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On Monday, Huang Yunyun got up early, changed into her best clothes, and looked at herself in the mirror again and again.

I was incredibly nervous when I first went to work at a big company, or even when I was working away from home for the first time.

Huang Renfa personally drove her to the factory, constantly reminding her along the way, "Don't be nervous, General Manager Su is a very nice person. If you don't understand anything, just ask General Manager Fu or other colleagues. Don't be afraid of making mistakes; everyone makes mistakes at the beginning, but you'll get better with time."

When they arrived at the factory, Afu was already waiting for them in his office.

"Village Chief Huang, Miss Huang, you've arrived," Afu said. "President Su went to the city for a meeting today and asked me to show Miss Huang around the area first."

"Mr. Fu, thank you for your trouble," Huang Renfa said. "Yunyun, listen to Mr. Fu and study hard."

"Mm." Huang Yunyun nodded.

After Huang Renfa left, Afu took Huang Yunyun on a tour of the factory.

"This is the production workshop, where pagers are made. This is the quality inspection workshop, where product quality is checked. This is the warehouse, where raw materials and finished products are stored. This is the office building; General Manager Su's office is on the second floor."

Huang Yunyun followed Afu, watching and listening all the way.

The factory was large and clean, and the workers were busy and everything was in good order.

Finally, Afu led her to an office on the second floor.

“This is your office,” Afu said. “It’s right next to President Su’s office. Your main job is to help President Su with daily affairs, such as arranging meetings and organizing documents.”

Because Huang Yunyun stutters, she handed over answering phone calls and dealing with loan clients to her secretary.

Of course, this is also a way of taking care of Huang Yunyun, since her father is the village chief of Lanyuan Village, and it is very necessary for the two sides to maintain a good relationship.

The office wasn't big, but it was very clean.

A desk, a chair, a filing cabinet, and a telephone.

"This...this is my office?" Huang Yunyun couldn't believe it.

She thought an assistant's office was just a desk in the boss's office; she didn't expect there to be a separate office.

“Yes,” Afu said. “President Su said that assistants should also have their own workspace. This will make it more convenient for you to work.”

Huang Yunyun felt a warmth in her heart.

Suning truly respects her.

“These are some of the company’s rules and regulations. Take a look at them first.” Afu handed her a stack of documents. “This is President Su’s schedule. Familiarize yourself with it. This is the company directory, with the phone numbers of the heads of each department. This is…”

Afu explained everything in detail, and Huang Yunyun took careful notes.

"Also, you need to know about President Su's lifestyle habits," Afu said. "President Su likes to drink green tea, and he needs a cup at nine in the morning. He usually eats lunch in the company cafeteria, but sometimes he goes out for business dinners. He needs coffee at three in the afternoon. If he works overtime in the evening, you need to prepare a late-night snack..."

Huang Yunyun took out her notebook and wrote down each point one by one.

"That's all for now," Afu said. "Get familiar with it first, and then report to President Su when he returns this afternoon."

"Okay... okay, thank you, Mr. Fu."

After Afu left, Huang Yunyun sat in her chair, looking at her own office, feeling both nervous and excited.

She really did become Suning's assistant.

From now on, I'll be able to see Su Ning every day, help him with his work, and learn from him.

This was something Huang Yunyun never dared to imagine before.

We must do a good job and not let Suning down.

I can't let my father down either.

Huang Yunyun took a deep breath and began to look at the documents.

……

At 3 PM, Suning returned to the company after finishing his meeting.

As soon as I entered the office, I saw Huang Yunyun bringing in tea.

"Mr. Su... Mr. Su, here's your tea." Huang Yunyun placed the teacup on the table, her hand trembling slightly.

"Thank you." Su Ning took the tea. "How are you? Are you settling in?"

“It’s a habit…” Huang Yunyun said. “General Manager Fu has told me all of that.”

"That's good," Su Ning said. "I'll be relying on you for my daily tasks from now on. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me or Mr. Fu."

"Ah."

“By the way,” Su Ning remembered something, “do you stutter when you speak? Is it natural or acquired?”

"The day after tomorrow," Huang Yunyun whispered. "She had a high fever when she was three years old, and it damaged her nerves."

Have you seen a doctor?

"I've seen...I've seen a doctor, and they said it can't be cured."

“Not necessarily,” Su Ning said. “I know an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor who specializes in treating this kind of disease. I’ll take you to see him another day.”

Huang Yunyun looked up, her eyes lighting up, "Can...can it really be cured?"

“Give it a try,” Su Ning said. “Even if it doesn’t cure you, it can at least improve your condition. At least it will make your speech a little smoother.”

"Thank you... thank you, Mr. Su." Huang Yunyun's eyes reddened.

She suffered countless scornful looks because of her stutter from childhood to adulthood.

Even her family thought she was beyond saving, but they never expected that Suning would be willing to help her.

"You're welcome," Su Ning said. "Your good work is the best way to thank me."

"I...I will definitely work hard!"

From that day on, Huang Yunyun became Suning's assistant.

She works very hard and is very meticulous.

Suning's schedule was well-organized, his documents were neatly arranged, and he always had tea and coffee.

Although he still stutters when he speaks, he is very decisive in his actions.

Suning is very satisfied with Huang Yunyun's performance.

Sometimes when I go out to meet clients, I take her with me so that she can broaden her horizons.

Huang Yunyun gradually became more confident.

Although he still stutters when he speaks, he dares to speak and express himself.

I'm getting along with my colleagues more and more naturally.

Huang Renfa was overjoyed to see the changes in his daughter.

I know that letting my daughter stay with Su Ning was the right thing to do.

Huang Yunyun's feelings for Suning are also slowly changing.

From initial gratitude, to admiration, to worship, and then...

She didn't dare to think about it.

Suning is the boss, the benefactor, and a person from heaven.

I'm just a girl who stutters, and I feel unworthy of Su Ning.

Being able to work for Suning is already an immense blessing.

We can't ask for too much.

But sometimes, seeing Su Ning's busy figure and his gentle smile, Huang Yunyun's heart still pounded.

Huang Yunyun could only keep these feelings to herself.

I will never say it out loud.

……

Huang Tianba quickly realized that relying solely on poaching employees wouldn't work.

The workers and technicians they recruited did help Tianba Electronics set up its production line, but the quality of the products they produced was really questionable.

Of the first batch of 500 pagers, 30% failed the tests, and the rest were barely usable.

Awei took the samples to Huang Tianba and said, "Mr. Huang, our product... is far inferior to that of Shengang Electronics. The signal is unstable, the battery doesn't last long, and the casing is rough. Selling it like this will damage our brand."

Huang Tianba picked up a Tianba pager and then a Shengang pager, and compared them.

Indeed, the difference is quite obvious.

The pagers from Shenzhen and Hong Kong are exquisitely crafted, have a good feel, and clear screens.

The Tianba pager has a strong plastic feel, with burrs at the seams and a slightly crooked screen.

"How much does it cost?" Huang Tianba asked.

“Nine hundred and fifty per unit,” Awei said. “The main expense is the chip. We also use imported chips, but I don’t know what method Shenzhen and Hong Kong use to reduce the cost to seven or eight hundred.”

“Selling 1,300 units, we can make 350 yuan profit per unit.” Huang Tianba calculated, “Selling 1,000 units a month, we can make 350,000 yuan. It’s not a lot, but it’s doable.”

“But Mr. Huang, consumers aren’t stupid!” Awei said. “Our quality is not as good as that of Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and the price is only 200 yuan cheaper. There’s no guarantee that anyone will buy it.”

Huang Tianba fell silent.

He knew Awei was right.

In the electronics market, quality is always the top priority.

Consumers would rather spend an extra 200 yuan to buy a better quality product than save 200 yuan to buy a substandard one.

We need to find ways to improve quality.

But improving quality means increasing costs.

If costs are high, the price advantage is gone.

Dilemma.

“Okay,” Huang Tianba thought for a moment, “I’ll go to Hong Kong. The electronics industry there is highly developed and the technology is advanced. I’ll look for partners. Ideally, I’d like to find an experienced manufacturer to cooperate with in production. We’ll provide the capital, they’ll provide the technology, and we’ll split the profits.”

“Hong Kong?” Awei’s eyes lit up. “Great idea! Hong Kong’s electronics technology is indeed more advanced than that of the mainland. If we can find a suitable partner, the quality can be improved.”

"Keep an eye on the factory and keep production going. Sell as much as you can," Huang Tianba said. "I'm going to Hong Kong tomorrow."

……

Huang Tianba has been in Shenzhen for over a decade and has indeed built a wide network of connections.

He knew several business owners in Hong Kong who ran electronics businesses, one of whom, Mr. Chan, had collaborated with him several times.

Upon arriving in Hong Kong, Huang Tianba went directly to see Boss Chen.

Mr. Chen is in his fifties and runs an electronics factory in Hong Kong, mainly producing small household appliances such as radios and tape recorders. The factory is not large, but the technology is quite good.

"Mr. Huang, what brings you here?" Boss Chen asked warmly. "I heard you have a very successful business in Shenzhen!"

"Mr. Chen, you're too kind," Huang Tianba said. "I've come here today to discuss a collaboration with you."

"What cooperation?"

“Pagers,” Huang Tianba said. “The pager market in Shenzhen is booming right now, and I want to get into it. But my technology isn’t up to par, and the quality isn’t good enough. I’d like to cooperate with you. You provide the technology, and I’ll provide the capital and market access. We’ll split the profits 30/70, you get 30% and I get 70%.”

Mr. Chen thought for a moment: "I have made pagers before, and I've done OEM manufacturing for other brands. But that was several years ago. Technology is updating very quickly now, and I may not be able to keep up."

“It’s still better than me,” Huang Tianba said. “Boss Chen, don’t worry. As long as you can improve the quality and control the costs, I’ll take care of the sales. The Shenzhen market is huge; selling several thousand units a month won’t be a problem.”

Mr. Chen was tempted.

OEM manufacturing has low profit margins, while creating your own brand yields high profits.

If we can cooperate with Huang Tianba to open up the mainland market, it would indeed be a good opportunity.

“Mr. Huang, cooperation is possible, but I need to see your factory and equipment first,” Mr. Chen said. “If the foundation is too poor, there’s nothing I can do.”

“No problem,” Huang Tianba said. “You can come to Shenzhen for an inspection anytime.”

The two had a very smooth conversation.

Mr. Chen agreed to send two technicians to Shenzhen to help Tianba Electronics improve its production processes and enhance product quality.

At the same time, he could also provide some core components at prices 10% lower than the market price. In return, Tianba Electronics would purchase no less than five million yuan worth of components from Mr. Chen annually, and the pagers would be registered under a brand in Hong Kong, using Mr. Chen's company name.

Huang Tianba calculated that by purchasing parts from Boss Chen, the cost of each pager could be reduced to around 850.

Selling it for 1200 yuan, you can make a profit of 350 yuan per unit.

If the quality can be improved, this price will be very competitive.

"Okay, it's settled then." Huang Tianba made the decision.

……

The two technicians sent by Boss Chen arrived in Shenzhen very quickly.

These two are veterans; they've worked in electronics factories for over a decade and are very experienced.

They inspected Tianba Electronics' production line and pointed out many problems:

"The pick-and-place machine parameters are not set correctly, and the accuracy is insufficient."

"The welding process is poor, with too many incomplete welds."

"The testing process is incomplete, and many problems have not been detected."

"Workers are not adequately trained and their operations are not standardized."

The two men, along with workers from Tianba Electronics, modified each production line one by one and optimized each step of the process.

Two weeks later, the second batch of pagers rolled off the production line.

The quality has improved significantly this time.

The test pass rate reached 85%, which is still lower than the 98% of Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics, but it is already usable.

Huang Tianba was very satisfied.

"Price it at 1200," he ordered. "It's 300 cheaper than Shenzhen and Hong Kong. I refuse to believe that we can't grab the market if we're 300 cheaper."

Awei was a little worried. "Mr. Huang, if it's 1,200, we can only make 350 per unit. If sales don't go up, the profit will be very thin."

"Let's open up the market first," Huang Tianba said. "Once the market is open and the brand is established, we can consider profits. Right now, the most important thing is to take over Suning's market share."

“But Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics is also lowering prices!” Awei said. “I heard they launched a special offer version 1.0 for 1,300. Ours is 1,200, only 100 less than their special offer, so the advantage isn’t obvious.”

"Then lower the price again!" Huang Tianba gritted his teeth. "Sell it for 1100! I refuse to believe that no one will buy it even if it's 200 cheaper!"

“One thousand one?” Awei gasped. “That means we can only make two hundred and fifty per unit. Mr. Huang, that’s too low. If sales don’t meet expectations, we’ll lose money.”

"We can't worry about that now," Huang Tianba said. "We need to seize the market first. Go and arrange for an immediate price reduction, and at the same time, increase advertising. I want everyone in Shenzhen to know that Tianba pagers are high-quality and low-priced."

"Yes……"

……

The news that the Tianba pager was priced at 1,100 yuan quickly spread in Shenzhen.

This price is 200 yuan cheaper than the discounted items from Shengang Electronics.

This is very attractive to many people who want to buy a pager but find it too expensive.

The first batch of 1,000 Tianba pagers sold out in three days.

Awei excitedly reported to Huang Tianba, "Boss Huang, it's a hit! Everything's sold out! Lots of distributors are coming to place orders!"

Huang Tianba finally smiled. "See? Price is the only real factor. Quality and service are all meaningless in the face of price. Ordinary people only care about cheap goods."

"Yes, yes, Mr. Huang is brilliant," Awei flattered. "So, what's our next step? Expand production?"

"Expand! Expand immediately!" Huang Tianba said. "Increase the production lines from two to four, and the number of workers from one hundred to two hundred. Daily output should be increased to four hundred units. That's twelve thousand units a month. If we make two hundred and fifty yuan per unit, that's three million yuan a month!"

"Okay! I'll arrange it right away!"

Tianba Electronics began a period of rapid expansion.

There weren't enough factory buildings, so temporary sheds were set up.

Due to a shortage of equipment, emergency purchases were made from Hong Kong.

There wasn't enough workers, so they went to the labor market to recruit with high salaries.

The entire factory was working day and night, as if it had been injected with adrenaline.

Huang Tianba sat in his office, watching orders pour in like snowflakes, and felt incredibly pleased.

Suning, did you see that?

This is strength.

Do you think that having technology and quality means you can monopolize the market?

dream!

When it comes to price, everything else is irrelevant.

What ordinary people want is practicality and affordability.

You sell it for 1,500, I sell it for 1,100, a discount of 400. Only a fool would buy from you.

Once I've captured the market and established my brand, I can gradually raise prices and still make money.

Huang Tianba became increasingly smug and picked up the phone to dial a number.

"Hey, is this Fourth Brother? It's me, Huang Tianba. Come out for drinks tonight, it's on me. Yeah, yeah, let's celebrate. What's the good news? Haha, you'll find out soon enough."

After hanging up the phone, Huang Tianba walked to the window and looked out at Shenzhen.

This city ultimately belongs to the strong.

And he, Huang Tianba, is a strongman.

Suning? What makes him think he can compete with a mere kid like him?

Just wait, the best is yet to come.

……

Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics also received news of the hot sales of Tianba pagers.

Afu reported to Suning, "Master, the price of Huang Tianba has been reduced to 1,100 yuan, and the market response has been very enthusiastic. Many consumers who originally planned to buy our products have switched to buying Tianba. Our sales have dropped by 30% this month."

Suning was looking at the 2.0 version test report, and without looking up, said, "I understand."

Afu was getting anxious. "Master, should we also lower the price? Or launch an even cheaper model?"

“No.” Suning shook his head. “Not only will we not lower the price, we will raise it.”

"Raise prices?" Afu was stunned. "But Tianba is selling so well right now. If we raise prices again, won't we be giving them all the market share?"

"Give it to him?" Su Ning laughed. "Afu, how long do you think Huang Tianba can hold out?"

"What do you mean?"

“You do the math on his costs,” Su Ning said. “Importing chips from Hong Kong costs 350 each. Other parts, even if he can get them at a low price, will still cost 300 each. Labor, utilities, factory space, and equipment depreciation will cost at least 150 per unit. That’s 800 in total. Selling them for 1100 would make him 300 profit per unit. But that’s just in theory.”

He paused, then continued, "In reality, his pass rate is only 85%, which means that out of every 100 units produced, 15 are defective. The cost of these defective units has to be factored into the cost of the qualified units. Add to that sales expenses, administrative expenses, financial expenses... I estimate that his actual profit per unit is no more than 200."

“That’s still a lot,” Afu said. “Selling 10,000 units a month would be two million.”

"The premise is that he can sell 10,000 units," Suning said. "Afu, electronic products are not fast-moving consumer goods; they're not something you buy, use, and then throw away. Pagers are meant to be used for one or two years. Consumers might buy them because they're cheap, but what if they discover quality problems when they use them?"

"Will...will you regret it, will you complain, will you return it?"

“Yes.” Suning nodded. “Huang Tianba is currently overdrawing on the brand’s reputation. Once the quality issues come to light, his market will collapse. At that time, consumers will realize that you get what you pay for. As for us, we insist on quality and service. Although our products are a bit more expensive, they are worth the price. Then, the market will give us justice.”

Afu understood. "Master, you mean we shouldn't engage in a price war with Huang Tianba, but rather a protracted war? A war of quality, service, and reputation?"

“Yes,” Suning said. “So not only will we not lower prices, we will raise them. The price of the 2.0 version will be 1,800 yuan, which is to tell consumers that we make high-quality products, not cheap ones. At the same time, we will strengthen after-sales service and build brand reputation. When the problems with Huang Tianba break out, our opportunity will come.”

"Brilliant!" Afu exclaimed in genuine admiration. "So, what should we do now?"

"First, expedite the launch of version 2.0, bringing it forward to next week. Second, strengthen quality control; our pass rate must remain above 99%. Third, improve after-sales service, offering a three-year warranty and a seven-day no-questions-asked return policy. Fourth, prepare a batch of promotional materials, focusing on highlighting our quality and after-sales service."

"Understood!" Afu said. "I'll go arrange it right away."

After Afu left, Suning walked to the window and looked out at Shenzhen.

Huang Tianba, do you think you can win a price war?

too naive.

In the electronics market, quality is fundamental, and service is paramount.

The more popular you are now, the harder you'll fall in the future.

I'm just waiting to see when you'll collapse.

This game is getting more and more interesting.

……

A month later, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics 2.0 version of the pager was officially launched.

Priced at 1,800 yuan, it boasts more powerful functions, a more stylish appearance, and better quality.

Meanwhile, version 1.0 has been reduced to 1,300 yuan, only 200 yuan less than Tianba Electronics' 1,100 yuan.

Consumers have more choices.

If you want something cheap, buy Tianba, it's 1100.

If you want good value for money, buy the Shengang 1.0, which costs 1300 yuan and is of better quality than Tianba.

If you want a high-end option, buy the Shenzhen-Hong Kong 2.0, which costs 1800 yuan. It has the most powerful functions and the best quality.

The market response has been very positive.

Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics' sales not only did not decrease, but actually increased.

Many consumers who originally wanted to buy Tianba, after seeing the price reduction of Shengang and comparing the quality, ultimately chose Shengang.

Tianba Electronics' sales began to decline.

Huang Tianba became anxious.

Lower the price, and lower it again.

It dropped from 1,100 to 1,000, and then to 950.

But the more prices are lowered, the more suspicious consumers become...

Can the quality be good at such a low price?

Moreover, quality problems with Tianba pagers began to surface in a concentrated manner.

Unstable signal, short battery life, cracked casing... complaints are increasing.

Huang Tianba was in a complete mess.

Suning, on the other hand, adopted a steady and methodical approach, advancing step by step.

With Huang Yunyun's meticulous assistant's help, his work efficiency has increased significantly.

Sometimes when he was busy until late at night, Huang Yunyun would prepare a late-night snack and keep him company while he worked overtime.

A tacit understanding gradually developed between the two.

But how far can this tacit understanding go?

No one knows.

"Yunyun, come to my house with me tomorrow."

"Ah... to your house?"

"Don't get me wrong! The old Chinese medicine doctor I was talking about has arrived. Let him take a look at your stuttering problem."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Su, I misunderstood."

"Little girl, what's going on in your head?"

"..."

...(End of chapter)