"Opening chain stores is a trend," Qin Xiaoyu answered conservatively.

"Is Mr. Qin interested?" Gao Daxiong immediately followed up.

"Do you mean cooperation or equity participation?" Qin Xiaoyu asked.

“That’s fine. I know Mr. Qin comes from the north, where there are factories and shops. If we cooperate, you can give up the Guangzhou market. If you go back to your hometown to make high-quality replicas, the prospects are truly limitless.” Gao Daxiong’s words made the two men nod in agreement. Qin Xiaoyu knew that what he said was absolutely right.

Her advantages are enough to make these people envious. If she's willing to cooperate, they'll be counting money together in less than two years.

Even in the 21st century, counterfeit goods are rampant on Taobao, which is unavoidable. From another perspective, this is also a business opportunity for Qin Xiaoyu.

Corporate restructuring and building your own team are all irrelevant. As long as Gao Daxiong provides a model, nothing else is needed.

"Mr. Qin, please consider it." Seeing that Qin Xiaoyu was deep in thought, Gao Daxiong did not press her further.

No matter how capable this young woman is, she is still a woman, and it's best to give her some space.

"Old Gao, could you get the latest version? We're always a season behind, it's a bit frustrating." Boss Zhou was quite optimistic.

“Old Zhou, let me tell you, making counterfeits isn’t as simple as you think. You can’t just take something and make it, sell it, and count the money! No, no, no!” Gao Daxiong leaned back in his mahogany chair smugly, glancing at Qin Xiaoyu out of the corner of his eye.

Successful men probably all want to show off in front of women. Qin Xiaoyu immediately pretended to be interested. She wasn't interested in making high-quality replicas, but she still needed to learn what she needed to learn.

"Then tell me," Boss Tong urged.

"You know, the best-selling items aren't the latest styles of the season, but the best-selling items from the previous season. People in inland areas are still quite conservative, and many are used to wearing the same clothes as others, just following trends. So when new styles come out, there needs to be an adjustment period. Once someone tries it out and there's a certain number of people buying them, it will explode in popularity. But the best-selling items from the previous season are a very safe choice."

“Boss Gao is right. Women tend to hesitate more when making choices, especially with newer styles, and they may end up choosing a more mainstream style.” Qin Xiaoyu nodded.

“Now that we’re making counterfeit goods, we don’t have all the additional costs from the original manufacturer, like advertising fees, so our costs are much lower. That’s where the price advantage comes in. If we just offer an 80% or 30% discount off the original price, it’ll sell very well.” Gao Daxiong became more and more smug as he spoke, even crossing his legs.

"Old Gao, you're really smart. Following you is the right thing to do." Boss Zhou bowed and poured him some tea, then gestured for Qin Xiaoyu to join him.

"There's one more important thing, I'll show you something!" Boss Gao stood up and took out a small box from the table next to him.

Qin Xiaoyu took the box and opened it; inside was an exquisite trademark.

The design of this trademark can only be described as exquisite. The elegant cursive lettering is clearly the result of a design. The trademark consists of four layers: a layer of transparent oil paper that creates a hazy effect when pressed; a layer of cardboard; a layer below that is a thin coated paper product information section; and the bottom layer is a piece of gauze, presumably clothing fabric, with lace trimmed at the edges. This entire set is practically a work of art.

"This thing is useless now. It would cost a lot of money to make, so it's not worth it." Boss Zhou shook his head and tossed it to Boss Tong.

“Exactly. Although counterfeit goods are more profitable, making these things, plus all that packaging, is a money pit. Since we're selling them at a discount anyway, we can skip the cost.” Boss Tong nodded in agreement.

“I don’t think so. When buying branded fashion, the brand itself adds to the value of the clothing. A good piece of fashion is not only good because of the clothes themselves, but also because of the brand’s culture. The trademark and packaging are part of the value of fashion, and they are the visible part, so they cannot be skimped on,” Qin Xiaoyu said eloquently.

"Great! I knew I hadn't misjudged him!" Gao Daxiong clapped his hands.

"Mr. Qin's insights are quite unique." Mr. Tong wasn't convinced, but he remained very gentlemanly, indicating he didn't want to argue with Qin Xiaoyu any further.

"Mr. Qin is right, let's be frank. Does a brand necessarily mean it looks good? Not necessarily. If everyone looked like Mr. Qin, they would look good in anything. But if a plain-looking woman wore a high-end fashion item costing thousands of yuan, it probably wouldn't make much of a difference. So fashion isn't just about looking good." Gao Daxiong casually praised Qin Xiaoyu again.

"Buying clothes not for looking good?" Zhou and Tong were intrigued by this novel idea.

"It's not just about looks; there are other things too, like saving face. Where does this face come from? It comes from these seemingly insignificant things you're talking about. They want people to know that they're buying genuine products, not counterfeits, and that everything from the trademark to the packaging is evidence."

"Impressive!" The two were convinced.

"It's noon, come and have some lunch." Gao Daxiong stood up.

"No, my husband is still at the shop. I'm going back now. Maybe next time." Qin Xiaoyu stood up.

"These two are leaving tomorrow. It's rare to run into them. Let's have a casual meal together. Why don't you invite your husband too?" Gao Daxiong had seen Are driving a Cherokee before and knew that he was aloof and indifferent to people. He was just making a casual remark and didn't take it seriously.

"He doesn't like socializing, so let's not make things difficult for him," Qin Xiaoyu said, declining on behalf of A Lei. Actually, she really wanted to continue chatting with them. She had already benefited greatly from their conversation, and listening more would be beneficial. These were some of the earliest seasoned veterans in the business world, with a wealth of experience.

"Mr. Qin, come along. It's not far." Gao Daxiong noticed Qin Xiaoyu's hesitation and quickly added another word of encouragement.

Many wealthy men who keep mistresses set up small businesses for them, so Qin Xiaoyu's background has always been shrouded in mystery. Looking at A Lei, he's neither old nor ugly, but somehow he just doesn't seem to match Qin Xiaoyu. It looks like he's climbing the social ladder.

"Mr. Qin, please do us a favor. We were having a good talk, but we haven't finished yet. Please do us the honor of meeting us." Mr. Zhou also helped to persuade him.

"Here's what I'm saying. If you're worried your husband won't feel at ease, I'll ask Ye Qiu to come along," Gao Daxiong suggested.

"Last time there was a Ms. Qian, who was beautiful and eloquent. Let's invite her along," Mr. Zhou reminded him.

"Qian Beibei, okay, call him over. Boss Qin, is that alright now?"

Qin Xiaoyu couldn't refuse any longer. When she returned, she found A Lei already asleep on the sofa. Reluctant to wake him, she greeted Director Fei and went out to meet up with Gao Daxiong and the others.

Gao Daxiong already had a car, but didn't want to drive, so he hailed a taxi. Qin Xiaoyu and Ye Qiu rode in the taxi behind him. At the street corner, they saw Zhu Xu's electric scooter flash by.

Qin Xiaoyu noticed that these people seemed to have a bit of a falling out with Zhu Xu. If Zhu Xu hadn't treated them last time, they probably wouldn't have been able to bring him along.