"Right, Zhilan, how come you didn’t give me a call before setting up your stall? I would have tipped off the city management folks so they’d ease up on you." Lin Chan presumed that He Zhilan wouldn’t have started her street vending so soon after getting her materials. Looking at the hair accessories worn by He Zhilan and Chen Xiting, Lin Chan became interested, taking a closer look, "They look great! What skillful hands you have!"
"They are beautiful! We sold almost all of them between this morning and now!" Chen Xiting nodded vigorously. "If it wasn’t for Gu En meddling, Zhilan and I might have already sold out and gone back to school!"
"Why run a street stall?" Chen Yun said. "Getting sunburned and wind-chapped, doesn’t that make you feel sorry, Lin Chan? These little trinkets, couldn’t you just put them on a counter in a department store to sell?"
"The purses sold in department stores are all imported, they have brand recognition. Besides, not just any goods can get into a department store, right?" said He Zhilan.
"Lin Chan, doesn’t your friend who owns a clothing factory have counter sales in some department stores in our capital? These girl’s jewelry should be given to Lin Chan and sold at her friend’s clothing counters. It’s convenient, or if the goods are good, just sell it directly to her friend."
"The fabric I use for these is from his factory, I got it free, it would seem inappropriate to make money off his stuff, right?" He Zhilan reasoned.
"Why feel inappropriate about it? Those leftover fabrics are just rubbish in your hands, what use does he have for it? If he’s not willing, then just ask Lin Chan to throw away the fabric from his warehouse. Or, you could lower your prices a bit to give him some profit too. If he’s not even happy about an opportunity to make money without lifting a finger, then Lin Chan should just cut ties with him! Some people!"
"What are you saying? He’s not that kind of person. I’ll talk to him about this. Since I’ve used his stuff for free, then let him make some profit. Zhilan, hand me all your leftovers, I’ll show them to him first. If he’s willing to purchase your stuff in bulk, then you can sell it to him at a cheaper price than you sold today. If he doesn’t want to buy in bulk, then let his salespeople help you sell it at their counters. You just need to give them a commission. Don’t worry, I’ll sort it out for you!"
Lin Chan gave her assurance, "Your business is my business, I’ll make sure to handle it well for you. So you don’t have to set up a stall out in the street all day long, it looks so grueling!"
"Wouldn’t that make me owe you a favor? Thank you!" He Zhilan didn’t refuse. If she could sell her products wholesale, that would be the best. In that case, she could use the time she spent on vending to make hair accessories, and it wouldn’t affect her making money during her weekend visits at the army barracks.
"You’re worried about owing Lin Chan a favor? Who knows how many favors countless people in our circle in the capital owe her that they can’t repay! You and your classmate are going back to school, right? Let me give you a lift." Chen Yun knew that, although Lin Chan was a business owner, many people in the capital owed her favors. After all, at times, money can be more useful than power.
When He Zhilan and Chen Xiting got back to their dormitory, since it was not yet mealtime, Huang Cai and Wang Bingbing hadn’t gone to the dining hall yet. Seeing the two came back empty-handed, they asked how the selling went.
"We almost sold out. The rest were taken by He Zhilan’s friend to see if they could be stocked in department stores! If this works out, Zhilan would be something of a small business owner!" Chen Xiting was so excited that she practically idolized He Zhilan.