Chapter 176: The method of using a point to lead the whole

“Social Relations Department? Boss, can I ask what this department does?” In the spacious and bright office of Xiangjiang Zhiwei Technology Co., Ltd., Yao Zhengyuan, deputy general manager and director of human resources, frowned slightly and asked his boss a question with a puzzled look on his face. His eyes revealed his curiosity and exploration of this unfamiliar department.

“How should I put it? To put it simply, it’s a department that spends money to buy reputation.” Ma Qing paused slightly, thinking about how to better explain the functions of this department.

“As Zhiwei Technology continues to expand, as the boss of this company, I need to improve my social status and visibility, or I need to improve the social reputation of Zhiwei Technology.” Ma Qing’s tone was firm and steady. He knew very well that in today’s increasingly fierce business competition, a good social image is crucial to the development of an enterprise.

Ma Qing organized his words and continued, “I will give this department a quota of one million Hong Kong dollars this year. My requirement is that, in the name of the company, we actively participate in a series of social activities in Hong Kong, such as community construction, education assistance, helping the poor, charity donations, etc., to create a good social image for our company that has a sense of social responsibility and is willing to actively give back to the society.”

Ma Qing’s eyes are full of expectations. He hopes that through the efforts of this department, Zhiwei Technology will establish a good reputation in society.

However, Ma Qing felt that he was at a loss for words, as if his explanation was too mercenary. He sighed softly, realizing that in the business world, sometimes in order to achieve one’s goals, one has to take some seemingly utilitarian means.

But he also understands that true social responsibility is not just to win fame, but also a kind of protection for himself. He is still willing to spend this money. It is a win-win situation.

Yao Zhengyuan listened carefully to his boss’s explanation and gradually gained a clearer understanding of the social relations department. “Boss, I understand. We will definitely work hard to do a good job in this department and establish a good social image for the company.” Yao Zhengyuan said solemnly, his eyes full of determination and confidence.

“Well, I believe that anyone can spend money, but how to spend less money to accomplish great things and get twice the result with half the effort depends on your ability. I won’t tell you how to do it one by one.”

Ma Qing cleared his throat and specifically instructed: “As the human resources director, I hope you will pay special attention when recruiting employees for this department. I hope that the employees you recruit will have a government background, be kind-hearted, and come from a well-off family to do this. You understand what I mean, right?” There was a hint of depth in Ma Qing’s eyes, and he raised his chin slightly, expecting Yao Zhengyuan’s understanding.

Ma Qing finished speaking and blinked at Yao Zhengyuan, implying that everything was self-explanatory. Some things cannot be said too clearly, “As for whether employees come to work every day, I don’t think it is necessary to make hard and fast rules. As long as we can achieve the goal, we can be flexible.” Ma Qing’s tone was relaxed, but his intention was self-evident.

When Yao Zhengyuan heard his boss say this, he immediately understood his boss’s true intention. He suddenly realized that his boss definitely did not want to simply do charity activities and give back to society.

To be precise, the boss wants to weave a network of relationships and lay some non-market foundations for the future of Zhiwei Technology.

Yao Zhengyuan immediately made building a social relations department the focus of his future work and raised it to the top priority. After all, doing this would greatly benefit both his position in the company and his career. It could be said that he could spend the company’s money while building his own network of contacts.

In this fiercely competitive business world, the importance of relationship networks is self-evident. Ma Qing knows that it is not enough to rely solely on market competition and product advantages, but also needs to establish extensive personal connections and social resources through various channels.

The establishment of the Social Relations Department is to achieve this goal. By participating in social activities, we can establish connections with government departments, social organizations and people from all walks of life, creating more opportunities and possibilities for the company’s development.

“Don’t worry, boss. I understand. I will be personally responsible for the recruitment of personnel for the Social Relations Department. It is better to have a vacancy than to hire the unqualified ones. There is no rush, right?” Yao Zhengyuan asked tentatively.

Seeing that Yao Zhengyuan fully understood his intentions, Ma Qing expressed satisfaction. It was comfortable to be with a smart person: “Don’t worry, this matter must continue. It will be a long-term undertaking.”

The establishment of the Social Public Relations Department is like casting a carefully woven net in the ocean of business. It aims to open up more opportunities and unlimited possibilities for the company’s development by actively participating in social activities, closely interacting with government departments, deeply cooperating with social organizations, and establishing extensive connections with people from all walks of life.

“Boss, rest assured. I understand. I will be personally responsible for recruiting personnel for the Social Relations Department. It is better to have a shortage than to have the wrong person. There is no rush, right?” Yao Zhengyuan leaned forward slightly, his eyes revealing caution and seriousness, and asked tentatively. He knew the importance of this task very well, and dared not be careless in the slightest. He hoped to have more time to select the most qualified talents.

Ma Qing was very satisfied to see that Yao Zhengyuan fully understood his intentions. It was indeed very pleasant to communicate and cooperate with smart people.

He nodded slightly, smiled and said, “Don’t be in a hurry. This matter must continue. It will be a long-term career.” Ma Qing’s words were full of expectations and plans for the future.

When Ma Qing decided to set up the Social Relations Department, Zheng Yumian brought good news and bad news.

In the general manager’s office of Yaguang Zhisu, Zheng Yumian complained to Ma Qing: “TVB’s CEO Shao is such a stingy person. He can only give us a discount at most. Your cooperation is not going to work. He is just like that. Everyone knows his style. You want to take advantage of him? Dream on.”

“It seems that TVB’s path is not going to work. As a free wireless TV station, their number of users has surpassed that of ATV, which is indeed quite impressive.” Ma Qing had no choice but to ask, “What’s the good news?”

“Henry Rick, a senior executive of Rediffusion Television’s distribution department, is a classmate of one of my relatives. I have used my connections to invite him to lunch. Whether it works out depends on your performance.” Zheng Yumian said that he has already made an appointment with the person, and whether it can be successful depends on yourself.

“Okay, let’s go meet Henry Rick at the time and place and see if I can trick this foreigner into working with us.” Ma Qing also joked in front of his partners.

The Tai Ping Guan Restaurant, located on Stanley Street in Central, Hong Kong, is simple and elegant. Pushing the door and entering, it is as if a door to time has been opened. Of course, this is for Ma Qing. For the people of Hong Kong today, the Tai Ping Guan Restaurant is a high-end restaurant open to the public.

This is where celebrities and ordinary diners from all walks of life gather, either to taste the classic cuisine or to experience the unique atmosphere. Here, tradition and modernity are intertwined, luxury and simplicity coexist, forming a unique landscape in Hong Kong.

Ma Qing and Zheng Yumian waited for Henry Rick’s arrival, a typical English young man dressed in a traditional three-piece suit, a straight suit jacket, an exquisite vest and matching trousers. It was not difficult to see that he had received a good education and had a kind of self-confidence unique to white people of this era.

This is the racial dividend, Ma Qing sighed in his heart, the bandit turned into a civilized gentleman. He looked at Henry Rick, with a lot of thoughts in his mind. The former invader now appears in such an elegant image, which makes people sigh at the changes in history.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Henry Rick.” Ma Qing broke the silence first with a polite smile on his face.

“Same here, Mr. Zheng, Mr. Ma.” Unexpectedly, Henry Rick spoke fluent Cantonese and was quite polite. His tone was steady and there was a kind of affinity in his voice.

Ma and Zheng looked at each other and felt that today’s conversation should at least be conducted in a pleasant atmosphere. They were a little worried about whether the communication with the young Englishman would go smoothly, but now they were relieved.

Ma Qing recounted the conversation between him and the advertising director at TVB to Henry Rick in front of him. Henry Rick frowned slightly and asked, “Mr. Ma, you should have talked to the TVB people, and the result doesn’t seem to be good. Why do you think that we at ATV will agree? Do you look down on us at ATV?” His words were calm, but they were questioning.

Henry Rick appears to be very polite, but his words are very sharp: “I am here to meet you at the request of my friend. If this is your only condition, I can only reject you like TVB does.”

Ma Qing had no choice but to take out the Rubik’s Cube from his briefcase and handed it to Henry Rick, “I wonder if Mr. Henry Rick is interested in obtaining the UK agency rights for the Rubik’s Cube.” It seems that this matter cannot be done without some bloodshed.

Anyway, it was just a British agency, so the British guy had to get it for free. Ma Qing felt helpless, but in order to achieve his goal, he had to make some concessions.

Henry Rick took the Rubik’s Cube and started playing with it under Ma Qing’s guidance. He gradually showed surprise in his eyes and was very impressed by the ingenuity of the Rubik’s Cube’s structure. He was moved by Ma Qing’s suggestion.

“Mr. Ma, this toy is very interesting and I am very interested in it. I am willing to obtain its British agency rights. Don’t worry, my family still has a certain influence in the UK, so there is no problem in being the agent for the sales of this toy.”

After Henry Rick expressed his interest in the Rubik’s Cube, he changed the subject and said, “But, first of all, your TV advertising plan this time should at least make money for Rediffusion.”

“To be honest, you want to spend 10 yuan to do so many things on ATV. I really have no reason to convince the entire company to approve this.” Henry Rick felt a headache when he looked at the TV advertising plan submitted by Ma Qing.

It was a bit too much for Ma Qing to spend 10 yuan to get something done that would cost yuan. He looked embarrassed, and was obviously not satisfied with Ma Qing’s plan.

“Mr. Rick, I’m afraid you misunderstood. I plan to use this 10 yuan to sponsor an event. I don’t plan to spend a penny on the promotion of the Rubik’s Cube.” Ma Qing’s tone was firm, and his eyes revealed a confident light. He knew that his plan had great potential, and as long as he could convince Henry Rick, he might be able to achieve his goal.

“Mr. Ma, this is simply nonsense. How can I explain this to the TV station?” Henry Rick expressed his dissatisfaction with what Ma Qing said. His brows were furrowed, and he looked embarrassed. In his opinion, Ma Qing’s request was too harsh and almost impossible to achieve.

“I plan to sponsor Rediffusion to hold the first Miss Hong Kong beauty pageant. Is this idea good enough?” Ma Qing said his plan. His eyes were shining with excitement, as if he saw the bright prospect of the success of this plan.

“Because Rediffusion is a paid limited television, the number of users has been surpassed by the free TVB. Don’t you have any ideas, Mr. Rick?” Ma Qing’s words were like a sharp sword, piercing Henry Rick’s heart. He knew the current difficulties faced by Rediffusion Television, and also understood the huge opportunities that this beauty pageant might bring.

“Isn’t it a major trend in the future to build Rediffusion Television into a free wireless TV station that relies on advertising revenue to support itself? Isn’t hosting the first Miss Hong Kong beauty pageant the best opportunity?”

Ma Qing continued to expound his views, and his words were full of persuasiveness. He had a deep understanding of the development of the television industry and was fully confident in the influence of this beauty pageant.

“The Rubik’s Cube is an educational toy. As a TV station that produces TV programs in cooperation with the Hong Kong Education Department, don’t you have the responsibility to introduce a toy that can exercise the brain to the citizens of Hong Kong? Isn’t Yaguang Zhisu, which is going to host a world-class Rubik’s Cube competition, worthy of coverage? As a world-class competition, doesn’t the Rubik’s Cube competition itself have news value?”

Ma Qing’s words sounded like a string of cannonballs, and his logic was so tight that it was impossible to refute him. He knew that his products had great value, and he also knew how to use this value to achieve his goals.

“Of course, don’t worry. We at Yaguang will get the Hong Kong Education Department to promote the Hong Kong Rubik’s Cube as a toy that can exercise the brain. We can do it, right, Mr. Zheng?” Ma Qing said, and asked Zheng Yumian, who was sitting next to him, for his opinion.

“Of course there is no problem. At most it will cost some money. This…” Zheng Yumian, who was acting like a rich young man again, said without hesitation.

(End of this chapter)