Chapter 41 Chapter 41 This action is really indecent, ...
This action was really indecent. Lin Wan wanted to get up and leave, but Fu Xiuhuai held her in his arms. The man who should have been mature and steady showed a bit of arrogance and hooliganism.
Lin Wan gave him a look: "You..."
"Look at your skirt. I want to know the difference between it and the ones sold at the street stalls."
Lin Wan thought that Fu Xiuhuai had traveled all over the country for many years and had been to almost every city in the country. He started his business early and must have extraordinary experience. It would be right to ask him for some business tips. Her attention was immediately diverted.
"Then tell me."
Fu Xiuhuai glanced at the woman in his arms again. Her bright eyes and white teeth were made even more fair by the red dress. But when his eyes fell on Lin Wan's face, he got another roll of the eyes.
"Show me the skirt!"
Fu Xiuhuai laughed and said, "The quality and details of the skirts sold at street stalls are far inferior to those made in your factory."
"I know that," Lin Wan sighed softly. "But no matter how bad it is, it's still no more than fifty yuan. If anyone is short on money, they'd rather buy something cheap. A piece worth seven or eight cents is enough."
Lin Wan was a thoughtful person. She always felt that the garment factory had encountered a difficult problem. It was really being imitated by others. All the efforts to find investment from Hong Kong businessmen had gone to waste. It might be pushed back to the pre-liberation era in one day.
Fu Xiuhuai casually rubbed the skirt he bought from the street stall. The fabric was prickly. He raised his hand and put it on Lin Wan's waist: "The products from your factory are much better."
The high waistline perfectly outlined Lin Wan's slender waist. When the man's big hand covered her waist, Lin Wan felt hot. She struggled slightly but couldn't get free.
"I encountered a lot of this kind of thing when I was doing business before." The man's sudden voice diverted Lin Wan's attention again. She listened attentively to Fu Xiuhuai's story. "At that time, I was working on a project in another province, building a building. Have you heard of the hotel in Xindong City? It looked like a swan."
"I've heard of it." Lin Wan had never been to other provinces, but she had seen the outside world in newspapers, magazines, and on television. "The four-star hotel in Xindong City is magnificently built, especially its exterior, which resembles a swan with its neck drawn out. It's been featured in newspapers and on TV. So, you built it?"
"Yes." Fu Xiuhuai saw the sparkle in his eyes and raised the corners of his lips. He didn't think building a building was anything to be proud of before, but now he felt it was somewhat useful. "At that time, I was only assigned a part of the building construction project, unlike now when I can take on the whole project. I was always restricted and had to rely on others' faces. The cement I used at that time was also a material I found myself, but then a local tyrant over there tried to take advantage of me. He contracted a whole building and wanted to use his own cement. At first glance, the two cubic meters of cement looked fine, but the problem was in the details. The cement he had was all made of slag and fly ash. It was so rough that the building he built might have problems. Not only that, he forced us to change the cement, saying that his cement was cheap and we had to save costs for the government."
Lin Wan heard Fu Xiuhuai talk about the past for the first time. More than ten years ago, he went to a foreign province where he was unfamiliar with the place to do business. He even ran into a local tyrant. Thinking about it, it must have been difficult. She immediately asked with a worried look on her face, "If you really used the cement he forced you to buy, and there was a problem with the building in the future, wouldn't you all suffer? What's more, it would have deprived you of a way to make money. You didn't agree to it, did you?"
Fu Xiuhuai nodded: "But this guy is related to the boss who contracted the building, and he wants to force the sale."
Lin Wan was curious: "What should we do then?"
"My cement was 280 yuan a ton, his was 240 yuan a ton. He took advantage of the fact that the goods were inferior and could make a lot of money by selling them cheaply. He put pressure on his brother-in-law, who was in charge of the project, to replace all the goods with his. I saw that he had someone to support him, so when his brother-in-law came over, I didn't argue and just let them bargain and exchange the cement."
Lin Wan's eyes sparkled, clearly fascinated by what she was hearing. "You must have a trick up your sleeve, right?"
"Of course." Fu Xiuhuai's thin lips held a wicked smile, a bit of the fierceness he had when he was working hard more than ten years ago. "Then, taking advantage of the safety inspection by the higher-ups, we found a way to expose their inferior cement. The higher-ups were furious and held them directly responsible."
"Then they are all unlucky?" Lin Wan listened attentively.
"The local tyrant's brother-in-law was worried that he would be implicated, so he kicked his brother-in-law out to take full responsibility. But the local tyrant was also confused and was ready to break up with his brother-in-law." Fu Xiuhuai sneered, "That's when I stood up and said that the local tyrant's brother-in-law was deceived. He chose the cement supplied by the local tyrant in order to save costs for the project, and then put all the blame on the local tyrant. Finally, he brought our cement to the site to explain to the inspecting leaders, saying that our cement was 260 yuan per ton, and the local tyrant's cement was only 20 yuan cheaper than ours, but the difference was not worth 20 yuan."
Lin Wan instantly understood Fu Xiuhuai's intention: "Your trick is quite powerful. Of course he's willing to help that little boss. Originally, his brother-in-law and his sister-in-law were working together to deal with you, but now they are forced to attack each other and side with you. In the end, did you supply all the cement for the entire project?"
"That's right." Fu Xiuhuai raised his hand and scratched the tip of Lin Wan's nose, as if praising her. "But that's not all. The larger project that the local tyrant was responsible for was also taken away and belongs to me."
Lin Wan's eyes widened instantly, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes filled with surprise, which then turned into a hint of admiration: "You are really amazing. So, are you suggesting that we also lower the price of our clothes and use price and quality to hit them?"
"On the contrary." Fu Xiuhuai pondered for a moment, "You guys selling clothes are in a different situation than us. It's more appropriate for you to raise the price. The higher the price, the better."
Lin Wan: “…!!!”
Seeing Lin Wan's dark pupils shimmering with surprise and confusion, Fu Xiuhuai squeezed her arm and said, "I've been in the outside world for more than ten years before you. I've met so many people that I understand one thing: those rich people are cheap. If you sell your clothes cheap, they'll feel uncomfortable and unworthy. It's better to do the opposite and sell them expensive. They'll feel proud."
Lin Wan chuckled, her lips curled up: "Does this rich person include you?"
This is in response to Fu Xiuhuai's words that rich people are so cheap.
"Have you learned how to tease me?" Fu Xiuhuai tilted his head slightly and bit Lin Wan's lips and tongue lightly.
***
Although they had a fight for a while, Fu Xiuhuai had been in business for many years, so after being surprised, Lin Wan still listened to his advice.
While the man was out busying himself, Lin Wan turned on the computer and browsed the BBS several times. An idea gradually came to her mind.
In the next few days, Lin Wan often wrote and drew on paper after work, and the wind blowing in her ears was full of various rumors.
Qin Fang washed the apples and gave half to Lin Wan. She muttered, "I heard that our factory's clothes were copied and sold by many street vendors, and our sales have dropped a lot."
Lin Wan nodded. It seemed that the situation outside was very serious and many people knew about it.
She whispered, "The factory tried to investigate, but couldn't find anything. We don't even know which small workshops are responsible. It's just a matter of one or two."
For this matter, she specially communicated with He Min from Hong Kong City and learned that Hong Kong City developed earlier, paid more attention to trademarks, and had more sound laws and regulations. As for the mainland, it developed chaotically after the reform and opening up, and there are not many rights protection cases in this regard for the time being.
"Then what should we do?" Qin Fang frowned unhappily. "We were hoping the factory would grow bigger and stronger, so we could enjoy the benefits."
The idea in her mind gradually took shape. Lin Wan still needed to think about it, so she didn't discuss the uncertain things with Qin Fang in detail.
After get off work, Lin Wan waited for Fu Xiuhuai to come home and first told him her thoughts. Doudou had already fallen asleep. Her mother told her story under the dim light. After she finished speaking, she raised her eyelids and looked at her father. The faint light reflected in her slender eyes, sparkling.
Lin Wan recalled the time when she was in college and gave a presentation in front of her teacher. She felt a similar mood, a bit excited but also a bit nervous. "What do you think?"
Fu Xiuhuai smiled and said, "If you were born ten years earlier, there would be no other people's business."
Lin Wan glared at the man: "Stop teasing me."
This person is definitely seeking revenge.
"I just mentioned it briefly last time, and you thought so far ahead and were so thoughtful. I really wasn't kidding you." Last time, Fu Xiuhuai only mentioned that the gap between the goods sold at a higher price and the imitation goods was widened. But today, he heard Lin Wan mention that the positioning of the garment factory was unclear after the reform, and high-priced, mid-priced and low-priced clothes were all being sold.
He has a very flexible mind that can draw inferences from one instance.
At this moment, Fu Xiuhuai did not seem to be talking to his wife. Instead, he became more and more interested, as if he was chatting with a business partner about the future of Jiangcheng's clothing market.
Lin Wan was encouraged and no longer worried about anything, pouring out everything in one breath. "Before you mentioned the price issue last time, I really hadn't thought about it. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Just like in Jiangcheng, when it comes to the most famous and upscale restaurant, it's the Jinzhuang Hotel. If you want to entertain guests or hold a banquet, everyone wants to go there, and often they can't even get a reservation. This is because the Jinzhuang Hotel has a strong reputation and the food is delicious, so even though the price is the highest in Jiangcheng, many people are willing to go there. Even if many small restaurants outside want to make similar food, people still only recognize Jinzhuang. This shows that they have a clear positioning and are on the right path. If that's the case, our garment factory should do the same."
A smile appeared in Fu Xiuhuai's deep eyes: "Your garment factory is really a treasure. Why don't you just switch to Kaihua?"
"Don't come here." Lin Wan refused firmly. "Does Kaihua still need to come to the garment factory to poach people? I heard that your company can recruit a lot of college students every year."
In the past two years, the situation of guaranteed job placement in universities has not been good, and many college students have begun to find their own way out, and some have gone to Kaihua for interviews.
"So many college students are not as good as this one." Fu Xiuhuai spoke arrogantly, but his tone was very serious. As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Wan's heart skipped a beat.
++++
After going over the plan with Fu Xiuhuai, Lin Wan felt more confident. When she went to Deputy Director Wang to submit the report at work on Monday, she also gained some confidence.
Deputy Director Wang is the most open-minded and reform-minded leader in the factory. Unlike several other leaders who are either conservative or stubborn, he is willing to listen to different voices.
At this moment, Deputy Director Wang was reading Lin Wan's report carefully, and his eyes lit up: "Comrade Xiaolin, what you wrote is quite interesting. Tell us in detail."
Lin Wan's clear and pleasant voice rang out in the office, neither hurried nor slow, but the content of her conversation gradually made Deputy Director Wang nod frequently.
"Regardless of whether your idea is right or wrong, the direction is indeed interesting. I'll think about it and then raise it with the factory director and secretary."
After Lin Wan left, Deputy Director Wang fell into deep thought.
The garment factory has been rooted in Jiangcheng for decades, and its internal structure is complicated and the forces are chaotic. As for the leadership team, there are different leaders and different confidants, making it quite difficult to promote projects and reforms.
Take Hong Kong investment for example. This issue had been discussed over and over again in the meeting. Deputy Director Wang was the most in favor of introducing foreign investment. However, the director and the secretary, along with their confidants, took sides, and the various forces used checks and balances to make it difficult to move forward with the investment. In the end, the garment factory gradually showed a downward trend, forcing them to agree.
Now facing a crisis again, Deputy Director Wang cast a sharp eye on the report and felt that it was feasible and worth discussing.
Lin Wan was once again notified to attend a leadership team meeting. Unlike the past, she played an insignificant role last time. She sat at the end of the conference table listening to everyone's discussion, arguing with each other until they were red in the face, and could even secretly eat candy and crack melon seeds.
This time, Lin Wan became the protagonist. The factory director, secretary, Director Fu, and all the experienced workshop directors looked at her.
Deputy Director Wang, the person who recommended the nominee, gave Lin Wan a reassuring look, somewhat worried that the young comrade might be stage-frightened. "Comrade Lin Wan, please tell us what you think. Don't be nervous. Just say what's written in the report."
Lin Wan had given many speeches and reports in college, so she was not nervous at the moment. The leaders were very imposing, and their positions and titles, coupled with decades of experience, should have been a little scary.
Just like Qin Fang, this person said that every time he met a leader, it was like meeting the school principal, and his legs would easily become weak.
Lin Wan was somewhat grateful to Fu Xiuhuai at this moment. After all, after being with him for a long time, no matter how imposing a person was, he would not be too scary anymore. This was purely a result of her training.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Wan repeated to the meeting what she had reported to Deputy Director Wang in the office. Having experienced this twice before, first with Fu Xiuhuai and second with Deputy Director Wang, Lin Wan was now more at ease. She could answer the leaders' frequent interruptions and questions in an orderly manner.
"Our factory's reforms have been effective. Now that funding is in place, our designs are becoming increasingly popular. However, in the long run, there are also significant drawbacks. Our positioning is confusing, and as a result, customers have mixed opinions about us. It's difficult to establish a distinct brand image, and we may end up losing business to street vendors, department stores, and street clothing stores."
Secretary He, the most stubborn leader in the factory and the one most resistant to reform, couldn't help but frown upon hearing this. "Your words sound nice, like a college student with all the right ideas, but how long have you been at the garment factory? Less than a year. How much do you know about selling clothes?"
Lin Wan said calmly, "Secretary He, I've only been in the garment factory for a short time, but I've been around for 24 years and have been buying clothes for many years. My understanding of garment factories and selling clothes is naturally not as good as that of the other leaders, but when it comes to buying women's clothing, I definitely have some experience."
This is true. Lin Wan is the customer base of the garment factory. More than 80% of the men in the room could not refute this statement.
Director You and Secretary He had always been at odds, and they didn't get along well. He smiled when he heard this: "Comrade Lin Wan is right. Old He, you should listen more to the voices of young people."
Lin Wan recalled a conversation she had with He Min a few days ago. "There's a businessman in Hong Kong who creates silk scarves in collaboration with a world-renowned painter. Those scarves are expensive and limited edition, but they've actually attracted a lot of interest, and they're scrambling to buy them. That's the power of clear positioning."
Director You frowned and said, "If our factory really only sells expensive clothes, then many fewer people will come to buy. I think this is not appropriate."
Lin Wan smiled and said, "Actually, we can separate the products into different categories, specializing in high-priced, medium-priced, and low-priced items. I've checked, and trademarks are now being standardized. Jiangcheng Garment Factory has been through many ups and downs for many years, and its reputation is quite high, so it needs to be standardized."
Lin Wan's words caused a stir in the minds of the leadership team. When the meeting ended, the leaders did not give a clear answer, but only said that further discussion was needed.
This is indeed the factory's system, and Lin Wan is used to it. It would be abnormal if it only took one or two days to make a decision.
Lin Wan left the meeting room and turned towards the factory office, but was startled by a man who suddenly rushed out.
"sister!"
The man who rushed out was none other than Lin Wan's younger brother Lin Chenghao.
Lin Wan had only spent less than a month with her biological parents combined, not to mention her younger brother. She frowned, "What are you doing? If you want to find your parents, go to the workshop over there."
After saying that, Lin Wan walked around and left.
"Sister!" Lin Chenghao received his parents' order and came to beg his treacherous sister, "I am your biological brother. You can't just ignore the division of our house!"
Lin Wan sneered: "Why should I care about your family's division of rooms? Besides, I have no right to divide the rooms, why should I care?"
"You're in the factory office every day, so why don't you just say a few nice words to Yan Shuqin there? You also want your brother-in-law to help find a job for Yan Shuqin's son!" Lin Chenghao didn't want to acknowledge this sister from the bottom of his heart. It was really useless, but his parents said they had to coax her now. "Think about it, when our family gets a big house and I get married and have children, you'll be happy to come and see me. We're all family. If your brother-in-law treats you badly in the future, you'll have a place to stay. I, your brother-in-law, will also go to his house to seek justice for you!"
Lin Wan thought this guy was out of his mind: "Don't try to get close to me. I only have one brother and one sister, so where would a brother come from?"
"you--!"
Lin Chenghao was young, but easier to deal with than his parents. When he heard Lin Wan ruthlessly cut off ties, he immediately became angry and pointed at Lin Wan and said harshly: "Okay! You are so cruel. You and Lin Chengwei and Lin Hong are not really close. Do you think they can really help you? If you are beaten or scolded by Fu Xiuhuai in the future, don't come to me for help!"
After saying that, Lin Chenghao left angrily, which made Lin Wan really want to laugh.
When they got home, Lin Wan mentioned the meeting with the leadership team to Fu Xiuhuai. "I'm not sure if it will work out. I think Deputy Director Wang is interested, but Director You's attitude is vague and unclear. Secretary He will definitely disagree. He insists on staying the same in the face of change. And Deputy Director Sun seems like a good guy, always responding to everyone's words."
Fu Xiuhuai saw Lin Wan's sincere heart and laughed at her: "You only earn a few hundred yuan a month, but you are so worried and troublesome. I think your factory should give you a reward."
Lin Wan knew he was teasing her on purpose and didn't want to pay any attention to him. She changed the subject and brought up what happened before leaving get off work: "He also said that if you really hit or scold me in the future, he won't come to help me seek justice."
Seeing Lin Wan said this calmly and without looking sad, Fu Xiuhuai felt relieved: "He is really capable..."
Lin Wan continued Fu Xiuhuai's words, "Nonsense! If you really hit me or scold me, I don't need anyone's help."
"Oh?" Fu Xiuhuai raised his eyebrows slightly.
"I can curse and fight back myself."
Fu Xiuhuai laughed out loud: "You can only do this to me now. Remember to treat everyone the same. Don't tolerate anyone scolding you or hitting you."
Lin Wan chuckled, "Don't most people try to be friendly and peaceful? But you're the one pushing me around."
Fu Xiuhuai's eyes were firm: "You have suffered too much injustice, you are not allowed to suffer any more in the future."
The two were talking in the room, and Lin Wan didn't even realize that she was chatting more and more with this man until there was a knock on the door.
Aunt Wang came and mentioned that Zhang Meiying wanted to invite Fu Mingjun's blind date to dinner at home tonight.
Lin Wan, who was drinking water, almost choked. Upon hearing this, she looked at Fu Xiuhuai in surprise: "Is this...is this appropriate?"
Regardless, it feels a bit awkward.
Fu Xiuhuai gave Aunt Wang a look and asked her to go down first: "Okay, let's prepare a sumptuous dinner tonight. We will definitely support Mingjun."
When Lin Wan heard this, she coughed twice again, thinking that this man really did it on purpose.
Aunt Wang was busy in the kitchen. Thinking that it would be a great thing for the Fu family if Fu Mingjun could really calm down and have a good relationship and get married, she rolled up her sleeves and prepared to work hard to prepare a table of delicious dishes.
Upstairs, Lin Wan said timidly: "I have an appointment with Sister Yanni for dinner, I'll go out first."
Her identity was really awkward. She now understood how Fu Mingjun felt when they were having dinner together. In order to let Fu Mingjun have a good blind date, Lin Wan thought about it and decided to withdraw.
Unexpectedly, she wanted to retreat, but the man next to her was unwilling.
Fu Xiuhuai stopped Lin Wan and said, "The blind date is here, and the whole family is here, but my aunt is missing. Isn't that too rude?"
Lin Wan felt that this man's words were high-sounding, but who knows what evil things he might be up to: "But..."
"Or, do you still like Fu Mingjun and think about Fu Mingjun?" Not long after Doudou woke up, Fu Xiuhuai held his daughter's chubby little feet, who was kicking her legs with all her strength.
"I didn't! You..." Lin Wan blurted out.
She was not a person who believed in love. After knowing what happened last year, and now that she was married and had children, how could she still think about her ex-boyfriend?
Fu Xiuhuai raised the corners of his lips slightly and asked directly: "Who do you like now?"
"I..." Lin Wan looked at the man with eyes that seemed to drag her into the deep sea and drown in it.
She understood the answer Fu Xiuhuai wanted to hear, and her heart was beating loudly, but in a moment she turned the tables.
"You want a lot, but you clearly don't..." Lin Wan asked the question that had been lingering in her heart for a long time, "Why did you marry me in the first place?"
He has everything, so why does he want to marry his nephew's girlfriend?
"Of course it's because I like you." Fu Xiuhuai stood up, stared at Lin Wan, and opened his thin lips slightly.
A low voice, but deafening.
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