Director Zhou still hesitated. It was not cost-effective for the factory to sell them so cheaply, but this batch of goods had been in the warehouse for half a year. Rather than keeping them and not knowing when they would be sold, it was better to sell them at a lower price, get the money, and take on other orders.
"Nine yuan and five, not a cent less."
"Eight yuan."
As soon as Chen Lishu finished speaking, Li Yuanchao choked on his own saliva. He covered his mouth and coughed for a long time before finally taking a deep breath.
Director Zhou, upon hearing Chen Lishu's counter-offer, although not as surprised as Li Yuanchao, also stared at Chen Lishu for a long time without speaking.
"We've never sold at eight yuan before, and besides, at eight yuan, we wouldn't even cover the cost." Director Zhou firmly shook his head.
"The quality of this trouser material is indeed very good."
Hearing her words, Director Zhou's expression softened slightly. "Of course, this is export-grade merchandise, incomparable to other trousers."
Chen Lishu smiled and nodded. "I imagine the cost of this fabric is not cheap. It must be at least eight or nine毛 per foot, right?"
Director Zhou instinctively wanted to nod but quickly realized the implication of her words, and his expression turned grim again.
Knowing she was an expert, further haggling was meaningless. He decided to be direct. "Nine yuan. If you don't agree, we can keep it and sell it slowly."
Chen Lishu hadn't actually intended to buy them for eight yuan. Besides, she knew that trousers of this style would soon become popular. Even if she bought them now and didn't sell them, holding onto them for a while could double their price.
"Alright, nine yuan it is, as Director Zhou said."
Upon hearing her concede, Director Zhou secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Judging by her aggressive bargaining, he had truly thought the deal would fall through this time.
Li Yuanchao, hearing her agreement, also felt his hanging heart finally settle. It seemed his labor fee was safely secured this time.
"I wonder if these floral shirts are also for sale externally?"
With the business settled and both parties in a cooperative relationship, Director Zhou stepped forward with a smile. "We are a joint venture. Selling to Hong Kong or the mainland is the same. I won't hide it from you; the wholesale price is ten yuan."
Chen Lishu's delicate brows furrowed slightly. "I won't bargain further. Let's say nine yuan as well. I'll order more. What do you think, Director Zhou?"
This... this isn't bargaining? She cut off a dollar right from the start.
"How many can you order?"
Seeing that he hadn't outright refused, Chen Lishu tentatively said, "One thousand pieces."
Director Zhou shook his head. "That won't do; it's too few. At least two thousand pieces to start, otherwise, I can't explain it."
More than four thousand wide-leg trousers, plus the floral shirts, totaled over six thousand pieces. Nearly sixty thousand yuan worth of goods. Thinking she only had twenty thousand yuan on hand, Chen Lishu hesitated. "That's acceptable, but I'll need to pay a portion upfront, and the rest after all the goods have arrived."
Currently, banks only provided loans to companies, not individuals, so borrowing was out of the question. However, Chen Lishu had already thought of a plan. Upon returning, she could discuss it with Nan Haitao or Zhou Bin to see if they were interested. If not, she could sell a portion of these goods at a lower price. Regardless, she would not miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
When Director Zhou heard her words, his thick eyebrows almost knitted into a knot. This batch of wide-leg trousers had become backlog exactly this way. Moreover, judging by Chen Lishu's accent, she was from the north. With such a long distance, if she defaulted, debt collection would be troublesome.
"The wide-leg trousers must be paid for in full. I can make an exception for the shirts, requiring half the deposit upfront. This is already the cheapest price for you. We truly don't want any further losses in the middle."
Full payment for the wide-leg trousers would be around forty thousand yuan, and half for the shirts would be at least fifty thousand yuan.
Not wanting to miss this opportunity, Chen Lishu thought for a moment and proposed, "After all, we've settled everything. I don't want this matter to hold us back and delay progress, do you agree? Can you be more flexible? Even from my perspective, paying over eighty percent of the payment before receiving the goods is quite risky for me."
Director Zhou replied, "Our factory is also facing difficulties. This batch of wide-leg trousers has already been priced at the lowest. If you're not reassured, you can watch the goods being loaded. Please understand our situation as well."
Seeing his persistence, Chen Lishu knew further discussion would be futile. She then said, "Director Zhou, how about you give me one day to consider? I'll go back and inquire about the situation. If the money is really tight, I can only buy as much as I can afford with the money I have."
Director Zhou, hearing her say so much, nodded in agreement.
After leaving the garment factory, Chen Lishu went straight to a telephone booth and called Nan Haitao.
Nan Haitao had just returned from a meeting upstairs. He had taken off his coat and sat down when the phone rang, and he reached out to answer it.
"Hello?"
"It's me, Chen Lishu."
Hearing Chen Lishu's voice, Nan Haitao's narrow eyes lit up, and he smiled. "Why do you have time to call me?"
Chen Lishu cautiously glanced around before covering the receiver and whispering, "I have a big business deal for you. It might take less than two months, and I guarantee you'll make at least twenty thousand yuan on this trip..."
As Chen Lishu explained the general situation, Nan Haitao, holding the receiver, unconsciously sat up straighter.
He hadn't expected Chen Lishu to be in Yangcheng, let alone attending the Yangcheng Trade Fair.
Nan Haitao's long fingers unconsciously pinched his brow. Despite his many questions, he listened quietly without interrupting Chen Lishu.
"I only have twenty thousand yuan on hand right now. If I pool some more, I can squeeze out about thirty thousand. This is definitely a sure-win deal."
She still had Gu Xingdong's savings passbook, and Chen Lishu was reluctant to touch it unless it was absolutely necessary.
Among the people Chen Lishu knew, those who could handle this batch of goods were Nan Haitao, Zhou Bin, and Li Zhengxing. However, she preferred to cooperate with Nan Haitao, which was why she called him first.
While Chen Lishu waited for his reply, Nan Haitao suddenly said, "Can you wait five days?"
"Ah?" Chen Lishu didn't react immediately. "What five days?"
Nan Haitao chuckled. "I'm booking a train ticket for tonight. It will take at least five days to reach your location. Can you wait?"
Chen Lishu was stunned. "You're coming here? You... you agreed?"
A low chuckle came from the other end of the receiver. "You said it's a sure-win deal. Besides, aren't you attending the trade fair? There are many people and eyes around. You can focus on your trade fair matters, and I'll handle the rest."
With Nan Haitao's assurance, Chen Lishu was finally completely relieved.