Chapter 308 - 215: She is Hu Mei?
Who knew that she would later be in charge of the NLB brand, and he would turn out to be one of its distributors in the Qingjiang Region.
During their first chance encounter in Qingzhou, she hadn’t told him her Chinese name, truly afraid he would pester her. Her first impression of Yang Hui was strange; while she approved of his standards for site selection, she also felt he wasn’t the most honest person.
She had just wanted to maintain a professional relationship—contacting each other via their work phones when necessary—but she never expected their paths to cross so many times afterward. Especially that time on the overpass, when he had deliberately crashed his own car to protect her from the danger posed by those two thugs. That moment had truly struck a chord with her. Later, when they discussed forming a new company and their philosophies on running it, they found they hit it off completely.
She suddenly realized she had come to see him as a male confidant, a feeling she had never experienced before in her entire life. She couldn’t quite label the emotion she felt for him, but she knew she was at ease with him. If a few days passed without seeing him, she would miss him. When he intentionally drew near, she didn’t feel any aversion; instead, her heart would flutter.
’He studied her closely, unable to believe that Serene was Hu Mei, who was Aunt Zheng’s daughter. He was even more shocked that, far from being the 200-pound woman he’d imagined, Hu Mei was an exquisite beauty—a true knockout.’
"You... why didn’t you tell me when we first met?"
Hu Mei huffed, a rare, almost childish pout on her face. "And whose fault is it for saying I was a fatty of over 200 pounds?"
’Ugh—he had really let his imagination run wild. Hu Mei’s looks truly lived up to the "Mei" in her name, which meant charm; her every expression was enchanting to the core. Yet, she usually presented herself with such dignified, calm composure. This contrast only added to her allure.’
’As Yang Hui signed the partnership agreement, he thought about the mission from the system. Now that he knew Serene was Hu Mei, he no longer felt any aversion to the task. He couldn’t even blame the system for being blind anymore. He guessed that the women who could trigger a system mission were probably judged on their looks and moral character.’
"Serene, want to have dinner together tonight?"
He was still used to calling her Serene. Hu Mei smiled. "I’ll sit this one out. Once the company is officially established, I’ll step forward when I’m needed."
Yang Hui said, "It’s not a formal business dinner. I’m just having a few friends get together for a casual chat. It’s almost dinnertime, are you still planning on going home?"
Hu Mei stood up and smiled faintly. "You seem to have forgotten whose hotel this is."
’It was just habit.’ Her reminder made him chuckle. ’Right, this hotel belongs to her family. Did he really need to worry about her getting a meal?’
He didn’t press the issue. It would be awkward for her to be the only woman at a table full of men, and the others wouldn’t be able to relax either. After Serene left, he glanced at the time: 5:30 PM. Zhang Chun and the others should be on their way. He called a server over to clear away the old tea, bring a fresh pot, and prepare for his guests.
Wang Qing was in his car when he got a call from Li Yang. He was fairly familiar with Li Yang. However, as the chairman of the client-side company, Wang Qing naturally held the power in their relationship. That said, the department store business had been struggling for the past two years, and he still needed Li Yang’s cooperation for some of his underperforming stores. He had, however, already made concessions on the terms of their deals.
For example, while the commission rate in his contracts with other companies was typically 16% or higher, he had given Li Yang’s Futong Commerce a rate of 13%. So, in Wang Qing’s eyes, he had already reciprocated Li Yang’s cooperation. Besides, Li Yang’s brands needed to expand their market presence. Opening a store in Yida Department Store wasn’t a losing proposition, which made it a worthwhile venture for Li Yang.
Of course, this "not a losing proposition" referred to the big picture. The current partnership between Futong Commerce and Yida Department Store still generated an annual profit of over 10 million. With that kind of money on the line, even though Li Yang didn’t prioritize Yida Department Store as highly as he did Xinyue Group, he still made sure to pay his respects to Wang Qing during the holidays.
The call connected, and Wang Qing was surprised to hear Li Yang bring up the partnership at Qingzhou Yida Department Store. It sounded like he already knew that Wang Qing’s side was preparing to free up a street-facing spot on the first floor to work with Yang Hui on NLB and Zen.
"President Wang, you have to give me a chance with this store, no matter what. Our companies have partnered on nearly 100 stores already, and I want to deepen that relationship."
Wang Qing chuckled. Li Yang was playing the "scale of our partnership" card again. "That’s right, President Li. We’ve partnered on over 100 stores, and for every single one, I’ve given you tremendous support on the business terms, taking a significant hit on my rental income each year. This store on Qingzhou Pedestrian Street is a top priority for our group. We need to not only maintain the caliber of the brands but also guarantee profits. You know what the rent is like for a street-front shop on Qingzhou Pedestrian Street. Can you guarantee me an annual rental income of at least 3 million from this one location?"
Li Yang was at a loss for words. At their current 13% commission rate, achieving 3 million in annual rental income meant they would need to generate at least 23 million in sales. He had no confidence they could do that. But, determined to secure the store, Li Yang puffed out his chest and declared, "Absolutely no problem. President Wang, you have to trust in our capabilities."
Wang Qing glanced outside; they were almost at the restaurant. He sneered. "President Li, we have an NLB store together in another location that can’t even pull in 150,000 a month. How am I supposed to believe that if I give you the Qingzhou Pedestrian Street location, you’ll suddenly be able to hit 20 million in annual sales?"
Li Yang was rendered speechless once more. He had to win this store on Qingzhou Pedestrian Street. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have a single decent location in all of Qingjiang Province, and at that point, he might as well pack it in.