Chapter 56 Establishing Authority Exclusively on Jinjiang
After dinner, Su Ruyi and Wang Huiting went to Lu Qiuyu's house together.
Su Ruyi felt that since coming into this world, she had been living a very fulfilling life, always busy and never stopping for a moment.
In another life, she could have dragged out today's tasks for half a month before finishing them.
Poverty is indeed the primary motivation.
Su Ruyi: "Good evening, Aunt Zeng. I hope I haven't bothered you so late?"
"No, no, I've been waiting for you to come back." Zeng Guoqin gestured for Su Ruyi to sit down. "Your competition is really lively; everyone's talking about it now."
Zeng Guoqin now had even more confidence in Su Ruyi, anticipating that this wave of popularity would make Su Ruyi a fortune and further enhance her strength.
Now, friends from other places have been asking about her place and want to order her goods as soon as possible.
"I also benefited from someone else's success," Su Ruyi said with a smile. "During the finals, they said there would be a local TV station covering the event, so maybe I could even watch the competition on TV."
Normally, such a small competition wouldn't generate this much buzz; it would just be mentioned in the news and that would be the end of it.
However, with the perfect timing, location, and people, the Asian Games were about to begin, which also boosted the popularity of hula hoop competitions.
Lu Ting is a marketing expert. The initial prize of 10,000 yuan was already very attractive. Who would have thought that the prize could be changed at the last minute, and that there would be more and more prizes?
They also added regional competitions, which also offer the chance to win prizes.
Legitimate competitions wouldn't dare to act so recklessly, but these self-entertaining events don't care, and who would complain about more rewards?
However, this increased the level of discussion.
"That's free advertising!"
Zeng Guoqin could already foresee the climax that the hula hoop craze would reach.
"If things go smoothly, we can also ride this wave of popularity."
Zeng Guoqin sat up straight: "What do you mean?"
"There will be an opening performance during the finals. If there are no problems with our cooperation, I will discuss with the person in charge of the plastics factory to have all the performers wear leggings, as well as the guests welcoming the awards."
This is what Su Ruyi thought of in the car. Currently, leggings are not popular in Qing Province, although according to Su Ruyi's understanding, there will be a craze for leggings after the Asian Games.
But Su Ruyi didn't want to passively wait for the hype to build, so she wanted to use the resources available to her to launch the first campaign for the bodybuilding pants.
Zeng Guoqin's eyes lit up: "Will they agree?"
"There shouldn't be any major problems."
Su Ruyi was confident about this, not only because she had become familiar with Lu Ting, but also because the plastics factory was very innovative and bold.
She's not doing this for nothing; she sponsored all these clothes out of her own pocket, and she can also pay an advertising fee if needed.
Moreover, such advertising will not affect the competition, so the other party has no reason to refuse.
She doesn't insist on having her own clothing brand, since it's not certain that she can produce it at that time, and her target market is mid-to-low-end, so she doesn't have high requirements for the brand.
Of course, it would be better if we could get a brand name, but we won't force it if we can't.
If Su Ruyi were to say that she hadn't even decided on a brand yet, and was already thinking about these things, she would probably startle Zeng Guoqin, as it was completely different from the patterns she had encountered before.
That's just how it is these days: the bold starve, and the timid thrive.
Many shell companies, through their operations, eventually become legitimate companies with assets and strength; of course, there are also many that cheat people and run away.
"That would be great, but the finals are starting soon, is there enough time?"
The hula hoop finals will be held in seven days, so time is very tight.
"That depends on the speed of the textile factory. If it's too late, don't worry. Just make sure everyone has these pants and get the market buzzing up. Once we produce the leggings, we won't have to worry about sales. But I still hope to produce the first batch of leggings before then."
Zeng Guoqin gasped, "This is too stressful! Weaving and making the fabric, how can it be done in just seven days?"
Su Ruyi, however, was used to this speed. Back when there was trouble in Hong Kong, Fujianese merchants from the mainland made uniforms and shoes overnight and went to protest together.
The material she wanted wasn't anything new or unusual. The textile factory had considered it for so long, they must have known how to start production before agreeing to it.
The textile factory already has plenty of raw materials; starting production is just a matter of a word.
Su Ruyi doesn't require immediate mass production; she just wants to produce some samples first. Therefore, if it's really urgent, completing the work within the specified timeframe shouldn't be a problem.
However, considering the speed of operation here, Su Ruyi didn't have high hopes. After all, everything was starting from scratch, unlike decades later when there was already a mature model. Saying this was also a way of hoping that the textile factory could move faster.
It's not that Su Ruyi is saying this, but many state-owned enterprises are really inefficient nowadays. No wonder so many companies were eliminated in a couple of years. She has to push them a bit.
Zeng Guoqin frowned. She wasn't in charge of production anymore, so she really wasn't very confident.
"I will report the situation to my supervisor."
Su Ruyi's one sentence is enough.
"I heard from my aunt that the textile factory has other requirements?" Su Ruyi directly steered the conversation to the purpose of her visit today.
Before going to the textile factory to negotiate, Su Ruyi hoped to find out what was going on as soon as possible so she would know how to deal with it.
Zeng Guoqin's expression immediately became somewhat embarrassed. "Yes, that's true."
"Aunt Zeng, why are you being so polite with me? Just tell me what you want to say."
"That's right. Our factory has never produced this kind of fabric before. If we were to produce it, it would be like setting up a special production line for you, which would require a certain amount of initial investment. We also can't be sure of your future order volume, so the cost is currently quite high."
Su Ruyi nodded. Whether what he said was true or false, she wasn't too surprised.
Textile factories are large and powerful, but they are not as flexible as smaller factories.
"You bought this fabric to open a small factory and make leggings, right?"
Upon hearing this, Su Ruyi seemed to have guessed something.
Zeng Guoqin forced herself to continue, saying, "The factory's idea is that since you'll also be recruiting workers, why not choose from our textile factory?"
Even though she had guessed it, Su Ruyi was still surprised, not expecting the textile factory to propose such additional conditions.
Zeng Guoqin felt embarrassed after speaking, saying, "The factory has no choice. The textile factory is doing very poorly now and simply cannot afford to support so many employees. This year, we haven't been able to pay wages nationwide for a single month. If we can pay half, it's just robbing Peter to pay Paul."
The textile factory now has many employees who only work three days a week, resting one day and working one day.
Don't think that being able to rest is a good thing. Although it's impossible to reduce wages because of this, and the wages of workers with formal employment status are paid according to national standards, they can temporarily owe wages based on these standards.
So the textile factory came up with the idea of reassigning surplus workers.
In this day and age, all sorts of unconventional tactics are common, so while Su Ruyi was surprised, she wasn't entirely taken aback.
"If I take them in, will they be considered part of the textile factory, or my people?"
"Their positions will remain with the textile factory. They will return once the textile factory is operating normally."
Although textile factories are not doing well now, people still value the status of employees working in textile factories and will not give it up easily.
Going to work for Su Ruyi is just a temporary arrangement to get through the current difficulties; I'll go back later.
We can't just stand by and watch the workers' lives become increasingly difficult if we can't pay their wages.
Su Ruyi pondered for a moment and said, "I can reserve a spot for the textile factory, but you must follow my rules. If you don't obey, I will return it."
"Of course, we definitely can't let your business be delayed."
“I don’t just hire anyone. Everyone who wants to work in my factory has to go through an assessment, and only those who pass the assessment can come in. And I don’t care what their past situation was like in the factory. Here, they have to follow my rules, otherwise I will also send them away.”
Zeng Guoqin was silent for a moment, then said, "How about this, you write all your requirements into the contract, and then we'll schedule a time to meet at the factory to discuss them."
Her current position doesn't really concern her with these matters, so agreeing wouldn't be very effective. It would be better for her to go to the factory and discuss it with the factory manager.
Su Ruyi nodded. This matter came too suddenly, and she needed time to sort it out.
Since she's going to hire people anyway, picking some from the textile factory isn't a bad idea.
Her salary standard is based on work performance; the more you do and the better you do, the more money you get. If you don't meet the basic requirements, you're fired. People who want to earn money will naturally work hard.
However, she wouldn't have all her employees come from the textile factory, as that would put her in a passive position, make management difficult, and make it easy for others to take credit for her work.
"Okay, is the supervisor in charge available the day after tomorrow afternoon?"
"Okay, I'll talk to the factory manager tomorrow. I'll let you know if we need another time."
On her way home, Wang Huiting looked excited.
"Sis, you're opening a factory?"
"If nothing unexpected happens, then yes."
Wang Huiting: "Sister, you're amazing! Can I work in your factory as a worker someday?"
"Is that all you've got? Can't you even think about being your own boss?"
Wang Huiting took a breath: "Sister, you really are my sister. Only you would say such a thing to me."
Although she made a fortune during the summer vacation, if she said she wanted to open her own factory in the future, people would laugh at her and think she was dreaming.
"That's because other people haven't seen much. If they went to the South, they would know that opening a factory is not such a big deal."
It's not a big factory; to put it bluntly, it's just a small workshop that only needs to hire a few people.
It's so easy to recruit workers these days; if it's not enough in the city, there's still a huge pool of labor in the villages.
Unlike decades ago, now everyone is scrambling to get a job in a factory.
"I really want to go to the South and see the world," Wang Huiting said with great envy. "People here are too conservative. They'd rather starve to death with a secure job than take a single step out of the country."
In Liulin County, people still prefer a stable and conservative lifestyle. Even though many factories are failing, they still feel that working for the government is more secure and are still scrambling to get in.
Anyone who sets up a stall as a self-employed individual may not say anything to your face, but they will look down on you behind your back.
The most obvious manifestation of this is in the marriage market, where self-employed individuals who can't secure a government job are ranked lower.
Su Ruyi declined to comment, saying that everyone's choices are different in every era, and decades later, people realize that a secure job is still the best.
"Sis, now that you've finished making the pants, where are you going to sell them? Are you planning to open a shop?"
Su Ruyi said, "I will try to rent a shop in a bustling area, but the main business will still be wholesale, just like now."
She's already very familiar with this model and knows how it works.
This is also why she wants to produce mid-to-low-end leggings. Firstly, the quality requirements are not that high. Her garment factory is just a makeshift operation, and it is certainly not as good as those that do the work. At first, the quality may be difficult to guarantee.
Secondly, initially, the goods sold through her were all from street stalls, which meant they were destined to never enter the high-end market.
Su Ruyi is just following the trend now, focusing on volume.
"How come I'm still in school?! And I'm still in my final year of high school!"
Wang Huiting sighed with regret. She really wanted to sell leggings. The feeling of doing business was so great. As long as there were customers, she wouldn't feel tired even if she stood all day.
But she's studying so hard every day that she simply doesn't have time.
The pressure of senior year was palpable. Wang Huiting had promised Su Ruyi, so she had no choice but to grit her teeth and start studying.
"Cherish it, because it will be hard to study this hard again in the future."
Su Ruyi worked the hardest in her senior year of high school, and she never worked that hard again after that.
She studied late into the night every day back then. Actually, no one pressured her. She just figured it out herself: I have to go to university and have this kind of life experience, otherwise I will never be satisfied with my life.
I was even thinking that when I got to college, I would have a sweet romance.
When I got to university, I found out that even though it was a huge school, and a STEM university with far more men than women, there were actually fewer handsome guys than in high school! What a rip-off.
However, she never regretted working so hard; it was a precious memory. Perhaps because she wanted to learn, despite putting in a lot of effort, she didn't experience the dreaded feeling that others had when they thought about senior year of high school.
"Hmm." Wang Huiting said, her head drooping.
Su Ruyi smiled and said, "When my bodybuilding pants are finished, you'll be among the first to wear them."
Wang Huiting immediately perked up: "Sister, you said it yourself!"
Although leggings aren't commonly seen in Liulin County, Wang Huiting, a fashionista, is well aware that leggings are currently the most popular clothing item.
If Su Ruyi were to give her leggings, she would be among the first in the entire school to wear them.
After a long day of travel, Su Ruyi slept for a particularly long time, not waking up until after 11 a.m., by which time Tong Yunyun had already returned home.
"Sister, the food has been delivered. Let's eat together." Tong Yunyun greeted her.
Su Ruyi lifted the curtain on the bed. She had added it to herself, just like the curtains in the dormitory, so that she could have a private space when she slept.
"It's so late already." Su Ruyi got out of bed and saw a table full of delicious food. "Where did you get the food?"
Tong Yunyun: "A new restaurant opened near my school, and I eat there for lunch now, so I don't have to go all the way to Li Xiaobao's house. I ordered a lot today, and the owner even delivered it to my door. These plates are from the restaurant, so I don't have to wash them after I finish eating; I can just return them to my place."
How much did it cost?
This meal includes chicken, fish, pork, and beef, and each dish is very generous in portion size; it certainly doesn't look cheap.
"The money was given to me by my mom, so you don't need to worry about it, sis."
Li Mei had checked out the small restaurant and thought it was pretty good overall, so she paid the restaurant in advance. When Tong Yunyun came to eat there, she just needed to keep track of the bill and deduct the money from her account.
When the money ran out, she paid it back.
"Okay, I'll go wash up first."
Su Ruyi didn't dwell on it; they usually didn't keep track of their meal expenses. Li Mei was quite generous in this respect and didn't fuss over small things.
Although Su Ruyi eats a lot, Li Mei won't suffer any losses because she can get subsidies elsewhere.
This makes it more comfortable to get along; otherwise, Su Ruyi wouldn't have been able to stay here for so long.
After finishing her meal, Su Ruyi went to the shop and asked Li Guangqian to take her to find the people who had come to cause trouble earlier.
Su Ruyi brought this up yesterday, so the other brothers temporarily put aside what they were doing and came over together.
"Both groups are in the billiards hall," said the person in charge of gathering information.
Su Ruyi: "Okay, let's go then."
The billiards hall not only has billiards, but also several video game machines, making it a very trendy leisure place in Liulin County.
Upon entering the billiards hall, one is immediately enveloped in smoke, and the smell is extremely unpleasant.
That was bad enough, but then she heard someone wailing and howling while singing karaoke, and Su Ruyi almost couldn't keep her composure.
"I had heard before that the billiards hall owner had bought a karaoke machine, so that's why."
Many people were drawn to it; they had only heard of it before but had never seen it.
Li Guangqian glared at the man: "Don't get any funny ideas, coming to a place like this!"
Although these are all legitimate forms of entertainment, such places are often chaotic.
The man quickly shook his head: "I didn't mean that! I was just making a remark."
"You guys do a good job, and I'll buy one for you later, so you can sing until you're sick of it."
Everyone's eyes lit up immediately: "Sis, you're my real sister!"
Su Ruyi's lips twitched. She had been hearing this phrase far too often lately. Luckily, it wasn't "You are my only sister."
What are you doing here?
A man with a cigarette in his mouth, wearing a black vest and covered in large tattoos walked over, followed by two burly men.
He squinted at Su Ruyi, his gaze filled with ferocity.
Li Guangqian quickly introduced Su Ruyi: "Sister, this is Brother Wang, the owner of this billiard hall."
Su Ruyi nodded to him and said, "I am Su Ruyi, the owner of the hula hoop shop. Some people came to my shop to cause trouble before. I heard they were here, so I came to check it out. Don't worry, I'm not here to cause trouble for you. We'll settle any disputes outside."
Wang Dagang looked surprised upon hearing this.
He looked Su Ruyi up and down. "You're the woman who single-handedly took down Brother Dao and his men?"
"It's me."
Wang Dagang looked you over several times but still couldn't tell. "You?"
He could kill the woman in front of him with a single slap. Her waist was so thin that it could be snapped with a gentle pinch. How could someone like that take down Brother Dao?
He'd dealt with Brother Dao before; that guy was incredibly strong, and his men were no pushovers either. Yet this woman had taken him down—it was the biggest joke he'd ever seen.
"What trick did you use?"
Wang Dagang thought that Dao Ge must have been caught off guard and that the rumors about him being beaten down were just false.
Su Ruyi smiled and said, "Do I need it?"
That expression was incredibly arrogant.
Wang Dagang scoffed, "I don't care who you are. If you're not coming to play here, then take your bunch of immature brats and get the hell out of here."
Li Guangqian was about to step forward to argue when Su Ruyi stopped him.
Su Ruyi looked at the people in the room and roared, "If you're a man, come out here yourself. If you dare to mess with my place and beat up my people, don't be a coward who doesn't even dare to face me."
"Who the hell is a coward! Let's go!"
A man threw down his pool cue and walked directly toward Su Ruyi.
I had heard people say how formidable Su Ruyi was before, and I had some ideas about her, but as soon as I saw her in person, I immediately felt no fear at all.
Another group of people followed, making a total of seven or eight people.
Su Ruyi said to Wang Dagang, "Mr. Wang, I'm sorry to have bothered you. This is to apologize to you."
Su Ruyi placed a Hongtashan cigarette on the table and then left with her group.
Li Guangqian couldn't help but ask, "Sister, why did you give him a gift?"
A carton of cigarettes like this isn't cheap.
“When we go to someone’s home to look for them, it’s always a bit embarrassing for them. We have to give them something in return.”
Su Ruyi wasn't arrogant enough to be an enemy of everyone in the underworld. She needed to show her strength, but she couldn't act recklessly. She was just an ordinary citizen, and she still had to leave herself some room to protect herself.
"Sister, we need to finish this quickly, otherwise the police will come and we'll all be going in," Li Guangqian warned.
Su Ruyi nodded, took the sticks from her backpack and assembled them into a long stick, told the others to step back, and said to the group of thugs in front of her:
"Are you all coming at me together, or one at a time?"
The thug was a bit bewildered by this display of force. Was this woman serious? Was she really not afraid of death?
The group looked at each other, but ultimately rushed towards her.
So, Su Ruyi took less than a minute to take everyone down.
Her blow was incredibly heavy, sweeping across a large area in one fell swoop.
The first person to be hit coughed up a mouthful of blood.
This was also the result of these hooligans looking down on people. They rushed in without any strategy, and Su Ruyi ruthlessly swept them away like autumn leaves.
Those who were swept by the stick were fine, but those who were attacked at close range and kicked by Su Ruyi were kicked more than ten meters away and couldn't get up for a long time.
Su Ruyi stepped forward, picked them up one by one, and threw them several meters away, stacking them into a human tower.
Everyone was stunned. If you didn't know better, you would have thought Su Ruyi was lifting a doll instead of a group of grown men. How could she lift a person from the ground into the air with just two fingers? What kind of strength is that!
Wang Dagang couldn't help but exclaim, "Holy crap!"
It turns out this woman really is a qigong master, just like the rumors said!
Wang Dagang was initially a little unhappy, but his expression immediately changed.
"Ms. Su, you're truly a woman who's just as capable as any man."
People who can run this kind of entertainment venue are no ordinary people.
Su Ruyi was still quite polite to him, saying, "You flatter me. I just eat a lot and have a lot of strength."
Then he turned to the group and said, "I'm a businessman. I don't get involved in trouble, but I won't let anyone bully me. Today is a warning. If it happens again, I won't use less than 30% of my strength like I did today."
“You can give it a try. Anyway, I’m from out of town and can leave anytime. You have families here.”
Everyone gasped. Such immense power, yet only thirty percent of it was used—what kind of monster was this?!
Su Ruyi came so gracefully and left just as decisively.
Now all the petty thugs in Liulin County know that the hula hoop boss is a monster with immense strength and should not be messed with.
This was the first time Li Guangqian and his group had seen Su Ruyi take action in person, and their eyes practically lit up with excitement.
"Boss, it's you!"
Everyone gave Su Ruyi a thumbs up.
“We are legitimate business people. Violence is not the solution. We still need to be law-abiding citizens,” Su Ruyi warned.
"Yes!" the group shouted in unison.
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