The factory's performance had only just begun to improve due to the collaboration with Chen Lishu. It was crucial to retain this client and prevent further incidents like the one involving Fu Hongxin.
Fu Hongxin, who had initially planned to exploit his position, saw his last hope extinguished. Not only did he lose his job, but he also faced a colossal compensation claim of sixty thousand yuan. Even with the help of all his relatives and friends, he couldn't possibly gather such a sum.
Chen Lishu, however, was indifferent to his predicament.
"The factory's occurrence of such an incident reflects my mismanagement, and I bear an undeniable responsibility. Please accept my apologies first," Feng Wenyu said with a smile, looking at the person opposite him.
Chen Lishu responded politely, "The responsibility does not fall entirely on you, Secretary Feng. After all, it's hard to guard against people's hearts."
Feng Wenyu continued, "Regardless, I hope our cooperation can continue. I know it might be inappropriate to bring this up, especially after the losses you've incurred this time. However, the factory has decided that from now on, any processing you do at the factory will be at the absolute lowest price in the entire city."
Finding a new collaborator would be time-consuming and effortful, and there was no guarantee that someone like Fu Hongxin wouldn't appear again. It was better to mend fences and move forward.
"Speaking of cooperation, I happen to have two new designs on hand right now."
The donation of supplies had garnered a very positive societal response, further increasing the visibility of herself and the 'Shu Se' brand. In the past few days, not only had the store's business been booming, but many people had also expressed interest in stocking their products.
Capitalizing on this momentum, she had conceived two new designs in the last couple of days.
Upon hearing that she harbored no ill will and had new designs so quickly, Feng Wenyu became excited. He leaned forward slightly, his tone unconsciously quickening, "What kind of designs?"
...
Meanwhile, Gu Xingdong, far away in Pengcheng, was also engaged in discussions.
"This Boss Luo is from Hong Kong. The construction project he showed you earlier was invested by him. One of the equipment models you're interested in is rarely seen domestically. Boss Luo has wide connections and should be able to acquire it through other channels," Li Yuanchao explained to them, sharing what he knew.
His business had grown significantly in the past two years, and he had dealings in Pengcheng. Knowing that Gu Xingdong was coming, and given the close proximity of Yangcheng and Pengcheng, he had proactively come to see if there was anything he could help with.
Gu Xingdong frowned, "If he can truly procure it, the price isn't an issue. However, I heard that Boss Luo is quite difficult to arrange a meeting with."
Li Yuanchao smiled, "Don't worry. I've already asked a friend to contact him, and we should hear back in a couple of days. Although he's from Hong Kong, this is the mainland. To ensure smooth future development, he'll have to give some face to some extent."
Gu Xingdong added, "I really appreciate your help this time. Thank you."
Li Yuanchao replied, "You're too kind. It's business, after all. Having more friends opens more doors. Besides, you're a good person, and worth befriending."
Although he had only interacted with Gu Xingdong once, Li Yuanchao just knew that Gu Xingdong was a friend worth cultivating a deep relationship with.
Soon, the friend Li Yuanchao had contacted replied, and the other party agreed to meet.
As they were genuinely interested in purchasing and offered a suitable price, the matter progressed smoothly.
"Has Mr. Gu considered investing in development? Building houses has low profits. However, this is the downside of the mainland; land cannot be bought or sold. Everything requires government involvement, which makes us feel restricted and quite troublesome," Boss Luo, who couldn't speak Mandarin, chattered away, leaving Gu Xingdong somewhat bewildered. Fortunately, Li Yuanchao was present to translate.
Understanding his meaning, Gu Xingdong chuckled and said, "The situation in the north and here still has some differences. However, reform and opening up cannot happen overnight. But I believe the country's future development will certainly get better and better, otherwise, how would I have the honor of meeting Boss Luo?"
Boss Luo burst into laughter, "Mr. Gu is also right. The prospects here in Pengcheng are immense. I think you're a very good person, Mr. Gu. If you have the opportunity to develop here, we can cooperate."
Gu Xingdong replied humbly, "It's my honor to be noticed by Boss Luo, and I also look forward to cooperating with him."
Because the equipment required approval, processing various procedures, and transportation across the port, the entire process would take at least half a month.
Li Yuanchao could not be away from his own business for too long and left in advance. Gu Xingdong, Wang Kuo, and Sun Daguo, however, took the opportunity to gain a good understanding of construction and building practices in Pengcheng.
Half a month passed quickly. After the equipment landed and the transportation was arranged, Gu Xingdong and the others bought their tickets to head back.
Chen Lishu processed two types of garments from the State Cotton Mill this time: sweatshirts and carrot pants, with three thousand pieces of each, totaling six thousand pieces.
The price was indeed the lowest as quoted by Feng Wenyu, six yuan per sweatshirt and seven yuan per carrot pant. The total payment for the goods was thirty-nine thousand yuan. Chen Lishu paid a deposit of ten thousand yuan. A week later, the State Cotton Mill would deliver one thousand pieces of each, with the rest to be produced sequentially.
"The store should also have a phone installed. It would be more convenient for business communication," Chen Lishu thought one day when she arrived at the store and saw the notebook placed by Wang Aixiang, filled with numerous phone numbers. Most of them belonged to people who had expressed interest in stocking their products during this period. It was inconvenient to always make calls from outside, so Chen Lishu tasked Zhao Xingwang with getting a phone installed.
Wang Aixiang mentioned, "I heard that installing a phone costs quite a bit of money."
Chen Lishu smiled, "This is a necessary investment. As our business grows, we can't always rely on external phone numbers. Spending a little more money is worthwhile."
Zhao Xingwang added, "You mentioned earlier that you wanted to find sales staff. I think I know someone who would be a good fit. I've given him a call, and he said he'd like to come and take a look."
The friend Zhao Xingwang was referring to was Li Qiang, whom he had met during their trip to the border. Although Li Qiang was not highly educated, he was bold and meticulous, making him suitable for sales. Moreover, Chen Lishu's salary structure always rewarded competence, with current employees earning several hundred yuan per month in base salary and commission.
Chen Lishu stated, "Anyone you consider suitable should be good. Since I've entrusted this matter to you, you can handle it as you see fit." She had great confidence in Zhao Xingwang's work capabilities and therefore gave him full responsibility for the sales aspect.
After leaving the store, Chen Lishu made her way to the vegetable market. Liu Yuemin and Gu Xingmin had moved out the day after they paid their rent, and their shop, along with Zhang Xiaoju's shop, had now opened. Liu Yuemin and Gu Xingmin sold vegetables, while Zhang Xiaoju's shop sold dried goods.
Initially, Zhang Xiaoju had also wanted to sell vegetables. However, she was alone in the shop. Although Gu Xingye could help occasionally, selling vegetables required daily procurement, which was somewhat strenuous for her alone. Chen Lishu had advised her to sell dried goods instead, as Gu Xingye could then help with restocking whenever he had free time.