pjbooks Chapter 107 [Give Me a Clear Answer]
Chapter 107 [Give Me a Clear Answer]
Chapter 107 [Give Me a Clear Answer]
The sunlight grew stronger and stronger, illuminating almost the entire room.
I thought that by comparing the data from previous videos with the 500 screenshots of comments, bullet comments, and private messages from people who expressed interest in buying the product, I could quickly gather enough.
The video, titled "What's it like to buy four pounds of pork leg and make your own handmade beef balls? It took me several hours, and my hands are exhausted," has already garnered over a thousand comments in just three or four hours since it was uploaded.
But as Zhuang Zicong flipped through the list one by one, he found that there were only forty-one items for which he had a clear intention to buy.
Forty-one comments compared to over a thousand.
This ratio, like a bucket of ice water, silently poured over Zhuang Zicong's head, which was already feverish from the surge in data.
Is it really possible to gather the corresponding data reports and reach the target of 500 entries in just two days?
Zhuang Zicong couldn't help but blurt it out.
Liu Zhuohao did not answer immediately.
His gaze fell on another set of data:
Followers: 274741!
He's just over 25,000 short of reaching the 300,000 mark.
This is an exciting milestone.
But out of these 270,000+ fans, how many are truly there for the food?
The huge traffic generated by the first two videos of his rights protection efforts certainly made him famous, but most of the viewers were just "spectators" and "onlookers".
Those people are there to watch the story, to witness the drama of their rights protection and battle against unscrupulous merchants; they may not be interested in the delicious food they made.
This "handmade beef balls" video is Liu Zhuohao's first purely food-related video after the rights protection controversy. Even now, the videos about rights protection are still popular, and he can still see the data increase of those two videos from the backend data.
Logically, I should be able to leverage this popularity to gradually reach 300,000 followers.
But I've started updating my videos now.
These enthusiastic fans, seeing videos of the blogger they "follow" on their feed or homepage, especially videos about food, will they choose to click and watch them, or will they not watch them at all, or even unfollow them simply because the blogger has updated their video and appeared in front of them?
The number of views on the screen is still soaring, but the growth curve of the number of fans seems to have leveled off a bit more than before.
Liu Zhuohao took a deep breath, and the aroma of food wafted over from the kitchen.
He closed the dazzling backend data page, took a drag of his cigarette, and his vision gradually cleared.
"All five hundred remain unchanged."
He finally spoke, his voice steady, "We need sufficient data to show that we haven't fooled the manufacturers. If we rush into marketing now, the conversion rate will be terrible, and it will only damage the reputation we've worked so hard to build."
He turned to Zhuang Zicong and Liu Honghao, his eyes sharp: "Continue screening, focusing on those who ask particularly detailed questions, such as about expiration dates, logistics, WeChat sellers, Taobao stores, or even those who suggest I open an online store."
"These are the real potential customers, not just empty talkers."
"Also, keep an eye out for any comments that are stirring up trouble, and take screenshots of them as well."
Liu Zhuohao sat up straight again, and his cervical spine made a slight "click" sound.
He stretched his stiff, iron-like shoulders and neck, and stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray next to him.
"Forget it, we can't finish capturing all the data, but we still have to eat."
"Eat first, then continue working."
"One hundred and fifty is just the beginning; there's still a long way to go to reach five hundred."
As long as we maintain our reputation and quality control, we will have a steady stream of customers.
It's like opening an online store and acting as a middleman. Customers place orders in the store, and all you need to do is send the orders to the factory for them to ship.
Since preparing to open the shop, Liu Zhuohao set a goal for his employees, who were all professional chefs: one of them would prepare one meal a day.
It's both a chance to hone your culinary skills and an internal interview.
Today's lunch was prepared by Chef Cheng Bing: pork and cabbage dumplings with thin wrappers and generous fillings, served piping hot.
"So—" Huang Weixiong asked in a muffled voice, still gulping down his dumplings, "Does that mean that once we get this online channel working, every time we post a video, we'll put a link at the end or in the comments section, and if fans click on it and buy something, the money will automatically go into our account?"
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His eyes sparkled, as if he had seen a perpetual motion machine that automatically spits out money.
Zhuang Zicong swallowed a dumpling and replied, "Theoretically, that's about right. It's like we have a hen that keeps laying eggs, right, boss?"
He looked at Liu Zhuohao, his face also showing barely suppressed excitement.
This prospect has a huge impact on young people like them who are used to accumulating wealth little by little through physical labor and street vending.
This means that even without setting up a stall or opening a shop, they can still rely on this channel to generate a steady stream of income, just like buying stock funds during a bull market.
Every day when I open my eyes, I find that yesterday's earnings were hundreds, thousands, or even more.
"The premise is that this road must run steadily first, without overturning halfway." Liu Zhuohao chewed on his dumplings, his voice calm. "Moreover, the offline store is about to open. The initial decoration, rent, inventory, and promotions to attract customers are all pure investments, the kind that you can't see any results from."
"Before the store generates stable profits on its own, it will likely have to rely on the money earned from selling beef balls online to support it."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Huang Weixiong and the others: "Or, there might be another blood pack."
"Set up a stall," Huang Weixiong replied instinctively, but his expression became somewhat subtle.
Currently, the business of the street-side steak stall has been fully handed over to Huang Weixiong and his team for maintenance, while Liu Zhuohao only controls the overall direction and profit sharing.
"No, boss, our shop is about to open, why are we still going to set up a stall?" Huang Weixiong's tone was a little puzzled, and even a little disappointed.
In his mind, now that they've opened a shop, the brothers should be working together to make their mark in the new store. Why should they have to go back to guarding that stall exposed to the elements?
"We definitely have to set it up, at least initially, and then adjust it depending on the situation." Liu Zhuohao put down his chopsticks and looked at Huang Weixiong. "Don't forget, the popularity, regular customers, and reputation we've built up all stem from that steak stand."
He gave an example: "Even if we announce the opening of our new store with great fanfare, telling our old customers that we are opening a store, many people are used to that street, that location, and that atmosphere, and may not be willing to move."
"Consumption has inertia. If you buy things at a certain store every day on your way to and from get off work, you will habitually go to that store."
"So we have to use the stalls, like fishing, to lure customers to the new store."
Finally, he brought up the old story again: "Do you remember how we went from a breakfast stall to a steakhouse at the night market?"
Huang Weixiong was taken aback at first, then nodded emphatically.
Of all the people present, he was the only one who followed almost the entire process; even Zhuang Zicong was only responsible for online communication.
Those arduous years of preparing ingredients during the day, setting up a stall at night, and gradually building a reputation and regular customers instantly flooded my mind.
It was clearly only a few months ago, but now, as they prepare for the new store, it feels like a year or two has passed.
"But, but things are different now." Huang Weixiong scratched his head, trying to clear his mind. "Boss, you're a celebrity who's been on the news now, and our stall has become famous too. This influence—"
"Their influence is definitely better than before."
Liu Zhuohao continued, "But we still need to be prepared for both possibilities. The best-case scenario is that our reputation is good enough that the new store will be packed with customers as soon as it opens, and we won't need to attract customers at all."
"But we also have to prepare for the worst. Even if we do a lot of advertising, customers might just be too lazy to walk those extra steps, or they might think the new store is more expensive and decide not to go."
"So even if a new store opens, that steak stand on the street can't be closed down, at least not for a while."
"It serves as both a guarantee for our cash flow and the most direct and practical channel for driving traffic to new stores."
It's not just about setting up a stall to attract customers; there's also the previous news coverage, the promised vouchers, and the upcoming promotional video for the new store—
Liu Zhuohao cannot guarantee that every time he attracts traffic, it will have a huge impact.
But every time we attract traffic, we can draw the attention of a dozen or twenty people.
If you do this often enough, everyone will naturally know about it.
When it opens, people will want to go and take a look.
They said it would take one or two days, but in reality, it took Liu Zhuohao and his team nearly four days to filter, archive, and organize the five hundred screenshots with clear purchase intentions before sending them to Chen Min.
During this process, Chen Min and even Chen Youyin sent messages and made phone calls to urge him several times. Their tone gradually changed from initial expectation to a slight anxiety and subtle doubt.
This urging over the phone line, like fine grains of sand, gradually wore down Liu Zhuohao's already limited patience.
So now, he's less inclined to go to the factory and engage in face-to-face communication that involves probing and explanation.
Let's just solve it online.
A well-organized document, along with brief data explanations, was sent directly to Chen Min's email address.
After arranging a time with her, a video call request was made.
In the quiet rented room, Liu Zhuohao was all alone.
The computer screen still showed the backend data, which was not yet closed, and the ashtray next to it was piled high with cigarette butts.
The phone was propped up on the table, the camera pointed at his slightly tired but still bright-eyed face.
The video call connected, and Chen Min appeared in the frame at close range, but only for a fleeting moment.
"Excuse me, Mr. Liu, please wait a moment."
She spoke softly, and then Liu Zhuohao watched as she placed her phone on a phone stand, aligning the screen with Chen Youyin and Chen Jianye.
The three people squeezed in front of the camera, all with somewhat serious expressions.
Whether there were other onlookers behind them, Liu Zhuohao didn't know, and he was too lazy to guess.
"So, Boss Liu..."
Chen Jianye spoke first, his voice coming through the speaker, "According to what you said in this document, we're guaranteed at least 500 orders, right?"
His eyes were fixed on the camera.
Liu Zhuohao chuckled softly, a hint of helplessness in his expression.
"Boss Chen, Brother Jianye." He adjusted his posture to appear more relaxed on camera. "If five hundred people verbally tell you they want to buy your beef balls, will they all actually pay for them?"
"These days, even after you've paid for and received the goods, people still want to return them and get a refund."
"Not to mention, it's all just talk; we haven't even seen a single penny of deposit."
These words were like a fine needle, gently piercing the probing question in the other person's words.
Chen Jianye's words just now sounded a bit like someone in a mobile phone store or at a bank counter pressuring a teller, saying things like, "Just answer me, yes or no."
It's as if once you answer the question, the other party is responsible for everything that happens.
Are you responsible if you don't sell 500 orders?
That's not mentioned in the contract!
He only said that if the sales revenue did not reach three million within six months, his share of the profits in the transaction would be reduced.
In the footage, Chen Youyin and Chen Jianye's brows were visibly furrowed, and Chen Min's expression also froze slightly.
"Can't you even give a definite answer about 500 orders?" Chen Jianye's tone became more serious. "500 jin of meatballs isn't a big deal in our factory."
"Many cooked food stalls and small restaurants buy 100 to 200 kilograms at a time, and those with good business come to buy two or three times a week."
"You've been busy online for days, talking about how big your influence is on the website, but you can't even guarantee a 500-order figure —"
He hesitated.
"When it comes to business, who dares to guarantee 100% certainty?" Liu Zhuohao's expression remained unchanged as he spoke through the screen. "To put it bluntly, Boss Chen, if I were to boast to you now that we'll definitely sell 500 or 1000 orders this time, would you really believe me? You'd probably just think I'm even more unreliable, wouldn't you?"
Chen Youyin took over the conversation, trying to ease the tension, but his words also carried a hint of caution: "That's not quite how it works, Boss Liu."
"To do business, you have to have some ambition and think big."
"When you talked to me before, you were quite confident, saying you'd help us establish the 'Chen Ji' brand. Why are you so hesitant now? I listened to you; we not only expanded the production chain, but we've already rented several factory buildings."
As he spoke, he seemed to recall the ambition that description had stirred within him.
But looking back now, beneath that ambition, there was inevitably a sense of unease about uncertainty.
"To exaggerate, that was before the deal was even finalized," Liu Zhuohao replied very frankly, even a little too bluntly. "If we hadn't painted a rosy picture back then, we wouldn't have signed the contract, right?"
"But now that the contract is in black and white, if I keep making unfounded claims and then fail to meet them, wouldn't that be embarrassing myself and leave you all disappointed?"
His frank words clearly caught the three people opposite him off guard.
Chen Jianye pursed his lips even tighter.
"Alright." Chen Jianye seemed unwilling to beat around the bush any longer and asked directly, "Then, Boss Liu, give me the honest answer: how confident are you?"
"How many will we be able to sell this time? Four hundred? Five hundred?"
He was trying to extract a definite number from Liu Zhuohao, even if it was just a range.
The unease in his voice was palpable!
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