RPAGF Chapter 238 Hanshan Supermarket
Chapter 238 Hanshan Supermarket
Chapter 238 Hanshan Supermarket
The stadium, a victory celebration banquet.
Wang Wenzhou raised his wine cup and said, "Today, all of you present are heroes of Hanshan, and also meritorious officials of Hanshan. I would like to offer a toast to all of you heroes."
After Wang Wenzhou finished speaking, he drank it all in one gulp.
Inside the stadium, more than a thousand people raised their glasses and drank them down in one gulp.
Wang Wenzhou surveyed the people in the gymnasium. These were all seriously wounded from the recent battles. Some were missing an arm, others a leg. Those with leg injuries and limping were considered lightly wounded among them.
Wang Wenzhou said sadly, "The reason why everyone's pensions haven't been paid is because I've been thinking about something. One hundred taels of silver may seem like a lot, but you are all disabled. What will you do after spending all 100 taels of silver?"
The stadium erupted in noise. Yes, many people had thought about it too. With only one arm, forget about getting married; he probably wouldn't even be able to support himself in the future.
Wang Wenzhou waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet. Seeing that Wang Wenzhou had something to say, the crowd gradually quieted down.
Wang Wenzhou began, “You are all heroes who protected Hanshan, and many of you were injured while trying to save me. Take Zhao Zhengxi for example; if he hadn’t stepped forward that day, I would have been a ghost under the enemy’s blade.”
Zhao Zhengxi's right arm was empty. He immediately knelt down and said, "Wang Qingtian, that's what I should do!"
"Get up!" Wang Wenzhou said angrily, "You are all heroes. Without you, there would be no Hanshan today. Without your courageous actions, Hanshan might have been breached by the enemy long ago, and there would have been widespread suffering."
"Quickly help Zhao Zhengxi to his feet," Wang Wenzhou instructed.
The two people next to Zhao Zhengxi quickly helped him up.
Wang Wenzhou knelt down and kowtowed three times to the crowd.
Everyone was stunned and immediately knelt down.
Wang Wenzhou waved his hand at the crowd and said, "Get up, all of you! I kowtow to you on behalf of the people of Hanshan to thank you! It was you who saved the people of Hanshan from the enemy!"
"Lord Wang, this is our responsibility! It is what we should do!" the crowd immediately shouted.
Wang Wenzhou said with a smile, "I cannot let the heroes shed blood and tears. When Xiaoqiang led his men to resist the bandits, he said that if anyone survived, he would ensure their lifelong wealth and honor. Today, I will fulfill that promise."
"Someone, bring up the map!" Wang Wenzhou ordered.
Several policewomen carried a huge map onto the stage.
Upon inspection, everyone realized that the map depicted the entire territory of the Ming Dynasty. They were all puzzled as to why Lord Wang had produced such a map.
Wang Wenzhou began by saying, "I do not intend to give you any pensions, but I do intend to give you the opportunity to live a life of wealth and comfort!"
"Lord Wang, just give the order, we'll do whatever you say!"
"I will obey Lord Wang's orders!"
Everyone believed in Wang Wenzhou; without him, they wouldn't have the life they have today.
Wang Wenzhou said with a smile, "I plan to open Hanshan Supermarkets in various parts of the Ming Dynasty."
"Supermarket?" No one understood what this meant.
Wang Wenzhou explained, “A supermarket is a comprehensive store that sells all kinds of goods. Each of you will choose a city. Of course, since the population of each city is different, the selection will be based on your ranking of merits. Those with higher merits can choose first-tier cities like the capital or Nanjing first. Next, you can choose second-tier cities like the prefectural capital, and so on.”
Wang Wenzhou thought for a moment and continued, “Perhaps some people don’t want to do this, and I won’t force them. You are free to sign up. Those who do not wish to participate can still receive a pension of one hundred taels of silver. I strongly suggest that you all think this over carefully. I cannot guarantee that everyone will become a wealthy man. But I can guarantee that in the city you choose, you will have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of your lives.”
Supermarkets can make money? No one understood. But when Lord Wang said so, everyone eagerly signed up.
"Sir, I'm signing up!"
"I'm signing up too!"
Wang Wenzhou nodded and said, "Wait a moment, I will have someone compile the list of applicants, and then we will begin to draw lots to select the cities you are responsible for."
Wang Wenzhou's plan was to open a chain of supermarkets covering the entire Ming Dynasty. In each region, a meritorious official would be appointed as the owner of the local supermarket. The reason for choosing these people was twofold: firstly, to ensure their future well-being; and secondly, because these individuals were all staunch loyalists of Wang Wenzhou.
If they weren't die-hard loyalists, they would have vanished the moment the war started; how could they have been injured? The last reason is that he spent a fortune to buy horses. Wang Wenzhou was showing everyone that as long as they followed him and remained loyal, he guaranteed they would live the life of the elite.
In a short while, the registration was completed. Only a dozen or so people chose to receive the pension; everyone else registered to participate.
Li Hechen handed the compiled list to Wang Wenzhou. Wang Wenzhou took the list, glanced at it, and nodded with satisfaction. He estimated that a few years later, those dozen or so people who missed this opportunity would definitely regret it terribly. But he didn't want to force it; everyone has the freedom to choose when faced with a choice. Perhaps the choice isn't necessarily right, but as long as you feel it's right, that's the best outcome.
Wang Wenzhou said, "Let them draw lots based on their prior merits in pacifying the region."
"Yes!" Li Hechen went down to arrange for everyone to draw lots.
Wang Yue, also known as Erheizi, walked up to Li Hechen and handed him a slip of paper.
Wang Yue is mute and cannot speak. This time, he led the tax police battalion in a heroic battle, losing a leg in the process. Based on his achievements, he could be selected to serve in a first-tier city.
Li Hechen glanced at the note and asked, "Wang Yue, do you mean you don't want to choose a first-tier city, but instead choose Hezhou City?"
Wang Yue nodded. Hezhou City was his hometown. Although it had fallen to the rebel army, the fleeing people were gradually returning. In terms of prosperity, it certainly couldn't compare to Hezhou City as it used to be. But Wang Yue only wanted to return to Hezhou City. He felt this was a perfect opportunity for him to return home in glory.
Li Hechen thought for a moment and then said, "I can't make this decision myself. I'll go and ask Lord Wang for instructions."
"Yes, yes!" Wang Yue nodded.
Li Hechen reported Wang Yue's idea to Wang Wenzhou.
Wang Wenzhou smiled slightly and said, "Erheizi is quite interesting. In that case, he doesn't need to participate in the lottery. Let him go to Hezhou City."
Soon, everyone drew the city they would be responsible for.
Wang Wenzhou began explaining how the supermarket would operate. According to Wang Wenzhou's plan, before a supermarket in a city even opened, it would be heavily advertised, followed by various marketing strategies. After this process, the supermarket was guaranteed to become a household name in the local area.
Even in the internet age, supermarkets remain a highly profitable business. In the Ming Dynasty, they would have been incredibly lucrative. Furthermore, once Wang Wenzhou's chain of supermarkets was on track, it was highly likely to monopolize various commodities. No matter the product, once a monopoly is established, it generates enormous profits.