The packaging factory that Gao Daxiong first cooperated with was located in the suburbs of Guangzhou. Jie Wei found some time to take Qin Xiaoyu there to discuss it in person.
By the 1980s, Guangzhou's economy was much more developed than that of the inland areas, with many private factories. Especially in the urban-rural fringe areas, various factories and small workshops were clustered together.
The owner of He Cai Packaging Factory, surnamed Wu, was a woman in her fifties, dark-skinned and thin, shrewd, with a pair of small eyes that gleamed with intelligence. Upon seeing Jie Wei, she understood immediately and became exceptionally warm towards Qin Xiaoyu.
Qin Xiaoyu and she took a tour of the factory. The exquisite packaging produced in this dilapidated, almost collapsing building was quite stunning.
"I want to design my own packaging. Can you process it?" Qin Xiaoyu flipped through the pages and found that almost all the brands on the market could be found here. It seemed to be a world of high-quality imitations.
"You want to create original content?" Wu Tai looked at Qin Xiaoyu in astonishment, as if she were a fool.
“Yes, do original designs.” Qin Xiaoyu ignored her and continued looking at the sample.
She had a new idea: to completely redesign the packaging and logo of Riyue Apparel, as the original was too conservative.
Before leaving her hometown, she thought everything was ahead of its time, but once she got to the forefront, she realized that she was still too timid.
“If your original brand succeeds, you should stick with me. I’ll be your exclusive supplier.” Wu Tai was indeed shrewd; she only had one condition.
Qin Xiaoyu glanced at the dilapidated factory again but did not reply.
"Don't worry, if your product succeeds, mine will too. If you don't even have confidence in yourself, how can I have confidence in you?" Wu Tai saw much further than Qin Xiaoyu and was much more astute. Qin Xiaoyu liked dealing with people like him.
The redesign of the trademark and packaging was a joint effort by Master Liang, Xu Jingye, and Jie Wei.
The new logo resembles a yin-yang symbol, with the sun and moon in harmony—it's eye-catching and direct. Qin Xiaoyu is very satisfied; this is another new beginning.
Qin Xiaoyu and Zhou Yue talked on the phone for a full hour. They had similar opinions: the designer was no longer the problem; the key was how to promote the brand.
When she hung up the phone and went downstairs, she saw Sister Su standing outside the window wiping the glass. She had asked Cheng Fuyue to do this before she went upstairs, and there was some dirt on the window.
She frowned. This matter also needed to be addressed; the atmosphere in the store was not right.
Cheng Fuyue would always unknowingly dump work on Sister Su, and she would constantly put her down.
"Xiao Cheng, go and throw Sister Su back here." Qin Xiaoyu could easily deal with such a little girl.
Cheng Fuyue reluctantly walked out, wiped it a few times casually, and was about to turn back.
"Here." Qin Xiaoyu pointed to a spot, and Cheng Fuyue wiped it with a cloth before quickly pointing to another spot.
After a few quick movements, Cheng Fuyue became unhappy. When she entered the house, she couldn't hold the bucket steady, and water spilled on the floor.
"If we wipe it clean, it won't be good if customers slip and fall when they come in," Qin Xiaoyu said calmly.
Sister Su hurriedly went to get a mop, but Qin Xiaoyu stopped her, saying, "Go upstairs and check the accounts. Factory Manager Fei just called you."
"What's going on? Why am I doing all the heavy lifting! I'm going to check the accounts!" Cheng Fuyue said anxiously, rushing to go upstairs.
"Sister Su can go." Qin Xiaoyu blocked her way.
"Wait! Boss Qin, are you targeting me?" Cheng Fuyue realized what was going on.
“If that’s how you think, then you’re right. You and Sister Su get the same salary and do the same work. Just because she’s easy to talk to doesn’t mean you can bully her. If we only needed her, we wouldn’t need to hire two people.” Qin Xiaoyu wasn’t intimidated at all.
"Okay, I understand. It's not like we just opened the shop. You don't need me anymore. I'll leave!" Cheng Fuyue threw the rag on the ground and turned to walk out.
It's always like this: if you try to lead someone by the hand, they won't follow; if you try to push them, they'll back down. Managing employees is the same. If you spoil them with their food and drink, you can't let them get used to their bad habits.
Cheng Fuyue actually managed to stay in her rented apartment for three days. Three days later was payday, and she rushed back early—the perfect excuse.
Qin Xiaoyu remained the same as before, asking no questions or engaging in small talk. She watched as Director Fei calculated the money and handed it to Cheng Fuyue before going about her business.
Cheng Fuyue waited anxiously for a long time, hoping for a way out, but no one gave her one.
"Director Qin, could you call my brother for me? I need to go to Northeast China." Cheng Fuyue was also anxious and brought up Cheng Fuxing.
“Oh, going to the Northeast is a good idea. Fuxing is managing his own shop now, you can go help him.” Qin Xiaoyu was quite supportive, and picked up the phone to dial.
The two siblings spoke in Cantonese for a long time, but judging from Cheng Fuyue's crying as she came downstairs, they hadn't heard anything useful.
Cheng Fuxing had been with Qin Xiaoyu and Qi Si for so long that he understood their personalities. He must have advised the girl, but whether she listened or not was another matter.
"Who wants to go to Northeast China?"
Jie Wei arrived at just the right time. He hadn't seen Cheng Fuyue these past two days, nor had he asked where she was; his eyes were just wandering, clearly he was looking for her.
Now that I've met the person, it's a good opportunity to strike up a conversation.
"I'm going to the Northeast. Director Qin doesn't want me here anymore." Cheng Fuyue was seeing her family, and tears streamed down her face.
"I never said I didn't want you, it was you who refused to do it. If cleaning windows is considered bullying, then I really wouldn't dare hire this employee," Qin Xiaoyu immediately defended herself.
"Boss Qin, I was wrong. I won't do it again." Cheng Fuyue finally calmed down, and the relationship in the store became harmonious again.
It just so happens to be Hong Kong Fashion Week. Last time I only brought Chef Leung, but this time I'm bringing Xu Jingye along as part of the training.
A while ago, A Lei abandoned Qin Xiaoyu and went to Hong Kong twice, saying he was going to renovate his house.
So after getting off the plane, they went straight to Are's place.
Last time I stayed at my older sister's house, I took a peek from afar and saw that all the houses were pretty much the same, colonial style, with tall tropical plants covering the corridors and swimming pools.
Upon entering, it became clear that A Lei had put in considerable effort.
The entire front of the first floor was converted into a large living room, with all the windows open and allowing the sea breeze to flow through the rooms, providing true comfort during the sweltering summer.
A long white curtain hung from the window, fluttering in the wind—this was Qin Xiaoyu's favorite Mediterranean style.
Master Liang and Xu Jingye were both sensible; after arriving, they went back to their rooms and stopped causing trouble, allowing A Lei and his companion to enjoy some alone time.
"I borrowed the cook from my eldest sister's house, and so did the maid. They're not home, so it's perfect for me to use them." A Lei led Qin Xiaoyu around the house.
When Qin Xiaoyu saw the walk-in closet in the bedroom, she walked over curiously. As she pushed open the door, she was still thinking about what clothes she should bring. But the sight inside startled her.
Whose clothes are all these? Did other women live here before?
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