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TheWanderingJewels
Adapted from the Ghost in the Shell: Innocence After the Long Goodbye


Mao Mantou: Quick Service Restaurant Corp

Rising from the ashes of the Fourth Corporate War, the actual origins of one of the largest Food Megacorps is open to speculation as any hard copy records of it's originating assets died in Net Crash 1.0 and 2.0, and it's more than liberal usage of Propaganda (Marketing, Sales, and Advertizing) in about any endeavor (at times contradictory, due to local market targeting) makes any historical data suspect at best.

Here is the accepted history: The name comes from Mandarin Chinese “Mantou” for Steamed Buns, and “Mao” as in Mao Zedong, the former chairman of the Central Committee Of The Communist Party of The Peoples Republic of China.

Mantou's Marketing Department states that Mao Mantou had it's humble beginnings in Shanghai, China on Nanjing Road, with Mao's Face having been trademarked by Mantou's holding company. What is better known is the Worldwide struggle for dominance of the QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) between Mantou's and it's arch-rival, Golden Arches. Sometimes referred to as The Greasy Spoon wars, it involved a combination of low-level corporate strikes against assets and cyberspace war.

When the grease filled smoke had settled, and peace treaties had beeen signed in Corporate boardrooms, Mao's had controlling interest in Golden Arches and 85% Dominance of the QSR market and over 50,000 locations to it's name. But the peace with it's arch rival's spinoff companies is tenuous at best, and inter corporate war could arise with little prompting.

But for the moment, the Quick Service Restaurant industry (for those who could not, or rather would not say, “fast food”) is at relative peace and Chairman Mao's statue looks towards the future at every Mao's Location across the planet, having long supplanted Colonel Sanders in public affection (though the Colonel still remains very popular in the PacRim).

Mao is updated to reflect local holidays, becoming red for Christmas, Blue with a Cap to represent Children's Day in many countries when children first go to school, or a cape and Fangs to represent Halloween. Little is remembered of the historical Mao's teachings (after heavy editing by the Chinese Communist Party (now devout Fascists)), and when he ran things, his image was everywhere. When he died, The Chinese remembered him, and also remembered that to get rich was wonderful and brought Guanxi (luck).

But now Mao Mantou has brought Mao back from the grave, and the young find fervor in his quotations that come inside of every red wrapper. He has become the symbol of 'Socialism with Chinese Characteristics (read: Capitalism). What more could Mao ask for? 'Serve The People....A Big Mao!'

The various recipes of Mantou buns have proven immensely popular (Big Mao, Cheese Mao, Double Mao) and Mao's quotes have been used and edited to drive sales: “I have witnessed the tremendous energy of the masses. On this foundation it is possible to accomplish any task whatsoever. Particularly after a Big Mao and Mandarin Combo.”


Commentary is welcome
'Sconnie
QUOTE (TheWanderingJewels @ Feb 4 2010, 03:53 PM) *
Adapted from the Ghost in the Shell: Innocence After the Long Goodbye


Mao Mantou: Quick Service Restaurant Corp

Rising from the ashes of the Fourth Corporate War, the actual origins of one of the largest Food Megacorps is open to speculation as any hard copy records of it's originating assets died in Net Crash 1.0 and 2.0, and it's more than liberal usage of Propaganda (Marketing, Sales, and Advertizing) in about any endeavor (at times contradictory, due to local market targeting) makes any historical data suspect at best.

Here is the accepted history: The name comes from Mandarin Chinese “Mantou” for Steamed Buns, and “Mao” as in Mao Zedong, the former chairman of the Central Committee Of The Communist Party of The Peoples Republic of China.

Mantou's Marketing Department states that Mao Mantou had it's humble beginnings in Shanghai, China on Nanjing Road, with Mao's Face having been trademarked by Mantou's holding company. What is better known is the Worldwide struggle for dominance of the QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) between Mantou's and it's arch-rival, Golden Arches. Sometimes referred to as The Greasy Spoon wars, it involved a combination of low-level corporate strikes against assets and cyberspace war.

When the grease filled smoke had settled, and peace treaties had beeen signed in Corporate boardrooms, Mao's had controlling interest in Golden Arches and 85% Dominance of the QSR market and over 50,000 locations to it's name. But the peace with it's arch rival's spinoff companies is tenuous at best, and inter corporate war could arise with little prompting.

But for the moment, the Quick Service Restaurant industry (for those who could not, or rather would not say, “fast food”) is at relative peace and Chairman Mao's statue looks towards the future at every Mao's Location across the planet, having long supplanted Colonel Sanders in public affection (though the Colonel still remains very popular in the PacRim).

Mao is updated to reflect local holidays, becoming red for Christmas, Blue with a Cap to represent Children's Day in many countries when children first go to school, or a cape and Fangs to represent Halloween. Little is remembered of the historical Mao's teachings (after heavy editing by the Chinese Communist Party (now devout Fascists)), and when he ran things, his image was everywhere. When he died, The Chinese remembered him, and also remembered that to get rich was wonderful and brought Guanxi (luck).

But now Mao Mantou has brought Mao back from the grave, and the young find fervor in his quotations that come inside of every red wrapper. He has become the symbol of 'Socialism with Chinese Characteristics (read: Capitalism). What more could Mao ask for? 'Serve The People....A Big Mao!'

The various recipes of Mantou buns have proven immensely popular (Big Mao, Cheese Mao, Double Mao) and Mao's quotes have been used and edited to drive sales: “I have witnessed the tremendous energy of the masses. On this foundation it is possible to accomplish any task whatsoever. Particularly after a Big Mao and Mandarin Combo.”


Commentary is welcome


IIRC, SR Canon states that The Golden Arches became McHugh's, IIRC
TheWanderingJewels
really? I did not know what
McCummhail
I think that there is still plenty of room for Mao Mantou in SR.
I was laughing pretty hard reading this, imagining the cultural re-acquisition of Mao.
toturi
QUOTE (TheWanderingJewels @ Feb 4 2010, 10:53 PM) *
When he died, The Chinese remembered him, and also remembered that to get rich was wonderful and brought Guanxi (luck).

Guanxi =! luck

It is like saying Connections = Edge.
Wounded Ronin
I love the overall concept of fast food wars.
underaneonhalo
"Mao" means cat. Or so I've been led to believe. grinbig.gif
KarmaInferno
The problem is that many words in Chinese that are essentially verbally the same can mean different things (and are spelled differently when written) based on how they are pronounced, the inflections and tonal stresses applied.





-karma
Wounded Ronin
Chinese spoken language is tonal so it's hard to say as an outsider or non-speaker that so and so means this or that.
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