As Song Qiao entered, he saw A Wei and two or three underlings waiting anxiously in the shop.
“What did Duan Kun say?” He took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and asked A Wei indifferently.
“He said he wants to see you, the location is still Lido.”
Song Qiao was startled. This kid Duan Kun still dared to stay in Lido, wasn’t he afraid of Qi Yun coming to retaliate?
Moreover, he specifically asked to see himself as soon as he returned, which suggested he was suspicious of what he had done that day.
“Boss, what should we do?” A Wei, seeing Song Qiao’s prolonged silence, said worriedly.
Having followed Song Qiao for some time, he subconsciously regarded Song Qiao as one of his own and had indirectly learned about the conflict between the boss and Brother Kun.
“Don’t bother with him. Respond to all changes with constancy,” Song Qiao said slowly after a long period of thought.
“You guys just focus on your work, leave the rest to me.”
“But…”
Familiar with Duan Kun’s character, A Wei wanted to say something more, but seeing Song Qiao’s furrowed brow, he hesitated and remained silent.
“How is the processing plant doing?” Song Qiao changed the subject, inquiring about the situation from A Wei.
“The factory’s efficiency is very high, it seems they can start large-scale mass production this afternoon.”
A Wei scratched his head, saying with some uncertainty.
He was a complete layman in this regard, and his understanding of the factory’s progress was entirely based on Old Zhang’s reports.
Song Qiao thought for a moment and said to everyone, “It’s getting late today, everyone go home and rest. A Wei, accompany me to the processing plant early tomorrow morning.”
…
The next morning, Song Qiao drove A Wei and Li Lili to the processing plant in town.
“Boss Song, you’re here.” As soon as they entered the workshop, Zhang Laicai saw the three of them and quickly hobbled over.
“Old Zhang, you’ve worked hard these past few days,” Song Qiao said gratefully.
Seeing the dark circles under Old Zhang’s eyes, it was clear he hadn’t rested well due to worrying about the factory.
Old Zhang chuckled and scratched his head sheepishly.
Song Qiao didn’t say much more. He knew he would express his gratitude through bonuses in the future, rather than spewing empty promises here.
“What is our daily production capacity now?”
“With full capacity, it’s about 300 portions.” Old Zhang reported.
“We are a bit short-handed, and the machines also need to rest regularly.”
Song Qiao nodded and continued, “With the factory’s current scale, how many more people do we need?”
“At least two to three hundred people,” Old Zhang replied after some thought.
Song Qiao said, “Don’t worry about the personnel issue.”
Two to three hundred people, he just needed to notify Pan Bei from the poverty alleviation office to quickly send him the 200 poverty alleviation quotas, and the factory’s labor shortage problem would be solved.
A Wei, you are responsible for contacting the nearby construction foremen and asking them to build two more dormitories for the workers.
A Wei nodded in agreement. He was increasingly impressed by Song Qiao’s capabilities and followed every arrangement from his boss without question.
“Now that the factory can mass produce, we need to choose a good sales channel.”
Song Qiao hesitated for a moment, glanced at Li Lili, and said, “Tomorrow, have each stall put a few packs in front of the shop and hold a free tasting event.”
Li Lili was already familiar with Song Qiao’s promotional tactics. She patted her chest and said, “Don’t worry, boss, I know what to do.”
Song Qiao naturally trusted Li Lili and didn’t give any further instructions.
Turning to Zhang Laicai, he said, “Old Zhang, please bear with me, I need you to accompany me to discuss a business deal.”
He wasn’t very familiar with the specific details of stinky tofu processing, and taking Old Zhang with him to discuss cooperation would make the other party more at ease.
Old Zhang naturally had no objections. The two of them went to the department store in the city.
As soon as they entered, Song Qiao specifically asked to see the person in charge.
However, the store attendant told him that the manager was in a meeting upstairs and asked them to wait.
“What can I do for you?” After a long while, the department store manager came down from upstairs, glanced at Song Qiao and Old Zhang, and asked casually.
“I am the boss of Chengnan Xiang Piaopiao Stinky Tofu Processing Factory and would like to discuss a cooperation with your department store,” Song Qiao said politely with a slight smile.
“You mean the Xiang Piaopiao stinky tofu that’s been selling like hotcakes recently?” The manager’s voice was filled with surprise.
“That’s right. We’ve recently launched a vacuum-packed stinky tofu, and we want to sell it in the department store.”
Upon hearing Song Qiao’s words, the manager’s eyes lit up. He naturally knew how popular Xiang Piaopiao had been recently.
He quickly invited Song Qiao and the other man into his office and served them a pot of good tea.
“There’s no problem selling here, but we will have to take a 20% profit from you,” the manager stated his terms.
Song Qiao shook his head, gently put down his teacup, and said faintly, “Manager Yu, this cooperation method lacks sincerity. I’ve heard that some major brands only take a 10% profit.”
“But your Xiang Piaopiao isn’t exactly a major brand, is it?” The manager said with an awkward laugh.
“Oh? Manager Yu, it seems you look down on our Xiang Piaopiao.”
“Do you dare to make a bet with me?” Song Qiao raised his eyebrows and said with a half-smile.
“What bet?” The manager was utterly confused.
“Within a month, our product’s turnover will exceed all brands in the snack section of the department store.”
“If I lose, Manager Yu can increase the commission to 30%.
“If I win, then I’ll have to trouble Manager Yu to treat Xiang Piaopiao with the same respect as major brands.”
“What do you say?”
Song Qiao’s tone was calm but filled with confidence.
Manager Yu was startled by Song Qiao’s proposed bet, and for a moment, he doubted his own ears.
The snack section had always been fiercely competitive, especially with the recent introduction of several foreign brands.
For Song Qiao to want to surpass them and take the lead was undoubtedly a pipe dream.
“Boss Song, aren’t you a bit too confident? Let’s do as you say. If you win, I’ll not only reduce the commission but also give you the best location.”
“Then I wish us a happy cooperation!” Song Qiao quickly stood up and shook hands with Manager Yu, as if afraid he would go back on his word.
Manager Yu couldn’t understand Song Qiao’s behavior at all, but he was greatly astonished. In his life, he had never met someone who was so eager to give him money.
Next, Old Zhang introduced their processing procedures to the manager and presented a series of production licenses, proving the safety and legality of Xiang Piaopiao’s sale in the department store.