Chapter 4, The Art of Selling Newspapers

The income of the tea house attendants is meager, and they are certainly not individuals who can afford to read newspapers. Most likely, it is the customers drinking tea in the tea house who wish to read the newspaper and then ask the attendants to buy it.

Chen Qiang walked down this road

In terms of attitude towards China, Tanaka Giichi was also a staunch aggressor. The infamous "Twenty-One Demands" was orchestrated behind the scenes by Tanaka Giichi, who was then serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff. The dispatch of troops to Jinan, which resulted in the horrific "Jinan Incident," was also his doing. Furthermore, the strategy of "separation of Manchuria and Mongolia," which was consistently promoted by Japanese imperialism, was also formulated by Tanaka Giichi

Among the more notable ones are Chen Rujiji in Laianli, Zhonggenji near Ximen, and Zhengsanjiji in Gongyu Li. These are all traditional newspaper offices from old Shanghai, having existed for several decades, with some having been passed down through two or three generations.

Suddenly, Chen Qiang opened his eyes wide and was astonished to find himself still in that grass hut, which remained in old Shanghai

The man in the long gown waved his hand and said, "I don't want to see what's happening in the country; it makes me upset. Is there anything new happening abroad?"

Chen Qiang felt that he had cheated someone out of 4 cents, and he felt quite guilty about it

Where should I go to sell newspapers? Chen Qiang looked at the sky and decided to try his luck near the train station

He took out some money, walked out of the thatched hut, stepped onto the main road, and passed by the steamed bun shop where he also conveniently had a bowl of boiled noodles

Previously, Chen Qiang had been a newspaper boy for a long time and was familiar with the staff at Chen Rujis. Upon arriving at the sorting warehouse of Chen Rujis, he quickly selected seven or eight types of newspapers

"Is this the exit?" Chen Qiang walked in that direction and then saw a sign that read "Exit," pointing towards an open road

"Four cents," Chen Qiang said.

However, newspapers require literacy to be understood. In old China, the majority of the population was illiterate, and those who could not recognize even large characters would certainly not buy newspapers to read. In some areas, although many people gathered, there were very few who could read. Selling soy milk, baked pancakes, and roasted sweet potatoes posed no problem, but newspapers would definitely not sell.

It is truly unfortunate that I can no longer afford even a tea egg. Chen Qiang silently complained about the "tea egg" reference in his mind

Chen Qiang pondered that the tea house attendant did not specify which newspaper to get, indicating that the guests might be reading the newspaper merely to pass the time and are not concerned about its content. Moreover, a typical tea house attendant might not even recognize the characters, and the guests do not expect him to bring back newspapers that interest them.

However, if a seller does not promote their goods and simply waits there to collect money, this business is bound to suffer.

My dear!" Chen Qiang was startled by this sudden voice and abruptly stopped in his tracks

In the 1920s, train tickets were quite expensive for the average person; those who could afford to take the train were certainly not from impoverished families, and nine times out of ten, they were educated "cultural individuals".

Why is it "Shenbao"? Because "Shenbao" is sold at a high price. Four cents per copy, Chen Qiang can earn eight li. Other newspapers have a lower retail price, so naturally, they do not have such high profits

As expected, the attendant at the tea house did not negotiate the price, but directly handed over five cents, then asked Chen Qiang to provide one cent in change, happily taking the copy of the "News Report" back to fulfill his task

Good wine does not fear the depth of the alley

Chen Qiang felt somewhat discouraged. Since there was no increase in the completion of the task, he did not continue running but instead wandered aimlessly in this area

Because there are newsstands inside the train station, and there is also a newsstand in front of the train station, and they have all paid a "management fee" to the train station. To put it bluntly, this is their territory. If Chen Qiang dares to sell newspapers, he will not only be driven out but may also get beaten up.

"Newspaper for sale, get your newspaper here!" A voice called out from behind, as a waiter at the entrance of a distant teahouse was beckoning to him

This person is interesting. Wanting to watch foreign news is still a good thing. The affairs of foreigners have nothing to do with you, so why distinguish between good and bad? Chen Qiang thought to himself, but he could not say such things out loud

... ...

One by one, the sports venues closed down, and Chen Qiang became familiar with the area; however, without any points, he could not enter a single venue

Taking the most famous "Shen Bao" as an example, when it was first published in the eleventh year of the Tongzhi era, the retail price was eight wen per copy. By the fourth year of the Guangxu era, it had risen to ten wen per copy, and by the twenty-fifth year of Guangxu, it increased to twelve wen per copy. The retail price in the thirty-second year of Guangxu was one fen and four li, while in the first year of the Xuantong era, it was two fen. In the third year of Xuantong, it changed to three fen, and by 1926, it had risen to four fen per copy

Chen Qiang is not familiar with this part of history; he only learned about what happened by reading the newspaper.

Chen Qiang immediately turned around and hurriedly left, to avoid trouble from the tea house staff

In other words, Chen Qiang spent half a day introducing it, but in reality, he was just promoting this "Report." Regardless of what the customers wanted to see, they were all purchasing the "Report."

As Chen Qiang walked out of the newspaper office with a heavy load of newspapers on his back, he suddenly felt a pang of guilt. He discreetly reached into his pocket, where the only silver dollar he had was now transformed into the newspapers he carried. Now, he was left with just enough money for meals, enough to cover three meals at most. If these newspapers did not sell, he would go hungry the next day

In addition to delivering newspapers, distribution agencies also sell newspapers to retailers. To put it simply, a distribution agency is a large newspaper vendor, while newsstands or newsboys are small vendors. Small vendors cannot obtain newspapers directly from the newspaper office; they can only purchase them from large vendors. This is somewhat akin to a relationship between primary and secondary distributors.

However, the "Shenbao" was the most expensive newspaper in the country at that time, and it also had the highest circulation. Another major newspaper in old Shanghai, the "Xinwenbao," was priced at 3.6 cents, while others like the "Shibao" and "Shibao Xinwen" were much cheaper. Small newspapers like the "Jingbao," which published an issue only every few days, were even less expensive.

At this rate, everything will be sold out before 3 PM, Chen Qiang thought optimistically

Chen Qiang let out a long sigh; how he wished that the grass hut before him was merely a dream. He did not want to remain in this chaotic and tumultuous era; he longed to return to the future, to his own time.

In his previous life, Chen Qiang was a well-known sports professor. Although he was not well-versed in other industries, as a person from a later generation, he possessed insights that were nearly a century ahead. Moreover, he had experience as a sports commentator and was quite articulate, making it easy for him to sell newspapers as a newsboy. Therefore, by noon, he had already sold two-thirds of his newspapers.

The starting point of the Shanghai-Hangzhou Railway is Shanghai South Station, where one must board the train to Hangzhou. The level of prosperity at South Station is second only to that of North Station. Later, during the Battle of Songhu, South Station was destroyed by bombing.

In fact, the retail price of the "News Report" is 3.6 cents, but Chen Qiang believes that the tea house staff do not read the newspaper regularly and cannot distinguish between the "Shen Report" and the "News Report". Therefore, he simply sells the "News Report" priced at 3.6 cents as the "Shen Report" priced at 4 cents.

After a long while, the sound of roosters crowing came from outside, heralding the dawn. Chen Qiang knew it was time for him to set off and embrace the first day of his career as a newspaper boy

He then left Chen Rujiji and hurriedly ran towards the train station, occasionally shouting "Newspaper for sale" in crowded areas to try his luck

Chen Qiang is indifferent to the term "little beggar"; if he can sell a single newspaper, being called "little beggar" is of no consequence. Those who cannot even solve their basic needs can only cast aside their dignity to fill their stomachs

The man in the long shirt was quite generous, directly giving Chen Qiang five cents: "No need to give change, the rest is a tip for you!"

Chen Qiang was one hundred percent certain that the distance he had run far exceeded ten thousand meters, yet the 0% task completion rate told him that his efforts were in vain

In old Shanghai, all newspapers were marked up by intermediaries, and these intermediaries were the distribution agencies.

The man in the long shirt was clearly very interested in this, a hint of satisfaction appeared on his face, and then he spoke: "This is the one, please bring me a portion!"

Chen Qiang took out a copy of the "Shenbao" and handed it to the man, simultaneously saying: "Thank you, sir, four cents"

In the time that followed, Chen Qiang employed various methods to run, yet the completion rate of the task remained at 0%

The American stock market in 1929 indeed experienced a significant rise, with the industrial production index doubling compared to 1921. However, this was a precursor to the stock market crash; it would not be long before the most severe economic depression in history would arrive, at which point people would have to queue to jump off the roof of the Empire State Building

Just like taking a train now, there are convenience stores in the train station, and there are also vendors pushing carts selling food and beverages on the train. On high-speed trains, there are specially provided boxed meals, and outside vendors are not allowed to enter. If you occupy a seat on the high-speed train, others may not dare to confront you, but if you dare to sell boxed meals privately on the high-speed train, the train police will definitely arrest you

Task: Run 10,000 meters, completed! Earned task reward: 100 points

Having sold a newspaper and received a penny as a reward, Chen Qiang felt quite pleased. In the distance, another young newsboy cast an envious glance.

Just like the sales assistants in today's shopping malls, who always follow closely behind customers, chattering incessantly and promoting products. The more they promote, the more likely they are to encounter those impressionable customers, and they will certainly make sales.

In old Shanghai in 1929, ordinary rice was priced at 14 yuan per shi, while flour cost 3.3 yuan per bag, with each bag weighing approximately 45 jin. After being made into noodles, the flour was sold for 0.7 yuan per jin, and a bowl of boiled noodles from a roadside stall typically used about 3 liang of noodles, which Chen Qiang could still afford.

The guests are not picky, the tea house staff do not understand, this is quite confusing! They must be serving the most expensive! Unfortunately, my "Shenbao" has sold out. " Chen Qiang had no choice but to take out a copy of the "Xinwenbao".

Chen Qiang's destination is the Old North Station, an area that is among the most prosperous outside the old Shanghai concession.

The waiters at the tea house who go out to buy newspapers have already received the customers' money beforehand; customers would never allow the waiters to pay out of their own pockets first. In such cases, when the waiters buy the newspapers, the customers will not ask the waiters to return any change.

Being a newsboy is also a skill. Under normal circumstances, to sell something, one naturally needs to find a place with a lot of people. The busier and more prosperous the area, the easier it is to sell items.

For the Chinese people, Tanaka Giichi is an aggressor and also an executioner; his serious illness is indeed good news.

However, Chen Qiang is not allowed to enter the train station, nor can he even go to the square in front of the station; he can only wander around the vicinity of the train station selling newspapers

He pondered the headlines of today's newspaper and then asked, "The Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka Giichi is seriously ill and may not have much longer to live. Is this considered good news?"

Thus, Chen Qiang could only jog around the train station, specifically looking for crowded areas to shout out.

One dollar can buy 31 copies of the Shenbao if all of it is used for purchasing the newspaper

After the newspaper is printed by the press or printing house, it is delivered to various distribution offices, which then handle the sales.

In fact, the news that Chen Qiang just mentioned, whether it is the Zhongdong Road incident, the significant rise in the American stock market, or the serious illness of Tanaka Giichi, all originate from the "Shenbao". In 1929, the "Shenbao" was a newspaper that had at least 7 large pages and at most 9 large pages, containing a wealth of content aside from advertisements. By 1931, the "Shenbao" reached its peak period, with a single issue being published with as many as 12 large pages.

"Little Bian San, what news is there in today's newspaper?" asked a man in a long gown.

Three cents as a day's meal allowance is more than sufficient, and there might even be a leftover of one cent. Of course, with this amount of money, it is impossible to afford any meat. According to the prices in Shanghai at that time, a fresh egg sold for two cents and six mills, while a tea egg from a street vendor cost five cents each. Chen Qiang could not bear to spend one-sixth of his daily income on a tea egg.

Those who go to the tea house to drink tea are respectable individuals. Asking the attendant to buy a newspaper and expecting change back is quite demeaning, as it undermines one's status and is a loss of face. Therefore, the remaining amount from the newspaper purchase naturally becomes the attendant's tip. Chen Qiang believes that by demanding a higher price, he is merely taking a share of the tip.

He glanced at the man in the long gown and thought that the other party must be someone who buys newspapers, so he asked: "Sir, there is news about the Northeast Middle East Railway here, would you like to take a look?"

The newspaper office that Chen Qiang went to is Chen Rujis, located in Anli.

All the sports venues are tightly closed, and every time he pushes the door, the cold sound always reminds him of insufficient points, rendering him unable to use them

Just after running a few steps, that cold voice suddenly echoed in Chen Qiang's mind

I had a dream, and it turned out that those sports venues were all just a dream! What a strange dream, it felt so real, as if I were there in person!

Old Shanghai had more than 30 newspaper offices, a fact that the Shanghai municipal government at the time may not have been aware of, but the Japanese certainly were. According to the investigation report by Sada Hirojiro, the head of the Japanese South Manchuria Railway Company, there were approximately 30 newspaper offices in Old Shanghai, each with its own territory, and they did not infringe upon one another.

At this time, Tanaka Giichi had already been dismissed from the position of Prime Minister by the Emperor, the reason being his contradictory explanations regarding the Mukden Incident, which in fact was merely a pretext. Tanaka Giichi had disrupted the political balance within Japan, and the Emperor along with the elder statesmen had long been dissatisfied with him, thus they found an excuse to remove him from office

Certainly, the retail price of "Shenbao" is four cents. Newspaper distribution companies generally purchase at a discount of 50% to 60% off the retail price, while selling to newsstands or newsboys at a discount of 75% to 80%. Based on the 80% calculation, Chen Qiang would need to spend three cents and two mills to acquire a copy of "Shenbao," selling it for four cents per copy, thus earning an eight-mill profit

For instance, the literary figure Wu Yu traveled from Beijing to Shanghai to visit his daughter, and the train ticket cost a total of 50 dollars, which was equivalent to the salary of an ordinary worker for two to three months. If we consider today's standards, the salary of an ordinary worker for two to three months would be sufficient to join a travel group to Europe or the United States, whereas at that time, it was only enough to cover the train ticket from Beijing to Shanghai

Chen Rujiji should be considered the largest newspaper distribution agency in old Shanghai at that time. They had two large sorting warehouses, where not only all the local newspapers from Shanghai could be found, but also newspapers from other places such as the "Ta Kung Pao" from Tianjin, the "Shijie Ribao" from Beiping, and the "Min Guo Ribao" from Guangzhou.

What on earth is this place! Chen Qiang felt somewhat frustrated, and he helplessly returned to the middle signpost, where he saw that one of the directions indicated the exit.

As he tucked the five cents into his pocket, Chen Qiang couldn't help but exclaim: "Indeed, knowledge is power! If I didn't know what was written in this newspaper, I would probably be unable to sell it."

In old Shanghai, there were two West Stations, one located in the Putuo District, and the other being the current Zhongshan Park Station of the subway. At that time, both of these were small stations with few passengers.

"Yes, the U.S. stock market has surged," Chen Qiang replied, which he had just read in the newspaper.

At this moment, the importance of literacy is highlighted. If a newsboy is illiterate, he cannot introduce the content of the newspapers to customers, which amounts to a form of selling without any promotion, essentially a "blind sale of newspapers"

Recently, the most prominent news has been the Middle East Road incident. At this time, the Soviet Union had just severed diplomatic relations with the Republic of China, and tensions between the Soviet Union and the Northeast Army were escalating, with the prospect of conflict looming. Consequently, major newspapers have been focusing their coverage on this aspect of the news

Chen Qiang roughly calculated in his mind that if all these newspapers could be sold, he would earn thirty cents after deducting the costs

In these times, although the world is not very peaceful, the past few years have not seen major natural disasters. As long as there are no war-torn areas, food production has generally been abundant. The impoverished common people still struggle to fill their stomachs, while large cities like Shanghai prioritize food supply. Furthermore, with the large-scale influx of European and American goods, competition has emerged among them, leading to price wars in an effort to seize market share. Therefore, the prices in Shanghai at the end of the 1920s were not considered high

Old Shanghai had more than one train station, among which the oldest is naturally the Old North Station. The building that currently houses the Shanghai Railway Museum is the Old North Station. To travel to Nanjing via the Huning Line, one must board the train here, and the North Station was also the most bustling train station in old Shanghai

After finishing the noodles, Chen Qiang jogged all the way to Chen Rujiji in Lian'an to purchase today's newspaper

However, the man in the long shirt remained dissatisfied with the news. He spoke up, saying: "I haven't bought American stocks, so their rise or fall has nothing to do with me. Is there anything else? I would like to hear some good news!"

"Newspaper for sale, newspaper for sale!" Chen Qiang shouted amidst the crowd

A little over one dollar's worth of newspapers was actually not much at all