At noon, Hua Kai came out early, ate lunch, and took the blueprints to find her older brother, Hua Qingyi. The two of them took a bus to the sofa factory in the suburbs.

The suburbs are mostly factories. Some are state-owned enterprises that have been converted to private ownership, while others are newly established. With favorable national policies, many small new factories have sprung up, including timber mills, cardboard factories, furniture factories, sofa factories, food factories, and so on.

The city is located along the railway on the west side, so the factories are all on the east side, making them easy to find.

After getting off the bus, Hua Kai and Hua Qingyi walked around the area twice and found out that there were two sofa factories nearby, about the same size. One was a former state-owned enterprise that had been contracted out to a private individual, while the other was a newly opened factory.

Hua Kai felt that the relationships at the old state-owned factory were quite complicated, and that someone as young and without connections as her might not be able to get a seat. So she went to the newly opened factory with her older brother first.

The factory occupies a large area, but there are not many factory buildings, and there are no security guards. The two of them went straight in.

Once inside, Hua Kai first went into the factory to look at their products. There were no pure leather products; they mainly used the two types of fabrics that were popular at the time: wooden frames, velvet surfaces, and artificial leather surfaces.

The styles are simple, with single, double, and triple seats available. There aren't many options, and there aren't any reclining or footrest options. The most advanced option is the sofa bed, which can be unfolded into a bed, but it requires armrests for support, which isn't very convenient.

At this time, foam cushions were just beginning to become popular, so spring cushions were becoming rare.

Just as she finished admiring the blooming flowers, a man called out to her, "Miss, are you looking to buy a sofa?"

Hua Kai looked over and saw a man in his late twenties, of medium height, with dark skin, neatly combed hair, wearing a suit, and exuding a leader-like air, walk up to her. He must have been in charge.

"Hello, I'm here to talk to the factory manager about something. I don't know where the manager's office is, so I'd like to ask someone?" Of course, Hua Kai couldn't say that she was here to observe the factory, so she asked the other party this way.

The man was somewhat amazed when he saw Hua Kai's face; the girl was truly beautiful.

He assumed Hua Kai was there to buy goods, so he happily said, "I am not very talented, but I am the factory manager of this factory. My name is Song Ke. It is a pleasure to meet such a beautiful young lady." He then extended his hand to shake hands with Hua Kai.

Hua Kai politely extended her hand and shook hands with the other person: "Hello, Director Song. My name is Hua Kai, and this is my brother, Hua Qingyi. May we have a private conversation?"

Hua Qingyi shook hands with Song Ke: "Hello, Director Song."

Song Ke shook hands with Hua Qingyi, said hello, and then said, "Let's talk in my office."

Hua Kai and Hua Qingyi followed Song Ke to his office. The furnishings inside were rather old-fashioned, and Hua Kai was a little unsure. Although this person was young, it was clear from both the workshop and the office that he didn't like innovation. So, could she exchange her blueprints for the shares she wanted?

Song Ke was quite enthusiastic, accommodating the two of them before saying, "Miss Hua, are you looking to buy sofas? Don't worry, I guarantee I can get you the cheapest price."

Hua Kai took out two sofa designs she had created from her bag and handed them to Song Ke: "Director Song, my brother and I are not here to purchase sofas, but to discuss a collaboration with you. Please take a look at these two designs first."

Song Ke took the drawings from Hua Kai. At first, he didn't pay much attention to them, but after looking at them for a while, his eyes widened and he looked at Hua Kai with surprise: "Miss Hua, how much are these drawings?"

Hua Kai said, "Factory Director Song should know that the value of these things cannot be measured in money. I have many designs, and I want to exchange them for factory shares."

Song Ke's expression turned serious. After a moment of silence, he asked, "How would you like to change it?"

Hua Kai said, "I want 40% of the factory's shares. I will provide the blueprints for sofas and beds every month from now on."

Song Ke laughed when he heard Sicheng's laughter, a laugh laced with sarcasm: "Miss Hua, you're not joking, are you? Do you know how much money was invested in this factory? You didn't contribute a single penny, just drew a few blueprints, and you want to take 40%? That's too greedy!"

Hua Kai smiled and said, "I'm not greedy. My design is worth the price. These drawings can at least triple the factory's sales within a year. If they can be sold in the provincial capital in the future, the profit will be more than triple. Director Song should be able to calculate that."

Song Ke also admitted that Hua Kai's words made sense, but he could not accept a 40/60 split at all, so he said directly: "Miss Hua, this factory is the result of my family's hard work, so I can't easily give it to outsiders. But I really admire Miss Hua's talent. So, I will buy your blueprints at a high price, we will sign a contract, I will accept all your blueprints, and I will never let you suffer a loss."

Hua Kai took the blueprints back from Song Ke's hand: "Factory Director Song is really good at business. Is signing a bundled contract with me to protect my interests or to prevent me from selling to others at a high price? Forget it, since Factory Director Song is not sincere, there is no need to talk anymore."

After saying that, Hua Kai put the blueprints in her bag, stood up, and prepared to call Hua Qingyi to leave.

Song Ke also stood up: "Miss Hua, don't rush, let's sit down and talk slowly."

Hua Kai knew that this matter wouldn't be easy to settle. She didn't have the time or funds right now, so she could only cooperate with others. So she sat down again and said, "Director Song, I have limited time, so let's not beat around the bush and just say what we need to say."

Song Ke poured water for Hua Kai and Hua Qingyi: "This is such a big matter, we have to discuss it properly, right? What if you only have these two blueprints, and you can't come up with any good blueprints later? Wouldn't I be cheated out of half the factory by your two blueprints?"

Hua Kai also thought of this: "We can stipulate in the contract that if I fail to meet the requirements within three years, then the shares will be returned to you."

Song Ke then said, "How can I believe you drew these?"

Hua Kai took out paper and pen and started drawing a sofa design on the tea table. As she drew, she said, "I will make the factory number one in the province within three years. If I can't, I will return the shares to you."

Looking at the design drawings of Huakai, Song Ke knew that the other party was not lying. He was silent for a while and then said, "I originally did not want this factory to be jointly owned with outsiders, but Miss Hua's ability is indeed attractive. So I will make a final concession and give you 10% of the shares. This is my biggest concession. If my family finds out, they will not agree to even 10%.

Hua Kai sighed, stood up and said, "Director Song, perhaps we really are not destined to cooperate. We won't bother you any longer."

Yicheng Huakai would absolutely not agree to this. If she didn't lack money, how could she possibly cooperate with others?