201: Chapter 201 Reality is more exciting than fiction! Fengyuan wants to seize a larger market share!

Chapter 201: Reality is More Exciting Than Fiction! Fengyuan Wants a Larger Share!

This boost in cohesion was something that couldn't be reflected in a Business Deduction.

When a company's cohesion is strong enough, there are quite a few benefits.

For example, employees work harder, take their jobs more seriously, are less likely to quit, and so on!

However, Su Yang cared more about the rewards for reaching 90 loyalty.

Last time, Xu Hao had even dropped a 50% discount purchase card for him!

As internal cohesion increases, it becomes easier for employees to reach 90 loyalty.

It’s like a non-believer wandering into a religious group; they are easily assimilated.

Unnoticeably, late May arrived. Spark Media continued to make breakthroughs, and bonuses continued to be distributed.

Those MCN companies were also continuing to poach newly signed influencers from Spark Media.

Su Yang also sent away those influencers who were prone to causing trouble.

And Su Yang continued to rake in the liquidated damages!

With Su Yang's financial backing and Spark Media's online support,

Hongyu Law Firm's business gradually improved as well.

Because Su Yang's acting was top-notch, the vast majority of influencers who left Spark Media felt a slight sense of guilt toward the company and held a certain level of goodwill toward Su Yang!

Before they left, Su Yang had Hongyu Law Firm establish contact with those departing influencers.

Hongyu Law Firm not only expanded its roster of influencer clients but also gradually extended its reach into other MCN companies by following these poached influencers.

A portion of a law firm's business always relies on client referrals.

Liu Fengshan was very interested in the influencer business!

First, these influencers had high exposure and easily trended on social media, which helped build the firm's reputation!

Secondly, influencers were relatively wealthy, and handling their lawsuits was profitable!

Finally, the frequency of this business was likely to be quite high!

Ordinary people don't seek out lawyers often, usually only for labor disputes.

Many of them are also unwilling to spend the time and effort to go to court!

But influencers were different!

Setting aside the fact that some influencers were prone to getting into trouble themselves,

MCN agencies were more or less unscrupulous, and their contracts almost always had issues.

When huge interests are involved, conflicts easily arise between MCN agencies and influencers.

Those influencers who want to fight for their own interests will certainly consider using the law as a weapon!

In Hongyu's eyes, those profitable influencers were all high-quality clients.

Additionally, after undergoing training, the Legal Popularization Blogger Zhong Wei officially went online.

Zhong Wei mainly livestreamed on the platform at night, interacting with netizens and providing free legal consultations.

Once he attracted a certain amount of traffic, Zhong Wei could hand over the legal inquiries in the background to other lawyers at the firm.

For paid legal services or courtroom defense cases, Hongyu would also give Zhong Wei a certain commission.

Zhong Wei's identity remained that of a lawyer at Hongyu Law Firm, not a signed influencer of Spark Media; this was part of the agreement.

After all, he couldn't lose his status as a lawyer!

However, his account belonged to Hongyu, something the firm would never forget.

Zhong Wei was highly capable and quickly adapted to his new role after a few livestreams on the platform!

A bizarre inquiry from a netizen about a group activity involving a hundred people squeezed into an 80-square-meter room

successfully made him go viral for a bit!

Of course, Spark Media's promotion behind the scenes played a part.

But Su Yang could swear that this was definitely not a story made up by Spark Media!

The directors and editors at Spark Media were indeed talented,

but even with their imagination, they couldn't come up with such a bizarre story!

It could only be said that reality is more exciting than fiction, and far less logical.

At least, he had never seen such a thing written in a novel.

Zhong Wei's response was also quite positive, suggesting that the netizen turn themselves in and report the incident.

Su Yang strongly agreed with Zhong Wei's answer.

Damn it!

Having an orgy and not inviting me? You deserve to be reported!

In short, Zhong Wei's performance satisfied both the law firm and Spark Media.

In the office of Jufan Holdings, after congratulating the employee from the Shancheng Market Expansion Department, Su Yang ended the livestream connection.

With this, the site selection for the thirteenth Jiuxiang Hotpot Restaurant was complete!

He would follow his agreement with Ji Guoxiong to pause the 'early stage' expansion of the Jiuxiang Hotpot Chain and instead focus on strengthening internal management assessments, employee training, and talent reserves!

Jiuxiang Catering's expansion in Shancheng had actually reached a temporary conclusion.

If Rongcheng could have thirty thousand hotpot restaurants, Shancheng certainly had no small number either.

It could definitely accommodate more Jiuxiang Catering hotpot restaurants, but Su Yang felt the current number was sufficient.

He didn't intend to open thirty hotpot restaurants in Shancheng; after all, that wasn't Jiuxiang Catering's home turf!

As an outside force, he had to show at least a little bit of courtesy.

Jiuxiang Catering's smooth development in Shancheng recently was partly due to Su Yang using Business Deduction to avoid trouble,

and partly because Jiuxiang Catering expanded so quickly that the local catering forces hadn't reacted at all!

Jiuxiang Catering had been established for less than a year. Even with many branches, though it was somewhat famous in Rongcheng,

it didn't have much reputation in Shancheng yet.

In just one month, Jiuxiang Catering had quietly opened seven hotpot restaurants in Shancheng.

Su Yang had essentially pulled off a successful sneak attack!

He briefly reviewed the development of Jiuxiang Catering.

Lately, most of his energy had been focused on Spark Media.

Because the matters at Spark Media were the most complex and required Su Yang's personal micromanagement; no one else would do!

He hadn't spent much energy on Jiuxiang Catering.

He only had a general idea of its development through various data reports!

Overall, the performance of the thirty-three Nine Fragrance Hotpot branches across the province had stabilized.

After paying out dividends to managers and salaries and benefits to employees each month,

it could steadily turn over nearly three million in profit to headquarters!

After paying the headquarters' staff salaries... it seemed only about a million or so was left!

This result was actually quite decent!

"So this is what direct-sale stores are like?" Su Yang couldn't help but complain. "No wonder everyone wants to go public and collect franchise fees!"

The management costs for direct-sale stores were too high, especially for a conscientious boss like Su Yang!

A monthly profit of a million or so really didn't get Su Yang very excited.

But when he thought about the tens of millions in funds being returned every month, he cheered up quite a bit!

After reviewing Nine Fragrance Hotpot's situation, Su Yang had Jiang Yuzhen call Ji Guoxiong over.

He briefly mentioned that the thirteenth hotpot restaurant was settled and that he would follow his suggestion from now on.

Upon hearing about the pause in expansion and the internal reorganization, Ji Guoxiong's loyalty to Su Yang broke past 85.

Seeing this old comrade's 85 loyalty, Su Yang felt it really hadn't been easy!

Jiuxiang Catering was the first company Su Yang established, and Ji Guoxiong was the first general manager to follow him.

But his loyalty increased exceptionally slowly!

These old comrades who had been in society for too long and had suffered too many beatings were great in every other way.

But they were difficult in this one regard!

If it were a girl like Jiang Yuzhen, he would have successfully won her over long ago.

Su Yang casually asked, "Are things going smoothly in Shancheng?"

Ji Guoxiong said somewhat helplessly, "A hotpot restaurant has started a price war with two of our stores!"

"How do you plan to handle it?"

"Let's stay put for now," Ji Guoxiong said after a moment's thought. "Let's see how the situation develops first!"

"Is the supply chain still okay?"

“The suppliers in Shancheng are quiet for now; they’re still delivering goods to us according to the contracts!”

"That's fine then!" Su Yang thought about it and nodded. "We'll do it your way. Let's see how things go first. After all, we're outsiders; there's no need to show too much aggression. Let's stabilize for a while; we can afford the losses."

If it really came to a price war, Su Yang could make the opponent cry.

But that really wasn't necessary!

Su Yang didn't rely on profits to make money; as long as he broke even, he could accept it... a small loss wasn't out of the question either!

For Jiuxiang Hotpot Restaurants located on busy streets and in malls, the average check per person was under a hundred.

Between eighty and ninety, which was a mid-range positioning!

But Nine Fragrance Hotpot tasted great and had excellent service; even high-end hotpot restaurants couldn't actually beat Jiuxiang!

Just like in Rongcheng, Jiuxiang had encountered price wars from neighboring businesses before.

But most of the time, after waiting a while, those businesses couldn't hold out on their own...

"Yeah."

Ji Guoxiong nodded.

Su Yang thought for a moment and added, "However, we might need to consider having Fengyuan enter the Shancheng market as well!"

It was always a bit risky to have the supply chain controlled by others; at the very least, they needed to walk on two legs!

"Opening a new company isn't easy to manage."

Ji Guoxiong knew Su Yang's habits.

"Then we'll buy in; let Fengyuan buy in," Su Yang said in a low voice. "Acquiring over 50% of the shares to get control of the company will be enough. Look for those with good resources!"

Su Yang no longer insisted on full ownership!

As long as the shares exceeded 50%, the system would default to the company being his.

As he gained more and more companies and they grew larger,

he didn't mind forming certain alliances with local forces in other regions!

Going to someone else's turf to fight them?

It wasn't cost-effective, and there was no need to spend that kind of energy!

"I'll talk to Mr. Qian!" Ji Guoxiong nodded. "Guo Fang has already scouted the way over there; it should be relatively easy to break in."

"Let's just call Mr. Qian from Fengyuan over!"

"That works too!" Ji Guoxiong said with a smile. "Lately, Mr. Qian has been wanting to take a larger share of the supply for Jiuxiang Catering and Jiuxiang Food. He seems quite proactive!"

"Then let's just find some time to gather everyone together!" Su Yang said with a smile. "Everyone can talk. If there's anything lacking on Fengyuan's side, you can all bring it up."

Su Yang also intended to help Fengyuan secure a larger share with Jiuxiang Catering and Jiuxiang Food and increase investment in it!

After all, Fengyuan would be very powerful once it developed.

It might not have high name recognition, but as a food supply chain company closely linked to agriculture and the livestock industry,

once it took shape, its regional influence would be very strong!

It just so happened that Nine Fragrance Hotpot's expansion would be pausing for a while.

It would be good to invest more funds and resources into Fengyuan!

Of course, Su Yang could also understand Ji Guoxiong and Tan Yanghong's persistence.

They would certainly have to hold Fengyuan to the same strict requirements as any other supplier!

After all, the reputation was theirs... and Su Yang's!