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Chapter 39: Sales Rejection
"I haven't seen you for a long time. What have you been up to lately?" Li Yi sat on the sofa with a mysterious smile on his face.
"Uncle Wei, I've been busy discussing business!"
"Business?" Wei Kang'an raised an eyebrow. "When did you learn to do business?"
At first, he was a little skeptical, but seeing Li Yi's confident demeanor, he subconsciously began to believe him.
"Oh? What kind of business are we talking about?"
Li Yi smiled and said, "Of course, it's a big business, but I don't know if Uncle Wei would be interested."
"Are you here to do business with me?"
"I do have that plan, but I'm not sure if you'll give me the opportunity," Li Yi replied.
"Hmm, I wonder what kind of business you're thinking of."
"The first business involves giving you money, and the second one is about making money from you. Which one would you like to hear about first?" Li Yi asked.
"Let's talk about the money-giving business first," Wei Kang'an sighed. "You don't know how tough things have been at the factory. Your Uncle Wei and I are almost driven mad trying to make ends meet!"
"I want to rent some cold storage in our factory," Li Yi said calmly.
"Cold storage? What do you need it for?"
"I want to store some perishable fruits there."
"Okay, you can use it, but do you really need to pay me for this? If your father finds out, it could cause trouble between us," Wei Kang'an said, looking concerned.
"Uncle Wei, if it were just a few kilograms, I wouldn't pay you, but this time, it's a large quantity, and the storage will take at least half a month. It's only right that I give you something in return."
"What fruits are you talking about, and how much do you have?"
"About 600,000 catties of apples and pears."
"How much did you say?" Wei Kang'an asked, incredulity in his voice. "Six hundred thousand catties? That's 300,000 kilograms, or 300 tons!"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Where did you get all these apples and pears?"
"I bought them."
"Bought them?" Wei Kang'an's eyebrows furrowed. "The second business you're talking about isn't selling apples to me, is it?"
"You guessed it! It's almost time for the factory's benefits distribution, but nothing has been done yet, right?" Li Yi said, his eyes glinting with confidence.
Wei Kang'an's expression grew more serious, and he nodded.
"Uncle Wei, I know the factory is facing difficulties, so I want to offer you a win-win deal."
"Win-win?" Wei Kang'an's interest was piqued. "Tell me more. How are you planning to do business with me?"
Li Yi didn't respond immediately. Instead, he moved a box of apples he had brought to Wei Kang'an's desk.
"Uncle Wei, what do you think of these apples?" Li Yi asked as he opened the box.
Wei Kang'an took a look and raised an eyebrow. The packaging was high-end, and the apples inside looked plump and fresh—clearly a premium product.
"Not bad, these apples look quite attractive! The packaging is beautiful, too," he commented.
Li Yi smiled, but there was a hint of pride in his expression. "The apples are of the best quality, and I got them at a good price."
Wei Kang'an's expression turned serious as he considered the situation. These apples were definitely not cheap, and he realized the price on the market was only a fraction of what Li Yi was asking.
"How much are you selling these for?" he asked, trying to mask his concern.
"Uncle Wei, are you aware that the factory's financial situation is tough right now?"
"Yes, I know. But if the price isn't too high, I can still buy some," Wei Kang'an replied.
Li Yi smiled. "I'm not here to take advantage of you, Uncle Wei. If you want them now, I can sell them to you for five yuan per box."
"Five yuan? That's not cheap!" Wei Kang'an was taken aback.
"Each box contains about 20 kilograms of apples. So, five yuan per box means it's only about 2.5 cents per kilogram. That's almost 2.5 times the price of what apples on the market are going for!" Li Yi said confidently.
"You still say you're not cheating me? Even though I'm the factory director, your Uncle Wei can't accept personal favors!" Wei Kang'an scoffed, though his curiosity was piqued.
Li Yi smiled and said, "Uncle Wei, I really won't cheat you. But this price is only available today. After today, the price will go up, and it will be significantly higher!"
"How much higher can it go? Are you going to sell these for ten yuan per box?" Wei Kang'an asked, skeptical.
Li Yi smiled again. "It's possible."
"You want to raise the price that much? The workers in the factory will definitely complain!"
Li Yi just shrugged. "If the factory needs more apples in a few days, you can come back to me, but by then, the price will have gone up."
"Fine, you can talk to your dad about the cold storage. But forget about the apples!" Wei Kang'an said dismissively.
Li Yi stood up, nodded, and said, "Okay, I'll leave now."
"Take the apples with you too. I don't want people saying that I, the factory director, am accepting gifts when I first start," Wei Kang'an joked.
"No need to take the apples. It's a small token of respect from me to you," Li Yi replied with a grin before leaving.
As Li Yi made his way downstairs, he saw Wei Sanpao hurrying out of the duty room. Wei Sanpao quickly asked, "Brother Yi, what did my dad say? Will he buy the apples?"
"No, he's not buying."
"Why not?"
"He said the price is too high."
"Ah, it's indeed expensive, but if he doesn't buy them, what should we do next?"
Li Yi smiled confidently. "Don't worry, everything is going according to plan."
"Then what's next?"
"Tomorrow, I'll have the packaging design ready. Then, Xiaowu's family will produce the boxes. Your task is to go back and tell your father that we'll use the factory's big truck to transport the apples to Yandong City in a few days. We'll take care of the shipping fees."
"Why the factory's truck?" Wei Sanpao asked, puzzled.
"This is a key part of the plan. I'll explain it later. Can we use the truck?"
"Of course! The factory has hundreds of trucks, most of which are just sitting idle. If we need them, how can they refuse?" Wei Sanpao responded eagerly.
"Great! Now, I have another task for you."
"A task?"
"Yes, give out gifts."
"Give gifts?"
"Yes, we have 500 kilograms of apples. Starting tomorrow, you'll deliver them to the homes of the heads of various enterprises and units, like the textile factory, the accessory factory, and the supply and marketing cooperative. Tell them they're Fuji apples imported from Japan, and just let them have a taste."
"Got it! I know many of the factory directors' kids and some of them are my classmates. It will be easy to deliver them in the name of a visit!"
"Good. If you get this done, our fruit business will be set."
"Don't worry. Leave it to me!"
"Perfect!"
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