CHAPTER 55
The order was given to Han Jun to handle, while Li Xia checked the account. If the order volume was large, the funds might be insufficient, but it didn’t matter. The funds would slowly come back as the products were produced. If the situation was really urgent, they could talk to the supplier to delay the payment and pay the interest. Anyway, as long as there were orders, nothing else would matter.
“Director, Mr. Tian Mu wants to see you. The lady who is with him is Murong Danling, and she said you two have known each other for many years.”
Tian Mu had always wanted to control her factory, so why did Murong Danling go with him? Now that they were in a confrontation, it would be good to meet and get a feel for what was going on.
“Please go to the conference room. I’ll be there right away.”
“OK.”
Knowing yourself and your enemy will ensure victory in every battle. Since she is here again, let’s go and test her bottom line. She called Fang Long to go with her. When it comes to technical matters, Fang Long has to make the judgment.
She looked in the mirror and tidied herself up. Her professional suit was well-fitting, and she put on light makeup. Fang Long came in and met her first, and then they went to the meeting room.
As soon as she entered the door, Li Xia saw her old friend, Murong Danling.
They had rarely met in recent years, and Li Xia didn’t know what she was doing. At this moment, she was wearing international brand clothing, and the diamond necklace on her neck and the diamond ring on her hand seemed to be a set. The diamond was cut very well, and it sparkled in the sun.
Murong Danling saw her standing up and stretched out her hand to her. “Old acquaintance, we meet again. Hello.”
Li Xia also extended her hand to greet her politely. After so many years, the two of them have been in the business world and are no longer the young and naive girls they were back then. They have a lot of things to say in their hearts, but they don’t show it on their faces.
“Hello.”
“Oh, let me introduce him to you.” Murong Danling pointed at the man standing next to her and said, “This is Mr. Tian Mu, the general manager of Rifei. You should know, Rifei. There is no need for me to say more. It is a leading electronics company.”
“Hello.” The man bowed. Li Xia had seen that gesture many times in movies, and it was quite familiar.
“Hello.”
After some pleasantries, the two parties sat down to discuss business. There was nothing new about it. They wanted to control her factories again. The other party provided her with technology and technical support, and she just sat there and collected dividends.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Tian. I don’t have any plans to do that at the moment.”
Take over her factory and then bankrupt it. All obstacles that hinder your monopoly on the market can be destroyed by you. You can cover the sky with one hand and play with such a large market at your fingertips, right?
“Ms. Li Xia, I advise you not to be stubborn. You need to be flexible when doing business. In today’s turbulent times, a small factory like yours is like a small boat in the waves. It is easy to be overturned.”
“I know what I am doing. Thank you, Mr. Tian Mu, for reminding me.”
This is to send the guests away. Tian Mu’s eyes showed displeasure. This woman is too difficult to deal with. He has invested in many factories and successfully entered the Chinese market, but this woman has set up a research and development department early and developed products by herself. She has broken through many technical barriers and can manufacture many small household appliances without their technical support.
They wanted to suppress her with price, but she actually designed such a beautiful product. In this way, they broke through their price war. In recent years, the living standards of Chinese people have been rising steadily. Many families would think of spending an extra one or two yuan to buy a beautiful one.
“Ms. Li, I advise you not to act on impulse.”
Murong Danling also smiled and advised, “Yes, don’t be stubborn in the business world. It’s obviously a good thing for everyone to make money; why do you have to refuse it? You are so tired of running a factory every day; isn’t it better to sit and count money?”
“I’m sorry, I was born to be a hard worker.”
After being rejected again, these two were not the kind of people who would pester others for a small business. They politely said goodbye and left, but they were actually very angry. Fang Long, a technical geek, could see their unhappy look.
“Boss, are they doing anything behind our backs?” He is good at technology but not good at interpersonal relationships.
“Don’t worry. We’re just dealing with each other’s moves.”
A few days later, Han Jun called and said he had received two big orders. The man on the phone was very excited, as if he was going to do something big this time.
“We have to earn back the advertising fee eight or ten times; otherwise, we will feel like we are losing money.”
Han Jun had recovered most of the money from the dealers and received many more orders. She began to think about how much money would be needed to run the production line at full capacity. She went to the finance office next door, and Xiao Liu gave her some advice after listening.
“Sister, we can talk to the suppliers and get them back on track in two or three months. If that doesn’t work, we can give them some interest and just treat it as their bank deposit. What do you think?”
“You can try.”
She contacted several suppliers by phone, and many of them agreed to this approach. This is equivalent to a short-term investment in Li Xia’s products, and they can earn interest from the profits of her factory. There is nothing wrong with this if the funds are not tight.
After solving the funding problem, when she ran into her son as soon as she got home that night, she asked curiously, “Didn’t you go to evening self-study tonight?”
Yiyi shook his head and said, “Mom, today is Saturday.”
As she walked, she said, “I’ve been so busy. How are you guys doing lately? Do you have anything you want to tell mom?”
“Nothing happened, Mom; you can continue to take care of your big things. We can handle our small matters ourselves.”
“Heh, is everything okay?”
“Olay.”
The brat said it was okay, and Li Xia smiled and went to take a shower. She came out and knocked on her daughter’s door, and her daughter came over with a smile and took her arm.
“Mom, have you been very busy recently? You were drunk when we came back the day before yesterday, and my dad coaxed you for a long time before you went to sleep.”
Li Xia blushed and felt very embarrassed in front of her daughter. “I didn’t say anything stupid, did I?”
“No. Dad said you’ve worked hard for the factory, so he asked me to make some honey water for you.” Huihua smiled. Her mother made her bed while she sat on a chair beside her. “Mom, sometimes I envy you so much. You’ve been married to my dad for such a long time, and you have such a good relationship.”
“You, do you have a crush?” Seeing her daughter blushing and waving her hands, she comforted her, “It’s okay. It’s normal for you to have a crush at your age due to the effects of hormones. As long as you behave properly, there’s nothing wrong with it.”
“Mom, don’t you think premature love is a disaster? Our teachers are crazy about preventing premature love. They don’t allow boys and girls to sit at the same table during meals.”
“The teacher is doing this for your own good. After all, you are at a critical stage in your life. The best time will never come back. If you miss it, you will never have another opportunity to study like this again.”
“I know.”
“Shall we go shopping tomorrow morning?”
“Okay. After we buy the clothes, shall we go to the movies?”
“Are there any movies you like recently?”
“Yeah. Leslie Cheung is in Across the World.”
“Okay, after we finish shopping, let’s have something delicious and then go to the movies.”
On the weekend, the mother and daughter got up early. After washing and changing clothes, Li Xia sat in front of the dressing mirror and put on some light makeup. In recent years, she has paid much attention to her image in public and is very good at using cosmetics.
“What are you doing?” Shen Haiyang came in and asked.
“I’m going to the mall with Huihua to buy clothes.”
“Not taking the three of us?”
Li Xia turned around and asked, “You want to go too?”
“Um.”
“Then let’s go together. But we have a deal. I’m going to buy some girly things for Huihua, and you can take those two aside then.”
“Is that so? Then you two should go alone, and don’t let those two brats follow you.”
“Then let’s go after dinner.” Li Xia turned around and grabbed the corner of his clothes. “What do you want? I’ll buy it for you when I come back.”
Shen Haiyang looked down at himself and said, “It seems that I don’t need anything.”
“Let’s buy a pair of shoes. It’s getting cold. See if there are any cotton-padded shoes to keep you warm.”
“Don’t. It’s too warm, and your feet will sweat and stink.”
“If it stinks, just wash it. It’s better than freezing, right?”
“Really. I also drive to work this year. Both my home and my workplace have heaters, so it’s not cold at all.”
“Okay, buy some shoes then.”
The mother and daughter went shopping. In addition to buying some teenage girl supplies for Huihua, they also bought some clothes for the family. The New Year is coming soon, so if you have time, you can prepare a little.
After buying some food and eating some delicious food, the mother and daughter went into the cinema with popcorn. After coming out, they chatted with each other. “Mom, Leslie Cheung is a great actor.”
“Are you star-chasing?”
“Not really; I just really like his acting skills, and he looks good too. Sometimes he looks sunny and handsome, and sometimes his eyes look sad. His acting is really good.”
“I still think Chow Yun is better looking.”
“Haha, don’t let my dad hear this.”
“It’s okay to hear it. Your dad also likes Chow Yun.”
“That’s different.”
The mother and daughter smiled at each other and stopped talking about it. Huihua suddenly stopped, and Li Xia asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”
She whispered, “Mom, what should I do? I think I’m having my period.”
As a woman, Li Xia naturally knew what this meant, so she quickly looked around. “Let’s go back to the cinema. There’s a bathroom there.”
“But I don’t have any sanitary napkins in my bag.”
“I brought it.”
She accompanied my daughter to the cinema to use sanitary napkins to deal with a menstrual problem. When they came out, the cold drink in Huihua’s hand was taken away by Li Xia.
“Don’t forget that you had a stomachache before. You can’t drink cold drinks during your period.”
“Okay, I know.”
The mother and daughter had just walked in and put down their bags when the phone rang. Li Xia reached out to answer the phone. It was Han Jun. The man sounded excited, and his mouth was wet. He must have drunk a lot.
“Boss, do you know how big an order I got? With this order, we don’t have to worry anymore. There are a few smaller ones, and we will make a lot of money if we add them up.”
Li Xia listened to the drunkard’s mumbling with a good temper and then comforted him to go to sleep. “Take a shower and go to bed, so that you don’t smell of alcohol. If you have anything to say, wait until you sober up; there’s no rush.”
“No, you doubt me? I’m telling you, boss, I definitely made a great contribution to the factory this time. As for the year-end bonus, you have to give me a big red envelope.”
“Okay, okay, you have done a great job; I will give you a red envelope.”
After saying that, Li Xia hung up the phone. Shen Haiyang came in and looked at her curiously. Who was she calling? She spoke in a tone like she was coaxing a child.
“Han Jun, he’s drunk. I don’t know if what he said is true or just drunken talk. I’m hanging up on him. I’ll call him again tomorrow.”
“Han Jun, this guy has a high alcohol tolerance now.”
“It is said that he has a man under his command who can drink three or four times as much as the average person. I don’t know where he found him.”
“What kind of trend is this now? When they get to the table, they just drink to death.”
“Isn’t this the case in your unit?”
“We don’t have that problem. This phenomenon mainly exists between factories and customers.”
“I can’t help it. I need help from others.”
Get orders; only with orders can a factory survive. The next day, Han Jun woke up and called her into the office. This guy really has a lot of orders this time, and Li Xia was very happy after hearing that.
“Then I will start organizing production now. We need to get another batch of parts.”
“Just go for it. Many people are interested in our cute design, especially underage children and female consumers. One customer said that his daughter has been asking him to buy her the rabbit fan. Also, he wants to change the order for ordinary table fans that Lao Xu placed before to this new model.”
The advertisement was very successful, and her use of her beauty seemed to have worked well. The factory was ready, and everything was in place except for the money. Now that the money had come, there was nothing more to say. Production had already begun, and now it had to be stepped up.
With the business coming in, the management of the factory is all very happy. Bonuses are directly linked to performance, so if the factory makes money, they make money, so this year looks like another good year.
Xiao Liu accompanied Li Xia to the workshop for a walk, and the two walked and talked as they came out. “Boss, how about we go to Sanya for the New Year this year? I heard that Sanya is great, warm, and you can see the sea. Let’s take the kids to the beach to play with sand and see what the sea looks like.”
“I took my children there the autumn before last.” Li Xia smiled. “Besides, my three children are all grown up and have long passed the age of playing with sand. My father-in-law is in very poor health this year. I won’t go out; I’ll just spend the New Year at home.”
“Then I’ll look for Xiao Xu from the R&D department to see if the couple will go.”
One should go out and play whenever they have the chance. Life is good only when you have money and leisure time. Otherwise, it would be too tiring to just work like an old ox pulling a cart every day. You need to take a proper rest.
The products are being produced in an orderly manner, and the orders have been received. These can be converted into cash soon. The electric heaters are also selling very well in winter, and the factory will definitely have generous bonuses at the end of the year.
Han Jun was away on a business trip for more than a month, and when he came back, his face was full of a rosy glow. In the cold weather, a lot of goods had been taken away, and cash flow began to return. In the middle of the month, the salary was paid, and Lao Han was so happy that his mouth was almost grinning when he received the bonus. Calm down and talk to her about business.
“There is an international trade fair in Shanghai on the 12th. Should I go alone this time, or will you come with me?” Han Jun is now in charge of sales and is very concerned about these things.
“I am coming too.”
Han Jun was so extravagant after receiving the money that he came with Li Xia to have dinner at her house. After finishing the business, he started to talk about gossip, looking at his wife and then at Li Xia.
“Why don’t you two wear jewelry? I see other women wearing gold earrings and gold rings. Come on, wife, tomorrow I’ll buy you a gold necklace, gold earrings, and gold bracelets, so you can look great.”
Qin Mu glanced at him and said, “Come on, you are just showing off your money. Give it all to me; don’t waste it outside.”
“You woman, you are not happy when I buy you jewelry.”
Qin Mu glanced at him and said, “Buy jewelry? What kind of jewelry? Save the money for your son to get married in the future.”
“You, a woman, don’t understand life. Look at Li Xia. She wouldn’t always talk about finding a wife for her son. Children and grandchildren will have their own blessings. Why bother about so much?”
“Shen Hui and Yiyi are top students. With their abilities, why should Li Xia worry about finding a wife? Don’t you look at your son? How can I be assured of him being like that?”
“Okay, okay, don’t think too much.” Li Xia laughed, “My son Yiyi successfully lost weight this year; otherwise, I would also be worried about him getting married.”
As soon as this was mentioned, the topic immediately changed. Qin Mu was very fond of Yiyi : “This kid has grown a lot taller this year. How did he lose weight? Now he looks slender and full of youthful energy.”
“He hasn’t grown much; he just got thinner, which makes him look taller. When buying clothes, I still bought the same size as last year, just to make the width and height even.”
After a few small talks, Han Jun drove his wife home, and the next day he and Li Xia went on a business trip to Shanghai. This time there were five or six people with them, and most of them were new products from the factory, the kind that were advertised.
Their location in the exhibition hall was not very good, but the bright colors attracted the attention of everyone who passed by. Everyone who came by would take a look at the table fans of various colors and shapes, and some people began to contact them.
A lady started speaking in English, and Li Xia managed to keep in touch with her. Seeing that she was not fluent in English, the other party slowed down her speech. This time, the communication was fine with both speaking and gestures.
The other party is a home appliance distributor in Southeast Asia. Fans sell well in the hot climate of Southeast Asia. Many countries in Southeast Asia have developed economies, and the requirements for products are not limited to performance. She thinks this design is unique and will definitely stand out from the crowd of ordinary fans.
On the first day, Han Jun received an export order. He looked at the boss in disbelief. The product was more expensive than the ordinary one, but it was just different in appearance. It was not only sold in China but also abroad.
“Boss, does anyone really look at appearance when buying things?”
The two assistants were packing up the stall while Li Xia collected the orders. “It’s not enough to just have a good appearance. The first thing a product should consider is performance, followed by price. If the performance is good and the price is not much different, then the appearance will naturally add points.”
“Awesome. Several domestic distributors also said that you have a unique way of thinking. When others are still thinking about the price war, you have already found another way. By focusing on their appearance, you can break their price war in one go. You don’t have to worry about being killed by their price.”
“Let’s go back to the hotel and continue tomorrow.”
“Boss, what if they copy ours?”
“It takes time to imitate. We made a lot of money in one year. We can use this year to improve the performance of the microwave oven, for example, by adding more firepower, and other products are also being improved. We continue to improve our products in terms of convenience, energy savings, and aesthetics. We maintain our market competitiveness. If they imitate us, they can only follow us. ”
Han Jun gave Li Xia a thumbs up this time, and Li Xia smiled without saying anything. We are all standing on the shoulders of giants, and we don’t deserve your praise.
The next day, the trade fair continued. Han Jun was watching over Li Xia’s booth as she walked around with her bag on her back. It was the 1990s, and the days of material scarcity had long passed. There were both traditional and new things at the trade fair.
She walked around and bought some things for her family. After the first order, people started placing orders at the stall, including from domestic customers and two Taiwanese companies.
Li Xia smiled when she received the order. You know, in the 1990s, Japanese companies dominated the electrical appliance industry. She was able to open up overseas sales channels under the pressure of Japanese companies, so it would be even more difficult for them to squeeze her to death.
Han Jun smiled and said, “If Tian Mu knew about this, he would be furious. He wanted to squeeze us with price, but our price went up instead of down, and we still got a lot of orders.”
“Don’t be so cocky. Tell the factory to speed up production and ensure quality and quantity.”
“Okay.”
At the World Expo, the exquisite new products successfully opened up the foreign market. Previously, the domestic orders for such new products were not large, but the orders from foreign countries were not small.
Tian Mu, who was also attending the Expo, also heard the news. He was so angry that he smashed a teacup in the house, then clenched his fists with gritted teeth.
————
Li Xia returned with a full load, and the factory resumed operation. Soon it was the twelfth lunar month, the first batch of orders was delivered and passed customs, and the other party also paid the balance after inspection. The factory was busy calculating everyone’s year-end bonuses.
Yiyi also met his mother’s requirements one by one and asked her for a reward. He bought a hairpin for his sister and a model for his brother. Although he didn’t keep the money, he was in a good mood because the girl he helped came to thank him.
His mother no longer restricted his diet. She asked his aunt to cook him braised fish, beef brisket stewed with potatoes, donkey meat with sauce, and braised pork every day. He kept exercising and went out to play basketball when the weather was good. His father said that playing basketball not only helped him lose weight but also helped him grow taller. His head was too low among his classmates, so he had to grow up quickly.
