Taking all the year-end bonuses?
With forty days until the New Year, Lan Feng Huang would need to stay open until at least the twentieth of the last lunar month – about another month.
Buying new clothes before the New Year was on many people’s minds. Unlike before when fabric coupons were needed, treating oneself to new clothes for the New Year wasn’t excessive. People often wear their best clothes for special occasions. This final month before the New Year usually saw a small peak in sales.
For winter clothing, this was the final moment to shine. After the Spring Festival, even though the weather remained cold, down jackets and cotton coats hanging in shops would rarely attract customers. Low-price promotions became the means to clear inventory. Fortunately, Lan Feng Huang’s business was good enough, and inventory was well-controlled. While they ran various “buy-one-get-one” promotions regularly, prices remained firm. “Only end-of-season discounts” had become a fixed impression among customers.
This year, Lan Feng Huang focused on winter wear. The men’s wool coats were a huge hit, while women’s mid-length down jackets and cotton coats were also popular. Based on current store sales, the year-end bonus would be larger than ever before.
Liu Yong told Xia Xiao Lan to take all the year-end bonus, but Xia Xiao Lan immediately refused:
“Then how will the store manage inventory turnover? Aunt has worked hard all year, and at year-end, there’s no bonus…”
“What do you mean no bonus? Don’t the previous distributions count? Take it when I tell you to take it, it’s rightfully yours.”
There had been previous bonus distributions, especially significant amounts during the summer clothing months. However, Liu Yong needed substantial capital for renovations in Peng Cheng, and Li Feng Mei gave all her clothing store bonuses to Liu Yong. This was why Liu Yong’s family, despite buying a house in the capital, hadn’t seen much cash.
Liu Yong wasn’t worried about the store’s turnover in Shang Du – by year-end, many of his projects in Peng Cheng would be settling payments.
On Xia Xiao Lan’s side, Hua Qing had been focusing on studies since school started, with few opportunities for extra income. The money earned previously had gone into buying a courtyard house, and now opening a store in the capital might be financially tight.
Since Liu Yong insisted, Xia Xiao Lan agreed. With the money on hand plus all the winter clothing bonus from the store, she could gather around 100,000 yuan – more than enough to open a new store.
After confirming the renovation design with Gong Yang, Xia Xiao Lan didn’t need to manage anything else. Leaving it to Liu Yong for renovation was completely reassuring.
Liu Yong brought his experienced workers to the capital and hired some local workers, starting construction simultaneously on “Luna” and Xia Xiao Lan’s new store. Liu Yong definitely wouldn’t profit from Xia Xiao Lan’s store – his quote was just for show, as he hadn’t planned to charge when settling accounts. The “Luna” renovation was legitimate company business; while friends got discounts, business was business – they couldn’t make any profit at all!
After creating Luna’s renovation design drawings, they still needed Chen Xi Liang’s approval. The Yang Cheng location needed to maintain a unified style. Being able to replicate it 100% would be even better – all future stores would need the same design to reinforce the brand image in consumers’ minds.
Chen Xi Liang wasn’t a professional in this area, so he completely trusted the experts.
The renovation quote didn’t need discussion – if he found others to do it, achieving the same effect would only cost more, if at all possible.
As for Yuan Hui profiting from the renovation – wasn’t that appropriate? Business was business, despite personal relationships. Chen Xi Liang had partnered with Xia Xiao Lan many times, but he never sold Lan Feng Huang clothes at factory prices – the friend discount allowing same-season exchanges.
So Chen Xi Liang completely understood Yuan Hui making money on renovations. Liu Yong was also happy to take this job. Despite traveling between the capital and Yang Cheng, it wasn’t troublesome at all. If Luna developed well and opened branch stores in the future, they would seek Liu Yong for renovations – this was a long-term business opportunity.
Xia Xiao Lan said they currently had 2 stores – growing to 20 stores would be possible, 200 stores would take effort, and 2,000 stores would depend on luck.
Liu Yong usually believed what Xia Xiao Lan said – 20 stores seemed believable… but 2,000? How could there be so many people buying clothes?
A famous casual brand in China had once reached 5,000 stores at its peak, so Luna reaching 2,000 stores was possible. In the clothing and garment industry, Chen Xi Liang had great talent. In the previous life without Xia Xiao Lan’s involvement, Old Chen had become a billionaire. In this life, with both of them together, Xia Xiao Lan was quite looking forward to seeing how far they could go.
Of course, the butterfly effect would bring chain reactions.
Currently, China’s independent clothing brands are barren territory. The famous casual and sports brands of the future were mostly established in the 1990s. Luna’s early start of several years meant both occupying market gaps and pioneering.
Pioneering was always difficult. Would consumers in 1985 be willing to accept clothing brands? Would their income levels support pursuing brands?
Launching high-end ready-to-wear in the 1980s China would fail. Xia Xiao Lan never intended to create luxury goods – she and Chen Xi Liang both positioned Luna as mid-range ready-to-wear. More expensive than street stall goods but cheaper than department store merchandise, with more innovative and varied styles.
Whether they could reach 2,000 stores in the future was uncertain, but Xia Xiao Lan was confident about reaching 200 stores.
…
Hong Kong, Mary Hospital.
Xia Da Jun traveled from Yang Cheng to Hong Kong for his second surgery.
Du Zhao Hui was truly generous with money. The surgeon was a specialist invited from England, costing considerable money to change Xia Da Jun’s inevitable paralysis into a 50% chance of standing again.
The chances of paralysis and recovery were equal.
Even someone as simple as Xia Da Jun sensed something was wrong – if the injury wasn’t serious, why would Young Master send him back to Hong Kong for a second surgery?
But the English specialist spoke a gibberish foreign language that Xia Da Jun couldn’t understand at all. The hospital staff had been instructed not to casually disclose his condition, so Xia Da Jun couldn’t learn more details.
Although Mary Hospital was a public hospital in Hong Kong, its service and medical conditions were quite good. The treatment Xia Da Jun received wasn’t even available to ordinary Hong Kong residents, especially having an English specialist perform the surgery… Xia Da Jun had been injured twice because of Young Master Du, each time bringing better fortune. Life’s paths were truly mysterious.
Anyway, Xia Da Jun’s injuries were all worth it. When a person lacks intelligence and background but wants to get ahead, they have to rely on luck. When the opportunity comes, you must seize it even if it means bleeding and sweating.
Du Zhao Hui was buying loyalty with gold. Among those around him, whoever could accompany him through life and death could rise! The living got raises, the dead benefited their families. This method Du Zhao Hui used has endured for thousands of years, proving its effectiveness. A bodyguard enjoying such treatment wouldn’t be opposed by Du Ting Rong – Du Ting Rong would actually think his son was doing well.
Du Zhao Hui was now in Du Ting Rong’s study. He had deliberately returned to Hong Kong to discuss the group’s smuggling business with Du Ting Rong. Unexpectedly, after being ambushed on the way, Du Zhao Hui changed his mind:
“I think Uncle Liu is still very capable. It’s quite unfair to have him just supporting my work now. Why not give him more important duties… Dad, I suggest handing over all the group’s related businesses to Uncle Liu!”