2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 167 Returning to Work
When choosing a spokesperson last time, Tan Jincheng said that if there were any new spokesperson requests in the future, Gu Qingqing could choose one, and he would consider it accordingly.

Today, this opportunity has come to Gu Qingqing.

“Then I’ll have to think about it carefully. Choosing a male celebrity with such a pink complexion is definitely not a good idea.” Gu Qingqing glanced at the arm that was draped over her shoulder again without saying anything, and looked at Tan Jincheng with a smile.

Sure enough, the bottom line of humanity is meant to be crossed. If Gu Qingqing hadn't entered the room before, she certainly wouldn't have been so relaxed.

Gu Qingqing repeatedly thought about the people she knew, setting aside her own preferences, and analyzed them based on their image and what she considered to be popular, to see who would be the most suitable spokesperson for the new product.

Gu Qingqing was well aware that her opinion was only for reference. If it was not suitable or a certain celebrity asked for too much money, Tan Jincheng would still refuse. The development of Flash Motors would definitely be based on his will.

He did this simply to make her happy, and Gu Qingqing accepted that.

Suddenly, Gu Qingqing thought of someone and tentatively asked, "How is Xiaoyanzi? She's from your hometown, so maybe we can create some buzz? Besides, her previous incident happened several years ago, so it doesn't have much of an impact anymore."

"Huh? How did you come up with the idea of ​​her?" Tan Jincheng asked, somewhat surprised.

"She's popular. All three of them are very popular lately, and their TV series is re-broadcast every summer."

Tan Jincheng smiled and said, "She won't do. Although that incident is over, if her competitors or my competitors bring it up again, it will be a huge blow to the brand. We can't hire artists with blemishes, especially such serious ones."

If you were to ask which female celebrities were the most popular in 2005, besides the top three from Super Girl, the "Needle Prick Trio" would certainly be included. Moreover, the public's tolerance is quite high nowadays, and it's rare for a celebrity to be banned because of a certain form.

Unless you make very public statements.

However, Tan Jincheng, who came from the future, knew that the control over celebrities' speech would be very strict in the future, and he was also very clear about who were tainted artists.

The "Needle-Piercing Trio" may be popular now, but you shouldn't hire any of them, especially Xiao Yanzi.

After hearing what Tan Jincheng said, Gu Qingqing understood and then said with a smile, "Then I can only choose Liu Yifei, whom I like. I just don't know what price would be appropriate. If it's too expensive, then forget it."

Gu Qingqing initially wanted to mention Liu Yifei, but given how popular she is this year, she was afraid she wouldn't be cheap. Stars in their prime command a premium, and a relatively high one at that. Gu Qingqing had heard this from Tan Jincheng.

For example, if we were to sign Chun Ge now, the price would definitely be different from what it was before the top 10 qualifiers.

“Liu Yifei, her market price should be around 150 million a year, and she usually signs contracts for two or more years at a time,” Tan Jincheng said, stroking his chin.

The rapid increase in celebrity endorsement fees seems to have started after 2015. In 2015, various capital entered the entertainment industry, and with the rise of short videos, the internet officially entered the era of traffic, and the value of celebrities also soared.

Fifteen years later, 15 million yuan might not even be enough to hire a third-rate celebrity as a spokesperson, let alone a star like Liu Yifei whose endorsement fees have always been top-tier, because there are plenty of investors willing to spend money to hire them.

"150 million? That's so expensive! How many electric scooters would we have to sell to make that much?"

"The cost will eventually come from the consumer, so I'll just set the market price of each car higher."

"Huh? Is that okay? Aren't you worried people won't buy it? The new car is just nicer, right? In terms of practicality, the Flash is more practical."

"Being pretty is enough. Many women and men who like women (sycophants) are willing to pay for beauty."

"Okay, you're right. Women's clothes in the mall seem to be more expensive than men's clothes."

"Alright, then I'll do as you say. It's Liu Yifei. I'll contact her after National Day and see if we can reach an agreement. If we can do it like last time, I'll take you to the signing ceremony and watch the commercial shoot."

"Hehe, okay, thank you, brother. I'll want your autograph later."

Tan Jincheng looked at Gu Qingqing with a smile and said, "Just a thank you?"

"What else can we do? The negotiations haven't been successful yet."

"Let's collect some interest first." With that, Tan Jincheng pounced on him.

"Ah, again, um."

The house is full of spring scenery.

After a long while, the two finally separated. Gu Qingqing had returned to her previous state of intense heat and realized that if things continued like this, something bad would happen tonight. So she lowered her head and whispered, "I'm going back to sleep. It's too late."

The TV show "Bright Sword" had already finished airing sometime ago, and now the radio was playing, but no one paid any attention.

Tan Jincheng also felt that he would lose control if things continued like this, so he nodded and said, "I'll see you off."

As they reached the door, Gu Qingqing said softly, "Go back now, it's getting late, you must be tired today."

"Yes, I watched you go into the room."

The next day, the group continued to stroll around Hongcun. The biggest change compared to the previous day was that Gu Qingqing dared to openly hold hands with Tan Jincheng.

"Why are you being so bold today?" Tan Jincheng asked quietly.

"This is a reward for you, consider it a fee for your hard work as the driver; by the way, I'll pay for your room, I can't let you spend all the money." After returning home last night, Gu Qingqing didn't expect the other two to still be waiting in the room, and they questioned her until late at night, so today she simply stopped pretending.

"Did they say that?"

"Yes, the three of them said they would split the room fee."

"Forget it, no need. Just consider it payment for bribing the people around you so they can act as spies in the future."

"That's not a good idea, after all, it's not a small amount."

"It wasn't much money. Actually, I should thank them. If it weren't for them, you would definitely have had reservations about traveling alone with me, and I would have had to work during the National Day holiday."

Gu Qingqing thought about it and realized that what he said made sense. If it were just the two of them traveling alone, they would definitely have some concerns. But what kind of relationship would it be if they weren't together during such a long vacation? No wonder he agreed.

"I can only stay with you until the 5th. After I take you to Hangzhou and settle you in, I will have to go back. Be careful on your way back. If you can't buy tickets, call me and I will come to pick you up."

The statutory holidays for National Day are from the 1st to the 7th, but the make-up workdays on the 8th and 9th fall on a weekend. It is estimated that many people will take a 9-day break at once, so train tickets for these days will probably be hard to buy. That's why Tan Jincheng said this.

"We'll see when the time comes. If I really can't buy a train ticket, I'll come to you."

"Yes, don't buy a bus ticket. Buses are quite dangerous."

"I got it."

Two days in Hongcun, two days in Huangshan. Tan Jincheng took good care of them during these four days, especially the last two days in Huangshan. To be honest, Tan Jincheng didn't think climbing a mountain during the National Day holiday was a good idea, but the four girls felt that it was not easy to come here, and it would be difficult to have such an opportunity again next time, so they insisted on going to Huangshan.

Alright, they're all young people anyway. If they can't climb anymore, we can just find a sedan chair carrier to help them.

The four-day trip passed quickly. It's no exaggeration to say that the long holiday trip was exhausting. All five of them, including Tan Jincheng, were exhausted. On the fifth day, they slept until noon before checking out.

After a quick lunch, Tan Jincheng led the four of them to Hangzhou. Compared to when they arrived, the four, who had not yet recovered from their two-day trip to the summit of Huangshan, were much quieter.

"Oh dear, I regret not listening to Boss Tan. I'm never going mountain climbing again." Xu Manli, the most lively of the four, sighed from the back row.

"It's okay, this is a rare experience."

"Is Boss Tan returning to Ningbo today?" Chen Yanan asked.

"Well, I'll go back after dropping you off at the hotel. We can't compare to you college students; we factory workers have to go back to work tomorrow."

Chen Yanan continued, "Factory dog? Haha, that's an interesting term, but Boss Tan, you don't qualify as a factory dog."

He then added, "By the way, Mr. Tan, my dad owns an auto parts factory, but business isn't very good. I wonder if you could use their parts or place some orders with them so they can produce them?"

She's been here for a few days and has been wanting to ask this question. At first, she was a little embarrassed, but in the following days she was exhausted and hadn't found the opportunity. If she didn't ask today, she would miss the chance.

"An auto parts factory." Tan Jincheng thought for a moment. He didn't really have any business dealings with auto parts factories at the moment. Even if there were, it was mainly through Cheng Yongjun. After all, he still had to repay the favor he received at the Canton Fair.

However, getting to know another factory owner isn't necessarily a bad thing; if you're going to manufacture cars in the future, you'll need a lot of suppliers.

"Qingqing, take a business card from the compartment in front of your legs. Chen Yanan, find a way to give it to your father. I'll consider it if there's an opportunity to cooperate."

"Oh well."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Tan. You know, my dad always says business is tough when he comes home," Chen Yanan said happily.

Getting Boss Tan's business card was already quite an achievement, considering there's a clear difference between auto parts and electric scooters. Chen Yanan didn't believe she could secure the order on her own based solely on her status.

Chen Yanan gave Gu Qingqing a grateful look, took the business card from her hand, and glanced at it. The business card was very ordinary, with only the company name, Tan Jincheng's name, and contact information.

"My dad once said that the more ordinary a business card is, the more likely it is to be a private contact. It seems that being shameless this time was the right thing to do."

At 6 p.m., the group of five arrived at the booked hotel. After helping four people check in and having dinner together, it was already evening.

"I'm leaving now. Be careful, and call me if anything happens," Tan Jincheng said, hugging Gu Qingqing.

"How about we leave tomorrow morning? It's not safe to drive at night," Gu Qingqing said with a reluctant look in her eyes.

After spending five days together, their feelings for each other intensified rapidly, especially after they officially became a couple.

"It's okay. Hangzhou isn't far from home, and the road conditions are pretty good. I'll text you when I get home."

"Alright then, please be careful on your way."

"Okay, go upstairs, it's a bit chilly at night."

(End of this chapter)