Rebirth in Hong Kong: From Dessert Shop to Industrial Empire

Chapter 139 Headhunter (Seeking monthly votes, recommendations, and continued reading)

After seeing off the enthusiastic and satisfied Kim Sung-soo and his entourage, Chen Bingwen's smile slowly faded.

It's a good thing that Koreans have taken the initiative to come and want to become distributors for Chen's products.

But now, Chenji's senior executives are so busy that they want to use the factory in two separate parts, so they can't spare any manpower.

He turned around and said to Fang Wenshan, "Director Fang, please come to my office for a moment."

The two walked into Chen Bingwen's spacious office one after the other.

Chen Bingwen gestured for Fang Wenshan to sit down, and waited for his secretary, Ali, to pour tea for the two of them.

Chen Bingwen then said, "Director Fang, the South Korean market is developing faster than we expected, and the momentum is very strong."

Kim Sung-soo seems to have passion and connections, but his practical experience in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, especially in the beverage industry, still needs to be observed.

The initial stage is crucial and requires someone who understands the product, the distribution channels, and can manage financial risks to lead and coordinate the process.

Fang Wenshan immediately understood Chen Bingwen's meaning: "Mr. Chen, do you want me to focus on launching the Korean market first?"

“It’s just a temporary responsibility.” Chen Bingwen nodded and admitted, “In the North American market, we are currently only conducting small-scale trials through Coca-Cola’s channels. The model is relatively simple, and the workload is not yet saturated.”

You can temporarily focus your energy on South Korea.

On Kim Sung-soo's side, we need someone who can keep things under control, respond quickly to their needs, and firmly uphold our terms and bottom line.

Especially in financial settlements, credit checks, and production coordination for the first batch of orders, you can't let go.

“No problem, I can temporarily take over the South Korean market.”

Vincent Fang is also aware of the company's current situation, as there are very few senior managers who can stand alone.

He adjusted his glasses and added calmly, "Mr. Chen, please rest assured, I will personally oversee the initial coordination in the Korean market to ensure there are no mishaps."

Regarding the production schedule and logistics arrangements for the first batch of trial orders, I immediately assigned someone to follow up.

Chen Bingwen nodded; he had always trusted Fang Wenshan's meticulousness and execution capabilities.

"Yes, I'm at ease leaving it in your hands."

Regarding the current trial sales data monitoring and regular feedback reports in North America, please assign your subordinates to take over and ensure that the basic work is not disrupted.

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Letting you temporarily manage the Korean market is just a stopgap measure."

The chief financial officer cannot concurrently serve as the regional market operations officer for an extended period.

Our talent pool must keep pace with the speed of our business expansion.

At this point, he got up, walked to his desk, picked up the internal phone, and asked, "Ali, have you had any feedback from the headhunting firm lately?"

"Mr. Chen, the headhunting firm has selected four marketing executive candidates who perfectly match our needs, as per your requirements. Their resumes and relevant evaluation reports are on the top shelf of the file rack on the left side of your desk."

The voice of the secretary, Ali, came through the phone.

"Okay, got it." Chen Bingwen put down the phone and, sure enough, saw a folder labeled "Marketing Executive Candidate" on the file shelf.

Chen Bingwen picked up the folder and glanced at it briefly before walking back to the sofa area and sitting down opposite Vincent Fang.

"Director Fang, let's take a look together."

The headhunter recommended four candidates this time, and their backgrounds were more diverse than I had imagined.

As he spoke, Chen Bingwen placed the folder on the coffee table, and the two of them began to peruse it together.

The headhunting firm was very helpful this time, providing Chen Bingwen with four senior marketing managers from multinational FMCG companies.

One of them is Angela Leong, the 38-year-old head of the beverage division of the dairy company.

One of them is Zhao Liming, a senior marketing manager from Watsons.

The other two are the marketing manager of Tao Fat Tai Tung and the deputy marketing manager of Swire Group's Hong Kong Island Soft Drinks Factory.

Judging from their resumes alone, all four of them meet Chen Bingwen's requirements.

Extensive professional experience, with expertise in FMCG marketing.

Chen Bingwen wished he could keep all four of them.

In this way, each of the core regions—Japan, South Korea, North America, and Europe—is responsible for one, each leveraging their strengths, and Chen Ji's global footprint can be laid out instantly!

However, Chen Bingwen was just indulging in self-congratulation; business decisions are not like collecting stamps, much less child's play.

A stellar resume is just a thing of the past; there are plenty of people who are all talk and no action. Without in-depth communication, thorough evaluation, a clear understanding of one's own limitations, and a genuine sense of cultural compatibility, one cannot succeed.

Bringing four executives with vastly different backgrounds and styles under his wing would be a gamble, and could even lead to disaster.

"So, what are your thoughts on these four people?"

After reviewing the resumes of the four people, Chen Bingwen asked Fang Wenshan with a smile.

Fang Wenshan pushed up his glasses, looked up from the resumes, and after a moment's thought, said, "These four candidates do have very solid backgrounds, each with their own strengths, and all meet our core requirements of 'being able to fight tough battles and stand on their own.'"

"Overall, they are all very good. I suggest that you meet them in person and talk to them face to face."

"You think the same way I do."

No matter how impressive your resume is, it's just empty talk.

Whether it's a mule or a horse, you have to take it out for a spin.

We must speak with these four people in person to assess their true abilities and, more importantly, whether they truly align with Chenji's work style and culture.

Chen Bingwen nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly with Fang Wenshan's idea.

Once an agreement was reached, Chen Bingwen immediately instructed his secretary, Ali, to notify the headhunting company to coordinate the interview time.

"Once Ali has confirmed the interview time with the headhunting company, we'll meet these four people together then."

"Understood, Mr. Chen." Fang Wenshan nodded in agreement. "I'll prepare in advance."

"Ah."

After arranging these things, Chen Bingwen rubbed his temples, the fatigue accumulated from days of travel washing over him.

He glanced at the darkening sky outside the window. "That's enough for today. You should go home and get some rest too."

"Okay, Mr. Chen." Fang Wenshan stood up to take his leave.

After finishing the last few documents, Chen Bingwen also left the Weiye Building.

He had been in Japan for almost a month, and tonight he had to go home to have dinner with his parents. As the car entered Jindu Garden, the familiar street scene allowed Chen Bingwen's tense nerves to relax slightly.

As I opened the door, the aroma of food wafted out.

"Oh! It's Wen back!" Hearing the door open, Wang Qiaozhen, wearing an apron, poked her head out of the kitchen, her face beaming with joy. "You're back just in time! Dinner's ready!"

Chen Guofu was sitting on the living room sofa reading the newspaper. When he saw his son return, he quickly put down the newspaper and asked with a smile, "It's good that you're back. Did everything go smoothly?"

"Things are going fairly well, Dad." Chen Bingwen walked into the living room and sat down, saying, "The start in Japan is good, and people in South Korea have also taken the initiative to come to us to discuss cooperation."

"That's good, that's good." Chen Guofu nodded repeatedly, without asking any more questions, but only reminded him, "Your health is the most important thing, don't overwork yourself."

"Okay, Dad," Chen Bingwen replied.

He knew Chen Guofu wasn't good with words, but his simple concern was genuine.

Just then, Wang Qiaozhen came out of the kitchen carrying a steaming bowl of soup and called out, "Quickly, wash your hands and eat! Awen, you must not have eaten well outside, drink more soup tonight."

The family sat around the dining table.

The food was home-style, yet it exuded the warmth of home.

The conversation at the dinner table mostly revolved around everyday family matters, creating a warm atmosphere.

After finishing his meal, Chen Bingwen helped his mother clear the dishes.

While washing the dishes, Wang Qiaozhen chatted about the trivial matters of her neighbors.

Chen Bingwen listened quietly, occasionally offering a few words of agreement.

This mundane daily routine is another precious form of relaxation for him.

The next day, ten o'clock in the morning.

Kim Sung-soo and his assistant Park arrived on time at the conference room of the Weiye Building.

"Chairman Chen, Director Fang!" Kim Sung-soo shook hands warmly. "As agreed, we have brought an advance payment of $20!"

After saying that, he gestured to his assistant, Park, to open his briefcase, take out a check, and solemnly place it on the conference table before pushing it toward Chen Bingwen.

Exclusive distributors are required to purchase Chen Ji's products at the ex-factory price.

The $200,000, or nearly HK$1 million, advance payment is sufficient to support the initial distribution needs in the South Korean region.

Chen Bingwen's eyes swept over the check—a HSBC bank draft for $20.

He nodded, indicating that Fang Wenshan should accept it.

"Chairman Kim's efficiency is admirable," Chen Bingwen said calmly. "We appreciate his sincerity."

We will ship the first trial order as soon as possible, striving to complete the distribution of Chen's products in South Korea before the hype surrounding "Drunken Master" fades!

"Great!" Kim Sung-soo exclaimed, beaming with joy. "Let's go back and prepare immediately!"
Warehouse operations, distribution channels, and promotional plans are all launched simultaneously!

"I guarantee Chen's products will be an instant hit!"

Subsequently, witnessed by Fang Wenshan and Gu Yongxian, Chen Bingwen and Jin Chengzhu, representing Chenji Food and Seoul Food Trading Company respectively, signed the prepared exclusive distribution agreement.

At the same time, Ling Peiyi, who was far away in Tokyo, also received a reply from Yamaguchi Momoe's agent, Matsumoto Kiyoshi. Yamaguchi Momoe accepted all the endorsement terms proposed by Mr. Chen Bingwen and hoped to sign the endorsement agreement as soon as possible.

Upon receiving this news, Ling Peiyi felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders.

She immediately picked up the phone and reported to Chen Bingwen.

Chen Bingwen had just put down the pen he used to sign the exclusive distribution agreement for South Korea when he symbolically shook hands with Kim Sung-soo to complete the ceremony.

Secretary Ali walked in quickly and whispered in Chen Bingwen's ear, "Mr. Chen, it's an urgent call from Director Ling in Tokyo."

Chen Bingwen's eyes flickered slightly, and he gave Kim Sung-soo an apologetic smile: "Chairman Kim, I'm sorry, I have an urgent international call to handle. Please have a seat for a moment."

"Please go ahead, Chairman Chen!" Kim Sung-soo quickly expressed his understanding.

Chen Bingwen strode out of the conference room, went to the office next door, and picked up the phone: "Director Ling, it's me."

"Mr. Chen!" Ling Peiyi's slightly excited voice came from the other end of the phone, "The endorsement by Momoe Yamaguchi is finalized!"
Mr. Matsumoto Kiyoshi has officially informed Ms. Yamaguchi that she has accepted all of our terms! Five years, all of Asia, all product categories, all image protection and early termination clauses have been approved!

Chen Bingwen paused slightly in his hand holding the microphone, a smile playing on his lips.

Become!

It went even more smoothly than he had expected!
"Excellent!" Chen Bingwen praised without reservation.

"Mr. Chen, Matsumoto Kiyoshi hopes to sign an endorsement agreement as soon as possible!"

On the phone, Ling Peiyi asked for permission with great excitement.

"No problem. You can fax me the endorsement agreement first. I'll have Gu Yongxian review it, and then you can sign it. The sooner the better!"

Upon hearing that Matsumoto Kiyoshi wanted to sign the agreement as soon as possible, Chen Bingwen did not hesitate at all and quickly decided, "The signing ceremony should be simple and efficient, and the focus should be on the subsequent advertising shoot."

Time is of the essence; not a single second can be wasted!

“Understood, Mr. Chen!” Ling Peiyi replied immediately. “I will contact Mr. Matsumoto Kiyoshi right away and have them fax the agreement text over immediately.”

Once the application is approved, I will immediately arrange a signing ceremony to ensure the endorsement contract is signed in a short period of time!

Chen Bingwen confirmed, "Yes, when the advertisement is being filmed, you need to be on set personally to ensure that the director fully understands our requirements."

Report the filming progress and initial editing status to me regularly.

He paused, then added, "Director Ling, Momoe Yamaguchi's endorsement advertisement is a crucial weapon for us to counter the counterattack of Liposuction and completely ignite the 'Buy One Get One Free' campaign!"

I want it to cover key television screens in Tokyo and Osaka in the shortest possible time!

Especially during the late-night hours, we must launch a massive, all-out offensive! Before Lipovitan's promotions can be fully rolled out and create market momentum, we must use the star power of Momoe Yamaguchi to completely overwhelm them!
This fire must burn fiercely and vigorously to secure victory in one fell swoop!

"I guarantee the task will be completed! I'll coordinate all aspects right away and try to start filming the advertisement as soon as the agreement is signed!"

Ling Peiyi responded without hesitation.

"Great! I'll be waiting for your good news!"

After hanging up the phone, Chen Bingwen took a deep breath, and his face regained its composure.

Next, we'll see if Lipovitan can withstand the triple bombardment of the "buy one get one free" promotion plus the trump card combination of Jackie Chan and Momoe Yamaguchi!

(End of this chapter)