Chapter 430: The Doraemon Craze Begins
"Alright, let's start printing right away and release the next issue," Yang Wendong agreed. "It'll be good to see the market response. Otherwise, relying solely on the opinions of a few of us is never enough."
In literature and art, no one can predict success before a work is released. Unlike industrial products, which a few engineers can test and evaluate, the success of creative works is decided by the audience.
As a time traveler, Yang Wendong could only guarantee that the story would be engaging. But how far it could go—whether it would become a phenomenon—was still uncertain. After all, the details had changed, and even in his past life, many hit Japanese manga series had mediocre early performance. Plus, this wasn't Japan—it was Hong Kong. The cultural context was different, and the outcome still held variables.
Still, instinct told him Doraemon was bound to catch fire. In an era where entertainment choices were scarce, something just a little more interesting than usual could easily capture everyone's hearts.
"Understood. I'll notify the printing department to start immediately," Wu Hailin said. "The next issue of the weekly will be released on January 3rd in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Our current capacity is enough for the Chinese edition, but overseas editions may be delayed."
"No problem," Yang Wendong said. "A staggered release is fine. It gives us time to evaluate market feedback. If readers don't like a character or storyline, we'll have time to adjust."
Like novels, comics could always be revised. Jin Yong had revised his works multiple times. The versions people read in Yang Wendong's past life were far from the originals—they had been through many edits.
"Got it. We'll get right to it," Zhang Zhiyuan replied.
Soon enough, 1965 arrived.
At the Yang family villa, Bai Yushan and Su Yiyi were sitting with their child when they approached Yang Wendong and asked, "Brother Dong, what are you reading?"
"Nothing special—just glancing through some local news," Yang Wendong said with a smile. "It seems housing sales started to slow last month. Transaction volume is dropping, and now a lot of newspaper commentators are talking about it."
The emergence of Changxing Real Estate had undeniably impacted the Hong Kong housing market. Especially in the second half of 1964, when the group started selling off large holdings, it caused many people to hesitate, creating a wait-and-see sentiment.
Still, according to what Yang Wendong knew, the real trigger for the upcoming real estate crisis in Hong Kong was a run on Hang Seng Bank, which then triggered runs on several other Chinese banks. Even though the Hong Kong government would step in to contain the fallout, public confidence would still be shaken, and a tightening money flow would naturally impact property transactions.
But for Yang Wendong, that wasn't a concern. He had already liquidated his assets. As for when to buy back in, that had more to do with timing the bottom in 1967. And with the scale of capital he now controlled, he didn't need to wait for the absolute bottom—he just needed a good enough entry point. Whether selling or buying, large-scale capital movements always required time.
Bai Yushan nodded. "That's true. When I went back to visit my family, my father said the same—he was glad you warned him in time so he could sell off a bunch of properties."
"I reminded everyone close to us," Yang Wendong said. "Next time you go back, tell him not to try bottom-fishing too soon. Just watch what I do."
With the size of Changxing Real Estate's capital, any major move would be hard to conceal. When he sold off properties, half of Hong Kong had heard about it. But many people simply didn't believe his judgment. Overconfidence was a common problem—just like retail investors in the mainland stock market decades later.
"Got it," Bai Yushan smiled.
Yang Wendong turned to Su Yiyi. "Same goes for House of Serenity. Don't expand stores this year. Focus on stabilizing the clothing factory. If you can cut costs and keep quality consistent, I'll invest in overseas expansion and turn your brand into a global chain."
The core of chain stores was cost and quality. If you could maintain a high cost-performance ratio, then expansion was easy—just like Uniqlo in his past life. Capital only accelerated the process. Without strong fundamentals, throwing more money in just meant faster losses.
Su Yiyi nodded. "Sure. I'm not looking to expand anyway. We already have over a hundred stores—enough to cover most of Hong Kong."
"Still early," Yang Wendong shook his head. "Even Carrefour's future in Hong Kong won't be capped at 100 stores. A clothing brand has plenty of room to grow. Hong Kong's residential footprint will only continue expanding."
The baby boom of the 1940s and 1950s meant that by the late '60s and early '70s, there would be a surge in marriage and childbirth. Combine that with mass immigration, and Hong Kong's population would explode—fueling city development.
"Maybe," Su Yiyi smiled. "But I don't really have that kind of ambition."
"You don't, but what about your employees?" Yang Wendong said. "Once a company gains momentum, sometimes it's harder to stay still than to grow."
A business was like a ship—everyone's future was tied together. Even if the boss thought things were fine, employees might feel otherwise.
Of course, this applied mostly to businesses on the rise. Not every company could even catch a growth wave.
Su Yiyi nodded. "Yeah, a lot of my early employees are now looking to get promoted and earn more."
"Exactly. They won't complain about making too much money," Yang Wendong chuckled. "That's a good thing. Motivated employees mean a business has a future."
Changxing Group had long established a comprehensive salary and incentive structure. Generally speaking, their wages were higher than competitors'. That meant employees were motivated to keep their jobs.
And with rapid company growth, many of the early hires were already getting raises and promotions. That naturally encouraged everyone to support the company's expansion.
"Mm." Su Yiyi nodded again.
Yang Wendong added, "Today, Changxing Culture is launching its new comic series. I'm planning to visit a few bookstores in Central. You two want to come?"
"Sure," Bai Yushan said with a smile. Su Yiyi also nodded.
The three of them soon departed, following their security team into Central.
In an era without personal computers, bookstores were still thriving. Many people enjoyed reading—whether for leisure or education.
In front of one bookstore, quite a few people were browsing. The trio walked in and immediately saw a group of children gathered around a display of newspapers.
The store owner looked over and asked, "Looking for anything specific?"
"Just browsing," Yang Wendong replied.
"Oh, feel free then." The owner could tell from their tone that they weren't serious buyers and left them alone.
People who came in just to flip through books were common. As long as they weren't disruptive, bookstore owners didn't say much—even if they didn't particularly like these "time wasters."
Yang Wendong picked up a random book from a nearby shelf but kept his eyes and ears focused on the children, listening in on their conversations. As a grown man, he couldn't exactly walk over and start discussing kids' comics without drawing weird looks. Even in Japan, where otaku culture was widespread, most adult fans gravitated toward action or teen-focused manga.
"Doraemon is so cute!"
"How many gadgets does that pouch have? It's amazing! I wish I had one."
"The Anywhere Door is insane! If I had that, I'd never be late again."
"No, the Forgiveness Hat is even cooler. With it, no one can stay mad at me!"
Elementary and middle schoolers gave honest feedback. Doraemon's whimsical gadgets had sparked their imagination—it was clear from the way they spoke.
Bai Yushan, overhearing the kids, picked up a copy of the comic and skimmed through it. "Brother Dong, these gadgets are really creative."
"Of course," Yang Wendong smiled. "That's how you hook readers."
In fact, gadgets like the Anywhere Door and Forgiveness Hat were things Yang Wendong had specifically suggested early on. Not only were they iconic items he remembered from his past life, but they were also wildly popular with children.
Su Yiyi, peeking over the pages, looked amazed. "Wow… how did someone come up with this stuff?"
"By not worrying about logic," Yang Wendong chuckled. "Too much realism ruins fantasy. If you stop trying to explain everything, you can imagine anything."
Unlike wuxia or high fantasy stories, which required consistent internal logic, cartoons didn't need to make sense. The crazier the better. Kids didn't need logic—they needed wonder.
After putting the comic back, Su Yiyi said, "Looks like all the kids love this."
"Not just kids," Bai Yushan laughed. "Even I want to know what other gadgets Doraemon has!"
"Looks like this one's going to be a hit," Yang Wendong said with a smile.
This was the first manga adapted from a Japanese anime in his past life. A good story could shine in any era. Doraemon was one of those rare gems—something that could run for decades. Even when Yang Wendong was old, this comic could still be published, its characters forever ageless.
The next day, Zhang Zhiyuan and Wu Hailin came to Yang Wendong's office with beaming smiles.
"Mr. Yang," Zhang Zhiyuan said. "Yesterday afternoon and evening, bookstores and comic stands all over Hong Kong started calling us, asking for more stock. The moment Doraemon launched, it became a massive hit. Kids love it. We've already run out of supply."
"How many did we sell yesterday?" Yang Wendong asked.
"A total of 3,500 copies in Hong Kong alone," Zhang Zhiyuan replied. "Taiwan was the same. Demand was through the roof. We rushed out an emergency shipment last night, but we still might not keep up."
"Didn't we print in advance?" Yang Wendong asked.
"We did," Zhang Zhiyuan said, "but there were other printing tasks in the pipeline. And the current demand has far exceeded our expectations. We've already switched all machines to printing Doraemon. Hong Kong and Taiwan's supply is secure for now, but we'll have to delay overseas releases."
"Alright, prioritize Hong Kong and Taiwan," Yang Wendong nodded. "And keep expanding our colored printing equipment. Looks like we're going to be busy for a long time."
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