Chapter 4

4. Launching Product

There is a small two-story building next to the factory. With the arrival of the new boss, it becomes an office building.

“You said Mr. Qing slept here last night?” Mr. Li was busy recruiting people last night and didn’t return to the production area until the afternoon.

“Before, didn’t you ask me to see how much the old production line can still be used? I came over in the middle of the night with a flashlight, and just in time to see Mr. Qing coming out of the duty room to overhaul the production line” The technician wiped the sweat from his palms.

Mr. Li’s eyes widened: “He knows about technology?”

“That’s not it, but Mr. Qing said that he would spend as much as money on maintenance, so I just have to report to his assistant for reimbursement, you see…”

“Okay.” Mr. Li nodded. He reached out and patted him on the chest, “About the report, don’t think about making additional money. Mr. Qing is a straightforward person, when life and death are at stake, we can’t hold him back.”

“I know,” the technician patted the back of his head, “It is hard to find a factory with such good welfare. I’m not someone who repays kindness with evil.”

Mr. Li sent him away, walked to the door of the office with the new recruit’s resume. He tidied up his suits before knocking on the door.

“Come in.”

When Mr. Li entered, he saw Qing Qin sitting behind a one-meter-long desk with a computer, a small potted plant, and a photo of the crocodile’s bloody mouth.

The young man was intently flipping through a large book that appears to be trademark law.

“Ten new workers have been recruited. They can report to work this afternoon. After that, they will be trained for three days.” Mr. Li put their resume on Qing Qin’s right hand.

“Let’s advance your salary first.” Qing Qin raised his head from the book, smiled, took out a stack of documents from a drawer with his left hand, and pushed it in front of him.

“This is…” Mr. Li’s hand trembled slightly.

“The ancestral recipe. I bought the right to use the recipe patent. Find an expert to restore it.”

“No, no need” Mr. Li shook his head hastily, “Using expert is too expensive. I can restore it by myself because I was also taught by old Zhang.”

Qing Qin frowned, no, you can’t, how can I throw money if you can do it by yourself. However, after thinking about it, he realized that if an expert really saved the recipe, wouldn’t it be a loss?

“How’s your level?”

“It is okay” Mr. Li’s dark face flushed slightly.

Meaning that is not very good. Qing Qin clapped decisively: “Then, it’s on you.”

“Okay, I promise to complete the task!” Vice president Li immediately agreed, “Are you looking for a lawyer team for trademark rights?”

“I already have an idea.” Qing Qin revealed smiled like in control of everything, while he calmly put his hand on the book.

Mr. Li is relieved,  his new boss is unfathomable. He had already found a way to break the situation in trademark law.

When he left the door, Qing Qin breathed a sigh of relief and moved his hand away.

The cover of the book was loosened a little, and faintly revealed the cover of another book below, which said: “10,000 Ways to Go Bankrupt”.

In order to avoid being caught by two inspectors, Qing Qin had to secretly look for a bankruptcy book in Chen Cang District.

How unfortunate,

This book seems to be a remedy to save him from suffering, but in fact, the title is just sensational headlines, and it is still telling about how to successfully start a business.

Humph.

Qing Qin pressed down the picture frame that Meng Yao had put out, and shoved the frame into the back of the drawer, completely forgetting that there was still a trademark lawsuit.

Within two days, Vice President Li appeared with a glass bottle of dark-brown viscous liquid: “Boss Qing, I have restored it.” 

The bottle was placed on the table, appeared like a witch’s poison.

Qing Qin swallowed, recalling the strange herbs and unfamiliar chemicals in the recipe, he was a little reluctant to try it.

However, as a boss, he must give it a try, otherwise, what should he do if this will be a national drink? That’s ten million ah.

When thinking of this, Qing Qin finally summoned up the courage to pick up the bottle.

“It looks good.” He nodded, then took a sip from the bottle.

The overly sweet and greasy taste exploded in his mouth, and Qing Qin didn’t spit out his breakfast.

“Mr. Qing!” Mr. Li’s voice was almost trembling, “This is a concentrate liquid!”

“It’s okay,” Qing Qin took a few sips of water, his throat still a little hoarse, “It’s delicious, and beautifully made.”

He gave a thumbs up.

Doubtful, Mr. Li quickly took the concentrate and held it in his arms like a calf: “Then… I just produce it like this?”

“No need to rush.”

Mr. Li sweated: “Why don’t you try… “

Won’t try, definitely will not try it.

Qing Qin: “I will give you a share every month. Talk to assistant Meng for details.”

“Okay, thank you, Mr. Qing, you are really a good person!” Mr. Li nodded while bowing his head. He is like injected with chicken blood totally dedicated to serving Mr. Qing.

Alas, sure enough, he really didn’t know that people’s hearts are sinister. Qing Qin collapsed on the chair lamenting, that some people seem to be good bosses that can turn the tide, but in fact, every day in their hearts, they are thinking about going bankrupt early.

He smacked his mouth, and the little aftertaste left by concentrate spread out.

Damn it, I’m actually tempted to take another sip.

After three days of work by diligent social animal 007, Mr. Li, their old packaging “Qiqi” was finally on the right track.

The three production lines that have been repaired and renovated were working synchronously, and more than 30 workers were working in the factory like busy worker ants.

Qing Qin inspected his territory. The lively scene in front of him was automatically replaced with the appearance of a dilapidated and depressed sale a month later.

“Now there are only 700,000 yuan left on the company’s account” Meng Yao reminded Qing Qin.

“Ah? We still have 700,000?”

Meng Yao:……

“That is prepared for the raw materials needed for production.”

Qing Qin sighed, sure enough -it would take another month.

During the conversation, Mr. Li greeted him with a bright face.

“Everything is going well, we will soon be able to…” Seeing Qing Qin’s darkened face, he couldn’t continue, and the smile on his face was suppressed.

Can’t smile, can’t get carried away, don’t you see the boss’s face is solemn?

“Mr. Qing, is there any problem?” Mr. Li asked as he handed over the glass of bottled soda that had just been produced.

As soon as Qing Qin saw the evil liquid that was purring with bubbles, he remembered that sip of the concentrate, so he just held it in his hand and never drank it: “Have you found distributors?”

“We used to cooperate with Yuanru, the largest distributor in Jingzhou, but then when the Banfen Soda stepped in, we could only sell it from one supermarket to another” Mr. Li was usually in charge of production. During this period, he was so busy that his feet weren’t touching the ground, so just now he was annoyed.

No wonder the boss is not happy at all. He is so far-sighted and has long seen the flaws in his work.

He hurriedly remedied: “I can try to contact Manager Sun of Jingli Supermarket. He is in charge of supply and a channel.”

Jingli Supermarket is the largest local supermarket chain in Jingzhou, with about 30 chains. It’s a good channel, but for Qibao, who is no longer as brilliant as it used to be, it’s probably a bit too high to reach.

Qing Qin felt that this matter was hopeless, but couldn’t bear to dampen the employees’ enthusiasm, and nodded: “Ok, a box of twelve bottles, a bottle is priced at four yuan with a 35% rebate. It’s as much as we can get on.”

This rebate is 25% higher than big beverage factories on the market, such as Bingrun and Guochun which can be said to be quite favorable.

Vice president Li was overjoyed, and as a result, his confidence became greater.

Jingli supermarket headquarters.

Manager Sun hung up the phone, lit a cigarette, and sighed comfortably.

His secretary just came in with the document in her hand, seeing him like this, she laughed: “Manager Sun, have you talked to Yuanru?” 

Manager Sun smiled and stretched out his fingers to three.

“30%?” The secretary was a little surprised, “To promote the Banfen Soda, Yuanru considered to have invested a lot of money.”

“No.” Manager Sun put out the cigarette butt. “It seems that they changed the boss, he spent quite a money on promotion.” 

The phone rang.

The secretary picked it up, nodded a few times, then turned around with a somewhat helpless expression: “It is their old enemy.” 

Manager Sun’s brows suddenly wrinkled: “Qibao?” 

When it comes to Banfen’s old enemies, it is naturally Qibao. These two beverage factories are rooted in the same city. I don’t know how many rounds they have fought.

Regardless of the fact that there has never been such a scene before, Qibao used to be one of their most important suppliers and the top seller of FMCG drinks. Now it has fallen to the point of asking a supermarket for a spot. Their status now is inseparable from the Banfen.

“Yes. However, it was not President Zhang who runs one’s mouth full of tricks. This time it’s Vice President Li.”

Hearing that it was Vice President Li, Manager Sun was slightly relieved. The second-in-command in charge of production was his old classmate. When they were in school, he had an honest character, and was much easier to deal with: “Let him come in.” 

Mr. Li a bit awkwardly walked in, carrying a small box in his hand, and sweat would fall down if he didn’t speak: “Manager Sun, I came here leaving my dignity and want to beg you this time.”

“It’s okay, you were my old classmate, so you don’t have to talk to me like an outsider.” Manager Sun didn’t move his butt, beckoned, and said with a smile, “Sit down.”

How can Mr. Li sit down? Putting the box he was holding to the table and hastily opened it: “You try our soda first, it tastes absolutely awesome right now.”

“I’ll give you the right to enter a dozen boxes.” Manager Sun originally wanted to dismiss it casually, but when his eyes fall on the glass bottle in the box, he couldn’t say a word.

A very ordinary glass bottle with the word “Qiqi” on the seal bottle body. When he suddenly sees it again, it is as if he was traveling back to the 1980s.

“Why did your Qibao change the packaging? Aren’t they all PET now?” Manager Sun put the familiar bottle in his hand and rolled it around, recalling the summer when he was a teenager, the few cents he saved by stealing, and the joy of gushing out with bubbles.

Mr. Li: “We have a new boss, and we plan to take a retro style. We bought the old recipe and restored it. Now it is the ‘Qiqi’ in memory.”

Manager Sun took a keychain from his waist. Opening the soda bottle with the hanging corkscrew. The white foam rushes up, and the familiar aroma floats out.

“It seems so.” Manager Sun took a sip, and the tiny foam exploded in his mouth, the just right amount of sweetness and refreshing aroma diffused in his mouth. Before he knew it, his Adam’s apple rolled and he swallowed three sips in a row. After drinking carefully, he had the urge to take two more sips.

Manager Sun sighed: “It’s the same as before. How do you set the price?”

“The price is four yuan, 35% rebate.” Mr. Li knew that there was a bargain drama, and immediately took his biggest trump card.

Manager Sun nodded: “You can put 500 boxes and we will try to sell them first.”

“Can’t you have more?” Mr. Li was a little anxious. They produced 1,000 boxes in eight hours a day, so they didn’t know how much this drink accumulated in inventory.

Manager Sun spread out his hands: “There’s no way, you want to sell and they also want to sell.  Originally we plan to push Banfen because they spend a lot of money. What should we do? We only have this position. I give you a little more for the sake of the old classmates. “

It is better than nothing, Mr. Li left with his head down.

Qing Qin was a little surprised when he heard the news. He was ready for the drinks to rot in the warehouse, but even five hundred boxes couldn’t make any splash. He smiled and said: “Well done, after 500 boxes are opened, the market will be fine later.”

Actually, it is not good to start, and Mr. Qing is probably also very uncomfortable, however, he can still comfort others with a smile. This is the demeanor of a general. Meng Tiao wrote in her observation diary again.

The next day, the truck pulled five hundred boxes of soda to the main warehouse, waiting to be put on the shelves and facing the market.