Chapter 666: Changes of Times
Gu Jie is not stupid. He knows that his little plan will eventually be discovered by Song Yuanchao, but he did not expect Song Yuanchao to ask him so directly.
Song Yuanchao was right. Since they met, Song Yuanchao has always been the big brother of their team, and he has taken good care of Gu Jie. It is inseparable from Song Yuanchao that Gu Jie has gone from a poor boy with no money to what he is today. Without Song Yuanchao, there would be no Gu Jie today.
"Actually...actually I just..." Gu Jie didn't know how to explain to Song Yuanchao for a moment. The more nervous he was, the more he couldn't speak fluently. Seeing him like this, Song Yuanchao sighed in his heart, raised his hand and patted his shoulder: "Okay, there's no need to say anything else. I know what you think."
After a pause, Song Yuanchao continued, "Actually, this is also my fault. I was too busy with work and ignored your feelings. Sanmao, you are a good person in every way, but you are too sensitive. If you had any ideas at the beginning, couldn't you just come to me and tell me directly? We are friends and brothers, so what can't we say? You, you!"
"I'm sorry, Brother Yuanchao, it's my fault..." Gu Jie lowered his head and said embarrassedly.
"What's past is past. Don't be confused again in the future." Song Yuanchao reminded him and didn't mention it again, which was considered to save some face for Gu Jie.
Then Song Yuanchao asked: "What are your plans next? If you want to go to Pengcheng, I will arrange it. Daqi is busy with his work in telecommunications and has no time to take care of other industries in Pengcheng. How about you take over as the general manager?"
Gu Jie thought about it and shook his head. Seeing Song Yuanchao's expression change slightly, he was afraid that he might misunderstand, so he quickly explained: "It's not that I don't want to go, but I'm getting married soon. I can't live apart after marriage, right? By then, I'll be in Pengcheng and my wife will be in Shanghai. What's the big deal? My parents have repeatedly told me to have children as soon as possible."
"Bringing my wife over there is one solution, but you don't know that my wife is an only child. She is the only daughter in her family. My father-in-law and mother-in-law hope that their daughter can accompany them. Even if we live separately after marriage, it would be fine if we lived in the same city. We can visit each other on a regular basis, but once we go to Pengcheng..."
"Besides, Xiao Qi and Zhang Jiaming in Pengcheng are both doing well. They are planning to compete for the position of general manager. If I go, won't it dampen their enthusiasm? I can't do such a thing."
Song Yuanchao thought about it and nodded. What Gu Jie said made sense. There was a clear position for each person in Pengcheng. Moreover, although Pengcheng Garment Company and Shenghua Pengcheng Co., Ltd. were nominally under the management of Li Daqi, they were actually managed by Xiaoqi and Zhang Jiaming.
As Li Daqi's work focus gradually shifted to telecommunications, they all knew that one day Li Daqi would give up his position as the boss of Pengcheng, but it was not yet determined who would take over the position, Xiaoqi or Zhang Jiaming.
So both of them are holding their breath, competing with each other. If Gu Jie were to parachute in at this time, it would have a huge impact on their enthusiasm, even if Gu Jie is a shareholder.
Running a business is not only about products and markets, but also about people. Talents are hard to come by, which is an eternal truth. Just like Zheng Guoyuan's role in Quanlin Factory, where would Quanlin Factory be without Zheng Guoyuan? The same is true for Shenghua Company. No matter how capable Song Yuanchao is, it is impossible for him to control such a large group by himself. How can a hero be helped by three people?
In addition, Gu Jie's family situation was also a factor. If he went back to Pengcheng or even Jinling, it would not be appropriate. As for arranging a position in the Shanghai branch of Si Te Company, it was not appropriate either. You must know that Gu Jie was a director of the board of directors before, and his status was very detached. If he was arranged directly in the branch now, even if he was the general manager of the branch, it would be an obvious demotion in the eyes of outsiders.
For a moment, Song Yuanchao couldn't think of how to arrange for Gu Jie, and he couldn't help but feel depressed.
"It's okay, Brother Yuanchao. Actually, I'm not short of money now. Let's get married first. If I'm lucky, I can be a father by this time next year." Gu Jie said with an optimistic smile.
"Haha, that's true. Solving personal problems first is also a solution. But Sanmao, do you have any plans in mind? You can't just sit there doing nothing, right?"
"Yeah, I think so too. People can't just sit around doing nothing all the time. They have to find something to do." Gu Jie nodded, then asked tentatively, "Brother Yuan Chao, what do you think of me opening a clothing store?"
"clothing store?"
"Yes!" Gu Jie said seriously, "I am an expert in clothing. I was in this business in Guangzhou back then. We at Shenghua also have our own clothing company. The group is in Hong Kong, and we have no shortage of foreign sources. The clothing market in Shanghai is very good now. You know what Zhang Yong did in the past. It's not an exaggeration to say that he made a fortune every day."
"Opening a clothing store in Shanghai, I can't say I'll make a lot of money, but at least the business won't be bad. And I don't want to do the same as Zhang Yong. I don't plan to make ordinary clothes. I plan to learn from the model of department stores and find a place with good market to open a store specializing in high-quality clothes."
Song Yuanchao couldn't help but think about Gu Jie's idea.
Gu Jie’s idea is actually good. After the reform and opening up, the economy has gradually developed and people’s living standards have continued to improve.
Especially in recent years, the speed of development has been getting faster and faster, and everyone's horizons have been broadened as the country's doors have opened, and at the same time, it has begun to subtly change everyone's lives.
Clothing is one of the major categories. Over a decade ago... not just a few years ago, when you walked on the street you could only see three colors: gray, black and blue. But now, the colors on the streets are beginning to become brighter, especially girls who love beauty are beginning to follow the trend of the times and dress more boldly.
In 1985, there was a movie called "The Girl in Red" which left a deep impression on Song Yuanchao, who had seen it in his previous life.
This movie tells the story of the conflict between traditional ideas and changing trends in this era of change. A 16-year-old girl with good moral character is criticized by people who hold incomplete ideas because of a red shirt, and even faces overwhelming criticism and blame.
Finally, the girl boldly broke the tradition and put on the beautiful red shirt again. She overcame many difficulties, bravely faced her brilliant life with a smile, and embarked on her own path...
At the end of the story, the back of the girl in red gradually fades away, like the disappearance of an old symbol, while also representing the advent of a new era.
This is a very niche but excellent film that is very representative of the times. From this movie, we can see people's hope for the future and their yearning for a better future, and this is also the fact.
Song Yuanchao noticed several magazines on the coffee table in front of him, as well as the magazines and newspapers in Gu Jie's study. Many of them were about fashion. It seemed that Gu Jie definitely did not come up with this idea on a whim, but had had this idea for a long time.
Gu Jie is a person who likes to do practical things. It is not in his character to sit in the office every day. He is more interested in some practical work.
Speaking of fashion, especially high-end fashion, it actually already exists in China, but many people know about it, but not many can actually own it.
We also have to mention a famous foreigner, who is the French fashion designer Pierre Cardin.
As early as 1978, Pierre Cardin came to China. When he set foot on this ancient yet vibrant land, he was deeply attracted by it.
The following year, in 1979, Pierre Cardin held the first foreign brand , and for the first time, models wore his designs on the catwalk.
This trade fair caused a sensation throughout China, and Pierre Cardin's name became known to the Chinese people. In the following years, Pierre Cardin held many trade fairs to promote his ideas and fashions, making this brand the most famous and high-end foreign brand in the eyes of the Chinese people.
But in reality, the Pierre Cardin brand is not very popular internationally. In France, it is only second-rate or third-rate. There are many brands that are more famous than him. But it was different at that time. When the Pierre Cardin brand was mentioned, everyone thought it was a synonym for luxury goods and high-end goods. In an era when the average monthly salary was less than 100 yuan, a piece of Pierre Cardin clothing could be sold for 1,500 yuan, which was unimaginable.
A boutique clothing store is indeed a good project and has great potential if done well.
With the changes of the times, many similar shopping malls emerged in the following years. For example, Shanghai’s No. 1 Department Store set aside half a floor in the mid-1980s to display and sell high-end fashions imported from abroad.
Later, Oriental Department Store was even better. I remember that on the first floor, there was a pair of jeans that were said to be the most expensive in the country, which attracted countless people to visit. The price of this pair of jeans was 9,999 yuan. You should know that most people's wages were less than 100 yuan at that time. Even in Shanghai, the largest city in the country, it was good for ordinary people to get a salary of more than 100 yuan a month. But this pair of jeans was equivalent to the income of an ordinary person for nine years without eating or drinking, which made countless people stunned when they saw it.
The same was true in Yanjing. A few years later, an actor who became quite famous in later generations opened a clothing mall in Xidan, Yanjing. This mall, called Te Bie Te, became popular throughout Yanjing since its opening, with astonishingly high daily sales.
Judging from these, Gu Jie's ideas and plans still have a good chance of success, and Song Yuanchao does not think that Gu Jie will lose money on this investment.
As long as the area where the shopping mall is to be opened is purchased directly, even if it is vacant, the land and the buildings on it can be used for ten or twenty years and it will be great. What's more, making clothes is not a difficult task for Gu Jie at all. Coupled with the resources and channels of Shenghua Group, it is very easy for Gu Jie to do these as a shareholder.
