“Really or not?” Yang Chuangang’s voice was tinged with disbelief. Despite their coarse words, these foreigners were known for their generous spending, yet their standards were incredibly high. He had never witnessed them lavish such praise on Chinese food before. Curiosity piqued, he picked up a duck feet and took a bite. The texture was soft, yet delightfully chewy, a harmonious blend of spicy and sweet that grew more fragrant with every chew.
“Xu Ying, I really like your clothes. Let’s discuss this business first,” Alyssa interjected, barely containing her eagerness. Before she could elaborate, Xu Ying found herself enveloped by a chorus of enthusiastic foodies.
Xu Ying, of course, was delighted. With a bright smile, she followed Alyssa to a quieter section of the carriage. “Alyssa, we also have a cotton-padded jacket; you might want to take a look.” Xu Ying produced a vibrant red padded jacket and, with a swift movement, put it on, showcasing its fit and style.
Alyssa, however, seemed to favor coats and skirts over padded garments. “Xu Ying, I own several clothing stores, and I truly admire your designs,” she began. “What is the cost of this outfit? If the price is right, I’ll place an order for ten thousand. And if sales are good, I’ll continue to purchase more.” Alyssa’s smile was amicable, yet it held a distinct edge of shrewd business acumen.
Xu Ying pursed her lips, a playful glint in her eyes. “Alyssa, you’ve seen for yourself that these coats and skirts are made from excellent materials, and their styles are novel enough to guarantee strong sales. Since you are the first to approach me for business, I will naturally offer you a more favorable price, but this will be a one-time offer. It will be two hundred yuan per set.” She knew foreigners weren’t short on money, so she aimed to maximize her advantage.
Alyssa’s brow furrowed slightly at the quoted price.
A wave of quiet satisfaction washed over Xu Ying. This was going well. “Alyssa, consider this,” she urged, adopting a persuasive tone. “After all, these dresses are meticulously crafted. It’s a complicated process, look at the many steps involved, and all these accessories. You truly won’t be making much profit. But, given that you are my very first customer, we will include some trinkets for you. How about you take a look?”
With that, Xu Ying pulled out a selection of hair accessories, all designed in popular styles from later generations, from her bag. Alyssa, a keen businesswoman immersed in the world of fashion, immediately grasped the potential profit these hair accessories could bring. Without a moment’s hesitation, she extended her hand, a triumphant smile gracing her lips. “Xu Ying, I like you very much. Then it will be a pleasure to cooperate.” She promptly produced a pen.
Xu Ying, anticipating this, quickly retrieved a contract. A momentary pang of realization struck her—she hadn’t prepared an English version for foreign business deals. “Alyssa, do you have a translator with you?”
Alyssa quickly summoned her translator. Once the contract’s contents were verified, she signed it without delay.
“Xu Ying, your braised duck products are truly delicious! My family owns a supermarket, and I’d like to order some of your braised duck products, as well as these fried ones.”
Xu Ying skillfully navigated the interactions with the foreigners, swiftly securing three substantial orders, each amounting to millions of RMB when converted. With the contracts signed and deposits secured, she promptly called the factory.
Meanwhile, at the factory, Director Sun was in a heated meeting with the factory leaders. The central point of contention was Deputy Director Qian’s vocal dissatisfaction with Director Sun’s decision to allow Xu Ying to establish a workshop in Xujiacun.
“Director, are you joking?” Deputy Director Qian bellowed, his voice laced with indignation. “Our factory has so many people, and we can barely keep up with production! Why would you let a mere girl build a workshop in the village? I suspect this young girl is up to no good. Perhaps she intends to hollow out our factory and then start her own business!” He had already garnered support from many by promising leadership positions in a potential city factory expansion to their children, thereby securing their agreement. “Director, how can those people from a small Xujia Village possibly do our work? A group who have never even met a few typists—what can they accomplish? Don’t let them cause trouble when the time comes. Now that we can still manage our orders, we might as well expand the factory and recruit more employees.”
Director Sun, however, harbored his own concerns. “How long will it take to build an expanded factory? How long will we have to wait? Don’t think I’m unaware of your petty schemes. Even if we expand the factory, we don’t have that much money in our coffers right now.” It was easy to talk, but where would the funds for expansion come from?
“Director, you simply worry too much,” Deputy Director Qian retorted, his disdain for Director Sun palpable. “After all, you’re old and your judgment isn’t as sharp.”
Deputy Director Li, sitting nearby, looked visibly uncomfortable. The old factory director had dedicated his life to the factory, and Old Qian’s blatant disrespect was truly distasteful. “Old Qian, you speak lightly. Since you want to purchase additional factory buildings, you go to the leaders for approval. When the funds are insufficient, you can personally cover the cost. What if a large order comes in and our productivity isn’t high enough? Will you be responsible for all of these things?”
“Why should I be responsible?” Deputy Director Qian scoffed. “It wouldn’t be an issue if I were the director of the factory.”
“Everyone, silence!” Director Sun roared, his voice cutting through the escalating tension.
“What? You actually signed a foreign order!” Director Sun, in the midst of the contentious meeting, received the call. The news was so shocking that he almost toppled from his chair. His words, naturally, echoed through the meeting room. Deputy Director Qian, who had been vehemently advocating against the Xujiacun workshop, gasped, his mouth agape in disbelief. How could it be? How could that wretched girl be so lucky?
“Two million? I understand. I will call your father and the others immediately and ask them to speed up recruitment and production. Okay, okay, okay, I’ll hang up the phone first.” Director Sun hung up, a triumphant smile playing on his lips as he looked at Deputy Director Qian. “Old Qian, I don’t think what you said is acceptable anymore. This girl, Xiao Xu, has brought a massive order to our factory—a total of five million! Time is tight, so we must accelerate production!”
No sooner had he finished speaking than the phone rang again. “Hello, Yuxian Food Factory.”
“Hello, I’m from ** County, and I want to order braised duck for 10,000 yuan.”
“Hello, I’m from ** City. We want to order braised duck and fried goods worth 100,000 yuan.”
As the calls continued to pour in, Deputy Director Qian’s face became a deeper shade of crimson. Only moments ago, he had been leading the charge, condemning the director’s supposed arrogance. Now, he felt like a fool, having followed a mere girl into such a debacle. This was a true slap in the face.
“Hurry up and issue your orders to speed up production!” Director Sun exclaimed, his voice brimming with unbridled joy. “The factory needs to recruit more employees. We’ll discuss factory expansion later. Those of us who make braised goods and fried items don’t require extensive machinery. Most of the work is done by employees. We’ll simply recruit more people and assign a few to each group to help.” Director Sun was stunned by this sudden influx of good fortune.
Deputy Director Li, equally shocked, praised him. “Old Sun, this little girl is impressive, but your eye for talent is truly sharp!”
After everyone had dispersed, Director Sun’s face swelled with pride. “That’s right,” he chuckled, “don’t you agree that I, old Sun, possess a wise eye?”