Chapter 197: Who Goes?

Su Ruan lifted An'an, Jiang Ran lifted Jinjin, and the family gathered around the dining table.

The lighting was warm, the food tasty, and laughter lingered.

"How's the company today?" Jiang Jianguo ladled a bowl of soup for his son and daughter‑in‑law.

"It's fine." Jiang Ran took the soup bowl, exchanged a glance with his wife, and tacitly avoided mentioning Shanghai: "Orders are many; the production line is overwhelmed."

Li Huijuan passed a piece of spare ribs to Su Ruan: "Even if you're busy, you must watch your health. I've noticed you've lost weight these past few days."

"Mom, I'm fine," Su Ruan said with a smile as she ate the ribs, "But you just moved here; don't overwork yourself."

"What are you tired of?" Li Huijuan waved her hand, "Cooking and tidying up is far easier than in Hu Tong. There's a washing machine, a gas stove—very convenient."

Grandma Jiang sipped her soup leisurely, then asked, "Ranran, how many people does the company have now?"

Jiang Ran thought for a moment, "Including the production line, it's close to fifty people."

"Fifty people…" Grandma Jiang sighed, "Back in the day, our garment factory in Hu Tong had about that many. Your grandfather worked there as a cutter, earning thirty‑eight yuan and five cents a month."

"It's different now, Grandma," Jiang Ran offered her some greens with chopsticks, "We're our own bosses, paying salaries to fifty people."

"Yes, it's different," Grandma Jiang nodded, a look of satisfaction in her eyes, "Your generation is stronger than ours."

After the meal, Jinjin and An'an clung to Mom and Dad, asking for a story.

The family sat on the living‑room sofa, the two children squeezed in the middle.

"What story shall we tell?" Su Ruan cuddled her daughter.

"Tell the big tiger!" An'an said immediately.

"Haven't had enough of the zoo?" Jiang Ran laughed, pinching his daughter's cheek, "Alright, then we'll tell the big tiger story."

He cleared his throat, "Once, a big tiger lived in the forest; it was the king of the woods…"

Mid‑story, Jinjin suddenly interrupted, "Dad, will the tiger… go to Shanghai?"

The question made the adults pause in surprise.

Jiang Ran looked at Su Ruan; both of them were a little surprised.

How could the child suddenly bring up Shanghai?

"Jinjin, do you know Shanghai?" Su Ruan asked softly.

Jinjin nodded, "The kindergarten teacher said so. Shanghai… has tall skyscrapers, big ships."

I see.

Su Ruan exhaled, smiled and patted her son's head, "The tiger lives in the forest; it won't go to Shanghai. But later Mom and Dad will take Jinjin and An'an to Shanghai for a visit, okay?"

"Okay!" the two children answered in unison.

After finishing the story and playing for a while, the children needed to sleep.

Su Ruan led them to wash up, while Jiang Ran kept company with his parents and Grandma, watching TV and chatting.

When Su Ruan emerged from the children's room, Jiang Ran was the only one left in the living room.

"Did Mom and Dad and Grandma go to sleep?" she asked softly.

"Mm." Jiang Ran reached out, pulled her to sit, letting her lean on his shoulder, "Are you tired?"

"It's okay," Su Ruan closed her eyes, "It's just… my mind feels a bit chaotic."

"Because of Shanghai?"

"Mm." Su Ruan opened her eyes, looking at the chandelier on the ceiling, "The opportunity is too good, almost frightening. The boutique on Nanjing Road… that's what countless brands have dreamed of."

Jiang Ran held her tightly, "Are you afraid we can't handle it?"

"Yes," Su Ruan said honestly, "We've just established ourselves in the Provincial Capital, and now we have to go to Shanghai… the competition there is fierce, and we know nothing about it."

"On Monday we'll first see what the other side says," Jiang Ran said calmly, "If the terms are right, we'll give it a try. If not, we won't force it."

"Chongsu's current development pace is already rapid; steady, solid progress is even more important."

Those words eased Su Ruan's mind a bit.

She turned her head, looking at her husband's resolute profile in the light, "You seem… never to panic."

"Who said that?" Jiang Ran laughed, "I do get nervous. I just can't let you see it. If you panic, I have to be even steadier."

Su Ruan felt warmth in her heart, leaned over and kissed his cheek, "Thank you, Jiang Ran."

"Thank what?" Jiang Ran returned the kiss, "Isn't marriage about supporting each other?"

The two sat on the sofa for a while longer, then went upstairs to rest.

On Monday, the Shanghai Department Store's inspection team arrived on time.

Three people came.

Procurement Director Liu, a capable woman in her early forties.

Operations Manager Xiao Wang, in his early thirties.

There was also one from the Market Department, surnamed Li.

In the conference room, after some small talk, both sides got straight to the point.

"President Jiang, President Su, we saw Chongsu in a special report on the Provincial TV Station," Liu said bluntly, "To be honest, we're impressed. Especially the Ren Series—the design sense and commercial appeal are combined excellently."

"Thank you for the compliment, Director Liu," Jiang Ran replied modestly, "Chongsu is still in its growth stage; receiving your approval is our honor."

"Our company plans to open a Local Designer Collection Store on Nanjing Road," Liu continued, "Each brand gets a boutique of about thirty to fifty square meters. Chongsu is one of the first brands we're inviting."

She took out the proposal: "These are the preliminary cooperation terms; you can take a look first."

Su Ruan took the proposal and examined it carefully.

The terms were indeed generous: rent discounts, renovation subsidies, and the first three months rent‑free.

But the requirements were also high: a monthly guaranteed sales figure, exclusive designs, and quarterly new‑product mandates.

"Director Liu, this sales‑target requirement…" Jiang Ran pointed to the clause, "For a new brand like ours, it's somewhat challenging."

"You probably don't yet grasp the foot traffic on Nanjing Road," Liu said with a smile, "I can show you data from similar brands; their average daily sales are all in the five‑digit range."

This number silently surprised Jiang Ran and Su Ruan.

"Moreover," General Manager Liu added, "we don't just provide the venue; we also offer full‑scale operational support—marketing, VIP events, data analysis… all of these can help you quickly adapt to the Shanghai market."

The meeting lasted two hours.

At the end, General Manager Liu said, "No rush to decide. You can take your time to think it over; just give me an answer next week."

After seeing off the inspection team, Jiang Ran and Su Ruan returned to the office and looked at each other in silence.

"Five digits…" Su Ruan murmured, "per day…"

"If we can really reach it, the sales of a single Shanghai boutique could possibly match all the boutiques in the Provincial Capital," Jiang Ran massaged his temples, "but if we fall short…"

"If we can't reach it, we'd have to cover the rent and renovation costs ourselves," Su Ruan continued, "the risk is too great."

Both fell silent.

In the afternoon, Chen Mingyuan called, "How's it going? How did the talks go?"

Jiang Ran gave a brief rundown of the situation. Chen Mingyuan pondered for a moment, "The opportunity is indeed rare, but the risk is also high. I suggest you… go to Shanghai and see it on the ground."

"See it on the ground?"

"Right." Chen Mingyuan said, "Seeing is better than hearing a hundred times. Go check the foot traffic on Nanjing Road, look at other brands' boutiques, examine the site selection of that Collection Store. Just hearing data never reveals the real situation."

That makes sense.

After hanging up, Jiang Ran looked at Su Ruan, "What do you think?"

Su Ruan thought for a moment, "Mr Chen is right; we should go see it. But… who will go?"