Chapter 102: Specific Operational Plan

"Boss, why not expand into Taiwan Province first, since it's closer to us?" Yan Wenhan asked.

He had also thought about newspaper expansion and had expected the boss to target Taiwan Province before Southeast Asia. It was surprising that the plan was for Southeast Asia, so he couldn't help but ask.

"The situation in Taiwan Province is more complex. The media is tightly controlled, and there is a strong presence of criminal organizations. Setting up a branch there would be challenging, and if problems arise, our influence would be limited. Also, 'Oriental Daily' is heavily supportive of Taiwan Province. Since we've outdone them, we've certainly made it to their blacklist. Going there would be like walking into a trap. Right now, we should focus on developing the company."

"However, we can still distribute our newspapers to Taiwan Province. Just don't focus too much effort there. Send a few people to test the waters; setting up a branch can wait for a while. Limited resources should be directed toward the Southeast Asian market, which is larger."

"Boss, I didn't consider that!"

After hearing Xia Yu's explanation, Yan Wenhan understood and looked apologetic.

"It's fine. Share your thoughts on how we can rapidly expand our newspaper in Southeast Asia," Xia Yu said with a smile, indicating that he wasn't upset, and asked again.

"Boss, the methods that worked for 'Jiu Ding Daily' in Hong Kong won't work in Southeast Asia, and we don't have any distribution channels there. My idea is to set up distribution branches in various countries first. Searching for channels individually would be aimless. To improve efficiency, we could follow 'Sing Tao Daily' to establish our sales network."

Yan Wenhan furrowed his brow and thought deeply before speaking.

"That's a good idea; it will definitely speed up the process!"

Xia Yu's eyes lit up when he heard Yan Wenhan's suggestion. He immediately saw the benefits of this approach. He was impressed that Yan Wenhan had come up with this plan in such a short time and found it highly feasible.

To enter other Southeast Asian countries, "Jiu Ding Daily" needed to understand local conditions, such as newsstand distribution and market sales. Conducting a detailed survey would be time-consuming.

However, if they followed "Sing Tao Daily" and understood its distribution channels, "Jiu Ding Daily" could then directly market its newspapers. This approach would be much more effective.

Firstly, wherever "Sing Tao Daily" is sold, there is definitely a market for newspapers, and it has already been developed by "Sing Tao Daily" and other newspapers.

Secondly, "Sing Tao Daily's" sales in Hong Kong were only half of those of "Jiu Ding Daily." This discrepancy could be a powerful selling point. Whether or not local newsstands had heard of "Jiu Ding Daily" before, using "Sing Tao Daily" as a reference and providing comparative sales data would create a strong impact. This would quickly build confidence in "Jiu Ding Daily," making it easy to establish a sales network.

Of course, Xia Yu was also aware of Yan Wenhan's concerns.

"Jiu Ding Daily's" rapid rise was largely due to Xia Yu's articles like "The Search for the Qin" and stock analysis. Among mid-to-high-level professionals, it relied on Xia Yu's stock analysis and business articles.

However, in Southeast Asia, the effectiveness of Xia Yu's stock analysis would be diminished due to the distance from Hong Kong. The information might not be as useful to those who cannot travel abroad.

"Jiu Ding Daily's" expansion would still primarily rely on "The Search for the Qin"!

Fortunately, after nearly a month of serialization, "The Search for the Qin" had already gained popularity in Hong Kong and its influence had spread to Southeast Asia, providing a natural foundation. It was expected that "Jiu Ding Daily's" distribution in Southeast Asia would start higher than in Hong Kong. However, a high starting point with less boost might not lead to as rapid growth as in Hong Kong.

Moreover, Xia Yu had considered another point: "The Search for the Qin" had serialized fifty thousand words in nearly a month.

The reason it wasn't more than sixty thousand words was that several martial arts novelists had submitted works during this period, and some good novels had already started serialization in the newspaper.

Due to limited space, the daily word count of "The Search for the Qin" was reduced, which relieved Xia Yu's pressure.

However, with "The Search for the Qin" serialized up to fifty thousand words, some people in Southeast Asia had likely read it, but many had not. It was impractical to reprint the series from Chapter One. Readers who already knew the story might not buy the newspaper, and synchronizing serialization with Hong Kong would be confusing without previous chapters, reducing effectiveness.

Xia Yu furrowed his brow in thought, trying to find a solution to this issue.

"I have an idea!"

Soon, Xia Yu's eyes brightened, and he smiled.

"Since 'The Search for the Qin' has reached fifty thousand words, if we serialize another ten thousand words, we can publish two books to accelerate market readiness and hype up interest. When users learn that 'Jiu Ding Daily' has the latest serialized chapters, they will definitely buy the newspaper."

"Moreover, it's also time to publish the books. This not only expands the influence of 'The Search for the Qin' but also provides an opportunity to make some money and kick-start the company's publishing business. It's a necessary step, so we might as well do it now!"

Xia Yu quickly shared his plan with Yan Wenhan, who agreed wholeheartedly and praised Xia Yu's wisdom.

"Wenhan, call Sun Changfa, Zhao Cheng, and Zhang Lei in here so we can discuss a detailed plan," Xia Yu said with a smile, instructing Yan Wenhan to gather them.

"Boss!"

Soon, Sun Changfa, Zhao Cheng, and Zhang Lei entered the office, greeted Xia Yu respectfully, and awaited his instructions.

"Please, take a seat and speak slowly."

After they were seated, Xia Yu asked Yan Wenhan to explain the company's expansion strategy, and Sun Changfa and the others nodded in agreement as they listened.

Once Yan Wenhan finished, Xia Yu addressed Sun Changfa: "Sun Changfa, your task is crucial. Investigate the distribution network of 'Sing Tao Daily,' then recruit more staff to fully establish the distribution team!"

"Understood!" Sun Changfa said with a pleased expression, standing tall and speaking loudly.

Receiving such an important task and permission to recruit more staff expanded his responsibilities and influence in the company. He was very happy.

Seeing Sun Changfa's joyful expression, Xia Yu smiled and then addressed Zhao Cheng: "Zhao Cheng, your task is to format 'The Search for the Qin,' edit it into two volumes, understood?"

"Understood!" Zhao Cheng nodded solemnly.

Next, Xia Yu turned to Zhang Lei and said: "Zhang Lei, your printing department should also recruit more staff. Hire some experienced professionals. Since this is our company's first book, printing books is different from printing newspapers. You need to purchase specialized printing machines. Funds can be reimbursed by Liu Zhong. My only requirement is that the book quality must be guaranteed. Avoid issues like misprints and glue failures. Pay extra attention!"

"Understood, Boss!" Zhang Lei nodded firmly.

"Wenhan, keep an eye on this matter as well and update me on any developments."

"Got it, Boss!" Yan Wenhan nodded seriously.

"Alright, you all can go and get busy. Report back if there are any other issues," Xia Yu instructed.

Once Yan Wenhan and the others left, Xia Yu resumed his busy schedule.