CHAPTER 5: CHAPTER 5: THE FIRST DEAL

Inside the advertising shop, Xiaofang had already prepared the gift boxes.

Qi Yun took them and examined them carefully, showing a satisfied expression: "This will do for now."

"How much is each of these boxes?"

Xiaofang brushed her hair aside and replied with a smile: "As long as you’re satisfied, Brother Qi. The boss specifically instructed me to give you the cost price, 8 yuan each."

Qi Yun nodded. He had ordered these boxes before, and indeed, they were priced at cost.

He looked up at Li Zhuoyue, who was still busy, and since he wasn’t finished, Qi Yun turned and walked out of the store.

When he came back, he had a sealed pack of Black Liqun cigarettes in his hand.

"Please pass this pack of cigarettes to him later. I have other things to attend to, so I won’t wait for him."

Xiaofang smiled helplessly: "Sure, I’ll let the boss know later. Take care, Brother Qi."

After leaving the advertising shop, Qi Yun hopped on his electric scooter and sped towards Wei Yong’s warehouse, where they had arranged to meet.

The wind roared past his ears, and before long, the electric scooter came to a stop in front of the warehouse.

The warehouse was filled with all sorts of fruit boxes. Wei Yong was crouched in front of a box of apples, carefully selecting them.

Seeing Qi Yun come in, he stood up and asked eagerly: "Old Qi, do you really have a way to sell my apples?"

"I can’t guarantee it, but there’s an opportunity," Qi Yun said as he walked up, unhurried.

Wei Yong nodded, squeezing out a bitter smile: "To be honest, the price I brought this batch of Red Fuji back for was 11 yuan per kilogram, and they’re all of the best quality.

It doesn’t matter what price you negotiate, as long as I can break even."

Qi Yun patted his shoulder: "Don’t worry, if we make a deal, I won’t let you lose out."

Only then did Wei Yong feel assured. He swiftly packed the cleaned five kilograms of apples into the gift box Qi Yun had brought.

Qi Yun randomly opened a few boxes and saw that the apples inside were indeed as good as Wei Yong had said, with great appearance and size.

These apples, once cleaned and packed in these specially made gift boxes, could easily compete with those sold for hundreds in supermarkets.

After Wei Yong finished packing the apples, he placed the gift box on the electric scooter, his eyes full of anticipation.

"Old Qi, I’m counting on you. If these apples get stuck with me, I’d really be at a huge loss."

Qi Yun nodded: "I’ll take them to show the clients now. Wait for my call."

...

Nanhua Textile Factory is one of the larger enterprises in the city, covering over a hundred acres with more than 2,000 employees.

Although it might not pay as much tax as those tech and finance companies, it does provide plenty of jobs every year.

Qi Yun followed the navigation all the way to the factory gate, handed a cigarette to the gatekeeper, and said politely: "Brother, I’m here to see Manager Sun in the procurement department about something."

To discuss business today, he had specially groomed himself before heading out, even donning his carefully stored overcoat, giving off a clean and neat Qi Zong vibe.

Though his vehicle didn’t quite match the image.

The security guard took the cigarette, gave him a once-over, and without suspicion, allowed him entry after registering simply.

Once inside the factory, Qi Yun asked a worker for directions and went straight to Manager Sun’s office.

He raised his hand and knocked gently. From inside came a crisp "Come in."

Qi Yun pushed the door open to see a young man in his twenties busy behind the desk.

The man looked up at Qi Yun, somewhat puzzled: "Who are you?"

Qi Yun stepped forward with a smile, extending his hand: "Hello, Manager Sun, I’m Qi Yun."

In his impression, the procurement department was considered the most lucrative department in a company, where anyone with a bit of authority tended to be worldly-wise and astute.

But this young man in front of him felt different, showing the sharpness of a newcomer, with no trace of greed in his eyes.

Manager Sun stood up, shook hands briefly, and recalled for a moment, still having no impression of the person in front of him.

Seeing this, Qi Yun quickly explained: "Here’s the thing. I heard from my cousin that your factory is planning to buy holiday gifts for employees,

so I ventured in to see if there’s an opportunity to cooperate. I hope Manager Sun doesn’t mind."

Manager Sun, understanding his purpose, smiled and gestured to the chair opposite: "I see, Mr. Qi, please sit. If conditions are suitable, as an employee’s relative, cooperation is indeed possible."

"However, I won’t hide it from you. The factory hasn’t been doing well this year, so our budget is not large."

Qi Yun could hear the sincerity in his tone, realizing there was a chance for business.

Having weathered the business world for years and dealt with all types, with a few simple words, Qi Yun had formed a rough judgment of Manager Sun’s character.

He then silently put the prepared two-thousand-yuan red envelope back in his pocket.

"Manager Sun, rest assured, since I’m here, I won’t put you in a difficult spot. I’m presenting a high-quality apple gift box, particularly suitable as employee holiday gifts."

He said, unwrapping the black plastic bag and gently placing the sample gift box on the table.

As he opened it, he introduced: "These apples are Red Fujis sourced from the high-quality region of Nanjiang, both their appearance and taste are impeccable."

Manager Sun picked up an apple, examined it closely, took a bite, and after savoring it, nodded slightly: "They’re nice. How much did you have in mind to charge us, Mr. Qi?"

Qi Yun had already calculated the cost in his mind. One box of apples is about five kilograms. Wei Yong’s cost is 11 yuan per kilogram. The gift box is 8 yuan, plus 1 yuan for packaging and transport.

So the final cost is roughly 64 yuan per box.

Similar quality gift boxes on the market, even wholesale, don’t go below 90 yuan.

Qi Yun looked straight at him, sincerely: "If you can purchase more than 2,000 boxes, I can offer them to you at 85 yuan each. At this price, Manager Sun should sense my sincerity."

Hearing this offer, Manager Sun couldn’t help but be tempted. He had already taken the time to visit the wholesale market, so he knew the prices.

However, he still wanted to negotiate a little further to save some money for the company.

After a brief thought, he picked up the cigarettes on the table, offered one to Qi Yun, lit another for himself, and said: "Your price is indeed sincere, but it still exceeds our budget."

With that, he paused, tapping the lighter on the table lightly a few times.

"How about 80 yuan, for 2,200 boxes?"

Qi Yun didn’t answer immediately. He took the offered cigarette, inhaled deeply, slowly exhaled a smoke ring, then smiled: "As an employee’s family, I’ll help the factory out."

He stood up, extended his hand confidently: "Deal!"

Seeing him agree, Manager Sun also smiled happily, standing up to shake Qi Yun’s hand firmly: "Mr. Qi, it’s a deal then!"

With the deal settled, Manager Sun quickly had a contract brought over. Qi Yun skimmed through it, finding no issues, signed his name.

"I’ll head back and get everything ready, aiming to deliver to the factory tomorrow."

Manager Sun nodded: "Okay, please ensure the quality of the items, as it concerns whether we can continue our cooperation in the future."

Qi Yun replied with a serious expression: "Rest assured. If the employees are not satisfied, feel free to contact me for returns."

"Alright, I look forward to working together."

Manager Sun didn’t say much more. After exchanging WeChat contacts, he got up and escorted Qi Yun to the door.