If this were before, Bai Ruozhu would definitely feel somewhat spotlighted by the President’s words, but now she feels it’s a good thing. It just so happens to make these people listen and let them not look down upon women.
"What a self-service meal, it’s truly unrefined." Elder Wei muttered softly, but many people heard his volume.
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhenghui was displeased and said: "Did you go to eat it? I heard that the self-service meal hosted by Yingshu was only inviting old customers. I’m afraid you never had a chance to eat it, right?"
"I don’t want to eat it. Men and women pick their own dishes, what’s that? Even a chef does a better job than that. It’s shameful!" Elder Wei said loudly.
"See, I told you you haven’t tried it. You’re criticizing something you’ve never even tried!" Lin Zhenghui couldn’t help but laugh.
"Do I need to try? I can tell just by looking at it, whoever eats it is the one who loses face!" Elder Wei glared and said.
Bai Ruozhu felt a bit upset upon hearing this. This old man was truly rude. Wasn’t he afraid of offending people?
"Elder Wei, you are wrong. The restaurant invited me to their buffet a few days ago, and two princesses, a few noble ladies, and young masters participated. They all thought the format was good, very novel. You shouldn’t say such things around those people." Bai Ruozhu said calmly.
"You..." Elder Wei was silent, he wanted to say he wasn’t afraid, but seeing Bai Ruozhu’s calm demeanor and acknowledging the high status of the people she mentioned, he didn’t need to offend those people.
Han Weizhuang stepped in to defuse the situation, saying: "Today we’re all family. Elder Wei is just a direct speaker. Don’t take it to heart, just let it go."
Many people followed suit, saying it was all in jest, and no one took it seriously.
Bai Ruozhu gave Elder Wei a light smile. Although there wasn’t the slightest hint of mockery, her steady attitude particularly annoyed Elder Wei, he felt challenged by a young girl.
"I have a suggestion that I want to discuss with all the seniors to see if it is feasible." Bai Ruozhu no longer paid attention to Elder Wei. The old man had been angered by her.
"Oh? Let us hear it." Han Weizhuang said.
Lin Zhenghui sat up straight, looking like he was ready to listen proudly. As if he knew everything, he expected Bai Ruozhu to say something shocking.
"I suggest that the Commerce Association implements a brand protection system and charges a certain amount of brand protection fees. For example, the restaurant called Yingshu, that’s their signature. They have branches all over the country. Normally no one dares to open a restaurant under their name casually, but what if someone opens a tea house or a restaurant using the name of Yingshu? If the place is not in a bustling place like the Capital, they wouldn’t even know if someone borrowed their name to make money. What if the reputation of the brand gets tarnished?"
Bai Ruozhu’s voice was very pleasant. Although she didn’t speak as gently as most women, her words had a clear and powerful tone.
"Merchants can register their brand in the Commerce Association. Of course, we need to check before we help them register to confirm they are indeed the originators of the brand, especially for old brands. After these brands are registered, if someone wants to open a shop with the same name, they can’t repeat these brands. We can also collect a brand protection tax from the merchants every year."
"Humph, no one dares to fake some old brands. They don’t need Commerce Association protection. I don’t want to pay this money." Elder Wei said discontentedly.
Bai Ruozhu shrugged and said: "That’s up to them. There must be someone willing to be protected by the Commerce Association right? Isn’t that what the Commerce Association does? For example, my shop, Hua Xiangrong, what if someone impersonates my shop to open somewhere else? I don’t have that information, nor do I have the energy to manage everything. If the Commerce Association helps me supervise, won’t that give me justice?"
Han Weizhuang paced around the room and then said: "I think this method is good. There is no one better than our Commerce Association to coordinate these matters. Take Yingshu for example, while they are famous in the Capital City, they can’t control things in the South. If someone opens a shop using their name in the South, they are helpless. If the Commerce Association acts as a supervisor, it would be a good thing for them."
"The matter of impersonation won’t occur every day. As long as the Commerce Association maintains a record of registered brands in each region and updates the information regularly, it will be much easier to manage, and this brand tax can increase the income for the Commerce Association. It will be more beneficial for the merchants of Danliang Country to do business. Just think about the situation without fake brands disrupting the market; consumers will feel more confident."
Many people fell into thought. Most of them thought this plan could work.
"What if someone in the North and South register the same new name, and the Commerce Association registers them at the same time, only to find out there is a clash when files are being archived, what happens then?" The Young Master Diao mian suddenly asked. He had been aloof, but now his questions showed some concern, clearly interested in Bai Ruozhu’s proposal.
Bai Ruozhu nodded politely to him and said: "This situation could happen. So the Commerce Association can let the merchants know that when registering a new brand, it’s explained that if the same name emerges within a month of registration, the one who registered first takes precedence. The ones who register later will have to change their names."
"Then what if someone’s brand name clashes again?" Young Master Diao mian asked again.
Bai Ruozhu hesitated for a moment, then laughed and said, "Then he should find a good name advisor to think about it. Everything depends on the registration time, and fees will not be charged until the brand is confirmed as unique."
"What if there are many businesses with the same name both in the South and the North when merchants are registering at the start? If the North registers first, does the one in the South have to change the brand name it has been using for many years?" Li Dan asked with a provocative look.
Bai Ruozhu calmly said: "This is the problem caused by the lack of unified management, so there is even more need for unified management of brands. Let’s say if both businesses expand and they are bound to run into each other eventually, won’t that lead to a lawsuit? The outcome might not be good, so it’s better to resolve these issues from the beginning. For example, the bigger business could use the brand, and the other to change its name. One of them could pay the other some name change fees or something. The specific terms need to be considered by the seniors. I’m just throwing out ideas."
Li Dan was unconvinced and asked: "Why should the one with a bigger business pay? What if they don’t want to register at all?"
"That’s fine too. Then let the other one register. Their brand is not protected by the Commerce Association at all, wouldn’t they be the one to suffer?" Bai Ruozhu gave Li Dan a look as if he were an idiot.
"You..." Li Dan started yelling in fury.
Han Weizhuang laughed heartily, interrupting Li Dan’s words, "The specifics can be discussed slowly, but Bai Ruozhu’s suggestion is really good. Indeed, she is fully as qualified as men!"