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They primarily perform mechanical work, completing simple tasks such as assembly and sealing.

This is truly an assembly line; before this product is even finished, the next one is already here.

Xinglu Company is a sex toy manufacturing factory, so they produce almost all the products that Lin Zheng wants to buy.

After looking at several sample items, Lin Zheng was very satisfied.

However, when the group was poking the inflatable doll's anus to verify the product's quality, Zhou Shishi looked away shyly.

She's still not quite open-minded.

After reviewing the product, it's time to get down to business.

Discussing prices and cooperation.

Liu Tao tentatively offered a quote: "A doll that retails for 800 online, I'll offer 260 for cost price, and the rest will be roughly the same. What do you think?"

For a layperson, the purchase price is 30% of the cost price, so they would probably agree without even thinking about it.

However, Lin Zheng had already learned about the cost of this thing beforehand.

He shook his head and said what he had prepared long ago.

"Hey Tao, that price you're offering isn't fair. Take this wind chime for example, right? It's made of TPE material, so the cost should only be a few dozen yuan, probably around 70, right?"

Lin Zheng accurately stated the price of the raw materials.

Liu Tao narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded with interest.

He thought to himself, "Looks like this young man is prepared!"

As expected of the young master who started his own business, he's not a hothead.

That's right. During the conversation in the car just now, Lin Zheng mentioned that his family gave him money, successfully portraying himself as an elite rich second-generation who came out to start a business during the summer vacation.

No seats available!

When you're out in the world, you give yourself your own identity.

Lin Zheng continued, "You already have all the machines and molds in the factory, so there's no need to make new ones. That's practically a no-brainer, right?"

Liu Tao nodded, remained silent, and continued listening.

"As for labor, judging from the production speed, it would take about 20 to 30 yuan to make one."

Then let's say other expenses, such as transportation and warehousing, are 20.

In other words, a wind chime with a retail price of 800 yuan actually costs only about 120 yuan to produce.

I have some understanding of the manufacturing industry; the profit margin is only around 4.6%, so my purchase price of 130 per piece is quite reasonable.

After Lin Zheng finished speaking, he looked at Liu Tao with a grin, waiting for the other party's response.

From 260 to 130, it's a direct 50% cut, and a well-reasoned 50% cut at that.

Faced with such an algorithm, Liu Tao was both amused and exasperated. He shook his head repeatedly, as if to say that Lin Zheng was naive.

"Brother Lin, that's not how you calculate costs. Think about it, don't we have to pay taxes? You might not have to pay taxes when you sell things, right? Because our source factory has already paid the taxes."

"And opening a factory costs money too. Machine wear and tear, labor costs for maintenance—doesn't that all cost money?"

He suddenly paused as he spoke.

Lin Zheng smiled without saying a word, waiting for him to continue.

He realized that since Lin Zheng could analyze product costs, he must also understand taxes, machine costs, and other labor costs.

So... his price of 130 each was actually a bargain, a huge price cut.

Essentially, it's about negotiating the price and waiting for him to counter-offer.

"Goodness, I thought you didn't know anything? Playing these tricks with your brother Tao."

Liu Tao suddenly smiled, touched his thinning hair, and offered a new purchase price.

"240, wind chimes are 240 each. This is the lowest price I can offer. Let's be friends, what do you think?"

He added, "If possible, we'll give you the lowest price for all the other products."

240 was roughly the price Lin Zheng had in mind.

After all, large factories like this might have to pay 45% in taxes. That means out of 240, they have to pay 108 in taxes, leaving only about 4.6% as net profit.

This guy is talking about the lowest price, but shouldn't this be the original purchase price?

After a moment's thought, Lin Zheng agreed and decided to sign a contract directly with the other party.

"Lin Zheng, shall we sign the contract right away? We haven't even rented the venue yet!"

Zhou Shishi reminded her from the side.

"It's alright, let's cut to the chase. Brother Tao, I can contact you by phone later about the shipping time, right?"

He looked at Liu Tao as he spoke.

"No problem at all, but you need to give us an exact delivery timeframe. Otherwise, we can't keep paying you to store our products, right?"

"OK, no problem, I'll call you within a week."

"OK!"

"..."

The cooperation was quickly concluded, and Liu Tao drove the two back to the city and then treated them to a simple meal.

At the dinner table, Lin Zheng painted a rosy picture for him, suggesting that the two sides should have opportunities to deepen their cooperation in the future.

Liu Tao naturally understood and thanked him repeatedly.

After a few rounds of drinks, Liu Tao, slightly tipsy, explained to Lin Zheng the hardships faced by factories in the manufacturing industry.

Finally, on the eve of their parting, he made another promise: next time Lin Zheng came to buy goods, he could offer an even lower price, giving him the truly lowest possible price.

In reality, it means offering prices to existing customers.

That's how business is discussed.

Looking at Lin Zheng, who acted with great maturity, Zhou Shishi felt a deep sense of emotion.

Honestly, she couldn't tell at all that Lin Zheng was an eighteen-year-old boy.

He seemed more like a chivalrous knight-errant who had been wandering the martial world for a long time.

Passionate, spirited, calm, and confident...

She could see many of these words of praise in him.

Seriously, she really admires guys like that!

Chapter 159 Don't Open the Door

After dinner, Lin Zheng took Zhou Shishi out and turned left. They bought some hangover medicine at a pharmacy that was about 50 meters apart, to avoid any problems that might arise later in the night.

The pharmacy staff saw a man and a woman come in together, and that they were buying hangover medicine in the evening.

She immediately gossiped, "Should we buy some birth control pills? It's a real problem if a young couple gets pregnant during sex!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shishi immediately blushed. She shook her head and did not directly refuse.

But then she looked at Lin Zheng, trying to see what he meant.

Lin Zheng shrugged and smiled, "It's okay, if you get pregnant, just give birth."

These words made the staff laugh until their faces were full of wrinkles, and made Zhou Shishi's heart flutter.

Her mind was racing with wild thoughts. What did Lin Zheng mean by this?

It's different, so very different!

In her world, Lin Zheng did treat her as a good friend, but apart from hugging and kissing her in the last two days, he wouldn't do anything out of line.

What's more, statements like, "It's okay, if you get pregnant, just give birth," are so outrageous.

After buying the medicine, Lin Zheng took two pills directly, hoping that taking them sooner would be more effective.

The Hoshino Resorts Hotel is not far from here; it takes about half an hour to walk there.

Just as the sun was setting, the sky was ablaze with red clouds, and a pleasant evening breeze was blowing.

The two planned to walk to the hotel and digest their food along the way.

Zhou Shishi started a casual conversation: "Lin Zheng, I feel that when you talk about business, you have a lot of leadership qualities, but you're not quite like other leaders."

"What's different?"

Lin Zheng pretended to be drunk, ran his right hand through her curly hair, and put it on her sticky neck after a long day, and strolled around with her in his arms.

Before Zhou Shishi could reply, he continued jokingly, "Do you always end up with a female subordinate after drinking, and then go to a hotel together?"

"You're so annoying! Why do you always talk like that?"

Zhou Shishi gave him a reproachful look and glared at him with wide eyes.

Something's not right, something's really not right, there's definitely something wrong with this Lin Zheng!

However... she seems to prefer Lin Zheng.

She took a deep breath to calm herself down and returned to the topic: "I had an internship experience before, cough cough, in my memory, I went with the leaders to discuss a cooperation. They basically didn't do any real work, they just kept drinking and bragging."

But incredibly, as they were chatting, they started to recognize each other as relatives, and after that, the contract was naturally finalized. It's truly unbelievable.

I feel like their collaboration is just ridiculous.

Then in the afternoon, when you were discussing cooperation with someone, you actually presented a bunch of your own analyses to lower the price, which was quite unique.

Moreover, you seem to be particularly good at dealing with people.

After being praised by Zhou Shishi, Lin Zheng chuckled, snapped his fingers with his left hand, and boasted, "The leader is a person, and I am a person too, so why can't I be a leader?!"

"Tch~, you get all cocky just from a compliment."

......

Half an hour later, the two entered the hotel, where the incandescent lights were on.

At the reception desk on the first floor, an obese man in his thirties was sitting and playing on his phone.

He had permed hair, wore a green Submariner watch and square glasses, and was dressed in a T-shirt and shorts that didn't look cheap.

Judging from his clothes and appearance, he looks like someone who is very wealthy.

He might be the owner of this hotel.

Come to think of it, how could a hotel owner not have money?

Upon seeing a guest enter, the obese man put down his phone, looked up at the two men, and remained silent.

Lin Zheng took the lead in saying that they had already placed an order online, and then took out his phone to scan the QR code for him.

"OK, here are your room keys. You can take the elevator up over there."

The obese man quickly completed the check-in procedures for the two of them.

After getting the license plates, one was at 405 and the other at 607.

The two were indeed not in the same building, which made Lin Zheng's heart pound.

Inside the elevator, he looked around but didn't find any surveillance cameras or anything like that.

However, to prevent any accidents, he put his arm around Zhou Shishi's neck and whispered in her ear, "Shishi, it's not safe to stay out at night. You must lock the door at night, and don't open it no matter who knocks, understand?"

"Yes, I understand."

Zhou Shishi nodded.

She's been working in Beijing for four years, how could she not know this basic safety knowledge?

Lin Zheng handed her the room key for room 607, and then stepped out of the elevator first.

The elevator doors closed as Zhou Shishi gazed at them with reluctance.

To be honest, she really wanted to share a room with Lin Zheng...

Stepping out of the elevator, Lin Zheng inexplicably went to take a look at the adjacent staircase.

Good heavens, a stench hit him, and under the light of his phone, two dried-up dead rats were right in front of him, making him feel extremely disgusted.