"Congratulations, Boss Chen!" someone exclaimed. "You've been silent for over a decade, and now you've found a granddaughter attending Tsinghua University. Your luck is truly amazing!"
Another person chimed in with a hint of envy, "Old Chen, is she really your granddaughter? Have you done a paternity test? Don't just bring her home because she goes to Tsinghua!"
Chen Gao merely smiled at their words, not engaging in conversation. He then brought out his latest product, the Meimei sausage.
"This is our newly launched starch sausage. I'll sell it to you for seventy yuan, and you can't sell it for less than eighty."
As soon as the price was announced, the chain store owners shook their heads.
"Old Chen, we've known each other for years. I won't lie to you. Your starch sausage, even if you gave it to me for seventy, I wouldn't be able to sell it. It's too expensive. Look at the meat sausages in my supermarket; they only sell for eighty-five yuan each. You want me to sell it for eighty, and it's a starch sausage? You're not just making it difficult for me to sell, but people will also think my store is ripping them off!"
Liu Chen, hearing these words, also felt a pang of doubt, his lips pressed together as he pondered if he had indeed set the price too high.
Just then, Grandpa Chen used a small knife from his keychain to open a package. He turned to Liu Chen, who was holding a sample of the Meimei sausage, and said, "Chenchen, come, help Grandpa put the Meimei sausage on the desk."
Liu Chen nodded, "Okay, Grandpa."
Liu Chen carefully placed the paper box, weighing fifteen jin and imprinted with the words "Meimei," onto the desk.
Grandpa Chen stepped forward, slit open the seal, and took out a package.
"There are one hundred pieces in a box, with ten pieces in a small bag. Each piece weighs seventy grams. While it's called a starch sausage, our meat content actually reaches fifty percent, which is higher than most starch sausages on the market."
As Grandpa Chen spoke, he handed a pack of pink sausage to Zhu Dian, the owner of the 99 Chain Supermarket, who stood behind the desk, his hair also flecked with gray.
Zhu Dian sighed but obligingly took the not-so-thick, seventy-gram, peach-colored sausage.
"Honestly, the color of your packaging is quite creative," Zhu Dian said as he tore open a small gap in the sausage with his teeth, then peeled off the casing, revealing the tender pink color of the starch sausage inside.
"The color is nice, looks quite natural. But that's not a reason for it to be so expensive."
He said this as he put the Meimei sausage into his mouth and began to chew with his dentures.
Zhu Dian's expression of forced politeness turned into a frown as he chewed. His chewing slowed, and he narrowed his eyes, as if savoring a delicacy with the seriousness of tasting a prized abalone.
Liu Chen's heart finally began to ease. He let out a quiet sigh of relief. Yes, his Meimei sausage was a high-rated starch sausage recipe from the system, and taste was paramount!
Zhu Dian took a full minute to consume the small, seventy-gram starch sausage.
After finishing, Zhu Dian's brows furrowed slightly, and he looked at Grandpa Chen with a serious expression.
"I was abrupt earlier. Such a delicious starch sausage, even if the meat content wasn't fifty percent, I believe a price of eighty yuan per box wouldn't be a problem!"
Grandpa Chen simply smiled and motioned for Liu Chen to join him in sitting at the two guest chairs in front of the desk.
Liu Chen understood; this was going to be a leisurely discussion.
Unsurprisingly, Zhu Dian also sat back in his office chair and then moved the box of Meimei starch sausages to his feet. Such a delicious sausage was worth taking home for his wife to try.
"Old Chen, we've been doing business for so many years. I won't beat around the bush. If the Meimei starch sausage is exclusively for our 99 Chain Supermarket, I can order a thousand boxes in the first batch!"
A thousand boxes! In his previous life, Liu Chen had to use all his persuasive power to get distributors to reluctantly agree to five cases, and that was with conditions. If those five cases didn't sell within a month, they had to be returned to the factory at full price.
His Meimei sausage, at its very first promotion, was being ordered in such a quantity?
Liu Chen even felt like agreeing on the spot. However, Grandpa Chen, sitting beside him, calmly sipped the warm water from a disposable cup. After finishing, he placed the cup on the table and said, "Old Zhu, we've been friends for decades, and you don't even have a cup of tea for me when I visit."
Zhu Dian quickly stood up, pulled out a tea caddy from his desk, and used a wooden clip to take a pinch of tea leaves, which he placed in the teapot nearby.
As he poured hot water into the teapot, Zhu Dian said, "Old brother, you know me. My 99 Chain Supermarket has over three hundred stores, big and small, in S Province. If you want to promote your new product, I'm your best choice!"
After the hot water steeped for three seconds, Zhu Dian poured the tea into the trash can, then poured hot water again, steeped for three seconds, and poured it into a fairness pitcher, then divided it equally into the three cups in front of them, filling them two-thirds full.
"Old brother, after so many years of friendship, don't you trust your little brother?"
Grandpa Chen picked up his cup, took a small sip, and then spoke, "This is a new product, and it can't be sold exclusively to you."
"Old brother!"
Grandpa Chen held up his hand, signaling Zhu Dian to be quiet. As Zhu Dian looked at him with eager anticipation, the old man continued, "However, I can guarantee a stable supply of one thousand pieces per week. If you think that's acceptable, we'll sign. If not, I'll have had my tea, and the trip won't have been in vain."
Zhu Dian's nostrils flared as he exhaled forcefully a few times.
"My dear old brother, you're something else! So you came here not to promote your new product, but to show off your granddaughter and annoy me!"
Grandpa Chen put down his teacup, silently got up, and pushed his chair back, appearing ready to leave.
Startled, Zhu Dian leaned his upper body onto the desk and grabbed Grandpa Chen's hand.
"Don't go! I didn't say I wouldn't agree. You're teasing me, and I can't even complain a little? That's too overbearing!"
Liu Chen, who had stood up to leave with Grandpa Chen, noticed him turn back and wink at him, and then he finally understood.
So, the old man was 'bargaining'!
Liu Chen carefully recalled Grandpa Chen's every move since entering the room. It seemed he hadn't initiated any requests himself, and the only time he had proposed something was to counter Zhu Dian's offer.
Indeed, the older the ginger, the spicier it is. Liu Chen had to admit defeat. He also realized that Grandpa Chen wasn't just bringing him along to meet people but also teaching him how to negotiate with distributors to maximize profits.
Zhu Dian made a phone call and asked his assistant to prepare a contract. When the contract was ready, the assistant handed it to Zhu Dian, who was sitting behind the desk.
Zhu Dian happily pushed the contract with both hands towards Grandpa Chen, who was sitting and drinking tea. Grandpa Chen waved his hand and then said to Liu Chen, who was quietly sipping tea beside him, "Come, Chenchen, examine the contract carefully. We'll sign it after you've reviewed it. Your Grandpa Zhu can wait."
Zhu Dian nodded resignedly. "Old brother, look at you. We've been friends for decades, and you still need to look at such a small contract? Fine, fine, it's good that you're cautious."
Liu Chen, while Zhu Dian was speaking, quickly scanned the contract with his eyes. He also discreetly placed a lucky charm on himself, as these things were quite useful at critical moments.
After carefully reviewing it, which took about ten minutes, Grandpa Chen didn't rush them. He and Zhu Dian continued to drink tea, cup after cup.
"Grandpa, I've finished looking."
Once Liu Chen confirmed there were no issues with the contract, he handed it back to Grandpa Chen.
"Hmm, Grandpa, let me take another look."
Zhu Dian was completely at the mercy of the grandfather and grandson by now. He simply drank his tea seriously and stopped urging them.
Grandpa Chen read the contract quickly. It was only two pages long. After reading through the clauses in two minutes, he smiled and said, "Alright, Chenchen, pour tea for your Grandpa Zhu. Thank you, Grandpa Zhu, for your support of your Meimei starch sausage."
Liu Chen's eyes lit up at this. He quickly picked up the fairness pitcher and slowly refilled Zhu Dian's cup, which was already empty.
Hearing this, Zhu Dian's eyes widened. "Old brother, don't tell me, 'Meimei' is a brand? Is it your granddaughter's brand? You need to have quality inspection reports for this, right? If you don't, aren't you trying to set me up?"
Grandpa Chen chuckled, "The products are made in our factory, and all the procedures are complete. Sell them with confidence. It's my granddaughter; she's ambitious and has aspirations. She wants to start her own food company. As her grandfather, all I can do is bring her to meet you all, so that in the future, you'll do me a favor and mentor her."
With that said, Zhu Dian looked at Liu Chen with renewed admiration.
"Good, good, damn it! You old brother, you've finally succeeded. With a granddaughter like this, your 'Meili' brand will truly become bigger and stronger! Ah! My two brats at home just loaf around my supermarket all day. They've never thought of starting their own business. Damn it, I'm going to scold them when I get back today!"
Over the weekend, Liu Chen accompanied Grandpa Chen and signed contracts with three more chain supermarkets. The Meimei brand starch sausage was placed on the shelves of two international chain supermarkets.
The moment the Meimei starch sausage appeared on the supermarket shelves, Liu Chen received an electronic notification from the system:
'E-level mission triggered: Sell thirty thousand units of starch sausage within thirty days. Mission completion rewards doubled lucky draw tickets during the mission period. Mission failure deducts lucky draw tickets obtained during the mission period.'