sinovels Chapter 41 The Food Company on the Verge of Bankruptcy
Chapter 41 The Food Company on the Verge of Bankruptcy
That evening, Lin Mu received a phone call from Factory Director Mao.
As soon as the call connected, Factory Manager Mao said, "General Manager Lin, I have something to ask you. Recently, a purchasing agent from JD.com contacted me, saying they want to order 5000 pairs of stockings to sell on their platform."
"He gave me a 60-day payment period and said that if sales are good, he'll wholesale 5 pieces. Mr. Lin, these pearlescent stockings were promoted by Taobao, so should I refuse JD.com's offer?"
Lin Mu thought for a moment and replied, "Director Mao, the pearlescent stockings weren't developed by Taobao alone; they were developed in collaboration between you and me."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Factory Director Mao exclaimed, suddenly realizing, "You're right!"
Lin Mu continued, "You can try contacting JD.com. And as far as I know, JD.com officially says the payment period is 60 days, but in reality, after 60 days, they will find all sorts of reasons to delay, so the actual payment period is 100 days."
"But he wasn't lying to you. If it sells well on JD.com, he will definitely order in large quantities next time."
"Our product is also quite suitable for the JD.com platform."
In the wholesale industry, a 100-day payment period is not short, but it is not particularly long either. Some large channels with strict controls even offer payment periods of up to 180 days.
The golden age of e-commerce is about to arrive, with Taobao expected to grow by 20-30% annually, and JD.com's growth rate is also quite fast.
After discussing this matter, Director Mao asked, "By the way, General Manager Lin, I have a friend I'd like to introduce you to. He's a second-generation entrepreneur; his family is in the food business."
"His father passed away recently, and he took over the company from him. The takeover went relatively smoothly at first, but his company sells old-fashioned bread, which has low profit margins and is becoming less and less popular in the market. Recently, the company has been experiencing a cash flow problem and is on the verge of collapse."
"I heard that my factory was revived through e-commerce, so he came to me for advice. I felt sorry for him, and he's a sensible person with basic execution skills; he's not the kind of person who's all talk and no action. So I wanted to introduce him to you so you could take a look."
"Oh, don't worry, I didn't say anything I shouldn't have. I only told him that I met a very responsible Taobao customer service representative who gave me some good advice, which brought the factory back to life. Mr. Lin, what's the meaning of this?"
Food company?
Lin Mu thought that the food category would also enter a period of rapid development, which was within his capabilities, so it would be good to go and take a look.
He replied, "Okay, you choose a place, I'll be there now."
Factory Director Mao said, "We're right here in Shangri-La. Oh, by the way, one of my best friends, Mingyue, is coming too. Mr. Lin, is that convenient for you?"
Lin Mu thought of the mature and capable Sheng Mingyue and said, "Sure, there's no problem. Let her come along."
……
Inside the private room at the Shangri-La Hotel, everyone was clinking glasses and exchanging toasts.
Gu Ming looked at Factory Director Mao with envy. At this moment, Factory Director Mao was wearing a leopard-print coat, his hands were covered with gold and silver jewelry, and a pearl necklace hung around his neck. He looked every bit the nouveau riche.
Don't let the unfashionable appearance fool you; it's actually quite effective among business owners.
Unlike later generations, today's business circles don't move from the low-end to the high-end. In today's market environment, people pay a lot of attention to what clothes you wear, what car you drive, and what watch you wear.
If you don't even have these, others will doubt your abilities.
Gu Ming clearly remembered that four months ago, Director Mao was far from wearing gold and silver; his hands were very plain, and he didn't even have a gold ring. Now, his former extravagance has returned, and all of this is thanks to Lin Mu.
On the other side, Sheng Mingyue looked at Lin Mu, who was talking eloquently at the banquet, with a slightly admiring and appreciative gaze.
Most women admire strength. Sheng Mingyue witnessed firsthand how Lin Mu successfully managed the pearlescent stockings category and how he turned the tide in a public opinion crisis.
Gu Ming raised his glass and praised, "Brother Lin, I truly admire you! Your operational methods are amazing. I never imagined business could be done this way. I also use Baidu Tieba, but who would have thought it could be used to drive traffic? Enough said, I'll drink this first!"
At the dinner table, Gu Ming drank quite a bit of baijiu (Chinese liquor) on his own, at least two liang (100ml). After his face turned red, he finally revealed his true intention: "Brother Lin, if it's convenient for you, could you come and take a look at my factory? Is there anything I'm not doing right? You just need to give me a few pointers. I respect capable business consultants the most."
Lin Mu knew they were getting to the point and said, "Okay, then let's go take a look at your factory."
Gu Ming was overjoyed. His company's cash flow was currently unhealthy, and what was worse, there were 10,000 boxes of old-fashioned small breads piling up in the warehouse, with only two months left before they expired, and it looked like they were all going to go to waste.
He was already very satisfied that someone as capable as Lin Mu was willing to take a look. He didn't even dare to hope that Lin Mu could sell off all the stockpiled inventory. He only hoped to minimize the losses and recover some funds so that the company would have more room to maneuver in the future.
On the other side, Sheng Mingyue, who was quietly adding wine and telling jokes to liven up the atmosphere at the table, felt even more admiration for Lin Mu.
It's easy to see that when someone is repeatedly praised, they're bound to become arrogant; and after a few drinks, they'll inevitably reveal their true nature and become a bit carried away.
But Lin Mu was one of the few people who could control his emotions very well. Throughout the entire dinner, he hardly boasted, put on airs, conducted any obedience tests, or even urged Gu Ming to drink more.
Throughout the entire banquet, his behavior remained restrained and appropriate.
……
When everyone arrived at the parking lot, Factory Director Mao and Sheng Mingyue suggested that they also go to Gu Ming's warehouse to see how Lin Mu operated it, so as to broaden their horizons and learn from him.
Lin Mu naturally had no objection, and if he had no objection, Gu Ming certainly wouldn't have any either.
But as soon as they arrived at the parking lot, Gu Ming suddenly rushed to the side of the green belt and vomited.
When he came out after drinking the liquor, he didn't feel anything at first, and even thought he could drink a few more cups. But when the cold wind blew, he suddenly felt dizzy and lightheaded, and his whole body felt uncomfortable.
Even Lin Mu, after only a few cups of baijiu, felt somewhat unwell.
He chuckled to himself, realizing that his newfound status meant he was drinking less baijiu (Chinese liquor) and his body was no longer adjusting.
Just then, Sheng Mingyue took out a thermos from her Chanel handbag and said, "President Lin, this is warm honey water, it can help with hangovers, would you like some?"
Lin Mu glanced over instinctively and caught a glimpse of her slender, jade-like hands and the pink nail polish on her crescent-shaped fingernails. He instinctively wanted to refuse, as such a gesture seemed a bit ambiguous.
Sheng Mingyue seemed to see through his concerns and explained, "President Lin, I know you will definitely drink a lot of alcohol today. This is a new thermos I specially prepared. I haven't drunk from it myself."
Since Sheng Mingyue had said so, Lin Mu couldn't refuse any longer and said, "Sister Mingyue, you're too kind."
He took the thermos and slowly sipped the warm honey water. The sweet warmth slid down his throat and soothed his stomach.