Xu Xiuwen had an idea about the Guangming Distillery.
He started looking for news on a large scale.
He quickly gathered some information.
Before its bankruptcy, Guangming Distillery had been listed for sale at the Guangming City Property Exchange Center, with a one-time buyout price of 95 million.
But it never sold, indicating that the actual price might be even lower than this asking price.
Honestly, even if it was one or two million lower, Xu Xiuwen still didn't have that much money.
It's important to know that even if he bought the distillery, he would still need funds to operate it.
However, Xu Xiuwen felt this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
He really didn't want to miss it.
He decided to find Xu Qian tomorrow to get a deeper understanding of the distillery's situation.
Xu Qian's father happened to be an employee at the distillery, so he might have a lot of inside information.
The next morning, Xu Xiuwen called Xu Qian to ask if she was up yet.
When he heard she had just woken up, Xu Xiuwen promptly suggested they have breakfast together.
Hearing Xu Qian agree, Xu Xiuwen immediately drove to pick her up.
As Xu Qian hung up the phone, she sat on her bed, completely stunned.
Mr. Xu actually invited her to breakfast early in the morning?
She thought of what Lu Xinyao had said last night.
Could it be that real life was really like a romantic love story between a star boss and a small employee?
Thinking of this, she couldn't help blushing.
Xu Qian patted her cheeks and told herself, "Calm down, Mr. Xu might have something to discuss with you. Don't overthink it."
Calming down, she remembered that Xu Xiuwen was on his way.
She hurried to her wardrobe to pick out what to wear.
Twenty minutes later.
Xu Qian changed into carefully chosen clothes and applied light makeup, then prepared to go downstairs to wait for Xu Xiuwen.
Just as she walked out of her room and into the living room, Lu Xinyao's door suddenly opened.
Lu Xinyao came out.
She was in her pajamas, heading towards the bathroom.
Seeing Xu Qian in the living room, especially noticing how beautifully she was dressed, Lu Xinyao stopped and asked in confusion, "Qian Qian, why are you up so early?"
Seeing Lu Xinyao and hearing her question, Xu Qian felt a bit nervous.
She forced a smile and said, "I'm going out for breakfast."
"Dressed so nicely and even wearing makeup, are you sure you're just going out for breakfast?" Lu Xinyao looked skeptical.
Xu Qian didn't know why she wanted to hide it from Lu Xinyao.
Mr. Xu inviting her to breakfast was something she didn't really need to hide from Lu Xinyao; she could have just said it outright.
But when Lu Xinyao asked just now, she panicked and subconsciously chose to lie.
Now that she had lied, she had to keep lying.
"I have something to do later."
Lu Xinyao nodded, not asking further, though she still found it odd.
After Lu Xinyao entered the bathroom, Xu Qian quickly went downstairs.
She thought Mr. Xu hadn't arrived yet and planned to wait for him downstairs.
But as she got downstairs, she found that Xu Xiuwen was already there.
A white BMW was parked downstairs.
Xu Qian recognized it as Mr. Xu's car from the license plate.
Xu Xiuwen had been watching the entrance through the rearview mirror.
He saw Xu Qian as soon as she came out.
Once she got into the passenger seat, Xu Xiuwen turned to look at her and said, "You have a great sense of style. The color of your clothes today matches these earrings very well. You look great."
"Thank you, Mr. Xu." Xu Qian was overjoyed to hear his compliment.
Especially since he noticed her earrings. This kind of attentive observation made her feel that Mr. Xu was very sincere.
On the surface, however, she tried to remain calm.
Xu Xiuwen asked, "Where would you like to eat?"
Xu Qian smiled and said, "I'm fine with anything. You can choose, Mr. Xu."
"Alright, since it's still early, I'll take you to try the famous Jiming Soup Dumplings in Jinling."
Xu Qian was pleasantly surprised, "Mr. Xu, you know about Jiming Soup Dumplings too? I've always heard my roommates talk about it but never had the chance to go."
"Hehe, no worries, you'll get to try them today."
Xu Xiuwen started driving quietly towards Lao Gulou's Jiming Soup Dumpling Shop.
He didn't say much along the way.
Xu Qian kept wondering why Xu Xiuwen suddenly invited her to breakfast, and why he specifically took her to a famous shop.
What was his purpose in doing this?
It couldn't just be a simple breakfast invitation.
She felt like she was in the plot of a romantic love story.
This made her heart race.
Taking advantage of Xu Xiuwen's focus on driving, she sneaked a glance at him.
He was really handsome.
Wealthy, good-looking, gentle, and courageous—thinking about how he saved her last night made Xu Qian's heart pound like a deer caught in headlights.
In an instant, her face turned bright red.
Half an hour later.
Xu Xiuwen parked near the Lao Gulou's Jiming Soup Dumpling Shop.
Even though they arrived relatively early, there were still a lot of people, and they had to queue up.
After waiting for more than twenty minutes, it was finally their turn.
Xu Xiuwen and Xu Qian sat down after entering the shop.
Xu Xiuwen, who liked savory food, ordered a bowl of duck blood soup and a basket of soup dumplings.
Xu Qian, who had a sweet tooth, ordered a bowl of red bean glutinous rice balls and a basket of soup dumplings.
They also ordered a serving of chicken juice braised dried tofu.
The food arrived quickly.
Xu Xiuwen said, "Hurry up and eat while it's hot, it won't taste as good if it gets cold."
Xu Qian nodded, then picked up a soup dumpling and took a bite.
The rich soup burst through the skin and filled her mouth. The complex flavors made Xu Qian close her eyes in happiness.
"Mr. Xu, it's really delicious. You should try one too."
"Alright."
They ate their breakfast.
Xu Qian ate slowly, occasionally sneaking glances at Xu Xiuwen.
Surrounded by other customers, it was very lively.
In the midst of it all, she felt like she and Xu Xiuwen were a couple.
Xu Qian didn't have a big appetite, and there were eight dumplings in a basket, but she only ate six.
Seeing the two dumplings left, Xu Xiuwen asked, "Are you full?"
Xu Qian nodded.
Upon hearing this, Xu Xiuwen directly picked up the remaining two dumplings and ate them.
Watching him unreservedly take the dumplings from her, Xu Qian's cheeks blushed again, and her heart began to race uncontrollably.
After breakfast, they settled the bill and left the shop.
Xu Xiuwen looked around and finally said, "Well, it seems there's no suitable place to sit and chat around here. Let's get in the car, I'll find a quiet place where we can talk."
Xu Qian's heart fluttered, but she didn't refuse.
If having breakfast together didn't mean anything, then not letting her go back after breakfast and instead finding a quiet place to chat certainly did.
Xu Qian tried hard to tell herself not to overthink it.
But it was hard not to.
Xu Xiuwen had no idea what Xu Qian was thinking.
After driving to a quiet area, he parked the car and turned to Xu Qian, "How did you find the Jiming Soup Dumplings?"
Xu Qian said, "The soup was plentiful and very satisfying, the red bean glutinous rice balls were also delicious."
After a brief chat, Xu Xiuwen got to the point.
"Xu Qian, I have something to ask you."
"Go ahead, Mr. Xu."
"I want to know about the Guangming Distillery."
Xu Qian felt a bit disappointed hearing Xu Xiuwen ask about the distillery, but she hid her disappointment well.
She said, "What do you want to know about it?"
Xu Xiuwen asked, "Your dad works at the distillery, did he ever mention what the biggest problem the distillery is facing now?"
Xu Qian thought for a moment and replied, "The biggest problem is that the liquor isn't selling. The distillery is losing money every day, long-term insolvency has made it unsustainable."
"It shouldn't be like this, Guangming liquor used to sell well, why did it gradually stop selling? I heard the quality of the liquor has declined, is that true?"
Xu Qian nodded, "Yes, my dad often says that the quality of Guangming liquor is inconsistent now, it shouldn't even be sold."
"Why is that?"
Xu Qian said angrily, "The procurement section chief buys a large amount of substandard materials, so the quality of the liquor varies greatly."
Xu Xiuwen asked curiously, "The procurement section chief is making money, and the factory manager and other leaders just let it slide?"
"My dad has reported it many times, but the factory manager and other leaders don't care, they're all in it together. The money goes into their pockets, they only care about lining their own pockets, not the factory's survival!"
Xu Qian started talking about the leaders of the Guangming Distillery with a frown, gritting her teeth.
Xu Qian had never worked at Guangming Distillery herself, so it seemed all this information came from her father.
Through Xu Qian, Xu Xiuwen learned something important.
The issue with Guangming's liquor wasn't in the brewing process but in the raw materials.
This was the biggest problem because the taste of the liquor changed, and customers' impressions of Guangming liquor naturally diminished.
Even if they used good raw materials to make liquor in the future, it might not reverse most people's impressions of Guangming liquor.
This was the most critical point.
Unless they changed the name.
People are forgetful; changing the name might be much better.
Xu Qian continued, "Besides the leadership, many employees in the factory secretly take liquor out to sell at much lower prices than usual. Everyone is willing to buy cheap Guangming liquor, and nobody wants to buy the factory's liquor."
Xu Xiuwen noted what Xu Qian said.
He asked, "How many years has your father worked at the distillery?"
Xu Qian replied, "Twenty years!"
"Your father has quite deep experience, so why is he still just a director?"
Xu Qian said, "My father doesn't go along with those corrupt leaders, so he's been suppressed everywhere. If it weren't for his good relationships with others, they would have found an excuse to fire him long ago!"
Xu Xiuwen nodded and continued asking, "Your father should be very familiar with the situation in the factory, right? Does he know who is dedicated to the factory, who are the leeches, and who are undermining the factory?"
Xu Qian nodded, "Although my father isn't the longest-serving worker in the factory, he definitely knows the factory best. No one could know the distillery better than him."
"Do you think there's hope for the distillery if your father becomes the factory director?"
Xu Xiuwen thought Xu Qian would say yes.
Unexpectedly, Xu Qian shook her head, "No."
Xu Xiuwen was stunned.
Xu Qian explained, "The situation at the distillery is too complicated now. It's not something one person can change. Even if my father becomes the director, the distillery's reputation is ruined, and there are also financial problems. My father hasn't received a salary for months, and some workers haven't been paid for a year. The most hateful thing is those leaders who only care about themselves and not the distillery's survival."
Xu Xiuwen pondered for a moment and asked, "Do you think it would be a wise decision if I bought the distillery?"
Xu Qian was startled, "Mr. Xu, you want to buy the distillery?"
Xu Xiuwen nodded, "Xu Qian, I'm not hiding this from you. I do want to buy the distillery."
Xu Qian shook her head vigorously.
She earnestly advised, "Mr. Xu, don't buy the distillery. It's a mess right now and can't be salvaged. If you buy the distillery, you'll definitely lose money."
Actually, Xu Qian made sense. If the distillery didn't improve, it would indeed be a losing business.
But Xu Xiuwen knew that in the future, housing and land prices would skyrocket.
This is a historical trend that no one can stop.
When that time comes, Guangming Distillery's land alone would be enough to make a profit.
This was the most reliable investment.
Xu Qian's earlier words were genuinely for Xu Xiuwen's benefit.
Xu Xiuwen was quite pleased.
He said, "Xu Qian, thank you for considering me. I thought about it carefully all last night. I'm not worried about losing money. I'm only concerned about whether I can buy the distillery and whether I can get it back into production."
Xu Qian, seeing that she couldn't persuade Xu Xiuwen, was a bit helpless.
She seriously thought for a few seconds and replied, "Mr. Xu, I only know a little. If you really want to buy it, I can give you my father's contact information. You can talk to him. He can definitely clear up your doubts."
Xu Xiuwen smiled and said, "That's exactly what I mean. If I could meet your father and talk about the distillery, that would be great. And I hope it can be as soon as possible."
Xu Qian nodded, "I'll call my father now."
"Alright."
This matter couldn't wait for Xu Xiuwen.
In his previous life, the distillery had already been sold by this time.
In this life, because of the butterfly effect, it hadn't been sold yet, but who knows when it will be sold.
Not to mention whether he has the money to buy the distillery.
If he really plans to buy it and misses it because he was a step too slow, he'd regret it.
While Xu Qian was on the phone, Xu Xiuwen got out of the car and bought two bottles of water from a small shop on the roadside.
When he returned to the car, Xu Qian had finished the call.
Xu Xiuwen handed over a bottle of mineral water and asked, "What did your father say?"
Xu Qian was excited, "Mr. Xu, my father was very happy to know you wanted to buy the distillery. He said you could contact him anytime. My father's number is xxx!"
"Stop!"
Xu Xiuwen quickly stopped Xu Qian.
Xu Qian looked over, bewildered.
Xu Xiuwen said, "It's hard to explain over the phone. If your dad has time, it's better to discuss it face-to-face."
Xu Qian thought for a moment and agreed with Xu Xiuwen.
She said, "My dad happens to be free today. I'll call him and ask him to come to Jinling."
Xu Xiuwen chuckled, "No need to go through that trouble!"
"What do you mean, Mr. Xu?" Xu Qian asked.
Xu Xiuwen responded with a question, "Your dad is free today, right?"
"Yes, he's at home now."
"Alright, then let's go see him now."
"Now? Mr. Xu, are you joking?" Xu Qian was very surprised.
Xu Xiuwen smiled at her, started the car, and began driving towards the Yangtze River Bridge.
Only then did Xu Qian realize he was serious.