How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 182 Who has more say than you?

It's not that I'm afraid of rich kids being obsessed with trivial things and losing their ambitions, it's that I'm afraid of them being overly ambitious.

I'm not afraid of rich kids indulging in a life of luxury; I'm afraid of them proving themselves.

Because no matter how much they spend on food, drink, and entertainment, they can never spend all of their parents' savings in several lifetimes. But once the second generation wants to prove that they are more capable than their parents and starts a business, they may wipe out the family's savings in just a few years.

Therefore, for families that have already accumulated wealth, what they need is not a founding monarch who expands the territory, but a stable monarch who maintains the status quo.

Because most second-generation entrepreneurs stand on the shoulders of giants, they mistakenly take objective advantages as their own abilities. With family support and their parents' connections, they greatly reduce the original difficulty of starting a business, but they ignore the real risks involved.

The most basic problem is blind expansion, believing that the illusion of vanity is the grand plan for the future.

Secondly, because the second generation has been well-off since childhood and received elite education, their motivation to start businesses stems more from emotional needs to prove themselves than from commercial needs. In other words, they are just looking for something to do when they have nothing better to do.

Or, under the primogeniture system, one may be forced to take over the family business, and after gaining power, one may hope to combine the business with one's personal hobbies or ideas, resulting in a hybrid mess that ultimately leads to the collapse of the enterprise.

It's not that they lack ability, but rather that their resource privileges are too obvious, causing them to overlook the real-world business needs. Their ideas are business innovations that exceed the current environment, which means they are too idealistic.

In Zheng Ziwen's eyes, her brother Zheng Zigang's K11 art mall is a typical example of the entrepreneurial mindset of a rich second generation, a castle in the air that has no foundation.

Although they grew up in the same family, the difference between boys and girls meant that the family values ​​and expectations they received from childhood were different. However, Zheng Ziwen was born to be a strong-willed woman, even extremely competitive. When she was young, she often fought with her brothers over things, and even after being disciplined, she never changed her ways.

As she grew older and became aware of the rules of wealthy families, she gradually hid her true nature and learned to be a qualified eldest granddaughter in the eyes of the family, but in fact she was secretly waiting for her opportunity.

Given the vast family fortune, the Zheng family didn't have many descendants. So even as the eldest granddaughter, she had a chance to inherit some rights. Therefore, after graduating, she returned directly to the family business and spent five years smoothly transitioning to gain her grandfather's approval, eventually taking control of the Xinjiu Group.

However, the new wine is only a small segment of the Xinshi Group, accounting for less than 15%. As soon as her brother Zheng Zigang took over Xinshi, he spent a lot of money to develop the K11 experiment, which she envied greatly.

Humans are born with a desire for power. Under the influence of various foreign cultures during her studies abroad, Zheng Ziwen still harbors ambitions for power. Even though she outwardly obeys her brother, she is actually still resentful.

However, she knew how to use her feminine advantages. When Zheng Zigang's family opposed the K11 model, she stood firmly by his side, gaining her brother's trust and favor. This also led to the opportunity for the new wine to acquire the international brand hotel Rosewood in the second half of the year.

She has always felt that compared to the department store retail industry, hotel and cultural tourism projects seem to be a more sustainable business. She hopes to develop the hotel + cultural tourism resort into the pillar industry of the Zheng family in the future, and then perhaps she can reclaim the rights that belong to her.

So when Zheng Ziwen heard Wang Yao's arrogant criticism that the K11 model was bound to fail, she was not angry at all, but instead looked at him with admiration.

Yesterday, she investigated Wang Yao's information in more detail. The more she investigated, the more she felt that he was a very good partner. The most important thing for cultural tourism projects is publicity and packaging, and Wang Yao's previous cases are all very impressive.

So today she deliberately didn't schedule a time with her brother Zheng Zigang, but instead personally took Wang Yao to visit K11 and hear his feedback.

As expected, Wang Yao's opinion almost perfectly aligned with his own; both felt that the K11 model was destined to fail.

“If my brother heard Mr. Wang’s evaluation, he would probably be furious,” Zheng Ziwen said with a smile.

“I’m sorry, I’m a bit blunt and don’t know how to speak properly, so I’ve offended quite a few people. But honest advice is hard to swallow, and as a leader, you have to be tolerant and listen to advice.” Wang Yao observed Zheng Ziwen’s reaction.

This confirms the relationship between the other party and Zheng Zigang.

Before contacting the Zheng family, Wang Yao had conducted basic background checks. He chose the Zheng family because, compared to the other three families, the Zheng family had a simpler structure and its internal struggles were relatively simpler.

Although it is the smallest of the four richest families, being small has its advantages.

Both Mulan Street and Ms will be involved in international business in the future, and they need a partner with some international connections. Unlike the Li family, Zheng Jiagen is based in Hong Kong but has close and friendly relations with top royal families in various countries. Back then, he was even able to invite the Queen and Prince to attend projects.

More importantly, Cheng Yu-tung's "good guy" persona meant he had virtually no enemies in Hong Kong, and this persona was inherited by his descendants, who maintained good relationships with everyone in the industry.

Wang Yao enjoys dealing with people like this the most.

“Mr. Wang doesn’t seem like the type to speak his mind so readily,” Zheng Ziwen smiled. “Actually, I don’t quite agree with the K11 model either, but it’s my brother’s idea after all. As a family, we should always try to solve problems first. However, K11 started making a profit in less than a year, so we’re preparing to expand into the mainland.”

I know Mr. Wang is very accomplished in publicity and promotion; I wonder if he could lend Newworld Group a hand.

"Suggestions are suggestions, and business is business. If K11 wants to make a name for itself in mainland China, I can certainly do my part," Wang Yao said with a smile.

“My brother started the renovation of the Shanghai New Department Store in March, with a budget of 400 million yuan. He also plans to invest in five more K11 malls within five years. Because the investment is quite large, Chow Tai Fook may go public this year to raise funds to support the expansion of New World. Both the jewelry and the shopping mall need some publicity and promotion cooperation,” Zheng Ziwen said softly.

"This seems like a big business opportunity." Wang Yao pondered for a moment. "Actually, Zhou Dafu's market share in China can be increased further. If you're interested, you can consider the online agency cooperation I proposed yesterday."

If I can leverage online sales to increase revenue, I'll take a 10% commission. If online sales don't show much activity, I'll only charge 1000 million per year for online marketing and promotion.

"Mr. Wang, this bet is a bit too much. We only give the general agent a 5% rebate." Zheng Ziwen chuckled.

Zhou Dafu's advantage is its high quality and low price. The company's net profit is only 13% at most. After deducting other promotional expenses, Wang Yao essentially takes all the profits. Although it is not yet clear how much online sales will generate, a 10% commission is unacceptable, not to mention the old man, even she cannot accept it.

"How much revenue did Zhou Dafu generate last year?" Wang Yao asked.

"Around 200 billion," Zheng Ziwen answered instinctively.

"What if we have 20 billion in online sales?" Wang Yao asked with a smile.

Zheng Ziwen was taken aback.

If Wang Yao can indeed achieve 20 billion in online sales, although it may seem like only a 10% increase, it would be of great significance. Zhou Dafu would become the world's first jewelry brand to achieve success through online sales.

The jewelry + internet sales model is of great significance and offers many potential marketing opportunities.

Zhou Dafu needs these kinds of gimmicks to go public.

“I can’t make the decision about the jewelry, but I can go back and discuss it with my grandfather. If Mr. Wang is really confident that he can reach the 20 billion level, it’s not impossible.” Zheng Ziwen composed herself. “What about the hotel and shopping mall projects?”

“The hotel is relatively simple. Our online ticketing system is already very mature. As long as Mr. Zheng is willing to authorize us with Mulan Street member coupons, we will receive a 20% commission on coupon verification and settlement,” Wang Yao said.

The group-buying market in Hong Kong has not yet taken off, because the international group-buying platform Groupon only entered the market at the end of June, and the largest local platform, ubuyibuy, only operates a single catering section, accounting for more than 80% of the market share, while other smaller platforms are negligible.

Group buying for hotels is still relatively rare. Offline travel agencies have been the main source of customers since the beginning, with commissions generally ranging from 15% to 30%, even for hotels like Xinjiu that are positioned as mid-to-high-end.

“That’s acceptable.” Zheng Ziwen did some calculations and nodded.

“As for shopping malls, they usually cooperate on promotions because it’s difficult to calculate commissions and foot traffic. Unless K11 is willing to cooperate with Mulan Street on a membership system, and use member spending records to settle commissions, I can create a separate website for K11 that shares products from various stores. However, we need to regularly coordinate with discount product promotions or art exhibition tickets.” Wang Yao hesitated for a moment before offering a solution.

Although the international version of Mulan Street has been developed, it does not have many users at present because the business direction has not been determined. However, if K11 is willing to be the first guinea pig for attracting users, it would be a good thing.

Because K11 targets a niche group of users with strong vanity, these users are very concentrated in Hong Kong, and can be directly driven by Ma Ruo's [Yingluo Club].

K11 has art exhibitions, niche brands, and a high-end atmosphere, making it the perfect place for socialites to show off and make a statement. It initially targeted this user group, then expanded to Korea and Japan, and finally took the lead in capturing the Western market on Instagram.

"Is there a specific cooperation plan?" Zheng Ziwen asked with interest.

She thought Zheng Zigang might like this proposal because it would allow him to promote the art he spoke of to a wider audience.

"I'll have someone make one and send it to you tonight." Wang Yao nodded.

"Okay." Zheng Ziwen nodded in satisfaction, making plans in her mind.

If Wang Yao's internet model can broaden a new sales channel for the Zheng family's businesses, then it's highly likely that this new segment of internet sales will fall into her hands in the future. At that time, her influence within the group might undergo a dramatic change.

Wang Yao declined Zheng Ziwen's dinner invitation, and after showing her around several of the Zheng family's iconic properties, he returned to the hotel with a pile of souvenirs that she had insisted on giving him.

Wang Yao was meeting Carol that evening, so he specially asked Zhou Yougen to find a stylist from the branch office to style him, giving him an American elite-style suit.

Deng Wendi's eyes lit up when she saw him, and she couldn't help but reach out and touch Wang Yao's arm. "It's been two months, and you seem to have become even more handsome, little brother?"

"No, I'm just dressed a bit formally. Sister Di looks radiant. Power really is a woman's best tonic," Wang Yao chuckled.

“That’s true, but power is good, but it also brings a lot of trouble.” Deng Wendi smiled slightly. “However, your carefully dressed up today may have been in vain. That old woman has lost interest in men and is even somewhat misogynistic.”

“I don’t use my looks to please people, and besides, I’ve prepared a ‘beauty’ for her to ensure her satisfaction.” Wang Yao curled the corners of his mouth.

Carole Bartz is a legendary businesswoman known as the Queen of Silicon Valley and the Iron Lady, as well as one of the most controversial female CEOs and a living cancer survivor.

She created the miracle of transforming a near-bankrupt software company into one of the world's four largest software companies in ten years, and she will also be the final straw that breaks the camel's back for Yahoo!

The decline of Yahoo! is a regret of the 21st century. It dramatically avoided several opportunities to become the world's number one company, providing a lot of material for artistic creation. But no matter how you interpret it, during the period when Carroll was in charge, Yahoo! had little chance of revival due to external and internal troubles.

Whether it's a power struggle or a business battle, Yahu has no room for maneuver left.

Holding a 39% stake in Alibaba was perhaps their last and only chance to survive, but it slipped away due to Carroll's carelessness.

Regardless, Carole currently controls one of the world's most influential companies, although she should be well aware that it is a company on the verge of collapse.

Right now, she certainly has the right to look down on everything.

This is an old woman who appears extremely self-critical yet full of vitality. Even though she has had cancer, her energy and vitality at over sixty years old are even greater than that of Deng Wendi.

"Murdoch, is this the Asian sweetheart you were talking about? She's quite something." Carol said to Wang Yao without any hesitation after taking her seat.

"Carol, don't scare the conservative Chinese boy." Deng Wendi stood up to greet him.

Wang Yao nodded in greeting, smiling, "Good evening, Ms. Carol. I apologize for disturbing you."

“For you, I turned down a lot of dinners with big shots. It’s not for anything else, but because you slapped Chris DeWolver hard across the face, proving that he was the incompetent novice in the internet industry. And Wendi’s existence further proves that women may be better CEO candidates.” Carol laughed loudly, her words harsh, but her eyes were very friendly.

Wang Yao had heard Deng Wendi mention that it would have been impossible to invite Carol privately, because this woman spent almost all her time alone or with her daughter, except for some high-level business meetings, and refused all unnecessary invitations.

However, because MySpace's former CEO Chris had publicly mocked Yahoo for hiring an "internet novice" when she was promoted to CEO, the two had a feud.

Later, because Deng Wendi not only ousted Chris, but also brought MySpace back from the brink of bankruptcy, she became interested in Deng Wendi, and the two developed some personal relationships as a result.

During her year at Yahoo!, Carol was indeed struggling in the unfamiliar field of the internet, but her pride wouldn't allow her to ask outsiders for help. Fortunately, the appearance of Deng Wendi gave her a chance to communicate.

So when Carole learned that there was an Asian boy helping to manage all of this, she became a little curious.

Especially after the mainstream content on MS became Feminism-related, she became even more interested in Wang Yao.

“Chris is indeed an arrogant idiot,” Deng Wendi laughed.

"Young man, I heard you wanted to see me, it must be something important," Carol joked before getting straight to the point.

Ms is preparing a column on the theme of "100 Greatest Women in Human History," aiming to re-examine the female figures who have made outstanding contributions to human civilization. After all, in recent years, the portrayal of many female figures from a patriarchal perspective has been biased.
When female figures are mentioned, they are often associated with both genders, subtly blurring the lines between the two. For example, Cleopatra VII, despite being the last female pharaoh, is portrayed in films as having all her power derived from her beauty and her flattery of men.

The fact that she was a genius ruler, fluent in nine languages ​​and proficient in geography, history, astronomy, and mathematics, has been erased, is that the Queen was not Cleopatra. Therefore, I think we still need different voices and perspectives to reinterpret these events and figures.” Wang Yao used the rhetoric commonly used by marketing accounts in later generations to refute the truth.

As expected, Carroll looked surprised after hearing this. "I didn't expect the young man to be an egalitarian. That's rare even in the West."

"The East is an ancient civilization with five thousand years of history, and it is the most objective and valuing of equality, especially the status of women. The world's only refuge from male domestic violence is right here in our Northeast," Wang Yao said with a light laugh.

“Oh? Is that so? Then I do indeed lack understanding of Eastern culture.” Carol said with great interest.

Wang Yao then gave a brief introduction to the typical female rulers such as Empress Lü and Empress Wu Zetian.

“If I have time next year, I’ll definitely go to China to learn more about these outstanding women,” Carroll chuckled. “But unfortunately, I’ve never really gotten involved in these factional disputes.”

She could naturally tell that Wang Yao was trying to please her.

“I understand. Ms is an objective social media platform for sharing, not a media outlet,” Wang Yao smiled.
"I just want to learn more about your story. They know that the dead can't speak out, so they can fabricate a second history. After all, you are the most representative female entrepreneur in human business history, a living legend."

“Wendi, this kid doesn’t seem like the pragmatist you described. His glib tongue reminds me of George H.W. Bush,” Carroll said with a smile, turning to Deng Wendi.

“He’s not just being glib; he’s stating a fact. When it comes to women in power, who has more authority than you?” Deng Wendi smiled.

"My deeds are nothing special. They simply prove that women can do better than men and that women should have equal labor obligations." Carol smiled, but her eyes held an undisguised sense of pride.

(End of this chapter)