Chapter 177: Reaching an Agreement

After Li Furén left, Su Ruo and the two others walked up to Wei Ming and said, "Factory Director Wei, we want to buy the factory; could you take us to have a look?"

Wei Ming had not yet shaken off the fatigue on his face; seeing Su Ruo and the two other girls, he gave a helpless, wry smile.

"You want to tour the clothing factory; I can take you there, but you won't be able to buy this factory."

Wei Ming did not believe Su Ruo and the two others could come up with 500,000.

The reason Li Furén dares to be so arrogant is nothing else but his certainty that this factory cannot be sold!

Looking across the whole of Kyoto, there are hardly a few who can come up with 500,000 at once, let alone having to guard against Li Furén's deliberate retaliation after buying it.

Su Ruo and the two others saw Wei Ming's disbelief, but did not explain.

Although Wei Ming thought Su Ruo and the two others lacked the ability to buy the factory, he still carefully took them on a tour.

At every stop, Wei Ming would seriously introduce it to Su Ruo and the two others.

Every blade of grass and tree here has been carefully tended by him; every piece of machinery in this factory has received his devotion.

Wei Ming once personally witnessed the clothing factory's glory; now he can only watch it wither away, feeling an indescribable sorrow.

Wei Ming has worked in the factory for over ten years, long since regarding the clothing factory as his own child.

Su Ruo and the two others could truly feel Wei Ming's affection for the clothing factory, but they did not know how to persuade him.

The closure of the state-owned clothing factory is not Wei Ming's fault, nor anyone's alone; he represents the end of an era.

A new chapter is unfolding; the tide of reform and opening surges forward, and those who cannot keep up are destined to be left behind—no one can change that.

Su Ruo and the two others walked for over an hour before finishing the tour of the entire factory grounds; even though they were mentally prepared, seeing the factory's scale in person still left them deeply shocked.

The factory's machinery and buildings are well preserved; if Su Ruo and the two others buy it, they can immediately resume production.

Su Ruo and the two others silently estimated that, even excluding the land, the factory's value far exceeds 500,000; buying it at that price would be an absolute steal.

Therefore, after Su Ruo and the two others exchanged a glance, they immediately made a decision.

"Factory Director, we genuinely want to buy the clothing factory; if you agree, we can sign the contract right away."

Wei Ming merely felt upset, wanting someone to talk to; he never expected Su Ruo and the two others actually wanted to buy the factory, and he solemnly reminded them: "Buying a factory is a major matter; the clothing factory's selling price is 500,000, and there is no bargaining."

Su Ruo and the two others saw that Wei Ming did not believe them and was not angry; after all, in this era, discrimination against women is still quite severe.

In people's entrenched views, women should stay at home to tend the household and raise children, while making money and doing business is a man's job.

Moreover, Su Ruo and the two others are still very young; it is quite normal for Wei Ming to distrust them.

Li Zhaodi has encountered too many such things in the past six months; now she handles them with ease.

She took out her business card from her bag and handed it to Wei Ming, saying, "Hello, Factory Director Wei, I am the person in charge of Xia Hua Clothing Factory."

"We genuinely want to buy the clothing factory; if you are not reassured, we can pay a deposit first and settle the full amount once the procedures are completed."

Wei Ming knows the Xia Hua clothing brand; although it has only been established for half a year, their apparel has already entered major malls and department stores, and the garments they produce have even sold in Hai Shi and other provinces.

Whenever Xia Hua releases a new product, it is sure to sell out instantly, and all women consider it an honor to be able to wear Xia Hua's clothing.

Likewise engaged in the clothing trade, Wei Ming had once deeply envied them, but he never imagined that the boss of Xia Hua would be so young.

Su Ruo said, "Factory Director Wei, when we founded the Xia Hua clothing brand, we did not merely want every woman to be able to wear beautiful clothes.

More importantly, we wanted to provide a job opportunity for girls living in hardship.

Let them no longer be trapped daily between household chores and the stove, truly realizing the saying that women can also hold up half the sky.

Although our strength is still weak now, we believe Xia Hua will only get better; once we have sufficient capability, we will build schools and establish scholarship funds.

Let those impoverished girls also be able to read and write, fulfill their dreams, rather than marrying and bearing children early.

We hope that every girl's life can be as splendid as Xia Hua's."

Su Ruo knew that someone like Wei Ming, an older revolutionary, values sentiment most, so she expressed Xia Hua's founding philosophy.

Moreover, Su Ruo is not deceiving Wei Ming; she truly intends to do this and must do so.

In poverty, one cultivates oneself; in prosperity, one helps the world.

If Su Ruo has the ability, she is very willing to help those girls living in hardship—not just for the system's rewards, but also to redeem her former self.

After Su Ruo finished speaking, Wei Ming's eyes grew moist with excitement; he never expected that someone so young as Su Ruo could possess such sentiment.

If the state-owned clothing factory is Wei Ming's child, then Su Ruo and the two others are undoubtedly the best master he could find for it.

Wei Ming is old, but he believes the state-owned clothing factory will surely improve under Su Ruo and the two others' leadership, heading toward a brighter future.

"Good, good, good……" Wei Ming said three goods in a row, as if only thus could he express his inner excitement.

Wei Ming ushered Su Ruo and the two others into his office; his office is quite simple and plain, the furniture somewhat aged, even his tea cup for drinking water has chipped paint, showing that although he is factory director, he is truly thrifty.

Wei Ming took out the already-prepared contract from the drawer, but when it came time to sign, he hesitated.

Su Ruo asked doubtfully, "Factory Director Wei, is there still some problem? You can rest assured—the money is ready; once the paperwork is done, we can transfer the funds at any time."

Wei Ming said with some difficulty, "It's not about the money, but… you also saw today.

"The man who led the trouble is a local bully; nowadays he has also set his sights on our factory, and if he learns that you bought the clothing factory ahead of him, I fear he will cause you trouble."

Wei Ming knows Li Furén well; he knows Li Furén will do anything for money, and although Wei Ming wants to sell the factory to Su Ruo and the two others, he does not want them to get into trouble because of it.

"Factory Director Wei, rest assured—since we dare to buy the factory, we are not afraid of Li Furén causing trouble.

"We will conduct business honestly; if that Li Furén dares to come looking for trouble, we will certainly make him pay the price."

Su Ruo said at the end, her eyes flashing with a cold light; although buying the state-owned clothing factory might bring some trouble, compared with the huge future profits it would generate, this is nothing at all.

Su Ruo does not provoke trouble, nor does she fear it; she will absolutely not allow herself to be bullied.