Rebirth in 2011: Starting as an Advertising Genius

Chen Jianghe thought he could finally rest after finishing his busy period.

Who would have thought that after finishing one busy period, I would start another one? Things just kept coming up one after another... and I had to solve them one by one.

The setup of the studio team is something I need to figure out myself.

The most important thing right now is the classwork.

A week has passed since the beginning of the month. Wang Lei is busy recording videos of Deyunse and doesn't feel anything, but Yuan Meng and Yu Ying are getting anxious.

The two of them can't just sit around doing nothing.

So on Sunday, the four of them finally had time to get together.

"You two are really in no hurry! I see others have already finished their research and started discussing ideas, while we haven't even begun!"

Yu Ying looked at the two boys with a hint of resentment, her eyes filled with disapproval.

"Hey, don't panic. With Jiang He here, this plan will definitely be fine. I reckon he can handle it all by himself!"

Wang Lei was not flustered at all. In his mind, Chen Jianghe was a god-like figure, and this small project proposal was a piece of cake for him.

"Stop being so overconfident! Let's quickly discuss our approach!"

At this moment, Yuan Meng took out her computer and began to introduce her work achievements of the week. She hadn't had a moment's rest this week.

"The registered company of this dairy company is called Suzhou Zhenniu Co., Ltd., and the products they are currently selling are also promoted under the Zhenniu brand name. It is a local Suzhou company. I looked up their boss, and he used to work in the internet industry. He made a fortune and wanted to give back to his hometown, so he built a farm in Dongshan, Suzhou, to raise dairy cows!"

"I also found out that their milk source standards are higher than the national standards, but because they don't have brand recognition yet, it's difficult for them to get into supermarkets in Suzhou in the short term!"

As Yuan Meng spoke, she turned the computer screen towards everyone.

The page was covered with screenshots of documents, news reports, and even satellite maps of Dongshan Ranch.

"Great job, Yuan Meng!" Wang Lei leaned over for a look.

"You're even more formidable than a private investigator."

"I just did some research beforehand," Yuan Meng said calmly.

Chen Jianghe was indeed somewhat surprised, as Yuan Meng had searched for quite a bit of information in the past week.

"Have you found out what their boss's name is?" he asked.

"His name is Shen Nan, he is 35 years old. He used to work as an e-commerce agent in Beijing and earned about 20 to 30 million yuan. In 2010, he returned to Suzhou and founded Zhenniu."

"Did they spend all twenty or thirty million on the farm?"

"Pretty much." Yuan Meng nodded. "So his cash flow is very tight right now. If there's no brand premium, this batch of milk can only be sold at the price of ordinary milk, and he won't even be able to recover his costs."

Chen Jianghe leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, making a rhythmic tapping sound.

Wang Lei and Yu Ying exchanged glances, wondering what he was thinking.

Yuan Meng stared at the finger he was tapping on the table, and her heart tightened inexplicably.

The way he thinks about problems... is so different.

It wasn't the kind of furrowed brows and deep thought that students have, but rather a composure that comes from having seen the world, as if recalling something, or as if confirming something.

"Jiang He, what do you think?" Yu Ying couldn't help but ask.

Chen Jianghe withdrew his hand and stood up: "Just looking at the information is useless; we have to go to the scene."

"The scene? You mean... Dongshan Ranch?" Yuan Meng's eyes lit up.

"Yes," Chen Jianghe said.

------------

In April, the sun in Suzhou is warm but not scorching.

The four of them took a bus and changed buses twice from the university town to Dongshan town. For the last leg, they took a taxi because there were no more buses running.

The scenery outside the car window changed from tall buildings to fields, and then from fields to rolling hills.

"My God, this is so far..." Yu Ying leaned back in her seat, already feeling a bit carsick.

"The more remote the place, the better the environment." Chen Jianghe sat in the last row by the window, his tone calm. "Dairy cows are afraid of heat and noise, so this kind of place can produce good milk."

Wang Lei yawned: "Old Chen, you haven't even been there yet, how do you know the environment is good?"

"I saw it on a satellite map," Chen Jianghe said. "It's on the south-facing slope of Dongshan Mountain, sheltered from the wind and facing the sun. It's right next to a tributary of Taihu Lake, so the water supply is guaranteed. Plus, there are no industrial areas nearby, so the air is fresh."

Although he wasn't exactly familiar with Dongshan, he had visited it a few times in his previous life. The main attraction here is the beautiful environment; you can find a farmhouse restaurant and enjoy some of the "Three Whites of Taihu Lake".

Yuan Meng, who was sitting next to him, turned her head and glanced at him when she heard this.

He even noticed that?

She spent a week researching before she finally understood the basics of the ranch. How could he, after just a few glances at a satellite map, deduce so much?

"You... you've secretly looked into this place?" she couldn't help but ask.

Chen Jianghe smiled and said, "No, it's just common sense."

Yuan Meng didn't believe it, but didn't press the matter.

The car drove for another ten minutes or so before finally stopping in front of a cluster of white buildings.

"We've arrived," the driver called out.

The four people got off the bus and were greeted by the scent of grass and soil, mixed with a faint smell of cow dung.

In the distance, there are vast grasslands with black and white cows scattered among them, like a quiet oil painting.

"Wow, it looks pretty good." Yu Ying took out her phone to take a picture.

Wang Lei looked around and said, "This place is perfect for a picnic."

Chen Jianghe ignored their sentiments and walked straight toward the ranch gate.

There was a gatehouse at the entrance, where an old man was wearing reading glasses and reading a newspaper.

"Hello, sir. We are students from Suzhou Arts and Crafts. Our teacher recently assigned us some homework."

Chen Jianghe bowed slightly, his tone polite but not humble, "I just want to investigate the milk source situation of your ranch. I'll just chat with the cattle farmers for a bit, it won't take up much time."

The old man took off his reading glasses, glanced at them, and asked, "Homework?"

"Yes, we need to develop a branding plan for the milk." Chen Jianghe pointed to the cows in the distance. "Just look around, no photos or videos, okay?"

The old man hesitated for a moment, then waved his hand: "Alright, don't wander off, and don't go into the cowshed. Old Zhou is in the pasture over there; go talk to him."

"Thank you, sir!"

The students all seemed rather naive and unlikely to cause any trouble, but he still glanced inside every now and then.

The four people passed through the gate and walked along a cement road.

Beside the fence of the pasture, a man in his fifties was squatting on the ground, holding a pair of pliers, repairing the water pipe of the drinking trough.

"Master Zhou?" Chen Jianghe called out.

Old Zhou looked up, his face full of wrinkles and his skin dark, clearly showing signs of years of exposure to the wind and sun.

"Who are you?"

"We are students from the university town in Yuexi. We've come to investigate the dairy farming situation at your ranch and would like to ask you a few questions." Chen Jianghe handed over a bottle of water—which he had bought at a roadside convenience store before coming.

Old Zhou took the water, unscrewed the cap, took a sip, and smiled: "Students are still polite. Okay, go ahead and ask."

Wang Lei took out his notebook, ready to take notes.

Yu Ying turned on her phone to record.

Yuan Meng stood beside Chen Jianghe, listening quietly.

"Master Zhou, how many cows do you have on your ranch right now?" Chen Jianghe asked.

"More than 430 head, all Holsteins from Australia, they're incredibly precious." Old Zhou pointed to the cowshed in the distance. "Each one is registered, and the tag on its ear is its ID card. It records when it was born, when it was vaccinated, and how much milk it produces each day."

"So where did all this milk go?"

Old Zhou sighed, "We can't sell it. Our boss, Mr. Shen, is a good person and can't bear to lower the standards. The costs are high, and supermarkets think it's too expensive and won't buy it. Now most of the milk is sold at a low price to local small milk stations, at a loss."

Wang Lei and Yu Ying exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat wistful.

Chen Jianghe nodded and asked, "Master Zhou, in your opinion, what makes our dairy farm's milk better compared to those big brands in supermarkets?"

"There's so much more!" Old Zhou perked up, stood up, and pointed to the cowshed. "Look at our cowshed, the floor is covered with rice husk bedding, which we change every three days. It's cleaner than your bed. The cows eat imported American alfalfa, which costs several thousand yuan a ton. The milking equipment is from Sweden, fully automatic, and the milk is cooled as soon as it's squeezed out to ensure freshness."

He got more and more excited as he spoke: "Some of the milk you buy in the supermarket is made from milk powder, called reconstituted milk. Ours is pure fresh milk. If you put it in the refrigerator for two days, a layer of milk skin will form on top. That's the good stuff."

Chen Jianghe listened attentively, nodding occasionally.

Yuan Meng stood to the side, but her gaze remained fixed on him.

She thought about it and realized that if she were to ask these questions, she definitely wouldn't be able to ask so many. Moreover, Chen Jianghe's questions were quite insightful, basically getting to the heart of the milk's selling points.

Every question he asked hit the nail on the head.

"Master Zhou, could you show us the milking process? Just a quick look from afar," Chen Jianghe asked.

Old Zhou glanced at his watch: "Alright, it's almost milking time. Come on, I'll take you to the observation hall, you can watch through the glass, we won't go into the cowshed."