Chapter 370: What Is Business?

Messed up the method?

Xia Lang looked at Zhou Ming with a puzzled expression, completely not understanding what Zhou Ming meant. After all, the business tactics he used with Mr. Qian and Mr. Sun were ones he frequently employed. Especially with Mr. Sun, he had already used every method he could think of. Wasn't it correct?

Zhou Ming noticed Xia Lang's confusion and shook his head internally. He thought to himself that this version of Xia Lang was quite inexperienced. In his previous life, even if Xia Lang didn't know what to do in such situations, he would at least think of a temporary solution. It was unlike now, where he seemed completely lost and waited for Zhou Ming to solve everything.

Oh well, since he encountered the previous life's Xia Lang, it could be considered fate. He might as well help him out and do a good deed, which he could feel good about.

Zhou Ming thought to himself and then said to Xia Lang, "How about this, let me handle the next client. Choose the one you think has the least chance of success."

"The one with the least chance?" Xia Lang looked at Zhou Ming in surprise, thinking he must have misheard.

Zhou Ming smiled and replied, "Yes, the one with the least chance. If you're confident about a client, you can handle them yourself. I'll take care of the tough ones. If I can handle the least likely ones, won't the ones with more chance be even better?"

"Right, that makes sense. Thank you so much, Mr. Zhou!" Xia Lang said.

Zhou Ming waved his hand dismissively, then they all got into the car and arrived at the East Gate Mall. Xia Lang took Zhou Ming to a wholesale clothing market. Upon arriving, Zhou Ming looked up at the market and asked Xia Lang with a smile, "You didn't choose the easiest one for me, did you? That would be underestimating me."

"No, this is indeed the most difficult one," Xia Lang said awkwardly. "The owner here is one of the major wholesalers at East Gate. He has fixed suppliers, so my business basically can't get in."

"The bigger the boss, the easier it is to do business with them because they will never haggle over every little detail like small vendors do."

Zhou Ming said this and walked towards the wholesale market. Xia Lang, after repeating Zhou Ming's words several times in his mind, quietly took out a pen and notebook to jot down what Zhou Ming had said. Zhou Ming felt a bit of secret pleasure, thinking it was a nice change of pace to have the boss note down his words for once.

However, Zhou Ming didn't comment on this. After all, having been reborn, his status had elevated significantly. While he didn't say he wanted to be the Pirate King, he at least aimed to achieve something substantial. He couldn't afford to boast over trivial matters.

Entering the wholesale market, Zhou Ming and Xia Lang did not receive the same treatment as before. The staff here were recruited by the market and still carried an air of arrogance from the planning era. When they heard they were here to see the boss, they interrogated them like criminals for a while before reluctantly pointing them in the direction of the boss's office, and they didn't offer to guide them.

Zhou Ming wasn't angry and led Xia Lang in the direction the staff had indicated. They knocked on the boss's office door and walked in.

Inside sat a man in his thirties who was reading a newspaper. He looked up in surprise when Zhou Ming and Xia Lang entered, "Who are you looking for?"

"Hello, Mr. Li. I'm Xia Lang," Xia Lang introduced himself.

"Oh, it's Xia Lang. Hello, have a seat," Mr. Li said, recognizing him and inviting them to sit down, but he didn't put down his newspaper. He was clearly more impressive than the previous two small bosses.

"Xia Lang, what brings you here today?" Mr. Li asked.

This time Xia Lang didn't answer. Zhou Ming spoke up, "Mr. Li, we're here today to bring you a potentially profitable piece of news. I'm not sure if you're interested?"

Mr. Li looked surprised again and put down his newspaper, asking Xia Lang, "And who is this?"

"Mr. Li, you can call me Zhou. I'm Xia Lang's partner now," Zhou Ming introduced himself.

Mr. Li nodded and asked Zhou Ming, "What kind of profitable news are you talking about? Let's hear it."

"It's not exactly extraordinary news, but it does require a certain amount of financial strength from the boss. Specifically, the boss needs to have a certain amount of liquid funds," Zhou Ming explained.

"Funds are no problem. As you can see, this wholesale market is quite large. Many organizations come here for uniform orders or direct purchases. I don't have any financial pressure," Mr. Li said casually.

"That's good to hear. However, I'd like to confirm how your business is doing. Are you experiencing significant inventory pressure?" Zhou Ming asked.

"Zhou, those small businesses you mentioned don't exist here. Just tell me the news. Whether it works or not is up to me to judge," Mr. Li said.

Zhou Ming smiled, "I believe you might have misunderstood. The judgment is not for you to make, but for me to decide. Because everyone wants to make money, I'm here because you're a wholesaler with a large setup. If there were any issues, I could have found others. I believe in business; no one would refuse making money, don't you think?"

"Zhou, you're quite confident!" Mr. Li said. "I don't know who taught you to speak like this, but I must say that person was too doctrinaire and didn't understand the practical aspects. Can such a large wholesale market not make money?"

Zhou Ming shook his head, "It's not so clear-cut. Perhaps you're making money now, but who can guarantee that it will always be the case? When I entered, I noticed several issues with your operation."

"What issues?" Mr. Li immediately asked.

"First, your sales staff's attitude is far from commendable. If you had some difficult customers, they might just turn around and leave without staying a minute longer. This is not just about losing a few customers; over time, word spreads, and you could end up with no business at all," Zhou Ming said.

Mr. Li responded, "Yes, the sales staff are allocated by the market, and their attitude isn't great, but I'm working on improving it."

Zhou Ming waved his hand, "Mr. Li, you can say whatever you want, but I consider this a minor issue. Staff can be replaced. With so many people in Nanjiang, finding new staff shouldn't be a problem. But what I'm about to say is the real issue."

"What is that?" Mr. Li asked.

"The real issue is with you. You have a large market, hired staff, and just wait for customers to come. Do you consider this business?" Zhou Ming asked.

Mr. Li was stunned by this question and said, "What exactly does it mean to do business?"

Zhou Ming didn't answer immediately but asked, "Let me ask you another question. Are there differences in how well people do business? Why are there differences in success among those who do the same business?"

In the past, Mr. Li would have answered confidently, but now he hesitated and said, "Is it because of different backgrounds and connections?"

"There is some truth to that, but what matters more is the individual's skills," Zhou Ming said. "Some people do business well while others do poorly. The key difference is that successful people know how to plan, while unsuccessful ones do not. For example, you, Mr. Li, spend your days reading newspapers and drinking tea, waiting for customers to come. Is that called business? To put it bluntly, even a headless pig could do that. What's the point of having people do it?"

Mr. Li's face turned somewhat ugly, but he didn't know how to respond. Zhou Ming continued, "The most important thing in business is planning. What clients to target, what orders to take, all need to be thought out. As a boss, you should be out finding clients, not sitting at home waiting for them to come to you."

Hearing this, Mr. Li suddenly realized something and excitedly clapped his hands, "Yes, I should be going out to find clients, not just sitting at home!"

"That's right. Now, I can offer you a client," Zhou Ming said.

"What client?" Mr. Li immediately asked without hesitation.

"A client for your supply. Have you heard of the textile factory at East Gate?" Zhou Ming asked.

Mr. Li nodded, and Zhou Ming continued, "I have an internal offer from that factory, which can give you a batch of goods at a discount of five percentage points compared to others. Do you want it?"

"Of course I want it. Why wouldn't I want such cheap goods?" Mr. Li said.

"I believe you want it. So, Mr. Li, if you really want it, you must follow my terms. Is that okay?" Zhou Ming said.

Mr. Li agreed, as Zhou Ming's words had become his truth at this point.

"The thing is, getting this batch of goods isn't simple. It requires capital to operate. That means you need to provide me with 40,000 yuan first. Without this money, you won't get the goods at a five-point discount," Zhou Ming emphasized. "Of course, if you're worried, I can sign a contract with you in Xia Lang's company's name. The company will be responsible for any issues."

Mr. Li shook his head, "That's not the problem. I trust you and Xia Lang, but 40,000 yuan is quite a lot. Can we reduce it?"

"Not possible. 40,000 yuan is non-negotiable. Otherwise, I can't help you with the transaction," Zhou Ming said.

"Can we delay the payment? 40,000 yuan is a significant amount. I need some time to gather it," Mr. Li said, trying to negotiate.

"That's possible, but once this opportunity is gone, it won't come back. I hope you consider carefully," Zhou Ming said.

Mr. Li sat there frowning, biting his fingers. After a long time, he slapped his thigh and said, "Okay, I agree."