in the future, buried on the Mesopotamian plain.The PE class was during the last two periods and it was afternoon. Hence, most people would leave school halfway through the classes. At the end of the...Chapter 88 **Ripple Effect
Even Chen Kaier was a little surprised by Su Cun. After Lin Guangdong introduced him, Chen Kaier widened his almond-shaped eyes and sized up Su Cun carefully. "Hmm So you’re the one who founded this magazine"
Su Cun exchanged a look with Lin Guangdong, who gave a subtle signal that they should just leave it at that.
He could tolerate this guy's slightly curled pinky finger; he could endure his effeminate appearance as someone in their late twenties; and he could also bear the critical gaze. Nodding his head, Su Cun said, "You’re too young!" Chen Kaier shook his head disbelievingly, his sharp voice attracting everyone’s gazes.
"Indeed, it's me," replied Su Cun, forced to exaggerate his expression as the veins on his forehead throbbed. He reminded himself to stay calm and not be swayed by such an impulse.
"You really took photos of Zhan Hua’s three-hour dinner Do you know what this means to me It’s nothing short of a miracle, it's incredibly exciting!" For Su Cun’s career manager, these weren’t secrets anymore. Chen Kaier had looked down upon the founder who started with a small magazine, but his ability to take photos of Zhan Hua’s dinner indirectly represented the strength of this young boss.
"Then why did you make me come here" Su Cun felt their conversation wasn't like that between superiors and subordinates; it was probably just because Chen Kaier was quite unconventional.
"Regarding reviving the magazine, Chen Kai, I've heard that you have some suggestions. Please feel free to share them."
"If you don’t mind, could you call me Kai-Rui Chen Just Kai-Rui, please," politely requested Chen Kaier.
“Bang!” Su Cun slapped the table before addressing the Italian young boss with a look of astonishment, “Get me a cup of coffee.”
Next, when facing Chen Kaier again, Su Cun tried to maintain a gentle tone: "So... Kai-Rui, continue."
Chen Kaier carefully scrutinized Su Cun once more. A flicker deep in his eyes indicated he was thinking deeply. With his elbows lightly resting on the table, it seemed like Chen Kaier had changed entirely for this moment. “There are two profit models for China’s magazines: one is revenue from sales, such as ‘Reader’, ‘Family’, and ‘Voice of Reason’. This is the traditional model. The other model relies mainly on advertising income; printing costs exceed magazine sales revenue, thus relying on advertising revenues to achieve profitability. Magazines like ‘Lala’ and ‘Fashion’ fall into this category, as well as many others in lifestyle, finance, automotive, and general consumer magazines. Generally speaking, the first model is considered a product of the planned economy system and isn’t suitable for today's magazine operations. The second model is what we commonly use now.
"With such models, sales become secondary to advertising. Nowadays, most Chinese media focus more on content than distribution. However, I want to emphasize that for a magazine to develop successfully, sales are an essential part of the chain. We currently overlook this aspect; talent development is key, and I support your vision!"
Su Cun found Chen Kaier’s flattery implicit yet pleasant. He nodded encouragingly.
Chen Kaier kept observing Su Cun's reactions before continuing: "One of the major issues with current Chinese magazines is talent lagging behind. We need to be at the forefront, breaking through barriers. How do we break through It must be from these finer details. Currently, universities offer majors in journalism, planning, editing, and advertising much earlier than distribution-related ones, leading to a lack of mature distribution professionals, which is now seen as a flaw. Therefore, I suggest recruiting talent from overseas and providing training for our magazine’s distribution department. We need to place greater emphasis on sales if we want the magazine to succeed. Expanding circulation will enable us to grow."
Su Cen said, "However, the circulation is constrained by the amount of advertising revenue. If you don't bring up the advertising revenue, the circulation cannot be increased any further. I can provide funds to hire trainers from abroad, but I won't invest more money for additional circulation. Currently, each magazine sold incurs an extra cost or profit. Such a loss must be offset by advertising income. When advertising income is insufficient to cover the losses caused by increased circulation, the overall operation of the magazine will incur a loss. You need to find this dynamic break-even point; it's your own responsibility. For the promotion of the magazine, I have already invested nearly five million yuan this year and won't invest any extra money."
Chan Kai Yui remained calm, not feeling intimidated by Su Cen's direct hit on his deepest hidden purpose. Instead, he thought that Su Cen was a rare boss and opponent.
At the same time, he sighed and shook his head slightly at Su Cen, "Boss, don't have such narrow-minded vision."
Jiang Ming had never seen such an intense scene before. She felt somewhat suffocated under Chan Kai Yui's aggressive pressure on her boss, truly seeing that a big player in the industry wasn't necessarily respectful to their bosses and could even be like this.
Lin Guangdong narrowed his eyes; was Su Cen lacking credibility or was Chan Kai Yui so bold as to challenge his boss
Chan Kai Yui extended one finger, making a circle in the air. "If circulation can't be increased, influence will remain limited. Let me put it this way: from an industry perspective, due to data service providers mainly relying on newsstands for sampling journal-related data and the lack of robust publication volume auditing mechanisms by relevant government departments, some magazines are willing to privately give 'display fees' to newsstand vendors in exchange for prominent display positions in order to get a good-looking report. Although this is an industry flaw, it's a shortsighted commercial logic that only seeks superficial effects without focusing on sales or content quality. This kind of business logic may not sustain long-term success, but it does have short-term effectiveness, which many advertisers and manufacturers find appealing, resulting in numerous bubbles."
"General Manager Su, imagine how exciting it would be when these bubbles eventually turn into real profits"
Chan Kai Yui had his桃花eyes, a fake effeminate appearance; he might even look more beautiful than women if dressed up properly. However, he was far more scheming and meticulous than genuine women. By supporting circulation channels to indirectly convince Su Cen for additional investment, he ultimately aimed to extract more money from him.
"Then what is your ideal state" Su Cen had to admit that Chan Kai Yui's proposal somewhat appealed to him.
"The dinner with Zhan Hua should have attracted considerable investments. I hope you don't hold back and give me all these funds for the magazine," Chan Kai Yui chuckled, tapping on the table with his蛤蟆鏡.
Lin Guangdong couldn't help but admire Chan Kai Yui's approach; using the follow-up effects of Zhan Hua's three-hour dinner to secure investments that would eventually be repaid to Shushan Stationery and Dunhuang Shopping Mall was a default arrangement. When Shushan Stationery needed to establish logistics nationwide, funds were collected from both Dunhuang and magazines. Now, as the magazine grew self-sufficient, any attracted investment should benefit both Shushan Stationery and Dunhuang.
Su Cen's internal industrial chain operated flexibly, with capital flowing among three industries in a pyramid shape, maintaining fresh vitality through mutual exchanges. Although it couldn't expand to rival major conglomerates, its flexible survival and diversified development were without issues.
This harmonious flow of funds was possible due to the genuine loyalty of several key managers to Su Cen; everyone worked towards common goals, using him as a natural conduit for such financial exchanges. This minimized internal conflicts within his enterprises.
However, if Chan Kai Yui convinced Su Cen to use magazine investments for further expansion, Wang Hu and Zhao Mingnong might voice objections or develop rifts despite their loyalty.
But Lin Guangdong was clear that if Chan Kai Yui had the confidence, he would struggle to resist such temptation.
Su Cen understood this well; capital among his three major enterprises flowed fluidly due to his leadership but addressing internal conflicts remained a constant challenge for him.
Su Cen continued, "Don't think that's free money; it requires fixed returns. I don't believe these funds can significantly increase advertising revenue or profits by expanding circulation. Have you assessed the risks involved Personally, I think applying this capital to other industries would yield greater returns than your risky plan."
Su Cen's words were a clear refusal.
Jiang Ming wanted to say something to break the current deadlock. In fact, she had gradually developed her alcohol tolerance after working for some time and could sometimes handle situations where Lin Guangdong needed help, but now there was only chocolate mousse and tiramisu on the table; no alcohol, so it would be impossible to divert the conflict.
Chen Kaiyue stared intently at Su Cen before nodding. "Alright! Since the boss is unwilling to provide additional funds, can this mean that I can achieve my goal in my own way"
With an imposing demeanor, Chen Kaiyue, Su Cen smiled unaffectedly. "Sure, I said the magazine would be self-sufficient from now on. If you can secure funding, of course it’s okay."
"Securing funds No no no. What I want to do is raise the price of a ten-yuan magazine to twelve yuan per issue!"
The pricing was determined by Su Cen and Lin Guangdong after professional calculation. Chen Kaiyue's words made Su Cen want to refuse, but he bit it back at the last moment without saying anything out loud. After all, he had already rejected Chen Kaiyue once before, and Su Cen knew that he had fallen into a trap set by Chen. For the first time, Su Cen felt like a leader who could control everything was instead being led.
Chen Kaiyue's flirtatious gaze twinkled, "This adjustment will allow revenue from sales to cover printing costs, making it no longer a money-losing venture. Since it’s not losing money anymore, I can increase the circulation volume, which will also achieve my goal of indirectly raising prices. Got it"
"If the boss doesn’t have constructive suggestions, after this dinner, on the day following New Year's Day next month, I’ll convene a magazine dealer conference to implement new policies and sign new agreements, increasing investment in human resources and marketing for our distribution department. Boss, haven't I told you that if you don’t smile often, people will age easily Although you’re still young, it’s not good to always have a stern face. Well, from your silence, I take it as tacit approval."
Su Cen stood up and saw the three off at the school gate. He was getting irritated with Chen Kaiyue's flirtatious eyes.
His shrewd gaze and set traps, along with his "I’m the only one who knows how to handle things" attitude, made Su Cen clench his fists repeatedly.
Before leaving, Chen Kaiyue put on his sunglasses, flicked his small finger, turned back, and stroked a strand of hair at his temple. "Boss, don’t forget that you need to pay for the expenses when inviting foreign trainers."
Su Cen finally couldn't hold back and responded with the warmest smile he could muster under the wisteria tree, "You’d better scram quickly."
"Frequently, new students ask me what geometric probability is and how it differs from classical probability, and what a sample space means. Geometric probability: if I were to ask you in a 50,000-square-kilometer sea area where there's an oil-bearing continental shelf with a surface area of several square kilometers, what’s the probability that drilling at any random point would strike oil That’s geometric probability. For instance, if there is one bacterium per milliliter of tap water, and you randomly take 2 milliliters under a microscope, the likelihood of finding the bacterium is geometric probability."
In the large lecture hall for economics at Nan University's Sixth Teaching Building, Economics Professor Li Changlong was addressing two hundred students with an impassioned speech.
Professor Li, in his mid-thirties, had become a lecturer teaching economics at Nan University and was currently enjoying great success. He himself was quite renowned among the younger faculty members of Nan University.
To outsiders, teachers at top universities like Nan University might seem glamorous, educating prodigies and moving around campus with an aura of admiration from others.
In reality, young faculty members were a somewhat awkward group; their status was relatively low as they are under the control of all administrative management. Young faculty members can be divided into those who have returned from studying abroad (sea turtles) and those educated domestically (land turtles). Sea turtles fared slightly better than land turtles, which truly belonged to the bottom rung of the university hierarchy. They were managed by the system and oppressed ideologically by top students, leading a dark life with no hope for advancement.
Li Changlong was one of the more outstanding young faculty members at Nan University because of his unique teaching style, which made him popular among students; he was even hailed as one of the "Four Talents" in the north campus. The Four Talents were four young lecturers who frequently taught in the northern part of the university, each with their own distinctive styles and varying levels of teaching ability, but all had a fan base and often debated on bulletin boards.
"Li Changlong's gesture was so cool! I support him," said Ruan Sigu, playing with her freshly painted crystal nail while taking notes. "Today’s lecture is for two hundred students in the grade, the階梯教室座無虛席，不過因為是南區四大才子之一的李昌隆坐鎮，多少也安靜了些。陽光斜斜地從階梯教室明堂的窗戶射進來，一片大好河山。”
“歸根結底這也是北區四大才子，你怎麼不挺一挺咱們南區的三寶？”童彤不滿道，南區三寶和北區四大才子對應，也是三位老師，兩女一男，同樣都是年輕教員。當初北區四大教師被熱捧起來後，南區學生覺得氣勢不能弱了，於是公認評選出了南區三寶老師。
以下是翻譯後的完整內容：
Su Cen's words were a clear refusal.
Jiang Ming wanted to say something to break the current deadlock. In fact, she had gradually developed her alcohol tolerance after working for some time and could sometimes handle situations where Lin Guangdong needed help, but now there was only chocolate mousse and tiramisu on the table; no alcohol, so it would be impossible to divert the conflict.
Chen Kaiyue stared intently at Su Cen before nodding. "Alright! Since the boss is unwilling to provide additional funds, can this mean that I can achieve my goal in my own way"
With an imposing demeanor, Chen Kaiyue, Su Cen smiled unaffectedly. "Sure, I said the magazine would be self-sufficient from now on. If you can secure funding, of course it’s okay."
"Securing funds No no no. What I want to do is raise the price of a ten-yuan magazine to twelve yuan per issue!"
The pricing was determined by Su Cen and Lin Guangdong after professional calculation. Chen Kaiyue's words made Su Cen want to refuse, but he bit it back at the last moment without saying anything out loud. After all, he had already rejected Chen Kaiyue once before, and Su Cen knew that he had fallen into a trap set by Chen. For the first time, Su Cen felt like a leader who could control everything was instead being led.
Chen Kaiyue's flirtatious gaze twinkled, "This adjustment will allow revenue from sales to cover printing costs, making it no longer a money-losing venture. Since it’s not losing money anymore, I can increase the circulation volume, which will also achieve my goal of indirectly raising prices. Got it"
"If the boss doesn’t have constructive suggestions, after this dinner, on the day following New Year's Day next month, I’ll convene a magazine dealer conference to implement new policies and sign new agreements, increasing investment in human resources and marketing for our distribution department. Boss, haven't I told you that if you don’t smile often, people will age easily Although you’re still young, it’s not good to always have a stern face. Well, from your silence, I take it as tacit approval."
Su Cen stood up and saw the three off at the school gate. He was getting irritated with Chen Kaiyue's flirtatious eyes.
His shrewd gaze and set traps, along with his "I’m the only one who knows how to handle things" attitude, made Su Cen clench his fists repeatedly.
Before leaving, Chen Kaiyue put on his sunglasses, flicked his small finger, turned back, and stroked a strand of hair at his temple. "Boss, don’t forget that you need to pay for the expenses when inviting foreign trainers."
Su Cen finally couldn't hold back and responded with the warmest smile he could muster under the wisteria tree, "You’d better scram quickly."
"Frequently, new students ask me what geometric probability is and how it differs from classical probability, and what a sample space means. Geometric probability: if I were to ask you in a 50,000-square-kilometer sea area where there's an oil-bearing continental shelf with a surface area of several square kilometers, what’s the probability that drilling at any random point would strike oil That’s geometric probability. For instance, if there is one bacterium per milliliter of tap water, and you randomly take 2 milliliters under a microscope, the likelihood of finding the bacterium is geometric probability."
In the large lecture hall for economics at Nan University's Sixth Teaching Building, Economics Professor Li Changlong was addressing two hundred students with an impassioned speech.
Professor Li, in his mid-thirties, had become a lecturer teaching economics at Nan University and was currently enjoying great success. He himself was quite renowned among the younger faculty members of Nan University.
To outsiders, teachers at top universities like Nan University might seem glamorous, educating prodigies and moving around campus with an aura of admiration from others.
In reality, young faculty members were a somewhat awkward group; their status was relatively low as they are under the control of all administrative management. Young faculty members can be divided into those who have returned from studying abroad (sea turtles) and those educated domestically (land turtles). Sea turtles fared slightly better than land turtles, which truly belonged to the bottom rung of the university hierarchy. They were managed by the system and oppressed ideologically by top students, leading a dark life with no hope for advancement.
Li Changlong was one of the more outstanding young faculty members at Nan University because of his unique teaching style, which made him popular among students; he was even hailed as one of the "Four Talents" in the north campus. The Four Talents were four young lecturers who frequently taught in the northern part of the university, each with their own distinctive styles and varying levels of teaching ability, but all had a fan base and often debated on bulletin boards.
"Li Changlong's gesture was so cool! I support him," said Ruan Sigu, playing with her freshly painted crystal nail while taking notes. "Today’s lecture is for two hundred students in the grade, the large lecture hall is packed, but because it’s Li Changlong, one of the Four Talents from the South Campus, it's relatively quiet. The sunlight slants into the classroom through the windows, creating a beautiful scene."
"In the end, he’s still part of the North Campus' Four Talents; why don’t you support our South Campus' Three Treasures" Tong Tong grumbled. The Three Treasures from the South Campus correspond to the Four Talents in the North Campus, and they are three teachers: two women and one man, all young faculty members. After the North Campus’ four lecturers gained popularity, the students of the South Campus felt that their prestige shouldn't be overshadowed, so they unanimously elected the Three Treasures from the South Campus.
"Who let our male teacher be so unappealing Li Changlong is at least a handsome guy. Ask around how many girls take this class just because of him. Otherwise, who would choose to take 'Probability and Mathematical Statistics' if they're not required for their major After taking 'Accounting', it will smell sweeter."
Cheng Congcong only had a novel in front of her; she wasn’t from this department and hadn't chosen this course either. She came today just because she was free, to attend the large lecture given by one of the Four Sages of North District. Sitting next to Tang Wu, both girls were very eye-catching. Cheng Congcong commented, "I think Instructor Li has a nice butt. If I invite him out for dinner, do you think he’ll accept"
Ruan Sige was not pleased and said, "Cheng Congcong, you’re really going to lengths now, even trying to seduce Li Changlong. He’s an idol in the hearts of many people as a teacher; you’d better not mess with him, White Snake. If he falls for your tricks, I guarantee that you’ll be consumed by the wrath of some women in North District. You might even get attacked on your way back to your dormitory."
Cheng Congcong thought Ruan Sige’s use of the word “seduce” was a bit harsh. She raised her eyebrows and smiled at Li Changlong, who was full of energy in front of them: "A student inviting a teacher for dinner is quite normal, isn’t it What's wrong with that I can further ask him questions."
"I think you are really lonely. Remember how you helped move your new Italian table last week when you were all sweaty and panting You should have given the student some encouragement at least. A few days ago, I remember the captain of a sports team specially rode his bicycle to pick you up… Cheng Congcong, sometimes you need to be more serious about relationships. Even if you’re just looking for someone who will pay your bills long-term, you should try to keep it going."
Recently, everyone in dormitory 17 knew that Jia Congcong had quarreled with a boyfriend she had been dating for years and broken up. She hadn’t revealed him until recently. The girls in her room secretly thought she deserved what happened. Her real boyfriend was currently abroad; during middle school, this boy had pursued Cheng Congcong, who was the campus flower, and she agreed to be his girlfriend. However, it seemed that he started studying overseas at the beginning of high school, after which Cheng Congcong allegedly dated several guys simultaneously. Eventually, the overseas student found out through various channels and deliberately returned, but Cheng Congcong broke up with him.
The day she ended her relationship coincided with the time Su Chan rode his bike to buy a house for Cao Hui and Tang Wu visited Mu Jia’s parents.
But this girl didn’t seem to care. The next day, she was already chatting about men with Ruan Sige and Tong Tong, making Ruan Sige and Tong Tong feel that Cheng Congcong was a bit too excessive. However, even such a woman attracted many people in their grade who secretly tried to get close to her. So, Ruan Sige and Tong Tong couldn’t help but感歎men’s weakness—once someone is good-looking, everyone flocks to them.
"Long-term financial support…" Cheng Congcong glanced at Tang Wu through Ruan Sige and Tong Tong, then looked behind at Su Chan sitting in the back of the階梯教室, giggling: "If one day Tang Wu suddenly gets fed up with her boyfriend and dumps him, I’ll take over and use him as a long-term financial support. Maybe I'll consider it more seriously."
Ruan Sige and Tong Tong simultaneously thought this woman was evil.
Su Chan rarely shared a classroom with Tang Wu; the bright classroom filled with people and warm sunlight made Su Chan reluctant to leave, but today was the seventh day, and he had dinner plans with Jian Hua in the evening. The professional managers were already gathered in Shanghai.
Despite his reluctance, it was time to go. Su Chan packed up his books and handed them to Xiao
Xu beside him.
Xiao Xu adjusted his glasses, "You're leaving again" Recently, some people behind the scenes in their class were whispering about Su Chan, making things difficult for him.
"I know it’s nearing exams. This might be my last time skipping class. Please."
Su Chan patted Xiao Xu’s shoulder; he nodded and agreed to let him off. Su Chan stood up and prepared to leave through the aisle.
At this hour, Lin Guangdong would already have taken care of picking people up from the airport, and many were waiting at hotels. Lin Guangdong was on his way to pick Su Chan up.
When someone had to leave during class, they usually left quietly without attracting attention. But no one had left this class yet, so when Su Chan stood up, it was quite unexpected since Li Changlong was in the middle of an engaging lecture.
Li Changlong wasn’t pleased and said as he saw Su Chan standing, "Su Chan, are you leaving again Don't know whether there's something wrong with my teaching method. You've left several times during my class already; do you have any feedback for me"
The large lecture hall perked up at once. It wasn’t surprising that Li Changlong could call out Su Chan’s name, as he was the top student in their class and they had interacted when taking attendance.
Moreover, Li Changlong was on close terms with Qian Zhongyuan, who despised Zhang Xiaoqiao. The reason Li Changlong got along well with Qian Zhongyuan was that Qian’s father was a powerful figure in Nan University, and Qian had an excellent relationship with the dean of the School of Economics. Before he pursued his master's degree, Li Changlong was under Qian’s father as a disciple, so they were close. Now, Li Changlong's position among the young faculty at Nan University could be attributed to some support from Qian Zhongyuan’s father.
He knew about the enmity between Su Chan and Qian Zhongyuan but naturally wouldn’t intervene. Today, he saw an opportunity to take advantage of the situation, which was not without reason. an inspection. After assessing the scale and location of the shops, they agreed to supply directly via logistics. In reality, the franchise system was yet to be fully established, still operating und...