Zhou Qiqi twitched the corners of her mouth and shook her head helplessly.
"I can't help you with this, Sister Ping. There's no more stock available."
"What? It's gone?"
Li Ping was initially surprised, but when she heard that Lü Shouqian had returned, she immediately understood.
He launched into a rapid-fire speech, hurling curses and expressing regret.
"That greasy, pig-headed man, Lü Shouqian, is a complete scoundrel! The First Garment Factory used to be so glorious, but now it's fallen to this state. Apart from the backlog of inventory, most of it is because of this scoundrel! How much money from the factory has he swindled into his own pocket! He spends it all on eating, drinking, gambling, and keeping women!"
"You don't know how many people reported him a few years ago, but it was all for naught. The director of the city's economic commission who was in charge of them was his brother-in-law. Even when they reported him to higher authorities, nothing came of it."
"This parasite nearly choked the First Garment Factory to death, then feigned illness and shirked responsibility, leaving the whole mess to Deputy Director Zhang. Now that Deputy Director Zhang has finally given the factory a much-needed breather, he has the nerve to come back?!"
Li Ping and Zhang Guoqiang have been friends for many years, and she was particularly indignant when talking about these things.
But despite her anger, she knew she couldn't control these things, so she calmed down and asked Zhou Qiqi.
"So what are your plans next? Are you planning to continue running your stall? Or will you continue to buy goods from me and modify them yourself?"
"No, thank you."
Zhou Qiqi shook her head. She didn't have much start-up capital and didn't know many people, so she chose to modify the basic model.
She now has about 1,800 yuan in her hands, plus she has gained a little bit of fame.
"It's time to reorganize our own brand."
"Your own brand?"
Li Ping touched the small embroidered icon on the hem of her dress, and a smile appeared on her face.
"No wonder you used to add embroidery to your designs; it turns out it's your exclusive trademark!"
Zhou Qiqi nodded: "Yes, I asked Deputy Factory Director Zhang to register those earlier designs with the Light Industry Bureau. From now on, only I can make them."
"I didn't realize you were such a thoughtful girl. I like you!"
Li Ping's eyes sparkled with admiration as she asked, "So you called me out today because you need my help with this?"
Zhou Qiqi smiled, her eyes crinkling: "Sister Ping is a sensible person. That's how it is..."
She briefly explained that the policy has just been relaxed and it is not allowed for individuals to invest in and contract factories. However, a few months ago, someone contracted a production line to save a factory that was about to go bankrupt and was even praised by the central government.
Clearly, the government is gradually relaxing these restrictions and intends to encourage companies to help themselves through self-production.
“I want to follow this path, contract a production line, and make clothes that I design myself. I will provide the designs, and I will manage the materials and production on the production line. We can discuss and split the profits.”
Actually, the reason we chose to modify the inventory of the First Garment Factory was to test whether this method would work.
If it works out, we'll take this step once we've sold off our inventory. Then we can think about contracting a factory and building our own, one step at a time.
Unexpectedly, Lu Shouqian's affair came out halfway, making it impossible to cooperate with the First Factory. They could only ask Li Ping to help them find another factory.
As she spoke, she handed Li Ping a bottle of soda in a very professional manner.
"Sister Ping is a top wholesaler in G City, she definitely has connections in this area. It's just a matter of whether you're willing to give me a hand?"
Li Ping was a seasoned businesswoman who had seen it all, yet she still took the soda with a straight face, took a sip, and said...
"Of course I'm willing! How could I not be! Don't give me that 'you' attitude, I should thank you for trusting me!"
She knew Zhou Qiqi's abilities; this girl was sure to make a name for herself in the clothing industry. Helping her today was also paving the way for her own future.
In addition to the first factory, G City also has the second and third garment factories.
Li Ping pondered for a moment and said, "I know people in both of these factories. Since they became independent, many state-owned factories have struggled to survive. Although these two factories aren't in as dire straits as the first one, they're still struggling. Your cooperative approach is an opportunity for them, but..."
She paused, looking somewhat troubled.
Zhou Qiqi tilted her head and smiled, "Sister Ping, please speak your mind. I know what I'm talking about."
Li Ping's expression turned serious. "Most people in state-owned factories are stubborn and look down on outsiders. Your method is too novel, and you'll have to take a cut of the profits from them. There's a good chance they won't be happy..."
Zhou Qiqi frowned: "We're barely surviving, why aren't you thinking about making some changes?"
Li Ping patiently explained.
“You don’t understand. These factories have been working for the country for two or three decades. Deep down, they believe the country will support them, so there’s no need for them to make a fuss.”
Li Ping used to be the same way, but after going to developed coastal areas like Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and seeing the prosperity of Hong Kong on television, she realized that the outside world changes every day.
She resolutely gave up her job as a sales clerk and started her own stall business, making a fortune in the past two years.
Therefore, she was confident in her judgment, she added.
"Qiqi, no matter what the final result is, I will try my best to help you reconcile. Even if this path doesn't work, I can still help you connect with the garment factory in Pengcheng Special Economic Zone. I have some connections there."
Zhou Qiqi nodded and took out a note she had prepared beforehand from her bag.
"Okay, thank you in advance, Sister Ping. You can call this number when you hear something, but it would be best if you could be in G City."
After all, Shen Huaichuan is here, Zhouzhou is here, and her home is here.
After dinner, she went to Li Ping's stall to chat for a while and bought some fabric. It wasn't until after four o'clock that she took the purchasing vehicle back to the family compound.
As soon as she opened the door, Shen Huaichuan came over and took all the things from her hands.
"Why are you so late? Did something happen?"
Zhou Qiqi panicked for a moment, her face flushed slightly, and she quickly shook her head.
"No, no, what could have happened? I got the money back. I just chatted with a friend I met while I was setting up my stall."
Before Shen Huaichuan could reply, she quickly pulled two persimmons out of the bag, which were bright red like little lanterns.
"Quick, quick, try the persimmons I bought by the roadside. They're big and perfectly shaped, they're sure to be sweet!"
He ran to the tap to rinse his food, handed one to Shen Huaichuan, and then picked one up and put it in his mouth.
"Don't eat it!"
Shen Huaichuan reached out to snatch it, but it was too late. With a crisp "crack," Zhou Qiqi had already taken a big bite of the persimmon.
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