Chapter 369: How Much Confidence Do You Have Left?

Mr. Qian's words hit Summer Lang like a thunderbolt, catching him off guard. He awkwardly laughed and asked, "Mr. Qian, are you joking? I know your business is doing exceptionally well. If there's anyone making the most sales around here in Sanyuan, it's definitely you."

Mr. Qian retorted, "Summer Boss, are you mocking me? You know the situation here better than anyone. Sanyuan is a newly developed area, and both the clientele and foot traffic here are nowhere near what they were at Dongmen. There's hardly any business to speak of, and everyone who comes here is looking for bargains. I'm just trying not to lose money, let alone make any!"

"I understand the situation in Sanyuan. Everyone is picky about their purchases, even down to a tiny screw. But that's precisely why you need a competitive product, and here's a great opportunity," Summer Lang said.

He continued, "You must know the textile factory at the East Gate, right? It's one of Nanjiang's most famous factories. Most of the fabric and clothes you've seen in Nanjiang come from there. The quality is assured, though their prices used to be quite high. But now, I've found a way to reduce the price by five percentage points."

"Five percentage points is no small amount," Summer Lang explained. "If you need to buy goods worth 10,000 yuan, normally you'd need to pay the full amount. But now, you only need to pay 9,500 yuan, which saves you 500 yuan. That's equivalent to more than two months' salary for someone else!"

"500 yuan is indeed a significant amount, but I'm speaking honestly," Mr. Qian sighed and said to Summer Lang. "You know, Summer Boss, my business here is half-wholesale and half-retail. I have a warehouse full of goods right now. All my funds are tied up in stock. I would love to buy goods at a lower price, but I'm truly financially stretched!"

"Mr. Qian, can't you find a way?" Summer Lang urged. "This is a rare opportunity. If you miss it this time, you don't know when the next chance will come."

Mr. Qian shook his head. "Summer Boss, I understand what you're saying. I'm also eager to buy at a lower price to make my business easier. But the current situation is truly dire. It's not that I don't want to help."

Summer Lang frowned, glanced at Zhou Ming who had been silent, and gritted his teeth. "Mr. Qian, whatever amount you can spare, just give that much. This is a rare opportunity after all."

Mr. Qian still shook his head. "Summer Boss, it's not that I'm being stingy. I genuinely cannot raise the money right now. With our friendship, if I could help you, I would."

After persistently asking if there wasn't even a single penny available, Mr. Qian's response was resolute—he couldn't spare even a dime. Summer Lang had no choice but to say, "Alright then, since Mr. Qian is really in such a tight spot, I won't press further. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll leave now."

Seeing Summer Lang get up to leave, Mr. Qian quickly stood up and asked, "Summer Boss, are you leaving now? Can't you stay a bit longer? It's almost noon. Why not stay for lunch before you go?"

Summer Lang smiled and replied, "No, I really have things to take care of. Next time, I'll invite Mr. Qian to dinner."

Mr. Qian expressed his regret but didn't insist on keeping Summer Lang. He courteously saw Zhou Ming and Summer Lang to the door.

Back at the car, Summer Lang's younger brother rushed over and asked how it went. Summer Lang shook his head helplessly. "Things didn't go well. Mr. Qian said all his funds are tied up in stock and he can't provide any money."

"What do you think about this?" Zhou Ming, who had been silent until now, suddenly asked Summer Lang.

"He's definitely lying. He can't possibly have all his funds tied up in stock. I've seen his warehouse; it's not large, and it's hard to fill it completely. He has never stocked that much," Summer Lang analyzed.

Zhou Ming smiled. "You didn't get my point. Whether he's lying or not is irrelevant. The key issue is why he won't provide the money."

"Well, he definitely doesn't trust us," Summer Lang's younger brother said.

Zhou Ming asked Summer Lang again. After some thought, Summer Lang replied, "I agree with my brother. Mr. Qian doesn't trust me, so he's hesitant to give such a large sum of money. He's afraid I might run off and he'd be left with a loss."

"Since you believe that's the reason, what's your plan to address it?" Zhou Ming asked.

"I can have a friend who works at the factory help verify things and let the clients check the factory themselves," Summer Lang said.

"But if your clients find out about the discount at the factory, why would they need you?" Zhou Ming countered.

This question left Summer Lang in silence. Zhou Ming was right. For businesses like theirs, information asymmetry was key to making profits. If the discount became widely known, there would be no advantage left for Summer Lang.

Seeing Summer Lang frown, Zhou Ming asked, "Do you still have confidence that you can persuade your clients?"

"Yes," Summer Lang answered immediately. "I am confident I can convince them!"

"That's good. Confidence is crucial for the future. But having confidence alone isn't enough. You must also have a method. Otherwise, if you're just like Mr. Qian, I assure you, you'll still fail. And with repeated failures, what good is your confidence?" Zhou Ming said.

Summer Lang nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Zhou, for the reminder. I understand now. I'll be more cautious going forward."

Zhou Ming patted Summer Lang's shoulder to encourage him, and then they drove to another store. This time, they met with Mr. Sun, who greeted them warmly, similar to Mr. Qian.

Unlike before, Summer Lang was much more astute this time. He entered the store without saying much and first asked Mr. Sun how business was going. Everyone who deals with businessmen knows that regardless of their status or the success of their business, they will usually complain about difficulties and frustrations.

Mr. Sun was no exception. After Mr. Sun aired his grievances, Summer Lang immediately said, "Mr. Sun, don't worry. Although prices are rising across the board, I have a factory offering a discount."

Upon hearing about the discount, Mr. Sun perked up. "Summer Boss, is that true? Which factory is offering the discount?"

"That factory you're familiar with at the East Gate. They're reducing prices on clothes, pants, and socks by an additional five percentage points from the wholesale prices you previously paid," Summer Lang said.

"A five percentage point discount is excellent. Do you have the goods now? Can I come and see them?" Mr. Sun asked.

Summer Lang shook his head. "Not yet. This is an internal policy I've obtained, which requires prepayment before delivery. If Mr. Sun wants to benefit from this policy, you'll need to pay 10,000 yuan upfront."

Mr. Sun frowned, feeling troubled. "Prepayment before seeing the goods?"

"Don't worry, Mr. Sun. This is a factory policy, and the East Gate factory is well-known and reputable in Nanjiang. You don't need to worry," Summer Lang reassured him.

However, Mr. Sun still shook his head. "Summer Boss, it's not that I don't understand the internal policy, but coming up with so much money at once is quite difficult."

"Mr. Sun, you understand that business is getting tougher, especially with so many funds flowing into the stock market. There's less money left outside," Mr. Sun explained. "Part of my money is invested in stocks by my wife, and the rest is tied up in inventory. I can't free up any funds."

Summer Lang felt frustrated as his efforts seemed to lead back to the same issue Mr. Qian faced. He tried to persuade Mr. Sun further but eventually decided to leave after some casual conversation.

Back by the car, Zhou Ming asked Summer Lang the same question. "How much confidence do you have left?"

Summer Lang forced a smile and replied, "Mr. Zhou, I want to say I still have confidence, but I fear I'll face the same issues at the next place. After all, we're just making promises with no proof, and they're all sticking to their planned stock. They're afraid they won't be able to handle a sudden influx of goods. It's a difficult situation."

"This just shows you're losing confidence," Zhou Ming said.

Summer Lang was taken aback but, despite his reluctance, could only nod in agreement. Zhou Ming patted his shoulder and asked, "Do you remember what I told you earlier?"

Summer Lang thought for a moment and uncertainly said, "Confidence is key to the future?"

Zhou Ming nodded. "Exactly. No matter what you do, you must first have confidence. If you don't have confidence, don't even start. What you're facing is actually simple. You've been using the wrong method all along."