Chapter 117 Opening Up Thoughts
Shen Lingning insisted on adding details such as quality standards, delivery time, and breach of contract clauses, appearing professional and rigorous.
After seeing off the satisfied Wang Shian and the comrades from the Ministry of Foreign Trade, Shen Lingning returned to the office.
The female workers had already gathered around, their faces filled with excitement and pride.
"Director! Are we going to sell our tea abroad?"
"Oh my god, that price just now...did I hear it right?"
"Ning girl, you are really good!"
Shen Lingning looked at everyone and smiled: "This is the result of everyone's joint efforts. However, the next task is even more difficult. The standards for premium tea cannot be changed, and each batch must be strictly controlled."
In addition to her joy, a trace of worry arose in her heart.
The rigid demand for 500 kilograms of premium tea every year places higher demands on the existing tea garden management and production technology.
Moreover, once the news of this huge foreign exchange order spreads, it will probably attract more scrutiny and trouble.
Will the opponent hiding in the dark attack again?
She looked out the window at the lush tea mountains in the distance, her eyes becoming deep and determined.
Opportunities always come with challenges, and she must grow faster.
She began to consciously explore and organize the history of Songtaogou, the story of the pioneering of the tea mountains, and the discovery process of Jingui, and incorporated these into the promotion of the products, giving the brand a deeper cultural connotation.
However, amidst this prosperity, Shen Lingning did not completely relax his vigilance.
She would occasionally think of the mysterious warning letter and the words "killing with a borrowed knife".
She vaguely felt that the real business competition and risks might have just begun.
The overseas market is certainly vast, but it also means more complex standards and more intense competition.
Inspired by Mr. Wang and advised by the foreign trade department, Shen Lingning began to systematically build the "Songtaogou" brand.
She asked students from the Academy of Fine Arts for help and designed a trademark pattern with the characteristics of northern Qin and modern aesthetics - winding mountains, vigorous pine trees, and fragrant osmanthus flowers, combined into a simple and elegant logo.
The packaging has also been upgraded, using more environmentally friendly and durable materials, and printed with Chinese and English instructions and the unique brand story.
She also selected young female workers who could read and write, and provided them with simple training to help them learn product knowledge and reception etiquette. She formed a "sales explanation team" that was not only responsible for counter sales but also able to go out and participate in trade fairs.
The effect is significant.
Products with a strong brand story and attractive packaging are gaining popularity in domestic and international markets, and their prices are rising. The profitability of tea farms and soap factories is steadily increasing, and the incomes of the families involved in production are also rising, making every household's life visibly more prosperous.
The family compound of the Songtaogou base has become a well-known "rich compound", which has attracted the envy of surrounding villages and towns.
However, new challenges also arise.
The first is the emergence of some counterfeit products.
After all, the concepts and technical thresholds of tea seed soap and scented tea are not insurmountable.
Some imitation products began to appear on the market, claiming to be "natural handmade soaps" but actually made of inferior materials and with pungent scents. They were cheap and had a certain impact on the market.
Secondly, export trade involves more stringent quality inspection, customs declaration, transportation and other links. Problems in any link may cause huge losses.
Shen Lingning had to devote a lot of energy to learning this new knowledge and dealing with various departments.
The biggest hurdle came from a seemingly accidental "accident".
A batch of Jingui black tea about to be shipped to Hong Kong Island was suddenly found to contain excessive pesticide residues during factory inspection! The news came like a bolt from the blue!
Shen Lingning is extremely confident in her products. They have never used chemical pesticides, so how could the pesticide residues exceed the standard?
She immediately requested a re-examination and personally supervised the entire process.
The re-examination results showed that everything was normal.
It is obvious that someone tampered with the samples sent for inspection!
Intended to destroy her credibility and mess up export orders!
Shen Lingning remained silent, secretly reporting the matter to the base security department and Zhou Weiguo. An internal investigation ultimately pinpointed the suspect: a young female worker who had recently been shoved into the tea factory through connections and who harbored jealousy towards Shen Lingning.
She was bewitched by someone, and upon investigation, it was found that it was a distant relative of Li Hongmei, who had been cleared before, who secretly sprayed a small amount of pesticide on the samples sent for inspection in an attempt to embarrass Shen Lingning.
This failed sabotage incident sounded a wake-up call for Shen Lingning.
The conspiracy of "killing with a borrowed knife" may have begun in this seemingly despicable but disgusting enough way.
The cruelty of business competition is far more complicated than she imagined.
She paid more attention to internal management and quality monitoring, and established a stricter process and traceability system.
This also made her realize that she could not rely solely on foreign trade and a few large customers, but had to develop a more stable and diversified market.
A bold idea formed in her mind: she wanted to open another brand-owned store for "Songtaogou" products in Chang'an, the provincial capital!
Not only do we need to sell goods, but we also need to showcase our brand image and culture, directly face consumers, and control market terminals!
This idea received strong support from the Zhao family and understanding from Zhou Weiguo.
However, in the late 1970s, for a military dependent to open a private store in the provincial capital, the policy restrictions, resource allocation and secular perspectives he faced were undoubtedly huge challenges.
However, the report caused controversy among the base management.
A few days later, the approval came down: the application was rejected!
A deputy political commissar in charge of logistics came to talk to her and said in a serious tone: "Comrade Shen Lingning, your idea is good. However, there is no precedent!
We're a military base. The main purpose of the family factory is to provide employment and enrich internal supply. Is it a point to open an external sales outlet? Doesn't that change the nature of the factory?
You already had special approval when you opened a store before, and we can’t give you special treatment every time.
It is easy for people to say that our military units are being special and have too much business culture!
This shows that your political awareness is not high enough, and your perspective on issues needs to be improved!"
The heavy label of "not having high enough political awareness" was put on us, almost blocking all possibility of debate.
As the news spread, the envious and admiring looks in the family compound were now mixed with a hint of watching the fun.
Shen Lingning locked himself in the room for a long time.
When Zhou Weiguo came back, he saw her sitting at the table, silent about the rejection of the application, but her eyes did not show any discouragement. Instead, they were filled with a light of unwillingness to admit defeat.
"Hit a wall?"
Zhou Weiguo handed over a cup of warm water.
"Well, they say there's no precedent and they lack political awareness."
Shen Lingning pulled the corner of his mouth and took the cup. The water temperature warmed his palms through the enamel cup wall.
"Dad, Mom is unhappy. The bad uncle bullied Mom!" Fubao ran over and hugged his father's legs to complain.
Zhou Weiguo held his daughter in his arms, was silent for a moment, and then said, "Policies are static, but people are dynamic. If there's no precedent, then we need to find a way to create one they can't refuse."
Her husband's words were like a key, suddenly opening Shen Lingning's thoughts.
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