Chapter 1255 – The regretting Steve
In the evening, a welcome banquet is held in Shanghai’s Quanjude.
Steve is quite happy to know they will be eating signature Chinese food this evening as he likes Chinese cuisine. But he remembered his interview with Paul Allen. Paul Allen told him not to eat any signature Chinese food if he visits China. If not, it will be a nightmare!
Paul Allen said that he lost 12 pounds within a week when he visited China!
Steve looked at Zhong Qingxian and smiled embarrassedly. “Zhong, I will just eat some ordinary Chinese food. You don’t need to prepare any iconic Chinese cuisine for me.”
Zhong Qianxian thought Steve was being polite and explained. “This is our China’s traditions. When we have friends visiting, we must host them properly. Mr. Steve, many foreigners had tried our food and all of them like it. I believe there will be a dish that will suit you.”
Feng Yu smiled. “Don’t worry, Steve. You can eat today’s food with a knife and fork. You will not feel uncomfortable.”
Feng Yu thought Steve doesn’t know how to eat with chopsticks when he saw them on the table. Furthermore, Beijing Duck can be eaten with a spoon, and many people would just use their hands.
Steve heard it and got more frightened. But he knows it will be impolite to reject, and he can only hope there will not be any weird food later.
Vegetables. Vegetables will be the best.
When the food is served, Steve saw a Chef cutting a duck into thin slices in front of them, and Feng Yu demonstrated how to eat the duck for him.
Steve looks at the ingredients in front of him. Duck, spring onion, pancakes, and a sauce which didn’t smell bad.
Steve copied Feng Yu and rolled a piece of duck in the pancake, and took a bite. His eyes brightened up immediately, and he finished the roll in two bites.
Damn! Paul Allen had tricked him. How can anyone be grossed out with such delicious food?! Luckily he did not continue to reject Feng Yu and Zhong Qingxian’s offers. If not, he would have missed out on this delicious meal.
The following dishes, including the traditional Shanghai dishes, are all delicious. The food here tastes much better than the Chinese restaurants in New York’s Chinatown.
This should be the F&B group under Tai Hua Holdings. No wonder this F&B group can be China’s top F&B brand.
Steve remembered a branch in New York and plans to bring his family there to try it. His three children should love this duck.
Zhong Qingxian had picked a type of special fruit wine for tonight’s dinner, and Steve loves it. Chinese banquet didn’t taste as bad as what Paul Allen claimed.
Steve decides to ask Paul Allen why he lied during their next interview.
Paul might be unhappy because his position is almost out of the top 50. But this is the truth, and the people above him have a higher net worth than him.
…….
The next day, after a traditional Chinese breakfast, Hu Ran fetched Steve to Zhong Qingxian’s office.
“Zhong, thanked you for the wonderful dinner last night. I think I had fallen in love with Chinese food.” Steve said exaggeratedly.
“Hahaha… we have a restaurant in New York, and I will give you a membership card later. You can use it to get priority reservations and discounts.”
“Thank you.” Steve nodded as he is quite happy with this gift.
<Forbes> magazine sales had dropped in China because of <Wind and Rain Business Magazine>. China has a high population, and its economy is developing rapidly. Why are the Chinese not interested in <Forbes> magazine?
Steve had read <Wind and Rain Business Magazine>, and the biggest difference is the contents. <Wind and Rain Business Magazine> mainly focus on China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Asia’s news. There are fewer articles on Europe and the US.
To the Chinese, they prefer to read about Chinese tycoons. Steve hopes he can get in touch with other Chinese tycoons through Zhong Qingxian and help <Forbes> open up the Chinese market.
If that did not work, Steve would use another strategy. Cooperate with <Wind and Rain Business Magazine> to publish each other’s articles and even be the distributor.
<Wind and Rain Business Magazine> had wanted to cooperate with <Forbes> when it was set up but was rejected. Steve felt such a small magazine will not succeed.
Not every magazine can become an international business magazine.
But Steve quickly regretted it. <Wind and Rain Business Magazine> sells very well in China and even snatched away <Forbes> market share in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
This magazine is published in traditional and simplified Mandarin.
It was then when Steve found out the reason why <Forbes> is not doing well. It’s not about their articles. It is because most Chinese businessmen don’t know English!
If <Forbes> is a fashion magazine, people might still buy to look at the pictures. But who will buy a business magazine they can’t read?
Steve knew Feng Yu had invested in this magazine but still belittled it. He had only agreed to sell its articles to <Wind and Rain Business Magazine> initially.
But after that, <Wind and Rain Business Magazine> stopped buying their articles as no one is interested.
Hu Ran, the British sitting beside Zhong Qingxian, is the Chief Editor of <Wind and Rain Business Magazine>. They chatted for a while in the car yesterday. He had wanted to work with <Forbes> and had wanted to name his magazine as <Forbes> Chinese version.
Steve wanted to ask they didn’t continue with that name? That will give him a reason to invest or even acquire this agency.
Steve felt it is difficult to invest in this magazine now, but he still wants to try. After all, <Forbes> is more experienced in the business magazine industry.
Also, Zhong Qingxian is Tai Hua Holding’s CEO, and he can make the decision.
Other than interviewing Zhong Qingxian, Steve also wants to ask if Zhong Qingxian allows <Forbes> to invest in <Wind and Rain Business Magazine>.
“Zhong, shall we start?”
