Rebirth of the King of Waves

Chapter 174: Hard work (Part 1)

"Boss, Lu Chengxuan is the former deputy director of human resources at XX Group."

"Oh, that's perfect. Starting tomorrow, Mr. Lu will be the HR Director of Bishu Health. But may I ask, Mr. Lu, what was the reason for leaving your previous company?"

"We were unlucky, or rather, our entire group was unlucky. A few years ago, India was promoting 'Make in India,' and our group made a somewhat aggressive decision to build a factory there. Then last year, after Modi's re-election, we were fined, and two large payments from our Indian clients have been delayed. As a result, our group's cash flow dried up, and we're currently undergoing bankruptcy reorganization. Some of the people in the group..."

“Oh~~~” Ning Bishu nodded in realization, “President Lu, don’t be sad. It wasn’t a fault of the battle; it was all fate. And this one…”

Once inside the private room, Ning Bishu began interviewing the people Zhan Zhao had brought.

But despite calling it an interview, Ning Bishu didn't ask them any "professional" questions at all.

After all, he knew in his heart that someone like him, who had long been stuck in low- to mid-level positions, even if he were now sitting in the boss's seat, would never be as impressive as these seasoned veterans in their "professional" field.

So we just started chatting randomly.

He also allowed Zhan Zhao to act as the host at the dinner table, introducing each person one by one: "This is Jiang Ruiming, my high school classmate, a master's student from the Royal XX University in the UK, and an undergraduate student in XX Economics and Trade."

Upon hearing that it was the renowned Tilanqiao preparatory class in the industry, Ning Bishu immediately asked, "Then why did President Jiang resign..."

"Alas, I am ashamed..." Jiang Ruiming sighed sadly, "Our boss went to jail, and I failed to protect him."

"Hey, you can't say that. Your boss went in, but you didn't. That shows that you, Mr. Jiang, abide by the law!"

"That's not quite right. It's mainly because our boss offended some people he shouldn't have done business with. It doesn't have much to do with finances."

"Oh..." Ning Bishu paused for two seconds, then suddenly turned to ask another middle-aged woman, "This lady, are you also in finance?"

"No, I'm in marketing operations. Mr. Ning, my name is Lin Zhilan. I came from a big company, but I was laid off because I was having a baby. There was a game project at X company called XXX, and I was in charge of its operations. I don't know if you've heard of it."

Ning Bishu said seriously, "Absolutely not."

Lin Zhilan: "..."

"But it's alright," Ning Bishu comforted her. "Market operations are essentially about luring users in to exploit them. I've already prepared everything for our project: how to lure them in, who to lure, what methods to use, and the financial and technical support."

All you need to do is execute my plan. Treat yourself as a tool; listen to me, follow my lead. You're not responsible for the project's results or achievements; I'll take full responsibility. Of course, the prerequisite is that you implement and carry out my plan 100%. Mr. Lin, can you do that?

"President Ning, rest assured, I swear on my husband's life..."

"It doesn't have to be this cruel... Then who is this...?"

“President Ning, his name is Zhou Yanzhe. He used to work in a government agency, but later started his own business. The year before last, a local bank experienced a run on deposits, and he happened to have financial dealings with that bank, so his loans were withdrawn.” Zhan Zhao pointed to a slightly dejected middle-aged handsome man and said, “Yanzhe just got divorced and is now all alone.”

"Brother, I asked you to introduce my work experience, why are you talking about these useless things..."

Zhou Yanzhe looked at Zhan Zhao with a wry smile, then smiled at Ning Bishu and said, "President Ning, I do lack the ability in business management, but I do have experience in managing a business and ensuring the daily operation of the team."

"Then... the office director?" Ning Bishu smiled and looked around.

Lu Chengxuan said, "They usually call him General Manager."

“Alright, then it’s general manager.” Ning Bishu readily agreed, it was just a title after all. He then said to Zhou Yanzhe, “So, Mr. Zhou, regarding the daily management framework of Bishu Health, please work hard these next few days and get a written document out as soon as possible. How to handle things, how to recruit people, how to pay, you can discuss it with General Manager Lu, General Manager Jiang, and General Manager Lin, as well as the specific administrative staff…”

"me!"

"I can!"

Ning Bishu suddenly threw out four titles in one go: HR, Finance, Marketing, and General Manager. The remaining four people at the table reacted quickly, and two of the older women immediately shouted.

Ning Bishu turned to look at Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao looked troubled.

Ning Bishu said, "Don't dawdle, let's settle on one person first, and then adjust as needed."

"Then let's go with Gu Qingxuan," Zhan Zhao said, pointing to someone who was even prettier.

Ning Bishu looked at the 36-year-old woman, Gu Qingxuan, who bore a resemblance to Mu Shanming, and smiled, "Gu Qingxuan, President Gu, did you work in administration before?"

“Yes.” Gu Qingxuan nodded. “I really used to be the office director, working in a state-owned enterprise.”

"How did you get out?"

"Um... for personal reasons."

"Okay, I don't care what the reason is. Starting tomorrow, you go to XX Building and work with a young man named Ma Chao to oversee the office renovations. Also, if President Zhou needs anything, be ready to assist him at any time."

"After General Manager Jiang starts work tomorrow, he'll have General Manager Lu expedite the recruitment of an accountant and cashier. Our company has everything we need right now, except for money. I can't possibly handle all the purchasing, reimbursement, and transfer work myself."

As Ning Bishu spoke, he looked around, and Gu Qingxuan, Jiang Ruiming, Zhou Yanzhe, Lu Chengxuan, and Lin Zhilan all nodded in agreement.

There were three left. Ning Bishu then said to the middle-aged woman who had just been abandoned by Zhan Zhao, "Starting tomorrow, this woman will be responsible for contacting offline stores. Our market has a lot of work both online and offline. From now on, the online part will be managed by the Market Operations Department, with General Manager Lin in charge; the offline part will be handled by..." Ning Bishu pointed to the woman whose name he didn't even know.

The eldest sister remained calm and composed, with a smile on her face.

Zhan Zhao said, "Xu Ruojin."

“Okay, Ms. Xu.” Ning Bishu looked at Xu Ruojin and could tell at a glance that this smiling, slightly plump woman had a stable personality. He said, “Let’s call the offline department the Market Management Department, because we need a large number of offline stores to support our project. Currently, we don’t have a single store. Starting tomorrow, Ms. Xu can go to some gyms and ask if there are any interested parties.”

You can think about the specifics of the cooperation. If we can't find one in the short term, we'll build our own first. At the very least, we'll have one. Or, to be more straightforward, we can go and acquire one tomorrow, and operate it ourselves as the first one.

Xu Ruojin immediately asked, "Are there any requirements regarding site selection, or overall costs for decoration, equipment, etc."

Ning Bishu said, "The space should be as large as possible, we don't need too much equipment, and the location doesn't matter. The first thing is to have a place. Speaking of which, I can give you a direction. It's in my neighborhood, Wangfu Jinxiu Jiayuan. There are a lot of vacant storefronts there. You can set one up in my neighborhood first, and we can talk about other things later. Let's take the first step and save time."

“Okay.” Xu Ruojin nodded.

After Ning Bishu finished speaking, he looked at the last two people remaining.

One male and one female.

Zhan Zhao first introduced, "Boss, this is Shen Junzhe, and this beautiful lady is Ye Chaotong."

Ning Bishu smiled and asked Shen Junzhe first, "Mr. Shen, is there anything else you'd like to add?"

Shen Junzhe had a receding hairline, a square face, and bright eyes that seemed righteous yet subtly revealed a hint of ferocity—the kind of person most people wouldn't dare stare at. It's a mystery what kind of prestigious university could produce a student with such an appearance.

However, Ning Bishu could certainly stare at it directly.

Because Zhao Hu, who had an even more ruthless appearance, was sitting next to Ning Bishu.

Therefore, President Ning was completely fearless.

"As for anything else... there's nothing to add." Shen Junzhe shook his head with a smile. "I'm just a little curious, President Ning, what exactly are you trying to do with this health project?"

Ning Bishu said, "Oh, it's very simple. We just need to call a group of people over to our gym to recharge their accounts. We promise them that we'll charge them 100 yuan for every pound they lose, and if they don't lose the weight within a year, we'll give them a full refund."

Shen Junzhe immediately replied, "So, it's ten yuan per pound of meat. If you top up one hundred yuan, you get ten pounds off. If you can't get the full amount back, you get one hundred yuan back? Or do you get one pound off, leaving nine pounds of meat, and then get ninety yuan back?" Ning Bishu said, "Ninety yuan back."

Shen Junzhe said, "That means you earn money from two sources: service fees and interest on the funds raised over the past year."

“Yes.” Ning Bishu nodded.

Shen Junzhe added, "So President Ning's idea is to create a scale effect."

“Yes,” Ning Bishu said.

Shen Junzhe said, "So the problems now are, firstly, where will the people come from? Secondly, how much money is the market willing to pay, and how much can each person afford per kilogram of meat? Thirdly, what are the potential risks of a cash flow disruption once this business is up and running?"

Ning Bishu thought for a moment and nodded, "Yes."

Shen Junzhe wanted to continue, but Ning Bishu interrupted him: "Where the first person comes from is the customer's problem. I'll handle that, with the marketing department cooperating. This is my task, and I'll figure something out."

The second question is, how much can the average person afford per pound of meat? You mean, how much is the market willing to pay per pound of meat? This requires the market operations department to conduct an investigation first, but investigations take time. I can set a price now; getting the project running is the priority. I'll price it at 66 yuan per pound, so 10 pounds would be 660 yuan.

Because spending money on weight loss is something typically done by middle-class families, this price is definitely not high for ordinary residents of first- and second-tier cities. For young people, 666 yuan a year, which includes a refund if the weight loss fails, should be acceptable to most college students and young professionals. If the market response is not good, we can flexibly adjust the price.”

Shen Junzhe nodded slightly.

Ning Bishu continued, "Finally, there's the third issue: funding. Regarding funding, we currently only need to consider the initial investment costs and the major operating expenses, primarily labor costs, i.e., wages."

Regarding this part... Mr. Jiang, could you prepare a simple cost and risk report? I estimate it shouldn't be a problem. Because investment will eventually have a limit, but the size of our service group can almost be considered to grow indefinitely.

As young people grow up in batches and obese people emerge in batches, both the overall income level and the overall obesity level in China are on the rise. Optimistically speaking, the "leeks" (a metaphor for exploitation) will never be exhausted.

Once we reach a certain scale, the annual interest from our deposits will cover the vast majority of our expenses. Currently, the obesity rate among young and middle-aged people in China is already above 20%. Even assuming an aging population, with only 300 million people in the 15-45 age group, 20% is still 15 million. If we can win over just one-tenth of these 15 million, we'll have 1.5 million users. And in reality, I believe our user base is far larger than that.”

"Based on an average weight loss of 10 pounds per person, which translates to an average recharge of 666 yuan per person, for 1.5 million people, that's..."

Ning Bishu picked up his phone and pressed a button.

Before he could finish pressing the button, several people at the table shouted out.

"Nine hundred and ninety million."

"One billion."

Shen Junzhe also kept his head down, typing on his phone.

Just as Ning Bishu was about to continue, he suddenly interrupted, "Deepseek's analysis shows that the population aged 15 to 45 in China is approximately 5.7 million. There should also be people over 45 who want to lose weight. Let's round it up and optimistically estimate 6 million. The obesity rate data provided by the National Health Commission is 28%, but if we conservatively estimate 25%, the potential user base should be 1.5 million. Since we want to scale up, a 10% annual user rate is a bit low. We should aim for 20%, which is 3000 million people. 3000 million people, that's an average of 666 yuan per person..."

"Two hundred billion." Ye Chaotong, whom Zhan Zhao called a beauty but who wasn't actually a beauty, slightly raised her eyelids and said to Ning Bishu, "President Ning, since we've already raised funds, a target of 20 billion should be the minimum. Even at 4% interest per year, that's only 800 million. If we calculate based on 20,000 employees, that's only 40,000 per person per year. A monthly salary of 3,000 is just the baseline. Add a little something else, and the interest alone won't be enough to cover expenses. So where will the profit come from?"

Shen Junzhe added, "Yes, if you really think about it, this model is just a beautiful vision. And if the user base can't be built up, or if the user base suddenly drops, the cash flow could easily break down."

As soon as he finished speaking, all ten or so people at the table immediately turned to look at Ning Bishu.

Mu Shanming also turned his head, and the look in his eyes when he looked at Ning Bishu was clearly somewhat complicated.

Ning Bishu was indeed audacious and wealthy, and he also satisfied her greatly in bed; all these qualities were very attractive to her.

You could even say that she couldn't resist it.

But now, with a professional pointing it out, some of his shortcomings in terms of ability seem to have been exposed.

Going all in on the stock market and getting rich overnight—such good fortune is practically impossible to come by again.

Ultimately, a man's strength comes down to his genuine, hard-earned abilities. And this is probably what Mu Shanming dislikes most about Ning Bishu, or rather, despises most.

Mu Shanming never thought that Ning Bishu was a particularly capable man.

At most, he was quite well-endowed when he was with her...

The private room was completely silent.

At this moment, he doesn't seem like someone who's here to apply for a job.

It's more like the local unemployed elites suddenly wanting to reassess the true worth of their bosses.

Along with Zhao Hu and Zhan Zhao, under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Ning Bishu remained silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

"You need to broaden your thinking."

"Having come this far, can't we take one more step forward?"

Ning Bishu took a cigarette from Zhao Hu's hand.

He doesn't smoke, but at this moment, he suddenly has a strong urge to take a puff.

Zhao Hu immediately lit a cigarette for Ning Bishu.

Ning Bishu put it in his mouth, inhaled slightly, and exhaled a breath of air without taking it into his lungs.

Mu Shanming coughed softly.

Ning Bishu slowly said, "3000 million users is basically impossible, but the profit itself doesn't necessarily have to come from cutting corners on interest. For example, in China's current population aged 20 to 25, that is, college students and recent graduates, there is a huge overlap between overweight people and poor people in this group. If we can add social attributes to weight loss and attract them to participate in our full refund weight loss program, we can have nearly 1000 million users who want to lose weight but don't have money. For these users, we can lend them 666 yuan each. 1000 million people would be 60 billion yuan."

Shen Junzhe immediately asked, "Where are we going to borrow 60 billion for them?"

Ning Bishu smiled and asked in return, "President Shen, is this 60 billion really money to us?"

Shen Junzhe paused upon hearing this.

The next second, everyone at the table suddenly changed their expressions.

There was an exclamation.

"My grass!"

"This is acceptable?"

"Genius!"

Mu Shanming looked at Ning Bishu with a face full of surprise.

Ning Bishu smiled but remained silent.

Only Zhao Hu looked completely bewildered.

what happened?
what's the situation?
I don't understand!

(End of this chapter)