bookrandom Chapter 637 Detailed Discussion in Person
Chapter 637 Detailed Discussion in Person
After the goods were loaded, Tian Guoqiang's convoy left the factory. Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou watched the convoy disappear into the distance, both of them with somewhat solemn expressions.
“Xiangyang, I think Tian Guoqiang is under a lot of pressure,” Wang Ergou said.
“That’s obvious,” Li Xiangyang nodded. “Tianrun’s cash flow is probably tighter than we thought.”
"Should we...?"
“Let’s observe further,” Li Xiangyang interrupted Wang Ergou. “It’s too early to draw conclusions.”
Three days later, Lin Yajing called.
"Mr. Li, we have inspected the first batch of goods. The quality is very good, and sales are also good." Lin Yajing's voice sounded very satisfied.
"That's good." Li Xiangyang breathed a sigh of relief. "Manager Lin, is there anything that needs improvement?"
"Things are going well so far. But I'd like to ask, how much more can your production capacity be increased?"
"What? Does Hualian need to increase their orders?"
“That’s possible,” Lin Yajing said. “Our headquarters is considering promoting your products in East China. If it’s successful, our order volume could double.”
Li Xiangyang's heart skipped a beat, but he remained cautious in his words: "Manager Lin, increasing production capacity isn't a problem, but we need to plan ahead. After all, expanding production requires time and money."
"I understand. How about this, I'll bring our purchasing director to visit your factory next week, and we can discuss the details then."
After hanging up the phone, Li Xiangyang immediately called Tian Guoqiang.
"Mr. Tian, Hualian might be increasing their orders. Can you handle the volume?"
"Really?" Tian Guoqiang's voice was filled with excitement. "That's great! We have no problems on our end; warehousing and distribution can keep up."
"Don't get too excited yet; the specific amount hasn't been determined," Li Xiangyang cautioned. "And with a larger amount, the financial requirements will be even higher."
"Mr. Li, rest assured, Tianrun will absolutely not hold you back."
Li Xiangyang sensed the lack of confidence in Tian Guoqiang's words and felt somewhat worried. However, he didn't say much, only reminding him, "Mr. Tian, let's remember, stability is paramount."
A week later, Lin Yajing indeed brought Hualian's purchasing director to the factory. The purchasing director was a middle-aged man in his fifties, surnamed Chen, who seemed very experienced.
"Mr. Li, your factory is quite large." Director Chen stopped in front of the production line and carefully observed the production process.
"Mr. Chen, you flatter me," Li Xiangyang said modestly. "We are still continuously improving and expanding."
"I've reviewed your product quality report, and all the indicators are excellent." Director Chen nodded. "Hualian has very strict quality requirements; your ability to meet these standards demonstrates your good management."
Over the next two hours, Director Chen inquired in detail about the factory's production capacity, quality control system, raw material procurement, and other aspects. Every question he raised was very professional, and Li Xiangyang answered them in great detail.
"Mr. Li, to be honest, Hualian does intend to increase its purchasing volume," Director Chen concluded, "but we have one condition."
“You say.”
"We hope to sign a supply agreement directly with you, with Tianrun Trading only responsible for the delivery process."
This statement surprised Li Xiangyang. He glanced at Tian Guoqiang beside him and noticed that Tian Guoqiang's expression had instantly turned ugly.
"Mr. Chen, this..." Li Xiangyang hesitated, "Our tripartite cooperation agreement was just signed recently."
“I understand your concerns,” Director Chen said. “However, from Hualian’s perspective, reducing intermediate steps helps control costs and quality. Of course, we will also provide Tianrun with corresponding delivery fees.”
Tian Guoqiang finally couldn't help but speak up: "President Chen, Tianrun doesn't just do delivery; we also handle channel maintenance, customer service, and other related work."
“We acknowledge the value of this work, but we hope to have control over the pricing.” Director Chen’s attitude was firm.
Silence fell over the meeting room. Li Xiangyang knew that Hualian was testing the stability of their tripartite cooperation, and also questioning Tianrun's strength.
"Mr. Chen, Manager Lin, how about this, give us some time to consider it," Li Xiangyang said finally. "After all, this involves adjusting the cooperation model."
“Of course,” Lin Yajing nodded. “We also need time to conduct an internal assessment.”
After seeing off the people from Hualian, Li Xiangyang and Tian Guoqiang sat down in the office for a deep conversation.
"Mr. Tian, what do you think of Hualian's proposal?" Li Xiangyang asked directly.
Tian Guoqiang's expression was complicated: "To be honest, I'm a little worried. If Hualian partners directly with you, the value of Tianrun will be greatly reduced."
"So what do you think we should do?"
"Mr. Li, I have a question for you," Tian Guoqiang's tone became serious, "Do you think Tianrun still has a reason to exist?"
This question made Li Xiangyang pause for a moment. He had to admit that Hualian's proposal was indeed very attractive. Direct cooperation could reduce communication costs, improve efficiency, and simplify profit distribution.
But wouldn't that be too heartless?
"President Tian, I think the key is not whether Tianrun has a reason to exist, but what value Tianrun can create," Li Xiangyang said in conclusion.
What do you mean?
"If Tianrun were just a simple middleman, then it wouldn't be irreplaceable. But if Tianrun can provide unique value, such as better channel resources or more professional services, then it's a different story."
Tian Guoqiang nodded thoughtfully: "You're right. It seems I need to reassess Tianrun's value."
“Mr. Tian, to be honest, Hualian’s proposal is indeed very attractive to me,” Li Xiangyang said directly. “However, I won’t make any decisions behind your back. If we really need to adjust the cooperation model, we’ll sit down and discuss it properly.”
Tian Guoqiang looked at Li Xiangyang gratefully: "Mr. Li, I'm relieved to hear you say that."
“However, Mr. Tian, I also have a request,” Li Xiangyang’s tone became serious. “Tianrun must demonstrate its value with concrete actions, not just empty promises.”
"You're right, I will try my best."
Two days later, in the evening, Li Xiangyang was taking a walk with his wife at home when Tian Guoqiang suddenly called.
"Mr. Li, I've got an idea!" Tian Guoqiang's voice was excited.
“What method?”
"I plan to develop ten more large supermarket clients in South China, so I won't be overly reliant on Hualian alone. Furthermore, I've contacted several food processing companies to develop some new product lines."
Li Xiangyang was somewhat surprised: "President Tian, this is a good idea, but it must require a lot of funding, right?"
"I do need the funds, and I'm prepared to invest another 500,000."
"Five hundred thousand?" Li Xiangyang frowned. "President Tian, are you sure Tianrun has that kind of financial strength?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then Tian Guoqiang's voice sounded somewhat unnatural: "Mr. Li, to be honest, I'm planning to sell my house in Guangzhou."
These words struck Li Xiangyang like a chord. For someone to be willing to sell their house to start a business, it meant they either had absolute confidence in the business or were desperate.
"Mr. Tian, don't rush into a decision," Li Xiangyang advised. "These kinds of things require careful consideration."
“Mr. Li, I’ve thought it through very clearly,” Tian Guoqiang said firmly. “If we don’t expand, Tianrun will forever remain a small business. But if we succeed, our cooperation prospects will be much broader.”
Li Xiangyang was silent for a moment, then finally said, "Mr. Tian, how about this, I'll go to Guangzhou tomorrow, and we can discuss this in person."