Several months later, "Ruyi Clothing" became increasingly well-known in the capital, and its branches and department store counters were doing exceptionally well.
As more and more educated youth returning to the city were hired by the shop, Guan Wenru felt at ease knowing that she could help as many as she could.
However, that afternoon, Duan Feifei, holding an account book, knocked on Guan Wenru's office door with a furrowed brow.
Guan Wenru was currently looking down at the payment for a batch of new fabrics, and without even looking up, he said, "Bring it in."
Hearing the door open, she looked up and saw what Duan Feifei was holding. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is there a problem with the accounts?"
Duan Feifei walked to the desk, gently pushed the open ledger in front of Guan Wenru, and pointed to the numbers circled in red pen.
Her expression and tone were very serious. "Wenru, this is the third time this month. At the Xidan counter, the numbers don't match up when they take inventory."
Three women's shirts and two pairs of flared pants are missing. Last time, the shop near Qianmen was missing a few scarves and hair clips... Although the quantities are small each time, they add up to a considerable amount.
Upon hearing this, Guan Wenru put down his pen and his expression became serious.
She took the ledger and carefully checked the purchase orders, sales records, and inventory sheets.
The more he looked, the uglier his expression became. He tapped his fingers on the table for a moment before finally speaking, "Are you sure it's not a recording error, or that you forgot to mark the order during the sales process?"
Duan Feifei shook her head firmly, "I checked it three times. The sales records and cash registers match, but there is a discrepancy between the warehouse pickup records and the final inventory. Moreover... the missing items are all small, easy-to-hide, and novel-style goods that sell well."
She paused, then lowered her voice, "I asked a few honest shop assistants privately, and they said that recently there have been more and more young people returning to the city without a place to live. We often hear in the alleys that someone's dried cured meat has gone missing, or someone's bicycle bell has been twisted... Our shop is doing good business, with people coming and going, so I'm afraid... some people have been targeting us, sneaking among the customers to steal things."
Upon hearing this, Guan Wenru leaned back in her chair, her brows furrowed.
She wasn't particularly surprised.
Every period of dramatic social change is inevitably accompanied by growing pains.
With a large number of educated youth returning to the cities, job opportunities were not readily available, and some people, having nowhere else to turn, inevitably resorted to crooked thoughts.
After a long silence, she sighed deeply. "It seems that simply opening up recruitment won't solve all the problems. Among these people, there are those with bad intentions, but there are also many more who have no other choice and are forced into this situation."
Duan Feifei asked worriedly, "What should we do now? Should we increase patrols? Or... should we arrange for a few strong men to keep an eye on things in the store?"
She recalled the fierce looks she had seen in the countryside and felt a chill run down her spine.
Guan Wenru pondered for a moment, his eyes gradually becoming firm and clear.
She stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the hurried crowds on the street outside.
After pondering for a long time, he turned around and said decisively, "Prevention is not an option. You can prevent theft today, but they may rob elsewhere tomorrow. The root of the problem is not here."
Duan Feifei frowned, "That thing is..."
Guan Wenru: "When it comes to 'livelihood,' what they need is a legitimate way to earn money and eat."
She walked back to her desk, picked up the phone, and said to Duan Feifei while dialing, "With just these few stores, we can only absorb a limited number of people. I was planning to expand the 'Ruyi Clothing' business a little earlier, so let's do it a little earlier."
Duan Feifei was somewhat surprised, "Lay out another layer?"
Guan Wenru nodded. The call had just connected. "Hello, is this Director Wang from the Dongcheng District Subdistrict Office? This is Guan Wenru. Yes, there's something I'd like to discuss with you… I have an idea regarding the resettlement of young people returning to the city in our district…"
She spoke with the person on the other end of the line for a moment, and after hanging up, she immediately looked at Duan Feifei with a burning gaze, "I plan to take the lead in organizing a 'Ruyi Educated Youth Cooperative'."
Duan Feifei's eyes widened in surprise, "A cooperative?"
Guan Wenru: "Yes! We don't directly open shops and hire people, but provide a platform. We provide a unified source of goods... These can be low-cost but stylish inventory or specific products. They can use the certificate of returning educated youth issued by the street office to obtain a 'mobile goods carrier' or apply for a night market stall with a very low deposit or even no deposit, and sell them themselves!"
"!" Duan Feifei's eyes slowly lit up.
As Guan Wenru spoke, her thinking became clearer and clearer. "We set a uniform base price for them, which is slightly higher than the wholesale price. They can decide how much to sell it for themselves, and the profit margin is all theirs!"
Unsold or non-standard items can be returned or exchanged within the specified time! We only charge a very small management fee to maintain the operation of the cooperative.
In this way, we don't have to bear the large human and material costs of opening a store, and we can immediately give hundreds or thousands of young people returning to the city something to do and a source of income!
They earn their living through their own labor, which is far better than stealing or robbing! This not only solves their livelihood problem but also helps us utilize some of our inventory. More importantly, it allows us to spread the 'Ruyi' brand to every corner of the capital!
As Duan Feifei listened to this bold and well-intentioned plan, her worries were gradually replaced by admiration and excitement.
He said sincerely, "Wenru, your idea... is wonderful! It truly is... teaching a man to fish rather than giving him a fish!"
Guan Wenru smiled and said, "However, the rules must be clearly defined. To join the cooperative, you must abide by our regulations. You must not sell inferior goods as superior ones, nor engage in bullying or monopolistic practices."
Any acts of theft, fraud, or other misconduct will result in immediate disqualification and a report to the local street office and police station. We offer opportunities, but we will never tolerate wrongdoing.
As she spoke, she picked up the ledger that had been recording the missing goods. "Regarding the theft in the store, we should first strengthen internal management according to procedures, and report the incident to the police if necessary."
At the same time, please help me to refine the plan for the "educated youth cooperative" as soon as possible, especially the allocation of goods, pricing and return/exchange mechanisms, which need to be clear and concise.
We must, before the situation worsens, throw out a visible and tangible lifeline to those who truly want to support themselves.
Duan Feifei nodded vigorously, her eyes full of enthusiasm. "I understand! Wenru, I'll go get it right away!"
Watching Duan Feifei's hurried departure, Guan Wenru turned her gaze back to the window.
Amidst the city's hustle and bustle, she seemed to see countless pairs of bewildered yet yearning eyes.
Actually, this path is not easy; you will encounter all sorts of problems and challenges.
But rather than simply catching thieves and preventing theft, she prefers to try to ignite the flame of hope in the hearts of more people from the root.
This is not just a business, but also a responsibility and commitment in the face of the tides of the times.
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