How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 179 Urgent? Even in a hurry, you have to wait in line [10,000-word update, please subscribe]

"Of course, no problem. My main clients in the north are all media companies. But to be honest, the luxury goods market is actually quite large."

Last year, the domestic market was worth approximately 1500 billion yuan, while the entire East Asian market approached 5000 billion yuan. Based on depreciation and circulation rates, the secondary luxury goods market is expected to reach hundreds of billions of yuan in the next few years.

Mr. Wang is a rising star in the e-commerce industry. I, on the other hand, have some knowledge of luxury goods. We might as well combine the two and create an O2O online-to-offline model to cover the entire second-tier luxury market in China, and even the East Asian market.” Li Rixue had clearly had this idea for a long time.

He had originally planned to make empty promises to investment institutions, but now that there are more suitable partners, he decided to play his cards right from the start.

In any case, he is currently the only one in China with a legitimate license, which gives him an absolute advantage in credibility. Even if Wang Yao wanted to use his influence to his advantage, he couldn't.

"President Li, why don't you tell me more?" Wang Yao feigned surprise, his face full of interest.

Upon hearing this, Li Rixue perked up and began to explain his blueprint plan by drawing and sketching on the whiteboard.

Wang Yao and Ma Ruo worked together to create the atmosphere, express their approval, and convey a lot of emotional value.

"President Li truly has a grand vision; I've been too narrow-minded," Wang Yao clapped his hands in praise.

“Every industry is like a mountain to climb. Mr. Wang is only focused on the long term and has no time to pay attention to our small industry,” Li Rixue said with a smile.

"No, no, no, there are no bad industries, only bad industries. Any industry that can contribute to people is a good industry," Wang Yao said with a smile.

“What Mr. Wang said makes sense,” Li Rixue nodded.

"Mr. Li, would you be interested in letting me get involved?" Wang Yao asked.

"How does President Wang intend to participate?" Li Rixue squinted.

"I don't understand the technical aspects, but I do have some experience in e-commerce and traffic. If you want to do business nationwide or even globally, you really can't avoid the internet O2O model. Offline is the foundation, and online is the traffic driver."
My Mulan Street has nearly 60% female users, and there are also some signed artists, such as Ma Ruo. Many of her fans are high-net-worth women, who can be used as a channel to drive traffic from online to offline. I estimate that the conversion rate of customers introduced by her is not low.

"Moreover, I have good relationships with both JD.com and Vancl, so in the future, same-city delivery services with in-person signatures can save a lot of time and costs," Wang Yao said seriously.

Directly using internet celebrities and stars to attract traffic?
Li Rixue looked at Ma Ruo in surprise. If she could really endorse the company, it would indeed be of significant help in increasing transaction volume.

"Now that you mention it, Mr. Wang and I are a match made in heaven," Li Rixue said with a smile, already making plans in his mind.

Fortunately, he currently possesses the only authentication certificate; otherwise, with the set of things Wang Yao mentioned, he could almost crush him at any time.

"How about this, Mr. Li will be in charge of overall control, and I will be responsible for providing technical resources support, plus a cash investment of 1 million. What do you think, Mr. Li?" Wang Yao said with a smile.

1 million?!

Li Rixue's heart skipped a beat. He had initially thought the other party wanted to use their technical resources to take a stake in the company.

I didn't expect them to be willing to provide cash support!

This is indeed what the treasurer lacks most right now. It's not just because the online platform needs a budget; he plans to open a dedicated appraisal and maintenance center in each of China's first-tier cities, and each center alone may require an investment of 2 to 3 million yuan.

He originally planned to wait and see how the revenue performed in Q3 before seeking further funding.

But I didn't expect to get the angel round directly from Wang Yao.

However, the awkward thing is that, judging from the current situation, he seems to need Wang Yao more. This shareholding ratio is not easy to control. In the early stages of starting a business, the most feared thing is a big dog with both money and power.

“Mr. Wang is no outsider. To be honest, in the second quarter, our company’s revenue is already close to 2 million, and the net profit margin is close to 40%. So if we value it at 5000 million in revenue by the end of the year, my expectation is that it will be around 3 million.” Li Rixue solemnly boasted a little.

Even if Wang Yao asked him to provide transaction records, he wasn't afraid, because the luxury goods industry is very complex, with many unseen transactions in addition to normal ones.

Let alone 5000 million in turnover, he could easily rack up billions in a matter of minutes if he wanted to, but then the project would be ruined, and he would only have the option of running away abroad.

He still wants to do business honestly and ethically.

"3 million," Wang Yao said thoughtfully. "I heard that Fifth Avenue has already acquired Sequoia Capital."

With its own support, the treasurer's assets could reach the billion-dollar level this year. If it can truly enter the Korean and Japanese markets in the future, its market value is expected to reach more than 10 billion US dollars.

"That's right, they got it last year, but it's not O2O, it's only B2C. Our advantage is the integrated model of luxury goods and maintenance factories, which is more advantageous in retaining users than traditional e-commerce platforms."

"It's not just Fifth Avenue; Shangpin.com is also preparing to accept Lei Jun's multi-million dollar investment, claiming a valuation of 1 million US dollars. There's also Xiu.com, which is said to have a valuation of 2 million US dollars. But frankly, I'm not optimistic about pure e-commerce platforms specializing in luxury goods. I feel they could be replaced by Taobao at any time. Luxury goods need careful nurturing, not just simple product attributes," Li Rixue shook his head.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yao raised an eyebrow. Li Rixue's awareness was commendable; no wonder it was a luxury platform that had survived to the very end. "I appreciate President Li's attitude. With 1 million plus my resources, I want 45% of the shares. President Li will hold the shares on my behalf, and you will have the right of first refusal if I withdraw in the future." Wang Yao offered his new terms.

Li Rixue's heart skipped a beat.

First, there's the pain of losing 45%.

To be honest, given the current size of the treasury, its valuation is at most 2 million. From both a moral and legal standpoint, Wang Yao's asking price isn't outrageous, but it's still enough to make him wince.

However, the additional conditions, such as the option to hold shares on behalf of others to guarantee ownership of the business and the right of first refusal in the future, are extremely tempting.

After all, all entrepreneurial CEOs know that equity and control of the company are the most important things. Valuation and market value are just paper until they are realized. Only the rights and funds that can be used are real.

Moreover, with Wang Yao joining, the treasurer's online channels have been directly opened up, and with the endorsement of an internet celebrity like Ma Ruo, it's like adding wings to a tiger.

"Mr. Wang, please allow me to consider it." Li Rixue suppressed his restlessness and wanted to pull the strings a little further.

"What do you think of our company's office environment when Mr. Li comes?" Wang Yao asked with a smile.

"Of course, there's no question about that." Li Rixue said with some doubt.

Why show off this?

If I had money, I would enjoy life even more than you.

“I am in charge of the investment promotion and cultural tourism projects in this town. I plan to develop this town into a cultural tourism project that is second only to Disney and Oriental Pearl Tower. If the treasurer opens an offline store here, it can reach most of the target customers in the entire Shanghai business district, especially the media industry.”

"I have a shop of over 2000 square meters that can serve as the treasurer's flagship store base. Ma Ruo can serve as the honorary store manager to help attract business. I can't guarantee anything else, but we can still convert nearly 10,000 customers every year. Although the Bund is bustling, it's too crowded. My place is much more comfortable." Wang Yao smiled warmly.

Li Rixue's heart pounded.

They've even prepared the offline site selection and endorsements?

"Mr. Wang, this is really putting me in a difficult position," Li Rixue said with a wry smile, taking a deep breath.

"As long as President Li is confident in serving our clients well, by the end of the year we can stand in our old stomping ground on Fifth Avenue, make an offer to merge, and by this time next year, we can acquire Shangpin and Zouxiu.com to prepare for our expansion into Korea and Japan." Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Mr. Wang, this pace is too fast, I can hardly keep up." Li Rixue was both restless and a little scared.

I'm already considered quite good at making empty promises.

How come this kid is not only better at drawing, but also exudes a golden light that commands respect when he speaks?

Wang Yao picked up the gold-inlaid diamond art pen and chuckled, "Time waits for no one, President Li."

Li Rixue's gaze was fixed on the 80 yuan art pen that shimmered with fiery colors, and he swallowed hard.

This pen is very famous in their circle. Everyone laughs at Wang Yao for being a young man who became successful but squandered money and became a sucker, but everyone wants to use this pen to show off.

Wang Yao calmly looked at Li Rixue, who was deep in thought, and he was not worried that the other party would refuse.

Because he still has a trump card up his sleeve.

Korea is currently the most prosperous place for the secondary luxury market in East Asia. There has even been a strange phenomenon of "cha-tech" brand addiction, where luxury goods are directly hyped up as financial products, with second-hand luxury goods being more expensive than new ones. This has led to a large number of young people taking out loans to go abroad and bring back secondary luxury goods.

Wang Yao's company in Korea has nearly a hundred people traveling back and forth every month. They can easily disrupt the local market by carrying some of their goods over there. Although Korea is a small country, the circulation and demand for luxury goods may be larger than the entire undeveloped Chinese market.

With such convenient resources, Li Rixue would never be unmoved.

Just as the office fell silent, there was a sudden knock on the door.

"Huh?" Wang Yao was taken aback.

The first floor of this office building houses the security and resident secretaries of various companies, facilitating timely reporting to Wang Yao. The second and third floors, besides Wang Yao's office, are occupied by a large conference room.

Today, Li Rixue is the only guest. Wang Yao instructed him not to disturb him. Could it be that there has been another unexpected event?

He was somewhat paranoid because of Ma Yun's surprise attack last time.

Ma Ruo got up and opened the door, only to see a stunningly beautiful face peeking in. "Huh? You really have a guest?" Li Rixue turned his head and stared wide-eyed.

Fan Bingbing?!

The rumors are true! Wang Yao really is having an affair with her?!

"Why are you here?" Wang Yao was also taken aback.

"I came to see you on May 520th, you go ahead with your work." Fan Bingbing smiled charmingly.

Wang Yao's face darkened.

"Ah, it's alright, Mr. Wang, you all go ahead with your work. We can leave the cooperation to our legal counsel later." Li Rixue is a shrewd person; otherwise, he wouldn't have been the first to obtain the luxury goods authentication certificate.

"President Li, don't worry about her," Wang Yao said, trying to persuade her to stay.

Fan Bingbing seemed to realize that she had caused trouble and quickly said, "Yes, yes, don't worry about me, I'm just here to deliver a gift."

"It's alright, we've finished talking anyway." Li Rixue stood up and smiled. "Well, better late than never. I'm a fan of Miss Fan, would it be convenient for me to sign an autograph?"

"No problem." Fan Bingbing glanced at Wang Yao, swallowed hard, walked in, picked up Wang Yao's pen, and signed his name.

As soon as she entered, the whole office smelled even better.

"Then, Mr. Li, is it settled?" Wang Yao took the opportunity to finalize the cooperation.

"Of course, Mr. Wang not only provided the money and effort, but also guaranteed my support for my controlling stake. Where can you find such a good angel investor?" Li Rixue laughed heartily.

Actually, he was still a little hesitant, but after seeing Fan Bingbing, he suddenly understood. The most important thing in the luxury goods industry is authority and endorsement.

Moreover, endorsement outweighs authority.

The documents he has are important, but others will be able to obtain them in the future.

But endorsements, especially those endorsed by celebrities that Wang Yao controls, are different. If Fan Bingbing becomes the treasurer's luxury skincare client, it would be equivalent to getting the most authoritative endorsement.

If you just tell a customer, "Fan Bingbing's bags are all maintained here," or even have her post a subtle product placement on Weibo, the treasurer's inquiry hotline will definitely be flooded with calls the next day.

Luxury products generate revenue, while skincare is the main and stable source of revenue!
"Well then, it's a pleasure to cooperate." Wang Yao stood up, shook hands with him, and saw him downstairs. "I was originally planning to treat President Li to dinner, but I have to catch a flight to Hong Kong later, so I'll have to wait until I'm back in Beijing next time."

“We’ll be working with President Wang for a long time to come, so please be busy.” Li Rixue glanced at Fan Bingbing, who was obediently following behind Wang Yao.

He finished speaking and gave a knowing smile that any man would understand.
"I'll take President Li to the car." Ma Ruo, with her keen insight, led Li Rixue into the car.

Wang Yao watched the car leave, then led Fan Bingbing back to his office on the second floor.

"Did I almost cause trouble?" Fan Bingbing asked pitifully, blinking her big eyes.

For a woman nearing thirty to still possess such a youthful expression, her acting skills have indeed improved considerably.

"How did you get up here?" Wang Yao asked curiously. Were all the security guards and secretaries downstairs just for show?
"I was stopped, so I took off my mask and said I was looking for you, and they let me up," Fan Bingbing said innocently.

Wang Yao remained silent for a moment.

I think what she said is probably true, after all, Fan Bingbing's face can indeed be used as a pass.

It seems we need to establish proper rules for security. Without an appointment, even if Fan Bingbing comes, she can't enter.

"Are you angry?" Fan Bingbing pursed her lips and carefully scratched Wang Yao's arm with her nails painted with nutmeg.

"You came here first?" Wang Yao raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Of course, Dior and Chanel sent me endorsement offers one after the other, and I also received offers for several Hollywood roles. As a person with a conscience, of course I should thank my benefactors as soon as possible."

Fan Bingbing leaned against the desk, turning sideways to encircle Wang Yao inside, her expression both gentle and playful.

She may have gained more from this Cannes red carpet event than she has accumulated in the previous ten years. Not only did her dragon robe become a hit, but the "Refuse to Shallow Water Check-in" campaign even became a global phenomenon. Several women's unions in Hollywood even made a big deal out of it, sparking a battle for status among female stars. As the one who took the lead in doing good, Fan Bingbing naturally received a lot of attention and discussion.

She rose to international stardom directly through a media storm. Although she doesn't have any particularly outstanding international works yet, Westerners don't understand Eastern culture, and Fan Bingbing's artistic works just happened to hit their curiosity, creating a chain reaction.

Originally, the intention was simply to boost Asia's influence through the export-to-domestic sales model, but unexpectedly, with Wang Yao's intervention, it took a dramatic leap forward.

Overwhelmed by a mix of surprise and confusion, Fan Bingbing was even hesitant to accept media interviews for fear of backfiring. After all, those were the words Wang Yao had taught her to say, and her agent, Yang Tianzhen, was only somewhat capable domestically, completely clueless on the international stage.

So after discussing it, the two of them could only choose to treat Wang Yao as their lifeline. As long as they captured Wang Yao, these subsequent problems should be solved.

So as soon as Cannes ended, Fan Bingbing couldn't wait to fly back to see Wang Yao, not just for work, but also for some personal reasons.

I was planning a surprise attack to create some excitement, but I almost caused a disaster.

Although it's unclear what Wang Yao and that Mr. Li were discussing, it must have been a significant deal.

“I’m just doing my job, taking money to solve problems. This is a normal transaction, so let’s not talk about gratitude.” Wang Yao stared at Fan Bingbing warily.

The scent of hormones mixed with perfume emanating from the other person set off alarm bells for him.

"The kindness of others is remembered for a thousand years." Fan Bingbing bowed slightly and quoted Qu Shou's previous statement with a breath as sweet as orchids.

"Are you ovulating?" Wang Yao frowned, reached out and touched her forehead, pushing her away.

"You!" Fan Bingbing's heart, which had been fluttering, instantly turned to ice, her eyes wide with shame and anger, unable to utter a word.

What's wrong with this man!
You can't win me over, huh?

"I really have to go to Hong Kong later. If there's nothing important, I'll come back and we can talk." Wang Yao stood up, casually put his arm around her legs and tossed her onto his boss's chair, performing a teleportation trick.

"Oh!" Fan Bingbing exclaimed in surprise, her face turning as red as blood. Seeing that Wang Yao was really going to leave her, she quickly grabbed his arm. "I'm really in a hurry."

"In a hurry? Even if you are, you still have to wait in line," Wang Yao said, raising an eyebrow.

"Get lost! Who said that!" Fan Bingbing bared his teeth in anger. "I'm going to sign with your company and enjoy the 520 benefits."

"Hmm?" Wang Yao frowned. "You want to sign in to Spark? At your level, I'll take 90% of your earnings from an S-level sign-in."

"Are you Zhou Bapi?" Fan Bingbing was shocked.

Me?

Fan Bingbing!
You're taking 90% of my profits?!
"No one else would receive this treatment," Wang Yao chuckled.

Fan Bingbing was stunned for a moment. Why did this sound so satisfying?
"That's outrageous. What can you offer to justify taking so much from me?" Fan Bingbing looked up at Wang Yao and said unhappily.

Even if you're young and healthy enough to be a perpetual motion machine, you shouldn't drain me dry!

"We're guaranteed at least 100 million in revenue; there's a long line of people waiting outside," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Oh, so what? I made almost 100 million last year on my own." Fan Bingbing pouted.

After deducting expenses, she still has at least forty to fifty million yuan in her hands.

"There's not much work, no drinking involved. Just relax and get to work. It's all written in the contract," Wang Yao said with a smile.

“Well, I don’t have to drink with customers anymore.” Fan Bingbing’s expression stiffened upon hearing this.

I never thought they could actually make a 520 company.

"I'll tell you the details when I get back, I have to catch my flight." Wang Yao waved his hand.

"What are you going to Hong Kong for?" Fan Bingbing asked curiously.

What could be more important than winning her over, this cash cow that could generate hundreds of millions in revenue for the company in the future!

"Filming has begun on the new movie."

"Then I'll go and soak up some of the good fortune."

(End of this chapter)