The hotel was facing the street. On one side was a rainy alley, and on the other side was a wet square. Around the square were thick, gray churches and bell towers. In the distance was the muddy Arno River, with an old covered bridge swaying in the rain.
Lin Qian had never been to Florence before, but it was famous for a long time. Now that the war was imminent, the two of them ran to this small town at the end of the world, as if they were isolated from the world, and their mood was extraordinarily peaceful.
She sat on the bed in the hotel room, sorting out the clothes in the suitcase. Li Zhicheng sat on the side and watched.
He brought all the clothes from Lin City. She soon found something was wrong.
She took out a stack of dresses from the suitcase and handed it to him, "Why did you bring me only dresses?"
Li Zhicheng glanced at the stack of dresses, looked up at her, and answered calmly, "Because your legs are beautiful."
Lin Qian snorted, but couldn't help but laugh. It was so inconvenient to go out with only dresses. But she could only accept her fate.
While putting the dresses in the cabinet, she thought: Usually, he never packed clothes for me. Only today did she realize that his preference was so obvious and monotonous.
But she soon found out that her conclusion was wrong. Because then she found a stack of colorful underwear and bras. And his underwear was all black, neatly folded on the side.
Lin Qian counted: red, black, purple, blue, green, white, brown … She turned her head to look at him. It was not easy to find so many colors in her whole drawer of underwear.
"What is this?" She pointed at the fancy underwear, "Seven colors. Do you think you are collecting dragon balls?"
Li Zhicheng put his hands behind his head, leaned against the bed, and answered, "I just picked it up casually."
Pfft! Who would believe that he picked up all the colorful lights casually?
Lin Qian looked at him in his well-ironed shirt, shiny leather shoes, and handsome face. Looking at this man who was a giant in the industry, a very discordant image appeared in her mind: Yesterday, he was alone at home, carefully selecting his fiancée's underwear and bras, then carefully folding them one by one and putting them into the suitcase.
Well, she had to admit that she was suddenly feeling good.
Walking downstairs, Lin Qian looked at his tall and straight figure and suddenly had a thought: He looks sly, experienced, and calm, but in fact, he's very interested in sex and knows how to play tricks … Thinking of this, her cheeks slightly heated up.
She also wanted to pursue more interests in the future!
At this time, Li Zhicheng was standing under the porch, talking on the phone with his head down. He had short black hair, a sharp profile, and a thin coat. Standing in the drizzle, he was as handsome as a statue that had been silent for many years.
Lin Qian stared at him, lost in thought.
"Okay, see you later." He hung up the phone and turned to look at Lin Qian. "Their car will be here soon to pick us up."
Lin Qian nodded.
She suddenly reacted and stared at him with widened eyes. "Your English!"
Did she hear wrongly? His fluency and speed were no different from hers!
Li Zhicheng put his hands in his pockets and answered indifferently, "I practiced."
Go! Last time in the United States, who said I couldn't even order? I've never seen him read an English book in the past two years. How could he practice English?
He's pretending to be weak again! Back then, in order to pursue me, he really did everything he could!
Lin Qian looked at him hatefully, but he just smiled and held her in the car.
In fact, Li Zhicheng's English was more than just fluent. In the next two days, he talked to two companies that made leather goods and casual bags. Without the presence of an interpreter or Lin Qian's help, he got the sales agency rights for these two companies in Asia.
These two companies were both small local enterprises. One of them didn't sell their products outside of Italy, and the other only developed in central and southern Italy. So they were very happy to have a Chinese tycoon like Li Zhicheng to talk about cooperation. The agency fee was not expensive, so Li Zhicheng got the agency rights for five years in one go. At the same time, he placed two huge orders for them.
When they walked out of the office building, it was dusk. The lights of the town were bright, and the long street in front of them was lined with shops, all of which were world-famous luxury brands. It was like a starry avenue leading to the unknown.
Lin Qian held Li Zhicheng's arm, glanced at his black backpack with documents, and said proudly, "We're rich now, coming all the way to Europe to place orders."
Li Zhicheng smiled faintly and looked straight ahead. "One day, I'll open Aida's flagship store here."
It was rare for him to express his thoughts like this. Lin Qian's heart was stirred by his words. She nodded and pointed to the luxurious shops in front of them. "In the future, my brand will also be opened here! It'll be next door to yours. "
Li Zhicheng suddenly stopped, pulled her into his arms, and lowered his head to kiss her.
On the streets of a foreign country, there were strangers of different skin colors everywhere. He held her in his arms, standing in the middle of the drizzling street, kissing silently, and no one disturbed them.
They had dinner at a small restaurant on the street. It was a simple combination of red wine and steak, but the taste was unexpectedly good. Lin Qian was a little tipsy. She took out the documents from his bag and asked while reading, "How many companies did you get?"
"Including the agency rights from domestic companies, five in total," Li Zhicheng answered.
Lin Qian carefully looked through the information of the five companies. There were big German companies with a turnover of hundreds of millions of euros, and local companies like the one she just saw, in Florence; there were leather goods and leisure bags. But most of them were priced moderately, and some were supplied to Li Zhicheng at very low prices. There was also a certain difference in quality. Some were comparable to DG's second or third-tier products, and some were very Italian, but the workmanship was very rough.
But they all had one thing in common: they were old, at least 50 or 100 years old.
This was very similar to DG. Lin Qian thought naughtily.
After dinner, Li Zhicheng held her hand, "Let's go get the agency rights for the last one."
Lin Qian was a little surprised, "So late?"
The nightlife of the town had already begun. The music in the alley was roaring, and the street performer was wearing a wide-brimmed hat, leaning against the wall and playing the saxophone elegantly.
Li Zhicheng took Lin Qian and turned a few corners before they found a small shop in an alley where the local residents lived. There was a gray stone wall, a square door, and a Chinese lantern hung on the door, bright red and moving.
A tall blonde young man stood at the door. Seeing Li Zhicheng, he greeted him enthusiastically, "Hi! Li! "
Li Zhicheng also smiled, "Hi, David."
Lin Qian stood on the side, watching the two men hugging. It was surprising, but also interesting.
When did Li Zhicheng make foreign friends? She didn't know.
The two teased each other in a low voice, then looked at Lin Qian at the same time.
"My fiancée, Lin," Li Zhicheng said.
David's blue eyes were shining with enthusiasm, "What a beautiful girl! Lin, I'm David. Nice to meet you. "
The three of them walked into the shop. After a short conversation, Lin Qian found out that Li Zhicheng had met David when he was searching all over the world for fabrics suitable for the "longbow." They became friends by chance.
And this time, Li Zhicheng was here to buy the China dealership of his family's handmade leather bags.
Entering the shop, she found it was very big, narrow, and deep. Although it looked ordinary from the outside, the interior was very exquisitely decorated. On both sides were glass cabinets with beautiful leather bags lying in them. Lin Qian was also an expert. She could tell at a glance that the workmanship was very exquisite and rare.
"You're the only one in such a big shop?" Lin Qian asked.
"No." David answered with a smile, "There are five girls working as waitresses and eighteen workers. I'm only responsible for the design. "
Lin Qian nodded in admiration, "That's great. These bags are the best I've seen in Florence this time. "
David was very happy. He directly took out a beautiful handbag from the cabinet and handed it to her, "This is for you! For your compliment. "
Lin Qian hurriedly waved her hand, "It's too expensive!"
David looked at Li Zhicheng. Although he looked straightforward and simple, he had a good eye for things.
Li Zhicheng smiled and glanced at her, "It's okay. Take it."
Lin Qian had no choice but to accept it.
It turned out that ever since David took over this ancestral shop from his father, he had been very carefree. If he wanted to open the shop, he would open it. If he wanted to travel, he would directly close the shop, let the workers go on vacation, and travel on foot to who knows which country. But his craftsmanship, workmanship, and design were almost all famous in Florence. So even if he only did business for one month a year, it was enough to support himself.
There were also international luxury brands who wanted to buy him and his brand. But what happened? He rejected them harshly. Because he didn't like a life that was too tiring.
This time, Li Zhicheng came to buy his dealership in Asia and set up a joint venture factory. On the other hand, he invited him to visit China and supervise the factory's production.
Of course, David was willing to accept such conditions.
The three of them sat behind the bar in the depths of the shop, bright lights above their heads. Li Zhicheng took out the agreement from his bag and pushed it in front of him, "Take a look. If you have any ideas, you can continue to add more."
Unexpectedly, David pushed the agreement back in front of him, "No need. You paid for my travel and accommodation to and from China. It's enough to buy the dealership. My family is absolutely fair when doing business. "
Lin Qian: "…"
Li Zhicheng: "…"
In the end, Li Zhicheng made the decision for the big boy. According to the agreement, both parties signed their names.
Until the next day on the flight back to China, Lin Qian was still laughing about this matter.
She leaned back in the spacious seat and glanced at the man beside her, "You're really good. You almost got the dealership from a trip."
Li Zhicheng smiled faintly, "This is also fate."
Lin Qian nodded.
At this time, sitting on the other side of Li Zhicheng, David poked his head over, "Li, can I ask you a question?"
"Of course."
Lin Qian also looked at him with interest.
"Why do you want to buy my dealership?" David said, "Don't tell me it's to make money. Although my shop is excellent, no one outside of Florence knows about it."
Li Zhicheng was silent for a moment, then answered, "For competition."
He raised his head, looked at the vast blue sky and floating clouds outside the window, and said slowly, "There's an international well-known brand that wants to enter my country, buy my business, and snatch my market."
David shrugged, "That's why I always say that expansion is the most boring thing. It turns craftsmanship into commerce, boring and heartless. Annoying invaders, I support you. "
Li Zhicheng and Lin Qian both smiled, and Li Zhicheng continued, "In China, many people have a concept that foreign products are better than domestic products, and that they can better reflect their personal taste …"
David said, "Ridiculous!"
Li Zhicheng said, "… In the environment of China, such a foreign brand will outshine all the Chinese brands. Once the consumers understand and accept it, our national brands will face difficulties. So I can't let such a situation happen. "
Lin Qian lined up a few cups on the small table, then said, "What are we going to do? For example, a few years ago, there was a particularly famous snack in China called 'Dropping-Dregs Cake.' Because of its special taste, it became popular in many cities. But then, many similar chain stores appeared, but the quality was not uniform. And the consumers didn't know how to tell which was the authentic one. It didn't taste the same at one store, and it still didn't taste the same at another store. In the end, they simply stopped eating the Dropping-Dregs Cake. This product sold worse and worse, and was eventually eliminated from the market. It's rarely seen now. "
David seemed to understand a little, and his mouth opened wide, "So … you bought so many dealerships, so that the consumers don't know which store is the authentic one?"
Lin Qian smiled and nodded, "Yes. But I'm not saying that the quality of your product is bad. Your product is very good, and we will sell it as a high-end product. And in the ancient language of China, this trick is called … "She looked at Li Zhicheng.
"Fishing in troubled waters," he said unhurriedly.
This year's April, for Charles, the president of DG's Asia Pacific Region, was a very memorable time.
Because DG's four main brands officially entered the China market.
This April, for Charles, was also a very gloomy time.
Because he encountered the biggest sales winter in recent years for DG.
How cold was it?
The market performance was so bad that he couldn't believe his eyes. He even suspected that the statistics were wrong, and they must have written two zeros short!
How did things come to this?
At the beginning of April, DG China began a large-scale promotion campaign on the Internet, on TV, in print, and in physical stores. And its main advertisement, was also launched in prime time on TV stations. The advertisement went like this:
On the elegant Apennine Peninsula, a blonde socialite was drinking coffee on the grass outside the manor. Suddenly, a man with short brown hair and black eyes, dressed in a knight's suit of the last century, rode a horse to her. The two looked at each other in surprise, and the man took her captive and mounted the horse. The socialite panicked, but was still taken away.
In the blink of an eye, the scene had come to a ball, with old crystal lamps and castle-like ancient buildings. It was exactly the scene of the last world. In the room, many servants served the woman to change into an evening gown, wear jewelry, and finally present a lady's handbag. The socialite took it and slowly walked out of the door.
In front of her was a luxurious dance floor, and the man stood a few steps away, reaching out to her. The socialite gave her hand to him.
The two danced in front of the window under the light, and the artistic conception was dreamy and blurred.
Finally, the socialite was wearing pajamas, with her hair loose and sleepy face, completely like the girl next door. She woke up and sat up from the big bed in the manor.
She seemed to recall last night's dream, picked up her handbag in disappointment, and walked to the window to look out. The glass reflected her beautiful face, just for a moment, but it seemed like an eternity.
The subtitles appeared, and the voiceover sounded at the same time,
"DG, My Dream" (DG, My Dream).
Not only Charles and his men, but even Chen Zheng had to admit that this advertisement was very artistic when he saw it. In popular terms, it was very high-end, with elements of time travel and retro, very much in line with the taste of Chinese people.
They felt that DG would definitely succeed in breaking into China.
As mentioned before, the launch of a new brand would not have an explosive reaction in the market so quickly. Especially for daily necessities like bags, which showed personal taste. It would take some time for consumers to recognize and accept this brand.
So, Charles, Chen Zheng, and others, confidently waited for the market to explode!
In the end, they didn't wait for the explosion, they only waited for a bunch of fakes.
More than ten days later, when DG's market sales had just picked up, something terrible happened.
Six. Six foreign brands that came out of nowhere suddenly appeared in the market.
Moreover, their advertisements deliberately imitated DG, almost to the point of making people's hair stand on end.
The first brand was called "Rain", and the advertisement was about a girl, fishing on the Apennine Peninsula. Suddenly, a man came from the sea in a small boat. The girl was mesmerized when she saw him, gave him her hand, and got on his boat. In the blink of an eye, they were already under the sea, and the two of them were walking and breathing like fish underwater. Four eyes stared at each other, silent love.
The picture flashed again, and the girl was already lying on the wet shore. It was raining, and the surroundings were dark, with only her handbag by her side. And her eyes were filled with tears, looking at the calm sea. Her appearance was not glamorous, but there was a kind of clear and moving cleanliness.
The subtitles appeared, and the voiceover sounded at the same time.
"Rain, that's my heart." (Rain, that's my heart.)
Of course, there were also many viewers who thought that this advertisement was better and more moving than DG's advertisement. And the facts proved that, as of the end of June, the total sales of Rain in China were actually the same as DG's. Of course, this was under the premise that the sales of both were not high.
Such specious advertisements were emerging one after another. Some brand advertisements were not necessarily similar to DG, but the advertising words were very malicious.
For example, a brand called "David" claimed that it was founded in 1890, which was more than ten years earlier than DG. Charles was very angry when he found out, and sent someone to check, and the answer was: David was indeed founded in 1890, and it was a small ancestral shop in a small town in Florence. But somehow, it also came to China to make trouble.
And what was the consumer's perception of this?
For a moment, they only saw the streets and alleys were filled with advertisements of all kinds of foreign brands of luggage and bags. And these advertisements were really dazzling. Some were called DG, some were called David; some said they were founded in 109 years (that was the DG Group), and some said they were founded in 150 years; some said they were the most authentic in Italy, and some said they were the oldest in the Apennine Peninsula.
And the price and quality were all different. Some were obviously very ordinary bags, but they were sold for 3000 each; some were of ordinary quality, but the style was good, and the price was very high, and they were sold for 300 each.
As Li Zhicheng and Lin Qian expected, a huge amount of information hit the consumers at the same time, so they were confused and hesitant.
Originally, there was only one Dregs Bakery in front of them, but suddenly there were ten, so they couldn't remember any of them.
Of course, after all, DG had a very high reputation abroad, and there were still many fixed consumer groups that could distinguish them. But its first to enter China was a second or third-tier sub-brand, not the world's top sub-brand, so the consumers who didn't know about them were still the majority.
So in the end, there was even a customer who came to DG's shop, smiled and asked, "You are the sub-brand of the David Group, right? I like that brand the most. Oh … no, then forget it, I won't buy it. "
Another person spent thousands of dollars to buy a new DG bag, and happily took it to work. But when his colleague saw it, he smiled, "I also bought an Italian bag, yesterday the supermarket at the entrance had a promotion, 200 yuan for one, not bad, right?"
At the end of June, at the quarterly sales meeting, Charles, who had always been good-tempered, fiercely slammed the table and stood up, scolding in front of all the Asia-Pacific staff, "Shameless Chinese!"
And at the same time, Lin Qian and Li Zhicheng stayed in the hotel by the Xiangjiang River as usual. She leaned in his arms, admiring the advertisement she had planned, and sighed in her heart: I'm really too shameless.
Glancing at him meant that I was led astray by him!
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