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Chapter 2406 Changing Fate Against Heaven

Xiao Ran went to Bao'an District to run a business trip that day, and his target was a daily chemical company called Anerya.

This company makes daily necessities such as soap and shampoo. It's not a large company, but it's quite well-known in Bao'an District.

Xiao Ran wanted to see if he could sell the pagers to their management.

When I arrived at the company, the receptionist was very polite. "Who are you looking for?"

“I’ll talk to the purchasing manager or the office manager.” Xiao Ran handed over his business card. “I’m from sales at Shengang Electronics, and I’d like to recommend our pagers.”

"Please wait."

The receptionist made a phone call and said, "The purchasing manager is in a meeting, but our warehouse supervisor, Mr. Zhou, is here. He said he can see you."

"OK, thanks."

Xiao Ran was then taken to the warehouse office.

A middle-aged man in his forties sat inside, looking at the account book with a troubled expression.

This is Supervisor Zhou, Zhou Zhenxing.

"Hello, Manager Zhou, I'm Xiao Ran from Shengang Electronics." Xiao Ran handed over his business card and product information.

Zhou Zhenxing took the business card and looked at it. "Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics? You make pagers? I've heard of you. Your company is quite popular lately."

"Thank you for your attention, Manager Zhou," Xiao Ran said. "Our pager has a stable signal, long standby time, and a reasonable price. If your company were to provide some to your management team, it would make business communication much easier."

Zhou Zhenxing flipped through the documents, nodding absentmindedly.

Xiao Ran noticed that he was in low spirits and tentatively asked, "Manager Zhou, is something bothering you? I've noticed you've been frowning the whole time."

Zhou Zhenxing sighed and closed the file. "Troublesome things? I'm almost driven crazy with worry."

"Can you tell me? Maybe I can help."

Zhou Zhenxing glanced at Xiao Ran. "You're in sales, you understand the market. Let me ask you, if there's a batch of soap that's fine in quality but smells weird and can't be sold, just piling up in the warehouse, what would you do?"

Xiao Ran became interested. "What exactly happened?"

“Our company produced a batch of soaps last year using a new formula,” Zhou Zhenxing said. “We originally wanted to focus on the ‘natural herbal’ concept, but something went wrong during the fragrance blending process. The smell was really strange—not exactly fragrant, not exactly smelly, and it even had a bit of a medicinal scent. After it was launched, nobody bought it, and it was all returned. Now there are 200,000 bars piled up in the warehouse, taking up space and tying up capital. The boss keeps urging me to find a way to deal with it. What can I do?”

Can I see a sample?

"Row."

Zhou Zhenxing took Xiao Ran to the warehouse and moved a cardboard box from the corner, which was full of those soaps.

Xiao Ran picked up a piece, unwrapped it, and smelled it.

The taste is indeed strange—it has a bit of minty coolness, a bit of the bitterness of mugwort, and a bit of an indescribable herbal flavor.

It's not pungent, but it definitely doesn't smell good.

"This smell...it's really hard to sell," Xiao Ran said frankly. "Consumers buy soap either because they like floral, fruity, or refreshing mint scents. Nobody will like this weird smell."

“I know!” Zhou Zhenxing smiled bitterly. “That’s why I’m worried! Two hundred thousand yuan, but the cost is three or four hundred thousand. If we can’t sell them, they’ll all be scrapped. I probably won’t be able to keep my position as manager.”

Xiao Ran smelled the soap again and suddenly asked, "Besides the strange smell, how is this soap in other aspects? Cleansing power? Moisturizing effect? Lather?"

“Everything else is fine,” Zhou Zhenxing said. “We use high-quality ingredients, which have strong cleaning power, produce rich foam, and don’t leave the skin feeling dry after washing. It’s just the smell that’s not good.”

Xiao Ran fell into thought.

The quality is good, but the taste is strange.

This is indeed a difficult question.

If you try to sell them directly, they definitely won't sell.

Discounting the price? Selling it cheap might attract buyers, but the company would lose a lot of money.

Repackage and re-fragrance? That would increase costs, and the original soap still wouldn't be disposed of.

“Manager Zhou, I need to think about this,” Xiao Ran said. “I can’t come up with a good solution in a short time.”

"It's alright, go back and think about it slowly." Zhou Zhenxing patted Xiao Ran on the shoulder. "Young man, I think you're quite clever. If you can help me figure out a way to get rid of these soaps, I'll not only buy your company's pagers, but also give you a fortune."

"Great wealth and honor?" Xiao Ran was taken aback.

“Yes.” Zhou Zhenxing lowered his voice and looked at Xiao Ran with a playful expression as he explained, “Our boss said that whoever can solve the problem with this batch of soap will receive a reward of 500,000 yuan. In addition, they can be promoted to sales manager. I am currently the warehouse supervisor, but I also want to go to the sales department. If you can help me, this opportunity is ours. I will get the manager position, and you can get the bonus. Also, if you are interested, I can recommend you for the position of deputy sales manager.”

Five hundred thousand yuan! Deputy Sales Manager!
Xiao Ran was moved.

Although selling pagers is profitable, 500,000 is still very tempting.

Moreover, the deputy sales manager is a management position, with a higher salary and better career prospects.

"Manager Zhou, I will think it over carefully," Xiao Ran said earnestly.

“Okay, I’ll wait for your good news,” Zhou Zhenxing said. “But you have to be quick. The boss only gave me a month. If I can’t get rid of them within a month, this batch of soap will have to be scrapped, and I’ll have to pack my bags and leave.”

"clear."

……

Back in his rented room, Xiao Ran's mind was filled with thoughts of soap.

Han Ling saw his worried expression and asked, "What's wrong? Is work not going well?"

Xiao Ran recounted the story about the soap.

"Two hundred thousand bars of weird-smelling soap?" Han Ling frowned. "That's indeed a difficult task."

"Yes! It tastes weird, no one will buy it. But the quality is good, it's a pity to scrap it. And if we can solve this problem, there's a bonus of 500,000 yuan, and we might even become the deputy sales manager."

"Five hundred thousand?" Han Ling's eyes lit up. "That much?"

“Hmm.” Xiao Ran nodded. “So I was thinking, what’s a way to sell these soaps?”

"How about we lower the price? If we make it cheaper, someone will definitely buy it, right?"

“I asked around, and the cost is one or two yuan. Even if it sells for one and a half yuan, it would only be three hundred thousand yuan out of two hundred thousand yuan. The company would still be losing money, and there’s no guarantee that anyone would buy it. This weird taste is so bad that nobody would want it even if it were given away for free.”

"Then... change the flavor? Re-process it?"

“Reprocessing is more expensive, and the original soap still can’t be disposed of.”

The two of them thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a good solution.

That evening, Liu Yuan came over, and Xiao Ran told him about it again.

"Strange-smelling soap?" Liu Yuan thought for a moment, "How about... we sell it to factories as work safety supplies? We can give it to the workers; it's free anyway, and someone will always use it, right?"

"The factory needs work safety supplies, and they also need soap-scented ones. Workers don't want to use these weird-smelling ones," Xiao Ran shook his head.

"Then... how about making it into something else? Like laundry soap? Or chopping it up and using it as a cleaning agent?"

"The formulas for bar soap and laundry soap are different, and we can't change them. If we chop them up, even fewer people will want them."

"This won't work, that won't work either." Liu Yuan spread his hands. "Old Xiao, I think this is going to be difficult. You'd better give up and focus on selling pagers!"

“But it’s 500,000 yuan…” Xiao Ran said, “and there’s also the possibility of becoming the deputy sales manager of Anerya Company.”

“Money is good, but you have to have the ability to earn it,” Liu Yuan said. “We sell electronic products, not daily necessities. It’s like crossing a mountain between different industries; you can’t figure it out.”

Xiao Ran retorted, "How will I know if I don't try?"

"Fine, then take your time thinking about it," Liu Yuan said dismissively before leaving.

Xiao Ran sat at the table, holding the bar of soap, smelling it again and again.

The taste is indeed strange.

But what's strange about it?
Mint, mugwort, herbal flavors...

Suddenly, he remembered that when he was a child in the countryside, his grandmother would boil mugwort in water to bathe him, saying it was to prevent mosquitoes and prickly heat.

Also, if you get bitten by mosquitoes in the summer, rubbing it with mint leaves will stop the itching.

The scent of this soap is just mint, mugwort, and other herbs, isn't it?
Mosquito repellent? Relieve itching? Treat prickly heat?
Xiao Ran's eyes lit up, and he picked up the soap again, smelling it carefully once more.

Perhaps... we could try a different approach?

Is it being sold as "medicinal soap" instead of regular soap?

Is it marketed as a "herbal mosquito repellent with cooling and itch-relieving" product?

Are there medicated soaps on the market now?

It seems there are some, but not many.

Moreover, they are all sulfur soaps, used to treat skin diseases.

Perhaps this peppermint and mugwort soap would work?

Xiao Ran became more and more excited as he thought about it, and immediately found paper and pen to start writing the proposal.

First, change the packaging.

Instead of using soap packaging, use medicated soap packaging.

The color green is used to highlight the concept of "natural herbs".

Second, change the propaganda.

Instead of calling it soap, call it "summer cooling mosquito repellent soap".

Main features: Cool and refreshing after showering, prevents mosquito bites, and relieves itching if bitten.

Third, change the sales channels.

Don't go into supermarkets, don't go into shopping malls, go into pharmacies, maternity and baby stores, or outdoor equipment stores.

They can also be sold to factories and distributed to workers as summer work protective equipment.

Fourth, make trial packs.

Cut it into small pieces and give it away for free, so people can try it out first.

fifth,……

Xiao Ran wrote two full pages.

The more I wrote, the more feasible it seemed.

This soap smells strange; it's definitely not suitable to sell as a regular soap.

But when it's sold as medicated soap, this strange smell actually becomes its unique feature—herbal, natural, and healthy.

Moreover, it's summer now, which is the time when mosquito repellent and itch relief are needed.

The timing was also right.

Xiao Ran was so excited that he didn't sleep all night.

The next morning, he went to An'erya Warehouse to find Zhou Zhenxing.

"Manager Zhou, I've got an idea!"

……

After listening to Xiao Ran's proposal, Zhou Zhenxing's eyes widened even more.

"Re-register the trademark? Sell it as herbal soap?" Zhou Zhenxing repeated Xiao Ran's words, "You mean... abandon the 'Anerya' brand and switch to a new one?"

“Yes,” Xiao Ran said excitedly. “This soap smells strange, so it definitely won’t sell as regular soap. But we can change our approach—instead of selling regular soap, we can sell ‘medicated bath soap.’ It will feature a traditional Chinese medicine formula that is cooling, repels mosquitoes, and relieves itching and prickly heat. There’s no such product on the market right now, so if we’re the first to make it, it’s sure to be a hit!”

Zhou Zhenxing stood up and paced back and forth in the office.

The more I think about it, the more it makes sense.

This soap does indeed smell like Chinese herbal medicine, and despite being packaged as "medicinal bath soap," this strange smell has ironically become its selling point...

Natural, healthy, and effective.

Moreover, it's summer now, and parents are most worried about their children getting bitten by mosquitoes and developing prickly heat.

This product perfectly meets the needs.

“But…” Zhou Zhenxing stopped in his tracks. “Our company makes daily chemical products, not pharmaceuticals. We don’t have the relevant qualifications to advertise medicinal effects.” “We don’t advertise therapeutic effects, we only advertise ‘cool and refreshing, and helps repel mosquitoes,’” Xiao Ran said. “We just say that after using it, the skin feels cool and mosquitoes don’t want to bite. This isn’t false advertising; it’s just the effect of mint and mugwort.”

"Then... the packaging, advertising, and distribution channels all need to be redone. That will cost a lot of money."

“So we need investment,” Xiao Ran said. “Manager Zhou, you just said that whoever can solve the problem with this batch of soap will be rich. I have a plan now, what do you think…”

Zhou Zhenxing looked at Xiao Ran and suddenly smiled, "Xiao Ran, you have a great idea. How about this, we cooperate. We can buy this batch of soaps at a low price. You come up with the plan, and I'll handle the negotiations. We'll register a new brand, repackage it, and resell it. We'll split the profits 50/50."

Xiao Ran's heart raced. "Buy it at a low price? How much?"

“This batch of soaps cost 400,000 yuan to produce, and now it’s inventory. The boss can’t wait to get rid of it,” Zhou Zhenxing said. “I’ll negotiate, and I should be able to get it for 200,000 yuan. Packaging, advertising, and distribution channels will cost another 200,000 yuan. That’s a total of 400,000 yuan in capital. If we sell it, and each bar sells for five yuan, then 200,000 yuan is a million yuan. That’s a net profit of 600,000 yuan, and we’ll each get 300,000 yuan.”

Three hundred thousand!
Xiao Ran's breathing became rapid.

He has saved less than 100,000 yuan so far, and that was after working hard to earn it as a top salesperson.

Three hundred thousand was a number he never dared to even dream of.

“But… I don’t have that much capital, 400,000,” Xiao Ran said.

“I don’t have any either,” Zhou Zhenxing said. “That’s why I need to find investors. Do you know any wealthy people?”

The first person that came to Xiao Ran's mind was Suning.

Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics is so big now, even a small piece of Suning's product would be enough for them.

“I…know our boss, President Su,” Xiao Ran said. “He should be interested.”

“Suning of Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics?” Zhou Zhenxing’s eyes lit up. “That’s great! Go talk to him. If he’s willing to invest, the deal is done!”

……

Xiao Ran returned to the company and hesitated for a long time before finally mustering up the courage to go to Su Ning.

"President Su, I...I have something I'd like to tell you."

"Speak," Su Ning said, not looking up from the documents.

Xiao Ran explained the soap incident, then outlined his plan and his collaboration with Zhou Zhenxing.

“We need 400,000 yuan in start-up capital. If General Manager Su is willing to invest, we can share the profits,” Xiao Ran said cautiously. “Manager Zhou said he can get that batch of soaps for 200,000 yuan. We’ll invest another 200,000 yuan in packaging and advertising. If we sell them, we can make 600,000 yuan, and I can get half of that, 300,000 yuan.”

Su Ning put down the document and looked at Xiao Ran.

He naturally remembered this scene.

In the original drama, Xiao Ran started his business with this batch of strange-smelling soaps.

After being repackaged and sold as herbal soap, it sold extremely well, earning the seller their first pot of gold.

This was a turning point in Xiao Ran's fate.

But now, I know this information in advance.

Do you want to intercept?
Su Ning thought for a moment and said, "Xiao Ran, your idea is good. But 400,000 is too little; it won't be able to be scaled up."

Xiao Ran was taken aback. "What does President Su mean..."

“If we’re going to do it, we’ll do it big,” Su Ning said. “I don’t just want that batch of soap, I want the entire Anerya Company. Also, we won’t do one-off deals, we’ll build a brand and do long-term business.”

"The entire company?" Xiao Ran was shocked. "That...that would cost a fortune!"

“Anya is currently experiencing operational difficulties and isn’t worth much,” Su Ning said. “I’ll have Boss Fu negotiate; we should be able to get it for one million. With subsequent investments, the total investment will be five million.”

"Five...five million?" Xiao Ran's tongue was tied in knots.

“Yes, five million,” Su Ning said. “I’ll provide the capital, taking a 51% stake. You’ll provide the plan and be responsible for operations, taking a 40% stake. Zhou Zhenxing will be in charge of finance and distribution channels, taking a 9% stake. You’ll be the legal representative and general manager of the new company, and Zhou Zhenxing will be the CFO. How does that sound?”

Xiao Ran's mind was buzzing.

40% shareholding? Legal representative? General manager?
This...this can't be a dream, right?
"President Su, you...you're really willing?"

“I’m willing,” Su Ning said. “But you have to think it through. Being a general manager comes with great responsibility and pressure. If you don’t do a good job and the company loses money, you will be held responsible.”

"I...I will definitely do my best!" Xiao Ran said excitedly, "I will never let you down!"

“Okay.” Su Ning picked up the phone. “President Fu, could you come over here?”

Ah Fu came in quickly.

"President Fu, go and investigate the situation of Anerya Daily Chemical Company," Su Ning said. "The boss's name is Lu Ximing. The company is experiencing difficulties and has a batch of unsold soap. Go and negotiate the acquisition, keeping the price below 800,000. Buy the entire company, including the brand, equipment, factory, and inventory."

"Understood." Afu nodded.

“In addition,” Suning said, “we will register a new brand called… ‘Yu Xue Qing’. It will focus on traditional Chinese medicine formulas, natural and healthy. The packaging design should be high-end and highlight the concept of ‘medicinal bath’.”

"Ok."

After Afu left, Xiao Ran was still in shock.

"President Su, this...you've made a decision so quickly?"

“The business world is like a battlefield, and opportunities are fleeting,” Suning said. “Xiao Ran, I think your idea is good. But having an idea isn’t enough; you also need the ability to execute it. The company is in your hands; you have to make it a success.”

"I will definitely work hard!"

"Alright, go and get ready!" Su Ning said. "Once President Fu finalizes the deal, you'll be the general manager of An'erya. Do a good job; whether you're a dragon or a worm depends on this. Don't let me down."

"Yes!"

Xiao Ran walked out of the office, her legs feeling weak.

He couldn't believe this was true.

Just a few minutes ago, he was still worrying about 400,000.

Now, however, he has become the person in charge of a five-million-dollar project, owning 40% of the shares, and is also the general manager.

Life's ups and downs come too suddenly.

……

Afu moved very quickly.

Three days later, he had figured out An'erya's situation.

“Master, An'erya Company is indeed facing difficulties.” Afu reported, “The boss, Lu Ximing, is forty years old. He has a bad temper and is only interested in profit. He is the same kind of person as Huang Tianba. When the products had problems, he wanted to quit long ago. The company has a debt of 500,000 yuan, an inventory backlog of 800,000 yuan, old equipment, and the factory is rented. He is willing to sell and is asking for 1 million yuan.”

"Hold him down," Suning said. "Eight hundred thousand, all-inclusive. Give him cash and tell him to get out of here."

"Yes."

When Afu went to negotiate, Lu Ximing initially insisted on one million, but when he heard that it was a cash transaction and he could get the money immediately, he relented.

The final price was 850,000.

Sign the contract, transfer ownership, and complete the formalities.

A week later, Anerya Daily Chemical Company officially became a subsidiary of Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics.

Meanwhile, the new brand "Yu Xue Qing" was successfully registered.

Su Ning called Xiao Ran and Zhou Zhenxing to his office.

"The company has been acquired for 850,000 yuan," Su Ning said. "Now, 'Yu Xue Qing Daily Chemical Co., Ltd.' is officially established. I own 51% of the shares, Xiao Ran owns 40%, and Zhou Zhenxing owns 9%. Xiao Ran will serve as the legal representative and general manager, and Zhou Zhenxing will serve as the chief financial officer. Any questions?"

"No!" they both said in unison.

“Okay.” Su Ning pushed the two documents over. “This is the company’s articles of association, and this is the equity agreement. Sign them.”

Xiao Ran picked up the pen, her hand trembling slightly.

He knew that this signing would change the course of his life.

From salesperson to general manager.

From an employee to a boss.

Although I'm just a small business owner, still working for Suning, the meaning is completely different.

He took a deep breath and signed his name.

Zhou Zhenxing also signed it.

“Alright, from now on, the company is in your hands,” Su Ning said. “The first batch of products is those 200,000 bars of soap. Repackage them, reposition them, and launch them as soon as possible. If you need funding, apply to Boss Fu. If you need manpower, recruit them yourself. I only want results—open up the market and start making a profit within three months.”

"Yes, sir!" Xiao Ran stood at attention. "Mission accomplished!"

"Go."

As the two walked out of the office, Zhou Zhenxing excitedly patted Xiao Ran on the shoulder, "Xiao Ran, we're rich! We're really rich!"

Xiao Ran was excited, but felt even more pressure.

A five million investment, Suning's trust, and his own future...

We've staked everything on this batch of soap.

It can only succeed, not fail.

"Director Zhou, we need to hurry," Xiao Ran said. "First, we need to go and see the factory, the equipment, and the inventory. Then we need to develop a detailed plan."

"Yes! Let's go!"

The two immediately went to An'erya's factory.

The factory is located in Bao'an District. It's not large, and the equipment is old, but it's still usable.

Two hundred thousand bars of soap were piled up in the warehouse, like a small mountain.

Xiao Ran picked up a bar of soap and smelled the strange scent.

Now, to him, the smell wasn't strange; it was the smell of money.

It's the taste that changes your destiny.

"Director Zhou, find a design company to redesign the packaging," Xiao Ran said. "It needs to be green, natural, and highlight the concept of 'traditional Chinese medicine.' The packaging should say: 'Peppermint and mugwort formula, cooling and mosquito-repellent, relieves itching and prickly heat.'"

"it is good!"

"Also, find an advertising company to shoot an advertisement. It should be heartwarming and healthy. You can shoot it with mothers and children, highlighting 'baby not afraid of mosquito bites while taking a bath'."

"understand!"

"Also, we need to contact pharmacies, baby stores, and supermarkets to discuss getting them into the market. We can offer discounts or even free initial stock to open up the market first."

"Row!"

The two were full of energy.

Xiao Ran knew that this was the biggest opportunity of his life.

If you catch it, you can turn your life around.

If you can't hold on, you might never get back up.

However, the cooling properties of mint and the mosquito-repelling properties of mugwort are scientifically based.

As long as the packaging is good, the promotion is good, and the distribution channels are good, it will definitely sell.

Moreover, it's summer now, the perfect time.

The right time, the right place, the right people.

He has it all.

There's no reason why it shouldn't succeed.

Shenzhen, this city of dreams, once again gave him a chance to defy fate.