Yiming didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Good fellow, you are such a money-grubber, you have big ambitions, do you want to become a billionaire?"
Lin Yuzhen was immediately dissatisfied and said angrily: "Where there is a will, there is a way. Why can't I become a billionaire?"
Seeing that Lin Yuzhen was about to get angry again, Lu Yiming quickly said, "If you do a good job as a host, you can make a lot of money. Look at those hosts, they may become billionaires. I just happen to have some ideas for variety shows and I'm looking for someone to collaborate with. Are you interested?"
When Lin Yuzhen heard this, her eyes lit up immediately: "Yeah, as long as I can make money, I'm interested."
Lu Yiming said: "Then you should start accumulating resources in this area from now on. I will only be responsible for coming up with ideas, and how to implement them will all depend on you. If you are not good enough, then I will suffer a great loss."
In the next twenty years, Xiaguo's economy developed rapidly, and the entertainment industry also grew rapidly. Popular variety shows such as "Sing If You Want" and "Masked Singer" started a nationwide carnival and created an emerging market worth more than 30 billion yuan.
Rather than letting others earn the money, Lu Yiming felt it would be better to earn it himself. After all, he could invest the money in scientific research and promote technological advancement in Xia's manufacturing industry.
In this way, Lin Yuzhen is a very good partner.
At this time, Lin Yuzhen was still immersed in her vision of the future and had not yet realized that her future path had been clearly arranged by Lu Yiming.
The decision is made by you, worker Lin Yuzhen!
The group of people ate and chatted, and soon it was late at night. Everyone returned to the Zizai Taoyuan Hotel - of course, it has now been renamed Home Inn.
The hotel is currently under renovation and is not open to the public. Only the film crew is staying here.
The next morning, Lu Yiming took Zhao Tiezhu to investigate the local hotel industry, while Chen Xiaoqing led the "Super Travel Group" program crew to continue filming the show.
At this stop, the crew will go to a certain scenic spot to shoot a group of shots, including the Huangting Hotel.
At ten o'clock in the morning, Chen Xiaoqing walked into the hotel lobby and negotiated with the lobby manager Wang Ke.
When Wang Ke learned that Chen Xiaoqing was a director of CCTV and was currently filming a travel reality show and wanted to borrow the set of the Huangting Hotel, the wrinkles on his face were smoothed out with laughter.
This is the director of CCTV. If Huangting Hotel is able to participate in the program, doesn’t it mean that Huangting Hotel has been recognized by CCTV?
Wang Ke was already imagining where in the hotel lobby he would hang the large gold-plated plaque to be most conspicuous.
"Director Chen, right? Shoot as you please. You can shoot wherever you want in this hotel. If you have any questions, you can ask me."
Chen Xiaoqing smiled and said, "Thank you, Manager Wang. After the show is broadcast, your hotel will definitely become famous."
Wang Ke smiled and said, "That's all thanks to you."
This kind of thing is good for everyone, and we are not fools, so how can we refuse it? The program team promoted the hotel, and the hotel entertained the program team, which is a win-win situation.
However, just as Chen Xiaoqing was directing the program crew to set up the equipment and prepare for filming, several people walked in from outside.
The leader was Huang Wenyang, who had just come out of the police station.
He glanced around and saw that it was Chen Xiaoqing and the others. He immediately shouted, "Who told you to take pictures? Who told you to take pictures? Huh? Security! Where are the security? Get them all out."
Wang Ke came over quickly and said to Huang Wenyang, "What's wrong with you? They are here to film a show and promote our hotel."
"I rely on him for publicity? Get them out of here right now, or I'll be rude to you!"
The last time he was arrested, he lost face. As a second-generation rich man, it was impossible for him to swallow this humiliation. Although he knew that Lu Yiming was the richest man, he had never experienced what it was like to be a super rich person, so the ignorant were fearless and were not afraid at all.
"If you want to film, let that guy surnamed Lu come and beg me. Others may be afraid of him, but I, Huang Wenyang, am not!"
No matter how much Chen Xiaoqing tried to persuade him, Huang Wenyang just refused to give in. Chen Xiaoqing had no choice but to take his people away from the hotel, then called Lu Yiming and told him about Huang Wenyang's situation.
After listening to Chen Xiaoqing's retelling, Lu Yiming couldn't help but ask, "Is this guy an idiot?"
Chen Xiaoqing said helplessly: "But this is the situation, what should we do now?"
Lu Yiming thought about it and realized that he really had no way to deal with Huang Wenyang.
After all, Huang Wenyang did take action last time, so there is nothing wrong with using official force to deal with him.
But this time he just refused to allow the program crew to enter the Huangting Hotel for filming. Although this behavior was extremely stupid, after all, not allowing Chen Xiaoqing to record the program would not benefit the Huangting Hotel in any way, and it would also miss a good opportunity for publicity, but it was not against the law. Moreover, Lu Yiming could not step on him with a bad reputation for bullying, so he really could not do anything about him.
Lu Yiming was at a loss: "This is really like a toad jumping on the back of your foot. It doesn't bite, but it's disgusting."
Chen Xiaoqing said: "Why don't we shoot somewhere else? Although their hotel is the best, this Peach Blossom Spring Hotel is full of them."
Lu Yiming said: "There is no need to change the shooting plan. After all, we have to provide the best travel route. We can always avoid any troubles, right?"
After thinking about it for a while, Lu Yiming said to Chen Xiaoqing: "Leave this matter to me."
That afternoon, Lu Yiming used his connections to find Huang Dayong, the owner of Huangting Hotel and Huang Wenyang's father.
Huang Dayong received Lu Yiming in his own office.
Lu Yiming didn't waste any words and got straight to the point: "Boss Huang, are you selling the Huangting Hotel?"
Huang Dayong looked angry, but he said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Mr. Lu, are you trying to tease me? If it's because of what happened before, I can have our Wen Yang hold a toast and publicly apologize to you, Mr. Lu."
Lu Yiming nodded and said, "Your son has been causing trouble for me time and again, so he should really apologize to me. However, let's be honest, I am serious about buying the Huangting Hotel."
Huang Dayong said with a dark face: "No, I founded the Huangting Hotel, and I will never give it to anyone."
In his opinion, this was not a simple business acquisition , but a revenge against the Huang family by Lu Yiming using the funds in Huang Wenyang's hands after Huang Wenyang offended Lu Yiming.
This is an insult.
Lu Yiming didn't believe a word of Huang Dayong's words. Instead, he smiled and said, "It's too much to say that I'm giving it to someone else. It's not like I won't pay. As for the value of the Huangting Hotel, Mr. Huang probably knows it well, so there's no need to raise the price by refusing to sell it. I don't have to buy it."
Huang Dayong looked at Lu Yiming in surprise when he heard this. He was one of the first people to get rich after Xiaguo's reform and opening up. He was not only brave but also had a shrewd mind. So he could see that Lu Yiming was not bluffing him but really saw through his little calculations.
Huang Dayong was not embarrassed about this. After so many years of doing business, his face was thicker than the city wall. After laughing, he asked again: "You are the richest man in Xia country. Why did you come to buy my small hotel?"
Lu Yiming said as a matter of course: "Of course it's to make money."
Huang Dayong: “…”
The young Mr. Lu in front of him really knows the art of talking nonsense. He is like an old oil stick, so slippery that he has no idea where to start.
Huang Dayong saw that Lu Yiming was unwilling to reveal anything, let alone share the secret of wealth, so he could not help but say, "Mr. Lu, then according to what you said, you bought my hotel to make money, so why don't I do this profitable business myself and let you do it?"
Although the man in front of him was the richest man in Xia Country, Huang Dayong had no fear of him. People of his generation who had come out to make a living had seen all kinds of storms and waves. How could he be scared by a mere title?
Lu Yiming said seriously: "Because you can't make this money."
Huang Dayong took a deep breath, suppressed his impulse to lose his temper, and asked, "Why can't I make money?"
Lu Yiming said: "Why do you think you can make the same money as I can?"
Damn it!
Huang Dayong really wanted to go up and slap Lu Yiming twice. Not only were these words useless, but they also made his blood pressure soar, which was so irritating.
"Mr. Lu, I am sincerely asking for your advice. There is no need to be so annoying, right?"
"Mr. Huang, I'm not kidding you. The hotel industry is really profitable, but not everyone can make that money. The waters here are very deep and most people can't grasp it."
Huang Dayong was obviously unconvinced: "How do you know I can't control it if you don't tell me?"
This was clearly a provocation. Huang Dayong saw that Lu Yiming was young, so he was not afraid of his status as the richest man. He still wanted to get some information out of him to see if he could find out any business secrets about the hotel industry.
However, how could this little thought be hidden from Lu Yiming's eyes?
This kind of cunning that is unique to businessmen was something Lu Yiming had already witnessed from many clients when he was doing program outsourcing for others in his previous life.
It's not uncommon to find scams that try to get something for free.
Lu Yiming said, "Mr. Huang, do you know the Internet? Do you know what PMS is? Do you know how to use the hotel management system to manage the distribution channels of guest rooms, integrate vacancy information, and realize dynamic management of customer information and employee work?"
“Ah, this…”
Huang Dayong was stunned by the question, and he finally realized the gap between people.
As a nouveau riche from the old times who only received further education in primary school, he could not understand a single word that Lu Yiming said.
It was like a martial arts secret book was placed in front of him, but he was illiterate and couldn't understand it at all.
For a moment, the atmosphere was a little awkward.
Lu Yiming spread his hands and said, "Look, Mr. Huang, it's not that I don't want to tell you, but you won't understand even if I tell you."
Although what Lu Yiming said was true, Huang Dayong became even angrier for some reason. It's not like he has never been discriminated against in his life, but this time it was different. He felt angry and helpless as if he was being crushed by someone with an IQ higher than his.
He was once looked down upon by people around him because he was poor. After he became rich, he thought he would never be looked down upon again.
But today he experienced one thing firsthand, that no amount of money could arm his mind.
Huang Dayong was in a bad mood. He felt very inferior because he was illiterate. "Boss Lu, did you really not lie to me about that 'splitting something'?"
Lu Yiming corrected him, "It's PMS, which is the abbreviation of a hotel management system software that our Home Inns Hotel Group is developing. It relies on the Internet and will become the core competitiveness of the Home Inns brand."
Huang Dayong didn’t understand what PMS and the Internet were.
But he could see that Lu Yiming was not lying to him, but was really confident.
In an instant, Huang Dayong's mood became worse than ever. Although he was worth tens of millions, he felt helpless and confused as if he had been abandoned by the times.
The many new things that emerged in the new century felt unfamiliar to him.
The decline of the traditional hotel industry makes him feel uneasy.
He also wanted to firmly tell Lu Yiming that he would not sell the property, but he didn't know how to compete with Home Inn, so when the words of refusal came to his lips, he couldn't say them.
Should I fight to the death or retreat while the tide is turning?
If it were twenty years ago, Huang Dayong would not mind giving it a try, but now he is old and frail, and is no longer the young man who dared to go south to work with a pair of worn-out sneakers and five dollars and eighty-seven cents in his pocket.
After a long silence, Huang Dayong finally said to Lu Yiming: "You win, Mr. Lu, the Huangting Hotel will be named Lu from now on."
Lu Yiming smiled and said, "It is wise to stop while you are ahead. Mr. Huang, there is no need to be so depressed. After all, compared to many people who are struggling in this era, you are lucky enough."
