"The newspaper industry in Hong Kong is now ...... In other words, the entire cultural world is in a recession, and even Zhou Shuren admits that this is a cultural desert. Mr. Su doesn't look at the fact that there is a lot of profit between the distribution and sales of newspapers and magazines, and thinks that this business can make money, which is not the case. For example, if you see a few feet of newspaper in front of my bookstore, I will pay God if I can actually sell one-tenth of it, and I will send the rest back to the distributor for them to recycle. ”

In the private room of the teahouse, Chen Bingzhong introduced the situation of Hong Kong's newspaper industry to Su Jingxian.

"Zhong You, the newspaper writes that the big newspaper has a circulation of tens of thousands of copies a day? Of course it's fake! I estimate that there may not be enough 100,000 people in Hong Kong to read at the reading level, so can everyone buy newspapers to read? In order to do publicity, the newspaper often plays the set of free newspapers, and a gift is tens of thousands of copies, in order to promote it to look good! Chen Bingzhong took a puff of cigarette, shook his head and said, "Mr. Su, it's not that I want to spoil your mood, I know the situation of this industry too well, or ten years later, the cultural level of Hong Kong people will improve, and this industry will improve, but it is definitely not now." ”

Su Jingxian twisted his neck, the smoke in the room made him a little uncomfortable, and after opening the window, he cleared his throat and said, "Uncle Zhong, listening to you say this, isn't the newspaper industry all losing money?" ”

"That's not what I said." Chen Bingzhong took a sip of his teacup and explained, "Wen Wei Po and Ta Kung Pao have a long history of establishment, and they are patriotic newspapers, so of course they will not worry about sales. The Hong Kong Times, which came out of nowhere last year, was created by the Kuomintang, and most of them were sold to Taiwan, so what are you afraid of? A big newspaper like this will not lose its capital, but other newspapers without a background are miserable, nine out of ten newspapers that publish news and current affairs seriously, and the rest rely on publishing horse (horse racing) classics, wave (football) classics and lace news of popular flower girls to increase sales, strictly speaking, not even newspapers, but this can also attract attention, and it is absolutely impossible to talk about losing money. ”

Su Jingxian nodded, knowing that what Chen Bingzhong said was not an exaggeration, the reason why he thought of founding a newspaper since he was reborn was actually understood, but he didn't understand it as thoroughly as Chen Bingzhong.

After all, as an editor-in-chief in the newspaper industry, I still have an eye for analyzing the market.

However, Chen Bingzhong is used to making traditional news newspapers, and the current Lingxing tabloids on the market may not be considered newspapers in his opinion, but he does not know that before the decline of paper media in later generations, this kind of newspaper mixed with entertainment news sold the most popular.

If it is said that Hong Kong's newspaper and periodical industry has reached the point where it is in full swing, Su Jingxian will definitely not put his mind on it, but he knows very well the truth that the wind does not end and the rain does not end, and he sees that the current situation of the newspaper and periodical industry will not last long, so he is ready to step on it and earn the first pot of gold since the rebirth of the newspaper and periodical industry.

Like the police now, Su Jingxian has no interest at all, but the original owner of this body joined the Hong Kong Police Force before Su Jingxian was reborn, and Su Jingxian had to stay in the Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station for a while, but he has decided to withdraw from the police force as soon as he has his own business.

In 1950, Hong Kong's black-and-white order was chaotic, far from the time when the four major detectives turned their hands into clouds and turned their hands into rain in the 60s, not to mention a group of Kuomintang soldiers who fled to Hong Kong with guns, just to say that Hong Kong is currently in the middle of the day, thousands of people have started work at any prefix, and it is not uncommon for the uneven distribution of interests to draw life and death lots to kill the police detectives.

It can be said that being a Hong Kong police officer in this era is a completely high-risk profession, so Su Jingxian does not plan to stay in the police force for too long, but is ready to go to the business field to make a fortune.

Post-war Hong Kong was in ruins, and business opportunities were everywhere, and it was during this era that many business tycoons soared to the sky. Be a cop? Even if he achieves the position of the four major inspectors in the future, what can he do? After the establishment of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, don't you have to run away, do you want to live your life again, and end up dying in a foreign country?

"Mr. Su? What do you think I'm saying is inappropriate? On the other side of the table, after Chen Bingzhong finished speaking, he saw that Su Jingxian had not spoken for a long time, and asked softly.

Su Jingxian came back to his senses, poured a cup of tea and said: "You are right, Hong Kong's newspaper industry is indeed in a recession. However, I think that the reason for the current situation is not only the low level of education of Hong Kong people, but also the fact that after the news and current affairs have been published by a few major newspapers, other tabloids can only pick up people's teeth and have almost no way to survive. So I think if you want to change this situation, you must bring forth the new, just like those tabloids that publish Hua Dan's singers, you think Lingxing tabloids are not serious newspapers, but now only this kind of newspaper can survive in the cracks of several big newspapers, and make a serious current affairs news newspaper with no resources and background, and deserve to lose to the bottoms. ”

Chen Bingzhong sighed, he didn't know what Su Jingxian said, but he preconceived that he looked down on Lingxing tabloids and thought that it had no cultural background, so it was difficult to accept.

"Mr. Su also wants to make a tabloid like this?" Chen Bingzhong saw that Su Jingxian admired Lingxing tabloid, and tentatively asked.

Su Jingxian shook his head, and didn't show much interest in the inferior four-open tabloids: "Since I want to do it, of course I want to make it bigger, the big newspapers on the market are all folios, and I want to make a folio newspaper to start a signboard." ”

Although they have only known each other for a short morning, Chen Bingzhong does not think that Su Jingxian is an arrogant person, but what he says now can't help but make Chen Bingzhong frown slightly.

Now in this environment, if you want to be a folio newspaper, should this post-natal boy think that he is Hu Zhengzhi (the founder of the Hong Kong version of Ta Kung Pao)?

"You think I'm talking big?" Su Jingxian obviously noticed Chen Bingzhong's momentary stunnedness, and glanced at him with a smile.

Chen Bingzhong sneered and hesitated: "Of course not, but the current environment ......"

"The environment is subject to change." Su Jingxian couldn't help but shake his head when he saw Chen Bingzhong mention the word environment again, and interrupted, "Hu Wenhu has achieved the position of the richest overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia now, did he know that the environment back then must be suitable for doing a panacea business?" Of course, it's okay to be cautious, but if you don't even have the guts to fight, you deserve to be bullied by a few eggs and black-footed shrimp and shrimp. What do you think? Are you interested in stirring up the waters of the newspaper industry with me? ”

Chen Bingzhong's body shook slightly, and he was silent for a long time.

Su Jingxian's words have been pointed out, but he is not in a hurry to get a reply, he drinks tea and eats snacks by himself, looking comfortable.

Finally, when the tea cup in front of him was no longer steaming, Chen Bingzhong let out a sigh of relief, looked up at Su Jingxian and laughed at himself: "It's really older and more timid, it's rare that Mr. Su can afford me, as long as you are not afraid of losing money, what else do I have to be afraid of?" ”

Su Jingxian smiled, and stretched his body back: "I don't want to put it aside first, but I can't open too high for you in the early days of the newspaper." The editor-in-chief is still up to you, 200 yuan a month, and you will add it if you do a good job. ”

"Not low." Chen Bingzhong nodded, without the slightest dissatisfaction.

He knows his identity very well, a large part of the reason why Su Jingxian can come to the door is because he has experience in running a newspaper and does not have to pay too much remuneration, two hundred yuan is equivalent to a month's profit when the sales of Xuejin Bookstore are hot, and with Su Jingxian's identity in plain clothes, he does not have to pay a penny to the errand guy, in comparison, he is just changing a job, and there is no loss.

Seeing that Chen Bingzhong had no objection to the salary, Su Jingxian nodded: "Okay, I have already bought a factory in the countryside of Yuen Long, do you have any suggestions for plate making and printing equipment?" ”

Chen Bingzhong swallowed his saliva, and felt more and more that this new boss was unpredictable, and he dared to say such a thing as a big newspaper without even messing with a printing factory, did he really think that there was a mountain of gold in the newspaper and periodical industry waiting for him to move?

After steadying his mind, Chen Bingzhong thought for a moment and said: "If it is a Chinese newspaper, the typewriter can use bright cards. As for plate printing, the most commonly used printing equipment is American goods and RB goods, the difference is not very big, if you take the waterway will be much cheaper, a complete set of cost should not exceed 20,000 Hong Kong paper. ”

Taking the waterway means smuggling, Chen Bingzhong looked at Su Jingxian after saying this, he knew that Su Jingxian, as a policeman, must know more about smuggling than him.

Su Jingxian rubbed his eyebrows, secretly thought about it for a while, raised his head and said, "In addition to the money to build a factory and buy equipment, I can take another 20,000 yuan at most, can I stand it?" ”

Chen Bingzhong nodded and explained: "The newspaper industry does not burn money, as long as the plant and equipment are built, and other expenses are mainly the labor of the editor-in-chief, deputy editor, writer, distribution and reporters, and the normal operation of 20,000 yuan should be able to last for half a year." ”

Normal operation means that the balance of income and expenditure, if a newspaper insists on half a year without a surplus, there is naturally no need to continue to start.

"Okay, that's all for today." Now that the matter has been negotiated, Su Jingxian does not plan to stay in the teahouse, stands up and says, "I will take the time to work on the factory and printing equipment, and you should not be idle during this time, and the helpers will recruit people to prepare for the start of work." ”

Chen Bingzhong saw Su Jingxian standing up, and hurriedly got up to see him off, and when he arrived at the door, he hesitated for a moment and then said, "Mr. Su, do you really have any killer features?" Can you reveal a little bit first, so that I have a little bottom in my heart? ”

Su Jingxian smiled, knowing that Chen Bingzhong had developed a cautious habit after the ups and downs of life, even if he still had some concerns in his heart at this time.

He lowered his head and took out a cigarette from the cigarette case: "Uncle Zhong, even if it is a loss, it is my bad luck, am you afraid that I will not pay you a salary?" ”

Chen Bingzhong saw him take out a cigarette, took out a match from his pocket and lit it, and handed it to Su Jingxian.

Su Jingxian lit a cigarette by the fire, took a deep breath, patted the back of Chen Bingzhong's hand, and said with a smile: "For the sake of you helping the boss light a cigarette, I will send the first month's salary and a plan to your bookstore in two days, and you will understand my thoughts after reading it." That's it, I have something to do first! ”