After dinner, everyone went about their own business. Han Dong was in charge of employee training, Da Tou was busy with finance, Lu Feng went back to his office to draw diagrams, and as for General Manager Gao Zhiwei, he had nothing to do and wandered around the factory.
A good packaging design requires a professional team to work on it for a long time. If Lu Feng were to do it himself, it would probably take several years. He didn't have the time or inclination to do it himself, so he just copied some classic packaging designs from later generations and drew them. Half a day was enough for him.
Lu Feng also knew that it would be difficult for him to enter the market. If others simply reduced their profits, they could instantly squeeze out the market, and even the best products would not be able to sell.
We're not in the internet age anymore, where there are comparisons and social media promotions. Kids just buy whichever product a small shop owner says tastes good, and sometimes, just by putting the product up in front of the store, sales skyrocket.
Faced with this situation, Lu Feng's thinking was very simple: survive first. As long as the profits can pay the employees' wages, he has won. The simplest and most brutal form of business competition is price war. Otherwise, why would he be called a price butcher?
This is just the beginning.
Some people in the local business community are paying attention; some are optimistic about Lu Feng, while others think he's not up to the task, making it quite a topic of gossip.
"Hey, Lao Chen, do you know this Lu Feng?" A man in his forties, with a parted hairstyle and a very refined appearance, was talking on the phone.
"You seem to have a lot on your mind?" The person on the other end of the phone laughed. "I don't know him personally, but I do know Ren Qianbo."
"You still know him?"
"His father-in-law used to work in the same unit as me. Later, I was transferred to Hong Leong Group. It's been quite lively lately, with many people talking about this." The voice on the other end of the phone was full of gossip.
With entertainment options scarce, anything even slightly interesting spreads like wildfire, and some people even make up stories, saying everywhere that Lu Feng has taken a liking to Ren Qianbo's wife!
"Haven't seen you in a while, have you? Let's call Old Ma over for a drink?"
"No problem, I have a few new young women at my workplace, I'll take them with me!"
"No need, this is too boring. Just call Lu Feng and Ren Qianbo along."
"Huh?" The person on the other end of the phone paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Okay, let's have a good time tonight."
At seven o'clock in the evening, Lu Feng handed the manuscript to Da Tou, checked the time, and wondered whether he should go to the convenience store or the supply and marketing cooperative.
The phone suddenly rang, and Lu Feng hurriedly returned to his office to answer it.
"Hello, who is it?"
"Are you Lu Feng?" The voice on the other end of the phone was arrogant, giving off a condescending feeling that was very uncomfortable.
"Yes, who are you?"
"I am Chen Mancang, the general manager of Fenglong Group. I've heard a lot about you these past few days. Let's have dinner together tonight at the small canteen of Yegang Group, you know?"
Lu Feng frowned slightly, still not quite understanding what was going on.
"Hey, did you hear me?" The voice on the other end of the phone sounded a little annoyed.
"I heard you!"
"Can't you even reply? What's wrong with you?" he said, and hung up the phone.
Lu Feng put down the phone, and the first thing that came to his mind was that the steel industry was now entirely dominated by state-owned enterprises, and judging from his tone, this General Manager Chen was also a general manager of a state-owned enterprise.
Given the other party's aggressive tone and the feeling that inviting him to dinner was a favor, Lu Feng felt that if he went to dinner tonight, he might become a laughing stock, but if he didn't go, he really wouldn't be able to make a living.
He might be willing to clash with Ren Qianbo, but he wouldn't dare to go head-to-head with these state-owned enterprises. Although state-owned enterprise reform is underway and there have been many public-private partnerships, it's not yet complete.
What are state-owned enterprises? They are the iron rice bowl, and this iron rice bowl was not broken until the late 1990s.
Ren Qianbo's company is already considered very large among private enterprises. A private enterprise with a net worth of several million is one of the few in the entire city. The truly powerful ones are these people, which can be discerned from their tone of voice.
Those who go to Tianyue Hotel for dinner are simply rich people; the truly powerful drink Moutai in the small canteen.
Lu Feng ran through all the possible and likely events in his mind, instructed Da Tou to keep an eye on the factory, and rode his motorcycle to Gao Zhiwei's side, saying, "Get on!"
"What are you doing?"
"I'll take you out for a delicious meal, a real feast!" Lu Feng smiled at him and said, "Don't be afraid, get in the car!"
Gao Zhiwei sat on the motorcycle with some suspicion, still feeling uneasy. The motorcycle sped into the suburban area of the Yegang Group. The entire area within a five-mile radius was Yegang's territory, with residential buildings, living areas, and even large supermarkets, not much different from the city center.
He went straight into the factory, asked the security guard for directions, and headed straight for the second canteen. When he stopped at the entrance, he saw that Ren Qianbo had just arrived as well. He opened the car door and got out.
They looked at each other and understood that tonight they were all just fodder for jokes, there to be someone else to drink with.
Lu Feng stepped into the cafeteria. He had heard that it wasn't for ordinary employees, and sure enough, everyone inside was dressed in leather shoes, suit pants, white shirts, and slicked-back hair—the standard attire.
All he could hear was this section chief and that section chief. Lu Feng started his business precisely because he didn't like this kind of atmosphere.
Once you get to the second floor, the decor instantly becomes luxurious, giving you a magnificent feeling. Ren Qianbo stands there with his back straight, like a model soldier.
"Go wait in the VIP room!" A waiter walked over and pointed to the largest private room.
"Didn't you say you'd treat me to something delicious?" Gao Zhiwei whispered.
"Yes, don't worry, there's plenty to eat!"
“I’m not comfortable in this kind of situation. I work in the market, and I hate this kind of waiting and having to speak up.” Gao Zhiwei frowned and said, “The affected manner is uncomfortable. I’m going back.”
“You come back here. I’m not feeling well either, that’s why I brought you here.”
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