Chapter 20: China Joy

The first product pitch ended in failure. The reason, after all, lies with Zhao Ping'an himself. His personality is simply not smooth enough; he is far from having his edges worn down by life. But that's just the kind of person he is!

Originally, according to Zhao Ping'an's plan, he was preparing to first collaborate with a large chain store and then start promoting from one region. He was confident that with his product technology, he could quickly open up the national market. However, it seems that plans can't keep up with changes, and the way to promote the product still needs to be considered in the long term.

"Brother An, I think we need someone who understands event marketing."In the sparsely furnished office, Cao Zheng looked at Zhao Ping'an, who was sitting behind a simple desk with a furrowed brow, and expressed his opinion.

His words also forced Zhao Ping'an to re-evaluate the personnel structure of Anping Technology, which needed improvement. Both he and Cao Zheng came from design backgrounds, and to put it bluntly, their personalities were quite introverted, making them indeed not very suitable for the smooth-talking sales jobs. However, he did want to recruit a group of well-rounded talents.After all the talking, isn't it still because of a lack of money?

Last time, there was 1.2 million in the card. 500,000 was spent on purchasing operational equipment, 200,000 on road repairs, and 300,000 on a simple paint job for the five-story office building and some office supplies. Although there is still 200,000 left, Zhao Ping'an didn't dare to touch it. That money was reserved for paying the workers' wages. No matter how difficult it got, he couldn't delay paying the workers. This was a rule Zhao Ping'an had set for himself a long time ago.

"Alright, Xiao Zheng, post the recruitment notice on the official website, offering high salaries to attractCao Zheng was quite surprised; he knew Zhao Ping'an's financial situation very well. Now, he was somewhat regretting why he didn't borrow a bit more when he mortgaged his house back then.His house, although in a mediocre location, can't withstand the skyrocketing housing prices in Shanghai. He bought it for 1.8 million seven years ago, and if he sells it now, it would definitely double in price!

"Don't worry, I'll figure out the money!"Zhao Ping'an rubbed his slightly swollen head and casually tossed over a magazine, "And soon we'll have money! Damn it, if we're going to do it, let's go big!"

"Damn! Chinajoy?"

Cao Zheng looked at the introduction on the cover of the magazine and instantly understood Zhao Ping'an's meaning. His heart raced with fear. As a Shanghainese, he was definitely not unfamiliar with Chinajoy; it was the largest digital exhibition in China, officially known as the 'China International Digital Interactive Entertainment Exhibition.' Once, he had even forged a medical certificate to sneak out and see the showgirls, claiming he had a medical condition—circumcision.

It's just that Cao Zheng never imagined that one day he would step into the vibrant ChinaJoy exhibition hall as an exhibitor!

"Brother An, you need to think this through. This is quite a significant investment. Not to mention the increased exhibition fees, just the booth decoration alone, according to the organizer's standards, will cost a lot! And once it's used, it's just waste."

Cao Zheng wasn't foolish; Zhao Ping'an's claim that he could find a way to get money was merely through small business loans. After all, they were considered a small company with fixed assets. With a little maneuvering, getting a million or so wasn't difficult. But that was borrowed money! If they couldn't pay it back, it would be a big problem.

"No worries, you can't catch a wolf without letting go of the kid. Your brother here can design something worth five million. What is there to be afraid of? Let's do it!" Zhao Ping'an hammered down the decision.

...

The night was as dark as ink. The rural night lacked the neon lights and hustle of the city but was filled with a symphony of nature.

Zhao Ping'an put down the pen in his hand, took out his phone to check the time, it was 10 PM. If he didn't go home soon, his family would start worrying. During this time, whenever he had a moment, he would take out his notebook and sort through the vast amount of knowledge in his mind. That knowledge was his capital for daring to start a business and the future of Anping Technology. Its importance was self-evident, so he had to master it as

After stepping out of the room and seeing the light still on next door, Zhao Ping'an walked in with a smile, "Brother Fugui, if you had the chance to study back then, you would definitely have made it to Peking University!"

Li Fugui was lying on his custom-made wooden bed in just his shorts, revealing a body of highly visually striking, knotted muscles. He was holding a thick "New Chinese Dictionary" in one hand, while a flipped-open "New Concept Composition Appreciation" was resting on his chest. He seemed to have sensed someone entering long before, and without even looking, he asked, "Aren't you afraid of losing everything?"

Zhao Ping'an knew what he was referring to, and he didn't want to listen to his ears. Earlier, Zhao Ping'an had called his cousin Pan Dahai, who worked at the credit union in the county town, to inquire about a loan. Pan Dahai was straightforward and promised 1 million without hesitation. After all, he had come to the factory for drinks a couple of days ago, so he had some confidence.

"Scared!" Zhao Ping'an said with a bitter smile, his gaze drifting through the open glass window into the endless darkness outside. "There are too many things to be afraid of, afraid of living a life of mediocrity

After Zhao Ping'an greeted him, he went home to sleep. At that moment, Li Fugui, who had not looked up at him the whole time, slowly raised his head. A smile, long absent, appeared on his rock-hard face.

...

In the scorching summer, the fiery sun baked the earth. This was an uncomfortable season, but also a beautiful one. On the streets and in the malls, those women dressed in light clothing undoubtedly added a dazzling touch to this season.

In this season of both pain and joy, the highly anticipated chinajoy, which countless otaku and digital enthusiasts have been eagerly awaiting day and night, is finally about to open, entering the final countdown phase!

Zhao Ping'an and his two companions arrived in Shanghai a week early because there was still a lot of preliminary work to be done.

"Damn! Why is our booth so far off to the side when it's the same level as the others?"

At the Shanghai New International Expo Center, in Hall E7, Cao Zheng stood at his booth No. 106, which was only separated by a wall from Wei Wei's booth, and couldn't help but complain.

Right now, the venue is in the process of setting up the booths. When I just came in, I ran into a few other exhibitors. The three of them also inquired a bit and found out that a camera manufacturer from Northern Jiangsu offered the same price as them. But just look at their place?Although they are not on the main branch, they are at least adjacent to it. But what about their family?

You should know that in order to achieve the maximum publicity effect for this exhibition, Zhao Ping'an spent a lot of money. However, this booth doesn't look like it's worth 200,000 at all.

"Hey, brother, how much did your family spend on this booth?"Cao Zheng felt a bit annoyed, noticing that the booth next door was also under renovation. He stopped a foreman who looked like a leader, holding a bag, and asked, "How much?"

"120,000."After that person glanced at him, he didn't hide it either.

"Damn! Brother An, we've been scammed!"

Zhao Ping'an felt equally uncomfortable inside. The booth next door was exactly the same as theirs, and it wasn't even next to the restroom. It was actually 80,000 cheaper than theirs!

"This is simply bullying!"Having been tricked in his own territory, Cao Zheng instantly became furious and, after scanning the area, spotted an organizer wearing a work badge around his neck. He immediately stormed over in anger.

The two of them communicated in Shanghai dialect for a long time, and Zhao Ping'an and Li Fugui didn't understand a word. However, when the person was about to leave, he dropped a remark, seemingly knowing that Zhao Ping'an was the person in charge, and deliberately spoke to him in Mandarin.

"Do you know how tight the exhibition booths are right now? Just having a booth is already quite good. If it weren't for a leader above saying that your products might have some unique features, do you think a small company that no one has even heard of would qualify to enter?""Be content, you guys!"

After that person finished speaking, he left. Cao Zheng, with a flushed face, walked back and said, "Damn! This is simply too much. I really wanted to slap him just now!"

"Forget it," Zhao Ping'an patted his shoulder, "Why bother with a small fry like him? Don't worry, one day they'll have to come to us. By then, it will depend on our mood!"

"Haha, absolutely!" Cao Zheng laughed heartily: "In a few days, I'll show these guys who look down on others what high-tech really is!"