When Manager Xue saw the contents of the contract, he couldn't help but secretly marvel.
Good heavens!
Each bookstore must achieve a total annual sales volume of 10,000 reams of paper!
Having worked in the bookstore business for so many years, he had never seen a paper mill with such outrageous demands.
Today has been truly eye-opening!
Manager Xue looked up and glanced at Lu Qiqi, who was sitting in the main seat and sipping tea. For a moment, he didn't know how to comment.
It's hard to say whether Lu Qiqi was just fearless like a newborn calf or simply bold and daring due to her high skill level.
In short, a contract with sales of $100 a year is absolutely outrageous!
No wonder Manager Huang said those things.
All six shopkeepers shared the same opinion: they felt that Lu Qiqi was impractical.
If they sign this contract, and by the end of the year the bookstore hasn't sold ten thousand reams of paper, wouldn't they be stuck with it?
This is simply an unfair contract term!
The six managers were all undecided for a moment.
They instantly set aside their past rivalry as fellow bookstore owners and went outside to discuss the matter.
Shopkeeper Huang said, "Why don't we discuss this with the village head? Ten thousand reams of paper is a lot. Even our master's bookstore might not be able to handle that much!"
Manager Xue also said, "That is a bit much. How about we sign a contract among the six of us? With six bookstores spread all over the place, we should be able to collect ten thousand reams of paper, right?!"
Manager Xue's idea was unanimously approved by the remaining five managers.
"That's a good idea, let's do as Manager Xue says!"
"But which bookstore should be the first to sign this contract?"
We need to discuss who should take the lead; otherwise, if the six bookstores don't sell 10,000 reams of paper, they'll have to foot the bill themselves and bear the risk.
The idea was good, but none of the six shopkeepers wanted to take the risk and let the other five bookstores stand behind and reap the benefits.
Now things are at a standstill again.
Lu Qiqi ate tea and drank tea until she was half full, but the six shopkeepers outside still hadn't reached a conclusion.
She raised her voice to remind them, "Have the shopkeepers thought this through?"
The six shopkeepers froze instantly when Lu Qiqi called out to them.
That damned sense of familiarity is back, as if it were when they first arrived and learned of Lu Qiqi's identity as the village head.
The shopkeepers knew they couldn't linger outside for too long, and none of them wanted to be the first to step forward, so they decided to go inside first.
Perhaps they can persuade the head of Kang Le Township with their emotions and reduce the total sales of bamboo paper.
Thinking of this, Manager Xue took the lead in stepping over the threshold of the door and returned to the reception room to sit down.
The five shopkeepers followed closely behind, entering the house one after another.
Lu Qiqi asked with a slight smile, "How did the managers' discussions go? Have they made up their minds?"
Manager Huang gritted his teeth and blurted out what was on his mind, "Lord, our six bookstores have never sold so much paper before. Can we discuss this year's sales figures again?"
Lu Qiqi smiled sweetly, and when Manager Huang saw her like this, he knew that there was hope, so he was full of anticipation.
Until Lu Qiqi parted her thin lips slightly, "No."
Manager Huang's upturned lips and expectant face instantly wilted like a frostbitten eggplant.
When the shopkeepers saw that Lu Qiqi had so firmly refused, the little seed of hope in their hearts instantly died in the womb.
They were afraid of not being able to sell such a large quantity, but they were also unwilling to easily give up the lucrative opportunity that was about to be theirs.
Just as the six people were at a loss for what to do, Lu Qiqi said, "I can understand the concerns of the shopkeepers."
However, if we don't guarantee good sales, we'll give you the right to sell these separately.
If you can't sell this much paper, I won't be able to switch to another supplier midway and damage my reputation in the industry. Please understand.
After listening to Lu Qiqi's words, the six shopkeepers also felt that they made a lot of sense, but they still had some concerns.
Lu Qiqi took in their expressions and said slowly, "The shopkeepers are simply worried about the sales of this bamboo paper."
How about this, each of you take one hundred reams of paper and go back to sell them.
If you can't sell them all within three days, feel free to return them to me; I'll accept without hesitation.
This way, the six bookstores can observe the circulation of this bamboo paper in the market.
Upon hearing this, Manager Huang couldn't help but clap his hands in delight, "That's great! Let's sell it to him for a hundred dollars first. If it sells well, I'll come over tonight to sign the contract."
Manager Xue also thought it was a good idea. His bookstore was not as good as others in other places, but if it sold well in Heshun Prefecture, it would be able to make a living.
"Alright, alright, I'll buy it now. I'll have my clerk come to the paper mill to pick it up later." With that, Manager Xue prepared to take out his silver.
The other shopkeepers also expressed their concerns, fearing that Lu Qiqi might return.
“I’ll pay too. My shop is big, so I’ll order two hundred dollars.”
"Me too, me too."
Seeing the six shopkeepers vying to take out their silver, Lu Qiqi said, "Then please go to the accounting office and write up the sales contract at the set price before making the purchase."
"Yes, yes, yes," Manager Xue agreed repeatedly, and then went to the accounting office.
The remaining five shopkeepers, seeing that they were half a step behind, were not willing to be outdone and quickly chased after them.
When they came out of the paper mill again, each of them was holding a contract.
Looking at the handwriting on the contract, Liu Guogu's mouth was practically stretched to the back of his head in a wide grin.
Manager Xue carefully put away the contract, then beckoned to his employee and said, "Go back quickly and have the employee come and fetch the bamboo paper."
After saying that, he quickly walked out of the paper mill's courtyard.
After the six shopkeepers left, Lu Qiqi asked Zhao Xiaodong to take people and carefully count the items.
This is their first order for the paper mill in Tianxin Village, so they can't afford to be careless.
Zhao Xiaodong smiled so hard his eyes crinkled, and he quickly agreed.
Lu Qiqi suddenly remembered that she hadn't seen Lu Da for several days. As the village chief, how could he not be present for the paper mill's first big deal?
She asked Zhao Xiaodong, "Xiaodong, where's your older brother? I haven't seen him lately."
"I don't know where he went either," Zhao Xiaodong blinked his bewildered eyes and asked curiously, "Did the village head want to see my older brother about something?"
Lu Qiqi waved her hand, "It's alright. Just remember to have someone check the count carefully when loading the goods."
After loading, remember to have their supervisor sign off on the quantity to confirm it's accurate.
Zhao Xiaodong was still basking in the joy of closing a big deal and happily responded.
After giving her instructions, Lu Qiqi left the paper mill and returned to her courtyard in Tianxin Village.
The news of a large order for bamboo paper spread quickly, and the villagers were overjoyed, because the more bamboo paper they sold, the more money they would earn.
The money from selling bamboo, the piece-rate wages for the work, and the village head said that if the year-end profits are good, there will be bonuses.
Although they don't understand what "good profits" means, being able to make money is always a good thing.
In this way, they can also benefit a lot from it.
The villagers were highly motivated, and their work speed increased significantly.
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