Chapter 178: The Art of Language
"Hey, Mr. Goodman, who wrote Carter's speech? And those policies he proposed—were they your idea or Mr. Ginás's?"
While Carter was passionately painting a grand vision for the citizens of Pearson from the podium, Mayor Rebodine leaned over and nudged Goodman, who had come along with Carter. Rebodine's expression was a mix of admiration and amazement.
With the skill Carter showed in spinning such an enticing vision, it was like a little pig putting on a bra—layer after layer of clever appeals. The complex compensation structure, despite its convolutions, seemed to present a seamless path for the employees, making it appear deceptively easy to reach a $10,000 annual salary step by step.
Rebodine had done the math. Initially, employees freshly trained in Pearson would have only one skill, giving them $300 + $20 plus a $30 attendance bonus, totaling $350 per month. Over a year, that's:
$350 * 12 = $4200
He wasn't optimistic about the restaurant's initial net profits either. Assuming each employee could earn $25 monthly from performance bonuses, that would be $300 annually, bringing the total to $4500. For a ten-person restaurant, the monthly net profit would need to be at least $5000, quite a substantial figure for a fast-food restaurant.
Even then, the $4500 annual salary is far from the $10,000 mark, and when compared to other restaurants, it's not particularly competitive. High-end restaurants with wealthy clients naturally offer higher tips, which can significantly boost earnings.
Yet, Carter's presentation seemed to turn this modest salary into something extraordinary. The audience's enthusiastic response—cheers and applause—nearly drowned out Carter's attempts to quiet them with the microphone.
As he pondered whether the crowd had lost their minds or if their intelligence had collectively dropped, Rebodine couldn't help but admire the art of persuasion. Watching the young man on stage, who now wore a rueful smile as he tried to regain control, he added:
"If this kid ever goes into politics, I think Georgia might just produce another President Carter!"
"Haha, you're giving him too much credit, Mr. Rebodine! Carter has no interest in politics, at least not as far as I know. But yes, he is very smart and talented," Goodman responded, also watching Carter on stage with a proud smile. Remembering Carter's nervousness when he first stepped onto the stage, and now seeing the crowd cheering for him, Goodman felt a sense of accomplishment as if he had successfully completed a complex project.
"The speech, and indeed the entire policy framework, are primarily Carter's work. Mr. Ginás has been too busy to contribute much—he's been everywhere, coordinating with construction teams. And I've been equally swamped with banking and financial regulations, adjusting our business practices accordingly. I haven't been much help, just occasionally practicing with him."
"Remarkable, these young people nowadays," Rebodine mused. Besides admiration, he didn't know how else to describe what he was witnessing. If there was a term that could encapsulate Carter and his future, it would be the American Dream—a textbook example of it.
"Hey! Calm down, will you? Folks, this is the second time you've interrupted my speech, and I have a temper! Don't test me!" Carter's playful yet firm reprimand, delivered with a smile, only endeared him more to the crowd.
"Sorry, Mr. Black! Please don't dock my pay! Hahaha!" came a playful shout from the crowd, and the people settled down again. Carter finally got the chance to address the key points:
"The growth paths and promotion opportunities for employees will be discussed later, along with details for partners and franchisees. Now, let me introduce the partnership program we have prepared for our second category of partners!"
"This category I call small capital partners, primarily composed of restaurant owners of various sizes in Pearson. Of course, owners from other industries are also welcome to join us!"
"First, the cooperation model! HT adheres to the principle of joint operation. We make money together! We don't run direct stores or provide any resource advantages to so-called insiders. Every partner is our staunch ally!"
"If the market is a battlefield, you are the front-line commanders leading your soldiers in the charge. We, as the logistics department, will ensure timely, comprehensive, and stable support for all your needs during your campaigns."
"As for supplies and materials, I won't go into details. Let's focus on other supports, including but not limited to legal support, financial accounting, advertising, event planning, and managerial training."
Carter, feeling the momentum, took the microphone off its stand and walked to the front of the stage, dragging the long audio cable behind him. His poised figure was fully displayed before the audience's attentive eyes.
"Join us! You won't have to worry about monthly, quarterly, or annual tax calculations. We will provide free tax calculation and filing services!"
"Join us! You won't have to worry about malicious competition, complaints, false reports, or shameless copying. We will hire the most professional or the most tenacious lawyers to clear all obstacles for you! And yes, this service is free too!"
"Join us! You won't have to worry about attracting, retaining customers, or how to manage your store effectively! Every year, we will allocate no less than 10% of our net profit dividends to advertising and no less than 5% to customer marketing activities!"
"Join us! You won't have to worry about managing your store or high employee turnover! Every quarter, we will organize management skills training for store managers. During the training period, wages will be paid as usual, and travel, food, and accommodation expenses will be covered by HT!"
"But our money doesn't come from nowhere. Every free service represents real cash investments from HT! To ensure our mutual interests and achieve sustainable development goals, I've drafted a cooperation agreement outline with specific terms as follows:"