Chapter 174: Pearson Education Group

*"Clap, clap, clap!"*

Xia Yu applauded with satisfaction.

Gavin Peter had indeed not disappointed him. Although his explanation was brief and the principles were simple, if it were anyone else, Xia Yu might not have paid much attention. But since it was Gavin Peter speaking, it made a difference.

At this point, Gavin Peter was still just a deputy manager at Penguin Publishing Group's Hong Kong branch, and had not yet achieved any remarkable accomplishments or caught the attention of the higher-ups at the head office.

However, with his knowledge from the future, Xia Yu was aware of Gavin Peter's exceptional capabilities.

He was an acquisition expert with a strong passion for initiating acquisitions. After acquiring companies, he was able to unlock their full potential rather than letting them stagnate.

Later, Gavin Peter became the president of Penguin Publishing Group, holding the position for decades until Xia Yu's time-travel. His abilities were outstanding.

Penguin Publishing Group might not be familiar to many, but its background is well-known.

Penguin Publishing Group is a subsidiary of Pearson, a globally renowned educational publishing group, ranking first in the world.

If you haven't heard of Pearson, you might recognize its other name, Pearson Education Group. Many people are familiar with it.

The Langman Company, well-known in China, is a subsidiary of Pearson Education Group. Many people have used or studied from books like *New Concept English* and *Langman Modern English-Chinese Dictionary*.

In addition, as the world's largest educational publishing group, Pearson Education Group owns two major financial publications: *The Financial Times* and *The Economist*.

Yan Wenhan had previously worked at *The Financial Times* for four years.

*The Economist* is renowned alongside *Fortune*, *Forbes*, and *Business Week* as one of the four major financial magazines.

Under Gavin Peter's leadership, Penguin Publishing Group became the tenth largest multinational media company in the world and one of the most famous English book publishers, focusing on novels, non-fiction works, and children's books, with a catalog of 25,000 titles.

Moreover, the most notable aspect was the series of acquisition cases he led. His keen vision ensured that each acquisition significantly strengthened Penguin Publishing Group without negatively impacting the acquired companies, which continued to develop rapidly.

In his previous life, two of the most prominent acquisitions he managed were:

1. Acquiring the famous American Putnam Publishing Company, which made Penguin-Putnam the second-largest English book publisher in the world, with Penguin Publishing Group holding the top spot.

2. In 2000, acquiring the British Dorling Kindersley Company, a renowned publisher of non-fiction illustrated books. Known for its "knowledge affinity," Dorling Kindersley expanded its colorful books into various non-fiction categories such as reference books, lifestyle, art, travel, gardening, cooking, and early education. Its illustrated publishing style influenced the global publishing industry, with bestsellers in travel, popular science, encyclopedias, practical lifestyle books, and children's books.

After this acquisition, Penguin Publishing Group's publishing business covered all types of books, with a global distribution network, solidifying its position as a publishing industry leader with astonishing influence.

It can be said that Gavin Peter was indispensable to Penguin Publishing Group's achievements!

However, in 1978, Pearson Education Group had only recently acquired Penguin Publishing Group and had not yet discovered Gavin Peter's potential, leading him to Xia Yu.

If a few more years had passed and he had risen to become the president of Penguin Publishing Group, Xia Yu would have faced immense difficulty in recruiting him.

At forty years old, Gavin Peter already had the abilities required, just needing an opportunity to transform from a carp into a dragon!

But in this lifetime, Xia Yu aimed to have him evolve at Jiuding Publishing Company and lead the company to become a global publishing powerhouse.

"Your salary requirements are fully acceptable, and if you develop the company to my satisfaction, you'll have a significant chance of earning equity rewards. However, how much you receive will depend on your performance!"

"Additionally, you will have full authority over the company's management. Unless you make a major mistake, I will not interfere in your operations."

Xia Yu looked at him seriously and said firmly.

After speaking, Xia Yu waited expectantly, believing that Gavin Peter would not refuse. After all, with both money and power offered, along with a future filled with potential and a chance to showcase his talents, it was certain he would agree, provided he wasn't foolish.

As expected, despite some surprise at the seemingly hasty interview—having only been asked two questions before receiving an immediate offer—Gavin Peter quickly recovered and smiled.

He stood up, bowed slightly to Xia Yu, and respectfully said, "Boss, I won't let you down!"

"Welcome aboard!" Xia Yu said with a smile, extending his hand.

"Thank you!" Gavin Peter shook hands with Xia Yu, responding solemnly.

With the interview successful, Xia Yu took Gavin Peter to the company to sign the contract. After handling his affairs, Gavin Peter would start working on establishing Jiuding Publishing Company.

As for the remaining two talents, although Xia Yu had already made his hire, he still notified them out of courtesy to see if they were interested in becoming deputy managers. Unfortunately, they were not, and Xia Yu had no choice.

However, with such a formidable talent joining, Xia Yu felt his efforts were well-rewarded!

With a top-tier talent on board, Jiuding Publishing Company's future was promising, and Xia Yu could finally relax a bit.

Next, he hoped the required talents for Jiuding Animation Company would arrive soon.

---

That evening, back at home, after dinner, Xia Yu rarely sat on the sofa with his family to watch TV, specifically TVB's Jade Channel.

It was prime time, and the channel was airing TVB's flagship drama, which the family watched with great interest.

Soon, the episode ended, and an advertisement followed.

When Xia Yu saw the ad, he was surprised—it was for Ocean Park in Hong Kong. He hadn't expected the theme park to invest in advertising. It was interesting.

"Wow, it's Ocean Park! My classmate Wen Li said it's full of fun. Not only can you see various marine and land animals, but there's also a huge amusement park. It looks so beautiful on TV!"

Looking at the aerial and edited footage of the park, Xia Xiaomei couldn't help but express her longing.

"Ocean Park should have sharks and whales. I wonder how many kinds there are?"

Xia Ming also chimed in. He had never been out to sea with his parents and had only seen a whale stranded on the beach once, so he didn't know many fish.

Then there was Yan Hong, who didn't speak but showed a hint of longing in his eyes.

Xia Yu smiled slightly and said, "How about I take you all there this Saturday? Do you want to go?"

"Really?"

The three kids turned to Xia Yu in unison, blinking their eyes and asking.

"Really!"

Xia Yu nodded with a smile.

"Yay, you're the best, big brother!"

"That's awesome!"

The three kids cheered with excitement, their faces beaming with joy.

Seeing their excited expressions, Xia Yu seemed to be affected as well, smiling silently.