Chapter 154
After Xiao Peiyin left, Cheng Sheng was extremely busy. On the one hand, she was thinking about the promotion plan for the new product, and on the other hand, she was contacting advertisers. The trivial matters filled her whole day. She had no time to have a good meal with Jiang Rao or watch a movie. It seemed that they had not had a formal date since they got together. Jiang Rao was always busy with a case, or Jiang Rao was free, and she was busy running around the mall to negotiate cooperation with various stores.
She wants to make this coffee shop bigger and make it an iconic brand, not just an internet celebrity shop.
Only by doing these things well can we have the capital to give Jiang Rao more. After all, she is so outstanding. Cheng Sheng hopes that he is someone who can match her. Because he falls in love with someone, he wants to become better and match her.
Ever since he saw the expensive imported coffee machine at Jiang Rao's house that day, Cheng Sheng had an idea: to make it a real brand, to sell more than just coffee.
She had been thinking about this matter for the past few days, and had a preliminary framework in her mind, but she didn't know whether it was mature. She made several plans and sent them to Xiao Peiyin, and by the way, she wanted Gu Cunxi to give some advice. With her keen insight into the market, perhaps her preliminary framework could be built into a high-rise with Gu Cunxi's advice.
In the morning, Cheng Sheng visited several coffee machine manufacturers to get a preliminary understanding of the issues, from funding to manpower to subsequent promotion. He urgently needed a complete solution.
At this moment, the phone rang. It was a video call from Gu Cunxi. Cheng Sheng picked up the phone as soon as he saw it.
When the video came in, Cheng Sheng saw the sweet look of the two people, and she couldn't help but smile: "Sister Cunxi, are you guys okay over there?"
“We’re fine”
In the video, Gu Cunxi looked at Xiao Peiyin with a smile and added, "It's really good!"
Cheng Sheng covered his cheek and frowned, "You guys are so sweet that it hurts my teeth even through the screen."
The three of them chatted for a while before getting down to business.
"I've already reviewed the two proposals you sent me. They're good ideas, but..."
Cheng Sheng was nervous for a moment: "But what?"
"But the positioning is too high. The products from those manufacturers you sent are all mid- to high-end. Have you ever considered that a coffee machine isn't a household necessity? I understand you want to position it at the beginning, but you have to know that in Jianghuai City, mid- to high-end coffee machine brands have already entered the market. In the minds of many consumers, their brand position is already very solid. What do you need to shake them up? What are the product advantages?"
Cheng Sheng fell into deep thought
"If you want to make mid- to high-end products, you need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of similar brands. You also need to know what outstanding advantages your products have that can compete with those brands. If you don't have any of these, then with your current philosophy, if you want to compete with those brands from the very beginning, you will most likely lose."
Gu Cunxi's words were like a bucket of cold water, which chilled Cheng Sheng's heart, but also enlightened him.
"Cheng Sheng, it's okay. Cunxi and I both think your plan is great, but we need to think carefully about the details." Xiao Peiyin comforted her.
"I don't know any more about coffee than you and Pei Pei. I can give you some general advice, but the product aspects require discussion between you two. I have two suggestions for you. If you want to play it safe, start with low-end products. It will take a long time, but the risk won't be huge. If you want to expand, you can take a gamble and abandon mid-range products and go straight for a high-end brand."
"Only high-end products?" Cheng Sheng was surprised.
“Well, only high-end!”
Cheng Sheng hesitated to speak. It was not that she had not thought about it, but it was very risky to only focus on high-end products, and the initial investment was also huge, so she gave up the idea and did not dare to think about it.
Gu Cunxi saw through Cheng Sheng's hesitation and said bluntly, "You only need to consider the positioning of the product. You don't need to consider anything else. I'll provide the capital!"
As soon as the words fell, Cheng Sheng and Xiao Peiyin said together: "No"
"Xiao Peipei, you're here again, why not?"
Cheng Sheng didn't interrupt, watching the two people on the screen in silence. Xiao Peiyin didn't answer for a long time, and Gu Cunxi didn't ask any more questions. He said to Cheng Sheng, "It's settled. You discuss the product with Pei Pei."
"Thank you, Sister Cunxi, but I still don't need any funds. I..."
"Don't reject me, and don't thank me. I'm not doing this for you. I'm supporting my Xiao Peipei's career."
“…”
Cheng Sheng was speechless, covering his face.
"Cunxi, let's discuss this later. Cheng Sheng, you decide on the product positioning. As for the subsequent funding, just give me the amount you need. That's it for now!"
Cheng Sheng was hung up before he could say anything.
On the other side, Gu Cunxi hung up the phone and pestered Xiao Peiyin, asking, "Why did you reject me?"
"You have given me so much, this brand..."
When Gu Cunxi heard this, he suddenly felt uncomfortable and sighed helplessly: "Why do we always have to emphasize who has more and who has less?"
"No, no, I didn't mean that." Xiao Peiyin was anxious, afraid that she would be angry, so he raised his hands and hugged her tightly to comfort her: "I didn't mean to refuse."
"But you clearly don't want to accept it..." Gu Cunxi didn't hug her back. He lay in her arms with a hoarse voice. Xiao Peiyin felt sad and shook her head fiercely: "That's not the case. I just want to use my ability to make this brand a success. In my heart, it's not just two letters, nor is it just a brand. It represents you. I want to make it a success and give it to you!"
"Those two letters are our name. You and I are involved. Wouldn't it be better if I could get involved and we could do it together?"
After Gu Cunxi's repeated persuasion, Xiao Peiyin retreated step by step, and finally said, "Let's look at the budget first. Cheng Sheng and I should be able to provide enough for the first batch. If the funds are not enough in the later stage, you can help me, okay?"
"Okay!" Gu Cunxi agreed immediately, turned his head, hooked his arm around her neck and asked, "Xiao Peipei, I suddenly realized that I don't know anything about your financial situation."
"Hmm?" Xiao Peiyin was stunned for a moment, then he tapped her nose and smiled, "So, do you want to know?"
"Are you willing to let me know?" Gu Cunxi asked. Xiao Peiyin said nothing, loosened her arms, took her bag and phone, took out all her bank cards, opened the banking app on her phone, and handed it to
She looks
"This is for business investment, and it's a card for daily consumption."
Gu Cunxi took it and was surprised to see that there was more than one million in the card for daily consumption.
"I opened this card four years ago. The money in it has never been touched. I deposit a sum into it regularly every month."
Xiao Peiyin opened the online banking app for another card and handed the balance to Gu Cunxi.
Gu Cunxi was stunned for a long moment, not realizing what was happening. She hadn't expected the two coffee shops to earn so much. Seeing her stunned expression, Xiao Peiyin smiled, tapped her forehead, and said, "These shouldn't even be a fraction of what Mr. Gu makes, right?"
Gu Cunxi lowered his head in shame and said, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but we have almost everything..."
Xiao Peiyin looked incredulous: "How is that possible? Don't think I don't know your annual salary. Are you trying to hide some private money from me?"
"How could that be? What's mine is yours. There's no need to hide it. I'm not lying to you. It's almost the same. We've been apart for four years. During the first two years, Nansheng was in its development phase. Although my annual salary wasn't small at that time, we experienced two major crises during that period. So, of the money I earned in those two years, I used most of it to help Xu Shengnan with his finances."
Gu Cunxi recalled and explained, "It wasn't until the third year that the company was completely stable and getting better and better. I bought the two properties in North City at that time. And when I returned to Jianghuai, I bought two more properties. All in all, I have a house, a car, and some stocks, so my current funds are not much."
"I swear, I really don't have any private money. I've given you everything I can!"
Seeing her serious expression, Xiao Peiyin couldn't help but burst out laughing and gently pinched Gu Cunxi's cheek: "I'm just kidding, why are you so serious?"
"Ah, it hurts, Xiao Peipei, please be gentle..."
Wen Li was standing at the door, about to knock and call them to eat, when he heard his daughter's soft call from the bedroom. He immediately withdrew his hand and walked away silently.
…
In the afternoon, Cheng Sheng visited two low-end brands. After comparison, she found that they were far inferior to the previous ones in terms of both function and hardware. Based on the two suggestions given by Gu Cunxi, she planned to visit the market more and study it carefully before making a decision.
Coming out of the factory, just as she was thinking about Jiang Rao, she received a call from her. Cheng Sheng smiled warmly and quickly pressed the answer button. Her magnetic and deep voice made her heart tremble.
"Chengcheng, are you still busy?"
Cheng Sheng looked at the notebook and found that there was still one factory he hadn't visited. He thought for a moment, closed the notebook, and said, "No, I'm done."
"I miss you, I want to see you..."
Cheng Sheng was stunned. She rarely heard Jiang Rao say such words. Sometimes, a single word from him could make her heart itch.
"Are you listening? Orange?"
"Oh, oh... I'm listening, I'll come find you now!"
"No, just send me the address and wait for me there."
After hanging up the phone, Cheng Sheng's heart was pounding. He immediately sent the address and sent another message, reminding her: "Drive slowly, I'll wait for you!"
Cheng Sheng paced back and forth, checking the time every few minutes. She was eager to see her. Jiang Rao's words were enough to break her defense.
Half an hour later, Jiang Rao's car stopped steadily in front of her. Cheng Sheng walked over, opened the door, and just as she got in, she was hugged by Jiang Rao. Her hand that was hooked on the door drooped down weakly.
Cheng Sheng hugged her back and patted her shoulders gently: "Sister, what's wrong with you? Is there something wrong?"
Jiang Rao tightened his grip and whispered in her ear, "It's nothing. I just miss you so much. Is that okay?"
"Is that so?" Cheng Sheng's smile grew wider. He tilted his head and kissed her cheek, expressing his longing: "I miss you too!"
"Little girl, you didn't even bother to send me a message all day, so I had to call you first."
Cheng Sheng quickly explained: "No, I wanted to send you a message several times, but the signal was not good in the factory, so I thought I would call you when I was done."
"Factory?" Jiang Rao was stunned for a moment, then he let go of her hand and looked at her and asked, "What are you doing in the factory?"
Cheng Sheng finally realized that she hadn't told Jiang Rao what she was planning to do yet. She wanted to make sure it was finalized beforehand. Now that nothing was decided, she didn't want to tell him...
Seeing Cheng Sheng pursed his lips and remained silent, Jiang Rao became anxious and asked again, "You've been saying you're busy these past few days. Aren't you in the coffee shop, but in the factory?"
"Hmm..." Cheng Sheng was thinking about how to explain. Jiang Rao stepped back and leaned back in his chair. He couldn't tell his emotions and said in a calm tone, "So, you didn't let me pick you up at the store these days because you weren't there at all, right?"
"I…"
Seeing Cheng Sheng's hesitation, Jiang Rao understood everything and was suddenly disappointed. She didn't know why Cheng Sheng went to the factory and kept it a secret from her for so many days.
"Sister, are you angry..." Cheng Sheng reached across the center console and tugged at Jiang Rao's sleeve. Jiang Rao didn't want to pay attention, but she felt a little angry. She also wanted to know why Cheng Sheng had kept it a secret from her, so she asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"
His tone was obviously cold, Cheng Sheng immediately explained anxiously
"I didn't mean to hide it from you. I just wanted to wait until things were finalized before telling you. I also wanted to give you a surprise. I've been visiting factories these past few days, trying to find manufacturers to work with. In addition to that coffee shop, I also want to make my own brand of coffee machines, so I need to explore the market and contact manufacturers. It's just that everything is just beginning, so I want to tell you when there are some results!"
Jiang Rao still didn't understand. This was clearly a good thing, and there was no need to hide it from her. Even if it couldn't be done, it didn't matter. Cheng Sheng didn't need to do this. Was he afraid that she wouldn't be able to do it and that he would be disappointed? She couldn't figure it out, and didn't want to speculate about Cheng Sheng, so she asked her directly: "Why wait until there are results before telling me?"
"I... don't want to disappoint you!" Cheng Sheng's answer was exactly what Jiang Rao had guessed, but this sentence really disappointed her.
"Sister, please don't be angry, okay? I won't hide it from you anymore. It's my fault."
Cheng Sheng held her tightly. Jiang Rao leaned back in his chair and sighed softly, saying, "Cheng Sheng, are you afraid that I'll be disappointed in you? That's why you didn't want to tell me before it's done."
"No, it's not that I'm afraid of disappointing you, it's... I don't want you to have the chance to be disappointed."
It sounded a bit confusing. Jiang Rao pondered the meaning of this sentence over and over again, and seemed to understand it a little bit.
Seeing that Jiang Rao still didn't speak, with a dull expression and no emotion, Cheng Sheng didn't want to see Jiang Rao silent like this, so she poured out all the words in her heart.
“I want to be excellent.”
Jiang Rao's heart sank, and he turned to look at her
"I want to work harder so I can be closer to you, I want to give you a lot, I want you to be proud when you introduce me to others, I want to stand in front of your parents and be recognized."
"Because I care about you so much, I have so many concerns. I don't want to give you expectations and then let you experience the feeling of disappointment. I just want to give you a surprise and make you happy. I'm sorry, sister, I..."
Before she could finish, Jiang Rao put his arm around Cheng Sheng's shoulders and held her in his arms. Cheng Sheng's humble words just now made her feel distressed. Jiang Rao sighed deeply, patted her gently, and comforted her: "It's my fault. I didn't notice the uneasiness in your heart and blamed you."
"I shouldn't have hidden it from you."
Cheng Sheng buried his head in the crook of her neck, his voice trembling softly. Jiang Rao hugged her tightly, his voice becoming hoarse. She couldn't dispel Cheng Sheng's uneasiness with words alone, and she didn't want Cheng Sheng to date her with such a low heart. After thinking about it, she decided to completely reassure this little girl. She couldn't wait until the New Year, she had to do this now.
Jiang Rao released his hand holding her, looked for Cheng Sheng's face, and kissed her forehead softly. He said to Cheng Sheng, "You have hidden something from me, and now I have something to do first and ask for your permission later."
Cheng Sheng was puzzled, and blinked blankly at her with a pair of peach blossom eyes.
Jiang Rao held her hand with one hand, took out his cell phone with the other hand, and dialed the number in front of Cheng Sheng.
"Yeah, Mom."
"I'll go home to eat tonight. You guys prepare some more dishes. I'll bring a girl back with me!"
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Rao tilted his head and looked at her with his lips curled, his eyebrows curved and smiling: "I'm not angry that you hid it from me, and you can't be angry that I acted first and asked for your permission later. I will take you home tonight."
"go home?"
"Um!"
Cheng Sheng's mind went blank. She opened her lips but couldn't speak. She was nervous and uneasy. She was not prepared. Moreover, she had been running around the factory all day. This dress was too informal. Cheng Sheng quickly grabbed her clothes and smelled them.
Still smells of sweat...
No, I can't go.
I really can’t…
"Sister, can we do it another day? I..."
"The call has been made." Jiang Rao stretched out his index finger and waved it in front of her.
Cheng Sheng was flustered and broke free from Jiang Rao's hand. He straightened his hair and looked at his clothes. The cuffs were a little dirty. He couldn't go empty-handed. He hadn't prepared any gifts. Cheng Sheng turned to her and begged for mercy: "Sister, I... I can't..."
"We can't go like this. It's too hasty. We can't do that."
"Chengcheng, do you believe me?"
"Believe me!" Cheng Sheng nodded heavily. Jiang Rao smiled dotingly, scratched her nose and said, "Believe me, just follow me."
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