Reborn 92's Business Tycoon

Chapter 550: The criteria for being rich

'This is of course very simple. Money, of course, is indispensable. Before university, our teachers often told us to study hard and not to regret not studying when it's too late. I would like to add that after graduation, we must work hard to earn money and not regret not earning when it's too late.'

'So according to your criteria, what does it mean to be rich?'

The audience was certainly very interested in this topic. In the minds of the rich, what exactly counts as being rich?

"To be honest, this standard has actually been changing since I was a child. Now, I really have to think about it. However, broadly speaking, the view of a classmate of mine should be the voice of the majority. He said that what is being rich is simple: having money to spend, and spending it however you like!'

There was indeed applause here. Needless to say, this state of mind is truly what most people yearn for and pursue.

'Brilliant, yes, I also want to have money to spend and then one day be able to spend it freely,' the host also clapped his hands, 'so what is your standard now?'

'I'm a foodie, a foodie with no discernment, whether it's a roadside stall or a fly restaurant, whether it's meat or vegetables, high or low in calories, as long as it tastes good, I like it.

Then I'll talk about this issue from the perspective of a foodie.

A foodie, when they get a craving, will be particularly keen on something, for example, my parents have opened a noodle restaurant in the provincial capital – I won't say the name, to avoid any suspicion of advertising,'

the host thought to himself, 'You've mentioned it like that, successfully arousing the curiosity of many people, and you still have the nerve to say you're not advertising?

'In my family's noodle shop, the most expensive noodle dish is 5 yuan a bowl. But, just as an example, in order to satisfy my momentary desire for food, and to eat that 5 yuan bowl of noodles, I don't mind spending 20 yuan on taxi fare back and forth. It's just that if I go like this once a week on average, it's not very painful, and it doesn't affect my normal standard of living. Then I think that such a life is just fine.

If I want to eat it today, I'll spend 20 yuan for a trip, and if I want to eat it tomorrow, I'll spend another 20 yuan for a trip. If I do this every day, I can still afford it and it won't affect my spending in other areas of my life.

To take it a step further, right now, I'm in the capital city. After the show, I suddenly feel like eating a bowl of noodles my mother cooked. I'll go to the airport in a bit to buy a ticket and fly back to the provincial city, and from the airport, I'll take a taxi directly back to the village. And my mother won't blame me for being wasteful. A day like that should be considered luxurious.

Those classmates who are still in school will probably still be thinking about whether they can live a life of luxury like the one described at the end of the story, as Feng Yiping said. They don't actually know that for many people, the kind of luxury Feng Yiping thinks about is really very trivial.

For example, when Mr. Liang, the movie star, is not in a good mood—for example, when Mrs. Liang, Miss Liu, is exposed again partying with hot guys at nightclubs—Mr. Liang will take the nearest flight to London to feed the pigeons.

As for the adults present, with their old parents to support, their children to educate, and their own transport costs to pay, they generally can't really afford to spend 20 yuan on transport to eat a bowl of noodles that costs 5 yuan.

As for the last type, please, is that really living? That's just sick and pointless.

'Your income bracket is really unique,' said the hostess, who had hoped that Feng Yiping would name a specific figure, because that would be considered wealthy. However, she had come to understand that the young man in front of her was no pushover.

'Finally, let's talk about your book. I know that you have written a best-selling novel before, but this time, you have written a book on business management. What prompted you to want to write such a book in your freshman year? You should know that many of the professors who taught you were unable to publish a single book.

Also, when you wrote this book, did you anticipate its popularity? Because as far as we know, many newspapers and publications in the United States have highly praised your book, not to mention the fact that most multinational companies around the world are now talking about the benefits your book may bring to their work.

'As I said before, I have been thinking about how to do business and how to do it well for a long time. Even though God was laughing the whole time, I never stopped.

After I went to university, I made a lot of new arrangements for both work and life. While making these new arrangements, naturally I had to sum up what I had been doing and thinking about before. A large part of this book is the result of that summary.

Coincidentally, at the end of last year, I set up a magazine company in Hong Kong and planned to publish a serious political and economic publication with a relatively high positioning. The target user group overlapped to a large extent with the readers who welcomed my book today.

However, at that time, because it was a newly established publication, it was difficult to gather articles, so I took advantage of my position to have my book serialised in it. The main reason was to discuss my shallow understanding with everyone. I didn't expect that the serialised articles would be very popular.

My move of using public resources for personal gain attracted more attention to the publication. Many units that subscribed to our publication did so just to read that part of the serialisation. From the first issue onwards, many individuals and companies called the publisher, asking about things unrelated to the publication, hoping to get the author's phone number and inviting me to go and talk to them about Blue Ocean Strategy.

Later, because the publication was quite successful, it no longer needed my serial to attract readers and advertisers. In addition, I was contacted by many publishers who wanted to publish the book. As you know, a young person like me is of course vain. Since they wanted to publish it, I published it!

As for the situation after publication, to be honest, it really exceeded my expectations.'

'Why do you feel that you were also forced to publish this book?' the female hostess said with a smile.

'There was a bit of pressure, but like other things I've done under pressure, I'm very happy with the result.'

'Can you sum up why your book has been so popular?'

'In today's business world, the products, services and solutions offered by businesses are becoming increasingly homogeneous, and some of the current widely used business theories have been around for a long time.

Companies that operate in the same industry are highly similar, from their products to the strategies they pursue. In order to gain a larger market share, they have no choice but to compete fiercely. There's only one piece of the pie, and if you take a bigger bite, I'll have to take a smaller one.

The main idea of Blue Ocean Strategy is to make people realise that beyond the piece of pie they see, there are also steaks, and to encourage them to attack those steaks.

Then I think that people who like my book must all like to eat steak.

'No wonder everyone says that the strategy you propose is a disruptive business approach. I like to eat steak too.' The host held up the book and faced the audience, saying, "And I have also read this book by my classmate Yiping. It not only has detailed theories, but also many examples, which I believe will allow many readers who are troubled by the development of their company and themselves to eat steak.'

'In fact, if I can inspire you in the slightest way, I will be personally satisfied," Feng Yiping said, bowing to the camera.

'What do you think about the criticisms of your book in some newspapers and magazines?'

'I've heard about it, but I haven't read the relevant reports yet. My time is very tight every day. Some colleagues in the company were very angry after reading some of the articles. I even comforted them, saying that it was normal.

Books of this nature are not about axioms like one plus one equals two, so it's understandable that not everyone will accept them.'

You're busy, and you haven't read it yet? Hearing this, Cheng Da Shi, who had been forced to keep a low profile by the reports organised by Feng Yiping, and Qu Da Shi, who had fled to Hong Kong, unceremoniously spat out a mouthful of old blood.

'However, I personally believe that in the book, I not only clarify what the Blue Ocean Strategy is, but also explain how to create, formulate, and implement a Blue Ocean Strategy that suits your own company.

I don't think it's like some newspaper reviews say, that 'meeting this book is enough to change your life', but it can at least change some of your ideas and provide you with some new thinking. It's still good to be of some help.'

'Okay, thank you very much, Yiping, for being our guest today. We also look forward to your book, which will hopefully bring more help to everyone!'

'Thank you all, and thank you, host,'

'It's not over yet. One last question: when the Prime Minister met with you, why did you ask to hug him?'

Well, the vast majority of people present had never heard this news before, and it immediately caused a sensation.

'Well, you know, the Prime Minister has always been the dean of our college, but for me, he is even more of an idol. A fan meeting his idol and asking for a hug is understandable, isn't it?'

'I understand, and I'm even more envious!' the female host said.

After the hostess finished her closing remarks, Feng Yiping couldn't leave for a while. Many members of the audience, again mostly women, ran onto the stage to take a photo with Feng Yiping. One of the girls asked Feng Yiping to sign her book and also asked, 'Would you be kind enough to write down your phone number as well?'

How bold!

Some uncles and aunts also came onto the stage to take a photo with him. The uncles would pat him on the shoulder and say, "Do a good job!'

The aunts would say, "My boy, you're not easy!'

Jin Ling and Huang Jingping were surrounded by people from the company, all looking at Feng Yiping, who was in the centre of the stage. However, this time, looking at him was completely different from looking at him in the company before. Their eyes were full of admiration. Who would have thought that it was actually so difficult for the young boss at the beginning?

'Jingping, was it really that difficult before?' Jin Ling asked.

What Feng Yiping had said really hadn't occurred to her at all, having grown up in the city.

'Yes, there are still many families in our area that are having difficulties, which is why Yiping is determined to invest so much in our town.'

Huang Jingping's eyes were still red, and these were the first details she had heard Feng Yiping talk about, so it really hurt a little.