Zhang Tianxing saw the establishment of the Crayfish Association, but realized that only having crayfish recipes was not enough.
He still needed to find ways to enhance the visibility of crayfish.
How to improve visibility?
Right, it had to start from the cultural aspect, to imbue crayfish with new cultural connotations.
Only things with substance have stories, and with stories, they will win over the market.
Zhang Tianxing cleared his throat, "Everyone, we are gathered here today, and the establishment of the Crayfish Association signifies that we are a whole. From now on, we will promote crayfish and spread crayfish culture."
"Chairman Zhang, you are the youngest among us here, but we all agreed to elect you as chairman. You must bear the responsibility of this position."
"That's right. While spicy crayfish was your idea, and even though you wrote this book, 'A Complete Collection of Crayfish Recipes,' I'm not entirely convinced about your position as chairman."
Oh, finally someone stepped forward. A soldier who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier.
Similarly, members of an association who don't want to be chairman are like salted fish. This seems reasonable too.
Zhang Tianxing hoped that the people working with him would be a pack of wolves, not a flock of sheep.
Wolves travel a thousand miles to eat meat, while dogs travel a thousand miles to eat excrement. Zhang Tianxing didn't want the Crayfish Association he painstakingly established to have no initiative.
Otherwise, it would eventually fall into the hands of others, and he certainly didn't want to work hard for nothing only to make clothes for someone else.
"Does anyone else have any objections? If you do, please voice them directly. I'm an open person, I speak my mind, and I say what I mean. The reason I established the Crayfish Association is to make the crayfish market bigger and stronger. Who wouldn't want to earn a little more?"
"Young and inexperienced, your actions are unreliable, Boss Zhang. After all is said and done, it comes down to results. Your Zhang Ji Barbecue is booming, and your crayfish restaurant is also doing well. But can you lead us to success?"
"Exactly, Boss Zhang. Give us a plan. I've read your recipe book, and it's truly excellent. But speaking for myself, if you can come up with another winning idea, I, Zhang the Butcher, will support you."
Hearing their demands, Zhang Tianxing smiled. It was good that they had spirit. With spirit, it meant they all had ideas about the crayfish market, and this market was more promising than they imagined.
"My plan is very simple. Didn't we collect membership fees? Let's use a portion of those fees to host a crayfish essay contest. We'll invite the Zhonghai Daily as a partner and also invite renowned writers as judges."
Zhou Fuqing's eyes lit up upon hearing Zhang Tianxing's words, "That's a great idea, but it will be a bit difficult to execute, mainly finding judges."
"Ah, with money nowadays, you can invite judges. We're not saying we won't pay them. Besides, this matter will help promote our Yangcheng and also serve as publicity for Zhonghai City, so I believe the authorities will support us."
The few who had been clamoring earlier were now silent. They had spoken up earlier to compete for the chairmanship, but they hadn't expected Zhang Tianxing to have so many ideas. They decided to wait and see Zhang Tianxing's capabilities.
Putting aside 'A Complete Collection of Crayfish Recipes,' this essay contest alone was something they hadn't thought of.
Currently, the biggest drawback of crayfish was its lack of cultural depth. Crayfish is an invasive species.
This is a disadvantage, so they needed to find beautiful and fitting phrases for crayfish in ancient Chinese poetry.
Otherwise, it would be impossible for crayfish to be listed among top delicacies.
Zhang Tianxing glanced around, "If everyone has no objections, then I, your junior, will temporarily serve as the first chairman of the Crayfish Association."
Zhou Fuqing led the applause. Zhang Tianxing's performance had greatly satisfied him. The sudden popularity of crayfish was not accidental. With Zhang Tianxing, crayfish would surely become popular sooner or later. And when Zhang Tianxing went to college, those present would all be veterans.
After all, the recipe was proposed by Zhang Tianxing, and the scaling of crayfish was also proposed by Zhang Tianxing. It seemed Zhang Tianxing was developing his own crayfish farming and was controlling the crayfish industry. A person like this as chairman would surely lead to prosperity.
Among those present, many desired the position of chairman, but they lacked the capability.
They were completely in the dark about the development and future of crayfish, so they were prepared to let Zhang Tianxing pave the way.
Once the Crayfish Association could operate normally, Zhang Tianxing, a mere youth who still had to go to college, how long could he remain the association's director?
"How much should the first prize money be set at?" Zhou Fuqing asked.
"Five thousand. This is our first event, and we must make a name for ourselves! It's just that our funds are tight. If they weren't, I'd even want to offer ten thousand," Zhang Tianxing said helplessly.
Even the most skilled cook cannot cook without rice. In this era, everything begins with difficulty. Everything starts from nothing and grows. It has to be done step by step. Doing everything perfectly at once is impossible!
Zhang Tianxing had already prepared for a long-term plan. He had no idea how big the crayfish cake could eventually become.
Zhang Tianxing and Zhou Fuqing directly contacted the Zhonghai Daily and explained their ideas and requirements.
The Zhonghai Daily agreed. After all, it only involved providing a few judges, allowing some scholars and experts to earn some money, and it would be a highlight for their year-end review. It was a win-win situation.
However, Zhang Tianxing had a condition, "We hope that the award-winning works can be published in the newspaper and periodicals. This is to prevent some mediocre works from being submitted. In this way, the award-winning works will have the qualification to be published, and their quality will undoubtedly be guaranteed."
This request was not excessive, and the Zhonghai Daily also wanted to expand its influence.
The Zhonghai Daily soon published the announcement for the "Crayfish Cup" essay contest. Additionally, they advertised it on the radio and television.
This sparked widespread discussion among the public, mainly due to the generous prize money.
In this era of material scarcity, five thousand yuan was undoubtedly an astronomical sum.
On a street in Zhonghai City, a middle-aged man was walking.
In his hand was a returned letter. This was the sixty-seventh time.
Sixty-seven consecutive rejections had driven Tian Ruyi to the brink of despair. Could he really make a living from literature?
Why were his articles repeatedly rejected? He had submitted to so many places, yet there was no news of acceptance.
It seemed he needed to find a job. He couldn't work without a job; his family was waiting for food.
He couldn't continue writing what he considered literary works anymore. His family was starving.
Just then, he heard the broadcast: "Yangcheng Crayfish Association is holding the first Crayfish Essay Contest. The first prize is five thousand yuan..."
Hearing this, Tian Ruyi gritted his teeth, "This is the last time. I'll try one last time. If it's not successful, I'll find a factory and work as a screw assembler."
A sunny young man was running in the yard. Upon hearing the broadcast, he let out a light laugh.
"My Chinese language exam score for the college entrance examination wasn't perfect. It seems my writing still has some room for improvement. It's a good opportunity to participate in the Crayfish Cup essay contest and see how good I am, and also earn some pocket money."
Similar scenes were unfolding in various places. In this era, there were only around three hundred people nationwide who made a living from writing.
However, most people harbored a dream of literature, and countless individuals strived for it, shedding their sweat. Perhaps they wouldn't succeed, but they wouldn't give up trying.