Chapter 26: Request for Votes
Early the next morning, newspaper deliveries resumed as usual, with all employees energized and working together to expand the sales of the "Jiu Ding Daily" and secure the month-end bonus promised by the boss.
With yesterday's sales as a baseline, almost all newspaper kiosk owners knew that the "Jiu Ding Daily" would sell well.
After all, the kiosk owners had been selling newspapers for decades, and they could easily determine which papers would be popular.
Given yesterday's sales data, combined with the news from the Kowloon Stock Exchange and the high-quality novel, along with the solid quality of other articles, they were almost certain that today's sales of the "Jiu Ding Daily" would be even higher.
Moreover, the "Jiu Ding Daily" was being provided for free for seven days, which was essentially giving them money. How could they not work hard to stock up on more newspapers?
If they had to wait for newspapers to be delivered because they had run out, the loss during that waiting period would be theirs!
Of course, Xia Yu had anticipated that kiosk owners might report inflated numbers, so he divided the entire Hong Kong area into several zones, with each zone's kiosks managed and monitored by specific personnel. To prevent kiosk owners from inflating numbers because the newspapers were free, Xia Yu set a rule that each kiosk could not take more than 120% of the previous day's total sales on the first pickup each day; they could take less, but not more!
This measure maximized the prevention of waste and ensured the representativeness of the sales data, preventing Xia Yu from making incorrect judgments that might affect future decisions.
Soon, the numbers were compiled and reported to XiaYu.
The total number of newspapers picked up by kiosks on their first visit reached 84,000, an increase of 14,000 from yesterday's 70,000. Almost all kiosk owners took 1.2 times the number of newspapers from the previous day.
Next, it depended on the follow-up orders from the kiosks. Only by confirming that all the kiosk owners had called in could it be ensured that the 84,000 newspapers had indeed been sold.
Upon learning this data, Xia Yu immediately instructed Zhang Lei to print an additional 20,000 copies and be prepared for further increases.
The achievements of the "Jiu Ding Daily" had already spread among industry peers through the employees' word of mouth. Those newspapers quickly went to buy "Jiu Ding Daily" first thing this morning. Seeing that the "Jiu Ding Daily" indeed published the data, the entire Hong Kong newspaper industry was stunned.
The "Jiu Ding Daily" was making waves, and major newspapers like "Oriental Daily," "Sing Tao Daily," and "Hong Kong Commercial Daily" started to feel nervous, closely monitoring every development of the "Jiu Ding Daily" while researching the reasons behind its astonishing first-day performance.
These major newspapers had very good information channels and had received news about the "Jiu Ding Daily" the night before, but they could not help with its promotion. Furthermore, the content for the next day was already set, so no related content about the "Jiu Ding Daily" appeared in their newspapers.
However, smaller newspapers, being more agile, changed their original reporting plans after receiving the "Jiu Ding Daily" data the night before, and started discussing it in their publications, each offering their own opinions.
"Miracle! Third-rate newspaper surges into Hong Kong's top ten in one day!"
"Jiu Ding Daily makes a strong debut, shaking the dominance of Oriental Daily!"
"Jiu Ding Daily's boss turns out to be a stock market guru, deciding the fate of Ming Heng Industry with one word!"
...
Some headlines were more serious, but many tabloid newspapers were sensationalist, driven by the need to boost sales with less scrupulous tactics.
Of course, compared to the major newspapers' vigilance, the small tabloids had a completely different attitude towards the "Jiu Ding Daily"!
Some small newspapers were envious, feeling that while everyone had agreed to struggle together, "Famous New Report" made a stunning turnaround and soared to success, leaving those newspaper bosses feeling resentful.
You said no one would make it, but you secretly improved; how unfair!
However, most small newspapers were excited, researching how the "Jiu Ding Daily" rose in just a few days, hoping to replicate its success and make a dramatic comeback!
Unfortunately, their hopes were in vain. Their analyses would end in disappointment because they lacked someone like Xia Yu!
...
On the user side, those who had read the novel yesterday and the stock investors shocked by the news hurried to buy the "Jiu Ding Daily" as soon as it was released, with stock investors being the most active.
Seeing Xia Yu's analysis and recommended stocks in the newspaper, many brightened up, flocking to the exchange to buy the stocks recommended by Xia Yu as soon as the market opened. This caused the stock prices to soar, further validating the accuracy of Xia Yu's articles and driving investors wild. Many hesitant investors no longer acted rationally and rushed to buy, hoping to cash in.
The momentum of the "Jiu Ding Daily" was rapidly building!
Its authority was also skyrocketing!
Everything was unfolding as Xia Yu had anticipated. After all, in his previous life, he had witnessed bull markets where various stock market bloggers saw their follower counts soar, and even stock market novels on online platforms became extremely popular!
The reality proved that one should never underestimate the madness of stock investors. When guided by an author's advice to make money, even a thousand bucks would be thrown away without a second thought, let alone the small amount for buying a newspaper!
With the frenzy of stock investors, the stock prices recommended by Xia Yu surged, and his profits also rose, though he didn't concern himself with the specific amount since he had no time to visit the exchange.
At this moment, a large number of applicants poured into the newspaper office. Major department heads conducted initial interviews, and Xia Yu personally reviewed and interviewed some senior talents.
Although the sheer number of interviewees kept Xia Yu busy, he didn't mind at all. Once these new hires came on board, they would alleviate some of his burdens and improve the efficiency of the newspaper, creating value more quickly and effectively.
The day passed as Xia Yu completed various tasks.
Interviews, listening to reports, arranging printing, analyzing the stock market, writing articles...
In the afternoon, Xia Yu visited the stock market again, and the results were highly gratifying. The selected stock had surged by 15%, with Xia Yu's total leveraged funds reaching 11.2 million. Thus, his floating profit reached 1.68 million. Thankfully, he had signed a confidentiality agreement; otherwise, such news would drive already frenzied investors completely mad!
1.12 million in capital earned 1.68 million in a single day!
Of course, this was due to using ten times leverage. If it were just the principal amount, 1.68 million divided by ten would be 168,000, which wouldn't be as shocking.
But there was no helping it; Xia Yu had used ten times leverage. This is the allure of financial leverage. Everyone knows that higher leverage means greater risk, but the temptation of high profits is irresistible. Even if a delicious cake has a poisonous part, people still hope they won't get the toxic slice.
Due to the surge in the newspaper's staff and the printing plant's daily capacity of 250,000 copies, which was expected to be quickly reached, and the printing speed lagging behind, Xia Yu instructed Zhang Lei to order new printing machines. This required funding.
Moreover, with Liu Tianci's help allowing Xia Yu to use ten times leverage, he didn't need to worry about insufficient market funds. Therefore, he applied to close positions before market close and requested 300,000 in funds.
As it neared the end of the workday, all employees returned to the office to await Xia Yu's announcement of the day's sales.
Upon seeing the data, Xia Yu was overjoyed.
The numbers had hit a new high, with a total distribution of 200,000 copies, and kiosks taking 120,000 copies, a 50,000 copy increase from yesterday.
With 120,000 copies, the "Jiu Ding Daily" surged to fourth in Hong Kong newspaper sales.
Previously, the top rank was held by "Oriental Daily," with a daily sales figure of 170,000.
Second was "Sing Tao Daily," with a daily sales figure of 160,000.
Third was "Ming Pao," with a daily sales figure of 130,000.
Given the trend of the "Jiu Ding Daily," with a few more highlights and the increasingly popular "Legend of Qin," along with the concerted efforts of the kiosk owners, catching up to the top three was just a matter of time!
When Xia Yu announced the numbers, the entire newspaper office was engulfed in joy, not only because they were likely to receive the promised month-end bonus but also due to their strong sense of achievement.
They were creating a miracle, and all of them were not just witnesses but participants in that miracle.
Everything was moving in a better direction...