Chapter 463: Securing the First CCTV Ad King

Chapter 463: Securing the First CCTV Ad King

A week after Bu Dafang’s hotel opened, the Naye Hospital quietly commenced operations.

Since hospitals are places for saving lives and healing the sick, Deng Shirong felt there was no need for a grand opening ceremony. A low-key opening was sufficient.

Anyway, the nearby seven or eight townships around Shuangwang Town already knew about it. Currently, the hospital’s patients mainly came from these townships. No matter how much they advertised, patients from farther away would not come for treatment.

However, even just these seven or eight townships covered a population of several hundred thousand, comparable to some small counties. There was no shortage of patients.

During the hospital’s opening, Deng Shirong personally led a team to Beijing to participate in the CCTV advertising bid at the Media Center.

Speaking of this bidding event, one woman must be mentioned.

This woman was none other than the director of the CCTV Advertising Department, who coined the term “CCTV Ad King.”

At the bidding site, Director Tan was under immense pressure. She had taken over the CCTV Advertising Department last year, and at that time, the advertising prices for each time slot were uniform.

Although there was no official classification of prime time slots, these time slots were already scarce and highly sought after.

After all, everyone’s eyes were not blind. They knew which time slots had the best and worst advertising effects.

For the same price, everyone hoped to have their ads broadcast during the prime time slots, but these slots were limited. Some company executives developed ulterior motives, attempting to secure prime time slots through shortcuts and underhanded methods.

Improper competition among companies was common, and Director Tan received countless requests and phone calls from acquaintances every day, which was extremely annoying. Some business tycoons, seeing no way to gain an advantage through her, tried to obtain advertising slots through various channels.

For a time, the Advertising Department received an overwhelming number of requests, all aiming to secure the right to broadcast ads during the prime time slots.

Under the influence of this unhealthy competition, the efficiency of the CCTV Advertising Department significantly decreased, and the staff were overwhelmed.

As the head of the department, Director Tan realized that this negative trend needed to be curbed. The competition model for CCTV advertising needed to be adjusted to ensure more transparency and fairness in the business competition.

Thus, Director Tan proposed the idea of adjusting the advertising competition model.

She believed that the fairest and most transparent competition model was a corporate bidding process. The bidding was open to major companies nationwide, and each company would bid based on their capabilities. The company with the highest bid would secure the right to broadcast ads during the prime time slots.

However, this idea sparked considerable controversy. After all, it was a bold and risky move for that era. Adjusting the advertising model would affect CCTV’s profitability, and if it failed, CCTV would suffer significant losses.

Under immense pressure, Director Tan insisted on adjusting the current advertising competition model, leading to the current bidding event.

If the bidding event succeeded, Director Tan would be a hero at CCTV. If it failed, she would bear the responsibility.

Therefore, as the bidding event was about to begin, Director Tan was not as confident as she appeared.

However, as the saying goes, "Whether you stick your head out or not, the blade is the same." Director Tan did not dwell on it too much. After a brief opening speech, where she highly praised the prime time advertising slots, she officially announced the start of the advertising bid.

It’s worth noting that the first two years of the CCTV prime time advertising bid used a "sealed bid" method. It wasn’t until 1997, when auction houses got involved, that the bidding changed to an open process, allowing bidders to make multiple bids and gradually raise the price.

Deng Shirong clearly remembered the price of the first Ad King. As long as there was no behind-the-scenes manipulation, their Deng Family Group was almost certain to win.

And indeed, after a fierce competition behind the scenes, the Deng Family Group secured the first CCTV Ad King with a bid of 33,333,333 yuan.

The first CCTV Ad King was a highly anticipated event, destined to be recorded in the history of CCTV’s development and to have a profound impact nationwide. Therefore, Deng Shirong chose a very memorable number.

In the previous life, Kungfu Banjiu won the first CCTV Ad King with a bid of 30,790,000 yuan, but this time, they would not win.

For Kungfu Banjiu, it was unclear whether this was a good or bad thing.

In the previous life, after securing the first Ad King, their sales skyrocketed, and they enjoyed a period of glory. However, due to poor management decisions, ineffective restructuring, and blind expansion, the company quickly fell into difficulty and eventually went bankrupt within a few years.

Now, without winning the Ad King, they might avoid blind expansion and instead focus on steady development, potentially giving them a fighting chance.

After the dust settled, Director Tan's excitement was evident. The advertising price of over 33 million yuan was truly astronomical for that era, and this astronomical price proved that her strategy was correct. In the future, there would no longer be so much opposition within the Advertising Department.

...

After handling the first CCTV Ad King event, Deng Shirong did not rush back home. It was rare to visit the capital, so he first had a meal with his in-laws and then visited the seven quadrangle courtyards, using his spatial abilities to clean up the dust and debris.

After completing these tasks, Deng Shirong returned to his hometown in Guangxi.

...

When Deng Shirong arrived back in Naye Village at noon, Chen Xiaohua, who lived next door, enthusiastically greeted him: "Old Ninth, you're back! Have you had lunch yet? I just stewed a pot of taro, come over and eat."

Deng Shirong asked, "Is it black seed taro?"

Chen Xiaohua smiled, "Yes, I stewed it for over two hours, it's very tender."

Deng Shirong nodded and walked over, "Among all the taro, I like black seed taro the most."

Chen Xiaohua said, "I also think black seed taro tastes the best. No other variety of taro is as soft and tender, but it can make your mouth a bit itchy."

Deng Shirong replied, "If you grow black seed taro in yellow clay soil, it won't make your mouth itchy. You can try it next year."

Chen Xiaohua was surprised, "Is that true? Then I'll definitely try it next year."

As they talked, Deng Shirong had already walked into Chen Xiaohua's house.

In the living room, there was a basket of taro made from bamboo, and after being stewed for over two hours, the skin of the taro had split open, revealing the green flesh inside. Just by looking at it, one could tell that this taro was extremely soft and tender.

(That's the kind of taro, it's really very tender. The author hasn't had it for over twenty years.)



Chen Xiaohua made a flavor dip with soybean paste, which was glossy and smooth, and added some old ginger. Eating the taro with this dip had a unique flavor.

There is a distinction between taro mother and taro child, and the taro child is naturally more tender than the taro mother. Deng Shirong ate over a dozen taro children and drank a large bowl of rice soup before exclaiming, "In the past, when we were poor and had little fat in our bellies, eating this kind of taro made my heart burn. Now that we have enough fat in our bellies, this taro tastes incredibly delicious."

Chen Xiaohua laughed, "That's true. My father used to be afraid of eating taro. After our family's economic conditions improved, he never touched taro again, no matter how delicious it was."

"This is actually quite common. In our village, there are many such examples. Some people never touch sweet potatoes, and others never touch cassava, all because they ate too much of it in the past," Deng Shirong said, thinking of his grandson from his previous life.

That kid used to love eating cakes the most. One time, he ate too much of a cream cake and got a stomachache, and he had diarrhea for several days. Since then, the smell of cake made him afraid, let alone eating it.

Chen Xiaohua said, "I ate a lot of these grains when I was a child, but now I still love them and don't feel any aversion."

"This probably varies from person to person."

At this point, Deng Shirong changed the subject and asked, "Xiaohua, you and your husband must have saved quite a bit of money over the years?"

Chen Xiaohua didn't know why Old Ninth suddenly asked this, but she didn't hide anything from him and answered honestly, "We have saved quite a bit. We have nearly 500,000 yuan in savings now."

Deng Shirong always remembered the kindness of Chen Xiaohua and her husband in taking care of him in his old age. He advised, "This money isn't doing much good just sitting in the bank. Tell Changping to keep enough for daily expenses and use the rest to buy houses or shops in Shenzhen and Guangzhou. Buy as much as you can.

In just a few decades, the price of these properties will at least quadruple, and if you choose a good location, they could even increase by several dozen times. It's a surefire investment."

Chen Xiaohua's eyes lit up, "Thank you, Old Ninth. I'll tell Changping when he comes back."

"You're welcome."

Deng Shirong picked up the water pipe next to him, fished out some tobacco, and said, "In the blink of an eye, your son Baobao has grown up. Now that he's graduated from high school, have you and your husband thought about what you want him to do?"

Chen Xiaohua looked a bit awkward and said, "Old Ninth, Changping and I only know how to farm. We don't have any talent for business, so we don't know what to have him do!"

Deng Shirong naturally understood their situation. He had given them advice several years ago, but in the end, they chose to stay in their hometown and didn't have the heart to go out and start a business.

Everyone has their own path, and Deng Shirong wouldn't force them. As the saying goes, contentment brings happiness. They were not greedy and were satisfied with their current life, and he felt that this was also quite good.

After all, whether a person is happy or not cannot be equated with how much money they have.

Those who are content can live happily as long as they have enough to eat and wear. On the other hand, those who are never satisfied will not be happy even if they become the richest person in the country. They are the typical type who would still complain about their lives being too short even if they lived to a hundred.

While stuffing tobacco into his pipe, Deng Shirong asked, "What does your son Baobao think about it?"

Chen Xiaohua replied, "He does have an idea. He wants to build a roller rink, but neither I nor his father understand it, so we haven't agreed to invest money in it yet."

Deng Shirong lit the tobacco with a lighter, took a few puffs, and then said, "It seems your son Baobao has a good idea. Building a roller rink could be quite profitable. Once the venue is set up and a batch of roller skates is purchased, you can sit back and collect money."

Chen Xiaohua looked surprised, not expecting her eldest son's idea to be endorsed by Ninth Grandpa. She asked, "Ninth Grandpa, how much money would it take to build a roller rink?"

Deng Shirong said, "That depends on where the roller rink is built and how big it will be. Where does your son Baobao plan to build the roller rink?"

Chen Xiaohua replied, "He said he wants to build it in the county town."

Deng Shirong said, "If he can find a suitable rental space in the county town, it won't cost much, probably around 10,000 to 20,000 yuan to get the roller rink up and running. However, if he can't find a suitable space and has to build the skating area from scratch, it could cost 100,000 to 200,000 yuan."

Chen Xiaohua exclaimed, "It would cost that much money!"

Deng Shirong laughed, "Roller rinks can be simple or elaborate, big or small, outdoor or indoor. The cost varies depending on the type, but this business is definitely viable. Even if he doesn't build it in the county town, he can still make a profit by building it in the village."

Chen Xiaohua was delighted, "Ninth Grandpa, can we build a roller rink in our village?"

Deng Shirong nodded affirmatively and said, "Of course, we can. Even if we don't have other customers, just the 3,000 or so clan members of the Deng family, plus the hundreds of medical staff and their families from Naye Hospital, if even a tenth of them are interested, we won't have to worry about making money."

Chen Xiaohua was excited, "That's great. When my son Baobao comes home this afternoon, I'll talk to him about it and have him build the roller rink in the village. If he has any questions, he can come and ask you, Ninth Grandpa."

"Of course, no problem."

Deng Shirong took a few more puffs of his pipe, then put it aside and stood up, saying, "When your son Baobao comes home, have him come and talk to me about it."

"Okay, thank you, Ninth Grandpa."

"You're welcome."

...

After leaving Chen Xiaohua's house, Deng Shirong went to check on Naye Hospital.

Now, Naye Hospital had been open for over ten days. As the news spread, patients from the town and nearby areas started to come in.

Since humans eat a variety of grains, they are bound to get sick from time to time.

Therefore, no matter what era it is, there will always be patients.

Currently, Naye Hospital is seeing a steady stream of patients. Although the number of patients is not comparable to the county hospital, it is a good start. As long as the hospital operates for a long time and proves that its doctors are skilled and can cure diseases, the number of patients seeking medical care will definitely increase, which is a certainty.

Originally, Deng Shirong planned to have his eldest daughter bring her in-laws to the hospital for treatment once it opened. However, he didn't expect that his two in-laws couldn't survive this year and passed away a few days ago.

The first to go was Old Lady Zhu, who lived to be 77 years old. Old Man Zhu, who was already in poor health, couldn't bear the shock and followed her shortly after.

Of course, at their age, they were considered quite long-lived for that era. They had originally thought they wouldn't make it past 70, but Old Lady Zhu not only made it past 70 but lived for seven more years.

Old Man Zhu was even more fortunate, living nearly to 80.

This far exceeded their expectations. Moreover, in recent years, their youngest son, Zhu Junjie, had had a successful career, rising to the position of county magistrate and soon to take over as the county governor. Most importantly, he married Deng Yunzhen, a virtuous and well-off wife. The two elders could truly rest in peace.

According to the local customs in Bobai, as an in-law, Deng Shirong would not attend the funeral of his in-laws.

Generally, after a woman dies, only her immediate family from her husband's side and her siblings from her own family and their children will attend. Other distant relatives, such as cousins, usually do not come.

Similarly, after a man dies, only his immediate family and his wife's siblings and their children will attend.

In Bobai, it is rare for in-laws to attend the funeral.

Thus, when Deng Shirong returned from the capital and learned about the passing of his in-laws, he only called to offer condolences and did not personally attend the funeral.

After checking on Naye Hospital, Deng Shirong walked to his eldest niece’s hotel.

"Aunt, you’re back!"

Bu Dafang, who was chatting with her younger aunt, Jiang Defeng, saw her uncle and quickly greeted him. Her younger aunt Jiang Defeng also greeted him.

Deng Shirong nodded and asked, "Dafang, how has your hotel been since it opened?"

Bu Dafang smiled and said, "It’s been good. We’ve already had several guests."

"That’s great. It will only get better in the future."

Deng Shirong then looked at Jiang Defeng and asked, "How’s your business going?"

Jiang Defeng replied with a smile, "It’s going well. Have you had lunch, Uncle? What would you like to eat? I can serve you some."

With the help of her second sister-in-law, she had opened a porridge shop here, selling various types of porridge, such as eight-treasure porridge, pork offal porridge, pork bone and peanut porridge, and taro porridge.

Now, the Naye Deng clan were all wealthy, so their purchasing power was unquestionable. Since opening her porridge shop, business was not exactly booming, but it was definitely profitable.

Deng Shirong waved his hand and said, "No need, I’ve already eaten. Keep working hard and focus on the taste. Your business will get better in the future."

Jiang Defeng nodded eagerly, "Thank you, Uncle. I will work hard."

...

In the afternoon.

Deng Shirong lay in a rocking chair at the entrance of the villa, listening to Deng Sibao’s insights on the roller rink.

Deng Sibao had been exposed to roller rinks and had wanted to invest in one after graduating from high school. Unfortunately, his parents were always cautious about investments and knew nothing about roller rinks, so they were hesitant to invest.

Deng Sibao didn’t push too hard, mainly because he wasn’t entirely sure if a roller rink would be profitable.

Unexpectedly, when he returned home that day, his mother told him that Ninth Grandpa had endorsed his idea and supported him in opening a roller rink.

Hearing this good news, Deng Sibao was instantly invigorated. Originally, he had only a 50-60% chance of making a profit with the roller rink, but with Ninth Grandpa’s endorsement, he was now 100% confident.

After all, everyone in the clan knew that any project Ninth Grandpa endorsed was guaranteed to be profitable.

So, after hearing his mother’s words, Deng Sibao immediately came to see Ninth Grandpa and poured out all his thoughts on the roller rink.

After listening, Deng Shirong sat up from the rocking chair and said, "Aibao, your idea is quite good. Roller rinks are popular among young people. However, opening one in the county town would be costly, and it might not attract many customers.

"But if you open one back in your hometown, it will be a unique business. It can attract not only the Naye Deng clan members but also young people from the entire town.

"If you can attract a few hundred people each day, even if you charge each person 1 yuan per visit, you can easily make a few hundred yuan a day. If you charge 2 yuan per visit, making over a thousand yuan a day is not difficult.

"This is indeed a very good business."

"Great!"

Deng Sibao was exhilarated and asked, "Ninth Grandpa, where do you think the roller rink should be built?"

Deng Shirong said, "The most important thing for a roller rink is to play disco music to get people excited. Many young people come to roller rinks for the lively atmosphere, so it shouldn’t be built near the hospital or residential areas, as it might disturb people’s rest."

Deng Sibao thought for a moment and said, "Ninth Grandpa, if I build the roller rink at Yuanshan, would that be okay?"

Deng Shirong nodded and said, "That would be fine. For the roller rink, don’t use a concrete floor or hard tiles. It’s best to use wooden flooring so that people won’t get hurt as easily if they fall.

"Also, build it large enough to accommodate at least a few hundred people at once. If you don’t have enough money, I can lend it to you."

Originally, the Deng Changping family had nearly 500,000 yuan in savings, which would be more than enough to open a roller rink. However, he had already advised them to buy property in Shenzhen or Guangzhou, which might have left them a bit short.

Therefore, he offered to lend money to Deng Sibao.

Deng Sibao said excitedly, "I understand. Thank you, Ninth Grandpa."

Deng Sibao then had a detailed conversation with Ninth Grandpa for a few more minutes, thoroughly understanding the roller rink project, before leaving home contentedly.

With Ninth Grandpa’s support, Deng Sibao’s parents no longer had any reservations and were very supportive of his venture.

Thus, the first roller rink in Shuangwang Town entered the planning stage.

...

PS: Thank you to all the relatives for your donations and monthly votes.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end