Chapter 225: Asking Boss Zhou to Let Us Sell

If the visit by CCTV reporters Fang Ping and Zhou Tao, accompanied by the county leaders, only caused a stir in the Eight Treasure Porridge workshop, then the arrival of Governor Xiong Qingping had turned the entire 760 Factory upside down, with everyone extremely excited.

Previously, the 760 Factory was just a small mechanical processing factory in Nanhui County, and the county governor had rarely visited the factory, let alone the provincial governor, who was considered a figure beyond their imagination. If it weren't for the situation, the 760 Factory wouldn't have gone unmanaged before the reform, resulting in years of not being able to pay wages properly.

Now, however, not only had the provincial governor personally inspected the factory, but he also publicly announced the establishment of the province's first township industrial park at the 760 Factory. This news had thrilled everyone even more.

For ordinary factory employees, they believed that the provincial governor would not deceive them. In fact, there was no need for the governor to deceive them. As long as the township industrial park was established, they would receive the best policy support and would no longer be like neglected children with no one to care for them.

In fact, when the 760 Factory lost its designated production enterprise status and later faced obstacles in selling Eight Treasure Porridge locally, the morale in the factory had been unstable. During that time, some people even privately blamed Zhou Ming, saying that the problems were due to Zhou Ming buying the factory and driving away the old leaders. Fortunately, Zhou Ming found a way out in Lingnan and Yanjing, which stabilized the factory's situation; otherwise, things might have taken a turn for the worse.

At noon, after Zhou Ming and Su Han finished lunch at home and accompanied his parents to the factory, they encountered many factory workers along the way. Everyone greeted them warmly and enthusiastically.

They chatted among themselves: "Boss Zhou, happy New Year! You're truly capable, coming up with such a product as Eight Treasure Porridge. The advertisement even reached CCTV, and now CCTV has sent reporters to interview us. This is something the 760 Factory has never experienced before! Old Zhou, you have such a good son, even the provincial governor can be invited. He's setting up a township industrial park for us—what a great blessing for the 760 Factory!"

Zhou Ming could only thank them one by one. Despite their current enthusiasm, the factory was even more lively on the day Xiong Qingping visited. Dragon dances were performed, firecrackers were set off as if they were free, and red lanterns were hung everywhere, making it feel like a second New Year celebration in the first month.

Zhou Ming first sent his parents to the workshop and then walked to the administrative building. As he approached, he saw the office director, Sun Jie, waiting at the door. Sun Jie hurried over and said, "Boss Zhou, not good... No, it's too good! A lot of people have come!"

Sun Jie's words left Zhou Ming both amused and exasperated. "Director Sun, slow down. What's not good and too good?"

"Boss Zhou, I'm sorry, I got too excited," Sun Jie said. "Here's the thing, this morning many directors from supply and marketing cooperatives came to the factory to discuss the sale of Eight Treasure Porridge. They're still in the reception room now. Director Yuan asked me to wait for you here."

"Oh, so it's this matter. It's fine. Just let them wait a bit longer in the reception room," Zhou Ming said.

Hearing Zhou Ming's casual tone, which seemed to disregard the supply and marketing cooperative directors, Sun Jie felt a pang of admiration. Boss Zhou truly wasn't an ordinary person—remaining so calm in this situation was something he found remarkable. If it were him, he'd probably be restless for days.

Sun Jie's admiration stemmed from not knowing Zhou Ming well. After all, someone who had faced the top leaders of the country wasn't likely to be fazed by this minor scene. As for those cooperative directors, Zhou Ming could care less.

Of course, Zhou Ming's indifference also had a bit of emotional undercurrent. After all, he had been directly snubbed by these supply and marketing directors, who refused to attend his banquet. Anyone in his position would feel unhappy. Moreover, even the President of the United States can show anger in front of international reporters, and national leaders sometimes slam tables and curse when pushed too far. Zhou Ming had been reborn, not transformed into a super ninja—why shouldn't he have some emotions?

What's more, Zhou Ming had reason to act this way, knowing why the cooperative directors had come. He was certain they wouldn't dare leave without resolving the matter.

With this thought, Zhou Ming went straight to his office and didn't remember the cooperative directors until around 3:30 p.m.

Upon entering the reception room, Zhou Ming was greeted by a strong smell of smoke. Inside, about a dozen middle-aged people were pacing anxiously. Some furrowed their brows, while others chanted like monks, showing their deep anxiety.

It was clear these were the supply and marketing cooperative directors who had come to meet Zhou Ming. Since they didn't know Zhou Ming personally, they initially didn't pay much attention when he entered. It wasn't until Sales Director Yuan Zhigang called out "Boss Zhou" that they realized who had arrived. They were surprised to see such a young person was the one who had spent millions to buy the 760 Factory.

Before they could fully react, Yan Fuping, the director from the Wei Hui Supply and Marketing Cooperative, quickly approached Zhou Ming and extended his hand, saying, "Boss Zhou, you've finally arrived. We've been waiting here for half a day."

Since everyone knew Yan Fuping had met Zhou Ming before, his action convinced others that this young man was indeed Zhou Ming.

Thus, the dozen or so cooperative directors surrounded Zhou Ming like thirsty courtesans, greeting him enthusiastically.

Yuan Zhigang and Sun Jie, seeing their aggressive demeanor, instinctively positioned themselves in front of Zhou Ming.

Zhou Ming, however, remained calm. He patted their shoulders, signaling them to step aside. Zhou Ming then asked Sun Jie to open the windows for ventilation before sitting down with the cooperative directors.

Zhou Ming got straight to the point, asking, "Hello, cooperative directors. I see you've been waiting here urgently. Did the city supply and marketing leaders give you any tasks?"

The question left everyone momentarily stunned, and then awkward expressions appeared on their faces. They looked at each other, unsure how to answer, since when Zhou Ming had invited them to dinner before, they had snubbed him. Now, it was a bit embarrassing.

Finally, an older director stepped forward and said, "To be honest, Boss Zhou, it's a directive from the provincial supply and marketing headquarters, requiring us to support the Eight Treasure Porridge from Linyang."

Zhou Ming was a bit surprised by the answer. He had expected the city supply and marketing office to be involved, but it turned out that the provincial supply and marketing office had issued the directive. It seemed his reputation was indeed significant.

Nevertheless, it wasn't a big deal. Zhou Ming smiled and said, "I didn't expect the province to support the development of Linyang Eight Treasure Porridge to this extent, and also support our 760 Factory, a reformed private enterprise. I can feel everyone's support and encouragement. I'm sorry for making you wait here for so long. The factory has been very busy…"

Before Zhou Ming could finish, someone immediately spoke up, "Boss Zhou, don't worry. As long as we can help you sell Eight Treasure Porridge, waiting for any length of time is worth it!"

Another person echoed, "Yes! Boss Zhou, you're being too modest. We all know Eight Treasure Porridge is a well-known brand nationwide. Even cities like Yanjing and Binhai have buying frenzies. And Boss Zhou, you're also helping Governor Xiong build the township industrial park. Surely, you're very busy. As long as you can spare a little time for us, it's enough."

"I appreciate everyone's support for Linyang Eight Treasure Porridge. However, with so many of you coming at once, we need to make a specific plan for the factory," Zhou Ming said.

At this point, someone said, "Boss Zhou, don't worry about the details. We've already discussed and divided the areas among ourselves. Each of us will handle our own region's sales."

Zhou Ming was surprised to hear they had already made arrangements. It seemed the provincial directive had indeed put significant pressure on them.

Seeing Zhou Ming's surprise, some thought he might still be dissatisfied and quickly added, "If you're not satisfied, we can also offer you a share of the profits. After all, supporting the development of private enterprises is our priority. What do you think, Boss Zhou?"

Dealers offering to give up their share of profits?

Zhou Ming smiled. He hadn't expected such an unusual situation. In modern times, this would be unthinkable. Dealers would usually try to drive prices down to maximize their own profits, not willingly forgo any earnings. But in this case, it wasn't surprising, as these cooperative directors were bureaucrats more focused on their future prospects rather than immediate profits. For them, any loss was public money, and as long as they pleased their superiors, it was acceptable.

Following the principle of not passing up a bargain, Zhou Ming said, "Let's do this

. You should know I previously worked with Wei Hui Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Let's follow that method, but we'll need to adjust the kickback amount a bit. How does that sound?"

Hearing Zhou Ming's suggestion, Yan Fuping felt like he might vomit blood, but seeing Zhou Ming nodding, he could only reluctantly agree. He regretted not continuing the cooperation with Zhou Ming earlier and had only himself to blame for the worse outcome now.

As the saying goes, some are happy while others are sad. While Yan Fuping was frustrated, Yuan Zhigang was overjoyed.

Yuan Zhigang, who had been the sales director since the factory's reform, had always been seeking favors and being subordinate. He had never seen such a scene before, with cooperative directors begging Zhou Ming to let them sell products, especially after they had recently snubbed him. The sense of revenge was even more satisfying.

Yuan Zhigang looked at Zhou Ming with awe, thinking, "Boss Zhou is truly remarkable!"