Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 390 The Brand Matrix of 8 Treasures

The performance finally ended.

Zhao Yazhi stood up gracefully, extended her hand to Lin Yan with a charming smile, and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lin."

Lin Yan reached out and lightly grasped her fingertips before separating.

"Nice to meet you."

At that moment, a sprightly old man dressed in a well-fitting Zhongshan suit walked over with a smile; it was none other than Run Run Shaw.

He first greeted Lin Er with pleasantries: "President Lin, your presence truly honors our humble abode!"

Lin Er immediately adopted a sociable demeanor, smiling humbly:

"Mr. Shao, you are too kind. In front of you, I will always be a junior. I am here to learn and observe."

He stepped aside to let Lin Yan stand in front of him. "Master Shao, let me introduce you. This is my younger brother, Lin Yan."

Lin Yan nodded in greeting: "Hello, Mr. Shao."

Shaw's gaze was immediately drawn to it.

He scrutinized Lin Yan closely, his eyes flashing with undisguised amazement.

He actually stepped forward and spoke with great enthusiasm.

"Young Master Lin, it's a pleasure to meet you! Seeing you makes this old man so... happy."

He paused, seemingly realizing he had been somewhat impolite, but his gaze remained fixed intently on Lin Yan's face.

"Although it may be presumptuous, I really can't help but ask—Young Master Lin, would you be interested in acting at our TVB? I, this old man, guarantee you that if you're willing, we'll spare no expense to make you TVB's... no, the brightest star in all of Hong Kong!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yazhi widened her beautiful eyes slightly and looked at Lin Yan with curiosity.

Lin Yan's lips twitched slightly.

"Master Shao, I will take your appreciation as a compliment to my face."

Upon hearing this, Run Run Shaw shook his head regretfully and let out a long sigh.

"Ah...what a pity, what a pity."

His gaze lingered on Lin Yan's face for a moment, as if he were looking at a work of art that he could never possess.

"I've been in this business for decades and I've never seen such a promising talent as you. Well, young master of the Lin family, you really don't need to suffer like this."

Lin Er immediately stepped forward, smiling as he tried to smooth things over, and then steered the conversation back to himself.

"Mr. Shao, please don't worry about him. My little rascal is wild and loves to run around the world. He's like a dragon whose head is seen but not its tail. He's not someone you can keep on set. What do you think of me?"

He puffed out his chest, feigning seriousness, and said, "I don't think I'm much worse than Xu Wenqiang!"

Zhao Yazhi, standing to the side, was amused by his playful antics and covered her mouth to chuckle, her eyes sparkling.

Run Run Shaw was amused by him. He turned to Lin Er, looked him up and down, and smiled like a cunning old fox: "Mr. Lin, if you're really interested and willing to condescend to dabble in this, you'll be the male lead in my next film! What do you say?"

Leaving the party venue and getting into the car, I was shut out of the outside noise.

As the car drove into the night, Lin Er glanced at Lin Yan, whose expression was indifferent, in the rearview mirror, cleared his throat, and, with a hint of lingering curiosity, said:

"Young Master, what do you think of Miss Zhao?"

Lin Yan didn't even lift his eyelids.

"Lin Er," his voice was steady, yet it made Lin Er in the front seat straighten up slightly, "your courage has grown. You've dug a pit for yourself."

Lin Erqian chuckled twice, not particularly afraid.

"Young Master, you can't say that. You dug such a huge 'blind date' trap for me first, so I'm just... giving you a little taste of my own medicine. Let's call it even this time, okay?"

He paused, then couldn't help but say with genuine regret, "But honestly, Miss Zhao is really beautiful, and has such a great presence. Don't you even notice...?"

"You like her?" Lin Yan interrupted him. "Then go after her."

"No, no, no!" Lin Er cried out in fright, waving his hands repeatedly.

"I didn't mean that! It was purely... appreciation, yes, art appreciation!"

Lin Yan turned his gaze away and looked at the neon lights flowing past the window.

"In the 1980s and 1990s, these so-called female stars in Hong Kong were beautiful and had their own fan base. If they married into a wealthy family, they could use their husband's family's influence to start their own company and earn enough money to live comfortably for the rest of their lives."

He paused, then chuckled.

"But they always seem to waste their energy on fighting and bickering with other women. Their vision is limited to just that."

"You can't make a good impression."

Lin Er wisely shut his mouth, not daring to say anything more about the topic.

Young Master's evaluation is truly extremely harsh.

Three days later, Xu Damao arrived at Deep Water Bay in a flurry of activity, carrying a briefcase.

Lin Yan received him in the study.

Xu Damao handed over a thick stack of proposals, his face showing the exhaustion of working late into the night, but his eyes were bright and full of anticipation.

Lin Yan took it and carefully flipped through each page.

The business plan is very detailed, covering everything from store location selection, decoration style, staff training to menu pricing, cost accounting, and even preliminary GG advertising. It's clear that a lot of thought has been put into it.

But as he looked, Lin Yan's brows furrowed slightly.

A dozen minutes later, he closed the proposal and looked at Xu Damao, who seemed a little nervous.

"Brother Da Mao."

His tone was calm, yet his words hit the nail on the head.

"You are very thoughtful and your considerations are quite thorough. But your direction is off."

Xu Damao was taken aback: "It veered off course?"

Lin Yan gently pushed the proposal back onto the table and tapped it with his fingertip.

"Our goal is not to open more restaurants."

"It's about turning the name 'Bazhenfang' into a group, a brand, and a system. Your whole plan, inside and out, is still about how to be a good restaurant manager and how to manage a store well."

He raised his eyes, his gaze clear and bright.

"Your thinking is still trapped in the box of 'opening a restaurant.' We need to step outside of that and look at the supply chain, central kitchens, standardized management, brand value, and even the future of food processing and retail."

Xu Damao opened his mouth, a little sweat beading on his forehead.

Lin Yan used some of the words he understood, and some he was only vaguely familiar with, but the grand and unfamiliar aura he exuded instantly made him feel that his painstakingly crafted proposal did indeed seem "small".

"I……"

Xu Damao scratched his head, his previous excitement largely gone, but a different light ignited in his eyes—a fighting spirit fueled by a higher goal, mixed with a touch of bewilderment.

"Xiao Yan, what do you suggest we do?"

Lin Yan took out a map of China from his desk drawer and spread it out.

"Our first task is to lay the foundation. Bazhenfang cannot just be a 'place to eat,' but must become a network—a brand matrix, time-based operations, and diversified business formats. This is the foundation of a group."

Xu Damao's breathing quickened: "You...you need to be more specific! What's a brand matrix? And what the hell is this 'complex business format' nonsense?"

Lin Yan sat back down at the table and pushed the teacup toward Xu Damao.

"The brand matrix means that Bazhenfang can create 'sub-brands.' For example, 'Bazhen Xiaoguan' specializes in lunch for workers, with affordable prices but exquisite food. 'Bazhen Roast Meat' is a street-side fast food restaurant that specializes in our signature roast goose and char siu. As for diversified business formats—"

He flipped to a page in the proposal and ran his fingertip across the blank space.

"Look at this gap in the 'tea + light meals' segment. We can emulate the Hong Kong-style cafe model, carving out a corner in the shop to sell milk tea and dim sum. This will attract customers and increase revenue. We can also combine 'food and culture'—set up a small stage in the shop, hire a troupe to perform a couple of shows, and diners can enjoy a meal while watching a performance. This experience is much more valuable than just eating a meal!"

"Xiao Yan, how did you develop such a brain? You're a genius!" Xu Damao was completely convinced.

Lin Yan ignored his flattery and continued to explain his ideas.

"We want to transform the name 'Eight Treasures Restaurant' from a restaurant into a 'cultural calling card.' Just like the Peninsula Hotel, they don't sell rooms, they sell 'premium experiences.' What we at Eight Treasures Restaurant sell is 'Hong Kong's culinary culture.' Once this calling card is established, branches, sub-brands, cultural derivatives... will naturally snowball and grow."

Xu Damao's mind was buzzing. He grabbed his pen and drew a heavy line in the blank space of the proposal: "Okay! Xiao Yan, do it your way!"

A smile finally appeared on Lin Yan's lips.

"Of course. The flagship store must maintain its high-end positioning, but the operating model must be innovative. I propose to adopt a 'segment-based operation' model, offering morning tea for breakfast, business set meals for lunch, private chef customization for evenings, and late-night snack stalls, making full use of the 24 hours."

Xu Damao immediately gave him a thumbs up, "You're the one!"

Lin Yan finally made the decision: "Brother Da Mao, let's pilot it in Guangzhou first, and then expand it nationwide. One thing to note is that we must maintain the style of Hong Kong-style catering, but we don't need to overemphasize it. Also, each city should develop new menus based on the local tastes."

The two studied until late at night, and Xu Damao returned home satisfied...