Chapter 101: Preparing for Expansion

The next day, as Xia Yu had anticipated, news about the Ma family dominated the front pages of major newspapers, and the entire public discourse in Hong Kong was almost entirely focused on the Ma family.

If there had been real-time trending charts like those on modern social media, it would have shown that from the top spot to the tenth, all the trending topics were related to the Ma family. The leading newspaper would be devastated to see its headlines completely overshadowed.

All the major newspapers tried their best to make their reports stand out, hoping to improve sales and authority.

However, "Jiu Ding Daily" had exclusive information provided by Xia Yu, and each exclusive news story it published was significant.

Compared to other newspapers, "Jiu Ding Daily" shone brightly like a firefly next to the moon, making all other reports pale in comparison.

"Jiu Ding Daily" was effectively bullying the others—no, it was bullying the newspapers!

The effect of standing out was indeed powerful. Even though Yan Wenhan had prepared in advance by instructing the newsstands to stock extra copies, the newspapers still sold out rapidly. The company was inundated with delivery calls from all over Hong Kong, and the customer service staff barely had time to drink water.

Despite the hard work, the vibrant atmosphere made everyone in the company feel genuinely proud and joyful.

Everyone felt honored!

On a bus, a passenger who had just bought a copy of "Jiu Ding Daily" opened the newspaper. Seeing the news about the Ma family and their various crimes, he felt a surge of anger and was horrified by some of the more heinous acts.

He couldn't help but curse loudly: "The Ma family deserves divine retribution! They're ruthless and lawless; they should have been wiped out a long time ago!"

"Yes, thankfully the Hong Kong government has brought the Ma family to justice. Well done! Otherwise, more innocent people would have been harmed by them. They are a cancer to Hong Kong!"

"I can't believe 'Oriental Daily' was involved in transmitting information about the Ma family's criminal activities. I used to subscribe to 'Oriental Daily' and unknowingly supported the Ma family's crimes. I need to go to Wong Tai Sin Temple to burn incense and drive away evil."

"Fortunately, 'Oriental Daily' has ceased publication. Such newspapers should be shut down. I heard that 'Jiu Ding Daily's' printing house caught fire the other night. My cousin's friend's brother works there, and it was said that the Ma family was behind it because 'Jiu Ding Daily' was selling too well and affecting 'Oriental Daily's' sales."

"Compared to 'Jiu Ding Daily,' 'Oriental Daily' is trash. Unable to compete head-on, they resorted to dirty tricks. Only the Ma family, with no regard for rules, would do something like that!"

...

A single person's comments quickly sparked a heated discussion among everyone on the bus. The Ma family was universally despised, and "Jiu Ding Daily" was seen as the victim. This naturally won the newspaper sympathy. Additionally, with the ongoing improvement in "Jiu Ding Daily's" quality, its influence among the public was steadily rising.

This scene was not unique to this bus; it was a widespread phenomenon throughout Hong Kong.

If Ma Xiru were paraded in a public humiliation like in ancient times, he would surely be pelted with rotten eggs and vegetables!

The lower-class citizens who had suffered under the triads directed all their resentment toward the Ma family. Years of accumulated grievances were enormous, and anything related to the Ma family was blamed on them. The Ma family was thoroughly nailed to the pillar of shame.

Some victims of the Ma family's persecution, seeing that the Ma family no longer posed a threat, even went to the police station and the Hong Kong government offices to demand that Ma Xiru be sentenced to death immediately!

On the way to the company, Xia Yu observed the public's reactions and felt much happier, unable to hide his smile.

The more the Ma family was condemned, the happier he was!

Upon arriving at the company and seeing the bustling activity, Xia Yu encouraged the staff briefly and then called Yan Wenhan into his office.

Xia Yu wanted to discuss the expansion of "Jiu Ding Daily."

"Wenhan, how are our newspaper sales performing recently?"

Once Yan Wenhan was seated, Xia Yu leaned forward and asked.

Yan Wenhan straightened up and, after a moment's thought, replied, "Boss, since the Da Fa Real Estate incident, our daily sales have reached 300,000 copies. Although there have been fluctuations, the sales have stabilized after several days of effort, maintaining at 300,000 copies."

"Today's news has many highlights. According to statistics, the time for newsstands to place orders was much earlier than usual, and the quantities requested were also greater. Today's sales will definitely reach a new high, estimated to be around 330,000 copies. However, if there aren't continuous hot news topics in the future, sales may decline somewhat."

Yan Wenhan was practical and did not just report good news but also shared his analysis.

"Moreover, Hong Kong's population base is not large, and most people live just above the subsistence level. There are not many people who can afford to buy newspapers. A daily sale of 300,000 copies is already exceptionally high. Most habitual newspaper buyers have already bought ours. Given the economic constraints of the citizens, significant growth in the short term is unlikely.

If the citizens become wealthier in five or six years, an increase of ten to eighty thousand copies in sales would be possible. But for now… it's difficult!"

Xia Yu nodded. He had considered these issues; otherwise, he wouldn't be discussing newspaper expansion with Yan Wenhan today.

Xia Yu had reviewed population data for Hong Kong. In 1978, the population density was 4,667 people per square kilometer, with Hong Kong's total land area being over 1,100 square kilometers. The total population was just over five million.

With five million people and 300,000 copies of "Jiu Ding Daily" being sold, the proportion was already quite high.

Considering the adults like Xia Yu's parents who never bought newspapers and at least a million children who couldn't afford them, the subscription rate for "Jiu Ding Daily" was astonishingly high.

Hong Kong's market potential had been nearly exhausted, but there were still opportunities in other regions for Xia Yu to explore.

Southeast Asia has a population of four to five hundred million, Taiwan has nearly twenty million people, and Japan has over one hundred million people. These markets awaited Xia Yu's exploration.

Japan could be pushed to the back for now due to the difficult market entry and cultural differences.

Taiwan, despite lacking cultural differences, had media control issues. Considering the past grievances between "Jiu Ding Daily" and the Ma family, and the pro-Ma stance of "Oriental Daily," there was a high chance that "Jiu Ding Daily" would face suppression if it entered Taiwan.

Therefore, Taiwan was also excluded for now.

This left Southeast Asia.

Although Southeast Asia's economy was underdeveloped and many people lived below the poverty line, the situation for Chinese people was relatively better.

In Southeast Asia, regardless of the country, Chinese people were at the top economically. These Chinese individuals were the target audience that "Jiu Ding Daily" hoped to attract. The local indigenous population, who lacked influence, could be ignored for now. This was a strategic abandonment!

"I plan to expand 'Jiu Ding Daily' into Southeast Asia. What are your thoughts?"

Xia Yu took a sip of tea and asked Yan Wenhan.