How can you ascend to heaven when you are a star?

Chapter 521 is in full swing
After two days of adjustments, Xingxiang's summer training courses are now fully on track.

The teachers taught their lessons methodically, and the parents felt at ease entrusting their children to this place. The students were also accustomed to the first thing they did upon entering was to devoutly pray to the portrait of the "God of Literature" hanging in the main hall...

Seeing that everything was in order, Zhang Wen picked up a minimalist suitcase and boarded a flight to Shanghai.

After a two-and-a-half-hour flight, the plane landed smoothly at Shanghai International Airport.

At the arrival gate, a figure holding a white sign stood out in the crowd. The sign had three words written in bold black letters: Principal Zhang, and below it was the logo of 'Baosheng Group'.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Wen quickly walked over. The other person seemed to recognize him as well, and their eyes immediately lit up as they warmly greeted him.

"Hello Principal Zhang, I am Yang Weihua from the Shanghai branch of Baosheng Group. You can call me Xiao Yang. General Manager Zhou specifically instructed me to pick you up."

After saying that, he reached out to help Zhang Wen carry his suitcase, his movements natural and respectful.

"No need to trouble yourself, it's just one box, it's not heavy, I can handle it myself." Zhang Wen waved his hand with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the other person.

The man was not tall, but he had a straight posture, thick eyebrows and big eyes. He was wearing a clean and tidy white shirt with the cuffs neatly rolled up to his forearms, revealing a low-key mechanical watch. He exuded a smart and capable elite vibe. However, he looked to be in his thirties. Was it a bit inappropriate to call him "Xiao Yang"?
"Principal Zhang, please don't stand on ceremony with me. Once we're in Shanghai, just treat me as your assistant." Yang Weihua didn't insist and said politely, "I've booked a five-star hotel for you near the branch. You can put your luggage down and rest for a bit. I'll take you out for some Shanghai specialties for lunch. In the afternoon, we'll go check out the branch's premises, and then take the necessary documents to the government service hall to complete the registration. I've already made an appointment in advance, so the process will be much simpler, and we'll try to finish it all in one day."

Zhang Wen nodded, secretly impressed. As expected of the Zhou family, they were incredibly efficient. It seemed he would have to rely on them more often in the future, otherwise he wouldn't need them after he ascended to immortality.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you. Thank you for running around." Zhang Wen was also very polite. After all, he would have to rely on the other party to complete various procedures and the renovation work of the branch. He couldn't stay in Shanghai to supervise the construction indefinitely.

"No trouble at all, it's my pleasure to serve you. The car is right outside, shall we chat on the way?" Yang Weihua pointed towards the airport exit.

"Ah."

Zhang Wen followed behind the person who was picking him up and quickly walked out of the terminal.

A white minivan was parked on the side of the road. Yang Weihua opened the door and gestured for Zhang Wen to get in. After Zhang Wen got in and settled in, Yang Weihua got into the passenger seat and told the driver to start the car.

The car smoothly drove out of the airport and headed towards the city along the highway.

“Principal Zhang, there are quite a few art students in Shanghai, especially in the fields of performance, music, and dance. Parents are willing to spend money to cultivate their children. However, the teaching ability of local art exam institutions is generally average. Your arrival is a blessing for thousands of families of art students.” Yang Weihua turned around and said, openly flattering him.

Immediately afterwards, he took out a neatly arranged stack of documents from his bag and handed them over.

“This is…” Zhang Wen took it and looked puzzled.

"This is detailed information on several of the most famous art exam training institutions in Shanghai. It includes their teachers, majors, students, and their art exam results from the past five years. I don't know if you need it, but I took the liberty of investigating it for you in advance," Yang Weihua explained.

Zhang Wen was taken aback upon hearing this. It seemed that this person was not only good at flattery, but also very capable in handling affairs, a typical example of someone with both high emotional intelligence and high IQ.

Although he didn't take other art exam training institutions seriously, this information did give him a basic understanding of the art exam scene in Shanghai.

Isn’t there a saying like that?
Know thyself, ever-victorious.

"Thank you, this information is very important to me," Zhang Wen said, his eyes showing more appreciation as he looked at the other person.

"You're welcome, it's what I should do." Yang Weihua smiled, feeling very happy to receive praise from his boss's friend.

If Principal Zhang were to mention his name to President Zhou, his future at Baosheng would be bright.

Zhang Wen casually flipped to a page, which was written in great detail and even included actual photos of the venue, showing that it was prepared with care.

Knowing it would be a long time before he arrived at the hotel, he began to read through the pages.

As a first-tier city, Shanghai has a developed economy, a strong artistic atmosphere, and many art colleges. Therefore, there are also many art exam preparation institutions here, some of which are even similar in size to Jia Hua... Of course, this refers to Jia Hua a couple of years ago.

I wonder how many students I can snatch from these institutions this time.

Half an hour later, the car arrived at the hotel.

Yang Weihua helped with the check-in and escorted him to the room door, saying, "Principal Zhang, I'll be waiting for you downstairs at 1:30 this afternoon. Here's my business card. Call me anytime if you need anything; my phone is on 24/7." He then bowed and left.

Zhang Wen entered the suite, where the Huangpu River shimmered outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, and the Oriental Pearl Tower was clearly visible. He put his suitcase down, packed the documents needed for various procedures into his bag, and then went downstairs to keep his appointment.

Led by Yang Weihua, Zhang Wen entered a long-established local restaurant and ordered famous dishes such as braised pork, poached chicken, and stir-fried river shrimp. The food was delicious, and none of the dishes were bad.

Yang Weihua was good at creating a lively atmosphere, chatting about the local customs and culture of Shanghai, as well as the educational environment here, making the meal relaxed and enjoyable.

After finishing his meal, Zhang Wen finally arrived at Xingxiang's Shanghai branch.

“Principal Zhang, this is a commercial project developed by our Baosheng Group. Normally, these units are rented out. I heard that you are going to establish a Xingxiang branch in Shanghai, and General Manager Zhou specifically instructed me to reserve the best location for you,” Yang Weihua said.

Zhang Wen stared at Baosheng Plaza in front of him, frozen in place, unsure of what to say.

Baosheng Plaza is a large, independent, comprehensive shopping mall that integrates social, entertainment, dining, and retail functions. There are dozens of such malls across the country, including one in Beijing.

He never expected that Zhou Siyi would arrange his art exam training center here.

The building has a modern and impressive appearance. He checked the navigation and found that there was not only a subway station nearby, but also several high schools, making it a very convenient location.

He walked into the building, which had been cleared out. The floors and walls had been properly finished, and the lighting and ventilation were excellent. Each floor had its own restroom, and the water and electricity lines had been upgraded. With just a little renovation and the partitioning of classrooms, it would be ready for use.

"Not bad." Zhang Wen was very satisfied with this place.

Zhou Siyi reserved three floors for him, totaling more than 3,000 square meters. Although it was larger than he had expected, he believed that once the branch opened and the art exams were held, more and more people would come to register here.

It might be like in Beijing, where it started at 4,000 square meters and has now expanded to 9,000 square meters.

Everything is possible.

"Principal Zhang, is there anything else you need to tell me?" Yang Weihua asked.

"That's all, it's fine. Let's proceed according to this plan." Zhang Wen pointed to the blueprints and said, "The decoration style should still be simple and elegant, emphasizing professionalism. We should strive to complete it within a month; time is of the essence."

"Yes, Principal Zhang, I'll notify the renovation team right away and guarantee completion within a month." Yang Weihua immediately took out his phone and called the person in charge of the construction team to confirm the start date.

After visiting the branch office, Zhang Wen followed Yang Weihua to the government affairs hall.

With the backing of Baosheng Group, the staff were very cooperative. The entire process, including document review, signature confirmation, and license printing, took less than two hours, and Xingxiang Art Examination Shanghai Branch obtained its business license.

Holding the brand-new business license, Zhang Wen felt a surge of accomplishment. This was the first step in his nationwide expansion, and it went much more smoothly than expected.

If all goes well, he will add more branches next year, allowing Xingxiang Art Examination Training Center to have branches in cities across the country. At that time, it will truly have a continuous stream of students and staff. A triumphant return to its rightful place is just around the corner.

Zhang Wen said goodbye to Yang Weihua outside the government affairs hall, then took out his phone and sent a message to the Shanghai branch's WeChat group: "Meet at the entrance of Building A, Baosheng Plaza at 6 pm. Please reply if you receive this message."

The message had barely been sent when there was a buzz in the group chat.

Xie Jiaqian: "Received."

Li Xiaoya: "Received."

Cui Anying: "Received."

"..."

Soon, all nine teachers in the group responded.

Zhang Wen didn't say anything more, exited WeChat, and started walking towards Baosheng Plaza following the navigation, enjoying the scenery along the way.

Shanghai is renowned throughout the country for its profound historical heritage, vigorous economic development, and diverse cultural atmosphere. The towering skyscrapers and old villas complement each other, creating a vibrant commercial and cultural ambiance.

At 5:50, Zhang Wen arrived at the entrance of Building A of Baosheng Plaza and saw nine figures standing there from afar, men and women, with expectant smiles on their faces... These were the nine teachers from Xingxiang Shanghai Branch.

"Good evening, everyone," Zhang Wen greeted the nine people with a smile.

"Hello principal!"

"Hello principal!"

Although the nine people's answers were not synchronized, their expressions were the same, and they looked very happy.

Zhang Wen nodded, then pointed to the three-story building on the right side of Building A, "This will be the location of our Xingxiang Art Examination Shanghai branch in the future. It has three floors and is currently under renovation."

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces showed surprise.

Baosheng Plaza is a landmark commercial plaza in Shanghai, and the rent for each shop is quite high. Principal Zhang actually rented three floors at once. How much money must that have cost?

They didn't know that these three floors weren't rented, but bought outright.

"Let's go, let's eat first and chat while we eat," Zhang Wen said, walking towards a high-end restaurant across the street.

The nine people followed behind, and although they were amazed by the boss's strength, they also felt a sense of pressure. If they didn't recruit more students, would they not even be able to earn back the rent?
Zhang Wen booked a private room and ordered 16 dishes in one go. The food tasted good at lunch, but the portions were a bit too small. So this time, he deliberately ordered more. This was the first time all the employees of the Shanghai branch had a meal together. They couldn't leave hungry, could they?
After the waiter left, Zhang Wen looked at the nine people present, his expression becoming serious. "I called you all here today for two reasons: first, to welcome you to Xingxiang Shanghai branch, and second, to talk to you about the work ahead."

He took out the business license from his bag and placed it on the table. "All the formalities have just been completed. Xingxiang Shanghai Branch is now officially established."

"Clap clap clap!"

As Zhang Wen paused, enthusiastic applause immediately erupted in the private room, and everyone was amazed by Principal Zhang's efficiency.

too fast!
Arrived in Shanghai and completed all the formalities immediately, awesome.

All nine of them work in training and have some understanding of the industry. The approval process for training courses is very complicated and troublesome.

Under normal circumstances, it would take at least ten days to half a month to get it done, and that's only if you have connections. But for someone like Principal Zhang to get his certificate on the same day, there are only four people who can describe it: incredibly resourceful.

To put it simply, it means awesome.

As the applause subsided, Zhang Wen continued, "Before coming here, I did some research. The art exam market in Shanghai is quite large, but the local institutions are generally not very strong. This is our opportunity. So starting tomorrow, everyone, please work hard and distribute flyers around various schools to promote Xingxiang's brand and advantages. At the same time, headquarters will also contact the parents who inquired online and have them contact you..."

The nine people listened attentively, their eyes filled with enthusiasm. In particular, the five teachers from Jia Hua, including Cui Anying, had been feeling very stifled at Jia Hua recently. Now that they had a new platform and environment, they just wanted to make a name for themselves.

"Principal, what is the enrollment target for this year?" Cui Anying asked.

“One hundred students per major, that’s the minimum requirement,” Zhang Wen said.

"!"

Everyone was startled, their expressions stiffening.

Although Xingxiang Art Examination Training Center has a great reputation in Beijing, it is still a new institution in Shanghai. Moreover, the start date of the course just missed the summer vacation, the golden period for enrollment. The goal of 100 students for each major is really a bit too high.

Zhang Wen observed everyone's expressions and calmly said, "Don't think the task is too heavy. A while ago, during Xingxiang's live broadcast, we received more than 500 inquiries from Shanghai. As long as we do a good job in promotion and service, it's not difficult to reach 300 or even 500 people, let alone 300."

When the teachers present heard the principal say this, they suddenly felt that this goal was not so far out of reach.

That's right. Xingxiang is not an ordinary art exam training institution. With its outstanding art exam results this year, its influence has already spread throughout the country via the internet.

On the other hand, the reason why people resign from large organizations and companies to join Xingxiang is because they value Xingxiang's strength and potential, right?
"Principal, we will definitely do our best!" Cui Anying said confidently.

She is the vice principal of the Shanghai branch. Usually, when Zhang Wen is not around, she is the person in charge here. Now that the boss has spoken, she naturally has to show her attitude.

Whether a task can be completed is one thing, but whether one's attitude is positive or not is another.

The others nodded in agreement, all vying to make a good impression on the new boss.

Soon, the food was served one after another. Zhang Wen stood up and raised his glass. "Shanghai is the first stop in my nationwide expansion. It is an economically developed, densely populated, and culturally vibrant place. You are all elites in this industry. I believe that the Shanghai branch will become another benchmark for Xingxiang."

These words instantly brought the atmosphere in the private room to a climax. The teachers were also stirred up, raising their glasses one after another, their eyes filled with anticipation for the future.

Looking at the teachers in front of him, Zhang Wen smiled. The Shanghai branch was settled; next up were Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Sichuan…

He wants to plant Xingxiang's flag all over the country in the shortest possible time and make it the number one art exam training brand in China.

At that time, the number of incense offerings will not increase by tens of thousands, but by millions.

Ten billion incense offerings are just around the corner!

Zhang Wen unconsciously looked out the window, unaware of what the Immortal Realm was like.

……

(End of this chapter)