#order from foreign brands easily

[buy4meshop]

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Final Thoughts 

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[luvnami]

shinazugawa sanemi is NOT the love interest of my dream office romcom! - chapter 5 (let me)

an | been struggling to continue this series, i’ll do my best to see it to completion, though >< more notes at the end, find the masterlist here cw/wc | emotionally unavailable!sanemi, dead dad mention, mdni (18+), 1.9k+

It’s hard to forget you’re on a work trip when Shinazugawa is extremely anal. Moreso about ticking off every item on your project checklist, and less so about actual sodomy. It starts with him insisting you take a million photos of Kaiji Beach, one of the few places in the world where star-shaped sand exists. Okay, maybe not a million, more like a hundred, but it’s enough for you to get annoyed because all Shinazugawa does is stand to the side and bark orders at you. 

“The lighting changes depending on the angle of the photo, so make sure you get it all,” he yaps. 

Does he think you’re some kind of professional photographer? You only learned how to angle your phone for the perfect mirror selfie just last year so that you can avoid that cringe 45 degree Millennial phone tilt. You’re busy trying not to overheat under the Okinawa sun (although it’s autumn and the weather isn’t that unbearable, you would rather not be standing in the middle of an open beach) as Shinazugawa has his hands on his hips, the wind tousling his fluffy hair. 

You wonder what would happen if you shove Shinazugawa into the sea. He’d flail his arms and fall face-first, getting his white linen shirt soaked through to the skin. You hope he knows how to swim in knee-deep water – you’d hate having to deal with a court case of first degree manslaughter, à la perverted desire to see his chest and abs sticking to the wet shirt like some sort of cologne advertisement. 

Once he’s decided you’ve taken enough photos of the beach, Shinazugawa insists you squeeze onto a water buffalo cart with some overly eager foreigners. The water buffalos were originally used in Okinawa for farming and transporting goods, but now it’s more of a tourist attraction.

If you had a choice, you’d be perfectly content observing the cart from the sidelines, but you prefer keeping your head on your neck, so you oblige. While Shinazugawa gets seasick, you’re easily carsick. It takes all of you to not barf on the lap of the stranger sitting opposite you in the cramped vehicle. Each bump the cart rolls over makes everyone sway side to side like the pendulum of a grandfather clock. 

Your shoulders bump into Shinazugawa’s and you sit with your back hunched to make the contact seem less on purpose, more accidental. It makes you think about your knees touching earlier on the flight, giving you something else to focus on besides the fact that you haven’t eaten since you touched down, and that your empty stomach isn’t helping your carsickness. You really don’t want to vomit in front of Shinazugawa. You spend each second counting the next one that passes, fingers curled into tight fists. 

You’re so queasy that you don’t notice Shinazugawa’s ears turning comically pink. He’s so close that he can smell your perfume and it’s making him heady in the best way possible. He squeezes his eyes shut, grounding himself as he thinks about the most unsexy thing he possibly can to stop the blood from rushing to the extremes of his body. Somehow he starts thinking of his dead father. He sobers up real fast after that. 

You barely have time to collect yourself once you stumble off the water buffalo cart, because Shinazugawa trudges ahead to Kondoi Beach, a few minutes walk away. You follow after him like a newborn deer, knees knocking together. You curse and shake your fist at Shinazugawa’s broad back. Oh, if only he wasn’t built like a Greek god. It’d make hating him so much easier. 

You hope Shinazugawa trips over a rock and eats shit. 

He wonders what brand of the perfume you’re wearing, and how to casually bring it up in a conversation. 

Kondoi Beach is the only swimmable spot on Taketomi Island. Shinazugawa’s sins are forgiven as you gape at the light blue waters that stretch as far as the eye can see. It’s beautiful – an endless mirror that reflects the blue of the sky. You start snapping photos before Shinazugawa starts badgering you all over again. The water is so clear that you can see the fine, white sand that makes up the shoreline, and you’re eager to dip your feet in. A pleasant breeze cools your skin. 

You kick off your shoes and step into the water, curling your toes into the damp sand. The cold water rolls over your feet and licks at your ankles, then shies away back into the sea. There aren’t as many people as there were on the Kaiji Beach. You and Shinazugawa are practically the only people in the vicinity, with a family playing in the sand a distance away. 

“It’d be nice to swim here.” Shinazugawa suddenly appears behind you. 

You jolt, nearly dropping your phone in the water. Jeez. Jumpscare, much.

“Well, you could. I’m not stopping you.” You shrug. ��You might as well take the chance since we’re here.”

Shinazugawa waddles into the water next to you. He’s thrown off his shoes somewhere near yours, and watches as the water crashes over his feet. Excited giggles of the family ring through the air. 

“I would, but I forgot to bring a towel.”

He seems forlorn and you feel a twinge of pity.

“You brought your swimsuit, but not a towel?”

Shinazugawa nods silently like a child being reprimanded. He even goes as far to dig around in his tote bag and pull out his swim shorts. They’re plain and black, doing nothing much for your wild imagination. You put a hand over your mouth to stop the laugh that nearly escapes you. The almighty Shinazugawa Sanemi forgot to bring a towel to the beach, is sad about it, and is showing you his boring swim shorts. It’s so silly that you’re at a complete loss for words. Shinazugawa busies himself with folding the short back into a compact square.

“Should we take a break here? We’ve visited the more important spots today, we can finish up the rest tomorrow,” you suggest. 

Shinazugawa agrees. The last place that you need to photograph would be the sunset on Nishi Pier, but there’s still another hour till then. You step out of the water and dump your bag on the sand. 

“Do you want to sit down? You can use my shorts so that you don’t get sand on yourself.” Shinazugawa offers you his swim shorts again. The pure innocence on his face makes you feel bad if you don’t accept his humble offering, so you thank him and spread his shorts out so that you can sit on the sand. What the actual fuck? You watch Shinazugawa venture back into the water, rolling his pants up so that he can wade in a little further. The sand starts to crust around your feet and ankles. 

It’s an odd gesture, but a thoughtful one, you suppose. You don’t know what other situation would have Shinazugawa offering you his shorts. You’re a little puzzled. Maybe the Okinawa air’s good for irritable people. He’s much more appeasable than in the office, and had only snapped at you once today – all because you lost your footing while running in the sand on Kaiji Beach, although it was out of concern more than anything else.

You use a hand to shade your eyes and stare at the invisible horizon across the sea. Strange. You don’t hate it (the ocean or Shinazugawa? You don’t want to answer).

Shinazugawa splashes around in the water for a little longer till he gets bored. He collapses on the sand next to you and lets his feet dry off, wrinkling his nose at the sand that sticks uncomfortably to his skin. You have your legs stretched out in front of you. Shinazugawa keeps his eyes focused on a single grain of sand that rests on his right shin, gathering what little restraint he has left to not indulge in imprinting the image of your bare legs in his mind. 

There was one post you blogged about that made Shinazugawa embarrassingly hard (yes, hard. Forgive a man for having manly desires). It was some sort of oral scene, and the protagonist had their legs wrapped around their partner’s head. He thought about your thighs caging his ears, the heat of your cunt on his tongue, and gripping your hips till they bruised. That is exactly why Shinazugawa cannot look at your legs for the life of him, because he’ll end up dreaming about that exact position all over again. 

“It’s really nice here, huh?” he croaks out. 

You glance at him. You can’t figure out why Shinazugawa is staring at the sand like it’s the most interesting thing in the world, but you’re not brave enough to ask, either. 

“Yeah. It is.”

After a while more of awkward silence, you shake the sand off your legs and return the swim shorts to their rightful owner. The both of you spend the rest of the time cycling around the island till the sun starts to sink below the sky and you arrive at Nishi Pier, famous for its beautiful sunset view. The island is far quieter in the evening with most of the day-trippers gone. 

You trot across the pier, coming to a stop where seawater laps at the edge. The sun’s almost disappeared and you’ve taken enough photos to get a memory space warning on your phone. The last of the warm, orange light makes the glassy water look like an expanse of molten gold, and you let the sound of the crashing waves overwhelm you for a few seconds. 

Your mind empties. You don’t think about work, about writing, about anything at all. It’s tranquil – even if just for that quarter of a minute. The peace barely lingers before you start worrying about the rat race you’ll return to on Monday, the crowded trains and bright city lights, the office full of printers churning out copies and colleagues begging their clients in that high-pitched customer service voice. 

It’s inevitable. Maybe things could be different in another life. You’d live in a castle full of riches and jewels, be a demon-fighting hunter in the Taisho era, or have thousands of fans fawning after you on social media. Instead, you’re a carbon copy of every other working adult in Tokyo, slaving away in a cubicle that feels like a jail cell and living in a one-bedroom apartment that you can’t exactly call home. 

Monday. You’ll ride the packed train, write your stuffy report about Okinawa, eat the same sandwich from the convenience store, get scolded by Shinazugawa, then rinse and repeat the whole cycle again the next day. 

There’s no escaping it. Not now, at least, while your savings account barely has anything in it and your insurance policies are less than a decade in motion. You’ll live a life of dirty dishes in the sink, a laundry basket that piles high a day after it's empty, and dust that gathers on your shelves no matter how many times you clean it. Days bleed into weeks and seasons end before you realise. Repetition’s supposed to be comforting, not mundane, though you suppose there’s a fine line between those two definitions. 

You open your eyes. The sun has fully set and the island is dark, save for the house lights that glow from curtained windows. 

Maybe one day you’ll have a life where time feels like it’s worth passing. 

You turn back to Shinazugawa, who's waiting for you at the end of the pier. He watches you walk back to him and he tightens his grip on his phone, a single picture of you engulfed by the setting sun locked away in his gallery. 

He wears an unreadable expression. 

“Dinner?”

The wind tickles your cheeks. 

“Yeah, dinner.”

Shinazugawa gives you a small smile and you forget to breathe.

an | inspiration for this chapter was taken from this video, you can see all the locations mentioned in the okinawa arc :) the swim short situation was inspired by a friend’s first date, where the date wanted to swim at the beach nearby but he forgot to bring a towel. he also offered his swim trunks to my friend to sit on so she wouldn’t get her pants dirty. some men are insane, but also funny i guess.

[osamucide]

⊹ YOU CAN BE THE BOSS

ACT I: HE HAD A CIGARETTE WITH HIS NUMBER ON IT.

wc: 3.1k

cw: alternate universe, pm boss!dazai, pm+gn!afab!reader, alcohol, cigarettes, implied/referenced drug use, canon-typical violence and referenced violence, implied/referenced ilicit activities including but not limited to prostitution, extortion, drug dealing, and fraud, kind of exposition heavy+not proofread sorry, more specific chapter warnings to come with each

reid: after losing almost all of it, chapter one is here! i hope you enjoy - im excited for whats to come. do let me know where you see this going, and if you'd liked tagged <3

⊹ SCENE I: He gave it over to me, “Do you want it?”

You consider it with an interest masked well-enough by years of practiced stoicism. If there’s one thing the mafia has taught you, it’s to never give anything up easily—not your money, not your body, not your time, not your interest. But the end of the filter touts a brand you've never heard of before, and the man who holds it in your direction, hands deceivingly delicate, is almost too well-known to you.

You are already smoking a cigarette of your own (albeit a brand likely far cheaper and less foreign), but then you spot the writing. A phone number.

Your eyes flick up to his. Dark. Dark as the night you stand in on the rooftop. The lights from the LED floor below, twitching with color, paint him deep red for a moment.

You bow only slightly, as smoothly as you can—that was the first thing you probably should've done, would’ve done if you weren’t a few cocktails deep, but the smirk already on his face—one you knew for a fact you’ve never seen through his own rehearsed mask throughout all the years you’ve worked for him—just cracks deeper.

"Boss," you address him, shuffling your drink into the same hand as your lit smoke before reaching to take the unlit invitation. "Need me to run it?" The number, you mean. Regardless of what implications are initially prompted by a phone number, you settle it on taking it as he needs it traced immediately, and you need to settle on something before you start stuttering at where the nuances of this seconds-long interaction have taken your silly little brain so far. You were mostly on the ground, giving up time and other things when and where you needed in order to get what you wanted—what you needed, and more importantly what the Port Mafia needed, but you'd skulked around intelligence enough to know standard prodecure, and right now you have, at the very least, your personal device and your work phone on you. You were nearby. He had a job for you. For someone. For anyone. That's all.

"No, no," he speaks in a cadence like a fairy jumping from one cloud to another as he taps his own smoke out of the pack. He feels his pockets and looks to you. "My personal phone number. Light?”

Oh, you almost verbalize it, but you're tucking the information in your shirt pocket so quickly and absentmindedly at the following command (if you could even call it a command—it's more a request, but anything he might ask of you, especially directly, certainly holds the weight of a command) before scrambling for your lighter. Any assignment you might be sent on would regularly be passed from him to one of the executives to a subexecutive to your division leader to you, never skipping those middlemen. You hardly ever met with the man who employed you throughout your years at the Port—you could count on less than one hand the times you had—so you look to him, confused, as you open a flame for him, but he just leans forward, dark eyes lit and melted brown for a single second as he cups a lithe hand around the end of the cigarette and puffs, puffs, silently. He almost looks like a kid. Not a god. Just a twenty-something in some club lights. But he is, indeed, more than that, you know. The first bit of smoke flies toward your face. You feel the need to step back, but he does first.

That relaxed, cryptic half-smile returns as he nods his thanks.

You bow again, so shallowly it feels like a crime—even, or maybe especially, among the company you're in—before you can flinch at the realization of where you are, what you're doing, who exactly is in front of you.

You drink often, sure, but clubbing is a luxury, and clubbing in one of Yokohama's most exclusive rooftop lounges is even more rare to come by, but the Port had recently made consequential strides in swaying a legislation to expand on both the individual and business rights of ability users, and the boss—the very man in front of you, who used successes like this as an excuse to get fucked up just as much as anyone else in the organization—is now putting his subexecs as well as his political allies and prospects up in hotels, buying them hundred-thousand yen bottles of wine, hooking everyone up with the best drugs for the low, showing his fucking face and painting himself as best businessman he can possibly be and if you're honest, the subtlety so coy it's almost theatrical and that sick little smile he wears would’ve worked on you if you weren’t so lost. He's notoriously cunning, always had been, even when he was young. His displays of grandeur, penchant for the dramatic—you certainly wouldn’t be alone in saying it only makes him more terrifying.

You're going to chalk it up in your liquor-fuzzed brain to just that—the fuzz of the liquor. But he doesn't seem especially intoxicated, nor has he done anything especially attention-stealing, and yet, here you are, lips parted for words as you watch a ring of smoke curl around him. You feel stupid for thinking he’s ever looked in your direction before this moment. Maybe he doesn't even realize you're one of his employees.

But no, all of what he does, and this you know about him, even if you're unsure what he knows about you, none of it is without motive. So you wonder what his aim is here.

“Pardon me, sir,” you continue, slowly, mindful that your tongue might be a little loose. Not like you socialized with many people on occasions such as this, let alone your boss. The boss. “But for what?”

He looks briefly as if he doesn't hear you. With his face turned to the sky and the filter on his lips, you do your best not to stare. The lights are not doing his sharp features any disservice.

“To call me.”

You wind yourself tight so you don't reel. He says it so casually; he examines the smoke between his fingers like it's an expensive piece of jewelry. A tremble threatens you. You're glad he's still turned to the stars. A pull off your cigarette, a sip of your drink. An inaudible sigh of amazement. Confusion.

The world becomes red from below again as his eyes slide back to yours.

“You’ll call me,” his voice softens in a way that catches you off-guard more than anything else he’s done thus far, “right?”

You try to recount everything you’ve done over the past few years. Surely this isn’t a ploy, right? Your loyalty to the Port is virtually unwavering. If you’d done anything wrong, you weren’t aware of it. In fact, you pride yourself on how many fingers you still have compared to how many you've seen cut off at the first knuckle. Still, he was famed in his youth for his capability to torture without mercy. You’ve seen plenty, but even you hate to imagine some of the things you've heard.

Your pounding pulse registers in your consciousness; you've pinched the filter of your cigarette so long that it’s gone out. What can you say? Or rather, what can’t you say? You must look exceptionally thoughtful in the lifetime-long space of the half-second it actually takes you to respond because, really, whether you want to or not, whether it dragged anxiety up your throat, you would do it anyway. How are you supposed to say no to the man in front of you, the leader of the Port Mafia, or worse—lie and not follow through? That itself might warrant some sort of accusation. Some sort of trouble you don't want. If you knew for a fact it was that, truthfully, you would've thrown yourself at his feet like a dog and began apologizing immediately.

But no, this would be roundabout, even for him. He's extravagant, but he's mechanical, too. A grandiose machine. He could shoot you between your eyes right now and maintain his balance, his image, whatever he wants. If he wanted you dead, you suppose you wouldn’t be standing against the rooftop railing with the sweat of your drink dripping through your fingers. So you answer, dutifully.

“Yes, sir.”

And in your good training you even raise the corners of your lips to mirror his. A defensive move away from a man you should probably feel safer with than you do. Your boss. The boss.

Defensive. For what?

Cryptic. He smiles again, vacant and chilling. You can only hope you hold enough of an air to match.

And he disappears back into the pulsing nightlife as wordlessly as he’d emerged from it. Only after he's gone do you let yourself look aghast. Your lips, slightly parted. Your smoke, tamped. The ice in your drink watering it down. Your eyes unfocused. You feel suddenly more drunk, and you didn’t know if it's for better or for worse.

It isn't really complicated—the reason you're with the mafia. You're resilient and hardworking and you're too aware that traditional routes of employment are decreasingly offering security to honest people with drive anymore and all the more, honestly, you’ve been slipping through the cracks for as long as you can remember. Although you have scars to show for it and a list of dirty laundry to do each week, the Port has yet to steer you wrong. Your integrity is celebrated. You justify a whole hell of a lot of what you do by telling yourself it isn’t all bad—the legislation that would come to pass soon, for example, largely thanks to the influence of the leaders of your faction, would benefit more gifteds around Yokohama—throughout Japan, even—than just those in the mafia. You understand yourself as a common person doing what you need to get by, and really, who wasn't? Your work gets done with the interest of the unfortunate majority you've always been a part of in mind, more than any stuffy office job could ever claim to be.

And your boss, for as horrifying of a man as he's known to be, runs an operation that's put more money in your pocket in the last few years than working your way up the ladder of some miserable corporate office would in a lifetime. You're comfortable. Safe, by your own standards. Happy, even, after your few and fair promotions within your division over the years.

Happy as you can be, anyway. And maybe that’s what this is: another promotion, if it wasn't an invitation to get your ass beat on your personal time. Everything about either of those seems more likely than an opportunity to get anywhere near him on equal ground or whatever lit up in your brain at first before you shoved it down, turned it off like the good soldier you are. Your stomach twists either way. You imagine your name after the title division leader.

So you’ll call him. But right now, you down the rest of your drink and seek out the bar—the open bar which he had paid for for the entire night—sure to tumble yourself into overserved territory with one more.

"Same thing." You waggle your empty glass at the bartender as one of your divisionmates stumbles to your side, drink of her own empty in her hand.

Her name is Iyomi, and you've had enough amicable interactions with her to consider her a friend. Maybe that's stupid in the mafia; it certainly goes against your original philosophy—from some years ago when you were younger and maybe even more jaded than you were now—which was that you were here to fly solo, get your work done, stay quiet, and find time to repair the parts of yourself you had so long sought the stability in order to do. But you're older now—still jaded, undoubtedly, but you've lost that certain determination that's only available to the youth; anymore, you feel a hopelessness about you that grows like a tumor, and it makes things difficult to take seriously. You're dying, and so is everyone, and that's why you will let yourself get so wasted tonight. Your bartender slides your glass back to you, and Iyomi latches onto your arm.

"Is that—was—were you just talking to the boss?" She slurs loudly and incredulously, and you hush her, hush her, laugh because you can't help it, hush her again. She moves on soon enough; she's swaying, flagging down the bartender, complaining that she hasn't been able to find her friend and her drinks have not been strong enough all evening, but even in the state you're in, you consider motioning for someone to fill her glass with water instead of whatever neon blue concoction she's been downing.

When you shuffle back to your post on the railing to light another cigarette (not the one with the number on it, pointedly), Iyomi follows you like a loyal dog. It's a bit endearing, how you're seasoned enough in your work that newer recruits tend to look up to you—people like Iyomi soften your stony heart a bit, so you let her start up again.

"That's—I don't think I've ever even spoken to him, like, ever—like, what was he—bleh!" She waves your smoke away from her face as it stings her eyes and puts a few inches between you; granted, she was falling all over you. You can't help your smile.

"It was nothing. Tell you the truth, I think he's as drunk as the rest of us," you said. You remind yourself to relax a little to avoid incrimination on behalf of your shaking hands. You could probably play it off as the nicotine, but Iyomi's too plastered to notice anyway.

"So strange!" she giggles, adopting your pose—elbows rested on the rail, feet crossed at the ankle. "Anyway, I saw Akane dancing with one of Nakahara's subexecs, and I wasn't gonna say anything but I think they left together and I..."

She continues to chatter in the sweet voice of hers, and you scan the rooftop for any sign of the boss. He's disappeared. It was about the time of the night (or morning, rather) when people were doubling over sick, passing out in their VIP seating, damning themselves to a tomorrow of work with a thrumming hangover. You decide you'll help yourself to a few more drinks, maybe dance with Iyomi, and then go home. The cigarette in your suit jacket pocket is heavy like a gun.

⊹ SCENE II: . . . I knew it was wrong, but I palmed it.

If you're honest—which you are often, as previously established (your correspondence with Iyomi last night aside)—you can't remember getting back to your apartment.

You remember very well talking to the boss. You remember agreeing to call him. You remember smoking cigarette after cigarette until you finally did leave, but the leaving itself is blurry—you think you'd walked most if not all the way back if your sore calf muscles were anything to go by, but you end up fishing a crumpled train ticket out of your jacket pocket the next morning with the cigarette.

The cigarette. You let it roll side to side in your palm before it settles.

The writing is less than neat, but impressive enough for obivously being done on the tubing after it was rolled. Treasurer is what the filter reads, beneath an elegant printed seal. Unknown brand of pen ink disregarded, you briefly wonder about the monetary value of the thing in your hand. He's daunting to you—the boss and all his wealth and influence, even in the privacy of your home.

After tucking it neatly between two books on the decorative table near your slider, you shake the feeling and go about your day.

It's less than notable. You run into colleagues who were shitfaced just six hours ago. Some are very obviously still hopped up on something. You flash your teeth and play nice with everyone, just as always, despite the slight headache thumping at the inside of your skull. You're usually never achy after a night of indulging—it had to be all those damn cigarettes you smoked.

You do your little to-do's. You go represent your division at a meeting in a bar with your branch's subexec, and you're surprised to see the executive your division falls under there—her name is Koyou, and she's a stunning woman with scarlet hair and a voice that's always set you slightly on edge. She never says much, and this meeting is no different; she nods, she hums, she drinks a glass of wine and speaks a total of seven words before you're dismissed. You follow up with your division leader on the meeting—routine reporting, monthly headcount, housecleaning—as well as some paperwork about a small foreign syndicate your division had been assigned to sniff out. Everything's in order and nothing's come of the group. Not yet, anyway. Everyone's in good spirits in light of the recent private endorsement. Your overtime pay could increase soon enough, so it's enough to keep you regarding your associates with pleasantries throughout the day.

And you get home, unreasonably tired from scampering around the bars the rest of the evening. You had little to drink, only one at each, but you're warm enough and your headache's disappeared completely and you remember the cigarette on your little table.

The sliding door leads out to a balcony—a modest one, but it allows you to recline with a smoke, so it's all you'll ever need.

You're seated when you glare down the number again. Your pack is on the little table—the one outside, almost identical to the one just inside your door but more built for withstanding the elements—but you punch the number into your contacts and snatch up your lighter before you can wonder if the next day is too soon. Or, if any longer would lack punctuality and respect for the boss's time. Or what this is at all. What are you doing?

You almost feel stupid again as your thumb hovers over the "call" button. This is something you will have to face. This is something you will have to do. Isn't it?

You stick the filter of the Treasurer between your lips and flick your lighter. The 0 at the end of the number goes up in ash.

And it rings.

It rings a few times, and you don't expect anything other than that from here on out. In fact, through your first puff off this exquisite tobacco, you resign yourself to lowering all your expectations for this. You're nervous in one way, but you're dying in another. Maybe either your hands are holding the thing that'll do it. Whatever. You're tipsy enough. It's nighttime and no one can see you but God.

You're ashing the Treasurer into your tray as the line clicks and your name is spoken in a voice you can't mistake. One that, too, sets you on edge. But you play the part right now, for no one but yourself. Maybe for God.

"Boss," you respond, softly, dutifully. Your smoke dissipates on the quiet breeze.

"I'm glad you called."

[amu-brain-dump]

🎤 top five crisps and/or top five chocolate bars

Alright so this has been unreasonably difficult 😩 and because of that I'm gonna rant.

1. Bugles 3D / the rest in no particular order: Munchitos original, Pringles tortilla nacho cheese, Cheetos pelotazos (football), Lays campesinas

Bugles 3D have been my favourite since I can remember, and I'm talking about the original cheese & bacon flavour. Nowadays there are more flavours that are still good but nothing compares with the OG. And the shape is so much fun!

I was debating including these ones because this is basically doxxing myself, but whatever I don't live there anymore and there are 7 islands anyway 🤣 Munchitos is a regional brand of crisps from the Canary Islands, Spain where I grew up. These are incidentally my sister's favourites too. At first glance there is nothing special about them, typical original salted crisps every brand has but these are different. They're huge (when not broken xD) like half of the size of my palm, and they have a very light and crunchy texture, more so than other crisps I've had. Also, very addictive.

Cheetos really knows what's good when talking about crisps, but these ones are out of this world amazing. Cheese flavour and very dusty, they're all crunchy and since they're small balls you can put so many in your mouth at once 😁

Pringles made a mistake discontinuing the Tortilla series, they were all bomb especially the nacho cheese ones. Much more flavour than the regular plain Pringles in my opinion. I still like the regular flavours but if the day comes where they bring these back I'm gonna restock like in a zombie apocalipse

Lays campesinas (translates to countryside, rural kind of thing) taste like tomato and pepper and herbs... It's a very homey kind of taste that I have not found in any other crisps unfortunately. It's a bit hard ro explain because I haven't had them is a long time.

At this point is more a sad joke than anything but it is very true that I can't get my favourite foods easily here in the UK, not even snack ... Cause 4/5 of these are not easily available around here. The Cheetos were in Asda for a couple of months 2 years ago but not anymore. And the original Bugles are almost non existent since I can only get them in specific foreign stores. But I make do with what's around here 🥲

[imjustabeanie]

Matchup exhange for @kamesama

Your jujutsu kaisen match is...Nanami Kento!

Toji was a runner up but he lacks the stability that Nanami gives.

First of all, he is exactly what you’re looking for. He’s firm yet caring and isn’t offended easily. I did say in private that I thought of him the moment I started reading your match and I mean it. The dynamic between two professional people who still know how to have fun outside of work is what lead me to this choice.

Nanami is known to not associate his work life with his personal one. This is why I believe you two met at a coffee shop. It was a rainy day, you both decided to take shelter in this coffee shop. Unfortunately it was packed so you two strangers had to share the same table. At first, Nanami said he’d stand up elsewhere to not make you uncomfortable in true gentleman fashion. You insisted and he finally sat down. Enjoying a warm cup of coffee and reading is a nice activity. It is uncertain who commented on the other book first but a nice conversation sparkled, distracting you from the weather. From now on, you two had one meeting minimum per week at that coffee shop. It’s nice to unwind after a long day surrounded by morons. The friendship was nice but it was after you somehow got tangled up in his world did he realize his fear of losing you. The nail on the coffin was when Gojo intruded on the meeting and was just being his usual self. The action was effective because Nanami asked you out a week later.

A relationship with Nanami is rather domestic. He starts by laying on the table that he’s a sorcerer and all related stuff and asks you if you’re sure about staying with him. He knows his end will mostly be tragic and wants to warn you. He is direct, he knows what he wants and doesn’t want to waste anyone time. The strongest base in your relationship is definitely communication. You two will step up the rules and boundaries rather early to ensure a peaceful and healthy relationship. His deal breakers are the same as yours. As long as you respect him he has no issue.

Due to your religion, I believe Nanami won’t initiate physical contact beyond the basic gestures like offering you his arm when walking. He doesn’t know your limits. He will do his researches obviously. He is actually happy when you initiate PDA and will ask you about what you accept and won’t accept. He actually gifts you hijabs that he thinks look nice or have a nice texture.

Not gonna lie, your character is rather similar to Nanami this is why you two understand each other rather well. Just like you, he has a specific routine and hates it when it gets ruined. Your routine together consists of meeting at least once per day after work hours. It could be for dinner, a coffee or if you want at one of your houses. He likes surprising you with homemade dinner and daily new pastry he finds. His love language is mostly acts of services and quality time, this is why he pays attention to all the little details and try to make your life easier. Details like your usual orders, favorite brands and your comfort foods during bad days. Nanami enjoys that you mostly do the same, this earns you a soft smile that none would think he can pull off. Now this is a personal headcanon but I believe Nanami enjoys nature in general. He likes going with you on walks or booking for foreign resorts for both of you in the week-ends/his vacations.

Both of you are perfectionists, it’s easy to get lost in the self criticism. Nanami would actually give you advices to improve the work if he sees them but when he feels you going too far he will tell you. More like he will coerce you with good tea or a new book he picked. All of this is to distract you. He is calmer and has more patience that’s why he’s here to bring you down to earth when you get too fidgety. I believe him to be emotionally intelligent, he knows when you start to isolate and would gently ask you about your problems. Trust is something that takes time, he understands and is willing to wait. You’re the only person who he won’t judge or get impatient with. Unless you start making bad puns, that’s the bane of his existence (jokingly). Or you get too reckless, that’s the only time he will be angry at you. Besides that, to be honest I don’t see any possible issue with your relationship.

Nanami also dates to marry. It will take a maximum of 5 years but he will ask you to marry him after booking a vacation at your dream resort. He will let you lead all the decoration and will only give his imput when you ask for it. He just wants to choose the food lol. But he makes sure everything is in order. It might be intrusive but I see the wedding to be a beige/brown colored wedding, I’ll try to look up for pictures online. After the wedding the honeymoon is in Malysia.

When you two moved in together, the only thing that changed is the amount of romantic moments. You two share all household chores and actually have a planner for it. He’s actually invest in those fancy coffee machines and there is a room in the apartment dedicated for both your hobbies. Like drawing, photography and reading. He also brings you flowers weekly, or more if he comes late and each flower has its special meaning. He also likes having baths with you where you two share your day over some tea. He likes hugging you from behind in the morning and smelling your hair. On slow days, you two can be found baking. Your house is quite aesthetically pleasing because none of you are messy. You are seen as those perfect calm couples that share their love in private.

Your tears of themis match is...Artem!

It was very tight between Artem and Marius to be honest. But I choose Artem cuz Marius is more chaotic and less to stick to a routine. From afar, Artem is similar to Nanami but he’s more sensible and emotionally aloof sometimes….

You two are neighbors who got introduced to each other by a grandma. He likes helping the elderly and children just like you. You two probably helped the grandma who decided to play matchmaker. She found you two to be cute together! This is how she somehow tricked both of you into spending more time together. At first it was purely out of convenience since you’re both neighbors and Artem didn’t know what to think of your personality. Then it went from talking about normal neighbor stuff to lending movies/books. I am not going to lie, Artem fell without knowing it (this is a slow burn. Like a year or more). It was his friends at work (ahem, Rosa and heck even Vyn) who pointed out how much he spoke about you. He didn’t want to make this awkward and wanted to know if you felt that way first before asking (he was ready to move out if he made you uncomfortable). Then you surprisingly asked him out to a restaurant he spoke about and he asked you out first.

Artem was happy when you laid out your boundaries because he didn’t know how to bring it to the table. As we saw in the game he’d rather read books about romance and try to follow their exemples…which can lead to funny situations like him randomly using bad pick up jokes. You laughed at him for it and even tease him sometimes. Artem is a serious and blunt guy but is very inexperienced in love. In true lawyer fashion he follows everything by the book which can make the relation seems boring in the long run. You’ll have to reassure him to step out and be himself more as it won’t make you angry or anything.

His love language is acts of service and gift giving. But it is very subtle. He is observant and just does things for you in silence. Like making sure the company you work for isn’t suspicious (just laking sure you’re safe in general), taking care of the annoying maintenance and paperwork, randomly delivering food at your job without leaving a name , remembering your favorite things (he keeps a notebook) and buying brands of various things (even cleaning stuff) that he found effective and wants to recommend. You get what I mean. He is more into the practical stuff. But later on when you two eventually get married, he’s the type of husband who likes getting you jewelry on special occasions. Artem will get red when you get touchy with him but will gladly accept it, he’s just going to be offput at first. Besides that I think of him as someone who loves kissing your forehead and hand.

Artem is a perfectionist who puts his heart and soul into his cases, yet he knows how to destress by engaging in his hobbies or just going on walks to clear his mind. He’s also naturally very good with words and thus very good at reassuring you that everything is okay and that you’re making a good job. He couldn’t be more proud. He knows how to make you stay calm so you won’t do anything drastic just like he knows when to just let you express your anger (especially if the person really deserves a brutal check to reality). He is willing to work through your trust issues and accepts that everyone has secrets, he also does have a baggage that won’t be unloaded easily. He takes his time with this relationship because he wants it to be solid and possibly evolve into marriage. Artem will give you a disappointed look if you do something that’s really reckless, you’ll have to apologize for it lol. But he’s also clumsy, it’s perfect teasing material.

Artem likes indoor dates. He has a home cinema fully dedicated for both of you to enjoy movies as much as you can. Each night one picks the movie and the other makes the snacks. He enjoys all kind of movies but his favorites are art and war related films. With you he’ll just learn to appreciate horror more. Beware, if there’s a random law/lawyer in the movie he will comment if it’s correct or not and what he would have done as the lawyer. Artem also likes cooking with/for you no matter your level in cooking, it also gives him the occasion to dance with you in the kitchen cuz he has a vinyl player. With time, he will surprise you more with jewelry and dinner dates at exclusive places. He does go all out during his paid vacation time with you.

For the negative parts…perhaps it’s how individualist he is? He doesn’t want to burden you and sometimes doesn’t know how to communicate his feelings I guess.

Now for the wedding…I can see it being a destination wedding at a very nice beach to be honest. The honeymoon would be some sort of tour d’europe or something like this. He wants to visit the world with you and explore different cultures that’s why. Just like nanami, your house will have some kind of coffee and reading corner. Since he has a man cave you’ll have a room reserved for your hobbies. Artem loves surprising you with breakfast every morning. I can see him setting up the living room ceiling to represent the stars at your wedding day when they light up…Abd finally, the grandma has bragging rights.

[lookthetart]

Child Ballads, rated (1-10)

Because I can :)

1, Riddles Wisely Expounded: 8/10. Dated at least 1450, the morning after a wild night, the knight puts the woman's wits to test. Only if she can answer the riddles he'll marry her. I like the contrast between the sweet melody and my girl fighting tooth and nail for a life of spouse support, and the riddles are actually very sweet.

2, The Elfin Knight: 7/10. It is ballad 1 on steroids. The elf knight makes a series of absurd request to the woman to marry her, she uses a UNO reverse card and makes more absurd requests to him. This chaotic energy conquers the knight, who marries her. Also, the Scaraborough fair (10/10) ballad is a more recent evolution of this and they have been classified as the same ballad! Minus: i don't like the "blo blo blo blo blo the winds blows", I hear blo blorbo blows and I'm not confortable. I may actually prefer Scaraborough Fair.

3, The Fause Knight upon the Road: 3/10. Not even a beautiful rendition (fiddler's dram) can save this ballad from being boring. The child doesn't fall in the devils tricks and goes to school and listens to his parents... boring, 0 edgy. Strong stranger danger rethoric

4, Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight: STRONG 10/10. First murder ballad!!! The princess is feeling naughty, she steals gold and horses from the castle and runs away with the elf. But here the elf knight is actually a serial killer!! After bringing her to the banks of the sea he reveals that he has already killed 6 of the King's daughters, Isabel is to be the seventh. She asks for a last kiss by him, and takes her chance to throw him off his horse and tosses him in the sea 🥰 he begs for his life but my girl is all "lie there, you false young man, lie there instead of me, for if six maidens thou hast drowned here, the seventh has drowned thee" 🥰🥰 Honestly SLAY Isabel! In some versions she returns home and her parrot (wtf, barbie animated movie moment) helps her to keep the story from her father

5, Gil Brenton: 0/10. Difficult to find a decent adaptation, also not a fan of the "cutting the breasts of the wife if she is not a virgin" theme. The plot twist that he was actually the one who raped her earlier in the woods doesn't make things a lot better and it's unclear how they manage to not recognize themselves. Eww.

6, Willie's Lady: 9/10. Sweet ballad. The witch mother of king Willie (his mother did him dirty already with the name) despises the foreigner woman he married. The mother (who has always voted Tories and supported Brexit) curses the daughter in law to be always pregnant, but never deliver. She tells her son to leave his wife to die and remarry, but the son will not tolerate his mother's bullshit further. He comes up with a plan: he creates a doll of wax and invites her mother to the christening. She doesn't realize the trick and is furious that somebody undid all her spells, and in her rage reveals how to actually undo them.

7 and 8, Earl Brand and Erlinton: 3/10. Not tragically bad, but unremarkable. The Earl loves the lady, they cannot marry, they run away together. Her brothers pursue them, wound him, in Earl Brand he dies, she dies of sorrow, in Erlinton they escape. Already seen, next.

9, Fair Flower of Northumberland: 11/10. This late 1500s ballad screams that people have always been people. The support of the mother to the daughter (even if she broke all social expectations by freeing the prisoner, stealing from the parents, running away with him, "her love was easily won" ) actually moves me. The contrast between her begging the scotman to either kill her or use her as a servant in order to not face shame at home, and the mother welcoming her home with a smile and reassuring her she is not the first to make mistakes, and she'll have everything as it was (bread, wine, silver for a marriage) and that she is STILL the fair flower of Northumberland moves me to the core 🥺🥺🥺

10, Two Sisters: 9/10. Murder ballad that has everything: family drama, hauted instruments made of human bodies, an interesting relationship with many similar ballads in Scandinavian countries.

For this post that's all, but I may continue to review them when I've time

[godigitalwithus]

All About Graphic Design and Marketing; An Essential Guide

Graphic Design is the heart of every marketing effort. Without a great graphic design, it is not easy to craft strategies that convert!

This artwork is the best at creating a unique space in competitive marketplaces in a short period of time. It doesn’t matter in which market you’re doing business; every industry is heavily competitive, and only the ones that have good design can win the market.

Therefore, a solid visual design strategy is the only thing that builds an unshakeable brand and influences customers easily. Not many people are aware of the power of graphic design. This is the reason many businesses are not getting the results of giants. With the rise of the e-commerce industry, maintaining an online presence becomes a must, and if you're from this industry, then don't wait to get in touch with the best graphic design services agency to get long-awaited recognition.

Today, graphic design and digital marketing work together, and if you miss any of them, you won't get better results. This is the reason we’re here with this article to let you know how graphic design and marketing can do wonders for your online and offline business.

Reasons Why You Need to Implement Graphic Design in Your Marketing

Learn the best reasons to understand the importance of graphic design for your brand marketing.

Enhances Brand Consistency

When it comes to brand identity, consistency is the key, and graphic design is the face of your brand. It is one of the fundamental ways graphic design can help your business to thrive. With the long-term goals of your brand, graphic designs can work within your company culture and communicate effectively with your targeted audience about the mission and values of your organization. It not just supports your brand but also works quite well for your workforce too.

We’re sure that you heard that positive workplaces greatly impact building a strong brand identity, and in order to do this, all you need is to remain consistent with your brand designs.

It Works from Concept to Execution

Many business owners struggle a lot to deliver good results; maybe their marketing and design teams are not working together.

Today, people value designs and visuals more than any other thing. So, if your marketing team is not marketing products with compelling designs, then you're missing out on a big big big opportunity!

If you want good outcomes, arrange a meeting of both designers and marketers and give them the idea to work with each other in order to craft designs that are meaningful, engaging, readable, and captivate the mind of the targeted audience in an effective manner.

Graphic Designs Can Provide a Quick Turnaround

Over 82% of professional marketers use content marketing strategies as their priority. And you should have someone who can design all those assets. As a creative graphic designer for your marketing team, you can leverage the exact potential of your marketing team. It will become easy for your marketers to grab the attention of the audience with creative flyers, brochures, banners, website designs, logos, business cards, etc.,

Works for A Common Goal

We're sure that your business team is working toward a common goal, right? If not then at least make a plan in which your marketers and graphic designers can work together for a common goal, as they both are the backbone of your business.

Despite taking a linear direction, your members should bounce good ideas off of each other. A good design is one that inspires a brand marketing campaign rather than taking direction from it.

Designs Have No Barriers, So Does Marketing

Remember the last time you visited a foreign country; you didn’t know their language; what helped you there?

Obviously, it is images and illustrations. The internet has brought people from all over the world closer as anyone can land on your website or social media pages, don't matter what their location is.

English is an international language, but if a customer is not well versed in the language, he won’t understand your brand idea. This is where graphic design and visuals come into play. A creative graphic design helps you to communicate essential information and attracts a good audience from diverse linguistic backgrounds.

Conclusion

Graphic designers and the marketing team play a huge role in the success of a business, but the thing is, both these need to work together.

When the marketing and designing team works together, they make untiring efforts to create the visual identity with the help of creative logos, banners, ads, websites, and many other items. Graphic designers and marketers both understand the psychology of their audience, which helps them to come up with creative ideas that attract them.

So, if you're looking to get good gains, contact the best graphic design services than click on this link (https://kudoscube.com/graphic-design-service/) and get immediate assistance from expert graphic designers and marketing professionals.

[iotexpo]

Industry trend｜Apple plans to enter the consumer IPC market with a goal of an annual shipment volume of 10 million units

According to the latest news released by Tianfeng International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo on November 12, Apple plans to launch its smart home webcam product for the first time in 2026. Apple plans to set the annual shipment volume of this webcam to tens of millions units, aiming to provide users with an excellent user experience through seamless connection with the company's existing hardware ecosystem.

There are several speculations about Apple's consumer IPC:

1. Apple is under pressure on the existing hardware headed by mobile phones, and needs to find more growth points. According to the data of Visual IoT's "2024 Visual IOT Consumer Market Analysis Report": In 2023, the global consumer IPC market size will be 55 billion yuan, with shipments of 150 million units and a growth rate of 15.4%. Consumer IPC is a rigid demand market with good volume and increment, and IPC and mobile phones complement each other and can also drive reverse consumption of mobile phones.

2. Whether it is Xiaomi, Huawei or Samsung in China, they are all building their own ecosystem of the Internet of Everything. Once the ecosystem reaches a certain order of magnitude, it can affect the mobile phone market on which Apple depends for survival, so Apple also needs to build more hardware ecosystems of its own.

3. Using consumer IPC as the entrance to layout the smart home market, the market has been speculating that Apple is developing a smart home display for some time. This product is expected to be launched as early as early next year. The product will be equipped with a relatively small screen, which is about the size of two iPhone screens and is approximately square in shape. This product may be relatively cheap, so that it can be more easily popularized to each family, which makes Apple's upcoming homeOS operating system easy to use. IPC can achieve more linkage with smart home screens and mobile phones.

4. In order to find more application scenarios for Apple Intelligence, Apple has already declared all in AI. In addition to AI mobile phones, it needs to seek more carriers to reflect the capabilities of Apple AI, and IPC is a good choice. Vision has always been the most important landing application direction of AI. Vision can not only realize object or event recognition, but also can be an important way of human-computer interaction. Through IPC, more interactions between people and smart devices can be achieved, reflecting the value of AI.

However, for Apple to enter the IPC market, the pressure is not light. There are many domestic and foreign competitors. Each brand has its own market characteristics and advantages. To achieve the goal of annual shipments of tens of millions of units, it is not enough to rely on the Apple brand alone. It is also necessary to have better innovation in the capabilities of the IPC product, especially in the IPC AI capabilities, so it depends on Apple Intelligence.

This paper is from Ulink Media, Shenzhen, China, the organizer of IOTE EXPO (IoT Expo in China)

[conceptsgroup]

Addressing Labour Supply Shortages: Insights for Malaysia's Employers

Labour shortages have become increasingly serious in Malaysia and are affecting a whole range of industries, eventually retarding the country's economic growth. Because of the shrinking talent base, employers across the country are struggling to fill positions and maintain productivity. To overcome this easily, employers should have strategic measures targeting the short-and long-term labour supply gap. The article identifies critical insights and strategies for Malaysian employers to adopt in order to tackle labour supply shortages and ensure a resilient workforce.

1. Understanding the Root Causes of Labour Supply Shortages

Understand the root cause of your problem in order to solve the shortage in labor supply. A myriad of factors contributes to the current challenge in the Malaysian labour market:

Demographic Changes: As Malaysia continues to age and fertility rates decline, the size of its workforce has started to shrink. Due to the slow replacement rate of retirees and fewer youths, there is a discrepancy between the available workforce and the companies' preferred workforce.

Skill Mismatch: Employers often require a different skill set than what job seekers offer. The rapid pace of technological and changing industrial needs exaggerated this even further and created a huge vacuum of unfulfilled positions.

Economic Disruptions: This was due to economic downturns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which entailed negative disturbances to labour markets. Due to labour shortages, businesses struggled to retain and hire employees.

Migration Policies: Foreign labour restrictions and changes in migration policies have reduced the inflow of skilled and unskilled workers from abroad. This has added to the tightening labour supply in particular industries.

2. Strategic Recruitment and Retention

Employers can implement several measures to effectively manage labour shortages, including:

Enhancing Recruitment Efforts: An organization should try to develop a more effective mode of recruitment that can attract a better response from applicants with diverse backgrounds. It considers using online job portals, social networking sites, and employment agencies to source more applicants. A positive employer brand that reflects the organization’s values and culture may help attract talent.

Expanding Talent Pools: Employers must start to look beyond traditional sources of talent and look to under-represented groups for those with valuable skills and experience, including women, the disabled, and retirees.

Offer Competitive Compensation: Entities should offer competitive salaries and benefit packages if they hope to retain their talent. Employers should, from time to time, consider reviewing an organization’s compensation structures against industry standards and adjust accordingly to maintain their competitiveness.

Employee Development Investment: Providing opportunities for professional growth and development can be an effective way to retain existing employees while filling any skill gaps. Employers must, therefore, make relevant investments in training programs, mentorship, and career advancement opportunities that would upgrade their workers' skills and job satisfaction.

3. Embracing Technological Solutions

Technology can play an important role in labour supply shortages. Employers should carefully consider the following technological methods:

Automation and AI: Implement automation and artificial intelligence to remove most of the labour-intensive operational tasks. The implications of technologies like RPA and AI-driven analytics will enhance operational efficiency and productivity to compensate for labour shortages.

Remote Work and Flexibility: This will involve remote work and flexible work arrangements. This will increase your pool of applicants and create better job satisfaction. With remote work, the organization can recruit applicants from various geographical locations and meet the diverse needs of its employees.

Recruitment Technologies: Utilizing recruitment technologies such as applicant tracking systems or AI-powered recruitment technologies can bring ease to the hiring process and better candidate fit. This will help employers quickly find appropriate candidates and, hence, efficiently reduce time to hire.

4. Monitoring and Adapting to Labour Market Trends

Employers need to keep a constant eye on trends in the labour market and adjust their strategies accordingly.

Labour Market Analysis: By periodically scanning the trends in the labour market, an employer is able to analyse the data about the rate of unemployment, growth in industry, and the types of skills that are more in demand. Employers can therefore forecast any future labour supply challenges and adjust the strategy accordingly.

Employee Feedback: At times, worker feedback will be instrumental in gauging their needs and preferences. The information makes it easier to make valid decisions about compensation, benefits, and workplace practices.

Policy Advocacy: Engage in policy advocacy that addresses broader labour market problems. Employers can actively participate in policy formulation for a healthy and sustainable labour market with employer associations, the government, and other relevant bodies.

  Conclusion

Labour supply shortages call for multi-dimensional responses to issues of recruitment and retention, technological innovation, educational institution collaboration, and diversity and inclusion. Those are the strategies that could help Malaysian employers overcome the challenges of a declining labour market and continue to ensure a productive and growing workforce. A strong exposure of employers to responsive labour market trends, active industry stakeholders, and proactive policy stakeholders will position employers much better to prepare for these labour supply shortages in the future and to ensure they secure their positions for the long term.

[thequeendomhq]

NAME. Haelim Wormwood AGE & BIRTH DATE. 39 & March 5th, 2989 GENDER & PRONOUNS. Male & He/Him NATIONALITY. Iskaran SPECIES. Witcher FACTION. Legion of the Dead OCCUPATION. Legionnaire FACE CLAIM. Daniel Henney

biography

( tw child abuse, war, death, injury )

Juwon Ahn was keen on investing in the business of precious stones, ambitious for a more luxurious life and primed to succeed. One of his children, Mishil, was her father's daughter and was eagerly betrothed to a wealthy Iskaldrik man of the Northlands, Fannar Aune. Mishil left the Highlands that she'd grown up in and found herself with a husband who treated her well and who gave her a son she could believe in. She counted herself lucky and that her family's future was secured. Their son, Haelim Fannar Ahn Aune, was a promising young boy and the first grandchild who was set to inherit most of their family’s new wealth. He would one day have lands of his own, something that he was taught to look forward to and appreciate. It was only when Haelim grew old enough to rough play with the other boys in town that people realized something was quite wrong within their family. Mishil's husband begged on his knees for the forgiveness of his wife, ignoring their crying child as he hugged his mother’s leg. Haelim had accidentally drowned his young friend down a river, the water obeying a witch’s command and pushing the other child down into the rapids. It was when Haelim came home crying and confessing what had happened that Mishil realized that her husband had concealed the secret of his unwelcome gifts and, worse, passed this onto their child. Haelim was 6 years old when they took him to The Witcher's Watch.

He would learn only a decade later that his father had been taken to the mines and his mother had found a brand new family. He never saw any of his relatives again, but he already learned what it meant to be powerful from them. It wasn't overt strength and bragging; it was being cunning. The grandchild of foreigners among mostly full-blooded Iskaldriks was among the smallest and youngest but he bided his time and conserved his strength while the rest worked to prove themselves. Patience was his strongest virtue and proving others wrong was his deepest desire. Alchemists of the Witchers took the young boy to their workshops, believing that he would be of no use on the battlefield if, by some miracle, he survived to see his first chin hair. They called him "Wormwood." Most old Witchers believed his dead body would be on the pyre of wood soon enough and the worms would eat what remained of his charred corpse. Haelim took the nickname as his own, abandoning his family name as easily as they had abandoned him. Few survived the transformation when it finally came, and few expected the smallest child among them to endure. But Haelim himself was not surprised when he finally woke a Witcher. Once the mithril armor was finally set on his body, Haelim did not seek to hold himself back from showing the world that he was indeed a force to be reckoned with. His duties came easy to him for a while, a cocky young man with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Everything, perhaps, except the land that he had been promised, and the family that he thought had loved him.

The alchemists had given Haelim an intimate understanding of the poisons that gave him power when he was young, but he abandoned their stuffy workshops once he came of age. Now stronger as a full Witcher, lording his power over others became easy and almost entertaining as a teenager. Haelim had been molded into this weapon and he had clear vows and orders instilled within him. Yet, as time went on, he began to recognize himself within the young, magical children who cried before their parents with innocent fear and confusion. He saw in them the human desire to be wanted and loved and he realized that such longing had never truly died within him either. His heart had hardened, but not so much that he would not wake up some nights with sweat running down his brow and a growing hatred for the very people who had brought him to where he was. No home to call his own, no family, no love. He had been so young but he could never forget how harshly and brutally his life had changed, how the motherly adoration and pride he thought was unconditional could be so easily abandoned. His troubles with his own people began with turning a blind eye to magic that he sensed, and it grew to overtly taking coin and collecting promises so that a druid, witch or faiman might not be thrown into the mines. May his relatives hurt from the coin that it cost them to have less workers. Those underground prisons were where they said his father labored, a witch who had concealed himself for so long just for his own son to unintentionally betray him. May the Gods curse his mother’s family for the agony of all these magical beings, for the Gods had already cursed Haelim. Hated among the world outside Iskaldrik, soon to be hated by the Iskaran people themselves.

Other Witchers who had seen Haelim’s adolescent power and ambition only believed that he was becoming lazy with age, his previous successes as an now far behind him. He brought back far fewer prisoners and initiates, he stopped laughing as his comrades recalled their ventures with mead in their hands and wenches on their hips. Once Haelim had begun to unlock shackles and iron doors, the whispers started. They sent their valuable soldier to the Legion just like a misbehaving dog sent to the kennels. But Haelim found kinship there. His Legion Commander was a Witcher as well, one around his own age, and there were others who looked like they understood secrets that he did not know until he himself took the Joining. Haelim found belonging among people who were just as broken and bloody as he was. The cold felt a little warmer to him while he was farther away from the suffering, and life felt more precious to him as he aged and came to realize how numbered days were with the Legion's Calling or the poisons that his young body had once ingested. But, like his faraway Commander, years passed and the Witcher continued to stand on ceremony. While at Nornwatch, his sword became proudly at the command of Field Commander Deidameia.

Perhaps there was a chance that Haelim could die fulfilled and happy with his new comrades, so far away from the people that he had grown to despise - the royalty, the institution of his country, the family who had abandoned him. When they all came knocking on his door, it took every effort not to slam it shut in their faces. For the innocent common folk, he did not scowl as his Commander asked him to welcome them in. Weeks passed, Haelim confined himself to the Archives, unable to look long at the refugees and risk finding his mother or her new family. But the King healed and he demanded Haelim's expertise. His Majesty called on the Witcher as they marched onwards to find the King’s daughter and the refugees that had also been taken in an attack. This man was no longer his king, but he would obey when he thought of the other women alongside the princess. The Witcher did not deny King Orhan but he was forced to walk far behind many of his true comrades. He feared for the Legionnaires ahead, and he feared for the Legionnaire who had been beside him when the mages attacked and they he could not find in the chaos. The fear turned to anger. Perhaps the heat of his rage kept him alive when the mages came, and when they laid waste to their party and stole his King away. Haelim rose from the snow with blood on his body and strengthened resolve to his watch in the Legion.

personality

+ organized, capable, empathetic – stoic, hardened, bitter

played by dany. est. she/her.

[empiricomr]

Top Reason Why A Business Needs A Global Market Research Agency

Market research is a needed activity for companies of all kinds. While entering into a new local market, it is needed to do as much research as possible in various kinds of areas to make sure you are as prepared as possible to launch a successful entry in the lessen risk. When it comes to entering into an international or global market, market research is no less crucial. Of course, it may be highly crucial as the stakes are higher, and you will be facing entirely new market conditions. Global Market research Companies offering tailored services easily improve the business and increase the productivity level.

Here are top-notch reasons why a company needs a global market research:

Differences in culture

The culture of your overseas target market may be similar to yours, but it could also be vastly different. Failing to adequately research the culture of your target market can lead to serious blunders that can harm your market entry and brand reputation. Even slight cultural differences can cause significant issues, underscoring the importance of thorough market research.

Varies in Law and regulation

It does not just have an impact on your market research process or strategies. They can affect each part of your market entry process and then how you could contact your business in the new market. In case you are entering into the new market without deep knowledge off the law and its relation to our activities, you can risk ending up in the legal issues. Of course, there are various potential legal pitfalls in order to consider while entering into a new market.

Varies in customer needs

Customers in one country may have entirely different needs from those in another. Of course, these can be due to the cultural issues mentioned before; however, they can also result from the other elements. The global market research agency will help you to identify the various consumer needs and preferences through their strategy.

Mitigate risk

When it comes to entering into any new market will be a risky task, and that risk will increase while you expand abroad. The market research will let you mitigate your risk by being as prepared as possible for various challenges that involve entering a foreign market. There, you will better understand our consumers and what they need, be more prepared in order to take on your competition lessen legal issues and then have a more viable strategy. Well, entering a new market overseas will never be risk-free; however, research will let you lessen that risk.

[forex-trading-online-jrfx]

Best Forex Trading Strategy Unveiled: JRFX Reveals All!

Best Forex Trading Strategy Unveiled: JRFX Reveals All! In the fast-paced and competitive world of forex trading, having a winning strategy is the key to success. Traders often search for the holy grail of trading strategies, and in this article, we will unveil some of the best strategies with insights from JRFX, a trusted platform in the forex market.

Unveiling the Best Forex Trading Strategies

Forex trading strategies vary widely, each tailored to different trading styles and objectives. Some traders focus on technical analysis, while others prefer fundamental analysis. The best strategy often depends on individual preferences, risk tolerance, and market conditions.

Trend Following Strategy

One popular strategy is trend following, which involves identifying and following the direction of the market trend. Traders using this approach aim to ride the trend for as long as possible, maximizing profits. JRFX offers tools and indicators to help traders identify and confirm trends, making trend following easier and more effective.

Breakout Strategy

Another effective strategy is the breakout strategy, where traders look for price movements breaking out of established ranges or patterns. This strategy capitalizes on volatility and momentum, with JRFX providing real-time market data and analysis to identify potential breakout opportunities.

Range Trading Strategy

For traders who prefer less volatility, the range trading strategy can be suitable. This strategy involves identifying price ranges where the currency pair tends to trade and buying at the bottom of the range and selling at the top. JRFX's platform offers tools to easily spot these ranges and execute trades accordingly.

JRFX's Insights and Tips

Risk Management

JRFX emphasizes the importance of risk management in any trading strategy. Traders should always set stop-loss orders to limit potential losses and use proper position sizing. This ensures that even if a trade goes against them, the impact on their overall account is controlled.

Utilize JRFX's Educational Resources

JRFX provides a wealth of educational resources for traders of all levels. From comprehensive guides to webinars and workshops, traders can enhance their knowledge and skills. Understanding different strategies and market dynamics is crucial for success.

Take Advantage of JRFX's Tools

JRFX offers a range of tools and features to support traders in their decision-making process. From advanced charting tools to real-time market data and analysis, traders have everything they need at their fingertips. These tools can significantly improve the effectiveness of any trading strategy.

JRFX's Commitment to Traders

JRFX is committed to providing a transparent and reliable platform for traders worldwide. With a 14-year brand history, JRFX has built a reputation for trustworthiness and professionalism. The platform's customer-first approach ensures that traders have the support and resources they need to succeed.

JRFX's Exclusive Promotion: "Golden March"

As we delve into the world of forex trading strategies, it's crucial to highlight JRFX's exclusive promotion, "Golden March." This promotion is worth a staggering $5035 and offers new customers a $35 welcome bonus without making a deposit when opening their first account. Additionally, bonuses of up to 100% are available for deposits, with a maximum bonus amount of $5,000. These bonuses are provided in Gold and can be used directly for trading in foreign exchange and precious metals. Furthermore, bonuses can also be withdrawn to bank cards, subject to meeting certain conditions. The principal amount is added to the bonus, significantly reducing investment costs.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the best forex trading strategy is the one that suits your trading style, risk tolerance, and market conditions. By unveiling some of the best strategies and insights from JRFX, traders can enhance their trading journey. Whether you prefer trend following, breakout trading, or range trading, JRFX ( https://www.jrfx.com/?804 ) provides the tools and resources to support your success.

[rankconsultancy]

Master Your Tax Moves: A Simple Guide to Corporate Tax Registration UAE

The winds of change are sweeping the UAE’s business landscape, and with them, a brand new chapter on the tax front: Corporate Tax Registration UAE. As companies brace themselves for this shift, a wave of questions rolls in, leaving many businesses wondering: “Am I liable? How do I register? Where do I even begin?”

Fear not, intrepid entrepreneurs! Rank Accounting and Consultancy, your trusted guide through the labyrinthine world of finance, is here to equip you with the knowledge and tools to navigate your Corporate Tax Registration UAE journey with confidence. Buckle up, we’re diving deep into the nitty-gritty of this fiscal frontier!

First things first: Who needs to register for Corporate Tax Registration UAE?

Not all businesses fall under the Corporate Tax net. Here’s a quick breakdown:

Those exempt from the dance: Free zone entities, natural persons conducting professional activities (doctors, lawyers), and public benefit entities can breathe easily for now. They’re exempt from this tax tango.

The ones who need to waltz in: Companies with taxable income exceeding AED 375,000, foreign branches of companies not registered in the UAE, and those deriving income from the UAE will have to register for Corporate Tax Registration UAE. This includes LLCs, sole proprietorships, and public or private joint-stock companies.

Okay, I need to register. Now what?

Time to grab your dancing shoes! Here’s the step-by-step guide to your Corporate Tax Registration UAE foxtrot:

Gather your documents: Trade license, Memorandum of Association, company financials, and shareholder information are some essentials.

Head to the EmaraTax platform: This is the official portal for all things tax-related in the UAE. Register and access the “Corporate Tax Registration” service.

Fill out the online application: It’s straightforward, but if you get stuck, Rank Accounting and Consultancy is just a waltz away to offer a helping hand.

Submit your application and documents: Pay the AED 500 registration fee (a small price to pay for tax clarity!), and you’re well on your way.

The waiting game: You’ll hear back from the Federal Tax Authority within 20 business days. Once approved, you’ll receive your coveted Corporate Tax Registration Number – your key to filing your tax returns and staying compliant.

But wait, there’s more!

Remember, Corporate Tax Registration UAE is just the first step. You also need to:

File your tax returns electronically: This needs to be done within nine months of your fiscal year-end. Don’t fret, Rank Accounting and Consultancy can ensure your returns are tax-tang-worthy!

Keep your records in order: Maintain proper financial documentation to avoid any missteps during tax season.

Stay informed: The tax landscape is constantly evolving, so keep yourself updated on the latest regulations and requirements. Rank Accounting and Consultancy is your reliable go-to source for all things tax news!

Beyond the Registration: A Glimpse into the Future

While Corporate Tax Registration UAE might seem daunting at first, it’s important to remember that it’s not a solo act. We, at Rank Accounting and Consultancy, are your dedicated dance partners, ready to guide you through every step with our comprehensive suite of services:

VAT Registration in the UAE: We’ll help you navigate the world of VAT like a tax tango pro.

Business Setup Service in Dubai: From company formation to licensing, we’ll take care of the legwork, so you can focus on what you do best.

Accounting and Bookkeeping Services in Dubai: Leave the number crunching to us and keep your accounts in tip-top shape.

Business setup services in UAE: Whether you’re setting up in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or any other emirate, we’ll make the process seamless and stress-free.

Golden visa in UAE: Attract and retain top talent with our expert guidance on golden visa applications.

Remember, a well-executed tax strategy is key to achieving success in the new era of UAE business. With Rank Accounting and Consultancy as your partner, you can Master Your Tax Moves and dance your way to financial prosperity.

So, take a deep breath, entrepreneurs, and embrace the change. We, at Rank Accounting and Consultancy, are here to make your Corporate Tax Registration UAE journey as smooth and graceful as a waltz under the Dubai skyline. Contact us today and let’s get started!

Remember, knowledge is power, and with the right guidance, you can turn the tax tango into a victory dance!

Tagged Corporate Tax Registration UAE

[jahidur369]

Hema replacement test paper

As a platform that competes He Tuber with Sam's, Hema chose to withdraw from the membership business when it went online in 2019. In the following years, the membership system has been adjusted many times, including price increases, equity changes, etc. However, starting in 2023, the membership system has conflicted with Hema's new low-price strategy. In this case, Hema chose "Tear down and start over."

Hema chose to “replace everything”.

As the 2024 Lunar New Year approaches, Hema’s “New Year’s Goods Festival” has begun with great fanfare, but many consumers have discovered that the Hema APP has been unable to activate or renew memberships. An official announcement from Hema stated that due to business adjustments, it will not support the activation or renewal of Hema X membership in the future. This means that its paid membership business launched in 2019 has completely come to an end.

Once upon a time, Hema CEO Hou Yi also publicly mentioned that Hema's warehouse-style X membership store was China's first project to compete with Costco and Sam's Club, and it implemented "copying, operating and surpassing" the two. , that is, learn the business model, learn the operating process, and finally surpass it.

It can be said that the membership system is not only a plan with high hopes in Hema's strategic plan, but also known as an important strategy for Hema to compete with foreign-funded super giants. Now, this business has been declared stranded after four years of implementation.

This makes people wonder why Hema suddenly stopped its membership system. Where will Hema go after giving up this business?

Hema changed a set of test papers for himself.

In the past, Hema had always targeted the "consumption upgrade" market and the urban middle class, and its brand impression in the minds of consumers was also very high-end. The cost of opening a Hema store in a first-tier city can easily reach 30 million yuan, and even the surrounding communities are nicknamed "Hema houses".

At that time, Hema's targets were always "high-quality selection" supermarket brands such as Sam's and Costco. Hema Xiansheng stocked a large number of fresh food, imported snacks and other products, allowing consumers to smell the "expensive" products as they walked by. Breath. In order to match its "high-end image", Hema also launched a membership system like Sam's.

In 2019, Hema's paid membership business was officially launched, with an annual fee of 218 yuan. Paying members can enjoy designated free vegetables, a 12.2% discount on the entire store every Tuesday or Wednesday throughout the year, and other services.

In the following years, Hema Xiansheng’s paid membership business underwent many adjustments, including the price increase to 258 yuan/year. In 2023, Hema adjusted the price and rights of X members, and launched diamond membership for the first time, priced at 658 yuan per year. It also retained members previously priced at 258 yuan, which is officially called gold membership.

Originally there was no problem with this business model, until Hema began to implement a low-price strategy in 2023, and the membership system began to "conflict" with the low-price strategy.

At the end of July 2023, Hema, which is positioned as a mid-to-high-end membership user, suddenly launched a "price war" with Sam's Club, launched "Yishan Price", and began to label itself as "low price". In Shanghai, Beijing, Thirteen cities including Hangzhou and Chengdu launched “Mountain-Moving Prices”; in October, Hema announced the launch of a “discount-based” reform, lowering the prices of more than 5,000 products in Hema Xiansheng offline stores.

But the effect was unsatisfactory. According to media reports, because offline exclusive prices and member discounts do not overlap, users complained that annual memberships have become "taken advantage of", and even the membership discount prices of some products are not as cheap as offline exclusive prices.

In this regard, Pan Helin, co-director of the Digital Economy and Financial Innovation Research Center of the International Joint Business School of Zhejiang University, commented: “Hema’s discounts are not stacked, which detracts from the value of members, which shows that Hema’s pricing mechanism is not mature enough. "

But having said that, Hema's low-price strategy has to be adopted. In November last year, Hou Yi specifically emphasized at the New Retail Conference that Hema will comprehensively implement discount reforms in the future. He said that the current prices of China's retail industry are far from competitive. When competing with e-commerce at low prices, the physical retail industry has no power to fight back.

It can be seen that from "consumption upgrade" to "discount operation", Hema has become the path that Hema has to take.

As for the membership system, for Hema, it can only become the tears of history.

Hou Yi’s words are not an exaggeration. If starting a business is to sort out the inside first and then conquer the outside, Hema has only been able to completely sort out the inside nine years after it was founded.

Since its establishment, Hema has tried more than 10 business formats, including Hema F2, Hema mini, Hema Neighborhood, Hema X member store, Hema Outlet, Hema Premier and so on.

Trying means unknown results. According to public data, Hema lost about 3 billion yuan in the first quarter of 2021 alone. It was not until January 2023 that Hou Yi issued an all-staff letter, officially announcing that the main business Hema Xiansheng had achieved profitability; in April of the same year, He said in an interview with the media that Hema has achieved full profitability in the fourth quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023.

If what Hou Yi said is true, it will be even more critical for Hema to hold on to this hard-won result. Especially in the face of severe competition, Hema needs to prove itself with sustained profits.

In May last year, Alibaba stated in its financial report that the Alibaba Group's board of directors approved the launch of Hema's listing process, which is expected to be completed within the next 6 to 12 months. But soon, news came out frequently that Hema's IPO might press the "pause button."

Alibaba said in its third-quarter financial report that Hema's initial public offering plan is on hold while the group is evaluating market conditions and other factors necessary to ensure successful project implementation and enhance shareholder value.

On the other hand, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, in November 2023, the national consumer price dropped by 0.5% year-on-year; on average from January to November, the national consumer price increased by only 0.3% compared with the same period last year.

“Price reduction” has become the unified theme online and offline.

Online, JD.com and Taotian have both given up their positioning of focusing on the urban middle class/white-collar population and embarked on the path of low-price strategies; last year’s Double 11, major e-commerce platforms, MCN companies, and anchors also all aimed at “the lowest prices on the entire network.” The dispute over "price" was intense.

Offline, in the face of the explosive trend of Mixue Bingcheng stores with more than 20,000 stores, consumer brands such as Heytea and Nayuki's Tea have also launched low-priced beverage series.

Similarly, in the supermarket format, not only Hema and Sam's are engaged in a price war, supermarket chains such as Yonghui, Wal-Mart, and Carrefour have also lowered their product prices.

It can be said that Hema and many supermarket brands have also reached a time when they have to change.

Today's low-price strategy has the meaning of "a strong man cutting off his wrist" for Hema, and can even be called a "key move" for Hema. But can this move bring Hema back to life?

The low-price strategy has indeed attracted consumers' attention to Hema, but if Hema wants to achieve and maintain full profitability in the short term through "discount reform", how far is the journey ahead?

On the one hand, it will still take time for Hema to shift to a low-price strategy. Since Hema's discount reform was officially launched in October last year, its relationship with its suppliers has attracted widespread attention from the outside world. At the end of December last year, Wang Xiaolu announced that he would stop cooperating with the Hema system because he was dissatisfied with the discount reform. It is emphasized that "the price is the lifeline of the company and dealers, and selling in violation of the price is harmful to everyone's common interests."

Many other brands have also become dissatisfied with Hema, including mid-to-high-end tea consumer brand Chabiubiu. Its founder once issued a long article to denounce Hema, saying that since October 21 last year, Hema’s products have been removed from the shelves, and tens of thousands of boxes of goods have been required to be removed within a time limit; he then accused Hema of unilaterally removing inventory products. The price was reduced from 79 yuan/box to 39.98 yuan/box, causing many customers who had placed orders at high prices through other channels to ask for refunds.

On October 20, 2023, Gu Guojian, a professor at Shanghai Business School, published an article on the public account and revealed that because Hema’s low-price strategy has destroyed the market price system, big brands have begun to suspend and cut off the supply of Hema, and carry out a “strangling” style of encirclement and suppression. ".

[mamun52]

Hema replacement test paper

As a platform that competes with Sam's,

Hema chose to withdraw from the membership business when it went online in 2019. In the HE Tuber following years, the membership system has been adjusted many times, including price increases, equity changes, etc. However, starting in 2023, the membership system has conflicted with Hema's new low-price strategy. In this case, Hema chose "Tear down and start over."

Hema chose to “replace everything”.

As the 2024 Lunar New Year approaches, Hema’s “New Year’s Goods Festival” has begun with great fanfare, but many consumers have discovered that the Hema APP has been unable to activate or renew memberships. An official announcement from Hema stated that due to business adjustments, it will not support the activation or renewal of Hema X membership in the future. This means that its paid membership business launched in 2019 has completely come to an end.

Once upon a time, Hema CEO Hou Yi once publicly said that Hema’s warehouse-style X membership store was China’s first project to compete with Costco and Sam’s Club, and that it was “copying, operating, and surpassing” the two. , that is, learn the business model, learn the operating process, and finally surpass it.

It can be said that the membership system is not only a plan with high hopes in Hema's strategic plan, but also known as an important strategy for Hema to compete with foreign super giants. Now, this business has been declared stranded after four years of implementation.

This makes people wonder why Hema suddenly stopped its membership system. Where will Hema go after giving up this business?

1. From “consumption upgrade” to “discount operation”

Hema changed a set of test papers for himself.

In the past, Hema had always targeted the "consumption upgrade" market and the urban middle class, and its brand impression in the minds of consumers was also very high-end. The cost of opening a Hema store in a first-tier city can easily reach 30 million yuan, and even the surrounding communities are nicknamed "Hema houses".

At that time, Hema's targets were always "high-quality selection" supermarket brands such as Sam's and Costco. Hema Xiansheng stocked a large number of fresh food, imported snacks and other products, allowing consumers to smell the "expensive" products as they walked by. Breath.

In order to match its "high-end image", Hema also launched a membership system like Sam's.

In 2019, Hema's paid membership business was officially launched, with an annual fee of 218 yuan. Paying members can enjoy designated free vegetables, a 12.2% discount on the entire store every Tuesday or Wednesday throughout the year, and other services.

In the following years, Hema Xiansheng’s paid membership business underwent many adjustments, including the price increase to 258 yuan/year. In 2023, Hema adjusted the price and rights of X members, and launched diamond membership for the first time, priced at 658 yuan per year. It also retained members previously priced at 258 yuan, which is officially called gold membership.

Originally there was no problem with this business model, until Hema began to implement a low-price strategy in 2023, and the membership system began to "conflict" with the low-price strategy.

At the end of July 2023, Hema, which is positioned as a mid-to-high-end membership user, suddenly launched a "price war" with Sam's Club, launched "Yishan Price", and began to label itself as "low price". In Shanghai, Beijing, Thirteen cities including Hangzhou and Chengdu launched “Mountain-Moving Prices”; in October, Hema announced the launch of a “discount-based” reform, lowering the prices of more than 5,000 products in Hema Xiansheng offline stores.

But the effect was unsatisfactory. According to media reports, because offline exclusive prices and member discounts do not overlap, users complained that annual memberships have become "taken advantage of", and even the membership discount prices of some products are not as cheap as offline exclusive prices.

In this regard, Pan Helin, co-director of the Digital Economy and Financial Innovation Research Center of the International Joint Business School of Zhejiang University, commented: “Hema’s discounts are not stacked, which detracts from the value of members, which shows that Hema’s pricing mechanism is not mature enough. "

But having said that, Hema's low-price strategy has to be adopted. In November last year, Hou Yi specifically emphasized at the New Retail Conference that Hema will comprehensively implement discount reforms in the future. He said that the current prices of China's retail industry are far from competitive. When competing with e-commerce at low prices, the physical retail industry has no power to fight back.

It can be seen that from "consumption upgrade" to "discount operation", Hema has become the path that Hema has to take.

As for the membership system, for Hema, it can only become the tears of history.

[threew-com]

3W.com builds unlimited application scenarios and uses innovative services to help Web3 deeply integrate with the real world

Perhaps induced by memory bias, the winter of 2023 seems to be more real than in the past few years. Since December, there have been multiple rounds of snowfall in the North, and recent cold waves have been forecast for several days, giving it a rather wintry atmosphere. As for the encryption market and Web3 field, the bear market has lasted for more than a year. The label “winter” has been affixed from 2022 to 2023, and it is still not possible to say when spring will return.

Since last year, as the Federal Reserve entered the interest rate hike cycle, global liquidity has tightened, and the market value of crypto assets has fallen from highs. Regardless of the market trend or public opinion atmosphere, the crypto market has truly entered a cold winter, with clouds gathering for a while. . During the difficult process of this round of crypto winter, global market risk events occurred frequently (in fact, the outbreak of this series of risk events itself was the trigger for the arrival of the “cold winter”, which later intensified the process), causing market shocks.

We stand at this moment and look back at the market downturn in the past two years. The large and small “earthquakes” experienced by the encryption and Web3 industries are still vivid in our minds.

In March 2022, the Ronin side chain was hacked and the loss exceeded US$600 million; in May 2022, Celsius, the leader in the field of DeFi lending, collapsed; in August 2022, the currency mixer TornadoCash was listed in the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Management (Office of Foreign Assets Management) OFAC) the United States Specially Designated Nationals List (SDN), developer Alexey Pertsev was arrested and imprisoned in the Netherlands; as we all know, in November 2022, the leading cryptocurrency exchange FTX went bankrupt, causing market shocks; and in March this year, The crypto bank SilvergateBank went bankrupt; later, the game between Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, and US regulators ended with the former pleading guilty and accepting punishment…

In this cold season, where will encryption and Web3 go? This is a regular question. Judging from the complete cycle of a new technology sprouting, rising and flourishing, the encryption market and Web3 are indeed in a critical period of development, and their direction is always affecting this emerging technology circle. people’s hearts.

And what is the charm of Web3 that enables it to become the future “consensus” of the current Internet development?

Based on the previous concepts of Web1.0 and Web2.0, Web3 is considered to be a brand new value network with ownership as the core. The Web3 concept depicts a bright future that most people long for.

With the development and breakthrough of underlying technology and the evolution and upgrading of user needs, the paradigm of the Internet is also evolving. In order to solve the problem that the original Web network could not support ordinary people to exchange and share information, a “readable” Web 1.0 era came with the invention of the World Wide Web. Various search engines and portal websites moved a large amount of information to the Internet, and ordinary users You can also easily access various resources.

In order to solve the problem that users cannot actively create content and have no right to speak on the Internet under Web 1.0, a “readable + writable” Web 2.0 era has emerged with the popularity of smartphones, the rise of social networks and the development of cloud computing. With the arrival of the Internet, all users can share their thoughts and interact with others on social media, and the right to speak in the Internet world has been transferred from business giants to every end user.

Now, after experiencing the Web1.0 and Web2.0 eras, the Internet is ushering in a Web3 revolution. Web3 is an Internet owned and controlled by users, and blockchain technology enables the final realization of the Web3 concept — blockchain implements the core concept of Web3 decentralization by solving the underlying value distribution problem.

Web3 is based on an open protocol cluster, breaking the monopoly of the Web2 platform and solving the problem of platform value distribution. As the underlying value distribution system, blockchain ensures the reliable execution of value distribution by establishing consensus protocols and open source code. As a network with high levels of security and decentralization, blockchain stores data, exchanges values and records transaction activities through shared ledgers. It is not controlled by any centralized entity and provides a secure execution layer for Web3, allowing users to Create, issue and trade crypto assets, and develop programmable smart contracts.

The industry market has returned to calmness, focusing on connecting Web3 with the real world

Since 2022, with the advent of the Web3 bear market, the development of DeFi has also been hit hard. The lock-up amount (TVL) has dropped sharply. Some well-known institutions and projects, such as the cryptocurrency lending institution BlOCKFi, have filed for bankruptcy due to risk events. The entire industry market has since The previous fiery state quickly adjusted back to calm.

In the application field, after NFT surged and then fell last year, the market has gradually returned from the bubble burst period to the calm construction period. At this stage, there is still a long way to go before the large-scale popularization of applications in various tracks. At the same time, liquidity staking derivatives New tracks such as LSD and RWA tokenization have begun to emerge, which also proves that DeFi is gradually lowering the entry threshold for ordinary people. Web3 has begun to pay more attention to establishing and improving connections with the real world.

Looking at the technological development in the past two years, Web3 mainly realizes the connection between decentralized applications and the real world through the following aspects:

Digital identities: Web3 allows users to create digital identities that can be linked to their real-world identities. Digital identity can be used in many scenarios, such as online identity verification, digital signatures, digital wallets, etc.

Smart Contract: Smart contract is one of the core technologies of Web3. It is a self-executing contract that can manage and process digital assets without a middleman. Smart contracts can interact with various data in the real world, such as data in logistics, finance, medical and other fields.

Decentralized standards: Many standards in Web3 (such as ERC-20) have become de facto standards for smart contracts and decentralized applications. These standards promote interoperability between decentralized applications and enable decentralized applications to better connect with real-world applications.

Data providers: Web3 introduces data providers into the world of decentralized applications and smart contracts. They provide real-world data that can be used for smart contract execution and decision-making. These data providers can ensure the reliability and security of data through blockchain technology.

It can be said that Web3 is a bridge connecting decentralized applications and the real world. It can make decentralized applications more practical and valuable. The emergence of Web3 promotes the connection between decentralized applications and the real world, allowing decentralized applications to better bring convenience and changes to the real world.

3W.com builds unlimited application scenarios and uses innovative services to help Web3 deeply integrate with the real world.

3W.com Group is an investment holding group focused on the development and application of global cutting-edge technologies represented by AI and Web3 technologies. It conducts professional mergers and acquisitions and in-depth integration of high-quality assets in high-tech fields around the world, gathering momentum to empower and lead ecological enterprises. Efficient growth. At present, the group has invested in and incubated high-quality projects such as 3W.com (APP) for C-end customer services, 3W AWSG for B-end customer services, and the high-end club 3W Club.

3W Wallet Super Wallet is one of the mature core technology products of 3W.com Group. The Group has built a complete ecosystem of “Super Wallet + Unlimited Scenarios” around it, and provides To C terminal application services and To B to the global market. Technical service solutions to maximize the value of technology serving people.

3W.com (APP) is a membership system that integrates decentralized social networking, digital identity, hybrid wallet, hybrid payment, multi-currency exchange, global asset transaction configuration, consumption in multiple scenarios, as well as games, entertainment and other functions. The cross-platform super application tool provides end users with a one-stop comprehensive platform service of “super wallet + unlimited scenarios”, helping users open up a new way to interact with the world.

As the To B business brand of the 3W Wallet super wallet system, 3W AWSG focuses on providing global B-side partners with “super wallet + unlimited scenarios” technical service solutions based on AI and Web3 technology, providing integrated social communications, hybrid wallets, The front-end application system and back-end customer management system of comprehensive ecological service system (SaaS) such as digital identity, global asset allocation transactions, super trust, virtual credit card and physical card help partners quickly enter the market and expand their business.

Through the one-stop product and service design of “Super Wallet + Unlimited Scenarios”, 3W.com Group and its technology brands are concentrating on exploring the application innovation of cutting-edge technology in the context of the advent of Web3, and are willing to bring users around the world in the future To provide a deeper and more diversified application and service experience, allowing Web3 to achieve deep integration with the real world.