"These are all that's needed. As long as Manager Han agrees, twenty thousand will be wired to your company's account immediately."
Song Qiao decided without hesitation.
"Alright, Boss Song, please wait a few minutes. I'll report to my superior."
Han Hai said, and walked out of the office with his phone.
As he had anticipated, things went smoothly. His superior, upon answering the call, was initially impatient, thinking he was calling to chase payment again.
However, after hearing Han Hai's proposed collaboration, the superior approved it without a second thought.
Han Hai on the other end of the line was filled with excitement. He practically jogged back to his office.
"Boss Song, my superior has agreed. This afternoon, we'll have advertisements for your Xiangpiaopiao plastered on all our company's vehicles."
Song Qiao smiled calmly, stood up, and extended his right hand.
"Then I wish us a happy collaboration in advance."
He then turned to Qin Ya and instructed, "Contact Lin Jing and have her transfer twenty thousand to Manager Han's company account as quickly as possible."
After a few more pleasantries with Han Hai, he took his leave.
Manager Han's attitude towards Song Qiao had done a complete 180-degree turn. From being dismissive, he was now insistent on treating Song Qiao, this "god of wealth," to dinner.
However, Song Qiao had other pressing matters to attend to. After politely declining several times, Han Hai reluctantly let him go.
...
"Boss, are these kinds of advertisements really effective? We've invested twenty thousand all at once."
As soon as they stepped out, Qin Ya asked with a hint of worry.
While she understood the importance of promotion for a product, she felt that Song Qiao's initial investment was a bit too steep.
Song Qiao chuckled softly, "You can't catch a cub without giving up the mother's milk."
"We're investing twenty thousand in promotion now, and I believe it will bring us tenfold, even a hundredfold return not long from now."
"Trust me, this investment will prove to be more than worth it!"
In this era, public buses were the primary mode of commute for most people. High traffic meant high visibility. As long as traffic increased, his product would never fade from public consciousness.
He knew that in his previous life, advertising expenses on buses and subways had even surpassed those of some other media, underscoring the immense potential of this advertising method.
Fortunately, most companies had not yet recognized this approach, and he had successfully seized the opportunity. Otherwise, securing advertisements on all city buses with just twenty thousand would have been a pipe dream.
Qin Ya nodded with a hint of doubt, not entirely understanding her boss's intentions.
Song Qiao didn't bother explaining further. In time, everyone would see the results.
...
A week later, Xiangpiaopiao's advertisements were displayed on all the city's buses.
Their novel slogans and promotional stories immediately captured the attention of the vast majority of commuters.
In an era where mobile phones and the internet were not yet widespread, people naturally gravitated towards advertisements during their idle moments on the bus.
"Qin Ya, come out with me after work today."
Song Qiao said with a mysterious smile, looking at a message from Han Hai.
"Alright, boss. Should I inform Old Hu?"
Qin Ya, assuming her boss was meeting another client, turned to go inform Old Hu.
"No, no, we're not driving today."
Song Qiao waved his hand, stopping Qin Ya, and continued, "We'll take the bus."
Qin Ya blinked slightly and nodded, utterly bewildered, a hint of confusion in her heart.
Her boss usually traveled by car; why was he suddenly being so thrifty today?
She had been with the company for nearly a month. Although she was his secretary and always by his side, Song Qiao always gave her a sense of being unfathomable.
At precisely five in the afternoon, Song Qiao hastily finished his work and eagerly pulled Qin Ya to the bus stop near the factory.
The factory was located in a somewhat remote area, with only two bus routes passing by. They waited for a good ten minutes before the 106 bus arrived.
The moment she boarded, Qin Ya was stunned by the scene before her.
Large posters adorned both the front and back sections of the bus, with the three large artistic characters of Xiangpiaopiao drawing the gaze of many passengers.
The smaller text below told the origin and development of stinky tofu, even citing two folk tales as proof.
"I never knew such a story existed for a simple stinky tofu."
While Qin Ya was lost in thought, an old man with glasses beside her exclaimed in wonder.
"Yes, it's the first time I've heard it myself today."
A woman with a child next to her, who was reading the story to her child, couldn't help but agree with the old man.
The child, noticing his mother had paused, tugged at her sleeve, urging her to continue.
Qin Ya looked around and realized that at least half of the passengers' attention was focused on the Xiangpiaopiao advertisements.
Even the previously plain handrails were now adorned with the Xiangpiaopiao logo.
The black stickers paired with cute cartoon characters made them instantly memorable.
"Boss, this effect is just too incredible."
Qin Ya quietly sat down next to Song Qiao and discreetly gave him a thumbs-up.
At this rate, it wouldn't be long before everyone in the city would associate stinky tofu solely with the Xiangpiaopiao brand.
After riding for a few stops aimlessly, Song Qiao got off to transfer to the bus Qin Ya usually took home.
After dropping Qin Ya off, he took the bus back to his own home.
His wife was still harboring some misunderstanding about a previous incident, her attitude towards him being somewhat cool, but thankfully, she wasn't having loud arguments.
After playing with his daughter for a while, Song Qiao went out again, taking the bus to his shop.
Recently, he had focused all his energy on the processing plant and hadn't paid much attention to the shop's affairs.
Fortunately, Lin Jing had been diligently managing it. She not only handled the company's finances but also ensured that the shop's operations were not neglected.
"Boss, why are you here?"
Lin Jing, who was organizing the day's sales data, stood up excitedly upon seeing Song Qiao.
Song Qiao smiled and handed her some late-night snacks.
"Why are you working so late? You've been working so hard lately. I'll have Ah Wei find you a few more agile helpers later."
Lin Jing waved her hand dismissively.
"I can't say I'm working hard. Compared to Sister Lili, my job is quite relaxed."
"Ordinarily, I should have gone home by this time. But today, for some reason, sales have surged dramatically. I was worried there might be an anomaly, so I stayed to verify."