Chapter 0008: Booming Sales

"Karl, this issue is actually not difficult to resolve," Qin Tian remarked after a moment of contemplation. 

Karl looked at Qin Tian, eager to learn how he intended to tackle this challenge.

"Karl, the company we will establish will be named the Welfare Lottery Company. What is a Welfare Lottery? It is a lottery where a portion of the profits is allocated to social welfare initiatives—providing food and medical assistance for the impoverished, funding orphanages, and so forth. By doing so, we will cultivate a high level of esteem in society. Should others wish to undermine us, they will be compelled to consider the public's reaction," Qin Tian said with a smile.

Often, social prestige serves as a shield. With a significant reputation, many unscrupulous tactics become untenable; otherwise, they would provoke a strong societal backlash.

"Your Highness, that is indeed a commendable approach," Karl nodded in agreement.

"Furthermore, the lottery market is a vast cake that even I, as a prince, cannot entirely consume. Therefore, I have decided to allocate a portion of the profits to the royal family. With royal support backing us, even the boldest individuals would think twice before attempting to harm us!" Qin Tian continued.

If it were possible, he would undoubtedly prefer to keep all the profits for himself. However, he recognized that his current position was still too vulnerable to withstand significant pressure. The only viable strategy was to distribute a portion of the benefits to safeguard the majority. This way, it was far better than being devoured entirely.

"With the royal family's endorsement, along with our elevated social standing, I doubt anyone in Germany would dare to target us," Karl nodded repeatedly, appreciating the thoroughness of Qin Tian's considerations.

As for the distribution of profits, Qin Tian planned as follows: twenty percent would be dedicated to social welfare, another twenty percent to the royal family, and the remaining sixty percent would be at his disposal. After all, to fulfill his promise of donating a battleship to the German Navy, the required funds were no small matter.

"Then let us proceed with this plan. Tomorrow we shall register the company, secure an office location, and begin preparations. Within three months, our lottery will officially launch," Qin Tian declared.

Despite three months being an exceedingly brief period for preparation, the urgency of the situation left him no time for extensive planning.

"Your Highness, we can initially promote our lottery in Northern Germany, and once we achieve success, expanding to Southern Germany will be considerably easier. Of course, we will need to apply for a patent for this method; otherwise, those unscrupulous individuals will quickly attempt to imitate us," Karl said, gritting his teeth.

Qin Tian nodded, "Then after registering the company, we shall apply for the patent."

"This is my entire savings—five million marks—as the starting capital for the company. If we manage our expenses wisely, it should be sufficient. You shall serve as the legal representative of the company. I will grant you twenty percent of the shares," Qin Tian stated. Given his status, it would be inappropriate for him to act as the company's legal representative, making Karl's involvement ideal.

"Your Highness, it is an honor to partner with you. Besides, this is a venture that promises guaranteed profits. It would weigh heavily on my conscience to claim such a substantial share without investing any capital. Consider this money my investment in the company," Karl said, producing a check from his pocket.

Upon inspecting the check, Qin Tian noted it was issued by Deutsche Bank, with a value of one million marks.

"Karl, where did you acquire such a significant sum?"

"Your Highness, this is the startup capital my father provided me," Karl replied with a smile.

"Ha! It seems that Lord Jonalett is quite supportive of our endeavor," Qin Tian laughed heartily.

"However, Karl, while you will hold twenty percent of the shares, your profit share will only amount to ten percent. After all, the remaining forty percent is earmarked for social welfare and contributions to the royal family."

"Of course, Your Highness, I understand. I am already very satisfied to receive ten percent of the profits," Karl replied sincerely. He recognized that even ten percent would still yield a phenomenal sum. Given Qin Tian's plan, with three draws each week, the annual total would indeed be astronomical.

The following day, Qin Tian and Karl registered the company and initiated the patent application process. The patents Qin Tian sought included not only the double-color ball lottery but also other future lottery formats like the Mega Millions.

Qin Tian's royal status afforded him numerous privileges during these processes, allowing matters that would usually take a long time to be completed within a week.

Next, the company began recruiting employees, and preparations for the lottery's launch were set in motion.

They engaged a specialized printing house to produce the lottery tickets, which featured custom anti-counterfeiting measures. Since selling lottery tickets at that time was not as interconnected as it would later become, each ticket was divided into two parts: one for the player and the other for the company's records. Sales would cease six hours before the drawing, and all recorded tickets would be sent to Berlin to prevent any collusion that might lead to fraudulent claims.

To promote the lottery, Qin Tian invested heavily in advertisements across Germany's leading newspapers. The advertisements were enticing: "Want to become an overnight millionaire? Try the double-color ball lottery—five million marks waiting for you!"

Although the vast expenditure on advertising drained their funds like water, swiftly consuming several million marks, the intense marketing campaign generated enormous excitement for the double-color ball lottery even before its official launch. Lottery enthusiasts throughout Germany were drawn to the prospect, and even those who typically abstained from playing were lured in.

In this era, few could resist the allure of a five-million-mark jackpot. Winning the grand prize truly promised a life-changing fortune overnight.

As time passed, on November 18, 1904, the double-color ball lottery from the German Welfare Lottery Company was officially launched across Germany. Initially, they had only planned to market it in Northern Germany, but the advertising impact was so substantial that it easily spread to Southern Germany as well.

Lottery sales outlets reported long lines as soon as they opened their doors. The sales of the double-color ball lottery were nothing short of a phenomenon.