Countless examples prove that business partnerships among friends are the most prone to problems. While two or more close brothers might start a venture with united hearts and a shared vision, as the business faces hardships or grows, the lure of profit can create rifts, dimming the once-unbreakable bonds of friendship.
Often, when the business fails, brothers become enemies.
Lu Chen, with the memories of his three lives, deeply understood this principle. From the outset, he avoided taking on too much, and during the crucial, sensitive matter of equity distribution, he didn't concede excessive benefits. This approach both respected Gao He's dignity and preserved their friendship.
Only such a partnership could endure long-term and remain true to Lu Chen's original intentions.
After settling the foundation of their collaboration, Lu Chen would assign a financial manager to oversee the funds. Meanwhile, the tasks of recruiting staff and setting up the business would fall to Gao He and Wang Xiaoling.
In this new company, Lu Chen would serve as the behind-the-scenes boss, while Gao He and Wang Xiaoling would temporarily handle daily operations. Once the company was on track, they would bring in professional managers for more efficient and expert management.
After discussing business, it was natural to move on to personal matters.
Gao He ordered a case of beer and shared bottles with Lu Chen, reminiscing about their college days and past experiences.
"It's a shame Fourth Brother is on a business trip," Gao He said regretfully. "It would have been perfect if he were here."
"It's been so long since the four of us have been together!"
The last time they had all gathered was at Gao He and Wang Xiaoling's wedding, but Old K hadn't attended, sending only a generous monetary gift.
Now that everyone was scattered across the country with their own careers, reuniting wasn't easy.
Wang Xiaoling, clearly more interested in the celebrity's personal life, asked, "Lu Chen, when are you planning to get married?"
Lu Chen couldn't help but touch his nose and laugh. "When are you and Boss having kids?"
Wang Xiaoling blushed. "I asked you first!"
Lu Chen laughed. "Once you have kids, I might consider getting married myself!"
Wang Xiaoling could only roll her eyes in exasperation at his cheekiness.
Gao He chuckled foolishly.
Wang Xiaoling couldn't help but pinch him. "Stop grinning! Don't get ahead of yourself. I'm not thinking about having kids right now, at least not until we buy a house and my career is stable."
"I bet that day will come soon," Lu Chen said with a smile. "Come on, let's toast!"
"Cheers!"
Even Wang Xiaoling poured a full mug of beer and, after clinking glasses with Lu Chen, downed it in one go.
"Sister-in-law, you've got the spirit of a true warrior!"
Lu Chen set down his glass, gave her a thumbs-up, and pulled a stack of invitations from his bag.
"I'm hosting a fan meeting tomorrow night at the China Auto 4S flagship store."
He handed the invitation to Wang Xiaoling. "Here are seven invitations. Two are for you, and you can give the other five to relatives and friends. There will be gifts and a raffle."
This time, Lu Chen's nationwide album tour promotion was held in the form of fan meetups at China Auto's 4S flagship stores in seven major cities. China Auto provided extensive support for the event.
"Oh, there's a raffle too?" Wang Xiaoling's eyes lit up, and she beamed as she took the invitations. "What's the grand prize?"
"A brand-new China Auto R-Class Travel Car," Lu Chen replied.
"Ah!?" Wang Xiaoling was genuinely stunned. She hadn't expected a small fan meetup to offer a six-figure prize.
China Auto fully sponsored Lu Chen's Ordinary Road nationwide tour promotion. They not only provided venues, staff, and prizes but even paid his Workshop a seven-figure marketing fee.
While it might seem like China Auto was practically giving away the store, they wouldn't have made such a generous offer if it wasn't a profitable venture.
The R-Class Travel Car, endorsed by Lu Chen, quickly captured the market among young middle-class consumers. Its reasonable price, innovative design, and superior quality led to steadily rising sales.
The advertising campaign shot by Lu Chen for China Auto played a crucial role in this success. The R-Class Travel Car's brand image became deeply ingrained in the public consciousness, earning excellent market reviews and reputation.
Other automakers, recognizing the market's potential, began preparing to enter the fray. The resulting competition was bound to be fierce, so China Auto naturally placed special emphasis on promoting its new model.
A successful new car can generate billions in sales, making the hundreds of millions spent on advertising and marketing seem like a drop in the bucket.
When Lu Chen's Workshop approached China Auto, both parties quickly reached an agreement. Not only did China Auto accept all the Workshop's proposed terms, but they also added several more valuable elements to the collaboration.
For instance, car awards are an excellent form of promotion.
Now, Lu Chen's popularity and influence were far greater than when he first shot the commercial!
The seven fan meetings held in the seven major cities all took place at local China Auto 4S flagship stores. Each event featured automotive grand prizes, along with three cars to be raffled off among Lu Chen, his fan club blog, and Whale TV live-streaming viewers. The total value of these ten cars alone reached 1.5 million yuan!
In addition to the cars, attendees also had a chance to win computers, smartphones, shopping vouchers, and other prizes.
Wang Xiaoling was beaming. "My sister will be thrilled! She and her classmates are all huge fans of yours now!"
Lu Chen smiled. "Then be sure to come tomorrow night."
The dinner was a resounding success, with everyone enjoying themselves.
Having driven himself to the restaurant, Lu Chen first dropped off the Gao He couple at their home. Then, he instructed his driver, "Brother Zhang, take me to West Lake. I want to walk along the Broken Bridge."
During his university days in Hangzhou, Lu Chen had often strolled along the lake. Though he knew the scenery intimately, he felt a sudden nostalgia tonight. Having had quite a bit to drink, he wanted to revisit those old feelings.
"Alright," The driver nodded.
This driver, Brother Zhang, was Lu Chen's new assistant, introduced by Lin Zhijie of Flying Stone Records.
Li Feiyu had already stepped down from this role and was now managing online promotion at the Workshop, overseeing operations like the live-streaming room, official blog, and official forum.
Brother Zhang's real name was Zhang Xiaofang. In his late thirties, he had over a decade of experience in the industry, having worked with numerous artists. His professionalism far surpassed Li Feiyu's.
With Zhang Xiaofang handling the daily affairs, Lu Chen could undoubtedly focus more easily on his work.
Zhang Xiaofang drove them to Beishan Road and dropped Lu Chen off near the Broken Bridge.
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 60 chapters on my patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395