Chapter 139 part1
Gege still has a really rich imagination, Yu Hao thought.
Huang Zheng came back again and said, “Tell me about your demands again; Why don’t we do it at our house ba, young Director Zhou? If you have any concerns, there’s no harm in talking about it. We have the most power throughout the whole Nanlu.”
Zhou Sheng opened his eyes and motioned for Chen Yekai and Yu Hao to talk.
Chen Yekai said, “I need to know what your team’s sales model is like.”
“No problem!” Huang Zheng said, “We’ll prepare all that information. Look, our organisational structure is extremely clear, you can take a tour around our company now!”
Yu Hao said, “Is it convenient for us to look at your production line?”
“Well…” Huang Zheng obviously didn’t seem too willing.
Yu Hao knew that these so-called imported ingredients and anti-aging gold were, in fact, a pile of dextrin stuffed into two capsule sh.e.l.ls and mixed together before filling a medicinal bottle with them. The contents printed on the spray bottle was whatever anyone wanted. The cost of one bottle of these healthcare products was less than three yuan, and three bottles can be sold for 4,500. Essentially, there was no difference between this and fraud, and the other side would definitely not show him the production line.
Huang Zheng almost nodded. Yu Hao knew that he was afraid of Yu Hao being an expert who could conduct tests to figure out the ingredients, so he continued, “We just want to take a look out of curiosity. We’re not concerned about the formula and ingredients. After all, you’re the producer.”
“The thing is,” Huang Zheng said, “The composition of ingredients is a commercial secret, and for the manufacturing of medicine, our factory is very close to other companies…”
“We can understand that.” Chen Yekai nodded at the appropriate timing.
Yu Hao understood; most of the healthcare products in that h.e.l.l-like place was probably produced in batches. Everyone shared several production lines, and after production, they would each take their own dextrin capsules before packaging them independently.
“I can show you the warehouse?” Huang Zheng said, “An appointment has to be made for the pharmaceutical production line, I’m not sure if it’s open or…I’m not sure if it’s convenient.”
“That’s fine too.” Yu Hao said, “I’d like to take some pictures of the warehouse, so that it’ll be easier for us to make a proposal for the Major Business Department when we get back.”
“Okay, okay!” Huang Zheng was over the moon. Zhou Sheng said, “Then you guys can go over first? Director Huang, let’s…”
“Together, together!” Huang Zheng was really afraid that Zhou Sheng would go to another pyramid scheme organisation to discuss business, so he dragged him away as well. This time, he was the one driving, and he drove his personal Porsche. He said, “It’s not very far away, it’ll take an hour by car…”
The souls of the three men scattered in an instant. Zhou Sheng sobered up from his tipsy state, “Director Huang, it’s not too good to drink and drive ba?”
“No one will check, no one will check!” Huang Zheng said, “The officials all depend on us to support them, it’s okay!”
“No, no, no…” Yu Hao immediately said, “It’s better to be safe…”
Huang Zheng said, “Trust in your old brother’s skills…”
Yu Hao said, “Director Zhou and I were drunk before, so when it comes to such a matter, we’re more…we hope you understand.”
“Then alright.” Huang Zheng said, “Who will drive?”
“Nicky, you drive.” Zhou Sheng said.
Chen Yekai smiled as he went to the driver’s seat and said, “It’s my first time driving such a good car.”
Yu Hao and Zhou Sheng dissed Chen Yekai silently in their hearts. Huang Zheng drives a Cayenne, while Chen Yekai drives a Panamera…his acting was a bit overdone.
“I’ll show you the way.” Huang Zheng said, “Just drive along Binhai Avenue.”
“Turn on the GPS!” Zhou Sheng said to Chen Yekai, “We’ll talk in the back.”
“Okay.” Chen Yekai smiled as he navigated. Huang Zheng was clamped in between the two of them, so he had no choice but to tell him the address, and Chen Yekai drove in front.
Yu Hao asked from the pa.s.senger’s seat, “Director Huang, your company doesn’t have a New Year holiday?”
“The New Year is a good opportunity to raise sales!” Huang Zheng said, “When we’re visiting relatives and the elderly, we can talk to them about our products. We don’t have holidays, why would we take holidays?”
Yu Hao hated people deceiving the elderly into buying healthcare products the most. In the past, his grandmother had been cheated several times, but he could only endure it now.
Zhou Sheng said, “Such employees are so useful.”
Huang Zheng said, “No pain, no gain, right?”
Yu Hao said, “How many people does Lang Hui have now?”
Zhou Sheng said, “Should be about the same as our Major Business Department ba?”
Huang Zheng said, “Most of our employees have distribution branches all over the country. Those that aren’t at headquarters should total to over a thousand ba!”
“Wow.” Chen Yekai and Yu Hao exclaimed at the same time.
Zhou Sheng said, “We don’t have any in Ying City though.”
“Which agent recommended it to your father? What’s the level of the agent?” Huang Zheng suddenly remembered this.
Yu Hao’s heart jolted; the cat was almost let out of the bag. Logically speaking, since Zhou Sheng’s family consumed this healthcare product, they would naturally have had to consult an agent. However, they never mentioned an agent when they came this time, and if they couldn’t answer his question, Huang Zheng would probably start to have doubts.
Chen Yekai sent their location to Huang Ting. When he heard this, he couldn’t help but glance at Zhou Sheng through the rearview mirror.
Zhou Sheng closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, then answered, “I don’t know na, my grandma bought it from someone. She’s old now, and her memory can’t be relied on. It’s already not bad for her to be able to remember the effects of the medication, and she was dead insistent on getting my Dad to eat it. My Dad couldn’t change her mind, so he had to take it back with him.”
“Oh—” Huang Zheng nodded, “Then your grandma…”
“It’s been many years.” Zhou Sheng answered, “Her situation is sometimes good, but she deteriorates in others.”
Chen Yekai and Yu Hao spammed +1s for Zhou Sheng like crazy at the same time.
The car drove onto the national highway and left the city. At 3 PM, the sky was overcast, and then they turned around an industrial park according to the GPS. Huang Zheng himself didn’t often come to this area, so would look out from the car window from time to time as he tried to discern the path to follow. Zhou Sheng raised his hand and casually patted Huang Zheng’s shoulder.
“Director Huang.” Zhou Sheng said, “We want to place this order, while on the Ying City side, we’d probably need to take care of some things with Industry and Commerce. What do you think?”
Yu Hao thought, What the f.u.c.k, you’re even asking for a kickback, you’re really putting your all into this act.
Huang Zheng seemed to have guessed that Zhou Sheng would mention this a long time ago and simply said, “Okay.”
“Un.” Zhou Sheng said, “It’s better to do some health maintenance businesses nowadays; it’s so much better than working in the food and beverage industry where you could overwork yourself to death.”
“It’s still not as good as real estate.” Huang Zheng said a little ruefully, “Speaking of which, I really miss the old days where gold could be dug up everywhere. Now, all the money we earn is through our blood, sweat and tears.”
“That was such a long time ago.” Chen Yekai said casually.
Yu Hao sighed inwardly as well. During the economic reform, you could cheat money from the bank just by registering a dummy corporation. Now that the economic situation isn’t that good, even cheating isn’t profitable na.
“You guys didn’t experience that era, so you don’t know.” Huang Zheng couldn’t help but start sighing and shaking his head, “During that period, if your head hurt, your head got treated, and if your feet hurt, your foot got treated; afterwards it turned into, ‘if your head hurts, treat your face’, and ‘if your leg hurts, treat your face too’. Then even later on, if your heart hurt, you stuff your mouth, and if your leg hurt, stuff your mouth too. After a few more years, I don’t know what it’ll become again.’
Yu Hao almost burst out laughing when he heard this. He didn’t expect the head of a pyramid scheme organisation to be this rueful.
“Your distribution model really is quite good.” Zhou Sheng said looking at the organisational chart and business model outline sent to him on WeChat and transferring it to Yu Hao, “Learn from them.”
Yu Hao thought that he had something to write for his feature this time — this is all first hand information, just watch me expose this big news of yours.
“We’ve arrived.”
Chen Yekai turned off the GPS. Yu Hao looked outside, and it was almost exactly the same as how Fu Liqun had described it. There were two rows of banana trees outside, no sign hung at the entrance, and there was an electric grid surrounding the place.
Zhou Sheng sobered up and drank some water on the roadside. Huang Zheng said, “I’ll go over and greet them first.”
“Why isn’t there even an a.s.sistant?” Chen Yekai said, “He’s a boss, yet he took us to the warehouse in person.”
Zhou Sheng, “The order is too huge, and he doesn’t want his employees to know before signing the contract.”
Yu Hao, “What do we do now?”
Zhou Sheng said, “Inspect the place first, then we’ll come over again at night.”
Yu Hao said, “And I was still feeling all jittery ’cause I was afraid that we’d b.u.mp into Li Yangming.”
“He won’t be in the company.” Zhou Sheng answered, “The lil’ lackey’s probably going around cheating his own brothers.”
Chen Yekai said, “What do we do if we really b.u.mp into him?”
Zhou Sheng said, “If we really b.u.mp into him then it’s your turn bei, doesn’t Li Yangming like you?”
Chen Yekai, “……”
Yu Hao almost died from laughing. Huang Zheng came back and said to them, “Come, let’s walk through here.”
A small door was opened on the iron gate of the industrial park to let them in.
“Director Huang!”
Someone came over to greet them with a brilliant smile. Huang Zheng said to that supervisor, “I brought customers over to take a look at the warehouse.”
Huang Zheng talked a bit to that supervisor, who had a bunch of keys hanging on his waist.
The park was divided into three huge areas: the warehouse, dormitory, and factory building. Not far away was a row of workers’ dormitories, which were surrounded by barbed wire as was the warehouse. Huang Zheng took them to walk by another road to get to the warehouse.
Yu Hao saw the warning sign ‘high pressure’ and wondered how to save Fu Liqun at night. Zhou Sheng nudged him gently to signal him not to look around too much, lest Huang Zheng get suspicious. Chen Yekai, on the other hand, kept talking to Huang Zheng to draw his attention.
In front of the dormitory building, two German police dogs started barking like crazy. Yu Hao pretended to be frightened, and Zhou Sheng stood in front of Yu Hao and asked him to come a little bit closer .
“Smoking isn’t allowed inside.” Huang Zheng reminded, “There’s too much powder.”
Zhou Sheng nodded. They pa.s.sed by the dormitory area and arrived at the warehouse. Yu Hao pondered on the path they took to get here — they had just come in through the back door, and there were only a few people in the park as most of them had gone home for the New Year. Only a few employees had stayed behind to take care of the place.