1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 521 Is this aid or trouble?

With new investments from the Vaucluse Tourism Authority, construction progress in Lourmaran has exceeded expectations.

The Stella Winery, located atop the mountain, is expected to be fully completed and put into use a month ahead of schedule, so Theo's supervision will be less necessary.

Theo's personality is such that he would definitely be a troublemaker in any other position; he only gives Ronan face.

But Ronan didn't have the energy to manage people, so he sent them to Nice and Lucas.

When Ronan persuaded Lucas to join Stella Artois, he was serious. He believed that it was the best thing for Theo to go with Lucas to develop the market, otherwise it would be a waste of his mouth and should be put to good use.

Theo was very supportive and excited about Ronan's decision; he had long wanted to do something with his brother Lucas.

Lucas had no objection to this. He spent some time by the sea, and had seen most of the resources that Cerno had introduced. After showing his younger brother Theo the work content and pace, the two brothers would return to Lourmarin for a short rest, and then head north to Avignon and the vicinity of Papal Neuf to explore new 'territory'.

At the farewell party, Ronan hugged Theo tightly:

"We'll wait for you to come back."

Theo, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, chuckled and said:

"Don't worry, we'll definitely be back with a huge number of orders."

He leaped onto a table in the old tavern, brandishing a beer bottle and shouting at the room full of villagers and farmers:
"This time when Lucas returns to Lourmarin, he will be bringing his wife and son. In the future, his family will settle in Lourmarin and never go to Marseille again!"

There wasn't a trace of sadness at today's farewell party. It could be because of Theo's lively personality, because he'll be back soon, or because of the recent changes.

The "return home wave" of Lourmaran expatriates has been ongoing for some time now.

From Karl's two sons to Lucas, who has been traveling to many different places for years, all these children who left their hometown for various reasons have chosen to return this year.

"Lucas isn't leaving? Does that mean we'll be getting drinks all year round?"

"Haha, I can't wait for that day. You guys must come back soon."

"That's fantastic! My days in Lourmaran are sure to be incredibly exciting!"

In fact, the vibrancy and excitement of Lourmaran go far beyond the wave of returning travelers.

A famous French celebrity neighbor is slowly approaching them.
On the day they went to Avignon to collect the Thorns of the Sun certification, Ronan and Barty filled out an application form for the anti-counterfeiting code. A few days later, after receiving these important numbers, Ronan immediately contacted Charlotte Virginie.

Charlotte had more freedom in the second half of the year, mainly preparing for her new album and renovating her large estate in her spare time. After receiving Ronan's call, she quickly arrived in Lourmarin.

This time, Charlotte didn't dress up as Charlotte. Instead, she wore a conservative long dress and thick-rimmed brown glasses. Her makeup was drastically changed, with rough skin and deep eye bags.

Ronan still didn't recognize the big star at first glance, thinking it was some poor teacher who had been tormented by students for days.

"Is your work for the second half of the year really about preparing for a new album?" Ronan asked with some skepticism. "I think you're more like getting a feel for a movie role."

Why is there a different disguise each time?

Did you move to Lourmaran to live, or did you move here to do cross-dressing?

Charlotte replied in a hoarse, low voice:
"I have no plans to make movies recently. All of this is to prepare for the creation of my new album. Only by experiencing different lives can I have different inspirations."

Ronan asked curiously:

What inspiration did your last life experience give you?

Charlotte adjusted her thick glasses:

"I had an idea for spending money like water on a beautiful woman, and I've turned that idea into a song."

Ronan stopped at the entrance of the knitting compound and continued to press for answers:
"And today? What kind of life do you want to experience today, and what kind of inspiration do you want to pursue?"

Charlotte eagerly stepped inside:

"Today is about experiencing Charlotte's life and pursuing inspiration for joyful consumption."

The latest VIP system, sales scripts, and product prices were formulated or adjusted before F4 went to Avignon.

Charlotte became one of the first 'experimental subjects'.

This big star's actions today may not have had much purpose, nor were they related to any life experience, but Ronan and his friends got a real taste of what it felt like to 'spend money like water'.

Grondin's prepared sales pitches were completely useless; Charlotte would often place an order as soon as he started introducing the features and characteristics of the furniture.

The 50 franc order was easily placed, and if Charlotte hadn't been less than 'satisfied' with the new VIP system, she might have bought even more.

"The VIP system threshold has been raised to 20 francs, but no matter how much furniture I buy today, I can't upgrade my status anymore?" Charlotte looked at Ronan and Barty beside him with dissatisfaction.

The strategy for adjusting the VIP system is quite simple.

The previous threshold was 5 francs, but due to the Thorns & Sun certification, the price premium has increased by 300%, so this number has been doubled accordingly.

However, in addition to this, a new identity has been added to the VIP system.

That's a higher-level, non-public membership status that transcends VIP.

This adjustment is based on those adjustments made by major international luxury brands.

Within the LV Group, there are more refined distinctions within the VIP category, such as Elite, Private, or Premium.

Above VIP, Gucci also has an even more prestigious GCC membership.

Due to the nature of the product category, furniture cannot have the same high repurchase rate as products such as handbags and jewelry. Sandrine only set one identity above the VIP of the Lourmaran Handicraft Cooperative - LAC.

The name was given by Ronan.

L stands for Lourmaran.

A is the first letter of the French word for handicrafts.

The first letter of both connoisseur and expert is C.

The meaning of this name can be well understood from both the buyer's and seller's perspectives, and it is also easy to pronounce.

After meeting Charlotte, Barty remained 'speechless', Ronan guessed that it was because saliva would flow out whenever he opened his mouth.

Although he couldn't understand why he was drooling over the old nun version of Charlotte, he expressed his respect.

Sales staff, including Grondin, have not yet completed their recent training and are unfamiliar with the reasons for the changes to the VIP system.

Therefore, the only person who could explain this to Charlotte is Ronan:

"Yes, you are VIP member number 01 under our latest policy, but LAC member number 01 may not be available for a short period of time."

"Why?" Charlotte had forgotten that she was playing the role of a stern woman today. Holding the checkbook in her hand, she stood with her legs turned outwards, looking like she could bury you in money anytime.

Ronan recalled Sandrine's words and patiently explained to Charlotte:
“We expect LAC members to align with the core values ​​of the Lourmaran Crafts Cooperative – heritage and storytelling. They should be loyal customers with a long-term, stable consumption history, rather than making one-off, explosive purchases.”

Bati, who had developed 'aphasia', nervously swallowed.

He didn't understand business philosophy or the style of luxury goods; all he cared about was whether his goddess Charlotte would leave in a huff.
Charlotte pressed on seriously:

"What extra benefits do LAC members enjoy?" Ronan replied without batting an eye:
"By becoming an LAC member, we enter into a mutually empowering relationship. Your choice might lead to a new trend, and we might also define the tone for a new product line based on your situation."

After a brief silence, Charlotte produced her check:
"Let's buy 50 francs today. If it's just over, we'll have to go to the bank to apply for a promissory note. How much do I need to get to 50? We'll make up the difference with the basic model chair."

After a brief moment of distraction, Grondin secretly gave Ronan a thumbs up.

The chairman is really something else; he managed to fool the client with just a few words.

Ronan turned his back to Charlotte and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

He was nervous about putting on such a big show, but Sandrine reassured him countless times that the richer people are, the more they value storytelling and a sense of superiority. As long as the reasons can be explained clearly, they will not see the strict membership requirements as an obstacle, but will only treat them as a game boss that they are eager to conquer.

Based on Charlotte's reaction, Ronan had a little confidence that rich people really did fall for this.

"Professional matters should be left to professionals," Ronan thought to himself.

After obtaining the Thorns & Sun certification, the Lourmaran Crafts Cooperative will launch a number of impressive marketing strategies and VIP events, all of which will be made possible by Sandrine's extensive experience in the luxury goods industry.

Ronan felt he needed to find an opportunity to raise Sandrine's salary; 7000 francs per month was far below her output.

Without her assistant by her side today, Charlotte had no intention of staying for lunch in Lourmaran. After buying the furniture and arranging a delivery date, she left in a hurry.

The largest order since the establishment of the Lourmaran Handicraft Cooperative and the arrival of its first VIP user filled the entire weaving courtyard with joy, and the women's laughter rose several notches.

The more they sell, the more they earn—that's fantastic news!

Seeing that the atmosphere had been set, Ronan immediately arranged for the women to have their first team-building dinner, something he had promised Josephine a few days earlier.

The people in the courtyard were happily discussing what to eat and when to eat it when Cornell trotted in and said to Ronan:

"Your mother wants you to go back to the restaurant. She said someone called looking for you."

"Male or female?" Ronan temporarily put aside the topic of the dinner party and asked Cornell.

Cornell recalled:
"It's a woman."

Inside a thriving Chinese restaurant on the commercial street.

Upon seeing Ronan return, Feng Zhen shook the white paper covered in writing in her hand and said:

"Why don't you buy a pager? The restaurant phone has become your customer service desk."

Pagers existed long ago; Ronan even gifted Cafu one during the Spring Festival, but he himself refused to buy one.

So people looking for him had to call the restaurant, and Feng Zhen became the operator.

Ronan coaxed his mother, saying:
"Isn't this because I wanted to see you more often? Did you tell me who called?"

Feng Zhen rolled her eyes and pointed to a string of numbers at the bottom of the white paper, saying:

"They didn't say anything, they just told you to call her back when you have time."

Ronan glanced at the number and noticed that the area code in front of it was Avignon.

He knew very few people in Avignon, especially women.

First, we can rule out Juliet, the newly promoted government official in the Department of Agriculture who usually only contacts him after get off work and disappeared after her promotion.

"You dare to skip the Vaucluse Rosé Wine Lovers' Association gathering at the end of the month?" Ronan thought indignantly, still blaming Juliet for leaving without saying goodbye.

Two months ago, the two had a phone call, during which Juliet said she would explain the reason to Ronan when they met, but this has been delayed for several more months.

If we can meet this month, Ronan must ask him a lot of questions.

If it wasn't Juliet, then the most likely candidate was Elian, who had helped him a great deal before.

"Could it be that something good has come up and they've remembered me again?" Ronan muttered as he dialed the number.

Unexpectedly, the person on the other end of the phone was not Ellian.

"Hello Ronan, I'm Claire from the Provence Women's Foundation," a rather unremarkable female voice said.

"Ah, hello, Claire." Ronan's mind conjured up the image of the woman with a serious expression explaining the usage of the Thorn Sunfire. Then he realized why she was calling. "Is there any news about the dessert and bakery shop?"

Claire didn't beat around the bush and replied directly:

"Yes, we are very interested in this pastry and bakery shop and are willing to provide some assistance within our capabilities. In fact, there are many women in Provence who want to leave their homes but lack the opportunity or know what they can do. We can recommend them to work for you, but on the condition that you provide them with skills training. Before the shop opens, the training costs for these women will be borne by the Provence Women's Foundation. After the shop opens, we will supervise them to sign formal employment contracts with you, so that your initial investment will not be without guarantee—"

The news came so suddenly that Ronan's first reaction was to ask:

How many women are like this?

There was a brief silence on the other end for a few seconds:

More than 70 people

"How many?" Ronan's voice was distorted. "But I don't need that many people."

Claire replied without much emotional fluctuation:
"You can choose to keep the best performer during the training."

Ronan's eyebrows furrowed slightly:

“I don’t know if you are aware of what Lourmaran is like now. Sending 70 women here for training is impossible because there is no venue or place for them to stay.”

Claire blurted out:

"So it's training in Avignon. We provide the venue and accommodation for the women, two days a week."

Ronan painfully touched his forehead.

God, is this an aid or a hindrance?

The call lasted for more than twenty minutes, and Ronan listened silently for most of the time.

"I can't give you a direct answer right now. I need some time to consider it, and I also need to ask for other people's opinions," Ronan replied solemnly.

After hanging up the phone, Ronan stood there for a while, lost in thought.

Feng Zhen waved her hand in front of his eyes a few times:

"what are you thinking?"

Ronan snapped out of his reverie and asked his mother:

"Did Leah come today? Where is she?"

Feng Zhen pointed to the kitchen:
"She's here. With such a high demand for desserts these days, the restaurant would be in chaos if she didn't come."

Ronan sighed and walked towards the kitchen door.

(End of this chapter)