The cloud of suspicion over the abnormal accounts of gold and silver wires was like a heavy black stone hanging over Shen Ruoxin's heart.
She is well aware that the value of this line is far more than the amount of silver on the books. It is related to whether Jinxiu Pavilion can continue to launch high-end embroidery products that astonish the market and whether it can maintain a unique advantage of "what others don't have" in the fierce competition with Zhang Ji.
Just as she, along with Wang Bo and A Xing, was secretly inspecting the internal links, trying to identify the problem, another undercurrent had quietly surged and quickly hit the door of the Splendid Pavilion.
This morning, shortly after the opening of the Jinxiu Pavilion, several "rare guests" began to arrive one after another - the owners of several small-scale embroidery and cloth shops in the city that had been in business for several decades.
Leading the group was Mr. Qian, the owner of Fu Ji Embroidery Shop, a middle-aged man with a slightly plump figure and a shrewd smile on his face. Also coming along were Mr. Sun, the owner of Xianghe Cloth Store, and the shopkeepers of two or three other shops.
Uncle Wang invited them to the small hall at the back to receive guests and personally brewed tea, but a murmur began to arise in his heart.
These several shops, although they have no grudge against Jinxiu Pavilion on a daily basis, are not close either. They operate independently and do not interfere with each other.
Our joint visit today is by no means a simple drop in the door.
"Several bosses are here today. May I ask for your advice?" " Uncle Wang put down his tea cup and asked politely.
Boss Qian took a sip of tea, put down the cup and said with a smile on his face:
"Shopkeeper Wang, you're too kind." We came here today to discuss something with the Splendid Pavilion and Miss Shen Er.
"Oh?" But it doesn't matter.
"Shopkeeper Wang, you are a veteran in our line of work. Now, you know the market situation in the prefectural city better than we do."
Boss Qian sighed and then changed the subject.
"Zhang Ji, relying on his deep pockets, has been burning down warehouses and selling at low prices. This has made our small-scale business life increasingly difficult!" "
The boss Sun beside him also nodded repeatedly:
Exactly! "Zhang Ji's disruption has led to fewer customers and thinner profits. If this continues, all of our small shops are likely to close down!"
Wang Bo listened and had already roughly understood their purpose in his heart, but his expression remained calm.
Zhang Ji acts in a domineering manner, which is truly disgraceful. The Jinxiu Pavilion was also severely affected. A few days ago, the warehouse was burned down, resulting in heavy losses.
Yes, yes, yes! So, since we are both victims, we should stick together for warmth!
Mr. Qian immediately chimed in, 图穷匕见,
Miss Shen Er is young and promising. The Jinxiu Pavilion has now gained a great reputation, especially the "Landscape Handkerchief" series and those exquisite new styles, which are truly eye-opening!
We were wondering if Miss Shen Er could... Be lenient and take some best-selling styles, or... Could you give us a little profit and share some with our shops as well?
Firstly, it can offer some support to us colleagues who are struggling.
Secondly, if we all sell together, the momentum will be greater and we can jointly resist Zhang Ji. Don't you think that's the point?
As the words fell, there was a moment of silence in the small hall. Uncle Wang's hand holding the teacup paused slightly.
This statement sounds rather grand and imposing.
Under the guise of "jointly resisting Zhang Ji" and "warming up together", in reality, they just want to take advantage of the situation when Jinxiu Pavilion is being targeted by Zhang Ji and under great pressure, hoping to get a share of the pie without effort!
What does "make some concessions" mean? What does "divide some styles" mean? This is clearly an attempt to make Jinxiu Pavilion give up the market and exclusive designs it has painstakingly built up!
Just as Wang Bo was pondering how to respond, Shen Ruoxin's voice came from behind the screen, cold and calm: "Ruoxin has appreciated the kindness of the bosses."
She walked out gracefully, her gaze sweeping over the crowd calmly:
Like all of you, Jinxiu Pavilion hopes that business in the prefectural city can be fair and stable. What Zhang Ji did indeed broke the rules, and everyone should punish him.
Seeing Shen Ruoxin come out in person, Boss Qian and the others hurriedly got up to pay their respects.
"Miss Shen Er makes sense!"
The smile on Boss Qian's face grew even stronger.
"Miss Yi Er, look, what we just proposed..."
"Boss Qian,"
Shen Ruoxin interrupted him. Her tone remained calm, but it carried an undeniable meaning.
You said we should stick together for warmth, and I quite agree. But how to embrace this "group" and how to obtain the "warmth" are debatable.
She walked to the main seat and sat down. Immediately, A Xing served her green tea.
"Sharing the exclusive styles of the Splendid Pavilion with all of you or lowering the price for you to resell for profit, to be frank, this is not 'grouping together', but 'sharing the spoils'."
This will not only harm the interests of Jinxiu Pavilion itself, but also disrupt the market. In the end, the one who benefits is likely to be Zhang Ji, who just sits on the sidelines.
The smile on Boss Qian's face froze for a moment. He didn't expect Shen Ruoxin to be so direct. Boss Sun said sheepishly from the side:
Miss Shen Er is too harsh. So are we... There's no way around it...
"I understand your difficulties." "
Shen Ruoxin's tone softened slightly.
Zhang Ji is financially strong and often uses some underhanded tactics. It's indeed not easy for him to go it alone. But if we unite, there is still a possibility of defeating the enemy and achieving victory.
"Oh?" What's Miss Shen Er's opinion? A trace of interest flashed in Boss Qian's eyes, but more importantly, there was scrutiny and doubt.
"At present, the biggest difficulty for all of you, apart from the fact that some of the customers are drawn away by Zhang Ji's low prices, is probably also the constraint of raw material procurement, right?" "
Shen Ruoxin asked,
"Is Zhang Ji also secretly controlling the supply of goods or raising prices to increase everyone's costs?"
This statement hits the nail on the head. Several bosses exchanged glances and all tacitly agreed.
Zhang Ji not only targeted the Jinxiu Pavilion but also exerted pressure, either openly or covertly, on these small shops, especially on some scarce silk threads and special fabrics.
If Zhang Ji can do it, why can't we? Moreover, we can do better.
Shen Ruoxin said, "Instead of focusing on the limited finished products and profits of Jinxiu Pavilion, why don't we change our approach and cooperate?"
What's the train of thought?
I call it the "Supply Alliance".
Shen Ruoxin slowly revealed her plan.
Although Jinxiu Pavilion also faces raw material challenges, we do have some unique channels and purchasing experience after all. We can unite to form a purchasing entity.
Led by Jinxiu Pavilion, we will negotiate uniformly with upstream suppliers to strive for more favorable prices and more stable sources of goods.
Jinxiu Pavilion can take advantage of its channel strengths to find more high-quality and low-priced raw materials for everyone, even some scarce and difficult-to-control supplies.
Looking at the astonished and thoughtful expressions of everyone, she continued:
By joining this "supply alliance", everyone can enjoy lower purchase costs and more stable supply guarantees than purchasing independently.
In this way, even if Zhang Ji engages in a price war as much as possible, we can still have a larger profit margin to deal with it. We can even unite and launch our own more cost-effective "Alliance Premium Products" to regain the market share that Zhang Ji has snatched away.
"This..."
Boss Qian hesitated.
"Led by Jinxiu Pavilion for procurement?" That price... Accounts...
The price is open and transparent.
Shen Ruoxin responded immediately.
All procurement costs, freight charges and losses will be disclosed in detail to all alliance members.
Jinxiu Pavilion only charges a reasonable service fee on the final raw material price, which is used to cover the costs of channel maintenance and negotiation. This fee is definitely lower than the price difference that everyone can save by purchasing on their own.
As for how to allocate it, it should be based on demand and quantity, fair and reasonable.
"Well..." What do we need to pay? Boss Sun asked cautiously. This sounds too wonderful. It doesn't seem true.
"Very simple."
Shen Ruoxin raised a finger.
First, after joining the alliance, the main raw materials needed by each store must be uniformly purchased through the alliance. They are no longer allowed to privately purchase from Zhang Ji or its affiliated merchants. We need to form a united force.
Secondly, each store has the obligation to share market information, especially regarding the movements and unfair competition behaviors of Zhang Ji. We should exchange what we have.
Thirdly, and most importantly, we must adhere to the bottom line of quality. We must never pass off inferior goods as good ones and damage the common reputation of our alliance.
"This..." Several bosses fell silent again and exchanged glances with each other.
Shen Ruoxin's proposal was completely beyond their expectations. They had intended to take advantage of the situation, but unexpectedly, instead of giving in, the other side proposed a larger and more binding cooperation framework.
The temptation of this "supply alliance" is huge:
Lower costs, stable supply sources, and joining forces to fight against Zhangji. But the cost is also obvious:
Having lost the autonomy in procurement, one has to accept the dominant position of Jinxiu Pavilion, share information and commit to quality.
This is equivalent to transforming from scattered soldiers acting independently into a "coalition force" centered around the Splendid Pavilion.
The atmosphere in the small hall became subtle. Some are moved, some are doubtful, and some are secretly calculating the pros and cons.
Boss Qian rolled his eyes and tentatively said:
Miss Shen Er's proposal... It's quite novel. However, this matter of the alliance is of great significance. We... I also have to go back and discuss it with my own family before making a decision.
It should be so.
Shen Ruoxin picked up the teacup, nodded slightly and said no more. She knew that the hook had been thrown down and it would take some time for the fish to ferment whether they would bite.
She was also well aware that among these people, it was impossible for all of them to cooperate sincerely. It was even possible that someone would immediately reveal this news to Zhang Defa.
But this is exactly what she wants.
What she wants is not a "victim alliance" that looks united but is actually estranged and has ulterior motives, but a "battle alliance" that shares the same goal, benefits and can truly stand up to Zhang Ji.
This proposal itself serves as a touchstone, capable of distinguishing who are the true potential Allies, who are the fence-faders, and even who are the insiders planted by Zhang Ji.
After seeing off several bosses with different thoughts, Uncle Wang said to Shen Ruoxin worriedly:
"Second Miss, your move of 'supply alliance' is good, but it's also risky!" What if they pay lip service but do the opposite, or reveal our background to Zhang Ji...
"I know."
Shen Ruoxin's gaze was calm.
But we can't just sit and wait to die. Rather than being held hostage and having profits eroded by them under the pretext of "morality", it is better to take the initiative and seize the initiative.
This alliance
If we succeed, we will have a group of Allies to share the pressure together, and even be able to solve some raw material problems through their channels.
No, it can still divide them, make them internally divided, and prevent them from uniting to pressure us again.
"Moreover,"
She added,
This can also convey a message to Zhang Defa: The Splendid Pavilion is not so easy to be isolated. If you want to touch us, you have to think about the consequences.
In the following days, in the embroidery and cloth trading circles of the prefectural city, the news that the Jinxiu Pavilion proposed a "supply alliance" spread like wildfire. Sure enough, as Shen Ruoxin had predicted, the reactions were diverse.
Mr. Sun, the owner of Xianghe Cloth Store, was the first to send someone to secretly contact Mr. Wang, expressing his willingness to have a detailed discussion about the details of the alliance. He is not large in scale and is most severely squeezed by the raw materials of Zhang Ji. He has the most urgent need for a stable supply of goods.
Two other small embroidery shops also expressed interest, but their attitudes were rather hesitant.
As for the owner of Fu Ji Embroidery Shop, Mr. Qian, there has been no further news. The next day, someone saw him go to Zhang Ji's shop and have a long secret talk with Zhao Babi in the backyard.
Undercurrents are surging and the situation has become more complicated.
Just as Shen Ruoxin was dealing with the follow-up matters of the "Supply Alliance" while stepping up the investigation into the issue of gold and silver wires, A Xing brought an even more disturbing piece of news.
"Second Miss,"
A Xing's expression was solemn.
The person we have placed inside Zhang Ji has sent a secret report. These days, Zhao Babapi has been frequently in contact with the city fox and the social rat. It seems that... It seems to be inquiring about your daily whereabouts, and... And there's also news about your distant cousin who works at the escort agency!