Saying "Hello, Mr. Tao", Tao Yumo couldn't help but feel comfortable all over, feeling as if he had eaten ice cream in the summer.
It turns out that this is what it feels like to be a boss, it’s great!
No wonder my sister is so busy every day that she never returns home and doesn't care about her children.
In the past, the greatest power in Tao Yumo's hands was to control the eating, drinking, and drinking of two little ones. Now she suddenly changed her mind and took charge of three living people. She couldn't help but indulge in the pleasure of having such power.
"Yes!" She nodded pretendingly, "Hello everyone, welcome to the sugar game!"
"Thank you Mr. Tao!"
After seeing everyone off, Tao Yushu said, "Okay, I'll leave if there's nothing else to do. Remember my agreement with you."
Tao Yumo was just happy when her sister poured cold water on her. She reluctantly replied: "I know."
Making a profit within a year was like a curse placed on her head.
Starting your own business is so difficult!
If Mr. Tao's inner words were heard by others, he would probably be scolded. There were angel investors in the beginning, the office building was self-owned, and even the technical talents were readily available. He was still a future industry leader.
Mr. Tao's entrepreneurial journey was destined to be smooth sailing from the beginning.
Lin Chaoyang and his wife had left, and only Mr. Tao and three full-level soldiers were left on the seventh floor of the Prince's Building. He Zhiwen asked: "Mr. Tao, what is our job?"
Tao Yumo then remembered that he was already the head of a department and had to give orders.
"Clean up first!"
Mr. Tao issued the No. 1 red-headed document of Sugar Game, but unfortunately the work content was too down-to-earth, which hurt morale a bit.
She also noticed the problem and immediately added: "I'm going to buy office supplies in the afternoon. Each person has a quota of HKD 20,000!"
Hearing these words, Yao Zhuangxian and the others were filled with surprise.
In a game company like Sugar Games, the so-called purchase of office supplies includes not only regular office supplies, but also a variety of electronic products.
Xiangjiang is now a paradise for electronic products. Its status in Asia is equivalent to Shenzhen thirty years later. The golden computer market in Sham Shui Po is equivalent to Huaqiang North.
A genuine Apple Macintosh desktop costs less than HK$3,000, and parallel imports only cost about HK$1,000.
Yao, Yang, and He are all young people, and they are all engaged in the gaming and comic industries. They are more interested in electronic products than ordinary people.
HK$20,000 was enough for them to walk around in Sham Shui Po!
The three of them couldn't help but cheered "Long live Mr. Tao". Listening to this cheer, Tao Yumo couldn't help but narrowed his eyes in comfort.
Power and wealth are men's aphrodisiacs and women's beauty salons.
When leaving for Sham Shui Po in the afternoon, Tao Yumo suddenly heard something very important. She secretly asked Yang Yuansheng: "My sister hired you, have you negotiated your salary?"
"We talked about it. My monthly salary is 8,000 Hong Kong dollars, and I also have a living allowance of 2,000 Hong Kong dollars. Director Tao said the bonus will be based on the company's performance."
Tao Yumo's eyes widened when he heard this, and he returned the bonus? A month's salary plus subsidy is only 10,000 Hong Kong dollars. Isn't it 30,000 for three people? Just three people, a year's salary is 360,000 Hong Kong dollars?
If we recruit a few more people -
I don't dare to think about it, I don't dare to think about it at all.
Tao Yumo now regrets his arrogance just now. Office supplies and the like can cost five to six thousand yuan per person.
Then she complained that she had fallen in love with her sister and set such a high salary. She really didn't know how expensive food and rice were.
But at this moment, she couldn't care less about regrets or complaints. All she felt was the burning eagerness in her heart.
"Company startup, do you have any ideas about starting a business?" Mr. Tao looked calm and sincere.
Among the three, Yang Yuansheng is in charge of programming, and He Zhiwen has a background in comics. Both of them have been working for several years. Knowing that at this time, it is better to wait for the boss to express his ideas.
"I was making a game before—"
Yao Zhuangxian was born in engineering and taught himself the game. Newborn calves are not afraid of tigers. When Tao Yumo asked him, he spoke up.
"What game?" Tao Yumo asked casually. Unexpectedly, her subordinates actually had other ideas, so she asked further.
"Does Mr. Tao know about the Monopoly game?"
Tao Yumo's eyes lit up when she heard this. Isn't this consistent with the direction her brother-in-law pointed out to her?
She couldn't help but look Yao Zhuangxian up and down with appreciative eyes.
This little Yao is becoming more and more like a lucky general.
Yao Zhuangxian was a little embarrassed by Tao Yumo's naked eyes, "Mr. Tao——..."
"Let's go shopping first."
Tao Yumo acted vigorously and led the three people on a large shopping spree.
The next day, Yao Zhuangxian contributed his semi-finished "Monopoly".
He graduated from a technical college with a major in metallurgy. He participated in a computer hobby group and taught himself programming when he was in school.
Out of interest, he started making games by himself for the entertainment of his classmates. However, he himself had little time to play games because of making games.
After graduation, Yao Zhuangxian did not choose to engage in professional-related work.
Instead, I took the two shooting games I made in school and embarked on the road to find a job at a game company. Unfortunately, in the Bay Island game industry in the late 1980s, there were very few game companies that took the road of self-development.
Finally, I met a Daewoo and was taken under the spell, but Daewoo at this time was also a small workshop.
They were not even willing to pay Yao Zhuangxian a salary, and only promised him a commission for making games. This was a clear trick.
When Tao Yumo heard Yao Zhuangxian's experience, he couldn't help but curse him as a "black-hearted capitalist."
Through Yao Zhuangxian's narration, she also learned that her sister's cost of poaching Yao Zhuangxian was much lower than that of Yang Yuansheng. After all, Yang Yuansheng already had formal game development experience, while Yao Zhuangxian was still a new recruit.
Yao Zhuangxian's monthly salary is HK$3,000, plus a monthly living allowance of HK$2,000.
This salary is not low in Xiangjiang, not to mention that Yao Zhuangxian has not received a penny in salary for a year of work. Of course he will not miss such a good opportunity.
The one with the highest salary among the three is He Zhiwen. As a cartoonist who has independently written several comic works, if it were not for the fierce competition within the Yulang agency, which prevented him from being promoted to the main writer, he would not have been able to join Sugar Games.
From this small game company.
His salary at Yulang Organization was not low, and his salary at Sugar Games jumped to HK$12,000.
After seeing Yao Zhuangxian's semi-finished "Monopoly", Tao Yumo happily decided: "Let's use this game as the company's startup game!"
At the same time, she also promised several people that if the game successfully makes a profit after it is launched, the company will use 10% of the profits as bonuses to distribute to them, the creative staff.
Eating the pie painted by Tao Yumo, Yao Zhuangxian, Yang Yuansheng and others were immediately full of motivation and wished they could use their energy to develop games.
Seeing the condition of several of his subordinates as if they had been injected with blood, Mr. Tao felt a little complacent.
It’s not that difficult to be a boss!
Mr. Tao is obsessed with entrepreneurship and can't help himself. Others don't care, but Dongdong and Yan Yan are very anxious.
The two of them have been Mr. Tao's followers since childhood. Now that Mr. Tao is away from home all day long, the brother and sister can be said to have no food and sleep.
Crying and shouting to find my aunt (hua).
Tao Yumo disappeared again early this weekend. The two little guys were very anxious and clamored to find their aunt. Lin Chaoyang had no choice but to take his brother and sister to the Prince's Building.
"Why are you two here?" Tao Yumo was a little surprised when he saw the two little guys.
"I miss you." Lin Chaoyang said.
Tao Yumo complained: "Can't you two take care of the children? Don't you see that I'm busy?"
"What are you busy with? Playing games?"
The TV in the office was on. On the screen, Mario with the red hat stood motionless on the map of the Kingdom of the Sea, and the iconic sound effects came from the TV.
Before Tao Yumo could say anything, Dongdong ran over and rubbed the handle.
In less than five seconds, Mario fell to the ground and died.
Tao Yumo was heartbroken. How could she pass the level without her life?
Since the company opened, she has moved all the computers, game consoles and cassettes from home.
Coupled with some game-related equipment purchased by the company a few days ago, Sugar Games does not look like a post-game company after its opening, but more like a stationery store or a computer shop.
In the 1970s, Atari consoles became popular in Hong Kong, but a console cost 1,000 Hong Kong dollars, and a TV set cost 1,000 to 2,000 Hong Kong dollars.
Including game cartridges, it will cost at least HK$3,000 to play a game console.
For ordinary Xiangjiang families, this is a large amount of money.
Many game enthusiasts cannot afford game consoles, but they still need them, so this has become a way for some stationery store owners to make money.
Several game consoles are placed in the store to harvest the wallets of primary school students.
A machine shop is a game arcade in the Mainland, a place dedicated to playing arcade machines.
"There are only a few people in your company, but there are quite a few game consoles."
Sugar Games currently has a total of five people. In addition to the boss Tao Yumo, He Zhiwen, Yao Zhuangxian, and Yang Yuansheng are responsible for game development.
There is also a young girl named Wu Jiaxin who works as a finance and clerk.
Lin Chaoyang looked around and visually discovered at least 8 game consoles, 5 computers, and 1 arcade machine.
Among them, computers are office equipment, and game consoles are mostly made by Tao Yumo.
"To make a game, you must first be able to play the game!"
Tao Yumo said nonsense, but Lin Chaoyang nodded seriously, "It makes sense!"
She got the recognition by accident, and she was so happy that she took Lin Chaoyang to see the company's results in the past two days.
Yang Yuansheng was humming and typing codes on the DOS system. Lin Chaoyang recognized the letters and numbers on the screen individually, but he couldn't put them together.
Fortunately, there are results that don't require thinking. Tao Yumo took out the character design drawings and scene design drawings written by He Zhiwen, and said to Lin Chaoyang in a showy tone: "Brother-in-law, look!"
"This is our company's first game, "Monopoly."
Lin Chaoyang looked at these exquisite design drawings and asked: "Is it so efficient?"
"When Zhiwen was at Yulang Agency, he drew two to three hundred pictures a week. That's nothing!" Tao Yumo's tone was very proud of the abilities of his subordinates.
Lin Chaoyang read the design drawings one by one and found that the artistic level was much better than the original "Monopoly".
"If nothing else happens, our game will be available in June." Tao Yumo added.
Later, Yao Zhuangxian was still half-assed when he was working on "Monopoly" and it took him more than half a year to finish it.
Now that I have come to Sugar Company and work as a team, not only has my artistic level skyrocketed, but my efficiency has also improved exponentially.
"Well done!"
Lin Chaoyang's compliment made Tao Yumo look happy, and then he said: "Okay, you guys go ahead and get busy, I have something else to do."
After saying that, he was about to leave, but Tao Yumo stopped him, "Take the child away!"
"They want to find my aunt, what can I do?" Lin Chaoyang said irresponsibly, and then said to A Di who was following him: "A Di, please take care of me and don't affect Yu Mo's work.'
"Okay, sir." Adi responded respectfully.
Tao Yumo suddenly felt suffocated, and squatted down to look at the two little guys who were staring at her, "You two, please be honest, my aunt still has to work, you know?"
"knew."
The brother and sister answered in unison.
Tao Yumo nodded with satisfaction. As soon as he turned around, Yan Yan grabbed him by the corner of his clothes.
"Auntie, I need to pee!"
Tao Yumo let out a long sigh, I am already the boss, why do I still have to take care of the children?
Lin Chaoyang left the Prince's Building and drove to the Ming Pao Building.
He came today to sign a contract with Ming Pao Publishing House. The manuscript of "Enter the Master" has been handed over to Ming Pao Publishing House. He will only wait for the publication of "Harvest" in late May before the novel will be launched in Hong Kong.
He had an old relationship with Ming Pao Publishing House. After meeting and chatting with Dong Qiao for a few words, he signed the contract.
"Chaoyang, do you still have plans to expand your news business?" Dong Qiao suddenly asked.
Yulang Organization, whose surname is now Lin, owns several newspapers and periodicals such as Tiantian Daily, Qingxin Weekly, and Youth. It is not a vanguard in the Hong Kong newspaper industry, but it still has some status.
Lin Chaoyang was slightly surprised, and then thought of something, "It would be best to expand the scale, but there are currently no suitable opportunities."
"What if there is a chance now?" Dong Qiao said meaningfully.
"What's the meaning?"
"Mr. Cha intends to retire from the world."
Lin Chaoyang had already made a guess in his mind just now. After hearing the exact answer from Dong Qiao, he couldn't help but start making calculations in his mind.
It has been 30 years since the founding of "Ming Pao". It has developed from a single newspaper to today's newspaper group, which owns "Ming Pao"
"Ming Pao Monthly", "Ming Pao Weekly", "Ming Pao Evening News", "Chinese Evening News" and many other newspapers.
In addition, there are Ming Pao Publishing House, Ming Chuang Publishing House, Cuiming Holiday Travel Agency and other industries.
The newspaper industry in Xiangjiang has always been developed. In such a small city with a population of several million, there are only five listed newspaper companies.
It includes the New Line Organization controlled by the Emperor Group, Cultural Communications and Sing Tao Newspapers controlled by the Wu Xian family, Oriental Newspapers controlled by the Ma family, and the South China Morning Post controlled by Robert Kuok.
But in terms of asset size, among the five listed companies, only Sing Tao Newspaper and Oriental Newspaper with a market value of more than 3 billion Hong Kong dollars can be said to be stable and stable against Ming Pao Group.
How can Hong Kong, a city with a population of several million, accommodate so many newspaper companies?
The reason is that its influence radiates to Southeast Asia. For example, the Hu Xian family, which controls Sing Tao newspaper and cultural communications, started in Singapore.
Later generations still sell well in Southeast Asia, and the tiger balm that Chinese people bring back as souvenirs when traveling is their family's industry.
Newspapers such as Sin Chew Daily, The Tiger and The Summons controlled by Sing Tao Newspapers are local media in Singapore.
Ming Pao Group has not been listed for many years, but it is already the leading newspaper group in Hong Kong in terms of asset size and profitability.
It is not easy for either Lin's Pictures or Yulang Agency to swallow such a behemoth, but Lin Chaoyang also knows that Jin Yong is old and unable to manage the company, and none of his children are interested in running a newspaper business.
This is where you can take advantage.
"Help me make an appointment with Mr. Cha for dinner." Lin Chaoyang thought for a moment and then said to Dong Qiao.
Dong Qiao said speechlessly: "If I help you make an appointment for dinner, am I not exposing my own shortcomings?"
The outside world does not know that Jin Yong intends to retire. Even within the Ming Pao Group, only a few close associates of Jin Yong know.
"What are you afraid of? Maybe I will be your new boss in the future." Lin Chaoyang joked.
"Wait until you become the boss."
Dong Qiao said this, but he still sent a message to Lin Chaoyang.
Jin Yong's office is on the seventh floor of Ming Pao Building. It is divided into two rooms, one is a study room and the other is a reception room. The walls are painted and resplendent. He is sitting on a carved and gold armchair and listening to Dong Qiao finish speaking. His face is calm. He is a person.
He is not good at talking. When managing a newspaper office, he often writes notes instead of talking.
"So, they are also interested in Ming Pao?"
"Lin's and Yulang's organizations are apparently run by Mrs. Lin, but Mr. Lin has contributed a lot. They and his wife are businessmen with a big picture. Knowing that you are going to retire, they will definitely not miss it."
When Jin Yong wants to retire, his first priority is not how much money the company can sell for, but to find a good successor for the career he has worked so hard for all his life.
Ming Pao Group has not been listed yet and has always been owned by Hong Kong newspaper giants. As early as 1968, the South China Morning Post wanted to exchange shares with Ming Pao.
However, Jin Yong considered that "South China Morning Post" had a British-funded background and the share swap would inevitably bring troubles to "Ming Pao", so he refused.
After 1987, Li Ka-shing's Cheung Kong Holdings, Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, and the British Mirror Group successively expressed their willingness to acquire, but Jin Yong refused to accept them.
Ming Pao Group has never lacked good buyers, but it is not easy to find a buyer that satisfies Jin Yong.
Dong Qiao's revelation to Lin Chaoyang was entirely due to Jin Yong's instruction, otherwise he would not have dared to tell Lin Chaoyang such a thing if he had the courage.
"Do you want them to be the new bosses?" Jin Yong asked in a brisk tone.
Dong Qiao said frankly: "Mrs. Lin's personality and skills are well-known in the business world. She is not from the newspaper industry, which is a shortcoming. However, I have seen that the publications of Yulang Organization have been doing well in the past year or so."
Jin Yong didn't say anything. He gently rubbed his fingers on the armrests of the chair with a thoughtful look on his face.
After a moment, he spoke slowly, "Then let's have a meal first. Anyway, we still have more than a month."
Next month is May. The month is not special, but "Ming Pao" was founded in May 1969. Next month happens to be the 30th anniversary of the founding of "Ming Pao".
Every year on the first publication day, Jin Yong will hold a tea party. At this year's tea party, he will announce his retirement.
Dong Qiao said nothing more and exited the office.
In Deep Water Bay at night, the faint sound of waves can be heard in the distance. There are few lights in the huge villa area. Apart from the street lights on the road, the brightest lights are the bright lights of the mansions.
Villa No. 75 just changed its owner last month. Tonight, the lights suddenly came on, and the figures looked like they were moving.
"You really don't want to clean up anymore?" Lin Chaoyang asked Tao Yushu.
"I won't clean it up anymore. It's already good. It's not necessary to just move a house this big and cost tens or even millions."
Tao Yushu has always been simple-minded and doesn't like fancy clothes. The decoration of No. 75 Deep Water Bay is well maintained, but the style is a bit old, but it does not affect living. In her opinion, such a temperament makes people more comfortable.
These days, the villa has undergone simple renovations and is now ready for occupancy. Today is the day when furniture and appliances enter the home.
There were workers working, so Lin Chaoyang and his wife didn't need to worry, so they stood on the balcony chatting.
Tao Yushu asked: "Do you think we have hope of winning Ming Pao Group?"
When they met just now, Lin Chaoyang told her the news that Jin Yong was retiring. Tao Yushu was also very moved, but she had no confidence in taking over the Ming Pao Group.
In the past few years, there have been companies interested in Ming Pao Group, with various backgrounds. Whether it was in the name of Lin or the Yulang Organization, she did not think it would have an advantage in the acquisition.
"Jin Yong is now old and unable to participate in newspaper management. This is the fundamental reason why he wants to retire.
Ming Pao Group is his lifelong effort, and he wants to find a good owner for Ming Pao Group.
Money and power are not necessarily the first priority. It is more important to bring new development to Ming Pao Group.
The buyers who had previously considered Ming Pao Group seemed to have good backgrounds, but they had a fatal problem.
They are all big companies, big news groups. For them, the acquisition of Ming Pao Group is just a need for business expansion. Ming Pao Group may not necessarily have better development in their hands, and may not even be taken seriously.
I believe Jin Yong also understands this truth, that’s why he didn’t agree before.”
Listening to Lin Chaoyang's analysis, Tao Yushu also felt that it made some sense. She added: "If we really want to acquire Ming Pao Group, it will be too difficult for us, so we can only pledge the equity."
At the end of the year before last, in order to acquire Yulang Institution, Lam Films borrowed more than HK$200 million in debt for a period of three years. Now it has only repaid the first installment.
With the strength of Lin's Pictures, it would not be a problem to repay these loans all at once, but Tao Yushu would definitely not do that.
Considering the company's liquidity, if it wants to acquire Ming Pao Group, Lam Pictures can use up to 100 million in cash on its books.
Yulang Institution did not pay dividends last year, and the available funds in its account did not exceed 160 million at most, which totaled only 260 million Hong Kong dollars.
There is still a big gap between acquiring a behemoth like Ming Pao Group. The only way to implement this idea is to raise funds, and pledged equity loans are the easiest way.
"I should have known better than to buy this house!"
After doing the calculation, Tao Yushu said with some regret.
Lin Chaoyang said with a smile: "With a business of 1.8 billion or 1 billion, how many tens of millions are still missing?"
He said calmly: "With our strength, it will be a bit difficult to take down the Ming Pao Group, but it is not a big problem. Whether it is the Lin Group or the Yulang Organization, we are firmly under our control. It doesn't matter if we pledge part of the equity."
"If you borrow money, you must pay it back." Tao Yushu said.
"If we really get control of the Ming Pao Group, are we still worried that we won't be able to pay back the money?"
Tao Yushu and Lin Chaoyang looked at each other. For her who was already familiar with capital market operations, Lin Chaoyang's subtext was not difficult to understand.
"Then let's wait until we meet to talk."
A few days later, Wan Chai.
Wan Chai Road is bustling with traffic, row upon row of buildings, and neon lights flashing on the buildings on both sides of the street. It fits the stereotype of Asian cities in Hollywood movies.
Those seemingly inconspicuous store signs hide many treasures, and Hangzhou Restaurant is one of them.
This restaurant, which has not been open for a long time, specializes in one of the few Hangzhou dishes in Xiangjiang. Although the name of the restaurant does not look big, the taste is very authentic.
Tao Yushu put a lot of thought into placing the banquet place here, because Jin Yong was from Zhejiang.
"Mr. Cha!"
"Lin Sheng, Mrs. Lin, I haven't seen you for a long time!"
As soon as they met, the two sides greeted each other warmly.
After sitting down, he ordered several classic Hangzhou dishes such as Dongpo Pork, Rice Balls with Rice Balls, and West Lake Fish in Vinegar. Tao Yushu said with a smile: "The owner of this restaurant is an authentic Hangzhou native, and his craftsmanship has been passed down from generation to generation. Mr. Cha can taste it."
"Jian."
"Hearing what Mrs. Lin said, my appetite was whetted." Jin Yong said with a smile.
While waiting for the food, the three of them chatted about home affairs.
Jin Yong mentioned "The Examiner", "I have read the manuscript of Lin Sheng's new book. The angle is very strange, the text is delicate and moving, and the philosophical thinking about life and death in the article is impressive."
Lin Chaoyang said a few polite words and then talked about the publishing of the novel.
After the food was served, the three of them chatted while eating, and the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant. "The taste of Hangzhou cuisine in this restaurant is indeed very authentic. It is rare to eat such authentic Hangzhou cuisine in Xiangjiang. Unfortunately, I am older now.
My appetite is not as good as before." Jin Yong said while wiping his mouth.
For today's meal, treating guests to dinner is not the focus.
Tao Yushu said with a smile: "It doesn't matter if you have a little appetite. The restaurant is right here. Mr. Cha can come anytime he wants to eat."
There seemed to be some deep meaning hidden in her words.
"Thank you, Lin is so considerate." Jin Yong still smiled kindly.
After making a sharp remark, Tao Yushu asked, "I heard that Mr. Cha is planning to retire recently?"
"I have this plan. As I get older, my brain is not flexible anymore. If I keep occupying seats, it will easily bring trouble to the company.
None of the children in the family want to take over, and there are no suitable candidates within the company." Jin Yong said frankly.
Upon seeing this, Tao Yushu asked directly: "What would Mr. Zha think about the acquisition of Ming Pao Group by Yulang Agency?"
Jin Yong looked thoughtful, and Tao Yushu said unhurriedly: "We plan to acquire Mr. Cha's equity in cash at a price that is 10 times the current net profit of Mingpao Group."
In 1988, Ming Pao Group's annual profit reached HK$65 million, and 10 times the price would be HK$650 million.
There are two shareholders of Ming Pao Group, which have not changed over the years. One is an old classmate of Jin Yong, and his old partner Shen Baoxin holds 20%.
of equity.
Chapter completed!