"Oh? What method? Comrade Zhou, please speak freely."
Zhang Guoqiang was puzzled, wondering what Zhou Qiqi was up to, but he still replied sincerely.
Zhou Qiqi tilted her head slightly, her black hair swaying gently with the movement.
"Let's talk somewhere else, how about Director Zhang's office?"
You have to be mindful of the occasion and the topic. We were just chatting casually in the park, but when it comes to real business collaborations, we can't be so careless.
Zhang Guoqiang patted his forehead.
"Alright, alright! Look at my brain! I should have invited you to my office for tea a long time ago!"
Although he was a deputy factory director, his office was in a corner on the second floor of the factory office building. It was sparsely decorated and looked very simple.
As soon as he entered the room, he hurriedly poured tea for Zhou Qiqi, but after rummaging through the cabinet, he was stumped because he didn't have any decent tea leaves.
He rubbed his hands together, told Zhou Qiqi to wait a moment, and then turned and went to the factory manager's office next door.
Before long, he returned carrying a can of jasmine tea, and behind him he could faintly hear muttering, as if someone was complaining.
Zhou Qiqi glanced over and saw a woman glaring at her with furrowed brows.
The woman was wearing a red dress and a brand-new watch on her wrist, which gleamed in the sunlight.
"Director Zhang, who is that...?"
She lightly touched the rim of the teacup with her fingertip, asking as if it were a casual question.
"Oh, that's Wu Shufen, the factory director's secretary."
As Zhang Guoqiang spoke, he poured tea. Boiling water steeped the tea leaves, and in the rising steam, her eyes flickered slightly, as if she were thinking about something. However, she quickly returned her attention to business and spoke earnestly.
“I’ve noticed that the clothes piling up in the factory are made of good material and the stitching is fine. If I alter them a little, I guarantee they’ll sell.”
Zhang Guoqiang chuckled twice and scratched his head.
"Comrade Zhou, you're using exactly the same words as me! But didn't you previously refuse to come to work at the factory?"
Zhou Qiqi smiled faintly.
"I said I didn't want to come to work, but I didn't say I didn't want to do design and renovation work..."
Zhang Guoqiang was taken aback.
"Does Comrade Zhou mean that he will only provide design drawings and not come to the office?"
Zhou Qiqi gently tapped her chin.
“That’s right, your factory pays me the design fee, and I’ll modify those slow-selling styles.”
These words made Zhang Guoqiang's heart leap with joy, but when he recalled how Zhou Qiqi had remained unmoved by the 150 yuan earlier, he hesitated again.
"The design fee you mentioned... I'm afraid it's not cheap, is it?"
"That's natural."
Zhou Qiqi said confidently, "I estimate there are about 30,000 pieces in stock, with more than a dozen styles. The design fee is at least..."
She held up four fingers.
"Four hundred yuan?"
Zhang Guoqiang wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Zhou Qiqi chuckled and shook her head.
"No, it's a four-digit number..."
"Moreover, it's at least four figures, and possibly as many as five figures..."
These words were a bit startling. Zhang Guoqiang's eyes widened, and he stood there speechless for a long time. It was only when Zou Qianqian saw the awkward atmosphere that she nudged him, and he quickly replied.
"Comrade Zhou, you can't joke like that. Our factory only paid out a little over ten thousand yuan in wages last month, and you're asking for four or five figures right off the bat. Isn't that a bit too much..."
He rubbed his hands together sheepishly.
"Besides, the factory is losing a lot of money right now, and the money in the account has to be used to keep the production line running. We really can't come up with that much!"
"Moreover, although I am the deputy factory director and have some authority to approve funds, I don't even know if the altered clothes will sell well. I've already spent such a large sum of money, and I have no way to explain it to everyone."
Zhou Qiqi remained composed, her fingertips caressing the teacup.
"Deputy Factory Director Zhang, don't worry. I'm not the kind of person who asks for exorbitant prices. I'm only willing to propose cooperation because I value your character."
"What I mean is, I'll operate jointly with the factory. I'll provide the designs, and the factory will handle the alterations. I won't charge design fees upfront. Once the clothes are sold, I'll get 15% of the profit. If they don't sell..."
She raised an eyebrow slightly, "I'll lose 30% of the inventory cost."
Zhou Qiqi had been thinking about this matter while touring the factory.
She started by selling clothes at a street stall, and her dream has always been to create her own brand in the future.
So she was unwilling to design clothes for other factories at low prices.
However, she is not opposed to cooperation.
After much thought, she came up with this idea.
"Joint operation? That's a new term."
Zhang Guoqiang stroked his chin, pondering.
"That's a brilliant idea! Right now, the government is conducting pilot programs to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises like ours to have their own say and operate independently. Your method is to use your technology as equity and jointly manage this batch of inventory with our factory?"
According to Zhou Qiqi, she would contribute her technology as equity, and the factory would only need to cover the cost of altering the clothes. If the factory made a profit, everyone would share it.
Even if we lose money, the factory can still recoup some of it.
In any case, it's better than letting more than 20,000 pieces of clothing rot in the warehouse.
Zhou Qiqi didn't quite understand those policies, but she just nodded and said, "You're right, that's exactly what I mean."
Zhang Guoqiang was initially quite pleased, but suddenly looked up, his gaze intense, and asked.
"Comrade Zhou, this model poses little risk to our factory, but for you, if the clothes don't sell well, the loss will be at least four figures. Have you thought this through? Are you really willing to take this risk?"
Zhou Qiqi smiled calmly.
"Well, the risks are high, but the profits are also considerable, aren't they?"
She had absolute confidence in herself; this business was guaranteed to make a profit. The factory had more than 20,000 pieces in stock, and after deducting costs, she could earn at least four figures, and not just one or two thousand!
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