Chapter 80

Update Time: April 6, 2013

Hong Yaqin took a bottle of Maotai and placed it on the table, glaring at her father and said, "Dad, he still has to drive. Don't let him drink."

Hong Father said indifferently, "Drive? I'm here, his most important task is to keep me company. Alright, this is none of your business. You can go now."

Hong Yaqin helplessly gestured to Zhang Yang, indicating her powerlessness. Zhang Yang looked at the Maotai on the table and was stunned. He had thought Hong Yaqin had a good method to help him, but it turned out to be just a few kind words. What use was that?

"Come, Little Zhang, let's have a toast first," Hong Father said, filling two small wine glasses.

Zhang Yang smiled bitterly, picked up the glass, and drank it in one gulp. He had already eaten enough and couldn't eat any more. He could only watch as Hong Father ate heartily. Despite his age, Hong Father had a good appetite and could drink and eat meat.

"Uncle, take it easy," Zhang Yang couldn't help but advise.

"It's fine. I've been doing this for decades. It's all about speed. Little Zhang, you're not an outsider, so I'll give you some advice. It's good to have this intuition, and using it to make money isn't a bad thing, but it's not a long-term strategy. The most important thing in life is to be down-to-earth. Gambling on jade might bring you a large sum of money in the short term, but it's like a rootless plant and can't be a career. You can use it as a way to make money or a hobby, but not as a career, or you'll become a professional gambler. The only thing you have over others is that you won't lose, but can you keep it up for a day or two? What about a year, two years, or ten years? Do you think it will be interesting to gamble every day?"

Zhang Yang nodded and said, "Uncle, what you said is what I've been thinking about these days. I've thought about opening a jewelry store to process and sell the jade I've cracked. If I have a talent for antiques, I also want to open an antique shop. But I have no experience in management or operations! I need channels for purchasing and a stable customer base for sales, which I don't have at all. I'm afraid I won't do well!"

As he spoke, Zhang Yang kept his head down, his eyes shining with hope.

Hong Father took a sip of wine and said, "That's a good idea, and it leverages your strengths. As for management and operations, it's not important that you don't know or haven't done it. These are skills that are developed through work. No one is born with these skills, and they don't come from just a few years of university. Running a business can be very difficult, with many things to consider, but it can also be simple. The most important thing is knowing how to use people. Let me give you an example: Liu Bei in the Three Kingdoms. He wasn't good at fighting, losing battle after battle, and was eventually defeated by Lu Xun, losing the chance to conquer Eastern Wu and unify the world. He wasn't good at strategy either; none of his plans succeeded. He wasn't even good at martial arts; any general could have killed him. But why did he eventually become the emperor of Shu? Was it just because he was a member of the Han royal family and could cry and act pitiful? No, it was because he knew how to identify and use people."

"Uncle, do you mean I can hire people to do the things I don't understand?" Zhang Yang asked.

"Exactly, let professionals handle professional tasks. For example, if you need to register a company, you don't know what to prepare or which departments to go to. You can entrust this to a law firm or a professional registration company. It's like I'm a chef; I delegate the preparation of ingredients to the kitchen staff. If I did everything myself, I wouldn't be able to cook, and I'd be exhausted," Hong Father said.

Zhang Yang was captivated and refilled Hong Father's glass, saying, "Uncle, please continue."

"After the company is registered, the rest is simple. Hire the right people to handle specific tasks, and you just need to focus on the big picture. For example, finance, human resources, and sales are the key areas you need to manage. If you don't understand finance and don't have someone you trust, you can outsource it to an accounting firm. For hiring, you can use a headhunting company. As for sales, it's simple; it's all about performance. If they don't perform, they're out," Hong Father explained confidently.

Zhang Yang looked at Hong Father in amazement. He didn't look like an old man with gray hair; he looked like the CEO of a large company!

"Uncle, how do you know so much?" Zhang Yang asked curiously.

"Are you asking why a chef would know these things?" Hong Father smiled.

Zhang Yang nodded sheepishly.

"Little Zhang, you don't understand the kitchen. A kitchen is like a small company, and the head chef is like the CEO. It's not just about cooking; you have to consider the customers' preferences, the dishes available, the prices, and how much to sell them for. Besides, I'm not just an ordinary chef. You'll understand more as you spend more time with Yaqin," Hong Father said.

Zhang Yang asked, "Uncle, do you think my idea is feasible? But I'm a bit worried. I've never done this before. What if I fail?"

This time, Zhang Yang wasn't pretending; he was genuinely worried. Before, he was just an ordinary person. Making money with his ability was risk-free and problem-free, and he could live a comfortable life. But running a company involved too many considerations, and he had no experience. The chances of failure were higher than success, which was one reason he hadn't decided on a business.

But such a mundane life no longer satisfied him. He had ambition; he wanted to succeed, to be envied and admired, to have his own power, to command respect, and to be a leader. He didn't want to be just another nobody, and he didn't want to be given a "good person card." He wanted everyone to know who he was, that he wasn't someone to be bullied or toyed with.

Hong Father nodded and said, "Little Zhang, you're young, so you should have some spirit. Don't be afraid of failure. Who hasn't experienced failure? Who hasn't been young? Life is not always smooth; you'll encounter all kinds of difficulties and setbacks. But we can't choose to retreat or stagnate just because of difficulties. A man is called a man because he has the courage to face challenges. Do you know what the character for 'man' means when broken down?"

"Field and strength, right?" Zhang Yang said.

"Exactly! It means using strength to work the fields. In ancient times, fields were cultivated bit by bit. Farming is one of the hardest jobs, and turning barren land into fertile fields requires immense effort, courage, and the ability to face many difficulties. Men didn't retreat; they cultivated thousands of miles of fertile land from nothing. Now you're a man, and you need to build your own career. Just because you don't understand, haven't done it, and lack experience, you lack the courage to try, and can't accept the possibility of failure, and retreat at the first sign of difficulty?"

Zhang Yang felt a fire burning in his heart. He picked up the glass and drank it down, shouting, "I want to try. If others can do it, I can too. If I fail, I'll start over."

Hong Father smiled approvingly. The young man had the spirit of a true man.

At the kitchen door, Hong Yaqin and He Linlin were peeking at the two, with Hong Yaqin's eyes shining with unusual light.

"Hong, I never knew your uncle was so eloquent. Why didn't I notice before?" He Linlin said with her mouth open.

"There's a lot you don't know. Don't listen anymore. Quickly bring them some soup to sober them up. If they both get drunk, it'll be a problem," Hong Yaqin said.

He Linlin hurriedly responded and brought the soup.

But it was too late. Zhang Yang had been successfully motivated by Hong Father. In his excitement, he forgot about his poor drinking capacity and kept drinking with Hong Father. Soon, he honorably fell on the table, muttering, "Drink, drink!"

Hong Father chuckled and said, "The young man is good in every way, except for his drinking capacity, which is really poor."

At the kitchen door, Hong Yaqin and He Linlin were still peeking, with Hong Yaqin's eyes shining with unusual light.

"Hong, I never knew your uncle was so eloquent. Why didn't I notice before?" He Linlin said with her mouth open.

"There's a lot you don't know. Don't listen anymore. Quickly bring them some soup to sober them up. If they both get drunk, it'll be a problem," Hong Yaqin said.

He Linlin hurriedly responded and brought the soup.