August 25th, Saturday.
In the blink of an eye, summer vacation was almost over, but the weather remained extremely hot.
The weather in Zhejiang Province this year was exceptionally unusual; March experienced a severe 'late spring cold', and June and July were scorching, making it the hottest summer in nearly 50 years of record-keeping.
Then, in August, it suffered the devastation of Typhoon Saomai, a super typhoon seen once in a century.
Saomai was also delisted due to its immense destructive power.
Typhoons are always an unavoidable topic for coastal residents, and July and August are the peak times for typhoon landfalls.
However, in Tan Jincheng's memory, the destructive power of typhoons seemed to have diminished after 2015.
He wondered if it was because the district had renovated all rivers and sewers after Maysak caused widespread destruction in Beicang, or due to climate change.
For the people of Beicang and Tan Jincheng, the most memorable typhoon was Maysak in August last year.
Townships were submerged beyond recognition, with many ground floors in low-lying areas completely flooded.
Thanks to the painful lesson of all his fast-food business assets being submerged in his previous life, Tan Jincheng had made thorough preparations, stacking sandbags high and elevating machinery.
Otherwise, the Flashy Xiabu Industrial Park factory, just established at that time, would have been ruined.
Therefore, even a reborn person should tread carefully in business.
Knowing historical trends is useless; in aspects like natural disasters, one moment of carelessness can lead to complete ruin.
For instance, Zhang Haiping suffered heavy losses during Maysak last year, with much of his ready-to-wear clothing and fabrics submerged, simply because he underestimated the disaster.
Tan Jincheng had even warned him at the time.
Today, Tan Jincheng came to the nursery.
Due to their respective distances and modes of transport, the children at the nursery would gradually begin to head home starting today, marking the end of their nearly two-month summer vacation trip to Beicang.
The temporary teachers at the nursery hoped Tan Jincheng would come to meet these left-behind children.
To be honest, they greatly admired this young boss.
A private enterprise owner, at an age where he should be full of swagger, could actually think of these things for his employees, paying out of his own pocket to bring their children over for summer vacation.
This was unheard of in Beicang, or even in the entire Yongcheng area.
Although it was a temporary nursery, the care was very thorough.
For 37 children, four temporary teachers and two caregivers were hired.
The cafeteria prepared special meals for both teachers and children, and many toys, picture books, and learning materials were purchased.
Furthermore, children were organized to visit places like the zoo and aquarium, which are benefits many kindergartens cannot provide.
"Children, summer vacation is almost over. When you go back, remember to study hard,"
The big boss Tan said at the outset, hitting the children where it hurt.
The first batch of nursery members ranged from 5 to 12 years old.
They dared not accept children too young, fearing accidents, and children too old were also troublesome, being in their rebellious phase – what if they got into fights?
It was stated at the press conference that this nursery would continue to operate, so his word must be kept.
From now on, they would stick to this age range.
"I don't have much to give you, so I'll give each of you a set of exam papers. Remember to complete them after you go back, and I'll check them when you come next year."
The five-year-olds were ignorant and innocent, while the older children only felt a deep malice.
Even the teachers didn't know whether to laugh or cry, thinking this young boss Tan was truly mischievous.
Fortunately, Tan Jincheng's whole family, including Zhang Wenzuo who often came to play, were all present today.
Apart from Tan Jincheng giving the children exam papers, everyone else bought small gifts, which made the children quite happy.
After a few more words of encouragement, Tan Jincheng left the time for his family.
Little Jinyue wasn't raised to be so delicate; she often came to play and was already very familiar with these older brothers and sisters.
Rural children are generally more precocious, and their parents also educate them well.
Knowing that the pretty little sister who often visited was the boss's sister, they usually doted on her, so Jinyue also had a great time playing there.
"Teachers, you've all worked hard these past two months. I wonder if you'd be willing to continue working part-time here next year and in the future."
All those hired were kindergarten teachers; the four teachers were all women.
One of the younger ones looked at Tan Jincheng with sparkling eyes and said,
"It's not hard work. Boss Tan, are you really going to keep this nursery running indefinitely?"
"Yes, as long as the company operates normally, it will continue. However, next year we'll need to change locations. Next year, I'll set up a larger, separate office at the new factory, along with a lounge for teachers and children to nap."
This year's venue was still too simple.
Since he was going to do it, he wanted to do it better.
Fortunately, an office building had been built in the new factory area, providing ample space for use.
"Why? No private enterprise has ever done this. What is Boss Tan's motivation for doing this?"
This was actually what they couldn't understand.
Nowadays, private enterprise owners didn't have a very good reputation.
Also, taking care of children inherently involved certain responsibilities.
Although an age range had been screened, who could prevent accidents?
If something happened and it escalated, it would cause trouble.
In their opinion, Flashy's salary and benefits were already top-tier among private enterprises in Beicang.
There was absolutely no need to undertake these strenuous tasks just for reputation.
If he really wanted to buy a reputation, wouldn't direct donations be better?
Tan Jincheng knew what they meant.
He pointed at Zhang Wenzuo and said,
"That's my cousin. He used to be a left-behind child too, and I have several younger siblings and cousins like him."
"There's not much I can do. Since they are my employees, working hard for me in my factory, if I can help, I'll help a little. It doesn't cost much either."
"There's a saying, 'Do good deeds, and don't ask about the future.' I am a businessman; making money is my goal, but if I can help others while making money, why not?"
Businessmen cannot be saintly in the marketplace.
In competition, one should do whatever is necessary; no one would fault you for eliminating competitors in one go.
But that doesn't mean businessmen must be cold-blooded; a factory with warmth can operate for a long time.
For an enterprise to maintain long-term competitiveness, besides focusing on products and sales, the attitude towards employees and their welfare are also crucial.
Everyone says Foxconn is a sweatshop, and admittedly, its benefits aren't particularly great.
But it's important to know that it has a sound system, started paying social security for employees very early, and has many employees who have worked there for over a decade.
The benefits in many factories run by so-called 'people's entrepreneurs' are far inferior to Foxconn's.
"Do good deeds, and don't ask about the future?"
The inquiring female teacher murmured.
Most teachers have a literary and artistic sensibility.
She felt that Boss Tan's words were truly profound, and at this moment, the image of this young boss in her mind was elevated significantly.
It's only right that such a person makes money.
—
After leaving the nursery, Tan Jincheng went home.
Tan Lihua had stayed in Beicang for a week and was returning tomorrow.
Although somewhat reluctant, he still had a formal job after all, and being away for too long was unreasonable.
He had received several calls this week, not urging him to return to work, but rather fearing he would leave.
Flashy's three-factory plan and the series of data from the press conference had spread widely after a week of fermentation.
Competitors could tell at a glance whether the data was true or false, and how much embellishment there was.
The peak season was almost over, and Flashy's dazzling data showed annual growth far exceeding its peers.
The crucial thing was that it was actually true! Not only was there no exaggeration, but it was even somewhat conservative.
Dong Jinggui was incredibly envious; at this moment, he truly wanted to find an outstanding marketing professional.
He also greatly admired Flashy's strategy of combining online and offline promotion channels.
At the press conference, Tan Jincheng admitted that Kaixin.com was his, and Dong Jinggui also went online to try it out.
He didn't quite understand how to use it, but it seemed very popular, as the internet was filled with news about Kaixin.com, and its valuation was rising daily.
The three spokespersons had also joined to help promote it.
This method of promotion was truly novel, allowing the spokespersons' fans to have a stronger recognition of the Flashy brand.
However, it was a pity that this promotional method was unique to Flashy.
Not everyone could create a Kaixin.com.
Although he didn't know the reason for its popularity, its success was undeniable.
However, he could draw inspiration from it and ask young Tan if Yadi's spokespersons could also open accounts on Kaixin.com or other websites to promote Yadi.
In the Zhejiang Province market, Ni Jie, the chairman of Luyuan, who had recently been closely contested by Flashy, was also filled with envy.
This data could firmly establish Flashy electric vehicles in the second position for annual sales.
There was still some distance from Xinyin, which held the top spot, but whether Flashy could overtake them in the coming months was uncertain.
News of Xinyin's marketing director's impending departure had already spread within the industry, which was a major personnel earthquake for Xinyin.
Originally, Zhang Congxun, who was mainly external, had fully returned to the company's daily operations, taking over all marketing department work.
Additionally, Yu Lin's departure also affected other departments and even some dealers, causing a significant stir.
Aima, newly entered into the market, was aggressive.
Xinyin was the most affected, but Yadi, Luyuan, and Flashy were also impacted, with leading manufacturers losing some personnel to poaching.
It was only now that the major leading manufacturers understood that Flashy's all-employee salary increase plan, proposed during its anniversary celebration, was not just part of its marketing campaign, but also aimed at stabilizing the company's foundation.
After all, compared to established manufacturers, Flashy was the least able to withstand extensive poaching.
"I told you this kid has some tricks up his sleeve," Ni Jie said to his wife, pointing at the newspaper report. "Across-the-board raises, improved benefits for management, and even throwing out a listing plan on the side. With such a big pie painted, who would still want to leave?"
"He certainly has some tricks, but what does that have to do with you introducing him to study at Yongcheng University? He didn't hesitate to beat you when he should have."
"No conflict. It's just that he's quite appealing. Besides, after going to university and learning something, he might become a bit more disciplined. Right now, his tactics are too wild, all unconventional methods that we truly struggle to parry."
Wherever Luyuan went, Flashy followed, often presenting itself as a junior learning from its seniors.
All the promotional effect was snatched by Flashy, leaving Luyuan's marketing department utterly exasperated.
It's infuriating!
(End of Chapter)