“Aren’t the parking spaces not for sale at the moment?”
“Yes, but giving away a few is fine. We need to let residents understand the benefits of having a parking space.”
“Then about the housing payment discounts…”
“This development is for essential housing needs. Compared to our construction costs, the selling price isn’t high to begin with, so there won’t be regular purchase discounts. We’ll use discounts as a promotional hook – whoever’s lucky gets it, around 5-2% off.”
“And about the cash redemption—”
“Print some vouchers worth 2,000, 5,000, or even 10,000 yuan – the amount they get depends on their luck.”
Oh, so there were still discounts.
Just turning fixed discounts into variable ones.
Even with a unit price of around 1,500 yuan/㎡, a small apartment would still cost over 100,000 yuan.
2,000 yuan less hardly matters.
But buyers don’t know that!
Moreover, Ying Jinchuan suspected that given Director Xia’s style, these cash vouchers and discount benefits would ultimately be paid for by the buyers themselves. Buyers can’t outsmart sellers – how could they possibly get the better of Director Xia? A property that could be priced at 1,400 yuan/㎡, she’d set at 1,499 yuan/㎡, easily recovering the few thousand yuan lost through cash vouchers.
Buyers would purchase at 1,499 yuan/㎡, feel delighted about saving a few thousand, thinking they got a bargain.
Hah, how naive.
Ge Jian’s face showed pure admiration, and Ying Jinchuan was equally impressed.
Xia Xiaolan was being brazenly shameless.
Before Ying Jinchuan could speak, Xia Xiaolan added:
“Also set up a grand prize – a decoration package worth 68,888 yuan with house purchase!”
After thinking for a moment, Ge Jian responded: “Should we discuss this with Director Liu?”
Xia Xiaolan gave Ge Jian an approving look. The young man showed promise, immediately understanding that the decoration package was just a front – the real goal was promoting both real estate and Liu Yong’s ‘Yuanhui’.
A 68,888 yuan decoration package certainly wouldn’t cost that much at the cost price.
That was Yuanhui’s quote to clients.
In reality, it didn’t cost much, but buyers who won such a prize would be ecstatic. Who could resist showing off after winning? Neighbors in the building would want to see what a 68,888 yuan decoration package looked like, and anyone who came to look became a potential Yuanhui client.
Little money was spent, but completely different results.
How could she not include her uncle in such a win-win situation?
Just like using electronic dictionaries as prizes for Chengrong Plaza’s lottery.
Of course, back then electronic dictionaries weren’t highly valued – winning third prize was just slightly better than getting laundry detergent, people wouldn’t be overjoyed.
But winning a 68,888 yuan decoration package was completely different.
That was half the price of a small apartment in Luohu Sky City!
Even Hong Kong buyers would be tempted.
“We can’t do a voucher lottery like Chengrong Plaza, right?”
Attracting thousands of onlookers wasn’t meaningful when most weren’t target customers. Many people could afford to spend 100 yuan at an electronics mall, but not many could afford housing payments over 100,000.
Xia Xiaolan thought for a moment, “No voucher lottery – it’s not high-end enough. This year is the Year of the Rabbit, ‘The Rabbit Brings Glory to China’ – what an auspicious year! Let’s do this: Ge Jian, order some rabbit models from a ceramics factory. Paint them gold, remember to use that eye-catching gold with metallic powder! Make them hollow inside to hold prize tickets. They don’t need to be too sturdy – just hard enough to break with a wooden mallet. On Luohu Sky City’s launch day, let anyone who signs an intent contract smash a golden rabbit!”
Smashing golden pigs were common.
But smashing golden rabbits… rabbits are so cute, how could they be smashed?
Ge Jian didn’t question it at all.
If Director Xia wanted the rabbits golden, then golden they’d be.
They were just smashing ceramic rabbits.
Even if they brought live rabbits to slaughter on-site, Ge Jian wouldn’t object.
Broken ceramic rabbits were just broken, but slaughtered live rabbits could provide meat – that would be truly waste-free.
Of course, he only dared think this – saying it aloud would earn him Director Xia’s scorn: Who the hell turns a house sale into a murder scene? Do you still want to sell houses or not?
Ying Jinchuan sincerely admired: “Director Xia, in your eyes, is there any year that’s not auspicious?”
Xia Xiaolan gave him a look that said it all: Don’t be silly, every year is auspicious. If she could turn smashing golden pigs into smashing golden rabbits for profit, what wasn’t possible?
Xia Xiaolan felt she still had principles.
At least more than future merchants, who created so many shopping festivals.
February 14th, Valentine’s Day, buy buy buy.
Qixi Festival, buy buy buy.
Singles’ Day, buy buy buy.
December 12th, buy buy buy.
Did it end on December 12th? No, there was still Christmas!
Even more outrageous, even March 8th Women’s Day became a “Goddess Shopping Festival” to empty women’s pockets.
Xia Xiaolan spent the afternoon at the company, arranging various matters. With limited office hours, she had to force herself to improve efficiency. After Ying Jinchuan and Ge Jian left the office, Xia Xiaolan called Little You:
“Ask Luna’s Director Chen if he can meet me in Pengcheng tomorrow, I have something to discuss in detail.”
“Yes, Director Xia!”
“Never mind, don’t ask him to come to Pengcheng. Tell him to wait for me at Yangcheng Airport – I’m returning to Beijing this afternoon. Keep tomorrow morning free, I need to meet with Ma Hai and the others.”
Little You crossed out the memo she’d just written and changed the arrangements.
As for whether Xu Jing and Ma Hai would be available tomorrow?
Little You felt Director Xia needn’t worry about such things – that was for secretaries to coordinate. With Director Xia so busy, of course, Ma Hai and Xu Jing should accommodate her schedule.
If they wanted Director Xia to accommodate them, they’d have to wait until they could invest in her projects.
Little You took her notebook and left to handle matters.
Ring ring—
The phone on Xia Xiaolan’s desk rang.
“Hello?”
“Xiaolan, you’re coming home for dinner tonight, right?”
Through the receiver, Liu Fen’s voice carried a note of joy.
“I should be, no social obligations at the moment. Mom, what’s happened?”
“Even if you have obligations, try to reschedule. Tonight’s dinner is special… Your Uncle Tang asked Little Ji to come for dinner, and Little Ji agreed. I think you should come back for this meal.”
Oh, Old Tang moved quickly.
In three years since returning to China, Ji Jiangyuan hadn’t set foot in Old Tang’s house once.
This was indeed a good sign. Xia Xiaolan immediately promised: “I’ll come back. Ji Jiangyuan and I are classmates, I can help liven up the atmosphere at dinner.”
This was exactly what Liu Fen wanted.
Tang Hongen said it didn’t matter, but Liu Fen disagreed. For Ji Jiangyuan’s first time “coming home” for dinner, Liu Fen wanted a warmer family atmosphere. This home had Old Tang, herself, and Xiaolan.
This home also thoroughly welcomed Ji Jiangyuan.
As long as Ji Jiangyuan was willing, he could “come home” anytime!
Xia Xiaolan didn’t know what dishes Liu Fen would prepare, so she bought a roast goose on the way. Both Old Tang and Liu Fen loved it – hopefully, Ji Jiangyuan wasn’t picky about food.