Chapter 118 Finding Another Way Out
The clerk's words were like a thunderclap, and the workshop fell silent in an instant. The coaster in Zhang Xiumei's hand fell into the basket with a "click". Her face turned pale and she looked at Gu Qiuyue suddenly.
Gu Qiuyue's heart suddenly sank, but she didn't look panicked. She took a deep breath, put down the things in her hands, stood up, and before she could say anything, she heard Zhang Wumei anxiously say:
"Intercepting? How can you do things like that? We're all waiting for this batch of materials to be delivered! Isn't this just cheating us?"
"That's right! It's almost time to pack, what should we do?" Another sister-in-law was also anxious.
An atmosphere of anxiety suddenly filled the workshop.
Gu Qiuyue raised her hand and gently pressed it down. She swept her eyes over the crowd and said firmly, "Don't panic, sisters-in-law. The sky won't fall. Sister Xiumei, you lead everyone to continue to count and check the finished goods to ensure that there are no mistakes. I will find a way to deal with the materials."
Her calm demeanor was like a stabilizing force, temporarily stabilizing the situation. Although Zhang Xiumei was anxious, she nodded and called out to her sisters, "Listen to Qiuyue. Let's finish the tasks at hand first."
Gu Qiuyue led the clerk aside and asked in detail about the specific categories, color codes and quantities of the intercepted materials. Seeing that she spoke clearly, the clerk also tried hard to recall the answer.
After asking clearly, Gu Qiuyue had a clear idea in her mind. The replenishment cycle would definitely not catch up with the delivery period, and she had to find another source of goods.
She asked her men to go back first and try to deliver as much materials as possible from the warehouse.
After seeing the guy off, Gu Qiuyue went home immediately, picked up the phone, and first called a classmate at the Foreign Trade Bureau in the provincial capital.
"Hello, is this Sister Liu? I'm Gu Qiuyue... Oh, yes, I have something urgent to trouble you..." After the call was connected, Gu Qiuyue spoke a little quickly but clearly explained the specifications and color codes of the urgently needed special cotton thread and colored thread.
Then, she called a familiar staff member in the division headquarters logistics department and tactfully asked if there was any relevant procurement channel information.
After making several calls in a row, the replies I heard from the receiver were mostly "It's difficult", "There are very few special products like this", and "Why don't we wait a few days and see".
The sunlight outside the window gradually set in the west, and beads of sweat appeared on Gu Qiuyue's forehead, but her eyes were still focused, and she kept searching for the next name in the address book that might be able to provide help.
Zhang Xiumei came in quietly, saw her busy, poured a glass of water and placed it beside her, and did not dare to disturb her.
Finally, just when she was about to give up, a mentor from her university gave her some advice on the other end of the phone: "The Second State-owned Textile Factory in the neighboring city seems to have introduced a batch of new equipment last year to produce this kind of special wire. Try contacting their supply and marketing department and ask for a section chief named Qian. Tell him that I introduced you."
What a sudden turn of events!
Gu Qiuyue thanked him immediately and called the supply and marketing department of the Second Textile Factory in the neighboring city.
After several transfers, we finally found Section Chief Qian. She introduced herself, stated the name of her tutor, and repeated her needs clearly and specifically.
"...Yes, it is this batch of goods. We need it urgently. The price can be based on the market price, but we need to pick up the goods as quickly as possible. Does the factory have any stock now?" Gu Qiuyue tightened her hand holding the receiver slightly.
There was silence for a few seconds, and then Section Chief Qian's voice rang out, "Comrade Gu, you're lucky. We happen to have some inventory left of this batch of goods, which should be enough for the quantity you requested. But you'll have to send someone or a vehicle to pick it up yourself. The factory's transportation is tight lately, and we can't get it."
"No problem! Thank you so much, Chief Qian. We will send someone over early tomorrow morning!" Gu Qiuyue felt relieved and her voice was filled with joy.
After hanging up the phone, she breathed a sigh of relief and immediately contacted Xie Shiyu again, briefly explaining the situation. Without saying a word, Xie Shiyu immediately coordinated with the division headquarters to arrange a military vehicle and a reliable driver to go to the neighboring city to pick up the goods early tomorrow morning.
The crisis was temporarily resolved.
The next afternoon, the required materials were successfully delivered. The military wives cheered and immediately started the intensive finishing work.
Zhang Xiumei looked at the busy scene and was filled with admiration for Gu Qiuyue: "Sister Qiuyue, you are really amazing! You finished it so quickly!"
Gu Qiuyue smiled and said nothing more, but she was thinking to herself, this time she was intercepted, what about next time? Being controlled by others for raw materials is always a hidden danger. Moreover, the skills of the military wives are getting better and better. After all, relying solely on scattered orders will limit development.
A few days later, she went downtown to mail the translated manuscript and ran into an old acquaintance who worked at the Municipal Education Bureau. During their casual chat, the acquaintance complained about the difficulties of the school-run factory: "... They say it's about generating income, but half of the equipment is idle, and we can't get any decent orders. The teachers aren't good at it. The family members are willing to do it, but they're unskilled and the management is chaotic. Sigh..."
The speaker may not have meant it, but the listener took it seriously. A thought flashed through Gu Qiuyue's mind: Equipment? Orders? Technology? We have the people! The military wives in the family compound are highly disciplined, and their skills have been honed over this period of time. What they lack is stable orders and more standardized production management. And what the school-run factory lacks is a reliable workforce and order channels!
A "processing on supplied materials" cooperation model became clear in her mind.
She immediately inquired in detail about which schools had large but averagely managed factories, and asked for the contact information of Principal Liu of one of the middle schools.
Gu Qiuyue was very proactive. The next day, she brought some exquisite woven products and embroidery patterns made by the military wives and made an appointment to visit Principal Liu.
In the somewhat shabby principal's office of the city's No. 1 Middle School, Gu Qiuyue introduced herself and the military wives' entrepreneurial group with grace and grace, and then proposed a collaboration idea:
"Principal Liu, if your school's factory has orders for manual work like garment cutting, glove processing, or woven bag sewing, you can give them to us. We provide skilled workers and strict quality management to ensure timely and accurate delivery. You will be responsible for raw materials and setting standards, and you will charge by the piece. This will not only revitalize the equipment in the school-run factory, but also provide employment for our military families. It's a win-win situation."
Principal Liu looked at the samples over and over again. The stitching was fine and the workmanship was solid. The quality was better than many products he had seen. He already had some interest in them.
"Comrade Gu's idea is great, and the sample quality is excellent." Principal Liu pushed his glasses. "However, for large-scale cooperation, management and sustained quality stability are very important. We need to conduct a small-scale pilot project first to see the actual results.
We just happen to have a job processing a batch of labor protection gloves. The quantity is small and the deadline is one week. Can you take it on?"
"Of course!" Gu Qiuyue agreed immediately. "Thank you, Principal Liu, for giving us this opportunity. We will definitely complete it on time and with quality!"
The preliminary intention was reached, and Gu Qiuyue walked out of the gate of the No. 1 Middle School in a happy mood. She felt that the situation in front of her suddenly became clear, and a more stable and larger-scale road was being paved.
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