Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 292 A sudden turn of events
Some people, out of personal grudges, wished the Dapeng Sugar Factory, which was related to the livelihood of the people of Wangjia Village, would go bankrupt, and even cursed it in public.

Some people, however, begged and pleaded with everyone they could to keep the Dapeng Sugar Factory going, just to get a chance to get out of its predicament.

Looking at Wang Fucheng's pleading, Li Dafei said with some difficulty:
"Captain Wang, it's not that I don't want to help you, but your request is really not in accordance with the rules, which violates the spirit of fair competition."

Li Dafei had anticipated the price reduction of Dapeng white sugar, but he never expected that Wang Fucheng would come up with such a strange idea of ​​discounting and promoting it.

Considering the potential negative impact of the activity, Li Dafei rejected Wang Fucheng's request without hesitation.

This situation left Wang Fucheng dumbfounded. The good plan that Wang Yong had finally managed to get from Wang Chengpeng was now impossible to implement, which was a real blow.

In the end, he decided to argue his case and make a final stand, saying:

"Director Liu, please give us a day, for your sake."

“As long as it lasts, for better or for worse, I will never come to you again.”

Ultimately, it was Liu Guodong's influence that made the difference. Li Dafei sighed and finally agreed, saying:

"Alright, then I'll give you one day."

"After one day, regardless of the outcome, you must return to the way things were."

"Also, our supply and marketing cooperative's employees won't help you with this activity; you'll have to send people to do it yourselves."

With a fawning smile, Wang Fucheng said, "Director Liu, how could I trouble you with such a thing? I'll have my good-for-nothing son do it."

"If he hadn't been so impulsive, Dapeng Baitang wouldn't have ended up in such an awkward situation."

Upon hearing Wang Fucheng's words, Li Dafei's eyes flashed with a hint of speechlessness. He really didn't know where Dapeng Sugar got the confidence to say such a thing, since it had ultimately resorted to price reductions.

However, this matter has little to do with him; he just needs to wait and see what happens.

It was Wang Fucheng's plea that gave Wang Yong an opportunity. He showed no airs of a factory manager and went to the town's supply and marketing cooperative to do promotions the next day.

Faced with the bustling crowd, Wang Yong seemed to have his mouth sealed shut, unable to utter a sound.

He really lacked the relevant experience and didn't have the courage to shout it out here.

Taking a deep breath, Wang Yong recalled many things at that moment.

He recalled his muddled past, Wang Chengpeng's earnest teachings, and the Dapeng Sugar Factory that determined the fate of Wangjia Village.

If the sugar factory plan fails, some people in Wangjia Village, who have converted a large amount of grain crops to sugar beets, may not survive the winter.

He had to muster his courage, risk everything, to find a glimmer of hope for the Dapeng Sugar Factory.

Thinking of this, Wang Yong subconsciously touched the brocade pouch hanging on his chest, Wang Chengpeng's last trump card, and murmured:
"There's still a chance. Things haven't gotten so bad that we need to use this trump card yet."

"I will prove to everyone that I have the ability to become the director of Dapeng Sugar Factory, not because of my family's support!"

Thinking this, Wang Yong shouted out his first advertising slogan of the day:

"Good news, good news! Dapeng white sugar is newly launched and on sale."

"The Dapeng white sugar that used to cost 50 cents a pack is now only 40 cents a pack. If you miss this opportunity, you'll only be able to buy it for 50 cents in the future."

The loud shouts instantly attracted the attention of the surrounding crowd, but whether they would buy Dapeng white sugar was still unknown.

……

"Dad, I did it! We did it!"

Although his voice was hoarse, it couldn't hide the excitement in Wang Yong's words.

He persevered until the very last minute before the supply and marketing cooperative closed, and the results were remarkable. He finally broke the pitiful situation of zero sales of Dapeng white sugar and took the first step towards success.

Feeling sorry for Wang Yong, Wang Fucheng handed him a cup of tea and asked in a low voice:

"Son, don't get agitated, have some water and tell me slowly."

"Look at your voice, it looks like you won't be able to use it for several days."

After gulping down a glass of water, Wang Yong's voice didn't lower at all as he shouted:

"Dad, I sold thirteen bags of Dapeng white sugar today! A whole thirteen bags!"

Wang Yong waved his hands excitedly, describing the scene of his activity today.

Even with a 20% discount, Dapeng white sugar is still slightly more expensive than regular white sugar.

It is precisely this slight price difference that is enough to deter countless people and make them lose the courage to break their usual purchasing habits.

Ultimately, it was Dapeng White Sugar's high-quality packaging and eye-catching trademark that made a difference.
With a "let's give it a try" attitude, some people still chose to try it out, to see if the newly produced white sugar was sweet or pure.

This is a good start. Whether it can achieve the effect Wang Yong wants depends on the quality of Dapeng white sugar.

Patting Wang Yong on the shoulder, Wang Fucheng said with satisfaction:

"Son, you've finally grown up."

“I used to think you’d grow up to be a street urchin because you used to wander around the village aimlessly, but I never expected you to be so responsible.”

"Don't worry, Dapeng Sugar Factory can't possibly fail. At worst, we'll lower the price and still make more money than other sugar manufacturers."

Shaking his head slightly, Wang Yong said, "We can't lower the price; that would be killing the future of Dapeng Sugar Factory."

"What you see now is indeed that our factory produces high-quality white sugar at low cost, but that's just the surface. You've overlooked the equipment blueprints provided by the master craftsman."

"Those equipment blueprints are worth a fortune; each one is priceless and cannot be measured in monetary terms."

"Aside from the value of the blueprints, if we sell Dapeng white sugar at a low price, we won't make much money at all, and it will be difficult to grow and become stronger."

"In other words, Dapeng Sugar Factory was like a leech, constantly clinging to the master and sucking his blood."

"If we want to break free from our cocoons and transform into butterflies, we must have the determination and perseverance to overcome the difficulties and truly develop Dapeng Sugar Factory."

With a sigh, Wang Fucheng knew exactly what Wang Yong was saying; he just... didn't want his son to be under too much pressure.

Looking up at the bright moon outside the window, it was nearing the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the moon was big and round, but it couldn't dispel the gloom in his heart.

Hopefully this will be helpful...

Thinking this, Wang Fucheng poured Wang Yong another glass of water and comforted him:

"Don't overthink it, you have to trust the quality of Dapeng white sugar."

At this point, Wang Fucheng changed his tune again: "Even if you don't believe in the quality of Dapeng white sugar, you should still believe in your master's skills."

“He personally oversaw the entire process of making Dapeng white sugar, so you should have more confidence in him.”

Wang Yong nodded vigorously, and the worry in his eyes instantly lessened by more than half.

Yes, how could he not trust Wang Chengpeng?
……

Chen Dayong was one of the thirteen lucky ones who managed to buy Dapeng white sugar. He originally went to buy white sugar for his family, but unexpectedly, he was tempted by Wang Yong and ended up buying a bag of Dapeng white sugar without even realizing it.

Slapping his forehead, Chen Dayong exclaimed, "Oh no, I've been tricked!"

Even if that guy raves about it, isn't Dapeng white sugar still a few cents more expensive than other white sugar?

But since he had already bought the candy, he couldn't possibly go back and return it for a few cents, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and take the bag of candy back with him.

As soon as he got home, Chen Dayong couldn't wait to open the packaging, pour some into his enamel mug, and then brew it with boiling water.

His wife, Lu Sixi, was pregnant and couldn't eat many things, so he thought of mixing some sugar with plain water for her to drink. Otherwise, he wouldn't normally buy such a luxury as sugar.

As usual, Chen Dayong brewed a full cup for his wife and brought it over, gently instructing her:

"Si Xi, be careful of the soup."

Lu Sixi scooped up a spoonful of sugar water, blew on it, and then put it in his mouth to drink.

The moment Lu Sixi drank it, he frowned, a sight that terrified Chen Dayong.

Oh no, I forgot to test the new sugar I bought.

Could it be that the taste is bad, bitter, and Lu Sixi doesn't like it?
They say that you get what you pay for, but if you spend more money than you gain, how come you still get scammed?

He'll definitely go to the supply and marketing cooperative again tomorrow and give that braggart a good scolding. This is sugar he bought for his wife; if he's going to rip someone off, he shouldn't be doing it here.

Chen Dayong clearly misunderstood the reason for Lu Sixi's frown, because he soon heard the other party say:

"Dayong, this syrup is way too sweet! Did you secretly add extra sugar again without telling me?"

"I know you mean well, but you know our family's financial situation. I'm fine with just a little sugar water, there's no need to make it so strong."

Although he complained, Lu Sixi's eyes were filled with joy.

Doesn't doing that show that Chen Dayong cares about him?
Upon hearing Lu Sixi's words, Chen Dayong was immediately taken aback and said:
"What? You didn't think this sweet soup tasted good?"

He then seemed to realize something and explained, "Honey, don't misunderstand, I've always made you the usual amount."

"The doctor said it's okay for you to drink some sugar water, but you can't drink too much, it's bad for your health."

"But the sugar I bought today is high-grade white sugar, which may taste and be much better nutritious."

"What? High-grade white sugar?" Lu Sixi asked. "How much does it cost? It can't be very expensive, can it?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Dayong quickly waved his hand and said, "It's not expensive at all, only four cents for half a pound, just a little more expensive than regular white sugar."

"But I heard it's a promotional price now, and it will be 50 cents after the promotion ends."

"I don't really understand what a promotional price is, but I definitely got a good deal."

Lu Sixi was indeed a bit smarter than Chen Dayong, and he quickly picked up on something and explained:
"Although I don't quite understand it either, the gist is that it's selling for four cents now, but it will be selling for five cents a pack later, which is a whole cent more expensive."

Hearing Lu Sixi's explanation, Chen Dayong's face was full of disdain, and he said:

"Who would buy sugar for 50 cents a pound? We don't earn money easily, we can't be ripped off."

However, his seemingly reasonable words earned him a glare from Lu Sixi, who said irritably:
"That's not how you do it."

"If it were the same thing, it would be more cost-effective to buy the cheaper one, but these are clearly not the same thing."

"By the way, you probably haven't tried this before, right? Try this sweet soup, it's definitely different from anything you've had before."

"I think this sugar water tastes even sweeter than malted milk powder."

At this point, Lu Sixi smiled and said, "Dayong, you should try this sweet soup too."

Faced with Lu Sixi's persuasion, Chen Dayong's eyes were full of disdain, and he said indifferently:
"It's just a sweet soup, how good can it be? I'll give it a try."

Chen Dayong said he would try, but he only scooped up a tiny bit. The spoon trembled in his hand, as if he was afraid of scooping up even a drop too much.

He couldn't bear to drink more; he only wanted Lu Sixi to drink more.

But even with just this tiny bit of sugar water, Chen Dayong immediately sensed something was wrong as soon as he put it in his mouth.

This sweetness was completely different from the sugar water he used to drink; it was incredibly sweet, without the slightest bitterness.
It's refreshingly sweet, cleanly sweet, like it was squeezed directly from sugarcane, without any impurities.

That subtle sweetness is like a spring breeze gently brushing across the tongue, or like summer rain falling softly on the heart, making you want to smack your lips and have another bite.

Having tasted the wonderful flavor of the sweet soup, Chen Dayong waved his hand, scooped up a large spoonful, and fed it to Lu Sixi, saying:
"This sweet soup tastes just so-so, I don't like it. Honey, you should drink more."

As Lu Sixi took a sip of the sweet soup, he felt as if something sweeter than white sugar had seeped into it, a sweetness that reached right to his heart.

It was just a small bowl of sweet soup, but it took the two of them a long time to finish it.

After a while, Lu Sixi seemed to remember something and asked Chen Dayong:
"Dayong, didn't you mention that you bought this sugar during some kind of promotion? Did you even ask how long the promotion lasted?"

"If there's another promotion tomorrow, I was thinking you should buy a lot while it's cheap, and add some to your steamed buns or make sweet buns. Those would be great."

Hearing Lu Sixi's suggestion, Chen Dayong was a little confused and said:

"Honey, why are you buying so much sugar? We don't have much money at home."

"Save some, I'll buy you some eggs tomorrow to help you recover."

Lu Sixi shook his head and said, "You can buy eggs anytime, but you can't always buy discounted sugar."

"I think the packaging of this Dapeng white sugar is sturdy and it will last a long time. I'll buy a few more packs while it's cheap and keep them to eat slowly later."

"If a pack is cheaper by one cent, then buying ten packs would save you a dollar. What's the difference between that and getting money for free?"

"Next time you make me sugar water, you don't need to put in so much sugar. I'm thinking half is enough."

"Even if we buy it at 50 cents per half pound, we'll still make a profit compared to regular white sugar."

(End of this chapter)