Chapter 220: Acquisition of *Nanyang Siang Pau*
A total of 1.83 million copies were distributed!
Among them, 670,000 copies were distributed in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, 400,000 copies in Japan, and 760,000 copies across Southeast Asia.
In fact, this quantity was considered small. Given that *Fengyun Daily* has a daily sales volume of 830,000 copies, if each person received a copy of the magazine when buying the newspaper, within seven days alone, it would have been possible to distribute over 5 million copies.
However, Xia Yu had anticipated this, so the promotion of receiving *Zhiyin Comic Magazine* with the purchase of *Fengyun Daily* was limited to the first day. After that, those who wanted the magazine had to go to bookstores to get it.
If Xia Yu had not imposed these limits, there would have been a situation where there were no comics left to distribute. After all, with over 5 million copies, printing them all within seven days would be impossible unless all major company operations were halted to focus on printing *Zhiyin Comic Magazine*.
Nevertheless, the distribution of 1.83 million copies was still an astonishing number! At the beginning, Ma Tengdong did not anticipate how quickly the initial one million copies would be consumed. When the data from the first day reached him, he knew that one million copies would definitely not be enough.
Thus, Ma Tengdong immediately reported to Xia Yu, who waved his hand and instructed Ma Tengdong to print more.
Since they had already decided to make a significant investment, they were not concerned about printing more.
The more they distributed now, the more customers they would eventually attract. It was a matter of time before the investment would be recouped.
Thus, the entire week was spent on printing and hastening distribution.
The 670,000 copies distributed in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan were not surprising. With a combined population of nearly 30 million, adults who bought *Fengyun Daily* could receive a free copy, and students received them without any purchase, leading to an increase in distribution.
Southeast Asia's distribution of 760,000 copies was also reasonable. The total population of overseas Chinese and other ethnic groups in these countries amounted to several hundred million, so students were more numerous compared to Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
Even if some could not understand the text in the comic, they could still appreciate the illustrations, so Southeast Asian distributors also gave the comics to students from other ethnicities without charge, hoping to attract at least a few readers.
Japan managed to distribute 400,000 copies, which was a reasonable outcome given the amount of money invested. Although the number was the smallest, it was also the most precise, targeting students and comic enthusiasts with no free giveaways for buyers of *Fengyun Daily*.
Additionally, Japan's economic level and consumption capacity were the highest, so Xia Yu was looking forward to seeing how many readers would remain after the second issue!
...
In the conference room of Nine Ding Animation Co., Ltd., all mid-to-senior level employees of the company were present, totaling over twenty people.
"Good job!"
Xia Yu praised everyone with a smile.
Upon hearing the boss's praise, everyone present could not help but be pleased.
"Of course, we cannot be complacent. As everyone knows, these figures are somewhat inflated. Many people picked up the comic out of curiosity or simply to get something for free. You may have even investigated secretly, finding that many bookstore owners handed out comics to anyone who walked in."
After the crowd's enthusiasm subsided, Xia Yu's smile faded, and he began to temper their expectations.
The crowd gradually quieted down, with many nodding in agreement, including Ma Tengdong.
He had conducted secret investigations and reported these findings to Xia Yu in a timely manner.
However, Xia Yu was not concerned about the cost. He saw it as an investment in acquiring customers. If giving away fifty copies could attract one customer, it was worth it. Bookstore owners could give away comics as much as they wanted, as long as it brought potential customers who would eventually buy books.
"The most crucial part is next week. Starting from tomorrow, the sales figures for the next seven days will be the real test!"
"Whether my money is well spent or your efforts are worthwhile will be proven by next week's sales numbers!"
Xia Yu's gaze was piercing as he looked around the room, seeing everyone straighten up. He spoke with a serious tone.
Everyone nodded heavily.
"Tengdong, report on the preparations!"
Seeing that everyone was listening, Xia Yu's expression softened as he turned to Ma Tengdong on his left and said softly.
"Yes!"
Ma Tengdong nodded and began his report.
"This week, we distributed 1.83 million copies for free, with 1.5 million copies given out in the first four days alone. We initially estimated a conversion rate of 1 in 5, predicting that the second issue would sell about 300,000 copies."
"Under the boss's guidance, we adjusted the quantity and printed 400,000 copies for the second issue."
"Distributors were cautious and hesitant to place large orders. So far, the total orders reached 320,000 copies, with 80,000 copies remaining in stock."
"Our main printing plant and various regional plants have a maximum daily production capacity of 250,000 copies. We have made arrangements to ensure timely printing and avoid stock shortages."
"That's the current status of our preparations."
Finally, Ma Tengdong reported to Xia Yu, who nodded in acknowledgment.
"I know everyone has been very busy this week, working late into the night. You will also need to work overtime the day after tomorrow and on Saturday and Sunday. It has been tough."
Xia Yu said with a hint of emotion, looking around the room. Everyone immediately shook their heads, indicating that they were not tired. Xia Yu couldn't help but smile slightly.
*Zhiyin Comic Magazine* is officially published every Friday to align with students' weekends.
"But I see all this. Many of you may have heard about the Nine Ding Media Company's situation. I'm not stingy, so the bonuses will definitely not be less. As for how much you can get, it depends on your performance."
At the end, Xia Yu smiled and drew out his words, making it seem meaningful.
Everyone couldn't help but smile, their fatigue forgotten. Many had been working tirelessly but were now energized by the boss's words.
Since the boss directly mentioned bonuses at the meeting, it must be true.
Some had heard about the Nine Ding Media Company's past generous bonuses, and Xia Yu's reputation for rewarding hard work made many eager to work even harder.
"Alright, the meeting is over. Each of you, carry out your duties and don't drop the ball!"
After summarizing, Xia Yu announced the meeting adjourned and headed to Nine Ding Media Company.
The plan executed by Yan Wenhan had finally made breakthrough progress.
In the car, Xia Yu leaned against the backrest, closing his eyes to rest, occasionally rubbing his temples.
This week had been very busy, with him running around between several companies.
Of the four major companies, only Nine Ding Securities had settled into its routine, executing investment tasks as planned without needing much attention. The other three companies were either expanding rapidly or experiencing significant developments.
As a result, they required constant oversight.
Fortunately, Nine Ding Publishing and Nine Ding Animation were in the same building, saving him a lot of travel.
"It seems I need a dedicated secretary office and two dedicated phones. In the future, all internal and external affairs should be summarized by the secretary office and arranged according to urgency."
Xia Yu thought to himself.
A secretary office must be established as soon as possible, otherwise, he would be unable to leave Hong Kong and would be overwhelmed with tasks.
With more companies expected in the future, the workload would only increase.
Determined, he stopped dwelling on the problem and thought about something more pleasant.
This week, especially on the first day, people bought additional copies of *Fengyun Daily* just to get a free copy of *Zhiyin Comic Magazine*.
As a result, the sales of *Fengyun Daily* surged from 830,000 copies to 930,000 copies on the first day, an increase of 100,000 copies.
However, many bought the newspaper to get the free comic, so on the second day, the sales of *Fengyun Daily* fell back to 860,000 copies.
The following days fluctuated around 860,000 copies, and today, it finally stabilized.
Despite this, Xia Yu was pleased. Achieving this level of sales was challenging, and a rise of 30,000 copies was quite successful.
Gaining ten thousand new readers and retaining around thirty thousand was a significant achievement.
Soon, the car arrived at the entrance of Nine Ding Media Company, and Xia Yu, accompanied by Yan Shining, walked in.
"Wenhan, how are things going?"
Upon entering the company and finding Yan Wenhan in his office, Xia Yu asked with a smile.
"Boss, look. The agreement has been signed. After more than a month of negotiations, we have fully acquired *Nanyang Siang Pau*."
Yan Wenhan said, pulling out the prepared folder from his drawer and handing it to Xia Yu, his smile evident.
As the general manager of the company, he could not be happier. The acquisition of an established newspaper like *Nanyang Siang Pau* was a significant addition.
"Let me have a look."
Xia Yu smiled as he took the folder and sat at the desk, opening it to review the agreement carefully.
Indeed, it was a full acquisition, costing 12 million Hong Kong dollars, for *Nanyang Siang Pau*,
including the entire newspaper company.
This was approved by Xia Yu, as such a significant financial commitment required his authorization before it could be processed by the finance department.
Seeing the stock transfer agreement, Xia Yu was fully reassured.
In Malaysia, there are four major Chinese-language newspapers: *Nanyang Siang Pau*, *China Press*, *Sin Chew Daily*, and *Guang Ming Daily*.
Among them, *Nanyang Siang Pau* and *Sin Chew Daily* are distributed not only in Malaysia but also in Singapore and Brunei.
The full acquisition of *Nanyang Siang Pau* was a challenging task, taking nearly twenty days from planning to completion.
*Nanyang Siang Pau* is no ordinary newspaper!
Founded on September 6, 1923, by the late renowned patriotic Chinese businessman Chen Jiageng in Singapore, *Nanyang Siang Pau* is one of Malaysia's oldest Chinese-language newspapers and a major media outlet today.
After the "Marco Polo Bridge Incident" in 1937, *Nanyang Siang Pau* became a strong cultural front for anti-Japanese resistance. It was temporarily suspended due to the Japanese invasion in 1942 and resumed publication in 1945 after the victory in the Anti-Japanese War.
The newspaper's stance was pro-Communist, but in 1971, then-Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who was extremely pro-American and anti-Chinese, condemned the newspaper's pro-Communist stance. The Singaporean government then launched a "black operation" against the newspaper, arresting its general manager Li Maocheng, editor Tong Daozhang, chief writer Li Kexing, and public relations manager Guo Longsheng.
This marked a turning point. With Mr. Chen deceased and the shares of Nanyang Press Holdings Ltd. dispersed among various Chinese businessmen, under pressure from the Singaporean government, *Nanyang Siang Pau* was forced to change its stance, becoming neutral and no longer overtly pro-Communist.
Currently, *Nanyang Siang Pau* has a daily circulation of around 110,000 copies.
Had Xia Yu not acquired it, *Nanyang Siang Pau* would have merged with *Sin Chew Daily* in 1983, forming the "Nanyang-Sin Chew United Morning Post," also known as "United Morning Post."
However, with Nine Ding Media Company's acquisition, there was no need for a merger to expand influence.
Supported by the powerful Nine Ding News Agency and leveraging Nine Ding Media Company's strong distribution channels, the future of *Nanyang Siang Pau* looked promising!
In the upcoming period, Yan Wenhan would personally go to Malaysia to integrate *Nanyang Siang Pau* into Nine Ding Media Company. After restructuring, it would be poised for explosive growth!
The acquisition of *Nanyang Siang Pau* was just a part of the plan. Next, there would be a series of major moves aimed at making Nine Ding Media Company leap in development.
After all, for other countries, both *Jiuding Daily* and *Fengyun Daily* were foreign newspapers with shallow roots and prone to being targeted by local media.
Therefore, the best approach was to acquire local newspapers, allowing Nine Ding Media Company's influence to quickly penetrate the local market.
With local allies, *Jiuding Daily* and *Fengyun Daily* could safely expand their influence.
Moreover, the plan also involved some strategic calculations, including taking down the disruptive *Sing Tao Daily*, which was resisting Nine Ding Media Company's dominance.