PDLP 119. You give away clocks when someone else opens a shop?
119. You give away clocks when someone else opens a shop?
"Sasuke-kun, congratulations on your grand opening! Thank you for sending us the invitation. This is just a small token of our appreciation. We wish you great success in your business."
Kondo shook hands with Zhou Hongyi with a warm smile and had his subordinates bring over a grandfather clock with an antique design and intricate carvings, which looked quite valuable.
Although his gift was obviously expensive, any Chinese person would know the meaning behind giving a clock as a gift. At that moment, A Gui, Chen Xiaodao and the others who were with Zhou Hongyi all changed their expressions.
The other guests were also whispering among themselves.
"Look at that Japanese officer, why is he giving Young Master Zhou a bell?"
"Who is he cursing? Doesn't he know any manners?"
"The Japanese probably don't understand our rules. After all, they are uncivilized people from outside the country."
"Shh, keep your voice down. You don't want to live anymore. The new head of the Special Higher Police is here. He can speak Chinese. If he hears you, he'll arrest you and throw you in the Special Higher Police prison. Let's see if you dare to talk nonsense again."
The onlookers quickly shut up, deciding not to join the commotion and instead go inside to see the beautiful women and the performance.
However, at this awkward moment, another car stopped, and it was the director and deputy director of the 76th Special Agent Headquarters who had arrived.
"Zhongliang, congratulations on the opening of your new store! Oh? Mr. Kondo and Mr. Hirama are here too."
Ding Mocun stood between the two groups of people with a hearty laugh. He waved for someone to carry the clock inside and place it in the corner, and then presented his gift.
“Zhongliang, since you’ve opened a shop, I, as your brother-in-law, can’t be stingy. Here’s a little something to put at the entrance; it’ll make you look impressive and bring you good fortune.”
Ding Mocun waved his hand, and two agents carried over a large object covered with a red cloth. When they moved it to the doorway, he lifted it up, revealing a golden statue of Guan Yu that was almost as tall as a person.
"Oh, Guan Yu, the peerless benevolent and righteous Guan Yu, Director Ding, you are indeed your relative, what a generous gesture."
Before Zhou Hongyi could say anything, Kondo, standing next to him, was already surprised. Compared to the other two, the gifts they gave were worlds apart, making the entire Special Higher Police seem particularly tasteless and giving people a very bad impression.
Li Shiqun chuckled and said, "Commander Kondo may not know our local custom. People usually give away a God of Wealth like this when they open a shop for good luck, but nobody gives away a clock."
Kondo said "Oh," and chuckled as he apologized to Zhou Hongyi, though it was unclear whether he was sincere or just pretending.
At this moment, Hiramasa Kotaro took out a brocade box and said, "Sasuke-kun, I have also prepared a gift for you here. I wish you a prosperous business. I had some connection with your teacher in the past. We were good friends when we were young. Although he has passed away, you are his student. As an elder, I cannot be stingy. Please accept this gift."
Zhou Hongyi reached out and caught it with some fear, then quickly opened the box. Inside, he found a luminous pearl almost the size of a fist.
As soon as the middle-aged Japanese soldier made his move, the onlookers all let out a low gasp. This was the kind of gift a proper elder should give.
"Thank you, thank you, sir. Quickly, brother-in-law, we're all family. Please help your brother greet the two officers and Deputy Director Li and show them inside."
Ding Mocun, naturally, didn't stand on ceremony. He treated it as if he were returning to his own shop and led the way for the old man and the young man from the Special Higher Police. When Hirako Taro entered, he even glanced at Elizabeth standing behind Zhou Hongyi.
Elizabeth wore a silver evening gown today. Because she was going to perform on stage later, she only stood for a short while before going backstage to prepare.
Zhou Hongyi keenly noticed this and cursed "old lecher" in his heart. After he had greeted most of the distinguished guests at the door, he returned to the hall.
The auditorium on the first floor was almost full. The guests were eagerly waiting, drinking and watching the performance on stage with great interest. The decoration, service and performance style of the New Paramount were all refreshing, as they had never seen anything like it before.
Zhou Hongyi glanced at her and knew that the previous publicity must have had a great effect. Looking at Manyu, who was busy and overwhelmed, he walked over and asked, "How is it, Manager Manyu? Have you gotten used to this new role yet?"
Manyu rolled her eyes at him and said, "My good boss, Manyu used to own shares in Paramount, but she didn't usually manage things. Now, you've dumped everything on Manyu alone. From the top to the bottom of the setup and decoration, to the rehearsals for the pre-opening shows, you've really left everything to the boss. After all this work, Manyu will probably have a few more wrinkles on her face."
Zhou Hongyi said with a wry smile, "Miss Manyu, you've really wronged me. Haven't I already trained our employees and formulated the latest rules and regulations for the Paramount? Those things are very time-consuming. Just the operas and stand-up comedy shows I choreographed were already very mentally taxing. But as long as we can make our new Paramount a resounding success tonight, all the extra effort will be worthwhile."
Indeed, Zhou Hongyi used to be a huge fan of comedy. He was passionate about everything from sketches and manzai to comedy sketches, crosstalk, and stand-up comedy. Now that he has his own entertainment venue, he naturally wants to bring these art forms he loves to the stage, so that the people of Shanghai, whose entertainment world is relatively barren, can see what high-quality, multi-disciplinary performances are all about.
Seeing that most of the distinguished guests had arrived, Zhou Hongyi, the new boss, took the amplification equipment, stood on the stage, bowed deeply to everyone, and was greeted with enthusiastic applause.
"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests and friends, welcome to the New Paramount Christmas Night Special Party! New Paramount will be presenting a brand new look to you. For the first three days of opening, all snacks and drinks in our lobby will be provided free of charge, and admission is free with no limit! Of course, some member-only areas and VIP areas are not free to enter. Only after becoming a member, such as a Premium Member or a Supreme Royal Member, can you enter the corresponding floors and areas and enjoy royal service."
We've now introduced a pre-payment, points purchase, and membership card application system. The more you pre-pay, the more you receive, and the faster your membership level upgrades. With your membership card, you can also enjoy unique free services on your birthday. Tonight, let's sing and dance, revel in a sea of joy, watch performances, drink, and forget our troubles! Band, play the music!
After Zhou Hongyi finished speaking, he took the opportunity to do some advertising. The professional band musicians began to play upbeat rhythm and blues, and a group of foreign women walked out from backstage hand in hand and danced a modified ballet. This dance was quite novel, especially when the beauties walked on their tiptoes, which drew gasps and cheers from the audience.
Of course, more people with status have started asking the girls around them who are dressed like a combination of Santa Claus and Bunny Girl about what a membership card is, what membership points are, what membership levels are, and so on.
Zhou Hongyi's idea was simple: to adopt the system from later generations, which would satisfy the face and vanity of these wealthy people, and also allow him to concentrate their money in his own hands in a short period of time.
The more points you accumulate, the faster they increase. The faster your points increase, the more services you can get and the more areas you can access. As long as you are human, especially wealthy people, you will have a competitive mentality. Once one person does this, others will quickly follow suit. So... Zhou Hongyi decisively asked for help.