1novels Chapter 26 Small-Scale Betting
Chapter 26 Small-Scale Betting
Inside Honglu's storefront, there was an inner room that was eerily quiet, with only the sound of the air conditioner running.
The three people in the room, Hong Lu, Xu Zhen, and Chen Che, each had different expressions.
Hong Lu couldn't maintain her usual smile. Her hidden thoughts were suddenly exposed by a college student she had never met before. She didn't know whether the student was friend or foe.
Xu Zhen's expression was complicated, as if she had been betrayed. She had been calling her "Sister Lu" so affectionately, but it turned out that the other person had been plotting against her behind her back.
Only Chen Che remained calm, lightly tapping the table with his fingers, "thump thump thump," like the Sword of Damocles hanging over his head, ready to strike once the sound stopped.
Even if I hadn't seen through Hong Lu's little trick, I would have taken this step anyway.
I made this special trip not just to buy more goods.
However, now that he has brought this to the surface, and without resorting to hysterical outbursts, he has left the other party with basic dignity, which undoubtedly greatly increases his chances of success in the upcoming negotiations.
"Sister Lu, I'm not here to cause trouble."
"In business, prices are clearly marked. The purchase price is written in black and white. If you want to buy at this price, you can; if you don't, no one will force you. It's all a matter of mutual consent, right?"
Chen Che waited for Hong Lu to speak, but saw that the latter was silently looking at him with a meaningful look in her eyes, so he continued.
"As for that batch of goods that you had trouble clearing out, college students are easily swayed and easy to talk to. They listened to you and let it go. It was their own decision, so they can't blame anyone else."
Learn from this small loss to avoid bigger losses later. You can't teach someone everything, but you can learn something from experience.
Chen Che's words sounded like he was trying to make amends for Hong Lu, just like when Brother Kun comforted himself in front of drug dealers by saying that those drug addicts were the best at playing the victim.
But to Hong Lu, it sounded like a threat or warning. He only needed to go back and say it, and those college student agents who felt they had been deceived would probably cut ties with him immediately.
Moreover, this is a channel that I have worked hard to build up over the years. Although college students can't handle a large volume of business, they are sincere, simple-minded, and much easier to deal with than the seasoned veterans in other channels.
The good news is that Chen Che probably didn't come with those intentions, and he doesn't seem to be planning to leave with those intentions either.
The conversation that followed was therefore of particular importance.
At this moment, the water boiled, and on the table in the inner room was a complete tea set, from tea spoons to cups, everything was there, clearly indicating that the person was particular about things.
Chen Che was rather dismissive of this. Drinking tea is just a matter of finding a cup, pouring hot water over it, and that's it. Even if you savor it and gnaw on your teeth, it's still nothing special.
Hong Lu quickly rinsed the tea leaves with hot water, poured the tea into cups, and handed them to the two, saying, "This is the first batch of Biluochun tea before Qingming Festival."
Chen Che smiled. It's been so long since Qingming Festival, and they're still talking about tasting the first batch. It's not that he suspects it's fake, but some teas can be stored for a while to be enjoyed as aged tea, while others are meant to be enjoyed as new tea.
However, Hong Lu is far from having a moment's rest. She's busy from morning till night, and only now does she have some time to herself, as she can tell.
Xu Zhen really wanted to try it, but as soon as he picked up the cup, Chen Che pressed it down with one hand and laughed, "Sister Lu, isn't it impolite to serve tea to guests?"
"If you don't welcome us, we'll be leaving now."
Hong Lu gently raised her head, as if she were just making a small joke, and shook her head, saying, "The air conditioning is a bit cold, let me warm your hands for you."
Only after saying that did he start pouring in the second batch of hot water. He used a series of smooth steps to skim the foam, rub the tea, and shake to release the aroma before pouring the tea into the cups for the two of them to taste.
Chen Che picked up the cup and looked at it. The tea was clear and the aroma filled his nose. He took a sip and savored it carefully.
"How is it?" Hong Lu asked.
Chen Che clicked his tongue twice, thought for a moment, and said, "The high notes are sweet, the mid notes are accurate, and the low notes are deep. Overall, it's clear and resonant."
"Uh... what does that mean?" Hong Lu was stunned. Was this a word used to describe drinking tea?
"Hmm... this is called synesthesia," Chen Che paused for a moment, then continued, "After drinking this cup of tea, it's as if I'm in a tea garden, and I can hear the tea-picking girls' melodious singing, clear and pleasant to the ear, like the beautiful and melodious song of an oriole."
Xu Zhen wanted to take another sip, but after hearing Chen Che's words, she looked at him with a conflicted expression: "Junior, what if that tea was picked by an old lady?"
"...Get out."
After a few lighthearted banter, the atmosphere in the room relaxed a bit. Chen Che asked, "Sister Lu, you can't go through this whole process every time we have tea, it's too much trouble."
Hong Lu shook her head and said, "No, when guests come, I will do a more formal soak like this."
"Hehe, we're just two college students, do you consider us your guests?" Chen Che laughed.
"I didn't think so when you first arrived, but now I think you're a rather important guest," Hong Lu said, glancing at Chen Che.
"That's really kind of you." Chen Che smiled, just like the big boss who always appears harmless until he is finally exposed.
"Alright, I've shown you respect. Xiao Chen and Xiao Xu, now it's time to tell you what you're here for." Hong Lu sighed and said seriously.
"Actually, I am here to buy goods, but I need to ask first, Sister Lu, how many student agents do you have at our school?"
Chen Che asked, then added, "I guess... I can tell you? It's not a trade secret, is it?"
Hong Lu thought for a moment and decided to tell the truth: "Is your area called Xiangshan Garden? Some have been there for a while and then stopped, and some have just joined. In your area, there should be about eight now, and there are a few other male dormitory areas, which are basically the same number."
Most of the time, sincerity is more effective than tricks, especially for questions that you can find similar answers by doing your own research. If you make up a number, you'll end up damaging the foundation of trust when the other party realizes it's not true.
Are there any girls?
"Yes, there are some, but fewer people."
"Hmm..." Chen Che pondered for a moment. It was about what he had estimated. Some people joined and some left, maintaining an overall balance between supply and demand. It wasn't directly proportional to the number of dormitories.
Chen Che tapped the table lightly a few times, thought quietly for a while, and then said, "Okay, Sister Lu, I'll guarantee to buy 10,000 yuan worth of goods from you this month, 15,000 next month, and 20,000 the month after that. That'll be the amount for the next three months."
Xu Zhen, who was listening nearby, widened his eyes and leaned over to whisper, "Junior, we can't handle so much stuff, can we?"
From Xu Zhen's perspective, there's no problem. College students don't have much money; they only make a few hundred or a thousand yuan a month to play around with small things, earning pocket money by exchanging goods for cash. Suddenly being told to buy tens of thousands of yuan worth of goods is simply unacceptable.
Chen Che gave him a look, signaling him to calm down.
Hong Lu smiled and kindly advised, "Xiao Chen, it's good to have ideas, but you still need to be realistic and take it one step at a time. Don't try to take such big leaps all at once."
Although I am making money off students, I still have basic moral conscience. After all, this is not a shopping mall or community. It is too irrational for a college student to invest so much money in this business.
But Hong Lu looked at Chen Che again. The other man had a calm and composed demeanor, just like the Wahaha Group executives she had seen from afar at the annual meeting. So calm and confident.
"And if I fail to reach this purchase limit, the purchase price of each batch of goods will increase by an extra two cents per item on top of the current price."
Chen Che then said this sentence with great confidence.
"Huh?" Xu Zhen, standing to the side, wondered if she had misheard. Someone was cutting their own profits?
Hong Lu, on the other hand, gradually changed from a slightly dismissive expression to a serious one.
Is it possible for someone to buy a large quantity of goods from me, and even have to reduce their profit margin if they don't reach their target?
Are they idiots?
Hong Lu glanced at Chen Che again; he didn't seem like a fool.
That makes it obvious; he still has his own conditions to set.
Hong Lu asked, "So what are your requirements?"
"I hope that from now on, you won't respond to the other agents in our school, and we will be the ones supplying the goods." Chen Che said this very calmly.