Chapter 15: I Just Want to Make Money

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Xia Kewei had nothing more to say.

Who in the food business did not dream of seeing their sign hanging throughout every street and alley?

But running a chain of restaurants was an entirely different matter from looking after a single small shop.

Without a mature operating system and practical experience, even the deepest pockets would not withstand such reckless expansion.

Moreover, Wang Tianming had instructed him that the first few ventures were supposed to make Wang Can fail.

Wang Can offered no explanation. He knew that even if he described his approach to operations now, Xia Kewei would not believe him.

But whatever happened, he had to drive down the cost of supplies. Otherwise, everything else was empty talk.

As for why he had set the deposit so low, it was because he was working on another project at the same time, one that would consume a great deal of money.

After asking every vendor in the first row, he still failed to reach an agreement.

Some complained that his deposit was too small; others saw that he was young and easy to deceive, and quoted prices so inflated that one could wring three pounds of water from them.

The old saying that a young man without a beard could not be trusted with serious business was deeply rooted in people’s minds.

Even if Wang Can offered to pay fifty percent of the deposit each month, those seasoned merchants would still regard him with suspicion, afraid that this brash young man could not be relied upon.

Still, after going back and forth among the stalls, he had become familiar to nearly everyone in the area.

Several vendors with nothing better to do simply followed behind him, watching the spectacle as though it were a monkey show.

Wang Can paid no attention to their gazes. With an unchanged expression, he turned the corner and headed toward the stalls at the back of the wholesale market, beginning another round of price negotiations.

To be honest, once Xia Kewei set aside her earlier prejudices, she found herself admiring his seemingly indomitable spirit.

Perhaps Heaven rewards the persistent, or perhaps Wang Can was simply lucky. This time, a shopkeeper finally showed some interest.

It was a small shop hidden in the market’s most remote corner. Not only was its location inconvenient, but the premises were also a good deal smaller than the others.

Yet within that cramped space, all kinds of goods had been arranged in an orderly but pleasing manner, creating an exceptionally comfortable impression.

The shopkeeper was a middle-aged woman named Gu Xinmei. She dressed simply and plainly. Though the years had etched fine lines around her eyes, the contours of her features still hinted at the graceful beauty of her youth.

She listened quietly as Wang Can explained the proposal. Only after pondering for a long while did she nod and agree to cooperate.

Seeing that Gu Xinmei had accepted, Xia Kewei asked for confirmation. “Are you certain you fully understand our terms? You will be responsible for the cold-chain transportation costs and any losses caused by thawing en route.”

Gu Xinmei smiled faintly. “I understand.”

Seeing this, Wang Can immediately pressed his advantage. “Then let’s sign the contract.”

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He then grew solemn. “As the purchaser, we guarantee an annual procurement volume of five hundred tons. However, you must ensure that the price of the raw materials you provide us, while allowing for a reasonable profit, is the lowest in the entire wholesale market.”

After a brief silence, Gu Xinmei suddenly clenched her fists, as though she had made some kind of decision. “I can accept those terms.”

“However...” She changed tack. “What if the annual procurement volume fails to reach five hundred tons?”

Others had asked the same question before, and Wang Can gave the same answer.

“If we fail to reach the required volume after a year, I will pay you the profit on the shortfall in cash.”

It sounded extremely sincere, but in essence, everything depended on his personal credibility.

If Wang Can later went back on his word, Gu Xinmei would have to spend all her time chasing him with the contract in hand.

After hesitating again and again, she finally nodded and signed the contract with Wang Can on the spot.

After Wang Can and Xia Kewei left, the merchants who had been watching the spectacle crowded into Gu Xinmei’s stall and began talking over one another.

“Xinmei, have you lost your mind? That little brat was boasting through the roof, and you actually agreed?”

“Exactly. His five hundred tons aren’t spread evenly across the year. The volume will be tiny during the first few months. He’s probably nothing more than a street vendor.”

“Who knows where that little swindler came from? He looks barely old enough to have started university, yet he’s already out there deceiving people.”

“Xinmei, don’t let him trick you. Just treat that contract as wastepaper and burn it.”

As they spoke, a stocky man pulled out a lighter. He took two steps forward and made as though he intended to burn the contract Wang Can and Gu Xinmei had just signed.

Gu Xinmei hurriedly snatched the contract from the counter, folded it carefully, and tucked it close to her body.

“Xinmei, you don’t actually intend to cooperate with that little brat, do you?”

The man holding the lighter furrowed his brow, concern evident in his voice.

Several vendors nearby curled their lips and exchanged a knowing glance.

Ever since Gu Xinmei’s husband had died in a traffic accident ten years earlier, middle-aged men at the wholesale market had never stopped trying to court her.

This “lighter man” was merely one of her many admirers.

“My Feifei is about the same age as that boy, but I’ve never had to worry about her handling things. Age is only a number; it can’t be used as the standard by which to judge someone.”

That was what Gu Xinmei said, but in truth, she was not nearly as calm as she appeared.

Still, the chances of a truly dependable large order falling into her hands were practically zero, so she did not want to give up this opportunity.

“But, Xinmei...”

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The man with the lighter was about to say more, but Gu Xinmei interrupted him.

“Brother Zhang, I know you mean well. But my Feifei has just been admitted to the Shenhai Conservatory of Music this year, and there are expenses everywhere. So I’m willing to take a chance this time.”

The people around them wore various expressions. They knew that Gu Xinmei had a deeply filial daughter named Gu Feifei, who had been admitted to the Shenhai Conservatory of Music this year with the highest score in the arts entrance examinations.

Studying music was expensive. Fortunately, Gu Feifei was hardworking and had taken on several part-time jobs to help cover part of her tuition.

Once they realized Gu Xinmei was doing this for her daughter, the others could only shake their heads and sigh.

...

...

Back in the car, Xia Kewei fastened her seat belt with practiced ease. As the engine gave a soft purr, the tires rolled over the loose gravel on the road, producing a faint rustling sound.

“I really didn’t expect anyone to accept terms that harsh.”

There was still a trace of disbelief in her voice.

In the passenger seat, Wang Can lowered his head and fiddled with his V3 phone, saving the contact information he had just obtained from Gu Xinmei.

“It’s a market. There’s no business deal that can’t be negotiated. It all comes down to each side’s expectations. Some people may be short of cash and willing to take a gamble.”

“Although I set the terms low, they weren’t outrageously low. The only thing missing was background and a seal of credibility.”

Wang Can raised his head, his voice carrying the worldly shrewdness peculiar to a businessman.

“But companies with real connections and credibility wouldn’t come looking for these inconspicuous stalls in the first place.”

“What if Gu Xinmei hadn’t agreed?”

“Shenhai is a big place, and this isn’t the only agricultural market. If one doesn’t work out, we move on to the next. Sooner or later, we’ll find someone willing to cooperate.”

Xia Kewei, her hands on the steering wheel, glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “So you were gambling too?”

With a sharp click, Wang Can closed his phone and leaned back against the seat.

Watching the scenery constantly change outside the window, he gave a soft laugh.

“I’m not gambling. I just want to make money.”