A fire in the villa burned Lu Wanqing and her husband alive. As she died, she felt a fierce struggle in her belly, her three precious babies... Who could be so cruel? She roared in despair...
Lu Wanqing smiled, thinking that Huo Yingdong was sometimes quite old-fashioned. If he borrowed money on his own, he certainly wouldn't be able to borrow much. But if he borrowed in the name of the factory, with Huo Yingdong's endorsement, he should be able to borrow quite a lot.
She remembered that the first capital of a certain richest man was a loan of 2.5 million yuan.
In these situations, it all depends on human effort.
“Okay, let’s work towards that goal. I’ll try to find someone I know,” Fok Ying-tung agreed.
That's exactly what Lu Wanqing wanted to hear.
She used the loan money to buy the factory. If the factory goes out of business and she can't repay the loan, the bank will eventually bail her out, so she won't suffer any losses.
Back then, banks had countless bad debts like this, and if they couldn't repay them, they would eventually just be left unresolved.
Garment factories will buy, and wholesale stores won't stop either.
In order to raise enough funds, she decided to cooperate with several other garment factories and ask them to provide some of the funding.
When Ah Biao heard that she wanted to buy the factory, he responded enthusiastically, expressing his willingness to follow her, even if it meant working as her assistant.
After struggling for years with no money, he amassed hundreds of thousands of dollars in just over six months after meeting Lu Wanqing.
He believed that by following her, he could earn even more money in the future.
Lu Wanqing did not refuse his joining. It was a time when she needed people, and A Biao was clever and hardworking, making him a good partner.
Soon, she had A Biao arrange a dinner with Duan Chang and Lin Chunhua with Meng Hui to discuss the purchase of the factory.
Meng Hui never expected that in less than a year, Lu Wanqing would go from a complete novice who couldn't even get a business license to a highly respected guest in the textile department.
Actually, it's not impossible for several garment factories to join forces and buy Qianjin Garment Factory, but none of them have the guts to do so.
"Boss Lu, you didn't call me here to ask me to join you as a business partner, did you? My own garment factory is still a mess, I can't take over Lao Xu's factory," Factory Duan stated his position.
Lu Wanqing picked up a glass of baijiu and clinked glasses with him.
"Duan Factory, you're speaking too soon. Don't be fooled by the current downturn in the garment industry; it's because the styles are outdated, everyone is copying each other, and there's a lack of innovation."
"If you're willing to cooperate with me, just give me 500,000 yuan, and I can help you make Huamei the industry leader."
After Lu Wanqing finished speaking, she downed the wine in her glass in one gulp with great flair.
She was calm and composed, as if everything was under her control.
In his more than forty years of life, Duan Chang had never seen a young woman with such poise.
The fact that she could manipulate Xu Jin so easily while she was in Hong Kong is admirable.
However, taking out 500,000 yuan at once and failing would mean he would have to take responsibility for the factory, so it's not an easy decision to make.
Today we chose to eat at Lin Xiaocui's hot pot restaurant. It's newly opened and they're having a 20% discount promotion, so the restaurant was quite crowded.
In Meng Hui's view, Lu Wanqing was far too nonchalant in discussing such a large business deal in such a noisy environment.
However, out of respect for Lin Chunhua, he still helped persuade her:
"Director Duan, I've heard that most of your factory's business comes from Boss Lu. She's always had a good eye for business, so why not give her a chance?"
"Yes, Duan Factory, to be honest, this isn't about helping Boss Lu, but about giving your factory a chance to shine. We also see that you are an honest and trustworthy person, someone worth cooperating with. Otherwise, Boss Lu could have easily found someone else!"
Ah Biao chimed in, saying some rather unpleasant things.
This is also a necessary means of persuading others. The two of them, speaking in unison, actually managed to sway Duan Chang.
With the added effect of the alcohol, he nodded in agreement.
It's just 500,000 yuan, the factory can easily afford it. Lu Wanqing's reward is not low, and with Meng Hui's endorsement, he can definitely take a gamble.
Seeing that the matter was almost settled, Lu Wanqing immediately called Lin Xiaocui over.
Lin Xiaocui was personally handling everything for the opening of her new store. She was wearing a blazer and black pants, looking very professional.
She was constantly running around in the kitchen, keeping an eye on the cash register, and asking customers if the hot pot suited their tastes. She was very busy.
Her sister-in-law called her, and she immediately brought over a fruit platter.
"How is it? Is it to your liking? Here's a fruit platter for you."
Lu Wanqing was very satisfied with her poised and composed demeanor, and introduced her to her:
"This is my new business partner. Go get some coupons. He's the manager of a garment factory, overseeing hundreds of people. He's a valued customer."
"Hey." Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaocui immediately ran to the cashier to get the coupon.
The idea for the coupons came from Lu Wanqing. In fact, the discount would be 20% off for the first month after opening, but with coupons, there is no time limit, so you can enjoy the 20% off at any time.
As for giving away fruit platters and the like, this is based on consumer psychology. People always feel that getting something for free is a huge benefit, and that they are more likely to become repeat customers.
In the restaurant business, repeat customers are the most important thing.
While she was getting the coupons, she said to Director Duan again:
"This shop is run by my sister. I'll have to ask Duan Factory to take good care of it and help promote it. You can eat whatever you want here in the future, just put it on my tab."
Even the best wine needs advertising; when you open a business, you naturally want as many people as possible to know about it.
As for the idea of recording it in the accounts, that's just a polite formality. He's a factory director; he can get reimbursed for meals he eats out. There's no need for her to spend money.
But everyone likes to hear such polite words; it makes them feel valued and respected.
Lin Xiaocui handed her a stack of coupons and thanked her with a sweet smile.
"Please come often, boss. I'll reserve a private room for you."
Her shop has two floors. The upper floor is divided into several private rooms by partitions, which are suitable for banquets where private conversations are required.
The lower level is the main hall, which is much more relaxed, with people clinking glasses, chatting and laughing, creating a very lively atmosphere.
Lin Xiaocui was initially worried that the business would be slow when it opened, but she didn't expect that everyone's enthusiasm for eating hot pot in winter would be so high. Often, the whole family would come, and they would spend more than 20 yuan on a meal without hesitation.
In addition, Lu Wanqing and Zhao Xiaolan had introduced the business to some acquaintances, and many people came because of the recommendations, so the business became very popular.
Of course, this is also related to her efforts. For this store, she really worked non-stop on the renovation while also recruiting people at the job market.
She also strictly controls the quality of ingredients, ensuring that no stale or unfresh ingredients end up on the dinner table.
There were even people at the entrance to greet us, showing that they were very attentive to every detail.
After finishing their business, Lu Wanqing first saw Duan Factory out of the door, then turned back and chatted privately with Meng Hui for a few more minutes, asking Xiao Cui to find him some coupons.
This action made Meng Hui feel that his status was clearly different from that of Director Duan, and that he seemed to be closer to him.
Lin Chunhua and Meng Hui walked together.
Lu Wanqing had planned to wait for Lin Xiaocui to close the shop before leaving together, but Han Lei arrived right on time.
The restaurant opened much later than those state-run restaurants, and he would finish work around 9 or 10 pm. He was afraid that it would be dangerous for Lin Xiaocui to go home alone, so he would come to pick her up every day.