1994: Starting with unpaid leave

People are iron, and rice is steel, so you panic if you don't eat a meal.

During the lunch break, the crowds attending the trade fair gradually dispersed.

Although trade fairs offer a variety of edible samples, it's still difficult to get full.

Having finally made it to Harbin, many people want to try the local delicacies.

Erzhu wiped the sweat from his brow, feeling a little uncertain: "Phew, so many materials used, and all I got in return was a bunch of business cards... Was it worth it?"

"Of course it's worth it; they got our business cards in return. If just a few of them are willing to place large orders, we'll be set up shop!"

"I think Jian Guo is right. Back when he was making GG (gaming software) at the radio station, some people in the factory said he was just wasting money. But look what happened, he earned back the money he spent on GG in just over half a month!"

As Zhao Hongmei spoke, she scooped out several chicken legs that had been braised long ago from under the braising pot, and took out a large loaf of rye bread that she had bought the night before from her bag, so that the two of them could make do with this meal.

Dong Jianguo nodded: "People used to say that good wine needs no bush, but I think that's the most misleading saying. What's the use of making the best wine at home if nobody knows you're selling it?!"

"For a factory to thrive and last, it certainly needs good products, but it also needs to know how to market them."

"To put it bluntly, our goal this time is to showcase ourselves to wholesalers across the country and let others know that our factory's products are not bad!"

As they were talking, several staff members carried the braised pot personally selected by Zhao Hongmei into the booth of Master Kong next door.

Soon, the aroma of instant noodles wafted over from the other side.

Dong Jianguo went over and saw that they were cooking instant noodles in a pot.

Upon seeing Dong Jianguo rush over, Guo Dongliang, the person in charge of Master Kong, smiled a little embarrassedly:

"Hey bro, you're here?"

The two had greeted each other in the morning and exchanged business cards.

Seeing that Hezhiwei was bustling with activity in the morning and had attracted a lot of customers, Guo Dongliang had his staff copy Dong Jianguo's idea and quickly went out to buy two large pots, planning to cook noodles on-site in the afternoon to attract customers as well.

When it comes to plagiarism, especially when it's discovered, very few people can remain completely unfazed...

Dong Jianguo nodded: "Yes, I came to take a look..."

"Your noodles... smell really good..."

Hearing this, Guo Dongliang waved his hand and beckoned to his subordinates, "Come on, give this brother a bowl to try... Our noodles are much better than the bread you have in your hand, they sell well all over the country!"

"That's right, on the train to Harbin, I saw quite a few people eating Master Kong instant noodles. It's definitely the best companion for train journeys!"

What Dong Jianguo said is true.

"Even if you're poor, you can still afford to travel well," and many people choose to eat well when they're away from home.

Although the food on the train is expensive, many people buy it from the convenience store near their homes and bring it on the train. It tastes just as good as what they eat on the train and also makes them look more presentable.

"Hey bro, give me two more bowls, there are two more people over there!"

"That's no big deal!"

Guo Dongliang waved his hand and ordered someone to fetch the noodles.

After Dong Jianguo returned three bowls of noodles to his booth, he quickly returned with another bowl of noodles.

"What's wrong? Not enough to eat? We've got plenty today!"

"No, I'm showing you something good."

As Dong Jianguo spoke, he handed the instant noodle box in his hand to Guo Dongliang.

It's still steaming hot braised beef noodles, but with an extra braised egg on top.

"this……"

"This is our factory's product. Doesn't it look good? And it tastes great too! So many people ate it this morning, and they all said it was delicious."

"Have a taste."

As Dong Jianguo spoke, he handed the other person an unopened braised egg.

"Mmm, delicious." Guo Dongliang tried it and gave Dong Jianguo a thumbs up.

Dong Jianguo smiled and looked at the other party: "Manager Guo, do you think there's any possibility of cooperation between our factory and Master Kong?"

"Cooperation? How can we cooperate?"

Guo Dongliang was a little confused.

"Simple! Just sell your noodles with my braised eggs!"

"Huh? How much is this?"

Dong Jianguo smiled:

"Easy! Let's not consider the bagged ones for now, but the tub ones are definitely worth a try!"

"For example, we could put a braised egg from our factory inside the mesh bag on top of each bucket, wouldn't that solve the problem?! Then, when customers buy a bucket of noodles, they get an egg with them—it's both affordable and delicious!"

"Besides, when you were making GG (a product/service), the TV showed vegetables, meat, and eggs. How many people criticized you for false advertising!"

"Oh, me..."

Dong Jianguo waved his hand, interrupting Guo Dongliang's sophistry:

"Don't tell me you're using real beef! We're in the food business, don't try to fool me like I'm some kind of country bumpkin! I reckon your factory has at most one cow, and after selling so many beef noodles, it's barely even slightly damaged..."

Guo Dongliang was speechless for a moment.

"So, this is clearly an opportunity to improve your product's reputation!"

"If you do it my way, we don't even need to talk about whether there's beef in the beef noodles, but at least there'll be a real egg, don't you agree?!"

Guo Dongliang thought about it and found Dong Jianguo's idea quite interesting.

"But noodles aren't cheap these days, and adding an egg... I'm afraid the price would be too high, and consumers wouldn't be able to afford it..."

Dong Jianguo shook his head:

"I'm not suggesting you all do it this way, but how about piloting it in some provincial capitals? Their consumption levels are higher, they can afford it. Besides, people in big cities like differentiated operations. They're already from big cities, so this is a special version for them, maybe it'll take off!"

"If it sells well, we can expand to surrounding cities. If it doesn't sell well, it won't have much of an impact... Don't you think that makes sense?"

"This..." Guo Dongliang was somewhat tempted. "How about this, I'll go back and submit a report to headquarters, requesting to try it out in Harbin. If they approve, I'll order from you!"

"Okay! Give me another bowl of noodles, one bowl isn't enough for you..."

After Dong Jianguo finished speaking, he turned back to his own booth.

Watching his retreating figure, Guo Dongliang couldn't help but think carefully about the marketing plan that Dong Jianguo had just mentioned.

"A bowl of noodles with an egg," "Real noodles, real egg," "People in big cities love special offers"...

These things may seem messy, but they actually cover a lot of knowledge, including marketing and consumer psychology research.

"This guy's got some skills..."

……

While Dong Jianguo was eating noodles behind his booth, someone knocked on the table behind him a few times.

Thinking it was Guo Dongliang who wanted to discuss buying noodles and getting eggs as a gift, he turned around excitedly, only to see a familiar face he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Secretary Zhang! You're here too!"

The visitor was Zhang Zhiyi, the chief secretary of the Hecheng Passenger Transport Section.

Zhang Zhiyi gave a wry smile:

"Boss Dong, as soon as I heard the name 'Hezhiwei,' I knew you were here!"

"Haha, just joining in the fun, trying to increase the factory's visibility... Want to come in and have a seat?"

"No, no, I came to bring you bad news..."