"The 32 you have must be wrong. I personally checked every table yesterday, and there were only 11!"
"How is that possible? Our verification codes are sent by machine and automatically recorded by the system. It can't be wrong."
"It doesn't matter to me. 11 is 11. Many people find this unreliable and might not show up last minute. Hey, don't you all think it's 11?"
"Yes, yes!"
"I was hoping for more people yesterday, but there weren't many!"
"Your results aren't very good!"
"..."
Yáo Yuǎn scratched his head, looking at the other person with a mix of helplessness and annoyance. Why did they always have to act like hooligans? Couldn't they just reason it out?
But the other party was full of confidence, not flinching at all, making it clear that there was nothing Yáo Yuǎn could do.
"Buddy, come here, let's talk for a bit."
He beckoned and called the boss over to the corner. "We agreed on two promotions originally, right?"
"What about it?"
"One for Christmas, one for New Year's. We did the Christmas promotion, but you unilaterally breached the contract, so there was no New Year's promotion."
"Your stuff doesn't work. If I need publicity, I'd be better off just putting up my own ads!"
"At the same time, to compensate for our losses, we've decided to apologize to our users tonight, explain the situation, and announce that your establishment, this piece of junk, oh, Fisherman's Small Kitchen... uses substandard ingredients! It's unhygienic! Fishes in toilet water, and sells dead fish as fresh fish! Waitstaff spit in the food!"
Gasp!
The boss's face turned red then white. He opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word!
As long as there were fish in the restaurant, whoever said they hadn't done the 'dead fish as fresh fish' trick, he wouldn't believe it! He wanted to salvage the situation, but Yáo Yuǎn waved his hand, too lazy to even acknowledge him.
They would be blacklisted from now on.
In this wild era, no one was obligated to be merciful.
...
Christmas had passed, and there was still a week until New Year's Day.
In this week, the cooperating restaurants steadily increased, reaching over a dozen, all waiting for a big surge with their New Year's Eve set menus.
Nowadays, it's not like in later years where a meal costs 100-200 yuan. The average monthly salary back then was only a little over a thousand. A 48 yuan set menu wasn't too expensive, but it wasn't something people could eat casually. It was a luxury for special occasions.
After New Year's, prices would go down, but that's a story for another time.
Apart from the newly developed revenue streams, the horoscope, fortune-telling, and greeting services weren't neglected either. Liú Wēiwēi was constantly coming up with new phrases to induce user replies. Seeing the data popping up wildly in the backend, she smiled like a rose all day.
And besides the mainstays of cinemas and restaurants, the crosstalk, which was treated as an afterthought, also saw some changes.
On the 31st, Guǎngdé Lóu.
After a performance of the crosstalk convention ended, Guō Dégāng led a few people out for a bow. The audience applauded enthusiastically.
Lǎo Guō was moved to tears!
In the past few days, a large crowd had suddenly flooded in for the performances. Everyone was delighted, thinking their luck had turned, but it turned out they were all freeloaders.
Alright, they were used to it. Sometimes, while performing, they would stare at the audience, wondering who had paid and who hadn't.
Of course, there was a positive impact.
Not long ago, there were fewer than 10 people per show, with the worst being only one audience member. Now, it was different; at least double!
It was stable at 7-13 people.
Thanks to that young man surnamed Yáo!
After the audience dispersed, Guō Dégāng pondered a matter and used the teahouse's phone to call Yú Qiān.
"The audience has been very stable recently. I've gotten to know a few people who initially came for free but later paid. They helped us out, so I'm thinking about how to thank them."
"Treat them to a meal!"
"A meal would be good, but what excuse should I use? And we're modest; we can't afford anything too expensive."
Yú Qiān thought for a moment and said, "Aren't you taking on apprentices? Invite him over for a lively gathering. Have it at your place. You'll save face and not lack dignity."
Lǎo Guō thought it was feasible and quickly called Yáo Yuǎn.
Yáo Yuǎn readily agreed but hung up after a few brief words because he was also busy.
The event was nearing its end, and everyone had to stick it out until the last minute and then calculate everything. Of course, more importantly, Boss Yáo was finally going to pay his employees!
Chapter Thirty-Seven: Small Goal Achieved
Evening.
Yú Jiājiā stared at the backend data, occasionally replying to a group message or manually sending a reply.
Yáo Yuǎn stood in front of a small blackboard, writing down the lessons he would teach later.
To be fair, in this small, dilapidated warehouse, he suddenly felt the souls of countless entrepreneurial predecessors transcending time and space, possessing him. When the tide came, no matter how crude the conditions, it couldn't stop a heart pounding with excitement.
The 1980s were like this, the 1990s were like this, 2000 was like this, 2008 was like this... and then it stopped.
After watching the backend for a while, Yú Jiājiā got up to stretch. She casually picked up a large box and said, "Oh, I almost forgot. Take a look at this."
"What is it?"
Yáo Yuǎn opened it and found boxes of business cards, all for big and small names in the entertainment industry. He was immediately delighted, "This is good stuff!"
"It is good stuff, but I've been wondering how to use it. Our monthly subscription is only 30 yuan at most. Unless they subscribe to several, these people spend hundreds or thousands on phone bills each month and don't care about a few dollars.
How about we charge advertising fees and help them promote something?"
"Hmm..."
Yáo Yuǎn pondered for a moment, with no immediate leads. "Let's keep them for now. We'll research this specifically after this event is over."
As they were talking, Hán Tāo and Liú Wēiwēi returned, taking over their shifts for dinner.
The Newspaper Agency had a cafeteria with four meals a day: three main meals and a late-night snack. There was a shuttle bus to take night shift workers home, and taxi fares could be reimbursed... This was also why Yáo Yuǎn had wholeheartedly wanted to join a newspaper agency in his past life: high salary, good living conditions, and an impressive public image.
Not long ago, journalists were called the uncrowned kings!
Around 6 PM, the last night of 2001.
The cold wind howled, making the windows rattle slightly. Most offices were empty, but the work in this small warehouse on the 13th floor had just begun.
Having officially become an SP for less than 20 days, the four of them had developed a tacit understanding. The youngest, Yáo Yuǎn and Liú Wēiwēi, were both 21. Hán Tāo was 25, and Yú Jiājiā was 30. They were all young.
The clatter of keyboards and mice, the rustling of pen tips on paper, occasional exchanges of opinions...
The surge of energy and passion emanating from their youthful bodies easily dispelled the chill of the room without heating or air conditioning. Of course, there were also three thermoses on the floor, filled every afternoon, solving the employees' hot water needs.
It was just that some of the newspaper agency's water dispensers suddenly seemed to be using a lot of water.
Time passed unnoticed, and it was soon 11 o'clock.
Yáo Yuǎn twisted his stiff neck and said, "Alright, no one can go eat now. Let's settle the accounts."
"Yay!"
Liú Wēiwēi cheered first, feeling that she had performed well during this period and had figured out the trick to getting replies.
"Let's go through it from the beginning, one by one!"
"As of today, I've collected 180,000 mobile numbers. It's been too busy lately. Hán Tāo said he'll create a screening program to filter out duplicates. But the readers from the newspapers I contacted are mostly overlapping. I estimate there could be 20,000 to 30,000 duplicates."
"So our current clients are still those 84,600 who haven't subscribed."
"I'll categorize the bulk SMS messages and send them out at intervals, along with content messages. Within ten days, each person received an average of four messages, costing 33,840 in communication fees. And the number of replies we received and payments... cough cough!"
Liú Wēiwēi gave a strategic cough, "A total of 48,697 messages, generating revenue of 486,970. After deducting commissions and costs, the surplus is 385,160! Adding the previous 120,000, it totals 505,160!"
Her expression was extremely proud. She clenched her fist. "Commander Yáo, we've achieved our small goal, exceeding 500,000!!"
Whoosh!
The four of them were awestruck. Although they knew their recent performance was excellent, seeing the specific numbers still made it hard to believe.
What did 500,000 yuan mean in 2001?
It could buy seven and a half pounds of gold, 1923 bottles of Maotai from that year, or rent the featured courtesan at Heaven on Earth for three hours!
Yáo Yuǎn remained calm and asked, "How many local members did the club gain?"
"Over 6,000 more, breaking 10,000!"
"How many replies did the movie tickets and set menus attract?"
"About 9,000, but many didn't make purchases. Only about 2,000 verification codes were sent out for dining."
"..."
Yáo Yuǎn suddenly fell silent. After a long pause, he said, "Comrades, I am very disappointed!"
Huh?
The joyful atmosphere immediately froze, turning into awkwardness and uncertainty.
"Look at your limited ambition! Hán Tāo, get off the table! Liú Wēiwēi, stop pouting! How can you be satisfied with a mere 500,000?
When we earn a million, or ten million in the future, will you be tearing the roof off in celebration? Comrades!
Pavel Korchagin taught us that one's life is only lived once. When one looks back on the past, one should not regret not having pursued their ambitions, nor should one be ashamed for celebrating 500,000.
As the ancient sages taught, one should examine oneself daily. Let us encourage each other!"
Yáo Yuǎn looked genuinely pained, speaking with great emotion.
*Tch!*
All three of them rolled their eyes. Yú Jiājiā was particularly impolite, retorting, "Your mouth is the only thing that works. Everyone wants to have some fun, why spoil the mood? I think you're like a frog with tattoos on its tadpoles..."
"What do you mean?"
"You're pretending to be something you're not!"
"Hahaha, hah—uh—ah—uh!"
Hán Tāo laughed like a donkey with asthma.
"This is called thinking about future dangers while enjoying current comfort, maintaining combat readiness. You don't understand anything."
Yáo Yuǎn shook his head, got up, and tapped the blackboard. "Alright, let me teach you again. Tomorrow is 2002. From tomorrow until the Spring Festival, the work focus will be as follows!"
"We will no longer run any promotions. The main focus will be on stable user growth."
"The model of movie tickets and set menus, although its current proportion is small, must be persisted. We don't demand performance; run around when you have time. When the number of merchants increases, we will put it online."
"Recruit new staff, at least one technician, one copywriter/planner, and one proper accountant. At the same time, consider getting a larger office and adding a few more computers."
"Also, my internship period will end soon. I'll be graduating, and I'll dedicate more energy to the company. So, I ask Hán Tāo and Liú Wēiwēi to seriously consider whether to officially join or continue to help in a part-time capacity."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Hán Tāo hesitated briefly but quickly regained his composure, having already made up his mind.
Liú Wēiwēi struggled more.
She was a proper university student. In those days, university students were quite valuable and wouldn't have trouble finding jobs. However, she had to consider how the jobs she found would compare to this, or what the prospects of this small company were.
"Alright, the last item: bonuses!"
Seeing that the atmosphere had become a bit somber, Yáo Yuǎn quickly pulled out several red envelopes from his bag. "You've all worked hard during this period. Come, come!"
"Oh, you're giving out money before even a month has passed!"
"Commander Yáo is generous!"
Liú Wēiwēi momentarily put her worries aside. She squeezed the red envelope; it was plump and heavy. She couldn't help but rejoice and quickly opened it. Lo and behold!
A large stack of brown and yellow paper bills. The front featured Tibetan and Hui compatriots, and the back showed the Yangtze River's Wuxia Gorge. They were all five-yuan bills!
"Commander Yáo, this isn't funny!"
"Tch, I got excited for nothing!"
"What do you mean, 'tch'? The money hasn't come in yet. What do I have to give out?"
"Don't you have the kickbacks?"
"I have to keep some cash in reserve. You guys count it and see how much there is..."
Yáo Yuǎn, thick-skinned, waved his hand. "When the money comes in, I'll give it out again with an extra zero."
(Thanks to Qī Xīng Méng, and...)
Chapter Thirty-Eight: 2001 Passes
"500,000 is not a small amount! To get a hundred million in over 30 chapters, how could the book be stretched... pfft! How could it be written?"
On the first day of 2002, Yáo Yuǎn squatted by the entrance of the Newspaper Agency, waiting for someone.
Light snow began to fall, fluttering down. The city didn't rest and was bustling. He naturally thought of that song, "The First Snow of 2002."
Is Dāo Láng still in the Northwest? The song is about '02, but it was actually released in '04. The official sales were 2.7 million copies, and pirated copies were countless. Then Yè Hè Nà Lā Yīng started blathering...
Yáo Yuǎn scratched his head, his thoughts drifting.
Is Phoenix Legend still active in Guangdong? Oh, they should be called Cool Fire Combination now.
Zēng Yì and Duàn Yìhóng look so alike!
After squatting for a while, Hán Tāo appeared in his field of vision, happily eating an egg pancake. "Good morning, Commander Yáo!"
"Morning!"
Yáo Yuǎn glanced at him: sports shoes, jeans, down jacket, carrying a large bag... Then he looked at himself. Yep, the vibe was exactly the same.
"Let's go, we're going to look at apartments."
Hán Tāo was off today and was roped into accompanying him. They weren't looking at office spaces but renting his own place.
They weren't planning to move the office; they would rent a larger space in the newspaper agency building. But he needed to find a new place to live, closer now that he had money.
The two ambled into a real estate agency.
When you face a dilemma, there's usually only one reason: poverty.
—Einstein
Yáo Yuǎn didn't have this problem. He quickly selected a place called Jǐnhú Yuán Apartment, right next to the Newspaper Agency. It was completed last year, high-rise, with large units.
"Are new apartments also for rent?" Hán Tāo asked casually.
"They don't lack money. They bought them to rent out. In a few years, the price will surely skyrocket, and they'll make a profit then," said the boss.
"How high can it go? Two thousand US dollars?"
"Two thousand US dollars? That's the cost, starting at four thousand US dollars! Don't complain it's expensive; there are no discounts!"
"Hehe!"
The two exchanged a knowing look from "Big Shot" and smiled intimately.
Yáo Yuǎn snorted beside them, dreaming! If it were $4,000, wouldn't it be a frenzy to grab them?
He pointed to a listing, a one-bedroom apartment, over 50 square meters. "How about this one? Can we see it?"
"Yes, we can see it now."
Hán Tāo glanced at it. "Commander Yáo, why don't we rent a two-bedroom?"
"What do you mean?"
"You often work overtime, sometimes through the night. If you rent a two-bedroom, I'll have a place to shower and rest."
Hán Tāo saw the expression on his face and quickly added, "You told us not to consider yesterday, but I don't need to. Just say the word, and I'll resign and come over immediately!"
"Have you thought it through?"
"No need to think. The Newspaper Agency doesn't value the Internet at all. You truly understand this field. Lord Guan said, this is like a bird choosing its tree; it must roost in a good tree; a minister choosing his lord must meet a wise ruler!"
"..."
Yáo Yuǎn looked at him seriously for a moment, then turned and said, "Let's switch to that two-bedroom unit."
The boss was a bit taken aback, then realized, "Oh, alright. This unit has better conditions, moderately furnished, move-in ready, and we can see it."
They went to see it right away.
Leaving the agency, the three of them arrived at Jǐnhú Yuán Apartment, the 18th floor, a two-bedroom unit of over 90 square meters.
Calling it moderately furnished wasn't much; it was just painted white, with some furniture, a TV, and a water heater. The rent was 750 yuan per month. Yáo Yuǎn didn't know if it was expensive or cheap.
"Can you contact the landlord? I want to sign today."
"I'll make a call."
The agent communicated for a bit and said they could meet the landlord at noon.
So, the two busy bees ran to go online again. They came back at noon, chatted with the landlord, cleanly signed the contract, and went shopping for daily necessities in the afternoon.
Men shopping together were incredibly efficient. After finishing in the afternoon, they had a meal, and Hán Tāo went back. He was also from out of town and rented a place to live.
In the blink of an eye, it was dark.
Yáo Yuǎn sat in the very spacious living room, obviously too large for one person, idly watching TV. A sense of desolation suddenly washed over him.
This feeling was very familiar.
Because he had a lot of experience renting in his previous life, he always felt this way for the first few days after moving to a new place.
He had also encountered many troublesome issues, the most annoying being leaks, whether from upstairs to his place or from his place downstairs. It was incredibly bothersome.
At his most difficult times, he rented a dilapidated house with a leaky balcony, and the landlord wouldn't fix it, so he bought waterproofing material and climbed up to apply it himself.
When you live long enough, you're bound to experience things.
And at this moment, coinciding with New Year's Day, and with Uncle not in Beijing, he truly felt a bit lonely. Moreover, he didn't have those little trinkets he fiddled with, like prayer beads.
"Ha!"
Yáo Yuǎn suddenly smiled.
Why do middle-aged men love playing with prayer beads, fishing, photography, and gardening?
Because they can't perform anymore, they resort to those expensive but useless hobbies. Look at young people, with erections as hard as iron, would they be doing this?
He was speaking from experience; he knew his own abilities, hard or soft.
"But I'm 21, no, 22 years old now!"
On this night, Yáo Yuǎn's constantly busy mindset finally found long-lost peace. The strong impulses of youth grew with passion.
"Should I find a girlfriend?"
...
The next evening.
Yú Jiājiā, Liú Wēiwēi, and Hán Tāo gathered at the new residence to have a "clearing the pot's bottom" ceremony for Yáo Yuǎn.
Clearing the pot's bottom" refers to inviting friends and family to gather in a new home for a meal, symbolizing good wishes.
None of the three knew how to cook. Only Yáo Yuǎn had picked up some skills from his struggles in his previous life. He couldn't cook complex dishes, but home-style cooking was fine. He stewed a chicken, steamed a fish, and made a few stir-fried dishes, along with rice.
"Cheers!"
Yú Jiājiā let loose as soon as she sat down, pouring drinks for everyone. "It's okay to drink. If you get drunk, you can sleep here. There are two men and two women, just right."
"What?" Yáo Yuǎn was startled.
"Just right, you and Hán Tāo in one room, and me and Wēiwēi in another!"
"Oh, you scared me to death!"
Yáo Yuǎn patted his chest vigorously. You can't have our company named 91 and then actually do 91-related business, right!
*Beautiful Female Colleagues Drunk at a Party*!
"But your apartment rental is quite good. It can become a base. It's inconvenient to do certain things at the Newspaper Agency."
"Of course it's good. Hán Tāo, this rascal, has already reserved a bed."
"Hán Tāo has indeed worked very hard. We all see it. I'll toast you!"
Yú Jiājiā raised her glass to toast, then drank it down without hesitation. Having someone like her at the dinner table is a great fortune; the atmosphere won't be awkward.