My Realistic Simulation Game

Chapter 169 Experiencing Life, Playing the Game of Life (5,000 words)
Qin Yuan has high hopes for the two "Jeanswest" flagship stores that are about to open in Guomao and Wangfujing.

Once advertising campaigns are launched and traffic is brought in, the physical store becomes the most crucial link in receiving and converting that traffic.

Fang Minghai's factory in Guangdong is already operating at full capacity. As soon as the brand promotion in Yanjing is launched, the Jeanswest "100-store plan" can be quickly rolled out in major cities across the country.

Seizing the domestic market and establishing a brand image may require years of accumulation for ordinary people, but for Qin Yuan, who possesses foresight and substantial capital, the core lies in precise marketing and efficient execution.

In an era of relative information scarcity and high consumer trust in advertising, the power of advertising far surpassed that of later generations.

However, converting the short-term popularity brought by advertising into long-term brand loyalty requires the support of excellent product quality, differentiated design, a good shopping experience, and a good store image.

Without the heritage of a century-old brand, one can only work hard in these tangible areas to quickly build brand awareness.

Qin was far more clear-headed about this than any other merchant of his time.

As they left the Jinxiang Building, Elena naturally took Qin Yuan's arm and asked, "Qin, where do we go now?"

At this moment, Wu Weiguo caught up from behind and asked in a low voice, "Brother Yuan, do you want to go to the Guomao store now? I'll go and drive the car over."

Qin Yuan shook his head: "Let's go home first. We can go check on the shop tomorrow."

He looked at Wu Weiguo and said, "My parents said they're going to set up two tables today to welcome me back and also to let everyone get together. Weiguo, could you drive over and pick up Uncle Zhang later so we can all come over for dinner?"

Wu Weiguo hesitated for a moment: "Brother Yuan, shall I go with you and let the other brothers pick up Uncle Zhang? You can't be alone."

He always kept his responsibilities in mind.

Qin Yuan waved his hand, indicating that he could rest assured: "It's alright, as long as Andrei and Markov are with us. It's a family dinner today, so relax."

After saying that, he took Elena and hailed a taxi.

To be honest, he didn't really understand why Elena insisted on coming to China with him, but since she was here, he wouldn't turn her away.

Having such a capable and stunningly beautiful confidante by your side makes both work and life a delightful experience.

Elena herself was filled with curiosity about ancient China, finding everything new and interesting.

As the Spring Festival approaches, the streets are already decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, exuding a festive atmosphere.

This was a completely new experience for Elena.

"Qin, can we go to the mall first? I want to buy some things."

After getting into the car, Elena turned her gaze from the window to Qin Yuandao.

"What do you want to buy?" Qin Yuan asked, but still told the driver to head towards Chang'an Avenue.

Elena said earnestly, "I asked Chen, and he said that in China, it's customary to bring a gift when visiting the man's family for the first time; it's a matter of courtesy."

Qin Yuan chuckled, surprised that she had gone out of her way to inquire about these things.

The two strolled around Xidan. Elena carefully selected fine wine for Qin Yuan's father, a silk scarf and skincare products for his mother Zhang Guilan, a trendy jacket for his younger brother Qin Ming, and a beautiful doll and a large bag of candy and snacks for his younger sister Qin Fang. She was very thoughtful.

Qin Yuan watched all this, simply helping her carry her bag without offering any advice or remonstrance.

Soon, they returned to Cherry Alley.

The car caused quite a commotion as soon as it stopped at the entrance of the alley.

Several elderly women who were sunbathing and chatting at the doorway immediately brightened up when they saw Qin Yuan with a tall, blonde, blue-eyed foreign girl carrying large bags.

They greeted Qin Yuan warmly, but their eyes kept glancing at Elena.

As soon as Qin Yuan and his group entered the courtyard, they immediately spread the news excitedly as if they had discovered earth-shattering news.

They say the eldest son of the Qin family has made something of himself!
He brought home a foreign wife who's even prettier than a movie star!

The once quiet alleyway instantly became bustling with activity because of Qin Yuan's return and Elena's appearance.

Upon entering the house, Zhang Guilan, the mother, was busy in the kitchen. Hearing the noise, she peeked out and saw her son and Elena. She quickly wiped her hands on her apron and called into the house, "Jianguo! Stop watching TV! Your son is back! And he brought...he brought guests!"

Upon hearing the noise, the father, Qin Jianguo, immediately came out from the inner room, followed by his younger brother, Qin Ming, and younger sister, Qin Fang, who were also curious.

When they saw Elena, they were all stunned, their eyes filled with amazement.

Qin Jianguo had already heard from Wu Weiguo that his eldest son had brought back a Soviet girl, but when he saw her in person, he was still shocked by Elena's appearance and aura. He was a little at a loss for words and could only say repeatedly, "Good, good, it's good that you're here... Come in and sit down!"

Qin Ming quickly stepped forward, his face flushed, and awkwardly tried to take the gift from Elena's hand, stammering in broken English, "Hello... Let me help you..."

Elena smiled slightly at him and said in clear Chinese, "Thank you, little brother."

The word "brother" made Qin Ming's ears turn red, and he stood there helplessly.

Little Qin Fang looked up at Elena with her big, bright eyes and asked in a childish voice, "Sister, you're so pretty! Are you my brother's girlfriend? Are you my sister-in-law?"

Elena glanced at Qin Yuan, who was smiling silently beside her, and instead of answering directly, she squatted down and handed the beautiful doll to Qin Fang, saying gently, "Little sister, this is a gift for you."

Upon seeing the doll, Qin Fang immediately cheered and hugged it tightly, her affection for Elena instantly soaring to its peak.

"Thank you, sister! I like you the most!"

Qin Yuan stood to the side, simply smiling.

In his previous life, he was an orphan and never experienced the warmth of a family.

Now, I'm experiencing the warmth of family in this game world, which is a unique feeling.

That's right, he was experiencing life.

After a while, Wu Weiguo arrived with Old Zhang.

The entrance to the courtyard was already crowded with neighbors and children who wanted to see this rare foreign girl.

Wu Weiguo finally managed to squeeze in.

Looking at the lively scene, Old Zhang laughed heartily and said, "Yuanzi, it's been years since our Cherry Blossom Alley has been this lively! Your return has made it even more lively than the New Year!"

Qin Yuan smiled and asked, "Uncle Zhang, when you came here, didn't you stop by your ancestral home for a visit?"

Old Zhang's ancestral home was also in Cherry Hutong, and he was a prominent family with a true three-courtyard siheyuan (traditional courtyard house).

What, then, is a three-courtyard siheyuan?

To put it simply, the small palace has an inner residence, an inner courtyard, and an outer residence and outer courtyard.

There was a main building in front, with side rooms on both sides, making up a neat row of twenty or thirty rooms.

It's a mansion big enough to house a large family.

Such courtyard houses would cost tens or hundreds of millions in later generations.

Unlike Qin Yuan's family, which only has one courtyard.

When the ancestral home was mentioned, Old Zhang's eyes dimmed for a moment. He waved his hand and sighed, "Forget it, several families live in that courtyard now. The property rights are long gone. Let the neighborhood committee manage it."

“I’m just an old man with no children. What would I need such a big house for? Seeing it would only remind me of people and make me feel sad.”

Seeing that he was in low spirits, Qin Yuan knew it was a sad past that he didn't want to talk about, so he didn't ask any more questions. Instead, he called out to everyone, "Mom said the food is almost ready, let's get ready to eat!"

Inside the main room, the large round table was already laden with home-cooked dishes that Zhang Guilan had carefully prepared, filling the air with their aroma.

The TV was on, playing the evening news, serving as background noise.

The family sat together, creating a lively and warm atmosphere.

During the meal, Zhang Guilan, the mother, served food to Elena while asking Qin Yuan, "By the way, where are Binzi and Gangzi? Why didn't they come back with you? And Magan'er, I heard he came back a long time ago, but he didn't even come to report to his godmother. Have they all forgotten about me?"

Qin Yuan explained with a smile, "Mom, how could that be! I told Magan'er to go back to his hometown in Langfang first. He's getting married to Zhuoya on the 10th of next month, so he has to go back to prepare." "He specifically told me that he'll personally drive to pick you up in Langfang and ask you to take the seat of honor!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Guilan's face lit up with a smile, but she humbly replied, "Oh dear, the seat of honor should be for his parents. I'll just join in the fun and share in the joy!"

Father Qin Jianguo also asked with concern, "What about Binzi and Gangzi? It's almost the New Year, are they still not done with the matters in the Soviet Union?"

Wu Weiguo chimed in, "Uncle Qin, the Soviet Union just signed several big orders, and they really can't do without people. Brother Bin and Brother Gang have to stay there and oversee the last batch of goods being shipped out."

"But they said they'll definitely be back before the Lunar New Year. They've pledged to be groomsmen at Magan's wedding, they definitely won't miss it!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Jianguo nodded repeatedly with satisfaction, raising his glass: "Good, good! It's good to be busy, being busy is the right thing to do!"

"Thinking back to this time last year, these guys were never home, and I was constantly worried about them at home."

"Now everything's great. Everyone has a proper career, even Magan'er is settling down and starting a family, and Xiao Yuan... he even brought his friends back. Good, very good!"

In high spirits, he raised his glass to Old Zhang and said, "Brother Zhang, this glass is for you! Thank you for leading these kids and guiding them onto the right path!"

Old Zhang quickly raised his glass, downed it in one gulp, then shook his head and laughed, "Brother Jianguo, you're not right. It's not that I led them; they're all capable on their own, especially your son Xiaoyuan, he's a true dragon!"

"At most, I'm just... a lackey who follows behind and cheers!"

Everyone laughed when they heard this.

Just then, the familiar roar of an airplane came from the television, followed by the clear and articulate voice of a news anchor:
"Welcome to today's Yanjing Finance. On January 20th, four Tu-154 passenger planes purchased by Sichuan Airlines from the Soviet Union successfully arrived at Chengdu Shuangliu Airport."

This introduction will greatly enhance Sichuan Airlines' capacity.

It is understood that Sichuan Airlines has recently applied to the Civil Aviation Administration of China to open several new domestic routes…

"According to our reporter, the great success of this Sino-Soviet private trade was facilitated by the full assistance of the Yanjing Far East Trading Company."

Mr. Qin Yuan, the company's general manager, personally traveled to Kuibyshev, Soviet Union, and reached an agreement with Berekse Tupolev, a representative of the aircraft manufacturer, and the Soviet civil aviation industry to purchase seven passenger aircraft. Ultimately, 800 railcars of various domestic goods were successfully used to offset the purchase price…

"This feat of 'trading canned goods for airplanes' fully demonstrates the vitality and courage of Chinese private business wisdom, and has explored a brand-new path for Sino-Soviet private trade in the new era..."

The laughter and conversation at the dinner table instantly fell silent.

Everyone instinctively looked at the television screen, which was showing footage of a plane landing and a blurry signing of a contract.

After a brief silence, Zhang Guilan, the mother, was the first to break it. Pointing at the television, she couldn't help but exclaim again, "Oh my, listen to this, listen to this! This is the wisdom of the people in business! This is the boss of Far East Trading!"

"That's really something, trading canned food for an airplane, what was he thinking? But his name is the same as our Xiao Yuan's."

She never imagined that her son was the same person as the person on TV.

As far as he was concerned, his son was content with a modest life.

To be able to appear on television and in newspapers, one must be a very important person.

These ordinary people never even considered it.

Father Qin Jianguo also turned his gaze away from the television, clicked his tongue, and looked at Qin Yuan: "Xiao Yuan, you also do business in the Soviet Union. Have you heard of this Far East Trade? Do you know this General Manager Qin?"

"I reckon such a capable person must be the kind of big boss who's always in the newspapers and shakes hands with top leaders!"

Qin Yuan himself looked at the blurry profile of himself captured on the TV screen as he disembarked from the plane, suppressed a laugh, and mumbled in response, "Yeah, I've met him a few times. He's pretty impressive... but it's mostly just good luck, really good luck."

Wu Weiguo, who was standing behind him, couldn't help but burst out laughing. He quickly covered his mouth, his face turning red.

He personally witnessed how Brother Yuan orchestrated and effortlessly secured seven aircraft in the Soviet Union.

Seeing Yuan Ge being praised by his parents in person but only able to respond modestly, the dramatic contrast is truly hilarious.

The atmosphere at the dinner table became somewhat awkward.

The announcer's clear and articulate voice continued on television, describing how the "President Qin," who shared the same name as their son, wielded immense influence and accomplished astonishing business deals.

Zhang Guilan and Qin Jianguo, the elderly couple, were filled with admiration and envy, completely unaware that the "capable person" they so often praised was sitting right next to them, suppressing a smile, and picking at the rice in his bowl.

Wu Weiguo was struggling to suppress his laughter, and could only cover it up by pouring wine for Old Zhang.

Old Zhang remained composed, munching on peanuts and listening to the news with squinted eyes, as if he were also commenting on an anecdote unrelated to himself. Only occasionally did he glance at Qin Yuan with a hint of amusement.

Elena's blue eyes were filled with even greater confusion; she didn't quite understand this uniquely Chinese way of keeping a low profile or even concealing things from close relatives.

In her view, such a great achievement deserves the greatest praise and pride from her family.

She glanced at Qin Yuan, and seeing that he was just smiling, she suppressed the urge to ask and, like the others, quietly ate her meal.

Qin Fang, the youngest of the group, was quickly captivated by the exquisite doll Elena had given her. She held the doll tightly, completely forgetting about the airplanes and cannons on TV.

"Alright, alright, those people on TV are too far removed from us." Qin Jianguo finally waved his hand, as if to shake off that unrealistic envy, and picked up his wine glass again.

"Let's just live our own lives well. Come on, Brother Zhang, Weiguo, let's have another toast! To celebrate our family reunion and to wish Magan'er a happy wedding!"

The atmosphere became lively again.

Zhang Guilan also started piling food onto Elena's plate: "Girl, eat more, try Auntie's braised pork, do you like it? Make yourself at home here, don't be shy."

Elena tried her best to use chopsticks, and although she was still a little clumsy, she was extremely serious. After each bite, she would sincerely nod and say in Chinese, "It's delicious, thank you, Auntie."

Her obedience and beauty quickly made Zhang Guilan beam with joy, and she looked at her more and more like she was looking at her own daughter-in-law.

Dinner ended in a subtle and warm atmosphere.

After helping to clear the dishes, Wu Weiguo sat down together for a while to drink tea and chat about everyday things. He mainly listened to Old Zhang tell some interesting stories from the past and about the customs and culture of the Soviet Union. It wasn't until the night was getting late that Wu Weiguo got up to say goodbye and took Old Zhang home.

Qin Yuan and Elena escorted the two to the entrance of the alley.

When I returned home, the crowd of onlookers in the alley had long since dispersed, leaving only the cool moonlight and the warm light shining from a few scattered windows.

"Why?" Elena finally couldn't help but ask softly, "Why don't you tell your aunt and uncle that Qin Yuan on TV is you? Wouldn't it be great if they were proud of you?"

Qin Yuan, with his hands in his coat pockets and his feet bathed in moonlight, smiled and said, "Sometimes, maintaining a little distance and mystery is a form of protection for them."

"Knowing too much will only make them worry."

"Now, all they know is that their son is doing legitimate business, making some money, and living a stable life, and that's enough for them."

"As for those thrilling and enormous fortunes, they are too far removed from their world, which may not be a good thing."

He paused, then added, "And it's quite amusing to see them so genuinely amazed by my 'other identity,' isn't it?"

Elena nodded as if she understood, but she still needed time to gradually understand the subtlety and family values ​​in Chinese culture.

"Let's go, I'll take you back to your hotel, and I'll show you around Yanjing at night."

Qin Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, stepping on the shadow cast by the streetlights under the alley, sometimes in front, sometimes behind.

Elena followed beside her.

The towering walls, the withered leaves, the few scattered figures—everything was unfamiliar.

Looking back, one could even see Markov and the others following behind.

But she glanced at the unfathomable figure beside her.

My heart calmed down without me even realizing it!
This feeling was something I had never experienced in the Soviet Union, in Moscow!

She unconsciously moved a few steps closer to Qin Yuan.

(End of this chapter)