One Year Left to Play-Chapter 114 - 36: Starbucks’ Invitation
While chatting, the little girl suddenly interjected, "Dad, is he really good at playing basketball? Better than Kevin?"
Howard Schultz laughed, "Your brother is just a street-skilled amateur player, but Aix is the best high school basketball player in the world, and he’s already in the NBA."
"No wonder he’s as tall as a telephone pole; turns out he’s an NBA player." The little girl didn’t expect Zhang Hao to be so impressive.
Overall, the lunch was quite pleasant. Howard Schultz didn’t take Zhang Hao and Aprile Clark to a particularly upscale restaurant, as those places feel too distant. Instead, they went to a family restaurant with great food, a relaxed environment resembling a family banquet.
During dessert, Howard Schultz’s secretary brought in a few cups of coffee to the family restaurant. It wasn’t some high-end coffee, but coffee from the chain store Starbucks, the kind Zhang Hao and Aprile Clark usually buy. Most drinks are priced at $2.8, $3.8, and $4.8, and it has become the most popular coffee shop in the United States. Drinking coffee has turned into a habit for Americans because the coffee prices are similar to other beverages.
Feeling that they had chatted enough, Howard Schultz said to Zhang Hao, "Aix, this is the coffee from my family. I’m planning to open a chain coffee shop in China, specifically to produce and sell coffee to Chinese people. I’m looking for a business partner, and I’d like to invite you to participate..."
Starbucks, Howard Schultz... Zhang Hao then recalled the surname Schultz.
The future billionaire Starbucks boss, Howard Schultz!
Zhang Hao recalled that, if he was not mistaken, at the beginning of the new century, this big boss would buy the Seattle NBA team, the SuperSonics...
He also remembered an article where O’Neal regretted that when he first entered the NBA, because of his high college popularity, Starbucks wanted to collaborate with him to open chain coffee shops in black communities. O’Neal didn’t believe that black people would want to buy coffee, so he refused, because in the eighties, many black people still asked, "Why is coffee black? Is it a form of discrimination or a representation of whites drinking black people’s blood?" Then, in just two or three years, Starbucks spread throughout the black communities in the United States, selling even better than in the white communities because it was cheap.
Looking at the Jew in front of him, Zhang Hao knew that Jews are opportunistic. After a moment of silence, Zhang Hao asked, "Why choose me? I’m just a poor student who has just graduated from high school."
Starbucks has been a high-growth stock ever since it went public three years ago. Now, whenever ordinary people hear that Starbucks is seeking collaboration, even NBA players would be ecstatic. Howard Schultz knew that O’Neal had been seeing groups of black people going to buy coffee over the past two years and regretted it. It’s not the same as three years ago, before it was listed. He did not expect Zhang Hao to be so calm.
For Zhang Hao, earning money is very important, but it’s not the most important thing in his mind. Surviving is the most important, so he can stay calm in these situations.
After a quick thought, Howard Schultz said with a smile, "I’ll be straightforward with you: we need a representative in China who is well-known and can generate discussion to collaborate with us. Of course, we have many options, like Chinese entrepreneurs or celebrities.
However, aside from fame, we value character more. To be honest, Aix, if you readily agreed, I might hesitate, but you were so calm, I think you would make a great partner.
Also, the most important thing is that you have a good heart. You did not find it troublesome to help a lost little girl find her parents, only feeling comfortable leaving after ensuring she was safe..."
More emphasis on character? Zhang Hao thought the previous sentences were key points, that it was his fame and calm handling of the situation that made character so crucial later on.
Zhang Hao was weighing the pros and cons, thinking about the risks he would need to take... In his memory of the future, Starbucks would one day become the most famous chain coffee brand domestically, even becoming Starbucks’s largest market outside the United States. But there would definitely be risks, and he didn’t know what trouble might arise.
Seeing Zhang Hao remain silent, Howard Schultz probably didn’t know what Zhang Hao was thinking and assumed he had the same thoughts as O’Neal three years ago, thinking most Chinese people wouldn’t buy coffee. Howard Schultz had studied China and knew that tea is more popular there.
"Aix, you don’t need to rush to answer me. You can think about it first. Here’s my business card, Tony..." Howard Schultz handed a business card to Zhang Hao and then called out the secretary’s name.
The secretary brought out two gift boxes, which had been purchased when getting the coffee earlier.
"You must accept the gifts. They are two phones, making it easier to contact me when needed. This is to thank you for taking care of Le Lin." Howard Schultz’s tone made it clear that there was no option to refuse.
It’s reasonable for the CEO of a listed company to give a small gift as a thank you for helping take care of his daughter. Zhang Hao and Aprile Clark exchanged a glance, nodded, and accepted the gift. Without playing in the NCAA, they could accept gifts.
...
After that, they no longer talked about business and returned to basketball topics, such as predicting when the lockout would end and discussing Zhang Hao’s new season style. Finally, the lunch ended.
Howard Schultz arranged a car to send Zhang Hao and Aprile Clark back to the apartment.
After the car drove off, Aprile Clark couldn’t hold back anymore, "Aix, why didn’t you accept his offer? Collaborating with Starbucks!"
Earlier at the table, Aprile Clark didn’t dare to speak or ask at this point, but now that there were no outsiders, she finally asked.
"I didn’t exactly refuse him," Zhang Hao replied, organizing his thoughts before saying, "I also want to make more money, but I have to consider many things.
I know more about our country. Don’t be fooled by the news saying how fast our economy is growing; I know our country is growing fast, but a 10% growth on 100 yuan is far less than a 1% growth on 10,000 yuan, right?
So there’s no need to rush. Schultz is probably not in a hurry either; he’s only in the preparatory stages.
Also, to officially talk about this matter, I need to prepare by hiring people to conduct market research, find suitable agents, and lawyers. With the little money I earn, Schultz surely wouldn’t care. What he wants is not my investment but my Chinese identity and the fact that I’m the first Chinese NBA rookie.
He needs to partner with a Chinese person to open a company in China, and he might even get someone to bear the responsibility and potential risk... Even if everything else is fine, this kind of thing won’t bring any benefits to us in the short term, so there’s no rush at all..."
As she listened to Zhang Hao’s words, having just graduated high school like Zhang Hao, Aprile Clark didn’t expect Zhang Hao to think so far ahead.
However, Aprile Clark had never thought of Zhang Hao as stupid because his exam results were good, so even though Zhang Hao was usually a bit moody, they could still get along. Although it was usually the more mature Aprile Clark looking after Zhang Hao, Pierce being talkative, and Zhang Hao being silent with a knack for cutting in suddenly.
Hearing Zhang Hao’s analysis, Aprile Clark’s frustration with Zhang Hao’s decision began to fade. Clearly, Zhang Hao was thinking much further ahead than she was and had his plans ready.
There was no need to worry now. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
On another note, inside a villa in Los Angeles Beverly Hills, Howard Schultz gathered his closest partners to discuss the development of the Greater China market.
The topic of collaborating with Zhang Hao was mentioned.
Seeing that Howard Schultz seemed determined to implement the decision to enter the Chinese market, Howard Behar, the newly appointed president of Starbucks North America, asked, "Are you serious? China is so poor, with an average income in the capital of just over a hundred. Is it necessary to value it so much? It’s not like a large country means profit. Didn’t you try the Soviet Union market and fail?"
