Billionaires from all over were rushing to invest in Huaguo. When it came to making money, the sooner the better – who would complain about having too much?
When Xia Xiaolan suggested opening early, it aligned perfectly with Bai Zhenzhu’s wishes.
“Then let’s follow your suggestion. Call Kang Wei over.”
The market was vast, and if Anjia Building Materials didn’t secure its position, others would certainly target this business opportunity. While they might not have capital as strong as Anjia Building Materials or as comprehensive a product range, they were competing for market share.
Large projects never ordered from retail stores, as their bulk requirements were fulfilled directly from factories.
The building materials store could only secure business from individual customers and mid-range clients, or from those like Yuan Hui who, despite having large projects, still supported Anjia Building Materials’ business. But how many clients maintained such close relationships with Anjia Building Materials as Yuan Hui did?
Some people might not even know there was a building materials store in the small commodities market.
Others who knew about it complained about the distance.
Those needing small quantities found it troublesome.
Anjia Building Materials aimed to convenience these people, wanting to attract both those unwilling to visit the small commodities market and those unaware of the store’s existence.
Anjia Building Materials needed to not only rapidly capture market share but also compete with the old store.
An employee from the original store had been appointed as manager of the new store.
Meeting the rarely-seen Director Xia, who was Anjia Building Materials’ cornerstone, the newly promoted manager was extremely excited.
“Director Xia, I’ll work hard!”
Xia Xiaolan nodded: “Naturally. The higher the new store’s sales volume, the more commission you’ll earn as manager. You need to find ways to bring in business for the new store. You can bring over your previous clients from the old store, but you can’t keep poaching from there – if you take 1 million from the old store, that’s just 1 million. Pengcheng’s market is huge; if you develop new customers outside, you might exceed 1 million! For now, let’s set 1 million as our target. If you can achieve sales above 1 million by year-end accounting, the store will reward you personally with 5,000 yuan, a 0.5% commission. You must work hard.”
The manager, Pan Weiliang, was only 23 years old and wasn’t among Anjia Building Materials’ earliest employees.
His outstanding performance at the old store helped him win the manager position, but the decision also considered Pan Weiliang’s background.
Pan Weiliang had only started working at the building materials store after the New Year. He was the nephew of a bank branch director who had previously approved loans for Liu Yong in Pengcheng. Unable to refuse the favor, Liu Yong had to place Pan Weiliang at the building materials store. Despite having an uncle who was a director, Pan Weiliang had to work at a private building materials store. Director Pan wasn’t sending Pan Weiliang there to earn money; it was purely because Pan Weiliang was unmanageable.
He had been lackadaisical at every job, and Director Pan had previously placed him in a foreign-owned factory, from which Pan Weiliang was fired after less than three months.
At the building materials store, Pan Weiliang remained defiant, coming to work as he pleased, assuming the store wouldn’t dare fire him out of respect for his uncle’s position, unlike the foreign factory.
But Bai Zhenzhu wasn’t someone to be trifled with. She didn’t even bother reminding Pan Weiliang when he didn’t show up.
At month’s end, while everyone received their commission and a monthly salary of several hundred yuan, no less than what Pan Weiliang had earned at the foreign factory, Pan Weiliang’s pay was reduced by Bai Zhenzhu to below even the basic salary.
Stunned, Pan Weiliang tried to argue with Bai Zhenzhu.
Bai Zhenzhu showed the attendance record to Director Pan, saying either take Pan Weiliang back, as the building materials store couldn’t afford such an honored guest or follow the store’s rules with no further interference from Director Pan.
Director Pan was thoroughly embarrassed.
When Pan Weiliang proclaimed he wouldn’t work anymore, Director Pan didn’t intervene.
Leaving him to the building materials store’s management meant leaving him to Bai Zhenzhu’s control.
Bai Zhenzhu wasn’t one to be trifled with. Pan Weiliang couldn’t beat her, and within a month, his habits of arriving late and leaving early completely disappeared.
Seeing Bai Zhenzhu made him scurry away like a mouse seeing a cat.
Bai Zhenzhu made no effort to hide her contempt for Pan Weiliang: “You should thank your uncle. Otherwise, someone like you wouldn’t even be considered for employment here.”
Bai Zhenzhu, though female, acted more masculine than men, and her words struck Pan Weiliang’s core. Business development wasn’t that hard – he just hadn’t wanted to do it before. Now, thinking seriously, he realized he had advantages.
He had Uncle Pan, the director!
As a bank’s credit director, his uncle had connections with numerous organizations.
With construction happening all over Pengcheng, and seeing his nephew’s newfound motivation, Director Pan was willing to introduce business opportunities despite their family connection.
That’s how Pan Weiliang’s business volume surged.
People can change dramatically in a short time. After Pan Weiliang’s performance improved in the store, and having been thoroughly disciplined by Bai Zhenzhu, he felt almost uncomfortable when she stopped being harsh with him.
Later, during the manager selection process, Pan Weiliang was eager to compete.
After several rounds, his comprehensive score surprisingly led the others.
Bai Zhenzhu hesitated – should they put someone like him in charge of the new store?
Fortunately, Xia Xiaolan was in Pengcheng, and after speaking with Pan Weiliang, directly confirmed his appointment.
Unable to manage the building materials store? That wasn’t an issue – they didn’t expect Pan Weiliang to stay quietly in the store. After discussing with Xia Xiaolan, Bai Zhenzhu assigned a detail-oriented female colleague as deputy manager. Pan Weiliang would focus on external business development, while the deputy manager would coordinate internal store operations.
This same person, upon hearing Xia Xiaolan’s promise of a 0.5% personal commission for reaching 100 million in year-end sales, immediately became energized.
“Director Xia, just wait until year-end. I’ll push sales above 1 million!”
Pan Weiliang beat his chest confidently. If 1 million meant a 5,000 yuan reward, wouldn’t 2 million mean 10,000 yuan?
This was additional income beyond his salary.
Moreover, Director Xia had promoted him and shown great expectations – he couldn’t disappoint her!
Director Xia was gentle and beautiful, unlike Bai Zhenzhu who was fierce and unfeminine. For a long time after joining the store, Pan Weiliang had thought Bai Zhenzhu was a man.
After all, what woman would casually lift male colleagues’ blankets?
After dismissing the cocky Pan Weiliang, Bai Zhenzhu sneered: “This one still needs more tempering.”
If not for Director Pan’s influence, how could someone so naive and sweet survive?
He foolishly thought Xia Xiaolan was gentle and approachable, confidently promising not to betray her trust… Couldn’t he use his head to think? If Xia Xiaolan were truly harmless, how could she maintain her position as the building materials store’s major shareholder while rarely showing her face?
While Bai Zhenzhu might control people like Pan Weiliang through force, Xia Xiaolan relied on intelligence.
Most pathetic was that Pan Weiliang feared and dreaded Bai Zhenzhu while finding Xia Xiaolan gentle and likable, harboring unrealistic fantasies about Director Xia.
Xia Xiaolan was indifferent: “Sister Bai, think positively. Every type of employee has their use – it’s just a matter of how we utilize them!”
Director Pan’s nephew wasn’t a complete scoundrel.
Being a bit naive and formerly lazy, now with her and Bai Zhenzhu playing good cop and bad cop, they could even recycle this waste into something useful!