Xu Xiuwen had previously let it slip that Guangming Distillery had discovered a new brewing process.
He had also had Xu Qian contact an advertising agency in advance to prepare an advertisement.
Now, it was just a matter of launching it to start the official marketing and promotion of the new liquor.
Xu Xiuwen called Xu Qian in and instructed her to contact the TV station.
The advertisement was ready to be aired.
This was straightforward promotion.
Xu Xiuwen also thought of another method—using rumors and gossip to promote the new liquor.
Sometimes, rumors and gossip could be more effective than TV advertisements.
Xu Xiuwen's approach was to call two female employees from the office to his office.
The two girls arrived at Xu Xiuwen's office door.
They noticed a crack in the door through which they could see into the room.
One of the female employees was about to knock.
Inside the room, the new boss and the new plant manager were sitting face to face.
It was not surprising that Xu Qian was there.
What was surprising was that Xu Qian was not standing aside but was openly sitting on the new boss's lap.
The new boss's hands were wrapped around Xu Qian's waist, making them look incredibly intimate.
The female employees immediately stopped knocking.
There had been rumors in the distillery that Xu Qian was the new boss's woman and that her father, Xu Chengde, had only become the factory director because of his daughter.
Seeing this scene made the female employees realize that the rumors were true.
At that moment, the new boss's voice was heard from the room.
The new boss said, "Father-in-law, fortunately, you discovered the vintage wine cellar first and let me buy it secretly. Otherwise, this distillery wouldn't have ended up in my hands."
Father-in-law?
The two female employees' eyes widened in shock!
If seeing it wasn't enough, hearing it must be true!
The new boss referred to the new factory director as his father-in-law—didn't that directly confirm his relationship with Xu Qian!
And there was a vintage wine cellar?
The two female employees felt as if they had uncovered a major secret.
Inside the room, Xu Xiuwen continued, "The liquor from the vintage wine cellar tastes absolutely amazing. The quality of the new liquor we're producing is incredibly high. The distillery is going to be revived, hahahaha, now the distillery belongs to us."
Xu Chengde whispered, "Don't speak so loudly. If people find out about the vintage wine cellar and our relationship, they'll know I leaked the distillery's secrets. Let the new liquor establish itself in the market first. Once I have full control of the distillery, then we won't have to worry."
Xu Xiuwen nodded, "You're right, Father-in-law. I'll keep quiet and wait a bit longer."
Xu Qian, sitting on Xu Xiuwen's lap, suddenly said, "Dad, even if the people in the distillery don't know about the vintage wine cellar, it's a good thing you were here, or Xu Xiuwen wouldn't have had this lucky break."
Xu Chengde nodded, "From now on, don't mention the vintage wine cellar in the distillery. Be careful; walls have ears."
Xu Qian replied, "Got it, Dad. Don't worry, I won't blab."
Xu Xiuwen suddenly asked, "Why aren't the office people here yet?"
Xu Qian said, "I'll go check on them."
Xu Xiuwen said, "Thanks for your hard work, baby."
Xu Qian smiled, "It's no trouble."
After Xu Qian finished speaking, she walked toward the door.
She was surprised and exclaimed, "Why is the door open?"
Xu Xiuwen immediately asked nervously, "Did anyone hear what we just said?"
Xu Qian quickly walked to the door, opened it, and looked into the corridor.
She didn't see anyone.
Xu Qian turned back and said, "No one's here."
Xu Chengde's face looked grim as he said, "From now on, don't mention how I discovered the vintage wine cellar in the distillery!"
"Understood, Dad."
Xu Chengde then got up and left.
Xu Qian also swayed her slim waist and left Xu Xiuwen's office.
Once they were gone, in the next room, the two female employees leaned against the door, their faces reflecting relief after a close call.
One of the employees, Employee A, whispered, "Luckily we weren't discovered. If they had found out we knew their secret, we'd definitely be fired."
The other employee, Employee B, was excited, "I told you no one wanted to take over the distillery. Suddenly someone did—turns out it was because Xu Chengde discovered the vintage wine cellar. The director is really cunning; he secretly told his son-in-law to buy the distillery, so now the vintage wine cellar is theirs."
Employee A said, "I heard the new liquor's quality is very high. It's because they found the vintage wine cellar—no wonder."
Employee B asked, "Should we tell others about this?"
Employee A replied, "Are you crazy? If you tell others and the boss and director find out, we'll definitely get fired!"
Employee B was unconcerned, "Are you stupid? How would they know it was us who leaked it?"
In the end, Employee A convinced Employee B that this matter should remain confidential and absolutely not be disclosed.
After a while, the door to the room next to Xu Xiuwen's office opened again.
The two female employees walked out and knocked on Xu Xiuwen's office door.
Upon hearing a "Come in" from inside, they opened the door and entered.
Xu Xiuwen gave them some instructions.
The two employees behaved very obediently and quietly in front of Xu Xiuwen.
However, as soon as they left the office, they rushed back to their own office.
Employee A and Employee B had agreed not to share what they had heard today.
But both were gossips and loved to spread rumors.
Keeping secrets was nearly as painful as killing them.
Within an hour, both had told their close acquaintances about what they had seen and heard.
With the rumors spreading rapidly, more than half of the staff in the factory knew about the vintage wine cellar secret before the end of the workday.
Several key workers in the production department were aware of the entire new liquor production process.
But with the growing rumors, even these workers began to question if there really was a vintage wine cellar.
The day after the rumors spread, Xu Xiuwen was furious.
His enraged shouts pierced through the office door.
Many people felt the new boss's anger.
Subsequently, the new boss issued a directive prohibiting any further discussion of the vintage wine cellar and ordered an investigation.
Anyone found spreading rumors would be immediately fired.
The new boss's attitude only confirmed that the rumors seemed to be true.
Otherwise, why would he be so angry?
People tend to believe what they want to believe.
On the third day, the vintage wine cellar secret was not only known throughout the factory but also spread quickly outside the factory.
Within a week, the secret of Guangming Distillery's vintage wine cellar was known not just in Guangming City, but also in the city of Langya and its surrounding county-level cities.
More and more people were aware of the vintage wine cellar.
Additionally, the local TV station had officially begun airing Guangming Distillery's advertisements.
With public opinion being swayed and various additional details added by the rumor spreaders, the rumors about Guangming Distillery's vintage wine cellar grew increasingly sensational.
Most people were convinced of the vintage wine cellar's existence.
Their reasoning was simple.
The Guangming Distillery had gone bankrupt and been up for sale for so long without any takers.
Why did someone suddenly buy the distillery, and why was this person recommended by Xu Chengde, an employee of 20 years?
Moreover, after buying the distillery, Xu Chengde became the new factory director.
This undeniably increased the rumors' credibility.
The new factory director Xu Chengde, the new owner, and the relationship between the new owner and Xu Chengde's daughter have become popular topics of gossip.
Sales personnel at the factory have reported that selling to hotels, restaurants, and stores has become significantly easier lately.
Many business owners are now actively seeking to stock their inventory with products from the Guangming Distillery.
Xu Xiuwen had already issued orders to sell only to high-end hotels and stores, while strictly controlling the quantity.
Most of the business owners in Langya City do not reject Guangming Distillery's products.
For them, getting a batch of Guangming Distillery's goods might not be highly profitable, but it would definitely sell.
However, it was unrealistic to expect that they could just push for stock from Guangming Distillery.
What surprised these business owners was that they couldn't get their hands on the stock.
People tend to desire what they cannot have.
Xu Xiuwen's scarcity marketing strategy made many inexperienced business owners believe that the new wine was in high demand and short supply.
Coupled with the rumors about the aged wine cellar, many small store owners began to leverage connections and employ various methods to get their hands on Guangming Distillery's new wine.
The combination of advertising and rumors was powerful.
The institutions in Langya City did not disappoint Xu Xiuwen.
During a gathering, Xu Chengwei tasted the wine and immediately commented, "This wine is far worse than the new wine from the Guangming Distillery!"
His words conveyed a strong sense of regret over not being able to taste Guangming Distillery's new wine.
As a result, the leaders in Langya City's institutions became curious and wanted to try Guangming Distillery's new wine.
When the vice mayor subtly expressed interest, his subordinates quickly took action.
Various subordinate units, as well as the counties and towns, actively responded.
Soon, Guangming Distillery received a large number of orders.
The leaders in Guangming City had already tasted the new wine and praised it highly.
When discussing the new wine at dinners, whether with their subordinates or with restaurant and hotel staff, it was naturally noted by all.
On the seventh day after the grand opening ceremony, Xu Xiuwen received a phone call from Vice Mayor Xu Chengwei.
Xu Chengwei inquired about the rumors regarding the aged wine cellar.
Xu Xiuwen denied the rumors but did not completely dismiss them.
In summary, Guangming Distillery's new wine became an instant hit.
The next challenge for Xu Xiuwen was to ensure that the quality of the new wine could withstand market scrutiny.
As long as it could hold up, the market in Langya City could be reopened.
Xu Xiuwen's current goal was not to expand beyond the province, but to first solidify the market in Langya City and its surrounding counties and townships, correcting the previous poor impression of Guangming Distillery.
After receiving the call from Vice Mayor Xu Chengwei, Xu Xiuwen thought of the female journalist He Yingjia, who was scheduled to interview him that day.
He called He Yingjia and asked her to produce a special program about the distillery, titled "The Rebirth of Guangming Distillery."
In the program, Xu Xiuwen and journalist He Yingjia were in an interview studio.
He Yingjia asked the questions as previously arranged.
Xu Xiuwen made his first appearance on his hometown TV station.
In the program, he provided a detailed and comprehensive introduction of the new wine from Guangming Distillery.
The distillery had previously invited many people, including wine tasters, to sample the new wine, and their evaluations were also aired.
At the end of the program, He Yingjia discussed the rumors about Guangming Distillery's aged wine cellar.
Xu Xiuwen, drawing on his acting experience from his first film, displayed a range of emotions including surprise, panic, hesitation, and indecision.
Ultimately, he denied the rumors.
The program included a special close-up of Xu Xiuwen's expression and broadcasted this segment unedited.
This final close-up ignited the program's popularity!
Viewers became even more convinced of the rumors about the aged wine cellar.
Orders for the distillery's products surged like a tidal wave.
It had been decades since Guangming Distillery had seen such a flood of orders.
The employees at the distillery were both happy and excited.
At last, they could see hope.
The distillery would not face bankruptcy anymore.
They would not be out of a job.
However, many of the former employees who were laid off by Xu Xiuwen felt envious upon seeing the success of the new wine.
Some even wanted to create trouble, with a few attempting to sneak into the distillery to steal the wine.
But the security department was highly diligent, leaving no opportunity for outsiders.
Some people quietly contacted friends and colleagues still at the distillery to steal a few secretly.
For these individuals, Xu Xiuwen showed no mercy and immediately handed them over to the police if discovered.
The new wine from Guangming Distillery was of high quality and fully withstood market scrutiny during the initial surge of popularity.
Guests at the high-end hotels who tasted the new wine praised it highly.
Naturally, these hotels wanted to order more.
However, the number of orders was overwhelming!
It was so much that production could not keep up.
The distillery had to operate around the clock.
Even so, the output was still insufficient.
The new wine was thoroughly popular in Langya City and the surrounding county-level cities and townships.
Xu Qian asked Xu Xiuwen if they should continue advertising.
Her intention was to stop, as she felt further advertising would be a waste of money.
Xu Xiuwen, however, disagreed with her.
Was Old Baijin famous or not? Did it sell well or not?
Even though they were successful, didn't they keep bombarding people with advertisements?
In this era, people hadn't yet become fatigued by advertising.
The brainwashing effect of advertisements was undoubtedly the best.
Xu Xiuwen was not concerned about spending a little more money.
During the peak of the new wine's popularity, he wasn't afraid to spend money and had local TV stations rotate the new wine commercials.
The special program about the distillery was also broadcast daily.
This brought continuous attention to the new wine.
The explosive success of the new wine reassured Xu Xiuwen completely.
The incident in the office that day was, of course, a planned act with Xu Qian and her father.
He had called in two female employees who were the most gossipy in the factory.
With them around, he was not worried about their conversation not getting out.
The subsequent events proved this.
The rumors had a great effect.
Everyone in the factory firmly believed in the rumors about the aged wine cellar.
The more people talked about it, the more real it seemed.
At present, Guangming Distillery's orders were booked up for six months.
With these many orders alone, the distillery could not claim a complete turnaround.
But at least it showed signs of recovery.
To the vast majority, Guangming Distillery seemed to be rising from the ashes.
Leaders in Guangming City and Langya City were very attentive to Guangming Distillery's situation.
A small number of people felt that Xu Xiuwen had benefited from the aged wine cellar and got lucky.
Some even demanded that the distillery be taken back by their organizations.
But these people had little influence and were largely ignored.