The Sleek Electronics Company's Beijing branch was located across the street from Ge Lu Shi Audio Store. Sleek and Le Sheng, another audio company, were less than 100 meters apart on the same street. Sleek was a renowned brand in China's Hi-Fi amplifier market, and the combination of Sleek amplifiers with Le Sheng flagship speakers was often dubbed the "poor man's Rolls-Royce" by enthusiasts.
The first floor of Sleek's store was dedicated to retail, while the upper floor housed offices. The store primarily sold its own products but also carried notable international brands from Germany, Japan, and the UK.
Liu Bing parked the car in front of Sleek's store, following Ye Xiaoming inside, where they found General Manager Zhao Zhongtao discussing the performance of a CD player with a friend. Zhao, not yet forty, was tall and slender, with a weathered forehead sporting a few strands of hair and a pair of thick glasses. He wore an old-fashioned burgundy jacket, giving him a scholarly appearance. Despite being a native of Guangzhou, Zhao spoke fluent Beijing dialect, endearing him to local customers.
Upon seeing Ye, Zhao warmly greeted him, "Xiaoming, my old friend! How are you?"
Ye shook hands with Zhao, replying, "Hello, Mr. Zhao!"
Zhao laughed, "I heard there's a new audio store on that street. Sent someone to check it out, and it turns out to be you! Your BMW scared him off, though. I thought you had shut down last year, but here you are, making it big in the capital. Impressive!"
Ye clasped his hands in a humble gesture, "Just friends helping out. I'm muddling through." He then glanced at Liu Bing, who promptly handed over a purchase order. Ye gave it to Zhao, adding, "I'm new here and don't know the ropes yet. I'd appreciate your guidance."
Zhao examined the order, his expression becoming serious. "Let's discuss this in my office."
The order included:
Sleek Audio Power Supplies: 24 unitsSleek Amplifier Pre-amps: 24 unitsSleek Amplifier Power-amps: 48 unitsSerinda Signature Series CD Players: 12 sets
*Note 1: The power supplies and amplifiers must support a voltage range of 110V 50Hz to 240V 50Hz. *Note 2: Six of the 24 power amplifiers should have potentiometers installed at the rear.
Upstairs in the office, Zhao invited Ye and Liu to sit. He reviewed the order again and asked, "This order is worth tens of thousands. Are these for store sales, or do you have another use? What about cables? Speaker and signal cables? This setup seems paired. You ordered 12 CD players, so 12 power supplies and 12 amplifier sets would suffice. Why double the amount? Domestic voltage is 200V to 240V. Why include 110V? And why add potentiometers to six power amplifiers when the pre-amp already controls volume?"
Ye explained, "The equipment is for Ge Lu Shi speakers being exported. Ten sets for export, two as backups. France uses 127V to 220V, the UK 240V, and Germany 220V. Each speaker pair needs two power supplies, two pre-amps, and four power amps. The Serinda Signature Series CD player already supports dual output and wide voltage. We've ordered customized cables and plugs with Ge Lu Shi branding. As for the potentiometers, just install them as requested."
Zhao was taken aback, "You're making speakers? What kind of speakers need so many amplifiers? And you're exporting to Western Europe?"
Ye smiled, "We're giving it a try, relying on Sleek amplifiers and Le Sheng flagship components."
After pondering, Zhao agreed, "Okay, we'll modify the voltage and install the potentiometers. We'll ensure top quality to protect Sleek's reputation in Europe. This special order will affect the price, and per company policy, you need to pay a deposit."
"No problem. Name your price," Ye replied.
"For an order worth tens of thousands, a 10,000 yuan deposit should suffice," Zhao said.
Liu Bing immediately handed over the prepared 10,000 yuan, and Zhao issued a receipt, completing the transaction.
Ye put away the receipt, "One more thing, Mr. Zhao. I need a favor."
Zhao quickly responded, "No need for formalities. Tell me how I can help."
Ye continued, "I've been meaning to invite you and Mr. Yu from Le Sheng for dinner. Today, I placed this order not to haggle but to extend the invitation. Your influence is significant, and I'd appreciate your help in arranging this."
Zhao insisted, "You're giving us business; I should be treating you. Dinner is on me tonight." He picked up the phone and called, "Zhiwei, it's Zhongtao. Are you free tonight? Let's find a place to drink and chat... It's nothing serious... Just come, you'll see... Great, see you soon."
Zhao hung up, "Zhiwei will be here shortly."
Ye politely said, "If you couldn't accommodate, I would have left and tried again another time." He made a move to leave, showing he meant no offense.
Zhao quickly reassured, "No need for that. It's settled, tonight's on me. We'll meet again."
The three men stood chatting near the store entrance, waiting for Yu Zhiwei from Le Sheng's Beijing branch. As the two stores were close, Yu arrived promptly.
Yu folded his wet umbrella at the door and greeted them with a smile, "I saw the BMW and knew Xiaoming was here. Great to see you!"
Ye smiled, "I should have visited you and Mr. Zhao sooner. Tonight's dinner is on me, as an apology."
Yu laughed, "I wanted to visit your store but wasn't sure of your status. I thought you'd invite us to your opening, but I waited in vain. It was quite a letdown."
Liu Bing, having had no chance to speak, interjected, "Ye, it's almost dinner time. We should go before the parking lot fills up."
Ye smiled, "Let's not delay. Everyone, to the cars."
Yu glanced at Liu Bing, "You look familiar. Have we met before?"
Liu Bing replied, "I'm Liu Bing. I accompanied Ye to your store before." He handed them each a business card, "Please, feel free to contact me anytime."
Yu looked at the card and shook Liu's hand, "Nice to meet you again, Mr. Liu."
Zhao nodded at Liu and asked Ye, "Where are we dining?"
Ye confidently answered, "Quanjude, of course."
Zhao laughed, "An outsider's choice. Quanjude is great, but old Beijingers know that Bianyifang, with its 600-year history of closed-oven roasting, is the true classic."
Yu added, "I've been to Quanjude. Let's try Bianyifang."
Ye agreed, "I didn't know that. Let's go to Bianyifang then. You lead the way."