I'm reborn and I'm an international student again?

In the Chiayi Investment Conference Room, Chen Xi had just finished talking about several future projects when Yin Anwei couldn't wait to say, "Brother Xi, I see that the Internet is full of publicity for Rural Taobao. Didn't you say that his project would fail?"

"Haha, usually this kind of project will have some hype in the early stages. With Aba Aba's resources, it will definitely be promoted in all media. But I guess they must have encountered some difficulties now, and are busy trying to clean up the mess." Chen Xi opened his phone and looked at the news online.

Just as he had guessed, Feng Yun invested a lot of resources in promoting the new platform.

This is not for ordinary people to see, but for the higher-ups to see.

Who in the rural areas would read or care about the news online?

Smart phones aren't even popular there yet.

Just like Chen Xi in his previous life, Feng Yun wanted to play a big game.

By attracting official attention, he can get some policy benefits, which will make it easier for him to implement his next plan.

Rural Taobao is just a gimmick, but if it fails, all its future preferential policies will be gone.

According to what Chen Xi learned in his previous life, Feng Yun had invested at least 10 billion yuan in rural projects.

At the beginning, Aba Aba planned to establish 1000 county-level operation centers and 10 village-level service stations across the country.

However, the 10 billion yuan was not operated by the Aba Aba Group alone. They took out 5.5 billion yuan to develop projects such as Rural Taobao, and took out 4.5 billion yuan to invest in companies under other groups, that is, to cooperate with other groups to build a rural business ecosystem.

In fact, it doesn't cost too much to set up an e-commerce platform. After all, it is only a rural sector. With Aba Aba's mature operating model, the cost is not very high. The more it costs is the miscellaneous supporting services.

"Brother Xi, why are you so sure that Feng Yun will fail?" Yin Anwei asked again.

"There are so many problems here. His general direction is correct, but the mistake is that he lacks some key things..." Chen Xi didn't say much.

In the evening, it’s time for dinner.

Since we are cooperating with Dajiangnan Group, we must meet the senior management of the group.

Zhao Lingshan's mother Liu Peiyun was naturally an old acquaintance, but Chen Xi had not yet greeted the newcomer Huang Yuman.

It is said that Huang Yuman is the founder of a domestic hotel chain, and Chen Xi also wants to see how powerful this person is.

"I don't like this guy. I always feel that he is looking for my mother's money." In the car, Zhao Lingshan looked at the scenery outside the window and spoke softly.

"He's not short of money at all, and he even said he would give his own money to your mother. How can you say he's here for the money?" Chen Xi comforted.

"I just don't believe it. He has a son himself, so would he give us the money?"

"You'll know when you meet the real person." Chen Xi shook his head.

According to the memory of the previous life, after Liu Peiyun and Huang Yuman got married, their property was divided among themselves. In other words, there was no such thing as you want my money and I want your money.

Moreover, Huang Yuman's son is doing quite well in America. Later on, the Jiangnan Group's business was not doing well due to the influence of unknown forces, and Huang Yuman even took out his own money to subsidize them, which further proves that he does not value money very much.

Jianghuai Building.

Liu Peiyun and Huang Yuman had already been sitting in the box waiting.

"Shanshan, are you bringing your boyfriend here?" The square-faced man looked at the woman while cracking melon seeds.

"I hope he is my boyfriend, but he is not yet. They just grew up together." Liu Peiyun sighed.

"Oh, even if it's not the case now, we may be a family in the future." Huang Yuman nodded.

Since we may meet often in the future, it is natural to maintain a good relationship.

Soon, a man and a woman pushed the door open and walked in.

"Hello, auntie, hello, uncle." Chen Xi was the first to greet.

Zhao Lingshan didn't say anything and just sat down on the chair.

Huang Yuman was not angry, but just smiled and praised Zhao Lingshan for becoming more beautiful.

"What do you think of domestic hotel chains? I've been wondering whether we should invest more in high-end hotels or low-end hotels in the future." Huang Yuman asked after Chen Xi sat down.

Chen Xi took a sip of tea and said, "I think we should focus our investment on hotel chains, especially mid-range and economy chain hotels, rather than focusing solely on high-end or low-end hotels. High-end hotels have high construction and operating costs, and their returns are too low. Some of them don't make money for ten years. Their only purpose is to drive the development of surrounding industries.

Although low-end hotels have lower investment costs, they often face problems such as uneven service quality and outdated facilities, making it difficult to form brand loyalty and a stable customer base. As consumers' living standards improve, their requirements for accommodation quality are also increasing, and the market space for low-end hotels may gradually shrink.

In contrast, mid-range and economy chain hotels have the advantages of moderate investment costs, wide market demand, and relatively short payback periods. These hotels can provide clean, comfortable, and convenient accommodation experiences, meeting the basic needs of most business people and leisure travelers. At the same time, through standardized management and service processes, operating costs can be effectively controlled and operating efficiency can be improved. With the continued growth of the domestic tourism market and consumption upgrades, the market demand for mid-range and economy chain hotels will continue to expand.

As far as I know, high-end hotels in China were profitable at first, but with the change of time and the pressure of competition, many five-star hotels have started to sell their buildings. Last year, the loss of five-star hotels nationwide reached about 60 billion, and this number is still increasing. The average occupancy rate of five-star hotels is 70%, which is lower than the internationally recognized break-even level, which is usually above %.

From a policy perspective, if someday some regulations are introduced to restrict consumption and emphasize environmental protection, it will be a huge blow to high-end hotels. So it is okay to open high-end hotels, but it is best to open them abroad.”

Huang Yuman asked again: "The hotel chain we previously operated was very good, but the longer it operated, the lower the evaluation of our users gave us. I don't know what went wrong."

"What are you complaining about?"

"They say our hotel is not clean, but we clean it very carefully."

Hearing this, Chen Xi smiled and said, "Haha, this is completely normal. I'll give you an example and you'll understand. Domestic hotels generally check out at 12 noon, and the latest check-in time is 2 pm, and some can even check in directly. Foreign hotels basically check out at 11 am and check in at 3 pm. I've stayed in a fast hotel before, and their cleaning time is about half an hour, and they emphasize speed. Many foreign hotels stipulate that it takes at least one hour to clean a room, which is slow but careful.

The next issue is the bed sheets and quilt covers. In fact, for many years, domestic hotel users have generally questioned the hygiene of hotel linens. Many guests feel that hotel bed sheets and bath towels will cause allergies after use. They think that the linens at home are clean and hygienic. Some guests even bring disposable bed sheets and quilt covers when they stay in hotels.

In fact, the linens in five-star hotels are all pure cotton, and there are special equipment for cleaning and disinfection. The cleanliness level is often higher than that at home. If you can achieve this level, the user experience will be greatly improved.

People who stay in express hotels don’t have many requirements. After all, you get what you pay for. They just want a quiet place to rest. It’s OK as long as it’s hygienic, clean, and soundproof. Of course, higher requirements for linens will increase the cost of the hotel, so you have to find a way to solve it yourself.”

"Chen Xi, when have you ever stayed in a motel? How come I didn't know about it? Don't you always stay in my hotel when you return to China?" Zhao Lingshan blinked in confusion.

"Um... I stayed here when I was on a business trip..." Chen Xi touched his nose.

In his previous life, he also lived in a motel, so he had some say in this regard.

"Chen Xi, what about the consumption restriction regulations you just mentioned?" Liu Peiyun asked hurriedly. This concerns the survival of her hotel, so she is quite concerned.

"Auntie, the big customers of your hotel generally spend a lot, right?" Chen Xi smiled. He was quite familiar with Jianghuailou's business.

"Well, a generous meal costs tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands." Liu Peiyun thought about it, and Chen Xi was not an outsider, so he told the truth. Tens of thousands of dollars for this meal seemed a bit too much, but hundreds of thousands sounded even more exaggerated, but it was all true.

Nowadays, many high-end restaurants are not for ordinary people. If they want to discuss big projects, they will naturally have to match the corresponding meals.

If the price is too low, partners will naturally feel that the other party is not sincere enough. This is also our unique dining culture.

"In addition to company bosses, there are also some leaders with considerable backgrounds who come here to consume. But if this continues for a long time, it will have a bad impact. I predict that within the next one or two years, the higher-ups will definitely take action to rectify the situation. By then, high consumption will no longer exist, and your restaurant will also need to transform." Chen Xi said in a low voice.

Hearing this, Liu Peiyun and Huang Yuman began to think seriously.

Whether it is the leaders or the businessmen, it seems that without any of them, the high consumption of the dinner party seems to be impossible to form, which is indeed a huge blow to high-end restaurants...

"It's not impossible to open a high-end restaurant. You already have a hotel in Shanghai. There are still many wealthy people there, and there are also high-spending foreign tourists. See if you can get a Michelin rating and attract customers through online publicity." Chen Xi said again.

There are many Michelin restaurants around the world, but there are zero in China. The Michelin Guide was first published in the mainland five years later, in Shanghai, and then gradually expanded to other cities.

The Chinese people's current impression of Michelin is still stuck in the news. If Jianghuailou can become the first Michelin restaurant in the country, it will definitely be popular with just a little publicity.

"But this Michelin restaurant..." Zhao Lingshan looked at Chen Xi eagerly.

The rating criteria for Michelin hotels are mainly based on the general rating standards for Michelin restaurants. These standards are unified worldwide to ensure the fairness and consistency of the ratings.

The criteria are roughly the quality of ingredients, quality of ingredients, cooking skills and taste fusion, level of innovation, value assessment, consistency of cooking standards, and other factors.

What Zhao Lingshan wanted to say was that they had no channels at all to access the Michelin Guide.

"Don't worry about that. I'll find a way to help you." Chen Xi waved his hand.

He planned to ask Fang Haoran for help, and at the same time find out about the progress of the relationship between him and his mother.

"Hehe, Chen Xi is still the best." Zhao Lingshan wanted to go up and kiss him, but because of her mother and Huang Yuman, she had to hold back.

"Thank you very much this time." Liu Peiyun also smiled.

"It's okay, Auntie. Our two families are so familiar with each other, we are all family, no need to say thank you."

"Yes, yes, we are all family." Liu Peiyun couldn't stop smiling after hearing this.

Zhao Lingshan's face flushed, revealing a rare shy expression.

"I'm very curious about one thing. This island country has very strict control over agricultural products, especially meat. Now is the period of post-disaster reconstruction, and they may lower the standards. Once they recover, it will be very difficult to export agricultural products. If our restaurant has gained a foothold in the island country and the supply chain changes, what should we do with its future development?" Huang Yuman expressed his concerns.

"I've thought about what you said. Most of the meat we eat in our daily lives is beef, mutton, chicken, duck, pork, etc. In the island countries, it's beef, chicken, and pork. As for the local beef in the island countries, the locals only eat high-quality ones, and rely on imports for low-quality ones, that is, the beef rice in Yoshinoya. The production of chicken and pork in the island countries is very high, but with the increase in population, imports are also inevitable. Chicken is very cheap in the island countries, and many self-service barbecues use chicken. But the island countries generally have only a few ways to cook chicken, such as Nanban chicken, fried chicken steak, and teriyaki chicken. Meat, etc. There are many chicken recipes with similar tastes in China, such as General Tso's chicken, which is actually sweet and sour chicken with a similar taste. Since Yoshinoya has already occupied the beef rice market, why don't we focus on chicken rice? Coincidentally, in a county-level city under Xinlu, there is a boss who focuses on chicken fast food, and his fast food brand is also available in this city. Although the business situation is worrying, he still has his own chicken farm and has supplied McDonald's and KFC, so the quality is naturally guaranteed..." As soon as Chen Xi finished speaking, the three of them immediately understood who this person was.

If you want safe and guaranteed chicken, you can buy from him.

"In fact, there is no need to worry about the supply of ingredients. I have established friendly relations with the agricultural cooperatives of the island country, and they will continue to supply us." Chen Xi added.

But just as he finished saying this, Zhao Lingshan pinched his thigh.

Who is the president of the Agricultural Cooperative? Of course it is Saori’s father. How could Zhao Lingshan not know this?

The meal was quite pleasant and Huang Yuman also had a very happy chat with Chen Xi.

From his words, it can be seen that Huang Yuman made a lot of money in the early days, but now that he is old, he seems to have no fighting spirit and just wants to live a stable life. However, due to his relationship with Liu Peiyun, he can only barely show his ability to win the other party's favor.

Liu Peiyun is going back to Xinlu tonight, so Chen Xi naturally cannot stay at Zhao Lingshan's house.

At the main entrance of Jianghuai University, downstairs of an old residential area across the street.

Chen Xi held a cigarette in his mouth and looked at the dark windows on the third floor.

Although the exterior of the building has been repainted, the interior remains unchanged, making it a face-saving project for the sake of urban phenomena.

After staring for a long time, the lights in that house were still not on. Chen Xi hesitated for a while and finally walked up.

On the third floor, the shabby door panels don’t even have a security door, which makes it look even more shabby compared to the other households.

I looked at the gap under the door and it was pitch black.

He put his ear close to it again, but no sound came out.

The raised hand stayed in the air for a long time, and finally fell down.

It seems that they moved away many years ago.

Chen Xi sighed, turned and left.

More than ten minutes later, a girl with a flashlight came to the door where he had just stopped, then rummaged through her bag and took out a key.

After the door was opened, the furniture in the room was all covered with white cloth and covered with thick dust.

In a small room, the girl who had been searching for a long time wiped the sweat from her forehead and breathed a sigh of relief: "So I put it here. I was wondering why I couldn't find it. I didn't take it with me... It's all my dad's fault for packing things carelessly."

There was a pile of miscellaneous things in the box in front of me.

Taking out a piece of paper from one of the well-preserved envelopes, the girl couldn't help but laugh when she saw the words on it: "I guess people nowadays don't write letters when they are in love."

The paper read: Dear Tongtong...

The handwriting was not very beautiful and the words were full of immaturity, but the girl read it very seriously.

At that time, she didn't have a mobile phone, and she and her boyfriend were not in the same school, so they needed to use stationery to communicate, which is simply impossible in this era.

"Oh, I can never come here again." The girl touched the old furniture that was once full of memories, lowered her head and sighed.

She remembered her father saying that the house would be gone in the future. As for the specific situation, Tong Yin herself was not clear.

She took out another old photo from the box and looked at herself and the boy with a non-mainstream hairstyle next to her. She laughed again: "Pfft, I don't know what he looks like now. This hairstyle looks really tacky now. Hey, we both look so different. I guess we won't recognize each other if we walk on the street.

I looked at myself in the mirror and then carefully examined the photo in my hand, feeling a myriad of emotions in my heart. Indeed, I am now very different from the past.

Each era is engraved with a unique aesthetic imprint. Even those celebrities under the spotlight often can't help laughing and self-deprecating when looking back at their old photos, lamenting the wonder and ruthlessness of the fashion cycle. (End of this chapter)