Chapter 395: Nobody

mayiwsk

Li Ye stayed in Pengcheng for a few more days, talked with Fu Guiru about Pengcheng Red Bull, then asked Hao Jian about the status of Pengcheng Factory Seven, before preparing to return to Jingcheng with Fu Yiruo and Pei Wenhui.

Although the opening of Jingda was still days away, Li Ye felt he couldn't delay going back any longer.

Because the duration of his phone calls with Wen Leyu kept getting shorter.

At first, they could talk for five minutes at a time, with endless things to say—but just now, after less than a minute, Wen Leyu simply said "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm" and hung up.

What kind of omen is this?

Could their love be cooling off? But they hadn't even reached the stage of an old married couple yet!

No, absolutely not—he had to go back and flirt with the girl.

"Ding-ding-ding"

The phone rang again, but Li Ye didn't answer immediately—he called Fu Yiruo over.

This was Fu Guiru's home; the caller might be anyone, so unless necessary, Li Ye wouldn't answer the phone himself.

"Hello, who's this? Who are you? Oh oh."

After answering two questions, Fu Yiruo handed the phone to Li Ye: "Someone named Li Dayong is looking for you."

Li Ye took the phone and smiled: "Hey, Dayong, are you sure you're calling me? Not Wenhui? Wenhui's right here in the living room—want me to call her over?"

"Bro, don't tease me—I really need to talk to you."

Li Dayong said on the other end: "Yesterday, a bunch of professors and researchers suddenly showed up at the factory, and today Manager Tang told me our Changbei-2 still has room for improvement."

"I was happy at first, but then Guo Tianyong just told me Wang Factory Director has terminated our agency deal with Jingxin Trading Company and handed the product over to some 'Changnan' Trading Company."

"So I quickly asked Tian Hongshan and Peng Ge what's going on, but they didn't know either—that's why I called you."

Li Ye had been smiling just now, but his smile vanished instantly.

He asked Li Dayong: "Do you know what wholesale price the factory is offering Changnan Trading Company?"

Li Dayong said: "The exact price hasn't been set yet, but today Wang Factory Director and Guo Tianyong were discussing it—they said they want to seize market share, so they're running promotions, 【22】 and even claimed they're copying the advanced marketing tactics from our Fenghua brand. Guo Tianyong disagreed, and they had a big argument."

He claimed they learned their advanced marketing tactics from our Fenghua brand, but Guo Tian refused to agree, and the two fell into a bitter quarrel.

"He's already giving discounts to the trading company—what market is he trying to seize?"

Li Ye sneered: "Don't rush. Let Guo Tianyong handle it. They only see others making money, never the effort behind it—they're all dreaming of easy gains!"

Wang Factory Director's scheme wasn't new to Li Ye—because in a few years, many big players would pull the same trick.

Under this seller's market in mainland China, some enterprises kept losing money year after year—why?

Because their products were mostly sold at low wholesale prices to a few trading companies; buyers had to go through those wholesalers.

You could go straight to the factory, sure—but your order would be pushed to the back of the production queue. If you're willing to wait until the Year of the Monkey or the Horse, go ahead and wait!

Only when the company was on the brink of bankruptcy from years of losses would someone finally step in, restructure and retool, turn a profit the same year, and make a fortune the next— Shangyan " Shangjieqicaizhengjiuqiyeyupochanbianyuan " Dejingcaixima.

If Wang Factory Director still sells the product to Changnan Trading Company at the same price he gave Tian Hongshan, Li Ye couldn't complain.

He's the factory director—he has that right; the Hong Kong side is just the second shareholder.

But Li Ye had Tian Hongshan set up Jingxin Trading Company to distribute sewing machines for Changbei Machinery, and the price he paid wasn't low—he'd given up a large portion of the profit to Changbei Machinery.

Though nearly half of that profit flowed back into his and Li Dayong's pockets, Changbei Machinery had genuinely received its share.

And if Wang Factory Director's sales staff, earning only a few dozen yuan a month, were left to expand the market, they'd probably be operating at a loss right now!

But now Wang Factory Director wants all the profit to go to Changnan Trading Company—he doesn't want to give Li Ye or Li Dayong a single cent!

No honor? Then don't blame me for picking up my weapons.

Li Ye told Li Dayong: "Alright, don't worry. I'll have Wenhui call Guo Tianyong right away. You just focus on the technical department—leave the business side to us."

"O-okay then!"

Hearing Li Ye remind him again to "just handle the tech," Li Dayong felt frustrated—but he had no choice.

First, he trusted Li Ye completely; second, in the factory, Pei Wenhui's word carried more weight than his—Guo Tianyong respected this young lady more.

Still, Pei Wenhui always respected Li Dayong's opinions, so aside from occasional frustration, he was actually quite comfortable.

Li Ye hung up and called Pei Wenhui over.

"Wenhui, first tell Tang Mingtai to accelerate the Changbei-2 improvement plan as much as possible—every day counts. Also, have Guo Tianyong delay Wang Factory Director's side as much as he can—every day matters."

Pei Wenhui nodded: "I'll notify Guo Tianyong and Tang Mingtai to speed up R&D and contact contract manufacturers. After we return tomorrow, I'll move into the factory and make sure the Changbei-2 hits the market first."

But Li Ye immediately denied it: "No—our new product must not enter the market too early. We need to wait for the right moment."

Pei Wenhui blinked, humbly asking: "Bro, what do you mean by the 'right moment'?"

"Before they set their price, sign the order, and prepare to launch," Li Ye said with a sly grin: "Then you and Guo Tianyong will set a suitable price—this 'suitable'… you understand, right?"

Pei Wenhui stared blankly, then slowly nodded.

Li Ye continued: "The Japanese won't give up. But if they want to deploy more advanced products, they'll need another production cycle—by then, we must have the Changbei-3 ready."

"You're…"

Pei Wenhui nearly blurted out, "You're so ruthless!"—she simply couldn't understand how her boyfriend's big brother, still a student, could come up with such a cunning plan.

"Bro, is this what you meant by Japanese business tactics? Are you using their own methods against them?"

Pei Wenhui could only think of that, since Li Ye had mentioned Japanese market tactics a few days ago—but not in such detail.

Li Ye smiled without speaking, silently acknowledging it.

But the next thing Pei Wenhui said made him feel a bit ashamed.

"Bro, what about the price war with Zhong'ai? Our loyal customers just bought our product a few months ago—what will they think when they hear about the price drop? Should we introduce some remedial measures?"

What will they think? Ask the users of some Di Zi brand—ask the guys who bought smartphones.

Li Ye himself had been a victim of multiple market slaughter campaigns—he'd painstakingly bought a 2, 99-yuan phone, and two months later it was 1, 99—what was he supposed to think?

The Di Zi brand, having completed the fourth step of an industrial giant, went even further—delivering a brutal backstab that sacrificed countless loyal customers.

Lei Jun had just said, "Don't even think about it—199, 00 is impossible," and Di Zi immediately dropped to 79, 00, knocking Lei Jun completely off balance.

Even if these two new energy vehicles had different tiers, the price gap was far greater, wasn't it?

Who doesn't want a bargain?

Di Zi's loyal customers were bleeding internally—maybe Lei Jun was already coughing up blood?

After all the hardship of finally building the car, now he can't even secure distributors—what's he supposed to think?

So the business world is a battlefield—collateral damage is inevitable.

Still, Li Ye thought for a moment, then told Wenhui: "What we should consider now is how Nakamura Naoto will react."

"As for customer retention, it depends on whether our product brings them profit."

"If customers made a profit by buying our product early and starting production sooner, then as long as our product remains good, there won't be much of an issue."

"But if they didn't make money—or if our product turns out bad—we'll just stand quietly and take the blame."

"Yiruo, did you bring your passport and admission documents?"

"Yes, Mom, you've nagged three times already."

"Then I'll nag you a fourth time—luggage can be lost, money can be lost, but your ID and enrollment papers cannot. Got it?"

"I got it, I got it—why don't you nag my brother a few more times for fun? Once I'm gone, you'll be bored to death alone!"

"Bored to death? What's the phone for? You must call me at least once a week. Got it?"

In Fu Guiru's home, Fu Yiruo was checking her luggage and personal items under her mother's instructions, preparing to travel to Jingcheng for school.

This trip would last nearly half a year—Fu Guiru naturally had many reminders.

It was a mother's nature—no matter how powerful she was at work, at moments like this, she became a nagging old woman.

Fu Yiruo looked at her mother's stern expression, yet eyes filled with worry, and her nose tingled, her eyes instantly wet.

She wrapped her arms around her mother's waist and murmured: "I remember, Mom—I'll call you every three days. But if you have time, please come to Jingcheng to visit me."

Fu Guiru sniffed, then scolded with a smile: "Stop crying! You're such a big girl now—don't you want your brother to laugh at you?"

"My brother would never laugh at me!"

Fu Yiruo pouted and called out: "Right, Brother? You wouldn't laugh at me, would you?"

Li Ye, waiting outside for a long time, smiled and teased: "Which brother doesn't tease his sister? That'd be boring."

"Fine, if you keep this up, I'll get mad."

"Hahaha!"

Fu Yiruo put her hands on her hips, pretending to challenge Li Ye—making both Li Ye and Fu Guiru burst into laughter.

But just then, someone knocked on the door.

Li Ye, standing near the door, peered through the peephole, then exclaimed in surprise: "That ambitious kid's back."

"Who?"

"Who's here?"

Fu Guiru and Fu Yiruo didn't react immediately, asking in unison.

Li Ye said: "The kid who said he'd return as a victor!"

Fu Guiru and Fu Yiruo were speechless.

Why not just say Fu Zhiman? Why use such sharp, biting words?

(End of Chapter)