Zhao Fang glanced at Lin Yuan silently again before turning her head away.

Deputy Factory Director Hu smiled wryly, “We can’t control what the weaving factory does, but since this task has been assigned to our Second Garment Factory, we can’t just let the fabric sit unsold.”

"Mr. Zhao, what's your background? Judging from your appearance, you seem to know something about this field?" Deputy Factory Director Hu asked Zhao Huanhuan.

Zhao Huanhuan smiled and said, "I graduated from a textile university. After graduation, I worked in a textile factory for a year before leaving. My shop was too busy, and working in the factory was not as free as running my own shop."

"Oh, so you graduated from the Textile University. No wonder. Which year did you graduate from?" Deputy Factory Director Hu asked in surprise.

This man, in his forties, seemed to be someone who was successful in his career, and Zhao Huanhuan had a good impression of him.

She smiled and said, "Class of '83!"

"Oh, my daughter also graduated in '83, Hu Keke, do you know her?" Deputy Factory Director Hu asked with a smile.

"Are you Coco's father?" Zhao Huanhuan was surprised, she didn't expect to run into her old classmate's father.

"Yes, yes, so she's Coco's classmate. You're several years older than her!" Deputy Factory Director Hu asked with a smile.

“Yes, when I got into the Textile University, my child was already in elementary school,” Zhao Huanhuan said.

"Oh, I see. You're a junior high school graduate from the 'Old Three Classes' (referring to students who graduated from high school in the late 1960s and 1970s), right?" Director Hu immediately understood.

Zhao Huanhuan nodded, "Yes!"

"No wonder you know so much. Coco has been assigned to work at the Third Textile Factory, where her mother works," Deputy Factory Director Hu said with a smile.

"Oh, so Director Liu is your wife?" Zhao Huanhuan smiled. She had met Hu Keke's mother before; she was the workshop director at the Third Textile Factory.

"Yes!" Deputy Factory Director Hu smiled.

Seeing Zhao Fang staring at Zhao Huanhuan warily, Deputy Factory Director Hu said, "Xiao Zhao, take these clothes back first, and fetch me two meters of this woolen fabric."

Zhao Fang glanced at Lin Yuan subconsciously.

But Lin Yuan didn't even glance at her.

"Yes, Director Hu!" Zhao Fang had no choice but to stand up, grab the clothes, and leave.

This place is not far from the Second Clothing Factory.

"May I know what kind of misunderstanding exists between you and Xiao Zhao? She's a saleswoman from our factory, and she works quite hard. I only brought her along today because we're meeting the female boss," Deputy Factory Director Hu explained.

“Since you’re Coco’s dad, I’ll call you Uncle Hu. But you look like you’re forty, so I’m a little embarrassed to say it,” Zhao Huanhuan said with a smile.

"I'm fifty years old, but I probably look younger because I haven't experienced the hardships of working in the fields," Deputy Factory Director Hu said with a smile.

His name is Hu Zhan!

Zhao Huanhuan smiled and said, "That person is my husband's classmate, but I feel that she has been hostile towards me since the first time she met me. As for why, I don't know. I think she had a fight with my husband when she was in school, so she hates me as well."

"But judging from the way she looked when she saw my husband just now, it's obvious they weren't in a relationship where they had just argued!" After saying that, Zhao Huanhuan stopped talking.

It's more interesting to leave people guessing when you only say half of something!

Hu Zhan is a man who has weathered many storms, so he naturally understands.

He glanced at Lin Yuan; although Lin Yuan was dressed casually, the aura he exuded was not to be underestimated.

Thinking about Zhao Fang's question earlier, Hu Zhan knew that Zhao Huanhuan's husband was probably a high-ranking official in the military.

He decided to prevent Zhao Fang from having any contact with Zhao Huanhuan from now on.

"Xiao Zhao, since you're a professional, why don't you give your uncle some advice? What should we do with this material to make it sell?"

Zhao Huanhuan smiled. "How many volumes are left now?"

“There are still ninety-eight volumes, each thirty meters long and one and a half meters wide,” Hu Zhan said.

"If each garment uses about 1.5 meters of fabric, these 98 rolls will make about 1,960 garments. If we make shorter styles, it will make about 2,000 garments. That's alright, not too many."

As Zhao Huanhuan spoke, she pondered the feel of the fabric she had just touched. "Uncle Hu, since we're acquaintances, I'll give you a suggestion and a chance to make a contribution. You can apply to stop producing this fabric altogether."

"Why? Besides the serious backlog of inventory, what other reasons are there?" Hu Zhan asked.

Zhao Huanhuan said, "Have you analyzed why there is unsold stock? The characteristics of snowflake fabric are that it is similar to wool, thick, warm, and has a bit of elasticity and toughness. The thick feel it gives the wearer a warm feeling. So, its appeal is its thick and warm appearance."

"But you've made it so thin, it still looks good, but it doesn't feel right. Think about it, why would anyone buy it? In terms of thinness and trendiness, it's not as good as denim or cotton khaki; in terms of warmth, it's not as good as corduroy; and in terms of durability, it's definitely not as good as khaki!"

After listening, Hu Zhan nodded. He understood; there really was a reason why this product couldn't be sold.

"So, in your opinion, should this material still be produced according to the usual snowflake pattern?" Hu Zhan asked.

Zhao Huanhuan shook her head. "Its era is over. Now down jackets have appeared. In the future, down jackets will gradually replace heavy cotton-padded clothes in winter, and snowflakes will also lose some of their market share."

"However, to prevent this material from becoming unusable, and if you want a lightweight feel, you can blend it with other fiber materials during the spinning process," Zhao Huanhuan said.

That's all the advice she can offer; as for the specific blending techniques, that's a matter for the textile factory.

After all, she wants to work in this industry in the future, so she can't reveal all her secrets. If there are any smart people, they can use what she said to give the snowflake a new look.

Hu Zhan carefully considered her words and understood. He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhao Huanhuan and said, "Uncle Hu, thank you. I will bring this up at the next meeting. As for whether others will adopt it or not, that's beyond my control."

Zhao Huanhuan nodded, "That makes perfect sense."

"So, let's talk about our cooperation now?" Hu Zhan asked Zhao Huanhuan with a smile.

Zhao Huanhuan thought for a moment and said, "It's okay if you want to cooperate with me, but I don't like any of your current styles. If you've been to my store, you should know that I only sell the most fashionable clothes."

"You could say I'm in charge of the current trends in Yuancheng. Your clothes, even at half price, wouldn't sell in my shop. I can give Uncle Hu some advice."

"Go on!" Upon hearing this, Hu Zhan immediately sat up straight, eagerly awaiting the answer.

“Those styles don’t seem to be very expensive. If you go to various factories, they’ll probably give their workers welfare benefits during holidays, right? You could give them a discount on your clothes so they can use them for worker benefits. No matter how much inventory you have, it won’t be enough to meet demand. Or hotels could give them to their workers as uniforms, which would also improve the image of our city.”

Hu Zhan listened thoughtfully, and finally nodded, "That's a good idea. So, what kind of snowflake design would be best for shipping?"