"Dear Mr. Louis, I heard you say on the phone that our company's spicy snack sales in the United States are not very good," Chen Ze asked directly.
Louis, sitting across from him, sighed, "It's 40% lower than expected, mainly because many large supermarkets haven't accepted our products."
Just then, the waiter served an appetizer—Greek-style grilled octopus.
After the waiters left the private room, Chen Ze continued, "Was it because your sales staff used the wrong methods?"
"Impossible!" Louis said with a look of disbelief.
He paused for a moment and then asked, "Do you have any good ideas on how to get our products into major supermarkets across the United States?"
“I think the reason you couldn’t get your products into big supermarkets is because your salespeople wasted a lot of effort but couldn’t convince the supermarket managers. You can try my Chinese sales methods.” After saying that, Chen Ze cut off a small piece of octopus and put it in his mouth to chew slowly.
Louis's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "What Chinese sales methods? Tell me about them."
Chen Ze swallowed the octopus in his mouth and smiled slightly: "It's simple. Send samples to the supermarket manager for tasting. Let them try the spicy strips themselves first. Once they've tasted them, they'll most likely be attracted by the unique flavor. If they still don't agree, have someone secretly slip them some US dollars."
Louis stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and said, "It sounds like a good idea, but will it really work?"
Chen Ze said confidently, "I am absolutely certain that the reason why Chinese spicy strips are so popular in China is because of their unique flavor. As long as Americans taste them, they will definitely fall in love with them."
Inspired by Chen Ze's confidence, Louis slammed his hand on the table and said, "Okay, we'll do it your way! I'll arrange for people to prepare samples and contact major supermarkets right away."
Chen Ze smiled.
"Once the product successfully enters supermarkets, sales will definitely increase significantly. Once the market here is saturated, you can expand to other countries in North America."
Louis raised his glass and clinked it against Chen Ze's, saying happily, "I hope your idea will be useful."
"Don't worry, Mr. Louis, when your methods fail, just use money to pave the way. Trust me, there's no one in this world who doesn't love money," Chen Ze said.
Louis agreed with his son-in-law's point of view and downed the red wine in his glass in one gulp.
Then he took out his phone and called his subordinates. After the call was connected, he taught his sales staff the method Chen Ze had taught them and told them to negotiate in the supermarkets using his own methods.
The two then talked for the rest of the afternoon in the private room.
After talking for a while, they ran out of things to talk about, and the private room fell silent for a moment.
At this moment, the entire city of New York was lit up.
Louis got up and went to the window, gazing at the night outside. After a long while, he finally spoke: "Do you know why I forced you to marry my daughter?"
Chen Ze didn't expect the topic to suddenly turn to the private realm. He thought for a moment and pretended to be stupid, saying, "I've heard some rumors that many people in Greece say that we Chinese are stupid and have too much money."
Louis smiled and shook his head. "To be honest, I was desperate at the time and had a huge debt. The moment I saw you, I saw your confidence, composure, and natural aura. I guessed that you were an extraordinary businessman. I knew then that you were the benefactor of my life, so I used a little trick. I hope you don't mind."
After listening to his father-in-law's words, Chen Ze couldn't help but sigh. When a person is desperate, they will use any foolish or bad trick.
Chen Ze walked to his father-in-law's side and said calmly.
"Let's not talk about the past. Right now, I just hope you can run the company well."
Louis turned and walked to the sofa, taking his laptop out of his bag.
He showed Chen Ze several new product packaging designs: one was high-end, with a black and gold color scheme and a silhouette of a Greek temple; another was lively and fashionable, with the slogan "[Dare to take the challenge?]"; and the third was traditional Chinese red, with the words "Taste of Home" in both Chinese and English.
After examining it carefully, Chen Ze pointed to the first one: "This one is suitable for the high-end market, but it needs to be made more eye-catching with the 'Aphrodite's Spice' logo."
At that moment, he noticed a long-lost fighting spirit flickering in his father-in-law's eyes. He remembered that when he first met his father-in-law, he was a complete drunkard with a dejected look on his face.
Inside the private room, the two quietly stared at their computers and communicated with each other, like the tacit understanding that comes from long-term cooperation between business partners.
“There’s also the supply chain issue,” Louis suggested.
“The tariffs on raw materials imported directly from China are too high. I’ve considered bringing in raw material suppliers from Mexico. I happen to have a relative who runs a food processing plant in Mexico that meets FDA standards. We can move some of our production there to reduce costs.”
After saying that, he held out his hand to his assistant Maria: "Give me your phone."
His assistant, Mary, respectfully handed him the phone.
Louis dialed a number, and a Greek voice came from the other end of the line. He quickly exchanged a few words with the person on the other end, then hung up and turned to look at Chen Ze with a smile on his face.
“My relatives have agreed to supply our company with raw materials,” Louis said, his tone slightly relaxed.
Chen Ze nodded seriously, indicating his approval of the news. He looked at Louis, pondered for a moment, and then said, "You can decide this small matter yourself, but I have an idea, perhaps we can consider it..."
Their discussion deepened, and they began exploring issues such as business expansion and market strategies. Time passed slowly, and the food on their plates gradually cooled, but they remained oblivious, completely absorbed in their lively discussion.
When the waiter came in for the third time to ask if they wanted the food, Louis waved his hand, indicating that they should wait another half hour. He turned to the waiter and said, "Get us a new bottle of wine first, the 2010 Chateau Margaux."
The waiter responded and left, returning shortly with a bottle of red wine and two new glasses. Louis took the bottle from the waiter and personally filled his and Chen Ze's glasses.
After the waiter left, Louis raised his glass and suddenly said in broken Chinese, "It's been a pleasure doing business with you."
Chen Ze was clearly surprised. He looked at Louis with curiosity, "Oh! God, you actually know a little Chinese! Who taught you?"
Louis burst into laughter: "Of course, it was my darling daughter Amy who taught me."
Hearty laughter echoed throughout the box; Louis had never laughed so easily and happily.
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