Factory Director Fei and Master Liang exchanged a glance. They knew Qin Xiaoyu well; she had seen far bigger scenes than this, so why would she be afraid? However, it was only right to spend money to avoid further trouble. If things really escalated, and A Lei wasn't around, they might suffer losses.
"Here you go!" Cheng Fuyue said, holding her breath, as she took out the money and threw it at the girl. The girl didn't seem to mind her attitude; she bent down, picked up the money, and pulled the burly man away.
"Wait a minute." Qin Xiaoyu stepped forward, took the packaging bag, packed the returned clothes inside, and handed it to the girl. "Here you go."
"Why did you still send her clothes?" This time, even Master Liang couldn't stand it anymore.
"The fault lies with us in this matter." Qin Xiaoyu smiled and turned to Master Liang, continuing, "She must have bought this dress for an important occasion. If this dress made her the center of attention and the focus of everyone's attention, would she be willing to return it? She would probably be furious if anyone even touched it. It's because this dress didn't serve its purpose and made her look ordinary that it had to be returned. The fault has nothing to do with the dress, but with the designer."
Master Liang looked like a deflated balloon as the couple carried the clothes away.
"Little Fish, I've come to see you." Ye Qiu pushed open the door and walked in.
"Sister Ye, you've come at the right time. Give me some pointers." Qin Xiaoyu pulled Ye Qiu to the model.
This was Ye Qiu's first visit since the store opened.
"I'm afraid this won't sell well," Ye Qiu muttered.
"What do you mean?"
"There's something wrong with this style. Who are you targeting? Students wear fashionable clothes, this is too old-fashioned. If female office workers are going to spend this much, they'll just go to Gao Daxiong's and buy a high-quality replica. Those have brand labels, they look nice." Ye Qiu was quite honest. Every stitch drew blood, and Master Liang was almost losing face.
These were all his most prized designs, and he personally oversaw their quality control when they left the factory. In his mind, the moment the goods were put on display, they would be snapped up by crowds.
"To be honest, Sister Ye, I'm also in a dilemma. I already have three factories, and sales in Northeast China are pretty good. But I'm not satisfied with just the Northeast and want to expand here. How should I position myself?"
“Little Fish, listen to me, don’t bother with original designs, it’s a dead end. I don’t have my own factory, so I can just get whatever goods are in stock and switch industries easily. You have a factory, so learn from Gao Daxiong and make high-quality replicas. I think your factory’s craftsmanship is pretty good. Buy a few good machines and you’ll definitely be able to make good replicas.”
"Sister Ye, what if I absolutely have to create original content?"
“Don’t be like that Zhu Xu, who won’t turn back until he hits a brick wall. Let me tell you,” Ye Qiu pulled Qin Xiaoyu aside and whispered, “He lost this much money and will probably have to close down soon. His wife back home is managing the factory, and the workers are so upset about not getting paid that they can’t stay any longer. She sent a letter telling him to go back.”
Hearing Ye Qiu's words, not only Master Liang, but also Qin Xiaoyu felt heavy-hearted.
“You say mine is bad? Let me see what’s good!” Master Liang was really not convinced.
Qin Xiaoyu made a phone call and summoned A Lei. The biggest advantage of being in Guangzhou was having a pager, which made communication much more convenient.
"Let's go to the Friendship Store," Qin Xiaoyu said, referring to Guangzhou's largest duty-free shop. Master Liang needed a refresh not only in his sense of fashion but also in his understanding of the world.
The Friendship Store was packed with people, which surprised many. Was their purchasing power really that strong?
The answer, as the times show, is yes.
The consumption level of ordinary Chinese people has always been underestimated. Especially in the 1980s, people were still very conservative, thinking about how to save money, and spending money was a sin.
Master Liang was astonished to see piles of goods appearing in front of him without any obstruction, and he was speechless as he watched the customers next to him automatically picking them up from the shelves.
"Did you just take it anywhere?" Director Fei was also a little flustered.
"Check out at the entrance, look at that big machine." Qin Xiaoyu pointed.
After leaving the Friendship Store, they went to several other large department stores. This time, they mainly looked at the most famous brands at the time: Pierre Cardin, Goldlion, Old Man Head, Chanel...
Master Liang watched from beginning to end with an almost frighteningly focused concentration. Qin Xiaoyu could feel the rapid, churning of his mind, which was probably sparking with excitement.
He kept drawing on napkins even while eating dinner, and when he got home, he buried himself in his work at the table and stayed up all night.
Qin Xiaoyu didn't sleep well that night either. She hoped to see Master Liang's transformation. If he succeeded in his transformation, Riyue Clothing would be saved.
When Master Liang handed in his answer sheet, Qin Xiaoyu realized that the mistake wasn't Master Liang's, but hers.
How could she believe that Rome could be built in a single day?
One thing that comforted her was that she hadn't misjudged him; Master Liang was a promising talent, though he still needed to be polished.
His design drafts show a shift in style. This shift isn't like those lower-level students who simply borrow from fashion, piecing together elements from here and there.
The changes Master Liang made were on an intrinsic level; he wanted to use his fashion to combine the old and new eras.
Qin Xiaoyu finally understood where those strange, clumsy, and thankless ideas from that generation of designers came from.
What they need is a leap in an aesthetic sense; the steps they've taken are too big, and they can't catch up in a short time.
For many years, they were forced to accept a definition of beauty, and now they're told they can do whatever they want. They've lost touch. It's like using a knife and fork their whole lives and suddenly being given chopsticks.
Even after a few days of hard practice, a smart person might be able to pick up a radish or a piece of cabbage with chopsticks, but asking them to pick up peanuts is a bit much.
If you make him pick up two peanuts at the same time, one big and one small, he's likely to get a beating.
Qin Xiaoyu is the kind of person who easily gets beaten up.
Master Liang watched her expression carefully; his confidence was shattered. Half of it crumbled when he was hit, and the other half crumbled again when he started designing.
“It will take time. Bringing you out was the right thing to do.” Qin Xiaoyu felt that at least she had taken the first step in the right direction.
"How much longer? I've lost all hope." Master Liang hadn't slept all night, and his eyes were bloodshot.
"Go back and rest for a day. There's nothing much going on at the shop, take your time." Qin Xiaoyu noticed that Director Fei's eyes were also red, guessing that the two of them had stayed up all night not only because of the design, but also probably because of an argument.
As soon as Master Liang stepped out, Qin Xiaoyu managed to get the information out of him.
Factory Director Fei is also straightforward; he started wiping away tears after saying just a few words.
"He wants to go back; he's a little scared."
"Men! What are you afraid of?"
“He said that over there he was still Master Liang, but here he’s nothing. He wants to resign from his position as design director of Riyue Clothing; he doesn’t deserve it. He wants to go back and open his own clothing store to retire.”
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