Chapter 692: Chapter 705: Wufu Prepares to Enter the Mainland
Monday morning, Five Auspicious Jewelry meeting room. This meeting was convened by Lu Jiaxin, with the theme of the meeting being the entry of Five Auspicious Jewelry into the Mainland.
Liang Weibo had no objections to this, as Lu Jiaxin had mentioned long ago that Five Auspicious Jewelry would eventually enter the Mainland. He had also been to the Mainland to investigate and found the prospects promising. Hong Kong and the Mainland share a common origin, and their ideas are basically the same. Older women, young ladies, and young wives all love gold jewelry; whether it’s for weddings or a child’s first birthday celebration, they all enjoy buying gold jewelry. Although the economy is not as good as Hong Kong’s now, the market with over a billion people is huge. In addition, the boss has good relations with the Mainland, so entering the Mainland will not only face no obstacles but also offer many conveniences.
Deputy General Manager Liu Zhicheng disagreed with entering the Mainland. His reason was simple: the Mainland’s poor ordinary people couldn’t afford gold jewelry, and opening a store in the Mainland would absolutely lead to losses.
Hearing his firm tone, Liang Weibo frowned and asked, “Have you been to Peng City?”
Liu Zhicheng nodded and said he had been there at the beginning of the year, noting that most of the company and factory owners in Peng City are Hong Kong people. They could easily buy gold jewelry in Hong Kong, so why go out of their way?
Lu Jiaxin did not explain to him and said, “This meeting is not to solicit your opinions, but to have you come up with a plan. Once the plan is approved, this project will be launched.”
Five Auspicious Jewelry is a listed company, but she and Nie Zhan hold 61% of the shares, giving them absolute control. Although they don’t manage daily affairs, anything she decides must be quickly implemented.
Upon hearing this, Liu Zhicheng stood up and said, “Miss Lu, if you insist on having the company enter the Mainland, then I will resign.”
It wasn’t meant as a threat to Lu Jiaxin, but he genuinely believed that entering the Mainland was a reckless decision that would lead to inevitable losses. Such a large investment failing could put Five Auspicious Jewelry at great risk.
Without batting an eye, Lu Jiaxin said, “You can handle the resignation procedures now.”
Liu Zhicheng left with a stern face. Since Lu Jiaxin was sitting above, no one dared to advise him, fearing that they might lose their own jobs if they did.
Liang Weibo indicated that he would quickly come up with a plan.
Lu Jiaxin is only concerned with the company’s overall direction. After deciding on entering the Mainland, she left the rest to Liang Weibo. She then went to Green Forest to finalize the autumn and winter clothing styles.
Green Forest employs many fashion designers, some of whom are quite renowned. Those with fame have creative freedom without company interference; those without fame or creativity design clothing according to Lu Jiaxin’s requirements, and these clothes sell very well. As someone who stands on the shoulders of giants and continually learns, she has a keen grasp of fashion trends.
Lu Jiaxin has six companies under her name: Xinxin Real Estate, Wanjia Film and Television, Xinxin Supermarket, Green Forest, Five Auspicious Jewelry, and Yongjia Cosmetics.
Among these six companies, Lu Jiaxin has invested the most effort into Green Forest. Fortunately, her two years of hard work have not been in vain, as Green Forest’s products are now sold across Europe, America, and Southeast Asia, with last year’s profits totaling 800 million.
Liang Weibo moved quickly, presenting the plan to Lu Jiaxin the following afternoon.
After reviewing the plan, Lu Jiaxin pointed out a few areas that needed modification: “First, buy the stores directly instead of renting; now, Mainland property prices are cheap, and buying stores is a good deal. Second, quickly establish our own processing factories and suppliers to form a complete supply chain. Third, recruit jewelry craftsmen nationwide. As long as they meet our requirements, let them propose their own compensation.”
Opening stores in the Mainland with sufficient funds to purchase properties is the safest approach. Otherwise, business may thrive only for the landlord to raise the rent. Normal price increases are understandable, but some increases are exorbitant, forcing you to relocate the store. Not to mention the cost of renovations again, it’s also time-consuming and troublesome. Of course, the likelihood of malicious rent hikes for a Hong Kong-invested enterprise like theirs is relatively low, but after purchasing the store, it can appreciate in value.
Liang Weibo knew that Lu Jiaxin understood the Mainland better than he did, and he immediately agreed.
The discussion lasted over two hours before it ended, by which time Lu Jiaxin was starving. She called Nie Zhan: “Have you had lunch yet?”
“Not yet. Where are you? I’ll come to pick you up.”
Lu Jiaxin said, “We haven’t had French food in a while, let’s have that today. You don’t need to pick me up; you head over first and order, so the food will be ready when I arrive.”
The French restaurant is closer to Nie Zhan’s company.
“Alright, I’ll head over now.”
Half an hour later, Lu Jiaxin arrived at the French restaurant. As she sat down, she curiously asked, “Why haven’t I seen Feng Qinglei? Is he not here today?”
Having been there many times and always seeing Feng Qinglei, it was the first time she didn’t see him, prompting her to inquire.
Nie Zhan smiled and said, “His family’s urging him to get married, and he’s been busy with matchmaking recently. To escape the hassle, he’s gone on vacation abroad and doesn’t know when he’ll be back.”
Speaking of vacations, Lu Jiaxin felt a twinge of desire but quickly dismissed the idea due to Five Auspicious Jewelry’s entry into the Mainland.
Nie Zhan said, “Qinglei went to Iceland this time. When he returns, I’ll ask him if it’s fun, and maybe we can go there next time.”
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, “Once I’m done with my current tasks, we can go.”
Nie Zhan knew her plans and asked puzzledly, “Why is the first store in the Mainland not in Yangcheng City or Peng City but in the Forty-nine City?”
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, “I was born in the Forty-nine City and grew up there, so it’s naturally my first choice. You’ll see, business will be good.”
In fact, her first store’s location in the Forty-nine City was due to several considerations: the city’s characteristics and the consumer base being two of them.
Nie Zhan wasn’t worried about losses at all. The Mainland market is so vast, and by entering early, they could have endless streams of wealth flowing in.
Nie Zhan said, “Jiaxin, have you ever thought about how dispersed your six companies are? It consumes a lot of your time and energy. Jiaxin, you should consider integrating these six companies.”
Integrating the six companies under a single group would facilitate management and also allow people to intuitively recognize the capabilities of Hong Kong’s top female tycoon.
Lu Jiaxin had actually considered this issue long ago but never acted on it: “Once Wanjia Film and Television goes public, I’ll integrate them into a group. Also, Xinxin Real Estate is my private asset and will not be included in the group.”
Nie Zhan was speaking hastily earlier and smilingly changed the topic: “Today, Tao Yong called me, inviting us to dinner at his new home this Saturday, and I agreed.”
Lu Jiaxin had previously sold DLG Towers, and Tao Yong had bought a large flat there. Last year, he redecorated the place. Since the furniture was newly purchased, he let it air out and didn’t move in immediately. More than half a year has passed, and with Yu Meitong pregnant and finding their home too cramped, they’ve decided to move there.
Lu Jiaxin asked, “Did you invite Sister Shimeng?”
Lu Jiaxin immediately called Zong Shimeng to ask what gifts would be appropriate. She let Nie Zhan handle the housewarming gift, while she wanted to choose a gift for Yu Meitong and the baby in her belly.
The two of them discussed for half an hour before deciding on the gifts.