章節 477: Chapter 477: Breaking the Deadlock
The grand reopening of the 7-11 convenience stores was a resounding success.
Xia Yu visited three of the stores in the Yau Ma Tei district, and each one was packed with customers. Wherever there was a 7-11 store, nearby convenience stores saw virtually no business, highlighting the massive appeal of the 7-11 brand.
The next day, after the statistics were compiled, Fu Kai excitedly reported the results to Xia Yu.
On the first day of opening, out of thirty stores, the highest-grossing store reached 83,000 Hong Kong dollars, and the lowest grossed 58,000 Hong Kong dollars. Each store met the minimum planned revenue target.
The total accumulated revenue from the thirty stores was 2.02 million Hong Kong dollars, with an average revenue of 67,300 Hong Kong dollars per store. The results were truly impressive!
However, despite the high revenue, the profit was almost nonexistent.
This was due to the initial 30% discount on the first day, which drained all the profit. The company managed to avoid a loss, which was an achievement in itself.
This was also due to the cost advantages of 7-11. Not only were the procurement costs much lower, but since the stores were purchased outright, there were no rental costs aside from utilities, and the stores could appreciate in value.
If it had been another convenience store offering a 30% discount, it would have been a disaster!
Seeing the brilliant results, Xia Yu naturally praised Fu Kai, encouraging him to continue working hard. Fu Kai left the office with renewed determination, ready to immerse himself further in Xia Yu's grand enterprise.
---
In the headquarters of Shueisha, Chiyoda District, Tokyo, in the President's office.
"What did you say? 'Zhiyin Comic' is being sold normally in all bookstores?"
Ichiro Sange furrowed his brow, a hint of anger in his voice as he questioned his bowing subordinate.
"Yes, President, that is indeed the case!"
The subordinate replied with his head bowed.
Upon confirmation, Ichiro Sange was both angry and perplexed. The Ikkyo Group and Otowa Group had jointly pressured all major bookstores not to sell 'Zhiyin Comic.' At the time, all the bookstores had agreed, so why were they now going back on their word?
Moreover, no bookstore had notified them!
There was definitely something wrong!
Ichiro Sange, feeling uneasy, took a deep breath to calm himself and picked up the phone, dialing a number.
"Hello, Mr. Ishikawa, this is Ichiro Sange from Shueisha…"
---
At the headquarters of Kinokuniya Bookstore, in the President's office, Takuto Ishikawa, in his fifties, answered the phone. Though he spoke in a somewhat subdued manner, his expression remained calm.
"Mr. Sange, there's nothing I can do. We have a new major shareholder who joined the board, and this shareholder is from Hong Kong. His demand was to lift the ban on 'Zhiyin Comic,' and the board has agreed. I have to be accountable to the board."
"…"
After hearing the exasperated end of the call from Ichiro Sange, Takuto Ishikawa smirked and hung up. He had substantial reservations about the Ikkyo Group, but out of respect and due to their strength, he had not shown it.
Thinking about the new shareholder, Ishikawa's expression became serious, and his frustration with the Ikkyo and Otowa Groups grew.
Kinokuniya Bookstore was founded by his grandfather and successfully listed under his management. Although the bookstore's strength had grown, the Ishikawa family's shares had been diluted to only 28.9%.
Originally, Kinokuniya's stock structure was stable, and the stock price had been steadily rising. But three days ago, an unexpected event occurred!
Kinokuniya's stock price started to fluctuate, with institutions buying up shares aggressively.
Ishikawa had anxiously convened a board meeting and sent people to investigate the situation.
Before they could grasp the full details, a message arrived: a Hong Kong-based company named Jiuding Publishing had acquired 10% of the shares and was using this stake to forcefully enter the board.
Although initially uncertain, Ishikawa had to accept the reality of the situation and welcome the new shareholder.
Secretly, however, he investigated Jiuding Publishing thoroughly. To his shock and worry, the more he learned, the more he realized the formidable background of the new board member.
Whether it was Jiuding's affiliated companies like Jiuding Media or the more notorious Jiuding Financial Group, the information was astonishing.
Particularly concerning was Jiuding Financial Group. Having read about Jiuding Securities, Ishikawa feared that Kinokuniya might become a target.
Fortunately, during his anxious period, Gavin Peters assured him that the acquisition was to expand Jiuding Publishing's distribution system and that they had no intention of acquiring Kinokuniya, which alleviated most of Ishikawa's concerns.
Still, a lingering worry remained, so when Gavin Peters proposed lifting the ban on 'Zhiyin Comic,' Ishikawa quickly agreed.
Initially, he had been forced to comply with the Ikkyo and Otowa Groups' demands. Otherwise, it would be foolish to forgo profits. Although the profit from selling 'Zhiyin Comic' was minimal, even a small profit was valuable.
Now, with Gavin Peters' request, Ishikawa had a convenient excuse. When Ichiro Sange from Ikkyo Group inquired, Ishikawa could straightforwardly respond, knowing Sange had no recourse.
Moreover, Ishikawa was disgruntled. If it weren't for the Ikkyo Group, Kinokuniya wouldn't be in such a precarious position.
---
"Damn it!"
In Shueisha's president's office, Ichiro Sange, having finished his fourth call and received another evasive answer, slammed the phone down in frustration.
He immediately sent people to investigate the situation with the new shareholders of Kinokuniya and Junkiu Bookstore.
When he learned that the new shareholder was Jiuding Publishing, his face turned pale with disgust, as if he had eaten a fly.
He hadn't expected Jiuding Anime's hired help to use money to become shareholders of two top chain bookstores.
With these two major chains turning against them, their desperate strategy was severely undermined. The news came too late, leading other bookstores to lift the sales ban. They hadn't even been notified.
Thus, the new issue of 'Zhiyin Comic' was released today, and it was only then that his subordinates reported the situation.
With Kinokuniya and Junkiu Bookstore now against them, Ichiro Sange knew that blocking 'Zhiyin Comic' from the sales end was no longer feasible. The best option now was for their group to directly confront 'Zhiyin Comic' with similar-style comics.
However, the outcome remained uncertain.
"I'll inform others about this first!"
With that thought, Ichiro Sange made two more calls before heading out.
---
In Tokyo's Chiyoda District.
At Jiuding Anime's Japan branch, Ma Tengdong smiled widely as he shook hands with a Japanese colleague.
"Pleasure doing business with you!"
"Mr. Sakurai, rest assured, our company will complete the localization of 'Dragon Ball' and deliver it to your station as soon as possible."
Ma Tengdong assured him.
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