147: Chapter 147 Hot Pot Base Factory! Encounter with Zhou Ji of Xinlong Again! Praise!

Su Yang drove his car, thinking about the event Wang Long organized today.

Most of the people who came to the event were from gyms in Qinglong District.

Few people from other gyms came, and some gyms didn't send anyone at all.

Plus, Wang Long explicitly stated he wasn't inviting women, so even fewer people came.

After all, there are quite a lot of perverts in gyms.

Without Spark Fitness organizing it, and without women participating, the event's appeal was greatly reduced.

Su Yang had asked Xu Zhiping, but since Wang Long was footing the bill for this event, Spark Fitness couldn't really intervene with promotion.

However, Spark Fitness might host some events targeting high-end clients in the coming days!

After thinking for a moment, Su Yang called Tao Xue.

When he returned to the rental apartment in Xindu Garden, Tao Xue gave him a warm hug.

On Monday, Su Yang saw off Ji Lanjun and her younger brother.

Over the past two days, led by Spark Media employees, the siblings had toured Rongcheng and felt quite happy.

Besides that, Su Yang also sent off two Spark Media employees.

They went to the north specifically to be responsible for filming videos for Ji Lanjun.

As for the post-production work of the videos, Spark Media could handle that here.

These two employees not only had good skills but were also both single.

With no family ties, plus the generous subsidies provided by Su Yang, they were both willing to go on a business trip to the north.

Watching the four of them walk out of the company gate, Su Yang calculated the funds he had on hand.

He had six million left before the New Year, and the company returned ten million in January.

He transferred three million to the Jiuxiang Food account, spent nine million to buy Fengyuan, and kept one million for Fengyuan as working capital.

He still had over three million left that he hadn't spent!

After thinking for a moment, he called Ji Guoxiong.

"Boss, is there anything?"

"Have you found a hotpot base factory?"

Su Yang did indeed want to buy a hotpot base factory, not because he wanted to sell hotpot bases, but to supply the Jiuxiang Hotpot Restaurant.

Currently, the scale of Jiuxiang Hotpot Restaurant had already grown.

Having developed to this point, it was time to consider establishing a central kitchen.

However, because he had acquired Fengyuan, Fengyuan could completely replace a central kitchen.

Fengyuan could directly take the bulk-purchased ingredients, wash, peel... and even slice or chop them into semi-finished products, then deliver them directly to the hotpot restaurant.

After a little processing by the hotpot restaurant's chefs, the various ingredients could be served on the table.

The only remaining problem was the hotpot base.

Currently, the hotpot base was also produced centrally, but it all relied on those few chefs who possessed the Proficient-level hotpot base production skill.

However, with the development of Jiuxiang Hotpot Restaurant, there would definitely not be enough chefs.

Inevitably, Jiuxiang Catering had to move toward food industrialization.

So, it was time to start phasing out the chefs!

Of course, Su Yang couldn't let the loyal chefs lose their jobs.

The hotpot restaurant's chefs could still inspect and process the semi-finished ingredients sent by Fengyuan.

The chefs who cooked the hotpot base could also work in the R&D department, besides staying at the hotpot base factory.

Su Yang wasn't afraid that the taste of Jiuxiang Hotpot Restaurant would drop much.

After all, the +50% deliciousness buff was still there.

Mechanically produced hotpot bases wouldn't be much worse than those cooked by the three chefs.

After all, they were only at the Proficient-level, not Master-level or Grandmaster-level!

"There are already a few options!" Ji Guoxiong replied truthfully, "We are still negotiating."

"How is the price?"

"There is a small hotpot base factory that can be settled within one million!" Ji Guoxiong explained, "Small hotpot base factories aren't worth much, and there is also idle factory space near that small hotpot base factory. If we have needs in the future, we can continue to expand."

"Alright!" Su Yang then asked, "Then I will transfer one million to the company account!"

"Okay!"

Ji Guoxiong originally wanted to refuse, but thinking that four more hotpot restaurants needed renovation in February, he agreed.

Now there was over two million in profit in the company account, so renovating four shops at the same time wouldn't be a big problem.

But if they wanted to buy a small hotpot base factory, the funds would be a bit tight!

The company was able to have so much money mainly because Su Yang hadn't distributed dividends yet.

Plus, the recent slowdown in hotpot restaurant expansion, the large increase in income over the New Year, and the fact that winter is the peak season for hotpot, all led to the funds in his Jiuxiang Catering account starting to increase!

Looking at the remaining two million, Su Yang greeted Yu Siying and transferred the money to the Spark Media account.

Recently, Spark Media's burden had been a bit heavy.

To cultivate new internet celebrities, one has to be willing to spend money!

And he had nowhere else to throw money for the time being!

Fengyuan Ingredients was still integrating and recruiting workers; even if he invested money, it couldn't be used yet!

Yu Siying was also in a great mood when she saw these two million.

She felt that the more she looked at her boss, the more pleasing he became!

It's great to have a big financier!

Just at this moment, Su Yang and Yu Siying heard cheers coming from outside the office.

Su Yang asked suspiciously: "What happened?"

Yu Siying laughed: "Maybe Gong Zihao has broken through one million followers!"

"Oh!" Hearing this news, Su Yang couldn't help but laugh, "This is good news!"

Yu Siying asked in a low voice: "Should we give out bonuses?"

"Give them out!" Su Yang said directly without hesitation, "This time, everyone gets a bonus of one thousand, and each member of Gong Zihao's team gets ten thousand!"

Last time when Jiang Yan's followers broke through one million, Su Yang gave two thousand to each person.

But last time it was a breakthrough from zero, and Jiang Yan was the first million-follower internet celebrity cultivated by the company!

The situation was different this time!

The number of company employees had doubled, and issuing bonuses to two hundred people would cost two hundred thousand!

It might take two months for the company to earn back the two hundred thousand from Gong Zihao... This bonus was already very generous!

As for the few members of Gong Zihao's team, their rewards definitely couldn't be cut!

They had put in a lot of effort!

Yu Siying said with a smile: "The boss is really generous!"

In the Spark Media office, a group of employees also started discussing.

"Gong Zihao has over a million followers, will the boss reward us?"

"Do you have the nerve to ask for a reward? You aren't even on Gong Zihao's team!"

"I also put in effort! Jiang Yan got it last time!"

"Hard to say!"

"There was a reward when Jiang Yan broke a million followers last time because she was the first streamer the company personally pushed to a million followers!"

"Exactly!"

"..."

Among them, the most expectant and nervous were the few members of Gong Zihao's team.

However, they didn't have to guess for long before Su Yang came to the office with a smile to announce the reward!

Hearing the news, everyone in the office cheered!

As for Gong Zihao, he was still livestreaming.

After Gong Zihao broke through one million followers, Su Yang also spent his last three million.

In a good mood, Su Yang took Jiang Yuzhen out of Spark Media and headed to the parking lot.

Then he ran into Zhou Ji, the boss of Xinlong Media, head-on.

That was Jiang Yan's former boss.

The man who poached Jiang Yufei from Spark Media!

However, Su Yang had used Jiang Yufei's contract to trade for the high-potential Jiang Yan, which was a huge profit!

For a while recently, Su Yang hadn't run into Zhou Ji, so he didn't expect to meet him here.

Su Yang smiled and greeted him proactively: "Boss Zhou!"

"Boss Su!" Zhou Ji smiled and extended his hand to Su Yang, "Long time no see!"

"Indeed!"

Su Yang shook Zhou Ji's hand, feeling vigilant in his heart.

He didn't believe Zhou Ji didn't know how many followers Jiang Yan had now and how much revenue she could bring to Spark Media!

After all, the two companies were right next door!

Zhou Ji probably regretted it!

But he acted as if nothing had happened!

Could this be a smiling tiger with deep schemes?

"Boss Zhou, this is..."

The middle-aged man next to Zhou Ji asked suspiciously.

Zhou Ji smiled and said: "Old Cai, this is the Boss Su—Su Yang of Spark Media—that I mentioned to you last time. It was he who cultivated Jiang Yan from an ordinary small streamer into a big streamer with three million followers!"

"So you are Boss Su of Spark Media. I have long admired your name!" The middle-aged man called Old Cai quickly extended his hand to Su Yang, "Very happy to meet you, Boss Su!"

Su Yang shook hands with Old Cai, feeling a bit confused.

Zhou Ji's attitude seemed a bit wrong!

Su Yang asked curiously: "Boss Zhou mentioned me to you?"

"Yes!" Old Cai nodded with a smile, "Boss Zhou said you have unique vision and extraordinary courage. You spotted the then-ordinary Jiang Yan at a glance, found the right positioning for her, and then fiercely spent three million to make her famous overnight!"

Su Yang looked at Zhou Ji, and Zhou Ji said helplessly: "I was basically picked clean by Boss Su... However, if Jiang Yan had stayed in my company, she was destined not to succeed. I don't have Boss Su's vision, nor Boss Su's ability, and even less of Boss Su's courage!"

Old Cai continued: "Boss Zhou also told us that as long as it's the talent Boss Su picks, they will likely become popular in the future... With Boss Su in charge, Spark Media will sooner or later become a powerful force in the internet celebrity circle!"

Su Yang was even a bit embarrassed by the praise!

However, he sensitively noticed a word: "Us?"

"That's right!" Old Cai laughed, "Boss Zhou says this to everyone he meets. Now, all the bosses in the park have probably heard of Boss Su's great name!"

Su Yang took a deep breath, feeling that Zhou Ji was too vicious.

He actually wanted to kill him with praise!

Perhaps, it was because they heard Zhou Ji's boasting.

That was why other female streamers who wanted to become famous would come to Spark Media to try their luck!

Su Yang said helplessly: "Boss Zhou, you are trying to kill me with praise, right?"

"I am absolutely sincere!" Zhou Ji said with a face full of sincerity, "I truly admire Boss Su from the bottom of my heart!"

Su Yang couldn't see any flaws in his eyes.

He glanced at Zhou Ji's skill list; there was only one Entry-level Acting skill.

It was unlikely to escape his eyes!

That is to say, Zhou Ji was probably telling the truth!

"Boss Su, this is my business card!" Old Cai handed the card to Su Yang, "Let's get together another day!"

"Hmm!"

Su Yang took Old Cai's business card and nodded.

He glanced at the business card; Old Cai's name was Cai Jiashi, the General Manager of Yingfeng Media.

After Zhou Ji and Cai Jiashi said goodbye, Jiang Yuzhen looked at Su Yang's back with some admiration!

She felt that her boss was truly too strong!