Chapter 55 is just about to be cleaned up: Tsk, I love watching the drama unfold.

Unfortunately, as the saying goes, everything is difficult at the beginning, and there is no way that a hastily launched project will be without its flaws.

On the second day of the International Grand Bazaar, something unexpected happened.

Not long after lunch, a Hungarian trader selected five thousand sets of clothes and other miscellaneous daily necessities.

When the goods were shipped from the warehouse, because the quantity was too large, he only glanced at two items and did not find any problems. In addition, he was in a hurry to catch his flight that day, so he rushed to the airport.

When the clothes were weighed at the airport, the staff noticed that one box of clothes, which was the same type and quantity as the others, was heavier than the others.

This staff member is a veteran who participated in drug enforcement and is particularly vigilant.

He was afraid that there might be a hidden compartment in the box containing contraband, so he insisted on opening the box and checking it again.

And then, sure enough, something strange happened.

The box did contain clothes, but they were moldy.

The Hungarian middleman was completely stunned and immediately started shouting.

How could that be? He believed the advertisement that said the products here were of guaranteed quality, which is why he specifically left the capital and traveled all the way to Jiangdong to buy them.

Wang Xiao was furious when he was called to be a firefighter.

These days, who do they think is stupid? They don't even bother to package inferior products properly.

To put it bluntly, even if you take out the moldy clothes, wash them, dry them, and iron them again, it would still make you seem more sincere in selling inferior goods than leaving them completely untreated.

What else is there to say?

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the sales assistant accompanied the reseller the entire time, but the reseller didn't have the ability to change the goods halfway and falsely accuse the manufacturer.

If it weren't for the vigilance of the airport staff, this batch of goods might have been distributed in Budapest before the problem with the clothes was finally discovered.

Without hesitation, Wang Xiao acted according to regulations on the spot: the entire box of clothes with problems was replaced, and 5,000 sportswear items were discounted by 20% to appease the consumers.

The 20% loss will be shared proportionally by the manufacturers and the International Trade City.

Why isn't the manufacturer solely liable for compensation? It's clearly a problem with the goods they shipped.

Wang Xiao's understanding is very simple and unpretentious: it means sharing happiness and hardship.

For example, when she's a social media influencer selling products, since she receives slot fees and sales commissions, even if the goods from the manufacturer aren't handled by her or her team and are shipped directly from the manufacturer's warehouse, if there are any problems with the goods, she definitely has to compensate consumers according to her commission percentage.

People buy goods from her live stream, so she can't be the one who gets all the benefits and then pretend nothing happened when there are problems.

Of course, because of this insistence, she was also ostracized by her peers.

But it doesn't matter, she doesn't care. As long as it's not illegal or criminal, controversy itself is a selling point for internet celebrities.

There isn't even a single supermarket in Jiangdong right now, so Wang Xiao, as the first person to take the plunge, naturally has the right to set industry rules.

But when she got angry, the sportswear manufacturer couldn't bear to part with the money and resorted to all sorts of unreasonable demands.

If a set of sportswear costs 80 yuan, then 5,000 sets would cost 400,000 yuan. A 20% discount means a loss of 80,000 yuan. Since their commission to the trade city is 30%, this means they would have to bear a loss of 56,000 yuan.

The manufacturer was naturally unhappy and insisted that the clothes were in good condition when they entered the warehouse and had already been inspected.

It's so moldy now, it must be because they didn't store it properly.

Wang Xiao was so angry that he laughed.

She apologized repeatedly and saw off the Hungarian middleman, but then she wanted to kick the manufacturer out.

Is this how you throw dirty water?

Don't they even look at the state of things these days?

It's almost wheat harvest season, and it hasn't rained for over a week. Your clothes were just rushed into storage yesterday, and they've developed mold like this overnight. They're really something!

With this ability to cultivate mold, even the lab would kneel down and call you their father.

Is it because business was so good yesterday that you got carried away and thought you could take advantage of the situation?

Now it's time to wake up.

The manufacturer's sales representative was very firm, insisting that the problem with the clothes originated in their warehouse and had nothing to do with the factory.

A group of people watched the spectacle, some speaking up for the manufacturer, others remaining silent.

Seeing that the manufacturer was getting more and more excited, Tang Yicheng was about to roll up his sleeves and start arguing with him.

Wang Xiao raised his voice: "Do you think the problems with your goods only harm your factory? No, it will bring shame to all light industrial products in Jiangdong. Foreign buyers don't know which factory you are. They only know that people from Jiangdong are dishonest in business, trying to cheat people with shoddy goods. From now on, no one will come to Jiangdong to buy goods. They'll go to Beijing, they'll go to Guangzhou, everywhere is better than Jiangdong! This is like one rotten apple spoiling the whole barrel. Just wait, the retribution is coming."

The people who had been watching the spectacle all changed their expressions, and those who had spoken up for the manufacturer fell silent.

You don't know the pain until you're stabbed yourself.

There are plenty of good people who can benefit without harming their own interests.

But once you realize that you'll also suffer losses, only a lunatic would act as a good person.

Wang Xiao pressed his advantage: "Sportswear, which other companies make sportswear? Raise your hand, I'll fill in right away."

In an instant, the clothing manufacturers were all in an uproar. No one had time to speak up for the manufacturers who had been caught, and everyone quickly divided up the vacated market share.

The clothing factory's sales representative wanted to say something more, but no one paid him any attention.

Ultimately, everyone is selling mass-produced goods, and even the product quality is pretty much the same.

The reason he was able to make a fortune in the Grand Bazaar was simply because he had established a relationship with Wang Xiao before and they had dealings with each other, so when Wang Xiao was selecting products, he took the initiative to come to him.

If your intentions are not pure and you get caught, be nice and let them punish you. Or be even harsher, even if it means giving away this batch of goods for free, at least you can salvage some goodwill.

You're all set, and now that things have gone wrong, you're still trying to justify yourself. It would be a disservice to your stubbornness if they didn't make an example of you to deter others.

After extinguishing the fire, Wang Xiao turned to leave but didn't forget to call out to the newly appointed head of the after-sales service department: "Did you understand?"

The person in charge, who was three years older than Wang Xiao, nodded vigorously, showing great understanding: "Understood, mobilize the masses to fight against the masses."

The core wisdom of grassroots politics is to never let them form cliques; let them compete among themselves. That way, they won't gang up on you and cause trouble.

Wang Xiao didn't comment on whether what he said was right or wrong; wasn't she herself also feeling her way across the river by touching the stones?

She emphasized only one thing: "Now the manufacturers are approaching us, so don't act too humble, as if they can control us."

Try this at the People's Department Store today and see if the manufacturer's sales representative would dare to lie so blatantly and frame someone on the spot.

He wouldn't dare even if you gave him ten lives.

He's so spoiled, he really thinks he can't live without his family.

Let's find out who's in charge!

Having dealt with the external disputes, it's time to resolve the internal conflicts.

Wang Xiao didn't stop and went straight to the head of the quality inspection department.

Unfortunately, the so-called international trade city is still under construction, and the temporary office space is made up of the kind of prefabricated houses commonly found on construction sites. Even so, because the real estate market hasn't taken off yet, it took Wang Xiao a lot of effort to acquire them.

Wang Xiao felt uncomfortable handling household matters in public, so she had to make do with the cramped prefab house for the time being.

She got straight to the point: "Who inspected this batch of sportswear?"

The person in charge immediately pushed a young man in his early twenties with curly hair to the front, looking extremely embarrassed: "This guy is out of his mind, he's so confused by all the different things he sees."

Wang Xiao directly cited the job responsibilities: "Come on, let's see how the compensation is stipulated. The company suffered a loss of 24,000 yuan this time, and according to the proportion, the individual should bear 2,400 yuan in compensation."

The curly-haired young man, who had been keeping his head down and silent, jumped up upon hearing the sound. "Two thousand four hundred! Does that mean he'll have to work for nothing for two years?"

He panicked, immediately took off his clothes, and muttered, "I quit!"

Suddenly, a middle-aged woman with the same curly hair rushed in through the door, quickly picked up the uniform from the ground, and insisted on putting it on the young man: "Why did you quit? How could you quit when you were doing so well?"

Today is Sunday, and many people from the factory went to the Grand Bazaar to join the festivities. In particular, the parents of the newly hired employees at the International Trade City definitely had to come and see their kids.

Unfortunately, even so, the son was disappointing and didn't bring honor to his parents, causing trouble instead.

The curly-haired woman looked around, trying to find Chen Yanqiu and Wang Tiejun to mediate.

But Dr. Chen is such a shrewd person; in her dictionary, there is no such thing as sacrificing her own family to fulfill the holy light of outsiders.

She had already dragged Wang Tiejun away and made a quick getaway; she wouldn't want to be her daughter's weakness.

Fortunately, the chairman of the steel plant's union, seeing that he couldn't find any able-bodied men, quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "Hey, hey, hey, these young people are just starting out, it's inevitable that they'll make mistakes because they're not familiar with the work. How can you just say you're not going to work?"

Wang Xiao sneered: "Such a big mold stain, and the clothes are still damp, can't you see it?"

The curly-haired young man held his head high, his posture resembling that of a proud little rooster, seemingly waiting for someone to beg him, refusing to utter a sound.

Wang Xiao wasn't going to tolerate him. She directly declared, "Call the police! I don't think it was negligence on his part. He colluded with outsiders to deliberately sabotage us. This is a serious economic crime!"

Now, not only the union chairman and the middle-aged woman with curly hair were flustered, but even the quality inspector who had been so arrogant just moments before panicked and cried out in protest, "No, I didn't collude. I just smoked a cigarette."

Little did he know that in just a short while, someone had pulled off a switcheroo on him.

Wang Xiao pointed to the large red characters painted on the warehouse's outer wall: "Warehouse restricted area, smoking strictly prohibited. Can't you see that? Someone offers you a cigarette and you smoke it. Are you afraid the whole warehouse won't catch fire and burn to the ground before you're satisfied?"

She flipped open the employee handbook again and pointed forcefully at the regulations in the job rules, "What's the procedure for smoking in or around the warehouse? Didn't you learn this during your pre-job training? Do you know how much the goods in the warehouse are worth? If a fire breaks out, how much will we have to pay if we can't deliver the goods on time? This is attempted arson!"

She slammed her handbook down, then turned to the union chairperson: "Aunt Chen, what are we going to do about this? He couldn't pass the exam and become a sales assistant, but you guaranteed him that I should find him a job. Now that things have escalated like this, how am I supposed to clean this up? How am I supposed to report this to the foreign businessmen?"

The union chairperson was a little confused; she felt that Wang Xiao was making a mountain out of a molehill.

It's not a big deal, and it didn't actually burn down. Why make such a big deal out of it?

They were all their own people from the steel mill.

Lei Feng once said that we should treat comrades with the warmth of spring and treat enemies with the cruelty of winter.

This cannot be reversed.

However, the young woman standing opposite her was extremely agitated, her hands trembling: "So many foreign businessmen! Do you know how much time, effort, and money it took to get so many of them to come and buy our goods? Foreign advertising is ridiculously expensive, and finding the right connections and channels for advertising requires both financial investment and cultivating relationships. It was so difficult for us to convince these foreign businessmen that our Jiangdong goods were of high quality. Now this scandal has happened. If people go around telling everyone, well, thirty years of hard work will be wiped out in an instant!"

She became more and more upset as she spoke, "My dad even made a solemn promise to the factory leaders, saying that the problem of triangular debt would definitely be solved. Now, I don't know what to do anymore."

To be honest, when Wang Xiaogang mentioned how much foreign companies spend on advertising, the union chairman was shocked, but that was all he was shocked about.

To put it bluntly, whether the international trade city makes money or not has little to do with her.

But when it comes to triangular debt, the union chairman can't stay out of it.

Everyone at the steel mill knows that it was because Wang Tiejun and his daughter managed to recover ten million yuan in debt for the factory that the Spring Festival bonuses and quarterly bonuses were finally paid out.

If the debts can't be resolved, what will happen to the bonuses for the remaining three quarters? The steel mill has good benefits, mainly reflected in the frequent bonuses.

The union chairman quickly reassured her, "Oh, Xiaoxiao, don't worry, let's think of a solution. Whatever you say, Aunt Chen will definitely cooperate with you."

Wang Xiao sighed: "The only thing we can do now is to show our attitude and sincerity."

The commercial city is truly sincere.

At 5 p.m., as the sun's color shifted from yellow to orange, a display board was erected outside the inflatable tent, bearing a notice in Chinese, English, and Russian announcing the sale of substandard goods.

An investigation has confirmed that the negligence on the part of the exhibition organizers has led to the decision to terminate the cooperation with the involved manufacturer, Xiangyang Garment Factory.

Inspectors who fail to identify defective clothing will be dismissed.

The quality inspection department deducted from its departmental bonus.

The head of the quality control department bears joint responsibility; his quarterly bonus will be deducted, and his year-end bonus will be halved.

The person in charge of the trade fair had his monthly bonus deducted and was required to give a self-criticism at a company meeting.

A crowd of onlookers gathered in front of the notice, and most of the locals in Jiangdong were astonished, saying that this was a ruthless punishment.

He's fired! He's been fired from a perfectly good job. So many factories are closing down these days; finding a job isn't easy.

The curly-haired aunt's face flushed red and then turned pale. Her acquaintance pulled her aside and whispered, "Is she really being fired? Try to get someone to put in a good word for her."

"What nonsense!" the curly-haired woman huffed. "She still wants our family to pay her 24,000 yuan in compensation."

She was absolutely furious.

To get her son this job, she showered the union chairman with gifts—big crucian carp and old hens, all bought from her own farm in the countryside.

As it turned out, that brat was a disappointment and made a mistake as soon as he started work.

All you do all day is smoke cigarettes. You'll never die from it.

She angrily slapped her husband on the back, saying he learned everything from that bastard, and there wasn't a single good thing about him.

The sales assistants passing by secretly rejoiced. Thank goodness, they were fluent in Russian (and English), so all they had to do was accompany the customers. Although running around was exhausting, at least they weren't taking any risks.

Goodness, no wonder they say foreign businessmen are all capitalists, even the Soviet Union was no exception.

They fire people like that, even though this is someone from a big company.

Among the manufacturers who set up their display stands, some were gloating, while others were terrified.

From 1989 to now, it has been almost two and a half years. Which factory has had its inventory piled up for a short time?

If this stuff is left out for a long time, it gets damp and moldy, and it's very common for the product quality to be damaged.

Many people were hoping to take advantage of this large shipment to get rid of these defective products. But judging from the current situation, it seems that won't work.

Sigh, this is really disheartening.

I didn't expect them to actually do what they said once they signed the contract. They said there was a problem with the product and they would kick me out immediately.

Compared to the astonishment of the people of Jiangdong and the resentment of the family members involved, the foreign merchants who came to Jiangdong to purchase goods were quite surprised and excited.

They didn't expect the Chinese to be so decisive and efficient, not shirking their responsibilities at all. They immediately resolved the problem, provided compensation, and severely punished the negligent employee.

Oh my God, they thought it would just be a reprimand, maybe with a deduction of the employee's salary and bonus for the month. Now they've fired them outright.

What surprised them even more was that the employee's supervisor was also punished. This was truly unusual. Normally, isn't it always the employee's fault, and the supervisor always seen as wise and righteous?

No wonder China's economic reforms have been successful; they have such courage and drive, it would be strange if they hadn't succeeded.

Indeed, a general is like his commander, and a soldier is like his general.

Wang Xiao turned to look at the embarrassed head of the quality control department and said seriously, "Do you know why you're being punished?"

The man in his thirties looked embarrassed: "I didn't manage my subordinates well."

"Yes and no." Wang Xiao stared at him intently. "It's one thing to not manage your subordinates well, but on the other hand, you're the one who recruited and assigned the quality control staff. Just by looking at Wu Xun's fingers and teeth, you can tell he's a heavy smoker. You put someone like that in the warehouse as an incoming quality inspector? Are you afraid something will go wrong?"

The reason why heavy smokers are called heavy smokers is because they have a strong addiction to cigarettes.

Expecting a heavy smoker to adhere to their job responsibilities and refrain from smoking while working in a warehouse is overestimating human willpower.

You're essentially making the cat guard the fishpond, telling it not to try and catch the fish.

The head of the quality control department blushed and paled in turns, rubbing his hands and not knowing how to respond.

Wang Xiao continued, "You were interviewed by me and President Xiang together, so we also have a responsibility and will have our pay deducted."

The quality control department director chuckled dryly, "Well, I'll follow the company's arrangements. It's just that everyone else in our quality control department is working very diligently, so could you please not deduct their bonuses?"

Just kidding. The basic salary for a regular employee is 100 yuan, which isn't a small amount, but with the Grand Bazaar doing so well, the bonuses will only be more, possibly several times the salary.

Who would feel good about losing a few hundred dollars for a colleague they'd only worked with for a day?

Wang Xiao asked calmly, "Was Wu Xun smoking in the dark? Was he the only one doing the incoming quality inspection at the time? Didn't the others see it? Did they pretend not to see it? Did they think it had nothing to do with them?"

She also dislikes the idea of ​​collective punishment, but if employees don't share the responsibility, they might choose to cover for each other out of consideration for their reputation or because it's none of their business and they don't want to offend anyone.

In order to protect the interests of the commercial city, Wang Xiao definitely has to set some rules.

The head of the quality control department could only talk; in the end, he had no choice but to accept the reality.

Wang Xiao remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was thinking about how to start the second round of recruitment.

Because the recruitment was rushed and was being watched by major companies and the Air Force, these employees were mostly absorbed internally.

To be honest, it really hurt her eyes to look at it.

Now that the quality inspector incident has happened, even the union chairman is too embarrassed to force Wang Xiao to take in unemployed children of factory workers regardless of the consequences.

That would give her greater freedom in hiring.

Wang Xiao is preparing to launch a recruitment drive at universities in the provincial capital.

Although university graduates were guaranteed job placement in 1991, many employers were reluctant to hire new employees due to the poor economic situation in the country in recent years.

Therefore, many graduates, even if they are unwilling, have no choice but to be assigned to work in their hometowns.

But after living in big cities for a long time, how many people are truly happy to go back to their small hometowns?

The world is as big as the stage.

They are truly the chosen ones of this era.

Wang Xiao was confident he could recruit people.

Although the International Trade City is not a state-owned enterprise with guaranteed employment, it is affiliated with a military-affiliated third-party company, and it is a Sino-foreign joint venture with offices in the provincial capital.

The latter two are still attractive to recent graduates.

After all, housing prices weren't crazy in the 1990s, and as long as college graduates could find jobs, settling down in big cities wasn't a big problem.

While she was pondering and making plans in her mind, Xiang Dong opened his mouth several times but didn't know how to start speaking.

He felt a great deal of responsibility for what happened today. His relationship with Wang Xiao was equivalent to that of general manager and chairman. He was in charge of most of the specific work.

If his subordinates make a mistake, he is naturally responsible.

Otherwise, why would he receive hundreds of times more money than others?

But to be honest, he really did try his best. After all, he had only ever run a small counter selling clothes in a shopping mall before, and managing a store was something he had only done in the last two months.

If another commercial city of this size were to appear, his head would be even bigger than the commercial city itself.

Xiang Dong mustered his courage and took the initiative to suggest, "Wang Xiao, I'd like to try and see if we can get the former general manager of the People's Department Store to come over."

This general manager was the one who boldly contracted the counter space to him, a self-employed individual. Later, when they wanted to contract more counters in the People's Department Store to set up a self-service clothing supermarket, he was the one who took the initiative to help connect them with the employees.

However, he later lost in the internal power struggle and now has to step down to the second line.

“I think he has a good eye for business; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so optimistic about our clothing self-service supermarket in the first place. He also has good management skills. Under his management, the People’s Department Store is a well-known brand in the entire provincial capital’s business community. Before, he was limited by his employees and could only operate on a small scale. Now that he’s given free rein, he’s sure to achieve great results.”

Wang Xiao became interested.

In this era, employees can indeed influence their superiors and even undermine their authority.

This is somewhat like what? Well, it's similar to a parachuted-in cadre being appointed to a certain region, only to be sidelined by the subordinates and even reduced to a mere mascot.

That's roughly the idea.

In short, the fact that Mr. Feng was constrained at the People's Department Store does not mean that he truly lacked management skills.

"Would he be willing to come? Is he a division-level or bureau-level cadre? Would he be willing to switch to a new unit that hasn't even built an office building yet?" Wang Xiao spoke frankly, "I can't create a position for him here."

Xiang Dong was full of confidence: "He would definitely be happy to. Last time I treated him to drinks, he said he envied me for jumping ship to manage the store. He's currently being ostracized in the mall and is basically in an early retirement state."

Wang Xiao pondered for a moment.

Given the current situation, finding an experienced department store manager is truly not easy.

The former general manager of People's Department Store is a rare and suitable candidate.

"Alright, you talk to him first. Let's set the monthly salary at 5,000 yuan for now, with the year-end bonus separate. You can have him take a leave of absence without pay and come back later. Um, if his company requires him to pay something, the trade city can cover it. If he's interested, you can arrange for us to sit down and have a meal together. Let's finalize it as soon as possible, because he still has to go with us to the university to recruit people."

Xiang Dong finally breathed a sigh of relief. From yesterday until now, he had been under immense pressure, to the point of bursting. With so many foreign businessmen and such a large transaction volume, he was terrified that something might go wrong and he wouldn't be able to handle it.

Ultimately, it's because he hasn't seen enough of the world; he still has much to learn.

As the two settled the matter, the sun in the sky sank to the middle of the mountain, painting a vast expanse of orange-yellow twilight.

The scene was so beautiful that even Wang Xiao was momentarily stunned.

Unfortunately, she racked her brains for a long time but couldn't come up with any poem to suit the occasion.

The sunset is infinitely beautiful, but it's nearing dusk.

It seems too bleak and unlucky.

She figured she should grab a bite at one of the food stalls near the airport so she could eat her fill before getting back to work.

She had just stepped out of the prefabricated house when someone called out to her: "Wang Xiao—"

She turned her head and, lo and behold, it was someone she knew.

Who is it?

Zhang Yanbei.

It's been several months since Wang Xiao last saw Zhang Yanren, after she and her parents visited her great-uncle's house on the first day of the Lunar New Year and only caught a glimpse of his back.

Has she gained or lost weight, or has she become darker or lighter?

Sorry, Wang Xiao couldn't be bothered to care about such an insignificant character.

She had no recollection of it at all.

Zhang Yan wore a pale yellow dress today, with her hair down and a headband on. Her outfit made Wang Xiao's mind immediately go into "reader mode": a pale yellow dress and fluffy hair.

Unfortunately, this person was hesitant and awkward; when called out to someone, he stammered and didn't speak for a long time.

Wang Xiao had no patience to deal with her; she wasn't going to give him any money anyway.

"What's wrong? Speak quickly, I'm swamped."

"That—me—"

Before Zhang Yan could finish saying "I," Xiang Dong also came out of the prefabricated house and called out to Wang Xiao, "If you're going to buy food, get me one too. I can't leave. Anything is fine."

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Zhang Yan and immediately became expressionless.

I don't know if I should describe it as a chaotic scene.

Zhang Yan's face, which was originally slightly flushed, suddenly turned purple, and she couldn't say a word.

Tang Yicheng came over carrying a watermelon and several bags of cold noodles. When he saw Wang Xiao and Xiang Dong, he immediately asked, "Hey, have you two eaten yet? Do you want some cold noodles?"

Xiang Dong reached out and took it directly: "Yes."

He turned and went into the prefabricated house.

Tang Yicheng had only heard of Zhang Yan by name but never seen her, so he was completely confused and chased after Xiang Dong to ask, "Hey, aren't you feeling hot eating in there?"

They initially considered using the prefabricated houses for business, but considering how unbearably hot they would be in June, they ultimately opted for large tents, at least they would have some wind and be more comfortable.

However, as the weather gets hotter, the open-air tent model probably won't last much longer.

We need to urge the construction company to hurry up.

While pondering this in her mind, Wang Xiao decided to follow them inside, intending to take out the watermelon to eat.

Seeing this, Zhang Yan panicked, grabbed her arm, and pleaded, "Wang Xiao—"

Good heavens, are you kidding me, lady? What's wrong with your brain? You don't still think we're friends, do you?

To put it bluntly, the reason I didn't send you to jail is simply because I'm too busy making money to spare the time.

Otherwise, you can try it.

"Speak your mind."

Zhang Yan instinctively reached for Wang Xiao's arm again, but then the door to the prefab house rang, and Xiang Dong cut half a watermelon and handed it to Wang Xiao: "Have some watermelon, it's quite sweet, it was soaked in well water."

From beginning to end, he didn't even glance at Zhang Yan, as if she were invisible.

After saying that, he turned around and went back to the prefabricated house.

When Wang Xiao saw Zhang Yan's eyes glued to Xiang Dong's back, alarm bells went off in his mind.

Damn it, Xiang Dong is a subordinate she finally managed to recruit; she absolutely cannot let unrelated people waste her precious time for making money.

So she directly told them to leave: "If you're alright, we have things to do. Bye."

She ignored the heat and went into the prefabricated house to continue eating watermelon.

It's literally just "eating melons" (a Chinese idiom for watching the drama unfold).

The land around Zhimen seems quite suitable for growing watermelons. These striped watermelons taste really good—sweet, juicy, and with a particularly tender texture. Because they were soaked in well water, each bite is refreshingly cool and delightful.

Hehe, even if you eat too much watermelon and need to pee, you're not afraid.

I'm proud to say that she specially built a very large public toilet.

Don't underestimate this matter; the construction company didn't even realize it at the time.

When Wang Xiao brought it up, they were completely bewildered, wondering why anyone would want to build a public toilet.

Right here, that place, haha, there's no need.

But Wang Xiao persisted.

It proved to be very effective.

Even foreign businessmen praised their toilets for being clean and tidy, reflecting the high level of Chinese civilization.

That's a bit outrageous.

Wang Xiao took a bite of melon and then instructed Xiang Dong: "Hey, after you finish eating, could you please go to the airport? The security personnel found a product quality issue, and we need to show our appreciation. Hmm, a 200 yuan reward, write it into the company's rules and regulations, and do it this way from now on."

Xiang Dong stirred the cold noodles with his chopsticks and nodded, "Okay, I'll go over later. This guy, I think he deserves a promotion, he's pretty vigilant."

Wang Xiao also laughed: "We should be vigilant, lest someone bring heroin and cause trouble for us."

Although it was only 1991, the drug problem was already becoming increasingly serious. Especially in coastal areas, in some places, it could even be described as rampant.

Wang Xiao didn't want the transport plane she used to make big money to become a tool of drug lords.

She is a capitalist with principles.

The three of them hadn't finished their dinner when there was a knock on the door of the prefab house. The Russian teacher poked her head in suspiciously and asked Wang Xiao, "Zhang Yan couldn't find you?"

Wang Xiao asked curiously, "Why did she contact me?"

"She wants to be a sales assistant."

The Russian teacher was from the Dachang area, so naturally he knew Zhang Yan.

Now, when she talks about Zhang Yan, she has the air of a proud teacher who has met a good student: "Speaking of which, Zhang Yan is the one with the most authentic pronunciation and the fastest learning speed in the entire Russian class. She is even better than those who have studied Russian before."

Wang Xiao raised her eyebrows in surprise. She wasn't surprised by Zhang Yan's learning ability; in this day and age, it was harder to pass the exam to become a kindergarten teacher than to pass the high school exam. What surprised her was: "She's learning Russian? She wants to be a sales assistant? She doesn't plan to be a kindergarten teacher anymore? We don't have any permanent positions here."

The Russian teacher sighed: "She's not having a good time at the kindergarten either; she's always being bullied. Some of the mothers, I don't know what they're thinking, always suspect she's interested in their children's fathers, and they even go to the kindergarten to yell at them."

this--

Wang Xiao really didn't know how to comment, so she only spoke about the present situation: "She saw me, but didn't mention being a sales assistant. I guess she thought being a sales assistant was too tiring, running around all the time was too much for her. Don't worry, Teacher Xu, Zhang Yan has never lost an argument."

The Russian teacher sighed again: "I think it's a pity that she learns Russian so quickly and doesn't put it into practice."

Wang Xiao was completely dispensable, so she simply skipped the topic and called out to people, "Teacher Xu, let's have some watermelon, it's so sweet."

Teacher Xu quickly waved her hand: "No, no, I have to go home for dinner. I have to teach them tonight."

It's hard work, but the money you make is real.

She now earns in a day what she used to earn in half a month.

Who would have thought that Russian, which had long been out of fashion, would one day allow her to stand tall and proud, making others look on with envy?

It is clear that fortunes truly change every thirty years, and no knowledge is ever acquired in vain.

Wang Xiao saw the person to the door and had just waved goodbye when another person hurriedly walked towards them.

It's early June, and the wheat harvest season is just around the corner. This guy is still wearing a suit and tie. Wang Xiao is afraid he'll get heatstroke and collapse in front of her.

In fact, the man in the suit had a face redder than the setting sun, was covered in sweat, and was panting heavily; he definitely looked like he was about to suffer from heatstroke.

But before he collapsed, he had to grasp at a straw. His eyes were glistening with tears as he cried out with deep emotion, "President Wang, you have to leave our Xiangyang Garment Factory a way to survive!"

Oh, I see. It's the factory manager of Xiangyang Garment Factory who came to our door.

It's not that they didn't take this matter seriously. The incident only happened this afternoon, and the announcement was only posted this evening. At most, an hour later, the factory director came to our door in person.

It's clear that they are sincere.

only--

Should Wang Xiao have been deeply moved and shown leniency, truly letting their garment factory off the hook?

Are you kidding me?

Changing orders frequently is a major taboo for a ruler. A contract that is clearly written in black and white should naturally be handled in accordance with the rules and regulations.

Wang Xiao was adamant, cutting off the other party's viewpoint immediately: "No, we have to be responsible to the foreign investors. This matter has already been reported to the head office, and there's no possibility of changing it. To be honest, we all don't understand. It's not even close to the rainy season yet, how could something like this happen at your factory? Alright, alright, stop talking. Look outside, so many foreign investors are watching. If I turn a blind eye to your factory, how can I be responsible to them?"

She stared at the man and sighed heavily. "Really, Factory Manager, I never imagined that your Xiangyang Garment Factory could make such a basic mistake. I can't believe it was your factory's clothes that caused the problem. Really, Factory Manager, we all think that your factory's top priority right now is to improve its internal management. Otherwise, you won't even make enough to cover your losses. How can the management be so chaotic?"

The factory manager opened his mouth again and again, as if he wanted to say something more to Wang Xiao.

However, Wang Xiao was already as slippery as an eel, greeting the reporters who came to the Grand Bazaar to interview him enthusiastically and offering to treat them to watermelon, while taking the opportunity to slip away.

Chen Jingjing spent the whole day learning from real reporters. She's already decided what she wants to do in the future: she wants to be a reporter. So when her cousin invited her and her teacher to eat watermelon, she happily went along.

Ah, time flies, Sunday is too short. After finishing her melon, she has to go home with her dad.

As for her mother, well, she still has to keep selling clothes.

Her mother said that the daily commission from selling clothes now is equivalent to her and her father's annual salary.

That's terrifying! I didn't know you could really make this much money!

Xiang Dong and Tang Yicheng were both quick-witted and immediately ran outside.

Just now, while Wang Xiao was talking to someone, the two of them didn't forget to finish the remaining cold noodles in their bowls.

It's clear that in this great nation of China, foodies are the strongest force. Let's start the "Clean Plate Campaign" with ourselves.

When Xiang Dong finished visiting the airport security officers and turned around, he ran into Wang Xiao again. The watermelon in her hand had turned into milk tea.

The recipe was one she sold; it was made with pure milk and tea bags, and it also contained taro balls.

There aren't many coconuts in Jiangdong, but taro is produced locally.

Well, it's said that local lotus root starch contains a lot of taro starch.

In short, taro balls made with taro and sweet potato starch taste pretty good, and taro ball milk tea is also very popular.

The taro ball milk tea sold inside the large tent is selling very well. Many foreign merchants are buying cup after cup, and even the taciturn Romanian woman bought several cups.

It's clear that the global popularity of milk tea is not without reason.

While drinking her standard-sugar milk tea (she was very tired today and wanted to reward herself), Wang Xiao sighed, "The warehouse management at Xiangyang Factory is really terrible."

Xiang Dong laughed out loud: "That's not someone just anyone can manage. It's the factory director's brother-in-law."

Oh dear, how come my brother-in-law still has half of it?

This melon seems sweeter than the real watermelon in her hand.

Wang Xiao immediately perked up his ears; this kind of gossip was only worth a couple of cents.

"He's got two wives, one in the countryside and one in the city," Xiang Dong said, his eyes sparkling with gossip. "After the bigamy case came to light, his wife in the countryside started making a scene, demanding he find a job for her brother, or she'd sue him. This brother-in-law barely knows any characters, so he could only be put up as a warehouse keeper. I guess he doesn't know anything, which is why he made the mistake. I also asked about that sales representative; he's the factory manager's brother."

Wow, they're really something. They've turned a perfectly good state-owned factory into a family business.

But this is not surprising nowadays; nepotism is all too common in government agencies.

Tang Yicheng felt sorry for Xiangyang Garment Factory: "Their clothes are actually quite good. The orders we placed before were all pretty good."

Now, because of the leader's nepotism, the whole factory is suffering the consequences. It's just too unlucky.

Xiangyang Factory has quite a lot of inventory; it's a pity to waste those clothes.

It's really spoiled, what a waste!

Seeing his genuine concern for others, Wang Xiao was utterly speechless: "Are you stupid? Do you really think the clothes will get ruined?"

Tang Yicheng blinked several times. No, if Xiangyang Factory's clothes were selling well, would they be in such a hurry?

Xiang Dong, being an experienced businessman and having started out selling clothes, couldn't hold back any longer and burst into laughter: "You're really honest. Don't worry, at the earliest tomorrow, or at the latest the day after, you'll be able to see Xiangyang Factory's clothes at the Grand Bazaar again."

ah?

Tang Yicheng suspected that his elementary school Chinese was taught by his physical education teacher.

Why can't he understand what these two people are saying?

Xiang Dong hadn't intended to keep him in suspense, but when he saw Tang Yicheng's round head and big puzzled look, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Wang Xiao picked up where he left off: "Xiangyang Factory is located in the provincial capital, only an hour's drive from Jiangzhimen. It's conveniently located and delivers goods quickly. Plus, their clothes are of good quality. Other factories don't have such advantageous locations, so restocking might not be easy for them. If I were a garment factory, I would directly wholesale Xiangyang Factory's clothes at low prices when I couldn't restock in time, and then sell them under our factory's name. That way, we'd make a profit."

In this era, most clothing factories had not yet developed a clear brand awareness. If clothes did not have tags, it was impossible to tell which factory produced them.

Therefore, even if someone uses clothes from Xiangyang Factory as a substitute, those who don't know the inside story won't understand the situation.

Tang Yicheng's eyes widened: "You can do that?! That won't do!"

It was agreed that the clothes from Xiangyang Factory could no longer be sold at the Grand Bazaar.

"Why not?" Wang Xiao retorted. "Who can guarantee that these are clothes from Xiangyang Factory? Couldn't they be clothes manufactured by another company on their behalf?"

Tang Yicheng was getting confused again: "But we know, didn't you say so?"

"I don't know." Wang Xiao frankly revealed the shamelessness and unscrupulousness of capitalists. "I only know that the clothes are of good quality and they weren't taken by Xiangyang Factory to sell at the Grand Bazaar. What I need are qualified clothes."

Xiang Dong finally laughed his fill and reached out to pat Tang Yicheng on the shoulder: "This is the best outcome for Xiangyang Factory."

Tang Yicheng didn't think so. He felt sorry for the ordinary workers at Xiangyang Garment Factory: "What did they do wrong? This will definitely drastically reduce the profit margin on clothing. They work so hard to produce, and one bad apple spoils the whole bunch."

Wang Xiao rolled her eyes at the sky. As someone who fought fiercely against school bullying, she was always cold-blooded: "They brought this on themselves. Rights are earned through struggle."

What good is it if the factory manager makes a mistake and the subordinates just curse him behind his back?

You gentlemen weep day and night, but can you possibly cry Dong Zhuo to death?

She just couldn't understand it. Workers in this era clearly had a high social status, so why couldn't they report the factory manager for bigamy? Weren't they usually so arrogant? Why were they acting like cowards at a time like this?

Indeed, extramarital affairs committed by leading cadres are very serious and a major threat. Even if the court does not sentence them, their superiors will impose severe disciplinary sanctions.

It's astonishing that this person has been able to flaunt his wealth so openly for so many years, making it an open secret.

The employees of Xiangyang Factory are having a bad time, and I'm sorry, she doesn't have much sympathy for them.

If the younger generation doesn't cherish the rights that their predecessors fought for, it will be harder than climbing to heaven to regain them once they're lost.

However, she only complained about these things in her mind, since whether Xiangyang Factory changed its factory director or not had nothing to do with her.

She only talked about trivial family matters: "His wife in the countryside is also stupid, she actually arranged for her younger brother to work here. Can't she work herself? If all else fails, she could sell the job to someone else and get half the salary."

Haha, what's the point of supporting your own family?

You can't plaster a wall with mud; if you had any backbone at all, you wouldn't have the face to suck his sister's blood.

This time, Tang Yicheng and Xiang Dong reached an agreement. Although neither of them had sisters, they both believed that outsiders bullying their sisters was a sign of disrespect and a slap in the face.

He still wants to stay in the limelight as the factory manager!

If I don't kill you, you'll turn into a monster!

After slurping the last sip of her milk tea, Wang Xiao called out to Tang Yicheng, "Come on, take me with you. I need to go to the printing factory."

She said goodbye to Qian Xuemei and left first. The latter wanted to finish packing with her colleagues from the garment factory before going to the guesthouse.

As for Wang Xiao himself, what was he doing at the printing factory? Printing posters, of course.

When she shipped the goods to Ivanov last time, she specifically chose the new summer clothes from "Women's Street" and asked him to help find models to take promotional photos.

After the pilot brought back the photos, Wang Xiao selected the suitable ones and took them to a printing factory to print them into posters and put them up in the clothing self-service supermarket.

Seriously, the promotional posters she made in Moscow last time were quite effective. Several items of clothing that she considered rather ordinary actually sold out.

At the time, she and Xiang Dong were busy making arrangements for the Jiangzhimen area and didn't pay attention.

They were also stunned when they heard the news. Those models weren't even taken from Hong Kong dramas; they were just pretty common items.

In the end, all I can say is that the success of a fashion statement depends on one's looks.

The outer mold does indeed have an added effect.

Wang Xiao wasn't about to miss such a good opportunity to freeload, so without saying a word, he arranged it for someone.

Anyway, she has a large air transport fleet, and there are planes going to Moscow every day, so she definitely has to regularly ship out new products.

Well, her next step is to arrange for models from Eastern Europe as well, and ask the middlemen for help.

Really, she did this not only for herself, but also for the benefit of all the international traders.

Family members, think about it.

You chose Huaxia clothing because it is of good quality and inexpensive, which is not the same as those flashy and cheap clothes that chase trends.

But wouldn't it be even better if Chinese clothing, while maintaining its high quality and low price, also incorporated trendy elements and kept the price the same?

How do you showcase trends? Through advertising posters, of course. If the posters are well-taken and effective, people will naturally perceive the clothes as stylish.

As for how to find models from Eastern Europe?

Well, she still has an acquaintance named Ruan Xiaomei in Hungary, doesn't she?

We'll pay Ms. Ruan to find models for the photoshoot; she'll pay $10 per photo. That's not a low income in Hungary right now, so she should be able to find suitable models.

Tang Yicheng urged her quickly, "Let's go, let's go before it gets dark."

If she stays any longer, who knows what other antics she might come up with while guarding the plane.

She's really made the most of everything she has!

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Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 10:42:36 on November 12, 2023 and 22:56:00 on November 15, 2023!

Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Ice Orange Juice 144 bottles; Pear 86 bottles; Su 70 bottles; Lin Xiao'e 20 bottles; PXQ 15 bottles; Little Dough Prince, October, Wudingbao, Qiqi 10 bottles; Tantai Wuchu 6 bottles; Sister Minmin, Little P, Little Xiao 5 bottles; Nie Ningning, Fangyi Naolanrenduo 3 bottles; Sweet Taste 2 bottles; Hui, Qiaoqiao Shi Xinbian de Xiaoxiao 1 bottle;

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!