Chapter 103: Mutual Fulfillment

On his way back, Zhang Tianfeng made a point of checking on the status of the Bo Le Employment Agency. The five employment agencies that had been under renovation before he left were now fully open, each one surrounded by crowds of job seekers at its entrance.

Key employees had been promoted as well—Red Hair, for instance, was now the manager of the second branch, and Chen Jiaqi had become the manager of the third. At this point, the entire labor market of Tangwan Town was under the jurisdiction of Bo Le Company, which was more than enough.

Even if the factory owners had their disagreements with him, they would never quibble over this matter. Their factories needed workers, and recruiting from other areas would significantly increase labor costs.

When he returned to the factory, it was already eleven o'clock, and the sun was rather hot. As soon as he opened the office door, Zhang Tianfeng saw Gao Ran sitting in his chair, enjoying the air conditioning and eating ice cream.

"You're really good at enjoying yourself," Zhang Tianfeng remarked as he walked over. "Move, I need to work. Go lie on the sofa."

"No, I want to sit here," Gao Ran replied, arching her brow. "I'm here to deliver good news, after all."

"What good news?"

Just as Zhang Tianfeng asked, the door was knocked, and Zhong Xiaoyi entered.

"Boss, Wang Tiancai and the others have arrived. Shall we start in your office?"

"Yes, right here," Zhang Tianfeng said. "Go sit on the sofa first. I have business to discuss."

"Okay, but hurry up~"

When it came to serious matters, Gao Ran never acted willfully and always yielded when appropriate—a quality Zhang Tianfeng greatly appreciated.

Before long, Wang Tiancai, Li Yuehe, and Cai Yun walked in.

"Hey, where's Chu Hongyuan?"

"Boss, he's gone to Hezhou to investigate the market there. He'll probably be back tomorrow."

"Alright, tell me what you've been busy with these past few days."

"Boss, here's the work summary I compiled overnight for your review," Wang Tiancai said, handing over a notebook.

It had been four days since Wang Tiancai and his team returned to oversee the factory. In that time, the four of them had worked closely together. The meticulous Li Yuehe had teamed up with Zhong Xiaoyi to handle internal factory matters, including coordinating production and issuing tasks.

Wang Tiancai was investigating the toy factory markets in Shen City, Jiang City, Zhong City, and Port City.

Cai Yun had been running all over Pearl City and had thoroughly mapped out every school below university level; he knew exactly which areas were crowded at what times.

Chu Hongyuan was a man of action. As soon as he heard that Hezhou was seeing a major influx of workers and receiving policy support, he headed there at once.

After reading the notebook, Zhang Tianfeng nodded approvingly. "Good work, but there's room for improvement."

"Please, Boss, tell us."

"The coordination of goods hasn't been handled well. On my way back, I had to deal with the shipment of a batch of goods for you. Although you're not responsible for managing shipments, as salespeople, you should know where stock is lacking and where urgent replenishment is needed—you must be proactive. A good employee doesn't just stick to what's within their job description."

"We understand, Boss. There won't be a next time, you have our word."

"That's good. Now, let's discuss a new task—the Canton Fair."

After explaining the rules of the Canton Fair, Zhang Tianfeng rested his elbows on the table and asked, "Do you think our toy factory, given its current strength, can secure a spot?"

Today was August 18th, with sixty days left until the opening of the Canton Fair's consumer goods section.

Although the toy factory had established itself in Port City, all previous sales channels had collapsed. Competing for sales performance would be difficult.

But if they focused on influence, in sixty days, even if each of the four managed to conquer a city every five days, that would be forty-eight cities. But the promotional expenses and rental costs would be enormous.

Wang Tiancai thought for a moment and said, "Boss, I might need a bit of time to plan—no more than two days."

"How do you plan to approach it?"

"Influence. Our sales channels aren't established yet, so the first two options are out of reach."

"What's your initial idea?"

"Walk the ground, invest money. Even if the four of us work ourselves to death, we'll secure that spot for you."

"Not necessarily. Use your brains, look for other ways—like public opinion."

Public opinion? Television? But with just Pearl City TV, even if they added Shen City Daily, how much of a splash could they make?

After a long while, Wang Tiancai still hadn't come up with a concrete plan. Unexpectedly, Li Yuehe beside him suddenly had an idea.

"Boss, maybe we could hire someone to endorse our product, shoot a small ad with a modest budget, and air it during nighttime slots. Once we gain recognition, people from other cities will come to buy our agency rights."

"You really have a knack for this."

What surprised Zhang Tianfeng wasn't Li Yuehe's suggestion, but her business mindset.

She was turning the toy factory into a direct-sales brand, much like beverages and snacks.

Once successful, the toy factory would just need to build its reputation—there'd be no need to worry about sales channels. Opportunists would naturally come knocking, solving that for them.

"Is this method viable?" Li Yuehe's eyes held a hint of expectation—it was her first time offering an idea, hoping for approval.

But Zhang Tianfeng was strict.

"If it's just about making fast money, I wouldn't mind turning the toy factory into a health supplement or food and beverage company. But I have ambition—I want to go further. So this method won't do."

"Alright, I'll keep thinking." Li Yuehe lowered her head in disappointment.

As soon as she fell silent, the room grew quiet again.

After a long pause, with no one speaking, Zhang Tianfeng took a magazine from the drawer and placed it on the table. On the cover were the words "Project Hope."

"Boss, are you planning on poverty alleviation?" Wang Tiancai looked bewildered.

Zhang Tianfeng nodded vigorously; it was an idea he'd come up with on his way back.

It was both poverty alleviation and making money.

A girl with big eyes had brought about dramatic change in a poor mountain village within half a year.

Zhang Tianfeng didn't have the luck to encounter such a child, but he could persevere.

By continually helping the poor, he could give those struggling and disadvantaged a chance to change their fate—to live a life of abundance.

What Zhang Tianfeng wanted, however, was to put this process before the public, leveraging people's sympathy to enhance the company's influence.

"You're crazy—this is too mercenary. Those people are already struggling, and you're using them to make money," Gao Ran voiced what Wang Tiancai and the others wanted to say.

"Which do you think is more genuine—a sham charity foundation, or real poverty alleviation where both sides benefit?"

"Of course, the latter."

"Then that's settled."

Zhang Tianfeng never hid his true intentions. He would carry out poverty alleviation, and he would make money. Otherwise, where would he get the money to help the poor?