There was a deathly silence in the audience, as if everyone was captivated by the ultimate Eastern aesthetics.
Immediately afterwards, thunderous applause erupted like a decisive flood, lasting for a long time!
Whether it was the previously skeptical out-of-town wholesalers, the well-informed purchasing director of the department store, or even the always serious leaders from the Light Industry Bureau and the Municipal Party Committee, as well as Zhou Qiqi's specially invited friends—Zhao Damei, Zhu Yingying, Deng Cuixiang, and the nurse Yuan Xiaoyuan—and Lei Ming sitting next to her...
Without exception, everyone clapped enthusiastically from the bottom of their hearts, their faces beaming with excitement and admiration.
The out-of-town wholesaler sitting in front of Qiu Fengxian, who had not long ago been saying that the First Garment Factory was doomed, now stared wide-eyed, completely captivated by the scene on stage, and involuntarily slapped his thigh in amazement:
"Amazing! Absolutely amazing! This new ink-wash luster is twice as good as the previous Australian wool luster, no, more than ten times better!"
The others couldn't help but sigh with emotion as well.
"This is what we truly make! It has soul! It has flavor!"
"This stage is more than just music and poetry... The First Garment Factory and Comrade Zhou Qiqi really put their hearts into it!"
"It looks great! It's so high-class! I'd be so proud to wear this coat out!"
...
Praise poured in from all directions, each with its own angle, but the core of it was unparalleled amazement and recognition.
However, amidst the enthusiastic atmosphere, there were also some clear-headed but jarring voices.
The wholesaler who had spoken with a strong Cantonese accent suddenly stood up and loudly questioned:
"It looks beautiful! But this material looks incredibly expensive! The cost must be terrifyingly high, right? I'm afraid... it won't sell well!"
These words immediately struck a chord with many people, and some quickly echoed their sentiments:
"Yes! It must be very expensive!"
A purchasing manager from a department store stood up, adjusted his glasses, and spoke in a pragmatic tone:
“The previous Australian wool ‘Guanghua’ series, your factory paid us 25 yuan for it. The factory’s pricing was reasonable, and we didn’t intend to make a huge profit. The retail price was 40 yuan. At that price, many families had to think twice before buying it. Your new series looks even more advanced and better than Australian wool. I estimate that the purchase price must be at least 35 yuan. If it sells well, it will easily reach 50 yuan!”
This price surprised everyone, and they all expressed their opinions:
"People are a little better off now than before, but not many people are willing to spend that much money on a coat!"
Although the price is the subject of the questioning, one fact has been implicitly confirmed amidst these doubts—the ink-wash fabric of this coat is absolutely high-end!
It's much higher quality than imported Australian wool!
Upon hearing this, Zhou Qiqi on the stage smiled slightly, a smile that carried a hint of composure that she had long anticipated.
She coughed, raising her voice to clearly drown out the noise in the room:
"Ahem, everyone, you're overthinking it."
She paused, then dropped a bombshell:
"Our 'Ink Splendor' product, as the first shot in launching the 'Seven' brand series, is offered to you at cost price—only twenty yuan!"
Before the audience could erupt in uproar, she immediately announced,
Similarly, we also have a unified regulation on the retail price of this product, which shall not exceed thirty-five yuan!
"What I want to do is to make it possible for ordinary women to wear the Radiant Ink Painting style!"
The audience erupted instantly, with exclamations, doubts, and incredulous discussions ten times more enthusiastic than the praise from before!
"How...how much? Did I hear that right?"
"Only twenty yuan?!"
"Are you crazy?! This is five yuan cheaper than the previous basic 'Guanghua' package?!"
"Won't that mean we'll lose our underwear?!"
"Comrade Zhou, what are you up to? What kind of business do you do?"
......
Everyone thought that Zhou Qiqi must have been driven crazy by the pressure to make such a obviously unprofitable deal.
Amidst a deafening roar that nearly lifted the roof off, Zhou Qiqi's smile remained calm and composed.
She raised her hand and gestured for everyone to be quiet, but the audience was still going wild and it was quite noisy for a while. It was only when the guzheng player played a few notes that the scene quieted down.
Zhou Qiqi smiled calmly and said loudly:
"Although we did intend to use this product with a low-profit, high-volume strategy to open up the market, so the price is indeed lower than that of normal products, but—"
Her gaze swept across the entire room.
"I, Zhou Qiqi, am in business, not charity. This pricing doesn't make me a huge profit, but it definitely won't result in a loss, because—"
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