Guo Yang received a call from Zhou Bing on the highway.

Although he felt a little anxious to get engaged, Guo Yang did not object.

Since this was what Xue Chunlan meant, Guo Yang immediately realized that this was probably related to Meng Tianxiang.

Guo Yang didn't come home until midnight, and his mother Xie Yuzhi had been waiting for him and hadn't slept.

Guo Yang tiptoed into the house, saw that the light in the living room was still on, and his mother was bored watching an emotional TV series in the Midnight Theater broadcast on the city's TV station, and was taken aback: "Mom, why haven't you slept yet?"

"Yangyang, Zhou Bing's mother is going to ask me to meet tomorrow to discuss your engagement ceremony, I have been thinking in my heart, how much dowry should we give to the Zhou family?" Xie Yuzhi said softly.

It's the middle of the night, but Xie Yuzhi thinks of her son's engagement ceremony, not only is she not tired, but she is also full of interest.

According to the customs of the city, the ceremony of the engagement of a man and a woman is not less important than the marriage ceremony. Because in general, an engagement is a prelude to marriage.

At the engagement ceremony, the man has to give the woman a bride price.

The richer the bride price, the more face and identity the man has.

On the other hand, the richer the bride price, the more important the woman is, and it seems to be equated with the depth of the relationship. Many people accuse this of being a bad habit, but the key factor why a bad habit is a bad habit is that it is followed by a conventional group.

What everyone is doing, if you don't do it, it's not reasonable.

Even ordinary citizen families have the "hardware and one motorcycle" to pay attention to.

The so-called "hardware" is gold jewelry - gold earrings, gold necklaces, gold bracelets, gold rings, etc., anyway, there are five kinds of them. And "one motorcycle" is naturally a women's motorcycle, mostly a light motorcycle.

In addition to this, there is cash.

There are thousands of pieces less, and there is no cap on the more.

After purchasing, the engagement bride price of ordinary people will also cost 10,000 yuan or 20,000 yuan. At the moment, it is a significant household expense.

Fortunately, housing prices in this era are not expensive, and some units even have the last wave of welfare housing to share.

Guo Yang was startled, and immediately laughed: "Mom, Xiaoice's family doesn't pay attention to these things, and the engagement that her mother said is nothing more than that the two of us invite guests and have a meal together, even if it is an engagement." As for the bride price or something, there's no need to mess around with that mess. ”

Xie Yuzhi raised his eyebrows: "How can it be done? The Zhou family is rich, it is the Zhou family's business, and the bride price we should give should not be less at all, otherwise it will make people laugh at us for not understanding the rules." ”

Xie Yuzhi said, taking out a few stacks of cash from the bag on the sofa: "Yangyang, I will save all this money for you, tomorrow you will go to buy jewelry for Xiaoice, but I heard that white gold is popular now, you go to buy white gold jewelry!

Xie Yuzhi's demeanor was very serious.

Guo Yang sighed in his heart, and didn't argue with his mother anymore.

He knew that his mother valued dignity above anything else. Don't say that the Guo family is not short of money now, even in the difficult years of the past, even if they smashed the pot and sold iron, Xie Yuzhi will definitely maintain the basic decency of the Guo family.

But when Xie Yuzhi's plan to meet Xue Chunlan the next morning, she was dismissed by Xue Chunlan's words.

Xue Chunlan suggested that there should be no traditional forms and bride prices, Guo Yang and Zhou Bing's engagement ceremony adopted a Western-style approach, and the two parents came forward to hold an open buffet-style buffet, and then Guo Yang and Zhou Bing appeared hand in hand to meet with a group of relatives and friends, Guo Yang proposed in public, even if it was done.

Xie Yuzhi still respected Xue Chunlan's proposal.

Therefore, what Guo Yang needs to prepare next is nothing more than a diamond ring.

Because the Guo family has no relatives and friends in the city, it is mainly the Zhou family who does it.

Xue Chunlan and Xie Yuzhi agreed that the engagement ceremony would be held the day after tomorrow, that is, on the morning of November 2. Although it is a bit urgent, with the energy, financial resources and manpower of the Zhou family, there is no problem in holding an engagement cold dinner within two days.

Considering that Zhou Dingnan has too many poor relatives in the city, because the wealth and status of the Zhou family are here, all kinds of relatives who are not close to the border will take the initiative to come to the door to fight the autumn breeze, and Xue Chunlan has always been tired of comparison. Therefore, Xue Chunlan decided to narrow down the scope of invited guests to a minimum.

The scope of the guests was delineated to the leading figures in the local municipal and business circles who had close contacts with the Zhou family, the executives of the Bluestar Group, some relatives of the Zhou family, and individual colleagues of Xue Chunlan at Northern University.

On the side of the Zhou family's relatives, only a few close ones who serve at the top of the Blue Star Group are eligible to be invited.

Guo Yang's side only invited the old man of the Feng family, Feng Qing and Feng Qi, his sister Guo Linlin and Yao Zekai and his wife, and the rest of his classmates and colleagues were not made public.

It's just an engagement that is a matter of two families, and there is no need to invite too many people. If you invite your colleagues and classmates over, you have to let people break the bank, and people may not be happy, so let's get married in the future.

This is Guo Yang's true thoughts, Zhou Bing is even more troublesome, and the fewer people she has, the happier she is.

In this way, all the guests add up, and there are only a few dozen people.

It was precisely because it was a small-scale engagement reception that Guo Yang's heart moved and made a temporary arrangement.

In the afternoon of the same day, Guo Yang received a call from Shen Xiaoman: "Guo Dong, I'm in City C, it's convenient, let's meet." ”

Guo Yang was overjoyed, but on the surface, he said calmly: "Senior Sister Shen, where are you, I'll let someone pick you up!"

Shen Xiaoman smiled: "I'm at the train station, just got off." ”

Guo Yang: "Wait a minute, Senior Sister Shen, I'll arrange for someone to arrange a car to pick you up!"

Guo Yang immediately hung up the phone and called Guo Linlin.

The Audi car that Dingwen Media gave Guo Yang, Guo Yang handed over to Guo Linlin as a public use, and he also drove his own Santana 2000.

Guo Yang mentioned Shen Xiaoman's matter to Guo Linlin in the morning. According to Guo Yang's meaning, Guo Linlin was thinking about where to rent a house for Shen Xiaoman, and she was a little surprised to hear that Shen Xiaoman came in such a hurry.

"Brother, I'll take the car to pick up Miss Shen immediately, but she is in a bit of a hurry, and I haven't found a place for her to live yet. ”

Guo Yang waved his hand: "Linlin, let's book a room for Shen Xiaoman from Chaoyang Hotel nearby, and then rent a room for her later." ”

Guo Linlin responded, so she hurriedly brought an employee who could drive to pick up Shen Xiaoman in the Audi car given by Guo Yang.

When Guo Yang finished his newspaper work and saw Shen Xiaoman again, Shen Xiaoman was accompanied by Guo Linlin to visit the main store of Ai Bing Shopping and Ai Bing Bookstore.

Shen Xiaoman's expression was slightly excited.

The situation here is even better than she expected.

Originally, she thought that Guo Yang's company was still in the stage of small fights for the time being, and the so-called supermarket was just a small store, but as a result, Ai Bing Shopping Center and Ai Bing Bookstore were quite large-scale, the field was not small, and the management model was very advanced, which can be said to be ahead of this era, and there was a prototype of intelligent management system architecture.

The shopping mall and the bookstore itself are very popular, and the daily turnover is increasing day by day.

What's more, the shopping mall and bookstore are located in the city's central business district, which has great potential for asset appreciation in the future, and there is a large piece of land behind the mall that is temporarily used for storage.

These are valuable assets. Shen Xiaoman is confident that these assets can be converted into greater capital as soon as possible.

The branches of the shopping mall and bookstore are being renovated.

With the profitability of the shopping mall and bookstore itself, as well as the bank loans obtained by Guo Linlin through asset pledges, there is no problem in meeting the expansion needs.

Shen Xiaoman took a look at the accounts of Ai Bing Culture and Ai Bing Trading, and quickly brought in her upcoming role, with her current financial strength and her management and operation ability, it is estimated that she will be able to open Ai Bing Shopping and Ai Bing Bookstore branches in all districts and counties of the city by the end of the year.

Guo Yang's goal is to have 3-5 branches, but if Shen Xiaoman has the ability to open more than 5 stores and ensure profitable operations, he is also happy to see it.

Shen Xiaoman stood in the office area where Ai Bing was shopping with a smile, and Guo Yang's low laughter suddenly came from behind him: "Senior Sister Shen, how do you feel?"

Shen Xiaoman turned his head and looked at Guo Yang: "It's not bad, Guo Dong, I think I can enter the registration and preparation of Ai Bing Group immediately, otherwise, I, the CEO you hired with a high salary, will be a bare-bones commander!"

Guo Linlin smiled on the side: "Mr. Shen, the relevant information of the group's registration has already been handed over, it is estimated that it should be able to be reviewed in the next two days, and I will ask people to go to the Industrial and Commercial Bureau to urge it!"

Guo Yang smiled: "Linlin, find a relationship, urge it, the sooner the better!"

Shen Xiaoman walked over with a smile: "Guo Dong, where are you going to put the group's office location?"

Guo Yang nodded to Shen Xiaoman, he walked straight to the city's administrative division map hanging on the wall of Guo Linlin's office, and pointed to a location in the high-tech zone: "Senior Sister Shen, I personally plan to buy or rent an office building in this place in the future as the office location of Ai Bing Group, or the headquarters. This is the city's high-tech zone, which has been planned as a CBD functional center for the entire region......"

"For the time being, the group will first co-locate with Ai Bing Trading Company, the entrepreneurial stage, the conditions are a little simpler, please forgive Senior Sister Shen!"

Shen Xiaoman smiled: "There is no problem with this. The co-located office is the co-located office, but one code is one code, the group is the group, and the subsidiary is the subsidiary, each with a different management system. You can't let me hold up a group by myself, can you?"

"Existing these people, or re-recruiting. Senior Sister Shen, you can make overall arrangements, anyway, I will leave the operation of the group to you, as for the funds-"

Before Guo Yang's words were finished, Shen Xiaoman waved his hand and said, "Before I came, I met with the bosses of several venture capitalists and had a preliminary talk. If you are willing to bring in venture capital, I should be sure that we can attract tens of millions of funds, which is enough to meet our initial development. ”

Shen Xiaoman's strong financing ability and strong social communication skills are one of the things that Guo Yang values her.

"Or, it is not difficult to use Ai Bing Investment's equity in Dingwen Media as a pledge to raise funds from banks and investment banks. ”

Shen Xiaoman looked at Guo Yang with a serious expression.

Guo Yang smiled: "Senior Sister Shen, I personally insist on being a wholly-owned company of Ai Bing Group itself, and I don't want to introduce other equity components. However, the following subsidiaries, e-commerce platforms and logistics companies that we will launch in the future can all introduce venture capital and build joint ventures. ”

In Guo Yang's view, there are pros and cons to both wholly-owned companies and joint ventures. But Ai Bing Group is about his control of the entire enterprise, he does not allow outsiders to interfere with it, and he wants to maintain absolute control over the entire business kingdom in the future. However, in the future, the industrial structure will be larger, and it is not realistic for all of them to be wholly-owned companies with a single model, and the appropriate introduction of venture capital or cooperation with other business groups is conducive to faster and better development.

"That's fine, then use equity as a pledge and go to the bank for financing. There's no problem with that, I'll do it. Shen Xiaoman didn't care, she was originally an investor, and the threshold for finance and capital operation was very fine.

The reason why she is willing to come to a small place like City C to start a business and build a career platform with Guo Yang is that in addition to the strategic ideas put forward by Guo Yang that attracted her, the main reason is that Guo Yang has the market value wealth as a shareholder of Dingwen Media.

It's an intangible resource.

With her ability, she can borrow chickens and eggs to leverage a large amount of money through capital operation, and with money, any project is easy to do.

Shen Xiaoman looked at Guo Yang with a smile: "Guo Dong, there is something I think we have to say in front." How much autonomy do you give me, we need to make sure that I'm a person who likes to be simple and direct, and doesn't want to spend energy and time on unnecessary infighting - besides, your sister and brother-in-law are in the company, and you're sure they'll obey me?"

Guo Yang smiled: "Senior Sister Shen, I like your character. I don't interfere in any business management matters, and we discuss decision-making matters together, how about it?"

"As for Linlin, don't worry, my sister is very measured, she knows her position, you don't have to worry about this. ”

Shen Xiaoman took a deep breath: "Can you do what you say?"

"A gentleman's word is quick and a whip!"

Shen Xiaoman chuckled, "I believe in you, and please believe that I will do my duty to satisfy your big boss." ”

……

Guo Yang did not ask about the personal feelings of Shen Xiaoman and Dong Yubo. Did the two get along, or did they really break up?

This is Shen Xiaoman's private matter, if she doesn't say it, Guo Yang will never mention it.

Shen Xiaoman's enthusiasm was high, and she and Guo Yang stood in Guo Linlin's office and talked eagerly, exchanging with each other some basic ideas of Guo Yang's next step in preparing for the construction of Ai Bing's e-commerce platform - Ai Bing.com and Ai Bing Logistics Company.

Domestic e-commerce began to take off in '99 and early 2000.

In fact, a businessman surnamed Wang founded 8848.com in Yanjing this year, which started with four people and about 160,000 yuan, and quickly developed into a landmark enterprise in domestic e-commerce. In November 1999, Bratt, president of Intel, visited China and called 8848 "the leader of e-commerce in China".

What the Wang family can do, Guo Yang and Shen Xiaoman can obviously do it, and the combination of Guo Yang's information foresight and Shen Xiaoman's super personal ability will soon occupy this industrial highland in the future.

At a time when most people don't realize that the Internet era is coming, the prospect of e-commerce and the glory of money, leading an industry and the forefront of the industry is the foundation of Guo Yang's foothold in this era.