"Zhilan, you’re the best." Taking the water from her and taking a couple of sips, Lin Chan’s anger seemed to subdue a bit; perhaps the cold water chilled his rage, or perhaps it was He Zhilan’s gentle persuasion that soothed him. His tone was much calmer when he spoke again.
"I think your speculation is correct. If they weren’t trying to close out one last deal, they wouldn’t dare cause offense to a client . I suspect there’s trouble in this family business and something underhanded about this batch of goods. Whoever takes it on would definitely be courting disaster. I’m relieved that you suggested this strategy to me at lunch today, otherwise, when I get to R Country, they might trick me into signing the deal without my realizing."
"There are some points I would like to discuss with you. You’ve only eaten a little, so I heated up some food on the stove; you should eat more while I talk." He Zhilan gestured towards the dining table.
"Sure thing! You’re so thoughtful!" Lin Chan immediately broke into a grin. "I have to say, I didn’t choose the wrong sister. Even my own mum isn’t as attentive as you."
Back at the table, Lin Chan’s mood improved considerably and his appetite grew. The taste of reheated food wasn’t as good as when it was fresh, but he enjoyed it nonetheless.
"Lin Chan, while century-old family businesses have history and reputation, and everyone worldwide is aware of their technology, when such a family business fails, it causes a worldwide sensation. We can’t identify specifically what’s wrong with this batch of goods, but we know for sure something is awry judging by their attitude, which also hints that there are issues within the family. I’d recommend that you clear out all your existing inventory before the matter comes to a head, even if it means making less profit or just breaking even. That’s far better than being dragged down by any hidden problems connected to this family."
"Interesting, keep talking." Lin Chan was intrigued and waved He Zhilan to continue.
"Currently, they’ve set their price low likely to avoid dealing with various parties, so they hope someone will take the whole inventory. Given their family reputation, combined with the low price now, they should find a taker quickly after you step out of the picture. Maybe in three to five days, this batch will be off their hands. Once these goods enter households and factories, problems are likely to crop up, at most in a month, sooner in half that time. You should sell off all goods that are produced by this company and announce the end of your collaboration with them, opting instead for another factory."
"But..." Lin Chan was puzzled, "the problem lies with the current batch of cloth they’re keen to dump, not with what I’ve already purchased, so why should I clear out all my inventory?"
"That’s the effect of branding." The concept of "branding" wasn’t widely recognized at the time, so He Zhilan offered a comparison. "Suppose you often dine at a certain restaurant. If one day you learn they’ve been using meat from diseased pigs, would you still dine there? Even if they insist and guarantee that only their pork is diseased while their chicken, duck, and fish dishes are all healthy, would you dare to eat there anymore? Would you still trust them?"