Ch. 1301..1310
Chapter 1301: 1300 small questions
After hanging up the phone, Hang Wei’s expression became very serious once again, he lowered his voice and said, “The boss is coming soon, you should speak directly to her about the strategies you’ve thought of, as for whether she will get angry, I can’t be sure.”
All of the senior executives of TR Company had never seen Tan Rou lose her temper, it seemed that she wouldn’t even raise her voice to blame them—the tone she used was always very calm, she would sometimes even smile at everyone.
However, everyone, including Hang Wei, had a sense of fear toward the youngest female in their company, what she said was always right, everyone had to follow her words because it had become a habit for them all.
The atmosphere became extremely silent, the articulate marketing director was continuously shaking his leg, the nearly bald-headed R&D director kept touching his shiny head, and the finance director kept checking his phone as if he was calculating their budget.
In short, everyone was anxiously waiting, as if waiting for a judge to announce a sentence.
Tan Rou entered with a beaming face, the quietness inside the conference room took her by surprise, she asked in confusion, “Are you preparing to perform a silent film for me? Why is the conference room so quiet?”
Everyone in the conference room was staring at her, but no one answered her question, finally, it was Shang Jin who had the courage to break the silence.
Shang Jin said, “Boss, there was a little hiccup when we were developing the mini-program, we mistakenly wrote ten thousand tickets per day instead of the planned one thousand tickets, now Hang Wei is lecturing us about it.”
Hang Wei glared at her, seemingly blaming Shang Jin for the last part of her remark, “Shouldn’t I lecture you?”
Shang Jin bowed his head, “Yes, Hang Wei is right to lecture us!”
“Just a little thing like this?” Tan Rou said with a gentle smile, “I thought someone had planted a bomb in my mall.”
Hang Wei said, “An extra nine thousand people a day, that’s an additional one hundred and thirty-five thousand people over fifteen days, it’s not a small matter.” That was a huge expense, and even though their TR Company made money, it was no reason to waste it like that, was it?
Tan Rou pulled up a chair to sit down, and motioned with her hand, “Now that everyone’s in the conference room, let’s solve this issue first and then go eat.”
Upon hearing her words, everyone found their seats and sat down.
“The issue Hang Wei just mentioned is indeed the one we need to address at the moment because our tickets have already been sent out, and there’s no reason to take them back,” Tan Rou analyzed, “People who received the tickets don’t know how many we’ve actually sent out, so we can straightforwardly lay this problem out for everyone to see and admit that it was our mistake.”
Hang Wei said, “This might have a certain impact on our company’s image.”
“We originally planned to send out one thousand tickets, now we’ve sent out nine thousand more, do you think that will cause a negative impact?” Tan Rou continued, “We’ve only released tickets for five days, there are ten days worth of tickets still unreleased, so we still have the opportunity to solve the problem.”
Tan Rou operated the computer inside the conference room, swiftly typing a few lines, “Firstly, the distributed tickets cannot be taken back, prepare as many small gifts as there are people, if the budget doesn’t suffice then plan again, I can approve additional funds if needed. We need to rush the factory to produce the small gifts as soon as possible, and the quality of the gifts must remain consistent, we absolutely cannot give out gifts of poor quality.”
“Second point,” Tan Rou tapped the screen and said, “The subsequent tickets must have their times changed, convert the daily visits to every other day, claiming that our equipment needs maintenance, so the visiting times have been adjusted. Apart from the five confirmed days, there are ten more days left, and in those ten days, the actual visiting times will only be half, significantly reducing unnecessary consumption.”
“Won’t this action provoke a public relations crisis?” Hang Wei asked worriedly, “What if customers accuse us of lying? After all, our original plan was to have an exhibition for fifteen days.”
Tan Rou smiled slightly and replied, “Just say that the final interpretation rights belong to TR Company. Our exhibition is free and we are additionally giving gifts with the tickets, what else is there for them to complain about? Customers are indeed very important, but we can’t let them dictate our actions, sometimes we need to be firm when it’s time to be firm.”
Chapter 1302: 1301 close relationship
“Is there anything else that needs to be addressed?” Tan Rou asked, “If not, then let’s all go have lunch.”
The issue had already been resolved by the boss, so what more could the employees say? They had always felt that Tan Rou possessed a kind of magic power, believing that with her presence, all problems would be solved, and this time was no exception.
Only after everyone had left did Tan Rou say to Hang Wei, “I didn’t mention the punishment for the employee who made the mistake earlier because I wanted to save him some face in front of the others. However, the mistake he made this time indeed had a significant impact on our company. If we don’t punish him, I’m afraid the other employees won’t be satisfied.”
Hang Wei, however, said, “Even if the other employees agree not to punish him, we can’t just let this matter slide. If one person makes a mistake and goes unpunished, then a second person will follow suit. Our company can’t allow this kind of situation to occur.”
Tan Rou smiled, “So what do you plan to do?”
Hang Wei spoke strictly, “Dismissal. He made such a big mistake, he must be fired!”
“We are a humane company, not one that doesn’t allow mistakes. Besides, the mistake he made isn’t irreparable. So I’m planning to give him another chance,” Tan Rou expressed her thoughts. “There’s still work needed on the applet. Let him show the revised version to me. If it passes, then he’ll be off the hook. If another mistake occurs…”
Suddenly, Tan Rou stopped speaking, and Hang Wei pressed, “If he makes another mistake, what will happen? Fire him? Wouldn’t that be letting him off too lightly? After making so many mistakes, he’d still get a second chance to repent.”
“No,” Tan Rou countered, “Do you think our company’s legal department is there just for show? If he makes another mistake, we’ll have to discuss compensation with him. After all, we’re a humane enterprise, not a charity.”
Hang Wei said with great admiration, “Boss, you are really something. Making him compensate for the losses, I bet he’ll have to spend his whole life paying back Magic Power Corporation.”
“Let’s not talk about this anymore,” Tan Rou said. “Let’s hurry up and go to lunch. I originally wanted to discuss the opening event with you, but this matter held us up.”
Having packed up the materials, Hang Wei said, “Let’s go, we can talk while eating.”
The two arrived at the company canteen where there were not many people inside, as most of the employees had probably finished eating and gone back to rest. Only a small number were still eating, and among them were Shang Jin and Lang Yue, who invited Tan Rou to join them upon seeing her.
Tan Rou waved her hand, indicating she would join them after getting her meal.
The others seated with Shang Jin expressed their envy, “Designer Shang, you have such a great relationship with the boss. I wish I were on good terms with the boss too so that maybe she’d spare me one day if I made a mistake.”
“I advise you not to think that way,” Shang Jin said sternly. “Do you think I maintain a good relationship with the boss just so I can avoid taking responsibility for my mistakes? Think about it, have I made a single error since I joined the company?”
After reflecting for a moment, they knew Shang Jin indeed hadn’t made any mistakes. In fact, she had the capacity to turn things around; for instance, she had led the team to resolve a crisis when a design was leaked.
“Everyone makes mistakes, right? If I were on better terms with the boss, I’m sure she wouldn’t punish me for my mistakes. She’d probably just warn or scold me,” the person said with a laugh.
Shang Jin disapproved of this attitude, and she emphasized once more, “Since we have joined Magic Power Corporation, we should take our jobs seriously, and not just focus on currying favor with the boss. Even if you are competent, if you don’t make any mistakes, the boss may not keep you. But if you are highly skilled, even if you don’t get along well with the boss, she’ll likely give you another chance if you make a small error.”
After being criticized by Shang Jin, the person was indignant and retorted, “What’s the deal with Officer Xiao Li? He isn’t very capable, is he? So why didn’t the boss punish him after he made a mistake?”
Shang Jin too was curious about why Tan Rou didn’t punish Officer Xiao Li, but she wouldn’t voice it outright since it was Tan Rou’s decision, “That’s the boss’s decision, we shouldn’t speculate about the reasons. Let’s focus on eating instead.”
Chapter 1303: 1302 Boss and Employee
Tan Rou and Hang Wei had finished getting their food and sat down at Shang Jin’s table. The others felt somewhat nervous seeing the big boss and general manager join them, especially since the general manager had just lost his temper with them.
“What were you all talking about just now?” Tan Rou asked as she sat down, “Why did you stop talking as soon as we sat down?”
The employees, seeing the boss join them, were so nervous they hardly dared to breathe, let alone continue their previous conversation.
Hang Wei said, “Don’t ask them anymore, they’re so nervous seeing you that they don’t dare to breathe, how can they dare to continue their previous topic?”
Topics that can’t be discussed in front of the boss are generally of two kinds: those related to the boss and those related to the company.
Tan Rou said, “It’s okay, just say whatever you want to say. I won’t mind.” She actually wanted to hear how the employees talked about her privately. Although she didn’t mind if they spoke ill of her, dissatisfaction among too many employees wasn’t good for internal stability at the company.
“We weren’t really talking about much, just the new mall,” Shang Jin said boldly. Officer Xiao Li’s issue was related to the new mall, so their discussion about Officer Xiao Li was effectively about the new mall.
After Shang Jin spoke, he quickly changed the subject, fearing Tan Rou would ask further. “What are you eating? Eggplant and bok choy. Why no meat? Are you trying to lose weight?”
Tan Rou understood Shang Jin’s intent and thus skipped the first topic, “I arrived late, and there wasn’t much left at the counter, so I felt there was no need to have the cooks make a separate meal for me. I just took two vegetarian dishes.”
In theory, as the boss, Tan Rou could eat whatever she wished. If she asked the cafeteria’s chefs to cook now, they couldn’t refuse. However, she felt it was unnecessary to cook more, as it would just waste food, and she was sometimes frugal.
Because Tan Rou rarely dined in the cafeteria, everyone thought she might not be fond of cafeteria food, but seeing her eat there today, and choosing the cheapest dishes, left many employees with mixed feelings.
“Why are you all staring at me?” Tan Rou noticed everyone’s gaze and said, “Hurry and eat. Rest a bit after lunch; we still have work to do this afternoon.”
Her afternoon was supposed to be for resting, as the school had allotted her this time to review knowledge from the term, but Tan Rou didn’t need the review, so she spent the time working instead.
People often say being a boss is the most relaxing job, and indeed, some bosses have it easy, but not those like Tan Rou who hold multiple roles.
She not only had to manage part of the company operations but also needed to research new products, and most of the time, she had to attend classes. Her schedule was packed, leaving no time for relaxation.
Although Tan Rou had told everyone to eat quickly, the presence of the big boss still made them nervous. They fiddled with the food on their plates cautiously.
Noticing their behavior, Tan Rou asked, “Is there something wrong with the serving plates?”
The company’s cafeteria used stainless steel serving trays, spoons, and chopsticks, which made noise during eating.
“No, not at all,” Employee a quickly shook his head, “We are just worried the noise from our eating might disturb you.”
Tan Rou smiled gently, “I’m not sleeping, am I? How could it bother me? Eat as you normally do. In this cafeteria, I’m not the boss, and you’re not employees. Right now, we are all just people eating.”
Employee b said, “The boss really has a great approachability. Having such a boss is really our luck.”
Tan Rou said, “I don’t need to hear praise. Just do as you normally would. During work, I’m the boss, but off work, I’m just an ordinary person. Don’t worry, I won’t fire you for making noise while eating.”
The employees were amused by her words, but after hearing them, they relaxed quite a bit and started eating normally.
Tan Rou had wanted to discuss the opening matters with Hang Wei while eating, but the place was too crowded and not suitable for discussing work. Therefore, she quickly finished her meal and then asked Hang Wei to work overtime.
Chapter 1304: 1303 Opening Preparation
This was the first mall opened by TR Company, and it was a project into which Tan Rou had poured a lot of effort, so the scale of its opening event had to be significant.
“Big malls usually invite some song and dance troupes to perform before the opening. How about we also invite one?” Hang Wei had recently watched many videos about mall openings and had summarized quite a few lively and fun performance activities. Plus, he was already looking at performance troupes, just waiting for Tan Rou’s approval.
Tan Rou considered for a moment and asked, “What kind of song and dance troupe are you planning to invite?”
Hang Wei said with a smile, “It has to be a traditional song and dance performance. We can have someone perform dragon and lion dances at the entrance of the mall. The sound of the gongs and drums will be so loud that half the Capital will hear it. It’s going to be really lively.”
Tan Rou had seen the spectacle of dragon and lion dances before, and she also liked traditional song and dance performances. However, since their mall sold high-tech products, perhaps they should add some technological elements to the song and dance performance?
But this proposal was vetoed by Hang Wei, who said, “Boss, what we want is a lively scene. We’re not lacking in customers at all. How much can the mall sell in a year? Our main clients are still big corporations, so we really don’t need to worry too much about the sales at the mall.”
Tan Rou nodded slightly, “You make sense. The mall is just a display platform, and the customers are scattered. Our real clients are still the big companies.”
In the end, she agreed to Hang Wei’s suggestion, “Leave the song and dance performance to you. Invite the best troupe. Price is not an issue, but the scale must be grand.”
Hang Wei assured, “Boss, you can rest assured. If the song and dance troupe I choose is no good, I’ll personally go on stage and perform for you.”
Tan Rou asked with a smile, “Are you going to do a striptease on the pole dance?”
Hang Wei clicked his tongue, “Boss, where did your mind go? Am I that kind of person?”
Tan Rou answered very seriously, “You are.”
Hang Wei pouted, “Let’s not talk about this anymore, let’s change the subject. The invitation list has been finalized. Do you have anyone else you want to invite?” He handed the list to Tan Rou.
After thinking for a while, Tan Rou made a few marks with a pen, “These are all old friends of mine, and they are of advanced age as well. We must ensure their safety.”
She was referring to Professor Zhong and his peers. These old men insisted on coming to celebrate her mall opening when they heard about it, especially Professor Zhong, who had been abroad at a conference. As soon as he heard about Tan Rou’s mall opening, he immediately flew back from overseas and said that if Tan Rou didn’t let him participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony on the first day, he would make a fuss outside the mall every day.
Tan Rou was concerned that they were too old to withstand such a lively atmosphere, so she wanted to arrange for them to visit in the following days to allow them to enjoy the mall quietly.
However, the old men were very stubborn. Not one of them agreed to postpone, all demanding to come on the first day. Tan Rou couldn’t persuade them otherwise and had to arrange for them all to come on the first day. If they were overwhelmed by the noise, they would be sent straight to the hospital, which was luckily nearby.
“There’s one more person you must invite.” Tan Rou wrote down a name separately, “When the host introduces the guests, make sure to bring her up to the front.”
Hang Wei glanced at the name Tan Rou had written and laughed, “Isn’t that the young Miss Jiang from the Jiang family, who has been all over the news recently? Isn’t she busy dealing with a lawsuit because of her injury? Would she even have time to attend our opening ceremony?”
Hang Wei didn’t have a family to rely on. If he hadn’t met Tan Rou, who just happened to need someone to help her manage the company, Hang Wei wouldn’t know which company he’d be working as a salesman in.
Without family ties, he wasn’t very clear about the disputes among Capital’s big families. He didn’t even know who Feng Jiao was until he saw it in the news the past few days.
“She’ll definitely come,” said Tan Rou with certainty. “Arrange for her to be seated in a spot that’s conspicuous, where the media can spot her at a glance.”
Hang Wei asked with a smile, “Boss, you’re not thinking of helping Miss Jiang make her debut into the entertainment industry, are you?”
Tan Rou replied, “If I wanted to help her get into the entertainment industry, I wouldn’t have asked you to arrange it. Wouldn’t I just go to Liang Lu for that?”
Hang Wei didn’t say anything further, “Alright, I’ll arrange a spot for her towards the front.”
Tan Rou also reminded, “Place her next to President Zhuang, would you? It’ll make it easier for them to talk.”
Chapter 1305: 1304 is all set
Hang Wei was startled and instinctively asked, “Boss, why did you seat another man’s woman next to President Zhuang?”
If it were up to Hang Wei to arrange the seating, he would definitely surround his wife with other women, never letting her sit next to another man. Thus, he couldn’t quite understand Tan Rou’s arrangement.
Tan Rou rolled her eyes at him and then said, “Can you not fill your head with all these messy thoughts? If you thought less about those things, you could get more work done.”
Hang Wei chuckled and said, “I’m just waiting to retire, then travel the world with my wife…”
Tan Rou agreed with his plan, but still she mercilessly said, “You want to retire? Wait another thirty years, until after I retire. Then you can retire.”
They were both joking. Tan Rou needed Hang Wei to help her manage the company’s other projects, and Hang Wei needed the job. His twins were at an age where they needed a lot of things, so he had to work even harder.
After the jokes, it was time to discuss serious matters. The two talked some more, finalized all the arrangements for the opening ceremony, and then went back to their respective tasks.
The opening was set for July 2nd. Before then, Tan Rou had also posted some ads online and placed advertisements in the Capital Daily. She had promised the elderly, so she would not go back on her word.
The night before, Tan Rou returned to her family home. She needed to inform her family to come and support the event the next day.
“Oh dear, what should I wear to the opening ceremony tomorrow?” Mother Tao was very nervous. “Tan Rou, you should have told me earlier. If you had, I could have had some new clothes made.”
Tan Rou said, “Mom, whatever you wear looks good, and besides, the focus tomorrow is not on us, it’s on the products that will be showcased. So, you don’t need to worry about what to wear.”
Mother Tao fretted, “But it’s your mall. I need to be there to support you. If I don’t look good, people will certainly laugh.”
However, Father Tao said, “Tomorrow, Ah Zhi will be representing the Tao family at the ceremony, so what we wear won’t matter. It’s better to dress modestly and not steal the spotlight from the youngsters.”
Reminded by Father Tao, Mother Tao felt she was being a bit improper. “You’re right, dear. We shouldn’t be too ostentatious. If the reporters focus on us, it would steal the limelight from the young people.”
In recent years, the parents of the Tao family had stepped back from active duties, and Second Uncle Tao and Third Uncle Tao had also shifted their responsibilities onto their children, settling down to a quiet life of fishing and enjoying the scenery, happily passing their days.
At tomorrow’s opening ceremony, everyone from the Tao family would make an appearance, including Old Master Tao, who rarely left the house. He was also eager to try out Tan Rou’s new portable automatic wheelchair, which he had heard was very convenient.
Tan Rou’s wheelchair was already in development, though it wasn’t designed for Old Master Tao because he had plenty of people to assist him and did not face mobility issues. It wasn’t made for Lan Ning either, but she just happened to be there for the wheelchair’s testing, so she became the first person to try it.
After dinner, Tan Rou returned to her estate to rest. She lay in bed looking at the ceiling, ready for everything, yet she still couldn’t sleep.
Eventually, Tan Rou decided not to sleep at all. She took a warm glass of water and walked to the balcony where there was an indoor garden. Although she hadn’t stayed there for a long time, the flowers were well cared for, many blooming and emitting a faint fragrance.
Tan Rou sat among the flowers, took a sip of the warm water, and then looked up at the sky.
It had been over five years since her rebirth. Her family was alive and healthy, and she had many friends who genuinely loved and cared for her. Most importantly, she had found love.
Thinking about this, she touched the necklace around her neck that Zhuang Liu had given her, which he had made himself. Although it was somewhat rough, she cherished it dearly.
Tomorrow was an important day. She couldn’t afford any mistakes…
As she thought about it, Tan Rou leaned back in the chair and fell asleep, dreaming once again of her family, except this time, they were all alive and attending the grand opening of the new mall.
Chapter 1306: Opening Ceremony 1305
On July 2nd, the sun shone brightly, a bit hot, but the heat wave did not deter visitors from attending the opening ceremony of TR Mall. Many people had arrived early in the morning to stand in line for ticket verification, just wanting to get inside earlier and spend more time looking around.
Tan Rou was also mingling in the crowd to gather information. She heard a young mother say to her daughter, “Baby, you should study hard, and in the future be as outstanding as the big boss of the TR company.”
The young girl replied in a childlike voice, “Mommy, I will definitely study hard, attend a good university, then make a lot of money, and buy a big house for you to live in.”
The young mother was very gratified. She kissed her daughter’s forehead and said softly, “Mommy doesn’t need you to buy me a big house, mommy just hopes you can have a better life, that would make me very happy.”
Tan Rou took a closer look at them and noticed that the clothes worn by the mother and daughter were very old but extremely clean. The bag the mother carried, a canvas bag that cost just over ten yuan, was stuffed with her child’s snacks. She could tell that the mother and daughter’s living conditions weren’t that great.
Just as she was about to speak, she heard a man nearby say, “The big boss of TR is the eldest daughter of the Tao family. With their wealth, they can raise their daughter to be so excellent. Us ordinary people shouldn’t harbor such thoughts.”
The woman’s face showed a look of disappointment. She patted her daughter’s head, said nothing, and led her daughter forward.
Tan Rou caught up with them, tapped the woman on the shoulder, and when the woman turned around and saw Tan Rou, she displayed a look of great surprise, obviously recognizing Tan Rou.
Tan Rou smiled at her and encouraged her, “Don’t lose heart, there’s still a lot of time ahead of us.”
The young woman’s eyes reddened. She nodded and said, “Yes, I know.”
After Tan Rou left, the young woman said to her daughter, “Miss Rou is mommy’s idol. She told me that even women can be very powerful. You see, this is her mall, a very big mall.”
The little girl stood on tiptoe to peer inside, but she was too short to see anything.
So her mother lifted her up, and her view suddenly widened, then she saw many colorful toys tumbling at the front, and there were a lot of people beating big drums beside them.
Tan Rou stepped out of the crowd and walked through the staff entrance to the inside of the mall. Compared to the noisy outside, it was much quieter inside,
“Boss, why did you come so late?” Hang Wei hurried to Tan Rou’s side and said, “It’s almost time, we can let the visitors come in for the tour now.”
Tan Rou asked, “Are all the staff in place?”
Hang Wei gave her an “OK” gesture, “Don’t worry, everyone is here. And I’ve prepared substitutes. If anyone has an emergency and needs to leave, someone can immediately take over their work.”
Tan Rou nodded in satisfaction, “Okay, notify the ticket-checking staff at the door that they can start checking tickets.”
At nine in the morning, TR Mall began to officially receive visitors for the first time. All the visitors held their mobile phones, then verified their identities on-site by scanning QR codes.
There was only one gift per ticket, which was random. No one knew what was inside before it was opened.
There were too many people, fortunately, the mall was large, otherwise, it wouldn’t be able to accommodate ten thousand visitors in one day.
Tan Rou and Hang Wei stood at a higher spot to observe the situation. For now, everything was stable, with no unexpected incidents.
Hang Wei said happily, “We finally made it to this day.”
Tan Rou gave a slight nod, “Yes, we have prepared for so long and faced many challenges, and now we have finally opened this mall.”
“Yeah.” Hang Wei gazed at the crowd below, then asked, “What do you plan to do with the top two floors?”
Tan Rou had moved the original vendors of the mall to another place, but she still did not use the top two floors as showrooms, thinking it was better to use them as a leisure space.
“Keep it as it is,” Tan Rou said. “However, this time the vendors who bid to come in need my personal assessment. I don’t want to encounter those unreasonable vendors again.”
Hang Wei laughed, “You’ve encroached on their interests; they definitely won’t reason with you.”
Tan Rou said, “It doesn’t matter, I will choose vendors who can understand reason.”
Chapter 1307: 1306 guests
“`
Among the visitors at the TR Mall, there was a large proportion of young people, with many parents bringing their children to visit. They hoped to expose their children to science and technology early and cultivate their interest in it.
However, Tan Rou also saw some elderly figures among the crowd, holding cameras and taking pictures. While taking pictures, they exclaimed in admiration, saying that such an event was really great.
The visiting hours were from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and visitors needed to prepare food and water in advance because once they went out to buy something, they could not come back in again—the QR code could only be scanned once.
Originally, the QR code could be scanned twice, but with a sudden increase of nine thousand people, it had already added a burden on the TR Mall, so Tan Rou changed the visiting system a bit. She shortened the time and reduced the number of visits.
Although some visitors had opinions about this change, most of them were very happy because, after all, it was a free visit.
At 11:50 a.m., the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the TR Mall was about to begin, located in the lobby on the first floor. By then, a crowd had already gathered around the stage to watch the ceremony.
At that moment, the staff placed the name cards of the guests at their seats. Soon, the guests would come and directly find their seats to sit down.
“Did you see? Mayor Guo came to support the event,” Visitor A said. “The boss of TR Company has such a big face. A lot of government people are here, and it’s not just someone Mayor Guo sent, but he himself came to attend.”
Visitor B said, “And that’s not all. People from the Zhuang family and the Tao family have come to attend, and it’s the heads of these two families who are participating. It’s surprising that a shopping mall’s ribbon-cutting ceremony could invite so many big names.”
Visitor C said with a laugh, “Have you forgotten? The boss of TR Company is the daughter of the Tao family and will also be the future daughter-in-law of the Zhuang family. Isn’t it normal for Chief Tao and President Zhuang to come to the ceremony?”
While they were talking, a beautifully dressed woman slowly walked onto the stage. She was wearing a silver-white long dress today, and the jewelry she wore had technological elements, as if it had been specially tailored for today’s ceremony.
“Honorable guests, visitors, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon!” Meng Xiao bowed slightly to the audience below the stage, then revealed a bright smile, “Welcome, everyone, for taking the time out of your busy schedules to attend the TR Mall’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. I’m today’s host Meng Xiao, and I extend a sincere welcome to all of you once again, and a heartfelt thank you!”
After saying this, she began to clap, and the audience below was energized by her and started clapping vigorously.
The appearance of Meng Xiao indeed surprised many people because she was a very popular entertainment star recently, with one advertisement and variety show after another, and her exposure was ever-increasing. Even three-year-old children knew of her.
However, what was unexpected to everyone was that Meng Xiao was just a host, and judging by her expression, she didn’t seem to be dissatisfied with this position but rather happy to be hosting.
At this moment, everyone noticed another person—the photographer next to the stage also looked somewhat familiar. Wasn’t that Tao Zheng, the current head of Star Way Entertainment? Why was he here as a photographer?
Upon careful thought, everyone found it very reasonable again because Tao Zheng was Tan Rou’s brother, his photography skills were top-notch, and he also had a professional photography team. It was indeed a very wise decision for Tan Rou to invite him to participate in the photography.
After briefly finishing the opening spiel, Meng Xiao began to introduce the guests who came to attend today. The guests’ seats were already arranged, and Meng Xiao only needed to read them off. These past few days, she had practiced all the introductory words diligently, fearing problems during the actual ceremony.
The first one to introduce was definitely Mayor Guo, being a political figure, he had to be ranked before others, followed by other government officials.
After introducing the political figures, it was the turn of the business community.
Hang Wei arranged Tao Zhi’s seat as the first one in the business sector. He was not only the current leader of the Tao family but also Tan Rou’s brother, so he could only be in the first position.
If Tao Zhi was first, then Zhuang Liu could only be second. He had no objections, and neither did anyone else feel anything inappropriate with that order. However, the next guest Meng Xiao introduced made some people dissatisfied.
Chapter 1308: 1307 trending on hot search
Meng Xiao glanced at the cue card, then smiled and said, “Thank you, Mr. Zhuang, for coming. Next, I would like to introduce the next guest who has arrived. She is Ms. Jiang Min from Jiang Group. Ms. Jiang Min, welcome to the event!”
Jiang Min stood up somewhat embarrassed, smiled at everyone, didn’t say a word, and directly sat back down in her seat.
As soon as she stood up, she garnered everyone’s attention. Tao Zhi and Zhuang Liu, what kind of figures were they? They were ranked first and second, and no one had any objections, but who was this Jiang Min? How did she merit being ranked third?
The visitors below the stage didn’t understand why the ranks were arranged this way, nor did the other guests, especially those business owners who had dealings with TR Company. They were quite unhappy with this arrangement because they felt that Jiang Min didn’t qualify to be in the third position.
The opening ceremony of the TR Mall was being broadcast live, and the online discussion was also very lively. People were watching the live broadcast while engaging in real-time discussions. Each person introduced was followed by a barrage of “amazing” comments, but when Jiang Min was introduced, the comments turned into question marks. People were curious about who this woman was and why she was ranked after Tao Zhi and Zhuang Liu.
“Who is this woman? I’ve never seen her before?” Netizen A posted a screenshot and wrote, “Could this woman possibly be the legendary Second Miss of the Tao family?”
Someone commented below, “You’re thinking too much. The Tao family has only one young lady, and as for the Second Miss you mentioned, she was driven out of the Tao family long ago.”
Another person replied, “This person is Jiang Min, the one who recently sued the young master of the Feng Family.”
Netizen B wrote, “The boss of TR Company is really interesting. She ranked the miss of the Jiang family in third place, how will others feel about that? Especially the people from the Feng Family. I just saw Feng Ao in the live broadcast, his seat was way at the back; it’s going to be interesting when they introduce him.”
As for Feng Jiao, he was currently out on bail and didn’t dare to leave his house.
The discussion about Jiang Min grew stronger and even surpassed the previous news of her lawsuit with Feng Jiao, quickly rising to the top of the trending search list.
Hang Wei saw this situation and felt overwhelmed. Their boss was really too capricious. How could she place Jiang Min in such a forward position in such a significant event? By placing Jiang Min upfront, what would other company executives think? Weren’t all of them of higher status than Jiang Min?
It looked like he had to prepare a statement in advance. If any comments unfavorable to TR Company appeared online, he would have to clarify them.
Tan Rou, however, sent him a message asking him not to deal with this matter and to quickly bring out the advertisements they had prepared and place them in the most visible spots on the trending search page.
Hang Wei was shocked. No wonder Tan Rou had the PR department create advertisements overnight. So, this was their intended use? It was just like their boss to be able to predict the future.
Thus, Hang Wei immediately arranged for the PR department to place the advertisements; this would save them quite a bit on advertising expenses.
The introduction of the guests continued, and finally, it was Feng Ao’s turn. At that moment, the live camera considerately gave Jiang Min a shot, seemingly trying to capture her awkward expression. However, Jiang Min’s face still wore a faint smile, as if she hadn’t heard anything.
Then, another camera focused on Feng Ao, who unlike Jiang Min, was not as composed. He stood up and watched Jiang Min for a while before sitting down with a smile.
He watched Jiang Min for only a few seconds, but this was quickly captured and edited by numerous media outlets who then added various catchy titles, plunging both the Jiang and Feng families into a maelstrom of public opinion.
At this time, both Jiang Min and Feng Ao were unaware of the significant impact they were causing, as they were unable to check their phones or receive messages from their assistants. By the time they looked at their phones, the videos had already spread widely.
After the introduction of the guests, there were a few raffle events, and then came the most important part of the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Tan Rou stood on the stage, dressed in standard professional attire, looking much more mature. To her left were representatives from the business community, and to her right were representatives from the political arena, five people each.
Chapter 1309: Officially open for business in 1308
Everyone stood on the stage, each holding a pair of scissors painted with gold, in front of them lay a five-meter-long red ribbon.
Following the host’s command, everyone picked up the scissors and snipped through the red ribbon with crisp sounds. Next was time for representatives to offer their blessings and for Tan Rou to give her speech.
Tan Rou stood in the center and spoke, “Thank you all for coming and for the support from all our friends. Our shopping center has just opened, and there are still many areas where we fall short, which will need to be improved in the future. We hope everyone can be understanding and feel free to give us suggestions; we will strive to correct them.”
“At present, our shopping center does not have many products on display, most of which have already been sold in other malls, so I presume they wouldn’t interest everyone,” Tan Rou continued, “However, there is a portion of the products that we have newly developed, not yet in production, which are hidden in every corner of our shopping center. If anyone is interested, please feel free to look for them.”
Many people came specifically for these not-yet-produced items because they enjoy novelty; having seen all available products on the market, they were eager to take this opportunity to discover something new.
A journalist asked, “Miss Tan Rou, I heard that your company has developed a wheelchair that can automatically climb stairs. I wonder if we can see a demo of it here today?”
Tan Rou was somewhat surprised—the news of their fully automatic wheelchair had not been released yet, so how could a journalist know about it? Nevertheless, now that the word was out, she saw no need to keep it secret.
“There is indeed such a wheelchair,” Tan Rou said with a smile, “but it’s still in the experimental phase. We haven’t mass-produced this wheelchair, and we do not plan to sell it separately. So, it won’t make an appearance at this exhibit.”
Many expressed their disappointment.
Another journalist then asked, “Miss Tan Rou, may I inquire why you placed Miss Jiang Min’s position so prominently at the front? And why is Miss Jiang Min not present among those on stage right now?”
This journalist was clearly one keen on gossip and entertainment, but his question indeed caught the attention of many, all looking towards Tan Rou, expecting an explanation.
With a slight smile, Tan Rou replied, “My journalist friend, does your question have anything to do with today’s exhibition? To be frank, I invited the media to publicize for our TR Company, not for some to dig up gossip. So, do you think your question is appropriate?”
The journalist’s face turned pale, and he quickly apologized, “Sorry, Miss Tan Rou, I misspoke. Let me ask a different question.”
Tan Rou cut him off, “Sorry, there are many media representatives here today. If everyone is as verbose as you, are we expected to stand here until it gets dark?”
The journalist regretted it deeply. He should not have given in to others’ urging. His intended question was about the construction of the last two floors of the mall, but he could not resist the lure of gossip and wasted a good opportunity to pose the question to Tan Rou.
Right after, another journalist raised the exact question he meant to ask, and Tan Rou answered patiently, “We haven’t decided the direction for the construction of the last two floors yet. Perhaps we’ll turn them into leisure spaces according to the original plan, or we might extend the characteristics of the other floors and use them as showrooms.”
After answering the journalists’ questions, representatives from the business and political communities brought forth their gifts—some brought their own calligraphy, others their paintings, and there were also auspicious potted plants, all modestly priced but meaningful gifts.
Tao Zhi presented a pair of marble lions, which were placed at the entrance of the mall. Zhuang Liu gave a pair of couplets he had written, which artisans then crafted into gilt plaques to hang on either side of the entrance, perfectly complementing the marble lions.
Tan Rou stood at the bottom of the steps, looking over the entire shopping center, which was full of people inside and out.
“How do you feel?” Zhuang Liu quietly approached Tan Rou.
Tan Rou narrowed her eyes and said, “I feel that this shopping center is very good. Starting from today, my TR Shopping Center is officially open!”
Chapter 1310: 1309 robot problem
Summer break began, and Tan Rou turned down all the experimental invitations from the school to concentrate on handling her company’s projects. Juggling work and studies was exhausting, but Tan Rou relished the busy yet fulfilling sensation, making time each day to stroll through the mall.
That day, as soon as Tan Rou arrived in front of an exhibition hall, she saw a foreigner arguing heatedly with the staff. Everyone was agitated, speaking in their own mother tongues and utterly failing to communicate.
The staff member emphasized, “I’m sorry, but we can’t sell this to you. If you would like to purchase it, please leave your contact information, and we’ll notify you later.”
The foreigner said in his own language, “Wow, this robot is incredibly exquisite. I need to take it back to my country, to put it in my home!”
Then the staff member said, “Please put the item down, our exhibits are not to be touched!”
The foreigner replied, “Thank you, I’ll take good care of it, I want to treat it like my treasured darling! Don’t worry, you needn’t be reluctant, I promise I won’t harm it, so please let go!”
Consequently, both parties were pulling on the robot, one side unwilling to sell and the other reluctant to let go. Fortunately, the robot was quite sturdy, or it would have been torn in two.
Tan Rou walked over and first stopped the staff and the foreigner from fighting over the robot, then she said to the foreigner, “Sir, I’m really sorry, but this item you’re holding is not for sale, so you can’t take it back to your country now.”
The foreigner expressed surprise, “Oh, you’re amazing, you can speak our language. They don’t understand and can’t speak it. Only my friends can, but we got separated, and I don’t know where they went.”
Tan Rou continued in their language, “If you need to find your friends, we can broadcast an announcement for you. But please, could you let go of our robot? This robot is a display piece, and we’re not selling it yet.”
The foreigner immediately returned the small robot to the staff and apologized, saying, “I’m truly sorry, my friend told me there were gifts for me, and I thought I could pick something from here to take back.”
Tan Rou answered, “That’s not the case. Our gifts are at the entrance, and we will give them to you when you leave after your visit.”
The foreigner inquired, “Is it this kind of robot?”
Tan Rou was somewhat speechless. Do you even listen to what you’re asking? We’ve let you visit for free, and now you want to take one of our robots worth tens of thousands? Uninformed people might think you came to rob us.
But for the sake of friendly international relations, Tan Rou had to patiently explain to the foreigner, “No, it isn’t. Our gifts are random small items that are easy to carry, and they don’t include large robots like this one.”
The foreigner was very reluctant to part with the adorable-looking robot, gazing longingly at it, he asked, “What do I have to do to take it home?”
This question stumped Tan Rou because these robots were not mass-produced at the moment. If needed, one would have to leave a custom order and be notified by their side once the product was available for the buyer to come, pay, and collect.
Moreover, they couldn’t be sure how long it would take to fulfill the work order, nor did they know how long the foreigner would stay in the country. What if they completed the robot after the foreigner had returned to his country?
Additionally, the robots produced by Tan Rou’s company were only operable within their own nation. If they were to be used overseas, they needed to test for different voltages, and it wouldn’t be easy to adjust on short notice.
Most importantly, Tan Rou wasn’t clear about how many robots this foreigner wanted. If he only wanted a single-digit number of robots, then Tan Rou didn’t need to specially manufacture new ones just for his order, since the development cost was far too high compared to the profit, and she didn’t want this deal.
“Ma’am, can I really not own this adorable robot?” the tall man asked with a sad face. “I truly love it so much. I’m willing to pay any amount, money is no issue for me—I have plenty!”