Chapter 107: Old Ding's Business Wisdom—Simple, Blunt, and Eye-Catching

The next morning, as soon as he opened his eyes, the day became busy.

He went to the docks to unload the cargo, arranged for staff to load the trucks, transported everything to the warehouse under their control, and had to personally go to Deep City to meet the engineers sent by the Huitian family.

By the time all this was done, it was already midday.

He had a drink with the group of engineers, then left the rest of the reception to Wang Tiancai. Zhang Tianfeng returned to Ding Yan’s table.

“Phew, not speaking the same language really makes communication a pain.”

“Isn’t that the truth? The first time I saved that kid, I just scolded him without holding back, shouting all sorts of insults. Only later did I learn a few useful phrases.”

Ding Yan poured Zhang Tianfeng a glass of wine and said, “Brother, after lunch, let’s have a good talk about the advertising company.”

Ding Yan had plenty of money, but he was no fool. What he said yesterday was purely to give Zhang Tianfeng some face and to provoke Qin Lin a little.

He didn’t think highly of Qin Lin—those men who lived off their connections with the seafaring crowd were full of scheming, and best avoided if possible.

If there was ever a chance to put them in their place, he’d seize it without hesitation.

“Sure, I’ve been wanting to talk to you about it too.”

After lunch, they went to the office where the cool air-conditioning was running. Zhang Tianfeng sat in a chair, Ding Yan on the sofa, each with a copy of the business plan in their hands.

This was the proposal Zhang Tianfeng had put together overnight for the advertising company, covering the scope of business, shareholding structure, and profit distribution models.

Don’t be fooled by Ding Yan’s lack of formal education—when it came to finding flaws, he was unrivaled. After just two pages, he pointed out three issues.

The first: the shareholders’ rights weren’t clearly defined—did they have the right to make proposals or veto company expansions, and what was expected of them when the company faced difficulties?

The second: whether dividends would go through the company account or private accounts. The third: the authority to appoint employees.

Zhang Tianfeng was taken aback by his insight.

“You’re good, brother, I didn’t expect you to be so sharp.”

“All learned the hard way!”

When Ding Yan first came ashore, he’d tried his hand at various businesses, and was cheated many times, losing nearly five million yuan in total. All these lessons were bought with real money.

Of course, those who cheated him didn’t fare well either—some never made it back ashore, others were beaten until they returned the money.

“Shareholders only have dividend rights, not the authority for resolutions or appointing employees. I’ve already written all this into the contract—I’ll show you later.”

“That’s actually a relief.” Ding Yan put down the proposal, reclined on the sofa, and said, “Have you got any plans for your first advertisement?”

“Of course—I’ll shoot an ad for my own toy factory.” Zhang Tianfeng grinned. “Brother, I may need your help later, to act as the company’s legal representative.”

“Not showing your face? Whose toes are you stepping on this time?”

Ding Yan seemed plainspoken, but his mind was keen. Back on Little Japan Island, he had already figured out Zhang Tianfeng’s style and character. That was how he survived at sea.

“So, how will you shoot it? Tell me, let me learn a thing or two. Later I can brag to my kids that I was a student of the little stock god.”

“Don’t even mention it—I haven’t figured it out yet.”

Advertising in other industries was easy—either cheap and widespread, or costly but targeting a precise consumer group.

But toys were tricky. Given the current product range, Zhang Tianfeng could only think of offering better margins to distributors as a promotion.

He’d need to adjust his old-world experience to suit the current circumstances.

“For advertising, the best is simple and eye-catching—something that leaves a strong impression at a glance. But the toy factory’s products aren’t there yet. I need a few days to think of something new.”

Ding Yan nodded and said, “In our seafaring circles, there’s a saying—if you want people to remember you, you have to treat them well first.”

“No matter if someone is grateful or ungrateful, win them over first, then sift through them later.”

“Take your time, brother, I’m in no rush.”

Treat people well? Give away toys? That hardly seemed realistic.

But as he thought it over, inspiration suddenly struck Zhang Tianfeng.

He came up with a brilliant idea—television direct sales.

In this era, while mobile phones weren’t common, home appliances had already made their way into thousands of households.

Television resources were seriously lacking; most channels shut down at night, leaving viewers staring at static.

If he gave the TV station a little money and provided content, they’d surely take it.

By coincidence, he was about to sign with several top cartoonists. With a bit more money, he could buy animations produced by Toei and insert a bit of advertising among them—there was his material.

If possible, he could even introduce a “call-in to request anime” feature.

That money-making gimmick had gotten many kids in trouble!

“Brother, I’ve got it!”

“So soon? Impressive! The little stock god lives up to his name!” Ding Yan gave him a thumbs-up. “Since you’ve got a plan, I won’t worry.”

“Once things wrap up here, I have to go home for a while. I’ve been away too long—I need to see my wife and kids. Next time I’m here, it’ll be time to make money.”

“Brother, you can get started right now.”

“Really?” Ding Yan’s eyes lit up, shining brighter than a lamp in the night.

“Hahaha, I knew the little stock god wouldn’t leave me behind. Quick, which stock should I buy?”

“Deep City Stock Exchange—Su Sanshan.”

Last year’s Shenghaitan subscription certificates had caused a frenzy in the Shenghai stock market, and people called them “get-rich certificates.”

When they were issued in Deep City, it led to a spectacle: sacks and sacks of ID cards were shipped from all over the country, used by big players to buy the certificates.

Chaos and lack of regulation summed up the stock market at the time.

The story’s protagonist was named Li Daxing. He came from a decent family and worked in a good environment, but his meager salary left him dreaming of getting rich, so he wanted to try his luck in the market.

He embezzled public funds to speculate in stocks, lost everything in Deep City’s stock market, and, fearing exposure, began forging acquisition announcements. He picked the cheapest Su Sanshan stock, bought in bulk, and hyped it up.

Everyone believed buying stocks meant making money, and with news of a big company acquiring Su Sanshan—complete with official announcements and seals—the investors went mad, all buying up the cheap stock and pushing its price up rapidly.

Soon, the stock exchange’s management noticed something was off. After an investigation and clarification, Li Daxing’s get-rich dream was shattered.

The police tracked him down through his fax machine number and arrested him.

Despite all his effort, he only made thirty thousand—classic case of toiling for little reward.

Zhang Tianfeng had been watching him. Li Daxing was in Deep City, hopelessly addicted to the market and losing worse than anyone.

It wouldn’t be long before he made his move.

When the time came, Zhang Tianfeng would swoop in, sell off all his stocks, and be the biggest winner.

“So it’s Deep City! I thought you meant Hong Kong.”

“Is there a problem, brother?”

“I have an enemy in Deep City—he seems well-connected with the stock exchange leadership. If I show up, he’ll notice right away.”

Ding Yan paused, then said, “Brother, how about I give you the money and you buy for me? Let’s start with ten million, and if it’s not enough, I’ll gather more. Don’t worry, you’ll get every bit of compensation due.”

Was it really about compensation? This was about whether or not he’d run off with the money.

Ten million in the 1990s—were all the seafaring bosses this rich?

“Brother, you’re not worried I’d run off with it?”

“Not at all. You’re an honored guest of the Huo family—what do I have to worry about? To you, ten million is nothing.”

Not nothing, but bigger than most people’s goals!

Zhang Tianfeng thought for a moment. “Brother, hear me out first. If you think it’s suitable, we’ll proceed.”

His plan was to borrow the ten million in the form of a loan, with interest calculated at the current bank rate.

When the Su Sanshan event was about to kick off, he’d invest it all in stocks, then return both the principal and the profits to Ding Yan. The interest would be his reward for handling the purchase.

“That’s the little stock god for you—sharp as ever. That works, let’s do it your way.”

“Alright, wait here. I’ll fetch the property deeds for the factory—you’ll need them as collateral.”

Ding Yan didn’t refuse, knowing Zhang Tianfeng was serious.

That was good—it would prevent any disputes over money later on.

They got busy again: re-drafting contracts, going to the bank for the transfer, and establishing a preliminary shareholders’ agreement for the advertising company.

By the end of all this, it was already evening.

The sun was setting, the cicadas had quieted, and crickets began to chirp.

In the office, as Ding Yan signed the contract, their relationship officially shifted from friends to business partners.

“Sigh, all this business is exhausting. Just putting my fingerprint on the contract annoys me. You’ve been at it all afternoon and still have energy—I really admire you young people.”

“If I gave you ten million, wouldn’t you be energetic too?”

“More than energetic—I’d happily swim in the sea all night if you asked.”

Ding Yan laughed, wiping the red ink from his shirt. “Brother, I’ll head off now. I need to get home, so I’ll skip dinner.”

“Alright. But, brother, when I call, don’t be late.”

“Don’t worry—when it comes to making money, I’m never late.”

After seeing Ding Yan off, Zhang Tianfeng returned to his office in high spirits.

Old Ding was truly a good man—not only did he bring much-needed supplies, but he also solved Zhang Tianfeng’s funding problem.

With ten million in hand, he’d be able to turn things around in spectacular fashion.