Huayu: A master director who debuted as a singer

Chapter 46 PolyGram Visitors

It was already dark outside when I came out of the CCTV compound.

A gust of cold wind blew, and Zheng Hui realized that his back was covered in sweat.

Liu Huan patted him on the shoulder: "How are you feeling?"

"It felt like taking an exam."

Liu Huan laughed heartily: "Come on, let's go drink! To celebrate!"

The two found a small restaurant nearby, ordered some home-style dishes, and a few bottles of beer.

Liu Huan raised his glass: "Zheng Hui, congratulations on making it onto the Spring Festival Gala stage."

Zheng Hui bumped hands with him: "Teacher Liu, thank you so much this time. Without you, I wouldn't even know where I was going."

Liu Huan took a big gulp of beer and waved his hand, saying, "Don't thank me. It was the sincere emotion in your song that moved me."

"Also, when you go to the rehearsal, you'd better be on your guard. There are many powerful and influential people in there, and some of them may have someone you can't afford to offend. You're a newcomer, so talk less and do more."

Zheng Hui nodded and replied, "I understand."

The two drank until late into the night.

Back in the VIP building, Zheng Hui pushed open the door, and a strong smell of alcohol rushed into the room.

Li Zongming saw Zheng Hui return with a flushed face: "How did it go?"

Zheng Hui walked to the table, grabbed a water glass, took a big gulp of water, and smiled at Li Zongming.

"It's done."

"Is it really done? Is it settled?"

"It's settled." Zheng Hui repeated Liu Tiemin's words: "Ready to serve at any time, no guarantee, but he'll make the roster."

"That's great! That's great!"

Li Zongming paced around the room, waving his fists wildly: "Being available at a moment's notice is bullshit! Not having a guaranteed minimum wage is bullshit! Once you step through that door, you're guaranteed a golden reputation!"

He grabbed the phone on the table: "I'll contact the promoters right now! Let's hurry back to Guangdong before we go into lockdown and make this money!"

The next day, Zheng Hui, Li Zongming, and Lin Dashan boarded a plane back to Guangzhou.

The battle for the capital has come to an end, and the southern battlefield is about to open.

Upon returning to Guangzhou, Li Zongming immediately threw himself into his intense business work, and his phone never stopped ringing.

Zheng Hui, however, was entangled in another matter.

The owners of the four stalls somehow got wind of his return and rushed to his door.

As soon as Fatty Liu came in, he started yelling, "Brother Zheng, you're finally back! My stock has been cut off for ages, and the owner of the video store has been blocking my door every day demanding more. He's practically plucked all my hair out!"

Mr. Zhang from the Southwest also said with a bitter face, "Yes, ever since you appeared on CCTV's 'Variety Show,' as soon as the music and video stores put up your posters and played your songs, the tapes were quickly sold out. I only have tens of thousands of tapes left from the last batch I ordered."

Sun, from Northeast China, smoothed her hair and said, "Although we're a bit slower in the Northeast, the sports channel plays your songs as background music every day. With the Asian Games promotion, my sales have also increased."

Mr. Chen from East China was the last to speak. He looked at Zheng Hui and said bluntly, "Boss Zheng, stop with the nonsense. How much stock do you have left? Give me the exact number."

All eyes were on Zheng Hui.

Zheng Hui stated directly, "Two million boxes."

The group quieted down. It felt like just yesterday that they had made a deal for two million boxes. How long had it been? He had prepared another two million boxes.

Does this young man treat the tape factory like his own home?

It was General Manager Chen who reacted first, his eyes lighting up: "Two million boxes, all in the warehouse?"

"They're all here." Zheng Hui nodded.

"How do we divide it?" General Manager Chen asked.

Zheng Hui threw the question back at them: "Bosses, how many do you want this time?"

The four exchanged glances and began to make plans.

Since Zheng Hui appeared on CCTV, coupled with the promotion of the Asian Games, his songs have gone from being regional hits to nationwide popularity.

In particular, songs like "I Believe," "Chasing Dreams with a Pure Heart," and "Stubborn" have almost become standard features on the school's radio station.

The price of eight yuan per box for genuine cassette tapes effectively suppressed piracy.

The owners of audio-visual stores sell Zheng Hui's genuine cassette tapes. Although the profit per tape is not as high as that of pirated tapes, the sales volume is fast, the capital is recovered quickly, and there is no risk.

After a while, everyone became willing to sell genuine products.

The goods distributed last time have mostly been sold out, except for a few regions.

After a moment's thought, General Manager Chen spoke first: "The economy in East China is strong, and purchasing power is high. The 600,000 boxes we ordered last time are already sold out. This time, I want 800,000 boxes."

He has the biggest appetite and the most confidence; once he gains a reputation in East China, he really won't have to worry about sales.

Mr. Zhang added, "The Southwest market has great potential. Last time I distributed 500,000 boxes, and the response was very good. Many counties haven't been covered yet. This time I want another 500,000 boxes."

Sister Sun gritted her teeth: "Although the Northeast market is not as good as yours, CCTV has a lot of influence. Plus, it's winter now, and everyone has to stay indoors, so there's a high demand for entertainment."

I only have about 70,000 to 80,000 boxes left in stock. If I can get 300,000 boxes, I'll give it my all.

Now, everyone's eyes are on Fatty Liu.

Last time he was the most aggressive, ordering 700,000 boxes.

Fatty Liu looked a little embarrassed and rubbed his hands together. "The market in South China is basically saturated. The students all have their own. Although my last batch of goods is almost sold out, I feel that the frequency of my restocking has decreased significantly."

He sighed, "Since there are still 400,000 boxes left, I'll take 400,000 boxes. Any more and I'll really be stuck with them."

Eight hundred thousand, five hundred thousand, three hundred thousand, four hundred thousand, or exactly two million boxes.

After listening to their respective sales figures and order volumes, Zheng Hui had a general idea of ​​the national market.

South China, as the main base, has begun to show signs of fatigue.

East China and Southwest China are catching up.

The Northeast market, on the other hand, is a potential growth area.

He was silently making plans in his mind.

After this clearance sale of two million cassette tapes, the number of genuine cassette tapes circulating in the market has reached five million.

This number is already terrifying.

Now that the amount has been set, the most exciting part is coming up – settling the accounts.

Verification of funds, transfer of money, issuance of invoices. The room was filled with the whirring of a money counting machine and the scratching of pens on paper.

As payments were confirmed and deposited, another six million RMB ended up in Zheng Hui's pocket.

Next came the shipping. Boxes of sealed cassette tapes were loaded onto trucks, and the convoy sped away, sending these boxes, carrying songs and profits, to all parts of the country.

Having settled everything, Zheng Hui rushed to the publishing house, intending to prepare another batch of goods. This time, he wouldn't need two million; South China was full, and the goods he brought back from other regions were estimated to be enough to sell. Normally, preparing another 500,000 would be sufficient.

However, he plans to stock up on 1.5 million units, because once he appears on the Spring Festival Gala, his popularity will increase significantly, and sales should rebound then.

"President Wang, let's prepare the materials. I plan to place another production order for 1.5 million boxes," Zheng Hui said bluntly.

President Wang was sipping his tea when he heard this. He put down his teacup and sized up Zheng Hui: "You kid, you just got back from Beijing and you're already stocking up on goods. Can't you let your old man have a break?"

Joking aside, President Wang still submitted the tape quota report.

After finishing his business, President Wang remembered something and said, "Oh, right, there's something I need to tell you. Someone from Hong Kong came and said they want to see you."

Zheng Hui raised an eyebrow slightly: "Hong Kong?"

"Yes, the person from PolyGram Records was called Manager Chen, I think."