Earning 100 million a day, yet trapped in a county town.

Chapter 88 Can't you be a little more mature?

The next morning, Shen Qingxue was woken up by her alarm clock.

She reached for her phone, turned off the alarm, and glanced at the time.

8:30.

She sat up and rubbed her eyes.

I didn't sleep well last night. I kept thinking about Dong Xiaocheng's messy affairs and finally drifted off to sleep in the middle of the night.

My eyes are swollen like walnuts now.

Shen Qingxue got out of bed, went to the bathroom to wash her face, and looked at herself in the mirror.

No, I can't show my face like this.

She put on a face mask, leaned against the headboard, and opened her phone to look up Lu Mingyuan's information.

This was something she had prepared before coming to Jiangcheng.

Lu Mingyuan, 36 years old, previously worked as the operations director of a mid-range clothing brand in Hangzhou for five years.

He was recruited by Wang Guanxi to Chongxi and became its general manager.

He earns a higher annual salary and owns more shares than her.

Money alone isn't enough to poach this kind of person.

He needs to feel that Meiwei has a better future than Chongxi.

Shen Qingxue went over the prepared script in her mind again.

Let's talk about the industry first, then about M&W's resources, and finally about salaries.

Proceed step by step, don't rush.

After applying a face mask, Shen Qingxue put on light makeup and changed into a dark blue business suit.

He looked at himself in the mirror and nodded in satisfaction.

She is capable, professional, and yet retains her feminine charm.

She picked up her phone, found Lu Mingyuan's number, and dialed it.

It rang three times, then I answered.

"Hello Mr. Lu, I am Shen Qingxue, Marketing Director of Meiwei."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone.

"Director Shen, is there something you need?"

His tone was neither warm nor cold, carrying a businesslike detachment.

Shen Qingxue smiled and said, "President Lu, are you free at noon? I'd like to invite you for a coffee and we can chat about industry matters."

"What are you going to talk about?"

"It was just a casual chat. Meiwei has been in the apparel industry for over 20 years, while Chongxi is an emerging brand. I think the two companies have a lot to learn from each other."

Lu Mingyuan remained silent for two seconds.

"Okay, send me your location at noon."

After hanging up the phone, Shen Qingxue's lips curled up slightly.

The first step was successful.

If he's willing to meet with her, it means he's not completely opposed to Meiwei.

The rest depends on her abilities.

At 11:50 a.m., Shen Qingxue arrived at the agreed-upon coffee shop.

She chose a seat by the window, where the light was good and the view was nice.

After sitting down, she took the materials she had prepared in advance out of her bag and placed them on the table.

An annual report from Meiwei, a competitor analysis from Chongxi, and a blank employment contract.

She filled out the last form herself in her hotel room last night.

The salary figure shows that it is 30% higher than Lu Mingyuan's current salary.

She refused to believe that there was anyone in this world who wouldn't be moved.

At exactly twelve o'clock, the door of the coffee shop was pushed open.

Lu Mingyuan walked in.

He was wearing a dark gray suit with a white shirt underneath, no tie, and one button undone at the collar.

His hair was combed meticulously, and his glasses were polished to a shine.

Shen Qingxue stood up and greeted him with a smile.

"Mr. Lu, this way please."

Lu Mingyuan nodded and sat down opposite her.

The waiter came over, and Shen Qingxue ordered a latte, while Lu Mingyuan ordered an Americano.

The two exchanged a few pleasantries, such as "Are you busy lately?" and "How are the second batch of goods from Chongxi selling?"

Lu Mingyuan responded casually, his face expressionless.

The coffee has arrived.

Shen Qingxue picked up the cup, took a sip, put it down, and got to the point.

"President Lu, you've done a great job at Chongxi. But I'd like to ask, where do you see Chongxi's ceiling?"

Lu Mingyuan picked up his coffee, took a sip, and said nothing.

Shen Qingxue continued, "Chongxi is a new brand, and its momentum is indeed good. But frankly speaking, it relies on Wang Guanxi's personal influence, not on systematic operation. Once something happens to Wang Guanxi, or the hype dies down, how long can Chongxi last?"

Lu Mingyuan put down his coffee cup and looked at her.

"Director Shen, you asked me out just to talk to me about this?"

Shen Qingxue smiled.

This person was more direct than she expected.

"Okay, then I won't beat around the bush." She pushed the competitive analysis in front of Lu Mingyuan. "Mr. Lu, take a look at this."

Lu Mingyuan glanced down at it but didn't turn it over.

"What is this?"

"A comparative analysis of Chongxi and Meiwei," Shen Qingxue said, "is based on a comparison of three dimensions: brand influence, channel coverage, and supply chain capabilities."

Lu Mingyuan remained silent.

Shen Qingxue continued speaking at a moderate pace.

"Chongxi is doing well right now, selling well on Douyin and having a good reputation. But Mr. Lu, you should know better than me that online brand growth has its limits. If you want to grow bigger, you have to go offline. Meiwei has more than 3,000 stores nationwide. Chongxi can't catch up with that kind of channel resource within five years."

Lu Mingyuan picked up his coffee, took a sip, and didn't reply.

Shen Qingxue pushed the annual report over again.

"Meiwei's revenue last year was 100 times that of Chongxi. Its supply chain covers the whole country, and its fabric and accessory suppliers are all industry leaders."

Mr. Lu, at Chongxi you can build a brand from scratch to one, but at Meiwei you can grow one to a hundred.

Lu Mingyuan flipped through two pages of the report and closed it.

He looked up at Shen Qingxue.

"Director Shen, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Shen Qingxue smiled and pushed the last employment contract to the top.

"Mr. Lu, come to Meiwei."

"Your salary will be 30% higher than your current one. Your position will remain the same—General Manager. Your authority will also remain the same; you will be fully responsible for the supply chain, operations, and marketing."

She paused, then added.

"Mr. Wen admires you very much."

Lu Mingyuan looked at her without saying a word.

Shen Qingxue felt that there was hope.

He at least didn't directly refuse.

She was about to strike while the iron was hot and say a few more words about the advantages of Meiwei.

The phone rang.

She looked down and saw three words written on the screen: Dong Xiaocheng.

Shen Qingxue's face stiffened for a moment.

She didn't answer and hung up.

"Mr. Lu, I'm sorry, where was I? —"

Before I could finish speaking, my phone rang again.

It was Dong Xiaocheng again.

Shen Qingxue took a deep breath, just as she was about to hang up, when Lu Mingyuan said calmly, "Director Shen, no rush. You can answer the phone first."

Seeing this, Shen Qingxue could only apologize and say, "Excuse me, I'll stay a moment."

She took her phone, walked quickly to the corridor outside the coffee shop, and answered the call.

"Did you hang up on me again?"

Dong Xiaocheng's voice came through the receiver, carrying a questioning tone.

Shen Qingxue lowered her voice: "I'm talking to a client."

"Can't I answer the phone when we're talking business?"

"Dong Xiaocheng, can't you be a little more mature?"

"How am I being immature? I just wanted to ask if you had eaten lunch. It's wrong for me to care about you when you're all alone out there."

Shen Qingxue closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I ate it."

"What did you eat?"