Dong Qiangqiang's Story of Leaving Germany

Chapter 1043 1043. Chinese Week (29)

"Long time no see." Although the other party's email last time was very impolite, Dong Qiangqiang still chose to maintain basic politeness to save face.

  "Is it convenient to talk now?" Xu Tongying always spoke her mind directly every time she called, and rarely asked about other people's well-being. In this respect, she was very similar to Duanmu, so much so that every time Dong Qiangqiang answered her call, he would have the illusion that he was talking to Duanmu. But today her voice sounded hoarse and tired. It was still afternoon in China. How could she be so tired in the afternoon?

"It's a bit noisy. Wait for me to find a quiet place." Dong Qiangqiang walked a few steps back and forth, looking around for an empty corner.

Duanmu, whose lips were shiny with grease from eating, raised his head in a moment of leisure and glanced at Dong Qiangqiang. He did not care that he was still chewing half a meatball in his mouth and called out his name indistinctly.

As soon as Dong Qiangqiang heard the voice, he knew it was Duanmu. He looked up and saw Duanmu waving at him vigorously. It seemed that he was about to walk out of the stall. However, there were so many people in front of the stall that he could not move in or out calmly. He had to free up one hand to clear the way for himself, but both hands were occupied. He was scratching his head. Dong Qiangqiang shouted back and waved the mobile phone in his hand to indicate that he still had a call. Only then did Duanmu stop moving.

Dong Qiangqiang saw a classroom with half-open door which attracted his attention. He stuck his head in and found the classroom empty. The writing on the blackboard had not been wiped clean and the chairs were crookedly knocked together. Everything indicated that the class had just ended not long ago. Seeing that no students entered the classroom, he thought that there would be no classes for a while.

"Okay." Dong Qiangqiang closed the door after entering the classroom. The light but excellent soundproof door made his surroundings quiet instantly.

"Last time, Lao Bai proposed to the shareholders that he wanted to transfer money to Le Bai in Germany to do overseas business. If I'm not mistaken, it was your idea, right?"

"It's mine," Dong Qiangqiang didn't understand why Xu Tongying suddenly brought up the past. Was he trying to dig up the past? It didn't matter if he did, since the proposal had already been rejected. "But Bai said it wasn't approved. Didn't you write me an email afterwards asking me to be careful and not to mislead Bai into being too eager for quick success or taking shortcuts? It's been less than a month, right?"

Xu Tongying ignored Dong Qiangqiang's sarcasm and asked, "Why did you think of giving him this suggestion?"

"Overseas travel has been greatly affected by SARS, and no one knows when (SARS) will end. Since it is difficult to form a tour group directly in China, it is better to find a way to turn those domestic business groups going abroad to participate in exhibitions directly into tourist groups. In this way, many of Lebai's resources can be put into operation and there is a chance to generate revenue for the company. Of course, (this kind of group) is definitely not as profitable as directly forming a group in China, but its biggest advantage is that it can skip the most difficult part of going abroad and find users directly. For Lebai, it is nothing more than increasing the cost of communication, transportation and accommodation. Even if there is no order after contact, it is better than doing nothing and waiting to die." Dong Qiangqiang said whatever he thought. He didn't care how Xu Tongying would refute him. Anyway, this idea was a thing of the past.

“Are 1 Euro hotels a myth or do they really exist?”

Dong Qiangqiang then elaborated on the whole story of the 1 Euro Hotel. Xu Tongying did not interrupt him the whole time. After he finished speaking, he asked worriedly, "Are you the only one who can handle this cheap hotel or can anyone else?"

"In theory, anyone can do it, but there is a problem of information asymmetry here. The total number of 1 euro rooms that the hotel can provide is limited, so whoever confirms first can get it. I only told Lao Bai this information after confirming with the hotel." After Dong Qiangqiang finished speaking, he heard the rustling sound of writing coming from the other end of the phone.

"Can you send me the hotel website?"

"No problem. What else do you want? I'll send it to you." Dong Qiangqiang never thought of keeping this information to himself. In his opinion, it made no difference whether he shared it with Lao Bai or Xu Tongying. But what confused him was that he was criticized for bringing this up with Lao Bai and the shareholders last time. Unexpectedly, less than a month later, Xu Tongying took the initiative to call and ask about it. He didn't understand why Xu Tongying's attitude had changed 180 degrees. "Do you have a travel plan designed based on cheap hotels?"

Dong Qiangqiang has never thought about this, but if the hotel is the center, the number of kilometers of tourism that can be radiated is fixed, and it is not difficult to design a tourism plan.

"You can ask Lao Bai directly about this." Considering the awkward and delicate relationship between him and Lao Bai, Dong Qiangqiang did not want to interfere.

Xu Tongying ignored his evasion and changed the question: "If we follow your method, have you calculated the gross profit? If I can organize a tour group in China, how much gross profit can I get?"

Before Dong Qiangqiang could answer, the classroom door creaked open and a head popped in. When their eyes met, it was Duanmu.

Seeing Dong Qiangqiang holding the phone, Duanmu slipped in quietly, closed the door quietly, and sat down next to Dong Qiangqiang without any hesitation.

"I haven't calculated the exact figures yet," Dong Qiangqiang said honestly, "but different travel routes will definitely have different gross profits. And what do you mean by organizing tours in China? Now that SARS is rampant, I'm afraid it's difficult to organize tours (in China), right?"

"Organizing a group is my job. You just need to tell me how much the gross profit is."

Xu Tongying's suddenly strong tone immediately disgusted Dong Qiangqiang, but he still patiently replied: "If we can form a group in China, the profit will definitely be higher than acquiring customers here, but I can tell you after the calculation is completed."

Xu Tongying was very satisfied with Dong Qiangqiang's cooperative attitude, and his tone softened again: "If your plan is approved, the shareholders may consider agreeing to transfer the funds to Germany Lebai, but you must ensure that these plans can be implemented. Can you take full responsibility at that time?"

"I am fully responsible?" Dong Qiangqiang misunderstood Xu Tongying's meaning and defended himself, "If this is planned, I don't need to follow. If there are any problems with the hotel, I can help coordinate and solve them. But Lao Bai is still the general manager of Le Bai. He has been idle at home since returning to Germany. If the shareholders really agree to this plan, I think Lao Bai should be fully responsible. He is also the company's major shareholder, and no one will be more motivated than him..."

Xu Tongying suddenly interrupted him without any context: "Dong Qiangqiang, if I let you be the head of Lebai, would you be interested?"

"Me? Why?" The other party's sudden question stunned Dong Qiangqiang.

"Then I'll be frank. The investors unanimously believe that his performance in the first and second quarters of this year was too negative. He completely lacks the courage and spirit of last year. He is no longer suitable to continue working as the general manager of Le Bai. Therefore, the investors hope that you will slowly take over his work from now on."